Ridley

Cor Rehderodendron, or Ridley as he prefers to be called outside of Riolythe, is a flamboyant elven man who appreciates drama, casual sex, and just generally doing what he wants, when he wants. His moods have a tendency to be extreme, and he uses both intimidation and flair to manipulate people to his ends. Those who have met him tend to find him either highly obnoxious, terrifying, or both. While he is a permanent citizen of Riolythe, he skips the border on a regular basis, visiting Asanon for a break from the rigid elven society. He can often be seen hanging around the bar in Verdigris, sampling its alcohol and patrons with equal relish.
While in Asanon, he is no stranger to the black market, and due to both his race and penchant for strange clothes, he is quickly recognized by many who dabble in back alleys. In Riolythe, however, he is the criminal element, and has brought extortion, blackmail and illegal sale of imports to a new level. Everyone outside of the high houses knows him and his reputation, and he is widely feared and respected.
He was one of the founding members of the Ember Gang and appeared to assist Jack mainly in the transport of magical goods into the country for the organization's use. His relationship with Jack is a convoluted one, and many of the Embers didn't bother asking questions where the elf was concerned.
== Childhood ==
Father: Cor Habranthus. Spends much of his time ensuring the quality and maintenance of archival books. Has an interest in theoretical mathematics. Quiet and highly introverted.
Mother: Cor Cyrilla. One of the elves who perform maintenance on the Cor residential complex, ensuring the halls and common areas are kept clean and aesthetically pleasing. Enjoys flower arrangement.
Younger Sister: Cor Lithodora. About 35 years younger than her brother. Is married and has a child of her own. Has astonishingly little to do with her brother; believes that she may have spoken to him once.
Cor Rehderodendron was born an elf of low standing to Cor Cyrilla and Cor Habranthus. He was always bright and healthy, although he tended to be a bit unfocused and rowdy for his parents’ tastes. Despite his penchant for wandering and a few recorded incidents of misconduct (a fight here, a coercion there), he did well enough at school. His parents always seemed to exude a vague sense of disappointment. They always told him that he could do better, but when he reached the age where he started asking why he should, they could never seem to give a clear answer.
As he neared his twenties and the end of his schooling, he began to become more restless. He never seemed to find any respectable task or hobby that could hold his interest, much to his parents’ chagrin. This led to him spending an increasing amount of time wandering further and further away from the city; the fact that he was trespassing never phased him. The slow, unconcerned nature of the city meant that he was never missed.
At the age of 21, he graduated and was set to be married to a woman named Cor Melaleuca. He knew her and had no real feelings towards her one way or another, and so had no particular desire to marry her. This resistance was only increased by the fact that no one could seem to give him any reason to marry her other than ‘because we say so’. After thinking about it long and hard, he decided that he would stand against it, despite the stigma it would cause. He thought that maybe it could be for the best: maybe refusing would make people think about the nature of the situation, and make other people question the ever-increasing number of pointless societal rules he was becoming aware of that enslaved them all. When he told his parents of his decision, they were almost unfazed. They plainly told him that he had no choice and he would be married, so he should stop fretting and complaining about it. Their calm rejection of his opinions only stood to make him more upset and against the situation. When the day finally came, he left the city as far as he could, confident that this would make his position clear. As he wandered around the edges of the Leyu property, he made a discovery: the country’s border here wasn’t marked by force walls and physical barriers like he had been told closed off Riolythe from the rest of the world. It was only a series of alarms, vigils and other trip wire spells: things that he could disable and avoid. Out of curiosity more than anything else, he spent days in the woods, missing from town, navigating the spells and traps, learning the path to Asanon. When he reached point where Asanon was merely steps away, he turned back, reset the barriers and returned to the city, his whim satisfied.
When he returned, he found himself the subject of many a sidelong glance and glare, which he was rather proud of until he met with his parents. He was told to explain himself: he merely stated, somewhat smugly, that he didn’t want to get married to her, and so he didn’t. It was at this juncture that he was told that, while he was an embarrassment to them and many others, and had made Cor Melaleuca a subject of ridicule, the wedding had proceeded quite fine without him. Despite his childish and unacceptable behaviour, he had been wed anyways: because the arrangements had already been made and would not be altered, his physical presence was not needed. His belongings had been moved to the apartment that his wife had selected, and he should leave, as neither of them particularly wanted to associate with him at that point. The sudden realization of the utter lack of agency he truly possessed over his life struck him violently. Without a pause or word to anyone, he left, crossed the border to Asanon, and soon found himself in Verdigris.
It did not take long for the elf to introduce himself to the local bar and start a newfound friendship with alcohol. On his first night, a group of inebriated men found his appearance to be exceptionally humourous; his vicious physical retaliation not so much. Over the next few weeks, he quickly learned a few life-altering things: in Riolythe, he was average at best; in Asanon, he was exotic and attractive. In Riolythe, his arcane skills were mediocre, but in Asanon, they were rare and astonishing. In Riolythe, he had nothing in particular; in Asanon, the mildly enchanted knickknacks he had in his pockets were worth a villager’s year’s pay. All too willing to abandon the stifling, ridged rules of his culture, he learned of sex, drugs, and power at an astonishing rate.
He also learned just how deeply he hated his name: an unpronounceable, ridiculous reminder that he was lowly, and that every facet of his life was to be controlled by some other people who happened to have different parents. A drunken poll at the bar helped him to choose a new one.
Despite the freedom, he found the lifestyles of the villagers to be displeasing. Compared to Riolythe, this place was a mudhole, where people lived in backwards filth and disease. Certainly, it had its charms, but it quickly became apparent that he did not want to live here, and everything he had learned of Asanon suggested that there was little better elsewhere in the country. As he considered it, he decided that he didn’t actually want to leave Riolythe forever. He just wouldn’t submit to the city or its rules. He would break them, mock them, subvert them, and in deciding this, he realized just how utterly simple it was to do with no real repercussions, beyond rumours and dirty looks. This lead to something of a revelation: he could break the rules with impunity, because he didn’t care; just how much could he gain from coercing and punishing the idiots who did? He wondered how far he could push someone who truly cared about nothing more than saving face. He considered how much someone would pay him to not let anyone know that they weren’t perfect, weren’t respectable. How simple it would be to learn the things that people didn't want learned, and tempt them with the things he had. He finally found the pursuit that captivated his interest.
And then he returned to Riolythe.
== Blackblades, Revolution and Beyond ==
Ridley joined Jack on his mission to Yeto, but due to a falling out in the mountains, Ridley opted to stay with Raito and his group rather than follow Jack and Shirley. He assisted them until the end, when he refused the offer to join them in the raid on Miyagi Castle; he offered them some intelligence, and left to mind Kirsikka, Vol and Yomiel. When only Broken Tusk returned from that ill-fated venture, explaining how no one else had survived, Ridley kept Kirsikka and continued minding Vol in Caelan's stead; Yomiel opted to tag along with him as well, though Broken Tusk continued on his trackless wanderings.
Ridley stayed with Vol for a few years until the young man became more settled in his life, though he wasted no time in exploiting the criminal markets of Yeto. With Yomiel and his rapidly-grown drake as silent strongmen, Ridley carved out a name for himself in Yeto, eventually merging it with his holdings in Asanon to create the international Syndicate.
Later in life, Ridley began to feel as though something was missing, and that was a child. He tracked down Caelan's mother, Lilivale Ara, and propositioned her. This eventually led to the birth of Ginger Rivale, though the two of them were never in any sort of relationship. Ridley loved and spoiled his daughter, and taught her more about crime than she needed to know. 
As part of his schemes to control vaster areas, Ridley conned, bribed, tricked and stole his way into the knowledge and technology necessary to establish an instantaneous transit system across the continent. His grandson Narcissus was the one to release the system to the public as the highly-profitable business Lightning Transit.
Ridley eventually passed on from old age, and was buried as he requested: with two of the most powerful and unique possessions he had ever come across, the Deck of Many Things, which he had held for Raito and had kept when he never returned, and the mantle he had stolen from the ominous, fear-spreading fey he had bested in the mountains. It's said that strange things happen when a strong soul passes on surrounded by such power...
Category:Character