Rius Aiava

Rius Aiava is a Stinkdamp in the Tremorsian Mine Guard, formerly a hunter on his home world before being recruited. Now serving as a sniper and reconnaisance expert, his keen eyes and quick trigger finger serve him well in the field. However his cynical nature prevent others from getting to know him too well, that paired with the sniper's arrogance hasn't made him many friends among his new brethren.

Early Life:
Rius was born in the Aiava clan, one of the remaining families on Pagonia that are native to this barren world. No life is easy and he was no exception. Survival is all that could be managed before landfall of the Union, and early on Rius was taught the same lesson that all  of the Aiava family are taught. “Without blood, you will waste away. Yet without family, you will freeze where you stand.” This ancient saying holds with it the key to the survival of the Aiava clan, “Survival of the Family means your survival.”

Like every other male in the clan, Rius was taught the ways of gathering and hunting the great beasts of Pagonia, and though he knew nothing special in of itself, had a great aptitude for firing the few weapons available to the clans. Being taken from ancient battle sites where the details have been all but forgotten under the frosted stone and cremate ruins, these weapons and what ammunition is made for them are crucial to survival. A keen insight into the workings of these weapons and the ability to maintain them a blessing in every possible sense to the hardened eyes of the patriarch. Being set apart by this boon, Rius quickly ascended the familial ladder and was inducted into the hunting parties far earlier than most of the young men. Even going through the trial of wounding and then killing one of the fierce Peina almost singlehandedly, only being allowed an aide due to his then younger age, being only 13 at the time. After this trial Rius’ fate seemed certain in the eyes of the patriarchs. That role in particular being that of a cornerstone in the legacy of his bloodline, his skill and aptitude far too valuable to be squandered by solely hunting and procuring food.

For the next few years life was relatively monotonous, Rius’ duties often menial but crucial in the survival of his family. Maintaining the small bit of weaponry that his family possessed as best he could, along with making or finding new ammunition and hunting for food. This though would be broken up upon what his people simply call the “Descent”, the event which the Tremors made planetfall upon the icy surface of Pagonia.

The event that shaped the future of Rius' life already occuring, the subsequent compliance of each great clan under the Union's flag was something that each clan embraced differently. The Aiava clan in particular being cautious but understood all too well the value of technology thanks to Rius' own path in life up to that point, the resulting access to such advanced technology enough to sway the patriarch of his clan to accepting the aid of the Union. This lead to Rius' "recruitment" into the Mine Guard as compulsory on part of the clan to show they were more than willing to give what they had in exchange for the good of the whole.

Personality
Being raised in a tundra doesn’t garner much chance for one to develop his own identity. As such Rius was naturally a quiet and collected person, showing little fear in the face of what were considered the planets greatest threats, the Peina. His confidence in the skills he possessed along with what seemed to be an unflinching demeanor, even in regards to the explosives that the Tremors use in their mining, bring others to seek either his aid or advice often when it comes to tactics or survival.

Generally quite composed, albeit a tad stoic, Rius really has never had any serious reprimands from either before or after the Tremors planetfall. His understanding of the need for survival outweighing any personal issues he may have with what is happening to his home, taming the icy nature he possesses. Coming off at first as reclusive and arrogant to outsiders, the sniper’s true colors show to those that he considers brothers. Taking a more involved role in their training and when possible adding a bit of his knowledge to the pool, especially in regards to handling the more frigid climates that they may encounter.

Appearance
Somewhat lean in build, Rius has the common pale skin of all Pagonians, same with the almost all white eyes he possessed due to it’s almost constant darkness. Sturdy despite his seemingly weaker look, a square jawline and pronounced cheekbones as well as broad shoulders and a strong skeletal frame overall. If it wasn’t for the almost unnatural thinness due to his way of life it would be quite surprising that he was stealthy at all.

The most notable feature on Rius is a violet hued chemical burn upon his right thigh that never properly healed. This was attained from one of the hunts he was on as a youth, having made the mistake of breaking open one of the Ain fruits. The juice it held being incredibly acidic to humans and thus making the fruit inedible, burned his flesh and left the violet scar that clearly remains.

Abilities and Traits
Steeped in icy temperatures from birth, Rius, as with all Pagonians, has an unnatural resistance to polar climates. His body metabolizing much slower, and his blood being thicker due to generations of living on the tundra. This, along with the natural night vision granted from generations in winter darkness, allows Rius to be an excellent hunter and scout in any cold climate. His training in the art of long range killing only adds further to his uses, as taking out targets of importance often means taking them out at range. In his able hands, Rius turns a sniper rifle into a surgeon’s scalpel. Taking shots and making them where plenty of other marksman would fail. This due to having to fire in high winds since his youth and learning to take into account all environmental factors.

While his time as a Reconnaissance Sniper has been short lived, Rius already has learned the craft of working with the artillery gunners stationed on Pagonia. Picking up their lingo remarkably fast, he is able to guide their shots exactly where they need to go, along with being able to place his own shots on target almost flawlessly should an artillery strike be far more harmful to the objective.

Equipment

 * NKM-90 Trench Knife "Wespe" - Forged from the same heat resistant material as their armor, this 8 inch long serrated blade is the Tremors primary melee weapon, fitted with a spiked knuckle duster, as well as a one inch spike on the pommel. Many Damp labors often modify their blades to fit a tox dispenser for added lethality.
 * SR-200 Anti-Materiel Rifle "Derailer" - A powerful Anti-Materiel weapon used by Sharpshooters to eliminate heavily armored infantry and punch through weak points in vehicle armor to eliminate the crew, armed with either a Tungsten penetration round or an Explosive round for soft targets. Rius’ personal rifle modified for particularly longer ranges, giving him a reach farther than that of most marksman in the Union.
 * Model 740 Hand Cannon - Based on one of the most ancient of pistol designs, the Model 740 is a single action revolver that allows for faster rates of fire over standard Stub Revolvers. It can be loaded with several types of ammo, from Armor Piercing and Manstopper rounds, to the deadly Organgrinder and explosive Amputator rounds.
 * Hand-Held Targeter - Given only to dedicated scouts, this targeter allows the relay of information back to the artillery gunners accurately should a strike be needed. It has an effective range of 150m and can detect anything from a small animal and higher in size.
 * Camouflage - A speciality among the Recon squads, Cameleoline cloaks are issued as measure to protect the squad from being spotted in the field. Often customized to their environment, the cloak obscures the man wearing it and thus makes it harder for him to be spotted through normal visual means.
 * Respirator - Once more standard issue for all Mine Guard units, in the polar climates he is used to, Rius often has little need for a respirator, however unlike the Tremor based damps, his lungs have almost no capacity to resist toxins on their own. Thus having a greater reliance on such equipment vs his native brothers in arms.
 * Mark XI Combat Rig - A series of buckles and straps, used to attach their grenades, bandoleers, and rucksacks to their armor and clothing. as well as including a pair of knee pads to assist the workers when they operate in cramped tunnels.
 * Mark XVII Flak Armor - Comprised largely for use in the foundries of the Union, where heat exposure is maximal as well as having to deal with constant debris from the myriad reactions taking place in each cauldron of molten steel. This flak is multiple layers of fabric woven in with heat resistant materials, the tight weave of the fibers leading to good insulation and served to be perfect for the more stealth oriented units of the Union. Leading to their eventual adoption in place of the standard carapace armor.