[quote=@Disciple Cain]
[@Dead Cruiser]
I've got some questions. 'Devil, but no god', but what about leaders coming to take the place of the gods? Something powerful enough and perceived as wise enough to serve as a viable, and perhaps even desirable replacement?

Another question related to this is: Dragons-- are they around, and if they are can I take any creative liberties on them since they weren't mentioned? I've always liked the idea of dragons being guardians of the old world. Sort of a failsafe to keep absurdly powerful evils from undermining the early efforts of man, and their existence has since become vestigial and their true nature and purpose has been lost to obscurity over the many, many years.

Also, dwarves. Do [i]they[/i] exist? Because if they do, I have an idea for a splinter faction that breaks away from the Iron Kingdoms and settles somewhere around the borderlands of Borea and Lemuria, probably burying themselves in the mountains in some attempted escape from whatever curse fell upon Borea. Although, I don't really have a solid timeline. I'll need clarification from you on that.

Once I get answers for these then I can drop down the idea I had for a character.
[/quote]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by your first question, but I'll take a crack at it. There are no "replacements" for the Old Gods, there was nothing to replace. Godlike entities have emerged, but they are all distinctly malevolent (thus my description of "Devil but no God.") Have entities/persons emerged and claimed to be gods? Sure. Is there a designated replacement for the Old Gods/One True God? Not really.

Dragons of legend were immense magical beings, second in power only to the Old Gods. These Dragons were the masters of Atlantis when it still stood as a glimmering city in the sea, and are the Dragons for which the Atleantean Ocean is named. Naturally, these have not been seen since the fall of Atlantis in the Age of Myths, if they ever truly existed at all.

In any case, in the Age of Dawn, there have been unconfirmed sightings of massive, fire-breathing beasts, which may or may not be dragons. I can work with you on this in greater specificity later, but let's just keep it vague for now.

As for Dwarves, no, they really don't exist in the traditional fantasy sense. Perhaps a small Borean faction somewhere behaves something like Tolkeinesque Dwarves, perhaps some tribe of pygmies or another lives out in a far corner of the world, but there are really no archetypal Dwarves (or fantasy races of any kind) out in the world.

[quote=@AirBender]
Oops, didn't realize the OOC was up. Will  get to working on my character in a little while.
[/quote]

I'll look forward to it. I should probably send a round of notifications out to everyone else that hasn't responded in the OOC yet.

[@Jerkchicken][@gorgenmast][@Arborescence][@Drifting Pollen][@Apollosarcher]

[quote=@Aristo]
[@Dead Cruiser]
Here's a preliminary draft of what I've been working on. Definitely not a typical 'Jeanne d'Arc,' unless your Jeanne's a barbarian. :lol
Not sure if I'm over or underselling her. I've left her powers pretty ambiguous, which might be a good or bad thing, depending on what you're after.

[hider=Princess Dhatru]
[center][img]http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae218/AbsolutCharlie/Blood%20Rage/10461660_780386375383853_1873424542665796906_n_zpsvkkgimpo.jpg[/img][/center]

[color=9ACD32]Name:[/color] Princess Dhatru

[color=9ACD32]Age:[/color] 23

[color=9ACD32]Gender:[/color] Female

[color=9ACD32]Appearance:[/color] Dhatru stands tall, with broad shoulders and limbs. She is the antithesis of the noble ladies of Atlantis or Thrule; where they are slim and frail from lack of activity, her body is solid and muscular. Her strength is complimented by well-developed and full breasts and hips; an ensemble that some would regard the paragon of “barbarian beauty.” Her hair is fairer than wheat and groomed into ornate braids. Though her people are barbarians, she is a princess nonetheless, and makes her station known with all manners of jewelry and trinkets.

[color=9ACD32]Personality:[/color] A degree of aloofness can be seen between Dhatru and her followers; through the years of her reign, she has come to rely on her sorcerous reputation to instill loyalty in others. A blink of an eye there, or a wave of the hand here, and her powers are manifest and order restored. Where one man may step out of line, an example can be made, and more will take his place. She is accustomed to being obeyed, to her objectives being within reach and especially, to being feared. Such power has made her somewhat complacent in herself.

However, Dhatru is also plagued by restlessness, perturbed with the need for fulfillment, but never wholly finding it. She is irritable and finds it difficult to remain idle for long. As a result, she spends her time leaping from one activity to another, lest any feeling of gratification escape her. Some might call her paranoid, pointing to her restless nights walking the halls and whispering to invisible confidants as evidence.   

[color=9ACD32]History:[/color] Dhatru was born well after the beginning of the Age of Dawn – a daughter of Lemurian warlord  Franzic, who'd established his own small kingdom between the borders of Hyperborea and  Thule. King Franzic was, in fact, the son of one of the generals who followed the mighty warlord against Iiram, whose name none speak. Franzic capitalized on this fact, using his lineage to gather followers and strengthen his territory. 

Franzic succumbed to wounds he sustained during battle with a rival Lemurian faction, leaving his only child, Dhatru to inherit his kingdom. The princess, aged seventeen, immediately gathered the closest of her father's confidants and with them reinforced her right to rule. With a keen eye and strong arm, she set about purging political rivals from her inner circle. Any dissidents that were to be found in command, she slew herself. With her rule consolidated, Dhatru turned her attention to neighboring tribes and kingdoms. 

It was also around this time that she'd begun claiming to have visions of “Dark Gods” and their extraplanar servants. Any doubts to these claims were crushed when a rebellious chieftain splintered from her rule, and in her wrath, Dhatru's vengeance channeled a portal, through which a throng of fiends manifested and tore him apart. Other similar displays of power convinced neighboring tribes to bend their knee. When she marched on the neighboring petty kingdom of Novorad, she'd promised her followers she would conquer it in no more than six day's time. On the sixth day, when her axe fell on the throat of the Novorad's king, there was no questioning her right to rule. Word spread of the “Witch Princess” throughout western Lemuria, even into Hyperborea and northern Thule.

Now in her twenty-third year, Dhatru has claimed vast swathes of eastern Lemuria, and brought the banners of many tribes under her direction. She has even found allies in Hyperborea, her ranks diverse with people of many origins. Nevertheless, as her authority waxes, there are some barbarians which see her as a threat; a vessel of evil that cannot be trusted. In the deeper reaches of the untamed north, clans conspire against her. Wary kings of Thule gather armies and raise their drawbridges at night, eyes glued to the horizon for the sight of Lemurian banners. Dhatru's reputation serves both as a boon and a bane.      

[color=9ACD32]Journey:[/color] The simplest of barbarians are content to kill or be killed; the promise of bloodshed equal to, if not greater than the promise of booty. Dhatru is above such base entertainment, having tasted the sweetness of power, but who's thirst has yet to be sated. Though she has made great strides to empower the command that was once her father's, Dhatru's blessings (or afflictions, depending who you ask) have emboldened her reach. Her influence is at its height, but she feels less and less satisfaction from each victory -  chasing the scent of blood in hopes of quelling a hunger that will not subside. Her eyes are set on many goals: the northern kingdoms of Thule, her enemies in eastern Lemuria, opposition in deep Hyperborea, as well as places of power that she has seen in her visions. 

[color=9ACD32]Ideals:[/color] Dhatru is a muse of avarice; she desires many things, that even when attained, may not bring her the satisfaction she imagined they would. Her quest is one of fulfillment, and with each objective completed, a greater desire swells in her heart. She is never wholly satisfied, restless and anxious for the next hint of gratification. Whether her rapacity can ever subside has yet to be determined.

The extant of Dhatru's link to the Dark Gods are immeasurable, as even she doesn't know how deeply they stare into her soul. It is clear that her successes are the result of collaboration with these entities, but to what end they have elected to be her patron is not certain. In this sense, Dhatru's ability to wield their power is a true gamble. Who can say what will become of her when they decide to collect interest on her loan?  

In a looser sense, she also represents the desire to surpass one's ancestors. Her realm far exceeds the original boundaries of her father. In her early life, Dhatru was close to King Franzic, and his lessons emphasized the importance of tradition and familial bonds. Her additions to Franzic's kingdom can be interpreted as her way of honoring his memory. It may also be an homage to the “Unspoken Warlord” that ravaged Iiram during the Years of Dusk.

[color=9ACD32]Holdings:[/color] Dhatru's sphere of influence stretches from Lemuria's western coastline to expanses at the border of Hyperborea and Thule. She has several tribes and clans of barbarians at her command, giving her a strong core to raise her army. Be as it may, her powerbase is decentralized, and she cannot prevent disputes between distant tribes from arising. They are united only by a fragile thread of awe and dread that her command of ungodly powers has weaved. In that sense, her strongest allies can very accurately be described as whichever tribe she happens to be closest to at a given time. What her domain lacks in refinement and sophistication of the south, it makes up for in sheer, brutal simplicity. 

The Lemurian princess resides in her home keep of Vostraghis, a bastion along the coastline. It is not a luxurious place, compared to the palaces and castles of the south, but it is a farcry above the sea of hovels, yurts and tents that are common in the barbaric north. There are treasures foreign and domestic that adorn the halls, plunder from the far reaches of the world that has, one way or another, found itself in the least likely of places. Dhatru has no shortage of servants, captivated by her sorcery to obey her whims. Weapons, horses, ornaments, strong drink, and rich foods, she has aplenty. From this stronghold, she directs the movements of her warbands, plots her next advances and conspires with entities unseen.[/hider]
[/quote]

Very good! She'll fit in nicely. My only criticism is the common one of the Ideals section, which honestly most everyone kind of misunderstands. It's just meant to get across what she symbolically represents, if that makes sense.