Ryan's character backstory

God, I hate water, thought Nelson. He had been adrift over a full day. Clinging onto the chunk of wood helped a little, especially after he slung his leg over it. Still, the elements were wearing him down. There never seemed to be an end to oceans. Even aboard the Wandering Star, the trip was supposed to take 3 weeks. Now there was no hope of making it.

What little hope Nelson had kept after setting out from Albright vanished when the boat broke apart. The worst part was that he didn't even know what had happened. It was anyone's guess, really. Probably some inexperienced engineer's mishap.

"I should've watched over them a bit more," Nelson said to himself. He knew the engine system back and forth. After all, he had designed the earlier models. Nelson had designed a lot of things. The Icarus airship that the king had weaponized was his worst mistake. They made quick work of Malysand. He should've known that the king was only going to use them to spread more chaos.

But, he refused to believe that Roland had changed so much since those long summer days in Pendragon. Nelson grew up as a ward of the Roland the first, king of Naravand. Being the Ibonese king's third son, it was only proper he should be a ward of their closest ally. He often played with Prince Roland II, and even attended lessons with him sometimes.

When they were both men in their own right, Roland became king as his father before him. Nelson, however, had no such hopes. As such, he decided to stay in Naravand, studying at the Pendragon University.

He had graduated near the top of his class. And he excelled in the emerging fields in engineering. It was Nelson who had approached his old friend, with the idea of using machines to move things. Nelson had designed some of the most effective vehicles of his time. Unfortunately, they all went into use with the Naravandian Royal Army.

It took him a few days to realize why the soldiers had come for him. They don't send a squad of Royal Marines for just anything. Nelson had built a small tunnel in the side of his. Two switches and he could vanish into the city crowds.

He went back to Ibon, to the father he barely knew.

And he found torched fields. He found Naravandian colors flying above his inheritance.

Fate had played a rather cruel joke on him, knowing that he had engineered his father's death. His brother's murders. His people's subjugation.

When the Naravandian Rebellion was launched, Nelson was there. With the intricate knowledge of the Royal Army’s war machines, he provided unique insights on how to disarm and destroy them.

When it became clear that the king was too powerful, he was quick to back the growing sentiment of leaving Naravand.

Perhaps that was a mistake as well. Drifting along in the ocean, it was hard to pretend it had paid off. Ironically, he was the safest he’d been in weeks, and in more danger than ever. The king wouldn’t find him now.

Unable to do much else, Nelson drifted some more. And the next day, some more. The lack of sleep was becoming a problem. It’s rather hard to hold onto driftwood and sleep at the same time, but he made it work. When he woke, fate decided to play another cruel joke on him.

Nelson looked up to find a shore, with a jungle looming in the distance. Even better, he saw smoke through the dense trees. He might yet live.

With a new purpose, Nelson used his hands to paddle ashore, and set out in search of the source of smoke.

OORAH!!

and nice