u/Dense_Ad_6280

Introduction:

Lonan Widowknife is a woman cut off from her homeland of Sarkoris; in leaving the faith she was adopted into, she is finding her own power. She is an exemplar, a heroic warrior granted a divine spark, enabling her to perform incredible feats with the ikons she carries. (Think like, the pelt of the Nemean lion, Achilles' heel, and Excalibur; grand objects and traits that empower those who carry them-if sometimes, at terrible cost)

Lonan grew up in Mendev, a crusading nation built to the east of Sarkoris-a realm once torn asunder by a terrible rift to a demonic abyss. She was raised to question and look for sin and corruption everywhere-and only now is she developing the confidence to find her self-worth as she seeks to restore the reputation of her mother, besmirched by the church of Mendev's patron goddess Iomedae. She is an awkward woman, but carries a good heart.

Physical appearance / Gear:

Lonan was 13 when the rift to the demonic abyss was sealed, but spent most of her life until recently training to be a holy warrior of Iomedae; despite this, she has always had a lanky, wiry build. As a ganzi, she has short downy feathers framing her face and arms, with bird-like texturing around her feet and hands (think raptor!) and a looong lizard-like tail, with feathers and fluff that are opalescent, like an oil slick. Because of how close she grew up to the abyssal rift, she also has a set of horns peeking out from her messy, feather-black hair, and olive/brown skin. Mismatched eyes, etc.
The big things I couldn't show with the ref:

• She's got very long legs.
• Usually looks a bit unsure or awkward. Despite this, there is a sense of determination that's taken root in her since she first became an exemplar.
• Please do not lighten her skin.

Lonan wears medium armor with an old hand-me-down breastplate and a padded red armor jack, reinforced hide and fur bracers, a demon skull pauldron, and a farmer's scythe that seems to have a pale gleam at the blade's edge. It is not a hungry weapon-but a tool yearning to mend the land and reflects her own journey of healing (This is also another of her ikons despite its humble appearance)

Personality:

Lonan has grown up in the temple of a goddess of justice and the smiting of evil. In Mendev, this was taken to terrible extremes, including witch hunts and an inquisition that often targeted the refugees of Sarkoris for practicing the beliefs of their homeland. Her country does not wish to save Sarkoris-only to defeat evil. She internalized this dogma and found herself often worrying for the state of her soul and jumping at shadows. For many years, she has used her faith as a cudgel to beat herself down into the shape of someone palatable for Mendev's crusaders. It is a difficult habit for her to leave behind, and hers is a journey of healing, for her and for her homeland hopefully. She's a very awkward gal in conversation, and in combat there's a certainty of her success borne from years of instruction. She did not have many people she was comfortable speaking with, growing up in the temple.

Background:

A sarkorian girl whose mother was a refugee who joined the 5th crusade in hopes of displacing the demonic invaders-but, her and her unit were corrupted/possessed by the forces of the abyss. Ultimately, they had to be put down, and my gal was orphaned and put into the care of the local temple to Iomedae.

Officially, the death of her mother's unit was another tragedy of the wickedness of the abyss; there were plenty of big names who would offhandedly blame her mother and her 'sarkorian witchcraft' and so on, implying it was her mother's fault.

She learned a lot of shame about herself and where she came from that's hurt her very badly over the years-it's only since she's left Mendev and joined the reclaimers she began questioning how she was mistreated, and how her mother was horribly maligned by the crusades leadership.

It was only by casting off a faith that had never nurtured her and only hurt her that she was able to find herself.