ryker is my best attempt at making well, ryker in baldur's gate, because i really like playing him as my hero/protag/avatar/whatever in role-playing games. he's not perfect, his nose isn't quite right and his beard's a little goofy, but after wrestling with about 20 different hair, face, and body mods, i'm pretty pleased with the final result. (especially because i've tried this before! it didn't work.) ryker blackstag exists in a different world and continuity from ryker deerstep, so they're more like two different characters with the same name and face.

the first thing ryker remembers is waking up on the nautiloid. everything before that is a vast, empty void. when they try to remember who they were before, they're haunted by flashes of blood and carnage - is this really who he is? if being stranded in a strange land with no memories isn't bad enough, he's also stuck with a worm in his brain that threatens to transform him into a mind flayer. things are going great for him! ryker's making a reluctant trek across the sword coast in an attempt to find a cure, but along the way, he's got to figure out whether he wants to regain his old memories... or try to outrun them.

ryker is a rather unfriendly and antagonistic sort. he's not keen on making friends, nor is he keen on being particularly polite. he's got a nasty temper, a sort of self-absorbed attitude, and a knack for lying, stealing, and cheating. he's by no means a monster, though - though he may be irritable with his party, he does his best to work with them and keep them safe. he's very loyal, and he's got a good heart beneath the prickly exterior. despite the dark urge that lives inside of him, he doesn't want to be a violent person, and fights hard to keep it at bay.

ryker's dream guardian takes the form of someone he once knew. they can't put their finger on it, but they swear that the sight of his face resonates with them, somewhere, deep in their dark and clouded memory.