Name: Richter Sarrennes
Character Concept: Dedicated healer with very poor people skills.
Gregorotto
Test
Class, Race, Background: Life Domain Cleric, Fallen Aasimar, Acolyte
Description: Richter has an otherworldly look and presence to him, evident in the unnatural paleness of his hair and skin and pupil-less, pearlescent eyes. He lacks the grace one might expect from such an appearance, instead moving slowly and methodically, like he isn't fully comfortable in his own body and needs to take special care in using it. He dresses modestly, as one would expect for a cleric of Ilmater (save for the extravagant-looking length of his hair, which has always grown so quickly that cutting is nearly as much effort as caring for it). Rather than have the symbol of Ilmater emblazoned on his clothing or shield, Richter wears a braided red cord around each wrist like a bracelet, to represent the way that Ilmater is usually depicted with his hands bound by such a cord. He has a habit of running his hands over his braided hair when speaking at length or lost in thought. He speaks softly and with little variation in tone, and has a generally mournful look regardless of mood. His manner serves to make him seem quite a bit older than his 25 years, though moments of naivety about the wider world do shine through on occasion.
His bedside manner could use some work; while Richter feels sympathy for the plight of those who suffer, he struggles to actually empathize with others, and it shows in the way he treats patients. He is far more inclined to frank analysis of a wound or disease and the chances of survival than to give comforting platitudes, and he has a tendency to stare unsettlingly unless gently reminded to blink. He's not greatly beloved by those who want a reassuring presence at their bedside, but patients who favor a more practical approach to treatment find him satisfactory.
Internally, Richter is a more anxious person than his calm and often dour exterior would lead one to believe. He gets restless easily when he is not doing something practical, which leads to feelings of frustration and anxiety if he cannot find an outlet of work. He's uncomfortable socializing with strangers and has not had a great many people in his life that he has felt strongly about in any way, aside from the most pitiable of his patients. He enjoys being seen as reliable more than he wants to be known as friendly or pleasant. Elders in his church have occasionally pushed him to express himself more or get to know others more closely, but without that push it is easiest for him to stick to routine.
Origin: Richter was raised in Elturel, in a temple dedicated to Ilmater. As Elturel is the seat of the Order of the Gauntlet, he came to hear word of their goals and ideals early on in life, especially since several members of his own church are among Order's numbers. Elturel's location near the Trade Way and other, smaller roads have facilitated his ability to travel away from the city for a few days or weeks at a time to offer his services in the surrounding area.
Past is Prologue: Richter was a foundling taken in by the Church of Ilmater, and he was raised by acolytes there according to Ilmater's tenets of service to those in need. While he struggled to connect with others and put them off with his strange mannerisms, he displayed a natural talent for healing and magic. The course of his life so far has followed a very expected path, with him coming under the tutelage of experienced clerics of Ilmater and eventually pledging himself to the Crying God and his cause. Since childhood, he has been dogged by strange dreams that he cannot remember upon waking, but which always instill in him one of three feelings: a sense of peace and joy, a feeling of having lost something important, or a sense that he needs to be doing something. The latter is one of his main motivations for throwing himself into practical work. Richter is someone who feels called to a higher purpose, but who is searching for the right direction in which to apply that calling, and who doesn't fully understand the reasons behind it yet.
Loyalties: Members of Richter's church have pledged themselves to the Order of the Gauntlet, and he has chosen to follow suit. He considers the direct action of the various religious factions working together under the Order to be more effective than most others and less vulnerable to corruption than organizations like the Lords' Alliance.
Is Might Right? Richter has conflicting thoughts on this topic. On one hand, he feels that those who are born with power must have a reason for being born that way, and so in a sense are deserving of their might over others. On the other hand, his lifetime so far has been spent working with the downtrodden, including those who have suffered at the hands of more powerful individuals for reasons that cannot always be defended. He is coming around to the philosophy of power also coming with responsibility, but that still leaves the question of who can and should keep the powerful in line when they choose to abuse their means.
Deity: Richter was raised in the Church of Ilmater and is devoted to Ilmater's ideals of tending to the sick and suffering, though one could say that he does it mostly out of a sense of duty. He finds himself driven by a sense of divine purpose in doing what he can for others and reasonably assumes that this comes from Ilmater, but unlike some clerics, he has never received anything like a direct communication or vision from his god.
