Baron von Monocle's Regalia
Baron von Monocle's Regalia is the collective term for the personal effects, garments, and symbolic items associated with Baron Theodore von Monocle. Following the Baron's death, these items were kept aboard the Liliana, the airship named in honor of his wife Liliana von Monocle. In For Steam and Country, the regalia passed into the keeping of his daughter Zaira von Monocle, who wore and carried the items as both a personal tribute and a rallying symbol for the crew. In The Fight for Rislandia, an additional item of uncertain connection to the regalia—a porcelain mask—was discovered among the belongings stored in Zaira's parents' room aboard the Liliana.
Overview
The regalia comprised several distinct pieces: a red velvet cape, a black top hat, a brass-hilted sword, a full ensemble modeled on the Baron's famous attire, and a brass crest pin. Together these items constituted what was described as Baron von Monocle's signature look. The Liliana Crew regarded the ensemble as a mascot symbol, viewing it as a source of joy and hope.
A porcelain mask, discovered in The Fight for Rislandia within a hidden floor compartment in Zaira's parents' room aboard the Liliana, may also be associated with the family's preserved belongings, though its precise relationship to the regalia proper remained unclear at the time of its discovery.
Items
The Sword
The Baron's sword was described as "a sword, shiny with a brass hilt," and was noted to be beautiful and expensive. In For Steam and Country, it was stored wrapped in the red velvet cape inside the top drawer of a dresser aboard the Liliana. The sword also served as the basis for the imagery on the Baron's crest pin.
The Red Velvet Cape
The red velvet cape was a defining element of Baron von Monocle's signature ensemble. In For Steam and Country, it was found wrapped around the Baron's sword in the dresser drawer aboard the Liliana. Zaira von Monocle subsequently wrapped it around her neck as part of donning her father's regalia. The cape was also referred to as a crimson cape in the context of the full ensemble.
The Black Top Hat
The black top hat was another component of Baron von Monocle's signature ensemble. In For Steam and Country, it was stored on a high shelf in the closet aboard the Liliana. When Zaira wore it, the hat proved slightly too large for her head. During a crisis on the bridge, it slipped from her head and fell to the deck, where Marina du Willet retrieved it.
The Baron Von Monocle Ensemble
The full ensemble was modeled on Baron von Monocle's famous attire and included a crimson cape as one of its components. In For Steam and Country, it hung from a hook in Zaira's quarters aboard the Liliana. Zaira noted its effect on her confidence, recording: "Oddly, the costume held its impact on me. I felt more confident than before." The ensemble caused complications when the Wyranth Empire attacked, though the Liliana Crew regarded it as a mascot symbol bringing joy and hope. The Baron's crest pin was fastened to the vest portion of the ensemble.
The Crest Pin
The Baron Von Monocle crest pin was a brass pin depicting a sword thrust through a gear. As described in For Steam and Country: "It was a sword thrust through a gear." The sword element represented the Baron's ability to fight, while the gear represented his ability to process. The pin had been kept by Talyen von Cravat in her drawer; she fastened it to the vest of the ensemble when Zaira wore it, noting that it always looked good on the Baron Von Monocle ensemble.
The Porcelain Mask
In The Fight for Rislandia, Zaira von Monocle discovered a porcelain mask concealed within a hidden floor compartment in her parents' room aboard the Liliana. The mask was described as "Porcelain white, with a floral painted pattern on it," and appeared to have been designed for a woman. Zaira considered that it possibly belonged to her late mother, Liliana von Monocle, and took the mask with her, intending to ask her father about its origins. Whether the mask formed part of the regalia proper or was a separate personal effect of Liliana von Monocle remained unresolved at the time of its discovery.
Role in For Steam and Country
In For Steam and Country, the regalia served as a significant emotional and symbolic thread throughout the narrative. Zaira von Monocle discovered and donned the items aboard the Liliana, drawing on her father's legacy for courage. Talyen von Cravat played a direct role in completing the ensemble by producing and fastening the crest pin. The crew's positive response to seeing Zaira in the regalia underscored its function as a unifying symbol during the conflict with the Wyranth Military. The incident on the bridge, during which the top hat fell and was recovered by Marina du Willet, illustrated the practical challenges Zaira faced in inhabiting her father's legacy.
Role in The Fight for Rislandia
In The Fight for Rislandia, the regalia's scope was potentially expanded by Zaira's discovery of the porcelain mask in the hidden floor compartment of her parents' room aboard the Liliana. The mask's design—porcelain white with a floral painted pattern, fashioned for a woman—led Zaira to speculate that it had belonged to her mother, Liliana von Monocle. Zaira retained the mask and planned to seek answers from Baron Theodore von Monocle regarding its provenance.