OOC - Reader Participation: Livery

[sythyry]

Sythyry is going to provide food, clothing, shelter, and a salary for the people on Strayway.  The clothing will be livery, or a uniform: something a bit distinctive, and approximately the same for everyone on the ship.  Which will be a bit of a sartorial challenge, since zie's got people of all eight prime species, plus one monster who changes shape... though Vae can mutate her clothes just as easily as her body.

Anyways, I'd like suggestions for what the livery might look like.  Thanks!

Comments

[goodluckfox.livejournal.com]

No. Red. Shirts.

Except for the people he wants to get rid of. :)

The Strayway doesn't have the maintenance or firesafety issues that our naval vessels do, so there's no need for tons of pockets or fireproofing. For that matter, there's no particular reason for color-coordination other than just wanting to Look Cool... altho that may be quite a consideration.

I think everyone should wear sturdy blue pants, durable boots, and strong blue longsleeved shirts. Better still if you can put enchantments on these things to be fireproof and act as armor. Enchant the boots if you can to let the people move around faster. Plenty of pockets are damn handy. The colors represent our favorite blue lizard, or the sky and clouds, or whatever.

Also, everyone needs a jacket, and possibly a hat of some sort to protect them from the weather. If it were me, I'd put the name and crest of the ship on the shoulders of the jacket and hat.

Everyone but Sythyry gets simple jackets and hats. Sythyrys would be downright silly, however.

Sythyry needs a military consultant! He's going to be operating far from Civilization at times, and he's responsible for protecting his crew, and ther's no TELLING what sort of trouble (be it monsters or primes) he's going to run into! True he's a fair to middling caster, and Vae is a WMD all by herelf, but I just don't think he's sufficiently paranoid. He's likely to blunder into a bad situation through ignorance that a wiser more experienced adventurer could have counseled him against. "Stand off and let's take just a few people down in a skiff until we know it's safe. THEN we can bring the Strayway in for a landing for that picnic on this deserted branch."

I would volunteer, but I'm here, he's there, and Sythyry doesn't need any MORE monsters than he can deal with right now.

[archadia.livejournal.com]

Along the same lines... should there also be no brown pants?

[dracosphynx.livejournal.com]

Given the amount of DOOM, outfits with bullseyes would almost be appropriate.

[spotweld.livejournal.com]

Probably something fairly heat resistant so xie can wear one too.
Maybe a badge or emblem that can be worn as appropriate. (Pinned on clothing, hung on a collar, worked into a bracer, etc...)

As so what sort of heraldry should comprise that badge. Knowing Sythery, probably something attempting to be important and auspicious but accidentally ending up being rather bawdy.

[zeeth_kyrah]

A chaos star comes to mind.

[galis.livejournal.com]

Is it possible to make changing images in fabric with a minor spell? For some reason I imagine any design Syth comes up with would be needlessly overcomplicated, and a shifting image seems about right ;)

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

Well, robes I think are in order, and headbands with feathers in them. As it has been stressed to Sythyry that these all need to be magical in origin to show that he is a great and powerful wizard, the headbands need to glow and sparkle, especially when the user is talking so that it is clear that you need to pay attention. I would have the robes have elaberote embroidered seven winged things hovering slightly above the cloth, occasionally changing into useful advertising space "Eat at Joes" when not on the ship, so you can collect monies for advertising.

... but you know, I'm weird and practical that way.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Ooh, how about making the livery completely out of blue feathers? Not sewn together or anything, just have them float around your staff and arrange themselves so that they strategically cover the important bits from the directions that anyone is looking...

Well, maybe that could be the dress uniform.

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

But... I mean... Scantily clad people. What kind of impression do we want to have here?

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Something profoundly Wrong!

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

Well... in that case, I suppose the Floating Feathers of Titillation succeed. (_).(I)

[cowboy-r.livejournal.com]

All of the species involved have heads, so perhaps a cap with a jaunty blue feather plume?

[bloofox.livejournal.com]

I think a standard hat is wonderful as the sole component of said livery. Except a cap and feather seems far too standard. So maybe a nonstandard hat, something weird and strange. Like a witch's hat with a bead curtain 'round the back.....or a witch's curtain with a bead curtain all around to cover whatever needs covered.

[otter3.livejournal.com]

[orren] TIE-DYE! [/orren]

It honestly depends on the sort of impression Sythyry's trying to make here. What I would say would be something sky piratey! that would be loose and light colors, white shirt, light-colored pantaloons, perhaps something more in the pastel range... and definitely stylish bright-colored hats with feathers are the order of the day.

I have no idea whether this is a matter given the size of the crew, but the name could potentially be embroidered somewhere... perhaps on the hat.

[xolo.livejournal.com]

I vote for the Floating Feathers of Titillation!

[xolo.livejournal.com]

Or, on further consideration: Orren in blue and white sailor suits would be just devastatingly cute. Cani and Rassimel wouldn't look too shabby either. They could have those round sailor hats, the kind with the ship's name embroidered upon them.

Whatever uniform you choose, though, I'd think it should have a levitation spell bound on it, in case some unfortunate sky sailor falls overboard.

[otter3.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't the ship itself have that kind of Locador spell to keep people inside of it? I'm not sure about the logistics of running such a ship...

[deor.livejournal.com]

I like otter3's suggestion of tie-dye! Make it in shades of blue and white, and have a blue cap to go along with it. Anyone who can't wear a shirt/tunic/kilt of the tie-dye can wear ribbons in the same pattern.

And remember to keep track of those caps! If they start disappearing, it's time to brace for Doom, because Any Plan Where You Lose Your Hat Is A Bad Plan.

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

How about One of These?

[sianmink.livejournal.com]

Whatever it is, I Shall be disappointed if it does not involve a gold lame' sash.

Hmm...

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

I would recommend durable, practical clothing -- preferably enchanted to provide armor. Similarity of color and decoration can provide the "uniform" effect, even if the garment details have to vary. Blue would be a good color. If you want everybody to be wearing one identical thing, go for blue feathers.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

I'd vote for servicable blue leather or heavy cloth sashes, worn over one shoulder and dropping to waist on the other side, with hooks and loops for attaching tools, with ivory badges in the shape of Sythyry's crest. And optional pants or skirts, either an eye-catching golden color or mysteriously black - the latter is better for hiding various dirt, residue, and stains that might accrue in the course of service!

Shirts are optional of course, but everyone including the Sleeth ought to be able to wear the sash!

[rowyn]

I like the sash idea. I'd make them a little more elaborate than just "blue sash": a blue sash with fancy patterned gold trim, or elaborate beadwork, perhaps. Fancy trim was a big status marker in the Renaissance era, and I expect Sythyry wants zir people to look sharp.

The classic plumed hats that some others have suggested would also be a good choice, and likewise are adaptable to all races (granted, they won't look that good on a Khtsoyis, though.)

Generally, I suggest that the livery look be maintained through color, and pick only a few colors: white shirts, navy jackets and/or pants/skirts, with gold trim, and a lighter blue sash with gold trim, a navy hat with a blue feather to match the sash, for example. With the only required clothing being the hat and sash.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Khtsoyis look quite dashing with feathered hats! There's one in the sourcebook!

[terrana.livejournal.com]

I use that picture when reassuring people about the game.

"Just ignore the scary grin on the cover. Look! Hover-squid in a hat!"