Rudolph van Richten

The Legend that Lives

Doctor Rudolph van Richten

Dr. Rudolph Van Richten is the greatest monster hunter that has ever lived and the most well-known hero of the Lands of the Mists.

He was born in Rivalis in Darkon in 671 BC. He took medicine at the University of Il Aluk, completing his four or five year program of study in 693 BC. This humble man was spurred into a life of monster hunting when his son Erasmus van Richten was kidnapped by the Radanavich clan and sold to Baron Metus. Metus turned Erasmus into a vampire groom and Van Richten was forced to slay his son. In revenge, Metus killed Rudolph's wife, Ingrid van Richten. Van Richten eventually slew Metus, and then, with the help of Azalin, the entire Radanavich tribe. Until his disappearance in 751 BC, he resided in Mordentshire, where he ran an herbalist shop, as well as wrote several of his famous Van Richten's Guides, and mentored The Weathermay-Foxgrove Twins, who regarded him as an uncle and took up his work

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Van Richten is not as young as he once was. If anything, this has emphasized his more notable traits. Once upon a time, he was young and strong and agile--able to fight monsters directly and come out on top. But now he's old. His body can't keep up with his old way of fighting, so he's had to adapt. He focuses more on magic now, but mostly focuses on killing things without having to actually fight them.
In a straight fight, he’s more likely to let the other heroes handle the front lines. They're young enough to handle it, after all, which could be where you use his support-caster loadout.
As to his personality, he’s not a generic crotchety old man. He’s a really old monster hunter...master of his trade and too old to put up with any shenanigans from other adventurers. He's mellowed out somewhat since he got started, but he’s still quite determined to see the end of any monsters he can.
His age is a balancing factor that should keep him from turning into the star of the campaign. While Van Richten’s personality and aura is boarder on the mythic, he has worked with countless groups of adventurers and heroes...it would be easy for him to steal the spotlight from any number of heroes.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Early Life

In 678 BC when Rudolph wasseven years of age, his sister Maria Van Richten was born. While he was still a youth himself, Rudolph was a caring brother for much of his first year with Maria. But in 679 BC Rudolph Van Richten was sent to boarding school in Nartok. First meeting his childhood friend is Eldrenn Van Dorn during his years in Nartok.

In 680 BC Casimir (not to be confused with Harkon Lukas’ son or the Dusk Elf Kasimir) starts working at Richten Haus as the gate keeper and is quickly made a warden of the house. While van Richten himself would not interact with Casimir outside of his time at home outside of his semesters, it is clear Rudolph thought highly of him. Three years would pass until one fateful summer day in 683 BC the servants of Richten Haus are all killed while the family is away one day. After this event Rudolph would spend much less time at home and much more in his medical pursuits. This drive to understand all he could on a medical level led to his meeting of Robert Tatenna in 685 BC, a fellow student at boarding school. The Friendship would last several years until in 688 BC when The Crimson Death spread across Darkon in the winter months; it claims Van Richten’s great aunt Helga, despite his efforts; Rudolph is even more driven into his medical studies and further away from friends and family.

Scholarly Pursuits

Rudolphs time in the boarding schools of Darkon would end in 689 BC. When Rudolph Van Richten would attends the University of Il Aluk. While there, he meets a fellow student, Dr. Harmon Ruscheider. Dr. Harmon and Rudolph together would further the studies of Necrology and Lichdom, and Harmon's work would be sourced in van Richtens later books. Two years later in 691 BC Rudolph Van Richten would marry his childhood sweetheart, Ingrid, with Harmon serving as the best man. The wedding was quickly consumated and a year later in 692 BC, Rudolph and Ingrid Van Richten's son Erasmus is born. Desiring more of a home life, Dr. Rudolph Van Richten finishes his studies; opens his practice back home in Rivalis and moves his family there in late 693 BC. This did not stop his pursuits of knowledge as before the year ended, Dr. Van Richten would travel to Lamordia, hears of the Loud Man of Lamordia. A ghost that inhabited Leidenheim Lake in Lamordia.
In 696 BC - Dr. Van Richten meets Antonin Madren and becomes his mentor for a time. teaching him much of what he knows but eventually seperating due to a medical case calling him elsewhere in Darkon. When Dr. Van Richten would return his friend Antonin would be gone, and it would be many years before they met again.

The Van Richten Curse

A decade later Dr. Van Richten would be called away for another medical emergency when Madame Radanavich of the Radanavich Clan of Vistani delivered her son to Dr. van Richten. Lady Radanavich would explain that a string of events that began with a botched plot to provide a bride for the Darkonese vampire Baron Metus. Madame Radavich's trusted tarokka deck had revealed the potential for a rich reward should such a prize be delivered. As such, the Radanavich clan planned to kidnap the daughter of another baron. However, the kidnapping was botched, resulting in the dire and unexpected injury of Madame Radanavich's son Radovan. Said injury left him on death's door. Van Richten who had swore an oath of service attempted to heal the boy.
However, the wounds proved too great for van Richten to treat, and Radovan perished. Madame Radanavich blamed van Richten for his death, even going so far as to accuse him of deliberately sabotaging Radovan's recovery. With the threat of a Vistani curse put upon his head, Dr. van Richten implored the Radanaviches to take anything they wished, just to leave him be. They did just that, suffering the wrath of the Radanavich clan; the Vistani steal his son Erasmus; they sell Erasmus to Baron Metus, a vampire from Richemulot; with the help of an amused Azalin Rex, who was going under the name Firan Zal’Honan, Van Richten wipes out all but one member of the Radanavich caravan; Madame Radanavich curses Van Richten, although he doesn’t realize it until the end of his career.

 

The Legend is Born

Van Richten then puts his Erasmus, now a vampire, out of his misery, but in spite Baron Metus tears Ingrid van Richten to pieces; Dr. Van Richten destroys Baron Metus, starting his career of hunting evil. Unable to live with the memories in Richten Haus, Van Richten moves to Corvia, abandoning the Richten Haus, leaving it to later turn into the Bleak House. The Next Year in 707 BC Dr. Van Richten would start researches into vampires, and meet Aimon Davidovitch, a fellow scholar of the arcane. Aimon would become the first ally Van Richten would have in his career as a Monster Hunter. The following decades would set motion a sequence of events that truly elevated his monster hunting knowledge. These events began in 710 BC when Dr. Van Richten encountered his first werebeast near Varithne, a small village in northern Darkon. Dr. Van Richten starts hunting werebeasts as well afterwards. A year later during a hunt for a shapeshifting creature known as a Methuselah, Dr. Van Richten would meet Gedlan Ironheart, a fearless dwarven innkeeper in Corvia. Gedlan becomes a frequent hunting companion. Upon slaying the creature the pair would find a sliver of amber inside of it's mouth. This sliver becoming a fascination of van Richten for many years. During their travels, Van Richten, Aimon and, Geldan would meet the mage Shauten in 712 BC; they bond when they are attacked by one of Azalin's patrols. Shauten opens Van Richten's eyes to the existence of the Lich.
In 713 BC, Dr. Van Richten and his associates are visited by the dying Dr. Ruscheider, who tells Rudolph all he can about several months spent as a lich's captive; Dr. Van Richten, after hearing the horrors of the nature of Lichdom, and finally getting a lead on the amber artifact he recovered two years ago, starts hunting liches. After three successful hunts, Dr. Van Richten receives a visit from his childhood friend, Eldrenn Van Dorn, who is now a ghostly slave to Azalin; Dr. Van Richten learns the terrible truth about Azalin Rex. Later Van Richten would speculate in his memoirs that this may be the first instance of what he calls "The Van Richten Curse" The Following year Dr. Van Richten and his associates moves to Mordentshire, sensing it is politically unsafe for him to remain in Darkon due to his knowledge of Azalin Rex; The Lich King. It is here in Mordentshire that Dr. Van Richten first meets George Weathermay and Arametrius, who would become the newest members of his Monster Hunting Guild.

Four Years of monster hunting would pass and in 718 BC, Dr. Van Richten and Shauten battle a creature they believe to be a priestly lich; it is actually Van Richten's first ancient dead. While van Richten would not realize this for many more years, this encounter became a focal point in his investigation into the amber shard. Dr. Van Richten soon after battled the Bog Monster of Hroth, and meets Jameld, a primeir monster hunter in Sithicus. This is also Van Richten's first visit to both Kartakass and Sithicus. Dr. Van Richten would later note that Jameld was quite cold, and very uncaring hoping he would never end up in such a sorry state. Almost a Decade following his departure of Darkon, In 726 BC The evil spirit of Madame Radanavich and her undead retinue discover Richten Haus and claim it for their own. Fully transforming it into a pocket domain of dread known as "The Bleak House"
In 726 BC, Dr. Van Richten would visit Sanguinia with George Weathermay and Arametrius; they meet Claudia DeShanes; Claudia becomes Rudolph’s assistant, and it seems he had certain unspoken feelings for her. But as fate would have it only a year later in 727 BC, Merilee Markuza, the Child Vampire, kills Claudia. Van Richten pursues the creature relentlessly, but ultimatly loses her in Lamordia.
A year into his hunt for the Vampire Child, Van Richten witnesses the Thundering Carriage; Van Richten decides he must put an end to these ghostly horrors, too. And begins hunting spirits, such as ghosts, shades and poltergeists.
In late 728 BC, Dr. Van Richten along with a group of adventurers and his assosiates would later combat defeat the Phantom Army. A collection of ghosts formerly part of the Kargat. This would put Revenants , Spectres, Shades and Phantoms on Rudolphs Radar.
And later the next year they would find proof that a fiend named Elsepeth has entered Ravenloft via transposition in a small village outside Stangengrad, near the Grashen Falls. Unfortunatly, while following up on this lead Gedlan Ironheart killed while battling evil spirits in the year 730 BC.
Unbeknowst to Van Richten and company, two years later in 732 BC, Elsepeth leaves Borca, having lurked there for years. Elsepeth the fiend's whereabouts would remain a mystery to van Richten, and halted his investigation into the amber shard for many years.

Van Richten's Guide

In the fall months of 732 BC, Antonin Madren writes to Van Richten about the death of Madren’s sister and says that when his current pursuits conclude, he would much enjoy to visit his old friend "One Final Time". Much to his word, Antonin apprears on Van Richten's doorstep two years later in 734 BC, and gives the good doctor his notes; Dr. Van Richten starts hunting the Created due to what he reads Antonin's writings. Much of his adventuring would temporarily pause the following year. As In 735 BC, Dr. Van Richten is forced to kill his old friend Shauten in self-defense, when Shauten tries to sacrifice Rudolph in a bid for lichdom. This "near-miss" may have inspired Van Richten to start recording his collected knowledge for heroes to come. Thus kickstarting his "Van Richtens Guide" Series Dr. Van Richten would then publish the Van Richten's Guide to Vampires later that year followed with Van Richten's Guide to Ghosts a few months later in 736 BC
In 737 BC, Dr. Van Richten would also be alerted of The Vistana Cyrilla's niece Vassa who was kidnapped near Corvia but before Dr. Van Richten can act, Vassa returns as a clay golem; Cyrilla writes to Dr. Van Richten with great remorse, starting a long and friendly correspondance between the two. Disheartened by this failure Dr. Van Richten loses himself in writing and publishes the Van Richten's Guide to the Lich aswell as another book in 738 BC, Van Richten's Guide to Werebeasts. A year later, a mad scientist named Emil Bollenbach engineers the kidnapping of Dr. Rudolph van Richten to the end of seizing his brain for transplantation into a super-golem. fortunately, a group of several of Van Richten's friends, lead by George Weathermay and a young Vistania name Ezmerelda intercede to thwart Dr. Bollenbach. Ezmerelda upon rescuing Rudolph van Richten expressed her remorse of what happened to his son, revealing herself to be the sole survivor of the Vistani encampment he slaughtered she eventually becoming van Richten's student in monster hunting though at the time unaware of his involvment in her peoples killing.

Master and Apprentice

Later the following year Dr. Van Richten an Ezmerelda, along with the adventuring band known as the Hand hunt and destroy the Gibbering Golem. After his experiences with creations such as golems and other consturcts,  Dr. Rudolph van Richten publishes Van Richten's Guide to the Created In late 739 BC. This act earns him considerable ire from an associate named Agatha Clairmont, whom sees it as an instruction manual to building dread golems just much as it is hunting them. Despite similar protests from Agatha Dr. Van Richten would publish the Van Richten's Guide to the Ancient Dead in early spring of 740 BC. Sometime after the publishing of his guide to the Ancient Dead, Dr. Van Richten inherits the library of his friendAimon Davidovitch who at this point has died of natural causes. Dr. Van Richten starts studying his tomes and makes the startling connection that the "First Vampire, a Vampire named Strahd von Zarovich has a network of spies amongst the vistani. This revelation sews mass distrust between Dr. Van Richten and Ezmerelda.  In the year 741 BC, Dr. Rudolph van Richten, Davvyd, Samuel and Dr. Ottelie Farringer battle the fiend Drigor, beliving it to be Elsepeth, The group is quickly outmatched and only Dr. van Richten survives the experience. Dr. Van Richten returns and publishes the Van Richten's Guide to Fiends following his harrowing experience. On an unrelated hunt followiing the publishing of his last book, Van Richten stumbles into the clutches of the nameless Amnizu and the nameless Barbazu infesting Chateaufaux. He is captured. However, he manages to join with some adventurers to route the devils from the town.
Afterwards Dr. Van Ricthen is confronted by Ezmerelda who is angered that he went to fight the fiend without her, after a hefty argument the truth of Dr. Van Richtens involvement comes out, and the two seperate while some of the friendship can still hope to be salvaged at a later time. Distraught by this and unbeknost to Rudolph, Ezmerelda mutters a Vistani Curse under her breath, unintentionally cursing the doctor once more.
Following his capture, Dr. Van Richten grows quite depressed due to the death of so many friends and family over the years; he consults with the diviner, Inarin Alster; Rudolph realizes he had been laboring under a curse all these years; Dr. Van Richten spends a year with Arturi Radanavich studying the Vistani and the nature of his curse. And discovers the Tome of Strahd, confirming what he had learned of a Vistani spy network earlier that year. Upon reading mention of the Amber Temple, Rudolph van Richten silently packs his bags and ventures forth into the mist. No longer feeling safe amongst the Vistani he travels to Barovia. Alone.

The Curse of Strahd

Dr. van Richten then set his sights upon the destruction of Strahd. By now having adopted the identity of Rictavio, van Richten eventually encountered Yan, an exiled Vistani. Once Yan discovered van Richten's intentions to go to Barovia and seek out the Vistani there, Yan tried to make off with Rictavio's Wagon along with Piccolo. Van Richten caught him and killed the thief, removed his head, and preserved it with special magic oils to be used with speak with dead later on. Rictavio came to Barovia in the guise of Rictavio and set up shop at a then abandoned tower formerly belonging to the wizard Khazan. Dr. van Richten made Khazan's old tower his own for a time, before moving on to Vallaki and setting up shop there. In the meantime, Ezmerelda heard rumors about her former mentor's travel to Barovia to take out Strahd, and she traveled to Barovia to find van Richten, eventually setting up shop in his old tower.
About a month prior to the start of the Suzuki Conquest in Barovia,  "Rictavio" came to Vallaki. There he met and purchased a doll of a Vistani from Gadof Blinsky. Noting the toymaker's loneliness and despair, van Richten left his pet monkey, Piccolo with Blinsky for company. Dr. van Richten has stayed at the Blue Water Inn and received generous treatment from the charitable Urwin Martikov.. Dr. van Richten keeps his wagon (and his sabre-toothed tiger) inside the Arasek Stockyards, bribing off its owners to prevent any details from leaking out. Eventually when the Suzuki Clan arrived in Vallaki and accidentally instigated the riots of Vallaki, Dr. van Richten used this oppritunity to attempt to escape the city and interrogate the Vistani encampment outside, the chaos of the situation caused his Tiger to go berserk and slaughter the Vistani wholesale, causing van Richten to be forced to flee.

Dr van Richten would later meet Ezmerelda, and the adventurers at the remains of Khazan's tower, where he would decide to follow them for time. Deciding that the fued between them is less important then Strahd's destruction, Dr. van Richten agrees to an alliance. This alliance later lead to his reunion with a now "Reborn" George Weathermay, who had come to Barovia after intentionally giving himself amnesia, with the intent to circumvent his curse and aid van Richten in killing Strahd. Dr. Van Richten also helped the adventurers delve into the Amber Temple, where he uncovered the nature of the amber artifacts that he has been researching for so long. Horrified at the revelation that a lich of greater power then Azalin intends to rewrite history using their power. Van Richten swears they will stop this Vecna before he can. Dr. Van Richten and the adventurers would later kill the fragment of Vecna, seemingly foiling it's plans.

Later Dr. van Richten would (EPILOGUE ENTRY)

 After his adventures in Barovia, In 753BC Van richten would scribe his final book Van Richten's Guide to the Vistani as a way to express his regrets to Ezmerelda and subsequently retires.

Death and the End

In the year 755 BC Rudolph van Richten would later venture back to Darkon to where he enjoyed a happy childhood. The House now was abandoned after he struck out against a Vistani caravan that took his son years prior, and the caravan was killed by van Richten with the assistance of undead lent to him by Azalin. The Vistani caravan returned as ghosts who wandered the Mists, eventually coming across the home of van Richten. The tribe's raunie, Madame Radanavich, chose to inhabit the place and became its darklord, and over the years prepared to lure back van Richten for a final showdown. With the aid of adventurers, van Richten was able to defeat (but not destroy) Radanavich. He chose to stay behind at Richten Haus, in order to keep her spirit contained. Dr. Rudolph Van Richten later dies in this Bleak House in the fight against Madame Radanavich. However, all that is known to most, including the Weathermay-Foxgrove Twins and Ezmerelda is that he disappeared. As far as the masses are aware the Legend of Dr. Rudolph Van Richten Lives on....

GLOBAL ARTICLE ANNOUNCEMENTS BLOCK (SIDEBAR TOP)

"It is my sincere wish that any soul who comes into possession of this booklet may employ the dearly-bought wisdom herein to strike at the heart of monstrous villainy wherever it arises. Make no mistake: it is a bloody business, and not for the faint of heart. Often, it is those of us familiar with tragedy who can best pierce the darkness. We hunt monsters so the innocent don’t have to. For more than three decades now, I have undertaken to investigate and expose creatures of darkness to the purifying light of truth and knowledge.

Van Richten's intro of each of his guide books

"Today I am a man who has simply lived too long. The fight against creatures of darkness is a difficult, and often painful one! But it is a good fight, and one that must be fought. Destroying everything seems like the best option."

Van Richten on himself

Species

Human

Age

86

Date of Birth

671 BC

Date of Death

751 BC (Speculated)

Birthplace

The Richter Haus, Darkon

Place of Death

The Bleak House

Sex

Male

Gender

Man

Presentation

Masculine

Eyes

Dark Brown, Squinty eyes covered by gold rimmed glacier glasses

Hair

Thinning grey hair

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Pale Wrinkled Skin

Height

6'2

Weight

145 lbs

“Hero” I am named in some circles; “sage” and “master hunter” I am called in others."

Exerpt from Van Richten's Memoirs

I also send an apology, one this may be my last chance to make. There are a thousand time I'd wished I'd been better, when I should've spoken not from the past but my heart. I'm sorry I wasn't more patient or how often your wit or bravery dazzled me - and still do. Ez, Laurie, Gennifer, George, Alanik, Arthur, you're all I have left of family. I haven't said it enough, but I love you all like my own. For what its worth, I consider you all van Richtens now. My name is yours to use as you please - I pray it brings you more joy than it did me. But whatever name you use, I know you'll use it as a candle to ward off the darkness. Always,
Doctor Rudolph van Richten

Dr. Van Richten's Last will and Testament