Rivtus Sthenar

General Statistics:

• Age: 27
• Height: 6'10"
• Weight: 274 lbs.
• Gender: Male (he/him)
• Race: Dragonborn
  • Subrace: Golden
• Nicknames: "Rivs", "Golden Boy"

Appearance:

Physical Description:

Rivtus, for his species, has an above-average height. His build is fit and robust, musculature developing more naturally due to his training as a soldier and guard.

His rather honest eyes are a bright golden color, situated below sizable squamous eye ridges. Two average draconic nostrils sit above his sturdy snout's generally neutral look. Two spiked crests point down from the front sides of his jaw; two pairs of larger spiked crests poke down from the back of it. His horns are not too long and curve in a relaxed arc from his head toward the air behind him.

His claws are a whitish-grey. He has five fingers, one of which is a thumb. Meanwhile, he has three toes. All of these claws do not protrude from the whole finger or toe but resemble more closely a thick, sharp fingernail. Rivtus' are not terribly sharp, having been kept in check for use in rounded gloves and boots.

As per his species, his body is covered in scales which have a pale white-gold hue. These scales tend to take the shape of an arrowhead. They are thicker in certain regions of his body, including from the tip of his snout to the small of his back, from the top of his neck to the bottom of his abdomen, from his shoulders to his elbows to the back of his hands, and from the top of his thighs to the top of his feet. These scales are more silver in color than others. Other scales are less visibly noticeable on his body, but they are still present.

His hands are scarred with various cuts due to martial training. He also has a visible scar on his right bicep from a sword's slash.

Clothing Descriptions:

Rivtus' undergarments are a rather plain dark brown cloth, kept in place by a sturdy riveted leather band. 

In terms of casual clothing, his general trousers are a light brown cloth, knotted in the center at their front, with a seam down said center. His undershirt is a plain off-white cloth whose sleeves go about as far as the center of his forearms. The undershirt has a relaxed, wide collar and neatly-tied strings hanging down from it. A rich brown tunic with a dark brown leather underside is what he wears above this, the leather sleeves poking out of both of the shoulders with gold-colored rivets. He wears a leather belt around his middle with the gold-colored clasp firmly secured there. His boots, which are a very dark brown leather, are coated on the inside with white fur. This fur pokes out the top. A cherry-wood-colored belt secures each boot. These boots rise part of the way up his thighs, but they do not get too close to his knees.

In terms of martial clothing, above a set of wheat-colored chausses and navy-blue, diamond-stitched (as in, the shape, not the material) padded chausses, Rivtus wears an old, oft-stitched, hooded red military blouse with long sleeves and triangular, ragged bottom edges. He wears a navy-blue, diamond-stitched gambeson. Its sleeves are tied to the torso piece with sturdy material. Multiple black belts with silver metal connect the gambeson's sides at its center. His armor consists of many steel pieces. A gorget hides close to his neck. His chestplate juts out slightly in the upper-center, being fluted in a diamond-like shape. Multiple plates stack across each of his shoulder to the lower part of his upper arm, held there by belts. He has a besagew between each of his arms and his chest, each besagew being inscribed with the symbol (called the Yolosseqah, or the Flame of Protection) of his clan. This symbol's colors transition from a yellow to a dark orange-red due to Rivtus' rank. Belts also hold various plates on his thighs and boots. Three plates adorn each plain, yellowish-brown boot. Diamond-shaped poleyns protect his knees. Two intricate gauntlets, finely crafted in gold, are worn on his arms. His hands are carefully covered in black leather. On one side of each gauntlet is a scene of a black dragon breathing colorful fire across an area; on the other side is a dedication to a historical event. Lastly, a regular leather belt lies below his chestplate and holds on it a sheath made of sturdy blue material; silver-white thread spells "For Valor" in Draconic on it.

Inside the sheath is Rivtus' rapier, Falos. Its hilt curls in a spiral and covers the hand in a manner similar but more restrictive than a Schiavona basket hilt. On the tip of Falos' handle is his clan's symbol, which is colored more generally like a simple flame. [TODO: description of round shield he sometimes uses]

Personality:

Rivtus is characterized most by his emotional sensitivity. While he does not abruptly slingshot from one emotion to the next, he bears his heart on his sleeve and can't help but let it leak into his features. He strives to be kind to others and brave in the face of danger, but his nerves, fears, and general reservations easily poke through any mask of valiant stoicism. He can find the resolve to hang on in situations of great duress, but he will never say that he does so fearlessly.

As a member of Clan Teravis, Rivtus inherits much from dragonborn culture. He has a strong drive toward self-improvement, constantly spurred on to bolster his abilities. However, his self-esteem is rather weak; due to the clans' perception of him and his lineage, he struggles to see himself as worthy of his clan, the life he has lived, and, most of all, his (foster) father. As such, his desire for self-improvement is motivated by a desire to be worthy, a desire for redemption. As the years have gone by, it remains difficult to keep up hope. Rivtus tries to be an optimist, but feeling as if all the eyes that watch him deem him inadequate frequently weighs him down.

The clans' perception of Rivtus has also caused him to struggle in terms of his love of clan. For his people, one's life should be devoted to improving the collective and making one's mark on it. To be constantly viewed as a parasitic blight rather than a decent member of society has shaken this cultural maxim within Rivtus. Yet it has not fallen: more than anything, Rivtus wants to redeem himself to be seen as worthy in the eyes of his father. On the other hand, he would never like to admit that his personal drive is not directed toward the clan as a whole. He lies to himself in this regard, masking the truth of his motivations.

Speaking of lying, as a dragonborn, Rivtus detests deception and considers betrayal as the cardinal sin. Being able to be held at his word is paramount: he won't make promises he doesn't think he can keep, and he will accept the consequences of his own failures. The obtainment of honor needed for redemption relies on the trust that others place in him and his deeds, so he is obligated to be truthful and earnest even to his detriment. Similarly, he frowns upon deceptive tactics and prefers to face an enemy honorably in combat should the opportunity present itself. Yet he finds it hard to assert himself and highlight his own achievements, as he feels unworthy of having significant influence over others. This inevitably makes his own goals harder to attain.

One way in which he can be provoked, however, is through insulting his father. Rivtus is not quick to anger, but the fire's kindled rather readily when his (foster) father's name is thrown into the mix. It can cause him to act with less caution and hesitation than usual, overriding his generally rational and careful perspective. It is generally hard to overturn his motivation to simply do good, but playing with his emotions can cause him to rashly falter.

Conversely, Rivtus lives by his (foster) father's maxim that one mistake is all it takes to doom someone. This not only highlights his cautious methods of approach but also his lack of ability to relax. Rivtus' constant drive toward self-improvement combined with the pressures of his clan leaves Rivtus in a spot that makes it hard for him to sit still. He struggles to enjoy the moment and the little things because so much has been and is burdening him in his life. 

In short, Rivtus is a sensitive, driven, humble individual who is aware of his mortality but nevertheless desires to make a name for himself--or, rather, to overwrite the name that was already written for him.

History:

[To Be Written Out]