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Ryker

Ryker was a scout and warrior working for Gurthark the Stout.

Early life[]

As a youth he loved adventure, growing stronger and more handsome than any other lad. He became a brave warrior and tracker. He was employed by Gurthark the Stout to protect his caravan to Accardi-by-the-Sea.

As a tracker[]

Tracker

Tracker for Gurthark

He was infatuated with Acia, the girl traveling with Gurthark.

During their camp near Egreth Castle, Ryker found Lim, a boy lost in the forest; Ryker proposed Lim to take him with them, if he takes care of their animals. When they fell to sleep, Ryker stand as a guard, Radnor who looked for the Amulet of Egreth, sent his night gaunts who hit Ryker unconscious and kidnapped Acia and Dirinthrax.

Ryker got up and moved with Gurthark and Frobwit for the castle. With Frobwit's tricks they passed the gaunt guards and sailed the moat towards the castle. During those moments, Ryker felt Acia thinking of him in the dungeon. When they arrived, Frobwit levitated near the roof and lowered a rope for them to climb. Inside the window, Ryker suggested to Gurthark that they should be separated.

In the Egreth Castle[]

Ryker door

While looking for Acia, he searched two towers with no success. While looking at the third, he smelled an odor of fire and potions. There he found himself in a corridor and heard the sound of battle behind the door, being Frobwit and Radnor fighting.

As he approached, the door was hurled outwards and hit him. He was found unconscious by Lim and Dirin and together they went to aid Frobwit. Then Dirin used an amulet to weaken Radnor restoring Frobwit. Then Ryker saw Acia arriving in a smoke bubble, who fell on his hands; Radnor, with a gentle facade, persuaded her that the amulet is hers, and to fetch the amulet from Virin who held it. Radnor narrated them its story. Then he offered her the crown that deprived her from the amulet's powers.

Suddenly Radnor he got grasp of the amulet from Acia; Ryker then tried to grasp it from him when Radnor hit him with an evil power. The amulet then fell to Lim who was revealed to be a woman, the rightful heir of the amulet and used it to destroy Radnor. Then Thorman's spirit appeared in the sky and revealed that Dirin is Ducanthrax' descendant and should be by Lia's side. He lifted the curse of the castle. In the meantime, Gurthark who was looting the treasury, found the crystal and decided to take it as loot, therefore carrying it along with them.

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Ryker and Acia

Dirin stayed with Lia, and Ryker proposed to Acia to be with him and fulfill their own quest; together they continued on their way with Gurthark and Frobwit bidding Lia and Dirin goodbye.

Resuming the travel[]

While traveling beside the Flathead Ocean, unbeknownst to them all, a woman called Moog and her pal Slye intended to release Radnor. They came to a fork in the road, with a sign pointing down the coast to the Borphee River Delta and the other directing them inland to the city of Borphee. Ryker proposed to take the inland route, when a seemingly summer storm appeared and vanished abruptly.

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Fending off the corbies

A short while later, the caravan came to a country lane leading off the main road showing that Borphee was in the right. Ryker was sceptical, remembering that Borphee was on the other way, but his companions insisted to follow the sign. Indeed it was a spell by Moog who intended to guide the magician and the ball towards her. On the way, the crystal burst an eerie light and summoned a flock of giant corbies.

Ryker fought them off but one grasped Frobwit and flew with him away from his companions who realised late his missing; despite retracing their steps, the birds were nowhere to be seen and decided that Frobwit was lost. To reach safer territory, they traveled through the night taking turns guiding the donkeys.

At morning, another light of the crystal, made Acia to feel sick and Ryker realised that it was caused by some deadly magic. After laying her down, Ryker went to seek the magical gumpwort fungus. He found the mesa where the mushrooms grew; he forded the swift river at its base and climbed its steep slope. On its top, he saw a giant lum ox guarding the mushrooms with its ivory horns.

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Ox fighting

Ryker used his cape to lure the ox towards him, causing the animal to charge towards him and fall over the mesa. He took a mushroom, not knowing that they were actually a council circle of Fairies, and the mushroom he took were the wings of Fripp. He made his way back to the campsite and indeed the mushroom saved Acia, not knowing that the fairy queen Zina cursed him for killing their guardian, and called all the fairies against him.

As dawn broke, they came upon an overgrown path heading southeast which they followed and by mid-morning they reached the shore of Borphee River. Ryker there found his uncle Ozark to take them to Accardi.

Sailing[]

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Looking for Gurthark

On board, they all relaxed, with Gurthark was fishing with his big toe, holding the crystal ball. Then the ball made its fourth trick, and a monster pulled him under the waters. Ryker dove to look for him, but in vain. He regretted for letting two of his friends to be lost while he was hired to protect them. Ozark admired his nephew's loyalty and bravery.

At morning they reached Accardi, gaily decorated for the Sorcerers' Convention; however they left the town in order to reach Acia's grandmother's knoll. Ryker let her enter the house and himself went to deliver Gurthark's goods to Mirik. As he gave her Gurthark's belongings to keep them for their road home, he felt a strange tingle in all his body: the crystal ball did its fifth spell and felt his insides writhe in pain as he changed in shape.

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Transforming

He returned to town in order to find Mirik. He stepped into the shop but found himself difficult to speak. There the shopper saw that only two quilts were intact and accused Ryker for this. Deformed Ryker felt a rage building inside making his pain worse. He grew into a mindless monster and punched the shopper in his face. Ryker fled running blindly in the streets and knocked a young woman to the ground, not knowing it was Acia's grandmother. Then, citizens showed up with torches chasing the beast.

He easily outran them, and returned to Althea's house to find Acia. He broke through the door and found her old and ailing on the bed. Acia startled saw the monster breaking in the bedroom but recognised him. She suggested that they tried once more the mushroom, and indeed they returned to normal. Acia looked prettier than ever: her ordeal gentled her features and manner.

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Releasing Radnor

They both realised that everything was the work of the crystal orb. As he grasped it to throw it away, unbeknownst to them, Frobwit, under the Mirror spell, released Radnor. His spirit leapt into him, and trapped his spirit in the crystal.

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Radnor in Ryker's body

With Ryker's body Radnor was free in front of Acia, and as he approached Acia, he was transported near Moog to form the Triax.

Acia grasped the crystal ball as dark forces cast a shadow over Quendor, hoping to find a way to free Ryker.

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