Riven Stoke

[Riven Stoke]

| CHARACTER | SKILLS | POSSESSIONS | PROGRESS |

Gonna need a while to complete this. Stay tuned.​

 

[Riven Stoke]

| CHARACTER |​

TALE OF THE TAPE
Full Name | Riven Antediluvian Schwarzbären Stoke von Dralinheim
Titles | None
Nicknames | Bear of the Legions (link), Kraken of Cunts (link), Hero of Portshire (link)
Demographics | Vagaran male, 34 years old
Biology | 1.96 metres (6'5"), 16 stone (224 lbs), flaxen blonde body hair and beard, faded blue eyes
Orientation | Anyone with a beating heart... who isn't an orc
Birthplace | Dralinheim, Trident Isle, Northumbria Province
Home | Bärentatze Mills, upon the River Arax, Northumbria Province
Voice Actor | Ulfric Stormcloak (link)

ON THE SURFACE
Riven's flaxen blonde hair is kept long & braided with interwoven locks running the length of his neck, while the sides of his head remain rigorously groomed and closely trimmed. This hairstyle, meant to provide an unobstructed field of view in combat, exposes his strong jawline under a light beard, and pale blue, almost grey eyes deeply set in his narrow face. Below his left eye is a deep scar running vertically from the fringe of his socket to the tip of his nostril, the result of fighting - and losing - to a group of highwaymen in the snowy Hinterlands. While the injury was suffered during his youth, it still appears fresh upon close inspection.

Riven's body is typical of a Vagaran warrior: big and broad. His frame places him on the cusp of human enormity, at more than sixteen stone in weight and a towering six and a half foot from ground. Despite his natural characteristics, his service as a soldier primarily characterizes his physical form. Months of intensive physical labour and marching have given the Vagaran a slightly more lean physique compared to the typically bulky northern Vagaran, though he still stands the width of elvenkin two abreast. Several battles against the Xet have provided a particular definition to his shoulders and arms, which have carried his sword and shield into the fray of countless insectoid assaults. But those same assaults have left permanent imprints; bite marks on his shoulder from a Runner; a slice across his left pectoral from a Praetorian Knight; scar tissue from the acidic blood of a Blaster. But Riven shares all these scars with the same pride as his more universally appealing attributes: the robust muscular development of his broad chest and tough midsection, both of which are thinly veiled under smooth golden hair.

WHAT LIES WITHIN
Riven is egotistic to the point of narcissism, extremely overconfident in all matters, and possesses a sense of fearlessness in battle less accredited to bravery than psychopathy. Despite such overbearing qualities, his self-absorption is always eclipsed, however minutely in some cases, by a staunch loyalty to family, cause, god & country - and in that order. His strength and stature may permit an inflated sense of importance, but Riven prides himself in exhibiting a behaviour contrary to the expected, always the first to share a smile or cover the first round at pub. In fact, the only moments in life where his aggression trumps all other emotion is on the field of battle, where he assumes the passion of a berserker until the last veins of his enemies have been set to flood the ground beneath his feet.

For most his life, Riven's personality could be described within the Chaotic Good alignment. There was, and still is, a need to do what is right, albeit using methods that may surpass the intestinal fortitude of more honourable soldiers. But since his experience in the Xetan Wars, and the perceived failures of the government, military and nobility, it would be more appropriate to describe his personality more towards Chaotic Neutral. Riven now follows his own heart, and his opinion of good vs evil is far more subjective. He still fights for causes which he believes are just, but his actions are now more unpredictable by design. Better to be insufferable yet unforeseeable, rather than linear and exploitable.

GENESIS
While both sides of his family come from Vagaran stock, Riven's family lines are dipped in two very different human cultures. His father, a caravaner and broker, lived in the densely populated city of Arkdün. His father's family valued their ancestry very little, likely attributed to their family's shady history with pirates, thieves and other black market traders. It was only until the birth of Riven's paternal grandfather when his family adopted more legitimate trade and shed their Vagaran surname in place of the more Aelyrianized name, Stoke. His mother, on the other hand, was a daughter from the Clan Schwarzbären (meaning Black Bear in Vagaran), who claimed to be descended from the great General Antediluvian. As his mother's small yet important village occupied a rare port on Trident Isle, and his father was willing to perform any favour for the port’s access, a marriage was arranged to cement an agreement. Indeed, Riven's very existence was not borne of love or commitment, but rather eco-political necessity.

Riven was born second son in a line of seven children. Since his elder brother was combed to assume the mantle of family head, Riven was instead to bred venture out and seek glory for the sake of the family. While he shared no objection to staying with his father and brother in Arkdün, it was by his mother and five sisters in the remote Trident Isle where he always felt truly happy and alive. Since adolescence, Riven hardly returned to the city more than a handful of times per year, with the only exceptions being the years his father prepared for war. In the year his father finally met glorious death in battle, Riven did all he could to assist his elder brother in succeeding command of the Stoke House, but has not returned to their paternal homeland since.

Tragedy struck when his brother’s ship fell prey to pirates off the coast of Kaldira. His untimely death left the joint destinies of House Stoke and Clan Schwarzbären under the leadership of Riven’s nephew, aged only eight patterns and afflicted by selective mutism. He resides with his grandmother and aunts in Dralinheim, where Riven attempts to visit him as much as possible. As the only other man, Riven is heir apparent to his brother's son as Chieftain, but in truth, the small family holdings will be governed by his aged mother, Ada Schwarzbären von Frasbourg, until her final breathe. She sits by her grandson's side as regent and de facto Chieftainess until the boy comes of age.

 

[Riven Stoke]

| SKILLS |​

COMBAT SKILLS

Sword & Shield - Master
♦♦* | ♦♦♦♦ | ♦♦♦♦♦♦ | ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ | ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Spear - Basic
♦♦ | ♦♦♦♦ | ♦♦♦♦♦♦ | ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ | ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
* first two xp points are from starting package​

SWORD MASTERY FEATS

Pommel Shockwave

Riven can strike the ground with the pommel of his sword to create a seismic blast, knocking nearby opponents back several feet. (link)​

Blade Throw

With the sword's hold inverted, so the blade is gripped and hilt held outward, Riven can throw his sword at an opponent with a "reasonable" chance of contact (link)​

​

Leaping Charge

With sword in hand, Riven can leap in the air over an extraordinary distance, quickly cutting down the space between a potential opponent still out of reach, or a ranged opponent like archers and mages (link)​

​

UNUSED MATERIAL POINTS
Blood in the Cut - 1 MP (link)
Once Upon a Time on Primeheims - 1 MP (link)
We All Float Down Here - 1 MP (link)
Total unused MP: 3

UNLOCKED ACHIEVMENTS

Caved In
Broke through the ruins in Old Prime and fell into its haunted sewers (link)

Child Killer
Gravely wounded a starving child outside Fairhaven (link)

Jorel's Three-Way
Made love to Ylva Cherhc and Straylor Leonard in the same evening -- at the same time (link)

Surviving Quicksand
Escaped a tavern, during a bar fight, while it plunged into quicksand (link)

Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway
Repelled a ratta horde in Portshire during a freezing thunderstorm (link)

Our Safety Word is Poignant
Woke up the house after slipping in Rosie's squirt, but still managed to keep inside her with his belt around her neck (link)​

 

[Riven Stoke]

| POSSESSIONS |​

WARDROBE

Every brightening - Tier 1 (Bronze) attire​

A pair of tanned breeches are wrapped around the pert curves of Riven's buttocks before descending loosely past his thighs. They're tucked into hobnailed boots, loosely laced up to his calves, and made of worn, brown leather. While years in the legions dictate his boots are polished often, extensive wear and tear has yielded a tapestry of scrapes and scratches all along the toe box. A jacket made of distressed, tawny leather is tight around his arms and chest, long enough to graze his knuckles, and worn open so his skin can feel the wind beneath his thrice-unbuttoned tunic. Even during winter months, Riven's Vagaran soul still craves the cool air over his thin, blonde chest hair.

A little fancier - Tier 2 (Sterling) attire​

Dark, fitted trousers are worn low on his waist, just along the rounding on his hips, and tailored to fall at the base of his ankle. While his footwear is still a similar pair of hobnailed legionnaire's boots, there's a certain to be meticulously cleaned and polished to a mirror shine. A brocade long jacket of crimson is usually worn unbuttoned to the sternum, exposing the top of his broad chest, with rarely any other closing underneath. Oils of juniper and cypress scent his trimmed beard and braided locks, as well as neck and wrists.

Dressed to impress - Tier 3 (Steel) attire​

Britches of jet black fit like a second layer of skin and tuck into suede jackboots. A tunic of soft cotton is worn under a surcoat of quilted leather, stained slate blue and trimmed at the seams in cloth of gold. The brass-plated buttons are shaped to resemble small bear paws, and run the length of the coat from its mandarin collar down to its knee-length hem. In a rare use of jewellery, a large signet ring is worn on his left index finger, crafted from pure silver and mounted by a polished, oval turquoise. If the situation is appropriate, a small dose of rare agarwood oil is applied to the beard and neck.

WEAPONS & ARMOUR
Note: Riven doesn't just walk around with his armour on. That's fucking weird *. None of the following items are assumed equipped unless specified in a thread.
*It's only not weird if you're @Veleraen. I get you, mate. You do you.

Primary Weapon: elven-steel long sword, steel cross guard, black leather grip and large amber for the pommel (link)
Secondary Weapon: standard-issue legionary gladius, bone grip and wooden pommel (link)

Head: barbute with visor, blue horsetail plumes mounted from the crown, typically flowing off the support-side shoulder
Shoulders: wide-angled pauldrons, moulded in the shape of two massive bear paws, with lobstered plate to the elbows
Chest: chainmail tunic extended to the thighs and elbows, fitted beneath a two-piece plate cuirass
Arms: fully jacketed gauntlets with leather gloves over the hands
Legs: tassets strapped to the cuirass to protect the thighs, and platemail greaves over boots
Back: dreadbear cape worn off the support side shoulder (see description below)
Armour is blued, high-grade Dwarven steel with brass trim. Financed by Princess Valanthia of House L'Evienne (link)

FANCY THINGS
Dreadbear Cape: body-length, flawless pelt of a dreadbear from northern Northumbia. It's fur is black as midnight, with red streaks along the bear's shoulders and back. The pelt is worn in such a way that Riven's support arm actually passes through the beast's jaw, keeping the skull tight and flush with his left shoulder. Two amber stones replace its eyes which look forward, angry and hungry, in concert with more than forty teeth inside its massive jaw. (Heirloom item)

Vagaran Bear Shield: large targe shield crafted from hard oak, with its boss and rim crafted from hard dwarvish steel. A black iron roaring bear's mouth is pinned to the shield - a challenge to his enemies but not so heavy that it'd throw off the balance. (link)

Princess Tiara of House L'Evienne: tiara bequeathed by Princess Valanthia of House L'Evienne, consisting of five diamond-set flowers with openwork folate design decorations graduating from the centre, connected with four openwork arches with foliate decorations. The wonderfully sparkling diamonds are arranged in a floral design: flowers, leaves, and vines weave through the tiara. A priceless piece of jewellery. (link)

 

[Riven Stoke]

| PROGRESS |

THOSE WHO HAVE SHAPED HIM
(still very much a WIP)​

ROSIE KYRILLOS
Character Information Repository | Member Profile: @Rosie Kyrillos
Born into a merchant family, Rosie first took to the high seas from a young age. She was disinherited after the passing of her beloved father and turned to piracy thereafter, but maintains a cool relationship with her conservative mother and brother. On account of her high cunning and seducing charm, she's amassed a healthy fleet under her admiralty. Riven first met her on a hot summer night in Jaedaxia, and they enjoyed an evening of sex and violence before never seeing each other again... or, at least, that was the plan. Instead, their one-night stand blossomed to a level of care neither of them anticipated. She warned Riven not to get too close, that she could only ever love the sea. Well, Riven didn't listen, and Rosie lied. Since that chance encounter, the duo have gone from sharing beds, to sharing adventure, to now sharing a love for one another both thought they would never feel again. They fight like cats and dogs, and neither quite believes they're good enough for the other. That doesn't change how his heart belongs to her, and hers to him. Yes, they're both crazy. Sometimes crazy good, sometimes crazy bad. At least they're crazy together.

Threads: ..... Too many to count. No, seriously. Look up Riven's posts, $100 says you find a couple active threads right now.







JADE ALANON
Character Information Repository | Member Profile: @Jade Alanon
From humble beginnings in a remote village of the Hinterlands, Jade's now lives on the Isle of Demios with her six year old daughter, Nyxira. Along with being a mother and lawyer, she's perhaps most famously known for her ability to ride drakes. However, Riven didn't know any of that when he first met her. Jade was just another lass in the pub one darkening when she challenged him to take off his shirt and steal milk from a cow (that's his story, and he's sticking with it). Ever the flirt, Riven's made a series of playful passes at her over the years, but he's just as, if not more likely to receive a punch to the chest for his troubles than actual affection. Despite their provocations, he values Jade as a dear friend, as well as a trusted ally battle.

Threads
Stoking the Flames
Fighting's in the Blood
Sifting Through the Ashes
Making Up for Lost Time
We All Float Down Here




VELERAEN, SON OF KHREYTEK
Character Information Repository | Member Profile: @Veleraen
In the history of Aelyrian warfare, there's perhaps no warrior more renowned than Ser Veleraen. At more than fifteen feet and height and covered in scars from head to toe, the Giant known as Titan of Aslan is in fact a different type of man aroung Riven, less his normal stoic self and more likely to share in his Vagaran brother's antics. They first met on campaign in the Xetan Wars, and eventually developed a bond through their faith in the Church of Aslan. Though Riven's views on the church are far less fervent, it still hasn't stopped him from learning as much as he can from the Titan. That tutelage culminated in a trip to Sonos Itself, where assisted Veleraen in ridding the heavens of an unknown plight. Despite the gravity of their previous interactions, Riven prefers to keep things casual when in the company of Aslan's faithful messenger on the material plane.

Threads
Of Rattas and Men
Because Trees Don't Fight Back
The Sacking of the City of Queens








VALANTHIA L'EVIENNE
Character Information Repository | Member Profile: @Valanthia L'Evienne
Born the bastard daughter of a human father and esh'lahier mother, Valanthia used her scholarly intellect to crawl out from the despair of Herozzal and become Imperial Consul of Arakmat, Assistant to Prince Regent Milo I, and ultimately Princess of the House L'Evienne. Riven only met her because a Jaedaxienne fling named Rosie suggested meeting her all the way in Ziel Aerca. And like a madman, he accepted. After a tumultuous meeting where mashed potato flew everywhere, Riven agreed to commit his allegiance to Valanthia in her bid for the throne in exchange for large land grants. After two seasons, however, Valanthia withdrew from her claim to the Imperial throne, and Riven's dreams of land along with it. Riven now carries the princess' royal tiara as recompense for his men's toils, but while Valanthia remains in Imperia trying to rally influence, so too does the chances of their collaboration again.

Threads
Shadow, Bring Me Down
We've Been Trying to Reach You about Your Empire's Extended Warranty
We All Float Down Here

TIMELINE

Old Site (Era XIV - Era XXV)​

Thread​	Description​	Involved Players Characters​
Wandering Ruins​	Broke into Aelyria Prime's subterranean system​	Barthelme​
Jade Legion Barracks​	Imperial Legions basic training​	None​
Train More, Bleed Less Later​	Imperial Legions advanced training​	None​
Training War Pigs​	Military Police training​	None​
Someone Say, Yes Private​	Hunting bandits in the Prime Countryside​	None​
Now the Sunrise Comes Sooner​	Reconnaissance mission against the Xet in Medonia​	Spyre Kaldres​
Belly of the Beast​	Riven & Ylva explore the village of Fairhaven​	Ylva Cherhc​
The Hive​	Destroying a Xet Hive in Arium Province​	Raid thread - multiple characters​
Fish in a Barrel​	Repelling a Xet invasion in Medonia​	Raid thread - multiple characters​
Where Giants Roam​	Pushing the Xet back into Arakmat Province​	Raid thread - multiple characters​
Where Beasts have two backs​	Fighting off frost trolls in the Great Mountains​	Ylva Cherhc​
A Beast Howls in My Veins​	Turning into druidic creatures​	Ylva Cherhc, Straylor Leonard​
With Your Shield, or Upon It​	Xetan counter assault in Arakmat Province​	None​
In the Eyes of God & Men, We Fight​	Entering Sonos to rid corruption in Aslan's Halls​	Veleraen​
A Bloody Mess​	Falling back against the Xetan onslaught​	Raid thread - multiple characters​
Vindictis Aelyrianus​	Riven calls Vagaran soldiers to leave the Legions​	None​

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