After a long and grueling day at work, I have returned to wonderful stuff. Before I toddle off to the IC, however, I'm going to post what I have as far as character relationships go. I'll start off with the things Acrolith and I came up with via PM so everyone can take a gander.
Riven and Taula-One thing I did want to mention, Acrolith, is the Koralias have a history of being prejudiced against non-humans and people from other kingdoms. They are extremely patriotic, though they have toned it down over the last few generations. Galene was more than willing to embrace the idea of treating other races as equals. This probably had something to do with her not actually being a part of the Koralia bloodline. When she met Taula, as you mentioned in our PM conversation, Galene was impressed by how down-to-earth and capable the drungr was. Apart from that communal bathing incident, the Second Lady Protector of Altranor and the Master of the Hunt got along quite well. During her many visits to Castle Altranor, Riven was told to put aside her familial prejudice and give Taula a chance to prove her abilities. The first sparring session Riven had with Taula is probably all it took. Overall, Taula has shown Riven it might be in her best interests to keep an open mind.
-Estengauks pass on their history orally.
-When Taula first met Riven's mother and decided she was one of the few halfway sensible women in Altranor she invited Galene to bath with
her, as communal bathing was as benign a social activity as she could think of. This led to a tremendous misunderstanding and is perhaps the only time she saw the late lady Koralia flustered.
-Taula is a distant cousin to the Koen of Estengauk, a dubious honor that saw her offered as Thahlin to the late great Erasmus VI
-Taula doesn't precisely know how old she is. Estengauks don't celebrate name days like other cultures. Instead they treat being able to open your eyes again after bedding down a small victory.
-You've actually seen her fall asleep with someone in a headlock
-Even she doesn't like your cooking
-Taula has made it a habit of intimidating your would-be suitors, your still not sure whether or not she does so intentionally.
-Her nationality is Estengauk. Her race is Drungr
-Whenever she's in a house she prefers to sleep on the floor. Years of bedding down in the woods have made the yielding nature of a mattress utterly alien and uncomfortable to her.
-She gets you the same thing every name day. A wheel of smoked cheese.
-Riven once made the mistake of trying some of Taula's mystical mushrooms and had a very, very bad trip.
-Taula is one of the few members of the royal court who knows Riven's most carefully guarded secret. She's never actually laid with a man before. Riven has no children, which means when she dies there will be nobody waiting to assume the mantle of Royal Protector. Her uncle, Argon Petrides, is too old to take on this burden and Agathon and Galene didn't have any other children. The Koralia bloodline could potentially end with Riven. This thought keeps her awake at night sometimes, though she cannot pinpoint why she's so reluctant to be intimate with someone.
-Riven loves lace. It's just a fact. To maintain her persona of "The Smiling Death," Riven doesn't wear anything frilly or effeminate when in public
unless she has to. In truth, she owns enough Tyrian lace to drown a small army and enjoys the finer things in life.
-The Lady Protector has a wide assortment of nicknames, both complimentary and otherwise, for everyone in her life. For instance, she refers to Taula as "Aunt Taula" or "my own personal pain in the ass" depending on her mood.
-Strangely, the breath of Castle Altranor’s dogs always reeks of smoked cheese whenever Riven's name day rolls around. Whether or not Taula notices this bizarre occurrence is up to you.
-Taula is also one of the only members of court Riven has personally invited to Redstone Village, her family's meager holdings in the swamps of southern Altranor. Undoubtedly, this visit was probably filled with arguments about the best way to enhance the settlement's defenses as well as suggestions regarding the maintenance of the Iron Keep, a sizable castle looming just to the north of Redstone Village. Riven’s uncle was quite taken by Taula and occasionally sends her embarrassingly awful love letters.
-Riven did have feelings for the late King Erasmus the Indomitable. Obviously, she wasn't planning to act on them considering her loyalty to both her liege lord and his wife. I'm not sure if she'd tell Taula something like this, just like I'm fairly certain she wouldn't tell her about still being a virgin, though the Master of the Hunt seems intelligent. She'd be able to recognize the signs.
-During a night of drunken revelry, Riven snuck into Taula's personal quarters in Castle Altranor and poured a watered down vial of Goblin's Kiss into the sleeping woman’s mouth. Of course, Taula immediately woke up, itching like a madwoman, and probably throttled the inebriated Royal Protector.
-Speaking of throttling, I can definitely picture Riven and Taula sparring with each other in the castle courtyard whenever they both have the time. While Taula would probably get the better of the Lady Protector more often than not, Riven always comes away from these sessions feeling like she learned something.
*Riven would be absolutely mortified if Taula ever found out she wrote poetry. Especially because most of her work is almost unreadable.
Taula's Words of Wisdom
-Go for the groin. Later recycled in regards to how best to woo a man.
-She often remarks on Riven's comparatively weak build. Even going so far as to once hand her a sword she could barely swing. When Riven pointed out it was too heavy Taula simply stated "Grow stronger."
-By now she's given up on the above, mostly because the 'smiling death' has made a name for herself just fine with a highly acrobatic style that focuses on dual wielding ((Don't even get her started on that 'nonsense'!)) Now if Riven comes up short when they spare it's because she's 'holding back.'
-Taula's a biter. It's a miracle Riven still has all her fingers.
-It's difficult to tell as of late if all this training is really starting to pay off or if Taula's just not as spry as she used to be.
Riven and Nykerius-Considering Riven's feelings about mages, a mix of trepidation and jealousy, I don't think she'd go to Nykerius for guidance unless she was trying to make a potion or figure out how to deal with a mystically gifted opponent. Or unless she had nobody else to turn to. I can't see her being his pupil because Nykerius wouldn't have as much to offer her as someone like Taula would. Obviously, the court wizard has plenty to offer but Riven's can be shortsighted at times and doesn't see it. What she sees is this well-dressed, intelligent, and incredibly polite mage and it makes her feel uncomfortable. Riven curses like an Altranorian sailor on a daily basis. Not in court, obviously, but you get the idea. On the other hand, she also respects people who are good at what they do to a certain extent. And Nykerius is definitely good at what he does. I think Riven does respect him and wouldn't mind sharing a drink or two with him at a tavern somewhere. Part of Riven is fascinated by magic and how it works because nobody in her family has ever had the gift. As far as the father figure thing goes...maybe. I could definitely see Nykerius' calm and controlled demeanor being potent enough to calm Riven down when she gets irritated. It's funny in a way because Riven becomes intensely focused during combat while Nykerius is like that almost all the time. Hell, an interesting scene to write could be Riven coming to Nykerius to talk about death. I can't imagine her discussing something like that with Taula. She'd be too afraid of what the Master of the Hunt might say to her. On the other hand, Nykerius could provide counsel and help while keeping whatever judgments he makes to himself. Hell, maybe she comes to him for advice once in a blue moon because he does remind her of the few dim memories she has of her father.
-Oh and Riven would never see King Erasmus as her client. He's her charge and probably the most important person in her life. Man, this RP is going to be rough on her...
Riven and Lin'Lise-Firstly, think of Corvo Attano in 'Dishonored.' He is specifically tasked to guard his nation's leader, though he does enjoy spending time with her family as well. The Royal Protector is essentially the same thing. Riven's duty is to King Erasmus and nobody else yet she spends a great deal of time with his wife and children. This is one of the reasons she didn't try to talk to the late king about her feelings for him. The queen was a friend of hers, and a scandal like this would create one hell of a rift between them. Not to mention the scandal. For the most part, however, a cadre of royal bodyguards watches over the king's family as an added layer of protection. They also take over the Royal Protector's duties when Riven is a way. A perfect example is Riven's trip to Tyr to form an alliance with Warlord Virtanen. The royal bodyguards watched over the royal family while the king waited for one of his closest friends to convince the Tyrian people to join him against the island of Soven.
-Alright, we've established that Riven and Lin'Lise have exchanged chymistry ideas. Maybe they even help each other look for reagents occasionally. The Lady Protector is still trying to grasp the basics while Lin'Lise can create magical potions. Riven can reliably make concoctions out of mundane items like leaves, certain powders, and so on. I can definitely see Riven going to visit Lin'Lise, or more likely Nykerius, to try brewing more powerful concoctions, though I doubt these sessions end well. For either party. While Riven would never invite this non-human creature to her home in the Taladar Swamps, I think she'd at least be cordial to Lin'Lise. After all, the Court Healer is skilled, respected, and treats everyone with kindness. What's not to like? The only issue is Galene, Riven's mother, never vouched for Lin'Lise like she did for Taula. Riven is waiting for Lin'Lise to show that she's worth befriending. Again, Lin'Lise probably doesn't give a flying rat's ass about what some human woman thinks. Considering the direction this RP is probably going to go, however, I wouldn't be surprised if the two of them bonded somewhat.
-Out of curiosity, how does Lin'Lise feel about smoked cheese?
Riven and Sir-Riven is a dog person! While Taula might not indulge Sir, Riven definitely takes care of him in that department. Belly rubs, scratching him behind the ears, and feeding him far more table scraps than she should are all part and parcel with how she interacts with him. I think Galene, Riven's mother, wasn't overly fond of Sir and probably viewed him as a pest. That could be part of the reason why Riven took to him. Besides, if Taula likes him then he can't be all bad. I can definitely see the two of them having their difficult moments, however. Riven likes her alone time and, while Sir would normally be a welcome addition, she could get testy if the anan follows her around too much. Especially if it's immediately after her name day celebration because smoked cheese breath is nasty. Anyways, I'd also expect Sir could keep up with Riven pretty well, though I'm not sure how stealthy he can be. I can picture Sir and Riven racing each other around the courtyard of the castle for fun and exercise. If you think of anything else, Nemaisare, let me know.
Riven and Roderick-I have to tell you, Chromane, I think Riven and Roderick would get along quite well at times. I also think there are moments when Riven would like nothing more than to beat the crap out of him. The feeling is probably mutual. They are both impulsive and loyal to those they consider friends. They've both been on roaring rampages of revenge to avenge those they've lost. Roderick lost Calen and Riven lost her mother. I wouldn't be surprised if they've both gotten drunk together before at some point since they both have a bit of wild streak. I think Roderick would be one of the few mages Riven thinks of as a person first and a mage second. Unless he's being mysterious. Riven doesn't have time for that nonsense and would probably start yelling at him to get his head out of his ass.
-You mentioned Roderick acting as a forward scout in wild areas. While Riven is powerful and capable, I don't think she'd try to tangle with a mage by herself unless she had no other choice. Perhaps they fought together? One of the battles where Riven made her name was called Lord Decimus' Folly. Basically, a rogue Altranorian mage, Lord Claudio Decimus, his servants, and a sizable contingent of mercenaries tried to conquer a chunk of Altranor for themselves. Maybe Roderick helped Riven and the Altranorian Army in this conflict? Nothing like bonding over the broken remains of your enemies. While Riven would more than likely go to Nykerius for instruction in brewing potions, I think she'd go to Roderick to get drunk or just talk. If you have any thoughts let me know.
I know this was a lot, everyone, but I wanted to type this all out so I could have it in one place. Feel free to PM me or comment on it here since that is what the OOC thread is for. I'm going to read the IC really quick, though I probably won't post until later on this week.
