| Relatives | Joshua Lemmon (Father), Martha Hastings-Lemmon (Mother), Arthur "Artie" Lemmon (Older Brother) |
|---|---|
| Languages | Noman, Hillian, Croixan, Amusan, Troverthan |
| Affiliations | Candela Obscura |
| Aliases | None |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Date of Birth | 20 CR |
| Place of Birth | Cornerstone Clinic, The Soffit, Newfaire, Fairelands Province, Noma |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Female |
| Height | 5' 5" |
| Weight | 155 |
| Eye Color | Brown |
Riley Lemmon is an investigative journalist and freshman student at Briarbank College. Born and raised in the Soffit, Riley became involved with Candela Obscura following the wrongful murder trial of her older brother, Artie Lemmon, and now serves as the organization’s youngest active investigator during its ongoing conflict with The Arcanum and the investigation surrounding Lincoln Renfield-Murray.
Physical Appearance
Riley is 5’5” tall and weighs about 154 pounds. She has an athletic build from years of training and competition. While at Briar Green Prep on scholarship, she competed on the gymnastics team and reached the Provincial Championships.
Riley has short, dark brown hair, usually in a messy bob, sharp hazel eyes, and a posture that suggests she is perpetually ready for an argument or a fight. Long nights spent studying, investigating, and working cases often leave faint exhaustion beneath her eyes.
Her clothing style leans practical and layered: jackets, rolled sleeves, boots, sweaters, and messenger bags full of notebooks, film canisters, and investigative supplies. She almost always carries her camera either around her neck or slung over her shoulder, though Riley has occasionally been known to wear dresses during formal events or nights out, usually to the surprise of investigators more accustomed to seeing her covered in ink, bruises, and coffee stains.
After Oslo Ryker modified the device for Candela work, her camera became both her signature investigative tool, a bleed detector, and a personal source of comfort.
Riley has a faint scar near her jawline from a fight with Mocking-Bird and Regicide at Beck’s Gym, but she rarely talks about how she got it.
Personality
Riley is smart, confrontational, and deeply stubborn. She asks questions others avoid, pushes herself far past her limits, and has a habit of rushing into dangerous situations before fully thinking them through.
Though she masks it with sarcasm and confidence, Riley is heavily driven by emotion. The false charges against her brother and her mother’s disappearance left her deeply distrustful of the Periphery and the justice system, believing that institutions often protect themselves before protecting victims.
She is fiercely protective of people who are ignored, dismissed, or unfairly blamed, and once she becomes invested in a case, she rarely lets it go. Other Candela investigators know Riley for standing up to authority, carrying notebooks overflowing with theories and observations, and documenting nearly everything through her camera.
Her friendship with fellow investigator Oslo Ryker has softened some of her rougher edges, though she has yet to truly act on her feelings for him.
History
Riley grew up in the Soffit with her older brother, Artie, and their parents, Joshua Lemmon and Martha Hastings-Lemmon. The family ran Lemmon’s Lemon bakery, and Riley often helped out behind the counter when she wasn’t at school and continues to do so as of 38 CR.
Even though she grew up in Newfaire’s poorer area, Riley attended Briar Green Preparatory Academy thanks to a full academic scholarship and later attended Briarbank College.
At Briar Green Prep, Riley was known for outstanding grades and her gymnastics on the school's team. From a young age, she trained often at Beck’s Gym, building strong combat and athletic skills well before joining Candela Obscura. It was during this time that she determined the secret identities of the masked vigilantes Mocking-Bird, Regicide, and Hellcat (Olive Horvat, Byron Hans Core, and Jacen Beck, respectively).
Her life changed when Artie was arrested for the murder of his best friend, Marie Chen, in a case later tied to a phenomenon known as The Shadow Man. Artie had confided in Riley that some people from a group came asking questions and let him know that Marie’s killer had been stopped. She spotted Dr. Phyllis “Filly” Bailey from Candela Obscura on the courthouse steps for help in Artie's escape. She was certain he would not get a fair trial, as few from The Soffit rarely do. Bailey refused to interfere in the trial, a choice Riley at first resented.
Artie was eventually found not guilty after the vigilante Mocking-Bird and other investigators from Candela brought in new evidence, but the experience left him emotionally shaken and still in therapy.
A few months later, Riley’s mother, Martha Hastings-Lemmon, vanished under mysterious circumstances. The Periphery called it a voluntary disappearance, but Riley found evidence that something much stranger had happened. Determined to investigate, she went to Lightkeeper Jacen Beck and insisted on joining Candela Obscura.
Thinking she would be turned away because of her age, Riley tried to prove herself by taking on Mocking-Bird and Regicide in a risky two-on-one fight at Beck’s Gym. She lost, but her determination begrudgingly impressed the investigators, and Beck eventually let her join Candela in a limited role (more for her own safety than anything else).
Since then, Riley has helped Candela circles with investigations, photography, organizing evidence, and research, all while attending Briarbank College as a freshman.
Languages
Noman, Hillian, Croixan, Amusan, Troverthan
Powers and Abilities
Investigative Instincts
Riley has unusually sharp deductive skills for her age and is especially good at spotting inconsistencies in witness statements, reports, and crime scenes.
Photographic Memory
Riley can remember visual details with almost perfect clarity. She is able to memorize documents, maps, evidence boards, conversations, and crime scenes after seeing them only briefly.
Journalism and Research
She is self-taught but highly skilled in interviewing, archival research, note-taking, and investigative writing.
Bleed Detection Photography
With a custom-modified multi-spectrum camera made by Oslo Ryker, Riley can spot traces of bleed contamination and some supernatural anomalies that can’t be seen with the naked eye.
Gymnastics
Years of gymnastics training have given Riley great balance, flexibility, body control, and agility. At Briar Green Prep, she competed on the gymnastics team and made it to the Provincial Championships.
Martial Arts
Riley holds a black belt in Kaido (A Troverthan martial art), a throw-focused martial art emphasizing leverage, momentum, joint control, and rapid takedowns. She trained extensively at Beck’s Gym under the supervision of Jacen Beck.
Riley is also an accomplished practitioner of the Troverthan martial art, Torakai, combining disciplined striking techniques with aggressive close-range pressure and athletic mobility.
Attacks and Weapons
Chain
When needed, Riley’s melee weapon of choice is a 51-inch steel chain, which she carries in a makeshift pocket inside her jacket sleeve. She uses it to entangle opponents or as a striking tool, often mixing it with throws and close-range grappling.
Throws
Riley specializes in close-range throws and takedowns, using her opponent’s momentum against them with explosive force. At Beck’s Gym, she even managed to suplex Byron, even though she was outmatched.
Striking
Riley prefers quick combinations of punches, elbows, knees, and kicks to overwhelm her opponents before they can react.
Improvised Fighting
Although she is younger than most veteran Candela operatives, Riley fights with aggression and unpredictability. She often uses her surroundings to her advantage and combines the various techniques she has learned from Jacen Beck.