The Heartveil Cloak

A Customary Cloak in the Velmyrion Mountain Realms.

No item of clothing is more recognizable or revered than the Hearthveil Cloak in the snow-covered highlands of Velmyrion, where rocky peaks kiss the clouds and starfire winds sculpt the sky.

The Heartveil Cloak is more than just a piece of apparel; it has been worn for centuries by the mountain-born people of the Velmyrian ranges, particularly those of the Thornevale, Virelynne, and Solmyran lineages. Every thread is interwoven with identity, legacy, and protection. Handmade and frequently handed down from elder to child, each cloak is customized to represent the wearer's home, accomplishments, and spiritual connection to the land.

A thick layer of woven cloudwool, a rare, heat-retaining fiber gathered from the alpynox beasts that prowl the upper ledges, forms the cloak's traditional double layer. The outer layer is made of star-cloth, a shimmering, color-shifting fabric that can only be found in Velmyrion's realm and is dyed with pigments made from crushed frostberries and minerals blessed by starlight. A Hearthveil Cloak shimmers like dawn hitting ice when the wind is just right.

The hood, which is high and pointed and laced with iridescent embroidery patterns, is a standout feature. These symbols are more than just ornaments; they convey the wearer's family history, triumphs, setbacks, and even personal beliefs. Every cloak is unique.

The majority of cloaks are completed with clasps made of copper or obsidian that are fashioned into protective symbols, such as a braided river for knowledge, a sleeping dragon for patience, or a rising mountain for strength. Small crystal tokens, known as veil-charms, are stitched into the hem of garments worn by people of high status. These tokens flash subtly when the air cools or magic approaches.

You never wear the Hearthveil Cloak casually. Wearing it is a way to declare one's place in the realm, walk in the spirit of the mountain gods, and call forth the memory of one's forefathers. At the Winterkindle Festival, a celebration of perseverance and the turning of the snowwinds, children get their first Hearthveil. As they mature and gain respect, the cloak is altered--adorned with new patches, patterns, or tokens--but it is usually a simple version, simple in color and cut.

Elders' stories are passed into the world beyond because they are buried in their Hearthveils, wrapped like sleeping monarchs. It is tragic when a cloak is lost, and it is a felony, punished by exile, when one is stolen.

Great possessions, cloaks flashing like fire across snow, fill the mountains' bridges during war or union. To symbolize the merging of two tales into one, couples tie the edges of their cloaks together during weddings.

Only genuine Hearthveil Cloaks are made by the highland weavers of Velmyrion, whereas city inhabitants in the lowlands wear lighter, fake versions. For those who continue to walk the icy trails, they continue to be a source of pride and an unwavering sense of self. Royals with arcane thread and velvet auras, like Vaelric Thornevale and Serastra Virelynne, are frequently shown in ceremonial forms.

A Hearthveil Cloak is not a fashion statement.

Wearing the mountains themselves is the purpose.

They also remember the people who cross their paths.

The mountain is said to weave the first thread.

However, the Hearthveil Cloak takes on a very different meaning when it is in the possession of the notorious Maison Virelliane: Monte, or the Velverien House of Stitch.

Luxurious homes, which are uncommon even in Velmyrion, make cloaks out of glimmerwool, lined with whisper-threads that sing softly in the cold, and laced with dust from sky crystals. These are uncovered rather than worn.

The summits are enshrined in each robe. A moving storm. A legacy of cold and silk.

One for Serastra Virelynne had a veil that was concealed and only unrolled when she shed tears. It shimmered in five shades of dusk.

Another included a clasp carved from a sleeping star and was made for a queen who never gave herself a name.

To own one is uncommon.

To wear one is divine.