Freyja

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Crow Outfits
Members of the Crow's Hearth may wear a few personal twists upon the following outfits such as armor pieces or weapons, if they have been able to afford such things, or handmade beadwork and bone work, or other such crafts. But otherwise, these are outfit constants with the main difference being the colors each Crow decides to wear.

Dimorphic Clothing:
Males wear simple a kyrtill (overtunic) that comes in white, brown, black, dark red, and deep blue (typically) though other colors may be found if they could procure or afford the dyes. Rarer still is silk clothing or even silk embroidery upon the usually woolen clothes. The climate of the Sunbeam Ruins allows them to not have to wear an undertunic, though in the colder winters when it can snow, they may be found wearing such. Males otherwise wear baggy trousers with built-in socks for ease of movement and body coverage in similar colors. These trousers do not contain pockets and so personal belongings must be held or carried in other ways, typically on a belt or in a separate pouch. While still uncommon, many wear leg wraps. They keep excess fabric of the trousers contained and can protect the lower legs from harsh terrain.

Females wear clothes made of similar materials to males. Typically, an ankle-length dress or shift is worn, though some may choose to wear shorter or even wear men’s clothing, it is not typical. It isn’t frowned upon either, simply uncommon. Over this dress is worn a hangerock, an apron or shorter dress suspended by shoulder straps. The shoulder straps are fastened by decorated brooches, or if married, a mantle of plumes from their chosen. Females may hang necklaces or chains of beads between the brooches. They may also suspend personal items such as keys, a knife, or a whetstone upon cords from the brooches, or upon a belt they wear around the waist.

Unisex or General Clothing:
Crows of both genders are seen to wear cloaks or banners over their other clothes. Cloak garments are generally held together at the throat by a broach or a pin fastener made of metal or bone, sometimes wood. These are usually a winter garment or one worn when traveling. Banners are only used for whole-clan meetings, ambassador visits, or important events such as marriages. A banner will be tailored specifically to values of a single family, such as its color or the seal upon it, even to the embroidery along its edges. Banners are held at the throat by a heavy leather collar that will be styled in a way passed down by their family, their ancestors.

Crow’s Hearth Banners & Seals:
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Both genders can also be seen wearing tail wraps or other personal items. Some wear armor or swords specially made for them if their money allows. Some may wear fur wraps around the arms or legs in colder weather, or at important events.

Dragons – specifically Wildclaws, who are bipedal and have thick foot padding – do not see the need for true shoes. Foot coverings may be worn in winter, when ice and snow cover the ground, or upon terrain too harsh even for footpads, but these are uncommon.

Special Clothing:
In the Crow's Hearth there are a few special pieces of clothing that may be seen around the village. They may only be worn under certain circumstances or may be special because of the clothing's history (such as swords), or just because they are something unique to the wearer or their family.

Plumes...
Bright red plumes may be seen to adorn some members of the Crow's Hearth clan. These feathers are very special tokens between two, and only two, dragons. When a pair intends to wed, they exchange clothing items made of feathers from their own bodies so that their intended may feel safe or surrounded by their partner at all times. Every Crow has unique feathers and it may be told who is paired with who simply by their plumed garments. Males will make for their intended wife a headdress and a mantle of plumes; this mantle will be attached to a hand-crafted brooch for the lady to suspend her hangerock from. This brooch must be hand-crafted by the prospective husband, for to buy such a thing is considered cheap and seen as a prediction of the male's ability to be a hardworking husband. Females make for their intended husband a headdress and tail tuft of plumes; they keep the items small so that their husband may work without the feathers in the way. The tail tuft is held by a chain that is woven, made, or forged by the female. Once more, it is considered cheap and a bad sign to try and buy this chain instead of make it yourself. Plumes may only be worn by married Crows.

Pelt Capes...
Pelt capes are typically a male-worn garment, but it is true that some females don them as well! Pelt capes may only be worn by adult Crows and only certain Crows may wear them. A Crow may only earn a pelt cape by performing well in their duty by battle or by serving the clan - and by extension, the kingdom - in a monumental way (if not born into the Crow's Hearth). If born into the Crow's Hearth, they may also be earned via rite of passage for young male Crows moving from childhood to adulthood. In an environment where the animals preferred to make these capes out of are scarce, it is sensical that these hard-to-obtain garments must be earned. Just because a Crow has earned one does not mean they must wear it, but most take pride in having earned the right to take part in such a hunt and then the process of manufacture, however, and don them daily if they can.

When a Crow has earned their pelt, they embark on a hunt to a territory where wolves may be found plentifully. This hunt is considered a great journey, but the reasons why are personal to each individual that may find themselves taking it. Most choose to travel and hunt alone, though it is not taboo to hunt with your family. Most also choose to fast through the entire hunt. When the Crow returns from their travel with their trophy in tow they are met with high celebration. The wolf is skinned so the pelt may be processed, then the meat is cooked so it may be consumed by the clan in a feast. The Crow of celebration always gets the first choice of cut before later regaling the clan with the tale of their hunt. The hunt itself is a sacred journey and each Crow's is different, some may choose not to share any deep or personal thoughts and experiences had while on the trail. Through the night, the celebrated clan member's longhouse is guarded by the whole clan in an all-night vigil so that they may receive an unworried night of sleep after their long journey.

Once the sun rises the next morning, the Crow may begin the process of manufacturing their cape. The cape may not be seen by anyone in the clan again until it is finished (though any family living in the same house do not count). This can include a number of things. Some Crows like to include beading or embroidery or other such decoration, or they may edge the cape in a way pleasing or unique to them. Some will hope to find or afford gilded thread to embellish the thick furs. It is up to the hunter to decide how their cape may look. Once the pelt is completed, the process is ended by pricking a talon and placing that blood (and therefore contagion) stamp upon the forehead of the wolf. This stamp makes it known that the wearer is a fully-fledged member of the clan or one that has shown dedication to its wellbeing, and also makes it known just who owns it. It marks the end of a journey for the Crow, whether blood of the Hearth or not.

All in all, the process of the hunt and then the manufacture can take anywhere from a month to a year depending on the individual.

Golden Seraphs...
Golden Seraphs are very special and unique items of clothing. The gold for them is collected from a Crow's battles against tough foes and for doing hard jobs outside of the kingdom. Within the Hearth seraphs are handmade and unique for each Crow that might have the materials to get them crafted. Only one Crow in the entire village is allowed to craft them, as the necessary skill and knowledge takes years to acquire and perfect via apprenticeship. The clan's current Seraph Smith is Krakr, who has not yet found a worthy apprentice. But it will be many years before he will be needing to in any case.

Seraphs, with their special nature, are treated with the utmost care and used as family heirlooms through generations. They are handled reverently and naughty hatchlings that might break them while playing too rough may find themselves in deep trouble. When a Crow has acquired gold enough for a piece of a seraph set, they apply to Krakr's shop. Krakr will first weigh and evaluate the gold to make sure that they have enough for him to make their requested piece, and that the gold is of good quality. If it checks out he will then accept the project. Design of the unique piece can be brainstormed with the recipient, but many choose to let Krakr take creative liberty. He believes that a seraph should reflect the wearer or their clan's beheld values in its look and feel. Depending on his available time and the size of the requested garment, Krakr may take anywhere from a couple days to several weeks to complete the fine jewelry.

To mark completion, the seraph is gifted to the Crow publicly, as the Crow will not have seen the piece before Krakr is done. While not a true ceremony, it is treated as an important occasion by the clan nonetheless. Krakr takes his work seriously and all seraphs are lain in a cushioned jewelry box he carves, cushions, and embellishes himself. For new seraph recipients, he writes down what wood and colors he has used, as well as notes from the seraph's design process and manufacture. If they are a return recipient, any new seraph received is crafted in the previously recorded style and the box is made to the same specifications so that they have a matching set. These notes are passed on to any apprentice he may have, just as they were to Krakr.

Krakr also takes commission for silver, onyx, and special "lovely" seraphs. He otherwise makes normal jewelry of all kinds as his craft, selling his wares within the village, at the kingdom markets, and sometimes traveling to outer markets.

Weapons & Armor...
The crafting and commissioning of weapons is rare and expensive. Many Crows fight with the tools of their farm, trade, house, and their own flesh and body. The materials such as iron must be provided by the buyer to the blacksmith, and sometimes the Hearth finds themselves without their resident smith, Skuld, when she travels to markets and fairs for her craft. In the event Skuld is gone, any weapons commissions are welcome to be taken to Satiir Rho's Gobi & Namib, if the Crow does not wish to wait for their intermittent smith to return. Most do choose to wait, however, and this process can be dragged out. Sometimes the materials for swords, shields, tridents, and other such arms are salvaged from the looting of Coliseum enemies and Beastclans.

Great care is taken in the production of weapons, many being forged over an arduous process. A primitive but highly resilient steel is produced by heating the metal with organic detritus such as prey and animal bones. The carbon reinforces the iron to make these weapons strong. Skuld treats this process as sacred. Like Krakr's seraphs, the completed artifact is presented to the recipient publicly, with anything such as the scabbard or holding case handcrafted. Also like seraphs, while this is not a true ceremony, the bequeathal of a new weapon is regarded as an important event and is observed by the clan as a whole.

Rarer still than a sword or battle axe is that of metal armor. Much of the armor of the Crow's Hearth is made of either thick hide and metal studs, or the warrior wears no armor at all. Metal armor is a luxury past even seraphs and no one yet seems to own any. They still stick greatly to their older ways and find metal armor preferred by other dragons cumbersome and clanky. The younger crowd may be willing to try it when they wander to the kingdom proper, but still seem to prefer being swift rather than tanky.