The Ivenmoth Redcloak is purposely designed to be stiff and worn somewhat loose, for various reasons. Perhaps the biggest reason is because this allows its wearers to conceal their weapons and armor underneath.

Not every recruit is given a full set of protective plate or chainmail, especially since low-level recruits sometimes join up for a few days’ worth of food and shelter before taking off in the night with whatever equipment they’ve been given.

It also allows the higher-ranked and otherwise important members to wear full sets of armor and still blend in with the rest, making it hard for would-be thieves or assassins to tell who’s got the Good Stuff.

On the flipside, it means that any random drunkard or malcontent wanting to take out their frustrations on the local enforcers cannot be sure if their intended target is wearing something underneath that could stop a blade or blunt a club strike, or where the armored vs. exposed points might be.

This also gives the entire force an advantage, in that House Ivenmoth can spread out its equipment thinly, and still (mostly) force a would-be attacker to deal with an extra element of uncertainty, in that they cannot be certain exactly what they’ll be getting into.

Redcloaks: a versatile solution for a budget-conscious guard force!

 

Thanks as usual to Raptie for handling the character coloring and shading on this page!