#though I'd assume the English version has more weight as it's the original

[lieutenantselnia]

Why the hell do the English and the German PotC wiki have slightly different timelines??

[hvndredbattles]

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑶𝑼𝑻𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑬.

Richie Arden.

all questions answered with richie in his arc 1 verse (aka before the loss of his team (singh, yves, harris, and elis) and his subsequent assumed KIA status) in mind, and under the assumption that his noteworthy interpersonal relationships are only those of his "canon"

origins + family.

full name: Richard Edmund Arden IV

date of birth: 22 april

age: mid to late 30s is generally where he lands in threads (his post-military arc is more early 40s vibes i think)

social class: upper. old family money. gentry kid on both sides. he's not hiding it, but he's also not flaunting it, either, so many who don't know what they're looking for or looking at will miss it entirely

parents: The Duke of Hereford, and Baron Alvanley, [former] Colonel Richard Pepper Arden III, and Her Grace, the Duchess Katherine Arden

siblings: Margaret, married name Thomas, his younger sister by five years. it may not be immediately apparent, but he loves her dearly, and would kill for her without question. (worth mentioning here that Margaret has two children, Ada and Patrick, who Richie dotes on as though they are his own. he's as protective of them as he is his sister, if not moreso)

physical + appearance.

height: 6'5'' (196 cm)

weight: 105 kg, thereabouts / 16.5 stone / around 230 lbs

distinguishing features: the "glasgow grin" facial scarring on the right side of his mouth/face is probably one of the first things noticed, after his height/stature

hair color: sandy blond

eye color: blue

what do they consider their best feature?: mmmm is it too much of a cop-out to say his body? this is under physical/appearance but technically best feature could also be like, synonymous with best trait? in any case, Richie has worked very hard to maintain his physique, and knows just how appealing he looks to a not insignificant number of people. he cuts quite a figure, and he's proud of it

style of dress/typical outfit(s): most typically found in whatever uniform is appropriate for the day. CPU trousers (example, example) and combat shirts (example) are common staples of his day-to-day

jewelry? tattoos? piercings?: while he does technically own a few rings (like a signet ring or something) he never wears them. no piercings, but he does have a few tattoos. the only tattoo i'm certain of is the black and white compass he has inked on his right forearm, based on his lucky compass... he might be cheesy enough to have Ada's birthdate on him somewhere, but i'm not sure. he might also have the SAS motto (who dares wins / qui audet adipiscitur) on him somewhere (thanks young drunk self -insert eyeroll here-)

do they work out/exercise?: yes, daily and at length. a large part of any day not on deployment for any operator is keeping sharp enough to deploy at a moment's notice, and Richie is no exception

belief +  intellect.

level of self esteem: very self-confident. i'd say from the outside, he can still regularly seem cocksure, even if he's not as loud about his self-confidence as he was when he was younger. (he was definitely cocky as a young man, but has mellowed into a more subtle confidence as he's aged)

known languages: (values based on this post / system): English (native), BSL (B2), Russian (B2), French (B1), Burmese (A2), Arabic (A2); He can manage street signs/basic directions in a few other languages based on deployments

gifts/talents: he has a knack for tracking and navigation, which is put to good use in his work

how do they deal with stress?: he typically smokes, runs, or tracks down the nearest punching bag, depending on location and/or time constraints

what do they do when upset?: it depends on the sort of upset. generally, he's prone to bottling it up and shutting down/shutting out others, though there's still evidence of the upset in the way he might grow pricklier and/or colder. i'd say there are two sides to any upset on Richie: there's the a louder, brasher version, and a quieter, more isolating one. there isn't a hard science to determining which version of upset you'll get from him, unfortunately. sometimes his temper is more visible, and other times the hurt flashes briefly before it's smothered by alarming (forced. an act. he's shoved his feelings down and away.) mildness.

do they believe in happy endings?: no

how do they feel about asking for help?: it depends on the kind of help he needs, and who his options are. he is far less willing to seek out personal help, and would rather the impersonal care of medical professionals and the like over colleagues or friends or family getting involved, for instance

optimist or pessimist: pessimist with the occasional optimistic lean, particularly [optimistic] when it comes to putting his trust in his team

extrovert or introvert: introvert. not a naturally social guy. which is actually really ironic because when he was younger he did very much enjoy going out or playing sports with his mates. somewhere along the way he just stopped seeking that out. maybe he stopped needing it? or maybe he'd never needed it and stopped wanting it, or decided somewhere along the way that it wasn't worth the effort anymore

leader or follower: leader (he has all the makings of being a leader of higher calibre than a lieutenant, he just really doesn't want the job)

makes decisions based mostly on emotions, or on logic?: logic. not a big feelings guy in general

spontaneous or planner: planner, though few plans survive contact with the enemy; he knows how to be spontaneous and adaptable

organized or messy: organized. he dislikes mess, though i'm not sure to what depth/extent

worrier or carefree: mmmm somewhere in the middle? can't spend your whole life stressing, but some fear/concern is healthy, he thinks

artistic?: no

mathematical?: quite. a not-insignificant portion of his job involves maths in one way or another, and he's got a knack for it, even if he wouldn't say as much

sex + intimacy.

current marital/relationship/sexual status: single, never been in a relationship more serious than a fuckbuddy, and sleeping around when he can/has the urge

sexual orientation (is it something they question or a secret): bi/pan, though he's not the labeling sort. it's never been something he questioned, and not something he ever put much care into keeping secret, in the sense that he was never trying to hide himself. he just also wasn't keen on the fallout of getting caught. he was aware of the rampant homophobia in many of the spheres in which he existed, and was careful, though still managed to get caught and expelled from two different boarding schools in his teen years for same-sex relations. in the military he flew just under the radar enough to not jeopardize his career, but he was never in denial about his interest in men, and never actively avoided pursuing male interests where they cropped up. it's largely been something he doesn't talk about because he's a private man

views on sex (one night stands, promiscuity, etc): what you're doing on your own time is none of his business, and vice versa. he's decidedly not the monogamous relationship type, or the relationship type at all, and gladly and regularly engages in casual, no-strings sex with whomever strikes his fancy

ever been in love?: no

do they fall in love easily?: no

do they desire marriage and/or children in their future?: absolutely not. he is very unlikely to marry for reasons outside of a relationship, and wholly uninterested in entering into a relationship, and thus wants nothing to do with marriage. he's actually sterile (both a matter of biology and procedure; he has always been sterile, and he had a vasectomy early in adulthood (like 18 or 19), because he didn't know he was sterile), though he's never had any interest in children

thoughts on public displays of affection?: no strong feelings either way

how do they show affection/love to their partner?: most often it would be gift giving and quality time

relationships.

social habits (popular, loner, some close friends, makes friends and then quickly drops them): i think his i-don't-give-a-shit, devil-may-care attitude would've roped him quite a bit of interest growing up, especially in an all-boys boarding school, and even through his early military career. so popular, for a long while too, actually. he was loud and proud and was far more social before he commissioned. he probably wasn't even interested in commissioning until he'd quieted. he was more of a small-group-of-friends kind of guy after that, though he could still be convinced, on occasion, to go out with people outside of that circle. and then his small group of friends (his team) didn't stick by him after he'd been through hell and back, and Richie became a proper loner. he's been much slower to trust and open up since then, though he's attached to his new team, much as he hadn't been expecting it

how do they treat others (politely, rudely, keep at distance, etc)?: kept at a distance. these days, it generally takes time and consistency for him to start warming up to someone. i'd say in general interactions with unknowns, he's succinct. he's not (generally speaking) intentionally brusque, though he may come across that way

confront or avoid conflict?: confront conflict, for better or worse

secrets.

dreams: mmmm ambiguity my beloathed. he doesn't... really have any personal ambitions. he might like to teach his niece and nephew how to drive some day? i think that's about the extent of it. and as for the sleep kind of dreams... mostly work-related. the ones he tends to remember are the nightmares, and those feature death or trauma

greatest fears: trauma triggers (: otherwise... god would he hate to outlive his sister and/or her kids. oh to that extent, maybe conflict making it back to the UK? he needs home to be Safe for them

biggest regret: dslfhsdhfs it might be not talking his sister out of marrying Bill. (he hates Bill; Bill hates him right back) but then he wouldn't have Ada and Patrick running around, so maybe he'll settle for convincing her to divorce the weasel-y little bastard instead

what they most want to change about their current life?: i don't know that there's anything that he does want to change. he's quite content with his life, actually. though he does periodically wish he could be in two places at once, because he'd like to see more of his niece and nephew

likes + dislikes.

hobbies: his lowest effort hobby is tinkering with his motorcycle. he also enjoys rugby, running, hiking, and hunting, the lattermost of which he does with his father on occasion. occasionally he can be coaxed into an evening poker night, and he does enjoy those

indoors or outdoors?: outdoors

favorite color: doesn't have one

favorite smell: on himself? some fresh and woodsy, but not overpowering. if he were to pick a scent for his home or office? honey and lemon tea, or the closest combination of scents to mimic walking through the woods of his family's estate

favorite and least favorite food: favorite, a fatty steak with a side of roasted potatoes and buttered vegetables. least favorite... I said mystery meat the last time this question came up in something, I think that might still hold true

coffee or tea?: tea, naturally

favorite type of weather: warm, with light clouds

favorite form of entertainment: the dumb shit that enlisted soldiers get up to that he has to pretend he hates as he breaks it up. out of like, traditional entertainment formats? televised sporting, maybe?

how do they feel about traveling?: god, given his job, he better at least tolerate it. jokes aside, he doesn't mind it. he enjoys the snatches of downtime he gets in foreign places. he wouldn't mind if traveling came without all that time sitting on his ass in whatever transport, though

what sort of gifts do they like?: i. don't know? i don't think he gets a lot of gifts, in any case, so i'm not sure he fully knows either. expensive alcohol is always a safe bet, but it's not very personal, even if you do happen to know his drink preferences

drugs + alcohol.

thoughts on drugs and alcohol: heavily disapproving of drugs, very much in a "why the fuck are you throwing your life away for a high" kind of way. not a heavy drinker, but a drinker nonetheless. more of a social drinker than anything

do they smoke? If so, do they want to quit?: yes he smokes, no he has no interest in quitting. he considers it to be one of his less dangerous indulgences in life

have they ever tried other drugs (which, what happened, consequences): i have been toying with the idea of making this idea canon, in which case he'd have "tried" a stimulant, and there was likely a rough crash once all was said and done; anyone who knew what he'd done wouldn't say anything about it, though, and anyone who didn't know would just assume he'd crashed from the adrenaline and stress. he's never engaged in, nor would he engage in, recreational drug use

do they have any addictions?: barring the smoking? no

other details.

most important/defining event in life to date: i would say his enlistment? his military service has defined the entirety of his adult life, so it feels apt

typical Saturday night: an actual Saturday? it's probably spent either on base or in the middle of fuckoff nowhere on deployment. but a proper night off? he might go out to a bar — he'll definitely go out if he's seeking sex, which does happen with regularity on his nights off

what is home like (messy, neat, sparse): sparse. this is a man who's spent his entire adult life in the military, ready to pack up and move at a moment's notice. i waffle sometimes on if he even has off-base accommodations at all; if he does, he's not the one furnishing them. most of what he owns is work-related in some fashion or another. he has some pictures and trinkets from deployments, a few civilian outfits, but that's about all by way of personal effects. it all easily fits in a single duffel bag

pets? if not, do they want any?: no and no. he doesn't mind cats or dogs, but he has little interest in taking one on, even if he could — and he most assuredly cannot, given the frequency with which he isn't even in the country

can they hold their breath for a long time?: yes

do they know how to swim?: yes. he learned to swim as a boy, which involved occasional summer trips to lakes and even a short bout on a swim team. he of course was expected to pass certain swimming tests as part of his military qualifications, and is SCUBA certified

can they cook (if so, how well and do they enjoy it)?: not anything more advanced than following whatever preparation instructions come on a can, or a box of pasta, or a frozen package of vegetables. he never learned — never felt the need to