Full Name: Rickon Viitala
Nickname(s): “Knight of the Curls” - “Hunter” - “Murderer” (That isn't a popular one)
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Hair: A wavy mess of dirty blonde that dances and weaves across the top of his head. He's known to keep up a regular six months trim to his hair doesn't become unruly and hinder his performance.
Skin: Fair toned, hailing from a people who dwell in the tundra, you don't tend to tan well under harsh suns.
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5'11”
Weight: 171
Place of Birth: Rickon doesn't know where he was born, however, as his parents were described as locals, he believes he was born in the city of Frigg. The most Northerly city of Aega.
Appearance:
Knight of the Curls was not a moniker that was earned without reason; even from his youth, Rickon's hair had always been rather lively. A bundled mess of dark blonde curls, that knot tightly in places, frizz and spring up in others, all which seemingly complement his features, his blue eyes, youthful face and half smile. Rickon long stopped attempting to follow any sense of grooming and gave it free reign, minus the annual the six month trim he receives.
As a warrior, Rickon is not what most would picture; He lacks in that imagined chiselled jawline, the hard stare, commanding presence and muscles that want to burst out of its armour. Rickon is lithe, fresh-faced, a cheeky stare and an easy laugh, he bares a few scares across his face from his adventures and training but none that immediately jump out – he would appear to be more the young recruit than harden soldier, however, his body speaks of a different story. Unlike his face, which has been sparred from a mauling, his body has taken the brunt of his enemies attacks, baring several scars he has several stories to speak entertain with. It is a body built for endurance, he knows he will never possess such strength to deal with the monsters which he has become so accustomed to, so he must outlast. He must be faster, quicker, he must be agile and know when to use his strength to deliver the killing blow. To survive in the most harshest of circumstances.
Occupation in the frontier force; Representative from the Order of Surma; aka, monster hunter and general monster know-it-all.
Gear of choice:
Jackets, trousers, boots and glove made largely out of leather, his jacket is under-laced with fine interlinked chain-mail, providing a needed protection, but usually, he dresses in whatever makes him comfortable with the obvious protection covering his vitals.
His weapon of choice is his silver-blade called Virgin (you'll have to ask him about the name). A two handed weapon which has served him faithfully over the years. The sword itself lacks anything noticeable or fancy, as Rickon puts it; “A sword shouldn't be gaudy, as long as it blood lets, it's a good enough blade.” And Virgin is pretty good at what she does.
Personality:
An Order of Surma hunter is – despite their expertise in hunting monsters – not always a welcome sight. Rickon learned this lesson early on in life and became more aloof as a result, weighing up the reception he receives from the other characters in his vicinity before loosening up. Too often has he taken a job from a village who were just as ready to drive him out same as the monster he had just slain. Once he eases up and feels that the people around him won't try and kill him, Rickon is a light-hearted character, he enjoys a laugh, a drink or two and the company of friends, alas, sometimes he feels this is a façade. He is a man whose experiences have aged him remarkably, he has seen some of the worst aspects of the nature of the creatures of the land, and whilst this has saw him take on a more nihilistic view on life, it has also given him some foresight and wisdom into the world, making him often the unlikely leader and source of comfort and protection. Though never made apparent, Rickon is far more serious, knowable and unfortunately, sombre person, than what he lets on.
Unfortunately, like all surviving Order of Sumra hunters. Rickon is addicted to the substance, Hiisi. Introduced into his diet as soon as it became apparent he was growing into a man, Hiisi starts life as plant that, once infused with magic, can provides moderate magical abilities, greater endurance, strength and stamina. However, the downside is that without regular consumption the mind will grow addled and a rage will slowly build until the conscious fully snaps – unless Rickon has asked you to kill him first.
Paired Character: Emric Auberon-Hamish
Connection with pared Character: Business associates of sorts; Emric is one of several providers of Hiisi to the Order of Sumra, but her batches are usually the most potent and fresh. The Order has also funded her to accompany Rickon to Laidia due to her knowledge on botany and to see if the order can find a replacement for Hiisi.
History:
Rickon has no real memory of his parents, fuzzy recollections of a doting mother and a father who argued they couldn't afford to feed another mouth, but Rickon is unable to recall names or even what they look like. At a young age he was sold to the Order of Surma; a secretive and old order of monster hunters. Some would call them heroes, others would refer to them with less enthusiastic titles. Early memories are of harsh winds that would sneak over the black walls of the secluded Seminary in the Cliffs that overlooked the Bitter Sea, the early morning training – brutally hard – the bowls of soup for breakfast with the large cuts of bread and sometimes butter, the numerous cuts and bruises and tears, the small cups of ale himself and the other children were granted at the end of each week if they had behaved, the warm fires in the coldest winter and his small room, his small bed, his pile of books he collected and his small window that overlooked the sea itself and the outline of lights in the distance from the city of Frigg he'd always look to in the night.
For how difficult the Order of Sumra drilled it's children, Rickon had escaped – at least, he assumed he escaped – a life of dire poverty and for the majority, his life within the Seminary in the Cliffs was a happy one.
From boy to man; Rickon was soon sent out into the world to prove himself, to wet his blade and return with the head of the creature of his first hunt and become a full brother of the Order. He returned to the Seminary with the head of a vampyre matriarch – with scars of his own to show for it – and thus began his tales and adventures. As a young man, he was quick to discover that he could lead an incredibly rewarding life, as the motto went; “The bigger the beast, the bigger the pay.” Vampyres, werewolves, lakelarks. Spriggans and banshees. With it came coin, ale and women; a young man drunk on the thrill of the hunt and its rewards. He grew braggart, cocksure, he would step into the monsters lair with no care, no plan, his confidence was an uneasy shield.
Rickon's illusions of the world however came to a crashing halt as he almost met his demise, not at claws of some foul creature within it's den, but at the hands of armed simple-folk. For most of his life, since he began to yearn to begin his journey into the outside world, he had held onto the idea that he would be viewed a hero, that the Order of Sumra was a name that instantly commanded respect and awe. The spearhead that sank into his thigh reminded me that the world held alternative views. That day Rickon killed his first men and came to face the reality that his order was not widely loved; in some places, he was viewed in the same light as the monsters he fought and in other places, a butcher of species committing a slow genocide.
He grew to become more contemplating, that it was not only the beasts he fought that he needed to assess, but people also. He soon knew where he was wanted, who wanted to hire him but soon wanted him to leave once he was paid, who would paid him, who would try and avoid paying him, and who would try and kill him – and several would try. These experiences helped him mature and ultimately avoid an early grave.
As consequence Rickon became one of the order's most reliable students, growing into something of a minor legend back home as his exploits grew with each creature tamed. It was why he was selected, as a representative of the Order, to accompany the expedition to Laidia.
