Peek: Cobbler Brade

Deep beneath the ground, lays the dungeon known as the Maw, and most know to stay well away.  The ones that don't are the ones that descend from the Maw's own spawners, the emancipated dwellers, their enclave outside and theoretically independent from the dungeon.  The town of Silvervein is rather busy, especially of late.  The Maw has been getting more and more active, and so has the priesthood around it.

Activity is good for Brade.  More activity means shoes and other footwear wears out quicker, which means more business for the pale dwarf.  He enjoys his job, which makes the increase in activity all the better.

The various priests like thicker soles and softer interiors, to keep their feet free of callouses and blisters.  He's rather proud of his innovation involving a specific fungus to give just the right padding once dried.  Most see that particular flat mushroom to be practically inedible, and too weak for anything useful, and though they're not wrong, it's the perfect padding for the inside of the priests' shoes.

The soldiers and guards prefer metal or fungalwood soles, though a thinner layer of the cushion mushroom helps keep blisters at bay.  The tread is always difficult to make for those, requiring a lot of carving of hammering to ensure the boots will be able to have grip on the cave floors.

A cobbler who makes soldiers slip and fall is a cobbler that gets fed to the Maw, after all.

He doesn't like the soldier boots partially because of that pressure, and also because he doesn't agree with their choice of sole material.  At least he has more freedom with his other clients, and can use his preferred material for structure and grip: bones.

Oh sure, he uses a lot of wood as well, but the actual working tread for most of his other shoes and boots are processed bones.  There's just something about them that gives a good mix of grip, weight, and durability.  His own pair of boots are probably his best work yet, combining the mushroom cushion inside with the bone tread for the sole.  If it weren't for the fact that the mushroom tends to grow rather slowly, he'd make that same design for everyone who comes to him.

Well, if they have the coin.  Most can only afford a simple wooden sole with cheap leather sides and mycelium laces.  It hurts his pride to produce such items, but most just don't have the coin for anything better.  Even if he wouldn't wish that kind of shoe even on the kobolds.

The kobolds would probably like even something so crude as that, since he's not certain he's seen them ever wear anything on their feet.  The claws would be an interesting challenge... but he doubts he'll ever be asked to make some for them.

The priests say they're the 'favored' of the Maw, but everyone not in the priesthood fully admits and understands that's the same kind of favored as a favored meal.  The sacrifices are usually quick, at least.  While Brade has seen some wince in pity, and others grin in sadistic pleasure, he's always just glad it's not him out there.

When he first started making shoes, that was always a constant concern in the back of his mind.  All have to give offerings to The Maw, or else be offerings to The Maw, and there's not much in the way of food that a cobbler can offer.  Thankfully, the priesthood understands that not everyone can be in a job that directly feeds The Maw, and so makes concessions for the various needed craftswork that can't be eaten.

Some might scoff at the idea, but a good shoe can spur the mercy of even the most zealous of priests, and the idea of having to go without the comfort of his wares helps keep him in business and out of The Maw.

As he gets to work, he mostly lets the business of the dungeon stay out of his thoughts, losing himself in the simple work of creating shoes.  He does, however, chuckle and feel thankful as he remembers the Redcap.  The hats it makes are gruesome, and he's glad it's not the Redsole.  One of his friends is a hatter, though, and his business has gotten a bit... messy as some people try to follow the trend set by the scion.