Rudolph van Richten
Rudolph Van Richten (a.k.a. Rictavio)
Rudolph Van Richten's life story is a sad one. He was born in another demi-plane, a doomed place called Darkon. This land did not have an Avatar for its demi-god, so it was not nearly as depressing a place as Barovia is now. He married his childhood sweetheart, Ingrid, and the two had a son. Rudolph was at first a doctor, but once he discovered ways to leave Darkon, he took on the life of a monster hunter. He traveled across demiplanes, and even to the Material Plane, hunting beasts for coin.
At some point, Van Richten crafted a locket that he keeps on his person at all times, which has portraits of his wife on one side and his son on the other. It was magically changed by one of his many companions, and the portraits began to change and grow as his family members did. The portrait of Erasmus, originally depicting him as a red-cheeked child, grew and matured as the boy became a man.
The beginning of Van Richten's downfall was his tangle with the mage Irena, who was at the head of a criminal family, the Radanaviches. When he refused to heal one of their critically ill family members, Irena retaliated by kidnapping Van Richten's fourteen-year-old son Erasmus. He was able to rescue his son, destroy the Radanaviches' empire, and kill Irena. In her dying moments, however, she cursed him: "Live you always among monsters, and see everyone you love die beneath their claws."
When Erasmus and Van Richten returned home, they found the curse quick to take hold. One of the few surviving members of the Radanavich family had managed to find Ingrid, and had been torturing her while the Van Richten men traveled. The second they opened the door to their home, the man slit Ingrid's throat. Her portrait in Van Richten's locket went grey, and the killing wound on her neck is now forever visible on her portrait.
From that moment, Van Richten has been consumed by guilt and grief and anger. His relationship with his son grew strained, though Erasmus's bright disposition kept despair from truly overtaking their home.
A decade later, Erasmus was approached by a charismatic stranger and a beautiful woman who convinced him to come with him on an adventure of great importance. Knowing all too well what it was like to be at the mercy of monsters, it took very little for Erasmus to take up the mantle of adventurer. He followed this strange man into the mists, promising his father he would return when justice had been served. This would prove to be the last time Van Richten ever saw his son. After only a few months, Van Richten opened his locket to see his son grievously injured. The portrait was still colorful, however, suggesting that the boy was still alive.
Desperately, Van Richten searched for his son. It took him several years to find his way to Barovia, and to find Ezmeralda the Elder. She told him the tale of their band, who had tried and failed to take on the vampire Strahd. She told him, gently, that his son was dead. Refusing to believe it, he pressed her again and again for his son's location. When she insisted, he tortured her and her husband, now convinced they were hiding something from him. When even threatening their young daughter did nothing, he realized they must truly believed his son dead. He left them then, to search. He found only graves, and yet more assurances that Erasmus was dead. He came to the conclusion that Ezmeralda the Elder must have sold out the others, for she was the only survivor of the group besides the holy man, who hadn't participated in the fight.
He left Barovia for a time, and threw himself back into the monster hunting life. As time wore on, he could feel himself slowing down. He knows his work isn't done. He returned to Barovia after three decades, seeking to finally avenge his son. He knows that an upfront fight will only result in his needless death, so he is gathering information. Aided by a hat of disguise and a ring of mind shielding, he has taken the mantle of Rictavio, and is gathering information.
Van Richten's travels have taken a toll on his body. Due to several trips into places where time did not work correctly, his body is that of a 58-year-old, despite his true age being far greater than that.
Relationships
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Year of Birth
9782
81 Years old
Birthplace
@Darkon
Spouses
Ingrid Van Richten
(Wife)
Siblings
Children
Pronouns
He/Him