Richard IV

Richard IV is an outsider claimant to the Centurion's consort seat in Vani. He is the son of King Richard and his arrival is treated as a wild card in the current succession contest. He is described as having a strong military background but little local political base in Vani, and his candidacy is notable because an alliance with him would likely pull resources and influence toward Red rather than remain internal to the city—making guilds, priests and saurian leaders wary. His motives for coming to Vani are unclear, and although there's no direct evidence tying him to the recent dagger theft or the Broken/Slith plots, his presence has drawn attention (including a Red mage, Bran, keeping an eye on him) and is widely seen as a potentially destabilizing, unpredictable factor in local politics.

Due in large part due to the party's assistance, Richard has been declared the Centurion's Consort.

Richard has engaged with the party in diplomatic discussions regarding the forthcoming Breaker's assault. While he is willing to listen to their suggestions about prioritizing international cooperation over internal division, he remains committed to military options and refuses to rule out conflict entirely. He tends to attribute significant credit to his own actions, sometimes beyond what others assess as warranted. The party has also sought his cooperation in preventing ill-advised rescue missions from Middlesea and other foreign powers, particularly given concerns about the Avatar of the Breaker.