Ryuma – Eastern Dragonborn Samurai

From the distant lands of Uikku, Ryuma embodies the land’s tenets of loyalty and its renowned martial prowess. Raised as a Samurai under Daimyo Nakamoto, his life has been a blend of strict discipline and an unyielding code of honour. Though his form as a Dragonborn caught many curious glares in Uikku, it was his homeland, and when he spoke their tongue, they felt him as one of their own.

Eleven years ago, during the Second Exile War, Ryuma found himself indebted to Jin Shi during a time of great peril. At the banks of the Sanagawa river, running red with blood, Ryuma was surrounded, his swordbrothers wiped out and him the last one standing. Jin Shi watched from afar as the noble Dragonborn fought with fire and sword against his foes, desperately holding them off in a final stand. He didn’t wish to see such valour die in vain, and instead intervened, aiding the Dragonborn by slaying his foes, and taking him to his people to be healed. Thereafter, Ryuma swore a life debt to Jin Shi, pledging to stand by him through battle and beyond, vowing to protect his master until fate decreed otherwise. Ryuma’s loyalty to Jin Shi is absolute. He views his service not just as a debt to be repaid, but as a purpose that defines his very existence. This samurai, however, carries within him a complex perspective; while he owes Jin Shi his life, he holds himself in a quiet esteem that slightly elevates him above his master in matters of personal honour and martial tradition. Ryuma sees Jin Shi’s emotional struggles and his infatuation with Lian She as weaknesses unbefitting a leader, yet he never voices these thoughts, choosing instead to serve silently, his respect for the chain of command unbroken.

His wariness towards Lian She is palpable. Ryuma does not trust the naga-like leader whose enchantments ensnare many around her, including, he fears, Jin Shi. Yet, as a true samurai, Ryuma follows orders, his actions dictated by duty rather than personal sentiment. He is a warrior of great repute, his blades as sharp as his sense of duty, and in the shadowy conflicts that swirl around the Cult of the Coiled Serpent, Ryuma remains a steadfast guardian, ready to lay down his life for his master. In the heat of battle, Ryuma’s presence is both inspiring and intimidating. His combat style reflects the disciplined traditions of Uikku’s samurai: precise, powerful, and fluid. Each strike is a testament to decades of training, each stance a part of a dance he has performed a thousand times over. To watch Ryuma fight is to see a poem of steel and strength unfold, his dragonborn heritage granting him a fearsome visage and fiery capabilities that he uses only when absolutely necessary, preferring the art of the sword to the raw power of dragonfire.

Though bound by honour to Jin Shi, Ryuma remains vigilant, his eyes ever watchful for signs of betrayal or weakness within the cult. His ultimate loyalty lies not just to Jin Shi but to the ideals of samurai honour; should those ideals ever truly conflict with his orders, Ryuma would face a choice that could redefine his path. Until then, he serves, though has wholeheartedly made the decision that if Jin Shi were to perish, he would leave the cult behind in a heartbeat, and should they try stop him, he would cut off the head of Lian She himself.