Ryoka Griffin

Ryoka Dawning Griffin
Aliases	Batman Wind Runner
Species	Human
Age	21
Gender	Female
Status	Alive
Affiliation	Runner Guild The Wandering Inn
Occupation	City Runner
First Appearance	Interlude – 1.00 R

Ryoka (Ryō ka)(りょうか) Dawning Griffin, or just Ryoka Griffin, is a human, who just like Erin, was teleported to the otherworld from Earth. Her refusal of leveling up and getting a class makes her an interesting woman in the eyes of many.

Appearance

Ryoka has a distinctly Asian/Japanese appearance, with long raven-black hair, bright green eyes and tanned skin. She is very tall with a height of 6'1 and has an athletic build. She isn't wearing any shoes, as she prefers to run, or walk barefoot.

When her long hair doesn't cover her ears, it becomes noticeable that her left ear had been torn in the past, as the lower part of her earlobe is missing, and the remainder had healed jaggedly around the round gap. That isn't the only thing she is missing; Ryoka has also lost two fingers of her right hand.

Likes and dislikes

She enjoys running, and not talking to people. Her hobbies include running, hunting and sports shooting. She also attended martial arts classes since she was eight, achieved 4^th Dan in Muay Thai but she liked Parkour even more. Growing up, she spent lots of time reading and on Youtube videos and video games.

She loves songs she can run to, a huge fan of rock and an enemy of pop, techno, and opera. Favorite artists include Meatloaf, Imagine Dragons, Fun, Lady Gaga, and Five for Fighting.

She is averse to alcohol, but likes coffee. She hates dogs, especially the ones who interfere with her running.

Background

Ryoka was either born in New York City or in Oakland, California.. Either way, she considers herself a girl from Ohio. She's half-Japanese, born to an American father and a Japanese mother. Due to little interest in the Japanese language, Ryoka can speak the language only a bit. She comes from a rich family and "enjoyed" a diverse and good education; but on the same time was a problem child, antisocial and regularly aggressive towards persons of authority, including her Dad. She still hates older men, as they remind her of her father, who is a fairly powerful figure in both politics and business at her home.

She attended many schools, including boarding schools, but wouldn't fit in there: She was kicked out of two high schools. When she was abducted from Earth, she would have been a freshman in college and in Columbia University. There, she was accepted with a Track and Field scholarship, specializing in the 400-meter run. She had a 3.89 GPA average and refused Mensa membership.

Chronology

Volume 1

When she was teleported to the other world in October 2016, she appeared in the middle of a crowded street in a human city in northern Izril while she was out jogging; only having her wallet, her watch and her iPhone with her. She decidedly wanted to avoid spilling her knowledge among the locals, so that she wouldn't influence the natives in any way. So she became a runner around the southernmost cities of the human part of Izril.

Her sudden appearance, her barefoot running and her becoming the fastest city runner around Remendia and Wales attracted the attention of several people, including Magnolia Reinhart, who tried to gather information from Ryoka but failed to even guess her homelands. That made Magnolia even more determined on interrogating Ryoka, who was severely injured after being bullied by 'fellow' runner Persua. Magnolia offered her to take her to a healer, knowing that fixing the broken leg would costs hundreds of gold coins. However, Ryoka had recently made the acquintance of the Horns of Hammerad, who could help her out by taking her to Liscor, where she met Ceria's former co-student Pisces. He healed Ryoka for only 40 gold coins, much less than a high-level healer would have charged for a [Restoration] spell.

Ryoka was then blocked by the Runner's guild until she would agree to meeting Magnolia again, which Ryoka staunchly refused. Instead, she took a request to run into the highly dangerous High Passes, where she met Teriarch who gave her the quest to find Az'kerash for a delivery. Ryoka accepted, but first asked the adventurer Ceria about how to do magic, and it turned out that she is able to perform a little. Ryoka, in a bad mood, then dueled both the adventurers Yvlon Byres and Calruz, which didn't go too well for her.

Desperate again and disgusted of herself, Ryoka set out past Liscor for the Bloodfields, but couldn't find anything there... except the willpower to run back to Liscor and search for her (hopefully) friends, if they would even have her after the bad impression she left with them. Ryoka was totally crushed to learn that the Horns of Hammerad utterly perished in their expedition into the Ruins of Liscor just days earlier.

Volume 2

Just in that situation, Ryoka got an invitation to a magical Group Chat and learned that she is by far not the only person from Earth stuck in this foreign world, and that there are other groups, either meaning ill or well, who are after them, probably for their secret knowledge. This group chat changed Ryoka's entire outlook, since she now knew she needs to cooperate with others and prevent the worst. After Ryoka recovered from that discovery in an inn on the wayside, the [Innkeeper] Erin Solstice revealed that she is from Earth as well.

Ryoka impressed on Erin to keep their secret about their common origins. After being told by Pisces that Ceria might still be alive, they mounted a rescue expedition into the ruins to get her out. Then, the Named Adventurer Gazi appeared and tried to kidnap both girls, and they only narrowly escaped that fate.

That same day, winter started, and Ryoka, trying to earn them more money, eventually left Liscor to make more serious preparations for her run into the south. She first turned north, pestered by Frost Faeries, and found the [Alchemist] Octavia in Celum, from whom she ordered some potions, including a stink potion which she used to get to Teriarch again. Facing that strange 'elven mage' again, she renegotiated the deal with him.

On her return to Liscor, she met two Couriers, Val and Hawk, the first of whom helped Ryoka to fight against the memory block with which Teriarch hid from Ryoka that he is in fact a mighty dragon. As she stayed at Erin's inn again, Ryoka also helped Erin holding an impromptu iPhone concert.

Volume 3

Ryoka completes her delivery to Az'kerash, rescues a Gnoll cub named Mrsha from the Goblin Lord's army, and escapes back to Liscor with two fewer fingers, bitten off by a goblin.

Powers and Abilities

Ryoka has intentionally prevented herself from leveling or gaining skills. She did however take a lesson in magic from Ceria and learn a basic [Light] spell, without being constrained by the need of a [Mage] class. Ryoka has since spent time trying to learn/improve magic outside of the leveling system. She has had some success with a book on magic to teach apprentices that she acquired from Teriarch, but encountered a mental block, as her scientific background clashed with the mentality required to learn the magic in the book. She learned the basis of faerie magic and to 'See the wind' under the guidance of the Frost Fairy Ivolethe. With practice she is able to control wind with finesse and strength, able to pick up and carry small objects such as caltrops, cause dust clouds, and blow at her back to increase her running speed.

Spells:

• [Flare]
• [Flashbang]
• [Flashlight]
• [Light]
• [Noise]
• A telekinesis spell - unknown name
• A spell that blows air - unknown name

Natural Talents:

• High natural capacity for magic
• Willpower equivalent to [Indomitable Will] skill

Abilities:

• Mixed Martial Arts
• Endurance running
• Parkour skills
• Wind Control

Equipment

• iPhone
• Bag of Holding - Can contain more than 20 pounds of weight.
• Small Everfrozen Ice Statue of Ivolethe
• Caltrops
• Stamina Potions
• Healing Potions
• Stink Potion
• Pepper Potion
• Blaze Potion
• Smoke Bomb Bag
• Compressed Flour Bag

Gallery

See here.

Trivia

• Her middle name was revealed in Chapter 2.35.
• In Chapter 2.00 she is revealed to have used the alias 'batman' in the Otherworlders group chat.
• She got used to people mispronouncing her name from Ryoka to Ryoko.

Quotes/Thoughts

Volume 1

• (Thoughts) Run. Run faster. Dodge behind the pillar. Pause. Go left. Move right. Fireball! Close. Now—sprint left as fast as possible.
• (Thoughts) I burn bridges as I breathe. It’s a talent. I’ve done it all my life and I guess some things you just can’t change. Me and my big mouth. I got kicked out of one school for telling the principal what I really thought about him and the other—
• (Thoughts) Ryoka Griffin, 1995 – 2016. “Never knew when to shut up.”
• (Thoughts) Oh gods. Poker face. P-p-p-poker face. Okay, stop. Don’t think of the Lady Gaga song right now.

Volume 2

• (Thoughts) oh my god she’s coming back.
• (Thoughts) One of them, an Antinium with only two arms and one leg—was playing chess with one of the Goblins. Pawn and Rags. Ryoka kept feeling at her forehead with the back of her hand to make sure she wasn’t fevered.
• (To Pisces) “I’m no mage. But I understand bullshit quite well.”
• (Thoughts) …Unless of course this world worked off of the same rules fantasy books and Hollywood movies were made of. If that was the case, they were all dead.
• (To Gazi) “The King of Destruction has awakened. Flos has returned.”
• (To Octavia) "Give me the potion or I’ll hurt you."
• (Thoughts) I’m not going to just roll over, am I? Come on Ryoka! Sass this stupid mage! You can do it! You can throw some shade—you’re the shade master! That’s what they called you in school!
• (Thoughts) The look of irritation and incredulity on his face is almost worth whatever horrible fate I’m about to endure.
• (To Teriach) “Yeah. Pay me. Or else. Asshole.”
• (To Fals) “Hm. Sounds good. I’ve got a…friend down there so I’ll be heading there a lot.”
• (To Val and Hawk) “‘Neither rain nor snow, nor gloom of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds’, huh?”
• (Thoughts) Rule one of monsters. You didn’t kill them. You didn’t even hurt them. I don’t care if you dropped a bomb on them or cut off their heads. They’re alive. Run.
• (To Frost Faeries) “Ican’tstop!Goddamnitstoplaughingandhelpme!”
• (To Frost Faeries) “I swear it. I swear it on the water, by the grass and earth and sky and on my name. I swear it by honor and life itself.”
• (To Frost Faeries) “Are the fey slaves, or are you free? Help me! I am Ryoka Dawning Griffin, and I offer everything! Change fate. Save us.”
• (To Krshia) “Krshia Silverfang? My name is Ryoka Griffin. We need to speak.”
• (Thoughts) Wait, what the hell did Erin say about him being Gold-rank?
• (Thoughts) Add that to my gravestone - Ryoka Griffin, 1995 – 2017. “Never knew when to shut up. Also, punched a Dragon.”
• (Thoughts) Oh my—he sucks at acting! I stare at Teriarch. He stares back.
• (To Teriarch) “So? Are you a Dragon or a lizard that likes to hide under rocks? It’s a challenge, idiot. What part of that don’t you get?”

Volume 3

• (Thoughts) On the whole, I sometimes wonder if Erin’s the more violent one between the two of us.
• (Thoughts) Nah. I sit back with the [Butler] and shake my head. I’m going nuts. This entire thing is nuts. I’m nuts, I want to eat nuts—I’m shaking—

Volume 4

• (To Krshia) “Friendship, Krshia Silverfang. That is what I desire.”
• (To Krshia) “This is a gift of friends, and the cost is paid in intangible things. I offer it in the name of friendship, with you and your tribe, if you will accept it.”
• (To Erin) “Hold on, I need a break. Would you hand me a knife? I need to slice off my ears, because clearly I’m hearing things.”
• (To Erin) “For someone who doesn’t like killing, you’re awfully good at it.”
• (To Ijvani) “Pisces? He…likes dead bodies. Animating them, commanding them. He’s got a fetish for that. Magical.”
• (To Teriarch) “You know who! Him! Perril Chandler, the bastard who lives in the Blood Fields! The one you wanted me to find! The Necromancer! Az’kerash!”

Volume 6

• (To the Wind) “Give me wind. Blow, winds! Give me wrath! Show me fury! Follow me!”
• (To Fierre) “No, it’s fine. I am new. I’ve been running all my life, but I’ve only been a Runner for less than a year. And really, I’ve only started taking my job seriously…now.”
• (To Lupp) “I can agree with that. Although, my best friend’s an [Innkeeper]. And she’s twice as nice as I’ll ever be.”
• (To herself) “It’s so easy, Erin. Why didn’t you tell me that? Why didn’t I listen?”
• (To herself) “‘By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.’ Fuck. Laken, what have you done?”
• (To Mavika) “—a deal fairly struck. So Wiskeria’s said, Witch Mavika. A good morning to you, by the way.”
• (To Durene) “Yes. I did. And that’s why I’m thinking. Uh, your hand’s in the fire, by the way.”
• (To Belavierr) “I can stop for a moment. But I’ve got a date with the fire.”
• (To Belavierr) “Because I have a choice. And I’m afraid of who I would be if I left. I’d like to be a good person.”
• (To the Wind) “I am the Wind Runner! And I call the wind! Be free!”

Volume 7

• (Missive to Erin) I should have stayed. But I make such a mess of things. I couldn’t even face my mistakes. I want to change. I have to. Until I do, I’m afraid I’ll end up killing you or ruining your life. But I will come back.
• (To a boy) “I can’t stop you. Go ahead if you really think you’ll be safe. But I’m warning you: you’ll make the wind angry.”
• (To Lupp) “My friend’s alive. I just need to meet her again. One more time, Lupp. For that, it’s easy to risk my life. Just not anyone else’s.”

Chapter Appearances

See Here.