| “ | Hartusk is a traditionalist, a war chief of bloodlust. | „ |
| ~ Ravel introducing Hartusk to Tiago. |
| “ | Burn them, one at a time. | „ |
| ~ Hartusk turning on the drow. |
Hartusk is a minor antagonist of The Legend of Drizzt, serving as the secondary antagonist of The Companions Codex. He was a high-ranking orc chief in the orc kingdom of Many-Arrows and was infamously brutal and violent. Although the kingdom of Many-Arrows valued peace with their neighbors, since its leader, Lorgru, worked to create a functional society for their people, Hartusk hated the idea of orcs being peaceful, and valued more traditional orc ideals, such as war and bloodshed. Because of this, he led a coup, aided by a group of drow, and had Lorgru banished. He then led a bloody war across the Silver Marshes and worked to return orcs to their barbaric lifestyle.
Appearance[]
Hartusk was very tall and muscular, towering over even other orcs. He usually wore war-paint over his gray skin, as well as the elaborate spike armor that had once belonged to his predecessor. He had two large tusks.
Personality[]
| “ | Hartusk is angry at... everything. It is the very nature of the ugly beast that made him so valuable to us in the first place. | „ |
| ~ Tiago on Hartusk. |
Hartusk embodied traditional orc values. He was ruthless, jingoistic, and always chose violence as the first option. He despised the idea of his people becoming more civilized and found the idea of any society that does not revolve around the strongest making the rules ridiculous and disgusting. He was extremely sadistic and enjoyed torture and murder, particularly (but not exclusively) of other races. He was also extremely proud and arrogant, being certain that his superior strength made him the most impressive person anywhere he went.
Although he could be strategic, Hartusk was short-sighted and gullible. He never looked past his immediate goals and thought of his allies as simply subordinates, never considering that they might have separate agendas. He took any excuse for violence, even if it wasn't the best option.
Biography[]
Initially, Hartusk was a high-ranking general of the orc nation of Many-Arrows. Not appreciating the nation peaceful policy when it came to their neighbors, he secretly led raids on the surrounding human, dwarven, and elven settlements in the area. However, most orcs were satisfied with peace, so he only had a small group of followers.
One day, King Lorgru of Many-Arrows spared the trespassing elven queen of the Moon Wood in order the prevent a diplomatic disaster, allowing her to return home freely in order to ensure peace. The idea of sparing an elf who trespassed on their territory infuriated many orcs, leading more to come around to Hartusk's way of thinking.
Around this time, Hartusk was contacted by a small group of drow led by Tiago Baenre. These drow wanted a war between Many-Arrows and the neighboring kingdoms and knew this wouldn't happen under Lorgru. Consequently, they wanted Hartusk on the throne. With the help of the drow and his increasing number of followers, Hartusk staged a successful coup and had Lorgru banished. He then made himself "Warlord Hartusk" of Many-Arrows.
Hartusk began the War of the Silver Marshes and led a massive army made up of orcs, frost giants, drow, and even a pair of ice dragons. After a few months he was able to the city of Sundabar, which he made his stronghold and renamed Hartusk keep, killing all the humans who lived there. He soon also conquered Nesme, which was taken over by Tiago.
Hartusk managed to put all dwarven cities in the area under siege and starved them for long periods of time. At one point, the dwarves of Adbar tried to escape, which resulted in Hartusk personally killing their king, Bromm. However, with the help of dragons of their own, King Bruenor of Mithral Hall was able to unite the dwarves to stand against Hartusk's army, dealing a brutal blow to it. Nonetheless, Hartusk continued his march.
Around this time, Lorgru, with the help of a group of drow, staged a coup and was able to retake Many-Arrows while Hartusk was away with his army. Believing he was betrayed, Hartusk murdered his drow allies but continued to rule his army, even if he was not king anymore. After a few more days of spreading carnage and destruction, Hartusk was killed in battle by Bruenor Battlehammer.
Trivia[]
- Hartusk is a foil to the founder of his kingdom, King Obould I Many-Arrows. Both were powerful orc kings who led massive attacks against the Silver Marshes, starting very bloody wars. However, Obould genuinely did so because he wanted to help his people by creating a nation for them, while Hartusk simply wanted bloodshed and power. Similarly, both worked with manipulative drow, but while Obould outsmarted them and did not let them control him, Hartusk played right into their hands time and time again. Finally, Obould dies peacefully at an old age having changed the world, while Hartusk dies painfully in battle, having achieved nothing. Ultimately, while both ruthless and powerful warriors, Obould is far more intelligent compared to the short-sighted Hartusk.
External Links[]
- Hartusk on the Forgotten Realms Wiki
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The Legend of Drizzt Villains | ||
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Pirates of Luskan Calimport Underworld Sentient Artifacts Demons Dragons Drows Many-Arrows Shadowvar Red Wizards of Thay Others | ||