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The cultural place and values for women in Ithania has been relatively stable for nearly a century. Since the great movement of people from ithania to Pays du Sud and the integration of the Ithanian culture to the Regalian Empire, their cultural norms have had a profound effect on the daily habits of women across the Empire. From the cultural understanding of the Ithanians, the old Ceardian principle of warrior princesses was slowly abandoned in favor of the court debutantes. Over the past thirty years however, cracks have started showing in the cultural beliefs that finally cracked and shattered in May 303 AC following the outbreak of the Hadravian War.
The first successful challenge of the status quo came from Melissandre Cadar, the last Cadar family member in a long line of a powerful Regalian Family. Melissandre Cadar was a great Reglian general who happened to be a woman. She challenged the status quo of the Imperial court by always insisting on wearing full plate metal when presenting to the State Council or even the Emperor himself. This appeal to courage and status changed the opinion of some influential women at the Imperial court, most notably Comtesse de Croixbulgeres, Lady Morgannan Kade and Laitrasse d'Ivrae-Vixe. Melissandre Cadar eventually fell in combat, but she had laid the foundations for further challenges against the established notion that women should present themselves as family loyal individuals who were to be covered up in whatever means necessary and then pawned off to the nearest potential ally for the family. All the while, men enjoyed great cultural freedom, wearing clothing with varying degrees of exposure as well as having more liberal freedoms in their behavior around the concept of courting.
The next big step was the Consortium Crisis and the short tenure of Freya Lo. Her power ideals, though heretical and eventually ending in failure, skewed the idea that women were forever just a bartering tool to the political powers that be, and actually had a shot at challenging the status quo. In various countries across Aloria individuals started challenging the clothing laws of the land and the cultural norms, often without much success however. The conservative elements at court still severely outnumbered the outspoken voices that wished to gain more cultural freedom.
The big catalyst that set off a series of events in Ithania however, was caused by the recent Hadravian War. This war was the first war in a long time where women were permitted to participate and lead, largely due to the recent losses incurred by the state and the lack of manpower following the capture of Regalia for three months. The successful participation of a small handful group of women, notably at the lead of Leah Kade, Luna Levine and their (relatively) successful endeavors during the war, caused a new surge in dormant sentiment that had existed even in Ithania. The war performances of these heroines was the talk of the town particularly in Lusits and the Ithanian realms, becoming both subject of gossip and planning in the tea shops of the urban centers. The patronage of the Queen of Lusits who (despite being mentally insane) was very liberal in the cultural sense, caused a sudden and drastic shift.
Morgannan Kade seized upon the events in Ithania at the Imperial court by advocating the rise of the new "Emperial" fashion style, a style with scandalously exposed arms for women and a chest opening so deep that bellybuttons could often be seen for men. The run-up to the much talked about wedding between the Lampero and Kade bastard further cemented the sudden surge of popularity. As infectious at the Imperial court, it spread to Ithania where the movement was spearheaded by Stefan dè Stefan, the culture icon of Ithania. Women across the western realms cast off their thick layered suede and silk clothing favoring more climate appropriate loose fittings accentuated by jewelry and pearls. Across the coastal regions, the pearl market boomed overnight, presenting new lucrative business. Indeed, a cultural war had started in the domain of court fashion, a cultural war over the exact position of women in politics. The Brigeaudeaux family managed to usurp the Castelloix family in the Bas Plus-rême delta region, having their entire family driven off a cliff in a carriage for supporting the conservative fashion ideals of the south Ithanian court. This sent a ripple wave of enthusiasm trough the Empire (despite the fact that it was a horrendously violent act), signalling that this cultural shift was serious and here to stay.
In the coming weeks, the court of the Regalian Empire would closely watch the political ideals of the women at court. Fashion became a political statement. The ball was now in the court of the military heroines, whether they would continue to suit their family or path the way for their own ideals.
The first successful challenge of the status quo came from Melissandre Cadar, the last Cadar family member in a long line of a powerful Regalian Family. Melissandre Cadar was a great Reglian general who happened to be a woman. She challenged the status quo of the Imperial court by always insisting on wearing full plate metal when presenting to the State Council or even the Emperor himself. This appeal to courage and status changed the opinion of some influential women at the Imperial court, most notably Comtesse de Croixbulgeres, Lady Morgannan Kade and Laitrasse d'Ivrae-Vixe. Melissandre Cadar eventually fell in combat, but she had laid the foundations for further challenges against the established notion that women should present themselves as family loyal individuals who were to be covered up in whatever means necessary and then pawned off to the nearest potential ally for the family. All the while, men enjoyed great cultural freedom, wearing clothing with varying degrees of exposure as well as having more liberal freedoms in their behavior around the concept of courting.
The next big step was the Consortium Crisis and the short tenure of Freya Lo. Her power ideals, though heretical and eventually ending in failure, skewed the idea that women were forever just a bartering tool to the political powers that be, and actually had a shot at challenging the status quo. In various countries across Aloria individuals started challenging the clothing laws of the land and the cultural norms, often without much success however. The conservative elements at court still severely outnumbered the outspoken voices that wished to gain more cultural freedom.
The big catalyst that set off a series of events in Ithania however, was caused by the recent Hadravian War. This war was the first war in a long time where women were permitted to participate and lead, largely due to the recent losses incurred by the state and the lack of manpower following the capture of Regalia for three months. The successful participation of a small handful group of women, notably at the lead of Leah Kade, Luna Levine and their (relatively) successful endeavors during the war, caused a new surge in dormant sentiment that had existed even in Ithania. The war performances of these heroines was the talk of the town particularly in Lusits and the Ithanian realms, becoming both subject of gossip and planning in the tea shops of the urban centers. The patronage of the Queen of Lusits who (despite being mentally insane) was very liberal in the cultural sense, caused a sudden and drastic shift.
Morgannan Kade seized upon the events in Ithania at the Imperial court by advocating the rise of the new "Emperial" fashion style, a style with scandalously exposed arms for women and a chest opening so deep that bellybuttons could often be seen for men. The run-up to the much talked about wedding between the Lampero and Kade bastard further cemented the sudden surge of popularity. As infectious at the Imperial court, it spread to Ithania where the movement was spearheaded by Stefan dè Stefan, the culture icon of Ithania. Women across the western realms cast off their thick layered suede and silk clothing favoring more climate appropriate loose fittings accentuated by jewelry and pearls. Across the coastal regions, the pearl market boomed overnight, presenting new lucrative business. Indeed, a cultural war had started in the domain of court fashion, a cultural war over the exact position of women in politics. The Brigeaudeaux family managed to usurp the Castelloix family in the Bas Plus-rême delta region, having their entire family driven off a cliff in a carriage for supporting the conservative fashion ideals of the south Ithanian court. This sent a ripple wave of enthusiasm trough the Empire (despite the fact that it was a horrendously violent act), signalling that this cultural shift was serious and here to stay.
In the coming weeks, the court of the Regalian Empire would closely watch the political ideals of the women at court. Fashion became a political statement. The ball was now in the court of the military heroines, whether they would continue to suit their family or path the way for their own ideals.
