Riff is a lanky Tabaxi with calico fur that is matted with sea salt. He wears high-quality but tattered seafaring coats and a belt filled with various small daggers. His lute is a crude but functional masterpiece made of a polished sea turtle shell. He has a gold hoop in his left ear and a permanent smirk on his feline face.

Riff is the ultimate thrill seeker who finds life on land dreadfully dull. He is surprisingly polite for a pirate, often bowing to his victims before demanding their gold. He treats every battle as a choreographed dance and often sings his own theme music while fighting. He values style over efficiency and is never seen without a witty remark or a daring grin.

Born to a wealthy family of Tabaxi merchants, Riff was expected to inherit a spice trade empire. Instead, he spent his youth practicing the rapier and annoying the local guards with his flashy acrobatics. He eventually staged a mock robbery of his own home to escape the boredom, running away to join the notorious pirate crew known as the Barnacle Bunch. They initially mocked the 'dandy' cat, but changed their tune when they saw him fend off a boarder while playing a jig on his lute. Since then, Riff has become the heart and soul of the crew, keeping their spirits high during long voyages and their swords sharp in the heat of battle. He earned the name 'Salty Riff' for his habit of pouring sea water over himself during hot calms to stay cool. He considers the crew his true family and the Barnacle ship his only home. To him, the world is one big stage, and the high seas are the most exciting theatre he could ever ask for.