Rundha the Dog

The crazed Rundha the Dog is the terror of the northern Inner Sea Basin. Leading a band of the most vicious, violent, desperate mercenaries to be found in the west. Rundha's pack run for the thrill of the fight more than the gold, though they have that aplenty too. Rundha himself is one of the most feared mercenary leaders in the region, not for his military record, which is middling at best thanks to a tendency to charge the enemy regardless of casualties or strategy, but because if his men aren't kept in work they often squander their funds on drink and women, and turn to banditry in a matter of weeks.

Description


Hunched, hairy, thick of limb and barrel chested, Rundha almost looks more beast than man. His sloping brow and mean eyes are accentuated by a square, jutting jaw, and a number of missing teeth and battle scars are mementos of his warrior past. Though he stands smaller than most men, he is also stouter and heavier, and his frame is all the more powerful for its compactness. Attiring himself in boiled, hardened leathers and furs only finishes the barbaric appearance of the man known as the Dog.

Personality


Crude, violent and mean, Rundha rejoices in battle, and loves to bully those smaller and weaker than him. But where most bullies are driven off when their quarry makes a stand against them, Rundha just gets angry. While he has lost many battles Rundha has never retreated. He has been taken prisoner, or barely massacred his way to safety, losing entire armies in the process, but none can ever say they have driven him off, and when a foe does defeat him they find that the Dog pauses only long enough to hire more men before pursuing them, nipping at their heels until he feels his vengeance is had. They say that once the Dog has sunk his jaws in he will never let go. Heavy handed with his own men, Rundha loves a good brawl, though more often than not his temper gets the better of him and blood is shed.

History


Born in the Begnas Gorge, a rough farming hamlet somewhere in the north of the Lodeli side of the Camari Pass, Rundha proved ill-suited to anything but violence. A brute and a bully, even as a child, when he came of age he took his father's land by driving the old man off it, and promptly ran the already challenging farming lands into the dirt. So Rundha quickly turned to banditry to support himself, and many of the labourers and others in the community joined him. After Rundha proved his savagery by taking a Darkman caravan with full guard he attracted the attentions of the Patrician of Dosa, who secretly admired the ruthless warrior's putting down of the foreigners, however when Rundha's work was done and Hamat tried to underpay him the Dog earned his moniker by harrying every caravan coming into and out of Dosa, and putting down every other party of mercenaries sent against him - despite horrific losses - until sufficient tribute and reparation was offered. Since then Rundha's services have been prized, for his ruthless tenacity has won him many battles where he was bested from the outset, but more so he has been kept in work because he turns quickly to banditry when he is not in employ, and because he is successful the hardest and cruellest warriors in Camar have flocked to his service, making him hard to refuse.

Associations


Frequently in the employ of both Remhi and Sinan, Rundha is both one of the most respected and feared mercenaries in all of Camar, and is the scourge of the southern coast. Often called into combat with the forces of Lodel, he has also worked under Dolremm in the past, but he really made his name fighting minor qadars out of the west. Rundha has few who could call themselves certain friends or foes, but many men have been both. His lieutenants, the warrior Samu Vashek and company paymaster Sadi Pokhar have been with him for some years now, perhaps because the former is almost as ferocious as his master, and the latter does not ride into battle, for few others can claim to have survived the Dog's service for so long. With their help he commands perhaps two hundred and sixty men or more, and their various camp followers, making up a considerable force. He also employs a handful of agents and brokers in the major settlements of Camar, so that he can be reached whenever the common folk want to line his purse.

Statistics


Race sex race Skills
Age category (n) Skill Points: spent/total
Profession profession (n) skill value rationale
Faith faith (n)
Class description (n/n)
Talents Inventory
Fast n weapon cap threshold reach
Graceful n
Hale n
Strong n
Tough n armour hard tiers enc/limit
Clever n tool cap test
Insightful n
Knowledgeable n attire environment
Perceptive n
Wilful n
Brave n
Persuasive n
Forceful n
Lucky n

Character Traits


Hound of War (3)

Rundha does not give up easily - he gives credence to the term 'dogged determination' with his bloody-mindedness of the field of battle. He will always favour a foolish attack over a prudent retreat, choose to pursue a grudge over a profitable alliance, but he does not retreat, and that shakes many would-be victors.

Brutal Savage (2)

The Dog looks every bit a monster - a degenerate who lives only to make war - and with this and his reputation for utter savagery the Dog is often thought of as nothing more than a ravening beast. A hound to be loosed at one's foes. Often people forget the man's cunning, or his talent for profiting even in defeat, judging him by his outward barbarism alone