Armadura esquirlada

Armadura esquirlada
por Ben McSweeney
Relacionado con	Knights Radiant
Mundo de origen	Roshar

Shardplate is an ancient and magical type of full-body armor found on Roshar. Infused with the power of Stormlight by gemstones affixed to its interior, it enhances the strength, dexterity, and speed of the wearer. The origin of Shardplates has been lost over time, but it is believed that they were a gift from the Almighty. The power of Shardplate is provided by a continuous infusion of stormlight from gemstones attached to inside of the armor. This suggests that Shardplate may be some sort of fabrial.

Appearance

A set of Shardplate is constructed of individual pieces that, when assembled, protect the entire body. There are no gaps between sections of the armor, only increasingly small overlapping plates. Shardplate helms have visors with eye slits that may be lifted up to expose the face. Although similar in appearance, each individual suit of Shardplate has a unique look and, because it conforms to the shape of its wearer, the same suit may appear unique on different individuals. The unfinished color of Shardplate is slate-grey , similar to unfinished steel. In current times it is a common practice to change the appearance of one's Shardplate by painting it, or adorning it with decorative details or even gemstones.

Shardplate worn by Radients of the past is said to have shone brightly with the glow of Stormlight and with glowing glyphs.

A suit of Shardplate weighs over 100 stones.

Abilities

A section of scroll, collected by Nazh, depicts a Shardbearer successfully using Ironstance

The augmented abilities of Shardplate are fueled by Stormlight from gemstones attached to the inside of the armor. After a time, the Stormlight can be depleted rendering the armor useless and the wearer immobile. In situations of extreme stress, the gemstones may crack.

Shardplate provides protection from impact caused by a weapon or from a fall. The individual wearing the plate is able to feel impacts from within the armor, but their force is greatly reduced. The sensation of touch, however, is transferred through the fingers of the gauntlets allowing the wearer to feel fine detail.

Shardplate does not dent or bend. Instead, sections of the armor can crack after heavy or repeated impact and will eventually fail. When a section of the armor fails, it will explode into bits of molten metal.

Strength and speed are also greatly increased by Shardplate. It provides the ability to jump great distances, heave objects of great weight, and run at high speeds. Wearing Shardplate requires extensive training to control this strength without damaging everyday objects.

Agility and dexterity are increased by Shardplate. A person armored in Shard acquires faster reflexes and is more responsive in battle.

The Shardplate helmet has a face shield with a horizontal eye slit for visibility. When lowered, the shield becomes opaque to the wearer. Visibility through the eye slit is clear but peripheral vision is likened to looking through dirty glass. In some instances, the face shield can adapt to protect the wearer's vision from the brightness of a lightning strike.

Shardplate has the ability to use Stormlight to regenerate itself when damaged. If sections of a suit of armor are destroyed or abandoned, they can be regenerated later by using Stormlight from the suit's gemstones. Once the Shardplate regenerates an abandoned piece, the previous piece will crumble to dust. Repairing a heavily-damaged set of Shardplate can be costly as it commonly cracks the gemstones used during the process.

Shardplate protects the user from Surgebinding. It is not possible to use any lashings against someone armored in Shardplate. It is also not possible for a Shardbearer to Surgebind due to interference from the gemstones.

Acquiring and Donning

As the technology used to create Shardplate has been lost, a limited number of suits exist. The only way to acquire a set of Shardplate is from another person. This can be done through battlefield combat, by dueling, by borrowing it from the owner or by inheritance. It is common for Shardbearers to loan their Plate to others. Even the King's own shardplate can be borrowed at a heavy price.

Because of it's weight, assistance is required to don Shardplate. The Shardbearer often has a team of armorers to assist with putting the armor on. The armor must be applied from the ground up starting with the sabatons or the wearer would be unable to support it's weight. Regular clothing, boots, and additional padding are worn underneath the Plate. When applied, each individual piece of Shardplate tightens to fit itself to the contours of the wearer.

Removal of Shardplate is done in pieces as the wearer mentally commands each section to release and fall away. Damaged sections can be shed during battle.

Vulnerability

Although incredibly strong, Shardplate is not invincible. Repeated impacts to the same areas can cause that piece of the armor to crack and leak Stormlight{{book ref|sa1|65}, depleting it at a higher rate. Once the Stormlight is exhausted, the armor will "freeze up" and be rendered immobile.

Individual sections of Plate can be cracked to the point of failure. Upon failure, the piece of armor explodes into bits of molten metal leaving that area of the warrior exposed. The Shardbearer can remain in combat with some pieces of armor missing. Destroying a greeve can incapacitate a Shardbearer by rendering him or her unable to support the armor's weight.

The breastplate is a central support structure. Destroying the breastplate alone will disable a Shardbearer.