#riobhan: character talk

[voidkraken]

nothing specific but I wanna hear about Ríobhan, i am a huge fan of nobility drama

send me questions for my dnd characters

Sooriginally this was just going to be about Ríobhan’s position in the court butthen I started thinking about its family and how drow society works and it gota bit away from me. So for a bit of background drow society is stillmatriarchal, and irs government based on a mix of Gaelic Irish clan tanistry, Englishfeudalism and theocracy. So with that completely useless information…

Ríobhan’s grandmother, Ailbhe (of) Brádaigh, was a minor noble of Clann Faolcháin; her wealth and political power waslimited, her land was technically property of the clan chief, and her lineagewasn’t important enough to make her a candidate for chiefship of the clan. Herhusband, Máedóc, was also a minor noble and they had fourchildren: Brónach, Cearbhall,Doireann and Neasa. Unfortunately, during her pregnancy with Neasa, Ailbhebecame sick and passed away a few months after her birth.

As fathers do not have rights to children indrow society, Máedóc’s four children and the land previously owned by Ailbhepassed to her sister, while Máedóc himself returned to his family. Through hismilitary service Máedóc was able to gain enough influence to marry Rathnait(of) Loingsigh, a high noble of Clann Tíghearnaigh. Máedóc was able to use thisnew leverage to obtain an education for the children of his previous marriage atthe royal academy; while this wouldn’t grant them any land or inheritance, itwould gain them influence and potential places in the Queen’s Court.

Brónach shared many of her classeswith Medb (of) Dhuibhinse, whowould later in her life become tanist to the high queen, and then high queenherself. While originally shunned as too low-class to interact with the otherstudents, by the time they were in their mid-teens Brónach was one of Medb’sclosest friends and favoured cronies. Brónach’s rising station boosted that ofher siblings, and after their various formal educations finished Brónach,Doireann and Neasa were able to join the elite branch of the Royal Guard,eventually taking their place next to Queen Mebh as her personal bodyguards andadvisors. The trio were known as the Morrígan.

As a man,Cearbhall was limited in occupations that he could take in the queen’s court.He worked as a messenger for some years, before Medb took an interest in him(both professionally and personally) and used her leverage to get him aposition in the royal spy force. When Medb became queen, he was promoted to herpersonal assassin.

Fast forwardhowever many years-

Aoife Gallagherwas a human sorceress with a god complex, a hunger for power, and a ratherunsavoury family. Using an illusion to appear as a drow she visited the queen’scourt posing as a noble from a border clan in order to steal an UNDECIDEDOBJECT OF GREAT POWER. While there she and Cearbhall had a thing. Her plot waseventually uncovered, but she still managed to escape with her prize. Cearbhallwas sent after her, but returned a year later unable to find her and with ahalf-drow child - Ríobhan.

These eventsdrove a wedge between Cearbhall and Medb – and consequently Cearbhall and hissisters – for a few years until they were able to reconcile. During this timeCearbhall was frequently sent on jobs away from the royal capital and Ríobhan wascared for by staff mothers and its aunts.

Eventuallythe rift between Medb and Cearbhall closed and Cearbhall was able to return tothe capital. Ríobhan grew up with a strange mishmash of family between itsblood relatives, court royals and castle staff.  Cearbhall was the relative it was closest to –a strange occurrence in drow society – and Medb herself treated it like her ownchild, despite its mischievous – at times even malevolent – behaviour and itsbackground.

As Ríobhanhas no mother to inherit from, it was officially adopted by its aunt Brónach.As a half-drow it still cannot inherit land or any titles, but the adoptiongave it enough social standing to attend the royal academy – albeit, in theback row, under strict rules to be quiet at all times – and have a seat in thequeen’s court. It is generally disliked by other academy students and membersof the court, both for its personality and its heritage, and there are a numberof rumours around where it came from – including that it is Medb’s child with ahuman man.

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One guest of the court a few years back, in an argument with queen mebh, referred to cearbhall as her "loyal dog" - an insult that cearbhall was not bothered by in the least bit which mebh did not take kindly to. Said guest was found dead a week later, sitting on her sept 'throne', with a crown of raven feathers on her head. Of course, while cearbhall is mebh's personal assassin asking him to commit the assassination himself would have just resulted in him telling her she was overreacting and kissing her until she dropped it (he had much more potential political power than he will ever give himself credit for) so riobhan was called in instead. While not the first criminal act riobhan had performed on mebh's behalf, it was its first murder

[voidkraken]

a brief summary of what all your dnd chars do to relax/pass time?

Andy

Andy likes to weave baskets and nets! They’re something thats easy to do by feel alone and her dad was a fisherman so he taught her how to make them. She also likes tending to her hair when she’s got the time for it, and just sitting in silence listening to nature.

Hero

Hero likes reading cheesy fantasy romance novels and sewing. Also discovering new things! but that’s not very good for relaxing new things tend to get her pretty worked up. also bubble baths. she loves a good, fragrant bubble bath.

Hester

Hester likes recording their adventures in journals, so they do a lot of writing and illustrating in their spare time. They also just like talking, spinning tall tales and learning about the locals of wherever they’re staying at, or about cool places/animals/folklore in the surrounding area.

Voyage

Voyage also keeps illustrated journals, but her’s are more medical-based, looking at the biology and anatomy of various beasts and monsters her employees manage to bring back. The more she knows the more money she can make afterall. She’s, surprisingly, not into reading for the sake of reading, but she loves listening to and playing music.

Riobhan

Riobhan. Hmm. Riobhans likes reading and watching plays and other theatrical peformances. It likes practicing its knife and slight of hand skills, embroidery and shining its leather. And it loves horse riding.

Gorgon

Gorgon doesn’t like to give herself time to relax. Every moment spent relaxing is a moment she should be getting closer to finding her daughter, but she sometimes doesn’t have a choice. She likes whittling, gives her something to do with her mind and hands, and drinking, practicing her... monk moves, talking if people are around, fighting if nothing else is available or the company is shit.

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Also cause drawing is hard but I like showing riobhan of this is what it wears

But with like an embroidered leather vest + jacket/coat during combat

[voidkraken]

multiples of six!

Thank you! This is a bit long so under a cut

6. What are they like in motion–in differentenvironments, and in different activities? What causes the differences betweenthese?

Riobhan moves with a comfortable, relaxed confidence – not quitea swagger, but definitely something close. Riobhan almost never feelsuncomfortable or unwelcome, a side effect of growing up parallel to bothroyalty and crooks. That said, Rioban is a talented actor, assassin and thiefand as a result they are good at knowing how and when to blend in, taking onappropriate behaviours or otherwise fading into the shadows. Riobhan’smovements are graceful but not always smooth – Riobhan is exceptionally thinand bony and their natural movements can take on a jerky quality. When pickpocketingor sneaking, however, their movements are smooth and subtle.

12. How are they bodily expressive? How do theyuse nonverbal cues such as their posture, stance, eyes, eyebrows, mouths, andhands?

Riobhan covers their eyes (and, consequently, eyebrows, browand upper nose) most of the time when they’re away from home, so they relyheavily on body posturing and their mouth for expressions. They express withthe entirety of their body, and it’s generally a good idea to give them a good berthwhile talking so they don’t stab you with an elbow or knee. Their hands are anexception to this – Riobhan is a pickpocket and a cheat and they’re verycareful about when and how they draw attention to or away from their hands

18. What kind of person could they become in thefuture? What are some developmental paths that they could take, (best, worst,most likely?) what would cause them to come to pass, and what consequencesmight they have? What paths would you especially like to see, and why?

I know what path I have planned for them and that I want todiscuss with any dm I use them with, but I suppose a few ways of derailing themfrom that include:

- finding someone (beside their father) who they actuallylove and care about and could actually… improve, or at least change, who they are as a person

- for some reason remaining loyal to their queen. A largepart of Riobhan’s end game involves them becoming more interested in their ownpower so pretty much anything that changes that changes the end game

- beating them. If Riobhan dies or doesn’t achieve the powernecessary for their end game then it has to change

24. How do they present themselves socially?What distinguishes their “persona” from their “true self”, and what causes thatdifference?

Riobhan puts on whatever front they need to achieve whatthey want. Usually this involves a polite smooth-talker, though sometimes itrequires someone more innocent or down-to-earth. Their true self is much morecrass and conniving and holds other people in a much lesser regard than theirpersona suggests.

30. What is their preferred level of activityand stimulation? How do they cope if they get either too little or too much?

Riobhan needs a lot of physical and mental stimulation. Theyhave adhd and need to be doing something at all times or they get frustratedand annoyed. What “doing something” involves can range from fiddling with a fewcoins to racing through the streets to quietly plotting a new assassination.

36. How much do they rely on their minds andintellect, versus other approaches like relying on instinct, intuition, faithand spirituality, or emotions? What is their opinion on this?

I think, overall, they rely more on their intellect, but itdoes tend to be fairly evenly shared. When planning ahead Riobhan likes to dotheir research and consider the possibilities and options open to them, but inthe heat of the moment – whether that moment be a battle of swords or wits –they fall back on their instincts, albeit instincts informed by knowledge andexperience.

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one question for your dnd characters, they see a begger woman in the streets, she is obviously cold and hungry, what do they do?

Riobhan would walk straight past her without a care 90% of the time. If it’s in a good mood it might toss her a coin or two, or if it’s eating something it might toss her the scraps. But usually it wouldn’t concern itself with her.

Hester always carries cash on them to give to beggars. If they’ve got spare furs, blankets or food they might pass them to her, or possibly offer to buy her a meal, maybe talk to her about what gods she prays to. Hester likes to help, but being an adventurer who spends most of their life on the road, they have less resources with which to help others.

[voidkraken]

Riobhan belongs to one of if not the most influential families in the current drow court and it's got a lot of nobles pissed off

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every 10th ask for riobhan !!

These are short and badly written im sorry

10. Is your characterstreet-smart, book-smart, intelligent, intellectual, slow-witted?

Riobhan is both street-smart and book-smart – it spent halfof its childhood in lessons aimed at noble’s children, and the other half freeto explore and get into trouble as it pleased. But it was not a worldlyeducation. Riobhan knows how to navigate all layers of drow society and knowstheir history better than most historians, but its education never extendedoutside its own society. It is a fast learner, if stubborn and at timesintentionally ignorant,  however, so itdoesn’t take long for it to adjust to new places and experiences.

20. What were themost deeply impressive political or social, national or international, eventsthat they experienced?

I mean I guess this is up for mags to decide since this istheir world so I can’t really say what happened in its history. I’m sure they’veseen some pretty gnarly political murders and fights though, just followingaround its dad and aunts.

30. Are they holdingon to something in the past? Can he or she forgive?

Riobhan tends to be pretty bad at holding grudges. It doesn’tforgive per se, so much as forgets why it was angry in the first place. Onething it can never forgive however is its mothers actions in betraying itsqueen and father, and her abandonment of it.

40. How is theirsense of humor? Do they have one?

Its humour is weird and gross and dark and largely full ofpuns. Mostly it likes laughing at other people’s misfortune.

50. What are theprevailing facial expressions? Sour? Cheerful? Dominating?

Scowls, pouts, pursed lips and uncomfortably large smiles. Riobhan  definitely has a resting bitch face, and ittends to avoid showing emotions like sadness and genuine happiness – it wouldmuch rather spend its time intimidating people.

[voidkraken]

Please send me questions for my dnd characters (hero, Andy, Hester and I gueeeesss riobhan maybe) I want to talk