A Kolfirin
The Riven, known to themselves as the Kesh'kiri, are a humanoid species closely related to the Altari. Their goal is to kill or turn all human Keepers, to control all Tanu for themselves, and later to keep the Mothergates from closing.
Background[]
The Riven are a splinter group of the Altari who believe that humans are unfit to become Tan'ji. They started the War of Sundering by hunting human Keepers and attacking human-sympathetic groups of Altari. By the point of the series, the Riven have declined in skill and power, straying so far from their origins that they are no longer capable of making powerful Tanu.
The Riven seek control over all Tanu, and especially Tan'ji. They view themselves as the rightful owners of all Tanu, and see human Keepers as blasphemous and inferior; thus, while they have their own collections of Tanu, but will never stop fighting to take humans' Tanu away from them. After the long and bitter struggles of the War of Sundering, many Riven want only to no longer live in hiding; others are more vengeful, and seek to subjugate all humans. Regardless of their ultimate goals, all the Riven hate the Wardens and will do anything to stop them.
Despite their disdain, they will often attempt to turn human Keepers to their cause, as without a Keeper, even powerful Tan'ji are useless. They may threaten to take a Keeper's instrument by force if the Keeper does not agree to ally with them.
Description[]
The Riven have very tight bonds with their instruments, to the point where they find it almost impossible to pass through the Nevren. They are incapacitated at severing, and more easily dispossessed than human Keepers.
Riven sometimes have more than one instrument. It is insinuated that they all possess instruments capable of hiding their true form, though those of the Mordin are the most notable.
Ordinary Riven, of no particular type, are notably shorter than ten feet tall.
Types[]
Some Riven come in types.
Mordin[]
Mordin, like Ja'raka Sevlo, are more than ten feet tall, with long limbs, a long neck, and an inhumanly thin body. They have large hands and long, narrow fingers, each of which has an extra knuckle; their pinkies are crooked and opposable, and their fingernails are extremely sharp and strong. Their skin is very pale, and they have thick black hair and small black eyes. Their heads are long and thin, with huge mouths and large teeth. They have heavy footsteps. Their thin voices have a singsong quality.
Mordin are natural and fearsome hunters, and this is often clear from their behavior and mannerisms. They have a very animalistic way of fighting, often pouncing, biting, and swiping with their fingers. Sometimes they even growl. They also seem to have a keen sense of smell.
Mordin have one purpose: to search for and acquire Tan'ji by any means necessary. They are obsessive and single-minded in this pursuit. They are also described as arrogant.
Kolfirin[]
Quaasa[]
Ravids[]
Riven Dorvala[]
Trivia[]
- The term "Riven" is an obscure English word meaning "split" or "broken", referencing the Riven's split from the Altari.
