Hi, I'm really interested in the lore you created. Wanted to make a character inspired by Joan of Arc (and maybe Brienne of Tarth?), so here it is. [hider=Hedwig of March] [center] [img]http://orig15.deviantart.net/8a10/f/2015/159/7/b/7b4e46fd4ccc0562cfe0b5460d357b46-d8whwpi.png[/img] [i]“I am a vessel of the Monarch's will.”[/i] [i]Standing at just under six feet tall, with a square jaw and intimidating stance, Hedwig was never the target of many affections. She has some muscle and her red hair falls flatly to her shoulders, as Hedwig doesn't bother to do anything to it and only cuts it when it is in the way. She wears the traditional robes of a Sworn Woman of the Monarch Faith, which basically cover her entire body. A wimple is also worn when she is practicing the faith inside a church, but at all other times it is off. The Monarch's Cross perpetually hangs around her neck. Hedwig is always distant, never seeming too comfortable with those around her. She stands slightly tenser than what is the norm, frowns slightly more, and laughs less.[/i][/center] 【[U]Name[/U]】 [indent][I]Hedwig of March[/I][/indent] 【[U]Nickname[/U]】 [indent][I]Hedy[/I][/indent] 【[U]Age[/U]】 [indent][I]27[/I][/indent] 【[U]Sex[/U]】 [indent][I]Female[/I][/indent] 【[U]Sexuality[/U]】 [indent][I]Heterosexual, sworn to chastity[/I][/indent] 【[U]Religion[/U]】 [indent][i]Monarchist[/i][/indent] 【[U]Family[/U]】 [indent][i]Hedwig is the bastard daughter of a minor noble in Broacien, Lord Egwin. Her mother died in childbirth. Known for his unfaithfulness to his wife, Egwin has sired no less than three bastards, and only one trueborn son. Egwin recognized all of his bastards, but did not legitimatize them. Hedwig's bastard brother Regis serves as a bodyguard to Egwin. Her bastard sister, Ebba, is a lady in waiting to Egwin's niece. Ebba was Hedwig's only true friend during her childhood. Her brother Heward, Egwin's heir, is known to be a spoiled child who spends more time in the kitchen than anywhere else. Hedwig has barely said a word to her father or brothers in her life.[/i][/indent] 【[U]Birthplace[/U]】 [indent][i]Hedwig was born in the village of March, the town that Egwin lords over and watches from the March Keep.[/i][/indent] 【[U]Societal standing[/U]】 [indent][i]Bastard to a Noble, renounced all possible claims[/i][/indent] 【[U]Former employment[/U]】 [indent][i]Nun[/i][/indent] 【[U]Rank and role[/U]】 [indent][i]Camp Follower, Hedwig provides religious morale to the men, oversees many religious services and prayers, and is competent at first aid after the battle. When first aid fails, Hedwig says the last rites, gives the spirit over to God and proceeds over the funeral. She also gives funeral rites to the slain enemies in combat. As a learned member of the Faith, Hedwig can also read documents and act as a scribe.[/i][/indent] 【[U]Personality[/U]】 [indent][i]Hedwig is, above all, a devout member of the Monarchist faith. She is usually serious and stoic, prone to giving impassioned pleas about the Monarch and trying to convert nonbelievers. While she is a zealot of the Monarchist faith, Hedwig does not look down on non-believers. She instead welcomes the chance to start a friendly theological discussion in the hopes of converting someone, or taking the opportunity to reflect more upon her own religion. She is kind and gentle when she is practicing, but she can be stern and unforgiving if she is angered, especially if the topic is still religion. Hedwig is humble and often reluctant to speak first to a man (on topics other than religion), out of a belief that she is unworthy of conversation. She is quiet and simple, never feeling the need to show off or impress anyone. She always will look for the best deals and will haggle ruthlessly, often bringing God into the conversation. She feels that she is as competent as a man, but she is afraid to express this belief. She often pictures herself as a man, imagining what it would be like to live as a man instead of a woman. Most of these thoughts are purely academic, and not relating to any deeper identity issue. Most notably, Hedwig believes that the Monarch speaks through her. She quite literally believes that she can hear the Monarch in her head, speaking to her, giving her commands. She believes that she was destined to do something great in this world, rising from nothing and fulfilling the Monarch's will. She solely believes that she is acting the will of the Monarch, and does not deserve credit for any action she takes. Hedwig also believes that the Monarch has commanded her to fight against the darkness brewing in the land in any way she can, although she does not yet know what the darkness is.[/i][/indent] 【[U]History[/U]】 [indent][i]Hedwig was born to Lord Egwin March and one of his maids, Edwina, who died giving birth to her. Hedwig grew up in the village of March, raised by Edwina's sister alongside her other six children. Despite petitions to Lord Egwin, the Lord of March claimed that he already had two bastard children, Regis and Ebba, and that he couldn't take any more into his castle. Hedwig was, therefore, raised in a small town, her father's castle looming over her. Her brother Regis, and later her brother Heward, never visited her and she only saw them when they visited town, usually on a holiday to pass out alms. Ebba, however, would sneak out of the castle and deliver sweets to Hedwig. The two shared an extremely close bond. When Hedwig was eight, she received her first perceived vision from the Monarch. It told her to go west until she found her new home among God's servants. Hedwig said goodbye to her aunt and to Ebba and traveled west for two days and two nights until she reached the Holy Cross Nunnery. Hedwig joined the nuns as an apprentice. She told the nuns that the Monarch spoke to her and they warned her that was heretical speech. Hedwig knew that the people were not currently connected to the Monarch's desires and never spoke of her experiences to the nuns again. She was trained as a nun, and over the years wrote many letters to Ebba. She even made friends with one or two of the other nuns there, but hiding the fact that God spoke to her always made her a bit sad and distant. The Monarch has spoken several times to Hedwig, averaging out to around once a month. Usually it is to guide her on her recent decisions and doubts, and it always mentions that she is merely biding her time, training her mind to be ready to face her true destiny. And so Hedwig waited, patiently, living with the nuns and learning their ways. She always went to bed with dreams of reforming the Faith with whispers that the Monarch gave her, such as slavery was actually forbidden, there were three separate hells for different offenders, sworn women of the faith should be treated like men, and that internal strife of the Kingdom would lead to a struggle against good and evil. Since she always knew that she should be as competent as a man, Hedwig regularly exercised in the nunnery. She also believed that one day she might need to take up arms in defense of her beliefs, so she read books of religious conquest. On the day the King's companies were slaughtered, the Monarch told her that a great evil had been committed, and that this would spiral into a chain reaction that would threaten to engulf the nation in darkness. When Hedwig heard of the murders, she knew this was what God spoke of. A week later, the Monarch told her that it was finally her time to fight the darkness. Shortly after, a squire appeared asking the Holy Cross Monastery to donate a nun to the Black Shields as a camp follower. Hedwig eagerly volunteered, seeing this as the beginning of her destiny. She decided to stop pretending that she didn't hear the voice of the Monarch since she felt her destiny was finally at hand. After hearing what she had to say, the other nuns were glad to get her away from the monastery.[/i] [/indent] 【[U]Dreams, short term goals, and fears.[/U]】 [indent][i]Short Term Goals: Hedwig has no real goals in mind. She believes everything will fall into place. Long Term Goals (Dreams): Fulfilling the wishes of the Monarch, expelling the darkness from the land Fears: Failing her God, the silence (absence of the Monarch), being unworthy of the task set before her[/i][/indent] 【[U]Skills[/U]】 [indent][i]Hedwig can read and write. She can also sew wounds and apply other forms of first aid. She is a charismatic speaker and able to put at ease the minds of soldiers with her sermons. She has poured over old books of the military conquest of ancient religious leaders and would make a half decent commander if given the opportunity. Hedwig is also fiercely brave, and has resolved to never back down from her claims that God speaks to her or anyone else who questions her place.[/i][/indent] 【[U]Martial prowess[/U]】 [indent][i]Hedwig has the academic knowledge of a tactician, having read the strategies of ancient religious warlords and prophets.[/i][/indent] [/hider]