Think Conan, but with tusks and breasts

[Michael47]

I have been working on a series of short stories involving a particular protagonist. She is a female Orc in her mid-twenties and has served ten years in the War Bands in her homeland, earning high praise and recognition even though she is the fatherless child of a former fight pit slave. My heroine was raised in a forest village where she learned to swing an axe as she learned to walk. Her mother taught her to fight and later she was trained hard in the War Bands. After one brutal battle she was offered a promotion never given to one not of an honored bloodline. But instead, she chose to leave and wander the world. Now this is a High Fantasy setting, there will be humans, elves, dwarves, goblins and more. But I want to right it in the tradition of Howard's Conan. She doesn't go looking for the adventures she finds herself in but instead happens upon them, saving a life or a village here and there. She is often looked upon with suspicion and fear but doesn't let this stop her from helping those who really need it.

Can I get opinions please?

 

[Gurkhal]

Without much to go on it looks like a perfectly fine concept to me. But if this concept will carry or not lies in the execution of the stories about this character.

 

[pmmg]

Yeah, a character alone does not a story make. Any character can move a story, and this one is as good as any, but the value is not in their character bio, its in the meaningful things that happen. Similar to world building, this is kind of the smallest part of the whole. The whole is a story that includes them and moves though events and growth and obstacles overcome. Those will be the things that make it a great tale or just a player character on screen.


Going a little further, since she is an orc female warrior living in a typical fantasy world, I would think that would set her up for a lot of derision and scorn, so acceptance will not likely happen for her, and many will think they can make their lives better at her expense. She'll probably get the whole 'dog that has been kicked too much' attitude about life, and have to constantly prove herself to people that will never truly accept.

I would caution against the vibe of female character who is really just 'a man with boobs'. Everyone wants to say their character can fight, but that is not at all the most interesting detail.