Editing Ronin (Wicked Wilds)

Ronin stands at about 5'1. He appears to be in his late teens/early twenties with short curly black hair, tawny brown skin peppered with dark scale-like freckles, runic tattoos kept under baggy clothes, and dusted fingers with black nails. They bear a large scar across their chest, akin to that of a stab wound. He wears loose and dark clothing, but always seems to wear a black and gold scarf. They carry around a belt that attaches to the back of their tail, holding a bag and a holstered knife.  

With a bright smile, Ronin is remarkably friendly. He is mischievously playful and enjoys making new friends. To those he aligns himself with, he is fiercely protective of. Though he's always peering over his shoulder for some unknown threat, always triple checking doorways and halls when no one is looking.

Though he lacks basic knowledge of history, social structures, or even his own history, he is strangely wise for his background. He is constantly asking questions about the most basic of concepts, such as making bets, keeping watch, etc-- often taking the literal meaning of the phrase first. He has frequent headaches that seem to set on a more frustrated and short-tempered demeanor.  

 

Ronin also exhibits embarrassment and frustration over the nature of his origin, resulting in playground lies to denote from the notion that he doesn't ''really'' understand the nature of the gifts he has.  

Whoever Acatl was didn't particularly matter to the cult, their intent was still the same: To offer up a body for their god, a monstrous deity associated with stars. This unnamed unknown cult desired to give their god's unformed visage a vessel, with which they could praise and control. A being in mortal form, easily tamed. Acatl's mother joined their cult after being lured in by their community, and dragged her son along to meetings and gatherings. It wasn't long before she decided to move their permanently, leaving her life and tavern behind. It was said that Acatl got fed up after months of gaslighting and falsities and was imprisoned for attempting to desert, though these reports are unconfirmed. Eventually, the day came and Acatl's mother allowed her son to be one of the offerings for this ritual, after reasoning that his reward would far outweigh his penance. With a carved runes, singed brands, and a sharp stab, the ritual occurred by the edge of the community village. It was said that the soul of Acatl left, and something else entered in it's place. Though no one knows for sure. After all, there weren't many witnesses that survived.

After being supposedly sacrificed for this unstated deity of the stars, the sacrifice refused to die. There weren't many witnesses. Those who lived to tell the tale recall f a monster attacking the fleeing cultists; a skeleton-like form with a starry visage and an obsidian knife lodged in their frame. Curling horns, a sharp maw, half broken shackles, and surrounded by eyes made of shadows. All of these reports varied in what exactly occurred that fateful night, but one detail was always the same: Carnage was what remained.  

The cultists fled into the night. And that's when Ronin woke up. With no memory of who they used to be, what their purpose was, or even what “all that weird stuff back there” was, the entity calling themselves Ronin has since escaped into the night to define for themselves who and what they want to be. They have no memory of who or what they used to be, leaving a lot of unanswered questions about the nature abilities. However, their body still occasionally remembers; an echo of who used to have it.  

Ronin joined the [[Tempest Brothers Expeditionary Company]] directly after the base was seized upon by bounty hunters. Encountering P'ash, Lambda, Wiggler, and Lux, they begin to make small talk. P'ash lightly question Ronin if he was involved with the Red Daggers cult. When Ronin expresses uncertainty, this seems to raise suspicious from Lambda. Lux proceeds to invite Lambda and Ronin to the Galik fight club she attends. When Lambda expresses concern, correctly assuming that Ronin is potentially a newly awakened being, Lambda expresses the sentiment that he 'cannot deal with another liability.' This seemed to hit Ronin hard, Determined to prove to Lambda that they were not a liability, with Wiggler tagging along, they make their way to the Galik fight club to prove themselves.

 

Ronin was 1-hit KO'd.

A day or so later, Ronin encountered Wiggler again. Wiggler took notice that Ronin was continuing to eat food incorrectly, trying to eat an orange with the peal on. Using telepathy to communicate to Ronin, Wiggler was shocked when Ronin responded in return. This started a conversation between Ren, Wiggler, and Ronin-- all able to communicate with each other telepathically.

Ronin was called to the main lobby of the tavern along with Marion, Ren, Twilsby, 22, Heli, and Finny to speak with Shelmlock Dolmes about their next mission: To deal bounty placed onto the Tempest Brother's company members. Shelmlock Dolmes revealed that the bounty placed was done so by a member of the Hearthorne family, an ancient aristocratic Galik family with a long history of dipping their fingers into every aspect of the city. The party was given a pair of knives with runic markings along with a copy of the contract placed on their heads. Should they draw blood from the one who placed the bounty, the bounty will dispel and the copy of the contract will run blank. The party narrowed their search to Alistair Hearthorne and Jacqueline Hearthorne. The party split up with Group 1 (with Ronin in tow) moving to check out Alistair, who was currently on the campaign trail for High Burgher of Galik. He is joined alongside his wife Leonore Hearthorne. The other group meet up and test the knife on Jacqueline, revealing that she was not the one who placed the bounty at all. She warns them about her brother, already knowing that something is rotten within him before vanishing.

Alistair after his first debate, encounters Ren who pretends to want to dedicate themselves to the cause. Ren hopped in their carriage and was charmed into killing the party should he see them. Ren was still holding onto one of the knives, leaving only one knife to chance between Alistair and his wife. The party make a gambit that it must be Leonore and not her husband. Twilsby uses catapult to fling the knife into the Leonore, the magical dagger slashing into her thigh. The magical dagger severs the bounty, releasing the contract. The Hearthornes begin to transform; their faces rotting like apples, revealing themselves as the Bride and Groom: Leaders of the Fungal Cult. The party fight against them in their horrid fungal visage, including transformed fungal monstrosities that were once the Lyreguard. The Bride and Groom managed to barely escape, having magical rings that prevent one from dying if the other lives.

Ronin returned back to the Tavern covered in acid burns, but was fine. He proceeded to assist Heli with the creation of masks meant to protect against the fungus; though Ronin was not particularly helpful, Heli did in fact make two masks.

After this mission, Ronin ventured with Coryn to the Temple of Lathander. The two entered a room with a ceiling that stretched towards the sky, with a towering statue of Lathander atop a pedestal. In front, a small dais covered in small offerings to Lathander in front of his altar. Coryn spoke with Lathander and introduced Ronin to the god. When Ronin was told they could speak freely, they asked the god if Lathander knew Ronin. Lathander explained that they know all who walk in the light, and where aware of details Ronin knew not about themself. Lathander asked what Ronin sought out of life. Ronin revealed that they were content with not knowing themself, or seeking a greater purpose; rather they sought connection and family. The god followed by asking if it was ''belonging'' that they sought. <blockquote>“I don’t know yet.” There’s a pause. “I don’t know if I’m missing something, or that I’m just like this. Like— I sometimes feel as if this body isn’t mine. It never feels familiar enough. And I’m okay with that. I guess it means I just don’t know— you know?”</blockquote>When Lathander asked if Ronin wanted the answer though detailed that some things were beyond even his reach. Ronin said no to the answer, but asked for clarification, resulting in a vision from Lathander<blockquote> ''The light gets so bright until it is blinding, and then there is nothing, pure darkness stretching on forever. Stars twinkle in the far distance, yet nothing more. Everything shifts as the shape beyond the darkness moves, its shadow shifting to reveal to figures floating in the infinite expanse. One is a satyr with pale purple skin and dark purple hair. The second figure is more familiar, its you, it looks like you, but different, like you reflected in a mirror. Both of their eyes are blank and their cheeks are stained by black tears. The one that looks like you looks to you.'' "Why are you wearing my face?" ''You then return to reality and the light is gone.''</blockquote>Ronin left the temple shortly after, needing to take a walk and process what they saw, before returning back to the Tempest Brothers. They had a short conversation with Amaris, who seemed relatively concerned that the person in the vision could be their sister....but for why?

The fight raged on. Ronin had his blink spells counter-spelled twice by the Bride who refused to let him get away. The bridesmaids were able to force polymorphed him into a spore-ish wolf for a 'spell,' before Ronin was able to burst from his form chest-buster style and continue fighting. Then, he was cornered by by the Bride, who continued to blast him with spores. The Bride was able to rip the fungal cure from Ronin's body, opening up his mind to manipulation. The mind controlling spores surrounded Ronin, attempting to control his mind. Instead, Ronin toughed it out and fought alongside Coryn, tag-teaming around the bride, with the two fighting fearlessly. Both the Bride and the Groom were defeated, though not before the Bridge wed with Chrysaor. Chrysaor quickly filed for divorce, divorcing her soul from her body.  

Ronin can speak Common, Infernal, Celestial, and Abyssal. He is not currently aware of any of these in character.

** As a bonus action, Ronin can choose one creature they can see within 30 ft. Ronin and the chosen creature can speak telepathically with each other while they are within 3 miles of each other. The telepathic connection lasts for '''[3]''' minutes.

***Ronin has a very difficult time controlling this spell in particular,  

Coryn and Ronin first encountered each other after Ronin was informed about the death of Lambda. Coryn quickly became a comforting ally to the boy. Ronin toughed out his fear of churches to learn more about Coryn through his god.