Carrion Sneakthief Shoulderguards of the Flock

The Carrion Sneakthief Shoulderguards of the Flock rest on the shoulders like a memory that forgot to stay quiet, a pair of armor plates that seem half-woven from dusk and old bone. The metal glints with a pale, almost ivory sheen, etched feather patterns curling along the rims in a relief that catches the eye as you move. Underneath, the leather is a deep, oily black, slick to the touch yet pliant enough to bend with every step, as if the wearer’s intent could ripple through the fabric itself. A faint carrion scent clings to the cuirass, not cloying, but reminding anyone who wears it that scavenging and survival have always walked in tandem. The pauldrons sit slightly askew, as if a breath of wind had flapped them to attention during a long vigil, and the joints creak softly when you tilt your shoulders, like a whispered conversation you’re afraid to finish aloud. Lore murmurs that these shoulderguards were forged for a cadre known as the Flock, a shadowed brood that guided caravans and secrets through the quiet spaces between dawn and dusk. They say the Flock valued movement over noise, stealth over spectacle, and the armor was designed to carry the wearer’s weight without weighing down the story they were trying to tell. In markets and rumor-spheres, merchants claim the Flock were more than raiders or scavengers; they were archivists of the marginal, guardians of the fragile truths hidden in junk and rot. When the order faded into memory, the carrion motif lingered in the gear they left behind, a reminder that even the fallen leave traces that can still guide a future thief, a cautious guardian, a survivor who knows when to move and what to carry away. In the world of the game, the shoulderguards feel like a compact anthology of those lessons. They’re admired by stealth-focused builds for their lightness and the way the wings of their pattern seem to ghost along the edge of your vision, helping you slip through eyes that would otherwise notice you. Worn with care, they seem to dampen the sound of movement, letting you disappear into a shadow before the enemy’s first breath escapes. They suit play that prizes track-and-pounce tactics: strike from cover, dodge into the next shadow, and let the Flock’s memory guide you toward the next soft target. They aren’t merely armor; they’re a rumor made tangible, a reminder that every sound could betray a secret, every glance could betray a lie, and every moment of restraint could be the difference between escape and capture. Pricing, as always, moves with the market’s mood and memory. On Saddlebag Exchange, the whispers of collectors flit around the listings—exotic variants often seen in the wild range from a few dozen to several dozen gold, depending on roll state and cosmetic appeal. A patient buyer can find a fair trade, while a hurried hunter might pay a premium to secure a piece with a story that fits their own quiet patrols. In the end, those who wear the Carrion Sneakthief Shoulderguards of the Flock aren’t just donning armor; they’re donning a fragment of a longer tale—one that invites you to listen for what isn’t said and move when the moment is right.