Cows are in rather short supply in the underground realms. Thus armorers make use of materials such as salamander hide when fashioning protective equipment, instead of leather.
Salamander hide clothing has certain advantages over metal armor in a subterranean environment. For example, it's far easier to remain stealthy when wearing hide, especially if you're crawling through narrow stone passages against which metal might scrape and hence alert nearby enemies to your presence.
Some warriors prefer to have salamander patterns expunged during the crafting process, either because they find them garish or because they fear that bright yellows and the like will make them easier to spot. Others choose to revel in such decorations, however, and hunters will sometimes go to great pains to track down salamanders with interesting color schemes.
Merchants tend to do relatively little trade in salamander clothing on the surface of Tor'gyyl. However, they do find the occasional opportunity. For example, a noble patron once decided to buy a range of salamander hide constumes for the troupe of actors she sponsored. Critics praised her for this decision, noting how well the bright colors went with the splattered debris from rotten fruit and vegetables hurled at them by the audience.
The skins of salamanders are quite resistant to heat. Whilst someone wearing salamander hide won't be able to withstand a dragon's breath, or cheerfully saunter through a burning building, they will find it less grueling to march under a blazing sun.
