CAST:
Ebran Asur
Danir d’Cannith
Essar Kalvin
Xov Karck
Othan
Kyndril bowed out and returned to Thrane to be with his mother.
mood music here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=149d5AK0tF0
This campaign can be described as a mixture of ES: Morrowind, Blade Runner, A Princess of Mars, Gor, Neil Gaiman's Stardust, and several noir films packed together in a 12th to mid-19th Century Fantasy context.
-- You have the Lightning Rail, which represents Victorian Steam Fantasy.
-- You have Sharn, which should evoke the landscape of the Cyberpunk/Future dystopian films of Bladerunner and Brazil.
-- The areas north of Wroat -- including Hatheril and territories close to the borders of Aundair, Thrane, and Cyre (the Mournland) regress back to the Middle Ages. And what is worse, there is a territorial dispute with Thrane along the northern shore of Lake Brey.
Some places in Breland have become unrecognizable. Thanks to the Last War, these areas have become so economically depressed that young mothers will sell themselves to make sure their kids are fed. Others are taking advantage of the situation, hoping to jump start the economy with strange new fashions: including clothes that have not been seen for over a thousand years; and some that are provocative. Like leather harnesses (E.R.B. Mars -- not bondage harnesses), silk camisks, kirtles, tunics, and diaphanous wraps. But people beg for food in the larger towns. Black, brown, grey are common colors of the poor classes in northern Breland. Although colors are coming back in the way of the middle classes. Elegance is, however, creeping back into Breland from Aundair, Karrnath, and Sharn. Many men buy elegant clothes for their new slaves, and harnesses -- which are skimpy -- are becoming incredibly fashionable in Breland's desert areas.
Plus, there is a spirit of adventure that is being fired into the hearts of most veterans as they wish to leave Khorvaire behind to explore the unexplored and dangerous territory of Xen'Drik. Then there are the Inspired.
The year is 998 Y.K.
The player characters themselves are Prisoners of War, captured during the Last War. According to the Treaty of Thronehold -- every soldier that is a prisoner of the war must be returned to the country and family of origin. Breland did this gradually over the last two years because the Crown had to devote more resources to rebuilding than to releasing prisoners. But the PCs are the last of the prisoners to be released from the Leaning Tower.
They are going to be released in war torn Hatheril, to be processed and to receive their papers of Repatriation, 50 gold with which to restart their lives, and a Letter of Transport Immunity to the country of their origin.
However, not all is well in Breland. The player characters might be asked not to return to Breland but, as non-entities, asked to do something which will require them to delve into a world of danger, excitement, and adventure of their own.
They will be asked to solve the burning question: Why did Breland lose the Last War?!
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Brelish Fashion
Brelish Fashion ranges from the Harnesses from A Princess of Mars and the outfits of John Norman's Gor, to the Steampunk of the 1800s. With 16th Century Fashion -- the kind you see in Wheel of Time -- being the median, accepted point.
Fashion of the Brelish Desert Dwellers
Anyone truly knows that going half naked in the desert in order to keep cool is just plain insane. Although it is natural to remove one's clothing while the temperature of the day rises, the Desert presents an ecology that demands voluminous clothing to be worn. But this is not Valenar, it's Breland.
The Fashions in Ardev have spread across the Greywall Rainshadow and have found their way into Northern Breland. In Sharn, these clothes are often seen in Firelight, Dragoneyes, and Lower Dura: they are popular with prostitutes.
Men's Harnesses: http://www.erbzine.com/mag4/clothes4.jpg
http://media.screened.com/uploads/1/14483/603095-john_carter_movie_image_25 .jpg
http://img.amiami.jp/images/product/review/103//FIG-KAI-2185_14.jpg
http://www.jasonbennion.com/images/princess_whelan.jpg
Women's Harnesses:
http://www.erbzine.com/mag4/clothes5.jpg
http://mbtimetraveler.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/princess-of-mars.jpg?w=22 3&h=300 (NSW)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lFxUyV9ev20/TiWoz331AJI/AAAAAAAAAOU/Nq4oERRodBU/s 1600/frazetta_a_princess_of_mars.jpg (NSW)
http://www.erbzine.com/mag35/triad04.jpg (NSW)
A study of harnesses as Mars Fashion outside of a sexual context:
http://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0438.html
BRELISH SLAVE FASHION
The Brelish Slave is a product of the Last War. All of the remaining 5 nations and new nations have a thriving slave trade during the war, it's only in Thrane where the slave trade is outlawed and is underground. And in Darguun, it's way out there. Slave fashion is different in all nations, but only in Breland where the slave enjoys elegance in fashion and design. Only Valenar slaves are more elegant and exotic.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6201/6146416768_f52a759719_z.jpg
http://i591.photobucket.com/albums/ss354/irishwinter69/Kajira2.jpg
(the most elegant slave pictures are found on Gorean Sites, not at all safe for work)
COMMON BRELISH FASHION
The trends in Fashion in Breland are set in Sharn, but gain great competition from Aundair. The following are the common fashion trends in Breland:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-su_0dvlk254/UCxxw8g5NzI/AAAAAAAAEDE/uXUl6jjF8P8/s 1600/Wheel_of_Time_characters_by_Forbis.jpg
http://www.benjaminrose.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/01-The-Eye -of-the-World-outside-500x367.jpg
http://www.benjaminrose.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/04-The-Sha dow-Rising.jpg
Upper Class Brelish Fashion
The Upper Class -- as in the nobles, the captains of Industry (hah!), and the glitz and glamour of Skyway (Hollywood?) -- represents the cutting trends in the use of color. Generally, the Sumptuary Laws of 500 years ago were repealed by the King of Gallifar as new, manufactured fabric dyes were made available by House Cannith.
Post War Upper Class fashion in Breland is very elegant. One is reminded by the 17th and 18th Centuries with a splash of the 1950s and 1940s added into the mix. Although, again, the Fashion Designers in Fairhaven is competing against the Fashion Designers in Sharn and it looks like Fairhaven is setting the pace.
Women's Clothing - Full dresses hit the day, with more coverage and use of color. As the peasants of Breland tend to wear one or two pieces (a kirtle) the Upper Class has a grandstand. There are, however, a few simple gowns Upper Class women wear. But here, it's Queen Aurala -- the *itch Queen, that really leads in Upper Class women's fashion. After all, what does an 11 year old know about fashion anyway?
http://www.worldlatestfashiontrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/40s-even ing-dresses.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/Ex_5N_QueenAurala.jpg (yeah, that's the *itch Queen of Aundair).
http://www.thebridalshop.com/alyce_designs/images/8830.jpg -- deep plunging neckline gown.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Le_Chapeau_de_Pail le_by_Peter_Paul_Rubens.jpg/409px-Le_Chapeau_de_Paille_by_Peter_Paul_Rubens .jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Henriettamaria1640school vandyck.jpg
Men's Fashions --
Upper Class Men's fashions, with the Fashion Eccentricities of Merrix d'Cannith not withstanding (Merrix is probably going to spearhead a reversion to the Roman Toga), tend to be extremely lighter than what the Upper Class women are wearing. Gowns for men fell out of fashion during the start of the Last War. It's here where King Boranel leads the fashion trends.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Charles_I_by_Danie l_Mytens.jpg/366px-Charles_I_by_Daniel_Mytens.jpg -- Charles the First could pass as a Younger King Boranel.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Charles_I_of_Engla nd.jpg/461px-Charles_I_of_England.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Sir-Anthony-van-Dy ck-Lord-John-Stuart-and-His-Brother-Lord-Bernard-Stuart.jpg/367px-Sir-Antho ny-van-Dyck-Lord-John-Stuart-and-His-Brother-Lord-Bernard-Stuart.jpg
Children's Fashions --
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Anthonis_van_Dyck_ 036.jpg/441px-Anthonis_van_Dyck_036.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ad/Portrait_of_King_Louis_ XIV_and_his_Brother%2C_Duc_D%27Orleans2.JPG/436px-Portrait_of_King_Louis_XI V_and_his_Brother%2C_Duc_D%27Orleans2.JPG (yes, that boy in a dress is the Duke of Orleans. His mother worked hard so that King Louis XIV would assume the throne -- so she effemmed the Duke of Orleans. Unfortunately for France, he doubled France's Aristocracy with illegitimate children. It appears she couldn't get him to be "gay.")
~ Adaran Fashion ~
The Inspired have the most exotic clothing styles in all of Eberron. The Inspired are beautiful people, and they like to show it off by wearing very revealing clothing. So, we focus on Adaran Fashion. Although not a trend in Sharn, Adaran Fashion is based of Indo-Persian styles. Aside what is seen in Races of Eberron, Secrets of Sarlona, and other works, the following are examples of the Fashions of Adar. You mostly see these in Sharn.
Kalashtar and Adaran Women's Fashion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sinhalese_Girl_Wearing_A_Traditional_Kand yan_Saree_(Osaria)-1.jpg The Sari is popular among women Kalashtar that do not practice the Dance of Shadows.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Styles_of_Sari.jpg -- Different Saris.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dancer_in_Sari.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Women_in_Sari.jpg (this is probably thee picture that represents your basic Kalashtar woman without the headdress).
Some Kalashtar women (in spite of the race's average Alignment) go even more exotic. Some are bare from the waist up and wear nipple chains, veils of sheer clothing, skirts, and or harem pants. This is typical of the bedlah.
Other Men's fashions
Kalashtar men are beautiful dandies and Bishounen. It's fashionable among Adaran Men to show off their chests with open coats and voluminous pants. The Atavists (of both sexes) tend to break this tradition. They typically dress in clothes that completely covers their body, but facilitates movement.
Then there are the dominate fashions in Sharn. Sharnite fashion is a class all by itself.
