Cloak

“You wouldn’t believe how many pockets a cloak can have.”
-Alrik of Kilnground, rogue, 1038 FB

Cloaks serve many purposes in Aventuria, ranging from a life-saving protection against the cold to a fashionable accessory, but what constitutes a cloak varies across the continent. To a Fjarning, a cloak is a good pelt wrapped around the shoulders, while southerners find a thin silk veil more than sufficient. To the fashion-conscious Horasians, cloaks come in many forms.

A knee-length cloak protects from rain and cold to some extent. Hoods are added only at the purchaser’s request. The same applies to sleeves versus openings for the arms, which means even a cape is considered a cloak in Aventuria. Apart from protecting against weather and serving as a fashion and social statement, cloaks can function as a blanket or an improvised bag. Fighters sometimes wrap a cloak around one arm and use it for parrying when a shield or dagger are not available.

Some cloaks, especially the coronation mantles of different rulers, are quite famous. The Church of Travia guards the Mantle of Holy Masha, a saint’s cloak that miraculously separates into multiple blankets to protect people from freezing. Many fairy tales, especially those of the Tulamydes, tell of cloaks imbued with magical invisibility, invincibility, or even greater magical abilities.