Lord Ruthven is a stern, hawk-like faced Varrockian noble with lands near the River Salve.
He appeared to have the trust of King Roald as he played host to the Morytanian embassy, and when Gar'rth was spared by the King part of the deal was that the werewolf would be placed under Lord Ruthven's care, living on his estate and be forbidden from breeding. He was also present when the embassy returned and gave their report. However, although Gar'rth survived the trip to Morytania and fought for King Roald during the Second Battle of the Salve, revelations about his parentage forced the king to exile Gar'rth for fear that rebels would use him as a figurehead. This also relieved Lord Ruthven of any duty of care towards Gar'rth.
He lost his wife several years ago to a fatal illness. He attempted to save her, even offering up their infant daughter to the Gaunt Herald, but to no avail. It was rumoured that his daughter was turned into a wyrd by Tenebra, which would suggest that either Lord Ruthven or his wife have icyenic heritage, as wyrds are created when those with icyenic blood undergo vampyrisation.
Despite his loyalty to King Roald, he has been known to deal with Zamorakian forces such as the Kinshra. After Lord Sulla was defeated at the Siege of Falador and exiled from the Kinshra, part of his recovery plan involved obtaining compromising documents linking several Varrockian citizens to the Kinshra and blackmailing them for help. Among those he visited was Lord Ruthven. Additionally, Lord Ruthven was acquainted and on good terms with the current Kinshra leader Lord Daquarius.
At some point, he took in the victim of a werewolf attack in Silvarea and organised a hunting party to take the beast out. However, the men were all slaughtered bar one. His kennel keeper Almos, who had got separated, found his comrades, then tracked the werewolf back to the Ruthven estate, only to find that Alice, the initial 'victim', was the werewolf.