Radion The Forged

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Radion (R-503)

Radion the Forged (art by @ Mika95B on twt)

Relatives	Daena Rivleam, Ailmar
Languages	Elvish, Common
Place of Birth	Sneerwell
Species	Warforged
Height	190 cm
Weight	300 lb
Eye Color	Yellow Light

Radion The Forged is a warforged, path of wild magic, barbarian.

Physical Appearance

A 190-tall metal-looking humanoid. Radion has hallowed eyes that would look disturbing if no bright light came out of it.   

He only wears pants, a loincloth, and a hood, so you can see the metal design of his body. Weirdly his core does not show. It may be covered by a hood. He does not wear shoes on principles.   

His metal body is of steel blue color. He wears a purple hood that matches his loincloth; the hood is held by sphere looking pin, on the back of the hood is a really faded symbol that looks like the sun that you have to look really hard to noticed it. He has a pair of dark greenish-gray trousers and is usually seen with his axe that fits his blue metal body. He has a necklace that dangles on his belt.   

Creation

R-503 was created by an artificer named Ailmar Rivleam sometime before The War of the Forged for his seven-year-old daughter, Daena, who has been in a depressive state since his mother’s death. The creation process took around two years to complete. His purpose was to be a companion to Daena and help her overcome her mother’s death. He was not built with the knowledge of fighting or being a soldier.   

History

The beginning (722 PR)

Unlike many warforged, R-503 was not made to be a killing machine. He began his life with one goal.   

“This is Daena. You are to be her companion, which means you must be kind to her, keep her safe, and make her happy.”   

The first time he met Daena was underwhelming; she was consumed by her grief to care. (Years later, she would tell Radion she was not impressed since she thought him a golem, but he knows better.) After some time, she began to acclimate to his constant presence in her life. But what made them really connect was when Daena discovered that R-503 was but a child that did not know much in the world, and she, nine at the time, was most confident in her knowledge of the world.   

Everything that makes Radion what he is today was given to him by Daena. His name, his personality, and his love for art.   

• “I told you, it’s R-503. It is not short for anything.”   
• “But it can be! I can’t just call you R-503; it’s too long. How about I choose something?”   
• “Sure.”   
• “Raco-” “Other than Raccoon, be creative.”   
• “Ugh, no fun... How about Radion?”   

Teenage years (723-730 PR)

During Daena’s teenage years, Ailmar was the same father as always. He still found it challenging to connect with his daughter and did not let go of the grief and guilt of his wife’s death. He also did not bother with R-503 unless it was monthly maintenance. But Daena’s relationship with Radion continued to strengthen. She always referred to him as her overprotective brother; it could be older or younger, depending on the day/situation.   

Given Daena’s curious nature, she would usually hyper-fixate on something, whether swimming, hunting, or dancing, and always drag Radion with her. The last of her hyper fixation was on sparring. She would tease Radion about how bad he is at it.   

• “Come one! You’re a warforged; shouldn’t you be better than this?”   
• “I was built for a different purpose, you know this. And you are not any better than me.”   

The Night (730 PR)   

Around 730 PR, the tension in Sneerwell was heightened. News of the warforged protesting their rights in Isonhound was spreading, and the possibility of a protest happening in the city kept everyone on edge. Radion could no longer go out with Daena to the city without being harassed by common people. The protests did start at Sneerwell, which led Ailmar to forbid R-503 from going outside or interacting with any warforged in the city. This angered Daena greatly; she was sympathetic to the cause of the warforged and would have a long conversation with Radion about how they should get their independence.   

On the night of Dalsk 27, Ailmar, who was working overtime at Pendergras Industries to quell the warforged rebellion, returned to his estate to find it shambles. After a quick investigation, he found Daena bloodied and covered by Radion’s body, both unconscious. He tried to get help for Daena just to find out that she was no more. He was told that a Warforged rebellion had heard of the beginning of the War of the Forged and wanted to make a statement. And what better statement than to wreak havoc on the estate of a warforged engineer and a known oppressor? 

R-503 remembers every detail of that night but does not like to recall these memories.

He remembers that it was a night like any other, with Daena and him lounging around the estate, reading the latest book that caught Daena’s fancy. He remembers hearing a loud hammering that made both of them jump. He remembers asking Daena to hide in her father’s dungeon/lab. He remembers investigating the noise to find a group of five warforged who just broke into the estate. He remembers trying to reason with them but to no avail. He remembers getting knocked out and accepting defeat; he was not built for war.

And he remembers his sister, the noise of the fight must have scared her, running to the fray to beg these bandits to stop, to take whatever they want but leave him alone. He remembers a disagreement that broke between the bandits; one saying to just kill her, the others saying it was not what they were tasked to do.

• “NO! STOP, PLEASE! I know where my father keeps all his valuables; just leave him alone.”

He remembers how she was killed, the rouge one grappling her and slicing her throat. He remembers it. He dreams of it often enough.

He remembers the rage he felt that day, how, in a second, he went from a begging, shouting mess asking for his sister to be left alone to standing over the last living warforged in the group.

• “how how how she said it was going to be easy, she said the warforged was but a weak companion, how did you d-”

What he also recalls was the aftermath. Being dragged by Ailmar to his lab, feeling Ailmar anger in his shouts. Being tinkered with to change from the warforged companion of Daena to the warforged soldier of revenge.   

• “They want their independence?! Let me show them what their own kind can do to them.”

The War of the Forged (730-7...?)   

This is the time that R-503 does not remember at all. All he knew was to follow orders and kill as many warforged as possible. He was awake in his early years, just to slumber when every warforged awakened. He only remembers the hate from those who fought on his side, questioning every move he takes and demeaning every action he does not take.   

And he remembers his final moments in that terrible war, the silence he did not know he wanted.   

Wandering in Isonhound (800 PR - 837 PR)   

Radi- R-503 woke up in a place so beautiful yet so dangerous. (He would later learn that it was the fey wild). He began to wander around, trying to survive while all the memories of the before and after finding purchase again in his mind.   

He journeyed until he was able to reach Barrier Peaks, a place he knew to be near Sneerwell. He continued to travel since there was no Daena to call him back to Sneerwell. He did not know at what time he returned to his world. He only knew that he shut down in the climax of the War of the Forged, and now it’s done; no more war. He often thinks about what that warforged meant before he killed him. Who is "she", and why did she send those to kill him?

His journey took him around Isonhound; he visited city after city until he could not handle the similarities it had with Sneerwell and the memory that the place holds of Daena. He decided to travel to different continent but traveling by ship to a different continent is expensive.

R-503 tried a lot of jobs; he tried fishing, hunting, cooking... etc. He was not good, but he was okay. They also didn’t have much revenue, but he had patience and nothing to look forward to. After some time and many other jobs, he had the money to travel, so he traveled to Amusa, the land of the lost. A fitting name for what he is. Amusa was beautiful and big, but most importantly, it was different. 

Warukami, Drihaol (837 PR)  

Radion first stop in Amusa was in the domain of Troveth. Troveth port town Warukami was a good place for him to busy himself. He first met someone called Yostrik Ironbrew, a dwarfish barkeep of the Drihaol tavern.  

The first time Yostrik met Radion was when the latter came into town with a state that shows he has been traveling for multiple days with no rest; even with the knowledge that Radion is warforged with no need to eat, sleep, or get warm but this did not deter Yostrik from taking care of him. Yostrik invited him to the tavern and asked him to rest, and when Radion promised to repay the favor, the dwarf just nodded his head.  

After multiple days of resting and gathering his energy, Radion asked the dwarf what he can do to help him, after some insistence the dwarf agreed to let the forged act as a bouncer for his tavern  

• “Ah shit, if you insist on doing something, how about you use this metal body of yours and take care of any ruckus that happens in this tavern?

Wakurami, Dragontooth Arena (839 PR)

After a year or two of working as a bouncer for Yostrik in the Drihoal tavern, getting between fights and calming things down, Radion grabs the attention of a traveling group that came to place bets on the Dragontooth Arena fights. Dragontooth Arena was planning to host a huge tournament that would last for three months, talks of this tournament was circulating around Drihoal tavern but Radion did not think much of it.  

The traveling group, calling themselves Timaeus, wanted to draft Radion into the tournament, telling him how he is built for it and will be able to win it, bringing riches to everyone involved. Radion refused at first, and even with their instance he continued to refuse. Yostrik, hearing this conversation, asked Radion to promise him never even think of fighting in a tournament.  

• “Never accept these fuckers offer, they will suck you dry and then some more. They are greedy bastard with no care to life only profit. “  

After Timaeus talked with Radion, the latter noticed the group hanging around the tavern, not talking to him, but just hanging around. A week before the tournament began Radion gets back from a walk around the town to see Yostrik beaten, blooded, and on the edge of death. It reminded him of losing his person. Getting to work, he grabbed Yostrik and healed him with a healing potion he had found in his journey and had been keeping, once he was sure Yostrik was okay, he began to look around trying to figure out what had happened. He found the following note.  

“You do not say no to Timaeus. We kept him alive, barely. If you do not want his death on your hands, come and find us on tournament ground.

You will fight for us.”

Radion, riddled with guilt, makes up his mind and goes to check on Yostrik one last time. Yostrik, just waking up, notices Radion and begs him not to go, that it is not worth it.

• “This is my problem, you suffered enough just by knowing me.”

The trip to tournament ground was filled with flashbacks to that dreaded night in Sneerwell, flashbacks of the good Yostrik has done to Radion in the few years he knew him, how he was the first person to show Radion kindness since Daena’s death. He needed to avenge him, but first he got to play by their rules. After reaching Dragontooth Arena he finds the Timaeus groups and makes his way towards them, they looked smug and assured that he will comes. Once they noticed him, they broke into a grin.  

• “You have finally decided to join us, I wonder what changed your mind!”

• Radion, seething with rage, “You will get what you want, and more than what you asked, let’s get started.”

Wakurami, Dragontooth Tournament (839 PR)

The Dragontooth tournament being held had three phases.  

The first phase was an all-out fight between everyone in the tournament, it only stops when half of the fighters are down. Radion, not that smart of a guy, still worked in an army and knew how to handle this kind of situation. So, his plan was to wait it out. That worked for the first half of the fight, but he was noticed by a half orc fighter. The fighter, who Radion noticed to be working with a group who was antagonistic to Timaeus shouted to Radion,

• “THERE HE IS!!! THE NEW TOY OF TIMAEUS. COME HERE!!! LET ME SHOW YOU HOW ITS DONE.”  

Both were huge fighters and specialized in melee. The half orc jumped on Radion, trying to take him out quickly and smoothly. But Radion sturdy metal body was able to withhold the attacks. Radion used a battle axe to swing at the half orc head, hitting him doing a decent amount of damage. They traded blows for a while until Radion, a raging barbarian with a lot of experience, was able to knock him out. Radion has passed his first trial.  

-

The second phase was where Radion might have suffered; this phase required winning a dual by only landing a long-range attack. Radion was paired with a spell caster. Before the match Timaeus tried to change the pairing to another melee fighter, knowing that Radion probability of winning this dual is close to nothing. At the beginning of the fight, no one was paying mind, and everyone assumed the caster finish Radion in one go, but in a wicked twist of fate, the caster was poison focused, who only knew spells that do poison damage. Radion warforged body resisted any poison damage and it was impossible to poison him. After a quick show of her spell casting abilities, the caster was knocked out. Radion has passed his second trial.  

-

Everyone was now interested in this warforged fighter who managed to win against the worst of odds, bets started to come in and people finally believed he might have a chance to when this, which excited those in Timaeus. But there were still some doubts, the final phase was yet to come.  

-

The third and final phase of the tournament was a single-elimination tournament, with only 16 finalists to fight. The first round of elimination was easy on Radion, he was paired with a ranger who had no hope of winning once the barbarian was in melee. The quarterfinal was against a monk who proved to be a bit of a challenge, but Radion managed to knock him up just barely.

The semi final was against a caster who learned from Radion second phase fight and came prepared, the only reason Radion was able to triumph over her was because of the lightening resistance potion Timaeus gave to him.

Thus, here comes the final. Radion has been hearing of another barbarian who kills whoever hes against, and if not for the clerics in standby more than a dozen would be dead. Determined to take this savage down, the warforged set up a plan with the help of Timaeus. The fight, which was supposed to be with fistfight, came to end with Radion on top, the other barbarian didn't get a chance to rage.

Revenge of the Forged (840 PR)

*tbw*

Letters to Dae

1

I have been wandering the continent of Isonhound for I don't know how many days? Weeks? Months? And I always debate if I should return to your father, my maker, to check his existence and well-being. But my resentment against him for being so careless of what he says is stronger. If he had just kept his mouth shut, none of this would have happened; if I had been faster, stronger, and built for war, you would not be gone. Leaving me alone to chart the world. I often ask myself if my hatred for Ailmar stems from the need to share this guilt with someone.

2

I just learned that it is the year of 788. I have been slumbering for half a decade. The warforged now has their own independence. They are a race like any other race. I don't know how I feel about that. I never wrote what happened after your death. I have fought in the war and not on the side you would expect.

I haven't written for you mainly for one reason; I was the Villain in the story. And Daena, I can't have you see me as a villain; your judgment is the only judgment I care about.

But yeah... I missed the war's end, and 50 years after, I'm still trying to understand its outcome.

3

It's the year of 800! You would have been turning 87 in a new era. I've been doing all sorts of jobs to get by. Hunting, cooking, fishing- Someone offered to employ me as a bodyguard. That was amusing, I'm no protector.

4

It's 866, and I grow tired of Isonhound. I have done everything imaginable, and I'm starting to feel weary. Tales of my jobs may have reached some people. People who want to exact revenge. It could have reached Ailmar; to finally hear of my survival, he would likely want to claim me back. But I was never his. I always was your brother and only that.

Been hearing of a sky-ship that can ferry me across the skies to the continent of Amusa; I might just do that.

5

Amusa is different, and as someone who doesn't like changes, you would have thought I'd hate it, but no. I actually like it here.

Everything is new, with no ghosts to haunt me.

6

I met a dwarf who cared for me deeply, but my care for him showed and a band of thugs wounded him to get to me. What happened to Yostrik is my fault. I shouldn't get closer to people, I am a magnet to danger and no one should suffer because of me. I will take care of them once I grew stronger, with their help.

7

I've been hearing of an expedition company led by two brothers. I may go and become a member. It is a weird choice for me, I know. But I have been feeling the anger for decades. I fear it will consume me. And I don't want to kill and wreak havoc on innocents for no reason. I just need a simple goal with clear instructions to follow.   

Daena, it's been getting harder and harder, and time has not done anything to ease this... whatever this is.

8

I did my first mission with the expedition and may have acted foolishly. See, Daena, I'm not a strategist I am a muscle. I get pointed in a direction with clear orders and follow them as best as possible.

The first mission we were tasked to do was to look for a dead dragon treasure inside a mountain. My companions seemed powerful, which was assuring. While walking through the forest near the mountain, I noticed the magic around us may cause illusions; but even with this information when I saw you standing there with your nine-year-old visage. I had to run towards you. Daena, I have a lot of memories of you, but I still fear forgetting your face and your voice.

After fighting, whatever the treasures we found turned into a hole that led to the 'dead' Dragon. He promised me you, but I know you were gone. What happened in the forest was a weakness. I don't even know why I continue writing to you.

We refused the Dragon's offers, and most of us fled. I was going to escape, but a caster stayed behind. And I guess the instructions from my… masters stuck around. I am cannon fodder; I must protect the caster. I don't like this reasoning. I know I said I'm not a protector, but I'd rather have the urge to protect just because I wanted to, not because of what the war turned me into.

So here's me swearing to you, as long as I have yet to live, I will always choose to protect and keep everyone safe; as long as they are not hostile, they have nothing to fear from me.

9

I met a warforged on my second mission; he was blaming me for what I did in the war; that I betrayed 'our' kind. I must say, I was surprised to be recognized. I told them I was used like many of our kind was. I don't know if I even I believe that. I was filled with hate and rage against the forged, they took you away from me. I wanted to hurt them even though I knew it wasn’t right.

I know I wasn’t in control, but I did not fight any command given by Ailmar.

10

Third mission! Yes, I know.. even I’m surprised I stuck out this long. But I’m doing good Daena! We went to an underground colony filled with gnolls. They were building war machine; connecting their bodies to warforged parts, things I have not seen since the war.

They even had prisoners for “food.” We saved those prisoners; it was the first time in awhile where I ever felt like I was truly protecting for the sole purpose of protecting. That place... It was disgusting and our group knew to sabotage it.

I must continue my work here. I don’t know if protecting is truly my purpose but if it feels me with so much… joy, I must pursue it further.

Daena, I never even hoped to dream of making you proud of me, but this? This may actually work.

11

Just when I was looking up to my work here...

Remember the gnolls' colony I told you about? how we destroyed it? Well, it was because of that that Lorrie, a comrade I met in my first mission, lost her entire group. They were ambushed by the gnolls as an act of desperation. I know what we did was right, but it still had consequence, I think I need to learn to be ready for them; or at least never do something unless I am accepting of any bad outcome it may bring.

Our mission was to retrieve a cargo that the gnolls took from Lorrie. We lost someone on this mission, he had a weird power like mine, but more chaotic. I manged to salvage a necklace out of their remains; I did not know them, but I will honor them. During the battle, I had to pull someone to safety and in a flash I swear I saw you instead of them, what a young adult you would look like.

You would have been 180. I keep thinking on what path you would have taken, would you pursue your love of reading and grow to be an artificer like your father? would you return to the fling you had for combat and be a fighter? or would you have developed a skill for arcane magic like your mother? Lots of questions that I will never know the answer to.

I know you wouldn't approve, but I acquired a scroll of sending and I am tempted to check on your father.

12

*scouting mission for July*

*my guilt led me to scouting this past few days. I don't know yet if I found anything interesting.*

13

*session recap*

Relationships   

Daena Rivleam   

Daena was Radion’s only friend. He grew up with her. He learned everything from her. He loved her, considered her a sister, and was set to do everything to make her happy. Daena was kind, mischievous, and had a love for art. She was the only one then to call Radion by his name. And he learned to nickname her Dae after some time. They would do everything together; all their waking moments they had together.   

Radion knew Daena since she was 9 years old until her death at the age of seventeen. He misses her all the time; sees her in everyone he meets.

Ahriman Zestari

TBW

Ailmar Rivleam   

His maker. Alimar Rivleam was a strict master and a father. He greatly loved his daughter, but that could not translate well to her. The only thing that he knew to do well was to make things that fix things.   

He considers his first failure in his life to be that he could not figure out how to cure his wife. After his wife’s death, he could not figure out how to cheer up his daughter, Daena. Daena had just turned seven when his wife died, and she always had a great fascination for golems.   

That is why Ailmar started working on a warforged machine that could accompany his daughter everywhere in an attempt to cheer her up. His creation process for this warforged took a lot of trials and errors. The definitive version of the warforged, which he gifted to his daughter on her ninth birthday, was code-named R-503. Ailmar has the resources needed for this creation because of his work in the Pendergras Industries.

From his perspective, his second failure was that he could not keep his daughter safe. 

Yostrik Ironbrew  

Yostrik Ironbrew was an old dwarf with a loud personality but a kind heart. Radion's first re-introduction to kindness in the name of kindness. He was loud, funny, and swore a lot; but he was also wise, he knew when Radion was thinking about his life of before, and he would try to busy him; sending him out on wild quests with no clear goals, this used to frustrate Radion.  

Yostrik was the first person ever to learn about Radion's past, Radion talked about Daena the most with him, telling him about his hobbies and how she can never pick one. He told him about what happened to her, how she died and what Radion had to do to avenge her. Yostrik, a father with two, could understand how huge of a loss this is. He Made Radion a necklace with a portrait of Daena to keep on his person.  

He is the reason why Radion is not open to people.

Personality

Radion is reserved. he does not interact with people unless they seek him out; he refuses to get attached to anyone. He keeps away from crowded places. He is primarily neutral and does not hurt anyone unless they prove to be an obstacle to his objective. He swore to always be a protector, for he tries to keep anyone on a mission with him away from danger; this may be out of habit from the war since he was cannon fodder for magic users or his way of attuning to the one time he didn’t protect the one that means the most to him. 

AN; hes an angsty little guy

Languages

Common and Elvish, and un-named language that Daena invented when she was 12 which he continuously questioned. He switches between formal and informal speech.

Powers and Abilities

His second awakening happened in the fey wild, where wild magic is all around. He woke up with the ability to channel his rage into wild magic. He is proficient with strength weapons and can hold his own in combat. After some work with the company Radion's power evolved; now he can channel his magic to resist certain type of damage, he can also infuse these types into his weapon to deal extra elemental damage.

Weapons 

He carries his trusted great axe, 4 javelins he may have stolen on the road, and two hand axes for emergencies.