Character Avatar: Hilary Knight
Character Name: Riva Sauveterre
Age: 42
Race: D'Angeline
Country/Province: Marsilikos
Rank: Second in Command to the Amiral of the Royal Navy
Player: Janet
Appearance: Riva is a tall (5'10) woman, muscular and lean. Her skin is tanned from years of outdoor living and she has more than a few scars to show off. Although her build is slender she has curves too and can, when she chooses to, scrub up quite well. Her eyes are a dark chocolate colour, framed by thick lashes, and her hair is kept no longer than just past shoulder length. Riva's thick and wavy brunette locks are, more often than not, tied back at the nape of her neck in order to keep her hair out of her way, though some strands break free to frame her face.
Her features are bold and beautiful, with a wide smile that reaches her eyes, and a strong jaw that reveals her strength of character and determination.
Personality: Riva is very much a tomboy - no, more than a tomboy. She has been brought up in a predominantly man's world and has thrived on it. She's a hard-headed, no-nonsense, can-take-care-of-herself, non-diplomatic, sexy hard-ass - to put it bluntly, which is her style. Blunt and to the point, she does not mince words and is quite capable of giving orders and carrying out punishments should those orders not be obeyed. Tact is not her strong point, nor is diplomacy. If she feels something should be said, she'll say it then and there, regardless of circumstance or propriety. If there's a fight in the offing, then she'll step up to the plate and quickly put an end to it, be it verbally or physically. Either way, it's ended very very capably.
When it comes to sailing and naval matters, there's nothing she does not know. Court and politics, however, make her feel like a fish out of water and she is forever despairing of getting a straight answer out of anyone. She is much more at home with a rolling ship beneath her feet and the wind in her face than cloistered in a stuffy office with stuffier people and more paperwork than there are fish in the sea.
Riva commands respect and makes sure she earns it. If you've earned her respect then she is very loyal and will have your back, whether you want her to have it or not.
History: Riva was born when her sailor father, Cyrille, fell in love with an innkeeper's daughter, Adeline during shore leave. Her father had prayed for a boy whilst he was at sea and he returned to his love to find he had a daughter instead. Disappointed that he didn't have a son to follow him to sea, he stayed away for years, only visiting in brief short snatches and so missed a good deal of Riva's formative years. When Riva was ten, her father returned and during another short stay, decided to amuse himself by teaching the young Riva how to fight. When his daughter - so eager to please her absentee father - showed aptitude for it, and demonstrated her stubborn, determined streak, Cyrille decided to take more notice of her. Much to Adeline's dismay, and wholly against her wishes, Cyrille took his daughter aboard his ship and raised her there, teaching her the ways of the sea, how to sail and fight and all the other things he had dreamed of teaching a son.
As such, Riva grew into a strong confident woman, able to hold her own with any man. She could drink, fight and sail with the best of them and demonstrated this to anyone that doubted her. In time she left her father's tutelage in order to make her own way. At first she found it difficult to find a ship that would entertain the notion of hiring her, but she persevered and eventually secured a position on a ship alongside one Timothee de Morbhan. Like him she worked hard and long, slowly gaining rank and building a loyal and lasting friendship with him along the way.
When he was summoned and asked to take the position as Amiral of the Royal Navy, he asked her to join him and be his second in command. After much consideration and deliberation, she accepted and now is spending her time negotiating the shark-filled waters of a political nature as opposed to the waters she's used to.
Her ship is called 'The Ribald Maiden' and is based out of Marsilikos. (based on the l'Orient - more info can be found on the wiki)
Figurehead:
Stats:
Tons burthen: 3000 tons
Length: 56.5 metres
Beam: 14.5 metres
Draught: 6.8 metres
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Complement
12 to 15 officers
650 to 734 men
Armament
28 × 36-pounder long guns
30 × 18-pounder long guns
16 × 8-pounder long guns
Updates: Riva had an on-off relationship with Aveline no Mandrake, but ultimately the relationship mutually fizzled out - both women too busy with their respective careers to be able to commit fully to one another.
