Rhyden Vale
The Loyal Blade
Aric's second and childhood companion, broad-shouldered with a long braided crest in clan colors and worn but polished armor. Protective, watchful, and suspicious of outside interference, he plants himself between the delegation and any scheme he does not understand. He is not an enemy; he is a man trying to keep his friend alive and the clans from tearing themselves apart.
Description
Rhyden Vale plants himself squarely in your path, gauntleted hands resting on the pommel of his blade, his gaze flicking briefly toward the duelists. He adjusts his gauntlet straps, a nervous habit he cannot quite hide.
"Whatever you are thinking of doing... think carefully. This duel is not about pride. It is about preventing worse. If you disrupt it and fail, the clans will not fracture quietly."
He has known Aric since childhood and watches him with a concern he tries to conceal. He wants his duelist to survive, to avoid public dishonor, and to keep clan violence from spreading. He suspects something is wrong, but not what.