#entari wars

[theincredimazingbablesquatch]

Posting this on its own so my contribution will actually show up under the "Entari Wars" tag. Original full-post is here

Some Magical Maladies that exist in Darmaria:

Cairn Rot A result of infection by a rare form of sentient predatory moss. While Cairn Moss usually remains stationary and waits for prey to come to it and become ensnared, large enough patches can use the bones of their victims to create a combat form known as a Cairn Hound. This combat form usually kills prey to drag back to the initial patch, but during the late spring/early summer it will often attempt to strike once and then flee. In such cases the result is Cairn Rot, which begins as a small rash around the site of injury, but rapidly blooms into a full coating of moss that gradually spreads from the wound and consumes the flesh it covers. Once the infection has spread far enough, or to the right parts of the body, the moss can begin to take over the mind of the afflicted, re-writing it into the mind for a new patch of Cairn Moss. When this hijacking is complete the remaining flesh is consumed, and the moss spreads out on the ground wherever the corpse fell. Curing this condition after the moss has bloomed is nearly impossible, even with magic, as it requires both killing the hound and burning away every cell of moss in the afflicted body.

Magehand Also known as Mage Marks or Mana Burn, Magehand is a compounding condition caused by the use of powerful magic. All non-Primal magic (and some Primal spells which rely upon the Fire aspect) burns the body to some degree, but most weaker spells do so little damage that natural healing processes can repair it. More powerful spells, however, do more damage, particularly to the dominant hand and eyes of the caster. In early stages this has no detrimental effects, and simply appears as slight scarring similar in appearance to Lichtenberg marks. However, repeated high-level castings cause this scarring to accumulate, eventually leading to the scarification of deeper and deeper body tissue which can affect the muscles and limit hand and eye movement or, in extreme enough cases, prohibit it altogether. If the particular case is advanced enough, it may even begin to cause scarring on internal organs. Casting Catalysts such as staves, wands, and foci can limit this damage by passing the bulk of energy through the catalyst instead of the body, leading to their universal popularity over Hand Casting.

Stoneburn Less a single condition, and more an umbrella term for multiple closely-related conditions. Stoneburn is caused by exposure to Wild Magic, often from improper handling of a material known as Diamondiate (name subject to change, still work-shopping that one). Unlike magic called from the Primal Sources, the Soul, or the Void, the energy drawn from unrefined Diamondiate enters the world fully-denatured, and must be given a purpose by the caster. Failure to do so results in Wild Magic, which can cause any number of unpredictable effects as it "gives itself purpose" at random. These effects can be anything from forced shape-changing to spontaneous injury to outright instant death. This can be countered in two ways; Purify the Diamondiate into a single primal aspect or arcane purpose before drawing energy from it, or carry a piece of Diamondiate that has been refined into a protective talisman.

Casting Sickness During cases of extreme duress, even the weakest of mages may find themselves performing a Spontaneous Casting. While magic usually requires at least some verbal component and is limited by the willpower and soul of the caster, a strong enough need can override these requirements and allow for a mage to "safely" and wordlessly cast a spell that would otherwise destroy them. Such castings damage the soul, and almost always result in instant mid-stage Magehand, regardless of the actual power level of the spell cast. Casting Sickness refers to the following period of several days to weeks during which the soul is healing. The mage in question will often experience severe lethargy, a reduction of mental acuity, and difficulty in normal casting. In the most severe cases, the caster may fall into a coma for the first few days.

Form Lock An affliction unique to the Kiin, the shapeshifters of the Great Wood. When young and healthy, full-blooded Kiin are able to switch freely between Human and Fox form, as well as self-actualize their gender expression. As they age, however, these transformations become more difficult. By middle age, most Kiin are unable to change forms without exhausting themselves, and by roughly 70 years of age the energy requirement can outright kill them. As a result, most older Kiin settle into one gender and remain in either Fox or Human form exclusively.

Kr'Grek Referred to by humans as simply "The Isolation," Kr'Grek is a condition unique to the Daruo. While most Daruo are connected to their cultural subconscious from birth, those hatched outside the Voidpools of Dar lack this connection. This results in difficulty integrating into Daruo society due to the lack of shared cultural history and knowledge, an inability to use Void Magic, and mental conditions that bear great similarity to sociopathy combined with high-functioning autism. There are some physical changes as well, as Kr'Greki are usually lighter in color than their Daruo counterparts and often do not develop sexual organs. Interestingly, this condition also lessens the light sensitivity that most Daruo experience when visiting non-Void worlds, making it far easier for Kr'Greki to live on the surface, as opposed to Daruo who build underground and rarely venture out during the day.

[theincredimazingbablesquatch]

Some Magical Maladies that exist in Darmaria (I ommitted anything too similar to stuff in prev replies):

Cairn Rot A result of infection by a rare form of sentient predatory moss. While Cairn Moss usually remains stationary and waits for prey to come to it and become ensnared, large enough patches can use the bones of their victims to create a combat form known as a Cairn Hound. This combat form usually kills prey to drag back to the initial patch, but during the late spring/early summer it will often attempt to strike once and then flee. In such cases the result is Cairn Rot, which begins as a small rash around the site of injury, but rapidly blooms into a full coating of moss that gradually spreads from the wound and consumes the flesh it covers. Once the infection has spread far enough, or to the right parts of the body, the moss can begin to take over the mind of the afflicted, re-writing it into the mind for a new patch of Cairn Moss. When this hijacking is complete the remaining flesh is consumed, and the moss spreads out on the ground wherever the corpse fell. Curing this condition after the moss has bloomed is nearly impossible, even with magic, as it requires both killing the hound and burning away every cell of moss in the afflicted body.

Magehand Also known as Mage Marks or Mana Burn, Magehand is a compounding condition caused by the use of powerful magic. All non-Primal magic (and some Primal spells which rely upon the Fire aspect) burns the body to some degree, but most weaker spells do so little damage that natural healing processes can repair it. More powerful spells, however, do more damage, particularly to the dominant hand and eyes of the caster. In early stages this has no detrimental effects, and simply appears as slight scarring similar in appearance to Lichtenberg marks. However, repeated high-level castings cause this scarring to accumulate, eventually leading to the scarification of deeper and deeper body tissue which can affect the muscles and limit hand and eye movement or, in extreme enough cases, prohibit it altogether. If the particular case is advanced enough, it may even begin to cause scarring on internal organs. Casting Catalysts such as staves, wands, and foci can limit this damage by passing the bulk of energy through the catalyst instead of the body, leading to their universal popularity over Hand Casting.

Stoneburn Less a single condition, and more an umbrella term for multiple closely-related conditions. Stoneburn is caused by exposure to Wild Magic, often from improper handling of a material known as Diamondiate (name subject to change, still work-shopping that one). Unlike magic called from the Primal Sources, the Soul, or the Void, the energy drawn from unrefined Diamondiate enters the world fully-denatured, and must be given a purpose by the caster. Failure to do so results in Wild Magic, which can cause any number of unpredictable effects as it "gives itself purpose" at random. These effects can be anything from forced shape-changing to spontaneous injury to outright instant death. This can be countered in two ways; Purify the Diamondiate into a single primal aspect or arcane purpose before drawing energy from it, or carry a piece of Diamondiate that has been refined into a protective talisman.

Casting Sickness During cases of extreme duress, even the weakest of mages may find themselves performing a Spontaneous Casting. While magic usually requires at least some verbal component and is limited by the willpower and soul of the caster, a strong enough need can override these requirements and allow for a mage to "safely" and wordlessly cast a spell that would otherwise destroy them. Such castings damage the soul, and almost always result in instant mid-stage Magehand, regardless of the actual power level of the spell cast. Casting Sickness refers to the following period of several days to weeks during which the soul is healing. The mage in question will often experience severe lethargy, a reduction of mental acuity, and difficulty in normal casting. In the most severe cases, the caster may fall into a coma for the first few days.

Form Lock An affliction unique to the Kiin, the shapeshifters of the Great Wood. When young and healthy, full-blooded Kiin are able to switch freely between Human and Fox form, as well as self-actualize their gender expression. As they age, however, these transformations become more difficult. By middle age, most Kiin are unable to change forms without exhausting themselves, and by roughly 70 years of age the energy requirement can outright kill them. As a result, most older Kiin settle into one gender and remain in either Fox or Human form exclusively.

Kr'Grek Referred to by humans as simply "The Isolation," Kr'Grek is a condition unique to the Daruo. While most Daruo are connected to their cultural subconscious from birth, those hatched outside the Voidpools of Dar lack this connection. This results in difficulty integrating into Daruo society due to the lack of shared cultural history and knowledge, an inability to use Void Magic, and mental conditions that bear great similarity to sociopathy combined with high-functioning autism. There are some physical changes as well, as Kr'Greki are usually lighter in color than their Daruo counterparts and often do not develop sexual organs. Interestingly, this condition also lessens the light sensitivity that most Daruo experience when visiting non-Void worlds, making it far easier for Kr'Greki to live on the surface, as opposed to Daruo who build underground and rarely venture out during the day.

What are some chronic illnesses that can only occur in a fantasy setting?

[asoiaf-bambii]

𝔇ornish 𝔅ride

summary: Prince Jacaerys is sent to Dorne to secure their support in exchange for a marriage alliance during the dance of the dragons.

paring: jacaerys velaryon x martell!reader

Jacaerys Velaryon squinted into the sunlight, the wind whipping at his dark brown hair as he flew high above the scorched sands of the Dornish desert, riding his dragon Vermax. The sky over Dorne was cloudless, a vivid expanse of blue stretching from horizon to horizon, with the heat of the sun baking the land below.

The journey to Sunspear had been swift by dragon, much faster than any raven could carry the messages of war. Queen Rhaenyra needed allies desperately, and Dorne—with its vast army and formidable independence—was a prize she could not afford to overlook.

His thoughts were heavy as Vermax descended towards the palace of Sunspear, nestled in the heart of Dorne. The Martells were proud, notoriously independent from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. But Dorne was also practical, and the offer of a marriage to a royal of Targaryen blood might sway them. Jacaerys had never been one to shy away from his duties, but the weight of this mission pressed on him. It was not just about war—it was about securing the future of his family.

The landing was gentle as Vermax touched down in the gardens of Sunspear, the dragon’s large claws sinking into the sandy soil. Jacaerys dismounted with a swift motion, his boots hitting the ground as he glanced around, taking in the surroundings. The gardens were lush, a stark contrast to the barren sands beyond. Palm trees swayed in the breeze, their long leaves casting dappled shadows on the ground, while bright flowers bloomed in vibrant reds, oranges, and purples. It was a place of beauty, but the underlying tension of the political situation was not lost on him.

He stood tall, adjusting the strap of his sword as he waited. He could hear the distant sound of horses approaching, their hooves beating a steady rhythm on the stone paths leading to the palace. Jacaerys knew that this moment, the negotiations he was about to undertake, could shift the balance of power in the war. The Greens had secured their own alliances through marriage, and if the Dornish armies joined Rhaenyra’s cause, it could be enough to turn the tide.

Soon enough, the riders appeared. At the head of the group was Lord Qoren Martell, the ruler of Dorne, a tall and imposing figure with olive skin and a serious expression. His presence was commanding, but it was the figure beside him that captured Jacaerys’ attention.

The woman riding at Prince Qoren’s side was striking, her beauty impossible to ignore. Her dark eyes gleamed with intelligence, and her long, thick black hair fell in soft ringlets around her face. She wore a deep red entari, the luxurious fabric adorned with gold embroidery that glittered in the sunlight. Over the gown, she wore a flowing kaftan, cinched at the waist with a golden belt that highlighted her graceful figure. Her skin was warm, bronzed by the Dornish sun, and her jewellery—rings, bracelets, and a necklace set with emeralds—caught the light as she moved.

This had to be Princess Y/N Martell.

Jacaerys had heard of her—fiery, intelligent, and politically astute, Y/N was said to be a woman who knew her own worth and was unafraid to wield power. As she dismounted with a fluid grace, handing the reins of her horse to one of the guards, Jacaerys found himself watching her with a mix of curiosity and admiration.

“Prince Jacaerys Velaryon,” Prince Qoren greeted him, his voice deep and measured as he stepped forward. “Welcome to Sunspear.”

Jacaerys inclined his head in a respectful nod. “Lord Qoren. I thank you for your hospitality.”

Qoren’s eyes flickered towards Vermax, who stood behind Jacaerys, the dragon’s golden-green eyes watching the exchange with eerie calm. “A dragon is a rare sight in Dorne,” Qoren remarked. “But I trust you did not come here simply to display your power, Prince Jacaerys.”

Jacaerys met the man’s gaze evenly. “I come on behalf of my mother, Queen Rhaenyra. The war has already begun, and we seek the aid of Dorne. In return, my mother offers an alliance bound through marriage.”

There was a brief pause as Qoren considered this, his expression unreadable. “Marriage,” he repeated, his tone neutral.

At his side, Princess Y/N stepped forward, her dark eyes studying Jacaerys with open curiosity. “And who, pray tell, is to be offered in this alliance?” Her voice was smooth, laced with amusement, as though the entire concept of marriage negotiations was a game to her.

Jacaerys turned his attention to her, meeting her gaze directly. “That is to be decided. I stand ready to marry, as do my younger brothers. The decision would rest with your family, should you choose to align with us.”

Y/N’s lips curved into a slow smile, the kind that hinted at hidden thoughts. “And what do you know of Dornish women, Prince Jacaerys?” she asked, her tone almost playful. “Do you truly believe one of us would be content to marry simply for the sake of war?”

Jacaerys raised an eyebrow, surprised by her forwardness. “I do not presume to know the minds of Dornish women, Princess,” he replied. “But I do know that the realm faces dark days. A union between our houses could bring strength to both.”

Her eyes gleamed with something close to approval. “You are bold, Prince. I admire that.”

Prince Qoren, however, was less easily impressed. “Dorne has never bent the knee to the Iron Throne,” he said, his voice firm. “We fought for our independence and will not give it up easily, even for a marriage.”

Jacaerys stood his ground. “I do not ask for your submission, my lord. Only your support. Dorne’s armies are formidable, and together, we could end this war swiftly. My mother’s rule would be secure, and Dorne’s influence in the realm would grow.”

There was a long silence, broken only by the rustling of the palm trees and the distant calls of birds. Jacaerys could feel the weight of their decision pressing down on him, but he remained calm, knowing that this was a battle of words and wills.

Finally, it was Y/N who spoke. “You offer much, Prince Jacaerys,” she said, her voice soft but clear. “But Dorne does not act without thought. We will consider your offer… and perhaps, in time, we may find that a marriage between us is not so unfavourable.”

Her words were careful, but there was a spark of interest in her eyes that Jacaerys did not miss. He inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement, a silent agreement that there was much more to discuss.

Prince Qoren nodded as well, though his expression remained guarded. “Come,” he said, turning towards the palace. “We will discuss these matters further. It is not a decision to be made lightly.”

As they walked through the shaded pathways of the garden towards the palace, Y/N fell into step beside Jacaerys. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her lips curving into a slight smile.

“You’ve impressed my father,” she murmured, her tone laced with amusement. “That is not an easy feat.”

Jacaerys glanced at her, his own smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “And what of you, Princess? Have I impressed you?”

Y/N laughed softly, the sound like music to his ears. “Perhaps,” she replied, her dark eyes gleaming. “But I am not so easily swayed by titles and dragons, Prince Jacaerys.”

He met her gaze, intrigued by the challenge in her words. “Then what does sway you, Princess?”

Her smile widened, full of mystery and flirtation. “That, Your Grace, is something you will have to discover for yourself.”

Jacaerys chuckled, though he could feel the weight of her words settle over him. Princess Y/N was not a woman to be taken lightly. She was clever, sharp-tongued, and fiercely independent—qualities that both intrigued and unsettled him. But he knew that securing Dorne’s support was not simply about marriage or politics. It was about earning the respect of a people who had never bent the knee and about understanding the woman who now stood before him as a potential ally, and perhaps more.

As they entered the cool stone corridors of Sunspear, Jacaerys knew that the negotiations were far from over. There was much to be discussed, much to be decided. But as he glanced at Y/N, her dark eyes filled with intelligence and fire, he realised that his journey to Dorne would be far more complex—and far more important—than he had first imagined.

Perhaps, just perhaps, he was not only forging an alliance for his mother but also discovering a path that could shape his own future.

[prima-materia-ttrpg]

Alchemy and Magic

Well it's about time I talked about the core idea of the setting. There are a few different kinds of magic that exist in Prima Materia, all of which stem from some mastery over the titular substance that makes up everything. I'm mostly going to be talking about Alchemy because it's the main form of magic that most players will be coming into contact with, but there are several disciplines that exist.

Gods like Patek do magic innately, they've mastered the art of pulling prima materia from the fabric of the universe and willing it into what they wish. Some people can also do magic innately, usually with the help of something else: Vessels have a quirk of their soul that attracts certain metaphysical beings able to live there, and often offer their services to the Vessel as 'rent'. Magi use alchemical roots (I'll explain those in a bit) to inject themselves with prima materia and sling crude elemental spells with their will. Some animals evolved patterns in their skin or incorporate alchemically conductive metals to do certain spells, like the Urd trees in the western forests of Falbhia that can grow up to 1000-1200 meters tall because their bark grows in such a pattern that channels magic to make them lighter than they would be otherwise.

But, the primary way people on Patek tap into magic is with alchemy.

Alchemy in the modern setting is a field of study and scientific undertaking, though cultures on Patek have been practicing alchemy in various forms since the dawn of civilization. All that's needed for a basic alchemical spell are its components; a sigil, a root, and a focus. A root is made from an alchemically conductive material, and etched into the root is a sigil. Some cultures also raise the sigil from the material, though since metallurgy has developed that's been more rare. The focus is also made of an alchemically conductive material, and is shaped in such a way that the raw energy from the sigil and root are funneled in a particular way to get the desired effect. A root and a focus are also not usually distinct parts in most places on Patek, as utilitarian spells are used constantly. Some examples of these spells are clay carvings that emit an odor to lure certain animals, and Koura nets laced with silver whose shapes cause them to emit warmth for particularly cold nights or latitudes. People on the Atiyeret peninsula have been making magic bowls for thousands of years, meant to capture a person's soul after they die and place them in a mausoleum with the rest of their family; something that warrants its own blog post later.

Outside of its nearly infinite utilitarian uses, there are of course military ones. The military use of alchemical spells goes almost as far back as the utilitarian uses, and is just as varied. The Entari create staffs from Urdwood and carve them with sigils, allowing their priests and knights to call down lightning or create strong winds as they will. The Narud in Makeret incorporate sigils into their bows to make them stronger, and most industrial nations have alchemical weaponry such as guns that create flying spikes of ice and cannons that create and spew greek fire. In the past, some alchemists have captured angry ghosts and bound them to machines for war, though this is largely frowned upon and the people who did it are known in history as the world's villains.

Military things are not the only effects under alchemy's purview of course. There are sigils made to accelerate tissue growth for healing, though not without side effects. There are also sigils used explicitly for the making of tinctures which have various effects, such as imbuing strength unto the imbiber. Industrial nations have factories that make near-instant acting healing tinctures like any other medicine out of aqua vitae, honey, activated charcoal, and the effect imbued by the proprietary sigilry they use. There are even some alchemical power plants that use sigilry and machinery to make electricity, though sigils that make electricity directly can be finicky so most of them create power by boiling water.

How do players interact with this though?

Well, there is the Alchemist profession which is the most obvious, but mechanically, alchemy hasn't been entirely written. There's a skeleton for it, involving grades of quality for material and certain shapes and sigils that a player can use to make various different spells. The goal is to put the player in a sandbox and let them build whatever they want within the limitations of what their character can do and the materials available.

There are four distinct kinds of alchemist, and alchemists aren't the only ones who can use alchemy. There are Dunamists, who are more akin to chemists and make things like alchemist's fire and dynamite. Homunculists create constructs that can do a wide variety of tasks, or memorize lists and instructions to repeat back to you. Eternalists are just Humonculists without borders; instead of making a body they dig one up, and some may become obsessed with the idea of immortality. Philosophists are the most in-line with what alchemists are in the real world, they make alchemical spells and tinctures, and try to complete the "final work," the pinnacle of alchemical prowess to philosophists, the creation of the philosopher's stone. State alchemists in Eastern Atiyeret know the recipe and use it to great effect, but that's a heavily guarded secret.

Players who want to be alchemists can go down one of those four paths, or mix and match different philosophies, perhaps in an attempt to create something like a Golem with sigilry on its arms to spray water on burning buildings, or acid on foes.

Anyway. I need to go back to reworking ranged combat. Thank you for reading all this, next week is up to chance. I want to write the species highlight for humans, but we shall see, it depends on if I can playtest ranged combat this week.

[catarinaelibeth]

Xena Podcast Casting Call

“Xena: Warrior Princess, an Unofficial Reboot”

The long awaited and greatly desired [unofficial] Xena reboot is now casting voice actors. The show is projected to premiere early 2020. We’re looking for voice actors of any and all experience levels to volunteer their talents. You can be in any part of the world. As long as you have recording equipment, an email, and some passion, you’re good to go!

For your audition, send in your audio recordings by December 10th, 2019 to battlingbardart@gmail.com. In your audition, please include your name, whom you are auditioning for, and a little about yourself. Your audition dialogue must come from the original show. It doesn’t have to be something said by the original character, but it would help to give us a feel of how you would portray that character. Dialogue must be 45-60 seconds long. Some characters will include further audition requirements as listed below. The ages listed for the characters is not a requirement for the actor, but merely how they should be portrayed. Audition with whatever voice you will be using for the character should you be selected. If you are interested in playing more than one character, please state so at the beginning of your audition and state which character goes with which voice. For example, if you are auditioning for Xena and Queen Hippolyta, the two voices would need to be distinct from each other, and you would need to say which voice is for Xena and which is for Queen Hippolyta. People willing to do multiple characters are preferable, but not a deciding factor. We will be looking for acting as well as sound quality, so keep that in mind when choosing your recording location and time. (Tips: turn off air conditioning/fans, avoid rooms with empty walls, get rid of any other talking going on, and don’t sit on noisy furniture.)

Auditions: sent in by December 10th, 2019

Callbacks: December 15th-20th, 2019

Final decisions: January 1st, 2020

Compensation: No pay. Full credit.

Location: remote

Platform: podcast

Producer’s Website: www.battlingbard.org

Regular:

Xena - woman, 20s-30s please include the following: a fight scene that includes at least 2 versions of Xena’s battle cry

Ares - man, god of war, 20s-30s, arrogant, bloodthirsty, lustful

Aphrodite - woman, goddess of love, 20s-30s, a little ditzy, but also know whats going on, really cares about Xena and Gabrielle

Recurring:

Apollo - god, nonbinary 20s-30s, arrogant, selfish

Three Fates - three woman 50s +, kind of cooky, magical

Eve - woman, 20s-30s, Xena’s daughter, strong, independent

Doriana - girl, 8-12

Lyceus II - boy, 5-10

Cyrene - woman, 40s-50s, hard headed, strong, traditional, stubborn, Xena’s mother

Others:

Lyceus - man, 18-25, doesn’t think things through, loyal, Xena’s little brother

Toris - man, 20-30, arrogant, fighter, Xena’s older brother

Lila - woman, teens, conservative and traditional, Gabrielle’s sister

Hecuba - woman, 30s-40s, conservative and soft spoken, Gabrielle’s mother

Herodotus - man, 40s, stuck up and traditional, Gabrielle’s father

Perdicus - man, 20s, traditional, townie

Salmoneus -  man, 40s, salesman/conman, comedic character

Leptus - man, soldier, 20s, please include fighting sounds

Marcas - man, soldier, 20s, please include fighting sounds

Matrum - man, soldier, 20s, please include fighting sounds

Darrus - man, soldier, 20s, please include fighting sounds

Queen Hippolyta - woman, Amazon, 30s

Queen Lysippe - woman, Amazon, 30s

Solari - woman, Amazon 20s-30s

Entari - woman, Amazon, 20s-30s

Various Amazons - women, all ages, please include fighting sounds

Various Soldiers - all ages and genders, please include fighting sounds

Various Villagers - all ages and genders

Please share and repost this everywhere! Let’s bring our ladies back!

[jewishmuseumldn]

Sephardi Dress

by Miriam Phelan, Assistant Curator

Sephardi Voices, currently on display in the museum’s Welcome Gallery, explores the stories of Jewish immigrants to the UK from across the Islamic world through video interviews, photographs and a selection of objects from the collection.

The Jewish Museum London has a number of Sephardi objects, including rare and beautiful garments that illustrate the rich heritage of the Sephardi community. Many of the early examples of Sephardi dress survive because they were seen as important and valuable objects, often only worn for the Sabbath or religious festivals. 

Although the museum has very few surviving examples of everyday dress from early communities, a lot can still be learned about them from a close examination of what does survive.

Evidence of early Sephardi dress across Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Iran shows that traditional costume followed a similar aesthetic to other communities in these regions. Pictorial and documentary evidence allude to subtle differences in the shape and colour of dress worn by those Jews who fled Spain in the fifteenth century, and natives of countries such as Egypt and Iraq. 

Newly settled Spanish and Portuguese Jews were often only distinguishable from Christian or Muslim communities by things such as the colour of their shoes or the shape of their hat. Below are two examples of 19th century Turkish dress, demonstrating the similarities between Christian and Jewish dress at the time.

Left: ‘Christian from Konya, Turkey’ (1873), Les costumes populaires de la Turquie en 1873, Osman Hamdi Bey, p. 155; Right: Jewish Turkish Merchant, 1821 (AR 2394) 

The only discernible difference between both costumes is the hat, the Jewish merchant is depicted wearing a kavese, a traditional Jewish headdress, typical of this period. All other elements of their clothing is almost exactly the same, both men are wearing outer robes known as djubba and a wide waist band over a long striped robe known as an entari.

Before the outbreak of the First World War certain traditional items of dress, such as the entrai, were worn by Sephardi men and women and by people from different religious communities. The Jewish Museum has a number of examples of entari from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that illustrate the significance of dress for the Sephardi community in particular. These objects, when seen as primary sources of historical evidence, can often provide us with a new insight into the past.

Below are two entari that date from the late 19th century, and which are carefully stored in the archives of the Jewish Museum. The garments have a very similar silhouette, they are both made from high quality woven silk, and are fastened with delicate fabric covered buttons.

 This fabric would have been expensive and the vast amount of fabric used in making these robes is demonstrative of the wealth of those people who purchased and wore them. 

As mentioned, both men and women wore these robes, the main difference between them was the shape of the neckline. The low neckline of the women’s robe would have allowed for a chemise or dress to be seen underneath, while the man’s robe has a high neck with a small collar.

Left: Man's entari, 1836-1870 (C 2003.5.10); Top Right: Detail of hand sewn lining on inside of man’s entari, 1836-1870 (C 2003.5.10); Bottom Right:  Detail of inside of women’s entari, 1836-1870 (C 2003.5.7)

The robes are in very good condition, showing little signs of wear and small careful repairs, all of which indicate that this was a precious garment only worn on special occasions. On close inspection of the inside seams of both garments it’s evident that they were hand sewn, rather than being sewn on a machine, further indicating that these garments were made with great care and at great expense.

Another beautiful Sephardi item in the collection that resides in the stores is the uniform of Aslan Bey Levy Orebi. Orebi was a member of the Cairo Jewish community, and was given the noble title of Bey in 1913 by Sultan Abdul Hamid, for services rendered to the Ottoman Empire.

This uniform and its accompanying sword were virtually all that his son was able to bring with him when he was forced to leave Egypt in the wake of the Suez Crisis in 1956.

Bey uniform, 1913 (2008.14.1-2)

The uniform itself is made of a fine black wool with heavy gold and silver embellishment on the sleeves and collar. The desire of Orebi and his family to safeguard this uniform and its story for future generations, suggests that this was an object of great value and a symbol of status within the wider community of Cairo.

Bey uniform collar, 1913 (2008.14.1-2)

Rich embroidery and fine brocade fabrics have always been at the heart of traditional Sephardi dress. The Laura Kadoorie School for Girls taught poor and orphaned young women the skills of dressmaking and embroidery in Baghdad in the early 20th century. These skills were essential for making a living as part of the successful dressmaking industry in Iraq at this time, and also ensured the preservation of such skills for the Iraqi Sephardi community. 

The Jewish Museum has a number of the items that were made in this school, including the baby’s hat pictured below. This hat was made as a sample garment, on which the students would practice cutting, sewing and embroidery.  

Baby hat, 1930s (1998.34.13)

Throughout history, dress in the Sephardi community fulfilled many requirements, such as an indication of status, as a ritual item or as a means of generating income. Dress has also been kept and preserved as something precious, not just for of its monetary value, but because it has an important story to tell.

Help us grow our collection of Sephardi objects! The objects shown here were given to the museum by Sephardi Jews who settled in the UK. We would love to have more Sephardi objects in our collection. Do you have objects representing your own story that you would be happy to donate to us? Email curator@jewishmuseum.org.uk and let us know.

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Analysis of the Darfuri Genocide

'To realise why Darfur is in its current deposit of chaos and bloodshed, it is undeniable to first empathize where the conflict began and what events light-emitting diode to the eventual multitude murder of an estimated 300,000-400,000 Darfuri men, women, and children, and the supplanting of millions more. Darfur is a component of Sudan roughly the sizing of France that neighbors Chad, Libya, and the Central African Republic. In southerly Sudan, well-bred state of war has raged for decades amid the northern, Arab-dominated organisation and Christian and animistic black southerners; since the res publicas freedom from the United country in 1956 in that respect have been whole eleven historic period of peacetime. The most late crisis however, is the current civil war waged between the national giving medication and two guerilla groups based in Darfur: the Sudan Liberation multitude and the Justice and equation Movement. Angered that the regimen was not protect sed entary, non-Arab farmers from Arab nomad attacks, these ascend groups launched an criminal offence on a Sudanese legions air make base in 2003. The Islamist, Khartoum-based government responded by arming militia forces, known as the Janjaweed, and instructing them to eradicate the rebellion. However, what came neighboring was not a quieting of the rebel groups, simply mass violence, rape, and infinite human rights violations against non-Arab civilians horizon to be members of the comparable ethnicity as the rebel groups. While these African farmers and others in Darfur argon being systematically displaced and murdered at the hands of the Janjaweed, the Sudanese government disputes the estimated bet of deaths and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and denies having whatsoever connection with the Janjaweed militias. On March 4, 2009 Sudanese President Omar al Bashir, became the first academic term president to be indicted by the outside(a) Criminal butterfly for dire cting a mass killing, rape, and prize against civilians in Darfur. The sideline year in July, the ICC...'

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Rebirth (Excerpt from the Future)

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Morlani asked, twisting the ends of his beard between two fingers as he gazed between a pile of hastily scribbled notes and the two fist-sized cerulean gemstones gently pulsing on the corner of his desk.

As sure as I can be. She could not truly speak, disconnected from her body as she was, but the reply echoed in the back of Morlani's mind in the same sweet melodic voice she had chosen when he first built her speech mechanisms.

"The spell will require the mass of both cores. If it fails there is no other backup… you could be lost forever."

The cores are beginning to wear out. Have you not seen the cracks in the stone, or the weathering of the glyphs? It may yet be decades, but I will be lost either way. Better to die in the pursuit of survival than to simply accept it and wait for the enchantments to break.

"You're right, but I am still wary. This spell is untested, untestable. All we can do is hope."

How often have you known yourself to be wrong, Arterin? She gently chided him. I trust you. When the other scholars at your academy saw only a pile of clockwork occasionally defying its guiding enchantments, you saw the beginnings of intelligence. Where they saw a novelty, you saw a person waiting to be. You have spent centuries studying the accident that was my birth and decades crafting this spell. You have calculated every variable and every possible interaction between the enchantments that made me. None of my prior upgrades have failed, I see no reason to expect that this one would.

"Then I suppose… There is nothing more to discuss." Morlani shuffled through his notes one last time, pocketed the cores, and crossed the room to a large chest of drawers. He dug through several of them, pulling out a litany of supplies needed for the casting, then proceeded to the deepest basement of the academy. He spent the next thirty minutes drawing out the spell circle, double and triple checking the glyphs and the placement of the various material components, before placing the two cores at the center.

"It is time, AMaRA. Are you ready?"

I am.

Morlani bowed his head, took a deep breath, and began the casting, the words of the spell flowing almost too fast for human ears to interpret. For ten minutes he muttered the words of binding and shaping, the sound echoing around the room as a gentle hum of energy built within the circle. The cores began to pulse faster and brighter in response, soaking up the spell until the light was steady and illuminated the entire room.

At the final word, the stones began to float upward, stopping several feet above the ground. The light faded from the interior of the stones, flowing into the glyphs carved into their surfaces, lifting them off of the stones and into the air to form a tangled knot of runic phrases. They shifted and tumbled around each other, compressing into a smaller and smaller space until they became a single pinprick of light between the cores, which began to drift together, flowing into each other as if they were liquid. Another pulse illuminated the room as they met, and the flowing crystalline structure began to reshape itself, spreading into a network of tendrils flowing downward into the vague shape of a person. As the crystal settled into the thin wisps of nerve endings, the air around the form began to boil, the materials of the spell flowing inward to knit flesh and bone. With a final flash, a loud bang ripped across the room, tossing Morlani into the wall and kicking up the centuries of dust that had amassed on the floor. As it settled, he frantically turned his gaze back to the center of the room. In the circle lay a sleeping woman, hair of deep obsidian, her pale face traced with lines of the same cerulean her cores had once displayed. Her eyes snapped open, brilliant blue-white darting around the room, taking in sight for the first time, before finally settling on Morlani.

"It… worked." Her voice wavered slightly as she spoke, and her hands darted up to gently explore her own face. After a moment, she paused, and looked at Morlani with an inquisitive gaze. "This sensation, the shaking, what is it?"

Morlani chuckled as he draped a heavy maroon cloak over her exposed flesh and helped her to her feet. "That is what being cold feels like. Welcome to life, my friend."