Riero

[ree-eh-ro]

Basic Information

• Name: Riero
• Domain: War, Strategy, Valor
• Title: The Warlord, Strategist Supreme
• Alignment: Lawful Neutral
• Symbol: A crossed sword and shield
• Primary Worship Area: Wall Paleomyna, Fort Logos

Physical Description

• Appearance:

Riero is depicted as a formidable warrior, his physique large and muscular with broad shoulders that symbolize his strength and readiness for battle. His facial features are stern, characterized by a square jaw and a hard, focused expression. His hair is short and neatly styled, complementing his disciplined demeanor.

He is typically depicted clad in his full panoply, encased in heavy yet ornately decorated armour. His helmet leaves only his eyes visible and has a large plume that runs its length. In his left arm his wields a large circular shield and his right a long and master crafted glaive, while a reserve sword remains ever at his hip.

• Height: 218cm
• Weight: 128kg
• Distinguishing Features: His armour is engraved with ancient runes of protection and depictions of his victory.

Personality

• Traits: Disciplined, tactical, unyielding, valorous
• Strengths: A master of battlefield strategy and personal combat; his presence inspires discipline, courage, and unshakable resolve in warriors; unwavering in his pursuit of honourable warfare and protection of the innocent.
• Weaknesses: Views the world too often through the lens of conflict, leading to rigid thinking and missed diplomatic solutions; bears the weight of his past with stoic silence, often refusing guidance or compromise.
• Goals and Motivations: To uphold the virtues of honour and valour in combat, ensuring that war is waged justly and that warriors act with integrity and bravery.

Relationships

Family:

• Eris: Creator/Father, Riero views Eris with deep respect and admiration, considering him a mentor and guiding force. He is profoundly loyal to Eris, attributing his existence and purpose to his creator’s vision. He also considers himself Eris’ personal guard and sworn protector. Consequently, Eris’ disappearance after the Age of Darkness hit him harder than most.
• Sanara: Half-Sister,
• Ludara: Half-Sister,

Rivals/Enemies:

• Kakurcia: Despite their rivalry, Riero and Kakurcia share a mutual respect forged in countless battles and challenges. They often test each other’s skills in friendly hunts and combat, pushing each other to greater heights. This rivalry is complex, blending competition with camaraderie, making them frequent allies in times of war.
• Aperkepsi: The conflict with Aperkepsi during the Age of Darkness is a dark chapter in Riero’s history. He holds a significant grudge against Aperkepsi for the defeat that not only tested his limits but also highlighted vulnerabilities in his strategies. This defeat has fueled a desire for vengeance, which Riero sees as a personal failure to overcome.
• Dellesis: Dellesis represents everything Riero despises—cowardice and the erosion of martial honor. Riero’s disdain for Dellesis is intense, viewing his influence as a corruption that undermines the very essence of valor and bravery that Riero champions.

Attitude towards Mortals: Riero’s relationship with mortals is characterized by a dichotomy of admiration and responsibility. He values bravery and strategic minds, often engaging with mortal warriors who exhibit these traits. His favorites include races known for their martial prowess, such as the Ci’an and orcs. However, he harbors a certain pity for those who fall victim to the horrors of war, distinguishing between those who fight with honor and those who succumb to its ravages.

Mythology and Worship

• Creation Myth:

In an era when the New Gods were still carving out their roles within Staterum, a rivalry unfolded between two divine brothers, Dorna and Eris. Dorna, ever the mischief-maker and patron of the untamed, had recently elevated Kakurcia, a master hunter, to godhood. Boasting of Kakurcia’s prowess, Dorna proclaimed him not only the greatest hunter but also the mightiest warrior among the new gods. He ridiculed Eris’s disciple, Sanara, and mocked Eris’s commitment to wisdom and order as signs of weakness.

Eris, ever the embodiment of strategy and discipline, tried to explain that true strength lay not just in martial skill but in the wisdom to wield it effectively. Unconvinced and dismissive, Dorna challenged Eris to prove his philosophy. Rising to the occasion, Eris proposed a challenge: he would create a warrior who could outmatch Kakurcia in combat, demonstrating the superiority of strategic thinking and disciplined procedure over the whimsical and seemingly chaotic approach of Kakurcia.

Eris crafted a formidable golem from the finest steel, imbuing it with extensive martial knowledge and strategic prowess. However, in their first encounter, Kakurcia, relying on his cunning and adaptability, swiftly outmaneuvered the golem. Despite its impeccable training and strength, the golem lacked the ability to adapt to the unpredictable nature of real combat.

Frustrated and claiming foul play, Eris demanded a rematch, this time instilling a strategy to counter the ambush set by Kakurcia last time. However, Kakurcia’s arsenal was not so limited, and he once again out maneuvered Eris’ golem, handing hi a second defeat. Eris was no slow learner though, and recognized where he had failed.

Seeking out his sister, Eris had Contrabastem provide the golem the sacred gift of life. Reborn now as Riero, the new god was granted to freedom to learn and adapt beyond its initial programming. It was not hard then to convince Dorna to one more rematch, Dorna ever eager to humiliate his brother.

The next duel between Riero and Kakurcia was markedly different however. It ended in a draw, with both combatants exhibiting equal prowess but vastly different styles. Subsequent encounters saw each winning and losing in turn, illustrating that no single approach to combat was superior to another. Riero, with his disciplined strategy and newfound adaptability, and Kakurcia, with his instinctual cunning and agility, proved to be perfect foils for each other.

Through these duels, Eris and Dorna came to realize a profound truth: the realm needed both types of warriors. Riero and Kakurcia together embodied the balance between order and chaos, strategy and spontaneity. Their rivalry evolved into a mutual respect, symbolizing the duality of war—where strategic planning and adaptable tactics are both essential for triumph.

• Major Cults and Religious Practices: Primarily worshipped by military personnel, with shrines in every barracks and fort, especially prominent in Fort Logos and Wall Paleomyna.
• Festivals:
  • The Trog Hunt: A traditional festival amongst the soldiers of Amyna where they prove their skill by hunting Trogs in the Anteanus Peninsula, demonstrating their bravery and combat prowess.
• Clergy and Temples: No devote clergy, although some warriors lean more into the religious aspects of and ritualistic aspects of war than others.

Significant Historical Impact

• Major Plot Points in World History:
  • During the Age of War, a period marked by chaos and destruction, Riero emerged as the protector of the innocents. Stationed on the shores of Mon Olympus, he became the steadfast guardian of this sanctuary. His strategic placement and vigilant watch ensured that all who sought refuge from the war-ravaged mainland found peace and safety. Any hostile forces daring to threaten this sanctuary were met with Riero’s ruthless efficiency.
  • In a critical confrontation during the Age of Darkness, Riero stood as the bulwark against Aperkepsi and his overwhelming demonic forces. At a time when the demonic spearhead threatened to pierce the heart of Staterum, Riero boldly led the defense, his strategic acumen and unparalleled bravery blunting the advance of Aperkepsi’s army.
• Artifacts:
  • Aníkitos: Aníkitos is not just a shield known for its indestructibility; it also radiates an aura of indomitable courage. Those who stand beside its bearer feel a surge of bravery, compelling them to hold their ground against any odds. This shield embodies Riero’s essence as the immovable wall in battle, bolstering the morale and resolve of all allies within its presence.
  • Diatrypo: Diatrypo is a legendary glaive renowned for its unerring accuracy and lethal efficiency. It is said that this weapon never misses its intended mark and effortlessly pierces through any armor or shield. Symbolizing Riero’s role as the unstoppable force, Diatrypo strikes fear into the hearts of enemies, knowing that no defense can withstand its devastating blow.

Quotes

”The true strength of a warrior lies in the wisdom to know when peace must prevail.”

Cultural Reverence

Amyna

To the disciplined legions of Amyna, Riero is both father and ideal. His doctrines are etched into their training manuals and whispered as prayers before battle. The Paleomyna Wall is inscribed with his tenets—valor, precision, sacrifice. Stories of his legendary stand against the demon lord Aperkepsi are told not as myths, but as military case studies. Every campaign is viewed as a chance to emulate his flawless tactics and uphold his honor. For these soldiers, Riero is not simply a god—they believe he walks among them in spirit, judging their resolve and rewarding the brave. His faith is not ornamental—it is doctrine, enforced with the same discipline he embodies.

Agroma

The agricultural heartland of Agroma does not forget the debt it owes to Riero. It was his watchful presence in both the Age of War the Age of Darkness that kept their fields safe from pillage, his shield that turned back invasion, his glaive that frightened away would-be raiders. Riero is praised as a savior—but quietly, at a distance. For while they honor his strength, they fear his attention. To draw the gaze of Riero too closely is to invite the winds of war. He is a beloved protector, but one whose blessing is courted with careful reverence and never provoked.

Dahri Empire

In the chronicles of the Dahri Empire, Riero is remembered not as a god, but as a monster. A ruthless invader whose campaigns bled their empire near to collapse. They name him the Crimson General, the butcher of the Coral Coast, the despoiler of Dahri’s western cities. His strategies—celebrated as brilliant by his followers—are viewed here as sadistic: sieges that starved entire provinces, tactical retreats that lured defenders into killing fields, “pacifications” that slaughtered thousands. Worse still, the survivors watched in horror as foreign lands deified him, turning atrocity into worship. Even today, among the Dahri, his name is spoken with fury, his statues defaced when found, his worship outlawed. To them, Riero is not divine—he is a war crime sanctified.