Iron Valley draws from an earlier time period than much of the Concord, with influences from Saxons, Scandanavians, Welsh, Rus, and Celts from across the Dark and Viking Ages. With a focus on cool colours, furs, coars fabrics, and older stylings, the Valleyfolk are a hard wearing, but wealthy people. Their kits include ragged furs and fine golden jewelry in equal measure. Ornate knotwork embroidery and brutal warpaint. Fine linens and wools that are marred by mud and salt.
Feel
Heavy, Warm, Homespun, Worn-in, Finely made but hard-wearing, Heirlooms.
Influences
- Dark Ages and Viking Age Western and Northern Europe such as Anglo-Saxon England (400CE - 100CE), Sacandinavia (800CE - 1100CE), and the Kievan Rus (800CE to 1400CE).
- Rohan and the Dwarves of J.R.R Tolkiens Lord of the Rings, particularly with a focus on knotwork embroidery, metalwork as accessories, and the inclusion of depictions of natural elements.
- Fantastical and Pop Cultural depictions of 'Vikings' such as Vikings, The Faithful and The Fallen, The Northman, and similar. Remember, we're a fantasy LARP, not a re-enactment, so 'coolthentic' kits are often just as valid as historic ones.
Materials
Wool,Linen, Fur, Leather, Wood, Mail.
Fabrics tend to be coarser weaves with obvious strands, rather than thinly woven. Linen and wool are great at achieving this, and almost all garments would have some kind of embroidery or trim.
Furs are very common and range in styles. From a whole sheepskin worn as a cloak, to minimal trims along the edges of clothing. Preference is towards natural looking furs, as dyed furs with non-natural colours often look tacky and costume-like, and we prefer the backing hidden so it doesn't cheapen the look.
Colours
Grays, browns, darks blues and greens, smoke, mountaintop and rolling fields. With splashes of colour and bright gold/silver.
Cool blue, slate gray and smokey white are great for evoking the feelings of the Iron Valley
Patterns
Geometric repeating patterns with interwoven Mountains, Trees, or Beasts and runic decorations are common.
Clothing
The classic long tunic immediately evokes the Iron Valley and comes in a variety of forms and materials. Ideally one worn long to the knee or mid thigh helps it avoid looking like a non-descript medieval shirt more at home in Bordevar. The quintessential Iron Valley legwear is a rus-style pants (wide in the thigh and thin at the calf), accentuated with a set of leg wraps. Dresses tend to favour a two part over-dress / under shift combination, or have simmilar cuts to their tunics, and tend to avoid frilly elements or lace. Add to this a fur or furred cloak or coat, a good thick leather belt, and a smattering of jewelry and you've got a grand Iron Valley kit.
Pieces such as poets shirts, short pants, leggings, or hose can very quickly take an Iron Valley kit and send it to Lerona Mere or Bordevar and should generally be avoided.
Hero Pieces
Foundations Like Stone
A good Iron Valley kit, like a good mountain, starts with a strong foundation. The base shapes of a long tunic, rus pants, and use of furs defines the Iron Valley easily in shape, style, and material. But without it you can very easily end up in Greenweald, Bordevar, or (spheres forbid) Lerona Mere. Building from these foundations is the easy way to ensure your kit is Valley-themed. If you do find yourself eschewing these pieces, make sure you try to call back the the Valley elsewhere.
Boots with the Fur (or really anything with the fur)
Fur is so quintessentially Iron Valley to the point where other realms wearing it often end up looking like you! Abuse this fact and add some to your kit! Fur bracers are stylish and warm, a fur mantle adds gravitas and is warm, and a whole skin worn as a cloak is peak viking-warlord, and is warm. Also consider non-standard furs such as sheepskin or goatskin to add a more grounded part to your kit. Modern faux-furs are often of very high quality as well, although avoid the cheapest options for fear of an overly plastic-texture and shine.
A Weight to It
Iron Valley kits tend to be heavy, particularly top heavy. Having broad shoulders to your kit through cloaks, shawls, wraps, or armour creates an impression of imposing strength. Follow this down to heavy arms and wide pants and you'll find that many good Iron Valley kits are W I D E kits. An importnt recommendation though: avoid bulking out only your lower arms and lower legs, leaving your upper arms or upper legs slim as you'll look like a muppet or teddy bear (particularly if your do so with fur). Bulk out from top down and feel POWERFUL.
The Work of the Smithy
The Valleyfolk are well known as high quality smiths and stone-workers. While the fine engraving of the highest quality Bordevarian armour is not their style, good Iron Valley metalwork is so common that most Valleyfolk would have some kind of metal jewelry. Adding a bronze or gold torc or bracelet, a Spheric charm in silver or iron, or a heavy gem in a leather setting, will help bring both wealth and this rustic mastery to your character.
Paint it On
Tattoos may be the realm of Lerona Mere and Bordevarian commoners, but Iron Valley is the land of war paint. With such a long history of warfare, the Valleyfolk have been adorning their faces with symbols and geometric styles for centuries. Any good battle, feast, festival, or tournament is worthy of a good set of imposing war paint. Some characters may even go as far as using war paint like a Bordevarian may use heraldry; turning it into their own signature style.
Example Kits
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Common Mistakes
- Death by Heatstroke So much of the Iron Valley brief suits a hard-wearing people from high in the mountains of a place far colder than Western Australia. Too much fur, wool, and heavy layers will end your LARP just as quick as character death will. Make sure you check your kit and how it wears ahead of time, particularly in the type of weather expected for an event. Where possible, consider natural fabrics that breath such as linen. When in doubt, ensure your kit looks Iron Valley even when worn lightly, not just with all your regalia.
- Knight of the Mountains The Valleyfolk are a fighting people, and armour is a great way to to that without dying. However a lot of heavy armour available to LARPers focuses on plate armour that would be far more at home in Bordevar and Greenweald. Always consider armour types such as chainmail and metal lamellar which can give a great Iron Valley vibe. If you are wearing plate, avoid complex stylings such as elaborate pauldrons, and multi-lamed harnesses. When you've got your plate, look for ways to embellish it with cold and Iron Valley patterns to help ground it in your history.
- Thor? Never heard of him The Viking Gods of our past are commonly found spread across the stylings and accessories of many kit sellers and should be avoided. Not only do they take you out of the world of Esterra when you realise what you're looking at, but Esterra and The Concord have a full breadth of styles and legends to draw upon that should be sitting in that spot.
- Ulf the Barbarian The presence of furs and war paints can give the impression that the Valleyfolk are wild brawlers with savage berserkers. While they may be this more than other Realms, the Valleyfolk are a proud and ancient people with wealth and a history of empire. Unless your character is particularly removed from civilisation, they should appear as a hard-wearing person of means from a harsh landscape rather than a scrabbling stone-age barbarian.
- Peasant Maxxing Simple Iron Valley costumes can often overlap with other Realms even without armour if you're lacking the classic Iron Valley foundation. Because of this, pay extra attention to when to adopt elements of other Realms elements to avoid this. Items such as straw hats (whch may evoke the Bordevarian commoner), headwraps, or bandannas (which may evoke with Andash or Lerona Mere).
Do Nots
The following items are not appropriate for Iron Valley kits:
- Real-world pagan iconography such as Thor's Hammers. This includes iconography such as the Sonnenrad, Valknut, and Winged Othala.
- Kilts, although sparing use of plaid fabric is fine.
Weapons and Armour
Valleyfolk Warriors tend towards the heavier side, with a chainmail hauberk, sword and shield being the quintessential armament. Plate armour of scales or smaller plates worn over leather or chain evokes the feeling of being a heavy guardian of an ancient fortress more than a gambeson on its own.
Shields tend to be large and rounded with a punch or strap grip. Wooden faces covered with leather or canvas are common and full steel rare.
One handed weapons tend toward viking-style swords with small but inlaid crossguards, heavy axes and crude maces. The sword is likely the most preferred as the Valleyfolk had enough wealth on average to justify a specialised tool of war. One handed spears are used when the Valleyfolk go to war, but Polearms and Pikes are quite uncommon. When a great weapon is called for, Valleyfolk tend towards Great Axes, particularly ones with beautifully carved shafts.
More circumspect warriors such as Summiters or Valleyfolk hunters tend towards light leathers and furs, better to protect them from the mountain's chill wind. A leather chestpiece in brown with bracers, greaves and a furred hood would be very evocative of a Valleyhold wanderer. Dual axes or short swords also match the theme far more than daggers or maces.
Bows from the Valley tend to be larger than elsewhere, as the power and ranges demanded by siege combat benefit a powerful longbow over shorter recurve. Much like other weapons, a beautifully carved longbow would be as beautiful as a sword inlaid with gold.
Particular pieces of weapons or armour that evoke the Iron Valley look and feel include:
- Chainmail
- Spectacled Helmets
- Axes, axes, axes