Look and feel new highguard

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Overview

The Highborn aesthetic is practical and restrained. Its beauty is in the small touches – the geometric trim on the robes, the exquisite jewelry. Colours are deliberately stark and contrasting, and outfits in black and white are commonplace. Many members of a chapter, particularly warriors, choose to adopt a uniform look, displaying the symbol of their chapter prominently. This inclination towards unity serves as a visible display of their inner commitment to a shared faith and destiny.

Rather than displaying impractical frivolity in the cut of their garments, Highborn show their taste and wealth in jewellery, and the decoration of cloth. Jewelled and embellished trims at the hems of garments are popular, as is the intricate braiding of hair and heavy, elaborate jewellery.

General Breakdown

Regal, confident, righteous, stark, traditional, disciplined, militant, uncompromising

Costume Fundamentals

Highguard costume is simple and elegant in cut, but the key to the aesthetic is colour. While the iconic items of clothing are flowing surcoats, tabards, and robes in severe cuts, almost any European medieval look in plain black and white will work in the nation.

The iconic item of costume is a head covering, whether a cowl, hood, or veil.

Fabrics and Colour Palette

The colours of highborn clothing are highly contrasting; black and white, with touches of their chapter's colour; often a strong jewel tone.

Almost any fabric is appropriate, so long as it fits within the colour scheme. Textural interest can be great when creating richer looking clothing within the colour scheme, and brocades, velvets and other textured fabric are really effective.

Geometric trim is a popular decorative feature, and is widely used.

Outerwear and Hats

Highguard veils are worn on the top of the head, held in place with a circlet or head band. They can be flipped forward to cover the face, or back to reveal it.

Cowls and hoods are very wide and drapey, sitting on the shoulders, and pulled over the head when necessary.

Cloaks are very common, and are useful in bad weather.

Jewellery

Jewellery is refined and elegant. Circlets and crowns are the most popular elements of Jewellery.

Archetypes

Fighters

Armour

Heavy metal plate, painted or unpainted is common, as is chain and leather, although armour that can show off the surcoat is preferred.

Weapons

Highborn warriors tend to fight in close formation, and use weapons suited to that; short weapons, spears, shields, and bows are popular.

Heater and Kite shields are common, often bearing the chapter's symbol.

Guardians

Guardians train daily with their comrades learning to fight as a unit in close formation. Chapters outfit their guardians with weapons and armour and most provide a surcoat adorned with the chapter’s heraldic device, usually in black and white or similarly contrasting colours.

Cataphracts

A reflection of their origins as heavy cavalry, a split surcoat is common among cataphracts, although tabards and other styles of surcoat are seen. These are often uniform throughout a chapter, and display the chapter's symbol on the chest.

Unconquered

While the unconquered might dress like any other highborn while not at war, their clothing on the battlefield incorporates less high contrast, bringing in browns and greys. They tend to wear lighter armour, or forego armour altogether. They may still include contrasting trim or a chapter symbol.

Priests

Many priests wear robes in black or white as the base of their clothing. Stoles are very common, often bearing symbols of the priest's chapter and their sect.

Wayfarer

Warfarers traditionally wear a wide sash of braided black and white cloth as a symbol of their office. It is usually worn over a traditional Highborn robe with a heavy cowl or veil. Given their Wandering nature a more practical or travelworn appearance might be appropriate.

Inquisitor

Priests who embrace an inquisitorial role often use the image of the Basilisk Awake – a lizard with terrible red eyes that legend says can strike the unworthy dead with is piercing gaze.

Steward of the Dead

The stewards generally dress in simple robes in the style of whichever chapter they belong to. They often carry a book to record the deeds of heroes, and at festivals recite tales to bring to life the memory of those who have gone before. They ring bells and speak to the accompaniment of wind-chimes, allowing the breath of the dead to add their own contribution to the tales of their deeds.

Magisters

While magisters dress very similarly to priests, most forego a stole, and will often carry their magical accoutrements.

Mage Armour

Circlets, ornamental sections of scale, and coloured metal are all common features of highborn mage armour, and shoulder pieces in the shape of conventional armour are also popular.

Exarch

Most Exarchs have a background in the Priesthood, Military or both and this will usually colour their appearance. Gold or silver Jewellery worn on the brow suggests authority.

Benefactors

Many Benefactors use the symbol of the unbalanced scales, the upper pannier containing coinage and the lower (heavier) pannier containing some symbol of morality or humanity such as a heart or a skull.

Archivist

Archivists are romantic figures in Highguard. While the truth is that many of them are quiet scholars and scribes, the popular image is of them as active, energetic people who go to dangerous locations to retrieve valuable information or artefacts for the good of the nation and the Empire as a whole.

Children

Clothing for Highborn children is usually sombre and simple but good quality, with more elegant garments reserved until they come of age

Camps

A chapter's camp aims to be distinctive; banners and prominently displayed shields are popular. There is usually a bowl and water provided for washing.

If the chapter's camp is large, it may be gathered around a central space or fire, and it is common for chapters to eat communal meals if circumstances permit

Similar Nations

Dawnish costume utilises similar items of clothing, and rich fabrics. However, Dawnish bright colours create a difference between the nations.

Marcher monks will also wear plain robes, but they are very unlikely to use high contrast or geometric trim.

Unconquered costume is designed to blend into the surroundings and may use similar styles and colours to the Navarr, but unconquered do not use prominent tattoos or warpaint.

What to Avoid

• Christian symbols- while Templars and Crusader knights are inspiration for the Highguard look, Christian symbols are inappropriate in Empire.