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The People and Dress Code of Cairhien Cairhien is pronounced: KEYE-ree-EHN Daes Dae'mar is pronounced: Dah-ess day-MAR People from Cairhien are called 'Cairhienin'. (KEYE-ree-EHN-in) Daes Dae'mar Also known as the Great Game, or the Game of Houses. This is not truly a game, though Cairhienin children learn to play it, whether of common birth or noble, with their dolls and soldiers. It is a complex system of political intrigue and maneuverings, using the art of misdirection and hidden meanings to gain power and status. For a Cairhienin, even the commonfolk, nothing is as it seems. Everything has a deeper meaning, a hidden motive. Even those who claim not to play the Great Game are not above suspicion, and at times, they are even more suspect. Daes Dae'mar can often turn deadly, with the use of poisons, and assassinations in order to open otherwise occupied positions of power for those who consider themselves more cunning and capable. The Great Game is a way of life for the people of Cairhien, and the presence of the Dragon Reborn does little to sway them from this historically destructive force, which is a large part of Cairhien's volatile nature and internal strife. Dress Code The people of Cairhien are generally a stoic people, with a strict desire to control everything, and have everything in order precisely as it should be. Cairhienin are short and pale-skinned, with dark hair and usually dark eyes. The ladies wear their hair tightly coiffed into elaborate towers of curls, each designed to suit the unique tastes of the wearer. Men wear their hair long, either loose or tied back. NOBLE ATTIRE Cairhienin noblewomen usually wear dark dresses and gowns, in shades of black or dark blue or green. The dark clothing is relieved only by narrow horizontal slashes of color down the front, and ivory lace at throat and wrists. Noblemen usually wear coats in similarly dark colors, with slashes down the front as well. The slashes indicate rank in Cairhienin society. The more slashes, the higher the noble is ranked. For instance, a noble with only a few slashes across the chest would be of low rank, while a noble with slashes nearly all the way down would likely be a High Seat of his or her House. The King or Queen would have slashes from neckline to hem. The colors of the slashes vary, and indicate to which House the noble belongs. Formalwear among the nobility is much the same, except more elaborate. Ladies formal gowns are usually made of silk or other finer materials, with skirts supported by hoops that are so wide that they at times must turn sideways to pass through a door. Noblemen often wear bell-shaped or flat caps of soft velvet. SERVANTS Servants play a large role in Cairhienin society, and they too are bound by the restrictions of their Lord or Lady's dress code. Their livery usually only has color in a few stripes on the cuffs of the sleeves, and their House badge embroidered on the breast of their coat or dress. Some liveries have house colors covering the collar or sleeves, but rarely the entire coat or dress. Upper servants show more color on their livery than lower servants. MILITARY DRESS Cairhienin military dress, like the upper classes, follows the same strict guidelines, but with a few additions. The Officers wear slashes of rank across their coats much as nobles do, but they shave the front of the head and dust it with white powder, leaving their hair hanging long in back. High-ranking officers wear ornate, gilded cuirasses and gauntlets as well as large white plumes attached to their bell-shaped helmets. They also wear small banners called "con" to indicate which lord they serve, and allow others to easy locate and identify them. Lesser officers and soldiers wear plainer armor. Regular soldiers wear their hair cut short in a basic bowl cut. COMMONERS AND FOREGATERS In contrast to the rest of Cairhienin society, those of the lower classes tend to dress in bright, festive colors almost in defiance of the ordered customs of their betters. Not bound to conform to such rigid restrictions, their clothing is often ill-fitted and shabby, but colorful, with bright skirts and shirts, with coats and shawls that are equally bright. THE FEAST OF LIGHTS The only time Cairhienin break these rigid rules of order and class is during the Feast of Lights, which lasts for two days. During this time, all social barriers are discarded between nobles and commoners. It is a time when the Cairhienin seem to make up for their perfect etiquette and celebrate with wild and careless abandon. Any man can kiss any woman. Any woman can kiss any man. It is common to see nobles and commoners together in varying states of undress. The streets are often filled with dancing and music, with Illuminator displays at night. People run around half-naked. No repercussions are ever incurred for anything that might have occurred during the holiday, and there is no acknowledgement that anything did, in fact occur. When the Feast of Lights is over, everyone goes back to their normal lives, to live behind their rigid masks of formality and propriety. See Also: Daes Dae'mar, Cairhien, Nations, Rulers |
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