Human Nature

[Anaris]

This is interesting.

What makes a female character authentically female and not just a male with a female name and refered to as "she"?

Probably the same thing that makes a male character authentically male and not just a female with a male name and referred to as "he".

In general, I have always tried to play my female characters as authentically female.  Not being female myself, I don't consider myself fully qualified to judge the results; however, I have been told by people who are that they are some of the more believable females played by males that they've seen IG.  I couldn't tell you what I actually do; I just try to play them as I think they should actually be if they were real.

It seems to me, though, that a great deal of what we think of as "authentically female" is informed by our culture, which is not necessarily in existence to shape the women of BattleMaster's worlds.  In a society where women truly are considered equal to men, would they be worrying about balls and makeup, and other stereotypically feminine things?  Specifically, would the type of women who make up the quasi-military noble elite—that is, our characters—be worrying about such things?

I think that worrying too much about conforming to modern social norms for the genders, or even perceived or historic medieval social norms for the genders, is not only likely to be an exercise in frustration, it isn't even particularly relevant.

[Gloria]

Is it really? I don't think I've ever seen anyone really try to set up a religion or realm that was gender-biased, towards either male or female.

I think I once played in a FEI realm that was all female and the where the men were castrated.  If it was not in my dreams, the realm was the Highland Empire.

[Anaris]

I think I once played in a FEI realm that was all female and the where the men were castrated.  If it was not in my dreams, the realm was the Highland Empire.

They did some really odd things in there back in the day...

I wonder if Daniel (player of Sadi) would be interested in coming back...

[songqu88@gmail.com]

They had this Gymnitism religion or something where everything was naked women. There was something about badgers, and Anaris has told me that I was not original in thinking of an enmity against squirrels. There was this "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!" realm. Order of the Doughnut. I hear that the early days of Coimbra were weird, especially Doc.

[Indirik]

Gymnistism wasn't just naked women. It was naked people in general. The censored version of the wiki page was hilarious. :P

Order of the Doughnut turned into an actual religion in Yssaria: Dunkontology. Thankfully it died.

The squirrel thing was from one of the south islands. Search the wiki for Nergal,  I think.

[Bedwyr]

It was a tradition for a while in Arcaea that women were predominantly in power, with all Duchesses and mostly women on the Council for quite a while.  Jenred quietly phased that out over the years, but it was known (if not talked about a lot) when he joined.

[Gloria]

Is Arcaea now where the HE once was?  I remember Unotosa being part of it.  The first time I played a Baroness it was in Unotosa...

[Bedwyr]

Is Arcaea now where the HE once was?  I remember Unotosa being part of it.  The first time I played a Baroness it was in Unotosa...

I don't really know where the HE was.  Of course, go far enough back, and everything north of Anacan was Arcaean  ;D

[Haerthorne]

Is Arcaea now where the HE once was?  I remember Unotosa being part of it.  The first time I played a Baroness it was in Unotosa...

Its split between Arcaea and Ohnar West. Akanos was the capital if I remember correctly...

[Vellos]

The primary belligerents who destroyed HE were Lasanar and, I believe, Sartania. Maybe Arcachon as well. Arcaea was neutral. HE's old lands are mostly now controlled by Ohnar West, with some being Arcaea.