Ursikka Carapace, Synthetic

Light

The fierce insects of Triaxus’s southern glacier evolved sharp claws and heavy fur to contend with the planet’s long, harsh winters. Enterprising ryphorians have long used these materials to bolster their own survival prospects, salvaging everything they can from the slain or fallen beasts. The lightweight, curved carapace plates provide protection from wind, water, and weapons, while the layer of ursikka fur underneath traps heat. A fur-lined hood, gloves, and boots complete the cold-weather protection, and the traditional model grants resistance 10 to cold.

For those unwilling to face down an ursikka—or, as in the case of most, whose worlds lack the fearsome creature’s presence in the first place—manufacturers produce a similar but synthetic version of ursikka carapace, using lab-created lightweight plating and synthetic fibers for insulation. Though easier to produce, the lightweight synthetics don’t provide quite the same level of protection from the elements without getting extremely bulky; a synthetic carapace grants only resistance 5 to cold.

Because their design and coloration reflect so much of the natural world around them, both models of ursikka carapace grant a +4 circumstance bonus to Stealth checks to hide in an arctic environment.