A fearsome individual and one of the most famous of the first half of the 19th century upon Esshar, Ryker pyr Docro is a legendary figure to those who hold the former city of Achyon in good repute. A chaotic man in life, and now the Emissary of the Forgotten Son, the Primordial Achlys, Ryker remains a figure of note even now.
A Kitsune Beastkin with short, pink hair, Ryker stood at adulthood at 5’9’’. Lithe in body, he was often dressed in the height of Barsburgian fashion - typically suits with a vest over a plainer shirt - and a boina hat - which for quite some time was considered a mark of belong to the Family. During his days of drug use, Ryker commonly appeared with bloodshot eyes. In his youth, he was said to be rather gangly, though his proportions evened out in adulthood.
Personality
Perhaps the best descriptor of Ryker’s personality was ‘chaotic’. A man prone to vices - addicted both drugs and alcohol intermittently during life - Ryker appeared to many to be disgustingly smug when dealt with. Prone to paranoia during his years on Sylavanum, Ryker covered much of this with a striking degree of confidence, well supported by impressive combat skills. An enjoyer of entertainment above all else, Ryker commonly thought outside the box when sober, and had a certain flair for showmanship, which expressed itself in particularly cruel ways on occasion. A loud man prone to boasts, Ryker was an excellent example of the deviance of the Family, yet his mind was valued enough by the more loyalist elements of Achyon that he went largely unchallenged, though that may well have also been fear of the Family. Despite his chaotic attitude, Ryker believed that family above all was important.
Relationships
Matryona pyr Aertas
Matryona pyr Aertas was Ryker’s only wife - despite the claims of one particular woman - and undoubtedly the love of his life. A relationship started on strange grounds - Ryker wanting to challenge the woman over her racism towards beastkin, as well as anger Bruno pyr Aertas by courting his sister - the two enjoyed an intense and loving relationship, marrying in 1806 AC and having two children, Xenia and Alexei. Following her murder, Ryker’s instability increased significantly, sources closest to him saying he grieved her deeply.
Bruno pyr Aertas
In Ryker’s younger years he enjoyed a tense rivalry for Bruno pyr Aertas. Following the Kitsune’s marriage to Matryona pyr Aertas the two became friendlier, though tension always persisted. This exploded when Bruno murdered his sister, and Ryker declared vengeance, hunting the Aertas until he ultimately slew him in 1827 AC. It is considered likely that Ryker never hated anyone as much as Bruno following his wife’s murder.
Children
Alexei took more after Matryona than Ryker, at least in his younger years. In his adulthood years, the firstborn began to follow in his father's footsteps, doing things for sport and entertainment. Ryker provided much advice to the younger Alexei to help shape him into the man he became, eventually becoming immortal through Vampirism.
Xenia was a near spitting image of Ryker, and so many confused the two of them. She was the one person in the world who, to him, could never do any wrong. Unfortunately it all came to an end when Ryker made the choice to follow through on his age old motto: That he always did what he said, and she lost her life to Archmagi Amori during the battle of Silverwall in 1828.
Abilities
Disintegration Magic
Ryker followed in the footsteps of his grandfather - Walter pyr Docro - by mastering explosion magic to the point that it ceased to be a matter of explosions and began to become destructive manipulation of atoms. Pursuing this power to its natural apex, rumours in Achyon towards the end of his activity on Eternia suggested Ryker could turn someone to dust with a mere look - and indeed did so on occasion ‘for a laugh’ when an individual had insulted him.
Swordsmanship
Ryker was an exemplary swordsman, capable of going toe-to-toe with some of the great masters of the time, including Aelrin Alcast. A capable warrior who used his lithe form to his advantage, Ryker’s style of swordsmanship was often part flashy exhibitionism. On the rare occasions he was angry enough to drop this showmanship, however, Ryker showed himself as an exceptionally brutal and agile fighter.
Alchemy
A master alchemist, Ryker was regarded as something of a genius in the field, though it was never one of his greatest passions. Becoming a master relatively early in his life, Ryker was well known as one of the few individuals with both access to the recipe and the ability to synthesise the highly addictive drug known as Sylavanum. Additionally, following several expeditions to recover the method, Ryker became the first individual in the 19th century known to have successfully brewed a Youth Potion.
Riftmancy
A master of the art, few exceeded Ryker’s ability with riftmancy. Developing the ability in his youth, Ryker pushed his skill with Riftmancy to its limits. At his peak, he could use rift collisions to generate massive explosions that tore at the lifestream, and on one occasion rifted an entire Achyonian army from Achyon to Osrona in a devastating surprise attack, a feat few could replicate. Said to know how to rift into an alternate dimension known as the ‘Worldscape’, Ryker was theorised to be so capable with riftmancy as a result of the empowerment of Achlys, the Primordial to whom he had sold his soul.
History
Youth 1787-1805 AC
Ryker at age 13.
Ryker was born in the Capital of the Empire of Barsburg in 1787 AC. As a youth, he attended a prestigious private academy before being sent to Achyon alongside his siblings to be raised and mentored by his uncle, Luca pyr Docro, Don of the Family. He excelled in the city, winning a tournament that earned him the rank of Corporal in Achyon’s Hand, the local military branch led by Commander Neoni.
In his youth, Ryker was a combative individual, known for fighting figures who later became notable figures in Essharan history, including Orodyn and Varceal Vartuul and the future Archmagi of Osrona, Amori. Ryker was a noted example of Achyonian aggression, known to have maimed the Moxtli woman Shining Sparkle in order to send a message to the Tribes, as well as killing the guardian of the Temple of Eos during a skirmish between Osrona and Achyon.
At some point during his youth, he discovered a love of Sylavanum use, which he became addicted to off-and-on for the rest of his life. Prone to explosions of anger, controversial artificer Bruno pyr Aertas installed a physical emotional inhibitor in the Kitsune to reduce the amount of anger he could express, with the code word ‘for Matryona’ being able to deactivate the inhibitor temporarily. Finally, at some point in his youth he was robbed by Murtock Reave, who claimed to be his cousin. Ryker swore vengeance.
Young Adulthood 1805-1817 AC
Ryker in young adulthood.
And vengeance he had; catching Murtock in his young adulthood, Ryker beat the Sirenian to the point he lost an eye, sources claiming that he stated he would ‘go to jail for animal cruelty, because (he) was going to beat Murtock like a bitch’. Indeed, Ryker made a habit of beating several people in such fashion, serving as an active combatant against the Moxtli Tribes and Osrona during the wars between them and Achyon.
Ryker and Matryona dance at their wedding.
It was during this time that Ryker made some of the most significant choices in his life. During the expedition to find Achlys, forgotten son of the Primordial Aschea, it is said that Ryker traded his soul for power, as well as returning with the others with a part of Achlys’ essence, an ingredient required for Project ADAM. He also in this time period married Matryona pyr Aertas, cementing a familial link between the Docro and Aertas families.
His own memoirs suggest that Ryker was the alchemist who brewed the magibane that sealed Mercedes pyr Docro’s fate at the hands of Luca pyr Docro after it was discovered the former was plotting against the latter. Sources close to him say that Ryker never truly came to terms with his actions in this regard. Following the death of Murtock Reave, Ryker attended his funeral, going so far as to start a brawl by assaulting Lannis Grimmore.
Adulthood 1817-1827 AC
Ryker as an adult.
As the years passed and Ryker entered full adulthood, he remained as active as ever. Hunting a Riftmancer by the name of Soma, Ryker obtained the man’s journal, which greeted him as he and the riftmancer he had been hunting were the same person. A battle with Duniya Vartuul, widow of Orodyn, ultimately left him with an occultic curse that pushed him to cheat death. From this developed a grand ambition - one eventually achieved. Ryker was a key figure in Luca pyr Docro’s attempt to obtain Balmung from the Fireblooded - while the effort would not succeed, Ryker was responsible for the death of Kuro Hintze as a result of this.
In his quest to continue his mastery of riftmancy, Ryker is believed to have travelled to the Worldscape accidentally, obtaining a master in one of the residents of the realm. In a stint of sobriety, the burgeoning riftmancy developed the theoretical concept of rift collision - explosions as the result of slamming two rifts together. His chance to test this came soon enough; following Aelrin Alcast’s capture at the hands of Marcel Delisle, Ryker killed the Champion of Eos in a test of his theory. The explosion was intense, and it is said that a Teraphim present at the test as part of an Osrona strike team seeking to rescue the Champion experienced a momentary psychotic break as a result of the act, solidifying its depravity.
In this time, Ryker also served as a feared enforcer for Achyon, responsible for the execution of several traitors to the Empire, included noted journalist Ayla Mao.
Commander of Achyon - 1827-1835 AC
Ryker as Commander of Achyon
His later adulthood was a tumultuous time for Ryker. Facing increasing instability mentally - including an occasion in which it is said he attempted to murder his own daughter - Ryker’s worst experience yet came with the murder of his wife, Matryona pyr Aertas, at the hands of her brother, Bruno pyr Aertas. While the relationship between the two men had always been tense, this event spilled it into full on homicidal rage on Ryker’s part. Seizing the title of Commander of Achyon - and going so far as to disband the Iron Council for a time - Ryker led the city to greater heights than it had experience in decades. In this rough time frame, Ryker also ventured with a group into the sunken ruins of Alabastre, retrieving the required material to complete a recipe for a potion of youth, a long-time ambition.
His drive to kill Bruno fueled Ryker more than anything; one of his best known military acts was motivated by a desire to hurt his ex-brother in law. Hearing of plans to cleanse Bruno’s daughter - Isana pyr Aertas - of occultic magic in Osrona, in 1827 AC Ryker launched a surprise attack on Osrona by transporting the Achyonian army through rifts purely to capture his niece. By happenstance, Bruno himself had attended the event to attempt to rescue him, and Ryker channelled the power of Achlys himself to murder Bruno and claim his soul for the Primordial, an act which was said to have scorched the Commander to the point of near death. Shortly after this, Ryker reinstituted the Iron Council; reports suggest that with the completion of his singular goal, the Commander grew bored with the administration of the city.
Even so - and to the displeasure of the more Barsburgian-loyalist faction of the Council led by the Synthetics Lucy and Severin - Ryker opened Achyon to the newly rising population of Vampires. Reports from the Imperial Compliance Authority of Barsburg suggest that around this time, the aforementioned Synthetics considered attempting to have the Commander assassinated, considering him a significant threat to the compliance of Achyon with Imperial ideology. Ultimately, however, this became unnecessary. On an expedition with the Vampires to meet Achlys, Ryker renegotiated the contract of his soul, becoming the Primordial’s emissary in exchange for immortality. He returned to Achyon for a short period following this to organise his affairs, then ultimately ascended around 1836 AC to join the Primordial in his realm, foiling the attempt of Alois Loire to claim his soul for the Dark Lord by simply rifting him away. Since then, he is believed to reside alongside Achlys, the Forgotten Son in the latter’s realm.
Relics
Insatiable: This weapon was crafted in 1802AC by Bruno pyr Aertas and further refined by him in 1806AC. The blade is made of Nyeshk, its durability reinforced by folding the metal upon itself a number of times despite its tough material using a unique process kept secret by its engineer. Along the length of the blade's surface an elaborate circuitry made of Arcanium can be seen, each and every single line melded into the dark metal remaining no wider than human hair. The circuitry gathers in a single spot down at the weapon's hilt, linking it to a fragment of Achlys: The Forgotten Son. The crystal, hidden deep under a mass of Arcanium, feeds upon nearby mana hungrily that is received from two distinct sources.
The main source of its needs is provided by whoever holds the blade. The intricate golden and red hilt bears a design only those who have faced the Blind Goddess' Guardian would recognize. Though once a magnificent weapon shrouded in light and winds drawn forth by one's channeled energy the artifact has been repurposed to feed the wielder's mana into the hungry crystal, bringing back two siblings in a unique family reunion. The second source of mana comes from a sigil depicting the crest of the Aertas family on the blade's side. Underneath its Arcanium surface a spiritcatching stone is hidden, kept safe and linked to the hungry crystal. Circuitry also spreads from the crest all the way to the tip of the blade. Runes along the side of those thin circuits allow mana to travel in one direction only, eviscerating mana and drawing it towards the spiritual prison that remains hidden. This provides a second form of feeding the hungry fragment should a spirit be captured within the unique stone. Upon grasping the hilt, one will find Achlys' reluctance to remain near humanity, sending its mana along the length of the Nyeshk blade and concentrating any outburst of energy that may have been wide into a sharp, devastating weapon. This forceful union between the hilt's radiant light and the fragment's deep darkness gives the arcanium circuitry a multi-colored glow when used in battle.
Sisyphus: From the recesses of anger and unbridled will, this armor provides one singular fact: you should never cross a man who has once treaded death.
Made from an incredibly fine-crafted Arcanium by the hands of the late Achyonian Commander Matryona pyr Docro, this chestplate provides an incredible girth of skills.
Expertly painted runes are methodically and purposefully scattered all over the armor like little dots. From afar, it looks nigh invisible, yet a closer inspection provides one with insight on runic circuits that seem to allow mana to flow like it were one's own mana circuits. Along with such, those acquainted with the art may notice Riftmancy runes that are also present among the brambles of other glyphs.
By the top of its breasts, two humming cores whirr with an otherworldly sound. Peering inside, one would catch a glimpse of an inky void, as if it were a window into the Worldscape itself. It flickers with an unerring tenacity of flames, with an odd source of essence that seems to pitter out from each core if one were perceptive enough.
On the right shoulder, an oversized pad seems to protect that side of the body. However, at the merest whims of the wearer, an inferno can immediately combust to life, veering scorching flames that flicker and burn with an unbridled might.
Built only for those willing to stake everything for success, this armor piece is a signification of only the most perverse of risktakers to don it. A reminder that behind each leap of faith is a dream or goal that the leaper yearns to achieve, no matter what it may be. Perfected by the Master Artificer Amelia Locke pyr Aertas in the year 1828AC
