Richter Belmont

History
 Richter Belmont was born in 1092 in Belguard. The son of Mortimer Belmont, the baby boy had much of his future plotted out for him long before he could even walk and talk. The winter of 1090 was particularly harsh and brought House Belmont, whose fortunes were tied to agriculture, to their knees; the family only survived through the skillful diplomacy of the family patriarch and finding his firstborn son a potential future wife among the other noble families of Valouria was key.

 Raised as other nobleman would, Richter showed more of an affinity for the martial aspects of nobility than the academic ones, excelling in tactics and combat. A carefree youth with an adventurous temperament, Richter rarely gave thought to the future, and when fruits of the machinations of his father developed, it caused major problems that would nearly tear the family apart.

 In 1108, when he turned 16, Mortimer informed Richter that he would be marrying Larinda Woodcomb, the daughter of a nobleman from Beaverpoint who owned and operated a trade consortium. While he was hesitant to begin with, Richter’s mind was even more made up when he met the girl for the first time and learned that not only was she relatively homely, but she was uninteresting and dull as well. In private, Richter voiced his displeasure but Mortimer would have none of it, as the marriage would cement an alliance that would help stabilize the financial and political situation of House Belmont. The Lord and his son fought bitterly on the issue in the months leading to the wedding, and in the end, Richter abandoned his friends and family rather than go through with the event, escaping to the Hedgelands just prior to the fall harvest.

 Arriving in Southhedge, Richter no real direction. He quickly burned through the funds that he brought with him when he fled Belguard and was forced to perform menial tasks around the city to get by. Using his education, he made money as a scribe for a short time, but he quickly found something more suited to his tastes and abilities: mercenary work.

 Over the next few months, Richter would work as a bodyguard and mercenary. During the few months he was doing this, he was contacted by the Dawnguard, a secret organization dedicated to the elimination of the undead. Though he had been using an alias and was extremely careful protecting his true identity, they had uncovered who he was and his location, prompting him to give the representative respect and to hear them out.

 Richter was ultimately swayed by the Dawnguard and joined the group. It was through the Dawnguard that he met Johteh Greenthumb, Nadoc of the East, and Liana Goodberry, other members of the organization that he would go on to form an adventuring party with in 1112. Over the next few years, they would travel through the Hedgelands, Altathair, the Island Nations, and the Free Cities, fighting evils both mortal and undead. In 1116 he wedded Anette Appleton, a young woman from Louisa. One year later, their first child, Samson was born.

 Unbeknownst to Richter, his father died in 1115, which forced his younger sister, Kathryn, to become matriarch of the family. She led the family steadily, but she fell ill in 1021. With no heir, her death would have thrown the family into chaos because of Richter’s absence. When she recovered, she made it a priority to track her brother down and have him return to Belguard. Emissaries from House Belmont eventually tracked Richter down, and in 1123, he returned to Belguard for the first time in decades, wife and child in tow. His relationship with the rest of his family was initially frosty initially, as Kathryn and others were resentful of the problems that his abandonment had caused, but all sides quickly made peace and in 1126, Kathryn offered her older brother his birthright: stewardship of House Belmont. Realizing that taking the mantle would benefit his son, House Belmont as a whole, and the Dawnguard, Richter agreed.

 In 1133, Roan’s Rebellion broke out in Valouria and Richter personally answered King King Aiden Lasko’s call to arms. While the conflict primarily took place on and in the seas around the Ironforge Islands, ground forces from Camaro and Matilda, two of the larger Garrison States, were secretly backing the rebellion, and establishing locations in the Great Forest to steal natural resources and provide material support to the rebels. Using the training he perfected during his adventures while he was away from Valouria, Richter and the small group of militiamen who he led prevented the two nations from impacting the conflict in any meaningful way.

 In 1143, Richter voluntarily gave up stewardship of House Belmont to his son, Samson, who had acted as his primary advisor and emissary for years. He hoped to enjoy a calm retirement with his wife for many years to come, but that would unfortunately not come to pass, as Anette died peacefully in her sleep in 1144. Thing did not get better for Richter as his sister died only a few months later. Extremely depressed because of the dual losses, he eventually worked his way out of the depression as his grandchildren grew up. In his grandson Cidolfus, he saw a brilliant mind who was never willing to take no for an answer, much like himself. In his granddaughter Aurora, he was a fierce and righteous warrior much like himself. He eventually shook off his depression and resumed acting as an advisor for his son, though Samson has relied on his council less and less as his ties to the Valourian ruling elite have become stronger and stronger.

Personality
 Brave and confident, brash and righteous, Richter is energetic and lives in the present. With the exception of combat tactics, theory and abstract concepts do not interest him and he much prefers action to theoretical constructions. He is of the mind that it is better to leap before you look and fix your mistakes as you go rather than sitting idle and preparing contingencies while your window of opportunity shrinks.

Appearance
 In his youth, Richter was a conventionally attractive man, strong and athletic with brown hair and hazel eyes. He is now older but still keeps himself in exceptional shape. He has traded in the rugged adventuring garb of his youth for more aristocratic clothing more suited for his station, but this has enhanced his appearance, giving him a regal splendor rather than a rugged handsomeness.

 Though he is no longer the Lord of House Belmont, Richter remains the wielder of Vampire Killer, the blessed weapon passed down from scion to scion of the family.

Motivations and Goals
 Richter’s immediate concerns all revolve around House Belmont. He wants the house to position itself to be around for decades and centuries to come. He wants his son to succeed and be great leader. He wants to see his grandson, Cid, become a world renown alchemist. He wants his granddaughter, Aurora, to become a great warrior. He wants his grandson, Joshua, to be cured from the ailment that afflicts him, a curse that Richter sometimes blames himself for. He wants his granddaughter, Laylette, to live a happy life with her family.