Underbelly Whelp Scale

Dragonhide and scales possess legendary durability, but full-grown black dragons are lethal beyond measure to ordinary folk. Instead, resourceful frontiersmen and craftsmen look toward the skies south of Lake Everstill, where young black dragon whelps nest among the crags. While the dorsal plating of a whelp is brittle or coarse, the scales running along its softer underbelly strike an ideal balance between flexibility and protection. As a result, these underbelly scales command substantial value in regional trade, functioning as high-end crafting material and dependable collateral for debts.

In Lakeshire, the magistrate's craftsmen must often rely on barter when coin is scarce or trade routes are strained. Verner Osgood, the local blacksmith, found himself heavily indebted to the blacksmith Argus over a shipment of shoes brought in from Goldshire. Knowing Argus's fondness for rare trade goods, Verner relies on passing adventurers to harvest underbelly whelp scales to satisfy the debt and keep his workshop in good standing.