Kuzureru Rokogou/Gravityturquoise Knight - Missing Shard

Civilian Form

Name: Kuzureru Rikogou
Meaning: kuzureru - to collapse, to crumble; rikogou - the universe, the cosmos
Goes by: Riko
Age: 25
Birthday: January 27th
Astrology sign: Aquarius sun, Leo moon, Leo rising
Blood type: O

Likes

Spicy food: It goes along with the daring, adventurous nature that Riko's cultivated. Having a father who travels and trades has exposed Riko to many exotic Evalon tastes and cuisines. He's developed a taste for fire peppers and some of the curries from Rubi as well as some of the more exotic fruits from Emeraldu. The boy love a meal where he can potentially burn off at least a third of his taste buds in a sitting.
Handmade furniture: Riko may be the kinda-wacky type, but he has a thing for well-crafted furniture. After his apprenticeship finished and he began to make money for himself, Riko spent much of his earnings on a lovely five piece dining set that caught his eye. He has a few select artisans in the outlying towns to whom he goes, and he has recently commissioned pieces from them for his newly acquired living quarters.
Women with short hair: In Taquoisu, most women have long hair because it is The Thing To Do and Socially Acceptable. Riko, with his dislike of convention, lists one of his requirements for 'future Mrs. Unconventional Taquoisu Leader' as having short hair. Not bald... although, he wouldn't rule it out. Riko simply likes to see people go against the standard, and a lovely young woman with short hair and an elegant neck would certainly earn his attention.
Other likes include: Zakuroto wine, parties, philosophy books, long walks in and around the Taquoisu caverns, corny jokes, and his nieces and nephews (he's the wicked uncle who buys them the toys and candies that Mum and Dad don't let them have)

Dislikes

Routine: The only consistent thing is Riko's life is the fact that he gets up at sunrise, and luckily sunrise isn't at the same physical time every morning. The man never likes to keep a real schedule; that's not to say that he doesn't keep an appointment book (and how couldn't he, busy socialite that he's become) but he doesn't like to do the same thing everyday. He does not have a 'regular' place for breakfast, nor does he have a standard path he walks in the afternoons. Riko understands the need that some people have for routine, and he respects that need as long as it doesn't cause them to become stagnant and uncompromising with the rest of the world. He just despises having a set schedule that repeats day in and day out.
Society class snobbery: The mere fact that people can claim 'status' and look down on other people sets Riko's teeth on edge. While he grew up in an upper class home, he was taught early on that all Takkies are equal and that the people of Taquoisu look out for each other. He witnessed his parents treat the workers in the family vineyards and the herders outside of town just as they treated the merchants who worked with them and traded in town. In Riko's eyes, everyone is equal, and just having a different job or more money doesn't give a person the right to sneer at another. As he's grown older, Riko has become extremely vocal about this, both in a charming and not-so-charming fashion.
Takkies who speak badly of their homeland: Let's get one thing straight: Riko is a Taquoisu patriot. He'll respect every other land and culture, but Taquoisu is home, and there is no finer place in the world to live and grow and simply be. He adores his country, and becoming king is a childhood dream come true. Those people who live in Taquoisu and complain about the weather/gravity shifts/phooqi/obsession with wine/etc. can just up and leave, in Riko's opinion. He is a little more forgiving of those who don't live in Taquoisu, but he does not tolerate Takkies who complain without offering suggestions to change what they dislike.
Other dislikes include: beards (for himself), tea (why have tea when you can have coffee, or wine?), rainstorms that are too rough to walk outside in, plain white rice, and phooqi as pets (they're wild animals, and no one does them a favor by domesticating them)

Hobbies

Swimming: Keep in mind, we're not talking about a simple relaxing swim off the coast of the Rubi islands; swimming in Taquoisu is just about the craziest, wild-eyed, foolhardy pastime for anyone with half a brain... save for going swimming in Aquamari, of course. Riko, like many other of his more daring countrymen and countrywomen, participates in this sport during the winter solstice, hacking holes in the iced-over river and racing during the scant daylight hours. Riko, unlike his fellow citizens, likes to practice swimming year-round, and does it without clothing. Claiming that wearing the usual garments would only make him more cold, this young man prefers to dunk himself in the frigid waters of the lake behind his parents' cottage in this barechested fashion at least once a week. Riko claims that it makes him feel alive and gets his blood flowing; his parents and close family claim that the young man must be part phooqi.
Throwing parties: Yes, it's a hobby for Riko, and he's done it since he was a teenager. Brother's wedding? Riko planned out the bachelor party and helped with decorations and favors and the menu and... and then made sure that everyone had a good time. Sister's wedding? The boy took it upon himself to orchestrate her bachelorette party (highly untraditional, but very appreciated by his female family members) and outdid his brother's party. He makes it a point to try some wild theme and throw out ideas, and he's bright enough to know that his follow-through skills aren't good enough to do it by himself. Thank goodness for fellow fun-loving merchants' kids who don't have anything better to do than get food, wine, musicians, and send out invitations.
Mapping caves and general spelunking: His mother's family owns land for growing zakuroto, and Riko was taught at an early age about the mosses and deposits that helped to prime the caves for farming. As the actual growing didn't interest him, he was sent out with older family members to research the cave systems and note the gravity fields each year. Now that he's older, Riko enjoys heading off underground every so often with a notepad and a lamp to sketch the cave systems of Taquoisu around the castle and surrounding villages. The castle's library is sorely lacking in reference, and it's a convenient excuse when Riko wants to avoid something dull and monotonous... like meeting with advisors.
Hunting phooqi: It counts as sparring and target practice, since Riko captures with his bola and then finishes the hunt with the obligatory crossbow. He does hunt for sport, but he's extremely picky about hunting and the animals he targets. He doesn't hunt for the sheer killing aspect; Riko will find the most handsome coat on the largest male phooqi, and proceed to commission clothing from the skin.

Other Notes

Goals: Riko's main goals as ruler of Taquoisu include breaking some of the sillier traditions, such as full beards for men and long hair for women, and breaking down the inherent class barriers that spring up between the merchant classes and the farming classes. Personal goals include finding a wife and starting a family of his own, as Riko would love to have his own children to spoil and instruct in the art of charismatic rule-breaking.
Good points: Progressive-thinking, friendly, generous, rather good with his weapons-handling, very knowledgeable about Taquoisu, and a rather good judge of wines.
Flaws: Stubborn, often implausibly eccentric, impulsive, dislikes routine, and has expensive taste

Appearance

At just under two meters and weighing in at nearly 100 kilograms, Riko is a sizable sort of guy. His build is muscle with a bit of padding evident in the stomach. He doesn't have one of those ripped hard bodies that one might see oiled up and put on display; rather, he's a big ol' hard-working tank of a guy who has built up strength through years of outside travel, weapons training, a bit of work, and countless meals of meat and potatoes. Riko's complexion is a greyish sort of ivory, the sort that might appear just slightly frostbitten to those unaccustomed to the appearance of the Taquoisu natives. His face is round, with grey-pink cheeks and a dimpled chin. His nose is slightly flattened at the end, courtesy of a childhood run-in with a heavy door during a raucous game of hide and seek. Eyes are framed by navy-blue lashes, and bushy eyebrows add extra expressiveness to his wide mouth and mischievous round navy-blue eyes. Riko's navy blue hair is cut extremely short by Taquoisu standards, standing only about an inch and a half in spiky tufts about his head. The customary heavy beard worn by Taquoisu men has been reduced to long scruffy sideburns and a decidedly unconventional scruffy patch of hair on the underside of his chin. Hands are calloused from hard work and his arms bear the obligatory scars from training with his self-designed bola. He speaks in a booming baritone, but often brings his voice down to a low soothing rumble when trying to ameliorate a situation or convince someone of an idea. I imagine that he'd use that same soothing rumble when trying to get on a romantic interest's sweet side as well.

Riko dresses in thick layers, not because he doesn't want to stray from tradition but because he'd be a fool to wear anything less in the harsh environment. A knitted longsleeved shirt and leggings go under a tunic and long pants that are tucked into knee-high grey phooqi skin boots. During the extremely cold season, this is covered with a knee-length wolf pelt heavy coat and paired with a matching scarf/headcovering that guards the lower part of his face from wind and chill. In the rare occasion that the weather is warm enough, Riko will wear just the tunic and pants (or hey, maybe -just- the pants)... and maybe the boots. The boy is the sort who would go barefoot if weather permitted.

Personality

Usual Moods
Riko is, in a word, eccentric... by both Taquoisu and some Evalon standards. Free-spirited and unwilling to subscribe to the status quo, his usual demeanor is friendly, outgoing, and risk-taking. Fiercely optimistic, Riko is often the first to speak and first to challenge anything that appears worn, outdated, or conventional. He is proud of this image, and Riko enjoys playing up this fun and wacky persona.

Riko is fond of luxury, having been brought up by a merchant and recently acquiring a kingdom of his own. His taste is cosmopolitan and he makes no excuse for the combination of flora, food and furniture that he keeps about him. Part of his role as leader of Taquoisu, according to him, involves spreading this luxury around, in addition to the usual "ruling stuff." An unconventional monarch, Riko is generous with money, material and his time. Somewhere, he knows there is some social group that disapproves of the way he runs things. Such knowledge delights him to no end; as long as the so-called respectable people are shaking their heads at him, Riko's certain that he's doing something right.

So, the man's default is a devilish smile, with a twinkle in his eye and a provocative question on his lips. He'd give out puppies and kittens to children everywhere, both because it would provide happiness for the children and cause mischief for their parents. Sometimes he bothers to think about the consequences of his actions, but not always. Thinking ahead isn't one of the man's strong points. He's a doer, not a planner.

Character Interaction
To say that Kuzureru Rikogou is a people person is a gross understatement. Riko is at his best when surrounded by people, be they strangers, court acquaintances, business contacts or friend of any classification. If he could, he'd throw lavish dinners every night, just to watch everyone enjoy a good meal, drink good wine, and exchange ideas. The first few sentences out of his mouth upon meeting a new person generally involve a "what do you think about this" with regard to some hot social topic. A socially acceptable and carefully crafted response is usually met with the most charmingly devilish eccentric banter, while a new idea earns immediate respect and active discussion for quite some time. If you think outside of the proverbial box, you'll gain Riko's immediate respect, even if he disagrees with you.

In almost any friendly discussion, Riko works in abstracts and generalizations. He is oddly aloof when it comes to people; he'll embrace your ideas far more quickly than he will embrace you as a person. Similarly, his displays of affection are done on a general scale; to thank someone, he'll do something kind for the family or the store/business. He is impulsive in thought and action, actively discussing and beginning projects without really thinking them through. Impulses, especially the generous kind, are guided by emotion rather than logic; however, a deep-seated sense of pride and devotion ensure that he keeps his promises, no matter the cost. Needless to say, he often gets in over his head, and becomes frustrated by people who take advantage of his generous nature.

Riko's fiery temper shines when he is provoked. Granted, it takes a lot to provoke him, as he will excuse most behavior by the argument that they just don't understand him or are short-sighted by tradition. Mr. RoadLessTraveled is no stranger to criticism and he welcomes a good debate... not because he might be convinced, but because he enjoys sing how people think and argue. Insult his pride by belittling family, habits, or Taquoisu itself, and you'll have a vocal and passionate man booming his argument at you. He does not think before he speaks or acts, and he will generally get six sentences ahead of himself before he realizes what he's saying. Riko is also a fierce believer in equality, and any form of injustice will result in a passionate and occasionally rude exchange of words to right the situation.

To be ignored or to not be questioned is the ultimate form of disdain. Riko tries to make time for everyone, to stay late to hear one more argument or bring someone to dinner to offer a solution, albeit an unorthodox one. To not warrant a greeting or a even a friendly provocation is to not exist in Riko's extremely large circle of friends and soon-to-be acquaintances. If the man doesn't say hello to you, then there's probably a reason for it.

Personal Interaction
Riko is a crazy guy, but he's a jovial and generous crazy guy. He will happily chatter for hours while making sure that the both of you are comfortable. Want to spar or go hunting? Sure, he'll head outside, and did you hear about this new technique and weapon and... well, he's an active sort, and he despises doing the same thing every time. Being in charge demands some kind of schedule, but Riko does his best to mix it up whenever possible.

He does not idle well; being alone means that he will be walking the kingdom or on his way to one of the village markets. Alone in the castle usually happens in the evenings or early mornings, and involves one of the many philosophy books he's picked up here and there. He doesn't see himself as a philosopher by any stretch of the imagination, but he does enjoy gaining insight on how the rest of the world thinks.

Criticism of ideas may be met by Riko's charming argumentative skills or outright stubbornness. An unhappy Riko, while rare, is a quiet Riko. He prefers an intellectual debate to a loud argument, and he takes a wicked delight in twisting logic to suit his own purpose. He is a frustrating person to debate with, considering that a stubborn eccentric is not always an ideal partner in debate and discussion.

Warning to all those who might look to Riko for consolation: this man is not the best one to choose for a shoulder upon which to cry. His advice might work, but trademark methods may not be soothing. He does subscribe to the belief that chocolate, long walks, and wine can solve almost any problem. Luckily, Riko prefers to sit and listen before offering material comfort, but he is not one to ask for advice. He has a horrible case of foot-in-mouth syndrome.

Way of Life
If Riko had to have a life motto tattooed on his forehead it would probably say, "Keep 'em guessing," or perhaps, "Variety is the spice of life." Either way, it would be tattooed backwards so he could sneak up on people so they could read it in the mirror. Generous and friendly, he genuinely loves people and enjoys seeing them happy, almost as much as he likes to keep them scratching their heads. Riko makes no excuses for his opinions or personality; he is comfortable being himself, and he sees his roles as "challenger of the status quo" as necessary to the function of society. Change in his eyes is welcome and essential to keep life exciting.

Luxury and comfort factor heavily into Riko's lifestyle. He likes expensive furniture, good food, good wine, and lavish parties, but he makes a point to share that luxury. He invites people for dinner constantly and he spends money on gifts to thank people for their services, and he encourages his fellow Takkies to do the same. Riko has been known to invent holidays (Thank Your Vineyard Worker Week! Take Your Blacksmith to Lunch Day!) to encourage this sense of appreciation and community among everyone. It's all well and good to live richly, but he doesn't see how you can enjoy what you have without sharing it. He knows what poverty is, he doesn't like it, and he thinks everyone deserves a chance to live comfortably.

So, here's Riko! Eccentric, gregarious, unconventional, generous, stubborn, talkative, and fun-loving, the newly crowned king of Taquoisu makes no excuses for who he is and what he says. Comfortable in his own skin, Riko looks forward to making his fellow Evalon rulers scratch their heads and wonder just what he's up to next.

History

Once upon a time, in the middle of a standard Taquoisu blizzard on a standard winter's day in a standard cottage owned by a perfectly ordinary upper class merchant and his wife, a screaming little boy came into the world. As his mother had already been through the birthing event twice, there was little that was remarkable about the actual process. She cuddled up with her new baby and settled in for a well-deserved nap while the proud father gave the attending midwife two bottles of his best Downstream West Valley wine and thanked her for her services. Older siblings regarded the baby with the usual mix of pride and jealousy, and then went back to their game of marbles in the other corner of the house.

It was the most standard day of Rikogou's life, and the first few years seemed to progress in an ordinary sort of way, until he began to talk. And talk. And talk. Riko had a penchant for talking about anyone and everything, his pudgy hands pointing at every object inside and outside, demanding to know what it was for and why it was there. His father humored his curious nature, taking him for walks into the village to meet with everyone and anyone. Blacksmiths, kashoukaba herders, phooqi breeders, hunters, fellow merchants and shopkeepers, it didn't matter. It seemed to Riko that his dad knew everyone, and he treated them all with respect. Luckily, Riko had an excellent role model in his father, and decided at age six that he wanted to be exactly like his father.

In that being exactly like his father meant that Riko wanted to get to know everyone and have an excuse to talk to everyone every day.

Riko grew older, being tutored by the teachers who traveled to the Taquoisu villages in the winter months and helping with his mother's family during the zakuroto harvest. Unfortunately, he didn't have the attention span or interest to harvest, and Riko developed the annoying habit of running off into the caves to 'explore' or 'find new things.' He learned the hard way about the antigravity properties of the cave moss, as stuffing fistfulls of it into his pockets left him hovering eight feet above the cavern floor for a few hours until someone rescued him. The experience didn't keep him from going back to the caves, it did the exact opposite. From that day on, if Riko wasn't studying with a tutor or helping the family with the wine business, he was exploring the caves with older relatives. By the time he turned fifteen, he'd managed to map the entire family land.

Like every other male in his family, Riko was taught to use bola and a crossbow during his first phooqi hunt. Seasonal practice made him just about average with the crossbow, but he took to the bola rather quickly. Soon, time in the caves was spent exploring and doing target practice, catching stalagmites from two hundred paces. Once he turned thirteen, tutoring turned to combat practice, Riko taking on his peers from the other village families in small tournaments. A friend of his sister's had shown up to practice with caltrops, which had intrigued the young man. Borrowing a pair of them, he fashioned them into a new sort of bola. This earned him a stern reprimand from the woman conducting the training and the immediate respect of several younger students. Within the space of a month, he'd given up the traditional bola entirely for his new weapon, much to the dismay of his instructor.

Through his teenage years, Riko played the part of the dutiful but hard-to-pin-down youngest child. He worked with the family, but he did such work on his own erratic schedule and pace. He orchestrated lavish family gatherings and countless teenage parties during the harvest season and spent his time at home tending to the nieces and nephews that his older sister brought to keep them company while she worked in the village. There was talk of giving his father's shop to the three children, but Riko didn't want to spend his days inside huddled over books or having to visit the same places at the same times every day. The travel across Evalon seemed mildly interesting, but his brother already had that covered. So, Riko continued to train, and survey, and drum up business for his father and the vineyard.

He did manage to find a new set of caverns on his family's land the summer before his twentieth birthday, which earned him a certain degree of respect from the other families in the village. Riko's suggestion that they all share the area for a group vineyard was unconventional, but extremely popular. The only real downside to the new caverns came in the form of mossmites that nested in Riko's then-longer hair and beard. Unwilling to endure the horrific herbal combination required to get rid of them, he simply hacked off his hair and shaved his beard, much to his mother's disapproval. She did admit after a while that seeing his handsome face was preferable to the beard, and the sideburns were simply darling on her youngest son.

A few more years passed, and the tournament for Taquoisu's king was announced. With not much else to occupy his time and the ability to help people more than just slightly appealing, Riko registered for the tournament. Skill got him through the first portion, while some pocketed sankabutsu moss and rocks had the Parian mage swearing and laughing as Riko had her hovering nearly twenty feet in the air after slipping the two separate pouches about her neck. The final contest wasn't nearly as remarkable as his bout with the mage, but Riko managed to keep his balance and spar long enough to be the last one standing.

Current Situation

King of Taquoisu, Riko lives in the castle and is in the process of meeting with people from villages and towns all over the country to figure out what they'd like him to do. He's traveled the country more than a few times during his first year, firmly establishing the need for fair wages and a policy to personally investigate allegations of fraud and dishonest reporting of one's harvest. Hardly bored, Riko thrives upon the chance to help his fellow Takkies while traveling and map their caves when he feels he needs a break. Recently established Appreciation Days have further solidified his wacky reputation, but Riko enjoys such a label. Being normal would be, well... boring.

The Kingdom of Taquoisu

Location and Climate: The country of Taquoisu is located on the southern border of Aquamari, separated from the Great Blue North by the Hyoukai River. This river is frozen over for three fourths of the year, allowing for relatively easy travel between the two kingdoms. The majority of Taquoisu is classified as a boreal forest climate, with conifer forests bordering large lakes in the south and central areas of the country. The northern areas of Taquoisu resemble tundra. Air masses move over the river from Aquamari into Taquoisu, adding to the constant chill and depositing large amounts of snow during midwinter. Winters are long, lasting nearly six months, with one month allowed on either side for the transition to the warmer season. The remaining four months are devoted to planting and harvesting. The first month after winter is generally the most treacherous season of all, due to the melting of underground snow reserves and the subsequent flooding. This flooding disrupts the moss and underground deposits that help to keep the gravitational balance steady, and leads to sudden gravitational pulls. Most villages have at least one person familiar with the underground cave systems who can plot alternative routes if flooding threatens to make roads impassable. Sure, the road might look clear, but it's not fun when you feel like you weigh five times what you normally do and you can't lift a foot to get home at night before the temperature drops.

People: The people of Taquoisu (Takkies, as they so lovingly refer to themselves) have a navy-blue coloring to both their hair and eyes. Native Takkies are solidly built, with high muscle mass and dense bone composition. Skin coloration ranges from an ivory to a slightly sickly frostbitten tone, depending purely upon genetics. Long hair and full beards are traditional for men (hair is rarely shorter than shoulder-length), while women are discouraged from trimming their hair once they reach marrying age, usually between 16 and 18. Teenage mothers are common (Riko's mother was 17 when she had his older brother, 19 when she had his sister, and 22 when she had him) and there is little stigma associated with women who marry young, as long as the man isn't more than five years her senior. Clothing is made from thick woven fabrics and imported pelts, and gloves and boots are almost always made from phooqi skins. During the severe winters, fur-lined scarves wrap about the head and lower part of the face for protection.

Geology and Topography: Taquoisu is slightly hilly, but does not possess any real mountain ranges. It does have an extensive cave system beneath the surface and a massive network of underground lakes and aquifers. These underground caves are used for growing crops and curing pelts, as their temperatures are far more consistent than the usual Taquoisu outdoors. Back in the time of the Nitians, these caves were mined for their seemingly magical ores and crystal deposits. Extensive mining led to massive gravity shifts that were only exacerbated by springtime floods, since the mining had exposed deposits that kept the naturally and heavily magnetic bedrock in balance. In time, mosses and oxides grew that could mimic the properties of the depleted ores, and such restored some kind of order to the countryside and caves of Taquoisu. Still, these are susceptible to water, and the yearly floods carry away enough of the mosses and oxides to cause gravity shifts that will leave people stranded, or at least will make it very exhausting to move. Luckily, the mosses multiply at a rapid rate, so the gravitational forces return to normal after two days.

Flora

Conifers: Tall trees with thin soft needles are scattered over the Taquoisu landscape. Species are varied, but they all have extremely wide trunks that taper after ten feet.
Floorflowers: As the name suggests, these flowers grow flat on the floor of the underground caves. The roots are thin and fibrous but exceptionally strong, and they feed off of the nutrients in the rocks. The blossoms are a rich navy blue, clustered in groups of five and bearing resemblance to a thistle. The leaves of the floorflower are massive and extremely strong, and are used to create a very strong paper.
Sankabutsu moss: Navy fuzz with grey-blue roots covers the tops and sides of the caves. The moss synthesizes the chemicals within the rock, creating an antigravity field that combats the natural pull of the underground deposits.
Root vegetables: Many varieties of root vegetables (potato, yam, carrot, etc.) are grown within the underground caves. They bear a distinctly coppery taste due to their proximity to the oxides in the rock.
Zakuroto: A grape-like fruit that is grown underground in the caves. Zakuroto are grown in caves where there is an abundance of moss that causes an antigravity field, allowing fruit to grow larger on the vines. Zakuroto in antigravity conditions will grow to the size of pomegranates, and is used to make wine for export.

Fauna

Phooqi: Seal-like creatures with soft blue-grey pelts and silvery inscisors that extend just past the lower lip, phooqi weigh in at just over 200 kg for females and nearly 300 kg for males. Phooqi are omnivorous and live near ponds and underground lakes. They are especially fond of sankabutsu moss, which has termed them a nuisance among the farmers who rely upon the abundance of moss for ideal conditions for zakuroto farming. Phooqi are bred and hunted for their pelts, which are extremely strong and very workable. Most pelts are waterproof; pelts that are excessively light or white lack enough of the skin chemical that makes the pelts waterproof. Phooqi are slightly aggressive, mostly during mating season at the beginning of winter. Phooqi are hunted with crossbows armed with what amount to large needles. Phooqi hunted for pelts must be shot in the back of the head above the neck and killed instantly, to prevent the release of hormones that prevent the pelts from curing properly, and male phooqi have the least amount of this specific hormone.
Inobu: These are tiny slow-moving gecko-like creatures that feed off of floorflower pollen. They produce a serum on their feet and underbellies that allows them to walk up the walls and on the ceilings of the caves, and the serum is strong enough to resist the stronger shifts in gravity. Inobu are grey with dark blue spots, and no two inobu have the same marking pattern.
Kashoukaba: Weighing no more than 50 kg and running in herds, these creatures bear resemblance to a toothy shaggy hippopotamus. Standing no taller than one meter at the shoulder, kashoukaba are the main meat source for the people of Taquoisu. The meat is rather flavorful and could be likened to an extremely well-marinated pork. Farms are kept well away from the city, as these creatures produce a natural odor that resembles a wet canine.

Exports

Floorflower paper: This paper is used for lanterns, decoration, and construction in the warmer climates of Evalon. In the northern regions, it is often soaked in oil and used in place of windows and skylights, as it is an excellent insulator. Most important documents are written on floorflower paper, as it does not yellow and holds ink very well.
Phooqi pelts: Phooqi pelts, clothing, and shoes are exported throughout Evalon. The pelts bear a distinctive pattern and are waterproof when cured, and the material is likened to a thick suede.
Zakuroto wine: Oh, the wine... wine is part of life in Taquoisu, and there is no finer wine (so the Takkies say) as their own. Zakuroto wine is made during the winters and fermented in large phooqi pelt sacs immersed in the underground ponds. The resulting wine is extremely bold and heavy, bearing an almost spicy flavor that combines hints of plum and blackberry. By standard wine comparison, zakuroto wine is thicker than a shiraz. Different varieties are determined by the different caverns where they are grown, and the gravity field is never the same from season to season.

Warrior Form

Symbol: The symbol used is a stylized form of the greek lowercase letter rho. Rho is commonly used in mathematical equations to stand for gravity. It seemed appropriate, since symbols.com kept equating gravity with magnetism. Silly symbols.
Main color: Navy blue (#000088)
Secondary color: Powder blue (#B0E0E6)

Transformation Phrase: Taquoisu Elemental power, transform!
Transformation Sequence: Riko grasps the stone and kneels, pressing it to the ground as he calls out his henshin phrase. Powder blue light shoots up, throwing the poor guy three meters into the air by virtue of said column of light to his solar plexus. A darker column of light (navy blue, to keep with the joyous Evalon tradition of dual coloration) feeds up from the center of the lighter column and wraps around him like a many-fingered hand (yes, sort of like tentacles) and pulls his civilian clothing off to reveal his fuku. The dark column of light shoots back to the ground while the lighter column wraps about his boots and physically yoinks him to the ground. Gravityturquoise lands on his feet, right knee to the ground, right hand now clenching his weapon as he looks up.

Introduction Phrase: Heavy-handed and light-hearted, I am Gravityturquoise Knight! *insert cocky yet endearing grin here as he stands up from the end of the transformation stance* And as you're still standing here, you clearly don't appreciate the gravity of the situation.

Outfit: This requires some listing and layering. Here goes.
Layer one: Medium weight navy-blue cotton-material is used for a skintight shortsleeved shirt and stockings/leggings. The material is very breathable and allows Gravityturquoise to regulate his body temperature rather well.
Layer two: A lightweight powder blue longsleeved shirt ties at the wrists and halfway up the neck with navy blue thongs. Navy blue pants of phooqi skin end just above the ankles. A fitted powder blue cap of phooqi skin is worn on the head, with fabric in the back and on the sides trailing down to the shoulders.
Layer three: Time for the armor, made of thick adantium (non-conductive metal I've used previously for Ma'at). A metal skullcap fits snugly on the head, the metal having a dark blue-grey appearance. The chest and back plates are complimented by shoulder guards that curve over the upper quarter of his arm and gauntlets that reach from wrist to just below the elbow. Gloves are phooqi skin, the top of each hand guarded by an extension of each gauntlet. Metal guards come up over his shins and extend over the top of his feet, covering the navy-blue fur-lined phooqi skin boots. Pants are tucked into the knee-high boots, and the fabric from the headpiece is tucked into the armor. His symbol is embossed onto the center of the breastplate, encircled by a thin powder blue ring and a thicker navy blue ring ten centimeters in diameter, centered at his sternum.

Attacks
Name: Heavy Hearted
Description: Gravityturquoise takes his right fist and beats it against the center of his breastplate, calling out "Does your heart burden you?" The symbol at the center of his chest glows powder blue for a brief second as his fist is encased in a navy blue mist. This hand is thrown outward at a group of people and takes the form of a fine powder, affixing itself to skin, clothing, and weaponry.
Effect: Those that the dust touches are plagued/blessed with a physical manifestation of emotion in the form of a distributed weight over the body, armor, and weapon. If a person's morale is high and thoughts are positive/optimistic, the dust lightens the load of weaponry and armor by half. If a person's morale is low and thoughts are negative/pessimistic, the dust doubles the weight of the weaponry and armor. Truly apathetic beings do not suffer from this attack.
Power Usage and Restrictions: This may be cast once every hour, and the dust does not discriminate against team members/factions/non-senshi. The ball of dust has a range of five meters and can be diverted by wind, water, or fire attacks. It moves in a straight line and does not track a target. The ball of dust is six centimeters in diameter and is opaque, and the dust dissipates after ninety seconds. Also, the dust remains on Gravityturquoise's hand for ten seconds afterwards, and may help or hinder him in the same fashion as it affects his target.

Name: Earthbound
Description: Gravityturquoise kneels and punches the earth with his fist, causing a small shockwave to ripple two meters outwards and leave a powder blue circular print. A secondary nullifying wave extends a half-meter out, the inner circle a dark blue.
Effect: Those targets caught within the powder blue area are subjected to a pull three times of normal gravity for a period of one minute.
Power Usage and Restrictions: This is a slow moving attack, with the time between earth-punch and gravity pull no less than thirty seconds. It must be cast on solid ground (no water, no wood... there must be earth or stone in the punching zone), and is only two-dimensional (hovering over the blue patch on the ground will keep a target from being subjected to the gravity pull). Gravityturquoise may summon this power once every fifteen minutes.

Weapon: Gravityturquoise uses a modified pair of bola in battle. Rather than one simple spherical weight on either end of a rope, this weapon incorporates a trio of caltrops attached to rings on each end of a half-meter woven rope.

Riko was created by V. for Missing Shard, which is owned by Pixle.