Ariki

Ariki is one of three romanceable characters in Stellamore. In the visual novel, he is a Merfolk artist present at Huatzintepec’s gathering of peace.

Appearance
Due to his partial blindness, Ariki has dulled, pale eyes that stand out against his rich, tan skin. His finned ears fade to the same light blue as his gills. He wears a Rayet-induced hoop on his ankle—or, when in water, his tail—as to aid his immune system.

''“[Ariki] has long waved hair past his chest that starts pink at his roots and fades through purple into teal at the ends. He has frilled gills on his neck and rib cage, and a black tattoo sleeve on his [left] arm. His clothes combine netting and geometric patterns.”'' —Excerpt from Willowish Studios’s Tumblr

Personality
Ariki is an open book with his feelings and doesn’t hold back on compassion and sincerity. He is quick to offer his help whenever possible, which has led him to Huatzintepec with his sister Waauru despite having little to no interest in politics. Being the gentle younger sibling, he easily gets along with children and adores affection.

Ariki is a quiet and thoughtful individual, making art an ideal hobby and means of creative expression for him. He enjoys working with media that have an interesting texture and this interest is amplified by his near total blindness.

Prologue Interactions
You first meet Ariki inside the Main Chamber after catching a glimpse of a stranger in the distance. Distracted by the stranger, you bump into Ariki and stumble, finding yourself face-to-face with him as he saves you from falling down a nearby set of stairs. You have a brief exchange but are interrupted by conflict erupting in the Main Chamber. That is the last you see of him unless you choose to intervene in the argument, ending up in his arms as he dives to catch you after you receive a vision. As Mukondi, your fellow human ambassador, makes sure that you're alright, you see Waauru, a Merfolk ambassador that you met previously, speak to him and it can be presumed that she reassures him of your safety.

In part two of the prologue, you next see Ariki attempting to pacify Waauru as an argument erupts outside of the Dining Hall, but to no avail. It is after the argument is dissipated that you are told that Ariki and Waauru are siblings.

If you decide to follow a stranger that catches your eye, you don't see Ariki again in the prologue. However, if you head straight back into the palace, Ariki, among others, greets you and steps forward to ask if you're okay. You all head into the Dining Hall and are separated as all guests are filtered into the Inner Sanctum to witness a speech.

The prologue ends with you alone outside of the Sanctum, deep in thought as you gaze out at the stars. A voice calls out your name and the screen fades to black.

Trivia

 * Ariki was born prematurely, causing some impairments at birth.
 * He has an intensive and unconventional hair care routine.
 * He is the only main character without an animal companion.
 * Ariki can speak three languages: Te Reo, (Saiph) Common, and Gaeilge.
 * His cultural inspirations come from the Māori of New Zealand.