Rutenik
When Mount Rūdioko erupted, the force of its destruction pushed the Glagolan peoples to evacuate their homeland, four ships of refugees, swayed by the charismatic leadership of brothers Rutenik and Borišost, sailed eastward into the Miranmorz̧ Sea. For the next three weeks, the expedition sailed upon the tranquil sea, a characteristic that earned the body of water its name, stopping upon seven islands before finally reaching the coast that they would name Vižobrig.
The adventures of Rutenik and the expedition on the seven islands are immortalized by the Rutenkīj chief, Aniton the Scribe, who composed the great Migration Tales, in which the brave, adventurous, and frequently impetuous Rutenik is portrayed as instrumental to the Glagolan people's successful migration to a new homeland, despite the obstacles that face the expedition. In the Tales, Rutenik's character is frequently countered by the cautious and, at times, cravenly Borišost. In the penultimate Tale, the brothers split, taking what followers supported them to found their own settlements. Shortly after choosing the Povolnreka as the site for the future town, Rutenik travelled upriver where he fell victim to the charm of a rūsalika and was drowned in a small lake.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Little is known of Rutenik's life prior to the start of the Migration. The Migration Tales makes no explicit reference to Rutenik's past, with the exception of two passaged in which the hero speaks about himself. When speaking to the Riddle Master of Ayit, Rutenik states that he is the son of a "man of substantial value" and that he and his brother received the greatest "education in commercial matters". Again, when courting the princess of Halgonan, Rutenik claims to have "avenged the death of [his] father" with his own hands.
Given his claim to education in commercial matters, and the apparent success of the maritime expedition, it is likely that Rutenik and Barišost both spent time on merchant vessels in their youths, learning some of the hazards of the trade. While folk stories and apocryphal tales involving the eponymous founder of the Rutenkij tribe, there is little evidence of him in the historical record and it is entirely possible that he and his brother are fictitious entities combining traits of several of the expedition's members.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Virtual unknowns in Glagolan society, the twin brothers Rutenik and Borišost saw their first real successes in life when gathering the panic-stricken crowds to flee the destruction of Mount Rūdioko. The brothers, who had spent much of their childhood on merchant ships, were able to successfully navigate the ships full of refugees to the Vižobrig coast.
Failures & Embarrassments
During the Migration, Rutenik's impetuous nature frequently got the better of him, denying the seven islands the expedition landed on to his followers. On multiple occasions, his very life was in jeopardy and it was typically through the cunning of Borišost, or through Rutenik's unfailing courage, that he was able to narrowly escape danger and once again set the expedition in motion.
Comments