Unusual materials for items

[David Bofinger]

A eusocial giant insect wraps its soldier caste in armour made of silk fibres in resin, both made by specialised castes. The armour thus created is perfectly shaped to the wearer and is similar in effectiveness to ballistic nylon or polythene. In game terms it is lighter than steel, shaped as well as fine plate, better in some ways than steel and worse in others.

Some cultures, who happen to have such insects living nearby, will repurpose parts of insect armour for their own protection.

More courageous and enterprising soldiers have taken to marinating themselves in soldier jelly then sneaking into a hive, lying in the place of a soldier larva and waiting for an armourer to come coat them. On leaving the hive only a few modifications are needed to make the insect armour practical to wear.

The method is risky: not everyone comes back out, and nobody knows why.