By Lyna Capron, Koldane Cartel Supply Steward

Urgent to all armorers and weaponsmiths: Master Koldane has directed me to implement new standards for the cartel's equipment. He is dissatisfied with the motley assortment of hand-me-downs and looted gear with which our agents are currently equipped. It is time for us to show some pride in our organization!

Koldane wants everyone to understand that we are cultivating a reputation that extends throughout High Rock. Property under our protection must be untouchable; demands we issue must be answered with instant compliance. That means our guards and enforcers need to be recognized as our own. Like the fierce, proud wolves that serve as our emblem, we are a pack of predators. Where one of us goes, we all go.

Enclosed are designs for new weapons and apparel. Follow these instructions carefully, or risk incurring Master Koldane's personal displeasure.

AXES
Koldane favors a single-bladed axe backed by a heavy spike for piercing armor on the reverse side. The cartel's snarling wolf's-head emblem is proudly embossed upon the axehead. Leather wrappings serve to cushion the weapon against shock, and help muffle the sound of steel on steel when we need to avoid revealing our presence.

BELTS
Cartel gear is first and foremost practical. Belts are made from thick leather, dyed in the colors of our organization—a dark purple in this case. The buckle is made of iron with a simple filigree pattern, finished with a dulled pewter paste.

BOOTS
A Koldane Cartel enforcer needs to be able to move fast, whether in launching sudden ambushes or disengaging from combat after the mission is done. Good leather boots are a must! If extra protection is called for, iron poleyns, greaves, and sabatons are secured over the wearer's boots with dyed leather straps.

BOWS
The cartel favors a sturdy simple bow of good High Rock yew, finished with a dark stain to help an archer remain concealed in the shadows. The upper and lower limbs are worked in a handsome wolf-hackle design near the grip, and wrapped in leather to help dampen vibration.

CHESTS
Most of our agents should be equipped with heavy jerkins of quilted leather, dyed in the dark plum purple and midnight blue of the cartel. Medium-weight armors add a layer of boiled leather beneath the quilting for extra protection. Our heaviest armors feature breastplates of iron, decorated with plain filigree in a wolf's head design (naturally).

DAGGERS
The dagger is the single most useful tool in our profession, perfect for quiet, close-up work in dark places. The cartel favors a single-edged blade with no cross-guard to get hung up in clothing when drawn from beneath a cloak. A wrap of wolf-fur and leather around the lower part of the blade serves to protect the wielder's hand.

GLOVES
Full-length gloves of heavy leather provide sufficient protection for most purposes without encumbering the wearer. However, many cartel agents choose to add vambraces of mail or pewter-finished iron over the forearms to help block blows when it's impractical to carry a shield.

HELMETS
Master Koldane favors hoods, not helms. Hoods are useful for hiding the shine of skin in darkness, as well as concealing the wearer's identity if one should happen to be spotted anyway. A mask of dark purple is authorized for some ensembles to cover the lower face as well. When heavier armor is needed, a mail coif can be worn underneath the hood.

LEGS
A cartel agent's jerkin or arming coat hangs down to just above the knee, protecting the upper legs. A divided skirt or kilt of wolfhide beneath the coat provides warmth and extra protection. For heavy armor, mail or iron tassets with a pewter finish guard the hips.

MACES
The cartel's preferred bludgeoning weapon is a hammer with a steel haft. The reverse side of the hammer's head is backed by a short spike. Not only is this effective against armored foes, but it's also a highly useful tool in many different situations: breaking and entering, clearing debris, destruction of property, and such. The two-handed maul is simply a larger version of the same.

SHIELDS
Our cartel generally has little use for shields in combat. Master Koldane believes that if you strike hard and strike first, you don't need to concern yourself with defense. But when a shield is called for, he favors a sturdy wooden heater with a riveted iron rim, embossed with our wolf's-head emblem and decorated with a swath of wolfhide.

SHOULDERS
Cartel shoulder-pieces consist of a short mantle of wolf's fur. Not only does this help keep the wearer warm on a cold Glenumbra night, it also marks one as a member of Koldane's pack, so to speak. Heavier armor sets augment the pelt with iron pauldrons, finished in a pewter paste.

STAVES
Most of our agents are fighters, not mages. However, one would have to be stupid not to recognize the value of magic in battle, and Gavin Koldane is far from stupid. A cartel mage carries a staff of maple, dyed with a dark stain. The head is an effective striking surface of steel, wrapped with wolfhide and leather.

SWORDS
Gavin Koldane sees a sword as a tool for cutting, not a fancy symbol. A cartel sword is a heavy, single-edged blade with no cross-guard or quillons, designed to maximize the power of a slash and hack through lighter armor. The back of the blade features a wrap of wolf-fur and leather, and the fuller is etched with a simple but handsome design.