Ruuki

Ruuki of the Shimmering Waters is a curious Changeling Sorcerer, who found herself a long way from her home in the Tzhitzhimitte jungles. Settling herself into a new life in Avum as a spy, she worked for the Auric Lodge until her unfortunate death. Her soul rested inside a ring of mind shielding for a while, but chose to leave to her afterlife in order to give Max her shards as she thought he would be in danger without any. There is still a small chance she can be Resurrected in Avum, but for now she is deceased.

Ruuki's name comes from her home language and roughly translates to "The bliss of the River".

Personality
Ruuki is a deeply emotional being due to the nature of her magics. Quick to show her feelings, usually of a caring nature for those she becomes close with. Her clan and especially her mother would show great care for one another, this rubbed off on Ruuki before she left her clan.

Her disposition toward violence is to usually shy away from it. She would rather try the diplomatic approach when it appears to be possible, however this does not mean she won't fight if the order is given, especially when those she cares about are in danger. In battle she would much rather take a supportive role, keeping away from the frontline, buffing and healing members of the party whenever needed.

The narrow worldview that Ruuki has leaves her quite naive and potentially vulnerable to exploitation. Ruuki is heavily idealistic, believing wholeheartedly in helping others and wants more than anything else to see good in everyone. Although years of moulding from the Avum Empire has dulled this edge of hers a little, the naive tribal girl inside still remains. This can lead to Ruuki making mistakes.

Early Life
Ruuki was born and raised deep in the Jungles of the Tzhitzhimitte. Her clan, The Shimmering Waters, were a clan of Changelings, isolated for hundreds of years. Not much is known of the clan or their ways, but their population is very small compared to the Empires of the world like Avum. Ruuki was the first to leave her clan in the hundreds of years that they had shut themselves away from the world.

Induction into the Avum Empire
After a couple of years of travel, through accidental means, Ruuki ended up in Nosrum in the Avum Empire. She was apprehended by guards after causing a disturbance, scared by her new and alien surroundings. Once the Empire picked up on her presence in Avum and discovering her Changeling and Sorcerous nature, she very quickly gained their attention. She would spend the next few years in training to become a spy, as she could very easily be placed in foreign territory due to her Changeling nature.

Ruuki undertook many placements as a spy working across the Empire and the wider world. Information gathering and furthering Avum's interests were the main priorities of these missions. Ruuki proved herself to be quite capable.

One year before she was redirected to serve with the Auric Lodge, she was placed in the Middenmons to spy on the Order. The Order had been moving into the location en masse officially to keep the Orc population in check. However, it seemed there was more to it than that. Ruuki was there to discover what exactly, she was successful in this aspect, finding out there was indeed more to it than the Orc dilemma.

Ruuki would eventually be reassigned with immediate effect to work with the Auric Lodge. She had never worked with others before and always wanted the chance to forge relationships with people outside the clan. Maybe this was finally her chance to do so.

Ruuki
Her travel with the Auric Lodge would immediately place Ruuki in unfamiliar situations. Not used to front line battle, Ruuki was immediately killed in her first major fight. Her body battered and bruised in the fighting, she was lucky to be revived with magic by the members of the Auric Lodge. Even through this setback, Ruuki showed her strengths in battle and earned the respect of the Lodge.

Separated
In the new year of 246 AT, an unfortunate mishap would see Arannis, Maximillian and Tantina teleported far distances away from the main bulk of the Auric Lodge. It was during this time that Ruuki realised how quickly she came to care for the Auric Lodge and its members. She threw her all into doing what she could to help retrieve them. Using her utility magic, Ruuki would make a daring trip on her own to retrieve Maximillian, travelling across the breadth of the Middenmons via Polymorph. It was during this time that Ruuki recieved word that Arannis was killed, deeply upsetting her.

Upon retrieving Maximillian, Ruuki returned to the main bulk of the Auric Lodge. There, a plan was hatched to discover what happened to Arannis' body and to try and retrieve it. A local Orc Fortress would have to be raided and the Orcs questioned to see what they knew. During the tough fighting, Ruuki would rush across the battlefield to help a downed Sophie. Despite her best efforts she could only watch as an Orc buried its hatchet into Sophie, killing her. The emotional impact of watching this would haunt Ruuki.

Krag Wraithblade
At the end of the battle, Sophie was revived and a reincarnated Arannis contacted the party via Sending. He suggested that the Orcs could potentially be worked with, much to the surprise of everyone. Ruuki was tentatively excited to potentially come to a peaceful resolution with the Orcs. However, this would mean The Auric Lodge giving themselves to the Orcs for questioning after attacking their Fort. Tied up and bought for questioning, however not hurt, Ruuki would emerge on the other side to see everyone except Sophie safe and sound. The party would be having dinner with the leader of the Blackblade Orcs, Krag. Then on the morning after, much to Ruukis' distress, he would be passing judgement on Sophie in the form of a duel.

At dinner with Krag, Ruukis' nature and personality would lead her to make a few slip ups. Not wanting to mess things up with a new potential ally and her naive worldview of seeing too much of the good in Krag, Ruuki would be overly honest at the dinner. Saying what she thought was right at the time, but in retrospect probably giving away too much information. Then she would overstep at the end of the dinner, worried for the future of Sophie, Ruuki asked Krag if he was going to kill Sophie, angering Krag by doing so. Much to Ruukis' relief, Sophie would survive the duel and the party would be let out of the Blackblade camp without further harm.

The Desecrators
Ruuki became very worried at the prospect of taking on a 7th tier sorcerer. She tells the party in detail the kind of things they are capable of, their metamagics and the kind of spells to expect such as Disintegrate. A plan was enacted to get around this. In the ensuing battle, Ruuki directly watched as Arannis was cut apart in front of her and was killed. This had a deep effect on her mental state.

Afterward Arannis was once again reincarnated, and Ruuki headed to Rona alongside him to restock on resources. She got some much needed relief from being away from civilization for over a year. Recharged, she headed back, only to find out that Krag wanted something in return for Arannis' second ressurection. "Blood for blood". We would be put on the front line fighting the Wistwalkers. Ruuki had never been in a proper war before, she'd barely fought before. All of this culminated in her breaking down slightly, panicked and resigned to accept the idea that she would die in the battle.

Blood for Blood
Ruuki had her mind pushed to it's limit. She would never be the same again. Watching hundreds die within seconds on the battlefield and in the trenches. Ruuki would learn of the horrors of war.

Belly of the Beast
In tackling the demonic presence present in the Wistwalker Orcs, Ruuki struggled with a lack of resources. Sophie was disintegrated. Ruuki, under a twisted demonic influence, was convinced that she was being blamed by the party for her death. This was untrue, but Ruuki believed it wholeheartedly. Given everything she'd just gone through, she now believes the only comfort she has out in the Middenmons all despise her. This would push Ruuki to breaking point.

Calling the Storm
In the aftermath of Sophies death, Ruuki sat very meekly and quietly as the group discussed what to do about Sophie. Convinced the party now hated her, she just wanted to get out. Suddenly, the opportunity presented itself for the truth to come out. Ruuki was informed that it was a demonic influence that decieved her mind. Ruuki would continue to blame herself for Sophies death despite this, but at least she knew the party was not against her.

Next day, the group met up with Krag for further discussions. Afterward Ruuki would help Max try something impossible. Max would attempt divine intervention. Somehow this worked and Sophie would appear fully reformed in front of the party. Finally something positive after the days prior, Ruuki would fully hold onto this moment to get herself through, the friend she thought she got killed is back safe and well.

Prison Break
Ruuki travelled out from Krags camp with the group. Arannis got immediately downed after trying to summon cycle creatures. Ruuki put her all into a heal, transferring a lot of her life to get him back up.

Then the group approaches a set of weird rocks. Ruuki would help to pinpoint hotspots of magic in the rocks, before seeing creatures come out of said hotspots to attack the party. Max and Ruuki were in great danger as they both fell down in combat. Max and Vexus helped Ruuki get back up, and Ruuki sustained herself and Max through the rest of the fight.

The Mortal Spirit
Ruuki would watch as her friends get dragged into a gaping maw in the ground. Herself almost getting grabbed if it wasn't for a misty step. She did her best to help those on the topside. She watched in awe as Max performed yet another miracle to save everyone below.

Ambushed
After spending a wholesome evening with a well prepared and delicious meal, tomato lancing and playing cards with Vexus. The Auric Lodge retired to their slumber. Whilst on watch with Max, they both noticed something wasn't right. The party was awoken, not shortly before being attacked by a Giant Purple Worm. A tough fight later, battered and bruised now from two pretty terrifying combats, the real ambush began from a certain organisation. During the fighting, Ruuki would be brutally knocked unconcious and both eyes removed by Sophie in an unfortunate friendly fire.

Drifting in and out of conciousness in the ongoing fighting, the party trying their hardest to keep everyone alive, Ruuki would get one final action in combat. Blinded and delirious, Ruuki would put the last of her magic into a watery armour for Max, a desperate last attempt to keep him alive, hugging him as they both died together on the battlefield.

Falls, Fish and Fae
Ruuki, now deceased, her soul is kept in the Ring of Mind Shielding she was attuned to. After the party getting clear of the immenent danger, they all spoke to Ruuki through the ring. She was informed of the current plan of revival for her and Max. Ruuki was unaware that Max had also died, she thought he might have got through the fight with her last gasp in the previous battle. Ruuki was deeply upset by his death and pleaded for him to be brought back.

Ruuki was in the unique position of still having a way of contributing to the group even after death. Ruuki provided important information she gathered on the Holy Orders they planned to get a favour from. Ruuki hoped this would help them get Max and herself back from the dead.

Sophie would tell Ruuki of her unfortunate mishap that ultimately killed the Changeling. Ruuki didn't really know how to react to such news other than upset and disappointment after a long pause. Sophie asked forgiveness and resolved to bring Ruuki back and get her eyes anew. The rest of the party would offer comforting words and love for Ruuki, Ruuki would respond in kind.

Diana would hold onto the ring in the meantime and the two would spend the next few days talking to each other in the evenings. Diana would inform Ruuki of what the party was up to, Ruuki would share stories of her homeland and sing to her.

Family
The Auric Lodge negotiated with the Holy Orders to revive Ruuki and Max. After a shaky start, the agreements were made and the revival attempts made. Max came back, Ruuki did not.

The party came to terms with this, Ruuki was informed there wasn't really much more that could be done for her. Ruuki and Max had a tearful conversation about their final moments, both blaming themselves for each others deaths. Ruuki is distraught that she would probably never see the friends she made again or be able to heal and protect them.

A plan is tentatively made to send the Ring of Mind Shielding that Ruuki is currently residing in back to Avum. This would probably mark the end of her active tenure with the Auric Lodge. But one thing was made very clear to Ruuki. She hadn't just made friends with the Auric Lodge, she was always to be a part of their family, no matter her fate.

Goodbye Ruuki
The group say their final goodbyes to Ruuki through the ring.

Teary eyed, the Auric Lodge put Ruuki's body to rest by placing her on a pyre and pushing her down the river, doing justice to the way it would be done in her clan.

In the coming days it was agreed that Ruuki would leave the ring and donate her shards to Max, so he wouldn't be left without any. It wasn't the original plan, but Ruuki did not want to leave Max vulnerable to Demonic influence. She would make the ultimate choice to depart to her afterlife for him, in the hope the Auric Lodge will get a part of her back to Avum for eventual resurrection. Perhaps Ruuki may see her dearest friends again back in Avum, one day. But for now, Ruuki rests peacefully in her afterlife, proud of what the little changeling girl from the Jungle managed to achieve in such a short lifespan.