Rosto

"'Live or die, she will have a chance to re-earn her favour. It matters not to me.' - about Duna"Elder Rosto is the leader of Tek Village, a gathering of the so-called 'Echo People' on Dirakan. A slightly hunched and wisened member of the newly discovered species, he has seemingly been in command for some time, able to notice the comings and goings of various species in the area.

He formerly had a favourite, Duna, but following an unknown event that led to her disgrace, he now looks upon her with disdain.

The Echo Land
He was roused from his abode by Duna, having brought the Party with her under the pretence of gaining entrance to the Imperial Installation to the north.

He negotiated with Hikaru, who he came to view as the leader of the Last Resort during their stay on Dirakan, offering them aid in their attack. He was not quick to dispense such help however, suggesting that they perform a small task for the village, and how they performed would affect the reward he would grant.

Revealing that the critters that had attacked Duna earlier and stolen Hikaru's money were new arrivals to the planet, he stated that since that time they had harried the village for supplies. Because they never killed or threatened violence on his people, he had ordered no vengeance. He also dared not antagonise them by following them home and demanding they cease their raids, lest they stop their 'no-kill' policy.

His task was for the Party to discern the motives behind their attacks, and through one manner or another, put an end to them. Whitefang, intrigued by his people, asked if he could be permitted to study them and learn about their culture. While he seemed agreeable to this, Rosto again pressed that he would allow it depending on how well the Party performed their task. Assigning Duna as their guide and escort, he returned to his tent.

The Attack
He was then briefly spotted as the Party negotiated a trade between Tek Village and the newly revealed Shadow Foresters, the source of the monkey-lizard attacks and the owners of the creatures. Agreeing to send some of his folk to teach the raiders how to farm for themselves, and thus hopefully putting a stop to their incessant raids for supplies, he still seemed agitated and sceptical of how long the treaty would last.

When the Party returned to discuss battle plans, Whitefang and Hikaru argued that their service had been more than Rosto could have hoped for, something the elderly Echo agreed with. Given the circumstances, he agreed to lend his aid to the Party in the form of five members of the village. As long as they were kept out of harms way, they were to serve as a distraction during the attack to draw people away from their main group, allowing them to hopefully sneak in unmolested.

Whitefang asked if Duna would be allowed to join them, specifically requesting her presence due to her exemplary help so far. As K'ruhk added his own approval to this, Rosto sneered and stated that it was fine if they wanted her. Believing her to be too smart for her own good, and shamed in the eyes of the village, he cared not if she went with them. To him, if she succeeded or died on the mission, she would be doing so for the purpose of redeeming herself. It mattered not.

Duna's aid would prove to be integral to the Party's success, but it is yet to be seen how this disgruntled Elder views the events that unfolded...