Riz

Name: Rorissa Rowana "Riz" Gloom
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Species: Tiefling
Occupation: High School Junior
Sexuality: Lesbian

Backstory: Riz's life was unfortunately typical of many young girls in this modern age. She was a solid A student in school for many years, but due to her interest in dark, morbid things, most of her peers gave her a wide berth. It wasn't until high school that she found a brighter passion, in theatre. Originally, she went into the program in the hopes of acting, but anxiety on stage hit her hard, and when she saw how disorganized the backstage matters were, she knew that's where she was needed. And so, she instead became stage manager, whipping cast and crew alike into shape.

But it wasn't all sunshine and roses from there. Her days at school were filled with ever-rising piles of homework and college considerations, and her social life saw little improvement. Meanwhile, the increasingly tense peace at home had abruptly broken, and now her nights at home were spent trying to shut out the violent and often literally explosive fighting between her parents. Riz began spending as little time as possible at home, hiding in her safehaven of the theatre as much as she could get away with. But from the stress, her grades started to falter, and her mental health with it. She finally hit her breaking point during a particularly frustrating tech rehearsal, when the drama teacher, Mr. Wildshadow, found her crying in an empty dressing room. He comforted the teen as best he could, then in a quiet moment, slipped an old necklace into her hand, making her promise not to say where it came from. As it turned out, that necklace possessed magical qualities, which Riz herself had been lacking despite her heritage until that moment. Mr. Wildshadow's presence in the school was harder to pin down from that moment on, leaving Riz with a powerful gift that may help alleviate the stresses of teen life...maybe...?

Personality: On a first impression, Riz is a very snarky and abrasive person, and while working in the theater, she is ruthless and aggressive, maintaining order with the power of authority. But it's a cover for a very scared, lonely girl deep beneath the surface. As much as she yearns for a sense of belonging, she no longer trusts people enough to be open to them, so she keeps most people at arm's length. If one were to break through her defenses, they'll find someone who is incredibly passionate, with a morbid sense of humor and a flair for the dramatic. Even with the friends she has, however, she doesn't like being vulnerable in front of others and insists on being self-reliant.

Riz is a chronic perfectionist, and her most prominent coping mechanism is work. Homework, stage manager work, volunteering - anything to keep herself busy. When she's busy, she doesn't have to think about the stress and anxiety of her home life or her own thoughts. When she's in charge of something, she has some level of control over her life. As long as she sustains herself on coffee and energy bars, she can work until it's perfect, and everything will be fine! ...look, we didn't say this was a healthy coping mechanism. Aside from going overboard with it, she is very good at keeping things organized and running on time.

Fun Facts:
- Riz is extremely self-conscious about her short, stubby horns. She has spent a scary amount of money on horn care products, many advertised to stimulate growth, to no effect.
- Riz is convinced that some sort of gremlin or cryptid is hiding in the rafters of the school auditorium, causing backstage mischief and generally making things go wrong. This may or may not be a paranoid delusion.
- Some of Riz's extended family like to call her "Rori" or "Rissa." She hates these names with a burning passion and will probably hurt you if you called her one of those.
- Riz loves the works of Stephen Sondheim and claims they're the only musicals she likes. But she has been occasionally caught singing along with other, more upbeat showtunes. Hamilton is a particularly guilty pleasure of hers. Nobody admits they knows for fear of their own safety.
- Riz actually has a good singing voice, but gets self-conscious singing in front of other people and doesn't take compliments about it well. This is one of the obstacles in her dream of becoming an actress.
- Riz can't remember when her parents started hating each other, but can't shake the feeling it has something to do with her.
- Riz has been to Fantasy Starbucks so many times, they actually get her name right consistently.