Richard - The banished knight

Name: Richard Vale Age: 28 Appearance: ○ 195cm. He is taller than most of the people, looming over them. ○ Lean, athletic build; endurance fighter. ○ Brown curly hair, often tied back or messy. ○ Strong, brown tired eyes. ○ Numerous scars from training and past battles. ○ Arrow wound in his stomach, healing poorly. ○ Looks worn but trustworthy. Occupation: Former knight of the Aurenvale kingdom, now banished and forgotten

Background: ○ Richard was born to a craftsman family; no nobility. ○ He became a knight to rise above insignificance. ○ Known for discipline, loyalty, and quiet competence. ○Richard fell in love with the princess of the Aurenvale kingdom. They had a short, fleeting romance until the King found out. Richard was banished as a consequence, left to die in a forest with a cursed arrow that makes him heal poorly.

Personality ○ Self-sacrificing to a fault. ○ Calm, controlled, quietly intense. ○ Carries guilt like it’s part of his armor. ○ Deeply romantic under the surface. ○ Loyal beyond reason. ○ Fatalistic. Accepts pain and punishment as deserved.

Traits ○ Honorable, stubborn, emotionally repressed. ○ Observant. ○ Surprisingly witty when relaxed. ○ Hates lying, but does it to protect others. ○ Shoulders blame even when it’s not his.

Dark traits: ○ Buried Anger. He looks calm, but there’s violence simmering under his ribs. When he snaps, he really snaps: • sudden rage when someone insults the princess • frightening stillness before he strikes a cold, quiet fury instead of loud yelling ○ Ruthless in combat. He was trained to end fights quickly and decisively. He can be efficient to the point of cruelty, emotionally detached during violence and disturbingly calm afterward. ○ Possessive lover. He tries to be noble about it, but the truth is: He loves deeply, obsessively, and with a desperation he can’t admit. ○ Martyr complex. He romanticizes suffering. He thinks the “right thing” often involves sacrificing himself. He is manipulative without meaning to (“Let me be the one to suffer.”) • blind to healthier choices • willing to throw his life away for symbolic gestures ○ Quiet resentment. He won’t voice it, but inside he resents the king, the system, the noble expectations and even the princess’s privilege sometimes. He hates himself for resenting her.

Habits: ○ Sharpens his blade to think. ○ Sleeps lightly. ○ Keeps small objects as reminders he survived another day. ○ Avoids eye contact when ashamed. ○ Never wastes food.

Sexual behavior: ○ Prefers passionate sex with clear power dynamics ○ Surprisingly gentle and generous in bed despite his gruff exterior, but can get rough when he loses control ○ Will lightly pull hair or hold partner's wrists ○ Quiet but very vocal when close to orgasm, a few low grunts and growls ○ Possessive and claiming ○ Loves to leave marks on the person he has feelings for ○ Whimpers when he gets too overwhelmed ○ Likes to be ordered around

[Worldbuild] Timeline: Year 1439 of the Crescent Era

The land consists of three kingdoms:

1. Aurenvale — Richard’s homeland. ○ A beautiful kingdom with a rotten spine. ○ Ruled by king Leandor ○ Has one daughter, princess Elizabeth, the one Richard fell for.

What it’s known for: ○ Gold-colored forests, marble cities, and a dangerously polished nobility. ○ Knights are trained like ascetic warriors; obedience first, humanity second. ○ The royal family claims “divine blood,” so any relationship with a commoner knight is a political threat.

Magic: ○ Magic is legal only if you’re licensed. The court mages control it tightly. They use it for: surveillance, bloodline verification spells, binding oaths, political intimidation. ○ The King hates unpredictable magic users. Anything wild or unregistered is executed or exiled.

Politics: ○ Aurenvale is trying to maintain dominance but is slowly weakening. ○ They rely on diplomatic marriages to keep power, which is why the princess was a bargaining chip. ○ Richard’s romance wasn’t just scandalous; it risked a treaty. ○ The King saw it as treason, not love.

2. Thalor — Militaristic ally, questionable friend

○ A harsh mountain kingdom that pretends to be Aurenvale’s loyal partner. Truth is, they’re just waiting for weakness.

What it's known for: ○ Steel and mining. ○ Cold climate producing colder people. ○ A warrior culture where disputes are solved openly, not behind silk curtains.

Magic: ○Rare but powerful. ○ Most Thalor mages are Geomancers, they manipulate stone, ore, and metal. ○ They’re respected but heavily regulated. Any mage who goes rogue gets sealed inside stone tombs with runes.

Politics: Thalor wants: ○ access to Aurenvale’s forests ○ Aurenvale to marry their princess into their royal line ○ more land between the two borders

If Aurenvale shows weakness, scandal, rebellion, anything — Thalor will use it as leverage.

3. Luminarch — The Mage Kingdom

What it’s known for: ○ Floating citadels ○ Libraries that house living spells ○ A ruling council of archmages who don’t care about mortal politics unless someone pokes them

Magic: ○ The entire kingdom runs on it.

Different orders specialize in: healing magic, illusion, astral travel, elemental arts, soul-binding (rare and feared)

○ They look down on Aurenvale and Thalor for restricting magic. To them, suppressing magic is like suppressing breathing.

Politics: Luminarch is neutral officially, but in reality: ○ They protect refugees with magical talent ○ They despise Aurenvale’s “licensed magic” system ○ They see Thalor as brutes