Well, it has been a seriously long time since I've been on here to write anything. It is not an exaggeration to say that life has gotten in the way at nearly every turn. But at the same time, I think I also needed a break from writing as well. Hopefully, this means that I am back whenever time permits. I am sure that some thought I had quit, but if there is one thing I cannot do, it is leaving things unfinished. I currently have a story that is halfway done and I intend to complete it. I have another story almost completely planned and outlined to follow that, but only time will tell if I ever get to actually write that one.
Anyways, short author's note aside, I felt it was appropriate to release this short entry. I promised a couple of years ago now that I was going to do some lore entries from the concepts that I created within the Wanderer's Series. Just like my above statement, I am currently unsure of how many entries there will be beyond this one, or when I may add more. I've had this entry stuck in my head for a while now and wanted to commit it to paper before I could forget it all. This entry will be less of a narrative driven story, and more of a series of journal entries on the characters within the titled group. I do hope you enjoy this short entry, and let's take it as a sign that I am(hopefully) back from my hiatus and ready to finish my ongoing projects!
Note that there will be major spoilers involved, so if you have not finished the six stories through United We Stand, you have been warned.
I obviously don't own anything established within the canon Kingdom Hearts universe, though each of the characters discussed within this entry are of my own creation. Enjoy!
Wanderer Lore Entry One: The Rikkison Lineage
In ancient times, Keyblades were often passed down through bloodlines. Though most of these Key-bearing families have died out, at least one remains intact. Those who came to be known by the surname "Rikkison" know not where their earliest ancestors came from. The Rikkison family spans over two thousand years in a Realm that is only slightly older than such time. In this period of time, there have been many Ages that mark exactly when this family of warriors lived. History tells not when the bloodline itself began, perhaps at the dawn of the Realm of Light itself, with the first thousands of humans brought into being by those called the Ancients. However, the name Rikkison can be traced back to over a thousand years before the hero called Sora was born.
THE GLORY AGE…
Rolan Vitrik
Long clean blonde hair, bright gray eyes
Crimson armor forged by Lukas the First
The warrior called Rolan rose from one of the earliest human clans in the days before darkness. His surname "Vitrik" may have been the clan he came from, or it may have been a name he chose for himself. In the old speech used at the time, it can be roughly translated as "From Strength" though an exact translation has been deemed impossible even by the greatest scholars of the current age.
Regardless of where he came from, Rolan was among a small group chosen to undergo the trials set forth by Lukas the First, the very first human to ever gain a Keyblade. Lukas sent a hundred of the most promising recruits through these trials, and personally handpicked the twelve who showed the most potential. Rolan was the sixth to be chosen and was granted a Keyblade of his very own. Over the following years, Rolan and the other eleven would flourish under Lukas' wise tutelage. However, their power began to grow too great.
As their powers grew, so too did Lukas' arrogance. Indeed, it grew to such lengths that the members of the Ancient Council, creators and masters of all known Realms, began to feel threatened. In response to Lukas and his apprentices, the Ancients dispatched one of their most deadly servants: a Keyblade Wielder of their one, titled a Kingdom Slayer, and his name was Sacron. His power would be more than a match for Lukas and his twelve, and his brutality would be swift and merciless.
A great battle took place the likes of which the Realm of Light had not yet seen. The world upon which they fought was itself reduced to rubble and in turn abandoned by all life. Though Lukas displayed a terrible wrath of his own, even he could not stand before the might of the Kingdom Slayer. Sacron struck down Lukas and forcibly opened the Master's heart to something yet unseen in the Realm: darkness. Darkness swallowed Lukas' heart, transforming him into the very first of what would one day be called the Heartless. The great and first Keyblade Master of Light became the first and most terrible of the Denizens of Darkness.
Seeing their master fall so tragically, the twelve apprentices tried and failed to avenge their master. Rolan was the first to be wounded, and also the first to realize that the battle was hopeless. As his fellow apprentices were slaughtered, he was able to escape.
Now the last living remnant of Lukas' wisdom, Rolan feared that he would always be pursued. Though his name suited him, he decided to change it in pursuit of his bloodline's new goal: to protect humanity from the Ancients. In the days that followed, Rolan vowed that his bloodline would defend the Realm that he and Lukas had failed to protect. His name "Vitrik" had meant "From Strength". Thus, his descendants would be known as "Rikkisons", the "Sons of Strength".
Cause of death: natural causes
Mathias Rikkison
Short brown hair kept tidy and neat
Wore his father's crimson armor, though infused magical powers into it which added black into the coloring
The first of his line to be born with the name "Rikkison", Mathias lived in seclusion for much of his life. Training under his father Rolan from a very young age, he received most of what Lukas had given his father. However, Rolan never returned to society and died alone in a hut surrounded by the forest and forgotten by the world. Mathias refused to live such a life, and after his father died, he set forth into the worlds. Because Rolan had never lived publicly under the surname Rikkison, many believed Mathias to be the first holder of the name. By the time he emerged, Keyblade Wielders were still rare but not unheard of. The first major city of the Realm had been built, and he made it his home: Radiant Garden.
In time, he became known among the Wielders already there. A new threat also arose during that time, a group of pirates targeting ships traveling from the Outer Worlds. The governments of the Inner Worlds begged what Keyblade Wielders there were for aid in stopping them. Though reluctant to step so blatantly into the light, Mathias took up the charge.
Many months passed by and the Keyblade Wielders had made little progress in defeating their elusive and persistent foes. Growing tired of taking orders from the ranking Keyblade Masters, Mathias struck out on his own with a small group of like-minded Wielders. No longer held back by their leashes, Mathias was able to break through the pirate ranks and corner the captain of the entire fleet. Ably defeating him in single combat, he put an end to the entire threat. Dismantling the pirate fleet allowed ships and supplies to once more reach the Inner Worlds, preventing Radiant Garden and other fledging civilizations from collapsing.
Through these actions, Mathias became well known throughout the Inner Worlds and the name "Rikkison" became common knowledge across the entire Realm. Though many immediately called for his leadership, Mathias was not allured by politics and instead departed Radiant Garden. He established Wielder outposts across the Realm and settled in a relatively quiet world. His descendants would abide there for many generations to come. In the following years, this world would come to be known as Grand Crossing, a popular hub for travelers and warriors. It would also become a major center for Keyblade Wielders in the Realm, flocking to the castle and armies of the Rikkison family. Using the legacy of Mathias and his reputation, the later Rikkisons would garner much more power than Mathias had foreseen.
Cause of death: natural causes
Naithyk Rikkison
Blonde hair, deep green eyes, neat goatee
Golden armor forged in the likeness of kings, complete with a crown
Many generations after Mathias walked the Realm, his descendant Naithyk inherited the family legacy. In the years following Mathias' death, the Rikkisons became accustomed and rather attached to their fame, wealth, and glory. Their influence spanned nearly the entire Realm, and Naithyk was born into a life where his parents' words were sought after even by the royalty of other worlds. These experiences shaped him into an arrogant and petty adult. When his father died and he inherited the family's castle in Grand Crossing, Naithyk wasted no time in expanding his reach even farther. With promises of land and riches, he enticed thousands of young Keyblade Wielders to his banner, crafting vast armies of Key-bearing warriors loyal only to him.
However, as he gained more power, he became ever more cold and ruthless. Kings and governments that would not pay tribute to him were in turn subjected to assassinations and coups, no visible trail leading back to Naithyk but his guilt being plain for all to see. Rivals and opponents were bought or silenced, and he tolerated no resistance.
His son Blaze learned quickly from Naithyk's deeds and was fashioned into the most dangerous instrument of his father's will, though a dark ember began to burn in the boy's heart: he had inherited Naithyk's lust for power.
Due to his power and knowledge, Naithyk had extensive conversations with members of the Ancient Council. From these meetings, he became aware of primordial entities crafted by the Ancient leader Maechil Omnivion. These entities would in times to come to be known as "Divine Beings" for their powers were beyond humanity's comprehension. The Divine Beings were immensely powerful, as they embodied the very fabric of the Realms.
When a rival Keyblade Master gathered his own armies to oppose Naithyk and topple him from power, Blaze petitioned his father to bargain with the Ancients. At the behest of his son, Naithyk did so. Indeed, Maechil offered him a bargain, though it was treacherous: In order to distract the humans and keep their prying eyes away from Kingdom Hearts, Maechil granted Naithyk the X-blade, the most powerful weapon forged in history. However, in exchange for the X-blade, Naithyk's blood and body were altered subconsciously. This made all future Rikkisons perfect candidates as hosts to the otherwise ethereal Divine Beings. With the changes Maechil made, Naithyk had damned his descendants to be haunted by one Divine Being in particular, Light.
Following this bargain, Naithyk led his forces to war. The event that followed is called by historians as the First Keyblade War. Brandishing the X-blade, Naithyk held the upper hand. However, he faced destruction at the hands of someone he had not expected: his own son.
Cause of death: mortal wounds in battle inflicted by his son
Blaze Rikkison
Spiky brown hair, bright hazel eyes
Blue and golden Keyblade armor, later the crown taken from his father as well as the X-blade
Blaze spent his early life at his father's side, learning eagerly from Naithyk's display of power and arrogance. Reveling in the injury of others and how it correlated to his family's increase in power, he developed a lust for power that far exceeded his father's by the time he was a teenager. Learning the arts of Keyblade warfare very quickly, he amassed a circle of Wielder allies who followed him everywhere like an adoring fan club. He picked fights with rival Wielders, bragging of his superiority when he won and calling for guards or threateningly invoking his family's name if he lost.
By the time he was an adult, Blaze did have the skill as a warrior to back up most of his arrogance. He became his father's most trusted general and led the entirety of the Rikkison forces, which numbered thousands. He was present to see Naithyk's bargain with the Ancients and even goaded his father into agreeing, not understanding the consequences that he too would have to bear.
Desiring the X-blade for himself and viewing his father as old, senile, and in the way, Blaze manipulated Naithyk into escalating the conflict known as the First Keyblade War. He used the battle as a cover to murder his own father, taking the X-blade afterward and claiming it for his own. However, Light manifested at that moment and took control of Blaze's body. The Divine Being, in an effort to protect Kingdom Hearts from the Wielders fighting to claim it, laid waste to all combatants no matter their allegiances. When Blaze regained control of his body, he was the lone survivor of the battle that had shattered his homeworld. The armies loyal to the Rikkison family had been laid to waste, and he no longer had power, wealth, or influence. He had gained the X-blade, but had lost everything in return. Such was the tone of the bargain struck with the Ancients.
At some point in his life, he was called into the long distant future by the same Ancients who had tricked him. Stuck in a time not his own, he was forced to play along with what the Ancients desired of him but plotted against them just as he had his own father. However, he was eventually defeated by his own descendant, a future Rikkison bearing the true X-blade against him. He was then sent back to his own time, his memories of the future conflict stripped from him in the process.
Frustrated over the ruined state of his life, he abandoned his young son and made a reckless attempt to destroy the leadership in Radiant Garden, wanting a new home and position of power for himself. Despite having the X-blade at his disposal, he met his demise at the end of many opposing Keyblades.
Cause of death: slain in battle while attempting to conquer Radiant Garden
Castiel Rikkison
Black hair cut short, gray steely eyes
Armor forged himself, remade from the ruins of both Blaze and Naithyk's armors
Abandoned by his father Blaze at a young age, Castiel had nothing and no one to look to. On his own while still a child, he survived on the streets and traveled between worlds by hitchhiking on various ships throughout the years. He taught himself how to fight and was nearly killed on several occasions for the trouble he caused. Through these events, he fashioned himself into a dangerous warrior. As he traveled, he learned the disdain that now accompanied his family name. The legacy of Mathias was long gone, and the people now viewed the Rikkisons as tyrants, liars, and murderers. Knowing he would never be accepted into the ranks of the Keyblade Wielders, he instead opted to live in society, but remained separate from it as well. He had inherited his father's temper and arrogance, sharpened by his years of surviving by naught but his own luck and skill.
Castiel saved the life of a young woman one night from a group of men who intended her harm, and though he tried to leave her behind afterward, he could not. The two became friends despite his poor attitude. When he finally admitted who he was, she was surprised but not bothered by it.
Years would pass as they grew closer. Tales began circling the town that a Rikkison was among them. In an effort to protect his wife and unborn child, Castiel left the world behind and the angry crowds waving torches. Having lost his one link to life and sanity, he could not bear to return to a solitary life.
Knowing he could not return to his family without risking their lives but also refusing to go on living without them, he made a desperate choice.
He assaulted the doors of Kingdom Hearts itself, demanding that Maechil Omnivion himself come to face him. Maechil obliged, sensing the man's desire for death. Challenging the young man to live up to his infamous name, the powerful Ancient goaded Castiel into attacking. The battle lasted for hours, the Ancient and Rikkison exchanging blows until the human was ready to drop from exhaustion. Ancients were immortal, and Maechil himself was the creator of both the Ancients and humanity. He could not be killed by any means that Castiel possessed. Despite scoring six decisive blows to his opponent, Castiel could not puncture Maechil's immortality. Maechil grew tired of toying with the man, and dealt him one final blow that put an end to the Rikkison. For many centuries, Castiel would linger in Maechil's mind as the only human to ever challenge him. No warrior would put up such a fight against the Ancients until other Rikkisons rose to the challenge nearly a thousand years later.
Cause of death: slain directly by Maechil Omnivion in single combat
The time in which these warriors lived is referred to as the "Glory Age", due to it being the time in which human Keyblade Wielders first appeared, led by Lukas the First. However, the actions of those including Naithyk and Blaze would lead to a lost and forlorn time in the worlds when heroes were scarce and evil was rampant. That era is known as the "Dark Age".
THE DARK AGE….
Larys Rikkison
Long black hair, bright green eyes
Wore brown and silver armor forged special for her by the smithies of Baron in the likeness of their Dark Knights
Many hundreds of years after the time of Naithyk, Blaze, and Castiel, the Rikkison family remained in exile. Having been chased out long before, they were unwelcome in society even centuries later. By the time Larys was born, her family had been hunted to near extinction by other Keyblade Wielders and bounty hunters. The only child of her family's generation, the lost and shattered legacy of the Rikkison name fell upon Larys' shoulders. Her early life was spent in seclusion with her family, until her parents were both slain by mercenaries out for the bounty on them.
Larys spent the following years in training and plotting her revenge. Knowing she would not be safe among her fellow Keyblade Wielders, she found safe haven in the fledgling kingdom of Baron. Baron had no Wielders of its own, instead relying on powerful warriors known as Dark Knights and Dragoons. Earning their trust by aiding in the defeat of a rival kingdom, Larys was given honorary knighthood as well as a suit of armor only worn by the most elite Dark Knights. Through the people of Baron, she learned kindness, loyalty, and friendship. All of these things had been discarded by her predecessors.
In time, she became one of Baron's most trusted generals. However, as much as she loved her new home, she could feel that it was not her destiny to remain there. On a scouting mission, word reached her ears of a new threat: an alliance of thieves, mercenaries, and bounty hunters including those who had killed her family. Calling themselves the Inter-Realm Scavengers, they had successfully taken Radiant Garden for their own. The elected officials were being held hostage and the city had fallen to tyrannical forces.
The other leaders of the Inner Worlds begged the Keyblade Wielders for aid. Despite numerous attempts to retake the city, the Wielders suffered heavy losses and made no progress.
Sensing that her time to step out from the shadows was nigh, she departed Baron and appeared before the combined leadership of the Inner Worlds. Announcing herself as a Rikkison, there were immediate calls for her execution. However, she demanded a chance to redeem her family's name and retake Radiant Garden from the Scavengers. Though skeptical, the world leaders agreed.
Using the skills she had learned while in Baron, she infiltrated the city and successfully fought her way to the castle gates.
In her mind, she did it all by her own strength. Unbeknownst to her, the Divine Being Light had been channeling his power through her. His motives were his own: he was shackled to the Rikkison lineage, and it would be better for him if they were to return to power.
With this incredible power, Larys breached the castle and struck down the leaders of the Scavengers on her own. She never suspected that Light was rebuilding his power through her actions or giving her the needed strength to accomplish such feats alone. Her victory led once more to the restoration of the Rikkison name. However, this redeemed public image would not last long.
Cause of death: natural causes
Kyrek Rikkison
Golden blonde hair, later shaved, brown eyes
Wore black Keyblade armor as commander of the Wielders, later ceremonial robes as leader of Radiant Garden
For several generations, Larys had restored the honor of her family just as Mathias did before her. The Rikkisons were welcomed back into society and into the ranks of the Keyblade Wielders. In the generations that followed, Rikkisons were prominent among the most senior Masters and in the influential circles. Such was Kyrek Rikkison. Known for his ruthless feats in battle, he reached the rank of Master before he was a full adult. He dedicated his early life to the protection of the worlds from all who sought to harm them. In his adult years, it was common assumption that he was the most powerful Keyblade Master of the time, and that he would be next in line to lead them.
Despite his ruthlessness in battle, Kyrek had good intentions and always acted with honor. Despite this, the elected leaders in Radiant Garden began to fear him. Under Kyrek's direction, the Wielders expanded their influence to heights not seen since the Keyblade War. The politicians feared another bout of bloodshed and moved against him. However, the assassins proved unable to dismantle him.
When he made these actions public, the city leaders moved to exile him and the Wielders loyal to him from Radiant Garden. Refusing to be unjustly driven from his home, Kyrek fought back. The people were on his side, and a resistance was quickly formed. Using this as a distraction, Kyrek fought his way to the city's castle. Seeing no alternative, the elected leaders surrendered and were removed from power. The people clamored for Kyrek to take charge, caught up in his charisma and martial prowess. Despite reluctant, he did so and established himself as Radiant Garden's new ruler.
As with many rulers, he began benevolent. However, things quickly soured and took many a dark turn. Each time he silenced opposition or quietly removed opponents, it became easier to do so. As tyranny overtook the city and it became apparent how far Kyrek had fallen, the most senior Keyblade Masters rallied against him. Working together, they were able to overcome Kyrek and forcibly remove him from the city.
Angered over his fall from power, Kyrek declared war on the Masters who had opposed him, igniting a struggle that would carry on for hundreds of years to come.
Cause of death: slain in a battle that he began by killing the unarmed wife of the Wielder who killed him
Tristan Rikkison
Short black hair, bright hazel eyes
Wore handcrafted armor based on Kyrek's, who became the symbol of the family over Larys
Hundreds of years following the death of Kyrek, the leadership of the Rikkison family fell to Tristan. A self-anointed Keyblade Master, he was an acolyte of Kyrek's and developed his own sinister philosophy: Rikkison superiority.
As a warrior, Tristan held unmatched power and never suffered a defeat in battle. He boasted of immortality and perfection because of his Rikkison blood, and this was partially true. In secret, he was being manipulated by Light. Through Light's connection to the Rikkison blood, Tristan was able to draw upon more power than any other Wielder at the time. Where Larys drew upon Light unknowingly, Tristan had full knowledge of the Divine Being's presence and conversed with him almost incessantly. Through Light's guidance, Tristan raised his blood superiority philosophy and garnered many followers, each one hoping to be blessed by the so-called "perfect blood".
Misleading these Wielders, Tristan built himself a powerful force. He subverted the arguments of opposing Keyblade Masters into a false dichotomy: those who opposed him were of lesser blood and afraid of his power. Given the chance, they would wipe him out and so he had to act first to destroy them. He enslaved the minds of many who were too weak or selfish to see what was really happening.
As more time progressed, Tristan's fanaticism grew. His symbiosis with Light grew tighter and tighter until eventually there was more of Light than of Tristan. At his peak physical prime, witnesses of the time described Tristan as speaking with a deep booming voice and displaying supernatural features. These included glowing white eyes as well as an ever present aura of white flames surrounding his body. With current knowledge from the journals of Sora and other more recent Masters, it is clear that Tristan had been completely possessed by Light at this time.
Light used Tristan to gain more influence and power, and when the time came, he looked to the younger Rikkisons and to the promising future he so hungrily awaited.
Cause of death: rapid atrophy due to his extended possession by the Divine Being Light, dying seemingly of old age around the age of 39.
Nathaniel Rikkison
Brown hair trimmed and tidy, ocean blue eyes
Wore Tristan's armor, passed down as a family heirloom
The cycle of Tristan's Rikkison superiority philosophy survived several generations. When Nathaniel took over the Rikkison forces near the end of the Dark Age, the bitter conflict between them and the opposing Wielders had reached record highs. However, Nathaniel and his soldiers treated the struggle as genocide rather than a war. Believing fully in Tristan's philosophy and in the perfection of his own blood, Nathaniel showed no mercy and gave no quarter. His forces always began the attack, and left no survivors if they achieved victory.
The Wielders who sought to preserve the principles of freedom and the uplifting of the worlds rather than themselves sought more than anything to convert Nathaniel's followers. They showed mercy wherever possible and constantly called for peaceful negotiations. Nathaniel, indoctrinated by the teachings passed down through the generations from Tristan, was determined to carry on his supposedly perfect bloodline. He attempted to turn his softhearted son Alexander into a cold tool of destruction. His fanaticism and adoration of Light blinded him to the objective truths of life.
Cause of death: slain in single combat by his own son
Alexander Rikkison
Shoulder length brown hair, hazel eyes
Wore a unique outfit he crafted personally: a black long-sleeve shirt, camouflage pants, and an armored black vest equipped with a hood. This outfit would be passed down and worn by several generations of Rikkisons
Son of Nathaniel and heir of his family's blood superiority beliefs, Alexander's life marks the dusk of the Dark Age. Taught by his father of the beliefs espoused since Tristan's days, Alexander originally led his father's forces against the other Keyblade Wielders. Suffering a decisive defeat at their hands, Alexander was captured and imprisoned for several weeks.
During his time in captivity, he had many conversations with Keyblade Masters that had been deemed his enemies. Through their words of wisdom and the knowledge that Rikkisons such as Mathias and Larys had saved and protected the worlds, Alexander saw the truth and defected from Nathaniel's forces, marking a turnaround in the Rikkison family after nearly a hundred years of false doctrines.
Freed by his former enemies, Alexander set forth to confront his father. When father and son met, he reached out to Nathaniel's followers. He spoke the truths that he had been shown, hoping to turn some of them away without violence. This act partially succeeded. Nathaniel's forces became so hesitant that they would not fight Alexander.
With all other fighters out of the way, Alexander challenged his father to single combat. Seeing his son as a lost cause, Nathaniel agreed. The clash between father and son was great. At first, Nathaniel had the powers of Light at his will. However, Light realized that his hold on the other Wielders was broken. This in turn meant that the Divine Being's efforts to gain influence and external power had been shattered. Seeing that his plans had been temporarily defeated, Light went dormant within the Rikkison blood once more.
Now on equal footing, Alexander was able to best his father and dealt him a decisive blow. Nathaniel died still believing in Tristan's teachings, leaving Alexander as the scion of the Rikkison name. In short order, he dispersed the forces gathered under his banner, urging all Keyblade Wielders to return to their old ways.
Despite his urgings, those Wielders fought amongst each other in the coming years. Within decades, the numbers of known Wielders fell back to precious few. In these days, there was the least amount of Keyblade Wielders since the fall of Lukas.
Alexander eventually fathered a son, whom he named Jason. One of Alexander's decisions was to burn away all record of Light from the Wielder archives. His hope was that the power which had corrupted Tristan and his own father would stay dead, buried, and forgotten. This ultimately backfired, however, as three of the Divine Beings did in fact reemerge two generations later.
When his son Jason was old enough, Alexander began training the boy in the Keyblade arts. At that time, four of the five known surviving Masters came to him. They had heard rumors of a powerful Denizen of Darkness preparing for an assault on the Realm of Light. Alexander was sure that this new threat could not open a path between the Realms, but he was proven wrong. The creature was reportedly carrying a weapon capable of just that: the Sword of Lukas, the mighty weapon carried by Lukas before he first obtained his Keyblade. Fearing an imminent invasion into the Realm of Light, Alexander and the other four Masters departed for the Realm of Darkness.
They came face to face with the Denizen in question, an immeasurably powerful Heartless calling itself Wrythenann. The creature revealed that it had once been Lukas, thus why he had the sword. Despite the efforts of the five Keyblade Masters, Wrythenann proved too powerful for them. Alexander was the last one to fall, but he was able to shatter the sword before doing so. He died at the hands of Wrythenann but was able to rip the Denizen's path into the Realm of Light directly from its grasp.
His fate and the other Masters' would be uncovered by Tallius, the only surviving Master not to accompany them as he had been busy in the Outer Worlds. Knowing that Alexander left behind a son whose mother had since abandoned her husband and child, Tallius took Jason under his care as his fourth and final apprentice.
Cause of death: Slain by Wrythenann, first and most powerful of the Heartless
Alexander's death marked the end of the Dark Age, as his efforts had completely redirected future Rikkison generations. Alexander's example would shine through his son Jason and eventually reach the most famous members of the entire lineage. Most historians mark the life of Jason Rikkison and his generation as the beginning of what is now called the "Founder Age".
THE FOUNDER AGE…
Jason Rikkison
Dark brown hair, shoulder length, dark green eyes
Wore ornate silver Keyblade armor, later a silver tunic and robe similar to his friend Eraqus
After the death of his father, Jason was taken under the tutelage of Master Tallius, last of the known Keyblade Masters. Spending his training years at the centuries-old home of the free Keyblade Masters, the Land of Departure, he grew very close to his fellow apprentices: Yen Sid, Xehanort, and Eraqus. Of these three, he was closest to Eraqus but shared Xehanort's yearning for greater answers.
After the death of their Master, the four friends scattered. Yen Sid decided to keep watch over the worlds from afar and constructed a mysterious tower for himself. Xehanort chose the Seeker's path, taking no apprentices and traveling in search of the answers he craved. Eraqus took ownership of the Land of Departure and began looking for suitable apprentices. Jason, however, returned to the place where he had been born and where his father had left him for the last time: Destiny Islands.
There, he met a driven woman named Anna who would in time become his wife. They loved each other greatly, though he was often gone visiting other worlds.
Their love culminated with the birth of twin sons, two Rikkisons who would endure their own cycle of conflict and troubles. Naming them Marek and Jack, Jason saw hope embodied in his two sons and saw them as the entirety of his world.
Around this time, he and Yen Sid met in secret. Yen Sid had put together the prototype of a spell that would potentially allow for time travel. Eager to see what lay beyond his sight, Jason agreed and undertook a short journey. There, he was able to get a glimpse of the Keyblade War. This strengthened his yearning for knowledge, though it came from nothing but good intentions.
Not long after, he was approached by Xehanort, who claimed to have the keys to unlocking the secrets behind not only the Keyblade War but Kingdom Hearts itself. Though skeptical, Jason allowed himself to be convinced by the other man's words. Not realizing that his old friend had turned his heart toward darkness, Jason bid goodbye to his family for what he thought would be a couple of weeks. Out of caution, he put a spell of concealment around his wife and two sons, to keep them away from the eyes of Keyblade Wielders while he was away. He also asked Eraqus to take care of his family if anything happened to him.
He embarked on his journey with Xehanort, though before long Xehanort made his intentions clear. He was going to use any means necessary to recreate the Keyblade War and had even turned to darkness in order to do so. Jason refused to allow such a catastrophe to occur but was defeated by his former friend. When Jason declared that Yen Sid and Eraqus would know the truth, Xehanort played his hand. If Jason approached the Inner Worlds, then his spell of concealment around his family would break. In short, his family would be targeted long before he could reach them.
Left with no other choice, Jason fled in shame. Forced to leave his family behind, he made for the Outer Worlds haunted by the fact that he had abandoned his wife and sons. He lived in exile for the following decade.
More than ten years later, he was attacked by a young boy carrying a Keyblade. Seeing that the boy was wearing Alexander's old clothes, Jason suspected that his attacker was his son. He feigned defeat, using advanced magical techniques to fake his death.
Correctly deducing that his spell had faded after so much time and that Xehanort had indeed taken one of his sons as an apprentice, Jason returned home in order to find his remaining family. Finding the grave of his wife and both of his sons missing, he learned of what happened to them from a young girl named Mist. The young woman was determined to find his younger son Jack, who had become Xehanort's apprentice. Sensing her determination, Jason gave her the abilities over magic that he possessed and also gave her means of traveling to another world.
Trusting in her to take care of Jack, he set off in search of his older son, Marek. However, Marek found him first.
Alexander's theories had been proven wrong. The Divine Beings had returned. This time, it was not only Light. Light indeed lay dormant within Jack, but another Divine Being had infected Marek: Darkness. Seeing his son possessed by the powerful being, Jason allowed himself to be taken and brainwashed in hopes of freeing Marek from his torment. However, the brainwashing was powerful and it overcame him.
In the time he spent searching for Marek, Jack would free himself from Xehanort's grasp and find shelter under Eraqus' tutelage. Eventually, the apprentices of Eraqus would face Xehanort and meet their sad fates, disappearing from the worlds for many years.
Years later, Jason found himself under his son's control when Jack reemerged into the world, now aiding Sora in stopping Xehanort from beginning a Second Keyblade War.
After the defeat of Xehanort, Marek, or rather Darkness that was controlling him, made his move. Against his will, Jason took up arms against the heroes of light throughout a great conflict that would become known as the Third Keyblade War. Yen Sid was eventually able to free Jason's mind, though the process led to the elder Master's death. Mourning the loss of his old friend, Jason stood with Jack and Sora in their final clash with Marek and Darkness, successfully freeing his oldest son from the Divine Being.
In the years that followed, Jason took up Yen Sid's role as Watcher of the Worlds and his mysterious tower became the de facto headquarters of the Keyblade Wielders, now being reborn through a new generation of chosen heroes. Seeing the need for a united force, Jason rallied all of them together under a new name: the Light's Enforcers. Though his son Jack began to forge a relationship with Jason, Marek outright refused, not unjustly blaming Jason for everything that had happened to their family.
Facing pressure from the other Wielders, Jason was unable to provide much aid to Marek's struggle with the mercenary known as Eclipse, though he and the entire LE rallied to the Crossroads in order to help Marek defeat Eclipse and his master, a member of the Ancient Council named Anetar. Indeed, Jason managed to turn the tide, having prior recovered a powerful artifact called the Anvil of Keys, which was used to forge the X-blade. Using the Anvil, Jason forged the Eternity Fang, capable of killing the immortal Ancients.
After the death of Anetar, it became clear that Maechil had orchestrated these events, using Anetar's murder as an excuse to declare war on humanity.
With a war against the Ancients now inevitable, Jason worked feverishly to unite the world leaders together in one body, forming the Council of Sovereigns. As the first Grandmaster of the Light's Enforcers, Jason also led the Keyblade Wielders for much of the war, despite many under his command feeling that his son Jack would have been better suited.
Despite never reconciling with Marek, Jason loved both of his sons, regarding them as his legacy. When the location of the Land of Departure was discovered and Maechil's forces invaded, Jason sacrificed his life to save his sons and those under his command, unlocking his heart and triggering an explosion that decimated the Ancient fleets.
A statue would be erected in his memory at the new LE headquarters in Radiant Garden, which Jack would speak to on many occasions throughout the remainder of the war.
Cause of death: unlocked his heart via Keyblade, causing an explosion that destroyed most of Maechil's fleet and allowed Jack, Marek, Sora, and the others to escape
Marek Rikkison
White hair long and slicked backward, bright green eyes, yellow when attuned to darkness
Wore black pants, a sleeveless black shirt with a red Heartless symbol on it, and chains around his torso while controlled by Darkness in his Illusion persona, later wore an armored gray long sleeve shirt, black combat pants, and black gauntlets, occasionally sporting a hooded cloak
The oldest son of Jason and twin brother of Jack, Marek was supposed to inherit the family curse of Light. However, Marek always had a wayward heart, wanting off of the small Islands where he grew up. This yearning managed to break through the concealing spell his father placed upon the family. Xehanort sensed Marek and his brother, journeying to Destiny Islands in order to take them for his own. In Marek, he found a boy filled with jealousy toward his preferred younger brother and an easy target for dark impulses. With a little coaxing, he persuaded Marek to open his heart to the darkness, which swallowed the boy and took him far away from the Islands.
Through these events, Light forsook Marek and instead found shelter in his younger brother Jack. Another Divine Being, Darkness, was drawn to Marek by his dark impulses as well as the bargain struck long ago by Naithyk. Marek was a perfect vessel for Darkness and was taken as such.
Finding himself in Traverse Town, Marek survived on the streets for a couple of years before being taken in by a young woman named Kalanna. She had sensed the power and potential within him and recruited him into a mercenary guild called the Deathmakers. There, he was trained by the guild's leader, a half-Ancient named Aaron Drennan. Aaron was known throughout the Realm as Eclipse, with a reputation as the most elite assassin in all known worlds. Learning to fight directly under him, Marek was sharpened into a weapon and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the last of three Overseers in the program, the other being Kalanna.
As time progressed, he and Aaron would become distanced, as Marek still sought to spare innocent lives while Aaron demanded no witnesses. This led to a violent confrontation over Kalanna, as both men loved her but she had chosen Marek. In the chaos, Aaron accidentally killed her, enraging Marek who allowed Darkness to take over his body.
Darkness overpowered Eclipse easily, scarring him and rendering him visually blind for the rest of his life.
For years to come, Darkness remained in control of Marek's body, the boy becoming a prisoner within his own mind and heart. As the Second Keyblade War came and ended through the efforts of his brother, Darkness gathered a great force, using his will and Marek's body under the name of Illusion. After Xehanort's defeat, Jack set off after Marek, who had captured a critically injured Mist. Easily besting his brother due to Darkness' power, Marek found himself beginning to break through the Divine Being's influence.
As the Third Keyblade War progressed, Jack made numerous attempts to reach Marek, but none prevailed. Eventually, Jack's daughter Rayne was born, gifted with the powers of the true X-blade due to the conflict between Jack as Light and Marek as Darkness.
The conflict between the brothers would escalate into a final battle over the Keyblade Graveyard. With Jack drawing upon Light and Marek still enthralled by Darkness, the world bore witness to a mighty clash between brothers. In the aftermath of the battle, Marek was freed from Darkness' clutches and Jack was likewise able to repel Light from his body. However, the clash of Divine power had fractured the world's connection to Kingdom Hearts. In an attempt to redeem himself, Marek flew into Kingdom Hearts and tried to sacrifice his heart and life energy to repair the moon.
Maechil Omnivion, leader of the Ancients, saw in Marek an opportunity for future events and chose to save him at the last moment, returning him to the Realm of Light. Maechil did not do so out of benevolence, instead putting a plan into motion with Marek as a pawn at the center of it.
This plan would involve Anetar, one of the eldest Ancients, who would manipulate Marek's old rival Eclipse into reviving the Divine Beings from their slumber. Faced with the threat of a prospective war between the Divine Beings and the Ancients with the Realm of Light as the battleground, Jack pleaded with the LE to do something. At the same time, Marek journeyed in pursuit of Eclipse.
After many months, a final battle between the former friends ensued in the Crossroads, with Eclipse drawing on the power of Corruption to battle Marek's fury. Victorious, Marek chose to spare Aaron's life and used Jason's Eternity Fang to kill Anetar. They thought this would end the conflict, until Maechil arrived and revealed the truth.
He had been barred from warring directly with humanity through a pact made over a thousand years ago, and such was the power woven through the agreement that even he, creator of all known Realms, could not break it on his end. Declaring Maechil's murder of Anetar as an act of war, the old pact was broken and Maechil was now free to destroy the Realm of Light. Realizing he was only a pawn, Marek determined that he would stand with his brother against the coming Ancients, a war that would literally decide the fate of all Realms.
During the course of this war, he worked against the Ancients but still remained separate from the LE. Despite this, he willingly fought alongside his brother on multiple occasions. In the last days of the war, he used his connections with darkness to gain the allegiance of Wrythenann and the Dark Denizens, granting the Keyblade Wielders a monstrous army in addition to the combined forces of the Realm of Light. This turned the tide during the fateful battle, as they were able to overwhelm Maechil's forces. Marek himself stood alongside Jack and Pierce, facing Maechil in single combat. Though nearly victorious, Maechil escaped into Kingdom Hearts and was pursued.
Ultimately, his brother Jack merged with Light and was able to defeat Maechil. Upon Maechil's defeat, the Ancient summoned a last great threat: the fourth of the Divine Beings called Oblivion, also Death. The worlds began to collapse without Maechil's power to hold them together, and Jack sacrificed his own body and power to fill that void.
Losing his brother, the only person in all the words that he had felt any attachment to, was hard on Marek. Still, he stood alongside Sora in the clash against Oblivion, helping to finally end the long war.
In the years that followed, Marek journeyed across the Realm. Often, he was alone. But sometimes, he was seen accompanied by his nephew Pierce. It is said that the two formed a powerful bond, at least until Marek mysteriously vanished one day along with Sora and the entire generation known today as the "Founders".
Cause of death: disappeared from known records along with Sora. Fate unknown
Jack Rikkison
Short and neat brown hair, bangs spiked upward, bright hazel eyes
Wore Alexander's outfit from his training years until the end of the Second Keyblade War. From the Third Keyblade War until his death, he wore an armored sleeveless white shirt, black combat pants lined with gold and silver tracings, and a white gauntlet on his right arm. Toward the end of the Ancient war, he once more put on Alexander's hooded vest
The younger son of Jason and twin brother of Marek, Jack was special from his birth. A Prophecy told over a thousand years before his birth detailed the fall of the Ancients at the hands of a Rikkison, and thus Maechil remained ever watchful over that bloodline. Indeed, it was Jack's birth that made him realize he needed to act, putting his plan into motion to nullify the old Pact between Realms.
Abandoned by his father Jason, Jack lived for years on Destiny Islands with his mother and brother, until Xehanort manipulated Marek with darkness which led to the boy's disappearance from the Islands.
Seeing both her husband and older son gone, Jack's mother died not long after. Doctors of the time stated the causes to be of depression and stress, though Xehanort at one time also took credit for her demise. The truth is unknown to this day. This left Jack alone on the Islands. However, he had been infected with a sliver of Darkness during Marek's manipulation and subsequent exile. This darkness, in turn, suppressed painful memories from Jack's subconscious. For many years, the boy would forget that he ever had a brother.
Seemingly "saved" from Heartless one night by Xehanort, Jack became the old man's first true apprentice, serving him faithfully for the following three years. During that time, he would meet Ventus and pass the boy a Keyblade.
Knowing that this occurred, Xehanort took Ventus as his second apprentice, also creating Vanitas when the boy failed to use the darkness. Seeing what had been done to Ven, Jack cast aside his loyalties to Xehanort but was unprepared for Vanitas' natural abilities. Saved at the last moment by a young woman named Mist, the two overcame the dark boy and made their escape.
The two would keep in contact in the years to come but separated as Jack made his way to the Land of Departure, seeking asylum under Eraqus' tutelage. Upon learning who the boy was, Eraqus agreed to take him in, having been unable to find Jason's family in the years following the man's disappearance.
Jack met Ventus again during this time, but the boy had lost his memories and had forgotten that he had ever met Jack. During the following years, Jack would grow incredibly close to Terra, Aqua, Ven, and Eraqus. Aqua looked after him much like an older sister, Terra was his closest and best friend, Ven was their collective little brother, and Eraqus was the father figure that Jack had so desperately craved.
His training under Xehanort had put Jack well past his friends in terms of readiness for the future exam. Despite this, Eraqus would not include Jack in Terra and Aqua's exam, intending to hold him back for six months.
When Terra set forth to confront the Unversed, Ventus chased after him, and Aqua followed to bring Ven home, Eraqus gave Jack his most important task: finding Master Xehanort. Though Terra had been instructed to do the same, Eraqus worried about Terra's heart and wanted Jack to find the truth of what was really going on.
Ultimately unable to prevent his friends' manipulation and Eraqus' demise, Jack fought alongside his friends against Master Xehanort and Vanitas in the Keyblade Graveyard. Ambushed by Marek under the control of darkness, he was again unable to prevent the fates that befell his friends.
When Aqua disappeared from the Realm, he set out to reunite with Mist, finding her seemingly slain at Marek's hands. Battling his brother, he lost and was cast into the Realm of Darkness. During his time in the Dark Realm, he met Xemnas who struck him with magic and permanently scarred the side of Jack's face.
He reemerged eleven years later, blaming himself for the events of the past but reluctantly aiding Sora during the Second Keyblade War. When it became clear that Xehanort intended to use Sora as his Thirteenth Vessel, Jack spared his friend from that fate and took it himself.
Held under Xehanort's thrall during the climactic battle, Sora was able to free Jack, who once more battled his former master alongside Sora and the restored Terra. In the aftermath of the battle, Jack once more saved Sora from Xehanort's possession, taking Xehanort into himself and staying behind in the Graveyard to his seeming destruction.
Months later he resurfaced to stand against Marek, who had emerged to claim power in the void following Xehanort's defeat. Throughout the course of the Third Keyblade War, Jack battled his brother while struggling to overcome the remnant of Xehanort's heart still lodged within him. Eventually triumphing over Xehanort once and for all with Sora's help, Jack clashed with his brother one final time in the Keyblade Graveyard using the powers of Light.
He defeated and freed his brother from the Divine Being Darkness, ushering in a brief peace that would be shattered by Maechil's plans.
When Marek and Eclipse struggled across the worlds, Jack stood by Marek out of love for his wayward brother. When Maechil's plans became clear, Jack acted quickly to gather all of their allies for what would be the most difficult battle in the history of the Realm of Light.
Over the course of the Ancient War, Jack undertook many of the most daring missions, including faking his own death and posing as an Ancient in order to infiltrate Maechil's court. During this time, the magic concealing him almost overtook his mind. His cover identity, known as Darian Voltare, the Keyblade Hunter, almost became a reality except for the timely intervention of Namine, who dove into Jack's heart and helped him repair his broken memories.
After his father Jason's death, Jack took over command of the Light's Enforcers as its second Grandmaster. He would lead their allied forces throughout the remainder of the war, culminating in a climactic battle with Maechil. Standing no chance against the Ancient on his own, Jack merged with Light. In a cruel bout of irony, the bargain that Maechil had struck with Naithyk so long ago proved to be his downfall. Jack's Rikkison blood, sharpened by the bargain in order to drastically increase Light's power was an enemy to be reckoned with. With Jack in control but having full access to Light's power and his own, the two were able to defeat and strike down Maechil Omnivion, creator of all known Realms.
The famous Wanderer had fulfilled the ancient prophecy of his family and saved all Realms from Maechil's wrath. However, the Ancient's death left all worlds collapsing without his power to hold them together. Without hesitating, Jack offered himself as a sacrifice, merging once more with Light. Only this time, he gave all of his power and body wholly over to Light, who was able to use it in order to repair the bonds between worlds. Though Jack's body continued to be used as a vessel for holding the worlds together, he died the moment he merged completely with Light to do so.
In the days following the war, he would be remembered as the great Wanderer who defeated the Ancients, the culmination of the potential greatness in his bloodline. Jack became and remains to this day the most famous member of his entire lineage for his courage, perseverance, and sacrifice.
Cause of death: Complete merging with Light in order to repair the bonds between worlds. Giving his body over to Light removed him from it, killing him almost instantly
Rayne Rikkison
Flowing black hair, hazel-green eyes
Wore a long sleeve shirt colored black on one side, white on the other; black pants with a white knee-length skirt over them during her childhood and the Third Keyblade War, later wore Keyblade Armor of like color patterns when she neared the end of her training
Daughter and first child of Jack and Mist, Rayne was born under special circumstances. Her mother Mist, while pregnant with her, was kidnapped by Marek under control of Darkness and kept frozen in stasis for twelve years. During this time, Rayne was exposed to the Divine Being Darkness while in her mother's womb. She also had been equally exposed to Light due to her father Jack. Because of this unique combination, she was marked as a vessel for the powers of the X-blade.
Many humans believed the X-blade to be a simple sword held in hand, but that was never the case. The X-blade held by Vanitas and later Xehanort was always an incomplete copy. Zatorian, the Ancient smith who created the X-blade, crafted it as a power that would harness the full potential of a person's will and soul. Thus, much like the Divine Beings it drew power from, the true X-blade sought out a vessel that would manifest its fullest potential. That would prove to be Rayne Rikkison, the first and only Wielder in known history to successfully harness the full powers of the Keyblade during the Ancient War.
At the beginning of the Third Keyblade War, Mist was removed from her stasis. Due to the X-blade awakening within Rayne, she was born extremely quickly and rapidly aged to make up for lost time. Within weeks of being born, she was approximately twelve years old. Jack and Mist learned quickly to cope with their new daughter.
Rayne would serve a pivotal role in the Third Keyblade War, as Marek, under Darkness' control, would seek her power for his own. Despite her young age and lack of experience, she bravely stood beside her father Jack and aided in freeing Marek from the Divine Being's control.
In the years that followed, she proved herself to be a formidable warrior and already leading missions by the time she was seventeen years old. She aided the rest of her fellow Keyblade Wielders in the final battle against Eclipse and Anetar that ultimately led to the war with the Ancients.
During the Ancient War, she led the search for Temples dedicated to the Divine Beings, learning the secrets of Light, Darkness, and Corruption as well as beginning to draw upon the X-blade still held within her. With help from a fragment of Zatorian placed within the X-blade's power, she learned to control the blade and harnessed its full power on several occasions. Using this power, she successfully sealed away Corruption.
After her father and mother's deaths, Rayne was left with two responsibilities: to use the X-blade's power against the remaining three Divine Beings, and also raising her little brother Pierce. She succeeded in both acts, sealing away Light, Darkness, and finally Oblivion in order to end the Ancient War.
In the years that followed, she raised her brother Pierce into a fine Keyblade Master with occasional help from their uncle Marek. She also married legendary Dragoon Kain Highwind and had two children of her own. Her and Kain's line would go on to accomplish many amazing feats of their own under the name of Highwind.
She continued to be a driving force among the senior Keyblade Masters in the days following the Ancient war but disappeared suddenly along with Marek, Sora, and the rest of their generation. Their sudden disappearance even today remains a heated topic of debate, controversy, and conspiracy.
Cause of death: Disappeared along with the rest of the Founder generation. Fate unknown
Pierce Rikkison
Brown hair(later dyed black), dark green eyes
Wore an armored gray long-sleeve shirt, black gauntlets, white camouflage pants, and his family's iconic black hooded vest
The second child and only son of Jack and Mist Rikkison, Pierce became the scion of the Rikkison name after the death of both of his parents. Only a child during the war with the Ancients, he understood very little of what happened to his parents until many years later. When he became a Keyblade Master, Marek told him the truth and gifted him with his father's vest.
Pierce was Sora's second apprentice, training under him during Sora's tenure as the LE's third Grandmaster. In his early adulthood, Pierce quickly established himself as Jack's son through his stubbornness and battle prowess. Hoping more than anything to live up to his father's legendary name, Pierce undertook the most daring of missions and became known as the most promising member of his generation.
When Sora retired from his role as Grandmaster, Pierce was quickly nominated by popular consensus. Accepting, Pierce became the fourth Grandmaster of the Light's Enforcers.
The years that followed under Pierce's leadership would be prosperous in promoting peace and unity throughout the Realm of Light. Also under his leadership, the influence and fame of the Keyblade Wielders would reach highs not seen since the Glory Age. The Council of Sovereigns grew wary of the Wielders' growing power, a brewing conflict that would culminate in later generations.
When Sora's generation abruptly disappeared, Pierce was bombarded with questions though he adamantly stated that he knew nothing was hoping avidly for their return. Despite these assurances, many suspected that Pierce knew what had become of the Founder generation. However, if he did indeed know, he took it literally to his grave.
In another timeline, a nigh-immortal man from the future arrived during Pierce's teenage years, massacring Sora and Jack's generation in the name of preventing a horrid future. In order to avenge the deaths of his parents and the rest of the Keyblade Wielders, Pierce and his fellow Keyblade apprentices Ava and Griffin united a force of ten warriors in order to defeat the man calling himself Lorans. Their team consisted of the three, Rayne, Ventus(only survivor of the attack on the LE), Kain Highwind, Marek, and young warriors called Luriel, Shin, and Terra Branford. Together, these ten were able to defeat Lorans and take back the future. Indeed, this version of Pierce, Ava, Luriel, Shin, and Terra Branford were pulled through space and time to help with the Ancient war, disappearing shortly after the defeat of Oblivion.
In the real timeline, Pierce died peacefully in Radiant Garden having lived a long and fruitful life. It is said that he spent much of his later days staring over his father's old vest as if reliving some secret memory.
Most historians mark Pierce's death as the end of the Founder Age, as it is thusly called to mark the time that the Founders lived in the Realm.
Cause of death: natural causes
Sora and Jack's generation came to be known as the Founders, as it was they who reformed the Keyblade Wielders and founded the Light's Enforcers. The Founder Age is the shortest span of time of all Ages in the Realm, though it is often viewed as the most important. The life of Pierce's son is usually deemed as the beginning of the fourth Age in the Realm: the "Stagnant Age".
THE STAGNANT AGE…
Korrin Rikkison
Tidy blonde hair, brown eyes
Wore black and crimson LE armor during his early life, later a suit of Rikkison armor personally forged by the Dragoons of Baron, his cousins. He was also the first Rikkison in many generations never to wear Alexander's black vest as it had been labeled a Founder relic and was locked away
The only son and child of Pierce and Ava, Korrin grew up in Radiant Garden hearing the tales of his grandparents and learning in the Keyblade arts. He served as a Keyblade Master during his father Pierce's tenure as Grandmaster and was recognized as a wise and powerful leader among the LE. Though major threats were scarce in the days immediately following the war with the Ancients, some threats did indeed rise. Among these was a plot against the LE and the Rikkison family in particular. Korrin was able to stop this plot before it reached fruition and also kept it quiet, not wanting word to reach any potential traitors.
He never discovered where the plot originated from, though he and his father Pierce both believed it to have come from rogue elements on the Council of Sovereigns. Late in his life, Pierce secretly called Korrin before him, explaining that he feared for the future of the Rikkison bloodline. It was Pierce's belief that the Rikkisons would be needed again but that someone was intent on wiping them out. He urged Korrin to take his young family and leave both Radiant Garden and the LE behind. Korrin, though reluctant to abandon his father, did so and began operating in secret on the outskirts of the Realm.
Years passed, and his own children would grow to become Wielders as well. However, in following Pierce's wishes, Korrin never saw his father again before he died.
Despite Korrin's caution, another plot did indeed arise following the death of Pierce. This time, Korrin was caught in an ambush that he could not overcome and was slain by unknown assailants. News of his death never reached the Inner Worlds or the LE, and his body was never recovered.
By the time of his death, The Rikkison family had grown to a small community consisting of a few dozen warriors, operating in secret to continue the secret task assigned to him by Pierce: keeping people away from the Keyblade Graveyard and safeguarding a number of relics once personally held by the Founders.
Cause of death: slain by unknown assailants in an attempt to wipe out the Rikkison bloodline
Atria Rikkison
Brown hair, bright blue eyes
Wore Keyblade Armor in her youth, later navy blue robes bearing the new Rikkison crest: a fiery Keyblade surrounded by fire enveloped by the outline of a hood
Granddaughter of Korrin, Atria was born while the Rikkisons were still maintaining their policy of secrecy from the Inner Worlds and the Light's Enforcers. Though her early years are shrouded in mystery, she eventually rose to become the matriarch of the Rikkison community, numbering over three dozen at the time.
During her time overseeing the community, the Rikkisons became more secluded than ever, extremely cautious after Korrin's murder. Despite this caution, she continued to uphold the two sacred precepts that Pierce had passed on to Korrin: keep the Keyblade Graveyard safe at all costs and preserve the Founder relics.
Her main goal was to acquire as many of the missing Founder relics as she could. Above all, she coveted the Shroud of Jack, the famous vest worn by many different Rikkisons but Jack in particular. The Shroud was locked away in the LE headquarters in Radiant Garden along with several other relics including Namine's Sketchbook, Lea's Chakrams, and the remnants of Ven's Wooden Keyblade.
She highly desired these items not only to follow her family instructions from Pierce but also because it was rumored that the Founder Relics held shards and memories from their original owners. In her possession at the time were three notable relics: Jason's Silver Robe, Sora's Crown Necklace, and the Sword of Darian Voltare, the mighty blade forged by Jack and used during his time as the Keyblade Hunter. Among the known Relics still missing were the Dagger of Marek, Eraqus' Journal, and Kairi's Paopu Charm.
What few missions she allowed were performed in the hopes of gathering these relics, as she hoped to unlock the power hidden within them by the Founders and uncover more of their history. However, she never got the chance.
A betrayal within the community led to their whereabouts being discovered. A great force invaded the Rikkison sanctuary, quickly slaughtering even the unarmed members of the populace. Atria tried to rally the warriors in defense of their home and lives, but they were unable to overcome the sheer numbers of their attackers. Knowing that the battle was lost, she ordered her son Jacob to reach the treasury and secure the relics, and then to save himself.
In order to buy him time to do so, Atria led her few surviving Wielders into a final stand. Eventually, she was the last Rikkison standing. Correctly deducing that the same rogue elements of the Council of Sovereigns which had killed Korrin had now come for them, she cursed the Council and swore that they would be toppled in the days to come. In her mind, she was sure that a Rikkison would do so. However, that did not prove to be the case.
Cause of death: slain in battle by the Council's Hidden Legion along with most of the Rikkison family on an off-the-books assignment
Jacob Rikkison
Unkempt brown hair halfway to his shoulders, hazel-green eyes
Wore black Keyblade armor bearing the Rikkison crest, along with a cloak and hood
During the attack on the Rikkison sanctuary, Jacob was ordered by his mother Atria to secure the three Founder Relics in their possession: Jason's Silver Robe, Sora's Crown Necklace, and the Sword of Darian Voltare. However, by the time he reached the treasury, both Sora's Necklace and Jason's robe had been taken. He defeated the soldiers attempting to remove the sword from its place on the stone pedestal. His Rikkison blood freed the sword from its mount, and he paired it with his Keyblade in order to clear a path for escape.
He witnessed his mother fall in battle, the last one still fighting. However, Jacob was yet not alone. There had been a non-Rikkison in the sanctuary at the time assisting him with an unrelated investigation. Eskan Yoric, son of the last free Grandmaster, Turias, was still alive and joined forces with Jacob to escape.
The two fought through the ranks of the Hidden Legion, a Council-created military force and the very ones attacking the Rikkison home, in an attempt to escape but soon found all of the exits cut off. In desperation, Eskan stayed behind, sacrificing his life to buy Jacob enough time to escape.
Now the last surviving Rikkison, Jacob drifted off the radar, blending into the shadows as he made for the Inner Worlds. He would remember his debt to Eskan by helping someone else ten years later.
With his entire family on the Rikkison side dead, he had only one other person that he trusted: a relative that did not bear the Rikkison name. It took him months to reach Baron undetected, but he finally managed to do so and made contact with his last remaining relative: Lexia Highwind, a descendant of Rayne and Kain. A powerful Dragoon in Baron's high court, Lexia protected Jacob from the Council's searching gaze.
In an attempt to draw Jacob out, the Council announced the extinction of the Rikkison family, citing it as a great tragedy and loss while also blaming mercenaries and pirates for the crime. Zane Alkerias, an Ancient who sat on the Council and had served with Jack against his own people during the Ancient War, was disgusted and suspected that members of the Council had had something to do with it. Zane went to the LE Grandmaster Turias Yoric, father of Eskan who had died in the Rikkison Sanctuary. Together, they began a private investigation into what really happened.
In time, Zane reached out to Lexia, knowing of her heritage. Learning that a single Rikkison had survived, the Ancient met with both Jacob and Lexia personally. After hearing Jacob's account of what had occurred, Zane promised to do all in his power to keep the Rikkison's survival a secret. In turn, Jacob decided to return to isolation and uphold the duties given to his family by Pierce long ago. Even though the Sword of Darian Voltare was now the only Founder Relic in Rikkison hands, he would safeguard it with his life and maintain watch over the Keyblade Graveyard. It was then that Zane informed him of exactly why no one could go near the Graveyard, as Zane was an immortal Ancient and now the last living person in the Realm who knew the truth of what happened to the Founder Generation.
Jacob spent the next ten years on the run with Lexia, the cousins protecting the Graveyard and searching for the missing Founder Relics. Together they managed to locate Eraqus' Journal and Kairi's Paopu Charm, but Marek's Dagger still eluded them.
They remained successfully off the radar in secret for ten years, until Zane once more found them. This time, the Ancient had brought along someone to meet them: a man in early adulthood named Raelyn Yoric, younger brother of the late Eskan. Raelyn too had suffered at the hands of both the Council and LE and sought the means to take down both organizations. Though unwilling to reveal himself to the worlds, Jacob acknowledged that he owed a debt to Eskan and agreed to help Raelyn another way.
Leaving Lexia to safeguard the Relics, Jacob took Raelyn to the Keyblade Graveyard to find answers that he could not give the man himself. Once this task was done, Jacob bid Raelyn good luck and departed.
After these events, both Jacob and Lexia vanish from known records, as even Zane and the Ancients never saw them again.
The events of Raelyn's struggle with the Council led to a conflict known as the War of the Factions, which did indeed see the Council crumble. The Light's Enforcers as well were disbanded, reformed into a much more political organization that sought ultimate power across the worlds. During their endeavors, they purged the archives of certain events and people including the Rikkisons that had come before. History stood in the way of their goals, and so they happily revised it. Thus the exploits of Jack, Rayne, and many of the other heroes of the age were lost to the mists of time.
Jacob's descendants continued their solitary lives for many generations until it no longer became necessary to do so. Just as the people forgot about the Rikkison name, so too did the enemies of the family.
Cause of death: fate unknown, likely natural causes
Namos Rikkison
Blonde hair, shoulder length, gray eyes
Wore Rikkison armor in his early life, later discarded it for the standard armor of the Wielders of the time
Many centuries following Jacob's life, the Rikkisons were no longer hunted or remembered. Indeed, the name Rikkison meant nothing more than any other seemingly random name encountered on the streets of the Inner Worlds. Such was the case when Namos reached adulthood. His family had long since forgotten their purpose, and the Founder Relics were either lost or destroyed.
Though Namos bore some knowledge of his family legacy and those who came before him, he came to view his ancestry as nothing more than potential trouble. He is notable not for his great feats in battle nor for his courage in the face of adversity. Namos is remembered because he was the first Rikkison in over a thousand years to turn his back on the charge his family had taken. Renouncing his family's legacy but still clinging to the name Rikkison, Namos reentered society.
He returned to Radiant Garden and entered the ranks of the Keyblade Wielders, who were a wholly changed organization since the days of the Founder Age. Namos was content to settle into his life as an ordinary Wielder, no more a symbol of exceptional qualities than the beggar sitting down the street. He traded his family's sacred charge for a mundane life of security. Sadly, this would cause a dark turn for the future of the Rikkison line, as Namos' decision to abandon the Rikkison legacy also led to future Rikkisons knowing nothing about the truth of their ancestors.
Cause of death: natural causes
Frost Rikkison
Brown hair tied in a ponytail, dark eyes
Wore an armored vest, combat leggings, and gauntlets on her forearms
Frost was born around a thousand years after the Founder Age. Due to Namos abandoning the Rikkison history, Frost grew up with no knowledge of her ancestry beyond the fact that they were Keyblade Wielders. She served as an active Wielder during a time when the higher Masters did not have the best interests of the people at heart.
When the Grandmasters of the time managed to free the Divine Beings from their prisons, the worst fears of the Founder Generation had come to pass. Jack and Sora had enacted a fail-safe plan in case this turn of events did indeed occur.
Frost, unaware of any greater history and lacking any knowledge of the Divine Beings, continued to serve these Grandmasters even after they became pawns of Light, Darkness, and Corruption. However, she was recruited and shown the truth by the most unlikely sources possible: a group of Keyblade Remnants, souls of Wielders sealed within their suits of armor to preserve themselves after their physical deaths. To her great surprise, she came to realize that these Remnants were legendary Founders, and many of them were even her long-dead ancestors.
Despite skeptical and even hostile, she came to understand these truths and stood with the Founder Remnants and a small number of other Wielders from her time. Together, they were able to defeat the Divine Beings just as the Founders did in the days of old, ushering in an era of truth and peace not seen since the Founder Age.
Frost became a leader in the following years, manning the search for the sealed archives left behind by the Founders which detailed the true events of history. Finding them within a sealed underwater cave near Destiny Islands, she and her compatriots restored history to what it had once been. Frost became the scion of a new Rikkison line, with the ancient and illustrious bloodline being reborn into the symbol of strength that Rolan had hoped for so many years before.
Just as the Rikkisons began as the "Sons of Strength", Frost ushered in a new dawn of heroes. The world remained scarred by the wounds of the past, some that would never fully heal. But, the Realm of Light was finally at peace; a true peace, the first since the Founder Age.
Cause of death: natural causes
Though the Rikkison lineage produced many horrible people and shaped many world events for the worse, it also produced many of the greatest heroes ever seen in the Realm's history. From Rolan, the progenitor of the infamous Rikkison name, to Larys, who restored the family honor the first time, to Alexander, to Jack and Marek, to Jacob, and finally in present days to the life of Frost, the legacy of this family has done more good than harm. The "Sons of Strength" have indeed lived up to their name on many occasions, a number of them even transcending death to continue their service in protection of the worlds.
Well, for my first time back writing in half a year, that was surprisingly long-winded! When I finished this outline I didn't think it would be quite this long, but I guess it is a family tree spanning about 2200 years! 20 notable Rikkisons spanning the dawn of the world up to the last chronological entry in the Wanderer's Series, that being Lucenthia's 'Veritas et Caelum' title.
I did use this entry as an excuse to put some information down about my planned story, "Freedom's Fall". I did so in the chance that I never actually get to write the story, we still have some small knowledge of the events that happen during that time. I am referring to Jacob's entry naturally, as the events of "Freedom's Fall" take place during Jacob's lifetime. I hope you enjoyed this backstory into the history and future of the Rikkison family as much as I enjoyed fleshing out all of these characters that I have had lying around for so many years. I tried to include as much information as necessary to keep it clear and concise, realizing that doing so may have caused me to drag on a bit longer than required. But I am satisfied with how this turned out! Expect my next new content to be the next chapter in my Final Mix title, though I will be looking into adding more entries into this Wanderer Lore title. The Lore entries will span everything from abandoned story concepts to histories behind characters that did not get the chance to be completely fleshed out, so if there is a topic in the Wanderer's Series or even in the broader Kingdom Hearts universe that you would like me to talk about at length, let me know and I'll see what I can do!
As always, thanks so much for reading and please let me know your thoughts on this first entry! The subsequent entries will not be nearly this long, obviously, but I greatly appreciate your feedback. It's good to be back!