Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-62.31.43.199-20140112175509/@comment-16047389-20140115150714

Coincidence. If there was an intended connection to be made, Ria would have been more essential than just as a potential follower and trainer. It also would make more sense for her to be a mage than a companion. Also, if Bethesda wanted to make the homage clear, they would have done more than just use the same name. They'd share a common quote of dialouge, or Ria would talk about how she was named after her ancestor who helped save the Empire, or just something a bit more obvious.

Also, "Ria" is an Imperial first name for females, and most Imperials are already dark-haired. So that much isn't that suprising.