Raven the Mercenary in his Battle Gear
Raven (or Rugan, as was his real name) was an unaligned mercenary noted for his varied employers. He was a powerful warrior, yet had a number of other tricks up his sleeve.
History and Personality[]
Rugan was born the son of a farmer in Bruanon, but when his village was attacked he (along with many others) was taken prisoner by a barbarian tribe known as Bruak's Clan. He and the other children were adopted by the tribe and taught the ways of the berserker, which would become his fighting style as he grew up. Upon reaching adulthood, Rugan was gifted a mighty claymore and inducted fully into the tribe, though he left after three more years, seeking more profitable employment elsewhere. He found himself working as a hired sword for a thieves guild in Lampour, Orkay, where he spent many years. He was taught to write and read, and though he did not possess the physique for stealth he proved to be a natural forgery artist. He was also given his new name, Raven, and became a valued member of the guild. Raven was a cunning and ruthless warrior, but he was not utterly without morals. His main goal seems to have always been earning more gold, which earned him a great deal of trouble later in his life.
Skills and Powers[]
Raven was a massive man, nearly seven feet tall, and his favoured weapon was his barbarian claymore. He was not as nimble as some of his other clan members, though was among the strongest and toughest, capable of incredible feats of endurance. Uniquely, with the thieves guild he also showed an unlikely aptitude for forgery. He had a keen mind and took direction well, using his array of talents to serve many masters.
In the Campaign[]
Raven was the forger who created Viserys' false documents of lordship when they were hiding from Lathian in Orkay. Shavram left the party with Raven, who after completing the documents made an offer to travel with the party, which they declined.
He was seen later on as the primary sellsword aiding in the coup of Corvan IV, who was attempting to retake the throne from his son, Sargon II. He was on the ship when Iskander, Hanu and Viserys escaped from the hold, and when they overpowered the crew and took the deck, he helped the former king escape on a rowboat. After Corvan began screaming revenge unto everyone from his son to the party to Raven himself, the mercenary cut the ex-king's throat and swam to the shore.
Much later, it transpired that Raven had taken up service with Jack Morgan's gang outside Arcanator, although his loyalty was in question even by Morgan himself. What looked like it might have been the end of Raven was interrupted when Hanu attempted to assassinate Morgan. Although this failed due to Morgan's amulet, both Raven and the party escaped in the ensuing chaos.
Raven signed up with the Legion of the North, the army dedicated to defeating the Horde in Scarfell. Raven was temporarily bewitched by Paedran, though the reason for this is of yet unclear. He was part of the group which infiltrated the lair of Reaver the gnoll along with the party. In the final battle here, Reaver's hyena, Howler, ripped the barbarian's head off.
Legacy[]
The reason Paedran (and indirectly Garvix) dominated Raven is still unclear.