Russell Tideborn (rʌsel taɪdbɔ:ŋ)

Russell Tideborn

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Mental characteristics

Personal history

6th Wintarjeń 243 5E   A Rusalka is lured into the Valley of Chernyn where she is captured and imprisoned by the Chernikin tribe.   14th Owczijenijeń 244 5E   The Rusalka gives birth to a child born to a Human father and a Rusalka mother.   15th Owczijenijeń 244 5E   The Rusalka is taken into the caves of Chernikinych and sacrificed to Cherinik.   3rd Kararjeń 250 5E   A Mastorian explorer wanders into the Valley of Chernyn and is captured by the Chernikin. The explorer is subsequently executed by the Chernikin, however, before his untimely demise his supplies are taken from him. Among these is a book called "The Last Nights of the Living" which tells tales of gory and unsolved crimes that have occurred across Vilia.   The Rusalka's child finds this book and develops a strange fascination with it, taking the time to learn how to translate it, and taking a morbid fascination in all of the stories and in how these crimes were committed. It also piques his interest in the world outside of his tribe. He keeps this book a secret from his fellow Chernikin but studies it every day.   14th Owczijenijeń 260 5E   On the day in which he came of age, the Rusalka's son was taken to engage in a ritual to Cherinik. He was taken to the shrine of Cherinik deep within the caves of Chernikinych. Here the High Priestess pierced him with the spine of a Bes and left him to commune with his God.   15th Owczijenijeń 260 5E   Whatever the Rusalka's son saw in the eyes of Cherinik and whilst under the hallucinatory effect of the Bes' spine was enough to make him leave his tribe and set out into the land beyond the Valley of Chernyn the very next day.   The Rusalka's son travelled the world, following the trail of "The Last Nights of the Living" and visiting the sites of all these grisly affairs. Along his journey, he met many travellers who mistook him for a Merman, and in time he took on the name Russell Tideborn, a name which helped him to blend in among the world's many explorers.   30th Garundarjeń 268 5E   Russell's morbid curiosity finds him in the city of Arkeluw, in the land of Lower Mastoria. While living here, his interests motivate him to take up a position at The Radana Storme Institute, an asylum for the mentally insane. He takes up a posting as an orderly and begins his career.   19th Skrabarjeń 269 5E   Russell Tideborn attends the funeral of Doctor Jelena.   20th Skrabarjeń 269 5E   During a typical breakfast shared with the patients in the Mess Hall, Russell takes morbid enjoyment from implanting messages in the mind of the patients. Whilst Ajax Wursor appeared desperately hungry, he tells him that another patient later nicknamed "the Victim" was attempting to steal his food, prompting Ajax to attack him. Russell further fuels the chaos by implanting a message in the mind of a patient he nicknames his "Holy Warrior", inspiring him to attack The Victim as well.    Russell flees when the guards arrive to suppress the violence, shirking away from any responsibility for what happened. When the Mess Hall settles down, Russell sets about his daily responsibilities as a janitor. He is brought to clean up the cell of Reko, a patient murdered in his cell.    Russell visits Ajax Wursor's cell and mocks him through the bars, using magic to probe into and influence his mind. This causes Ajax to snap and attack him, pulling him toward the bars and attempting to tear into his flesh. Russell is rescued by Lokanth Wursor and Sister Prudence, before the guards rush into the cell to detain both of the Wursor brothers.   In the aftermath of this altercation, Russell Tideborn and Sister Prudence work together to investigate the murder, discovering a tribal symbol carved in the washroom and the connection of various inmates to native tribes. They call themselves "Ebony Ops" and agree to work together.   They make their way together to the Infirmary to speak with Ajax and Lokanth Wursor and though they do not find them, they do find themselves at the scene of many more murders. Multiple patients and a guard are dead across the Infirmary.   Whilst Sister Prudence investigates the bodies, Russell shows nothing but annoyance at the mess and decides to take a time out in order to read his newspaper. He and Sister Prudence are found there by Doctor Ada and then by both an orderly, and later the guards.   They are questioned by Captain Myron and imprisoned in maximum security cells until they can be properly investigated. Russell is placed in a cell across from Lenni, however he largely ignores the man and reads his true crime book.   Doctor Ada Arztin was brought to assess Russell's mental wellbeing, and he admitted that after all his time at The Radana Storme Institute he had become desensitised to its horrors. He went on to talk about the magic he had used, and upon realising he had those abilities, Captain Myron insisted he be interred in a Wild Magic Cell.   Believing that he has found the true culprit for the crimes, and having been convinced by Doctor Ada Arztin, Russell Tideborn in released from his cell. He goes to find and speak with Sister Prudence who claims to have tried to help him get released, but he suspects that she is lying to him, and wonders why she was not also thrown in a Wild Magic Cell.    Russell then goes to the top of the chapel bell-tower and witnesses the attempted mass execution of the Zmumadian natives that were interred in The Radana Storme Institute  Sister Prudence returns to her chapel and completes her night-time routine. During this time, she prays to Dalli and hears his voice in her head. Her God praises her kindness and the way that she maintained her loyalty. She is confused about what he means by this and shaken by the encounter and so she goes to bed. In reality, the voice was not that of her God but instead that of Russell Tideborn 's magic.   21st Skrabarjeń 269 5E   Sister Prudence discovers that Russell Tideborn was himself descended from Zmumadian tribes and further suspects that he might be the killer. Meanwhile, Russell accompanies the guards to the office of Doctor Ada Arztin where an orderly has been murdered. As his body is taken away, Russell cleans up around Doctor Ada's office and the two get some time to speak.   Whilst he is distracted, Sister Prudence arrives and attempts to steal Russell's true crime book. She does so and reads through it and is shocked at its contents. She tries to return it unnoticed but is overheard by Russell who uses magic to attack her.   The two mount a chase through the psychiatric building, and confront each other in a hallway where both accuse the other of being the killer. They are interrupted by Doctor Walmdas Kluw who orders Russell to return to his duties.    At night, Russell tries to communicate with Cherinik and asks him if it would help his efforts if he were to try and commune with the Zmumadian natives. He gives no answer but a gust of wind extinguishes a candle in his room.   22nd Skrabarjeń 269 5E   The next day, Sister Prudence meets with Lokanth Wursor in the chapel and Russell along with Doctor Ada Arztin attempt to overhear their conversation. They discover that Lokanth intends to meet with Lenni in his cell, and Russell plots that he will hide in the cell block and eavesdrop on their conversation.   He takes up a position hiding in the washroom and waits until the evening when Lokanth Wursor successfully infiltrates Lenni's cell in the form of a spider. The two talk and Lenni offers to help him free his brother if he in turn helps him free his people. Russell struggles to hear all of this.   Both Russell Tideborn and Lokanth Wursor wait in their hiding places to make their move when a hooded figure enters the cell block and uses an explosive burst of magic to murder Lenni. In the confusion of the moment, Russell turns invisible and attempts to pursue the killer, however in the confusion he is bound by magic and is mistaken by the guards for being the killer.   Russell manages to slip away and bumps into an invisible Sister Prudence on his way out. The two scuffle and he rushes away from her before she is dogpiled by multiple guards confusing her for Russell. He himself makes his way to hide in another janitor's room meanwhile, and enjoys their company.   Elsewhere in The Radana Storme Institute, Doctor Walmdas Kluw and Doctor Wiliam Wosow persuade Ajax Wursor, that Russell Tideborn is complicit in multiple murders and persuade Ajax to try and kill him.   23rd Skrabarjeń 269 5E   Fearing the building pandemonium and the suspicion that is falling on him, Russell decides that his best course might be to flee The Radana Storme Institute. He attempts to recruit a patient named Dolores Simm but is shocked when after refusing him she simply opens her cell door and walks away, completely disregarded by the guards.   He returns to his room and tries to commune with Cherinik to help him decide whether to stay or go. He envisions the valley where he was born, the cave at the center of his village, and within that cave, the visage of Cherinik with his crimson eyes. Seeing this image, Russell understands that he still has unfinished work to do.   When Russell makes his way outside, he is confronted by Ajax Wursor who runs to attack him. Russell uses the advantage of his range to attack him with magic and then retreats up the side of the penitentiary with the Lycan Erlking hot on his trail.    Eventually he gets the advantage and Ajax Wursor is forced to flee from him, retreating to the ground where he is confronted by a crazed band of guards lead by the mad Paladin Sir Bellinor. He defends himself as best he can, and his brother rushes to help him but both are overwhelmed and knocked unconscious. Russell enters the mind of Sir Bellinor and persuades him that he is the voice of Solenoir, and calls upon him to do what needs to be done. Sir Bellinor carves out Ajax Wursor's heart.   With this last victory, Russell attempts to flee the grounds of The Radana Storme Institute. He is nearly caught by The Groundskeeper but he manages to avoid him and makes his way to the river where he swims for freedom.   Rumours   Russell manages to evade capture by the Konstat and disappears into the wilderness where his fate remains unknown, though rumours spread that he has found himself in control of a mysterious cult of worshippers devoted to a strange native deity.