#costuming barovia

[mx-lamour]

Costuming Strahd: Part 1 An "I thought too hard about this" adventure.

I recently picked up some fabric for Strahd (because you know I gotta dress up when my players eventually come to dinner).

A "fine black linen" for the shirt (from here if you want to grab some for yourself), and a black jacquard chenille (kind of a mid-weight upholstery fabric) for a classy vest.

I started doing some visual research on traditional clothing in Slavic and Southeastern European regions, hungrily compiling whatever I could find to build some pattern recognition.

Having a little bit of trouble reconciling traditional peasant garb with "but what would nobility wear" and "what year is it", plus the obvious influence of Dracula and his early cinematic adaptations on descriptions of Strahd von Zarovich (which are decidedly Western), and the need to remind myself that I am building a fantasy costume not some historical reenactment.

1937 print of a Wallachian peasant vs. a portrait of Vlad Țepeș noted 1466

The vague description from I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin gives me a neat little list of his layers: "cloak, outer coat, embroidered vest, and . . . a very fine black linen shirt."

The "outer coat" threw me. I suppose it shouldn't have. But it didn't quite mesh with the Ottoman influences in Vlad Țepeș portraits nor the stout vest and almost oversized coat ensembles I'd been looking at in peasant images from Romania and Hungary. Instead, that kind of layering really read Western Europe to me, so I was shunted directly back to Christopher Lee's portrayal of Dracula (in which his costume really is black-on-black-on-black, apart from the barest hint of a white shirt beneath the squarely Victorian suit, which easily consists of both a vest and jacket and, in this case, a cape).

Side note: Nowhere have I (yet) found mention of any sort of necktie. Just the Bela Lugosi style crest (but on a gold chain, not a ribbon).

There's just something about that 1930s white tie, folks. Mm.

Anyway, I figured it was safe enough to start with Strahd's shirt. Well... but, herein lies still the same conundrums: shirts aren't all the same spanning eras and regions. I did stumble on this, though:

I love me a pattern.

What I like about this in particular is that it's structured in a way that makes me believe Strahd was inspired by a man who lived in the 1400s. These sort of blocky, pieced shapes were how shirts were commonly built throughout much of history, with various amounts of gathering and whatnot, so it could be pretty versatile in terms of "what year is it".

I like the embroidery on the neck, cuffs, and over the shoulders. And I like that the split in the neckline is centered. I've seen examples with the split at the side of the embroidery panel that are really intriguing, but while a few have been noted as Ukrainian or Polish, most of the examples I've seen have been Russian, and I'm trying to avoid anything overtly Russian. (Russian garb is yummy, but it's not Barovian.)

The lighting on that third one is either ominous, suggestive, or both.

What I don't like is the open sleeve ends. There are certainly worse offenders (there are some HUGE open sleeves in some of the folk ensembles, like, unconscionably long and billowy), but even this kind of straight sleeve doesn't feel... I don't know... organized enough for Strahd.

I have a Viking style shirt with straight open sleeves like this, and it bothers me to no end. The material over the thin part of my forearms and wrists is floppy. It crumples and rides up (maybe they're just too big overall, but that's a risk to consider). I usually just roll them up to my elbows to have done with it, but that's a move for casual wear. I could see Alek Gwylim sporting open sleeves, but not Strahd. Strahd needs cuffs. Or if not cuffs, the kind of sleeve that narrows tight around the forearm and probably has at least a dozen buttons running up the length of it... but that's hardly practical, either, is it? Strahd treads that infuriating middle ground somewhere between comfortable and elaborate.

So anyway, I'm probably going to enlarge the sleeves. Not a lot; just enough to get a little bit of that "poet shirt" gathering on the shoulder and allow some extra movement in the elbow. And it's going to have cuffs that button around the wrist. Turning it into something a little more suggestive of the Renaissance (though I'm sure as hell not adding ruffles; I'm sure Strahd would think them frivolous).

Side note: Cuffed sleeves are not unheard of in folk garb from Romania and surrounding areas, but it still felt like a very deliberate choice to make. There's certainly a noticeable trend of open-sleeve styles, especially in Transylvania, if I understand correctly.

That first image is from I Do Declare. Great stuff.

Ultimately, the slightly tucked, cuffed sleeve should also bleed well enough into late-1800s suit territory, at least in spirit. The sleeves should have the approximate volume as (or perhaps a little more than) a modern button-down shirt.

Little concept sketches.

Building up from the body, the vest is the next most important thing (aside from pants, but I'm just looking at his torso for the moment; you can fake good pants, especially at the table).

Whatever happens, I knew the vest should be at least these two things: black, and embroidered. Why not blackwork on black fabric? And, since I've picked out a jacquard fabric that already has some texture to it, let's just keep piling on that subtle intrigue. That's right: get up close and personal, look at that mesmerizing detail... lol.

I do not have an actual plan for any of the embroidery yet. That's a problem for future me. (Good luck, sucker.) What I would like to do, vaguely, is take some of the traditional/folk embroidery from that southeastern region and combine it with more western Victorian elements. Haphazardly span worlds to mimick the elvolving lore.

Soutache, anyone?

The style of the vest I sketched out is based on the below examples of traditional Romanian outfits (from what region, I have no idea). The nubby little lapels reminded me of late Victorian waistcoats (which button up rather higher on the breast than modern suits), but with the added fun of a standing collar. That thick black embellishment also caught my eye, of course.

Look at that dapper little guy.

I would like the vest to be more fitted, though, rather than the boxy, open-front (and often sheepskin or fur-lined) style of traditional peasant dress.

Along a similar vein as "the man needs cuffed sleeves", having a more tailored vest seems practical and organized. Crisp might be the word I was looking for. And he's a lord, he can afford the extra effort. A fitted waistcoat would also play along with the little fantasy Renaissance lean and nods to Victorian fashion.

Strahd said trunk hose were a thing of the past, but made no mention of doublets one way or the other.

That's it for now. I was definitely just going to do a quick intro this morning, but here it is, evening again. Joy of joys. This is my work.

. . .

[Next - Costuming Strahd: Art Addendum]

#lamour dms cos #costuming barovia #strahd von zarovich #inspired by dracula #curse of strahd #strahd cosplay #barovia #ravenloft #fashion history #folk costume #costume things #dear god am i actually blogging

[palidoozy-art]

Some costume studies and some character designs for my campaign/comic(?).

Pre-Eclipse, since the world is rather advanced (one of the earliest sessions had us on a train) I decided to look at regency era clothing. Technically trains were like... in the 1830s, buuuuut I liked regency stuff more. The concept is that after the Eclipse happened and most of the world died, it essentially got sent back to a generic fantasy world/medieval-esque era (technically 'modern' time in the campaign).

Dusk elvish garb is supposed to be inspired by Kievan Rus' clothing, so I did some research on that as well, and while I haven't done a great job of it I figured it'd be incorporated more into the garb and style of Treteria (former Barovia). They conquered them and stole their stuff, so likely stole their fashion, too.

From top to bottom, left to right: Tereza (and Florette), Kjosev, Juno, Genrik, Anastasia (Genrik's daughter), and then... I forgot to post it last time but I drew Kjosev's 'bat' form.

Bonus: his sprite.

#artists on tumblr #character design #art #sketches #d&d #pf2e #d&d art #pf2e art #ocs #oc art #palidoozy arts #who is standing outside my house screaming 'STOP DRAWING KJOSEV' #i will never stop drawing kjosev #or tereza

[raviollies]

I contemplated Blythe having a skunk stripe for post Barovia shanenigans and my entire group demanded her be drawn in the Emet Selch costume and I actually hate it here

#blythe #my art #my dm said she got 10x milfier which is a comment i ACTUALLY hate

[ghost-from-retro]

I've made sketchy ref for Marik as well!

He is half-elf bard/cleric and, of course, an actor and a musician (not really good tho, he's just vibing being attention seeker). Chaotic in general, he's mostly kind and loves to help others. Wears his heart on the sleeve.

He was lured to the Barovia by sketchy and obnoxious nightmares that actually were just Strahd puppeteering him with even more sketchy intentions.

Also, this is his third costume in a row, personally granted from The Ancient himself; I'm just trying to re-design the old ones (unsuccessfully).

#artists on tumblr #oc #oc artist #my oc art #dnd #curse of strahd #dungeons and dragons #dnd5e #Marik

[mandiminimojo]

A few more Ireena redesigns! Largely referenced from GibsonGirlDress’s traditional Ukrainian collection - after I saw it the idea of replacing Ireena’s red scarf with big necklaces got stuck in my head, haha.

Ireena’s canon design particularly bugged me… Like why give my girl plate mail and commoner stats? I like that (our game’s) Ireena is more smart and politically savvy than her fighter brother, so I wanted to give her a costume that reflected that better. She did still slay a couple vampires tho, this is Barovia after all.

#dnd #curse of strahd #ireena kolyana #she’s coming with us into our next campaign uwu #strahd campaign

[barovianchickenandwaffles]

Barovian Tales: The Great Squash

While in costume for Strahdmas I, Oleksii, have been preparing for the arrival of the Great Squash. It came to me in a dream weeks ago. I stood in a vegetable field at midnight, and beheld a huge, bloated squash rising to the sky in its heathen glory.

The Great Squash said to me, “this field is most insincere and wicked. It is here I shall rise and preach many blasphemous and eldritch truths, while giving away much candy and presents. But only to those who are faithful.”

The people in Barovia laughed at me, and thought I was crazy. “The Morninglord protects us, why should we believe in a flying vegetable?” I swore to get my revenge when the Great Squash would grant me power to crush my rivals at last.

But Gertruda, ever the ditzy and devoted person, believed in me. I promised her much power and candy too as my new consort if she would wait with me in the vegetable patch on Strahdmas Night, rather than celebrating in the village with the other peasants.

Meanwhile, Gary the High Master Illithid / barista had some kind of rivalry with a mad wizard who styled himself the Crimson Duke. Overhead they flew into the night in some kind of epic aerial battle, until Gary was defeated and crashed into a field nearby.

The night wore on, and the vampire spawn of Strahd soared overhead, laughing their cruel, cold, soulless laughter at me. “You’re missing the profane festivities for a flying vegetable!” they heckled. But my devotion to the Great Squash was strong and the time of my revenge was nigh.

Gertruda’s faith began to waver, and she berated me for missing the paltry celebration back at the village what with its tricks and its treats.

Then, there was a rustling in the field. My heart froze as it drew closer and closer

“There it is! There it is!” I exclaimed.

Finally, a shape rose from the bushes just beside Gertruda, and I realized only too late that it was only Gary, not the Great Squash. He was about to eat Gertruda, then caught sight of me and said with a silent, telepathic shrug, “what?”

… and so, another Strahdmas came and went, and the Great Squash had lied to me. Thus, I learned the true meaning of Strahdmas.

Epilogue : I will try again next year to find a vegetable patch that is even more devious and insincere. Let them laugh at me, for in time I shall have my revenge.

This has been another Barovian Tales. Thanks for reading!

#ravenloft #dnd #ttrpg #barovia #tumblrloft #d&d #dungeons and dragons #life in barovia #waffles #great squash #not the great pumpkin #seriously #curse of strahd #halloween #barovian tales

[rahadaddy]

Session 20 Recap

We had Session 20 this weekend! It was a wild ride because it’s one of those games where political intrigue dominated the session and I learned just how deep the conspiracy well runs within some of my players. 

The warlock had a confrontation with Father Lucian, her adoptive father, first thing in the morning, about her hasty engagement to Doru Donavich. Lucian confronted her about whether or not Doru is a vampire and received an honest answer, much to his dismay. He tried to forbid the marriage, but Theo managed to convince him that she has the situation well in hand. Ireena, Ismark, Yeska, and the church staff joined for breakfast and preparations.

Alistor, our cleric, awoke alone in the Blue Water Inn. He tried to rouse the ranger, Tam, but Tam’s player was absent, so Tam was ruled too hungover to join in. Alistor then went downstairs and learned of the first stirrings that all is not well with the Martikovs’ wine supply. He spoke briefly with Nikolai Wachter about the masquerade plans to restore Stella’s broken mind and the two of them (separately, but not that far behind each other) arrived at church late. Theo realized that Nikolai is trying to be seen at church, not unlike the way her uncle, Vargas, Tries To Be Seen, but is also very much trying to fill his late father’s shoes. He spoke with Theo briefly and mentioned that his cousin, Lavinia, would be back in town for the masquerade and he hoped his mother had the good sense to match her with his Bachelor Uncle, Rafael Buckvhold. Theo and Alistor concluded that it would be a lavender marriage and, you know? Good for them. 

The party then ventured to the clothiers’ for masquerade costumes. I told the party they have one week to surprise me with what they’re going to wear. I’m excited! Then, they went to Vallakovich Manor to peruse the baron’s library. On the way, Izek Strazni revealed that he has shifted his Intense And Possibly Violent Romantic Longing from Theo to Ireena, based on things that have happened since the last festival. No one liked this information. The party arrived to the manor. They agreed to lunch with Lydia after they did their researchl. They caught Vargas practicing his speech for the Festival and they began researching the Teray family tree on behalf of one of the revenants. The family tree showed interconnection among the nobility of several of the towns, including Vallaki and Barovia Village and the party learned that Sir Robern Teray’s last living (“living”) descendant is either Doru Donavich, Thorn and Rose Durst, or a woman named Anastrasya Karelova who appears to be a clerical error without a death date. They plan to go to Barovia Village at some point to deliver the Teray family crest to Doru. They then had lunch with Lydia, which I thought revealed more than it did. Oops. They also checked on Victor and tried to dissuade him from using his teleportation circle to try to find Ez D’Avenir again. While they were upstairs, Theo and Ismark clocked a voice in Lydia’s private chambers and Theo saw the outline of a woman in the mirror fading away. Vargas invited Ismark and Alistor back to dinner to discuss politics because the party successfully convinced Vargas that they know about political organization and, yes, Ismark is still definitely the burgomaster of Barovia Village. Theo and Ireena decided to get more information out of the Wachter boys about Fiona’s book club. During preparations to speak with the baron, Alistor caught Ismark checking him out and Ireena made fun. The group split.

Ismark and Alistor went to the manor and went on the weirdest double date with Vargas and Lydia… and Izek who kept asking if Ireena is single. Through some really good rolls, Alistor persuaded Vargas to consider building a council so he can focus on the truly important things in rulership (“Like festivals!”). Ismark clocked that Lydia was upset and scheming and he told Alistor of his fears as they walked back to the inn. 

Meanwhile, as Ireena served as a decoy for the very drunk Karl Wachter, Theo challenged Nikolai to a vodka-drinking contest and asked him about the book club. Nikolai drunkenly revealed that it’s not really a book club, but a place to discuss political and religious dissension and that his mother has introduced (or perhaps reintroduced) worship of The Lady of Shadows, with the belief that Strahd is her prophet. Nikolai expressed some disagreement with this view, stating that worshipping monsters never prevented tragedy from happening, never prevented him from losing Elizaveta (Vallakovich, his fiancee) or his father, never prevented Stella’s curse. He then drunkenly revealed to Theo that he doesn’t think his father died from sickness like everybody says. He said that the night he died, his father had a cold and went to bed early, his mother was out, and while Nikolai had the house to himself, he invited Elizaveta over. They heard a strange noise and Elizaveta ended up leaving. The next day she was gone and his father was dead. It had been mere weeks before their wedding and he’s never recovered from the double loss, which is why he thinks his mother is pitching him to Lavinia. He told Theo the book club will be kind of like a church event, kind of like a town hall, but that “miracles” happen - always for other people and often involving money that answers people’s prayers. Karl then interrupted the conversation, trying to get the girls to dance and Nikolai took his brother home. Alistor and Ismark rejoined Theo and Ireena and decided to walk them back to the church for the night. When they did, one of the PCs asked Lucian if it was ridiculous to think Lydia might be an assassin and Lucian got really quiet and said that he didn’t think it was ridiculous at all. 

That’s where we ended the session. The PCs are in the Church, asking Lucian for information about Lydia and possibly getting the reveal of a lifetime. Tune in next time for a “book club” meeting and the impending Moonlight Masquerade, the best festival of the year!

#g: blood countess #curse of strahd #I love political intrigue

[vampiretimes]

The Road to Vallaki: Part 3 - Guys This Place Has Toys

As the party approached the high walls and imposing gates of Vallaki, they were stopped by guards who questioned them about their origins and business in Vallaki. They seemed largely concerned about whether they had any connection to "the devil." Hettie explained that she was not created by the devil, but by a witch from the woods. This did not win the guards over, and they seemed hesitant to open the gates. Ireena used her position as part of a quasi-noble family to get them inside. The party also learned that the refugees who had fled from the village of Barovia were not being let in, and had mostly camped outside the walls near the lake gate.

Upon entering Vallaki their erstwhile companion Clue flew away, joining a trio of ravens as they flew past. The streets were entirely occupied by humans, that non-humans in Barovia were exceedingly rare. The mood of Vallaki seemed more upbeat and optimistic than the dreariness of the village Barovia, with several people smiling as they passed.

One person who introduced herself as Imelda was willing to give directions when asked, directing them to the Blue Water Inn as a place to stay while in town, and helpfully showing them a notice board upon which were written the laws of Vallaki. In addition to the basic laws one would expect in any city, the party noticed the following:

It is illegal to speak or write the devil's name within the walls of Vallaki.

All able citizens may be called on to assist with preparations or cleanup for Vallaki's festivals. They will be notified in advance if their help is expected.

Attendance at festivals is mandatory for all, citizens and residents alike.

The gates close at dusk and open at dawn. If you are caught outside when the gates close, you will not be allowed back in.

The spreading of "dissent, despair or doubt" within Vallaki's walls is considered criminal behavior and will be treated as such.

It also noted that silver was a material very important for the protection of Vallaki's citizens. Citizens and residents alike were strongly encouraged to bring any silver coins or jewelry to the guardhouse, to be exchanged for gold or copper of equal value.

The notice board also contained an old crumpled flyer advertising the Wolf's Head Festival. Several similar flyers were on the ground, being swept up along with some decorations and, indeed, old fly-covered wolf's heads on pikes were also being taken down. It seems the party had just missed the Wolf's Head Festival, though as they would soon learn, festivals in Vallaki are regular events. The notice board also contained other pieces of town business: the schedule of services for the local church, something about a book club, someone selling a broken loom, someone looking for a babysitter, an ad for dream pastries, ("made with the light and love of dreams,") and four separate advertisements for something called "Blinsky's Toy Shop."

After a brief stop outside the walls to see after the Barovian refugees, Ireena went to the burgomaster’s manor hoping to advocate for her people. Tomas gave her a feather and cast Enhance Ability on her, hopefully giving her an edge in conversation.

Meanwhile, the others decided to take a look at the stores. Their first stop was Blinsky's Toys, a shop that had not been getting much business lately. They met Gadof Blinsky, who dressed in a jester's costume and was very excited to have customers. The store was filled with whimsically morbid toys such as a doll with interchangeable heads, a transforming werewolf toy, a bag of marbles designed to look like eyeballs, and a puppet of Strahd Von Zarovich. Hettie bought herself several toys, as well as a wind up skull-shaped music box for Arabelle. Tomas and Granny noticed a small, unassuming dull sitting on a shelf behind the counter that bore an uncanny resemblance to Ireena.

They bought supplies from the general store, cleared out the discount shelf at the apothecary. While visiting Yonvich and Sons,(the local print shop) they overheard a conversation between the titular sons complaining about the Baron’s order of decorations for the upcoming Festival of the Blazing Sun, expressing concern about not being able to make enough purple ink in time. Looking for an opportunity to help (and make money) the party volunteered to go to Lake Zarovich and bring back some of the mollusks that the printers needed in order to make purple ink.

While there, Tomas bought a memoir written by one of the members of the city guard, Granny bought a book of prayers to the Morninglord and Mother Night, and Hettie bought a book of fairy tales.

The party found the Vistani camp in some degree of distress. When they asked about Arabelle, they were directed to two men who were arguing, one of whom was Arabelle's father Luvash. Luvash was growing more and more angry with a man named Arrigal who had apparently been watching her when she wandered off and went missing.

Carver spotted a few small footprints leading out into the woods, giving them a starting point for tracking her. Hettie noticed a shack on the lake that looked suspiciously like a place where a hag might live, and immediately suspected a connection to the missing child.

They knocked on the door, and a seemingly human woman answered, introducing herself as Jenny Greenteeth. Though she claimed ignorance as to Arabelle's whereabouts, Hettie was still suspicious and asked some probing questions. It did not take long for Jenny to reveal that yes, she was in fact a creature much like Hettie's mother, and familiar with Mad Myrtle Bonebrier. She pulled back her hair and revealed that the skin behind it was dry and cracked, the result of a curse that seemed to be Myrtle's handiwork. It seemed that while she was dying, Mad Myrtle had cursed every hag in Barovia, hoping that she might get the one that had cursed her.

Hettie noticed a cloth covered form on a table inside the shack, and remained suspicious that Jenny might be hiding the missing child. She tried to force her way in, but Jenny stopped her, picking her up with strong arms. She held her in the air and pointed out it was rude to enter someone's house without asking to come in and waiting for the answer.

Hettie asked if she could come in, and Jenny told her no. When Jenny put her down she forced her way in again. When Jenny irritably picked Hettie up a second time and asked what she was doing, Hettie pointed out that Jenny had told her that she needed to wait for the answer before going in, she hadn't said the answer needed to be yes. Jenny got an annoyed look on her face and said that Hettie had a point. A quick glance around Jenny's shack revealed no missing child, however.

Jenny told Hettie that her mother must have raised her well, as she was the most ill-mannered young lady she had ever met. But if it was true that Mad Myrtle Bonebrier had cursed every single hag in Barovia, then she suspected Hettie was in enough trouble without Jenny needing to do her any harm. With that, the party left to look for Arabelle elsewhere.

#recaps #early sessions

[theood]

OK d&d movie review- it was really fun !! it had a bunch of references for people who are huge d&d nerds, but it's pretty newbie-friendly. story-wise, it's a heist film, which is all i want to give away because the story is GENUINELY very fun. the names can be a little hard to remember, because this is a fantasy movie and if at least one person doesn't have a name you have to write down, it'd be a failure on the genre, but most of them are easy enough to get.

it doesn't go meta, and while i'd very much classify it as a comedy, it doesn't go overboard with slapping joke after joke onto you. in fact, the jokes don't feel forced at all!

setting-wise, it's in the forgotten realms, which is kind of the "main" d&d setting. that does mean that i was looking for barovia (where the campaign i'm in takes place) and didn't find it whenever a map came up :( however, setting it in that established world really helped it not fall into the trap of 'throw it in' settings that a lot of bad fantasy movies have. the world felt majestic and grand without trying to oversell the bit.

i'm fairly sure there were some practical effects, but there was a lot of CGI- which, in a twist, i really didn't mind! the costuming and makeup and sets were beautiful, and the CGI for the monsters and magic did a good, only mildly cheesy job of bringing the world to life.

also, there's a cute semi-himbo paladin in one part. i'm in love. i think i might f/o him.

speaking of paladin- only some characters have their class stated! (and one character is referred to by the wrong class lol). otherwise, it's up to the viewer to put things together and figure out the classes. the classes are only stated when they can double as descriptors, which is a good touch, because you don't typically walk up to someone and go "HI IM A WIZARD" overall, the movie was fun and i think you'd like it! it's a very good ride and manages to tell an epic, but grounded enough for you to care, story in its 2 hour and 14 minute run time.

pumpkin out

also also also also the monsters were all SO CUTE this might just be my inner "everything is a cat" but i just. i want to pet the mimic

---

Ohh okay this is!!! A very good review actually. Maybe I judged the trailers too harshly. It sounds a lot like it's gonna get more people into dnd which is great 8). I always want that. Explore TTRPG games ^__^

It sounds very cool you're left to explore and figure out the classes. Fun for more experienced dnd enjoyers AND for new people

If a friend offers, maybe I'll check it out with them ^_^

#elias answers #thaaank you thank you for this review!!

[dexadin]

Hold on what's the Strahd sheep lore?

So in one of Vanya and Strahd's first conversations, Vanya told him that he thinks sheep should be indoor animals. Strahd was unconcerned about this. Sheep being indoor animals had become sort of an ATSBB injoke for a while.

As of right now, the party has not encountered any sheep in Barovia, nor any reference to sheep. Additionally, unintentionally on my part but brought loudly to my attention by players, nobody has been said to wear wool *except* for Strahd, who I have also established as not buying or making his own clothing. Normally, this might not be a big deal but I'm a costume/textile nerd so my party pays attention to details like that.

In our last session, Rahadin mentioned to Threnody that Strahd doesn't often go as far west as Krezk anymore, as the people there don't take kindly to him. In the same conversation, when asked what Krezk was like, Rahadin shrugged and said that there were sheep there.

It dawned on me as I was speaking that all of this combined implied that Strahd didn't know what sheep are, something that all the players naturally latched onto. So, yeah. Strahd doesn't know what sheep are, because he's too busy being a rich asshole and all the wool comes from Krezk, a place to which he doesn't travel

#i hate that this answer is so long and detailed but its a really good bit #atsbb #curse of strahd #strahd #dnd #dexadin answers #d&d #thanks for the ask!!

[survivors-of-barovia]

Stella Wachter new costume design

So, we added Stellla to our adoprtables list! She ran away from home very scarcely dressed and it’s freaking winter in Barovia, so Edena felt her proficiency in weavers’ tools was needed once again. The dress is actually one of Edena’s, refitted for Stella and, as you can see, it now comes with a stylish winter cape trimmed with some beautiful yeti fur for warmth. And a yeti fur muff to go with it.

#curse of strahd #dnd #Dungeons and Dragons #dnd art #Stella Wachter #art #by: nui

[mx-lamour]

Costuming Strahd: Art Addendum

I didn't include any mention of the official Dungeons & Dragons art for Strahd von Zarovich in my previous post, because I had dismissed it outright. There, I said it.

I shall strive to amend my folly in this addendum.

Let's start with that 5e cover:

I generally approve of this representation. No doubt it colored my concept of Strahd's silhouette, since this is the first image of Strahd I came into contact with, some two or three years ago.

The shape of this garb is much like what I was aiming for in my previous post. Strahd is sporting a crisp shirt with stiffened, buttoned cuffs, much like our modern button-downs or blouses spanning back into the mid-1800s. His torso is trim in a fitted vest with standing collar, which easily fits into the category of fantasy-Renaissance. Speculation on from where/when exactly the inspiration comes might be a futile effort; it would find itself at home among the elves in The Lord of the Rings, and I'm not about to dig into that concept work just now.

Actually, what his vest reminds me of most is 15th century brigandine [or tabard (see below), which would cover brigandine or a breastplate, which is why] it's the right length, if nothing else.

Reconstructing History, He's literally Elrond, and some brigandine

I believe I said it's easy to fake good pants, especially when sitting down. This example reinforces my point. His legs are indeed covered, and the result is not garish. Not particularly exciting, but nonetheless successful. You could probably even call them hose if you really wanted to.

His boots are literal extant riding boots, from "early 20th c." England, and honestly I'm so proud of this one-to-one reference.

[Fig. 1] and [Fig. 2], although my first thought had been Victorian cycling boots.

The cape draped around his shoulders appears to be quite thin and probably only falls to about his fingertips, since it doesn't drape over the chair cushion and he's not sitting on it. It could look like some kind of military cape. Or maybe even, to drag him back a few centuries again, something Elizabethan.

I'll do a whole thing on capes later.

Moving on...

Early Strahd von Zarovich was definitely Dracula by another name, but later art has been pretty consistently (from what I can see) this other red/blue outfit, with baffling ruby clasps instead of a single pendant around his neck.

That last one has me. To be fair, it's the only one gazing back at the observer... >.>

Look. This garb is sexy. It cannot be understated. While it's not what I'm going for in my own costume foray, this is a fantastic design. Here's why:

The line where blue meets red along his ribcage accentuates his chest. That same red draws the eye down over his crotch, subtly curving to accomodate his thighs. Those chains on his cloak and the sash around his waist are positively drippy, like the source of the Ivlis pouring down to the Tser Pool. The asymmetry of that and his mismatched shoulders gives him such a dynamic slant, something to visually climb back up like handholds on the face of a cliff. And the sash is supple, in direct contrast to his armored hips, solid and stalwart. His limbs are clad in slim nondescript brown, making it all the easier to focus in on his center, in high contrast dotted with solid rubies. The red and blue both, especially together, are blood colors, indicative of veins hidden beneath the skin.

He might be covered from toe to jaw, but this is an intimate costume.

Despite my appreciation for it, though, again, I personally am trying to make something a little less Lord of the Rings. For reasons.

So, let's see what I can come up with in terms of historical inspiration... if anything, lol.

This is going to be fairly stream-of-consciousness. (Not that it wasn't already, I suppose.)

The first thing that came to mind was a kaftan (or zupan?), because they can be fitted through the torso and feature a standing collar and embellished closures up the front. But, kaftans from Russia, the Ottoman Empire, and other areas touched by those cultures usually also have sleeves. I finally found the two illustrations below without sleeves, but they were difficult to track down and I'm not sure how much of what they depict is imaginary. (Although the sword, pouch, and helmet from the first one are definitely from an extant burial site.)

There's also the Polish kontusz, where the arms can be worn out of the sleeves, with the sleeves flipped back, and that can give the illusion of sleevelessness... A lot of examples I found of this particular garment are also open to the waist, which is delightfully provocative, but doesn't resemble the Strahd ensemble.

Examples from Chernigov (Ukraine) and apparently Moldova; a Polish kontusz

I can think of little source material for that long, pointed fantasy hemline, but allow me to grasp at some straws.

The straws in question.

Actually, this brings up a really good point of inquiry. Where does this drapery-between-the-legs situation that modern fantasy seems to be so enamoured with come from?

Tabards would seem the obious answer, but even that, in modern parlance, is used as an umbrella term for a wide range of garments that may or may not have any true basis in reality.

There's also just... loin cloths, I suppose, which can look like a piece of fabric just draped over the crotch and hanging between the legs, but there's usually more to it than that.

At last, after some digging around, I came across the video below. Bless Shad for his contribution to society.

It goes over all the the differences between those various styles of garment usually bearing symbols of allegiance all lumped together as "tabards", and presented me one more vocabulary word with which I was not yet familiar: the scapular.

Alas, monastic garb is my blind spot. Silly that I've played at least five clerics so far.

To summarize, I think the that the shape of the lower part of Strahd's... whatever-it-is... is inspired by a mix of these garments described in the video. It's short like a tabard should be, and has that dip between the legs reminiscent of a scapular.

But, ultimately, this thing is a waistcoat. Not a waistcoat in the Victorian sense; a waistcoat in the mid-18th century sense.

Monk wearing a scapular, and some fancy waistcoats.

Finally, the very-high standing collar on Strahd's waistcoat smacks of a couple things: Russia (again), or the Regency era. Although, in the Regency years, waistcoats became much shorter (ending at the waist) and lengthened up the other way with high standing collars. But, if you were to combine the two waistcoats above and throw in some suggestive high-hip cutouts like a 1980's leotard, you might come out with something that resembles what Strahd is wearing in all that sumtuous art.

The one with the sash really drives the comparison home.

With the initial kaftan comparison and this guy with the funny hair (a Count Vasili, coincidentally) above, Strahd von Zarovich's red/blue fantasy garb is also giving the Motherland, and folks, I already said that I was trying to keep blatant Russia out of Barovia (as much as that garb clearly slaps). But I also recently remembered due to this post that I am a total sucker for Russian pet names, so... who knows.

In the end... do I know what I'm doing? Absolutely not. I'm not sure which of these elements will filter into further consideration for my own Strahd von Zarovich costume, but I'm definitely glad I gave all this a look. Absolutely worth it. Learned a lot. ♡

#costume things #costuming barovia #strahd von zarovich #costume design #fashion history #costume history #curse of strahd #lamour dms cos #art analysis #art appreciation #ravenloft

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: February 2020

Okay two months into the year! Here’s all the stuff I read/watched/heard/played/and generally experienced in February!

……….FILM……….

The Favourite (2018) We were in the exact right mood for this and it was as weird and dramatic and well-acted as I’d hoped. It does a great job of shifting tone and the movie probably took an extra half hour to watch as we paused and looked up the accuracy of everything about Queen Anne and Sarah Marlborough. Everything about this movie (and the history it’s based on) was just bonkers.

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020) Super fun! It was silly and heartfelt and shockingly violent (they did a great job of having like...a baseline of violence that was pretty lowkey and then really hitting you with one or two super gruesome moments). I haven’t seen Suicide Squad but this worked for me on its own. Also the fight choreography was incredible! There’s just so much to love here. Oh I would’ve liked to see a little more costuming from the other cast members, but understand why that didn’t quite fit into this. Anyway, good time at the movies.

Down a Dark Hall (2018) Very very okay. It’s a slow burn and has a gothic vibe. None of the characters get a lot of depth but they’re well-acted. It’s just like...a solid 6.5/7ish out of 10, you know? Like not GREAT, but also good enough that it was fine.

……….TELEVISION……….

What We Do in the Shadows (Episode 1.01 to 1.07) So so good and I’m surprised I haven’t heard more people talking about this. It has enough of what I loved about the movie (charming characters and cast, fun play with what it means to be vampires, and a lot of comedy pulled from the contrast of the fantastical and the mundane) and there’s lots of new stuff as well (married vampires, american location, etc.) Really worth checking out and it makes so much sense to transition this to tv. The effects are fantastic and they don’t seem to be pulling their punches with the gore either. Very excited for more.

The Bachelor (Episode 24.05 to 24.09) I think the produces are wringing every drop of drama out of the interpersonal relationship between the women because Peter is such a dud. It’s a shame. If they took a risk and tried someone who broke the mould, then we’d get tv that breaks the mould. The only thing that’ll save this season for me is if Hannah B. comes back at the very end.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Episode 3.04 to 3.08) A fun season, though I never really love magic plots where a the main hurdle is no magic. This is not why I watch a magic show. The eldritch horrors and spooky carnivals and insane spells are what I love. The writing feels like it’s veering into Riverdale territory, but I can’t decide if it’s always been that way. 

The Good Place (Episode 4.10 to 4.13) Oof. What a great ending. And credit to everyone involved that they created a series that set out to tell a specific story, explore specific themes, and did so with laser focus. Well-planned, excellent writing, and equal parts funny and emotional. Excellent stuff.

……….READING……….

The Time Traveler’s Almanac edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer (Page 357/959) Such a great collection of short stories. I usually come back to this collection of time-travel stories when I’m in between books and it never disappoints. It’s also a great way to find new sci-fi or fantasy writers and to get a sense of their writing style without commiting to an entire book. Worth checking out if you like science fiction or, even better, time travel.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (Complete) Having only a casual understanding of the story, I was surprised by how relevant it felt. The story of a “good” man who indulges in dark deeds, swears it’s not him, asks for pity from the reader, and yet continues to do this stuff feels veeeeeery topical. Maybe Jekyll was sympathetic when the book was written?

Silver Surfer: Black by Donny Cates, Tradd Moore, and Dave Stewart (Complete) I really think Silver Surfer is becoming one of my favourite marvel characters because this book is exactly why I love comics. The writing is melodramatic yet sincere, the art is wildly inventive but coherent, and the story itself is a little sci-fi with fantasy elements. Absolutely worth checking out if you like Silver Surfer or crazy good art or bonkers stuff that doesn’t feel bonkers until you explain it out loud. It’s just a lot of fun.

Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross (Complete) Art was/is/and will forever be stellar. I just can’t imagine how much time and love went into each panel. The writing is also wonderful and the overall story (life from the perspective of a civilians living in a world full of super-heroes) felt fully realized here. It’s fun seeing big comic book events from the point-of-view of a street-level photographer. With that said, I didn’t like the ending. I think it’s a good ending, but I didn’t like it. My gut tells me that it ended on a note that is contrary to the message being presented for 75% of the book. It’s one I have to think on a little more.

……….AUDIO……….

Judy con Disfraz by Los Sirex (1965) So this is just one song, but I’ve been listening to a lot of foreign language covers of english songs and this one is probably my favourite right now.

……….GAMING……….

Neverland: Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) I got to play two different games of this over the month! My ongoing campaign is exploring the island a little more and are getting into lots of trouble. The one shot I did with the Mof1 Podcast should be out in March and it was great introducing a few people to both the island AND D&D in general! So great.

Curse of Strahd (Wizards of the Coast) The party finally escaped Death House! We’re starting to explore more of Barovia and I think the party is starting to realize just how deep in the forest they’ve gone.

And that’s it! As always, I’m keen to hear good things to check out so don’t hesitate to share a recommendation.

Happy Saturday!

#Monthly Media #Rambles #Kolbisneat #Andrew Kolb

[corseque]

ok I’m reading Strahd’s teen livejournal and he’s both such an actual shitty wizard (cut to scenes of him feverishly reading his wizard tomes at night to find a magic spell for love to stop the pain he’s in!) and SO ROMANCE I love it, and I feel so like... vindicated cause he really was like *Dracula from SotN heart-eyes* about her:

“As she approached, I came to see that she was as beyond beauty as a river in spring flood is beyond a drop of water. I felt myself drawn into the flow, swept under by the current. Overwhelmed. I could almost hear the roar and rush of it instead of my brother's voice when he spoke.

"Strahd, this is Tatyana."

The girl made a low curtsy. She wore the simple, homespun costume of Barovia, but she wore it like royalty, and her copper-colored hair like a crown. She made me suddenly believe in the folktale of the kidnapped princess raised by peasants and eventually returned to her rightful place in the castle.

"Welcome," I whispered, barely able to make my response.

My approval was of no importance. One might as well "approve" of the air one breathed or the true azure of a summer sky. The need for one and beauty of the other were there with or without any pompous human judgments; such was Tatyana. She was sky and earth, air and music, sunlight without shadow.”

- “I, Strahd: Memoirs of a Vampire” by P.N. Elrod

#he really genuinely liked her that much #it was SO satisfying to see him go from like... shitty wizard overlord to 😍 in 2 seconds #he’d spent the previous 50 pages being purely pragmatic and unsentimental #like ZERO romance and then this #his pov is really entertaining there’s this part #about him refusing to kiss peasant babies that had me rolling #because ‘he’d done many horrible things in his life and he had to draw the line somewhere’ #lmao <3 #what a great unreliable narrator #every time he does something ruthless as shit i start laughing #ok he’s smarter and meaner than I thought and I only like him more #i can’t wait to play him as politically savvy as he is in this book im getting so many ideas #Dungeons & Dragons #Curse of Strahd #monster romance #long post

[pikmom]

For the ask meme, pick a D&D character of your choice, for numbers 6, 8, 14, 24, 45, and 49!

OOOOO ok I’m so excited to do these so PREPARESome setup for these babies- I play 2 characters and will be answering for them:

Arila- Tiny cute baby tiefling warlock, pact of the Great Old One I play in a homebrew campaign. Grew up in a shack in a human village, but escaped and is really excited to be out seeing things, making friends, and living life.

Henri- Super edgy human blood hunter, Order of the Lycan I play in Curse of Strahd. Was once a farmer but became a blood hunter for revenge on evil creatures after their town was pillaged by werewolves. Decided to go to Barovia to take out its monstrosities, but also to disappear without a trace.

Tried to link art but IDK if it worked, hopefully it did.

6. Headcanon VA

So somehow I don’t have this down yet- if I had to pick off the top of my head for Arila, it would be Eden Riegel who is pretty dang close but not perfect.

An honorable mention would be an NPC I play in Waterdeep, Aserra, who is an aasimar wizard and mentor to a young kenku wizard in our party. She’s absolutely Mary Elizabeth McGlynn.

8. Weapon

DEFINITELY answering this for Henri. They’re Order of the Lycan so they can transform and basically become a meat grinder using their claws with Rite of the Storm and break the entire action economy. They even have fun little fingerless gloves so as not to interfere with the transformation (but decided to take the risk and wear full gloves in their fancy costume change for dinner with Lady Wachter. Needless to say those lasted about 10 minutes before being utterly shredded, RIP).

So I super love to do that, as their player hulking out is really fun, but they themself aren’t really into being a werewolf and prefer to fight with a moon-touched rapier. It glows in the dark so their human self can still beat up on all the nasty things that lurk in the night, as a blood hunter should be able to do. It is a piercing weapon, but it does have a serrated slashing edge, as impractical as that may be, for the occasions when they might want to draw more blood. Being a blood hunter with a blood domain cleric in the party, that comes in handy.So excited to answer this question, lol, I put a lot of thought into Henri’s weapons. And then there’s Arila, who just shoots concentrated radiation out of her fingers. Great old ones be like that.

14. Can they cook/bake?

Arila grew up in a super sheltered way, and has had really no opportunity to learn to cook or bake. She would love to be able to, to make her newfound family, the party, happy, but at this point she’s absolutely awful at it.

Henri was a pretty good cook back when they were just a simple farmer, but hasn’t had much time for anything fancy since becoming a hunter. Plus, being turned definitely changed their sense of taste quite a bit.

24. Favorite Season

Arila’s favorite season would probably be winter. Exact opposite of me personally lol, but since she grew up completely indoors being cold and experiencing snow is still kind of a new novel thing she can’t help but wonder at. 

45. Character song/playlist

HOOOO so I make playlists for all my characters like a Huge Nerd so it’s so hard to condense down to just one song but I’ll take that challenge. Arila’s would probably be All I Wanted by Daughter, and Henri’s would be Shadow of a Man by Neulore. 

Full playlist for Arila

Full playlist for Henri

49. Some themes tied to your character’s story

OK this one is great in general but especially for Arila. A huge thing for her character is freedom. She was held captive for most of her life due to her fiendish heritage, and a warlock-powers-related outburst she had at a young age. She’s out now, but not exactly in the way she would have liked- another outburst of hers ended up doing quite a bit of damage to the village. And although she might be able to travel now, it’s unclear what her patron wants from her. It likely has a greater purpose for her she’s unaware of and is leading her around as it wants- so she may really be less free than ever.She’s also always felt a special connection to the night sky (since her patron/powers are deep space themed, but she doesn’t exactly know that), and has always wished she could be closer to it, usually viewing it through a window. She doesn’t sleep so she’s spent a lot of time with it since beginning her adventure, and she still loves it, but can’t help but feel that it’s more vast and distant and empty than the little slice of it she’d grown up with.Also I didn’t know where to slot this in but it fits with both the aforementioned themes: she used to have wings but they were removed when she was born so like all the flying/freedom/sky bs that goes with that is in there as well.

AAAAAA I’m done, that was so amazing and fun haha, and made me miss these babies even more since I haven’t been able to play them in a few months. Thanks so much for the ask!!

#dnd #henri #arila #my post

[stuartdraws]

🎃The party gathers together for the burial of the Burgomaster and the Priest’s son before setting out to take Ireena to Vallaki. 

Taking a shortcut the arrive at a Vistani camp and hear stories about Strahd and the Wizard who challenged him. The old fortune teller reads their cards and reveals that she has an item they may need hidden in her camp – the sun sword! Pressing on the heroes pass a black carriage drawn by 2 black horses waiting with an open door near the road leading up to the castle. While most of the adventurers stayed clear Bastle and Dora creep inside to look for treasure. Drastrix, the Lizardman, tries to jump on the horses not realizing that horses are easily startled – especially by giant lizard people. Drastrix is thrown from the horses as the carriage door slams shut and Bastle and Dora are carried up to the castle. After some debate between the party about what to do they eventually decide they must press on to Vallaki. As they are nearly at the town their party is attacked by the minions of Strahd. A vampire spawn, 4 werewolves and swarms of bats descend on the group as the vampire demands the adventurers turn over Ireena. The werewolves are unhurt by unsilvered weapons, but the combined magical might of the group along with good teamwork defeats the attackers. The heroes quicken their pace and finally arrive at Vallaki having safely delivered Ireena away from the village of Barovia.

The XP rewards were: Attending the Halloween Party – 50 xp Defeating the Bats, Vampire Spawn & Werewolves – 400 xp Bury the Burgomaster – 100 xp Have Fortune Read – 100 xp Take Ireena to Vallaki – 100 xp Find the Sunsword – 300 xp

Anyone wearing a costume got x2 normal xp.

Anyone dressed as their character (which was most players) got x4 normal xp.

Here are the XP Totals for this week:

Bastle, 3rd Level Halfling Rogue – 2,200 xp Belladonna, 5th Level Elf Fighter (Eldritch Knight) – 10,960 xp Denna, 4th Level Human Cleric – 5,813 xp Dolph, 5th Level Human Fighter (Battle Master) – 9,640 xp Dora, 4th Level Half-Elf Bard – 3,463 xp Drastrix, 4th Level Lizardfolk Ranger – 5,300 xp Eldon, 5th Level Gnome Druid (Circle of the Moon) – 9,621 xp Faelynn, 5th Level Elf Bard (College of Lore) – 10,346 xp Flora, 4th Level Gnome Druid – 5,304 xp Glim, 6th Level Gnome Wizard (Conjurer) – 14,072 xp Gokk, 3rd Level Half-Orc Barbarian – 1,658 xp Jemna, 5th Level Dwarf Cleric – 6,535 xp Keora, 5th Level Dwarf Cleric – 7,232 xp Laura, 4th Level Human Wizard – 6,183 xp Lo Kag, 4th Level Goliath Fighter – 4,850 xp Opal, 4th Level Elf Wizard – 4,730 xp Ori, 4th Level Triton Rogue – 4,500 xp Pituitar, 5th Level Elf Fighter (Champion) – 9,050 xp Popshot, 5th Level Elf Rogue – 6,725 xp Quinn, 4th Level Human Wizard – 4,823 xp Robinia, 4th Level Human Ranger (Hunter) – 6,156 xp Taryn, 4th Level Dwarf Fighter – 5,300 xp Thistle, 3rd Level Elf Rogue – 1,050 xp Thokk, 4th Level Half-Orc Monk – 4,750 xp Trikis, 5th Level Half-Elf Druid (Circle of the Land) – 8,031 xp Umara, 4th Level Human Sorcerer – 5,120 xp

Bastle, Gokk and Thistle are now 3rd Level

Denna, Dora, Drastrix, Flora, Laura, Lo Kag, Opal, Ori, Quinn, Robinia, Taryn, Thokk, and Umara are now 4th Level

Dolph, Eldon, Faelynn, Jemna, Keora, Pituitar, Popshot, and Trikis are now 5th Level

Glim is now 6th Level HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 🎃

#dungeons and dragons #week72 #halloween