Capes and Auras and Tailors, Oh My!
If you've ever been in Atlas Park and seen other heroes standing around sporting sparkles and glows, or stupendously draped capes, you might wonder how to get such designs for yourself.
The unlikely solution to this mystery is the unassuming woman standing at the center of City Hall's rotunda--the City Representative. At two separate points in your hero's career, she can give you a mission arc to obtain first Capes and then Auras.
How to Get a Cape:
1. Talk to City Representative AFTER you hit 20 but BEFORE you hit 30. (If you try to get the Cape Mission after you hit 30, you will be unable to do so, as I found out when my Tank hit 30. You can't even artificially lower your level by starting a past-level mission through Ouroboros--the Representative will just go ahead and give you the Aura mission instead.) This mission arc seems to be easiest to complete if you are a few levels higher than 20 when you start it. This mission takes you to Independence Port, which has enemies in the mid-to-high 20s--dangerous for a level 20 hero.
2. Complete the entire mission arc, which includes a few "Talk to So-and-So" missions as well as a Defeat All mission. All in all, it takes about 30-50 minutes to complete. While you are completing it, you will have to return to the City Representative to turn in parts of the arc. When you finish the last task and turn the mission arc in, you will receive a notification on-screen that Capes are now available to you.
3. Visit a Tailor (Steel Canyon, Independence Port, Founders' Falls, Pocket D's Tiki Bar) to attach your new cape to your costume (click on "Back Detail" and go from there). This, like anything else you edit on your costume, costs a good bit of influence, so be sure to have a "cushion" of influence on you when you go to equip your cape.
How to Get an Aura:
1. Talk to City Representative AFTER you hit level 30. You do not have to complete the Cape mission beforehand--you just have to be level 30. The mission arc seems to be fairly easy to complete with a level 30 hero, but if you wish, you can wait until 35 to give yourself an extra margin of safety.
2. Complete the entire mission arc, which entails defeating certain numbers of Rikti and Freakshow. This takes about 30-40 minutes to complete. While you are completing it, you don't have to return to the City Representative to turn in each part of the arc (handy because you have to travel to many different zones to complete the mission). Once you finish the last task, turn it in to the City Representative, and you will get an onscreen notification that Auras are now available to you.
3. Visit a Tailor (Steel Canyon, Independence Port, Founders' Falls, Pocket D's Tiki Bar) to design the look of your new Aura. There are many different effects you can choose from, such as a soft color glow, sparkles, shimmer effects, and even an Aura that surrounds your character with flies like a Vahzilok! On some Auras, you can also choose to have the Aura affect the whole body or just the hair, eyes, hands, or face. Be sure to have a good amount of influence with you before you go to the Tailor, so you're able to pay for the costume edit.
But What If I Didn't Get My Cape?
You may have run into the same problem I encountered--being too high-level to get the Cape mission. If you missed the deadline to get a Cape and really want the look of a cape on your character, you can get the Valkyrie Cape by buying the Mac Pack, which also gives you access to the full Valkyrie Armor and Wings as well as the Mission Transporter power. The Valkyrie Cape looks pretty cool, with a shiny metallic-like fabric effect and a bird design on the back.
You can also buy the Magic Booster pack for Arcane-style capes and hoods, as well as other magic-themed costume pieces, like the duster-length Magic Bolero, and the Mystic Fortune power. The Magic Booster capes are a little larger than the generic capes you can get through the City Representative, but they also look pretty cool and can have different magical designs on them.
What If I Play the Cape Mission/Aura Mission in a Team?
You can complete the Cape Mission or Aura Mission as part of a team, but if you want to get access to the Cape/Aura for yourself, you will need to get your own copy of the mission from the City Representative. Remember that you must be at least 20 (but not 30) to get the Cape mission, and at least 30 to get the Aura mission.