Thanks for the allowance, very grateful. I'll be posting all three here so apologies for the long post. At the moment, connections for all of my characters are only with each other, I'd love to be able to build relationships with other players characters if accepted, and I'll edit the cs to include these. I've done a little bit of worldbuilding here, the majority of it is minor, but I've fiddled with the lore concerning Upstarts a bit regarding the character Itone. I understand that we're allowed to mess with things at this point, but if it doesn't fit in with the established lore (that is if the lore concerning Upstarts is set in stone) I'll be happy to change it. Just to clarify, Voana is my main and the character I'll be rp-ing as, Itone will be mentioned only in the context of Voanas experiences, Sohena is currently in Hades but is in self-imposed isolation and so she doesn't interact with anyone, though other characters in Hades can say that they've seen her walking around on her own time to time. [hider=Voana]Name: Voana, God of Battle Age: Ancient Appearance: A woman of immense height, broad in stature and gilded with muscles firm with strength, Voana possess’ the pure stance of a warrior, and moves with a sure and solid confidence. Pale in pallor, her eyes stand a stark contrast as a piercing cobalt blue and easily convey the intensity of her emotions, complementing the slackness and ease of her face in expressing her reactions and feelings. Her hair is a thick, inky black, curled and prone to being clotted with blood, it usually falls in a tail to the mid of her back, when clean and loose however it is noted by many as a beautiful mane. Asides from her eyes and hair Voana is not a great beauty, the most renowned beauty from her appearance being the fine and aged armor that is rarely missing from her body, and her long sword Iron-Spine. Nature: God Personality: Quick to temper and more often than not stiff with the bristles of austerity rather than the shivers of joy, Voana encompasses the attributes most suited to a warrior primed for battle, being serious and unmoving in most matters but passionate and devoted for that which matters to her most. On principle, Voana is largely mistrustful with those she is a stranger to and rarely makes any attempt to be friendly, outside of her immediate kin her disposition isn’t any better and she has few allies amongst her fellow Spirits. With those who have won her respect or love however, she is much softer, and more willing to cooperate or even yield, and will pledge her loyalty and skill to those who have won her devotion. Skills and Abilities: As the God of Battle, Voana is the epitome of the perfect warrior, strong agile and possessing a great thirst for victory and the submission of her enemies. She is renowned for her swordplay, endurance and keen concentration during a fight, unmatched by many. Backstory: An Ancient God, Voana is said to have been born when the sharp spears of light from the Golden Orb cut a great Northern rock in half, from the rubble of the left half, Voana emerged, sturdy and solid as the rock she was born from. Born with her Sister, Sohena who emerged from the right half of the rock, Voana grew to have a fierce skill and empathy for battle and, emboldened by the benevolent rays of the Golden Orb, became a great warrior unmatched by any mortal. When the wars began, Voana stood for the Northern territories and relished in the chance to prove her prowess in battle. When the mortal races appeared on Ceyr, Voana was distrustful of near all Elves and Orcs, but found some kindred spirits within the Humans, as they lacked the detachment in battle of the Elves and the mindlessness of the Orcs. One human in particular, the Shield-Maiden Itone, caught Voanas interest and heart, and when the mortal fell in the battles on Ceyr during the War in Heaven, Voanas fury tore apart the flesh and bone of hundreds of mortals. In her grief and desperation Voana lay the body of Itone in the geyser of a golden mist, predetermined by her Sister to provide birth to a new form of spirit. The mists housed in the vessel of Itone successfully, creating her into an Upstart, a lesser spirit but a spirt with a long life nonetheless. Rejoicing at the return of her beloved, Voana took Itone for her Wife, and when Itone refused to leave Ceyr in the aftermath of the death of the Golden Orb, Voana turned away from Aett and refused to join her Sister in Hades, choosing to remain on Ceyr with her Wife. Allowing herself to be revered as a ‘God’, Voanas feats in battle became legendary amongst mortals and she was officially created as the God of Battle. Currently she resides in the old Northern territories on Ceyr, rarely visiting Aett or Hades, and preferring to spend her time with Itone and the Humans, finding conflict with the other Gods who chose to reside on Ceyr, due to their dislike of her Upstart Wife. Connections: Wife-Itone, (Upstart) Sister-Sohena, God of Premonitions and Oracles Religion: Voanas blessing is called upon by near all soldiers of the Human and Elven races, and is recognised for her might in battle by many Orcs as well. There is no strict religious following of Voana however, though she has disciples in the form of pupils who ask to be trained by her. Offerings are made to her in the form of a battle-worn sword coated in the blood of a war-horse. Nation: As Voana is the patron of battle, an act that has no one home on Ceyr, Voana does not command a nation. However, her influence is most present in the Northern territories where she resides with her Wife. Other: Voana spends her days hunting in the forests surrounding her home, training pupils or patrolling the towns within distance of the cottage she shares with Itone. Her nose is always peaked to the winds for the scent of battle, and her and her Wife regularly ride out to resolve any skirmish within a wide radius of their land. Because of this, Voana and Itone are regarded as the unofficial Chiefs and ultimate authorities in their immediate territory and are received positively in any towns therein. Due to this, Voana can on occasion be found in the local tavern, downing many a pint, winning many an arm wrestle and perhaps starting a fight or two.[/hider] [hider=Sohena]Name: Sohena, God of Premonitions and Oracles Age: Ancient Appearance: Matching the height of her Sister, Sohena is slender in build and possessing an almost bewitching elegance, a gliding grace always evident in her movements. Dark-skinned, dark-eyed and wearing a face of great beauty, Sohenas face bares contrast to her Sisters in terms of ease of expression. Where Voanas emotions are always plain to see on her face, Sohenas face is always the picture of calm, unmoving and to many, unnerving in its statuesque impassiveness. Her hair is thick, wiry and dark, and is generally gathered atop her head, bordered by a crown-plait. Her forehead is decorated with a crown of beads and ornaments that only serve to compliment her beauty. Sohena dresses herself simply, wearing gowns of simple material in dark colours, her feet are always bare save for a lone silver band wrapped around the ankle of her right foot. Nature: Demon Personality: Sohena is similar to her Sister Voana in that she is also largely deemed unapproachable by many, although in contrast to Voana, who is unapproachable due to her unfriendliness, Sohena wards off close contact due to her air of placidness and serenity that inspires both awe and an unsettling feeling in all who look upon her. In fact, Sohena stands as a direct contrast to her Sister in many aspects of her personality, where Voana is loud Sohena is quiet, and where Voana is quick to temper Sohena is cool and calm in the face of adversity. Perhaps the only aspect of personality they share is their unwillingness to reach out to others, Sohena is no more willing than her Sister to be friendly to others, preferring her privacy and isolation. Skills and Abilities: Sohenas abilities also stand at a direct contrast to Voanas, Sohena having no real skill for combat or talents of the body. The reasoning for this is said to originate from their birth when the rock the Sisters were born from was cut in half. Whilst Voanas half of the rock fell with its face to the earth, representing the Body and all things solid, Sohenas half of the rock instead fell with its face looking up at the sky, gifting Sohena with the magnificence of the Golden Orb, and therefore, the abilities of the Mind and all things immaterial. Sohena is gifted with the ability of Foresight, allowing her to see visions of what is to come, a much coveted ability amongst the spirits. Whether because of the jealousy of her kin or because Sohena herself believes her power to be too dangerous, Sohena largely keeps her visions to herself, rarely revealing what she knows of the future to anyone. Whenever she does reveal a premonition, it always passes to be true, such as when she guided Voana to the golden mists, having seen that these miraculous occurrences would bring Itone back. Because of this, despite her flight to Hades and isolation from Ceyr, Sohenas abilities hold much weight and respect amongst the Priestesses of all races. Backstory: Born alongside her Sister Voana, Sohena was gifted with the power of Foresight, and grew up knowing too much too soon, becoming a quiet and withdrawn woman because of this. Not as prone to fighting as Voana, Sohena preferred the comfort that came with hiding herself away with her books and thoughts, perhaps made too sombre by knowledge of her kin and their ultimate fates, or perhaps too silently overwhelmed by visions of terrible events to come to convey her deepest and darkest fears. When the Golden Orb perished, Sohena became largely ostracized by her kin, many of whom believed that she had foreseen the events and chosen not to warn anyone, whether or not this is true, no one, not even her Sister, knows. During the War in Heaven, Sohena hid herself away from the fighting; only appearing to wade through the bloody aftermath of her Sisters rage, following the Shield-Maiden Itones death, to guide Voana to the golden mists. Following the aftermath of the war and the birth of Aett and Hades, Sohena wandered alone amongst the ruins of Ceyr for a century before quietly escaping to the deep darks of Hades, provoking the sworn ire of the Angels of Aett who felt that her gift was safest with them. Her flight to Hades prompted a mass immigration of spirits to the realm of fire and ash due to the rumour that Sohena had chosen to live there because she had foreseen the triumph of the Demons of Hades. As it stands, no one knows Sohenas reasons for descending to Hades, as she guards herself and her words in Hades as closely as she did on Ceyr. Connections: Sister-Voana, God of War Oracles-Priestesses amongst the races of Elves and Humans who are gifted with a lesser ability of Foresight. Though she doesn’t visit them in body on Ceyr, Sohena is believed to have the ability to communicate with them spiritually. Religion: Tales of Sohenas great gift for Foresight were passed from her kin to the mortals of Ceyr, becoming renowned especially within the Elven race. There are several untraceable stories across Ceyr of occurrences where Sohena is said to have spoken with Priestesses, both physically and mentally, because of this she became beheld by Priestesses everywhere as a patron of their spiritual Religion of the Oracles, Ultimately, Sohena became decorated as the God of Premonitions and Oracles, and offerings are made to her whenever Priestesses convene for worship or when they are commissioned to tell the future. Offerings are made to Sohena in the form of crushed lavender and sage burned as an incense. Nation: As the Religion of the Oracles is fairly widespread and Priestesses honoured as high members of society, Sohena does not dominate any single nation. However, her influence is most widespread in Elven nations, where the gift of Foresight amongst mortals is most common, and where several have claimed to have been visited by her. Other: Sohena currently resides in Hades, and similarly to how she acted on Ceyr, she largely keeps to herself and refuses to reveal anything she sees in her visions.[/hider] [hider=Itone]Name: Itone Isolfrodottir, Minor Patron of Shield-Maidens Age: Upstart Appearance: Short enough that it’s a fairly comical sight when stood next to her giant of a Wife; Itone is stocky in build and soft in face, having a comely beauty despite the faded scar that runs from beneath her left eye to the crook of her oval jaw. Her skin is a light-copper that sets off her hazel eyes attractively, and complements her dark-blonde hair that falls long and straight to her hips, usually arranged either tightly atop her head or in a complicated array of braids. For attire Itone favours simple cloth shifts and woollen tunics, past the prime of her Shield-Maiden days. When she does ride out, shield and sword in hand, Itone adorns herself with light mail and leather armor. Nature: Independent Personality: Raised in the ways of the Shield-Maiden Itone was expected to not only develop the skills of her Teachers but also adopt the attributes of them. As such, Itone is hardy in nature, serious in matters of home and social injustices and passionate in battle. When surrounded by friends she becomes softer, and around her Wife, Itone can be playful and even tender. However, in public she prefers to keep a solid and cool stance, especially in the face of Voanas kin who despise her kind. Nonetheless she’s a fairly friendly woman, especially to children, and is popular in the villages surrounding the cottage she shares with Voana. Skills and Abilities: As a mortal Shield-Maiden, Itone was strong in battle, and known for her fierce determination and sound strategy and logic on the battlefield. Following her rebirth as an Upstart, Itone has become more prone to exhaustion and exhibits signs of sickness now and then, possibly as an adverse effect to her strange circumstances. Due to this, officially Itone has hung up her shield and instead uses her logic to build community with the villagers near her home, as well as run a tight household for her and her Wife, weaving for income. However, as her and Voana are regarded as authority figures within their land, Itone is regularly called upon to address and settle disputes, proving her skill at diplomacy and council. In the event that bandits threaten the villages or a large fight breaks out Itone is quick to remind people of her Shield-Maiden days by taking her shield off the wall. Backstory: Born in the Northern territories to a Human family, Itone was the eldest of four daughters in a family of twelve, and thus learned to undertake a great deal of responsibility early on in her life. Following in her Mother and Grandmothers steed, Itone educated in the ways of the Shield-Maiden, training under the brunt of unrelenting and punishing Teachers, and growing into a strong, sturdy woman as well as a dependable leader. Belonging to a village commonly targeted by bandits, Itone was regularly defending her village, earning her scar during one skirmish and the appreciation of her village. Frustrated by the constant attacks, Itone lead a small force of Shield-Maidens and rode out to track down the bandits camp to destroy the nest. Clashing with the bandits at the camp, Itone and her forces were suddenly joined by Voana, a warrior of great skill who had roamed their land for close on four months by then. With the addition of Voana, the bandits were easily defeated and their bodies strung up by their ankles at the borders of the land by the advice of Voana and agreement of Itone, as a warning to other criminals. Voana returned with the Shield-Maidens to the village, expressing admiration for Itones skill in battle, Itone, flattered and impressed in kind, allowing the stranger to sup in the villages Halls that night, and many a night after in Itones own home. Many moons crested and soon the two women grew fond of each other to such an extent that Itone allowed Voana to carve her name into her shield. The women’s shared admiration of each other and comfort of each other’s company gave way to feelings of love and Voana, unused to such emotions and frightened by them, swiftly departed to re-join her kin, summoned back by news of the death of the Golden Orb. When the War in Heaven brought chaos to Ceyr and the Orcs to their borders, Itone fought to defend her village, falling in battle when a war-axe pierced through her shield, carving it in half and embedding itself into her neck. Resurrected by Voana and the golden mists, Itone was reborn as an Upstart, and has faced adversity from her Wifes kin as well as from her own grief, saddened as she was to see the years pass and her friends and family die. Connections: Wife-Voana, God of Battle Other: Itone resented Voana a great deal following her rebirth as an Upstart, and reused to speak to her for many years following. As her family began to get older and Itone stayed the same, Itone accepted the comfort of Voanas arms, understanding her greatest fear of watching Itone as a mortal die before her eyes. The twos love eventually repaired and grew stronger, Itone marrying Voana and, upon the death of Itones Mother, the two women set out from her home village, building a cottage for themselves on the borders of the free forests in the North.Though Itone herself is against the idea of being decorated as a God of anything, she's recognised in the Northern territories as a Minor Patron of Shield-Maidens largely due to her high standing as one in her mortal past. She doesn't recieve any offerings, but young Shield-Maidens hold her with great respect and sometimes shout her name before charging into battle.[/hider]