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R O S T E R
| PLAYER | NAME | NATIONALITY | ROLE |
| @Gcold | STEPHAN BURKHART | AUSTRIAN | SABOTAGE/FINANCE |
| @Peik | ESHREF NAFIZ | OTTOMAN | COMBAT/TACTICS |
| @MacabreFox | EVELYN GREY | BRITISH | MEDICINE/INTERROGATION |
N P C S
| NAME | NATIONALITY | ROLE |
| HAHN SCHWARZ | AUSTRIAN | MISSION CONTROLLER |
| ADINA TIVIDAR | HUNGARIAN | TELEGRAPH OPERATOR |
| ACOSTA | SPANISH | MECHANIC |
| "ALMOND DEALER" | UNKNOWN | FIELD CONTACT |
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Stephan "Blue Face" Burkhart
Male | 29 | 168 cm | 68 kg
Salzburg, Austria, 1889 | Austrian
Profile
Appearance
Personality
Background
Observers often describe Stephan as roguish, skittery and a man of quirky intents. He appears mostly average, but in that sense of commonness, many can't help but notice something off-putting about him. Stephan rarely attracts attention in the ways he act, and when he does, he draws questionable stares.
168 cm (5 feet 6 inches) is below national average. The Burkhart family was never tall, and Stephan proves no exception. In happier times, some say 68 kg (150 pounds) is a bit underweight. But in the hard times of this Great War, Stephan is just about as malnourished as any other person. In fact, his employment in the intelligence service guarantees him meals many have not eaten in months. His lack of bulk wasn't a wartime thing, instead, Stephan always is the smaller child.
His eyes are blue, a darker shade that borderlines gray. His hair comes in a color between blond and brunette, either dark blond or honey brown, depends on who he asks. A messy crew cut is generally the hairstyle, with short facial hair studs, the result of irregular grooming, rounding it out. His face is long than it is wide, however, his chin retracts more than it protrudes. In terms of his core, they are flat and unassuming; little muscle or fat. Limbs are balanced thickness, though they aren't obviously under his choice of long sleeves and full-length pants.
Scars are nearly non-existent. Stephan accumulated most of his (concealable) scars due to child play, rather than fighting in major conflicts.
168 cm (5 feet 6 inches) is below national average. The Burkhart family was never tall, and Stephan proves no exception. In happier times, some say 68 kg (150 pounds) is a bit underweight. But in the hard times of this Great War, Stephan is just about as malnourished as any other person. In fact, his employment in the intelligence service guarantees him meals many have not eaten in months. His lack of bulk wasn't a wartime thing, instead, Stephan always is the smaller child.
His eyes are blue, a darker shade that borderlines gray. His hair comes in a color between blond and brunette, either dark blond or honey brown, depends on who he asks. A messy crew cut is generally the hairstyle, with short facial hair studs, the result of irregular grooming, rounding it out. His face is long than it is wide, however, his chin retracts more than it protrudes. In terms of his core, they are flat and unassuming; little muscle or fat. Limbs are balanced thickness, though they aren't obviously under his choice of long sleeves and full-length pants.
Scars are nearly non-existent. Stephan accumulated most of his (concealable) scars due to child play, rather than fighting in major conflicts.
Personality
If you want a nice man, Stephan's definitely not it. There isn't much warmth outside of common courtesy. That is to the average person on streets. To his superiors or anyone Stephan wants to curry favor with, he appears so polite and accepting that it's basically sucking up. Some may call him "spineless", but Stephan prefers "adaptable".
From work to play, Stephan is the type to do everything to win. Honor is a social construct to him, one that is gradually becoming obsolete. Not matter if it is a game of chess or sabotaging enemy defenses, playing dirty is the standard. Working in the intelligence service made him no stranger to rumors, and Stephan likes to stay abreast of all the murmurs around him. It was partially his inner control freak, partially his inner insecurity.
Serious about getting want he wants does not mean Stephan is humorless. He tends to deadpan and crack out dry wit in dire situation. For some reason, joking around tend to make life and death struggles a little more bearable, therefore, he finds a laugh or two helpful in coping with stress.
Since his longest romantic venture, and the one that ended the most spectacularly, his confidence dropped to nothing around attractive women and romantic rivals. His chance for future hook-ups diminishing significantly after his ex-girlfriend spread rumors about his "short sword", which was then disseminated across the empire as the punchline of a renowned comedian. Sexual drought contributed to his ailing mood.
From work to play, Stephan is the type to do everything to win. Honor is a social construct to him, one that is gradually becoming obsolete. Not matter if it is a game of chess or sabotaging enemy defenses, playing dirty is the standard. Working in the intelligence service made him no stranger to rumors, and Stephan likes to stay abreast of all the murmurs around him. It was partially his inner control freak, partially his inner insecurity.
Serious about getting want he wants does not mean Stephan is humorless. He tends to deadpan and crack out dry wit in dire situation. For some reason, joking around tend to make life and death struggles a little more bearable, therefore, he finds a laugh or two helpful in coping with stress.
Since his longest romantic venture, and the one that ended the most spectacularly, his confidence dropped to nothing around attractive women and romantic rivals. His chance for future hook-ups diminishing significantly after his ex-girlfriend spread rumors about his "short sword", which was then disseminated across the empire as the punchline of a renowned comedian. Sexual drought contributed to his ailing mood.
Background
Gilbert and Adela Burkhart had a pair of twins on a summer eve of 1889. Their children, a boy and a girl, would grow up as Stephan and Ursula. Gilbert was a mathematician, a well-known professor at the University of Salzburg. Adela, on the other hand, elected domestic life in order to care for her children. In his younger days, Stephan remembered not much of his father. Being a rising scholar in a time of great scientific advancements meant Gilbert spent much of his time with his faculty, rather than his family. Stephan and his sister grew up with their mother, and their maternal grand-parents, who were fiercely proud German-Austrians. From their grand-parents, the young Burkharts would be introduced to Grimm's folk tales, and when they were older, the accomplishments of Chancellor Bismarck.
Stephan would first glance inside a world of numbers on his twelfth year. Just as he and his sister finished elementary school, their father had managed to obtain a tenure at the university. This stabilization of career allowed Gilbert to spent more time with his kids, but because he never did much of that before, his efforts rarely had the bonding effect. In the beginning, Gilbert taught his twins math puzzles, and as expected from young teenagers, they were poorly received. As time went on though, Ursula took a liking to mathematics. Stephan never did, while his sister grew to understand his father's joy, he became bitter and isolated. The teenage Stephan frequently sneaked out to play with the rowdier kids, but a combination of their jealousy for his well-off family, and his dull personality meant he always had a bad time. Other kids picked on him, sometimes starting fights and always prevailed over him due to his unimpressive stature. Eventually Stephan got fed up, he started to fight back. These fights were less lopsided as Stephan fought dirty. He would overcome shorter height by striking below the belt, defeat wider boys by tripping their fat legs and blind faster opponents by throwing boiling water into their faces. These tactics still resonates with Stephan today.
It was noteworthy that from 1901 to 1903, Gilbert was invited to teach in the University of Bath, England. The entire Burkhart family moved to Great Britain for three years, a time period where Stephan and Ursula gain fluency in the local language. Finishing his guest lecturing in 1903, the family promptly returned to Salzburg.
The time would have to come for him to grow up. At the age of eighteen, Stephan was looking at not so much of a bright future. His grades were average, definitely not sufficient for entrance to higher education. His sister was the star in their family, she had already mastered many university materials thanks to her father's tutoring. With her sheer genius and hard work, she would become one of the first women to graduate with a master of science from the University of Vienna. Such a successful daughter for such disappointing son, when Stephan said he might take a year off to travel or go into boxing, his father snapped. In the few instances of anger, Gilbert lambasted Stephan on the importance of knowledge. He would either see a talented son, or an uneducated boor who would no longer be welcomed in his home. With no choice or income, Stephan reluctantly went to university.
As far as he knew, he was only enrolled in Salzburg University because of connections. As for what to study, he chose economics because the professor wore a stylish fedora. However, Stephan would surprise everyone, himself the most, in the next four years. He found his calling in economics, or so he thought. The coursework wasn't exactly a cakewalk and he didn't always find motivation, but for the majority of the time, he performed so uncharacteristically well that the exam supervisors thought he was cheating. Well, he did cheat a couple of times, though these were the exceptions rather than the norm. The norm was a young man destined for the financial world. His college life went so well that he even made long-term friends. One of them would be Stephan's Hungarian roommate, a tall, freckled person named Salamon. It was Salamon that reignited the patriotic sparks sown by Stephan's grand-parents. A staunch supporter of the joint crown, Salamon gave Stephan something larger than himself. They would join rallies of students supporting the monarchy, while coming into blows (sometimes physically) against radicals and minorities.
By 1912, Stephan Burkhart had kickstarted a promising stockbroker career in Vienna. Salamon came and went, supposedly returning to his native Hungary to start a patriotic political party. The Burkhart family, which Stephan redeemed himself in with his academic success, found his political passion intimidating. In the bustling streets of one of Europe's busiest cities, Stephan had no time to look behind. The stock market is an unforgiving world, somehow, with wits and knowledge, Stephan managed to churn out several profiting portfolios in two years. He even met a client that turned into his girlfriend, but the relationship broke off with Stephan's lackluster endurance in the bedroom. Ever since, his love life had been limited, all thanks to rumors swirling around his "winziges Schwert".
Were it not for 1914, Stephan could very well have worked himself to the top echelon of the Vienna Stock Exchange. However, his hopes and dreams were dashed as an archduke took a wrong turn in a powder keg city. One assassin's shot would prelude to billions around the world, and in the blink of an eye, war was all around Stephan. Salamon finally wrote back. His letter was brief; urging his friend to do his duty for the emperor. Stephan did.
In the wake of the Great War, Stephan enlisted in the Austro-Hungarian Common Army. He signed his name, gone through a physical exam and was given a set of uniform. He went into basic training, and half a day later, he washed out. It was before any exercises were given, and Stephan joined his new comrades in the mess hall. As he took the first bite into army rations, he felt his throat tighten. It was an allergy he never paid attention to. He was allergic to a specific type of sardine from early youth, and as his parents found out, Stephan quickly conditioned himself to a sardine-free diet. He had been off the specific type of food for so long that he got used to it. Not a lot of people would mention food preferences to recruiters, so when the allergy hit in full swing, the officers were shocked. It was in his panic that Stephan received his nickname; "Blaugesicht". According to other soldiers, his desperate face turned blue from the lack of air.
No military would change their rations for just one soldier; the army was out of the question. His parents were relieved to have him out, but Stephan felt nothing but shame and defeat. It was a rite of passage denied by his human body, and quite frankly, something he could really do nothing about. Then a former client of his came to the rescue. Quirin Maximillan, a retired government official recently pressed back into civil defense. Maximillan offered another route, one which the choice of food was lax; intelligence service.
So there he was, a man behind a desk. Stephan started out as some brass' secretary (where he advanced his driving skills by chauffeuring lazy officers), got promoted to censuring department (also learning encryption protocols), pulled into the finance division and finally, as he repeatedly volunteered and the war took its toll, transferred to a field agent. It was 1917 and in the two years that Austria-Hungary fought, Stephan proved himself poor soldier material. If he did ship out to the battlefields, he wouldn't have had a chance against Entente fire. His sessions with the civil defense made certain his marksmanship and fieldcraft were mediocre at best. With that said, when Stephan did fight, he fought like few had. This was an age where wars were no longer "honorable" (though some argued they never were). Stephan embraced dirty fighting to the fullest, in one sparring session, he surprised a skilled opponent by smuggling out a bottle of pepper, than subsequently applying it to the man's face. In another live fight against a drunk, Stephan dispatched the brute with a swift brass knuckle below the belt.
What really got Stephan into field service was his knowledge in English and Italian. His English could almost pass as a Brit, and though his Italian was nowhere native, paying attention in those college classes finally paid off. In addition, he had came to know much about military procurement, both allied and the enemy, thanks to his economic background. Last of all, Stephan could use Morse code to its full extent. His first major mission was to cut Allied withdraws from Swiss banks. But as he got into position, the director called everything off. He took a couple of minor assignments then, some of which included extracting a British businessman of German descent, wrecking searchlights in the French Riviera (discovering electronic workings in the process) and spreading scandalous rumors about a Greek general.
Experience breeds confidence, right? No, Stephan felt the opposite. The more he worked (and admittedly, better at what he does), the less he felt certain. The surge of devotion four years ago seemed to have burned out. As the war dragged on and on, the suffering it caused became apparent. Men died by the thousands on the battlefield, and across the home front, a shortage of necessities became apparent. His mother died from an illness, while his father struggled to find purpose in retirement. Infiltrating hostile countries made matters worse. He found out the other side suffered the same, yet they also spewed out the propaganda of honor and righteousness. The war felt meaningless, but the worst was that he got a complete view from all sides, and Stephan's side is losing. Still, he sworn his loyalty to the emperor, and till the day this war ends, he will pull his weight for the empire.
Because duty is the best distraction from a purposeless life...
Stephan would first glance inside a world of numbers on his twelfth year. Just as he and his sister finished elementary school, their father had managed to obtain a tenure at the university. This stabilization of career allowed Gilbert to spent more time with his kids, but because he never did much of that before, his efforts rarely had the bonding effect. In the beginning, Gilbert taught his twins math puzzles, and as expected from young teenagers, they were poorly received. As time went on though, Ursula took a liking to mathematics. Stephan never did, while his sister grew to understand his father's joy, he became bitter and isolated. The teenage Stephan frequently sneaked out to play with the rowdier kids, but a combination of their jealousy for his well-off family, and his dull personality meant he always had a bad time. Other kids picked on him, sometimes starting fights and always prevailed over him due to his unimpressive stature. Eventually Stephan got fed up, he started to fight back. These fights were less lopsided as Stephan fought dirty. He would overcome shorter height by striking below the belt, defeat wider boys by tripping their fat legs and blind faster opponents by throwing boiling water into their faces. These tactics still resonates with Stephan today.
It was noteworthy that from 1901 to 1903, Gilbert was invited to teach in the University of Bath, England. The entire Burkhart family moved to Great Britain for three years, a time period where Stephan and Ursula gain fluency in the local language. Finishing his guest lecturing in 1903, the family promptly returned to Salzburg.
The time would have to come for him to grow up. At the age of eighteen, Stephan was looking at not so much of a bright future. His grades were average, definitely not sufficient for entrance to higher education. His sister was the star in their family, she had already mastered many university materials thanks to her father's tutoring. With her sheer genius and hard work, she would become one of the first women to graduate with a master of science from the University of Vienna. Such a successful daughter for such disappointing son, when Stephan said he might take a year off to travel or go into boxing, his father snapped. In the few instances of anger, Gilbert lambasted Stephan on the importance of knowledge. He would either see a talented son, or an uneducated boor who would no longer be welcomed in his home. With no choice or income, Stephan reluctantly went to university.
As far as he knew, he was only enrolled in Salzburg University because of connections. As for what to study, he chose economics because the professor wore a stylish fedora. However, Stephan would surprise everyone, himself the most, in the next four years. He found his calling in economics, or so he thought. The coursework wasn't exactly a cakewalk and he didn't always find motivation, but for the majority of the time, he performed so uncharacteristically well that the exam supervisors thought he was cheating. Well, he did cheat a couple of times, though these were the exceptions rather than the norm. The norm was a young man destined for the financial world. His college life went so well that he even made long-term friends. One of them would be Stephan's Hungarian roommate, a tall, freckled person named Salamon. It was Salamon that reignited the patriotic sparks sown by Stephan's grand-parents. A staunch supporter of the joint crown, Salamon gave Stephan something larger than himself. They would join rallies of students supporting the monarchy, while coming into blows (sometimes physically) against radicals and minorities.
By 1912, Stephan Burkhart had kickstarted a promising stockbroker career in Vienna. Salamon came and went, supposedly returning to his native Hungary to start a patriotic political party. The Burkhart family, which Stephan redeemed himself in with his academic success, found his political passion intimidating. In the bustling streets of one of Europe's busiest cities, Stephan had no time to look behind. The stock market is an unforgiving world, somehow, with wits and knowledge, Stephan managed to churn out several profiting portfolios in two years. He even met a client that turned into his girlfriend, but the relationship broke off with Stephan's lackluster endurance in the bedroom. Ever since, his love life had been limited, all thanks to rumors swirling around his "winziges Schwert".
Were it not for 1914, Stephan could very well have worked himself to the top echelon of the Vienna Stock Exchange. However, his hopes and dreams were dashed as an archduke took a wrong turn in a powder keg city. One assassin's shot would prelude to billions around the world, and in the blink of an eye, war was all around Stephan. Salamon finally wrote back. His letter was brief; urging his friend to do his duty for the emperor. Stephan did.
In the wake of the Great War, Stephan enlisted in the Austro-Hungarian Common Army. He signed his name, gone through a physical exam and was given a set of uniform. He went into basic training, and half a day later, he washed out. It was before any exercises were given, and Stephan joined his new comrades in the mess hall. As he took the first bite into army rations, he felt his throat tighten. It was an allergy he never paid attention to. He was allergic to a specific type of sardine from early youth, and as his parents found out, Stephan quickly conditioned himself to a sardine-free diet. He had been off the specific type of food for so long that he got used to it. Not a lot of people would mention food preferences to recruiters, so when the allergy hit in full swing, the officers were shocked. It was in his panic that Stephan received his nickname; "Blaugesicht". According to other soldiers, his desperate face turned blue from the lack of air.
No military would change their rations for just one soldier; the army was out of the question. His parents were relieved to have him out, but Stephan felt nothing but shame and defeat. It was a rite of passage denied by his human body, and quite frankly, something he could really do nothing about. Then a former client of his came to the rescue. Quirin Maximillan, a retired government official recently pressed back into civil defense. Maximillan offered another route, one which the choice of food was lax; intelligence service.
So there he was, a man behind a desk. Stephan started out as some brass' secretary (where he advanced his driving skills by chauffeuring lazy officers), got promoted to censuring department (also learning encryption protocols), pulled into the finance division and finally, as he repeatedly volunteered and the war took its toll, transferred to a field agent. It was 1917 and in the two years that Austria-Hungary fought, Stephan proved himself poor soldier material. If he did ship out to the battlefields, he wouldn't have had a chance against Entente fire. His sessions with the civil defense made certain his marksmanship and fieldcraft were mediocre at best. With that said, when Stephan did fight, he fought like few had. This was an age where wars were no longer "honorable" (though some argued they never were). Stephan embraced dirty fighting to the fullest, in one sparring session, he surprised a skilled opponent by smuggling out a bottle of pepper, than subsequently applying it to the man's face. In another live fight against a drunk, Stephan dispatched the brute with a swift brass knuckle below the belt.
What really got Stephan into field service was his knowledge in English and Italian. His English could almost pass as a Brit, and though his Italian was nowhere native, paying attention in those college classes finally paid off. In addition, he had came to know much about military procurement, both allied and the enemy, thanks to his economic background. Last of all, Stephan could use Morse code to its full extent. His first major mission was to cut Allied withdraws from Swiss banks. But as he got into position, the director called everything off. He took a couple of minor assignments then, some of which included extracting a British businessman of German descent, wrecking searchlights in the French Riviera (discovering electronic workings in the process) and spreading scandalous rumors about a Greek general.
Experience breeds confidence, right? No, Stephan felt the opposite. The more he worked (and admittedly, better at what he does), the less he felt certain. The surge of devotion four years ago seemed to have burned out. As the war dragged on and on, the suffering it caused became apparent. Men died by the thousands on the battlefield, and across the home front, a shortage of necessities became apparent. His mother died from an illness, while his father struggled to find purpose in retirement. Infiltrating hostile countries made matters worse. He found out the other side suffered the same, yet they also spewed out the propaganda of honor and righteousness. The war felt meaningless, but the worst was that he got a complete view from all sides, and Stephan's side is losing. Still, he sworn his loyalty to the emperor, and till the day this war ends, he will pull his weight for the empire.
Because duty is the best distraction from a purposeless life...
Capabilities
Languages
Skills
Flaws
Combat Style
Connections
Opinions of Group Members
- German (native)
- English (fluent)
- Italian (working knowledge)
- Hungarian (basic phrases)
Skills
- Mathematics
- Market and military finances
- Morse code
- Cryptography
- Basic electronics
- Decent driver
Flaws
- Strong allergy to sardine
- Mild nearsightedness
- No live combat experience
- Awkward in romantic encounters
Combat Style
Unconventional. They say knowing your strength is half of fhe fight, and Stephan Burkhart certainly got to know what he could and could not do. For starters, he would not match shots against a skilled shooter, because he will be outmatched every time. He also knows not to match fists with the brawns, because it'll probably end up worse than a straight up shootout. What he does is making sure he never gets in a fair fight. No sharpshooter can shoot back when he's flanked, and no brawler can brawl with a bowl of pepper in his eyes.
Stephan carries the tools for his trade. Like any good spy, his pistol is cut down to be concealable. A brass knuckle serves as back up when guns are impractical. Lastly, he carries a bag of spicy pepper to blind anyone who gets too close.
Violence is often the last resort for him, but when Stephan sees no other choice, he will strive to fire the first shot. Stealth and secrecy play important roles in his approach. Though he is clumsy in the wilderness, Stephan is able to readily blend in with an urban crowd. In turn, he can safely gather information on his threats before deciding the best way forward (or back).
Stephan carries the tools for his trade. Like any good spy, his pistol is cut down to be concealable. A brass knuckle serves as back up when guns are impractical. Lastly, he carries a bag of spicy pepper to blind anyone who gets too close.
Violence is often the last resort for him, but when Stephan sees no other choice, he will strive to fire the first shot. Stealth and secrecy play important roles in his approach. Though he is clumsy in the wilderness, Stephan is able to readily blend in with an urban crowd. In turn, he can safely gather information on his threats before deciding the best way forward (or back).
Connections
- Gilbert Burkhart (father, retired mathematics professor at University of Salzburg)
- Ursula Burkhart (sister, physics department head at Salzburg Girls Academy, assistant supervisor at local optics factory)
- Quirin Maximillan (former client, civil defense recruiter)
- Salamon Puskas (university roommate, artillery captain of the 6th Common Artillery Regiment)
Opinions of Group Members
Inventory
Cash
Tools
Weapon and Ammo
Outfits
Jewelry, Valuables and Personal Belongings
Books and Documents
Rations
Packs and Bags
Misc
- 256 Austro-Hungarian Crowns
- 50 British Pounds
- 50 Swiss Francs
Tools
- Camera with film
- Freiermann brand crowbar
Weapon and Ammo
- Frommer Stop (compact 9mm variant)
- 3x five-rounds magazines
- Brass knuckles
Outfits
- Ski coat
- Brown scarf
- Green turtle neck sweater
- White cotton t-shirts
- Khaki pants
- Leather shoes
- Leather gloves
- Corrective spectacles
- Set of tuxedo
- Government issued gas mask and replacement filter
Jewelry, Valuables and Personal Belongings
- Weiss wristwatch
- Salzburg University graduation ring
Books and Documents
- Imperial Intelligence credentials
- Italian dictionary
- Fake Swiss passport
- Spanish phrase book
- Solveig the Shield-maiden and Jorwen the Red-bear (fantasy novels)
Rations
- Two bars of Toblerone
- Small bag of pepper for "creative application"
Packs and Bags
- Cloth messenger bag
- Concealable pistol holster
- Traveling rucksack
- Leather belt with three detachable pouches
- Wallet
- Water canteen with sleeve
Misc
- Basic hygiene supplies
- Ten cheap Bulgarian cigarettes
- Lighter
Eşref Nafiz Bey
Male | 38 | 178 cm | 94 kg
Istanbul, Ottoman Empire, 1880 | Albanian/Circassian
Profile
Appearance:
Of average height and a physique more stout than slight, Nafiz isn't exactly a breathtaking sight, nor is he conspicuous. The man's head has a somewhat round, wide shape, with his full cheeks, prominent nose, rather large brown eyes and voluminous mustache making up most of the dominant features one can notice in first glance. His head rests upon a thick, short neck, with a shallow, but long dimple splitting his chin in two. He has a large mouth and meaty lips, although this is somewhat hard to notice underneath the cover of his mustache. His hair, having started to grey, is often well taken care of and parted to the side.
For his age, Nafiz is quite well-built, with broad shoulders and thick limbs, and walks with the stride of a strong man, having never gotten rid of the military discipline and Albanian machismo that had been instilled in him at a young age.
Personality:
Seemingly a simple man with a staunch poker face and an inquisitive, almost criticizing glint in his eyes, those knowing Nafiz easily consider him too volatile, and too zealous in his actions, to be a proper agent, let alone a respected member of society. This consideration wouldn't be incorrect. Nafiz has quite a temper (that, according to him, comes from his Albanian blood), which, in dislikeable situations, he lets to brew silently until it boils, at which point he acts out, often radically and physically, thanks to a natural sense of entitlement and dominance. Nafiz, while not stupid, sees the world in simpler, perhaps more animalistic ways, with a slight disregard for courtesy and non-physical punishment. He has, and wishes to continue to, get out of complicated situations by simply getting rid of all parties involved except himself.
While his radical, often life-endangering actions were (barely) tolerated in the Ottoman Empire, he has found life to be more complicated in Europe, having trouble adapting to life abroad, the lack of entitlement and the subtler operation methods required for his new theater of work. Henceforth, he is somewhat on edge, although this tension has led him to strive for a better record, trying his best to contain his fervor and adapt to the different environment of international spying.
Background:
Reportedly born in Salacak, Istanbul, to Atiye Hanım and Naci Bey, Nafiz had a rather simple childhood. His father, Naci Bey, was a government clerk-turned struggling tobacco trader hailing from Albania, and his mother came from a family of Circassian descent, a family that was once proud of its roots in the Harem, now devolved into nothing but a bunch of housewives with a flair for extravagance and nostalgia. Unlike Nafiz, his father Naci was a much more rational man, looking at the world from behind the lenses of law. It can be said that his son simply took a liking to more fundamental laws.
A dominant character in his childhood, Nafiz quickly became one of the bigger characters in his early education, often getting into scuffles, which, while outwardly chastized by his parents, either through shouting or a proper beating when absolutely necessary, were secretly celebrated for being signs of a true-blooded Albanian. However, his parents, no matter how proud, were still concerned about their son's well being in society, and decided to send him to military school, where they believed he could put his aggressive demeanor to good use.
Barely managing to pass the exam for enrollment in the Ottoman Military Academy, Nafiz quickly made an infamous impression with his radical, pro-constitutional ideas (inspired, but not educated, by the imam of the mosque near their house, Ismail Molla), and his insubordinative behavior. Almost expelled from the Academy, Nafiz nonetheless managed to pass all the courses, including the (for him, especially grueling) language classes, graduate, and become a non-commissioned officer, serving firstly in the Balkans as part of peacekeeping forces, going after bandits, rebels and criminals and making quite a record for, until the outbreak of the Italo-Turkish War.
Nafiz is recorded to have served alongside important figures such as Mustafa Kemal Pasha and Enver Pasha (whom Nafiz had served as orderly for) during the Italo-Turkish War, referred to as 'a fellow of choleric temperament, almost fearless yet paranoid, an excellent fighter and a smart small-scale tactician, but a horrible strategist'. A leader of various promising, but in the end repulsed assaults, Nafiz was set for dishonorable discharge for his summary execution of an officer a rank higher than him, but thanks to his relations with Enver Pasha and the Union and Progress Committee, was instead 'reassigned' back to the Balkans.
Upon the onset of the Balkan War, Nafiz was promoted to sub-lieutenant, and served favorably against Bulgarian forces, with a promising understanding of guerilla warfare, reigning free in the chaos as the leader of five hundred volunteers. Responsible for an amount of atrocities during the war, but also proving to be an effective skirmisher with a good grasp on psychological warfare, Nafiz was sent to Switzerland for physical therapy by the Army after getting wounded by artillery - even though his wounds were not severe enough to keep him from service. Nafiz theorized that his superiors had conspired against him, which was in fact true. His behavior had united both his superiors supporting the Union and Progress Committee and those against it - he was too aggressive to be kept around.
After the 1913 Ottoman Coup, Nafiz was recruited to the Ottoman Special Organization, and took part in various operations led by the Organization as an effective, but brutish enforcer. With the onset of World War One, however, Nafiz once again ended on the fronts, serving in the Dardanelles, Sinai and Caucasus fronts. Somehow surviving getting buried alive by artillery fire in the Dardanelles, and also surprisingly storming into enemy lines over and over in Sinai, Nafiz was begrudgingly promoted to Lieutenant for his unexpected effectiveness.
Serving as the commander of a small guerilla contingent, Nafiz played a part in the forced deportation efforts that would later turn into the Armenian Genocide, going after Armenian partisans. Later, he was ordered to focus more on the advancing Russian army instead, nearly losing a foot to frostbite in the cold environment of the Caucasus and Northeast Anatolia. Nafiz became bolder and bolder as the war went on, and with the lack of supplies, his maneuvers turned out more and more rabid, constantly attacking Russian supply convoys in a self-labeled war of attrition.
Upon a disastrous advance against the Russians which wiped most of his soldiers, Nafiz was honorably discharged from the Army and sent to Istanbul, something which he never forgave. In Istanbul, Nafiz was chosen by the Ottoman Special Organization for his 'unmatched skill in seeking out enemies of the state' to 'help their weary allies in the War get rid of internal enemies' (in truth, a ploy to keep him away and have Europeans worry about him). Hastily prepared for the mission, and sent to Europe to help the Central Powers, Nafiz, as expected, turned out to be trouble. But sometimes even trouble has its uses.
Of average height and a physique more stout than slight, Nafiz isn't exactly a breathtaking sight, nor is he conspicuous. The man's head has a somewhat round, wide shape, with his full cheeks, prominent nose, rather large brown eyes and voluminous mustache making up most of the dominant features one can notice in first glance. His head rests upon a thick, short neck, with a shallow, but long dimple splitting his chin in two. He has a large mouth and meaty lips, although this is somewhat hard to notice underneath the cover of his mustache. His hair, having started to grey, is often well taken care of and parted to the side.
For his age, Nafiz is quite well-built, with broad shoulders and thick limbs, and walks with the stride of a strong man, having never gotten rid of the military discipline and Albanian machismo that had been instilled in him at a young age.
Personality:
Seemingly a simple man with a staunch poker face and an inquisitive, almost criticizing glint in his eyes, those knowing Nafiz easily consider him too volatile, and too zealous in his actions, to be a proper agent, let alone a respected member of society. This consideration wouldn't be incorrect. Nafiz has quite a temper (that, according to him, comes from his Albanian blood), which, in dislikeable situations, he lets to brew silently until it boils, at which point he acts out, often radically and physically, thanks to a natural sense of entitlement and dominance. Nafiz, while not stupid, sees the world in simpler, perhaps more animalistic ways, with a slight disregard for courtesy and non-physical punishment. He has, and wishes to continue to, get out of complicated situations by simply getting rid of all parties involved except himself.
While his radical, often life-endangering actions were (barely) tolerated in the Ottoman Empire, he has found life to be more complicated in Europe, having trouble adapting to life abroad, the lack of entitlement and the subtler operation methods required for his new theater of work. Henceforth, he is somewhat on edge, although this tension has led him to strive for a better record, trying his best to contain his fervor and adapt to the different environment of international spying.
Background:
Reportedly born in Salacak, Istanbul, to Atiye Hanım and Naci Bey, Nafiz had a rather simple childhood. His father, Naci Bey, was a government clerk-turned struggling tobacco trader hailing from Albania, and his mother came from a family of Circassian descent, a family that was once proud of its roots in the Harem, now devolved into nothing but a bunch of housewives with a flair for extravagance and nostalgia. Unlike Nafiz, his father Naci was a much more rational man, looking at the world from behind the lenses of law. It can be said that his son simply took a liking to more fundamental laws.
A dominant character in his childhood, Nafiz quickly became one of the bigger characters in his early education, often getting into scuffles, which, while outwardly chastized by his parents, either through shouting or a proper beating when absolutely necessary, were secretly celebrated for being signs of a true-blooded Albanian. However, his parents, no matter how proud, were still concerned about their son's well being in society, and decided to send him to military school, where they believed he could put his aggressive demeanor to good use.
Barely managing to pass the exam for enrollment in the Ottoman Military Academy, Nafiz quickly made an infamous impression with his radical, pro-constitutional ideas (inspired, but not educated, by the imam of the mosque near their house, Ismail Molla), and his insubordinative behavior. Almost expelled from the Academy, Nafiz nonetheless managed to pass all the courses, including the (for him, especially grueling) language classes, graduate, and become a non-commissioned officer, serving firstly in the Balkans as part of peacekeeping forces, going after bandits, rebels and criminals and making quite a record for, until the outbreak of the Italo-Turkish War.
Nafiz is recorded to have served alongside important figures such as Mustafa Kemal Pasha and Enver Pasha (whom Nafiz had served as orderly for) during the Italo-Turkish War, referred to as 'a fellow of choleric temperament, almost fearless yet paranoid, an excellent fighter and a smart small-scale tactician, but a horrible strategist'. A leader of various promising, but in the end repulsed assaults, Nafiz was set for dishonorable discharge for his summary execution of an officer a rank higher than him, but thanks to his relations with Enver Pasha and the Union and Progress Committee, was instead 'reassigned' back to the Balkans.
Upon the onset of the Balkan War, Nafiz was promoted to sub-lieutenant, and served favorably against Bulgarian forces, with a promising understanding of guerilla warfare, reigning free in the chaos as the leader of five hundred volunteers. Responsible for an amount of atrocities during the war, but also proving to be an effective skirmisher with a good grasp on psychological warfare, Nafiz was sent to Switzerland for physical therapy by the Army after getting wounded by artillery - even though his wounds were not severe enough to keep him from service. Nafiz theorized that his superiors had conspired against him, which was in fact true. His behavior had united both his superiors supporting the Union and Progress Committee and those against it - he was too aggressive to be kept around.
After the 1913 Ottoman Coup, Nafiz was recruited to the Ottoman Special Organization, and took part in various operations led by the Organization as an effective, but brutish enforcer. With the onset of World War One, however, Nafiz once again ended on the fronts, serving in the Dardanelles, Sinai and Caucasus fronts. Somehow surviving getting buried alive by artillery fire in the Dardanelles, and also surprisingly storming into enemy lines over and over in Sinai, Nafiz was begrudgingly promoted to Lieutenant for his unexpected effectiveness.
Serving as the commander of a small guerilla contingent, Nafiz played a part in the forced deportation efforts that would later turn into the Armenian Genocide, going after Armenian partisans. Later, he was ordered to focus more on the advancing Russian army instead, nearly losing a foot to frostbite in the cold environment of the Caucasus and Northeast Anatolia. Nafiz became bolder and bolder as the war went on, and with the lack of supplies, his maneuvers turned out more and more rabid, constantly attacking Russian supply convoys in a self-labeled war of attrition.
Upon a disastrous advance against the Russians which wiped most of his soldiers, Nafiz was honorably discharged from the Army and sent to Istanbul, something which he never forgave. In Istanbul, Nafiz was chosen by the Ottoman Special Organization for his 'unmatched skill in seeking out enemies of the state' to 'help their weary allies in the War get rid of internal enemies' (in truth, a ploy to keep him away and have Europeans worry about him). Hastily prepared for the mission, and sent to Europe to help the Central Powers, Nafiz, as expected, turned out to be trouble. But sometimes even trouble has its uses.
Capabilities
Languages:
-Native Ottoman
-Fluent French
-Fluent German
-Slight English
Skills:
-Combat Experience
-Riding
-Skirmish Tactics
-Interrogation
-Intimidation
Flaws:
-Easily angered
-Holds grudges
-Paranoid
-Tendency to react physically
-Fear of flight
Combat Style:
For Nafiz, almost every fight is a fight for survival, and thus, every fight is to be taken seriously. Having fought against the British, ANZACs, Hindus, Italians, Arabs, Russians, Armenians, and various other ethnicities, Nafiz is no stranger to combat, whether it be a brawl, or a shootout. While not a sharpshooter, he is experienced with most weaponry and handles them with familiarity and relative accuracy, and, always the macho, often opts for more stopping power. Nafiz knows he is strong, and likes to get up close and personal and finish the job before they have a chance to react.
Connections:
N/A
Opinions of Group Members:
TBA
-Native Ottoman
-Fluent French
-Fluent German
-Slight English
Skills:
-Combat Experience
-Riding
-Skirmish Tactics
-Interrogation
-Intimidation
Flaws:
-Easily angered
-Holds grudges
-Paranoid
-Tendency to react physically
-Fear of flight
Combat Style:
For Nafiz, almost every fight is a fight for survival, and thus, every fight is to be taken seriously. Having fought against the British, ANZACs, Hindus, Italians, Arabs, Russians, Armenians, and various other ethnicities, Nafiz is no stranger to combat, whether it be a brawl, or a shootout. While not a sharpshooter, he is experienced with most weaponry and handles them with familiarity and relative accuracy, and, always the macho, often opts for more stopping power. Nafiz knows he is strong, and likes to get up close and personal and finish the job before they have a chance to react.
Connections:
N/A
Opinions of Group Members:
TBA
Inventory
Cash:
-200 Austro-Hungarian Crowns
-100 British Pounds
Tools:
-Straight Razor
-Hammer
Weapon and Ammo:
-Gasser M1880 Montenegrin Revolver w/ 20 11.25x36R rounds
-Sawed-off Martini Henry w/ 20 11.45x55R rounds
-Switchblade
Outfits:
-Hat
-Fez
-Double breasted topcoat
-Sleeveless sweater
-Suit jackets
-White shirts
-Red shirt
-Ties
-Suit pants
-Leather shoes
-Cavalry boots
Jewelry, Valuables and Personal Belongings:
-Handmade brass pocket watch
Books and Documents:
-Austrian Passport
-Fake British Passport
-English-French Dictionary
Rations:
N/A
Packs and Bags:
-Wallet
-Suitcase
-Rucksack
-Two holsters
Misc:
-A pack of chewing tobacco
-200 Austro-Hungarian Crowns
-100 British Pounds
Tools:
-Straight Razor
-Hammer
Weapon and Ammo:
-Gasser M1880 Montenegrin Revolver w/ 20 11.25x36R rounds
-Sawed-off Martini Henry w/ 20 11.45x55R rounds
-Switchblade
Outfits:
-Hat
-Fez
-Double breasted topcoat
-Sleeveless sweater
-Suit jackets
-White shirts
-Red shirt
-Ties
-Suit pants
-Leather shoes
-Cavalry boots
Jewelry, Valuables and Personal Belongings:
-Handmade brass pocket watch
Books and Documents:
-Austrian Passport
-Fake British Passport
-English-French Dictionary
Rations:
N/A
Packs and Bags:
-Wallet
-Suitcase
-Rucksack
-Two holsters
Misc:
-A pack of chewing tobacco
MacabreFox Wee Witchy Woo
Member
Seen
27 days ago
Evelyn Miriam Grey "Persephone"
Female | 32 | 5'5 | 130lbs
April 28th, 1886 - Cornwall, England | British
Profile
Appearance:
Evelyn is the epitome of a proper lady. Slender in build, she moves with purposeful grace, evidence of her youthful years as a child spent in private etiquette lessons. Some would think her fragile, or perhaps dainty, and while she appears that way too most, underneath the veneer of perfect manners, and a soft spoken voice, Evelyn is quite capable of defending herself.
Brilliant copper hair falls over her shoulders, and ends in the midst of her back. Naturally, it is wavy, but she often fixes her hair loosely. Dark lashes draw attention to a set of jade colored eyes, which are rather large in size, and give the impression of youth, even though she is merging into her thirties. Both traits she attributes to her mother's Irish lineage. A long, thin nose with a slender bridge commands the center of her face, while her lips are small and plump. She has high cheek-bones, a trait she inherits from her father's noble heritage. Her face, were it to have a shape, is square in nature, and evenly proportioned.
When it comes to the matter of her clothing, Evelyn prefers the ever-growing popular, loose fitted dresses, or button-up blouses paired with mid-calf skirts. Typically, save for the winter time, she sports a pair of t-strapped mary jane heels, and in the winter, forgoes them for a pair of mid-ankle boots.
She avoids makeup when necessary, the exception being formal occasions.
Personality:
Despite her reserved attitude, Evelyn has a magnetic aura, or some would say, even though she is naturally shy, others in a crowded room often approach her. She has a gentle look in her eyes, and an easy-going smile, a necessary attribute when it comes to searching for answers in well-placed questions. She has never been known to shout, save for those that worked alongside her as a nurse early-on in the Great War.
Most folk would notice Evelyn's fascination with literature, especially with the writers of the Enlightenment era and before, such as John Locke or Voltaire. She herself has taken up the habit of keeping a journal, most of which is written in a mysterious form of poetry, one that makes no sense to prying eyes, save for Evelyn when she reads it.
This walks hand-in-hand with her open-mindedness, as she has a unique mindset, one reminiscent that echoes the era of Romanticism, but one that is also reminiscent of philosophy.
Background:
Born into aristocracy, Evelyn Miriam Grey possessed a childhood unlike the majority of British children. Through complicated matters, her surname does not denote her true heritage. While she is a citizen of the English Crown, her mother, Maeve, hails from Galloway, Ireland. Her father, Vernon, was born in London, England to German aristocrats. Desiring to assimilate better into English society, when Vernon left his father's house to make a name for himself, he aptly changed his surname from Arnkhoff to Grey. The name stuck, and when the time came that his father passed, no one questioned who Vernon Grey was.
When Evelyn could speak, as cohesively as a toddler could, Maeve insisted that Vernon find her a governess so as to ensure that their daughter had a bright, and fruitful future, to which he reluctantly agreed. After inheriting his father's wealth, and with Maeve coming from an equally important merchant family in Galloway, money was of no concern to them. So, on her fourth birthday in the spring of 1896, Vernon procured a qualified governess to tutor his daughter in all aspects of learning. For the most part, which he proudly accredits to the timely lessons in etiquette, and the good-naturedness of Albina, the governess, Evelyn was a calm, and an endearing child. Albina taught her the love languages, with a primary focus being in German, and with insistence from her father, Italian and French. To further her fluency in German, Vernon, being fluent in tongue as well, held private lessons in his study for Evelyn to better her tongue. Even though he had tossed aside his German lineage with much shame, he felt regret in knowing that Evelyn would never know her grandfather, so to make amends, he taught her what German he could. He had her read German literature aloud, and indulged in strict German-only conversations with her. Once she became fluent, he turned to speaking a mix of English and German, most of which would come into play later in her life.
Albina tutored the young, prospering Evelyn in accounting and finance. She treated Evelyn to tours of London's memorable museums, so as to enrich her mind with every aspect of learning that she could stuff inside her head. While she grasped the basic concepts of mathematics and science, Evelyn fell in love with literature, and philosophy. Her favorite past-time being a peculiar one of sorts, she enjoyed pursuing philosophical discussions with her father in German, and in English. While Evelyn truly could be called a "daddy's girl" in modern terms, her mother kept herself busy with rearing her other children. As firstborn, great effort was placed in Evelyn to ensure the survival and legacy of the Grey aristocracy. However, as Maeve birthed three more siblings, another daughter, followed by two more sons, Evelyn became forgotten over the delight of her brothers. While she did not resent them, Evelyn did find the sudden release of attention quite liberating. With the newly acquired freedom, she spent her time focusing on "boyish" activities, learning to drive a motor vehicle, horseback-riding, archery, and took a noted liking to studying science with a renewed vigor, particularly in the interest of medicine. Maeve fretted over the notion that her firstborn daughter would turn rebellious, and lose her womanly ways, which she had every right to believe.
In 1905, when Evelyn reached nineteen years of age, she took a fancy to the suffragette movement as her growing rebellious nature erupted with a volcanic magnitude, and without the watchful eye of her mother and father centered upon her, she snuck out from home, and began participating in rallies. On four different occasions, Evelyn was arrested for public order offence, and on one charge, she was arrested for arson, after helping her fellow suffragettes set fire to a local cricket pitch used by wealthy men. While Maeve was convinced that Evelyn was putting the family's good name to shame, Vernon secretly supported, often paying the fines, or her jail bond, to be released from prison. Her relationship with her mother soured considerably, to the point that Vernon had to remove Evelyn from the Grey household. Yet, to ensure that she received the best, he put her up in a well-off borough in London, and provided her monthly funds. This, Evelyn would be forever grateful, as the growing suffragette movement would prove costly. She helped create banners, pins and broaches, and donated her funds to the WSPU (Women's Social and Political Union), which she soon became a member of in 1908.
Up until the outbreak of the Great War, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Evelyn participated actively in the suffragette movement, however, with the respect for the war, the movement was temporarily disbanded. Due to the disbandment, she volunteered as a VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment), which placed her on the front lines in France. However, before she departed for France, the Foreign Office contacted her via telegram, and had her brought down to Whitehall in London. There, the secretary of the Foreign Office, a representative from the War Office, and even the presence of Winston Churchill, inquired after Evelyn, if she had the courage to assume the task as an operative under the guise as a nurse. Relishing in the unique, and honorable task presented to her, Evelyn agreed. As a nurse, were she to encounter injured enemies, with skill in linguistics, she was to withdraw as much information as she could, and send reports as needed. They gave her the code name, Persephone.
The first initial years on the front lines in France dramatically changed Evelyn, for better or for worse remains to be seen. Following troop movements as part of a field hospital, she witnessed grisly injuries. Originally, like most VADs, she was stuck with changing bed linens, emptying bed pans, and cleaning floors. While the Crown had failed to the realize that with Evelyn working as an operative in the field, they needed her as close to the sources of potential information as possible. So, with a certain letter, Evelyn began learning under the careful guidance of the head nurse, on how to administer drugs, change dressings, and even how to assist in surgical operations. Eventually, with the lack of women knowing how to drive in the beginning, she volunteered to work as an ambulance driver, which allowed her to arrive on scene for the wounded. After one battle in Verdun, in 1916, with a great loss on the German side, Evelyn encountered several German soldiers at the field hospital in which she served. She specifically chose to tend to them, being four altogether. Her skill from manipulative speech came in handy, as she spoke tenderly to them in German, torturing them medically if they did not yield to her the information she desired. She decreased their morphine, until the pain became so unbearable that they had to admit defeat. Gleaning what information she could from them, she kept up her operative actions with secrecy. Most nurses were too busy to notice the nature of her actions. However, on one such account, as she was returning from the front lines to the field hospital, she, and the other nurses were ambushed by German soldiers. These German soldiers fatally wounded the Allied soldiers in the back of the ambulance, and took the nurses hostage.
Once it was discovered that Evelyn spoke fluent German, and had proficient skills in nursing, they decided to keep her much like a prisoner of war, and forced her to treat wounded soldiers on their side of the line. One particular German soldier revealed to her that he was an intelligence officer, and confessed that he was indebted to her for saving his life. Initially, she thought nothing of it, but as he recovered under her care, and was later relocated to a base hospital, she went with him. To Evelyn, it seemed that she would never find escape from being a prisoner of war, unless the war ended. Forming a mutual relationship with the intelligence officer, Klaus Helmfried, he expressed kindness, in a sense, and suggested that she might find work more liberating if she were to speak with his higher ups. At first, she declined the offer, but as Klaus recovered, she determined that it would be safer for her to discover what the Germans had to offer. Under the impression that Evelyn was an English woman with German and Irish blood, and that she was truly an Irish Nationalist supporting the liberation of Ireland from the Royal English Crown. So, early spring in March of 1918, after his full recovery, Klaus and Evelyn journeyed away from the front lines. After passing safely into German controlled territory, far beyond Lorraine, Klaus brought Evelyn to one of the German bases to meet his next-in-command.
At great length, Seppel Traugott, Klaus' higher-up, interrogated Evelyn. The Germans were in great need of operatives, but not any particular person could be taken onboard. By this point in time, Evelyn's main goal was to survive the war, and return home to England, and she would do whatever necessary to ensure her survival. So she spun a tale, and like she had mentioned to Klaus, expressed that she was an Irish Nationalist, and despite her ties to England, desired to have England thwarted, so that her Irish kin, could be liberated from rule of the Crown, and the only way to have that come to fruition, is to have the Central Powers win the war. Convinced that the woman before them was indeed, not a British spy, but rather a bleeding-heart Irish supporter, Seppel reluctantly agreed to have her work as an operative for them. Months passed, as she had undertaken a few missions in the field, when a missive came to her, indicating that she head to Vienna for her next mission.
Evelyn is the epitome of a proper lady. Slender in build, she moves with purposeful grace, evidence of her youthful years as a child spent in private etiquette lessons. Some would think her fragile, or perhaps dainty, and while she appears that way too most, underneath the veneer of perfect manners, and a soft spoken voice, Evelyn is quite capable of defending herself.
Brilliant copper hair falls over her shoulders, and ends in the midst of her back. Naturally, it is wavy, but she often fixes her hair loosely. Dark lashes draw attention to a set of jade colored eyes, which are rather large in size, and give the impression of youth, even though she is merging into her thirties. Both traits she attributes to her mother's Irish lineage. A long, thin nose with a slender bridge commands the center of her face, while her lips are small and plump. She has high cheek-bones, a trait she inherits from her father's noble heritage. Her face, were it to have a shape, is square in nature, and evenly proportioned.
When it comes to the matter of her clothing, Evelyn prefers the ever-growing popular, loose fitted dresses, or button-up blouses paired with mid-calf skirts. Typically, save for the winter time, she sports a pair of t-strapped mary jane heels, and in the winter, forgoes them for a pair of mid-ankle boots.
She avoids makeup when necessary, the exception being formal occasions.
Personality:
Despite her reserved attitude, Evelyn has a magnetic aura, or some would say, even though she is naturally shy, others in a crowded room often approach her. She has a gentle look in her eyes, and an easy-going smile, a necessary attribute when it comes to searching for answers in well-placed questions. She has never been known to shout, save for those that worked alongside her as a nurse early-on in the Great War.
Most folk would notice Evelyn's fascination with literature, especially with the writers of the Enlightenment era and before, such as John Locke or Voltaire. She herself has taken up the habit of keeping a journal, most of which is written in a mysterious form of poetry, one that makes no sense to prying eyes, save for Evelyn when she reads it.
This walks hand-in-hand with her open-mindedness, as she has a unique mindset, one reminiscent that echoes the era of Romanticism, but one that is also reminiscent of philosophy.
Background:
Born into aristocracy, Evelyn Miriam Grey possessed a childhood unlike the majority of British children. Through complicated matters, her surname does not denote her true heritage. While she is a citizen of the English Crown, her mother, Maeve, hails from Galloway, Ireland. Her father, Vernon, was born in London, England to German aristocrats. Desiring to assimilate better into English society, when Vernon left his father's house to make a name for himself, he aptly changed his surname from Arnkhoff to Grey. The name stuck, and when the time came that his father passed, no one questioned who Vernon Grey was.
When Evelyn could speak, as cohesively as a toddler could, Maeve insisted that Vernon find her a governess so as to ensure that their daughter had a bright, and fruitful future, to which he reluctantly agreed. After inheriting his father's wealth, and with Maeve coming from an equally important merchant family in Galloway, money was of no concern to them. So, on her fourth birthday in the spring of 1896, Vernon procured a qualified governess to tutor his daughter in all aspects of learning. For the most part, which he proudly accredits to the timely lessons in etiquette, and the good-naturedness of Albina, the governess, Evelyn was a calm, and an endearing child. Albina taught her the love languages, with a primary focus being in German, and with insistence from her father, Italian and French. To further her fluency in German, Vernon, being fluent in tongue as well, held private lessons in his study for Evelyn to better her tongue. Even though he had tossed aside his German lineage with much shame, he felt regret in knowing that Evelyn would never know her grandfather, so to make amends, he taught her what German he could. He had her read German literature aloud, and indulged in strict German-only conversations with her. Once she became fluent, he turned to speaking a mix of English and German, most of which would come into play later in her life.
Albina tutored the young, prospering Evelyn in accounting and finance. She treated Evelyn to tours of London's memorable museums, so as to enrich her mind with every aspect of learning that she could stuff inside her head. While she grasped the basic concepts of mathematics and science, Evelyn fell in love with literature, and philosophy. Her favorite past-time being a peculiar one of sorts, she enjoyed pursuing philosophical discussions with her father in German, and in English. While Evelyn truly could be called a "daddy's girl" in modern terms, her mother kept herself busy with rearing her other children. As firstborn, great effort was placed in Evelyn to ensure the survival and legacy of the Grey aristocracy. However, as Maeve birthed three more siblings, another daughter, followed by two more sons, Evelyn became forgotten over the delight of her brothers. While she did not resent them, Evelyn did find the sudden release of attention quite liberating. With the newly acquired freedom, she spent her time focusing on "boyish" activities, learning to drive a motor vehicle, horseback-riding, archery, and took a noted liking to studying science with a renewed vigor, particularly in the interest of medicine. Maeve fretted over the notion that her firstborn daughter would turn rebellious, and lose her womanly ways, which she had every right to believe.
In 1905, when Evelyn reached nineteen years of age, she took a fancy to the suffragette movement as her growing rebellious nature erupted with a volcanic magnitude, and without the watchful eye of her mother and father centered upon her, she snuck out from home, and began participating in rallies. On four different occasions, Evelyn was arrested for public order offence, and on one charge, she was arrested for arson, after helping her fellow suffragettes set fire to a local cricket pitch used by wealthy men. While Maeve was convinced that Evelyn was putting the family's good name to shame, Vernon secretly supported, often paying the fines, or her jail bond, to be released from prison. Her relationship with her mother soured considerably, to the point that Vernon had to remove Evelyn from the Grey household. Yet, to ensure that she received the best, he put her up in a well-off borough in London, and provided her monthly funds. This, Evelyn would be forever grateful, as the growing suffragette movement would prove costly. She helped create banners, pins and broaches, and donated her funds to the WSPU (Women's Social and Political Union), which she soon became a member of in 1908.
Up until the outbreak of the Great War, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Evelyn participated actively in the suffragette movement, however, with the respect for the war, the movement was temporarily disbanded. Due to the disbandment, she volunteered as a VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment), which placed her on the front lines in France. However, before she departed for France, the Foreign Office contacted her via telegram, and had her brought down to Whitehall in London. There, the secretary of the Foreign Office, a representative from the War Office, and even the presence of Winston Churchill, inquired after Evelyn, if she had the courage to assume the task as an operative under the guise as a nurse. Relishing in the unique, and honorable task presented to her, Evelyn agreed. As a nurse, were she to encounter injured enemies, with skill in linguistics, she was to withdraw as much information as she could, and send reports as needed. They gave her the code name, Persephone.
The first initial years on the front lines in France dramatically changed Evelyn, for better or for worse remains to be seen. Following troop movements as part of a field hospital, she witnessed grisly injuries. Originally, like most VADs, she was stuck with changing bed linens, emptying bed pans, and cleaning floors. While the Crown had failed to the realize that with Evelyn working as an operative in the field, they needed her as close to the sources of potential information as possible. So, with a certain letter, Evelyn began learning under the careful guidance of the head nurse, on how to administer drugs, change dressings, and even how to assist in surgical operations. Eventually, with the lack of women knowing how to drive in the beginning, she volunteered to work as an ambulance driver, which allowed her to arrive on scene for the wounded. After one battle in Verdun, in 1916, with a great loss on the German side, Evelyn encountered several German soldiers at the field hospital in which she served. She specifically chose to tend to them, being four altogether. Her skill from manipulative speech came in handy, as she spoke tenderly to them in German, torturing them medically if they did not yield to her the information she desired. She decreased their morphine, until the pain became so unbearable that they had to admit defeat. Gleaning what information she could from them, she kept up her operative actions with secrecy. Most nurses were too busy to notice the nature of her actions. However, on one such account, as she was returning from the front lines to the field hospital, she, and the other nurses were ambushed by German soldiers. These German soldiers fatally wounded the Allied soldiers in the back of the ambulance, and took the nurses hostage.
Once it was discovered that Evelyn spoke fluent German, and had proficient skills in nursing, they decided to keep her much like a prisoner of war, and forced her to treat wounded soldiers on their side of the line. One particular German soldier revealed to her that he was an intelligence officer, and confessed that he was indebted to her for saving his life. Initially, she thought nothing of it, but as he recovered under her care, and was later relocated to a base hospital, she went with him. To Evelyn, it seemed that she would never find escape from being a prisoner of war, unless the war ended. Forming a mutual relationship with the intelligence officer, Klaus Helmfried, he expressed kindness, in a sense, and suggested that she might find work more liberating if she were to speak with his higher ups. At first, she declined the offer, but as Klaus recovered, she determined that it would be safer for her to discover what the Germans had to offer. Under the impression that Evelyn was an English woman with German and Irish blood, and that she was truly an Irish Nationalist supporting the liberation of Ireland from the Royal English Crown. So, early spring in March of 1918, after his full recovery, Klaus and Evelyn journeyed away from the front lines. After passing safely into German controlled territory, far beyond Lorraine, Klaus brought Evelyn to one of the German bases to meet his next-in-command.
At great length, Seppel Traugott, Klaus' higher-up, interrogated Evelyn. The Germans were in great need of operatives, but not any particular person could be taken onboard. By this point in time, Evelyn's main goal was to survive the war, and return home to England, and she would do whatever necessary to ensure her survival. So she spun a tale, and like she had mentioned to Klaus, expressed that she was an Irish Nationalist, and despite her ties to England, desired to have England thwarted, so that her Irish kin, could be liberated from rule of the Crown, and the only way to have that come to fruition, is to have the Central Powers win the war. Convinced that the woman before them was indeed, not a British spy, but rather a bleeding-heart Irish supporter, Seppel reluctantly agreed to have her work as an operative for them. Months passed, as she had undertaken a few missions in the field, when a missive came to her, indicating that she head to Vienna for her next mission.
Capabilities
Languages:
- English (Native)
- German (Fluent)
- Italian (Acceptable)
- French (Acceptable)
Skills:
- Nursing
- Translating/Interpreting
- Manipulation
- Revolvers
- Dirty Fighting
Flaws:
- Murderer {While she never wanted to, so to say, Evelyn has had to murder a few people since entering France. Some she has killed while they were patients under her care, others, she had to defend her livelihood.}
- Paranoid {Concerned that she will be discovered that she is actually a double-agent, Evelyn is rather tight-lipped around those she doesn't trust. Which, to think of it, isn't many people since she ended up on the wrong side of the war now.}
- Survivalistic {Evelyn will do whatever it takes to make sure she survives the war. Whatever it takes.}
- Manipulative {This plays into her survivalist tendencies, but also hails from her days as a suffragette. She isn't afraid to manipulate those around her to get what she wants or needs. Even if it is murdering someone in cold-blood.}
Combat Style:
Evelyn often chooses to avoid direct engagement in combat for as long as possible, she uses this as a way to use more tasteful tactics, allowing her skills gained in nursing to come in handy. She'd rather slip her target some morphine, or give them a dousing of chloroform before engaging them in combat. If that is not possible, or if she misses the chance to use one of these tactics, she will resort to using her revolver, or the switchblade that she keeps readily available in her pocket. If all else truly fails, then Evelyn will resort to dirty fighting, such as kicking, biting, smacking, pinching, finding pressure points, or even throwing or breaking items. Anything she gets her hands on, becomes an item of defence.
Connections:
- Royal British Crown
- Grey Aristocrat Family
- Women's Social and Political Union
- Irish Nationalist
Opinions of Group Members: (to be updated once the game is under way)
- English (Native)
- German (Fluent)
- Italian (Acceptable)
- French (Acceptable)
Skills:
- Nursing
- Translating/Interpreting
- Manipulation
- Revolvers
- Dirty Fighting
Flaws:
- Murderer {While she never wanted to, so to say, Evelyn has had to murder a few people since entering France. Some she has killed while they were patients under her care, others, she had to defend her livelihood.}
- Paranoid {Concerned that she will be discovered that she is actually a double-agent, Evelyn is rather tight-lipped around those she doesn't trust. Which, to think of it, isn't many people since she ended up on the wrong side of the war now.}
- Survivalistic {Evelyn will do whatever it takes to make sure she survives the war. Whatever it takes.}
- Manipulative {This plays into her survivalist tendencies, but also hails from her days as a suffragette. She isn't afraid to manipulate those around her to get what she wants or needs. Even if it is murdering someone in cold-blood.}
Combat Style:
Evelyn often chooses to avoid direct engagement in combat for as long as possible, she uses this as a way to use more tasteful tactics, allowing her skills gained in nursing to come in handy. She'd rather slip her target some morphine, or give them a dousing of chloroform before engaging them in combat. If that is not possible, or if she misses the chance to use one of these tactics, she will resort to using her revolver, or the switchblade that she keeps readily available in her pocket. If all else truly fails, then Evelyn will resort to dirty fighting, such as kicking, biting, smacking, pinching, finding pressure points, or even throwing or breaking items. Anything she gets her hands on, becomes an item of defence.
Connections:
- Royal British Crown
- Grey Aristocrat Family
- Women's Social and Political Union
- Irish Nationalist
Opinions of Group Members: (to be updated once the game is under way)
Inventory
Cash:
- 110 British Pounds
- 100 Austrian Krone
Tools:
- Switchblade
- First Aid Kit
- Bottle of Iodine
- Bottle of Chloroform
- Bottle of Morphine
- Roll of Linen Bandages
- 2 Spools of Surgical Thread
- 1 Set of Surgical Needles
Weapon and Ammo:
- Mauser Zig-Zag 9mm
- 2 boxes of 9mm cartridges
Outfits:
- Knitted Scarf
- Leather Gloves
- Knitted Hat
- Trench Coat
- 2 pairs of Socks
- 2 pairs of Female Undergarments
- 1 Dress
- Pair of Ankle Boots
- Pair of Nurse Trousers
- 2 Blouses
Jewelry, Valuables and Personal Belongings:
- Silver Locket with Family Photo
Books and Documents:
- British Passport
- English to Italian Dictionary
- English to French Dictionary
Rations:
- Hard Tack
- Canteen for Water
- Bottle of Whiskey
Packs and Bags:
- Canvas Cloth Messenger Bag
- Clutch (Used for carrying important items, i.e, passport, and money)
Misc:
N/A
- 110 British Pounds
- 100 Austrian Krone
Tools:
- Switchblade
- First Aid Kit
- Bottle of Iodine
- Bottle of Chloroform
- Bottle of Morphine
- Roll of Linen Bandages
- 2 Spools of Surgical Thread
- 1 Set of Surgical Needles
Weapon and Ammo:
- Mauser Zig-Zag 9mm
- 2 boxes of 9mm cartridges
Outfits:
- Knitted Scarf
- Leather Gloves
- Knitted Hat
- Trench Coat
- 2 pairs of Socks
- 2 pairs of Female Undergarments
- 1 Dress
- Pair of Ankle Boots
- Pair of Nurse Trousers
- 2 Blouses
Jewelry, Valuables and Personal Belongings:
- Silver Locket with Family Photo
Books and Documents:
- British Passport
- English to Italian Dictionary
- English to French Dictionary
Rations:
- Hard Tack
- Canteen for Water
- Bottle of Whiskey
Packs and Bags:
- Canvas Cloth Messenger Bag
- Clutch (Used for carrying important items, i.e, passport, and money)
Misc:
N/A
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