Rukil

"You are marked, upworlder. Even my dim old eyes can see the mantle of destiny that cloaks you. Perhaps old Rukil knows you better then you know yourself."

- Rukil to Revan

Rukil was a Human male who lived in the Outcast village located in the Undercity of the planetTaris. He had lived a large portion of his life in the village as an Outcast, condemned like his ancestors to live forever in the bedrock levels of the ecumenopolis for crimes against the wealthy nobles who ruled Taris. There Rukil's father and grandfather began searching for the Promised Land, a paradise underneath the Undercity with droids to care for all of their needs Rukil continued the quest of searching for the Promised Land, so that he could lead his people to a better life. As the years went by fewer of the Outcasts believed his tales of the Promised Land, and by 3,956 BBY, when the village was led by a male Human named Hendar, his apprentice, Malya, who continued his work because he was too old to do it himself, was the only one who truly believed him. By this date, Rukil was over a hundred years old and was refered to by the younger Outcasts as "Rukil Wrinkle–Skin". Around this time, Malya went missing while searching for the Promised Land, and Rukil asked for the help from the amnesiac Revan during Revan's search for the Jedi Bastila Shan after the Attack on the Endar Spire.

Early life
"I am old - I have lived a hundred years in the Undercity, cast down into the darkness. I know the legends and history of our people - and now you must learn it, too."

- Rukil talking to Revan about the history of the Outcasts

Rukil was a male Human born on the ecumenopolis world of Taris, before the year 4,056 BBY. Early in Rukil's life, in the year 4,056 BBY,, a rise in pollution poisoned the oceans of Taris causing the planet's only source of food to be greatly damaged. As a result, a famine swept the planet and the rich nobles kept all of the food for themselves leaving the poor people to die of starvation. The poor people, including Rukil's father and grandfather, rebelled against the nobles and plunged the planet into a civil war. However, the rebellion was routed by the nobles, killing millions of people, and the rest of the rebels were taken prisoner, and since the prisons on Taris could not hold them all, the nobles sent them all to the Undercity at the bottom of the cities of Taris. Rukil's father and grandfather were sent down to the Undercity with their families and so Rukil was now banished to the depths of Taris. They became some of the first of many Outcasts who were exiled to the Tarisian Undercity.

Searching for the Promised Land
"Legends tell of a self-sufficient colony where droid servants tend to every need."

- Rukil speaking of the Promised Land

After being exiled, both Rukil's father and grandfather dedicated their lives to seeking out clues to finding the fabled paradise called the Promised Land and recording them in their journals. Like his forbears, Rukil also sought out the near-mythical paradise, gathering clues as to where the Promised Land was located. Sometime after the exiled to the Undercity, Rukil's grandfather and father went missing in search of clues for the location of the Promised Land, leaving their journals lost in the depths of the Undercity. As the years went by fewer and fewer people believed Rukil's stories about the Promised Land. Eventually Rukil became too old to undertake his own field research, so his apprentice, Mayla, a young woman who lived in the Outcast village, did his research for him recording any clues she found in her own journal. As Rukil grew older the village younglings began to refer to him as "Rukil Wrinkle–Skin," and nearly everyone else ceased to believe in the Promised Land save for his apprentice.

A missing apprentice
In 3,956 BBY, the village was lead by a Human male named, Hendar, who viewed Rukil as a nice old man clinging to an illusion. Another important figure in the community was Igear, a shopkeeper who hoarded anything of value he could get his hands on, and that was afraid of Rukil's search for the Promised Land. Igear thought that there was some truth in Rukil's stories and feared their discovery, because that would make him lose his importance in the village. By this year, Rukil's apprentice, Malya had been missing for some time when the Undercity began to see an upsurge in activity from so-called "up-worlders", those from the Lower City, Middle City and the Upper City, subsequent to the Attack on the Endar Spire. Rukil was worried about the fate of his apprentice and looked for someone to go and search for her. By this date, Rukil had survived for a hundred years in the Taris Undercity and was the oldest member of the Outcast village.

Revan's search
After the Attack on the Endar Spire, the amnesiac Revan and the Republic officer Carth Onasi crashed in an escape pod into the Upper City of Taris and after recovering, they searched for the Commander of the Endar Spire, the Jedi Bastila Shan. The search took Revan to the Undercity where they met Rukil who told Revan of his journal and his missing apprentice. At Rukil's behest, Revan searched for the journals of Malya, Rukil's Father and Rukil's grandfather. He found that Malya had been killed, but Revan was able to find each of the three journals. Once presented with Revan's findings, Rukil pieced together the journals' clues, and finally discovered the location of the Promised Land. He shared the information with Gendar, the village leader, who stated that although the journey would be long and perilous, involving the crossing of rakghoul-infested territory, supplies were high. Faced with choosing to continue their dreary, hopeless lives or pursuing the light of hope that the journals presented, the outcasts departed for the Promised Land.

Personality and traits
Rukil was a very old member of the Outcast Village; despite the harsh conditions of that desolate place, he managed to live for over a century. Like his ancestors, he cared deeply for his village, a trait which manifested itself in his obsessive search for the Promised Land. Rukil was more of an adventurer in his younger days, searching throughout the Undercity sewers as well as other parts of the Undercity, looking for clues pertaining to its location. As he reached old age, Rukil became known as an eccentric, continuing to tell tales of the Promised Land to the young people of the village, particularly Shaleena, who spoke of him fondly despite not quite believing his stories. He eyesight also became extremely weak with his advanced age. By 3,956 BBY, Rukil had become quite cryptic in his mannerisms, perhaps a symptom of his advanced age.

When Rukil encountered Revan, he could see a "mantle of destiny" surrounding him, despite his very weak eyesight.

Behind the scenes
Rukil first appeared in BioWare's video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic as a member of the Outcast village who gives a quest to find the missing journals about the Promised Land. For completing this quest by bringing the journals back to Rukil the player received light side points.

Alternate stories
"All I have worked for is destroyed! All the hopes and dreams of my father and grandfather before him turned to dust!Begone, up-worlder - I have only curses to speak at you!"

- Rukil if the player gives the journals to Igear

While the storyline included above was one option that the player may choose, an alternate to the story presented above happened if the player chose to sell the journals to the Outcast merchant, Igear instead of turning them over to Rukil. Igear destroyed the texts out of greed, and he hoped to ensure that the Promised Land was never found so that the other villagers will continue to depend on him and his store. If the player made this choice, they will receive 100 credits, or more if they can persuade Igear. However, as a result of this act Rukil was outraged and cursed Revan before running off, and it also gave the player dark side points.

The player could also already have collected all of the journals before speaking to Rukil letting the player give Rukil the journals more quickly. The player can take the quest and then never fulfill and leave Rukil and the villagers stuck in the village. It is also not necessary for Revan to do anything with Rukil at all, since going over and talking with him was the player's choice.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Notes and references
Rukil Rukil