So, as everyone knows by now, I am not particularly impressed with the character of Anthem. I spent some time crawling through the forums studying up on both Anthem and American Star. There is surprisingly little information available, despite half a dozen updates in which she plays a central part. I could not put my finger on what it was that made her feel so shallow. After much thought and a bit of history research, I came up with a way to add depth not only to Anthem herself, but to the history of the City.
As an aside, I also came up with a character who might be suitable for further development as a forerunner of the Aethir Pirates: Daniel Abernathy. He might even be flexible enough to serve as the historic founder of their organization. (Jealous at the power his creation gains, he sets out to duplicate that power through any means possible. As part of his rapid rise from refugee to successful businessman, he stole as much metal as he salvaged. So forth and so on.)
Here is what I came up with:
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The History of the Phoenix
In 1690 war erupted between the French Arcadia-Wabanaki Confederation Alliance and the New England-Iroquois Five Nations Alliance. Raids on towns and villages in both territories sent English refugees fleeing south and east. Hundreds wound up in Bradford on the north shore of Steward's Bay. Penniless, often left with nothing but empty bellies and the clothes on their backs, the refugees went from shop to shop in the busy port town looking for work, for food, or for anything else the more charitable residents were willing to share. One of them, a young metallurgist named Daniel Abernathy, pulled a wooden cart loaded down with a small forge through the mountains and swamps between his town on the banks of the Connecticut River and the safe haven of Bradford. He set up on the outskirts of town, collecting broken brass buttons and buckles which he melted down and formed into new ones he could sell to earn a bit of money. He eventually earned enough to set up a proper brass and copper foundry. To celebrate his new life, in the fall of 1691 he forged a brass Phoenix and set it up in front of his shop.
In the winter of 1691-92, a mass paranoia spread throughout the region. Witches and demons were believed to be living among the people fueling the war between the two Alliances and feeding off the chaos. The wife of the Governor, Lady Mary Phipps, was moved to sympathy for the many women arrested and imprisoned, often on the basis of little or no real evidence. When executions began in February of 1692 she pleaded with her husband to bring an end to the persecution but he refused. Lady Mary, herself a witch and the leader of a small coven, passed by the shop of Daniel Abernathy while traveling through the Province of Massachusetts visiting women imprisoned for witchcraft. Drawn to the symbolism of rebirth, and lucky enough to be in Bradford the night of the new moon, she offered him the equivalent of a year's wages for the brass Phoenix. Memories of hunger and suffering fresh in his mind, the young metallurgist agreed to the sale despite his fondness for his creation.
That night, under the new moon, Lady Mary gathered her coven together in the forest outside Bradford. Drawing upon the powers of the Goddess, the depth of the fondness of Abernathy for his creation, and the closeness of brass to the Earth itself, they imbued the statue with life and power. The Phoenix rose from the bonfire they had built around it and attached itself to Lady Mary as a living feathered gauntlet. The gauntlet granted her many new powers including the ability to vanish, the ability to temporarily imprison people in a column of Earth, and the ability to heal those wounded in battle. Armed with both her own magic and the magic of the Phoenix, she began freeing women charged with witchcraft, first in Bradford, then in every city she passed through as she traveled back to Boston. Her husband, faced with the choice of imprisoning his own wife or learning to live with her new found power, chose to end the persecution and free every woman held on charges of witchcraft throughout the Province of Massachusetts. As a token of forgiveness, he awarded each of them the equivalent of a month's wage to help them start a new life.
A few years later, Lady Mary used the power of the Phoenix to defend against incursions by the French Arcadia-Wabanaki Confederation Alliance while Governor Phipps was called back to London to answer accusations he had ignored the Provincial Council on multiple occasions, including his freeing of the women accused of witchcraft. He died in London and Lady Mary later married Peter Sergeant. When she died in 1706, in her will she freed her servant Betty Johnson and gifted her the brass Phoenix. The Phoenix passed over Betty Johnson, choosing instead her daughter Emma. During the American Revolution Emma used the Phoenix and its gift of invisibility to spy on the British commanders and report her findings to Robert Townsend of the Culper Ring. After the Revolution Emma married Henry Ross, one of the ancestors of Harriet E. Ross.
Unfortunately, the Phoenix passed from the Ross line during the American Civil War. Benjamin David Ross, the fourth to be chosen by the Phoenix, fell in the Battle of Gettysburg during the defense of Little Round Top. It was recovered by Captain Wilbur Duncan, but he was not chosen by the Phoenix. For Captain Duncan the Phoenix statue was nothing more than an odd war trophy found after a bloody battle. In the fall of 1886 Wilbur Duncan died, having lived a tumultuous but rewarding life. His grandson James Duncan found the Phoenix statue while sorting through the many odd collectibles covered in dust in the attic of his recently deceased grandfather. The moment he touched the statue it awakened, joining with the already physically strong young man and adding its power to his own.
James Duncan used the power of the Phoenix to fight crime in Bradford. The healing power of the Phoenix kept him strong long after many of his peers succumbed to age. Over a century later, now known as American Star and famous but alone except for his team of heroes, James encountered a veteran of the 1991 liberation of Kuwait during the battle to free the Marine Base and Training Facility outside Bradford from the Captains of Villainy. Despite having lost her left arm during the war in Kuwait and having no inherent powers beyond her own sharp wit, sense of honor, and raw determination, a young female Gunnery Sergeant named Harriet E. Ross proved more than a match for the sophisticated gadgetry of the Captains of Villainy and the magic of Alakazam. However, what captured his attention was not the manner in which she overcame obstacles and defeated her enemies. The moment he was in her presence he could feel the Phoenix reaching out for her in a way he had never encountered before. It was as if the life force within the Phoenix had recognized a kinship bond with the young Marine.
James Duncan, American Star, immediately took her on as his protege, much to the surprise of the other members of the Paragons. It did not take them long to recognize her leadership skills and resourcefulness. As she learned the role of hero, the complexities of City politics, and the gritty determination of City villains, the other members of the Paragons often found themselves deferring to her tactical and strategic insight. Thanks to her military training and battlefield experience, she brought to the team a new level of planning and coordination, helping them to be more effective in many different situations. None of them were surprised to find her wearing the Phoenix after American Star fell during the Hurricane Atlas crisis. It was only much later that Harriet, now known as Anthem, and the rest of the Paragons learned the true history of the Phoenix and its kinship with the Ross family of Bradford City.
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Nice idea--two things.
1) I think you already did put your finger on the very thing that makes her seem shallow to some at this point--we hardly know anything about her yet. Even her look isn't close to finalized. We're pre-pre-alpha.
2) I may well be wrong about this, but I thought that I remembered something about it being hinted that her arm had to do with Egyptian mythology? Or else I accidentally made that up :).
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
In the same vain as STARGATE? :)
I knew it was tech based! ;D
[b]MAGNETS[/b] ...
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I like the story, it is well written and moving, Greyhawk. Good work, I enjoyed reading that.
But I have a tiny issue, the creation and powers of the bracelet puzzle me a little. Usually the phoenix is described as purely connected to the fire element, maybe with a bit of air thrown into the mix. I have never heard of it having to do anything with earth, would it not make a little more sense to envoke the fiery connection of forged metal?
As for the powers, the healing is obviously well chosen, the invisibility I can understand, since the phoenix is a very elusive creature, but the earth pillars seem strange to me. I would have chosen something like flight, a blinding light, immunity to fire or the power to inspire and invigorate people.
I agree - she "seems shallow"...because at this point she hasn't been fully fleshed out yet. Personally - I'm content with the character, and I'm looking forward to hearing more about her.
As I recall, the 'Egyptian' comment was in reference to the artistic styling of the Phoenix Mantle's current manifestation.
As for the origin story, it's well-done and I like it. I like the way the history of the Mantle is associated with the locale of Titan City.
However, something in me craves more than 300 years of legend and myth. Then there's the 'Spirit of Columbia' or native Algonquin/Wampanoag guardian spirits that might mix into this, or possibly something that came over with the Vinlander vikings. That could give the Mantle more depth as the simplistic 'made by witches' angle seems weak.
Also, whether 'sufficiently advanced technology' or 'magic', [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orichalcum]Orichalcum[/url] could figure in this.
As for Ms. Ross, I think her bio needs to be authored by... a soldier. At least partly, for the authenticity.
Be Well!
Fireheart
Agreed, although I would recommend a Marine. ^_^
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
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o.O Why? going by that idea, you should want her bio written by a women marine who lost her arm in battle who isn't feeling totally traumatized over it.
Drafted by ... Not necessary IMO. Reviewed and edited by ... Absolutely! My guess is that MWM will want to avoid the John Wayne Green Berets' problem of all vets viewing the created product as comedic vice serious.
For instance, have the writers figured out the incident where Anthem lost part of her arm? A hand wave of combat doesn't work because female service members are not supposed to go into frontline combat. Given that the War on Terror doesn't have safe rear areas, there are plenty of realistic answers but it does need to be one of them. Off the top of my head, mortar attack, IED attack on patrol or supply convoy, attack on supply convoy, attack on cultural engagement team (where she is the one that works/communicates with females).
What is her military occupation specialty (MOS) by the way? I suggest supply, intelligence, or communications.
I say this as a former Sailor who at least 66% of the female Marines he knew were tougher than.
See!? This is the sort of background information that a civilian would not be able to draw upon, casually. Critical decisions for defining Anthem's story. And they need to support other parts of the story, like how she would be an unarmed combat instructor at the base, when she met American Star.
Be Well!
Fireheart
There's a decent number of female instructors of whatever the Marines call the martial art they developed. That's credible.
[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Martial_Arts_Program]MCMAP[/url], sometimes called Semper Fu, unfortunately began in 2001, after American Star's death in 1998. OTOH, I'm sure there were increasing numbers of female instructors for Close Combat (or whatever other names may have been given to MCMAP's predecessors) especially since the Marines started expanding Military Occupational Specialties available to women back in the '70s.
Infantry and Artillery seem to be the only fields still not open to women Marines. Military Police seems like a good choice.
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Yeah, because MPs are held in such [i]high regard[/i] ...
/em rolls eyes
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No, because AFAIK women are still not allowed in infantry, and MPs seemed to be the next most likely field to need close combat training.
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I dont care about how sexism affects our military in the real world. In the Titans Universe, women are not restricted in their service to their country.
Anthem being a shining reminder of exactly that ideal.
Crowd Control Enthusiast
true... In this world, Supers actually Exists! :o
Every Marine a rifleman! Err... Rifleperson, I guess.
And Jaybezz, while I appreciate the thought behind your comment, Anthem being a combat arms MOS will break immersion for everyone who knows a little bit about the Marines and their physical requirements.
You do not speak for me and I am someone who knows a little MORE than a little about the Marines and their physical requirements.
Women are every bit as capable as a man. Period. The fact that the USMC hasn't accepted this doesn't mean I can't live in a fictional world where men are willing to accept that equality exists.
I will stand for feminism in every aspect of my life, gaming not excluded.
Crowd Control Enthusiast
Twenty pull-ups. I've never been able to do that many. Most male Marines can.
This will get into Touchy Topic area right quick and is absolutely unnecessary.
I don't know. By doing that, you take away from some stuff for bios. With this idea, you may as well say all diseases are cured. No one ages. No one truely dies. All things are cured and equal because supers have created cures for everything!
So now you leave it to just have and have nots, with villains wanting it all!
Nothing wrong with saying she wasn't in the tank division. Besides that it makes some things easier. Like no matter how many times I would say "Such and such is not the president in the CoH universe" (as per lore real world president was not the CoH president) people still acted as such because it made it easier on them.
Maybe what might be interesting is to say she was a first in whatever field. Though that may be considered going to far. I do like the idea of her being an officer and in intelligence myself, but that just might be because I liked Carter from Person of Interest :)
As someone who wants them to start making all requirements equal among the genders in the military and allow all genders into any MOS, does not mean there aren't many who would laugh at such a thing in fiction until it happens.
Now, if CoT was a few years into the future timeline wise, may be able to avoid that immersion problem. I think it's only a matter of a few years myself when such equality will happen.
Keep in mind that any military in our world will have to face potential super powered threats, so combat training will need to be increased accordingly. Even a mechanic on the rear lines has a higher chance of encountering Superninjaman and winding up in combat.
Technical Director
Read enough Facebook and you have to make Sanity Checks. I guess FB is the Great Old One of the interent these days... - Beamrider
As physical requirements and technology changes, my guess is that you will be right, Brand X. The time frame is unknown as are social implications.
If female service members were subject to conditions that occurred at the Hanoi Hilton or occur to female conquerees of ISIS, the reaction in the mainland U. S. Would be scary. From every side of the political divide.
I don't know about that. If we go with typical superhero mechanics as displayed in most superhero literature, USA is likely to have more supers than other countries and while other countries will have their own supers they wouldn't be enough to keep them around all the time.
Also, with some of those countries, think about it. What would that Saudi Arabian super do? Take orders from the normal human or take over control from that normal human?
Then how much has tech improved? Will the armies be Appleseed level? We don't really see that in the Marvel or DC universe do we? I don't think Tony Stark really goes about outfitting the militaries with weapons so powerful the USA could just decimate their enemies easily.
Reading the story, I guess the powers make sense given the source of them, but it would be remiss to not include some form of fire element, possibly from the forge the statue was made from or the bonfire in which it was given life.
It is indeed very well written, hat's off to Greyhawk, though I feel that perhaps the dynamic of the phoenix could potentially hold some form of Nabu-esque sentience that has its own ideals and perspective of justice, or perhaps hold an imprint of the previous users.
Given its creation and use, it could be entirely possible that one of Anthem's specific enemies could be something of a group of witch hunters, or maybe that group is a 'pro-normals, anti-powers' faction born from the ideals of said group. After all, times were scary back then; accusations didn't fly out for no reason, there was a real passion behind the hate and fear that people had when it came to things that couldn't be explained as God's doing or by knowledgeable folks.
In regards to the military thing, I will say this: I stand firm on the fact that introducing Superheroes into any setting prior to 'Right now, at this very moment' will have a HUGE impact on the way history plays out. Any female super praised by the people prior to the mid-to-late 20th century will have impacted Women's Rights in some way, be it positive or negative.
With the Paragons and the Captains of Villainy, it was two forces that balanced each other out, but that's not to say that the results of their conflicts didn't create some form of imbalance in the way the World Wars played out.It might not change history entirely, but it won't leave history untouched either.
As such, I think that due to the exploits of supers before her, there might be an entire possibility that women would have had a far more prominent role in any Military force, in addition to any other force.
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If I'm not mistaken, women in many countries other than the USA (I'm not saying all though) already have prominent roles in their military, able to serve in all aspects (at least if they meet the physical requirements I would think, though no idea if those are equal amongst the genders in other countries).
Though, Watchmen did that, and it didn't seem to much changed in the way of things.
It makes sense to me that if an author does not have first hand experience in any given field they should at least seek out information on said field. this way, no blatant mistakes happen.
women are not allowed to have combat MOS's at this time, although this attitude is slowly changing...like really slow...but it is happening. given this is a "super's" world, I don't really have an issue with women being portrayed in a combat role...although to try and keep it a lil bit real I would keep their number extremely low, especially if we start talking about some of the special units (Seals for example).
even assuming that the Titan US Military mirrors the real world...there are still tons of ways she could be in a combat zone. Military Intelligence/Black Ops comes to the forefront, but she just as easily could be a pilot whose bird was shot down...or...driving a 5 ton with supplies through hostile territory and the convoy gets hit. etc etc. the ways are there...the key is finding something that fits not only her character but the world that surrounds her.
I played with the Marines during my tenure in the service (US Navy: Hospital Corpsman: aka: Doc)...I met a few female marines who were tougher than the fellas...but percentage wise...it was tiny...not even 1%. Given the physical make up of women, on the whole, this is the reason I would keep it a relatively low occurance for the appearance of women in a combat styled MOS in the Titan Universe....but I would put em in there.
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Does Wonder Woman fighting actual Nazis count?
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It didn't seem to impact anything in the DC universe when she did, but then the DC universe (and Marvel) get a bit of retconning, as to keep up with the times a bit.
Though that makes me wonder, as I recall in a 90's episode of X-Men, how Storm found it quaint in how she was being kicked out for the color of her skin, instead of being a mutant. So, it would seem a lot of Marvel's racial issues may be lessened, but it may only be lessened depending on the writer and the planned story, as Black Panther I believe dealt with KKK, so obviously, some issues there.
That can either be consistency issues or nothing really changes just because supers are around? I do like how the bad guys in Daredevil (slight spoiler) saw the financial pluses for supers.
[I]*le sigh*[/I] Linda Carter..... errr...I mean...yeah, she counts!
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When rogue can out lift captain America, preconceived notions about physical ability break down
Yeah, Lynda Carter was pretty much BORN to play (and be!) Wonder Woman. I've seen her say so in interviews.
But yeah, [url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/cc/30/b5/cc30b5aa18030aeb5b1e4e83f62d491c.jpg]steely blue eyes[/url] and [i][url=http://media.comicbook.com/uploads1/2014/07/wonder-woman-lynda-carter-102361.jpg]that smile[/url][/i] ...
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I thought it was Diana's mother, Hippolyta, who fought the Nazis. I'm probably confused by the multiple versions and reboots and retcons.
Be Well!
Fireheart
When Magneto can pick up Wolverine [i]without even touching him[/i] so do preconceived notions about being "over the hill" ...
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Neither Rogue nor Magneto change people's preconceived notions of anything. :p They just become the exceptions to the rule.
Though for Magneto, the comic book version never felt over the hill to me. Yes. He is. But for an over the hill guy, he's pretty much Arnold Schwarzenegger, old but fit! Movie version just left him as old and ignored the whole fit part.
Not impactful to the discussion, but just FYI, in the comics, Magneto used to be old. He's been de-aged and rejuvinated about three times. Power-boosted too. Kang did it once and the High Evolutionary another. Can't remember what happened the other time.
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
Maggie is a geezer....I want to find Kang and get de-aged... *looks around*
blah...never a super villain around when ya need one.
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It should do, but doesn't. That's the thing about superhero writing, and kind of the crux of the problem when it comes to this arguement about realistic women's roles in the military, and it's the level of 'acceptence' an audience would have.
Let's take Major Sato, for instance. She's, well, a Major in the World Army of Earth 2. She's seen combat, and does so on a regular basis. She has no powers, but she's a bad ass, and that's about it. She wasn't really granted special treatment due to, or in spite of her sex. She worked her way up through the same ladder as the men do, and came out on top.
The point is this: If we are to believe that major wars, like the World Wars, would last just as long and remain almost entirely unchanged, despite the presence of people who, to some degree can be argued to be far more destructive and useful to a conflict than an Atomic Bomb, then we can also willingly believe that women have a more prominent role in the military.
As a more immediate example, we can take Lady Phipps in the original post above. If she didn't have a hand in defending against the FAWCA incursions, her only exploits would be to using her magic to free women accused of the same crime. Given that magic in that period was an unforgivable crime to God and humankind, the people would only ever see her as a criminal, or more appropriately for the time period, a monster freeing other monsters. This event alone might be seen as a huge detriment to women's rights many years down the line.
However, she went on to defend her people in a military capacity. She showed the people that magic isn't always bad, and did so while aiding soldiers against an invading force. This could have a positive effect on women's rights, as well as provided significant proof of women's capabilities to partake in front line conflicts.
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Additionally, I write up my sessions of a Teen Heroes game here.
Lets not forget that some might play this game as an escape from the real world, so we might not be limited by our reality.
I love that line. "Some might play the game to escape reality." it's often used by those who then go on to say such things as "Fighting crime in high heels and spandex doesn't make sense."
So, we should now put the flagships back into more superhero attire? :)
Well, the Media in that world treats you like a Pop Star if look good, so... its up to you. ;D
Algonquin is an artificial categorization imposed by late 19th Century scholars based on similarities in language and culture. Wabanaki and Iroquois are both "Algonquin" but that did not stop them from allying with opposing European factions in the badly mislabeled "French-Indian War".
I spent four years in the United States Army. I was a Forward Observer/Fire Support Specialist charged with planning and coordinating fire support ranging from squad level 60mm mortars to tactical nuclear weapons. I know a few things about strategy and tactics and I even know the difference between the two.
Anthem's loss of an arm in combat does not require her to have been an infantry grunt. Has everyone forgotten PFC Jessica Lynch? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Lynch) In a combat zone battles are fluid, dynamic operations that have many different layers. Many Medal of Honor recipients are cooks, mechanics, or clerks, all of which are MOS classifications open to women in today's military. Since 9/11 around 150 female service members have died in fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, thousands more have returned home after suffering battle wounds that resulted in loss of limbs, eyesight, or sanity. Anthem may have been a truck driver, convoy escort, Marine pilot, or any of dozens of other jobs. War heroes are not just infantry and artillery. Not even close. Some of the toughest, most determined soldiers I have ever met were female supply clerks and mechanics. I'd be more than happy to have one of them watching my back in a firefight.
I chose to have the Phoenix crafted by a European immigrant metallurgist rather than a Native American metallurgist for two reasons: the Native American metallurgist in 1691 would never conceive of a bird rising from ashes to live again and even if they did, most Native metallurgists concentrated on repairing firearms and making hatchet heads. They generally did not waste metal on art. I chose to have the wife of the governor be a witch and use magic to empower and awaken the Phoenix because Lady Mary Phipps was a real governor's wife who expressed real compassion for women accused of witchcraft, so much so that she herself was accused of it. The primary reason Governor Phipps lifted the prohibition on witchcraft, ended the trials, and freed the surviving prisoners was to save his wife. His decision marked an important turning point in American history, taking us away from the idea of a theocratic utopia and setting the colonies on the conceptual path that would lead to our secular Constitution.
Besides, I have always contended that the idea of "modern" surge in "metahumans" is rather silly. In a world with superpowered heroes and villains those qualities would have been present throughout human history. Divine Kings really would have had the power to manipulate the weather and bring a good harvest, evil sorcerers would have had real power to wreck havoc on battlefields, destroy crops, and create potions to cure common ailments. Such powers would not necessarily have changed human history at all. It would simply mean that all of those legendary men and woman of power would have been real instead of mythological.
Comic books are wonderful stories, but it is important to realize that many of those classic stories had a solid basis in real world science and philosophy. Many of the writers from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, based their characters on extrapolations from contemporary understanding of how the physical world worked. For example, the Incredible Hulk resulted from massive exposure to gamma radiation. Well, gamma radiation is a real phenomenon and one of the deadly side effects of exposure is hypergrowth of internal organs. It did not take much imagination to extrapolate that reality into a man whose bones and muscle experienced the same hypergrowth.
The best literature, whether in comics, in games, or in novels, starts in the real world and builds from there. That is where narrative depth and power genuinely comes from.
Last but not least, I only listed three powers granted by the Phoenix because those are the only three this particular narrative required. There is nothing preventing the Phoenix from granting a whole range of fire-based powers. I just didn't have narrative space to explore them. Not to mention the simple reality that as of this moment in time no one outside the development team actually knows what Anthem's powers will be, and they themselves might not even know yet! As a result, I struggled to keep it simple and abstract enough to prevent conflict with internal data and game lore that I do not have access to.
Oh, as an aside, Betty Johnson was a real woman. She was a "negro servant" owned by Mary Phipps (later Mary Sergeant) and given her freedom in Mary's last will and testament. As far as I could decipher from the Freedman Bank roles, Betty's husband was a Freeman named Moses and they had at least two children, one of them a daughter named Emma. The connection to the Ross family through marriage is pure imagination on my part, but I think it fits quite nicely with what little we know about Harriet E. Ross, a.k.a., Anthem. Shucks, I don't even know what the "E." stands for. It might even be that her middle name is "Emma".
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I'll see your bet of two has-been video idols and raise you a mad scientist:
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(^_^)V
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That makes sense. Thanks for the explaination, Greyhawk. :)
I appreciate the distinction of names and categories that only approximate reality, or which could be misleading, but the term 'Algonquin' is applied to the indigenous peoples of the north-east coast of the region we refer to as the United States. I meant it in only the most general sense and not as a limitation. I looked up names for the peoples of the region and used them, rather than falling even further into error.
Clearly, the Phoenix, itself, is a concept imported from the Middle-East through Europeans and so the phoenix-shaped icon would be crafted by a European artisan. The spirit that motivates the 'Phoenix Mantle' under discussion, though, could have a much less prosaic origin. A 'witch' might easily call upon a spirit of with 'place' and 'purpose' irrespective of her personal doctrine. So I suggested that this spirit might be much older and more mysterious than initially expected.
As for the 'Spirit of Columbia', it's an idea that I encountered in the writings of L. E. Modesitt. I recommend them, for the curious.
At no point did I intend to question your own erudition, experience, or authenticity, Greyhawk. Quite the contrary! I've appreciated many of your posts. I only meant to point to areas of this first-draft lore which I felt could use some development.
Be Well!
Fireheart
No offense taken. My apologies if I sounded annoyed. I was only trying to clarify. My tone is often blunt and comes across as aggressive or demanding. Too many years spent fighting flame wars in the ancient world of Usenet has tainted my prose for life.
Yes, I really am that old.
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