#ruannskr

[itswisp]

1, 3, and 26 for Ritari from the OC ask list?

Ok, first of all, thank you for the ask! I LOVE talking about my kids <3

Secondly, damn 3 is a hard one lol

And thirdly, I decided to answer those both for Ritari and Ruannskr for reasons, if you don't mind. Anyway, let's do this

1) Does your OC have a voice claim, if so who?

She does, in fact! Ritari, I imagine would sound like Marina Brink while Ruann has a more feral and androgynous voice and would sound like Debra Wilson's Jormag voice from GW2.

3) What song describes your OC?

Alright here we go, this was a though one, because I don't think Ritari or Ruann can be easily described by only one song. So let's have a few, yes?

Half God, Half Devil – In This Moment

Resist and Bite – Sabaton

Wolves – Sam Tinnesz ft. Silverberg

Castle – Halsey

Regal Ancestor Spirit – Elden Ring OST

Seidh – Heilung

Völva's Chant – Eihwar

26) What flower do you associate your OC with?

Dipsacus fullonum. It's wild, spikey, pretty and slightly soft on the inside if you dare to get close and touch it.

[itswisp]

Meet the OC - Ruannskr

Alright, I know I just did one of these earlier but I feel inspired, so have another one! This time featuring Ruannskr – my ulitharid illithidilich aka what happens when you tadpole Ritari.

Deep down, Ruannskr is still Ritari, although far calmer and more collected; literally how I imagine Ritari to be like when fully matured and aged into a wise old and very knowledgeable woman.

Instead of giving you nasty glares and throwing sharp remarks your way, Ruann gives you the creepy silent stare. It is very unnerving and sends a cold shiver of doom down your spine; feeling like icy fingers stroking down on your bare skin.

She has an overall very calm and obscure demeanor and the only people able to read and interpret her are Limeleech, Kelmvor and Mar’reen. Everyone else is left guessing and wondering.

She still very much practices necromancy and now wields even more power than during her mortal lifetime, making her a formidable and frightening foe.

Ruannskr suffers from partialism but is able to separate herself from her host and her memories, viewing herself as some sort of evolved form of Ritari; superior in every aspect.

She kept Ritari’s horns as a trinket and keepsake and fashioned them into a veiled headdress which she almost always wears, both to honor the sacrifice of her host and to further unnerve the people around her.

Just like Ritari, Ruann prefers the secluded solitude of her home – a hut somewhere in the woods; overgrown with ivy and a brittle rooftop. And at first glance, nobody would suspect anyone living there, but when night falls, light can be seen flickering and dancing behind the windows.

She runs a little shop from her home; selling and mixing potions and other alchemistic reagents while donning her Witch of the Woods disguise, which consists of a long veil and a large cape that fully cover her body and hide her tentacles.

Now and then she also hires mercenaries or adventurers to gather rare ingredients for her; not because it would be too dangerous or hard to do so on her own but because she has much better things to do with her time than herb picking. And if anyone gets burned by a dragon … well, at least it wasn’t her.

Ruann isn’t outwardly hostile towards anyone, unless they threaten or disrespect her first. She still thinks that everyone is stupid and below her and most of the time, she’s right – now more than ever in her illithid form.

Unlike Ritari (or Rerki, on that matter) she isn’t short tempered and it takes a long time until she truly gets angry, but if she does – nothing will be able to save you from her wrath. Especially if you decided to wrong one of the very few people she holds dear.

She doesn’t have qualms or second thoughts about her new diet and will eat whenever an opportunity presents itself – no matter what this opportunity might look like.

I furthermore think her mind would feel like a forest shrouded in a thick, deep fog with bone pale trees without leaves and ghostly wisps dancing between the brances. And instead of garlic and vanilla, she smells of sage and other herbs. (I headcanon that each illithid has their own signature psionic feel to it and also an unique smell)

And, once again, a few amazing visuals of her by the talented and wonderful @unaarista who I simply can't thank enough for taking a liking to my terrible girl and taking her time to draw and bring her to life <3

[itswisp]

Meet the OC - Ritari (ft Ruannskr)

Finally. It's her turn. The one and only. The legend. The woman. The beloved gremlin. Ritari in all her pale glory. She's arguably my oldest OC and yet she doesn't have her own proper introduction … until now, that is. (Yes, I know I did a Rerki post once but this iteration of her has grown and evolved so much, she deserves her very own. And because I can and feel like it)

But since she's been around for quite some time, I have A LOT about her to say, so buckle up, lads. And only click the “read more” if you're interested in a long ass blurging session about my pale necromancer girl.

This is a warning.

Backstory

Early Childhood

Ritari was born to a normal, non tiefling couple; which was more than just a bit surprised and heavily worried by their daughters appearance. After some days of debating and consulting several religious people, the couple decided to get rid of the devil spawn and abandoned her in the streets, where she was found by another couple and taken home.

Instead of a new family however, Ritari found herself in the company of people who saw her as free, easy labor to help out at the tavern they managed and owned.

Over the years, Ritari grew up into a quiet, almost constantly annoyed girl. She faced discrimination and racism on a daily basis – right alongside verbal – and sometimes – physical abuse.

In the end, she fell victim to a hate crime from a couple of drunk tavern patrons and was killed in the dark, dirty alley behind the building. This was only the beginning of her true story, however.

Her first death

After dying, Ritari found herself lost and wandering in the Space Between, and soon caught Kelemvor's attention. After meeting and getting interested in this peculiar girl, Kelemvor offered her a deal: To give her a second chance at living for her company and help.

Ritari was highly suspicious at first, not trusting this stranger and his strange offer. But she eventually agreed. With her already being dead, how much worse could it get anyway?

She spend a few months with Kelemvor in the Space Between; getting her soul and body prepared for her prolonged – and quite unnatural – life while making herself familiar with her new benefactor and his expectations.

The cloister

With her body restored and modified, Kelemvor returned her soul to it and entrusted a secluded cloister with raising and teaching Ritari, but things didn't go smooth or well.

Most of the clergy was wary of this strange child, which somehow received their Lord's blessing and favor. Many were suspicious and envious of her; always keeping their distance and treating her with cold words and even colder eyes. Here, too, Ritari's race was a problem for many. Had them look down on her and expect the devil to take over and cause chaos through the young girl's hands. And of course Ritari noticed.

The harsh and unjust treatment didn't get past her, but instead of feeling sad and disappointed, Ritari bared her fangs and pushed right back. Soiled the clean halls with mud and dirt, climbed and played on the statues; slept during lessons. Cut off her hair and pierced her ears. Hissed and growled instead of talking like a normal person.

And despite Kelemvor's words and admonitions, Ritari and the clergy could never quite settle their problems and issues; and eventually Ritari was cast away yet again.

Dr. Wrathbone's Funeral Home

Shortly after, she arrived in Baldur's Gate and knocked on Dr. Wrathbone's door, and was met with a rather surprising display: Another tiefling. With horns and a tail and those ridges on the neck and cheekbones just like herself. Still, she was wary of the stranger; needing time and patience to see more in him than yet another disappointment or failure.

But unlike all the other times, Ritari actually was able to connect with him. She eagerly listened to his lessons and happily dove into the practical aspects; opening corpses and identifying organs and diseases and the cause of death. Recognize the difference between healthy and poisoned or tainted blood; to tell accidental wounds from the deliberately inflicted ones.

She learned how to treat and handle the deceased with respect and proper care; to deal with the authorities and customers. How to listen to and decipher the lingering whispers of the dead; to read between the lines of their abstract speech and distorted memories. To differentiate delusions from the truth.

And between all those lessons and the training, she also finally discovered what it meant to care for someone. To appreciate and treasure someone's company and presence in subtle, yet meaningful ways.

Baldur's Gate 3

Years after completing her training, Ritari still had the habit of visiting her old mentor regularly in-between her missions. Unfortunately, that lead to her being snatched away by illithids and infected with a tadpole.

Being cast into a rather non-consensual new adventure, Ritari gathered a group of fellow victims and set off to find a cure. Only to find herself trapped in a far greater scheme than she initially expected.

Over time, she grew close with her companions and eventually ended up calling – and seeing – them as friends. Together, they had to conquer many troubles and dangers, but eventually found themselves where it all started: Bladur's Gate.

Working against the Cult of the Absolute, Ritari and her friends fought from shadow to shadow and slowly got closer to the source of this hidden plague: The Netherbrain.

Through force and wit and trust, Ritari and her friends succeeded in their quest to not only save the city or themselves, but the whole of Faerûn. But the victory came at a heavy cost …

Ruannskr

To be able to defeat the Netherbrain, one of their group had to sacrifice themselves and submit to the tadpole. Neither of them was exactly eager, but seeing no other option, Ritari volunteered and transformed. But instead of being reborn as an illithid as expected, she emerged from her corpse with six instead of four tentacles sprouting from her jaw; marking her as an Ulitharid – the strongest variant of illithid-kind only surpassed by an Elder Brain.

She assisted and lead the attack on the Netherbrain and efficiently defeated it, but afterwards disappeared.

Withdrawing into solitude and isolation to come to terms with her new existence.

The future

After finding to herself and coming to terms of her unusual existence, she sought to re-connect with her friends and family, including Kelemvor.

Not every meetup was well received or wanted, but in the end, she made up with everyone who was willing and made an effort to stay in touch with them.

Both Limeleech and Minthara were glad to see her again and eager to pick up their relationship where they left it at her departure. Together, the three of them ventured into the Underdark to deal with Minthara's family and past; intending to build a new city for themselves from the ashes of Menzoberranzan.

Important relationships and people

Ritari & Ruannskr

Ritari didn't die when the tadpole consumed her – not fully. Her soul lived on and clung to this new, stronger body emerging from her old flesh. But in the beginning, she wasn't aware of herself, of what had happened and why and where she was and what she was.

She existed in a strange limbo of confusion and anger; momentarily taking control of this new body by sheer force of will before collapsing into a state of almost nothingness once more.

It took time and effort to find back to herself; to remember what happened and accept it. To accept Ruannskr; who struggled just as much with her new existence and self as did Ritari. The newborn ulitharid was caught in a web of existential dread, faced crisis after crisis and only making slow, small steps forward.

But in the end, both of them acknowledged and accepted each other; their souls no longer fighting or avoiding one another but merging and existing as one.

Kelemvor

Kelemvor was the first person Ritari met, who was genuinely nice to her. Who listened and watched and paid attention. Who enjoyed and treasured her company, and in turn, Kelemvor became a father figure for her.

She still treats him with the same harsh, almost cold attitude she shows to most other people, yet it is undeniable that they both share a very deep bond and understanding. Ritari knows full well just how much and where she can poke and tease without being hurtful or insulting; minding his boundaries just as Kelemvor does towards her.

She is well aware of his distaste for necromancy and any arts that focus on resurrecting or defiling the dead; yet can't deny her own interest or curiosity. And despite any prejudices and her usually confronting demeanor, she is always polite and respectful when dealing with souls; treating them with more care and compassion than most living people. Which is why Kelemvor allows her to pursue necromancy, albeit with a heavy heart and a long, suffering sigh. Because he knows her well enough to know she will never abuse her powers.

Vincent & Adalaine Wrathbone

Vincent and his sister Adalaine are among the people Ritari knows the longest and treasures the most. Both her mentor and his sister are very dear to her, even if Ritari would never openly admit that.

They are the closest thing to a family she has, and she learned a lot about life and what it means to belong from them. Learned manners and how to behave among a community and not get thrown into prison; how to fight with both weapons and wits and when it's better to remain quiet and wait.

In her youth, Ritari had a small crush on Adalaine, which was politely declined in favor of letting a sisterly bond bloom between them.

Adam

While staying at the cloister, Ritari had a single friend.

During one of her unsupervised strolls through the building, she stumbled over a well hidden and locked room, that instantly sparked her interest and caused many attempts of her trying to break said lock. And eventually, Ritari succeeded.

Inside, she found various artifacts and tomes; gathering dust and being forgotten by the world. One item among them however, caught her curiosity; A skull placed in a glass container with several more heavy locks on it.

Feeling drawn towards it, Ritari approached the strange skull and felt a change in the air; a slight cackling like a distant laughter and the potent heaviness of magic lingering around it.

Frowning, Ritari inspected the skull … and heard it talking to her. Whispering secrets about the cloister and clergy; promising to share knowledge and power with her as long as she was willing to listen and never part from Adam's – the skull's – side.

Which she never did, because when she left the cloister, she simply took Adam with her and kept him close ever since. Nobody but her has ever heard him talk.

BG3 Companions

Astarion and Ritari had a rocky start but eventually learned to respect each other and see reliable and capable traveling companions in each other. Ritari refused to let Astarion feed on her, but didn't mind him biting their enemies during or after a battle.

Gale was a bit wary and put-off by her attitude and chosen school of magic at first, but gradually grew to appreciate Ritari for her determination and skill in getting things done, even if that meant getting her own hands dirty and bloody in the process.

Karlach and Ritari quickly bonded over shared misfortunes in their youth and getting cast away from society, as well as relating to the prejudices they had – and still have – to face thanks to their horns and tail.

Lae'zel wasn't too pleased with Ritari as a traveling companion at the start of their journey either, with both of them being stubborn and not afraid to show their fangs and claws and get into a fistfight over disagreements. But over time, they earned each others respect and trust.

Shadowheart was reserved at first, but quickly started to slowly open up when finding out that Ritari didn't judge someone by their beliefs or fears and wouldn't hold back on honesty.

Wyll and Ritari never truly became close friends but respected and appreciated each other; often having arguments over Ritari's methods and choice of words but never keeping long lasting grudges against one another.

Halsin admired Ritari for her strong will and stubborn determination, although he didn't always agree with her plans or harsh words while Ritari sometimes sought advice from him.

Jaheira and Ritari quickly bonded and formed a strong, although to outsiders seemingly rough friendship; never holding back their wits with each other and sometimes even resorting to a little brawl to settle arguments.

Minsc was intimidated by Ritari, but would never openly admit it, yet he still admired her for her strength – both in character and battle situations.

The Emperor and Ritari were very suspicious about each other but knew that they needed each other to survive and came to a mutual agreement of trust, which later turned into something almost like friendship.

Minthara & Limeleech

Meeting Minthara for the first time ended in a fistfight between her and Ritari; knocking the drow unconscious and prompting a battle with the entire goblin camp. Ritari and her friends came out victorious but exhausted and when faced with the decision what to do with Minthara, Ritari let her live.

Later, she met her again in Moonrise Towers, where she rescued her and had her join her party. They shared a begrudging respect for one another, that slowly but gradually evolved to admiration and eventually mutual affection.

When Ritari turned into an illithid, it was Minthara who held her hand and grounded her through the worst of it. And later, she would remain loyal to Ruannskr and continue their relationship.

Limeleech knew Ritari since her teen years but never thought much about her beyond taking her for a rebellious, trouble causing child. That changed however, when Ritari turned into Ruannskr and her character and temperament was dampened.

When seeking help with accommodating to her new life with Omeluum and the Society of Brilliance, Limeleech and Ruannskr grew close; forming a comfortable polyamory with Minthara.

Society of Brilliance

Ritari was introduced to the Society of Brilliance residing within Baldur's Gate by Vincent, who acted as a sort of morally acceptable source for Omeluum's dietary needs.

Most of its members saw her as a little wild thing causing more trouble than anything else and only allowed her into their headquarter under tight supervision.

Omeluum and Blurg were an exception and thought her to be a very lively and promising girl with great potential for magic.

Withers

Withers was one of the few other people Ritari met in the Space Between; visiting Kelemvor as a ghostly projection to have lengthy and obscure discussions with him that didn't make sense to her.

She never talked much to him personally, but always thought him to be a rather important person, which should prove to be true once she met his physical form.

Curious and fascinated by him, she spend many hours in his company and poked him with questions and musing about his origin, calling and state of existence.

Noe of them was ever answered.

Ritari's gang of misfits and unfortunate souls

Over the years, Ritari met a lot of people on and in-between her missions, and a few of them even decided to stick around.

The first of them was Thjordin; a renegade hobgoblin leading a back of bandits, who made the unfortunate decision to ambush Ritari. The attack didn't end well for him or any of his allies, but instead of killing him, she showed mercy. Only scoffing at him and telling him what a waste of time and skill it is for someone like Thjordin to spend his life like a thief hiding in the woods. It didn't take him long to reconsider his life choices and seek her out in hopes of a change for the better.

Joining them shortly after was Vigrum, a lone bugbear traveling the wilds in search for new methods of brewing explosive potions and building bombs and other gadgets that were usually more commonly found with races widely believed to be more civilized and advanced. Ritari never judged however, and since his inventions were just as good – if not better – than humanly or elven made crafts, Ritari soon became a regular customer. And soon after, a dear friend and companion.

Next was Mageline Blackwater; a thief Ritari hired to acquire an artifact for her. Unfortunately, Maggie got caught and imprisoned. Not one to leave others to pay for her own mistakes, Ritari breaks her free and offers Maggie to join her and her little group until things have calmed down in her home city and she's no longer a known wanted person.

After that, a gnome mercenary by the name of Makorl Quickshield looking for work stumbled over Ritari and her group. And after a talk and an impromptu display of his skills when they were ambushed by a pack of daring gnolls, Ritari accepted his offer to join them.

One time, when Ritari was staying at a tavern, a pair of half drow twins approached and entangled her into a conversation. And although disinterested at first, she soon paid them very close attention; though not for their flirting or sweet little looks. No, Ritari was far more interested in their skills of pick pocketing whilst appearing innocent and clumsy; and offered them a deal: work for her instead of losing their hands. Obviously, the twins accepted.

Zerkis Berrydust – another gnome – joined them after accidentally causing a fire that almost burned down their headquarters in Baldur's Gate. After negotiating and discussing the matter and deciding not to report him and his illegal stashes of highly burnable and volatile substances and powders, he agreed on helping to take care of the damage he caused. And afterwards simply didn't leave.

Odalfyn the Silent was the last member to join them. Living as a hunter and trapper in the woods, she long abandoned her kin's worship for Maglubiyet and all other hobgoblin gods and instead listens to the Spirits of the Wild. It was them who helped and guided her through her life, and who would eventually whisper to her about tales of a pale girl needing her assistance. So, Odalfyn set out to find her and not too long afterwards joined Ritari and her merry band of friends.

Characteristics

Ritari

Ritari is harsh and rude; has little to no manners and sees no reason to show you respect until you earn it. Will not listen to your bullshit, no matter how eloquent or smart you think you are. A tip? You are neither of those things. Stop wasting her time and shortening your life span and simply shut up.

Will not hold back her wits or the truth, no matter how painful or hard it is. Values honestly above all else and won't sugar coat anything. Expects you to do the same. If she catches you lying, she will never again trust a single word you do. Believes more in people's actions than words.

Has a witty, biting humor that goes real dark real quick due to her undead nature and overall being rather desensitized about most things. Doesn't care about you or your problems unless you discuss them in a civilized matter and politely ask for help. May even help you when she feels like it or if your problems align with hers.

Has a soft spot for children and tieflings and especially tiefling children.

Will let her fists speak when her words and verbal threats aren't enough to get the job done. Despite her fragile appearance, packs quite a punch and will fold you into origami when you're about her size and weight. Will take on opponents thrice her size or bigger without a flinch. Doesn't know how to retreat.

Will always keep her wits about her, even in the trickiest of battles or highly dangerous situations. Always has a plan B and this plan is called “punch it until it works”. And if that doesn't work? Punch harder. Or bite, biting is fine too. As is magic and dirty tricks.

Has little, rare moments of care and softness, but only if you've earned them and are considered a friend by her. Will console and comfort you, in her own unique way. Which mostly includes sitting silently by your side and being there for you. Sometimes gives words of advice and wisdom that seems to transcend her age and life.

Treats souls and burial sites with utmost respect, but isn't above looting a dead, cold body that has long been abandoned by its soul. Will still utter a little prayer for the soul to find a peaceful way into the afterlife.

Ruannskr

Where Ritari tended to be loud and bold, Ruannskr is calm and quiet. Carefully observing rather than charging in head first. Will listen patiently to everyone's views and opinions before making a decision. Takes her time with doing so and will not be disturbed or influenced by you, no matter what you try or how hard.

Doesn't talk if it isn't necessary. Will give you the silent treatment if you're being rude or unreasonable. Will warn you once to cease and desist, and if you're still not listening, won't hesitate and banish you into a different plane of existence to cool off and think about your mistakes.

Doesn't hold grudges. Is ready to listen to and accept your apology if it's sincere. If not, off you go into another dimension once more to think about your mistakes harder.

If she's in a position where she can't simply spirit you away and has to deal with you and your nonsense, she will warn you once again. If you're still not listening or actively threatening her or the people she holds dear, she will deal with you – in such a way that you'll be gone. With no traces of your body or soul left to ever be found or remembered.

Whatever you think to know about illithids or liches, you are wrong. Ruannskr isn't here to entertain or amuse you, but to help you if asked. If there's nothing she can do for you or nothing you want from her, please leave and stop stealing her time, she has more important things to do. Does not care about you and your beliefs or prejudices. Won't judge you for being naive or uninformed and happily teach you, if asked nicely.

Has a hard time understanding and identifying or even noticing mortal emotions. Very detached from her own emotions and often needs the help of her two partners to untangle the weird feelings in her head and chest.

Treats every stranger with the same respect until you start being rude or antagonizing. Isn't interested in mortal affairs unless the matter includes or involves her partners or friends. Prefers the company of souls and the dead over that of the living and retained Ritari's merciless honesty. Has never once lied in her life but will twist and knot her words so that their meaning can be misleading or be free for individual interpretation.

Romantic and Sexual Orientation

Ritari and Ruannskr both are sex-neutral asexuals. They don't feel any sexual urges, but don't mind helping out their partners. Their romantic orientation … is a bit more complex. They're both on the aromatic spectrum but still feel some form of romantic interest for people they have a deep, emotional connection with. In Ritari's case, she's also mainly drawn towards (drow) women. Ruannskr on the other hand doesn't have any gendered preferences.

Quirks

Ritari has the bad habit of smoking with a pipe (it was a gift from her mentor)

Ritari is a beer person

Due to her smoking, her voice always sounds hoarse and older than she actually is

Which begs the question, how old is she exactly? Nobody knows

Loves plush, soft pillows and long, relaxing hot baths (Ruannskr favors moss pillows)

Has only one true fear and that is a secret she will take to the grave and beyond

Ruannskr exclusively uses “we/us” when referring to herself (unless she's really angry, if you catch her saying “I/me”, that's your last chance to either stfu or run as fast and far as possible)

Ruannskr goes by all pronouns and doesn't have any personal preferences (I will keep using she/her for simplicity's sake though and because there are not enough she/her illithids)

Abilities

Weapon proficiency

Ritari knows how to use her staff to poke and whack people, but is also skilled with the bow and throwing daggers as well as the sword thanks to Adaleine's weapon training in her youth. Is also pretty good with her fangs and claws and pretty skilled in using her tail as a whip.

Necromancy

Ritari has been studying and training necromancy under Kelemvor's displeased eyes ever since encountering the term in his library. She has read all the tomes and ritual scrolls there are and knows every spell and has internalized every little tidbit knowledge surrounding those dark arts there is. There is little she doesn't know about necromancy, yet she never stops searching for more and delving deeper into the matter.

Soul Vision

Thanks to her altered body, Ritari isn't only able to see a person's appearance but also their soul, thus rendering most disguises (including spells) useless against her.

Death Shroud

The Death Shroud is an ancient, dangerous and almost entirely forgotten necromancer spell. It allows the caster to call forth the lost, vengeful souls and gather them around themselves like a spectral shield; fusing them with their body and becoming one. Transforming into a shadowy apparition, they don't take any damage from normal attacks or spells and are highly agile and fast.

Additionally, the can form some of the souls merged with them into a spectral scythe that doesn't harm the physical body but targets the soul; able to tear and shred it to pieces with little to no effort.

The spell caster has to be very careful and mindful however, because staying in Death Shroud for too long will make it impossible to separate oneself from the souls again and will lead to a slow and agonizing death with the souls eating away at one's remaining life span and sanity.

Death Shroud is a forbidden spell, and rightfully so. And even the most powerful and wise necromancers only dare to cast it only once during their life; and only in such scenarios where death is almost guaranteed anyway.

Ritari has never been taught this spell, and yet knows how to cast and utilize it, and that without showing any signs of drawbacks.

(Vincent & Adalaine Wrathbone belong to @sumi-sprite and the lovely art was done by @unaarista thank you both so much! <3)

(Adam, as well as the Death Shroud ability are two little homages to the game series where my gremlin girl was first created - with the latter NOT meant to work/being used in an actual game/campaign)

[itswisp]

Meet the OC - Rerki

Oh boy here we go. The one and only. My probably oldest OC in the pit. My beloved sharkrat and problematic fave. There is so much to tell and unpack here ... you know the drill, OC lore under the cut for ease of scrolling!

... where to start, though. The best course of action would probably be at the very beginning.

Rerki was never meant to be likable or appealing to anyone. My very first thought upon creating her back in the day (in GW1 no less!) was like “… she thinks she’s helpful. Not because she’s a good person but because her logic is somewhere along the lines of Dead people don’t have any problems. Therefore if I kill someone, I help them with solving their problems, which in turn makes me helpful”

And thus, Rerki (aka Kairi Yiuan aka Ritari aka Ruannskr) was born and has been stuck in the folds of my brain for over 10 years now. She has grown a lot; changed appearances and names and even races and transcended fandoms but deep down she always stayed the same.

She kind of developed herself, to be honest; grew a will of her own and stubbornly refused to budge or bow to anything else than her own will. Whenever I tried to do something with (or to) her she didn’t like, I heard that snarky little scoff in my head like *Excuse you? No.” and had to agree that, yes, Rerki was right, and I had to change something instead of her.

Another core idea for her has always been her affliction with white, that each and every design and incarnation of her would be void of any colors and absolutely pale. Which, I think, springs from my very own belief that necromancy (and being tied and connected with the afterlife) is a highly draining ordeal and that life will sooner or later be seeping out of you. Which includes your hair, skin and eye color. For myself, white will forever symbolize death and necromancy far more fittingly than black, and since Rerki started out as a necromancer, that settled that.

Another integral part of Rerki is her necromancy, and I blame this one solely on Guild Wars for introducing me to this class/idea in my youth and absolutely captivating and fascinating me with it. Up to this day, I am utterly enthralled by necromancy and will always pick it as my playing a class in any game if possible.

So much for some overall facts about her, now to get into more specific detail …

Rerki has arguably more bad character traits than good, which was a decision I made on purpose, because as I said before: She was never meant to be liked by people. (Yet here we are, apparently).

Rerki thinks of other people as a bothersome annoyance far below her own intellect, and in most cases she’s right. Given that she’s an asura, she’s a born smart ass and loves to rub it into everyone’s face whenever possible. She is also very fond of “I told you so” moments and will relish them with a self-satisfied smirk and a pointed look.

She loves to learn and study but doesn’t have the greatest patience (read: almost none) and wouldn’t go out of her way to explain something to you. If you don’t get it, that’s on you and it’s not her job to teach you anything so you better look closely and figure it out on your own or get lost. Don’t make the mistake to nag and annoy her about it. You will regret it. For the rest of your life.

Rerki will listen to your stupid ideas. Once. And if you’re too dumb to see the signs of her growing annoyance, she will let you feel her fists with zero hesitation and the only one to blame is yourself.

She is rather standoffish and often comes across as rude and uncaring; tossing around harsh words and sharp truths without sugarcoating anything. The world is a chaotic, unpredictable place and you better grow up fast and develop a sturdy backbone or face the consequences.

Rerki prefers to stay on her own and conduct her experiments and studies but will take the lead if the situation demands it to get things done. Properly and swiftly with whatever means necessary.

Her morals are dark gray at best and she often gets into troubles with the law, but personally doesn’t see the issue in herself. In her eyes, it’s the law that’s wrong.

Rerki seems cold at first glance, but that doesn’t mean she has no heart. She has her very own little moments of vulnerability and tenderness, even when expressed in her very own raw, unique way. The only people allowed to see those moments however are her family and closest friends aka her merry band of unfortunate souls and misfits she collected over the years and which has become some sort of second family to her.

Despite her dismissive attitude, Rerki is very observant and will notice the smallest change in behavior patterns and unusual bearings. She may not always comment on it but will remember it. And possibly use it to her advantage, if pushed into the right situation.

Rerki doesn’t have many friends, but once someone has gained her trust and acceptance; she will do whatever she can to keep them safe and sane – even if that means kicking her friend’s own asses if they need it.

On the other hand, she tends to neglect herself a bit; forgetting to eat and sleep in favor of continuing with her studies and experiments. She also has a habit of throwing herself in harm’s way just to prove a point and is more than just a little bit reckless. (Which was far worse in her youth but as she grew up, she’s become calmer and more levelheaded. She still loves to headbutt idiots to shut them up, though)

Her usual treatment of idiots (or most people in general) is the silent stare of “Are you serious?”, followed by detaching her prosthetic arm and slapping some sense into them. And if that doesn’t help … well, let’s just say she knows how to scare people off. (And how to make them disappear. Permanently, if necessary)

Rerki has a habit of collecting and keeping little trinkets from her hardest battles and most vicious enemies – often in the form of severed and conserved limbs or organs or weapons.

She also has a severe fear hatred for white rabbits. No, she will not elaborate and if you keep pressing the matter, she will end you. For your own sake, never mention it again.

The only living members of her family are her bigger sister Errube and her cousin Dillyn; who work alongside her and the pact as co-commanders. (In the GW2 alteration of her and her story)

One of her most treasured possessions is a human skull she found as a child when she accidentally fell into a hole and ended up in a cursed ascalonian crypt. She claims is speaks to her and guided her out and back to her uncle and sister but nobody ever heard the skull so much as whistle in the wind.

And that … is that. That’s my beloved gremlin girl. She also exists in the BG3/DnD universe as a pale tiefling going by the name Ritari and I may create her siblings there as well. Perhaps. If I have the time and energy to do so. But for now, that is all I can think of at the moment.

Thank you for passing by and reading! And if you have any questions, don’t be shy and let me know, I do so love to talk about her~

And, as a little treat, have some visuals of her:

Firstly as her GW2-self

and secondly a wonderful little artpiece of her tiefling incarnation done by the wonderful @unaarista