Rivariin
A foundling, they call it, when a child is abandoned and taken in by others. Some say that Rivariin was found, still an egg, in the forest. Others say that he was an infant when he was found. The stories told by the druids of Llyreth Forest vary and are typically exaggerated or embellished, but still always ring with truth at its core. The druids were mostly humans, elves, and half-elves and he was the only one of his kind and, to their knowledge, there were no dragonborn settlements anywhere near. They raised Rivariin and taught him their ways, but even as a youth he knew that his path would be a bit different.
One day a traveler moved through the forest. It was not unusual to have travelers pass through, of course, and the druids would simply watch and see that they would do no harm. This one knew the forest naturally, but this one was also dragonborn with green scaled skin. But he was not druid or ranger, but something else. Upon meeting him Rivariin felt an affinity beyond race, but of purpose. He introduced himself to the druid’s order as Talshond, paladin and follower of the Oath of the Ancients.
Rivariin still remembers the first story that Talshond told him of the Oath of the Ancients:
"None shall pass. The heart of the forest is forbidden to you, traveler."
A knight in armor that once gleamed enamel-white stood atop a hill in the midst of the trackless woods. The knight’s armor was covered in moss and lichen, like a century-old birch, and their helmet bore a magnificent rack of antlers. The helmet had two tapered eyes, and a slender, V-shaped slit that gave the helmet the appearance of a barn owl. A green cloak with a faded pattern of oak leaves sat heavily upon the knight’s shoulders as they gazed down.
A traveler in the forest looked up at the knight, squinting past rays of sunlight that filtered through the trees around the impassive warden. The traveler spoke, lowering the hood of her cloak as she did so. "I fear that I must pass, knight. I beg you not to try and stop me."
Something in her tone took the knight aback. Appraising the traveler with a mixture of interest and suspicion, the knight inclined their head and allowed their helmet to fall into their hands. Beneath the helmet was the smooth face and short-cropped hair of an elf. "I have been the warden of this wood since I was old enough to carry a spear," said the knight. "As did my parents, and their parents, ever since both the trees and my bloodline were first blessed by Ildross. Tell me: why should I now, after untold centuries of stewardship, allow a human to enter?"
The traveler looked at the knight, and the knight saw a spark of magic flare within her silver eyes. "I have foreseen death spilling forth from the heart of your forest, knight." Her lips tapered into a quizzical frown. "Have you not felt it?"
The knight stared at the flash of silver in the traveler’s eyes. "I am a warrior and a protector, not a seer."
"Then I would not pass into the forest’s heart alone," said the traveler. "Come with me. If you are a protector, then protect your home from within." The knight smiled, and drew their spear and shield from their back. "If you have sight beyond mine, then lead the way. You need not fear while I am at your side."
After hearing the story, he knew his calling. He traveled with Talshond for years and he taught him the way of the Oath of the Ancient. In his travels he has only ever met a handful of other members of the order. Talshond would travel the isles, going to different portals that led to the Feywild. He would enter and it would be Rivariin's responsibility to wait outside for his return. Time doesn't always act the same in the Feywild as it does in the regular world and sometimes Rivariin would camp out outside of the portals waiting for Talshond for days. Sometimes weeks. Sometimes months. Most recently, he has been gone for over a year. Rivariin waits outside of the portal, this one connected to a Moonwell, pools of sacred water that have a connection to the fey and the land and even the gods themselves. Moonwells are usually protected by druids and this one is no exception.
Species
Ethnicity
Year of Birth
256 DR
32 Years old
Children
Pronouns
He/Him
Gender
Male
Eyes
Pale Blue
Hair
Bald
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Silver
Height
6'9"
Weight
269 lbs
Belief/Deity
Emone, the Knower
Aligned Organization
