Name: Rigel Stenfield

Age: 26

Race: Human

Gender: Human

Affiliation: Cardinal City [The Emperor]

Appearance: At first glance, Rigel would appear to be (to the average caste citizen in a Cardinal City) a casteless wanderer. He wears fatigues and satchel bags that have clearly seen plenty of use and travel, covered only by a red cloak which seems to flow over his body like water as he moves. However, his face is startlingly sharp compared to the rest of him. As caked in grime and dust as it is, a face with green eyes, short red hair and a faint smile more fit in court than in the wastelands greets whoever may approach him. 

Personality: Rigel seems almost awkward and naive as company due to the many questions he asks everyone along with the many books he reads on a continual basis. His thirst for information may grate on the wrong (or right) personality, but he is almost always forming a mental picture of his surroundings, his acquaintances, and especially potential obstacles. He sees fighting as unproductive, and would rather come to negotiations over duels, but he can and will fight if he feels the need. Rigel is also very polite, almost to the point of being shy, and hardly if ever loses his temper openly. You simply cannot concentrate if you're angry, after all. 

Occupation: History Student, Archaeologist [Noble]

Equipment: Rigel's equipment is standard fare for an archaeologist. An oil lantern with plenty of fuel, rations, survival gear for camping in the wastelands, and as much rope as he might need. Rigel can also often be seen with a pen and notepad, and is constantly writing down items of interest to him (which seems to be most things). 

His prized possession, however, is the Titan's Grasp. Classified under the highly sought after "Mineral Weapons," its' appearance is that of a single leather bracer fixed to Rigel's right arm. Once it was discovered by Rigel in the ruins of a nameless civilization far to the east of the Emperor's realm, Rigel discovered it granted him nearly superhuman strength. He also discovered it was a rather cranky soul that resided in the bracer, and more often than not it would urge Rigel to simply smash through a given obstacle. Rigel usually declines to use the Titan's Grasp unless absolutely necessary. But if a large boulder, an impassable wall, bandits, or an obstacle stands in his way that cannot be moved around or negotiated with, Rigel does not hesitate to let the Titan's Grasp live up to its' name. 

Abilities: 
 - Keen Eyes: A combination of both courtly upbringing and a year of traveling the wastes has made Rigel extremely aware of tiny details around him. He has developed a habit of taking note of certain things that the average person would not, and if asked he will happily expound on the topic (to the questioner's regret). This does nothing to stop him from asking questions about it either. 
 - Clever: Humans did not survive Rainend because they were the strongest or the fastest. They thrived because they cheat, and build and use tools to keep cheating. Rigel is no different, and when faced with threats he can't ignore or negotiate with, he is not above settings traps with rope and whatever else he can find to even the odds. 
 - Rigel is an archaeologist who explores dangerous ruins on a regular basis. As such, he is careful around new threats, takes his time, and is always looking for either a way past the obstacle, or a retreat path if he has to run. He will only use the Titan's Grasp in a fight as a last resort; he is not a fan of being too reliant on an artifact he politely bickers with on a regular basis (though he happily demonstrates what it can do to dissuade anyone from trying anything funny). If it comes to a fight, combined with leveling the playing field he is also a skilled pugilist (a result of paying attention to his self-defense classes) who has a basic understanding of how to incorporate inhuman strength in a fight. 

Biography: Born to the minor nobility of the Stenfields in the Emperor's Cardinal City, Rigel is the fourth of four sons. To most sons of the nobility this would be infuriating - there would be no chance of inheritance bar kinslaying. To Rigel, however, this was a relief. Besides being charged with bringing renown to the family name, very little was expected of or imposed on Rigel as he grew up. While his elder brothers jockeyed with each other over inheritances and prestige, Rigel spent more time in education, particularly that of the histories of the Cardinal Cities. What truly interested him, however, was what came before. Why was Rainend the way it was? What brought its' current sad condition? 

Discovering very quickly that he would not find the answers staying inside of the city, Rigel - with reluctant approval from his parents - began venturing outside of the Cardinal City and into the wastelands to find answers under a University charter. At first he was escorted by the family guards, but Rigel soon proved that he was more than capable of dealing with obstacles. The guards soon were withdrawn by his brothers wishing more protection from each other than for guarding the non-interested heir to the family, and the issue was never raised again when Rigel discovered and bonded with the Titan's Grasp. Now he regularly ventures out of the city with a potent (if seldom-used) Mineral Weapon, a state of affairs his family is more happy to continue. 

Rigel has, largely unknown to him, a small reputation in and out of the cities as an archaeologist noble. He is equally praised as a seeker of knowledge and derided as a thrill-seeking junkie, but even if he knew about it, he would agree with both stories. Accomplishing the next great adventure is only part of the joy - it's how he gets there that makes him happy. And while he is no closer to finding the real story of what happened to Rainend, he is more than content to keep going and publishing what he does find.