Council of Thieves "Look and Feel" question.


Council of Thieves

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I have a question for Council of Thieves GMs. This is about presenting the right “feel” for the city/culture to the players.

In your Westcrown do the women dress like …

  • this

    … or …

  • this?

    This would help me get a feeling for how to describe events such as the “party” in the Six Fold Trial.


  • The latter, in my running of CoT. But also a bit more elaborate as well. I also used imagery of Venice to try to help set how it looks in my players' minds.


    Not a GM for this one, but the latter is definitely closer to my group's GM's style, though none of us have ever been really fond of the scantily-clad everything. Our GM described Westcrown as very Shakespearean-era.

    The only person thus far who dresses in the former manner would be Chammandy, and she's odd one out for important reasons.


    Definitely the latter in my mind, though don't underestimate what the 'true' nobility of Westcrown would be capable of. I'm sure they have plenty of impractical fashion that would creep in from time to time.

    I also just realized I that I really like that first picture. That face reminds me of a less 'wispy' Yoshitaka Amano art style.


    Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

    We went much gaudier than the second picture, but not usually as extreme as the first. For the big wedding/inauguration of our Mayor of Westcrown, I happen to know she was wearing:

    an Indian wedding dress

    (but in cream, gold and blue rather than red and green).

    Westcrown has a Mediterranean climate, so clothes shouldn't be too heavy: the second picture is a little more Northerly, I think. Or you can "wear" illusions of heavier clothing with something more comfortable underneath. For the really big parties I think illusion magic is used heavily, often for "special effects" you couldn't get with clothing alone. (Using illusions to make your wardrobe cheaper is, however, gauche--what you are wearing underneath does have to be expensive.)

    The PC in question is the first one I've ever had who worried obsessively about whether her magic items would go with her outfit and who eventually had to have some essential pieces slipcovered or otherwise reworked before she could stand to wear them in public. But then, she's 19 years old and Mayor of Westcrown; appearances matter. (She's also married to Aberian Arvanxi, which seemed like a coup at the time she arranged it, but not so much anymore. She's just a little too fond of him to have him bumped off, though.)

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    Mary Yamato wrote:
    Westcrown has a Mediterranean climate, so clothes shouldn't be too heavy: the second picture is a little more Northerly, I think.

    But, this is what the Spanish were actually wearing in the 1570s.

    More to the point though, is that the Council of Thieves is not only urban, but "Urbane," so establishing the right "feel" is vital.

    (Of course, the first image is from the Inner Sea Primer. :) )

    (And who recognizes Montaigne from the second image.)


    She married Aberian? Talk about going for the Big Mac when you could have the filet mingeon. :p


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    The art in your second link is incredible, Lord Fyre - can you provide the artist's name? I'd love to scope out more of their gallery.

    EDIT:

    Nevermind, I was able to track her down :D

    Link for those interested

    EDIT II:

    Some of her work appears to be NSFW - just letting ya know.


    Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
    Andrea1 wrote:
    She married Aberian? Talk about going for the Big Mac when you could have the filet mingeon. :p

    Who would you prefer?

    I personally think Eccardian was the best match for her personality and drive. Unfortunately she killed him.

    The current most powerful man in Westcrown is Vasindo Dravinge, but while Aberian is old enough to be her father, Vasindo is old enough to be her great-grandfather, and that does put her off. Also it would upset her cute little balance-of-power game with Vasindo and Ertein.


    I like to mix and match fashions from all over the world in my game. So I mix in a bit of indian, venetian/italian and spanish clothing for my Cheliax.

    The things I want to keep in mind when describing fashion.

    1.) Class divide: I like to try and keep in mind how a poor person might dress vs rich vs middle class. How might an elite night be armed compared to milita and so on.

    2.) regions of where someone comes from. for instance, how might a sargavan colonial* dress compared to a westcrown native. how might a rural chelish man/woman dress compared to a city one. How might a man from kintargo dress that is different from west crown.

    While some might be subtle, like the noble from Kintargo might dress in heavier clothes then the west crown noble, I feel it adds to the feeling.

    *Note: IMC cheliax owns Sargava, Isger and Kovosa as colonies and Nidal pays them tribute.


    Mary Yamato wrote:
    Andrea1 wrote:
    She married Aberian? Talk about going for the Big Mac when you could have the filet mingeon. :p

    Who would you prefer?

    I personally think Eccardian was the best match for her personality and drive. Unfortunately she killed him.

    The current most powerful man in Westcrown is Vasindo Dravinge, but while Aberian is old enough to be her father, Vasindo is old enough to be her great-grandfather, and that does put her off. Also it would upset her cute little balance-of-power game with Vasindo and Ertein.

    Not being familiar with a lot of the who is who in your game I guess I can't really say. I guess she could have a political marriage and have a discreet lover on the side. No doubt Aberian has his own as well.


    James jacob stated that "I've always envisioned Cheliax as being a pre-renaissance look... or even full on renaissance. Lots of ostentatious clothing. Check out the art in the Council of Thieves Adventure Path for lots of examples."

    So that is an example of what he said anyways. :)

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    vyshan wrote:

    James jacob stated that "I've always envisioned Cheliax as being a pre-renaissance look... or even full on renaissance. Lots of ostentatious clothing. Check out the art in the Council of Thieves Adventure Path for lots of examples."

    So that is an example of what he said anyways. :)

    Really?

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    Please critique my revision of Chammady Drovenge from The Sixfold Trial, p 30

    The official description is:
    "Chammady is a beautiful but dangerous-looking woman. She arrives dressed in a scanty blue gown cut high along the sides and low in the front, her long crimson hair up in a ponytail and a strange fur draped over her shoulders—what appears to be a serpentine, wolf-headed creature with wings."

    My revised description would be:
    "Chammady is a beautiful but dangerous-looking woman. She arrives in a sumptuous blue and white gown displaying a daring, but flattering, décolletage, her long crimson hair worn in an elaborate coiffure with a few spiraling curls dropping flirtatiously, an ivory folding-fan that matches her dress, and several pieces of gold and diamond jewelry complete her ensemble."

    Would my revised description have the same effect in the encounter (she is meant to be sexy) as the original?


    Depends on whether or not a player knows what a décolletage or a coiffure is. It's an apt description of what Chammady Drovenge looks like and the effect she should have on the characters, but the language may be confusing.

    Also, your description doesn't mention the winged white fur stole she is wearing in the picture.

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    jabberwoky wrote:

    Depends on whether or not a player knows what a décolletage or a coiffure is. It's an apt description of what Chammady Drovenge looks like and the effect she should have on the characters, but the language may be confusing.

    Also, your description doesn't mention the winged white fur stole she is wearing in the picture.

    That would be because she wouldn't have that in the revised description.

    What I am going for is something like this, but keeping Chammandy's original color palette.
    The alternate outfit - breaches, jacket, and rapier - is what she would likely be wearing in Book 6 when she is intended as a combat encounter (unlike the way she is drawn in The Thrice-Damned Prince).

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