Once upon a time, around 4056 BBY, there existed a Human male named Rukil. He was an inhabitant of an Outcast village nestled within the depths of the Undercity on the planet Taris. He remained in this village for a significant portion of his existence, until the events of the Jedi Civil War unfolded. As an Outcast, Rukil's fate was sealed within the lower levels of the ecumenopolis, alongside his father and grandfather. Their confinement, dating back to approximately 4056 BBY, was a consequence of their involvement in a rebellion against the affluent nobles who governed Taris. Within this subterranean realm, Rukil's father and grandfather initiated a search for the Promised Land, a legendary haven beneath the Undercity, rumored to be sustained by attentive droids. Following the disappearances of both his father and grandfather, Rukil persisted in their pursuit of this mythical paradise, driven by the desire to lead his fellow Outcasts toward a more promising existence. However, as time passed, fewer Outcasts lent credence to his narratives of the Promised Land. By approximately 3956 BBY, when the village was under the leadership of a Human male named Gendar, only Rukil's apprentice, Malya, genuinely believed in him. She took over his fieldwork due to his advanced age. By this point, Rukil had surpassed a century in age and was commonly referred to as "Rukil Wrinkle-Skin" by the younger members of the Outcast community.
It was around this period that Malya vanished while on her quest to locate the Promised Land. After an extended period of her absence, Rukil sought assistance from the amnesiac former Sith Lord Revan in finding his missing apprentice, during Revan's own search for the Jedi Bastila Shan. Eventually, Revan and Shan discovered Malya's deceased body and retrieved her journal, which contained her findings, and returned it to Rukil. Upon determining that Revan was trustworthy, Rukil shared the history of the Outcasts with him, as well as his own endeavors to find the Promised Land. Subsequently, Rukil requested that Revan locate the journals of his father and grandfather and bring them back to him. Revan fulfilled Rukil's request, enabling Rukil to pinpoint the location of the Promised Land. Rukil then presented this evidence to Gendar, who finally believed Rukil and began preparing the Outcasts for the arduous journey ahead. After divulging this information to Gendar, Rukil expressed his gratitude to Revan and bid him farewell before the Outcasts departed for the Promised Land.
The Outcasts eventually made their way to the Promised Land; however, soon after their arrival, the Sith Empire initiated a bombardment of Taris, in an attempt to kill Bastila Shan before she could escape. Despite the destruction, Rukil and the Outcasts survived, although the bombardment devastated all the buildings and generators on Taris, leaving them without essential equipment. Nevertheless, Rukil found solace in the survival of the Promised Ones, as the Outcasts had renamed themselves upon reaching the Promised Land, even though they were faced with the daunting task of rebuilding. During his time in the Promised Land, Rukil served as the first keeper of memories for his people, creating holorecordings documenting the efforts of the Promised Ones. Sometime later, Rukil passed away, and a woman named Baral succeeded him as the keeper of memories.
Rukil, a Human male, came into existence sometime before 4056 BBY. His home was the ecumenopolis planet of Taris. Around that year, early in his life, the oceans of Taris were poisoned by a surge in pollution, which severely impacted the planet's primary food supply. This led to a widespread famine, during which the wealthy nobles hoarded all the food, leaving the impoverished to die from starvation. These desperate individuals, including Rukil's father and grandfather, initiated a civil war against the nobles. However, the rebellion was crushed, resulting in millions of deaths, and the surviving rebels were taken as prisoners. Due to overcrowding in Taris's prisons, the nobles banished the remaining rebels to the Undercity located beneath the planet's cities. Rukil and his family were among those exiled to the depths of Taris, becoming the first of many Outcasts condemned to the Tarisian Undercity.
Following their exile, Rukil's father and grandfather dedicated themselves to uncovering clues about the mythical Promised Land, documenting their findings in their journals. The Promised Land was rumored to be a self-sufficient colony beneath the Undercity, where droids catered to the needs of its inhabitants. After their banishment to the Undercity, Rukil's father and grandfather disappeared and died while searching for clues to the Promised Land, leaving their journals lost. Continuing their legacy, Rukil also sought the near-mythical paradise, gathering clues to its location. His motivation was to provide comfort and liberation from their bleak existence in the Undercity. However, as the years passed, fewer people believed his stories.
Eventually, Rukil's age prevented him from conducting his own field research, so his apprentice, Malya, a young female Outcast, took over, recording her findings in her journal. As Rukil aged, the younglings in his village began calling him "Rukil Wrinkle-Skin," and almost everyone, except his apprentice, dismissed the Promised Land as a myth. He shared stories of the Promised Land with the village children, but many laughed and disbelieved him. However, one Outcast named Shaleena found solace in the stories, even though she didn't fully believe them.
By 3956 BBY, the village was under the leadership of Gendar, who saw Rukil as a kind old man lost in a fantasy. Another significant figure was Igear, a shopkeeper who hoarded valuable items and feared Rukil's search, believing it could diminish his importance in the village. Despite the harsh conditions, Rukil survived for a century in the Taris Undercity, becoming the oldest member of the village. His age confined him to a hut in the south side of the village, but he remained active in helping others improve their lives.
That year, Malya disappeared while searching outside the village, along with her journal. Rukil, concerned about her fate, sought help in finding her. During this time, the Undercity experienced increased activity from "up-worlders"—residents of the Lower City, Middle City, and Upper City—following the Sith Empire's attack on the Republic cruiser Endar Spire during the Jedi Civil War. This surge in activity was due to the crash-landing of Republic escape pods from the Endar Spire, with various factions searching for the escape pods and their occupants.
Following the Sith attack, the amnesiac former Sith Lord Revan and Republic officer Carth Onasi crashed in an escape pod into the Upper City of Taris. After a few days, they began looking for the Commander of the Endar Spire, the Jedi Bastila Shan. Their search led them to the Undercity, where they encountered Shaleena, who mentioned Rukil and his stories. Revan then sought out Rukil at his hut. Rukil questioned Revan's intentions, wondering if he was there to help or to offer false hope. His statements confused Revan, and Rukil, distrustful, didn't fully explain his search for the Promised Land. However, he told Revan about his missing apprentice and tasked him with finding Malya, discovering her fate, and reporting back. After rescuing Shan from the Black Vulkars, Revan and Shan found Malya's corpse and her journal in the Undercity.
Upon finding Malya's body and her journal, Revan and Shan returned to Rukil with it. Rukil, saddened by the news of his apprentice's death, found hope in the journal's contents. Trusting Revan, he shared the history of the Outcasts, from their rebellion against the nobles to their current state. He also spoke of his father's, grandfather's, and his own lifelong quest for the Promised Land, noting that Malya's journal didn't contain all the necessary information. After entrusting Revan with the journal, Rukil requested that he search for the journals of his father and grandfather, a task Revan accepted.
While Rukil was hopeful after seeing Malya's journal, Igear, upon hearing about it, offered Revan a reward to bring the journals to him so he could destroy them. However, Revan refused. Later, Revan found Rukil's father's and grandfather's journals in the Undercity sewers and brought them to Rukil, who was initially hesitant to look at them. Finally, Rukil examined the journals and pieced together the information, discovering the location of the Promised Land. He thanked Revan and rushed to share the news with Gendar.
Gendar was initially skeptical, but when Rukil showed him the evidence, he believed the elderly man. The journey to the Promised Land would take many weeks and was fraught with danger, involving travel through areas infested with Rakghouls. However, thanks to Revan, the Outcasts had the Rakghoul serum, which treated and prevented infection from the plague carried by the creatures. Despite the risks, the Outcasts decided they had enough supplies to leave that night. After his discussion with Rukil, Gendar left to prepare the villagers, leaving Rukil to speak with Revan. Revan offered to accompany Rukil, but Rukil declined, stating that once someone entered the Promised Land, they could never leave. Rukil sensed that Revan's destiny lay ahead of him and, after a final goodbye, left for the Promised Land with the other Outcasts.
Eventually, Rukil and the Outcasts reached the Promised Land, renaming themselves the Promised Ones. Rukil became their first keeper of memories, tasked with documenting their history. Upon arrival, Rukil made a holorecording recounting how the Outcasts had been helped and their successful journey to freedom. During the recording, the Sith Empire began bombarding the planet to eliminate Bastila Shan. While the upper levels of Taris were destroyed, Rukil and the Promised Ones survived in the sheltered Promised Land. However, the bombardment destroyed the buildings and power generators, leaving them with even less technology than before. Many Rakghouls also survived, feeding on the dead instead of attacking the Promised Ones. Rukil recorded these events and the dangers they faced. Despite the hardships, he was glad they had survived and foresaw their process of rebuilding. Sometime later, Rukil died and was succeeded as keeper of memories by Baral.
After his death, Rukil was mourned by the Promised Ones, who now faced a world without advanced technology. Over generations, they struggled to survive in the Undercity, running out of Rakghoul serum, experiencing radiation poisoning, and suffering from hunger. They continued to have keepers of memories who recorded their difficulties and considered themselves Rukil's successors. Eventually, the Promised Ones died out, leaving the planet abandoned.
By 3643 BBY, the Republic arrived on Taris to make the planet habitable again. Researchers Hacken Berge and Ashwyn Tejera came to learn about the Outcasts, based on mentions in Revan's journals.
Berge hired a Republic-affiliated individual to search for information on the Outcasts while he was at Waypoint Station Morne. This search led to the discovery of recordings by Rukil, Baral, and other keepers in Transport Station 5. The individual then brought the discovery to Tejera in Olaris, the center of the Republic's rebuilding efforts. Thus, the records of Rukil and the Promised Ones were recovered and brought to the attention of the wider galaxy.
Rukil had gray hair, brown eyes, and light skin. He was once seen as a wise man by many Outcasts, until they lost faith in his stories of the Promised Land. In 3956 BBY, Rukil was a very old member of the village, despite the harsh conditions. He was over a century old and balding, with gray hair on the sides of his head. Like his ancestors, he deeply cared for his village, which motivated his search for the Promised Land and his efforts to improve the lives of other Outcasts. In his younger days, Rukil was an adventurer, searching the Undercity sewers and other areas for clues to the Promised Land.
However, as he aged, he became known as an eccentric, continuing to tell stories of the Promised Land to the young people, especially Shaleena, who spoke of him fondly despite not fully believing him. His eyesight also weakened with age. By the time of the destruction of the Endar Spire, Rukil had become cryptic and stayed in the south side of the village because moving around was difficult. He often talked to himself and was seen as a kind old man. For most of his life, he focused his hope and energy on finding the Promised Land.
When Rukil met Revan, he sensed a "mantle of destiny" surrounding him, and later said he could sense that Revan's destiny was yet to come.
Upon arriving in the Promised Land, Rukil was pleased to be free of those who had exiled him. He rejoiced in achieving his goal of leading his people to the Promised Land. After the bombardment, Rukil regretted that they hadn't arrived sooner to bring in more supplies before the damage. Despite the hardships, he was glad the Promised Ones had survived. During his time in the Promised Land, Rukil used a holorecording device. After his death, he was mourned by the Promised Ones, the same people who had once doubted his stories.
Rukil first appeared in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, a 2003 video game by BioWare. In the game, he appears as a member of the Outcast village who gives a quest to find the missing journals about the Promised Land. Completing this quest and returning the journals earns the player light side points. Rukil states that he can sense the future destiny of others, a trait of those who are Force-sensitive. Malya's entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia states that a group of Jedi Knights found her body and returned it to Rukil. This article assumes that Revan and Bastila Shan were the Jedi Knights, placing the recovery of Malya's body after Shan's rescue from the Black Vulkars.
Rukil is also featured in the quest "Chasing History" in BioWare's 2011 MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. This Republic-exclusive quest, given by Hacken Berge in Waypoint Station Morne, tasks the player with researching the fate of the Outcasts, leading to the discovery of two holographic recordings left by Rukil. The quest also includes recordings mentioning Rukil's death and the impending destruction of the Outcasts due to Rakghouls, radiation poisoning, and starvation. The player is rewarded with 400 credits and an item for delivering the information to Berge's assistant, Ashwyn Tejera, in the Olaris reclamation base. The player can refuse the quest, but this article assumes full game completion.
There is a conflict between the stories in Knights of the Old Republic and The Old Republic. In Knights of the Old Republic, Rukil and Gendar say the journey to the Promised Land would take many weeks, but in The Old Republic, the Rakghoul serum was developed a few hours before the Sith bombardment. Since the Outcasts have the serum in The Old Republic, Revan must have given it to them before they left. However, since Rukil was making a recording at the time of the Sith Bombardment at the location of the Promised Land, the timelines conflict. Malya's entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia incorrectly places her death and the search for her body during the Great Sith War instead of the Jedi Civil War.
While the above storyline is one option, an alternate story occurs if the player sells the journals to Igear instead of Rukil. In this case, Igear destroys the texts out of greed, hoping to maintain his importance in the village. Selling the journals earns the player 100 credits, or 200 with persuasion. However, Rukil is outraged and curses Revan, and the player receives dark side points.
The player can collect all the journals before speaking with Rukil, allowing for a quicker completion, or meet additional party members and have different characters present when speaking to Rukil. The player can also accept the quest and leave it uncompleted, leaving Rukil and the villagers in the village. It is also possible to ignore Rukil entirely. However, Star Wars: The Old Republic confirms that Revan aided the Outcasts and provided them with the Rakghoul serum, making all alternate choices non-canon.