Appearance:
Name: Ada Bartholdi
Age: Looks to be in early 20's
Origin: The hearts and needs of America
Occupation: Mechanic
Character History:
The cycle of Life and Death is the only constant, the only cycle in this world that will move eternal. Empires crumble, the names of men and women erode into the dust. Even the purported Immortals who think to cheat the Pale Rider with their seeming of life know, in their heart of hearts the truth. That being that there is nothing so inevitable as ones end. Even the Gods are not immune to this, though they would love to think otherwise.
It is of Gods I would speak of today, the ones who had been with us the longest, ingrained into our hearts and mind. Odin the All-Father, Coyote the Trickster of the American Plains, Zeus the Lord of the Sky and many more. Today, I will share with you several great truths. Most notable being this.
Gods lie between two worlds. The mortal and the divine. Some may sneer, but without mortals? Gods would be nothing. Less than a nagging voice in your head, bereft of all power. This is why many Gods today either no longer exist or are greatly reduced. Entropy sets in, humanity forgets and the God is reduced to nothing and dies, consumed by the world.
However, this state is not forever. A god may die, but the world remembers. Gaia remembers her children and now and then... A God is reborn. One notable incident, occurring in the eighties. That era was a major time for the Hidden World. Lo Pan was defeated, his three Storms following in his wake. King Jareth of the Underrealm would meet his match in a young girl seeking to save her brother. Two Immortals would clash, one of many incidents to follow up to the time of this writing. But most pertinent of all to our story? The Goddess Terpsichore would have become reborn and grow into her powers.
There must always be an Odin. Or a Zeus. Or any number of such figures, connected to the world. When and where such figures appear? That is a subject that has long defied those who study such a obscure, if intriguing branch of study. Perhaps they come when most needed, the world selecting her children as the situation deems. Perhaps blood and land decides, as the Earth remembers where gods have tread. Or perhaps gods are called by Mortal Thought?
We may never know. What we do know is this for sure.
Gods are limited in their sphere of influence. Thor of the Storm for example, would be greatly reduced in the earth-lair of Hades. Second, no matter how powerful, they cannot affect free will or induce control of another. This is forever barred to them. Finally.... Gods can die, under the right circumstance and conditions. This above all, terrifies the eldest ones to some degree. Which brings us to our most disquieting truth.
Gods can cut the cord that binds them to the Planet. One such figure was Nergal, of the Babylonian Pantheon. To prevent his reducement, he made a deal with Infernal Powers and became a powerful demon.
Forever would he be barred from the cycle of rebirth, all his gifts now to one purpose... The destruction of everything.
So what does this tell us about the Gods? The pagan fixtures, children of Gaia? I myself am not entirely sure. I do know this however. A god most of all, desires to be whole. And I would be much mistaken if simply because we live in a modern era such as this, that it would be the last we see of them.
-From the desk of T.M.R. Guest lecturer at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
She had stood there for many years now, ever since her induction. An idol representing the dream of America as a whole and a lighthouse to what it could be, rather then what it is today. And when it was announced, a shop on a little corner was opened at the same time. Its owner, not 'American' as it was seen today, but rather in the form of an immigrant. A plucky, French girl who repaired pretty much anything that came her way and never turned away any who needed work. In times when 'No Irish' signs littered the many streets, she welcomed in these souls. When a madman in Germany raised his hand to conquer the known world, she along with many of her sisters worked night and day in all they could, to stop him. When Dr. King made his famous speech, she bought a bus ticket and went all the way, just to be there.
From Watergate to Grassy Knoll, she wept and a nation wept alongside her.
She was the Goddess invoked by those who kept the dream burning.
She was the ideal that her father had in mind, when he forged the statue that inspired poets and those who had lost everything to make a new life.
"I am the dream."
"I am the flame."
"I am Liberty."
And so long as these things are still held true in the hearts of my worshipers, I will never truly fade.
Ultimate Title: The Ultimate Architect.
Item of Importance: One 1886 silver eagle dollar.
Canon: Technically American Gods(Neil Gaimen)/Hidden World setting
Other Details: Ada is a goddess, called into being by the American Dream and those who have immigrated for a better life. Her place of power where she is strongest is primarily New York City, but also any great patriotic territory such as Valley Forge or the Washington Monument. This manifests in immortality of a sort. She can die via violence, but she never ages nor does she get sick. She loves art, in memory of her father and while is at home around most guns('Cause
MURICA), she believes in being a builder more. This manifests in an uncanny expertise where machines are concerned- Attributed to her when she was known as the Riveter. She speaks all languages- Freedom is a universal thing after all and when she speaks to people, it seems that she's speaking their native tongue.
Her normal appearance is her mundane form. That of a blonde, perky woman in a green mechanic jumpsuit.
When invoking her power in battle when given full access, she can summon the souls of those who had fallen in Service of America Ideals to fight on her behalf. as well as take her goddess form to strike on the field of battle.
She loves stage magic and old fashioned diners. Misses the sixties.
