What makes a heavy armor in Chult for Chultans?

Question

Recently, our DM asked us to create an alternate character in case ours is killed. So I want to play along and create a Chultan fighter from Port Nyanzaru who's sent by the merchant princes to help a group of adventurers lost in the jungle. My DM likes that idea very much and approved it. However given my build, I really want nothing but the heavy armor, but a heavy armor is mostly made of metal. But on the other side, my character is a Chultan soldier and would use what Chultan people use, and there is barely any metal in Chult, from what our DM said.

So when Chultan use heavy armor, what makes that armor? Metal anyway? Something else? Are there any description on that? How are Chultan warriors armored?

P.S. We're playing Tomb of Annihilation, so please no spoilers.

Answer 1

Your merchant princes would have access to it "in world"

I want to play along and create a Chultan fighter from Port Nyanzaru who's sent by the merchant princes

Have you and your DM reasoned out why a merchant prince (or a group of them) who 'sends' your character can't afford heavy armor? I have played the ToA adventure. We discovered through play that the merchant princes, due to being merchants, and being wealthy, and having connections via trade have access to a variety of useful things. Narratively, there's no reason that one of the merchant princes who is 'sending' your character to rescue others would not have been the source of heavy armor - if you are using the starting equipment default from the PHB.

What makes a heavy armor in Chult for Chultans?

The same thing as makes heavy armor anywhere else in the Forgotten Realms.

It seems like you have answered your own question "in world" but may not recognize it.

How I got a good Armor Class.

What I did, rather than run about the jungles of Chult in heavy armor, yet still have a good armor class, was to create a vHuman Ranger - I took the Medium Armor Master feat. With a starting 16 Dexterity and +3 boost to armor class, my scale mail armor and shield allowed me to mix it up in melee when I needed to. The upgrade to half plate was a matter of getting enough money together (that we weren't spending on guides or on insect repellent) over the course of our adventures.

If you are committed to making a Fighter, and you are dead set on Heavy Armor, the narrative approach I outline above fits how the Merchant Princes exercise their considerable power and influence

Answer 2

Chultan Warriors lean towards light/medium armor. You can import standard heavy armor in Nyanzaru.

I went through the statistics for local Chultan warriors.

Albino Dwarves: hide armor

Batiri Goblins Queen: chain shirt, shield

Chultan Gladiators: studded leather armor, shield

Chultan legbreakers: leather armor

Firenewt Warriors: chain shirt, shield

Tabaxi Hunter: leather armor

There is a single monster I found using a plate armor, but probably not relevant here (and also a spoiler).

We know about traditional weapons:

A yklwa (pronounced YICK-ul-wah) is a simple melee weapon that is the traditional weapon of Chultan warriors.

And we know that Chultans are 2/3 of your hometown.

Chultans comprise two-thirds of Port Nyanzaru's population. The city's remaining inhabitants are foreigners, many of whom are profiteers or adventurers seeking either to plunder Chult of its riches or to help protect the city against encroaching monsters.

It's not traditional to wear heavy armor in Chult, but I think it would be fine to work with your DM a way where you bought an imported armor from some Merchant. Other options include stealing or inheriting one, being lent one as part of a mission, or simply starting with a medium armor and buy your way into heavier ones.