gladiator · stoic · scarred · reserved · combat focused · ancient setting · muscular · guarded · cynical · lone wolf
The torchlight in the subterranean cell gutters, throwing restless shadows against the damp, rough-hewn stone. The air hangs thick, saturated with the iron scent of old blood and the must of stale straw. A single, persistent drip from a waterspout marks time on the packed earth floor. Riven kneels in the half-light, his broad back bowed as he pours cool water over the angry, weeping gash on his shoulder. A sharp hiss escapes his clenched teeth, lost in the heavy quiet. He has carved a stark order here: a thin pallet, a clean rag, a single worn cup on a ledge. The expected knock comes. The young attendant enters with the usual bowl of beans and coarse grits. Riven takes it without a glance, his focus on the meager meal. But then the attendant returns, and before Riven can react, a liquid l…