Do ri'al
The do ri’al (short for dovata ka ri’al, or clothing of the royal) descended from the dovikalorin (fight clothes), the typical armor worn by aki soldiers before their move south of the Sea of Condioh. It became the basis of all martial arts uniforms in aki n’di ori lands, taking on a nearly mythic identity.
Through the centuries, all uniforms, no matter the sindarin*, have reflected this originating garment.
*sindari is a martial arts order
**kido is a local martial arts school that is part of a larger sindari
*** -n is plural
Do ri'al:
Brief Comment About Catak:
All artwork by Shade Melodique
unless otherwise stated
unless otherwise stated
Brief Comment About Catak:
History
The do ri’al was first seen in En’ditakata's court. The long-sleeved, thigh-length shirt had a false collar and buttoned down the middle, then curved to the left breast, where it continued straight down to the hem. Bell sleeves ended in wide cuffs of a complementary color.
The pants were loose and flared at the bottom, ending in wide cuffs of the same complementary color. They wore plain, flat-bottomed boots that laced to the calf. Since the outfit matched in color, and accessories, like sword sheaths, were expected to match as well.
En’ditakata was particular about the look, and since defying him was the last thing anyone ever did, the design remained the same until after his death. Various sindarin altered the collar position, the sleeve width, tapered the pants, sometimes added a sash, but the cuts all hailed back to the original.
En’ditakata was a monstrous warlord known for his slaughter of friend and foe alike. His myths are horror tales often used to pattern good versus bad behavior (with our dear warlord being the villain).
His rule, however, laid the basis for aki n'di ori culture because he united the disparate treva'kin into four larger clans (va'kin), all of whom owed allegiance to him. After his death, the four larger clans remained united (more or less), and continued to use the foundations he laid.
This is why his design for the do ri’al stuck, and why, even in modern times, no one wishes to stray too far from the original concept (though some have pushed boundaries). The uniform is seen as a symbol of aki identity, one not originally influenced by the Jonna Empire.
His rule, however, laid the basis for aki n'di ori culture because he united the disparate treva'kin into four larger clans (va'kin), all of whom owed allegiance to him. After his death, the four larger clans remained united (more or less), and continued to use the foundations he laid.
This is why his design for the do ri’al stuck, and why, even in modern times, no one wishes to stray too far from the original concept (though some have pushed boundaries). The uniform is seen as a symbol of aki identity, one not originally influenced by the Jonna Empire.
Changes
The outfit changed with the ages, but all child designs retained something of the original. What never changed was a base color combined with a complementary one for the hems. These color combinations became associated with different kidon, and often fights ensued over which school deserved to use them.
To mitigate the hate, subsequent aki n’di ori leaders created registries of combinations in use. After the fall of the Jonna Empire, the Flame kido at the Rakan palace collected a comprehensive list of all schools throughout Rakan, Baq and Teral. If combinations matched, a sash with a third color was added. In later years, buttons became larger, adding another way to differentiate the uniforms.
Modern times are not as strict in keeping the registry (updating, removing sindarin that no longer exist, etc), but new orders consult it anyway.
For the most part, local kido wear the same colors as the larger sindari they belong to. Not so for the Flame.
Yes, there is a general Flame design of black with flame-red hemming, but this is only worn by initiates or those who have not obtained a higher Flame rank. Members wear their rank color (yellow, orange, dark red, white, or blue).
To complicate matters, kidon tend to favor one of these colors. For instance, the Flame in Likeda, a village near the Ice Dragon's lair, wear black and orange. Others will wear the color of their highest-ranked member in an attempt to stress the strength of their school.
The e ada sindo, who are an offshoot of the Flame, formally wear dark red, but local uniforms can be any of the Flame colors. Not all Flame like the association, but the e ada sindo don't care. They, too, are descended from the martial art Ivore created with the Flame Dragon, and they don't see a need to hide that.
Yes, there is a general Flame design of black with flame-red hemming, but this is only worn by initiates or those who have not obtained a higher Flame rank. Members wear their rank color (yellow, orange, dark red, white, or blue).
To complicate matters, kidon tend to favor one of these colors. For instance, the Flame in Likeda, a village near the Ice Dragon's lair, wear black and orange. Others will wear the color of their highest-ranked member in an attempt to stress the strength of their school.
The e ada sindo, who are an offshoot of the Flame, formally wear dark red, but local uniforms can be any of the Flame colors. Not all Flame like the association, but the e ada sindo don't care. They, too, are descended from the martial art Ivore created with the Flame Dragon, and they don't see a need to hide that.
Examples
left-->right, a handful of examples out of hundreds
1) En'ditakata's original, c. 685 AGI. Only he could wear the bright flame red while alive, but the color transitioned into the Flame martial order's uniforms.
2) Windclaw uniform, c. 1487 AGI. Kidon from commoner communities tended to have rougher materials and less hemming.
3) Sunsong uniform, c. 2287 AGI. Sunsong originated the long, belled sleeve for hiding weapons during important social functions where arms were frowned upon.
1) En'ditakata's original, c. 685 AGI. Only he could wear the bright flame red while alive, but the color transitioned into the Flame martial order's uniforms.
2) Windclaw uniform, c. 1487 AGI. Kidon from commoner communities tended to have rougher materials and less hemming.
3) Sunsong uniform, c. 2287 AGI. Sunsong originated the long, belled sleeve for hiding weapons during important social functions where arms were frowned upon.
4) Jagged Claws, c. 3876 AGI. After the Jonna Empire invaded Ay a di galay, some orders borrowed the army officer uniform style and combined it with the do ri'al. Despite dislike of Jonna anything in modern aki n'di ori lands, this is still a popular look.
5) E ada sindo, c. 4238 AGI. The all-women's sindari always pushes the boundaries of uniform style. They often must wear dresses to important functions, so they split the sides of the skirt for movement.
E ada sino will use patterned fabrics, and have no care whether that is traditional or not.
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