Manas Rao

“Death is every mortal’s shadow, his true shadow, and time is its servant, spinning that shadow slowly round, until what stretched behind one now stretches before him.”
 -Manas Rao
== History ==
Born in Shangare in obscure circumstances, Manas Rao was recruited into the ranks of the thugges, religious criminal fanatics, at a young age. By adulthood, he ended up getting into a duel with the leader his band, and managed to kill him. The band fractured at that point, but Rao was able to retain command over enough of the bandits to continue his raids. 
Eventually, Rao's small band of thugges was tricked and lured out into the open, where Kuldeep proceded to slaughter each of them save for Rao himself. Rao was taken to the capital's deepest dungeons where he tortured for a year and a day, and forced to abase himself before the Emperor. In a surprising turn of fortune, Emperor Kuldeep would purge his top generals for disloyalty, and appoint Manas Rao to take his place. The soldiers of the Army of Shangare were deeply offended by being put under the command of the former bandit, but they were sworn to abide by the Emperor's command. As time progressed, Rao would prove himself an aggressive and competent commander who shook up the army's traditions and adapted their doctrine for the wars to come. Though his men would never come to fully accept him, their servitude was enough. 
Others have asserted that during the reign of Shangare's Rajahs, Kuldeep was one of few surviving Rakshasas, and that he had taken refuge amongst Rao's thugges prior to obtaining the key shard given to him by Yoram Crescens. If so, it is said that he killed the other members of that band to extinguish the more humiliating origin tale. 
== Personality ==
Quick tempered and full of bluster, Manas Rao lived by his reputation and took satisfaction the fear and disgust that his name evoked. He was smarter then he appeared, an autodidact and devoted reader, but was content for others to deem him an uneducated bandit or a blustering oaf, whatever suited their fancy. Notably, he did not inspire loyalty to his person, but was able to keep his men following him by providing them with victories, glory, and loot. 
Manas Rao is seen by some as a coward for fighting from range, preferring a bow that fires arrows of lightning over any hand-to-hand weapon. Category:Shangare
Category:Four Tales
Category:Lawful Evil