Submitted for your review...

Gunnar Fisker [+]

Name: Gunnar Fisker

Alias or Nickname: Fiske (Pron: Fee' - skah & translates: Fish)
Age: 50
Gender: Male

Appearance:

Gunnar Fisker stands 6' 4" tall and weighs 220 Lbs. He has long bleached blonde dyed hair with gray and dark roots, blue eyes and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. The facial hair is mostly gray with a few dark hairs mixed in. His hair is neatly secured behind his head in a ponytail at the nape of the neck. Occasionally, his hair is braided. His musculature is very well defined with very broad shoulders. His left eye is missing and a white polished marble is in the socket in its place. Occasionally he wears an eye patch over the left eye. Gunnar wears a small leather necklace containing a small steel "Hammer" amulet around his neck. It is in reverence to Donar, the traditional Hyperborean God of Thunder.

Gunnar is not a handsome man and has never taken a wife. He has an oval shaped ruddy face, weathered from years of a hard Northman's life. A visible scar begins on his forehead at the hairline above his left eye and continues across his left cheek to the jaw-line. The scar interrupts his beard in a vertical line.

Gunnar Fisker [+]

Personality: Gunnar is slightly sociopathic, in that he has no concern for others. He cares about his "family" and the people of his adopted community of Trelleborg, along the northern Borean coast. He has no feelings whatsoever for anyone outside this community. He feels no remorse for bringing harm upon someone else's son, in a faraway land. He is focused at his trade and not easily distracted. He is generally quiet and reserved.

History: Gunnar was born in a small fishing village along the southern coast of Hyperborea. His father was a ship builder and fisherman and his father's father was a ship builder and fisherman. Both men enjoyed the social status of Jarl in the community. He is a master with the spear as well as a net in retrieving bushels of fish each day. But above all, Gunnar, his father and his father's father are fierce Northern warriors. Gunnar enjoys the company of several sturdy young lads who assist in plying the trade of shipbuilding and fishing. Gunnar rewards them handsomely for their work and treats them with the same respect one bestows upon his brother.

Gunnar learned from his father and grandfather to build longships for fishing, merchants and raiding. He and his "brothers" cut the wood for the vessels as well as milling and planing the timbers. When the family was young, Gunnar's parents moved the family to Northern Borea along the coast. A group of Northmen established a colony there, which they defend vigorously. When his father passed away, Gunnar inherited his land of some 100 acres surrounding an inlet. His mother and sister live with him in their home. The house is a modest dwelling, yet comfortable. Several of his "brothers" have constructed homes on Gunnar's property where they live as well. They all help to maintain the property, which is less than five hundred meters from the nearest village, Trelleborg.

As a member of the community, Gunnar is expected to fight for the people of his land and he is skilled with the axe, spear, short sword and long sword with and without a shield. He has participated in several raids, which is how he lost his left eye. As a result he mounted the steel plate or "spectacle" on his helm for protection against such a blow.

Gunnar is noted for mastery of fishing, Excellent sailing vessel construction and ferocity in battle, even with his vision impairment. Gunnar also enjoys playing games of chance.

Gunnar's father along with many others left their home in search of a new home at a time when their kinsmen abandoned the old ways in favor of the newer Dark Gods. It has saddened many in the Trelleborg village that their friends have mutated into creatures no longer recognizeable. That they have turned their backs on Alfoor, the All Father and Walhölé. Most of those things remain in Hyperborea, but several have made their way into Lemuria and the northern border with Borea. The Trelleborg community remains distant and detached from those mutants, or former Hyperboreans.

Journey: Gunnar seeks to see Trelleborg succeed. He wants the Northmen of his village to multiply and make their community grow. He has given up on his homeland and wants only for the survivors to replenish their ranks; avoiding contact with their home country. On the other hand, Gunnar has an unquenchable desire for plunder. It is not above the venerable Northern Warrior to take up an axe, to split skulls and grab the gold when available. But these urges are quickly stifled. It would not take much to bend his arm in favor of a raid or plundering the merchants on the Atlantean Ocean.

Ideals: Gunnar wishes to continue to further the values of the traditional Hyperborean Gods. the Northmen are fierce warriors and wish only for a healthy life and the din of battle. To die by an enemy's sword is a life well spent.

Holdings: Gunnar owns approximately 100 acres of land along an inlet on the northern Borean Coast. Upon this property is his longship building business, fishing enterprise and several houses owned by the young men who work with him at his trades of shipbuilding and fishing.

In warmer months, Gunnar wears sun-bleached and salted gray colored Thorsberg trousers, light blue side split Kyrtle (tunic) with a black leather belt at the waist. He wears ankle high Hedeby leather shoes. The rest of the year (most of the time), Gunnar wears the same trousers, shoes and side split Kyrtle, worn as an under kyrtle with an over tunic made of quilted wool. He also wears a small brown wool skull cap and brown leather vambraces and leather & wool-lined gloves.

Gunnar has both a mail coat and a leather jerkin made of Reindeer hide and reinforced with steel rivets and studs. Depending on what is happening he may choose one over the other. He has a steel conical helmet riveted together with four steel strips. At the apex of the helm is a plume of animal fur that drapes down one side or the back. It is about eight inches long. A section of mail is attached to the rear of the helm for additional protection to the back of the neck. Upon the face of the helm is mounted a steel 'spectacle' or large round holes for viewing. The spectacles offer some protection to the face. There was a time when Gunnar did not wear such an attachment. The helmet has cheek flaps attached with leather under the chin. He wears a small leather belt at the waste that cinches the tunics together. Attached to the belt are a pouch at the rear for light provisions, a small axe holder on the right, a sword's scabbard on the left side and small horizontal scabbard placed across the front of the waist to hold his sax; a small 18" short sword made of steel with a bone handle.

Gunnar has a small Skeg Axe named "Lothar", several leaf edge headed spears, a double edged broad sword named "Hode-ut", the 18" Sax or short sword as mentioned above and a few steel reinforced wooden shields. All of Gunnar's shields have a steel rounded 'Boss' at the center and are painted with Red and black stripes. Gunnar owns a nine heavy horse as well, including a large 17 hands high mount named "Fyrste". His other horses are named, "Donner", "Konge", "Lyn", "Okse", "Drage", "Øgle", "Ørn" and "Per".

Fiske's Brothers

Björn Vinter [+]

Name: Björn Vinter
Age: 27
Appearance: Björn is a bulk of a man with dirty long Blonde hair and a scruffy goatee, tied in a braid about 8" long beneath his chin. Small braids form a ring around the top of his head, tied neatly at the rear of his scalp. Björn's physique is best when compared to that of a bear. He stands 6'6" tall and has an imposing massive frame. His blue eyes are almost crystal clear they are so pale.
Equipment: Björn is armed with a spear and shields. He does have a skag axe which he uses both for cutting fish and for raiding. His armor is a studded leather jerkin with a small steel conical helm and nose strap.

Holger Ǻrud [+]

Name: Holger Ǻrud
Age: 36
Appearance: Holger stands about 5'9" tall with dark Brown hair, all but shaved off his head. A slight stubble remains. His goatee is peppered with gray hair and extends off his chin in an eight inch braid. His face has several scars.
Equipment: Holger has a set of mail armor and a sword. He has several wooden shields at his disposal and a number of spears. He also carries a skag axe on his belt and a small conical helm with nosestrap.

Arvid Robertsen [+]

Name: Arvid Robertsen
Age: 33
Appearance: Arvid stands 6' tall with blue eyes and long Blonde hair kept neatly braided in back. The man is fairly thin, but a quick runner. He shaves his face every few days; prefering a clean shaven face over a beard.
Equipment: Arvid has a leather jerkin and a mail coif with steel conical helm and spectacles. Arvid uses an oversized double headed battle axe and a smaller skeg axe as well as several wooden shields.

Randel Hummel [+]

Name: Randel Hummel
Age: 30
Appearance: Randel stands 5'11" tall with shoulder length Blonde hair and a full beard. He shaves his head about three inches above and behind his ears. A single slender braid of blonde hair hangs down the right side of his face. He has several swirling tattoos decorating the exposed portions of his face. His body is stalwart and muscular from years of hard work.
Equipment: Randel uses a studded leather armor with spiked leather vambraces. He prefers to fight with no helmet on his head. Randel has a sword and several shields including a skag axe.

Sigurd Björk [+]

Name: Sigurd Björk
Age: 20
Appearance: "Siggy" stands 6' 4" tall and has brightly colored Red hair that cascades down his back. He is a bulk of a young man with a barrel for a chest. His beard has not yet grown in yet, with sparse red fuzz growing on his face.
Equipment: "Siggy" does have a leather jerkin, but prefers to fight bare-chested with no helmet on his head. He charges into a fight with fire in his eyes--a Fury! armed with a 6' hammer and no shield. He also carries a skag axe.

Olaf Grahn [+]

Name: Olaf Grahn
Age: 37
Appearance: Olaf stands 5'9" tall with a bald head and brown eyes. His beard is slight, more of a chin strap colored Brown. His body is lithe and muscular. He is quick on his feet and can move with stealth. He also has several tattoos coating his face and chest.
Equipment: Olaf has a leather jerkin, but prefers to fight bare-chested. He has several spears and shields. He also carries a skag axe.

Ingemar Poulsen [+]

Name: Ingemar Poulsen
Age: 36
Appearance: Ingemar stands 6'3" tall and wears his long Blonde hair in two adjacent braided pony tails. Scars pock his face, scars from many battles. His left hand is missing the two smaller fingers and his left eye is replaced with a patch. Ingemar's build is muscular but average.
Equipment: Ingemar has a mail coat and a leather jerkin. He also has a steel conical helm with nose strap. He carries a sword, several shields and a skag axe.

Gustav Wolff [+]

Name: Gustav Wolff
Age: 31
Appearance: Gustav stands 6' 2" tall with long flowing almost white, Blonde hair and blue eyes. Gustav prefers his hair loose and splayed across his bare back, but will braid it for a raid. He has decorative tattoos creating sleeves up and down both arms. They are mostly swirls and shapes.
Equipment: He wears a studded leather jerkin and studded leather vambraces. He also wears a steel conical helm with nose strap. He has a large single headed battle axe, several spears, and shields. He also carries a skag axe.

I have begun work on a pantheon of Hyperborean Gods. It is based on Norse Mythology. I have taken the traditional Norse God names, researched the etymological origins, changed a letter or two and created the Hyperborean Name. :D It remains a work in progress.

@Dead Cruiser I was looking to create a feudal lord within the Iron Kingdoms. Would it be appropriate to base him upon a German HRE prince, or would that be a bit off? I did want to have his lands situated within northern Borea.

@Disciple Cain back on the interest check, I asked about playable non-human races to which Cruiser said no. Just thought I'd throw that out there

@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 they 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.

Oops, didn't realize the OOC was up. Will get to working on my character in a little while.

@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.
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.

Princess Dhatru [+]

Name: Princess Dhatru

Age: 23

Gender: Female

Appearance: 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.

Personality: 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.

History: 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.

Journey: 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.

Ideals: 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.

Holdings: 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.

Been watching the OOC, but still working on my character... will post her here within the next couple days most likely.

Here's my character! I kept the history and personality sections short because quite frankly, I hate to develop a character fully before the RP starts. They always build themselves after I start playing them.

Aisling the Hunter [+]

Name: Aisling Treoir

Age: 24

Gender: Male

Appearance:

Aisling is not unfamiliar with the phrase pretty boy. He stands at about six feet tall. He's built almost entire of lean muscle, due to his metabolism and lifestyle, there's very little to no fat on his body. He has overlong and somewhat messy, sandy brown hair, which he likes to wear loose, but will tie it up if he needs to in order to keep it out of his face. His eyes are a strange pale blue that makes them look almost colorless. His skin is fair and mostly unblemished, save for a light dusting of freckles across his nose and a few mismatched scars. He is always clean shaven, mainly because he is incapable of growing facial hair. He likes to wear light and loose clothing with minimal armor, but carries a thick, hooded, cloak with him for winter months or cold nights. He always has some sort of headband on, usually colored some shade of blue.

Personality: Aisling is not a loner, but he does enjoy being alone more than being with the company of others. That being said, he will not ignore people when they speak to him, or put up any defenses to make people want to leave him alone. By nature he is serious and goal oriented, able to stay on task and not get distracted by petty things. He isn't the most talkative person, but has been known to chatter about subjects he's passionate about. He's clever and has a sharp wit, able to keep a cool head and think his way out of bad situations. Despite being okay around people, he doesn't do well with teamwork, as he always fights alone. He adapts quickly though and is a fast learner.

History: Aisling has never known a true home. Ever since he can remember, his parents have been travelling around in a covered wagon. As healers, they travelled the land helping anybody in need, regardless of who they were. Even when he was very young, his parents could tell that his vision was sharper than theirs, so they put him to work earlier, making him their lookout. After he grew a little bit and got a little strong, his father started teaching him how to use a bow, so that he would able to defend himself if needed. Though he struggled at first, he quickly picked up the art and began improving. In about half a year he was good enough to be able to hunt game and bring it back to his parents for supplies.

Aisling was taught to be kind to people, and to not discriminate against them. But those teachings only stayed with him a short while. Because when he was thirteen, a group of barbarians took advantage of his parent's kindness and killed both of them, all for the meager supplies in their wagon. The only reason Aisling survived was because he saw them coming, and his parents made him take the horse and leave. But, as grief and hatred clouded his judgment, he returned to what was left of the wagon, buried his parents, and then set out to hunt down the barbarians. With both his normal vision, and night vision, better than the average person's, he tracked them down and struck their camp in the middle of the night, slaying each and every one of them.

After the initial shock of his first kills wore off, Aisling realized what he had done, and that it wouldn't stop with his parents. More innocent people would die because of barbarians like these. It was then and there that he vowed to fight the barbarians, try and keep them at bay, and keep as many innocent people alive as he possibly could. He bends his knee to no king and allies himself with no nation, instead choosing to do what his parents did and help people, though in his own, slightly twisted way. He's travelled ever since, living almost entirely outside of civilization, hunting down barbarians and trying to make the world a little bit safer.

Journey: Aisling has incredibly sharp eyesight, he sees further and notices things faster than most others. This coupled with a lot of hard work and lightning fast reflexes has made him one of, if not the, best snipers in land. He utilizes these skills, along with the survival skills he has picked up, to leave the safety of the nations and hunt the barbarians that roam about. He has been known to take out entire groups before, sometimes before they even know he is there. He is not without mercy though, if the barbarians aren't terrorizing anybody, he leaves them be.

Ideals: Aisling's greatest desire is to help people, but due to his parent's death, that has been warped into something much darker than becoming a healer. He feels that the best way he can help people is through using his skills with a bow, rather than what little he knows about treating injuries.

Holdings: Aisling has with him a longbow and a quiver full of arrows, both of which he made himself and has the supplies to make and maintain. He also has with him a pair of short swords, in case he needs to fight in short range. With him at all times is his companion, and as he jokes his wife, a snow white horse named Ion. In the bags of her saddle are all the supplies Aisling needs to survive in the wilds, including a bedroll, water skins, a small supply of food, fire starting equipment, cooking supplies, etc.

Well, here's my first draft.

EDIT: Made a couple modifications.
EDIT 2: Changed the name "Ferdinando" to "Fernando." Spanish names are cooler than Italian ones.

---

Theme

General Fernando Scordato [+]

Name:

Fernando Benedicto Scordato

Age:

43

Gender:

Male

Appearance:

Proud, stately, and rugged: these words are defined by Fernando Scordato. He is an aging man, and perhaps he is not the tallest of warriors one might find, but the way he stands and the way he looks at others tells them he is no mere soldier. He is a leader. He is a legend.

Fernando barely reaches the height of 5'8", but most seem to think he stands closer to six feet. His mustache is full and thick but carefully groomed and swept off to the sides. The general's brown hair comes down in waves, and he keeps it at a little less than neck length. He remains handsome despite his age - a dignified sort of handsome - and has a certain hardness of expression. His skin is no stranger to war, and he has the body of a seasoned soldier, albeit an aging one. His hazel eyes have a sort of gleam to them.

Fernando's armor is impressively crafted and ornate in a practical fashion. His clothes well-kept, and he is all-in-all a very clean, very respectable looking individual. He may not look like a knight, but he does look like be belongs in command.

Personality:

Most who know him would call Fernando "austere" or "cold." They'd call him "serious" at the least. They'd call him "blunt" or "honest to the point of rudeness." The general is all of those things: a man who maintains a sombre, steely air. He speaks his mind openly and frankly, leaving no doubt as to what his beliefs are, and makes commands rather than requests.

This is not to say that Ferdinand wears a perpetual mask of iron. When among people he truly trusts, he is known to lower that shield of coldness he maintains. But even then his gestures and expressions seem to lack passion. He most often expresses weariness or determination, and his anger is a silent anger. His pleasure is a muted sort: a small, soft smile or a quiet chuckle is far more common than any true show of mirth for him. With Fernando, it is the small gestures - the rap of his knuckles upon wood, or the clenching of his fist, the closing of his eyes, or simply a cocked eyebrow - that reveal most about his mood.

The general is an idealist turned pragmatist, a knight in sour armor. He sees the world as a doomed place, yet does not stop trying to fight to make it better. He sees people as callous beings, yet he'll do all in his power to preserve their lives. Perhaps that is why Fernando has earned the trust of his troops. He will not waste the lives of his warriors under any circumstances, and he holds himself to strict a strict moral code. He holds his troops answerable to the same code.

And in the end, Fernando is a man that leads by example. He eschews a great deal of luxuries he might otherwise have so that he can show his men how he expects them to behave. He scoffs at the nobility and their great feasts and ostentatious clothes. Perhaps that is why they hate him so much.

But Fernando's greatest strength mentally is his organization. He is an intelligent man to be sure, but he is also exacting, calculating, and incredibly talented in logistics and numbers. The general's mind is very orderly. His orderliness has served him well.

History:

The Years of Dusk saw the fall of Thule and its grand armies. The knights, the nobility, the king: their power was ruined by the plague. Centuries of kingdom-building were thrown away in the span of ten years. It was the end of one age and the beginning of something new.

But those Years of Dusk were hardest on the poor. Peasants, serfs, merchants: those are the people who suffered most from the disease. Those are the people who starved. So it should not come as a surprise that one man was able to rally the common people together for a rebellion: a prophet named Horatio Acciai. He said that there was a God, Vespos, who loved the people and took pity in their suffering. Horatio would lead them in a bloody revolution, stealing away a large chunk of the kingdom of Thule from the nobles-turned-warlords and creating his own realm: the Holy Republic of Vespania.

The birth of the Vespanian people was not a welcome one in the Iron Kingdoms. Such a realm - one where the peasants had risen up, murdered their lieges, and dared to call it a holy deed - was a threat to their own stability, and it surely would inspire others to try their own hands at rebellion if it was not quashed.

So the kingdoms of the land saw fit to wage war against the Republic of Vespania. And though it had been a great and powerful realm at its inception, its neighbors whittled away at it until it was but a husk of what it had been at its birth. The kings of what was once Thule were in a state of peace with Vespania, but they plotted to sweep into the nation and redistribute its territory between themselves. They were merely waiting for the right moment to strike.

And then came Fernando.

Fernando was a young man of twenty years of ago. He was nobody important: a merchant's son, a boy who was schooled in economics and cartography and navigation. He had no formal military education, having taught himself everything he knew about swordplay and strategy. Yet he wanted to be a soldier, and so his father bought him a position in the Vespanian Army as a lieutenant. He quickly proved to have a canny mind and moved up to the rank of captain. The young captain was given command of a small outpost near the southern border of Vespania, one which was in a poor condition with demoralized soldiers.

Fernando transformed that outpost into a small fortress and drilled his men into respectable troops. He reorganized the supply lines to the fort, introduced an improved system of salvo fire to his men, and made sure their equipment was kept in good condition.

When war finally came, Fernando was more than ready. He held off multiple attacks at his fort, using his soldiers and local support effectively to keep the enemy at bay, and soon was promoted and given command of more men. And then he was promoted again and again as his successes mounted, and soon enough Fernando was the foremost general in the army of Vespania.

What should have been a conquered realm expanded. The Holy Republic of Vespania grew in size, power, and influence thanks to Fernando's cunning and courage. Peace was signed. He had saved Vespania.

Since then, Fernando has been the republic's chief bulwark against outside forces, even as factions inside the republic vie for power and even try to limit the general's influence. He is a polarizing force, with some people lauding him as a hero and others viewing him as an upstart. Nevertheless, he is generally well respected, even by his enemies in the neighboring kingdoms, for his cunning, his well-trained troops, and his valor.

But there is something happening in the capital. As magic returns to the world, so too does the power of Vespos become more evident. And yet as loyal as Fernando is to his Doge, he finds the growing power of the Prophet of Vespos to be... disconcerting.

Fernando cannot quite say why.

Journey:

General Fernando has three principal goals: first, to protect his nation from outside threats; second, to secure the borders and bring about a lasting peace to the region; and thirdly, to put an end to the threat of the Beastmen once and for all. The twisted abominations that came about from the Nemedian Scourge are a threat to all people of the Iron Kingdoms, and they more than anything else must be rid of.

But there is another goal that Fernando has, though he does not make it public: keeping the power of the Prophet of Vespos in check. The Prophet has acted more and more strangely in recent years, arousing suspicions in Fernando. While the general is as devout a man as any and praises Vespos between battles, something about the Prophet unnerves him. He cannot say what.

Ideals:

Order - Fernando defines organization. He is timely, orderly, always preparing contingencies for whatever trouble he foresees, and keeps both himself and his soldiers highly disciplined.
Honor - Those who have served under the general or fought against him know very well just how honorable a man he is. The tactics he employs may be tricky, to be sure, and he may be a crafty old fox. But let it be known that Fernando is an honest man, an oathkeeper, a man who would sooner die than betray his morals.
Loyalty - None can doubt that Fernando is a loyal man. He could have taken control of the government of Vespania if he had so chosen. He commands the army, and he has just enough political clout to maintain the throne were he to take it. But he has no desire to rule Vespania: he means only to serve it.
Strategy - Fernando does not win battles with brute force. He wins by cunning and wit, by maintaining good supply lines and spotting weaknesses to be exploited. He wins by drilling his men very hard and transforming them into truly professional fighters. He is a strategist and a tactician.

Holdings:

Fernando commands an army, perhaps the finest in all of Thule. If it is not the finest, it is at least the most well-trained and disciplined. He commands mixed formations of pikemen and musketeers called Tercanos, the lot of them equipped with breastplates and morions for protection. Some halberdiers are counted among those units as well. The general fields lines of musket-toting skirmishers, and he has been known to pick out his strongest soldiers to serve as grenadiers in those skirmishing lines. Other units in Fernando's army include mounted crossbowmen and heavy cavalry wielding battle axes or horseman's picks with lances.

Of course, it should be remembered that while Fernando commands this army, its loyalty is meant to be to Vespania, not to him. Still, a majority of his soldiers have greater faith in him than in the leaders of their nation.

Flag of Vespania [+]

The general has fewer personal belongings than one might expect. He has no family (sans his father and cousins) and lives alone in a small "manor" inside the confines of the fort he uses as his base of operations. The General's Manor, as it is called, is not much larger than the next officer's quarters, though he has taken some time to try and make the rather bare place look livable.

Fernando has his own horse, a mare named Belle, and has the equipment one would suspect of a general. A well-made sword, an impressive breastplate that marks him as the leader, a war banner, a musket, a sturdy buckler... It may not sound like much, but when he sits astride that horse and stares over the battlefield, there is no doubt who is in command. He may not be an incredibly wealthy man, but his equipment and clothing mark him as a man of high rank and stature.

One thing though: be aware of how you portray the cult of Vespos, keeping it away from a Christianity parallel. There basically already is one, which my character will have strong affiliations with.

Also, your map claims are fine, no worries there.

<Snipped quote by Dead Cruiser>

Is there a claim you think would work better than the other? I'll let you pick the one you prefer.

And I'll keep that in mind on the religion part. Should it feel distinctly pagan, then?

<Snipped quote by Shorticus>

The Southern claim by Not Spain should suit your Not Spaniard.

Not Pagan precisely, just heathenish. In general I'd steer clear of light, fire and sun symbolism. I can work with you on the religion and its patron if need be.

@Dead Cruiser I noticed Shorticus' land claims. Originally, I had considered that northern Peninsula closest to Hyperborea, but I see Shorticus has intentions there as well. If He does indeed get that piece of terrain, I would like to claim the area immediately to the East of his region. I will have edits up by COB on Friday.

Map claims [+]