Hipps Rykuh

Overview
Hipps Rykuh is a 83 year old Bardonian Khazad (Dwarf) who dwells in Port Solanaria, Bardonia, in the north east of Rathnir and follows the religion of Tuberism.

Joining Bardonia and Port Solanaria
Not much is known about his early life or family, he was merely left a few relics from his parents. But what is known is that at a young age Hipps saw a path of true beauty in the colour yellow. From his adolescence he devoted himself to Dandelism, because of his admiration of the dandelion's colour.

Later in his years at 42 he met the Bardonians, whom he respected for their love of the flower. He would go on to join Bardonia from this point. In his time in Bardonia he would join the town of Port Solanaria. It was in the town of Port Solanaria he was first introduced to the potato and the religion of Tuberism. He was in adoration of the potato's golden yellow skin, and would instantly followed the religion of Tuberism alongside Dandelism.

At the time of his arrival, Port Solanaria was small and mostly uninhabited. The citizens had recently suffered a wave of theft and destruction that left the town in ruins, with many inhabitants abandoning it. Hipps would spend day and night chopping wood and mining stone which he would then use to rebuild the town. After weeks of hard physical labour from the town's remaining citizens, the walls of the town had been rebuilt and expanded, the roads had been relayed and various buildings had sprouted up. Once Port Solanaria was rebuilt and rapidly growing again, Hipps would focus on learning the art of brewery. He would run a tavern that sold whiskey, beer and vodka to the townsfolk, and rumour circulated that he was selling other... more suspicious substances. As Hipps continued to provide for the town, even building a church to Tuberism, the mayor of the town would recognise his devotion and he would eventually be granted the title of Elder potato. This honour meant he was amongst the 4 other Elder Potatoes who played the biggest role in managing the town. His life was simple and care-free, drinking vodka and eating potatoes in a now prosperous town. But this fantasy would be cut short as the death of his first friend brought him back to reality.

3rd Mayor's Death and Soladium
On the 6th of August 2021, the town's 3rd mayor, Maximus Ida, would die due to a lethal drug overdose. Hipps would be the first to find the Mayor's body, shocked and confused at how the mayor had died he would look through his surroundings for a possible explanation. In doing this Hipps would unknowingly come in to contact with Maximus' soladium contaminated blood. Eventually Hipps found a note beside Maximus's body opening with: 'If you are reading this I would have likely died of soladium overdose, I never thought I would have fallen to such a monstrosity of a substance...'.

It was then that Hipps began to sweat and shake as he became rapidly unwell from the small dose of pure soladium he had accidentally taken. In a hurried panic he would run out of Idaho's town hall to his home where he would lay in a coma-like state for the next 3 hours.

After he first awoke he struggled to recall what had happened, but was reminded by the blood stained onto his hands. His initial thoughts as he washed his hands clean and changed clothes were to stay as far away as possible from the Mayor's office, but as the hours past by he had a craving to return and take the drug. Soon he found himself back in the Mayor's place of death, and although the mayor's body had been removed, he saw the mayor's stash of soladium. But before he took the drug again, he recalled what had happened to him earlier, and looked over at where he had saw the dead Mayor, his mind flashing back to the sight of his pale corpse. He resisted taking it, but instead stored the soladium in bottles, as he contemplated a safer way of consuming the drug to satisfy his new addiction.

Dishonorable Trade
After finding a suitable way of consuming soladium, Hipps decided he would sell his new product. He met little to no success in Port Solanaria, with its residents still fearing over what happened to the Mayor, and so he moved elsewhere. In Fornost Hipps would travel wearing a hooded cloak and carrying his belongings in a wagon in an attempt to sell soladium to the locals. One stranger in Fornost showed interest, but not in Hipps' soladium, instead in his battle horn he carried with him in his wagon. The battle horn was an heirloom, one of few things left to him from his parents. Hipps was hesitant to give the stranger the heirloom, but the stranger insisted and offered a high price. Hipps began to contemplate how badly he really needed the money, but whilst he did this, the stranger grew impatient, placing $250 on the wagon counter, taking the battle horn, and leaving.

Duel in the Woods
After some time in Fornost, Hipps would recognise the stranger walking through the woods, it was here Hipps ambushed her. Both him and the stranger drew swords. As Hipps looked at the stranger he thought he noticed something familiar about her, but dismissed this as his opponent lunged forward. Hipps' dull tools and short height was no match. His right eye was grazed by her sword, his right ear cut off, his right arm was severed and the left side of his chest stabbed through with her sword. Quite unbelievably Hipps survived this brutal ordeal, although it is not known for certain how, the small doses of soladium he took may have played a roll in strengthening his body well enough to live after his injuries. However Hipps would fall unconscious in the forest, but his attacker would run away in regret and fear that they had believed they had killed him, only leaving Hipps' battle horn beside his body, as they recognised his unhooded face on the ground. Eventually Hipps would wake up in the forest, stumble back to his wagon and attempt to reattach his severed arm, he successfully ended up tying his arm back to his shoulder, but had no control over its movement.

Although Hipps would never know who his attacker was, and why they decided to return his battle horn after nearly murdering him, he had encountered them many times before. Zion Lelya-Earcala was the daughter of Maximus Ida, the 3rd Mayor of Port Solanaria, and unknown to Hipps, the true cause of his near fatal injuries. Hipps also never realised that it may have been soladium that kept him alive. He only saw it as the reason he got into the financial mess he was in, and what caused him to leave to Fornost and obtain his injuries. Because of this belief, Hipps would burn all of the soladium in his possession, but nonetheless, the drug would still circulate Rathnir.