Ruha

Ruha was an outcast spellcaster of the Mtair Dhafir tribe, and a member of the Harpers, that famously helped unite Bedine people during the mid–14 century DR.

Description
Still in her mid–20s as of the 1360s DR, Ruha had elegant good looks that were highlighted by her striking eyes, that were often the only feature that was visible behind the veil and shawl she regularly wore. Her cheeks were marked by tattoos in the form of a small pattern of crossed lines.

Personality
Ruha was a confident and determined individual that fiercely valued her independence and freedom to make her own choices. While experienced great sadness and isolation in her life, she was quite selective about whom she allowed to be close to her. Ruha made sure that those around her treated her with respect, even when doing so would break from Bedine custom.

After leaving her homeland, Ruha's actions showed that she had something to prove, more so to herself than others. It was during this time when her confidence faltered, and she was forced to rediscover her place as a force for good, in a new and different world to the one she had known for most of her life.

Abilities
Since she was a young child, Ruha had received visions of events that had not yet come to pass. Her first vision was that of a flutter of hundreds of butterflies. It preceded swarms of moths that filled with holes nearly every piece of clothing and fabric that the Mtairi tribe owned.

Due to the years of training she spent while in exile, Ruha was adept at casting elemental magic, specifically the the provinces of those practiced by the elemental mages that originated from Zakhara. She was particularly proficient in the sand and wind provinces.

Possessions
She owned an enchanted +3 jambiya that was extremely important to her, as it was a gift from her foster mother and first tutor of the arcane arts when she turned 12 years old. After recovering during an arduous trek across the desert, Ruha kept with her the spellbook that also belonged to her foster mother and mentor.

One of her most prized possessions was her Harper pin, a symbol of the life she had made for herself, gifted to her by her the person that introduced her to the Harpers organization.

Relationships
Ruha was born to her mother, one of the wives of Sheikh Sabkhat, leader of the Mtairi tribe. She did not have much of a relationship with either of her parents; Ruha's mother died when she was only five years old, and Sheikh Sabkhat exiled his daughter to the a isolated oasis when when it became apparent she was having visions, an affliction that was shunned by the Bedine. The two would share a brief reunions twice more in Ruha's life, though in both instances Sabkhat wanted nothing to do with his daughter for fear of how it would affect the Mtairi people.

For years Ruha was raised by Qoha'dar, the witch that dwelled alone in the Sister of Rains oasis. A fellow exile of the Bedine, Qoha'dar taught Ruha how to wield arcane magic and use that power to survive in the harsh Anauroch desert.

Ruha enjoyed a very brief marriage with the proud Qahtani warrior Ajaman, before his untimely death mere days after their union. She traveled with his younger brother Kadumi for some time, becoming quite fond of the young man, despite his misguided overbearance and strict adherence to the more antiquated Bedine traditions.

Not long after Ajaman's death, Ruha became quite close to Lander, an outsider of the Bedine that was acting as an agent of the Harpers. Despite the custom of waiting two years after a husband's death to remarry, Ruha and Lander shared growing intimacy during troubling times, and a brief but passionate romantic tryst.

While serving on a mission for the Harpers in Elversult, Ruha garnered the infatuation of Prince Kao Chou Tang of the Ginger Palace. Although the pampered Shou prince believed he was in love with the "wu-jen" Ruha, she did not return his affection.

Life in Anauroch
As a child, Ruha would often have visions of things to come. Because the Mtairi viewed them as a sign of witchcraft, Ruha was outcast by her father, Sheikh Sabkhat. She was then raised at the Sister of Rains oasis by the senior Qoha'dar, a fellow outcast spellcaster and kindred spirit. When Ruha was only 16 years old, Qoha'dar died and the young witch was left alone in the world. She remained at the oasis for some time, before trying to find her way back to the Mtair Dhafir camp.

In the, Ruha finally returned to her home tribe, though it was less than momentous occasion. After nearly half of the Qahtani threatened the sheikh they would leave if Ruha remained, Sabkhat arranged for her to marry a warrior from the Qahtan tribe, a some of the sheikh named Ajaman. After only three days of marriage, the Qahtani camp at El Ma'ra was attacked by the forces of the Zhentarim and no survivors remained at the camp, save for Ruha. She was not alone for long this time however, as she soon met up with Kadumi, Ajaman's brother. The pair set off to El Rahalat, in order to warn the members of Ruha's tribe of the Zhentarim, where came across a young Harper by the name of Lander, who sought to do the same. The three were unsuccessful and just barely escaped the onslaught of the Zhentilar soldiers.

Together, the three of them saw to it that many of the desert tribes formed an alliance against the Zhentarim. They traveled to the Colored Waters oasis and managed to convince Sheikhs Sa'ar of the Bait Mahwa, and Utaiba of the Raz'hadi of their cause. After defeating the Zhentarim in a decisive battle, Ruha and her two companions traveled twice across the Shoal of Thirst to equip her with the magic she needed to aid the battle against the Zhentarim. While Kadumi was slain during the journey by a Zhentarim assassin, they were ultimately successful in their mission.

Ruha, Lander, and their sheikh allies managed to gather together the leaders of 13 other Bedine camps and meet at the sacred oasis of Elah'zad. There she had a vision of the future and served as a conduit for the Mother of Waters, and shared the goddess' messages for the leaders of the Bedine: stop the invading Zhent forces.

Harper in the Heartlands
Even though she had played a great part in the unification of the Bedine tribes, and earned the trust and admiration of their respective sheikhs, Ruha felt the same isolation that she endured for so many years in her youth. She decided to leave the desert and join the Harpers herself, the group to which Lander once dedicated himself with all his efforts. For her first mission, Storm Silverhand tasked Ruha with traveling to Voonlar to disrupt a slave trade. Due to her lack of knowledge about cultures outside her native Anauroch, the mission was a failure and many slaves were left dead.

In the, the aspiring Harper was then sent to Elversult, to help restore the Lady Yanseldara from a magical coma, and free her from the clutches of the dracolich Hethcypressarvil, also known as "Cypress". During the voyage across the Dragonmere, aboard the Sea Sprite captained by the half-orc Fowler, Ruha took it upon herself to come to the aid of another ship that was being assailed by a black dragon. Ruha was able to destroy the dragon at sea, inadvertently causing the destruction of the Sea Sprite. The pair were rescued the Shou caravel named the Ginger Lady and given passage to Pros.

After Ruha made contact with Vaerana Hawklyn of Elversult she was appraised of her mission to infiltrate the Ginger Palace, the Shou embassy on the Dragon Coast, and locate Yanseldara's staff which they believed could lead to her whereabouts. After gaining admittance into the embassy, Ruha attracted the unwanted infatuation of Prince Kao Chou Tang and the ire of his wife Wei Dao, a dynamic that led to her abduction. Despite being taken prisoner for a short while, Ruha managed to convince the Prince and Minister Hsieh Han Liu, as well as Vaerana Hawklyn, they should not work against one another, but align themselves to rescue Yanseldara and Tang's mother, Lady Feng.

Ruha's insight and ingenuity gave her the chance to draw out Cypress and temporarily weaken it, while Prince Tang managed to rescue his mother, and destroyed the spirit gem that bound Cypress' soul along with that of Lady Yanseldara. The plan was successful and Ruha managed to destroy the dracolich once and for all in a great battle and stop its rampage in the streets of Elversult. Having achieved such great success as a new member of the Harpers, Ruha earned the trust of Vaerana Hawklyn, Lady Yanseldara and even Storm Silverhand herself. Perhaps more importantly, she had regained her self-confidence after her previous failed mission.

Return to the Desert
As of the, Ruha was still in pursuit of Malik, looking to bring him to justice for the deaths of Rinda and Gwydion. She found him in the returned Netherese city of Thultanthar, while investigating the Shadovar on mission for the Harpers. After nearly killing one another, Ruha and Malik managed to remain within the Shade city so long as they did not harm one another, as each were guests of Hadrhune and the Princes of Shade. After a short while in the city together, Malik orchestrated a plot to frame Ruha for his attempted murder, along with the death of the stone giant sculptor Aris. Malik merely achieved having Ruha exiled to the sands of Anauroch, while he was taken before the judgement of High Prince Telamont Tanthul.

Ruha was soon discovered by Aris and his traveling companion Galaeron Nihmedu, the Evereskan wielder of shadow magic. Ruha guided the pair of outlanders across the desert for three days, until they came upon a small oasis in the Saiyaddar and the water-deprived stone giant inadvertently rushed into the lair of a young blue dragon. While the trio were able to overcome the great beast, Aris suffered grave wounds, and he had to remain still until Ruha could receive aid from Storm Silverhand.

After Aris was able to travel, the conspicuous travelers made their way to Arabel in Cormyr and Ruha used her status as a Harper to gain audience with the kingdom's Regent, Princess Alusair Obarskyr, along with the attending Price Rivalen Tanthul of Thultanthar. Rivalen accused the three of theft against Thultanthar and Princess Obarskyr ordered that they be held in the citadel's dungeons overnight, in effect ensuring their safety from the Shadovar. When Rivalen and the Shadovar attempted to "free" Ruha and the others from Cormyrean imprisonment, Alusair sprang her trap and used the offense to decree that all the shades of Thultanthar were to leave Arabel and Cormyr, until they ceased their terraforming operations around High Ice that threatened environmental destruction across the Eastern Heartlands.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Harpers series (The Parched Sea • The Veiled Dragon) • Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad • The Siege