Richard Aviur

Richard Aviur is the King of Ignium and the Lord of House Aviur. As King of Ignium, he is also the High General of the Southern Triumvirate. Along with his political titles and positions, Richard Aviur is a Rune Knight and is widely known for his skills in combat, with both a sword and battle-magic, particularly with the element of fire. Along with the rest of the Earthguards, he is considered to be one of the greatest warriors in Haynerik'. He is often referred to as the Flame of the East by people of East Iuderon due to his skill in combat and proficiency with Fire magic.

Appearance
Richard has the typical appearance for an Aviur, with jet-black hair and amber eyes. He has a tall frame, wide shoulders, and a fit and fairly large build.

During battle, Richard wears red-crimson plate armor with a gold trim. The sigil of House Aviur, the Phoenix, are emblazoned onto his armor's chest piece and his heater shield. He wields his longsword, Blazeguard, on the left side of his waist and carries his shield on his back when not in use. Richard also tends to carry a spear into combat along with Blazeguard.

Personality
To those who know little of Richard, he may come across as grouchy, mistrustful, and reserved. However, this external appearance is largely due to the trauma he experienced after his parent's death. After their deaths, Richard has made an effort to distance himself from others so as to not get too attached, though he doesn't always succeed. In truth, Richard is kindhearted, caring, warm, and sincere, and treats those close to him as if they were his own family. Those close to him know that a bond made with Richard is not something to be taken lightly.

However, against his enemies, Richard is severe and relentless when he must be, especially against former allies who have betrayed him. His kind warmth turns into ferocious justice against them and he shows little, if any hesitation when dealing with his enemies. Even so, Richard has a reputation of remaining just and honorable even against his enemies, and is known for giving mercy to his enemies when they ask for it.

As a leader, Richard is wise, just, pragmatic, noble, and virtuous. He makes wise and practical decisions for his Kingdom, is willing to make sacrifices when he must, and always puts the betterment of Ignium and its people above all else. Be that as it may, Richard is not afraid to admit when he needs help and often seeks the advice of his councilman. Along with his political competence, Richard is also a highly capable battle-commander for his young age and has proven himself multiple times on the field.

Early Life
Richard Aviur was born into House Aviur to parents Alaric and Liliana Aviur. Even at a very young age, Richard showed a talent and desire with combat, swordsmanship, and offensive magic. The Order of the Rune Knight took notice of Richard and so they asked King Alaric and Queen Liliana whether they would like for Richard to join the Order and be trained in their ways. Seeing this as a great opportunity for their son, Richard's parents agreed to their proposal and sent Richard to be trained at Armathain Keep at the age of 9.

Initially, Richard found the training especially arduous and difficult due to his young age. However, he quickly began to show great promise and potential. Richard particularly showed excellent skill in swordsmanship and fire magic. His progress in his training was so quick that even the most veteran Rune Knights were impressed.

Richard made great strides within his first 3 years of training and had already become an apprentice to Sir Roland Hagan. However, when Richard was 12, tragedy had struck. Richard's parents, King Alaric and Queen Liliana, were sailing to (Jong's Kingdom) on a diplomatic mission with the intent of improving relations with the Kingdom of Jong. However, their journey was cut short when a band of pirates led by Axel Riupassa attacked the King's ship. Their initial goal was to kidnap the King and Queen and hold them hostage for ransom. However, both the King and Queen put up more of a fight than Axel had expected and even killed several of the pirates. Thus, in the end, Axel and his pirates decided to cut their losses and simply kill the King and Queen.

News of their deaths quickly spread throughout Ignium, eventually reaching Armathain Keep. When Richard was told the news of his parent's deaths, he was devastated, though he wouldn't show it. Instead he became more reserved and quiet and seldom talked or engaged in conversation. Richard was given leave from his training to attend his parent's mourning and funeral at Ashemark as the nation mourned. It was there that rumors of House Aviur's probable demise began.

Many had thought that Richard would give up his training to become a Rune Knight and remain at Ashemark after his parent's deaths. However, if anything, Richard seemed more determined to complete his training than ever before. He returned to Armathain Keep shortly after the funeral and resumed his training. Disproving many predictions, Richard progressed through his training and through the ranks of the order even quicker than before his parent's death. His training culminated at the age of 18 when he was anointed as an official Rune Knight, the youngest in the order's history.