The Inquisitor was in the Undercroft because of course she was. She was not the most adept of smiths, she didn't hold a candle to Harritt's work or (Maker forbid!) Dagna's, but she was enthusiastic and always kept at it. She liked making things for people, liked making armor and weapons that look good and feel good and keep their wearer and user safe in battle.

All this devotion to her team however, meant that sometimes her own equipment choices came across as… ill-considered.

Laeta was putting the finishing touches on Cole's new leathers when they ambushed her. Their resident spirit boy had expressed a rare interest in the shade of teal of one of Sera's nicked throw pillows that made lining his new collar with ring velvet impossible to resist. At the sudden amount of noise directed her way, Laeta looked up to find Cassandra and Dorian glaring at her. Well, Cassandra was glaring. Dorian looked to be trapped somewhere between exasperated and amused.

"Inquisitor," Cassandra crossed her arms and dug in her heels for the battle that was surely ahead. "This needs to stop. You cannot continue fighting in such inappropriate armor."

"Frankly, my dear, I'm rather amazed we've gotten this far along without someone running you through." Dorian added. "I don't know whether that signifies the brilliance of your abilities or the ineptitude of our enemies."

"You are a Champion! A warrior who has been trained to withstand the strongest of blows!"

"Aw thanks, Cass!" Laeta beamed before returning her attention to the tinting table. Maybe she could use the leftover dragon webbing for Vivienne's shoulder pads. "You always know how to make me smile."

She really had met the most expressive people. Dorian struggled valiantly (and failed) to keep a straight face, while Cassandra's only seemed to get stonier.

"You know what I mean, Inquisitor. Do not pretend that you do not."

"I really don't get why you're so worried. My armor works just fine. Gurn hide or great bear hide?" she turned to Dorian, holding up a sample of each material to the man for judgement.

Dorian hummed thoughtfully. "Bear, definitely bear. It doesn't matter how many times you tan a gurn, the smell never quite comes out." He leaned against the worktable to meet his friend at her level. Of course this put him in far closer contact with the sooty metals than he was comfortable with, but sacrifices must be made for the greater good. The greater good this time revolving around keeping his dearest friend (and the truth of that word still set off sparks of astonishment in his brain) from dying due to an embarrassing fashion feux pas.

"Didn't we recently acquire a truly remarkable set of battlemaster armor in the belly of that ghastly high dragon in the Emprise du Lion?" he pressed. "I seem to recall being frozen at least three times that day, but you were so pleased with our success, I only complained twice." Within the hour, but it was still an accomplishment.

Laeta blinked. Her enormous, owl-like eyes going wide with apparent innocence. It may have even been convincing to someone who hadn't witnessed its effects on other quite so often as the members of her Inner Circle had. "But it looks so much better on Bull."

Cassandra ran out of patience.

"You're the Inquisitor!" she barked. "How will it look if you fall to Corypheus simply because you were too stubborn to set aside your druffalo leather vanguard armor!"

Laeta stared at the Seeker as though she'd grown a second head before picking up her armor from its place amongst the others that waited for crafting and handing it over… which was right about the time when it started to dawn on Dorian, as the seemingly light pieces of material made Cassandra stagger as they were dropped into her arms.

"This is…" Dorian prodded at the coat's breast while Cassandra gaped as she finally steadied herself enough to take a proper look.

"Battlemaster armor. Made out of dragon scales," the elf explained. "Plus bone for the mail and avvar twill for the sash. White's not really my color, so I tinted the leather with druffalo hide and dyed the sash with lustrous cotton." She leaned in toward her two dumbstruck friends and whispered as if sharing a secret. "I was thinking about adding a dawnstone sheen for the mail too, but Bull works the pretty colors much better then I do."

She laughed with such enthusiasm that it got Dorian chuckling and even made Cassandra let out an embarrassed huff. Really. By now they really should know that things were rarely as simple as they seemed when it came to the Inquisitor.

"I appreciate you guys looking out for me, I really do." Laeta took back her armor with startling ease and set it down with a 'thud'. "But since my fashion choices are no longer a concern, I have a serious question for you, Cass."

She dug into a nearby chest before popping back up with something in each hand.

"Heartwood or White Wyvern Hide?"