Dress-making resources. - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Dress-making resources.

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Dec 08, 2003 15:10:30 I have an object (THE Dress) in my campaign which I'd like to put some more history behind. Essentially, I want its creation to be a chain of obsessions, such that I can bring verisimilitude to its final purpose: bringing back to life the ghost of the sole woman who wore it for only a few hours after its creation, and died in it, drenching it with her life-blood.

The problem is, I don't know Ravenloft well enough to know where appropriate resources should come from, and also, I know nothing about all what one would need to create an actual ballroom gown type dress.

I have it that a seamstress in Skald, Kartakass created it (with the help of the wearer); her obsession being that she wanted to make something to rival anything from Dementlieu. The story needed it to be within Skald, but I also looked upon it as being appropriate in a reverse way. One would think that Dementlieu would be THE place to find THE Dress, and that Kartakass would hardly stand a chance. But then that adds to the obsession of having wanted to create something to surpass the best elsewhere.

I have a mysterious bolt of shimmering blue cloth arriving (by way of the PCs -- some of them are being sent backwards in time) to the seamstress before the wearer arrives to comission a dress. Now I have to figure out where it came from. Also, any other needed small supplies (scissors, ribbons) could have been tucked safely within the bolt, as I had it arrive magically sealed. (Ever done that? Make up something on the fly just so, not really knowing why, and then realize afterward it's perfect for adding other elements to the story?)

Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated.
#2
belac
Dec 08, 2003 15:44:45 (To be honest, I'm not positive what you have a problem with.)

I'm not sure exactly how a dress is made.

However, it seems like your Kartakass basis is a good idea and its perfectly reasonable that someone would want a foreign-made dress to be special.

The shimmering blue cloth doesn't actually have to have an explanation (it's Ravenloft, after all), but....

With the way Ravenloft ghosts work, maybe the cloth was delivered by a ghost and maybe the cloth itself is ghostly. (There are physical ghosts in Ravenloft.) Perhaps the cloth was part of another dress, in another era and domain, that became ghostly when its wearer died in a similar fashion to the woman you mentioned.

If all else fails, you can always blame it on the Gentleman Caller in some way :P
#3
zombiegleemax
Dec 08, 2003 16:31:27
Originally posted by Belac
(To be honest, I'm not positive what you have a problem with.)

heh. I probably shouldn't go posting on my lunch break. Not enough time.

But to clarify, for starters: Where is the best place for cloth to come from for Dementlieu's fashions? I looked through the Dementlieu section of Gaz III, but didn't really get an idea of where the raw materials and so on would come from. It seemed like there were artisans in Chateuxfaux but... and maybe I'm just being dense... I got the idea that something like cloth itself would come from another domain.
#4
zombiegleemax
Dec 08, 2003 17:20:19 I'm sure they do import cloth for some occasions, but there is also a bustling textile industry in Port-a-Lucine.

My suggestion would be to make the cloth come from the Delacourte Textile Mill. (Handmade especially for you. Props to the one who get's the clue :D ) They produce some fine quality cloth, and should be very productive by now. Unless somebody has put them out of business for their rather... questionable work ethics.
#5
zombiegleemax
Dec 08, 2003 19:45:05
Originally posted by Something Awry
I have an object (THE Dress) in my campaign which I'd like to put some more history behind. Essentially, I want its creation to be a chain of obsessions, such that I can bring verisimilitude to its final purpose: bringing back to life the ghost of the sole woman who wore it for only a few hours after its creation, and died in it, drenching it with her life-blood.

The problem is, I don't know Ravenloft well enough to know where appropriate resources should come from

I think Lamordia, Richemulot and Dementlieu would be places where you could get all the fabric and tools needed to make a dress like that. In Darkon, you might be able to get the components in Martira Bay... the fabric at least.
#6
belac
Dec 08, 2003 20:11:47 I guess Paridon might also have some stores of fabric lying around (not sure, just seems they would), but if there's any left, it'd probably be very expensive.
#7
zombiegleemax
Dec 08, 2003 20:16:35
Originally posted by Belac
I guess Paridon might also have some stores of fabric lying around (not sure, just seems they would), but if there's any left, it'd probably be very expensive.

I completely forgot about Paridon!
#8
belac
Dec 08, 2003 20:44:54 It was the first thing I thought of, but then I thought "Exactly why would Paridon be a major fabric producer?" Now that I think about it though, as long as someone is trading them the raw materials, it probably makes sense.
#9
mortavius
Dec 08, 2003 21:21:19 Here's something that no one's thought of...

What about the finest sheerest silk from far away Rokushima Taiyoo?
#10
zombiegleemax
Dec 09, 2003 5:06:19 I could certainly do something with the Paridon idea, but silk from Rokushima Taiyoo is really tempting. I'm not confident I could get the correct oriental feel for the domain to do that part of the story justice.

Had to look up Delacourte; didn't know it. Intriguing, but perhaps a bit too "tainted" to produce the material needed.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Dec 08, 2003 15:10:30	I have an object (THE Dress) in my campaign which I'd like to put some more history behind. Essentially, I want its creation to be a chain of obsessions, such that I can bring verisimilitude to its final purpose: bringing back to life the ghost of the sole woman who wore it for only a few hours after its creation, and died in it, drenching it with her life-blood. The problem is, I don't know Ravenloft well enough to know where appropriate resources should come from, and also, I know nothing about all what one would need to create an actual ballroom gown type dress. I have it that a seamstress in Skald, Kartakass created it (with the help of the wearer); her obsession being that she wanted to make something to rival anything from Dementlieu. The story needed it to be within Skald, but I also looked upon it as being appropriate in a reverse way. One would think that Dementlieu would be THE place to find THE Dress, and that Kartakass would hardly stand a chance. But then that adds to the obsession of having wanted to create something to surpass the best elsewhere. I have a mysterious bolt of shimmering blue cloth arriving (by way of the PCs -- some of them are being sent backwards in time) to the seamstress before the wearer arrives to comission a dress. Now I have to figure out where it came from. Also, any other needed small supplies (scissors, ribbons) could have been tucked safely within the bolt, as I had it arrive magically sealed. (Ever done that? Make up something on the fly just so, not really knowing why, and then realize afterward it's perfect for adding other elements to the story?) Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated.
#2 belac Dec 08, 2003 15:44:45	(To be honest, I'm not positive what you have a problem with.) I'm not sure exactly how a dress is made. However, it seems like your Kartakass basis is a good idea and its perfectly reasonable that someone would want a foreign-made dress to be special. The shimmering blue cloth doesn't actually have to have an explanation (it's Ravenloft, after all), but.... With the way Ravenloft ghosts work, maybe the cloth was delivered by a ghost and maybe the cloth itself is ghostly. (There are physical ghosts in Ravenloft.) Perhaps the cloth was part of another dress, in another era and domain, that became ghostly when its wearer died in a similar fashion to the woman you mentioned. If all else fails, you can always blame it on the Gentleman Caller in some way :P
#3 zombiegleemax Dec 08, 2003 16:31:27	Originally posted by Belac (To be honest, I'm not positive what you have a problem with.) heh. I probably shouldn't go posting on my lunch break. Not enough time. But to clarify, for starters: Where is the best place for cloth to come from for Dementlieu's fashions? I looked through the Dementlieu section of Gaz III, but didn't really get an idea of where the raw materials and so on would come from. It seemed like there were artisans in Chateuxfaux but... and maybe I'm just being dense... I got the idea that something like cloth itself would come from another domain.
#4 zombiegleemax Dec 08, 2003 17:20:19	I'm sure they do import cloth for some occasions, but there is also a bustling textile industry in Port-a-Lucine. My suggestion would be to make the cloth come from the Delacourte Textile Mill. (Handmade especially for you. Props to the one who get's the clue :D ) They produce some fine quality cloth, and should be very productive by now. Unless somebody has put them out of business for their rather... questionable work ethics.
#5 zombiegleemax Dec 08, 2003 19:45:05	Originally posted by Something Awry I have an object (THE Dress) in my campaign which I'd like to put some more history behind. Essentially, I want its creation to be a chain of obsessions, such that I can bring verisimilitude to its final purpose: bringing back to life the ghost of the sole woman who wore it for only a few hours after its creation, and died in it, drenching it with her life-blood. The problem is, I don't know Ravenloft well enough to know where appropriate resources should come from I think Lamordia, Richemulot and Dementlieu would be places where you could get all the fabric and tools needed to make a dress like that. In Darkon, you might be able to get the components in Martira Bay... the fabric at least.
#6 belac Dec 08, 2003 20:11:47	I guess Paridon might also have some stores of fabric lying around (not sure, just seems they would), but if there's any left, it'd probably be very expensive.
#7 zombiegleemax Dec 08, 2003 20:16:35	Originally posted by Belac I guess Paridon might also have some stores of fabric lying around (not sure, just seems they would), but if there's any left, it'd probably be very expensive. I completely forgot about Paridon!
#8 belac Dec 08, 2003 20:44:54	It was the first thing I thought of, but then I thought "Exactly why would Paridon be a major fabric producer?" Now that I think about it though, as long as someone is trading them the raw materials, it probably makes sense.
#9 mortavius Dec 08, 2003 21:21:19	Here's something that no one's thought of... What about the finest sheerest silk from far away Rokushima Taiyoo?
#10 zombiegleemax Dec 09, 2003 5:06:19	I could certainly do something with the Paridon idea, but silk from Rokushima Taiyoo is really tempting. I'm not confident I could get the correct oriental feel for the domain to do that part of the story justice. Had to look up Delacourte; didn't know it. Intriguing, but perhaps a bit too "tainted" to produce the material needed.