Rust

Rust as imagined by user WildfireTheMudSkyWing.

*"I could teach you things you don´t learn at the Great Tree, young´un, but you´d be spoiled as a Guardian forever."*

* Rust to Sir Devon

Rust is a character from a campaign of role-playing sessions set in the time shortly after the Siege of the Great Tree.

## Description

With his deep red feathers, sharp glare and perpetual hunched posture, one would assume that Rust would stand out rather conspicuously in any group of owls. The opposite is true. Rust calls it his "gift": his ability to fade into the background and not be noticed, hiding in plain sight. Shuffling, arranging his feathers *just* *so*, he passes as just another drunk owl at a grog tree, a second-rank soldier at a Pure One gathering, or a piece of driftwood. No one gives him a second glance; no one can exactly remember whether he was there; no one pays attention to him if he does not want them to.

There is a general impression of scruffiness when one takes a look at Rust; he appears a bit weather-worn and weary, somewhat distracted and not paying attention at all - unless he suddenly fixes the onlooker in his piercing gaze, which seems to bore right into the brain and gizzard.

When on a mission, Rust may wear a battered rat-leather helmet and a short dagger made for him by Bubo, which he can conceal expertly in his fluffed-up belly plumage if necessary.

## Personality

Rust is a cynical, gruff owl with a wicked sense of humour. His work is a dangerous and lonely one - gathering information, disrupting the Tytonic Union´s plans, and killing known Pure One agents. He is very efficient in what he does, but he prefers that neither the Parliament nor Boron and Barran know the details of it. To safeguard the Great Tree, he has to walk many morally grey lines that his lieges would not approve of; spreading false information, passing himself off as someowl else, and outright lying. He has no qualms about killing an unsuspecting owl if necessary. Not exactly the stuff of knightly conduct. And yet in his own way, he does deeds as valiant as those who rise each night in the blackness with hearts sublime. He does his work in the shadow of the Guardians´ shine: quietly, efficiently, and implacably.

Rust was trained for the Tracking Chaw, a silent flyer with a quick and discerning eye, but he refused to take the Guardians´ vow, preferring to serve the Great Tree in his own fashion. Speaking no words but true ones would, obviously, be a liability in his line of work.

## History

### At the Great Tree

Not much was said about Rust´s history, except that he trained with the Tracking Chaw and became very proficient with the short blade - in fact, whenever he reports back to the Parliament, he takes some time to teach a few lessons to the pupils of the short-blade ryb, the Saw-whet Owl Teclan. Teclan is very deferential towards Rust, telling his students that "I could lecture you for years and yet not be able teach you what Rust will show you". It is also known that he refused to take the Guardians´ Oath (or, according to others, took the vow but renounced it later), but is still held in high esteem at the Tree. The young owls are told he flies "errands" for the Parliament, and most assume he carries messages or gathers moss and seeds for the Ga´Hoolology rybs.

### Aiding the Quest

In a way, Rust was responsible for Splinter and Teleria´s mission, as he was the one who brought back information where the Lost Books might be found. He also noticed that the Pure Ones were already searching for the books, and, in his disguise as disgruntled hireclaw Morris, did his best to spread dissent and disinformation among their ranks. He caused major disruption with the Pure One sub-commander Ruthven´s plan by playing on the Barn Owl´s subordinates´ jealousy of each other. He was finally found out by Ruthven, and attacked by three Pure Ones; he was struck and dropped like a stone into a deep chasm. The Pure Ones were satisfied he was dead.

Rust, though, had executed Strix Struma´s power-braking maneuver at the last instant, spraining both his wings in the process, and survived. On the bottom of the ravine, he quickly plucked out several of his primary feathers and smeared a large spire near the roaring river with blood from his battle-claw wound, to create the impression he had struck the rock and rolled off into the river. He then hid in a crevice, wilfing to half his size despite the pain in his wings, and padding the hole with reddish moss. Dustscrape, the Red Talons´ Sooty Owl tracker, was sent down the canyon´s nasty downdrafts to confirm Rust´s death, and was fooled. He actually perched in front of the Screech Owl´s hiding place, but failed to notice him due to Rust´s uncanny ability to hide in plain sight.

Rust had to nurse his wound and his sprained wings for several days, surviving on a diet of rock crickets and lichen, before he was able to struggle back to the Great Tree, still missing half his primaries. His report greatly disquieted Boron and Barran, who chose to send their trusted Guardian, Sir Devon, to find and protect Teleria and Splinter.

### Presumed Dead

To provoke Devon when he encountered him at the Shreeing Caves, Ruthven flung the Screech´s leather helmet at him, boasting that he had discovered and killed the Guardians´ pathetic slipgizzle. The Horned Owl and his friends later mourned Rust, who had been Splinter´s ryb, and prayed for a speedy journey to Glaumora. When they found him alive upon their return to the Great Tree, Rust made gruff fun of their good wishes; he said it was more likely that he´d end up in Hagsmire, because he had this habit of always keeping close to the Tree´s enemies.

### Back to Work

Rust´s flight remained slightly impaired for the rest of his life, with his port wing giving him trouble whenever the weather shifted. He continued to serve the Tree as a slipgizzle and vowed to put an end to Ruthven, whose brillance as a commander Rust felt made him a grave danger to the lands of the free owls. He never managed to get close to the Barn Owl, but managed to spread rumours and plant false evidence of treason, which got Ruthven demoted and his prestigious Ironclaw Lancers disbanded, the teams split up and sent to other divisions.