Realms Character: Rusk

Dunmore's Horde
Though Rusk doesn't have a name for it, other than his name for the various branches with pay homage to Tempus (and were mostly refined by Lieutenant General Wildwood), others (especially the Netheril) have come to call his small army "Dunmore's Horde." It began when Rusk received a sign from his god that great conflict would be found in the great desert of Anauroch, and led him to a portal that went from the city of Waterdeep to the Fallen Giant's Rift in the desert. Rusk quickly found a tribe of Bedine battling Netheril forces, and he joined the Bedine in driving them off. He rode with that tribe for several weeks (months?), becoming a respected combat leader in their eyes, before deciding it was time to begin construction on his fortress.

Rusk quickly decided that the Empire of Netheril would provide good fodder for many battles, and that it was a force of evil akin to the Spider Queen's Drow that needed to be wiped out. To that end, he began gathering forces to his banner. With his Bedine allies, he began ambushing Zhentil caravans through the desert, for supplies and men. His earliest recruit was a cleric of Cyric who had begun having doubts about his faith and his life of evil, in whom Rusk found a soul ready for conversion. This cleric became a cleric of Tempus, and began helping Rusk build his temple in the mountains of Anauroch. With the help of this cleric, and his own martial might, Rusk managed to turn a force of two Sternhelms and 15 Stalwarts from the Zhentarim, forming the core of his standing army. He also rescued a bard who began to serve as his chamberlain when he wasn't at the base. With these men, and the help of his god, Rusk created a temple and a barracks, and began construction on the walls that would encircle his fortress.

His seat of power secured, Rusk began leading small bands out of Anauroch and into the Silver Marches and the Dalelands, launching raids against orc tribes as his father once did. During this time, he recruited several half-orcs from those tribes, including a pair of barbarians, a fighter, a rogue and a sorcerer. He viewed this as similar to what his father had done for him, taking a lawless raider out of orcish upbringing and teaching them the ways of Tempus. Rusk also went to the outpost where his father had raised him and recruited two of their half-orc higher-ups, a powerful barbarian and an intelligent, learned wizard. In many ways, these displaced half-orcs are what he considers the core of his new clan. This has caused some friction between them and some of the original troops who flocked to his banner, notably the Zhentarim.

His new clan caused him to build a clanhall, and his wizard counseled him to build a wizard's tower as well. His fortress was growing, as was his reputation, especially with his ventures into the outside world. A bandit lord from the Dalelands made his way to Anauroch, promising his own bandit forces (100 men strong) to Rusk's banner. With the dangers presented by the Netheril, Rusk eagerly accepted the bandit lord's fealty.

Rusk is a war leader, but not a king, and he has no desire to be a king. He spent a great deal of time away from his fortress, leading raids on the Netheril, Zhentil caravans and other dangers in the deserts. His loyal half-orcs, as well as messages from his god, clued him in that the bandit lord was trying to arrange a coup, turning the army to his own purposes. Most of the resources that Rusk was bringing in, instead of being put to the construction of the fortress or tithed to Tempus, were being sent to the bandit lord's own coffers. Rusk put the bandit lord to the sword, and drove out any man who wouldn't swear an oath of loyalty to Tempus and to Rusk.

Some time later, another would-be king found Rusk. An elvish lord who had been cast out from the High Forest for scheming to overthrow one of the councilors there, this elf had heard of Rusk by way of his counselor, Aerys Wildwood, and he brought his cleric, his rangers, his spies, his wizards and his archers to Rusk's service. It wasn't long before the treachery of his elvish lord, who hoped to use Rusk's forces to overthrow his rival in the High Forest, became clear to Rusk as well. In fact, Aerys Wildwood became Rusk's ally, helping him to see the elvish lord's deception, and Rusk executed this elvish lord in a trial by combat. The elves became the core of his intelligence branch, overseen by the pragmatic spymaster. The rangers joined the half-orc who had been the bandit lord's scout and who had become Rusk's blood-brother and member of his new clan, and they became the core of a new scout and hunting force. The cleric, of Corellon, converted reluctantly over to Tempus, and became the assistant to the former cleric of Cyric.

In Aerys Wildwood and her protege Lineer Girant, Rusk found what he needed. Not a would-be king, but an administrator, someone who married her intelligence to Rusk's ambition to turn his undisciplined horde into something more resembling an army. Aerys helped Rusk formalize the branches of his new force, providing everyone with more codified ranks and a change of command, and began to organize the non-battle side of having a fortress. Unknown to Rusk, Aerys had not happened upon him by chance. She is a Harper agent, as is Lineer, and she had heard of the half-orc chieftain battling the Netheril in the Anauroch wastes. The idea of guiding this force ever so slightly into a battle not for the sake of battle, but for the sake of containing the Netheril's evils, lead her to shift her plans to prevent the evil ambitions of the elvish lord she had been "serving." She thought she might have a similar job with Rusk, but after meeting him, she has realized that his wildness and bestial nature bely a basic good intent, and she is loyal to him, even if her first loyalties remain with the Harpers.

The final component of Rusk's warband came when Tempus sent holy warriors to his cause. A group of over a dozen men, all clerics of Tempus (save one paladin), had received a sign that they were to come and help Rusk in his noble cause. They became the core of his new Holy Order, absorbing his two clerical converts into their order and becoming the spiritual advisers to the entire camp.

Leadership Score 27

LEADERSHIP
General Rusk Dunmore

Lieutenant General Aerys Wildwood (his cohort)
(Needs feats, equipment, spells and bonus spells)
Female Elven Bard 10/Ranger 2/Harper 5 (CL 14)
Chaotic Good
Strength 10
Dexterity 17
Constitution 14
Intelligence 18
Wisdom 14
Charisma 18

AC 13 (without armor)
HP 113
BAB +12/+7/+2
Fort +7 (+10)
Ref +11 (+14)
Will +11 (+14)

Skills:
Bluff (Cha) +7
Concentration (Con) +7
Diplomacy (Cha) +20 (+2)
Disguise (Cha) +9
Gather Information (Cha) +20
Hide (Dex) +11
Knowledge (local) (Silver Marches) (Int) +9
(history) (Int) +9
(religion) (Int) +9
Listen (Wis) +13
Move Silently (Dex) +11
Perform (Cha) +20
Ride (Dex) +2
Sense Motive (Wis) +15 (+2)
Spot (Wis) +5
Survival (Wis) +8
Tumble (Dex) +10

Racial Abilities: Immunity to magic sleep effects, +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects, low-light vision, +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks.

Class Abilities: Favored Enemy (Evil Outsider), Wild Empathy, Combat Style (Archery), Bardic Music (10/day), Bardic/Harper Knowledge (+21), Countersong, Fascinate (4 creatures), Inspire Courage +2, Inspire Competence, Suggestion (DC 19), Inspire Greatness, Deneir's Eye (+3 sacred bonus on saves vs. glyphs, runes and symbols), Lliira's Heart (+2 sacred bonus on saves vs. compulsion/fear effects), Tymora's Smile (+2 luck bonus on one saving throw/day, after die is rolled), Lurue's Voice (Speak with animals (CL 5) 3/day), Mystra's Boon (+2 sacred bonus on all saves vs. spells)

Weapon Proficiencies: simple weapons, martial weapons, whip, light armor, shields

Feat Abilities: +2 on Fort/Will saves vs. death effects, energy drain and ability drain (Strong Soul)

Feats: Negotiator, Rapid Shot, Strong Soul, Track, Weapon Finesse, 3 others

Spells: (Per Day/Known) (+ bonus spells)
0 - 4/6
1 - 3/4
2 - 3/4
3 - 3/4
4 - 3/4
5 - 1/3

Languages: Common, Elven, Orc, Chondathan, Netherese, Gnoll

Major Lineer Gerant (Her protege) Male Elven Bard 2/Rogue 1

HOLY ORDER OF TEMPUS (Religion)
Some time after he killed the elven lord, a group of pilgrims sent by Tempus came to his banner to help with his organization.
Colonel Belaver Stormhand (Human Cleric of Tempus 5)
Captain Human Paladin 4
Captain Human Cleric 3
Lieutenant Human Cleric 3 - (Former Zhentil Cleric of Cyric)
Sergeant Human Cleric of Tempus 2 (Field Chaplain)
Sergeant Elven Cleric of Tempus 2 (formerly Corellon, from Elven Lord)
(10) 1st level Clerics of Tempus

FIST OF TEMPUS (Military)
*The majority comes from a human bandit lord who tried to turn Rusk's growing army into a bandit raiding party for his own wealth - Rusk figured out that he was sending the tithes away for his own good, and took his head off
Colonel Kevrrak (Half-Orc Barbarian 5) (Recruited from Shadowdale, from his father's outpost)
Captain Half-Orc Fighter 3 - Master at Arms (Survivor of Orc tribe raid)
Sergeant Elven Fighter 2 - Archery Commander (From Elvish Lord)
Sternhelm Human Fighter 2 - Drill Sergeant, Zhentil Sternhelm
Sergeant Half-Orc Barbarian 2 (Field Commander, Survivor of Orc tribe raid)
Sergeant Half-Orc Barbarian 2 (Field Commander, Survivor of Orc tribe raid)
30 Bedine Cavalry (Fighter 1)
30 Elven Archers (Warrior 1)
1 Zhentil Sternhelm (Fighter 1)
12 Zhentil Stalwarts (Warrior 1)
3 Bandit Corporals (Fighter 1)
27 Bandit Privates (Warrior 1)
5 Specialty Troops (Fighter 1)

GRASP OF TEMPUS (Scouts/Hunters)
Colonel Graven (Half-Orc Ranger 4/Bloodhound 2 (Complete Adventurer) (Was Bandit Lord's scout)
Captain Elven Ranger 4 - Bounty Hunter's second (Elvish Lord's scout)
Lieutenant Half-Elf Ranger 3 - Bounty Hunter's operative (Elvish Lord)
Lieutenant Human Ranger 2 - Bounty Hunter's operative (Bandit Lord)

EYES OF TEMPUS (Intelligence)
After the bandit king was killed, a disgraced elven lord wanted to use Rusk's organization to retake his kingdom, but his adviser (the bard) clued Rusk into the evil goals, and Rusk killed him, many of his followers and recruited the rest. Most of them make up the branch of his intelligence service (which Aerys and Lineer watch very carefully, and they know all of them well), but he also has a cadre of archers and some wizards
Colonel Elven Rogue 5/Spymaster 1 (Complete Adventurer) - Head of Intelligence (Was head of intelligence for elvish lord)
Captain Elven Rogue 3 - Spy (Former Elvish Lord spymaster)
Lieutenant Half-Orc Rogue 2 - Spy/Assassin (Survivor of Orc Tribe raid)
Lieutenant Elven Rogue 2 - Spy (Former Elvish Lord spy)

ARCANE ORDER OF TEMPUS
Made up of the remnants of the wizardly orders of the elvish and human bandit kings, with a combat magician and scribe that Rusk recruited - the Chamberlain also oversees the servants, who are under this organizational umbrella
Captain Human Bard 4 - Chamberlain (Rescued from Zhentil slave caravan)
Lieutenant Half-Orc Wizard 4 - Scribe & Arcane Advisor (Tempus Worshipper)
First Sergeant Half-Orc Sorcerer 2 - Combat Magician
Sergeant Human Wizard 2 - Researcher (from Bandit King)
Sergeant Elven Wizard 3 - Alchemist (from Elvish Lord)
10 Cooks
3 Smiths (Armorer, Blacksmith, Weaponsmith)
4 Grooms
Bowyer/Fletcher