Beings made from dead flesh, sewn together and then reanimated, these creations are often villafied and feared for their hideous appearance. However, these monstrous creations sometimes choose to live the life of an adventurer, if their host village will have them.
Shards of Orn verison 4.0 Information
| Costuming | Riven | Riven must paint stitching on all areas of exposed skin. They must also include partial costuming elements from at least three other races. |
| Passive Effect | Immune Stun | You are Immune to Stun Effects, including the Stun at the end of a Push effect. |
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Combat Effect
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Self, Renew Body |
You do not need to do anything special to trigger a Self ability. When you use it, it affects you. You regain the use of all “Maimed” limbs. “Renew” abilities can also be used to counter “Maim” effects. |
| Narrative Effect | Commune Corpse |
You are able to speak to dead bodies and severed body parts. They are typically able to convey their physical experiences and sensations but lack nuanced information like motivations and emotions. |
Riven characters must paint stitching on all areas of exposed skin. They must also include partial costuming elements from at least three other races. These extra elements need not remain the same from one event to the next.
Deep down, all Riven fear their own artificiality. Different bloodlines react to this in different ways. Selucians, for instance, tend to seek attention as a means of validation. Goroths, on the other hand, are jealous of natural beings, driving them to destruction and violence. Others may become adventurers searching for a way to make themselves truly alive. Whatever their goals, all Riven must come to terms with their monstrous nature and reconcile what it means to be an unnatural creature in a natural world.
Due to the forbidden nature of their creation, there is little known on the true origins of Riven. The only thing truly known about the beginning of these illusive monstrosities is that while reanimated corpses and zombies were a normal occurrence pre-Shattering, the creation of Riven were not. This has led many to speculate that their initial creations can be directly contributed to the violent turmoil and despair that permeated all of the post-Shattering Orn. However, once knowledge of Riven began to grow amongst the many civilizations of Orn, so did their value as cheap or ferocious war-beasts. While such practices disgusted many civilizations, there was little done to stop them as long as they didn’t affect themselves. It wasn’t until the, mostly forgotten, Duke of the Worms attempted an unsuccessful siege in the 4th age, with the largest known conglomeration of Riven, upon the city of Huel Vor that the creation and existence of Riven was truly seen as a threat. An excerpt of a short story of the battle, long since banned from reproduction, reads, “For every Brave Soldier felled, a new arm or leg grew on the Worm’s monstrosities. And that was when the people truly knew what horror was.” It wasn’t long after these events that it was decreed for all the Upper Metsar that the creation, ownership, and even existence of Riven were punishable by death. Many of the other nations quickly produced their own version of the same laws, banning the existence of Riven, citing them as un-natural and foul.
It was shortly after this series of decrees that wide purgings began to occur. Many Riven were burned, torn apart, drowned at sea, and fed to animals. There are even rumors of an ancient asylum where many Riven have been permanently locked away to wait the end of time. The most prominent in the fore-front of the elimination of Riven came from an ancient sect of Druids acting in the immortal Loreyza’s stead. They were said to have created a natural hunter for these un-natural beings. Having large, scissor-like claws, they were commonly referred as “Seam Rippers”, but few can verify their actual existence as they only appear whenever a Riven is nearby. Since then, Riven have been hunted to the point where they are a rarity on many of the shards of Orn.
But even though they have been hunted to such low numbers, Riven still exist to this very day. While they may not be created with as much fervor or tenacity, it is still a thriving art form among the blackest circles of both hatred and desperation. It’s for this reason one may find more Riven throughout the Shadelands and deep within the Wraithwood then any other area. They are even accepted as common citizens in some cities, such as Rica who has had more than one Riven take residence within the city walls.
Riven are as diverse as the parts from which they are made. Many are created to be servants or soldiers from whatever pieces are convenient at the time (e.g., executed criminals, corpses in graveyards, fresh victims, etc.). These Returned, as they are called, are often found in the service of the necromancers or unscrupulous engineers who created them, though circumstance or cunning allow some to escape and seek their own way in the world.
Some Riven, however, are created with specific purposes in mind. These include Goroth, Sciamians, and Selucians.
· Goroth - Goroths are abominations created for war. Their parts are chosen from the most savage creatures to grant the resulting Riven brute strength and ferocity. Many are crafted with intentionally mismatched and grotesque parts to lend the creature a fearsome appearance, as well. This process comes with a price, however; Goroths tend to be exceptionally violent, especially toward natural creatures who treat them with fear and revulsion. They are known for succumbing to madness and going on murderous rampages, often times killing their own creators in the process.
· Sciamian - Sciamians serve as vessels for spirits. Sometimes one is created as an alternative to resurrection for a departed soul or a means to prolong the life of someone dying. Other times, a strong spirit merely possesses a weak-willed or malformed Riven. There have even been instances of multiple spirits vying for control of the same body, resulting in an unstable creature with multiple distinct personalities. Because they were once alive, Sciamians may have an easier time interacting with natural beings, and tend to be more in tune with the spirit world.
· Selucian - Sometimes called Beauty Born, Selucians are most often created to replace a lost lover, for companionship, or for perverse artistic reasons. Their parts are chosen for their beauty and the processes used to create them aim to minimize tissue damage. Some even manage to achieve a macabre sort of beauty, though most only in the eyes of their creators. They tend to be attention-seeking and vain, and excel in roles involving seduction or manipulation.
Riven who escape their creators (or masters) tend to live in a nomadic seclusion, doing everything they can to avoid others whenever possible. However, due to their need to replace their own deteriorating limbs and organs, they are never able to travel too far away from graveyards or other sources of fresh parts. This leaves them susceptible to being discovered by the local, and often frightened, populace. In most cases, if the Riven isn’t captured or destroyed, they develop an even further distrust of others, further driving them into seclusion.
However, sometimes Riven may stumble onto another of their kind and decide to form small groups, believing in safety in numbers. These groups, called “Shamblings”, tend to move in a sort of herd mentality from one town/graveyard to the next, each doing what they can to take care of the other members. When discovered (and inevitably attacked) by the civilized populaces, they are quick to scatter to save themselves. This makes the Riven more reluctant to join another Shambling in the future out of fear.
While members of this group are not required to follow any sort of rules or laws, it is a widely-accepted taboo among all Riven to never use any parts previously used by another Riven. This applies even more to stealing parts from currently living Riven. It is a crime against all Riven, and those discovered to have broken the taboo are maliciously attacked and dismembered by the other Riven, ensuring the offender is unable to continue themselves.
Because Riven are always roaming from one safe location to the next, never knowing when they will be chased off or attacked, they tend to have very little for possessions. Almost everything they might have with them is usually either stolen from somebody, or found in a grave when searching for new body parts. Because of this, they tend to wear exclusively ragged clothes from wherever they’ve been. Sometimes, however, Riven will find and choose to keep a small trinket of an especially happy time in their miserable lives. Perhaps they have a small thimble to remind them of a happier time when they were tolerated enough to mend clothes for some kind hermit, or perhaps its something as simple as a smooth rock found on a lakeside they particularly liked. Whatever the reasoning, this object can sometimes become an object of fascination that they will refuse to misplace or allow to be harmed. Some may go as far as sewing it into themselves to always be sure they have it nearby.
Even though the practice has existed for ages, the creation of Riven is an unnatural act condemned by every civilized race throughout Orn. Most view them as soulless monsters to be slain on sight, driving Riven toward a life of solitude. Some Riven become resentful of such treatment, causing them to hate other races. Other Riven long for acceptance, going slowly mad from loneliness. Often times, if they find company at all, it is with similarly outcast races, including other Simulacra, Cambions, Revenants, and the like.
· Etejeril- Being made from dead body parts, many Riven feel they have much in common with the Undead
· Imphalios- Being creations themselves, many hope for Imphalios to allow them build them to be better and long lasting
· Muralakrum- Those who choose to follow Muralakrum commonly change their parts on an extremely frequent basis in order to please the Immortal of Change
· Istensia- The ultimate dream of many Riven is to obtain True Life instead of their artificial existence. Those who worship Istensia hope she may be able to grant them that dream.
· Dhuroscht- Those who become embittered toward civilized races may even embrace their monstrous nature and follow Dhuroscht instead.
· Hexadus- Due to many Riven's roots as slaves and forced laborers, many hold a deep hatred of Hexadus.
Every now and then, a Riven might make their presence known to a town or a village to join society. If they aren't instantly chased off, they may choose to settle down and leave their nomadic life behind them.
While many Riven find the life of a soldier or a rogue closer to their former lifestyle, many of the other bloodlines find different paths much easier. Goroths find it easy to develop a terrible fury and rage, making them excellent Berserkers and Savages. Sciamian, having a closer connection to the spirit world, make excellent Shamans, Warlocks, and Soothsayers. Selucions are able to use their good looks and charms as Bards and even Seers.
“Becoming Unstitched” – Refers to a Riven who’s mind has deteriorated to madness
“Have luck on your Harvest” – A good luck saying referring to the collection of new body parts
“May the Night Sun Guide You” – A form of farewell to wish safe travels as they continue to the next safe location
“Ripper’s Scent” – refers to the uncanny ability of Seam Rippers to find the location of Shamblings to cause mass casualties
“Bloat Gut” – a common condition among many Riven where their stomachs distend to the point of bursting the seams due to rampant decay of their internal organs