Renko is weathered by a life spent outdoors in the sun and wind, so that it's hard to guess his real age, though he's probably younger than he appears. His burnished skin contrasts oddly with his piercing ice-blue eyes and he sports a thick, wide mustache waxed to points and a flowing topknot on his otherwise smooth-shaven skull.

Afoot (which is somewhat rare) he is not as tall as he seems on horseback, his legs bowed by spending hours, days even, in the saddle since childhood. Still he looks powerful with broad shoulders and a muscular torso; those bandy legs are also plenty strong. His grip is like iron bands.

He dresses flamboyantly in loose and open shirts and full-cut breeches cinched by a wide belt and bloused over knee-high boots. A black whip coiled around his torso from right shoulder to left hip is an ever-present part of his apparel. In bad weather he adds a long slicker and a black slouch hat.

He tends to be stubborn and impulsive and almost arrogant. His moods switch quickly from boisterous to melancholy, affable to angry. His voice is generally loud, his laughter unrestrained. He is also "always on" with the performer usually uppermost. His English can be a bit uncertain and he often lapses back to Russian when a concept frustrates him. He is superstitious, his actions hedged around with ingrained habits to ward off bad luck.