Ryla
Ryla
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Ryla stands confidently at a muscular five foot eight. Her relaxed posture is intermittently interrupted by fidgeting, as if she has something important to do elsewhere. Her whole aura radiates combat, violence, but not malice, not rage.
Facial Features
Ryla looks slightly annoyed, but it can easily slip into a subtle, playful grin. Her sapphire-yellow eyes, more unsettling than beautiful, sharply track movement and tend not to focus on one thing for long. Her crimson hair, chin length, falls carelessly.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Ryla was born in Hustle, the local name for the undesirable part of the city of Dusk. Located closest to Stein’s Wall, Hustle is the section of the city that receives the least amount of direct sunlight and is therefore the place where the poorest and criminal elements gather.
Ryla’s mother, Shayla, was a tavern wench at the Goat’s Whistle, a decently popular tavern in Hustle run by Tidy Jon, and kept slightly cleaner and safer than other local spots. To make some extra money Shayla would, on occasion, sell herself in addition to the strong ale and shabby food. Ryla’s father was one such customer, a passing mercenary, who had stopped into the Goat’s Whistle one dreary evening.
Shayla did her best to raise Ryla in Hustle. Children in the Hustle are seen at best as a burden and at worst something to be abused. Tidy Jon tolerated Ryla’s presence at the Goat, mostly because Shayla was his most popular employee, despite her temper, and Ryla’s unusual appearance and precocious attitude entertained the guests. When Shayla was occupied Ryla would spend time with some of the regulars, particularly Old Mick, a former city guard who lived long enough, and saved enough to retire.
When Ryla was six years old her mother was taken. Two nobles had decided to go slum it in Hustle. Late that night they arrived in the Goat’s Whistle, drunk, and shortly after they attempted to take advantage of Shayla. Ryla witnessed the ensuing struggle, a struggle that ended with both nobles being stabbed and one of them bleeding out in front of the tavern. By morning the Dusk city guard had arrived. That was the last time Ryla ever saw or heard from her mother.
While there was some sympathy for a young girl now without family, everyone had their own problems, and only Old Mick was willing to take her on. In times past Old Mick had lived as a warrior monk, studying in a far away temple enclave.His group had, at some point, caught the ire of a local warlord who had the temple, and most of its people, burned to the ground. Old Mick survived, and for a long time traveled the road of vengeance. He lived a life of hate, violence and, eventually, regret. He was in Dusk when age and exhaustion caught up with him, not knowing what else to do he took up the post of a city guard. He worked on until his regrets had him spending more time in ale than the guard post. He took what savings he had and retired.
While Old Mick meant well, it is not easy being a guardian of a feisty, strong willed, temperamental six year old. He helped Ryla where he could, shelter, some food, but his greatest contribution was teaching her how to fight and how to win those fights.
Once her mother died Ryla became more involved with the local kids, some friends, some enemies but always gangs. It was a life of violence and short lived victories, but what she learned from Old Mick had her quickly, and successfully, punching above her weight. It was only a few years before she was nearly unmatched in the streets. Ryla collected a small group of close friends she looked out for, however it wasn’t the gang life, domination and wealth she was after, just a safe space to feel at home. Unfortunately, Hustle is not really a place where you get to feel at home and just before her 16th birthday Old Mick reached the end of a life that can be lived with alcohol and regrets. Ryla decided it was time to leave Dusk. Using her skills ( fists and an aggressive sort of charisma) she found a spot protecting a traveling merchant. Ryla left the shadowy city that had been her home and on to adventure…
Education
No formal education.
Mental Trauma
Basically her whole childhood, but what can you do. Shit sucks sometimes.
Morality & Philosophy
Personal honor is extremely important. How can you live if you can’t live with yourself?
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Ryla has two main motivations: a strong desire to protect those who manage to become her friends and a relentless need to improve herself in skills and combat in order to be prepared the next time life tries to knock her down.
Likes & Dislikes
Ryla loves to boast and test her strength. She relishes a tough, fair fight, but does not like underhanded methods. While Ryla is keen to help, she won’t help people that are not trying to help themselves.
Also, likes whiskey.
Virtues & Personality perks
Ryla is honest, to a fault, and honorbound to her word. She is steadfast to her allies and is willing to put herself in danger to help them.
Vices & Personality flaws
Ryla has a very short, and very hot temper. She will definitely punch first.
Hygiene
Despite frequently looking like she just left a fight, dirt and bruises, Ryla takes care in personal hygiene when possible. Her constant travel companion has always been a bar of soap, a little indulgence she holds on to.
Born to the lowest castes in the city of Dusk, Ryla learned to make her way with her fists. Life was a constant struggle, a struggle that has made her strong.
View Character Profile
Alignment
Lawful Good
Age
28
Date of Birth
16th of Firemoot, 425 AN
Birthplace
Dusk - Hustle (undercity)
Children
Gender
Female
Eyes
Yellow
Hair
Crimson
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Light
Height
5'8"
Weight
135
Journal - October 28th, 2023
So, that crumbling ruin of a tower collapsed. What a disaster. Aren't dwarves supposed to be good at building? They could not even tell that the tower was about to fall over, roll down a hill and fall into the water? Turns out it was a bit of an amusing ride anyway, none of us got hurt... not seriously. I got Ned out and Oakley got the two of us out. Bigmann is too big to get hurt by something as trivial as a tower.
Turns out that the basement under the tower has something useful in it? A wizard or a creation... or something anyway, we are going after it.
Apparently these Duergar are not allies with the other ones, but they are still just as spinless. They sent their weakest and least experienced into the basement first, "scouts" they said, but its always the same, let the less powerful die to make sure its safe because you are a coward. I hope these Duergar try something when we finish down there, I would love to teach them a lesson.
Basement is a bit of a blender, lots of traps... creatures... we got a decent beating down there, but we will be back, nothing a nights rest and some food won't fix up. We didn't see much of anything yet though, bunch of angry statues, some grab-ass monster and of course a dead Duergar, obviously.
Journal - June 25th, 2023
I have see enough fungus to last me five lifetimes.
We left Fasturvalt to deliver a bunch of bodies to the fungus people so that they would not help the Ghoul's in attacking us down here. First, actually, we made some kind of deal with a weird Devil to not help the Akeenus in finding.... the Vecna... Wait, we had to give the Devil to the Akeenus as payment for the castle. We had to take bodies to the fungus people as payment for a spell because Oakley was sick with Mummy Rot. We took the bodies through the Grotto to the land of the Xan, the fungus people. I assumed it was just a delivery, a bribe, some political bullshit, but we ended up having to talk to the Xan's god? It was a giant fungus ball, the whole city was fungus, but this was a specific, separate, fungus ball. It was much bigger than the one that attacked us on the way there. Shouldn't the Xan not have attacked us? Is that like not part of their fungus? Some kind of fucking wild fungus? I don't know. We delivered the bodies, but then we had to answer a bunch of questions the fung-god was asking. The questions were insane, they didn't make any sense. There were, I guess, lots of names and places, a bunch of words I didn't understand, and then asked how many moons there were. Which, was dumb, as Bigmann pointed out there is one... not that you ca see it down here. Anyway, we also go to ask question, so we just learned some things:
1. The Ghoul Imperium is after a structure. Which structure? We didn't ask that.
2. The structure is a place of dormant doorways. Which structure? We ask that. But, Ned seems to think its our castle. He's a smart guy, so I would bet money he is right.
3. Fasturvalt needs to help itself out, stand on its own, if it wants to be respected. This, this is obvious. I could have told anyone that. You don't survive by running from one protector to another, you just end up a slave. Gotta stand up, ten help will come.
4. House of Akeenus is a bunch of assholes trying to squeeze the people of Fasturvalt for their own ends. Again, obvious right? I was thinking this. These guys are your usual rich parasites. In the sun or under the ground there is always greed.
5. I will be honest, I didn't really get this one. There is some bad shit coming. Below the veins, past a vault, over a sea, past a tower of damnation, near some edge or crust... something about Old Ones, or something. Bigmann distracted me by being distracted.
6. Fungus told us how to help Fasturvalt. Break the spell on the king, remove toxins that keep the beast asleep, find other allies where Akeenus is being a problem, renew the pact between the Snurfs and Elder Elementals and, my favorite, just get in there and kick the shit out of these assholes. Seriously, its the easiest, call them out and then lay them the fuck out. Done.
7. Oakley has some Druid shit he needs to do with a ghost. Ghost Lord of the bog of dreams or memories or something.
That was a trip. The Xan city was no place for me, but Oakley seemed to like it.
Oh! Ned got himself a date with Dirkcounter, I was surprised though, he panicked and backed out. Didn't see that coming. I guess he was trying to be proper or something about. For the best anyway, don't think it would have ended well. Still gonna hassle him about it though.
Tonight we drink, tomorrow we head out to help some ants or somthing, bug stuff, and maybe see a fighting arena. Maybe I can find a decent fight! Test my skills.
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