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Cosplay Guide for The Ouroboros Cycle

Baron Korbinian Alexander Albrecht von Fuchsburg

Hair: Black
Eyes: Gray
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 150 lbs.
Build: Slender
Year of Birth: 1841

Clothing:

Uniform:
As the Baron of Fuchsburg, Korbinian was also an officer in the Prussian Army (commanding the Fuchburger Regiment, a unit most famous for its light infantry). Though the mainstay of the Fuchburger Regiment was infantry, a unit of hussars was maintained so that the Baron of Fuchsburg could remain a cavalry officer, and as such Korbinian wore the dashing uniform of a hussar in the Fuchsburg colors (red and black). The hussar uniform, largely unchanged since the Napoleonic Era, including a short jacket known as a dolman, long trousers, and sometimes a fur-trimmed jacket called a pelisse (worn over the shoulder), all heavily braided. The uniform also included riding boots and a shako hat.

Civilian Clothes:
While Korbinian wore his uniform into battle and for formal occasions, he preferred civilian clothing for everyday. This naturally consisted of trousers, a waistcoat, a cravat, and either a frock coat or a morning coat (the morning coat being generally worn as part of a riding habit). The trousers, waistcoat, and coat were of different but complimentary colors.

The Duel:
During the duel at the Christmas Fete, Korbinian wore his uniform trousers and his shirt, having removed his jacket for the right. A fresh (and very dashing) cut across the cheek completes the ensemble.

Do check out the Pinterest board for the book here for more help and inspiration if you have need of it.

 *(NOTE: As with all cosplay, do not feel restricted from cosplaying a character that is of a different height and/or build from you. If you do decide to cosplay Korbinian , have fun and please be sure to send me pictures.)

Cosplay Guide for The Ouroboros Cycle

Doctor Babette Beatrice Varanus

Hair: Auburn

Eyes: Green

Height: 4’11”

Weight: 95 lbs.

Build: Waifish

Year of Birth: 1844 (apparent age 25)

Clothing:

Youth (1861-1870):

  As a young woman, Varanus dressed in the conventional clothing of the era, which included wide skirts worn over a crinoline. However, it is worth noting that Varanus actually hates cumbersome skirts and would often wear her riding habits (which did not use a crinoline) while at home. For formal occasions, such as the annual Christmas Fete, she had no choice and was forced to wear not only the crinoline but also very over-adorned dresses, with her hair in ringlets as was common at the time. In private, she wore her hair more simply, thought still held up given its great length. Above all, Varanus hated fussy details like bows and lace, and her private clothes were always free of them (though her ball gowns made up the difference, much to her annoyance).

  While Varanus was at school in the mid-late 1860s, the crinoline began to evolve into an early form of the bustle. This was a far more tolerable style for her tastes and she was more inclined to wear it than her dresses in the early part of the decade. However, in private she still made a habit of dressing without an under-dress frame, preferring flowing clothes that were easy to move about in.

Doctor Sauvage (1870)

   During the Franco-Prussian War, Varanus disguised herself as a man (using the assumed name “Hercule Sauvage”) and volunteered as an army surgeon. In this capacity she dressed as a man in a three-piece suit with a frock coat, as was common at the time. During this time she began to cut her hair short for the time (shoulder length) as part of her disguise, and it remained at that length thereafter.

Among the Shashavani (1871-1887)

   Through the 1870s and 1880s fashion began to develop in a manner far more pleasing to Varanus’s tastes. As skirts began to move toward the back, the narrowness of the fashionable silhouette began to suit her need for mobility (although with mobility in mind, Varanus preferred the hem of her dresses to rest above the ankle). The rise of the bustle did not bother Varanus as it kept the silhouette narrow and easy to move in, although as a matter of habit it was not uncommon for her to dispense with it for the sake of ease. After becoming Shashavani , Varanus was able to more easily tolerate the weight of a full skirt, allowing her to dress to fashion without feeling encumbered. And living among the Shashavani, whose taste in clothing was both archaic and heavily influenced by Georgian dress, Varanus found that keeping up with high fashion in England and France allowed her to keep ahold of her sense of identity. However, even though dresses during this period proved more pleasing to her than in the ‘60s, Varanus still had no patience for small or fussy details, and her clothing tended to be simple and “masculine” (by the standards of the day), without bows or similar accouterments.

   It is worth noting that Varanus is extremely fond of ladies’ top hats (typically worn as part of a riding habit), preferring them to more conventional hats.

 A note about undergarments:

    Undergarments being undergarments, there are few instances in which Varanus’s would have been seen, but for the sake of authenticity it is worth noting them. The base garments were below the knee drawers and a chemise. Over them would be worn a corset, and while Varanus habitually avoided overly tight lacing she nevertheless accepted the corset as a normal part of her undergarments. In the 1860s a crinoline was worn over these garments; in the 1880s, a bustle was worn over them. Finally, petticoats were added to finish the collection of undergarments. The dress or gown was then placed over these undergarments.

Do check out the Pinterest board for the book here for more help and inspiration if you have need of it.

 *(NOTE: As with all cosplay, do not feel restricted from cosplaying a character that is of a different height and/or build from you. Varanus has an extremely rare height and build, and this should not discourage anyone from cosplaying her if they want to. Also, if you do decide to cosplay Varanus, have fun and please be sure to send me pictures.)

Art from my novel The Ouroboros Cycle, Book 1: A Monster’s Coming of Age Story

“How far would you go to avenge the one you love? Would you go beyond death? Born into the stifling confines of French upper society, Babette Varanus never thought that she would have to answer that question. Surrounded by wealth yet ostracized by her peers, Babette had little interest in love until she met Korbinian, a scandalous German baron with the audacity to regard her as his equal. But when the intrigues of her grandfather’s enemies conspire to tear them apart, Varanus will embark upon a journey of vengeance, love, and redemption that will take her beyond the limitations of mortality and reveal to her the dark forces that command humanity from the shadows. Faced with madness, murder, hidden cults, and erudite vampires, does she have the strength to withstand the storm that rises against her?”

The Ouroboros Cycle, Book 1: A Monster’s Coming of Age Story is available for sale in print and ebook at Wildside ,Amazon , Barnes & Nobel and Kobo as well as where ever else books are sold.

You can also pick up the soundtrack to  “The Ouroboros Cycle Book One: A Monster’s Coming-Of-Age Story“  by Spiky  on CD Baby and  Amazon

Do check out the Pinterest board for the book here.

The book has 30 Illustrations by the talented Lawrence Gullo and Fyodor Pavlov