Richard Silverwater

Early life
Richard Silverwater recognized from an early age that his mind was his greatest weapon, due to being born a member of the Silverwater family with the expectation of upholding his family's military status, yet lacking the fighting skills possessed by his older brother. When his brother was training with spear and shield, Richard could be seen writing stories, making illustrations in the river clay with a stick or solving arguments between his childhood friends. Because not many people have seen him fight, some believe Richard's lack of skill on the battlefield has more to do with his unwillingness to inflict heavy loss of life on either side rather than not having any fighting skill at all. Growing up without his mother [https://stoneworksmc.fandom.com/wiki/House_Silverwater#:~:text=Jeyne%20(unknown),given%20a%20nickname. Jeyne], who died giving birth to him, was very hard for Richard.

Massacre at the Reach
When Fehnir III caused River’reach to split in 2, the Silverwater family quickly chose Argon’s side. Why they did this is not exactly known, though some believe Richard’s father, [https://stoneworksmc.fandom.com/wiki/House_Silverwater#:~:text=Anthony%20Silverwater,at%20the%20Reach. Anthony Silverwater], was present in the Throne Room when Fehnir the Foolish spat on the shoe of his most powerful vassal. When all hell broke loose, Richard’s father and brother fought in Argon’s army and succeeded in making Fehnir’s men surrender. Both Richard’s father and his brother were present on the castle walls when Fehnir the Foolish made the castle explode. The explosion was so big, it was heard throughout a huge part of Kylorne. Though Richard always admitted that that there was a certain level of "cheating" in war that he is comfortable with, the Massacre at the Reach went far beyond that and Richard even considers this event as a crime. He had seen it all while protecting a group of citizens that were fleeing the capital. Richard was very lucky to be outside of the castle walls during the blast. The body of his father was later found between the ruins of what was left of River’reach. The body of Richard’s brother, Brandon, was never found again. After the loss of his brother and father, Richard became a broken man: he had lost the will to live. Traumatized by pulling the armor off his dead father and not being able to find the body of his brother, he became more cynical and pessimistic and was content to just drink himself to death instead of helping rebuilding River’reach. Richard becomes convinced in the futility of everything, gaining a negative and rather fatalistic outlook on the past and the future, to the point of suicidal. However, whilst helping with the chaos in River’reach, and assisting Argon The Riverwashed as he ascends the Salt Rock Throne, he regains his will to live. He also finally finds something to believe in, as he believes in Argon.

Rebuilding River'reach
Ever since the start of rebuilding the Reach, Richard played a big role in mainly resource gathering for the different cities. This led to the creation of the Silver Gatherers. Richard delivered barrels filled with stacks of building materials for a very cheap price to speed up the process of nearby cities. This caused the surrounding cities to rise and prosper while Richard was still waiting for royal approval of his own project. Meanwhile members of the Court are pointing fingers, accusing eachothers of corruption. New citizens aren't converting to the new religion anymore. All of this causes Richard to grow more frustrated and start to question the capability of the current Court Chairmen to make good decisions that benefit the nation.

Deteriorating health
Richard hasn't been seen for years straight due to his deteriorating health. For a still unknown reason Richard got very sick which ultimatly led to his loss of vision. He kept himself locked up in his room, only opening the door for his grandson Robert who started to take care of him to allow for food and medicines being brought in. Being blind frustrates Richard, who's the Lord of a combat based Noble family, since he's unable to fight as of now.

Richard's death
News had reached Richard that the world would soon meet its end. Time itself had frozen, the world no longer spinning as it should. The protective Fog, the shield that safeguarded Kylorne, was collapsing, slowly exposing everyone to the horrors beyond. Upon hearing this, Richard secretly started gathering supplies into a boat, hoping that somehow this boat would find it's way to another realm. Books of wisdom and knowledge were piled high, a testament to the legacy they sought to preserve. Even his horse, Ser Gregor the First was carefully loaded upon the boat. That evening his son, Jake Silverwater, begged Richard to board his ship and flee. But Richard refused.

After a few hours of sleep House Silverwater woke up and prepared for the fight. Before putting on an armor, Richard insisted to take his cane and go to the Kumani river with his grandson Robert. "No God would allow the world of his faithful servants to be covered in darkness..." and Richard threw his Latternism Ornament into the water, which he had been faithfully wearing on his head ever since he converted to the faith of Latternism. He then dipped both hands into the cold river and grabbed a handful of river clay. He used it to make lines and symbols of clay across his arms, face and chest. When Richard went back inside, Robert dived the ornament back out of the water, in case Richard would change his mind.

Fueled by determination, Richard, accompanied the other defenders of the Citadel of Stars, as they summoned their strength. He took his place at the frontline, undeterred by his blindness. Arrows pierced the air, finding their mark in his noble chest. Yet, his spirit burned bright, refusing to falter. Summoning his remaining strength, Richard's voice pierced through the chaos. He commanded his son and wife to flee with their child, to carry the torch of their lineage, to protect the flame of hope that flickered within them. Jake, Nomi and Robert, tears streaming down their faces, hesitated for an agonizing moment before fleeing towards the waiting boat. Seconds later, the relentless Barbarians overwhelmed Richard, their brutality consuming him. With his final breath, he knew he had bought his family precious time to escape. Baron Richard Silverwater, blind but unyielding, would be forever entwined with the Citadel of Stars, as a guardian who defended it until his very last heartbeat.

In the darkened aftermath, as the world slipped into the clutches of oblivion, the memory of Richard's sacrifice endured. The boat carrying his loved ones sailed away, carrying with it the burden of their legacy. In their hearts, they carried the undying flame of House Silverwater, a testament to the indomitable spirit of a blind Baron who faced the end with unwavering courage.

Post mortem
Some people claim to have witnessed Richard's spirit during Kylorne's final hours, he appeared as a blue-ish transparent version of himself. While the majority of people believe the appearance was a perception of reality, shaped by emotions, others believe it to have been Richard as a guardian spirit, watching over the world during its final hours. His presence would provide comfort, protection, or guidance to those who were facing the impending end.

Appearance
Richard was a male human in his late seventies. He was around 1.81 meters tall and used to have his mother’s dark brown eyes. Before his hiar turned grey, Richard had brown hair and a beard. Most of the time he was seen wearing the fixed armor he took from his dead father to honor his death. The armor consisted of iron arm and leg plates with a blue cloth depicting the House Silverwater diagonal white line. Due to Richard's deteriorating health, he could also be seen wearing a white blindfold to hide his grey-ish blind eyes and a staff to navigate with.

Personality
Richard prided himself on his ability to read people as easily as he does books. He had also shown himself to possess a keen mind for strategy, as was evidenced in his research into defending against sieges. Richard was also genuinely loyal to those who treat him with love and respect. He had a compassionate nature but was capable of being ruthless when necessary. He was fond of beer, wine and Bamboo Bee Honey.