Ruvoka
 This page is needs images. Help plz. |
Ruvoka, also referred to in some splatbooks as Ruvkova, are an obscure race of plane-dwelling humanoids from Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Debuting in the Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix 3, Ruvoka are a human offshoot that dwell upon the Elemental Planes and their overlaps with the Energy Planes. These tall, gaunt, but otherwise human-looking bastards are generally believed to be descendants of druids who migrated to the Elemental Planes, and in AD&D they had the combined skills of high-level Fighter/Druid multiclassers with a unique focus on elementalism spells, which added fuel to this belief.
Legend has it that the first Ruvoka was an Athasian named Garat, who found himself accidentally encountering an efreet named Calif Alibashal, who, on a whim, declared that he had summoned Garat and thus Garat owed him a wish. Garat played along, and was told to bring Alibashal the head of one of his rivals, an efreet named Baashizar. Garat declared he would obey, left... and then decided he wanted to see what would happen if he actually lived up to his promise. Being a powerful warrior and spellcaster, Garat tracked Baashizar down and killed him before taking his head back to Alibashal. The efreet was so surprised and impressed that he granted Garat both immortality and a place to call home in the Plane of Fire, as well as declaring that similar welcome would be extended throughout the Elemental Planes to any individuals who followed in Garat's footsteps.
Like most of the humanoid planar races, very little is known about the ruvoka, because they are described as aloof and reclusive to the point of xenophobia. What is known is that they are impervious to all inherent planar environmental dangers, at least those of the Elemental Planes, and they live in tribal communities. Each tribe is effectively a different subrace adapted to a specific elemental plane. Some of the most well-known tribes’re the brajeti and the zathosi of Earth, the cthilum of Air, the kaltori of Fire, the ramoka of Steam, and the sartarin of Ash. Each tribe has its own language, though all ruvoka possess a form of telepathy that allows them to communicate with any intelligent creature. Each group has a different appearance, language, manner of dress, choice of weapon, and set of customs. For example, the brajeti of Earth resemble large, tanned, hairless humans, and they use shining bronze armor and weapons. The zathosi, also of Earth, resemble tall humans with gray skin that’s so wrinkled it makes them look like old men. They wear robes that appear to be made of stone and wield huge, heavy mauls.
Despite their tribal structure, the ruvoka are particularly insular and isolated as a rule. When planewalkers stumble across members of the race, they usually find only a single individual on a mysterious errand. Sometimes, one of these traveling ruvoka will approach other creatures to ask for help in accomplishing his goals. Generally, those who offer their aid can expect to be rewarded with a minor bit of elemental magic, or perhaps even the ruvoka’s help in achieving some end of their own. However, they shouldn’t expect to learn what the ruvoka’s up to — he won’t reveal the ultimate purpose of his mission.
Occasionally, these mysterious cutters show up on planes other than their own, even the Prime Material. Some tie themselves to particular areas of the Prime related to their element, but no one knows the dark of it. The ruvoka aren’t interested in any affairs but their own, and they don’t seem willing to share their secrets.
After this one appearance, the ruvoka faded into obscurity and haven't been seen since. Which kind of makes sense, since they're pretty one-dimensional even by planar creature standards.
Planescape fans have tried to put together PC stats for them in AD&D. They can be found on what's left of the Mimir, the original Planescape fansite back in the late 90s, as well as in the Great Elemental Netbook.