Well, there I was thinking I’d managed a really comprehensive post on Styling Characters in the The Gathering of the Lost (Book 2 in The Wall Of Night series) last Thursday.

Then, “oh-no-ze!”, Andie commented that the “damosels” (variant of “damsels”, aka young women) could have got a mention as well – which made me realize that perhaps I had weighted the post toward the men(z) in their various guises!

And there definitely are some worthy moments of styling among the story’s women, so – duly chastened! – I am revisiting Thursday’s theme today, but with the spotlight firmly on the “distaff side” of the story. It’s still just a selection, though, not a comprehensive list. 😀

Remembering that this post series’ premise derives from a Supernatural Underground post by Kim Falconer and is “that a character’s depiction through “style”, whether clothing or arms, can provide insight into their personality, as well as their part of the story’s narrative arc, or their current mood and motivation.”

Now, without further ado, back we go to the Southern Realms of Haarth, in particular the River city-state of Ij, and the Duchy of Emer. Although as it happens, the first character in the spotlight may be on, but is not from, the River…

Lady Sarifa: a Demonhunter of Ishnapur

A demonhunter and servant of the magi, as it happens. Styling-wise, she makes a dramatic entrance:

“…it was the woman who slipped into the tent in his shadow who caught and held all eyes. She was clad in a full, deep red robe, her hair concealed by a coif of gold mesh worked with garnet and seed pearls. The face within the coif was quartered with crimson and charcoal paint, both eyelids and lips darkened to black. The effect was both rich and a little frightening, and Jehane Mor heard more than one indrawn breath, although no one spoke. Demonhunter tricks, the herald thought…”

Sarifa’s clothing colours and jewels should suggest she enjoys high social standing. They also imply boldness: this is not a character who hides her light under a bushel. The combination of the crimson and charcoal, darkening to black, reinforces the drama and a bravura personality, but may also point to considerable power…

Manan, Innkeeper and Lay-Priestess at Normarch

When Carick – mentioned in relation to both Raven and Audin in Thursday’s post – arrives in Normarch, one of the first people he meets is the innkeeper, Manan, who is also a lay-priestess of Imuln, hence a healer:

“The door opened wider, admitting one of the largest women he had ever seen. She must have been at least six feet tall, with a mass of curling, dark brown hair piled up haphazardly and kept in place by combs. The body between shoulder and ankle billowed generously and was arrayed in layers of blouse, kirtle, and a lavishly embroidered cote that made her seem larger still. … Carick thought she was beautiful, with skin as creamy as her voice and the largest, merriest, velvet-brown eyes he had ever seen.”

Manan of Normarch is another character who appears on the dramatic side of the styling ledger. She is a big woman and dresses to match, implying confidence in herself and a colourful personality, while also reinforcing the merry disposition that Carick discerns in her expression.

Ghiselaine, Countess of Ormond

Destined to marry Hirluin, the heir to Emer, Ghiselaine is foremost among the young women studying at Normarch, just as Audin (also see Thursday) ranks highest among the squires. But it’s only later in the story, when the young people travel to Caer Argent for the midsummer tourney, that Ghiselaine’s styling becomes more prominent:

“Ghiselaine looked every inch the hereditary ruler of Ormond and the future Duchess of Emer. Her traveling dress was a plain dark blue, but the color set off the red-gold sheen of her hair and brilliance of her complexion. Behind her, Ilaise was carrying a folded silk mantle, its sapphire ground worked with flowers in silver and gold and green, which Malian guessed would only be donned for the actual meeting with the queen of Jhaine. “Daisies for Imuln,” Audin said…”

Why daisies, you may ask…Partly because they are a humble flower, so the fact Ghiselaine chooses them, may subtly illuminate or reinforce what readers already know about her character. They are also the ‘day’s eye’ that is a symbol of the Mother Goddess of the Southern Realms, so there’s a note of alignment there, too – and also a background resonance in the symbolism, since the daisy was associated with the Virgin Mary through much of the Middle Ages.

And speaking of the “queen of Jhaine” mentioned in the quote…

Zhineve-An, Priestess-Queen of Jhaine

One of nine priestess-queens in fact – and like Lady Sarifa, she knows how to make an entrance. When first sighted, she is one of:

“…eight riders galloping out of the dust raised by the caravan behind them…one milk-white steed in the central position… the rider wore crimson beneath a pale mantle that curved against the sky.”

Later, when the riders reach those who have ridden to meet them:

“The white horse took a step forward, ahead of the rest, shaking out the length of its silken mane while the young queen remained unmoving on its back. She wore no crown; needed none, in fact, although a narrow gold fillet circled her brow. A border of goldwork edged the pale mantle, and the broad, linked belt around the queen’s waist was also gold. Like Ser Ombrose’s tunic, her crimson gown was slit for ease of riding, so that everyone could see the tanned legs extending into boots of honey leather, rolled to above the knee.”

As with Sarifa, the crimson and gold, along with the decorative elements, denote high standing. The galloping arrival implies exuberance, in keeping with Zhineve-An’s youth. Alternatively, it could simply be the way things are done in Jhaine – like the slit tunic, which could also be a styling choice of youthfulness. Then again, the style could reflect either disregard, or ignorance, of conventions in realms outside of her own…

Mostly, I leave readers to make up their own minds in such matters – but the art of styling characters is very often to infer and raise questions, a process that may be as multi-layered as Manan’s blouse, kirtle, and cote.

Conclusion:

And there you have it, a closer look at some more of the women characters in The Gathering of the Lost and how they’re styled, to balance last Thursday’s “arms and the…warrior…I sing.” I’ve enjoyed revisiting Gathering again and putting it together – so many thanks to Andie for the prompt. 😀

~*~

Previous Posts

• Styling Characters: More Than Meets The Eye — by Kim Falconer
  
• Styling Characters in The Heir of Night
• Styling Characters in The Gathering of the Lost