For this new "Get the Look" blog, we wanted to show you a different DnD-inspired look. This time, we drew inspiration from the Monk class, or more specifically, a Monk of the Way of Shadow.
Monks of the Way of Shadow generally serve as spies or assassins, because their tradition revolves around stealth and deception. They're often compared to ninja's, so for this look we mixed elements associated with both monks and ninja's.
Kaito Shadowsong comes from a remote mountain village in the Eastern Realms, where a secret order of shadow monks is trained in the ancient arts of stealth and combat. Orphaned at a young age, he was taken in by the order and raised as one of them.
On a fateful night, a powerful artifact was stolen from the hidden temple of the order, and Kaito swore to retrieve it. His quest for the artifact led him through treacherous terrain and into the heart of a dangerous plot that threatened the entire realm.
Shadow monk tunic
The garment most people think of when trying to imagine a shadow monk, is a kind of tunic. How exactly these tunics look varies by country, culture, and associated religion. Since the Shadow Monk is comparable to a ninja, we tried to create a look that resembles the garments Japanese ninja's wore. This sleeveless tunic has a slit at the front, which helps with mobility in a way similar to the wrapped garments ninja's used to wear. This sleeveless tunic also helps with mobility, but if you want to cover your arms, you can easily wear it over a shirt or a tunic shirt.
Unfortunately, this specific tunic is no longer part of our collection, but we still have the woolen version.
Trousers
It's not easy to be stealthy, and one of the things you need to be inconspicuous is good freedom of movement. Both ninja's and Shaolin monks, who are skilled in martial arts, wear very wide trousers that are wrapped with fabric below the knees. This way, movement is not restricted by trousers that are too tight around the thighs, nor by excess fabric around the lower legs.
This can easily be recreated with wide trousers gathered in a band at the knee and leg wraps. Of course, you can also use completely wide trousers and wear leg wraps on top of them.
Arm bandages
Completely bare arms increase the risk of injury. This can be from weapons or climbing rough surfaces. The forearms are especially vulnerable to this type of injury. A quick and easy way to solve this is by wearing arm wraps. It also reminds us a bit of a boxer's arm wraps.
Belt
Referring to ninja clothing, ninja garments were actually wrap garments. This means they needed a belt to stay closed. For this, fabric belts were used. Even though we use a closed tunic, wearing a fabric belt will contribute to the image of a cunning, thieving monk. We also used the belt to add a bit of color contrast to the outfit, but you can also choose to make the belt blend in more.
Shoes
Monks are rarely depicted wearing heavy shoes. The same goes for ninja's and monks skilled in martial arts. That's why we chose sandals instead of closed shoes or boots. The sandals we chose for this look have nails on the soles to minimize the risk of slipping.
Staff
A common weapon in martial arts is the staff, so we decided to equip Kaito with one. A staff is a versatile weapon with better reach than a sword. It's also much less obvious as a weapon when you're trying to sneak somewhere in disguise, because it can serve as a walking stick.
Dagger
Although the staff mentioned earlier is a good weapon choice, it has some disadvantages. Staves are not the most effective against armour and they're difficult to use in narrow corridors or other tight spaces. That's why it might be better to choose a different weapon for certain missions. A dagger is easy to hide because of its size and is much easier to use when there's little room to move. It's also a much stealthier weapon than the staff.
Hood
If you're trying to sneak somewhere, you want to be able to hide as much of yourself as possible. Quickly pulling up a hood quickly covers your hair and makes it easier to hide your face when needed. Of course, a large cloak would just get in the way, so that's not a great option. A Shadow Monk would be much better off with just a hood that can be added to their clothing. This hood can also be folded down to function as a high collar.
Mask
Another way to hide (part of) your face is by wearing a mask. In feudal Japan, samurai and ninja often wore a mask called Mempo. The Mempo covers the lower part of the face and nose without causing breathing problems. It's not just meant to hide your face. It was originally introduced to samurai as protective equipment to prevent facial injuries.
