Fine Leatherworks & Exotic Hidecraft
Tucked along a quiet avenue of Voolnishart’s artisan quarter, The Hidebound Hall is a sumptuous emporium devoted entirely to leather, hide, and scale. A warm, almost primal aroma greets patrons the moment they step inside—a mingling of smoked hide, waxed polish, rich oils, and the unmistakable musk of true craftsmanship.
Every surface gleams with curated presentation. Walls of finely-grained leathers in hues from charcoal to amethyst ripple in gentle folds, each swatch tagged by origin: wyvern flank from the Spinepeaks, deep-sea eelskin from the Twilight Trawl, sunbaked camelhide from the Great Wyrllish Expanse. To the right of the entrance, a recessed alcove glitters with scaled wonders—laminar folds of basilisk hide, shimmering swamp drake belly plates, and gloved claws made from stitched cockatrice leather.
A long, glass-inset counter dominates the center of the showroom, displaying case after case of grommets, buckles, clasps, laces, and fittings. Some gleam with simple bronze charm, while others shimmer with patinas of verdigris, shadow silver, or blackened steel. Customers seeking a particular flair often linger here, debating the merit of barbed obsidian hooks over mother-of-pearl toggles.
Along one wall hang leatherworking toolkits—complete sets of punches, awls, dyes, waxes, needles, and bone polishers—for those who prefer to craft or repair their own gear. Each set is marked with a sigil denoting whether it’s suited for light garment work, armored applications, or ceremonial leathers. One section of the shop is reserved for bespoke fittings, where private customers may be measured and fitted with hand-tooled armor or luxury apparel. The fitting mirrors are full-length and enchanted to preserve posture for later tailoring enchantments.
While the shop itself is stately and impeccably clean, its heart lies across the river in Mulsburg—commonly known as Ranktown. There, nestled between the textile mill and the slaughterhouse, the Hall’s private tannery prepares hides in the traditional manner: barked pits, brine washes, drake-fat sealants, and hand-finished dyes. The odors and chemicals are unpleasant enough to have earned the district its derisive nickname, and city ordinances forbid such craft within Voolnishart proper.
Deliveries arrive each dawn—raw rolls of treated hide, finished armors, cured scales, and custom pieces all shuttled over the Old Stone Span in sealed wagons, then catalogued and stocked before the morning’s first customer arrives. For those who favor leather over silk, or hide over woven cloth, The Hidebound Hall offers unmatched protection, comfort, and pride of wear.
Proprietor: Master Luren Vaskh
A tall, sinewy man of uncertain lineage, Luren Vaskh wears his leathers like a second skin—always impeccably fitted, never ostentatious, but unmistakably masterwork. His face is weathered, with the burnished look of cured hide itself, and he speaks in a deep, deliberate cadence, as if every word must be properly tooled before spoken. His left eye is covered by a leather patch too ornate to be a simple dressing—etched with sigils and ringed in tiny obsidian studs. Some say it hides a cursed wound from a chimera hunt; others whisper it was stitched shut as penance to a forgotten leatherworking god. He does not confirm either tale.
Vaskh trained in the far south with the sandbound tanners of Zel’Dora, where lizards are skinned with prayers and boots are made from the tongues of giants. He returned north to Voolnishart decades ago and built The Hidebound Hall from his earnings as a traveling outfitter, armoring scouts and spies with silent boots and supple gear that turned blades better than chainmail.
Vaskh does not haggle. He does not bargain. And he does not suffer fools with cheap requests. But to the serious buyer, he offers miracles stitched in waxed cord.
Signature Offerings of The Hidebound Hall
1. The Whispercloak
A stealth cloak of deep violet leather from nightwurm belly hide, cured in absolute silence and rubbed with thri-kreen ash. It mutes sound within a handspan of the wearer. Popular among assassins, monster hunters, and nobles who value discretion over flair.
2. Drakecoil Corslet
Made from overlapping strips of swamp drake scale and reinforced lizard-hide backing. Flexible enough to twist and dance in, yet strong enough to stop a dagger thrust. Commissioned often by duelists and traveling courtiers with dangerous enemies.
3. The Pathlighter Boots
Low-ankle trail boots crafted from feathered cave-raptor leather. Treated with a rare alchemical polish that warms the feet in cold, cools them in heat, and softens every step. Used by rangers, messengers, and pilgrims walking treacherous miles.
4. Belt of the Eight Tools
A wide tradesman’s belt made of blueboar hide with eight fine-crafted loops, pouches, and sheathes for artisan gear. Each belt includes a tiny stamped emblem of Vaskh’s sigil—often used as proof of craftsmanship level among traveling journeymen.
5. The Mourner’s Wrap
A ceremonial hood and mantle of black, ash-infused eelhide, designed to resist holy water, flame, and radiant light. Originally commissioned for burial rites, but now often worn by monster slayers and death clergy.
Shermans fantasy world 