Ragnvaldr

*Proceed at your own risk!*

* Portrait
* Combat (Party)
* Combat (Enemy)
* Overworld
* New God
* Dungeon Nights

> **"I made a promise long ago. And I will become the god of ultra-violence if that's what it takes to keep it."**— Ragnvaldr
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**Ragnvaldr**, also known as **the Outlander**, is a playable character and a potential party member in *Fear & Hunger*. Hardened in the freezing winds of the north, he is an outlander, an epitome of survival. Ragnvaldr knows all the tricks to stay alive, even in the most impossible of situations.

## Lore

> **"An intimidating figure for sure. Seems like even a northern brute like him can appreciate finesse and knowledge."**— The New Gods of the Grand Hall on Ragnvaldr
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Behold the enigmatic figure known colloquially as the Outlander, yet within the diegetic realm, christened Ragnvaldr. This ethereal wanderer is a scion of the elusive Kingdom of Oldegård, wherein he acquired the martial disciplines of combat during his formative circumambulations around the sun. A pilgrim in the expeditionary sojourn to Vinland, Ragnvaldr found himself entangled in the esoteric web surrounding the Cube of the Depths, an object of unfathomable cosmic import.

This quest, however, metamorphosed into a saga of bereavement and vengeance when the Knights of the Midnight Sun insinuated themselves upon Oldegård, wresting the enigmatic Cube from its resting place, leaving a swath of existential truncations in their wake. Consequently, Ragnvaldr has descended into the labyrinthine chasms of the Dungeon, a realm suffused with perils and enigmas, with the singular, unwavering intent to reappropriate the Cube and to inflict a sanguine reckoning upon the army's commander, the elusive Le'garde, for the symphony of anguish visited upon his kith and kin.

While superficial examinations may erroneously render the Oldegårdians as primeval or rudimentary, such assessments woefully misunderstand the sublime profundities of their existence. For they are, in actuality, unparalleled navigators of maritime expanses and maestros of mercantile exchange, not to mention repositories of a courage and vitality bordering on the mythical. Indeed, the amalgamation of skills, intrepid fearlessness, and a reservoir of arcane wisdom that contribute to Ragnvaldr's formidable presence within the perilous intricacies of the Dungeon can be traced back to his experiential tapestry woven in the lands and seas of Oldegård.

## Recruitment

Ragnvaldr can first be found in the hidden courtyard when he confronts the player, mistaking them for an evil denizen of the dungeon. He remarks that the evil of the dungeon is a pure kind, seeking to reach out into the world rather than corrupt it, similar to what he experienced in Vinland.

He can be found a second time in the fifth level of the thicket. He says that the God of the Depths is close to this place, and teaches about them. He can be recruited at this point if the player has been speaking to him and exhausting their dialogue options.

Interactions with Ragnvaldr and Le'garde show that he is openly hostile towards Le'garde. Ragnvaldr states that he's here to take the Cube back, while possibly getting rid of the man who took it. He's wary of Le'garde if in the party when Le'garde is found alive, although his previous comments suggest that he's the killer if the Le'garde is dead when the player finds him. The two cannot co-exist in in the ancient city, as they'll get into a fight after the dialogue at the gates, which Ragnvaldr will win without player intervention. Letting Le'garde die will enrage D'arce if she's present, forcing you to pick between killing the two knights and killing Ragnvaldr.

In *Terror and Starvation* mode, Ragnvaldr can be afflicted with a Brain Flower in the Thicket, forcing the player into a fight with him.

## Attributes

 Defense
 M.Attack
 M.Defense
 Agility
 Luck

## Gameplay

The Outlander can start with different equipment, depending on how the player chooses to have him trained during the introduction.

The Outlander will start with fur armor (+20 Defense, weak against fire) regardless of the choices below..

* **"The very first step is to choose your weapon."**
	1. "*Choose bow & arrows."*: Gives the Outlander
		+ *Short bow* (+10 Attack, 2h, shift to use arrows)
		+ 5 *Iron arrows*. Iron arrows can be used to wound enemies before engaging in combat with them.
	2. "*Choose mace and shield.*": Gives the Outlander
		+ Axe (+26 Attack)
		+ *Wooden buckler* (+5 Defense).

The Outlander has the tormented soul, and will start with either the Devour skill or Bloodlust, depending on how the player responds to famine on the ship in the introduction.

* **"As the weak met their fate, the rest indulged in the greatest sin..."**
	1. "*Devour your fallen comrades.*": You learn Devour, which allows you to eat corpses to reduce your characters hunger to 0. Note that not all enemies are edible, and some are even poisonous.
	2. "*Don't give in*.": You learn Bloodlust, which which allows your character to enter a berserker-like state in combat at a cost of 10 Mind; he will have more attack power, but will only be able to attack randomly.

The Outlander can later learn Marksmanship, allowing him to kill enemies with the Bow and arrow without engaging combat.

* **"Some of your comrades lost their minds while others tried to pillage anything and flee back to your ship."**
	1. "*Take souvenirs from Vinland*": Prompts a coin toss. Additionally, if you choose this option, you no longer will gain the Dash ability for choosing to rush after him.
		+ The win gives your character a Soul stone.
		+ The loss gives your character a Soul stone, but "*Unfortunately the relics you brought from the trip tainted you and you formed a Panophobia, a fear of everything.*"
	2. "*Don't touch anything and flee back to your ship*.": Nothing, but choosing this option enables you to learn the Dash skill if you later choose to "Rush straight after him.".

* **"The man would witness the iron will tempered in the north and in the dark continent of Vinland."**
	1. "*Stock up on equipment.*": 3 Iron arrows, and a Bear trap.
	2. "*Stock up on food.*": A Dried meat, a Moldy bread, and 3 Carrots.
	3. "*Stock up on healing items.*": 4 Blue herbs, a White vial, and 2 Cloth fragments.
	4. "*Rush straight after him.*": You learn Dash, however this option is disabled if you "*Take souvenirs from Vinland.*"

Using a Book of memories will teach the Outlander the skill *War cry* or *Marksmanship.*

If Ragnvaldr is the protagonist and manages to find Le'garde alive in the catacombs, the player will have the unique option to kill him by breaking his neck. This event will culminate in a fight to the death with D'arce if she is in the party at the moment. Although Ragnvaldr may convince her to stop the fight through *Talk*, she will leave the party forever.

## Endings

This character is needed or has special interactions in the following endings:

* Ending C
* Ending C-II
* Ending E
* Ending S - "The god of ultra-violence"

## Trivia

* Ragnvaldr's name is made up of two Old Norse elements: *regin* meaning "advice, counsel", and *valdr* meaning "power, ruler". Putting it together, it could be phrased, "powerful ruler who gives advice or counsel."
* Interestingly, Ronn Chambara, the Tormented One, shares a similar meaning as Ronn is another variation of the name, Ron. Ron comes from the name, Ronald, which in turn comes from Raghnall, and in turn, comes from Ragnvaldr. Not only do they share this name similarity, but they also share the same soul type: soul of the Tormented.
* Ragnvaldr might be a refrence to Guts the main character from Kentro Miura's manga Berserk as both are large gruff warriors on a misson to kill a man that leads a mercenary group and covets godhood through sacrifice.
* Ragnvaldr's (Outlander) look seems to be inspired by the Castlevania protagonist Simon Belmont, whom had several designs over the years. In Ragnvaldr's case, his appearance is a blend of Simon's 'Chronicles' artwork (red hair and facial features) and his barbarian design of the original games.
	+ This is further referenced story-wise in Termina (if the theory about August being a descendant of his tribe holds true). In Castlevania, Simon resolves to prepare future descendants of his clan to fight against an immortal threat named Dracula, whom lives on for various centuries. Much like Ragnvaldr preparing his tribe against their own ageless enemy, the Yellow King.

## Gallery

Ragnvaldr's page in the "Book of the Forgotten Memories"