On the Formation of the Crew
To be yet written. Mostly using this as a test.
[CHAR] Volæria: A Red Rose in November
- Large Group
- Historical
- Fantasy
- Casual
- 18+
- Advanced
- Steampunk
- GM Blubaron45 Co-GM FoxFire
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Blubaron45 The Musical Mathmagician
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17 days ago
Salvatore Brucchelli
"Life is interesting and simple except for the people who attempt to make it boring and difficult."
Theme(s): Le Temps des Cerises
B A S I C I N F O R M A T I O N
Full Name: Salvatore Andrea Brucchelli
Nickname: Il Dulce, Sal
Date of Birth: February 12, 1893
Place of Birth: Near Cosenza, Calabria, Italy
Gender: Male
Race, Ethnicity: Caucasian, Italian
Eye Color: Green
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 183 lbs
Nickname: Il Dulce, Sal
Date of Birth: February 12, 1893
Place of Birth: Near Cosenza, Calabria, Italy
Gender: Male
Race, Ethnicity: Caucasian, Italian
Eye Color: Green
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 183 lbs
D E T A I L E D I N F O R M A T I O N
Titles/Social Status: Citizen.
Appearance: Sal is a dusty haired man with messy and curled brown hair that flows peacefully from the top of his head. Having the olive skin of his native countrymen, the man could hardly not be distinguished from his southern European countrymen. His small, hooked nose is also a giveaway of his origins as well though something about the man can make any European recognize him as an Italian. The Captain is often seen wearing his typical gear which includes a casual Victorian suit worn without either cravat or tie, a white long sleeve shirt, a vest, worn out work boots, and a pair of black dusty slacks that complement his appearance.
Appearance: Sal is a dusty haired man with messy and curled brown hair that flows peacefully from the top of his head. Having the olive skin of his native countrymen, the man could hardly not be distinguished from his southern European countrymen. His small, hooked nose is also a giveaway of his origins as well though something about the man can make any European recognize him as an Italian. The Captain is often seen wearing his typical gear which includes a casual Victorian suit worn without either cravat or tie, a white long sleeve shirt, a vest, worn out work boots, and a pair of black dusty slacks that complement his appearance.
O C C U P A T I O N A L A N D F I G H T I N G A B I L I T I E S
Past Occupation: Car Mechanic, Veteran Italian Pilot during the Great War, Aviation Mechanic.
Current Occupation: Freelance Captain of the Strativella, Modella Titan 1914 Type B which is a cargo/passenger Aethership.
Equipment:
Notable Talents/Abilities:
Current Occupation: Freelance Captain of the Strativella, Modella Titan 1914 Type B which is a cargo/passenger Aethership.
Equipment:
- Gewehr 98 Mauser rifle. He doesn't take this in public but has it on his ship.
- Colt Model 1898 he carries almost at all times.
- Gold Locket, which contains a picture of his mother.
- American Trench Knife he holds on his left side near his breast.
- Italian Knife he holds on his belt
- Long dagger he holds next to his boot
- A set of binoculars. He doesn't take this in public either.
Notable Talents/Abilities:
- Heroic Pilot - "Il Dulce" was the name of this pilot during his reign of the time of the Great War. Known for ending the lives of many brave men, Salvatore Brucchelli was the Italian Air Force's greatest asset during this time.
- Great Mechanic - Quiet possibly being proclaimed as a very good mechanic, the captain not only is a great pilot but perhaps is almost an equally good mechanic.
- Experienced marksman - Salvatore is a decent shot, not really much of a sharpshooter but can definitely prove himself to be capable of holding himself while under pressure.
P E R S O N A L
Hobbies/Pastimes:
Talents/Skills not mentioned:
- Fixing the engine of his Aethership
- Reading - Sal is a genuinely curious man, often reading philosophy and reading news on his spare time.
- Boxing - Sal is an avid watcher of boxing, often listening and reading about the ever growing American stars during the golden age. He is also not a bad fighter himself, having been trained as an amateur.
- Playing the guitar
- Playing cards
Talents/Skills not mentioned:
- Decent card player - Can play poker very well and be an entertaining player.
- Guitar player - Sal has learned to play since the age of 12 and can play very well. Singing however, is not his forte.
- Literate
P E R S O N A L I T Y
Salvatore is a quiet, reserved man though not due to shyness as he only chooses to open his mouth only when needed to and holds quite possibly one of the best poker faces among his colleagues. In this essence through his eyes nothing is wasted, nothing too revealing and manifesting towards his enemies that could be of use to him. Despite his seemingly serious endeavor however, Sal possesses a sarcastic and rather morbid sense of humor, sometimes finding humor during the darkest situations he finds himself in. It is perhaps not a surprising fact that the man almost obviously uses it to cope with stress of his former life as a soldier and new life as a criminal. Despite being a hardened man with a history of criminality Sal is a rather fair man, willing to do right by everyone so as long as he is knowingly not being taken advantage of. He is not a con man, but knows when he is being conned and it is best to tread lightly when attempting to deceive him for there aren't many who live to double-cross him.
B I O G R A P H Y
Born on a simple farm on the outskirts of what is now Cosenza in Calabria, Italy, Salvatore was the third born in his family out of five children(siblings in order: Francesca, Emilio, Salvatore, Dario, Michael). The Brucchelli family was everything which encompassed the typical farming family in southern Italy though were far from living the privileged life. Yet despite this, the Brucchelli managed to financially hold their own despite their financial deficits.
As a Brucchelli, nothing was quite expected out of the farmer family except for the affinity the young man seemed to have possessed at a young age which was towards craftsmanship, a gift he had not truly honed until he was older. Though it was obvious that his curiosity for simple mechanical devises had certainly complemented his interest in aircraft later in his life. He was a naturally curious fellow, eventually teaching himself how to read and write which was also subsequently taught by his older siblings to which he himself would later pass down. Sal had an active and rather happy childhood, having plenty of friends and although losing his younger sibling Dario to a fever, live was still satisfying for the young man despite its repercussions. Glancing back at the nostalgia, Sal could remember that days of vivid color and everything that encompassed happiness, even in his days of living in poverty, where his family struggled in those grueling years. Everywhere in his youth was full of optimism, especially as he got older when he first became an apprentice mechanic as the Aerial Age grew.
It was in those years of study and apprenticeship that the young man, 16 at the time soared and began to earn his trade which eventually landed him a job in a small Aethership company. With money to help himself and his family, life was going all to well for the Brucchelli family as each of the children had developed their own trade. With Francesca married to a well-to-do gentleman, Emilio in line to inherit the family farm, and little Michael honing his ability into becoming a constructions worker it seemed that the family had their children set for life.
The world began to change however as the century passed, for a war began to brew in Europe and eventually pulled many young men into the pit of cataclysm and the turmoils of battle. Fortunately with his prowess for aircrafts, Salvatore was landed into a job well suited for him, an aircraft pilot. His duties were simple: to fly on defense missions and whenever he wasn't on duty to work on planes. Upon hearing his younger brother Michael taking the role of a sniper, Salvatore feared for his safety as his family did for him. For the time being, he could only hope for the best and that both brothers would pass through this bloody war in safety.
It was only after witnessing the Aethership La Calabria and its grandeur with his own eyes that Sal felt utterly mesmerized by mankind's ingenuity and even more so for the field of Aetherium-based technology. This would be his ship for the time being and the young man felt as if he were literally riding in history. His aspirations however, were soon to be spoiled as one day he received a letter during a voyage in the large vessel which was going across the Mediterranean of his now deceased brother who had been killed in action on the battlefield. Crushed and devastated, the young man could only hope that war was not as ugly and as ferocious as written in the memoirs of wiser men. During the next year in a half, Salvatore later would only recognize war as more unnerving and grueling as he even thought as he entered his first dogfight. The pilot was nicknamed "Il Dulce" for his affinity for airplane aviation, being known for ending the lives and laying waste to more lives than he could count.
Those years were a turning point in Sal's life for they had also been the worse. It is easy to tell grand tales of heroism, bravery, and the splendor of fighting for your country and other to be during those moments of despair and bloodshed. Sal had become numb yet knew his duty as a soldier to fight until there was no fight left. It was until one day during an aerial battle that the dubbed "indestructible vessel" Calabria which had been named after his home province had been destroyed and Sal could do nothing but watch as it burst and collapse from the clear sky with his close friends inside. It was estimated that around 3,000 men aboard the large Aethership had lost their lives, only 37 making it out with their lives who were all pilots. It was one of few large Aethership vessels to crash during that time and the Calabria had not been the first. The war ended only a few months later in a stalemate.
The war had been over, and Salvatore was to now go back to his life at home as an aircraft mechanic without his brother and the friends he had made in his career in the military. It was in his honest life that Sal realized that the war had changed him. It seemed that all color had grown out of his life, the days that passed by were shaded by gray and the young man found himself deep in an abyss of emptiness. Sal left his life and family behind him and just like the Caladria which burned away amidst the perils of war, so did the idea of his home. It was only just after the war would the ex-pilot and hero would participate in a line of unscrupulous work, finding jobs as a hitman and later accumulated money with his now second in command friend (who is yet to be mentioned) in order to buy a moderately sized cargo ship and work as a freelance cargo transporter, taking jobs from anyone wiling to pay him.
As a Brucchelli, nothing was quite expected out of the farmer family except for the affinity the young man seemed to have possessed at a young age which was towards craftsmanship, a gift he had not truly honed until he was older. Though it was obvious that his curiosity for simple mechanical devises had certainly complemented his interest in aircraft later in his life. He was a naturally curious fellow, eventually teaching himself how to read and write which was also subsequently taught by his older siblings to which he himself would later pass down. Sal had an active and rather happy childhood, having plenty of friends and although losing his younger sibling Dario to a fever, live was still satisfying for the young man despite its repercussions. Glancing back at the nostalgia, Sal could remember that days of vivid color and everything that encompassed happiness, even in his days of living in poverty, where his family struggled in those grueling years. Everywhere in his youth was full of optimism, especially as he got older when he first became an apprentice mechanic as the Aerial Age grew.
It was in those years of study and apprenticeship that the young man, 16 at the time soared and began to earn his trade which eventually landed him a job in a small Aethership company. With money to help himself and his family, life was going all to well for the Brucchelli family as each of the children had developed their own trade. With Francesca married to a well-to-do gentleman, Emilio in line to inherit the family farm, and little Michael honing his ability into becoming a constructions worker it seemed that the family had their children set for life.
The world began to change however as the century passed, for a war began to brew in Europe and eventually pulled many young men into the pit of cataclysm and the turmoils of battle. Fortunately with his prowess for aircrafts, Salvatore was landed into a job well suited for him, an aircraft pilot. His duties were simple: to fly on defense missions and whenever he wasn't on duty to work on planes. Upon hearing his younger brother Michael taking the role of a sniper, Salvatore feared for his safety as his family did for him. For the time being, he could only hope for the best and that both brothers would pass through this bloody war in safety.
It was only after witnessing the Aethership La Calabria and its grandeur with his own eyes that Sal felt utterly mesmerized by mankind's ingenuity and even more so for the field of Aetherium-based technology. This would be his ship for the time being and the young man felt as if he were literally riding in history. His aspirations however, were soon to be spoiled as one day he received a letter during a voyage in the large vessel which was going across the Mediterranean of his now deceased brother who had been killed in action on the battlefield. Crushed and devastated, the young man could only hope that war was not as ugly and as ferocious as written in the memoirs of wiser men. During the next year in a half, Salvatore later would only recognize war as more unnerving and grueling as he even thought as he entered his first dogfight. The pilot was nicknamed "Il Dulce" for his affinity for airplane aviation, being known for ending the lives and laying waste to more lives than he could count.
Those years were a turning point in Sal's life for they had also been the worse. It is easy to tell grand tales of heroism, bravery, and the splendor of fighting for your country and other to be during those moments of despair and bloodshed. Sal had become numb yet knew his duty as a soldier to fight until there was no fight left. It was until one day during an aerial battle that the dubbed "indestructible vessel" Calabria which had been named after his home province had been destroyed and Sal could do nothing but watch as it burst and collapse from the clear sky with his close friends inside. It was estimated that around 3,000 men aboard the large Aethership had lost their lives, only 37 making it out with their lives who were all pilots. It was one of few large Aethership vessels to crash during that time and the Calabria had not been the first. The war ended only a few months later in a stalemate.
The war had been over, and Salvatore was to now go back to his life at home as an aircraft mechanic without his brother and the friends he had made in his career in the military. It was in his honest life that Sal realized that the war had changed him. It seemed that all color had grown out of his life, the days that passed by were shaded by gray and the young man found himself deep in an abyss of emptiness. Sal left his life and family behind him and just like the Caladria which burned away amidst the perils of war, so did the idea of his home. It was only just after the war would the ex-pilot and hero would participate in a line of unscrupulous work, finding jobs as a hitman and later accumulated money with his now second in command friend (who is yet to be mentioned) in order to buy a moderately sized cargo ship and work as a freelance cargo transporter, taking jobs from anyone wiling to pay him.
coGM
Frederick Charles II of Hesse-Kassel
"You don’t have to act serious to be serious about your dealings; seriousness is a loss of lifetime."
Theme(s): Johan’s Waltz
B A S I C I N F O R M A T I O N
Full Name: Friedrich Karl von Hessen-Kassel
Nickname: Herr Wurst (derogatory)
Date of Birth: 7 of July, 1895
Place of Birth: Berlin, Preußen, Deutsches Kaiserreich
Gender: Male
Race, Ethnicity: Caucasian, German
Eye Color: Green
Height: 1,87 m.
Weight: 89 kg.
Nickname: Herr Wurst (derogatory)
Date of Birth: 7 of July, 1895
Place of Birth: Berlin, Preußen, Deutsches Kaiserreich
Gender: Male
Race, Ethnicity: Caucasian, German
Eye Color: Green
Height: 1,87 m.
Weight: 89 kg.
D E T A I L E D I N F O R M A T I O N
Titles: None, formerly nobility.
Appearance: Frederick Charles is a tall and broad-shouldered man in amount large enough to be noticeable and not excessive so as to be part of his most defining characteristics. He has inherited his mother’s vivaciously green eyes that set him apart from the rest of his family and her reddened brown hair instead of his father’s blond one. These characteristics are a constant reminder of his origins and the weight they carry with them.
He is often seen wearing expensive suits in almost any circumstance, with his style decided primarily on his impulses more than in practicality. While these suits serve as a reminder of his former status, for his job are a necessity and for his habits of former status they are the small consolation of mundanity.
Appearance: Frederick Charles is a tall and broad-shouldered man in amount large enough to be noticeable and not excessive so as to be part of his most defining characteristics. He has inherited his mother’s vivaciously green eyes that set him apart from the rest of his family and her reddened brown hair instead of his father’s blond one. These characteristics are a constant reminder of his origins and the weight they carry with them.
He is often seen wearing expensive suits in almost any circumstance, with his style decided primarily on his impulses more than in practicality. While these suits serve as a reminder of his former status, for his job are a necessity and for his habits of former status they are the small consolation of mundanity.
O C C U P A T I O N A L A N D F I G H T I N G A B I L I T I E S
Past Occupation: Frederick Charles was a diplomat as soon as his majority of age arrived, granted to him by his ability of easily grasping new languages and the connections of his family.
Current Occupation: Current face of the public relations of the Strativella.
Equipment:
Notable Talents/Abilities:
Reasons why they are a crew member aboard this vessel: Do not write this part yet.
Current Occupation: Current face of the public relations of the Strativella.
Equipment:
- LeMat Rovelver: Frederick always carries with him this fancy 9 shot revolver with a surprise shotgun shell. Most people are unaware or aren’t used to its larger capacity to it has saved Frederick’s life more than a few times when deals got rougher.
- Sketch notebook and box filled with diverse pencils: Essential for an avid draftsman and caricaturist.
- Modified greatcoat: As any person who has been in this risky business long enough, the fallen noble knows almost everyone has a reason and a price to stab you in the back, so Frederick weaved a chainmail and several metal plates into the cloth of a greatcoat. It might not give him great mobility or speed, but stabbing in the back comes mostly from blind spots anyway.
Notable Talents/Abilities:
- Smooth talker: You don’t go far into the diplomatic business if you aren’t able to sweeten sour deals and manage to obtain the best out of any situation with your sharp tongue as your only weapon.
- Decent shot: Frederick will never go down in history as a great sniper nor sharpshooter, but his enemies will go down in front of him much faster than what several of them can inflict upon him.
- Prodigious polyglot: Frederick speaks a multitude of languages, both from Europe and from abroad, making him able to conduct business with many different clients with no problem. It also gives him an edge where many people commit the mistake in discussing things in their language expecting him not to understand.
Reasons why they are a crew member aboard this vessel: Do not write this part yet.
P E R S O N A L
Hobbies/Pastimes:
Talents/Skills: What are they good at which hasn't already been mentioned?
- Sketching: The former German noble likes to draw what he sees as interesting, be it machines, landscapes or people, and sometimes draws some caricatures of the people he finds amusing for whatever reason. It helps him clear his head, order his ideas and, should he sustain it long enough, not to think about anything.
- Playing instruments: Frederick is proficient in both piano and violin.
- Drinking: Frederick might not be an alcoholic, but he enjoys his drinks a little too much, regardless of their quality, if it has alcohol, it gets a pass on his book. Plus he doesn’t know a dime about the types of alcohol.
Talents/Skills: What are they good at which hasn't already been mentioned?
P E R S O N A L I T Y
Frederick measures carefully his words and therefore is hard to get an accurate portrayal of his personality if he doesn’t wish to present anything beyond his business persona. However, once one passes his threshold of trust, it is possible to find a vivacious young man with a deep desire to stand out beyond what is expected of him. When his mask is left behind and he can be himself, he is brash of acting and sometimes even abrasive of talk in spite of all of what his persona might seem like.
Frederick is very intelligent and even more sharp of tongue should the situation present itself for it. With subtle humour he attacks his enemies beneath their noses without them realizing it before being too late.
Frederick is very intelligent and even more sharp of tongue should the situation present itself for it. With subtle humour he attacks his enemies beneath their noses without them realizing it before being too late.
B I O G R A P H Y
Frederick Charles II von Hessen-Kassel was born in 1895 as Frederick Charles Aodh, of his father Frederick Charles von Hessen-Kassel and Branwen Aodh, one of his mistress. Baptized originally with the surname of his mother, Frederick was tried to be kept a secret from the world. However, the truth came out a few years later when he was a child and his father decided to legitimize him despite his wife’s very vocal attempts against it, seeing he also had two legitimate sons before him: Frederick Wilhelm Sigismund, born 1893 and Maximilian Frederick Wilhelm Georg, born 1894.
Frederick, even as a child showed an innate talent for languages and a silver tongue, the decision was clear once he was old enough: he would go to a diplomats’ academy. Even though it was not a promising idea in the eyes of many that for the shame of the family to be paraded around the world, in the end the finality of his father that he had to be someone useful for both family and country prevailed. Frederick at first rebelled against the idea, wishing to be instead a musician and play in the Berlin Philharmonic, nonetheless, his unrelenting father managed to get the upper hand finally and Frederick’s desires laid hidden for years after that point.
Frederick was continuously and without fault pushed far beyond what his brothers or people of his age and social station would have been, resulting in an overload of work. The young aristocrat, however, would not take it with his head laying down, and instead forced himself to excel in what was given to him and using said exigencies to drown his real preoccupations, shutting off the world little by little. His ambitions lied buried for the moment, accumulating force and pressure with each passing day unbeknownst to all, except maybe Frederick himself. Maybe.
When the war started, Frederick was conducting diplomatic missions on South America for the German colonizers of the Southern Cone, mostly supervising the correct application of taxes on the incipient market of sausages and meat that the German families created. Spared from all the action and the glory, the young noble felt betrayed inside but was also spared the fate of his two older brothers and survived the war. Frederick didn’t feel much the death of his half-brothers as their families had grown separated and he only saw his brothers on his childhood, when they bullied him, and later at social events as rigid statues.
When his father assumed the throne as Finnish King, he was expected to be impeccable and behave as an ideal Crown Prince, however, like father, like son, he fell for a Finnish entrepreneur. With her, not a noble but one of the richest people in the country, he finally rebelled against his father’s wishes and had an affair that lasted for a few weeks. Frederick felt liberated at last; but when his marriage was arranged, he threw half the buffet on his father’s lap in front of the whole Finnish nobility and renounced his inheritance seconds before his father could disinherit him.Much of it was for naught however, as the idea of the Finnish monarchy didn't last more than a few months.
However, his lover didn’t wish to marry him and that caused another scandal. Until she realized she was pregnant...
Frederick, even as a child showed an innate talent for languages and a silver tongue, the decision was clear once he was old enough: he would go to a diplomats’ academy. Even though it was not a promising idea in the eyes of many that for the shame of the family to be paraded around the world, in the end the finality of his father that he had to be someone useful for both family and country prevailed. Frederick at first rebelled against the idea, wishing to be instead a musician and play in the Berlin Philharmonic, nonetheless, his unrelenting father managed to get the upper hand finally and Frederick’s desires laid hidden for years after that point.
Frederick was continuously and without fault pushed far beyond what his brothers or people of his age and social station would have been, resulting in an overload of work. The young aristocrat, however, would not take it with his head laying down, and instead forced himself to excel in what was given to him and using said exigencies to drown his real preoccupations, shutting off the world little by little. His ambitions lied buried for the moment, accumulating force and pressure with each passing day unbeknownst to all, except maybe Frederick himself. Maybe.
When the war started, Frederick was conducting diplomatic missions on South America for the German colonizers of the Southern Cone, mostly supervising the correct application of taxes on the incipient market of sausages and meat that the German families created. Spared from all the action and the glory, the young noble felt betrayed inside but was also spared the fate of his two older brothers and survived the war. Frederick didn’t feel much the death of his half-brothers as their families had grown separated and he only saw his brothers on his childhood, when they bullied him, and later at social events as rigid statues.
When his father assumed the throne as Finnish King, he was expected to be impeccable and behave as an ideal Crown Prince, however, like father, like son, he fell for a Finnish entrepreneur. With her, not a noble but one of the richest people in the country, he finally rebelled against his father’s wishes and had an affair that lasted for a few weeks. Frederick felt liberated at last; but when his marriage was arranged, he threw half the buffet on his father’s lap in front of the whole Finnish nobility and renounced his inheritance seconds before his father could disinherit him.Much of it was for naught however, as the idea of the Finnish monarchy didn't last more than a few months.
However, his lover didn’t wish to marry him and that caused another scandal. Until she realized she was pregnant...
SgtEasy S'algood bro
Member
Seen
9 mos ago
"Choosing to leave the Whites was both my greatest shame and smartest idea."
Theme(s): A Pariot till the End
B A S I C I N F O R M A T I O N
Full Name: Ali Hassan-zadeh
Nickname: Ali the Taskmaster
Date of Birth: 17th January 1869
Place of Birth: Tehran, Persia
Gender: Male
Race, Ethnicity: Half-Persian, Half-Russian/Danish
Eye Colour: Grey
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 156lbs
Nickname: Ali the Taskmaster
Date of Birth: 17th January 1869
Place of Birth: Tehran, Persia
Gender: Male
Race, Ethnicity: Half-Persian, Half-Russian/Danish
Eye Colour: Grey
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 156lbs
D E T A I L E D I N F O R M A T I O N
Titles: Jenaab - Title given to someone who should be respected higher than normal. Does not apply anymore due to tarnished honour.
Appearance: A military man through and through, the former Cossack certainly looks the part as a commissioned officer. Ali exhibits no fear, a noble expression on his face at all times. But one could see the slight droop in his shoulders, clear signs of aging and the downward turn of his lips. He is not the charismatic man that he used to be but still holds some of the fire from his youth. His piercing grey eyes, carefully combed hair and furrowed eyebrows are telling of his past official duties. His strides are still powerful, even steps showing a swagger only years in the military can bring. His deep, baritone voice could be heard throughout the ship with echoes as loud as thunder. He speaks with a weird mix of Russian and Arab accents that come through his Italian, them being his two native languages. Though in no position to lead, he certainly sounds like it and is as fervent as a priest when talking about weapons. He dissolves into jargon, his alien speech only familiar to those with a deep understanding of weaponry. He is a lithe man, the fierce amounts of fighting he has experienced over the years keeping his belly in check despite age. His stance is wide and feet firm, something he carried over from his Cossack years. He looks every bit of the soldier he used to be, dress uniform and all.
Appearance: A military man through and through, the former Cossack certainly looks the part as a commissioned officer. Ali exhibits no fear, a noble expression on his face at all times. But one could see the slight droop in his shoulders, clear signs of aging and the downward turn of his lips. He is not the charismatic man that he used to be but still holds some of the fire from his youth. His piercing grey eyes, carefully combed hair and furrowed eyebrows are telling of his past official duties. His strides are still powerful, even steps showing a swagger only years in the military can bring. His deep, baritone voice could be heard throughout the ship with echoes as loud as thunder. He speaks with a weird mix of Russian and Arab accents that come through his Italian, them being his two native languages. Though in no position to lead, he certainly sounds like it and is as fervent as a priest when talking about weapons. He dissolves into jargon, his alien speech only familiar to those with a deep understanding of weaponry. He is a lithe man, the fierce amounts of fighting he has experienced over the years keeping his belly in check despite age. His stance is wide and feet firm, something he carried over from his Cossack years. He looks every bit of the soldier he used to be, dress uniform and all.
O C C U P A T I O N A L A N D F I G H T I N G A B I L I T I E S
Past Occupation: "подъесаул" or "Podyesaul" in the Persian Cossack Brigade; equivalent to "Kapitan"
Current Occupation:
Second In Command
Equipment:
Notable Talents/Abilities:
Current Occupation:
Second In Command
Equipment:
- Winchester Model "Russian 1895" which he carries with a strap
- Webley Revolver Mk VI, holstered on his right hip
- A gold-trimmed shashka, held on his left hip
- Oud, an Arabic lute that he keeps on hand when bored
- A tattered notebook in his backpocket
- Rusty horseshoe, does not keep on his person
Notable Talents/Abilities:
- Leadership Skills - As a former officer, the first son of Hassan felt comfortable in leadership roles and excelled in them. Leading men into the jaws of death, he often led them to victory. He can distill the quiet whispers of dissent with ease and can offer a solid foundation for any group of people. Although he was never the type to inspire, he was known for his skill in discipline and occasional compassion. He was a stern leader, calming and steadfast in the face of adversity. Often using his voice, he could shout over even the greatest of artillery. He was also known for his skill at analysing men and women for their attributes and skills. As a Podyesaul in the Persian Cossack Brigade, he was a commissioned officer who led a fair amount of men who respected him. Those who did not quickly found that respect or were detached from his lead. He was never "Captain" material but could always serve as a good second in command to someone who was more charismatic than he. After all, stern faces and intimidating shouts can only do so much in leading men.
- Firearms Expert - Albeit not the best of the best, Ali could hold his own despite the stereotypes about COs. He was fairly good at shooting targets while moving and could easily shoot a target a fair distance away when stationary. Used to iron sights, he had no problem using weapons lacking a scope to shoot targets. However, his expertise with his Russian 1895 is nothing but extraordinary. He knew the weapon inside out, the kinks and the modifications. He could shoot faster with his rifle faster than you could say "Persian empire." The Winchester was like an extension of himself and he could rain God's Wrath on whoever dared faced him.
- Impressive Animal Handling - As a cavalryman, Ali was forced to handle animals ever since he joined the military. His newest and former horse Arya, a chestnut Russian Don breed, had been his for four years and served him well during the Great War. The amount of control he has with every horse he caters to can be found astounding by those who haven't met cavalry before. It was standard to have an expert level of control of your horse, especially during a time when machine gun fire could spell the end of entire cavalry units. To be able to turn your horse away or even halt before you could be mowed down abled a rider to survive. Although the skill is quite useless onboard of an aethership, he is able to handle most animals with care, as long as they were a little domesticated. Easing a wild dog into calm was easier than wrangling a wild steed after all.
P E R S O N A L
Hobbies/Pastimes:
Talents/Skills:
- Cleaning, maintaining or repairing his Winchester
- Sharpening his shashka
- Taking disciplinary actions
- Overseeing the crew so that orders are carried out
- Playing his oud
- Sketching portraits of people
- Riding horses
Talents/Skills:
- Obscure musical talent - The oud is not a commonly known instrument in the West but can sound exotic in the hands of an expert player like Ali
- Linguistic - He can speak the Persian dialect of Arabic, Russian and Italian fluently while also studying English currently. Known lover of languages
- Impressively long stares - Enough said, the man is intimidating
P E R S O N A L I T Y
The pride contained within Ali has no limits. His pride in himself and his subordinates seem to have no bounds. He has a large amount of silent praise whenever the people who work for him do something to his approval. He is someone you want to get that from, to get the confirmation that you're doing things right. He exudes confidence and if he wants something, he will use sheer willpower to get it. Though not an physically strong man by any means, he makes up for this in his steel will and stubborn beliefs. Though he does not openly disagree, his disapproval is made clear by the down turning of his moustache whenever a superior makes what he thinks is the wrong call. But his pride does not allow him to question orders and his military upbringing disciplines him into following the hierarchy. Though he is known to throw around orders like no ones business, he does so for increased efficiency in tasks. A sometimes cruel taskmaster, he expects the best from every single one for his subordinates and does not shy away from using disciplinary actions when he finds one lax. However his judgement is fair and would not scold for the sake of scolding.
The former Russian Imperial officer has a steely visage. He is immaculate and strives for maximum efficiency. His dress uniform, which he wears to this day, has the sharpest of creases and every medal shines beautifully. There is no time for mistakes for this strict man. The standards he sets for himself are the same standards he sets for those below him. The sharp clank of his boots as he approaches compels some people to look a little sharper. He has an aura that makes people attempt to rise to his expectations. He acts as if he was still in the Great War, seen constantly surveying his subordinates to see if they are doing the right things. Even as a fallen officer, his actions still mimic those of old Imperial Russians. Noble-like, proud, disciplined and a little aristocratic. An intimidating mixture of traits that make him perfect for serving with the commoners. He has no problem placing himself above his subordinates so that they may, in his words, "rise to his level".
If one were to get closer to the man, you would see an entirely different person. He is tired. Years of service has worn him down and his ageing appearance is a clear sign of his youth going away. His desertion from the ranks of his proud Brigade had obviously affected him, the loss of the Whites during the Russian Revolution eternally souring his mood. Many would hear him constantly muttering about the Bolsheviks, cursing in mixtures of Arabic and Russian to show his discontent with the outcome of the war. He is not as great as he used to be. The conflict in his eyes is deep, as if he has regretted every decision he has made since his desertion. The twitching fingers tell of his shellshocked past and sometimes, he looks every bit of the man he now is. A man clinging to the past, stubborn and refusing to move on. A man who still holds himself to ancient traditions and defunct orders from a dead man. A man who is a true homage to the once grand Imperial Russia.
The former Russian Imperial officer has a steely visage. He is immaculate and strives for maximum efficiency. His dress uniform, which he wears to this day, has the sharpest of creases and every medal shines beautifully. There is no time for mistakes for this strict man. The standards he sets for himself are the same standards he sets for those below him. The sharp clank of his boots as he approaches compels some people to look a little sharper. He has an aura that makes people attempt to rise to his expectations. He acts as if he was still in the Great War, seen constantly surveying his subordinates to see if they are doing the right things. Even as a fallen officer, his actions still mimic those of old Imperial Russians. Noble-like, proud, disciplined and a little aristocratic. An intimidating mixture of traits that make him perfect for serving with the commoners. He has no problem placing himself above his subordinates so that they may, in his words, "rise to his level".
If one were to get closer to the man, you would see an entirely different person. He is tired. Years of service has worn him down and his ageing appearance is a clear sign of his youth going away. His desertion from the ranks of his proud Brigade had obviously affected him, the loss of the Whites during the Russian Revolution eternally souring his mood. Many would hear him constantly muttering about the Bolsheviks, cursing in mixtures of Arabic and Russian to show his discontent with the outcome of the war. He is not as great as he used to be. The conflict in his eyes is deep, as if he has regretted every decision he has made since his desertion. The twitching fingers tell of his shellshocked past and sometimes, he looks every bit of the man he now is. A man clinging to the past, stubborn and refusing to move on. A man who still holds himself to ancient traditions and defunct orders from a dead man. A man who is a true homage to the once grand Imperial Russia.
B I O G R A P H Y
Hassan Ahmed-zadeh was not a special man by any means, an aristocrat serving in the small courts of Tehran under the supreme influence of the Russian Empire. He was charismatic, charming and a bit of a lady's man (to everyone's general disapproval) but he did not make much of a name of himself. His lady however, Alexandria Erika Dagmar, cousin to the wife of then Tsar Alexander III, was a great woman indeed. Visiting Persia under the orders of the Tsar to make better peace with the neutral country and increase friendly relations after the Russo-Persian War of 1828. Facing a challenging task, Alexandria quickly took it like bees to honey. She was known for the beauty, grace and intelligence that her much more famous relative held and was perfect for the task of diplomat. Travelling with a convoy of merchants, she set off in search of Persia, leaving behind the Yellow Palace at Copenhagen, wondering if she would ever see the lands of Denmark after this. She would not return from the long journey.
Ali, as a child between a lowly Persian aristocrat and Danish/Russian royalty, had certainly grown up better than the average commoner. Alexandria had been successful in her efforts to sway the courts to Russian influence and had settled down with his father in an effort to create a better connection between the two lands. Jenaab Hassan, who had no surname like most Persians, could consider himself a lucky man although was shunned by most of his people for marrying a foreigner. But who worried about the town rumour mill when you had Imperial royalty for a wife? The couple was happy as they could be and their only child certainly grew up happy as well. He would have a higher education than most, learning from his mother about the events of the world and how to conduct oneself in court. To their shock, their child had little interest in political intrigue and games. Instead, he began to show signs of admiration for the forming Persian Cossack Brigade at ten years old.
When Ali was of age, with the royal blood of his mother to back him up, he was drafted to serve along full blooded Russian officers in the new Persian Cossack Brigade. Created to be an elite cavalry unit in the deserts due to the lack of any disciplined armies in the area, the Persian Cossacks were originally not Persian at all. Much of the rank and file were descendants of the ethnically purged Circassian, Caucasian muhajirs who had migrated to Iran. And the officers were all Russian sons of important aristocrats, sent there to make a name for themselves in the mystical deserts. The Brigade underwent many changes as a fighting force, constantly changing officer and cossack numbers. At one point, Ali had been the only officer in the Brigade with only 150 men under his service. The arrival of Colonel Kosagoskij had saved the fighting force however and under his leadership, the muhajirs were treated as equals and the Brigade became an effective fighting force that backed up the Shah.
It had always been separate from the regular Persian army. The Brigade was more under the influence of the Russian Legate and instead took suggestions from Persian generals rather than actual orders. It was always under the command of a Russian General Staff and its officers would always have Russian blood. It was essentially a tool for the Russians to use to gather support with the Shah. They helped Muhammad Ali Shah to the throne after the death of his father Mozzafar. They conducted actions to help overthrow the government and in gratitude, Muhammad Ali Shah granted Colonel Liakhov governorship over Tehran itself with Ali by his side. World War 1 was the time in which the Brigade reached its highest numbers and fought its bloodiest battles against the Ottomans. The cavalrymen of the Persian Cossack Brigade led a series of charges against Ottoman forces planning to invade Persia, fighting with regular Persian troops and even British troops in the deserts. Fighting was always ruthless and although it was not as bloody as the fronts to the north and west, it was always up close. Many infantry fell to cavalry in the desert dunes, perhaps the only times when cavalry could succeed in a modern conflict.
This was cut short however. At the onset of the Russian Civil War, many Russian officers including Ali and Colonel Liakhov went to fight for the Whites. They found themselves on the losing side. The brutality of the Civil War knew no bounds and the Bolsheviks showed how cavalry would face true, superior technologies. Most of the men that Ali had come to respect, people he had been fighting with for years or even decades past, simply ceased to exist. They slowly dwindled as the Whites were pushed out of Petrograd and many had to flee the red tide that was a sweeping the country. Lost and broken, the former Persian Cossack rode day and night to flee from the terrifying Red guns. He became a deserter, one of the many soldiers to fail in their duty to protect their homeland. Their ideals. He was a failure in the eyes of his fallen comrades. He fled to Italy, hearing of an opportunity to flee from his sins in the work of a simple miner. A job where his talents and past could be forgotten, where the labour could drown his shame.
If only things could be that simple.
Ali, as a child between a lowly Persian aristocrat and Danish/Russian royalty, had certainly grown up better than the average commoner. Alexandria had been successful in her efforts to sway the courts to Russian influence and had settled down with his father in an effort to create a better connection between the two lands. Jenaab Hassan, who had no surname like most Persians, could consider himself a lucky man although was shunned by most of his people for marrying a foreigner. But who worried about the town rumour mill when you had Imperial royalty for a wife? The couple was happy as they could be and their only child certainly grew up happy as well. He would have a higher education than most, learning from his mother about the events of the world and how to conduct oneself in court. To their shock, their child had little interest in political intrigue and games. Instead, he began to show signs of admiration for the forming Persian Cossack Brigade at ten years old.
When Ali was of age, with the royal blood of his mother to back him up, he was drafted to serve along full blooded Russian officers in the new Persian Cossack Brigade. Created to be an elite cavalry unit in the deserts due to the lack of any disciplined armies in the area, the Persian Cossacks were originally not Persian at all. Much of the rank and file were descendants of the ethnically purged Circassian, Caucasian muhajirs who had migrated to Iran. And the officers were all Russian sons of important aristocrats, sent there to make a name for themselves in the mystical deserts. The Brigade underwent many changes as a fighting force, constantly changing officer and cossack numbers. At one point, Ali had been the only officer in the Brigade with only 150 men under his service. The arrival of Colonel Kosagoskij had saved the fighting force however and under his leadership, the muhajirs were treated as equals and the Brigade became an effective fighting force that backed up the Shah.
It had always been separate from the regular Persian army. The Brigade was more under the influence of the Russian Legate and instead took suggestions from Persian generals rather than actual orders. It was always under the command of a Russian General Staff and its officers would always have Russian blood. It was essentially a tool for the Russians to use to gather support with the Shah. They helped Muhammad Ali Shah to the throne after the death of his father Mozzafar. They conducted actions to help overthrow the government and in gratitude, Muhammad Ali Shah granted Colonel Liakhov governorship over Tehran itself with Ali by his side. World War 1 was the time in which the Brigade reached its highest numbers and fought its bloodiest battles against the Ottomans. The cavalrymen of the Persian Cossack Brigade led a series of charges against Ottoman forces planning to invade Persia, fighting with regular Persian troops and even British troops in the deserts. Fighting was always ruthless and although it was not as bloody as the fronts to the north and west, it was always up close. Many infantry fell to cavalry in the desert dunes, perhaps the only times when cavalry could succeed in a modern conflict.
This was cut short however. At the onset of the Russian Civil War, many Russian officers including Ali and Colonel Liakhov went to fight for the Whites. They found themselves on the losing side. The brutality of the Civil War knew no bounds and the Bolsheviks showed how cavalry would face true, superior technologies. Most of the men that Ali had come to respect, people he had been fighting with for years or even decades past, simply ceased to exist. They slowly dwindled as the Whites were pushed out of Petrograd and many had to flee the red tide that was a sweeping the country. Lost and broken, the former Persian Cossack rode day and night to flee from the terrifying Red guns. He became a deserter, one of the many soldiers to fail in their duty to protect their homeland. Their ideals. He was a failure in the eyes of his fallen comrades. He fled to Italy, hearing of an opportunity to flee from his sins in the work of a simple miner. A job where his talents and past could be forgotten, where the labour could drown his shame.
If only things could be that simple.
B A S I C I N F O R M A T I O N
Full Name: Giovanni Amatore.
Nickname: Gio.
Date of Birth: November 29th, 1886.
Place of Birth: Catania, Sicily.
Gender: Male.
Race, Ethnicity: Caucasian.
Eye Color: Blue.
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 176 lbs.
Nickname: Gio.
Date of Birth: November 29th, 1886.
Place of Birth: Catania, Sicily.
Gender: Male.
Race, Ethnicity: Caucasian.
Eye Color: Blue.
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 176 lbs.
D E T A I L E D I N F O R M A T I O N
Titles: Citizen.
Appearance: Giovanni is, by all standards, quite a handsome man. You can never catch him unpresentable; his brown hair is short, but well maintained, accompanied by a nicely trimmed moustache and beard. His clothes are always ironed and without the trace of a stain. He mostly dresses in dark colors, never straying far from black or dark blue. His white skin has a light tan from the sum of time he spends outside and travelling. A few scars run along his body, memories of the war or childhood accidents, but most are hidden under his clothes; you can find them on his back and chest, as well as a deep one on his shoulder. His blue eyes have charmed more than one lady, as has his thin, but well-defined body. His face can look hard, but it is mostly a facade he wears so that none can access his true thoughts and weaknesses.
Appearance: Giovanni is, by all standards, quite a handsome man. You can never catch him unpresentable; his brown hair is short, but well maintained, accompanied by a nicely trimmed moustache and beard. His clothes are always ironed and without the trace of a stain. He mostly dresses in dark colors, never straying far from black or dark blue. His white skin has a light tan from the sum of time he spends outside and travelling. A few scars run along his body, memories of the war or childhood accidents, but most are hidden under his clothes; you can find them on his back and chest, as well as a deep one on his shoulder. His blue eyes have charmed more than one lady, as has his thin, but well-defined body. His face can look hard, but it is mostly a facade he wears so that none can access his true thoughts and weaknesses.
O C C U P A T I O N A L A N D F I G H T I N G A B I L I T I E S
Past Occupation: Pilot in the military during the Great War and amateur cartograph.
Current Occupation: Pilot of the Strativella.
Equipment:
Notable Talents/Abilities:
Reasons why they are a crew member aboard this vessel: Do not write this part yet.
Current Occupation: Pilot of the Strativella.
Equipment:
- Modell 1890: A knife crafted with a blade, reamer, can-opener, and a screwdriver: obtained illegally from a Swiss Army soldier.
- A collection of maps he never goes anywhere without: some he has bought from renowned cartographs, some he has drawn himself.
- A pair of binoculars: he always carries them with him wherever he travels and usually has them around his neck or near him when he works.
- A worn picture of his childhood love: the lower right corner is slightly burned from a drunken attempt at erasing his memory of Elena.
- A set of leather bound journals: he tries to carry as many as he can, especially blank ones, when he leaves on a new trip.
Notable Talents/Abilities:
- Skillfull cartograph: his maps are incredibly well detailed, they can lead you to anywhere you need to go.
- Strong melee fighter: The Amatore has spent a lot of time in his life, especially when he joined the army, practicing his fighting skills. He can definitely defend himself in hand-to-hand combat.
- Proved pilot: Giovanni is a decent pilot, able to react quickly in hazardous situations. He saved many lives during the Great War by getting them to safety through hell and high water.
Reasons why they are a crew member aboard this vessel: Do not write this part yet.
P E R S O N A L
Hobbies/Pastimes:
Talents/Skills:
- Drawing maps: Gio has always had a strong passion for drawing maps.
- Reading: he is an intellectual at heart, as well as an asocial; he will always prefer the company of books than the company of people.
- Writing: he is by no means a talented writer, but he enjoys laying down his thoughts through stories or diary entries in his leather bound journals.
Talents/Skills:
- Excellent chess player: he has never been defeated at chess except by his father.
- Reading people's emotions: as a quiet, observing man, he developed the skills of reading people's faces and their emotions.
- Drawing: he can not only draw maps, but he can also draw portraits and landscapes.
P E R S O N A L I T Y
Strange would be an understatement to describe Giovanni. He is not your average adult white male. He lives a solitary life, but one of many travels. His passion of drawing maps pushes him in different corners of the country, or even the continent. The Amatore is an incredibly hard-working man, but he is not by any means… a nice person. You would rarely find him cooperating with anyone toward a team-oriented goal. He prefers to work alone, or just to be alone in general. The only time he has derogated from that rule is when he joined the army. His sole purpose to do such a thing was to seek new challenges. But even after the war, after how much he was changed by it, he is still far from being comfortable with others. He never knows the right word to say, he is not very talented at being courteous. Let’s just say that his social skills are sorely lacking. He has never charmed a lady, although his looks are rather seducing. But instead of relying on his handsome face alone, the young man chose the sinful way of meeting with women: by paying them for their services. It is definitely not something he shares openly, keeping it a guilty pleasure behind his appearances to be a gentleman. But again, the Amatore doesn’t share anything with anyone. He prefers keeping his thoughts well hidden in leather bound journals he carries with him. He has written in them his whole life. Giovanni probably has already dozens of them full of scribbles and stories and random thoughts, but he doesn’t count them. He keeps them preciously in a chest that you can find either at home, or with him on this travels. He is also an avid reader, always curious to discover new writing, new novels. His father made sure he was literate, but also appreciative of the art that is writing. The young man also has other intellectual hobbies, such as playing the game of chess, or reading maps made by others and analyzing them.
Giovanni might not desire talking to anyone, preferring to stay away from people and social events, but that does not mean he always has a choice in the matter. When he does have to discuss with others, he is often described as being either arrogant or incredibly shy. It is, usually, one or the other, no in-between. You will find him being calm and quiet most of the time, but he also cannot restrain himself on reprimanding people about their stupidity. Which leads to interesting conversations and him growing a rather bad reputation wherever he goes. That is why the Amatore would rather be alone, far from people criticizing him or rejecting him for his lack of social skills. He’s not a angry man per say, but you won’t find him laughing or smiling often. One could say he’s a rather mysterious man, but the truth is simply that he hides his true self under a hard and cold facade. Hidden underneath is a kind and caring man, a passionate one. You could even discover how impatient he can be, since he mostly hides his natural anxiety under his calm exterior. But anything rather eventful, even just flying his own plane, can bother his nerves. He also becomes easily restless when he finds a new idea for his next map or his next story. Another thing people rarely get to see is how meticulous he is, especially when drawing his maps. Always taking care of the smallest details, not leaving one mistake on his final work. But something about his beliefs or experiences leads him to hide this part of him from the eyes of the world, preferring to appear as a destatable or strange man.
Giovanni might not desire talking to anyone, preferring to stay away from people and social events, but that does not mean he always has a choice in the matter. When he does have to discuss with others, he is often described as being either arrogant or incredibly shy. It is, usually, one or the other, no in-between. You will find him being calm and quiet most of the time, but he also cannot restrain himself on reprimanding people about their stupidity. Which leads to interesting conversations and him growing a rather bad reputation wherever he goes. That is why the Amatore would rather be alone, far from people criticizing him or rejecting him for his lack of social skills. He’s not a angry man per say, but you won’t find him laughing or smiling often. One could say he’s a rather mysterious man, but the truth is simply that he hides his true self under a hard and cold facade. Hidden underneath is a kind and caring man, a passionate one. You could even discover how impatient he can be, since he mostly hides his natural anxiety under his calm exterior. But anything rather eventful, even just flying his own plane, can bother his nerves. He also becomes easily restless when he finds a new idea for his next map or his next story. Another thing people rarely get to see is how meticulous he is, especially when drawing his maps. Always taking care of the smallest details, not leaving one mistake on his final work. But something about his beliefs or experiences leads him to hide this part of him from the eyes of the world, preferring to appear as a destatable or strange man.
B I O G R A P H Y
Giovanni was born and raised in Catania, Sicily. He lived in the south of the city, near several factories. His father was working with the government, in a role his son never really understood. But one thing was sure, it made his father have rather high expectations for him. His mother was loving, always caring for him and for the house, trying her best to make everyone happy. His father was often absent, far away from the house for work, but when he was home, he would make sure to have a lesson for his young son. He sent him to school, but for the patriarch of the Amatore, it wasn’t enough. His father made him read every night. Other nights would sometimes be for drawing, or playing chess. The goal was to make Giovanni an intellectual and a skillful man. But the only real talent the young Gio had was for drawing. He particularly loved drawing maps. But since he would never leave Catania, after drawing just about a hundred different maps of the city, the young Amatore started drawing imaginary maps, places that did not exist. One can imagine how furious his father was when he discovered the drawings. There was no time to be spent on such foolishness, in his opinion. He made sure to hit Giovanni’s hands until the boy couldn’t draw anymore.
The years went by as such. Giovanni grew to hate his father, and he developed a strange type of anger. Not the outburst type of anger, a much more quiet type. A scary one. There was nothing that would scare his mother more than seeing her son quietly sitting at the kitchen table, his hands curled into trembling fists. One day, without anything more than a note left on the kitchen, the Amatore left the house, never to return. His father had taught him everything he needed to know. He could read, write and draw. He also had basic survival skills, as well as some money. But more importantly, he had the most precious thing of all: his father’s plane. His father had always been a passionate man about flying, about the feeling you had when you were up in the air, looking at the world below. As soon as he had had enough money from his job with the Italian government, he had bought this plane. The protests from his wife about how they should save their money didn’t matter to him. The only thing that mattered was his ultimate goal in life: to have his own little plane. It wasn’t big and it wasn’t equipped with advanced technology, but it was enough to get around places. And without a single regret, Giovanni stole it while both his parents were away from their house.
He spent the next few years travelling, away from prying eyes. He kept a low profile, exploring different corners of Italy. He practiced his drawing skills, even sold a few maps to interested parties such as merchants. They were incredibly detailed and well drawn, it didn’t come as a surprise that a few merchants accepted to buy them out from him, even with his inexperience. He continued on this merry life, if he could call it that, until he grew bored of it and seeked a new challenge. That is when he joined the army. And that is how he ended up fighting for Italy in the Great War.
War changed him, as anyone would expect for any man who participated in the war. Seeing people die, participating in the death of others, hearing about the tragedies around the world… it was unnerving, to say the least. It changed your view of the world, your opinions. But one thing was sure, he was excellent at working through the nerves. He became an excellent pilot, able to fly through almost anything. He flew dozens of people while under fire, trying to get them to safety. He didn’t get any medals or any glory from his services to the army, but he did get a good set of skills. It taught him to fly better, to react to dangerous situations with improved reflexes. He still had his moments where his natural anxiety would take over, making him overthink everything, risking his own life with self doubt. But there was no denying that he could handle himself well while high in the air.
Now, the Great War was over, and the Amatore had to find a new purpose. For now, his only plan was to keep on the kind of lifestyle he had been living. It wasn’t the responsible thing, or what his father would have wanted for him. It was even a dangerous life. But it was what he wanted and if there was one thing he had promised himself, it was to always follow his own desires, to always do what he wanted to do, not what was expected of him.
The years went by as such. Giovanni grew to hate his father, and he developed a strange type of anger. Not the outburst type of anger, a much more quiet type. A scary one. There was nothing that would scare his mother more than seeing her son quietly sitting at the kitchen table, his hands curled into trembling fists. One day, without anything more than a note left on the kitchen, the Amatore left the house, never to return. His father had taught him everything he needed to know. He could read, write and draw. He also had basic survival skills, as well as some money. But more importantly, he had the most precious thing of all: his father’s plane. His father had always been a passionate man about flying, about the feeling you had when you were up in the air, looking at the world below. As soon as he had had enough money from his job with the Italian government, he had bought this plane. The protests from his wife about how they should save their money didn’t matter to him. The only thing that mattered was his ultimate goal in life: to have his own little plane. It wasn’t big and it wasn’t equipped with advanced technology, but it was enough to get around places. And without a single regret, Giovanni stole it while both his parents were away from their house.
He spent the next few years travelling, away from prying eyes. He kept a low profile, exploring different corners of Italy. He practiced his drawing skills, even sold a few maps to interested parties such as merchants. They were incredibly detailed and well drawn, it didn’t come as a surprise that a few merchants accepted to buy them out from him, even with his inexperience. He continued on this merry life, if he could call it that, until he grew bored of it and seeked a new challenge. That is when he joined the army. And that is how he ended up fighting for Italy in the Great War.
War changed him, as anyone would expect for any man who participated in the war. Seeing people die, participating in the death of others, hearing about the tragedies around the world… it was unnerving, to say the least. It changed your view of the world, your opinions. But one thing was sure, he was excellent at working through the nerves. He became an excellent pilot, able to fly through almost anything. He flew dozens of people while under fire, trying to get them to safety. He didn’t get any medals or any glory from his services to the army, but he did get a good set of skills. It taught him to fly better, to react to dangerous situations with improved reflexes. He still had his moments where his natural anxiety would take over, making him overthink everything, risking his own life with self doubt. But there was no denying that he could handle himself well while high in the air.
Now, the Great War was over, and the Amatore had to find a new purpose. For now, his only plan was to keep on the kind of lifestyle he had been living. It wasn’t the responsible thing, or what his father would have wanted for him. It was even a dangerous life. But it was what he wanted and if there was one thing he had promised himself, it was to always follow his own desires, to always do what he wanted to do, not what was expected of him.
Mag Lev Chairman Sloth
Member
Seen
28 days ago
"A Gentleman fights no wars, he simply knows which side to play for."
Theme(s): Romance by Rachmaninoff
B A S I C I N F O R M A T I O N
Full Name: Henry Wallace Rosenwald
Nickname: Willy
Date of Birth: 21st, June, 1895
Place of Birth: Bristol, Bristol County, Great Britain
Gender: Male
Race, Ethnicity: Caucasian, British
Eye Color: Hazel
Height: 5’8, 1.72m
Weight: 143lbs, 64kg
Nickname: Willy
Date of Birth: 21st, June, 1895
Place of Birth: Bristol, Bristol County, Great Britain
Gender: Male
Race, Ethnicity: Caucasian, British
Eye Color: Hazel
Height: 5’8, 1.72m
Weight: 143lbs, 64kg
D E T A I L E D I N F O R M A T I O N
Titles: None, having a title would’ve meant he had done a rather poor job at hiding his identity.
Appearance: Henry is certainly not what one would consider intimidating, in fact he seems quite the opposite. He’s rather lanky, his body seemingly lacking any ounce of fat on his musculature lacking in real definition. One would likely not think him much of him if you saw him on the street as he doesn’t stand out all that much. Henry’s hair is a dark brown, almost always combed back and kept short, and his eyes a matching hazel, all of which is complimented by his slightly pale skin. He can usually be found wearing a casual suit with a cravat and vest. Though, this is not to say he does not possess any more expensive suits, it is simply of habit that he tries to blend in with the more mundane.
Appearance: Henry is certainly not what one would consider intimidating, in fact he seems quite the opposite. He’s rather lanky, his body seemingly lacking any ounce of fat on his musculature lacking in real definition. One would likely not think him much of him if you saw him on the street as he doesn’t stand out all that much. Henry’s hair is a dark brown, almost always combed back and kept short, and his eyes a matching hazel, all of which is complimented by his slightly pale skin. He can usually be found wearing a casual suit with a cravat and vest. Though, this is not to say he does not possess any more expensive suits, it is simply of habit that he tries to blend in with the more mundane.
O C C U P A T I O N A L A N D F I G H T I N G A B I L I T I E S
Past Occupation: Served as a spry for the British Empire during the Great War
Current Occupation: Intelligence Officer
Equipment:
Notable Talents/Abilities:
Reasons why they are a crew member aboard this vessel: Do not write this part yet.
Current Occupation: Intelligence Officer
Equipment:
- Webley Mk.VI- A weapon from his days of service and one he’ll likely only part with when it falls apart. It has saved his life, or so he says, more times than he can count. Generally strapped onto his hip and hidden beneath his overcoat.
- Mark 1 Trench Knife- Sometimes a gun is less than ideal for de-escalating a situation, for this very reason Henry has always carried a knife. Being able to stab someone or punch them is much more subtle a way to neutralize them than using them for target practice. Usually kept in a pocket in his over coat.
- Pattern 1914 Mk I W- Sometimes infiltration is less about learning information and more about taking out a target. Henry’s Enfield is the most precious and dear to him weapon he owns, though rarely ever uses. He never takes it out into public and only uses it when in need.
Notable Talents/Abilities:
- Polyglot- A Spy is of no use if they speak only one language and certainly of no use if not fluent in the languages he does. As such, Henry knows many languages around Europe and a few of the more common ones outside of the continent. Perhaps his best languages are in Russian, Spanish, Italian, and German.
- Service Training- Henry has gone through his training, as all others when he joined up for the Great War but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is the strongest shooter in the world. He can hit a target if it is not moving but most of his experience in combat is only in close quarters.
- Man of Many Faces- A Gentleman is not one man but many, especially when one must rely on the skill to be someone else to acquire information. Henry’s experiences in wartime Germany and France during the Great War led him to learn how to be nobody and everybody. How to blend into a crowd and how to stand assume an identity when needed. It is of no surprise that he finds this learned skill to be one of great use in his current occupation.
Reasons why they are a crew member aboard this vessel: Do not write this part yet.
P E R S O N A L
Hobbies/Pastimes:
Talents/Skills:
- Painting- Henry has always found art interesting and has long studied art when he had the chance to. It is very relaxing to take the time to paint the scenery around oneself.
- Drinking- A glass of ale is good for the soul and the mind or so many of his countrymen believe. Personally, Henry prefers wine over ale and drinks only socially.
- Reading- Henry has always been an avid reader and a man of learning. He has even gone so far as to collect books for his personal reading on his travels.
Talents/Skills:
- Dancing- It is an important skill to know, not just as a spy but also to romance women. After all, women do not like mean who step on their toes.
- Literate- Speaks for itself really.
P E R S O N A L I T Y
Henry has been many things; a caring husband, a vivacious officer, a flippant noble. All have been lies, masks he has taken up in his job which he wore with pride. In truth he is not vivacious nor flippant, he does not dote on other nor will he ever speak out of turn unless necessary. In fact, Henry comes off as very cold and distant to most everybody, preferring the solitude of painting over camaraderie. The man performs his job dutifully and skillfully, boasting when he succeeds at making another believe in his lies.
However, there is much that isn’t known about Henry’s life outside of his job by, well, anyone other than those very close to him. It is entirely possible that the cold man one meets is simply another front put on for his line of work, one to hide the truth of his life beyond such. What is known is that he does have a penchant for trying to romance near any woman he sees, with varying success of course.
However, there is much that isn’t known about Henry’s life outside of his job by, well, anyone other than those very close to him. It is entirely possible that the cold man one meets is simply another front put on for his line of work, one to hide the truth of his life beyond such. What is known is that he does have a penchant for trying to romance near any woman he sees, with varying success of course.
B I O G R A P H Y
Henry was not born a noble nor a son of a merchant, his family did not come into wealth and he did not live off fine wine, cheese, and meats. His Father was a drunkard who’d leave in the morning and not come back till midnight, his Mother a washer woman who made but a few pence a month. Most of their money went to his Father’s habit or paid for their home and the most luxurious food they had growing up was a fresh loaf of bread rather than day old bread from the trash. Life was not glorious for Henry or his brothers, perhaps why they all took different paths in life. Henry’s path was one which led him to enlisting when he was eighteen.
War had been brewing in Europe for many years when Henry enlisted, however he had chosen to believe that it wouldn’t come to head for many years. However, war broke out not long after and was to be shipped overseas had it not been for his recommendation to join SIS. His recommendation came from his sergeant at the time, having noted that the young Henry was rather proficient at learning new languages and had a knack for trying impersonate the officers in the fort. That is to say, he played jokes on them and was overall a troublemaker, not quite as physically fit as they wanted, and certainly more of a reader than a fighter.
However, Henry did not fare much better with his training in SIS than he had in the Royal Army, failing most of his physical tests for most of 1914 and only succeeding in achieving fluency in German, Russian, Italian, and French in January of 1915. Most of his progress was, at best, halted if not completely stopped due to having never learned how to read as a child, something which they had to correct if he were to perform espionage properly.
It wasn’t until the December of 1915-January 1916 that Henry was deployed into German occupied France with one goal in mind: keep track of the German’s movements and relay them to SIS. Not much is known what Henry did in France, though he claims to have killed at least 5 men with his trench knife during his time in Paris. In reality, much of his work in France was spent schmoozing with Germans and trying to figure out the movements of their army, to little success. What he did manage to find out was just movements of scouts and patrols. However, in December of 1916 he was extracted and sent to Italy.
It was in Italy that Henry claims to have had the most success in his job. Much of his time spent in Italy was to keep track of the Italian’s plans for the war, having stayed neutral thus far yet being seen as a threat should they join the Central Powers. His officers in SIS feared that they’d have to face an Italian invasion at some point and their fears were confirmed when Henry managed to intercept an order of invasion of French Tunisia in early February. However, due to being so entrenched behind enemy lines, Henry couldn't alert his commanders in time.
However, it was at this time that Henry managed to schmooze his way into a ball for nobles and Italian officers where he made some rather… useful connections. It is safe to say that some of those connections may have been of the female kind and, most importantly, learned that bedding another’s man woman was a good way to learn about his life. It was through such tactics that Henry managed to corner a low ranking Italian officer and take him out, perhaps one of the few kills Henry ever made while behind enemy lines. The rest of his time in Italy last only until late 1917, only managing to pick off a few low ranking officers, either by drinking with them at night and then ‘taking them home’ or learning their schedules through their wives.
In October of 1917, Henry was sent to Russia in order to ‘observe’ the October Revolution. Sadly, he arrived in the middle of the Revolution and simply spent most of his time reporting the socialist victories as Lenin and Kalinin rose to power. It was soon after the end of the Revolution that Henry was shipped back home and discharged. For his service in SIS and the Royal Army, Henry managed to make a decent sum of money, though nobody quite knows what he has done with most of it. It is quite possible that his family now possess a sum of money from their estranged son.
War had been brewing in Europe for many years when Henry enlisted, however he had chosen to believe that it wouldn’t come to head for many years. However, war broke out not long after and was to be shipped overseas had it not been for his recommendation to join SIS. His recommendation came from his sergeant at the time, having noted that the young Henry was rather proficient at learning new languages and had a knack for trying impersonate the officers in the fort. That is to say, he played jokes on them and was overall a troublemaker, not quite as physically fit as they wanted, and certainly more of a reader than a fighter.
However, Henry did not fare much better with his training in SIS than he had in the Royal Army, failing most of his physical tests for most of 1914 and only succeeding in achieving fluency in German, Russian, Italian, and French in January of 1915. Most of his progress was, at best, halted if not completely stopped due to having never learned how to read as a child, something which they had to correct if he were to perform espionage properly.
It wasn’t until the December of 1915-January 1916 that Henry was deployed into German occupied France with one goal in mind: keep track of the German’s movements and relay them to SIS. Not much is known what Henry did in France, though he claims to have killed at least 5 men with his trench knife during his time in Paris. In reality, much of his work in France was spent schmoozing with Germans and trying to figure out the movements of their army, to little success. What he did manage to find out was just movements of scouts and patrols. However, in December of 1916 he was extracted and sent to Italy.
It was in Italy that Henry claims to have had the most success in his job. Much of his time spent in Italy was to keep track of the Italian’s plans for the war, having stayed neutral thus far yet being seen as a threat should they join the Central Powers. His officers in SIS feared that they’d have to face an Italian invasion at some point and their fears were confirmed when Henry managed to intercept an order of invasion of French Tunisia in early February. However, due to being so entrenched behind enemy lines, Henry couldn't alert his commanders in time.
However, it was at this time that Henry managed to schmooze his way into a ball for nobles and Italian officers where he made some rather… useful connections. It is safe to say that some of those connections may have been of the female kind and, most importantly, learned that bedding another’s man woman was a good way to learn about his life. It was through such tactics that Henry managed to corner a low ranking Italian officer and take him out, perhaps one of the few kills Henry ever made while behind enemy lines. The rest of his time in Italy last only until late 1917, only managing to pick off a few low ranking officers, either by drinking with them at night and then ‘taking them home’ or learning their schedules through their wives.
In October of 1917, Henry was sent to Russia in order to ‘observe’ the October Revolution. Sadly, he arrived in the middle of the Revolution and simply spent most of his time reporting the socialist victories as Lenin and Kalinin rose to power. It was soon after the end of the Revolution that Henry was shipped back home and discharged. For his service in SIS and the Royal Army, Henry managed to make a decent sum of money, though nobody quite knows what he has done with most of it. It is quite possible that his family now possess a sum of money from their estranged son.
Astera 'Asta' Laukkanen
"I'll protect Finland from the cancer of socialism regardless of how many times it comes back."
Theme(s): Jääkärimarssi
B A S I C I N F O R M A T I O N
Full Name: Astera Suojella Laukkanen
Nickname: Asta, Ghost of Viipuri
Date of Birth: December 14th 1898
Place of Birth: Viipuri, Karjala, Finland.
Gender: Female
Race, Ethnicity: Caucasian, Finnish
Eye Color: Grey
Height: 5'7
Weight: 130lbs
Nickname: Asta, Ghost of Viipuri
Date of Birth: December 14th 1898
Place of Birth: Viipuri, Karjala, Finland.
Gender: Female
Race, Ethnicity: Caucasian, Finnish
Eye Color: Grey
Height: 5'7
Weight: 130lbs
D E T A I L E D I N F O R M A T I O N
Titles: Jäger/Jääkäri, was Upper Middle class but not nobility by any means.,
Appearance: Astera is a lean, blonde-haired grey-eyed woman with an extremely pale skin colour that is fairly attractive. Her height is above average for a woman so she is outstanding within a crowd. Whilst having a mostly lean, average body weight, muscle tone is definitely there upon her shoulders and legs. Most of her attire is comfortable, loose fitting clothes or her formal military attire combined with a hood that she tends to don to try and cover her features from onlookers and the sun of wherever she is from.
Appearance: Astera is a lean, blonde-haired grey-eyed woman with an extremely pale skin colour that is fairly attractive. Her height is above average for a woman so she is outstanding within a crowd. Whilst having a mostly lean, average body weight, muscle tone is definitely there upon her shoulders and legs. Most of her attire is comfortable, loose fitting clothes or her formal military attire combined with a hood that she tends to don to try and cover her features from onlookers and the sun of wherever she is from.
O C C U P A T I O N A L A N D F I G H T I N G A B I L I T I E S
Past Occupation: Astera was from an upper middle class family in Viipuri, volunteered for the Whites and was trained as a Jaeger in Germany.
Current Occupation: Weapon Specialist
Equipment:
Notable Talents/Abilities: What skills does your character have to offer that complements their trade?
Reasons why they are a crew member aboard this vessel: Do not write this part yet.
Current Occupation: Weapon Specialist
Equipment:
- Karabiner Model 189AZ - Astera's had a lot of weapons from her time as a soldier, but this has stuck with her the longest. A weapon from when she had went to Germany to train as a Jaeger, she has had plenty of use from it from her days of service. She usually keeps it strapped over her shoulder.
- MP-18 - Astera's favorite gun. She had received it along with a large amount of Jaegers to complement a different style of warfare, and it had proved immensely successful.
- Astera's Puukko - A puukko is a traditional Scandinavian multi-purpose knife. They are usually personal to a person, especially in Finland and this is true to Astera. Having carved the handle of her blade herself, she takes great pride in her weapon and sees it as part of herself, often keeping it on open display at her hip.
- Kantele - A 5 string Finnish harp that Astera brings along with her. She keeps it as a memory of home and to play for both those around her and her own comfort.
Notable Talents/Abilities: What skills does your character have to offer that complements their trade?
- Dead Eye - Astera is one of the best snipers on the planet, which is why she was able to train as a Jaeger. There are few people who can out-shoot her with a sniper rifle. She earned her keep and helped free Viipuri with the use of her rifle, and has no difficulty using a sniper to optimal effects.
- Exceptional Strength - Astera is a woman and not exceptionally muscular, so one would think that she wouldn't possess much physical strength. They would be wrong. Astera possesses the same amount of strength as a man her height, often able to beat out her comrades in arm wrestles and tests of physical strength, making her able to operate on the same playing field as men in regards to close quarters and trench warfare.
- Comradery - Astera as a person is pretty agreeable and often brings people together due to her personality, nature and social ability. She’s not perfect, but because she speaks multiple languages and has the experiences of a soldier, she’s able to connect with a vast array of people and bring their morale up just through conversation. Whilst able to understand and speak multiple languages however, a heavy accent is present and idioms/phrases will slip right over her head except for when she is speaking German or Finnish.
Reasons why they are a crew member aboard this vessel: Do not write this part yet.
P E R S O N A L
Hobbies/Pastimes:
- Conversation - Whilst not one people would expect to be a good chat, Astera is surprisingly sociable. She often enjoys telling stories(some of which are false) to entertain and is always fond of jokes.
- Alcoholism - Astera takes alcoholism to a new meaning. She’s obsessed over finding the right stuff, and is a very heavy drinker with an even higher tolerance. She knows her stuff.
- Singing - Astera has a pretty good voice and enjoys singing, especially war songs. She is especially fond of the ones from the finnish civil war but has come to learn plenty, from German to Russian ones.
Talents/Skills:
- Literacy - Can read or write Finnish, Swedish, Russian, German or English.
- Game Expert - Astera is an expert at any games. Dice, cards, knife, drinking, chess or even arm wrestles,, she seems to have the natural ability to outdo her peers much to the frustration of their wallets.
- Cooking - Whilst not gourmet by any means, Astera due to both her upbringing and time in the military has some competency as a chef. Her meals by all means are edible and she can make something out of nothing if the situation calls for it.
P E R S O N A L I T Y
Astera, despite being a soldier for nearly half her life is a free spirit, defying all expectations. She tends to do what she likes and has strong opinions and views that she likes to protect and uphold whenever she can. This combination of traits is both a positive and a negative, as whilst she never allows herself to be trampled upon by others, it had led her to a lot of unnecessary trouble. Everything about her is rather carefree, to her lazy clothing to her un-brushed hair. She has no filter to her voice, and the only time you might find her addressing others with respect if there is a noticeable difference in accomplishment or rank. Those who are not above her will find no courtesy. There is not a trace of femininity in her being and this shows, from her ethics, morals and feelings to her presentation, the fact that she’s a woman does not matter to her.
Astera is also exceptionally lazy when not motivated to perform a task. One would think that both of these traits would make an awful combination for a soldier but it turns out that they have worked to her favour, as she has often found the quickest route to solving a problem in order to conserve her energy. She's incredibly efficient and resourceful with whatever she has and although she is lazy, she isn't much complainer. She prefers to fix whatever is plaguing her and get it over with than dwell and talk about it, and this philosophy extends to basically everything that she does.
Including those facets of her personality, Astera has become first and foremost a soldier. Despite her free spirit, she respects order when it directly concerns her, and despite her laziness, she will complete assignments to the best of her ability when it is within those parameters. She is a social creature and despite being a sniping lone-wolf during her time in the military, does not enjoy being alone as much as she enjoys the company of her comrades. Other than protecting her nation, nothing brings her more joy than betting on a game of chess or cards, or drinking in their company. Despite her brazen attitude, she is very amicable and easy to get on good terms with. She enjoys being the centre of attention and tries to gain the affection of her peers constantly, looking at every way to break barriers between her and those she works with.
Astera is also exceptionally lazy when not motivated to perform a task. One would think that both of these traits would make an awful combination for a soldier but it turns out that they have worked to her favour, as she has often found the quickest route to solving a problem in order to conserve her energy. She's incredibly efficient and resourceful with whatever she has and although she is lazy, she isn't much complainer. She prefers to fix whatever is plaguing her and get it over with than dwell and talk about it, and this philosophy extends to basically everything that she does.
Including those facets of her personality, Astera has become first and foremost a soldier. Despite her free spirit, she respects order when it directly concerns her, and despite her laziness, she will complete assignments to the best of her ability when it is within those parameters. She is a social creature and despite being a sniping lone-wolf during her time in the military, does not enjoy being alone as much as she enjoys the company of her comrades. Other than protecting her nation, nothing brings her more joy than betting on a game of chess or cards, or drinking in their company. Despite her brazen attitude, she is very amicable and easy to get on good terms with. She enjoys being the centre of attention and tries to gain the affection of her peers constantly, looking at every way to break barriers between her and those she works with.
B I O G R A P H Y
The story of Astera begins in the Grand Duchy of Finland. Astera was born in Viipuri, the largest city in the province of Karjala. She was born to parents that were wealthy but lacked the noble name and the Russian blood to enter the aristocracy despite their many accomplishments. Her father was a military officer who had earned his keep in the Crimean War, leading their family to the upper middle class. This had lead for a sleepy, easy life for Astera for the majority of her childhood, as she had nothing to worry about in her quiet hometown.
At her young age, she had always held a deep admiration for her father and her deeds, and grew to be quite the patriot. This led to her wanting to serve her country and given what a determined person she was, she knew even at that young age that she wanted to be a soldier. Whilst most looked at this with silliness, her father was a different man. He saw potential in her given that she was very athletic and tall for a girl her age, and held the knowledge that there was nothing deadlier than a child trained by a specialist. Given that she was his only child, he figured he could see whether women could actually serve on the battlefront as more than a nurse. Her mother didn't object, given that she loved seeing the sheer amount of freedom she received at that age compared to what she had, almost as if she was living another life through her daughter.
Every single day after tutoring, Astera would go out to the garden with her father and practice shooting for hours and hours. She was so committed to her word that her father had commented that "the family would not get to eat because we had to sell the food for bullets." Once she'd finished shooting in the range, she'd go and exercise her body and sleep. In any other case, this would not have worked but given the conditions that Astera had, the setting was perfect for her.
By the time she had entered her teens, Astera was something else entirely. She had been completely blessed by athleticism and strength, and her skills had vastly improved. However, her training was cut short before she could fully blossom into what her father had envisioned, as the Great War had kicked off, and her father was called upon. She badly wanted to serve but she was naught but a 16 year old girl with a premature body. They simply wouldn't take their chances when the manpower was not necessary. Astera saw this as a challenge however and continued to practice and hone her skill almost to a dangerous level going days without eating merely to practice her shot, or improve her physical conditioning.
Astera at this stage was desperate to go and prove herself. The opportunity arrived when Germany began recruiting volunteers and given the nature of the conflict, they saw nothing wrong with experimenting with Astera and seeing if female soldiers could truly function on the battlefield. Whilst they wouldn't get to learn this until much later, Astera was extremely grateful for the training they had provided as it far surpassed anything she performed. Promises of an independent Finland motivated her to push herself further as she continued through her training. However, much to her discontent she was not deployed, as the October revolution had begun by the time she was available to be deployed thus leading her to be sent home along with the other Jägers.
Astera finally received what she wanted. Combat. It turns out that the experiment was a success. Too much so. She never remembered how many people she killed. She had one mission in mind once the civil war had started and that was to free her city. Communist after communist fell to the scope of her rifle, as she operated in a lone sniper role that earned her the nickname the 'Ghost of Viipuri' by the reds as she perhaps employed some of the earliest displays of guerrilla warfare that had been seen before.
Eventually the offensive was taken directly to the city by the whites, and she proved that she was not only a sniper but someone who would gladly face battle headfirst. Following the liberation of the city, victory was close to the whites and they achieved their goal, and she had hers. She had served her nation and protected it from socialism, but she felt wrong. Both of her parents had perished due to the terrors of the Great War and more specifically socialism. This led her to have a great appreciation for the Germans who had trained her and helped save her country from such terrors.
Unfortunately for her, when Finland had become a democratic republic due to the German failure to establish a monarchy there, she felt trapped. She did not believe in democracy in the slightest, and did not feel like living under a system that could so easily turn south in her eyes. On top of this, the majority of her assets had been destroyed by the communists and she hadn't exactly earned enough to live comfortably in Finland, nor did she want to settle down. She was at a dilemma because whilst she wished to serve her nation, she did not have the means to do so as an officer, and she didn't see another war coming until she was useless to her country. She figured she'd serve Finland in another way, by becoming rich and powerful enough to prevent socialism from ever touching her nation again.
Now, how could a soldier get paid without any wars to fight in?
At her young age, she had always held a deep admiration for her father and her deeds, and grew to be quite the patriot. This led to her wanting to serve her country and given what a determined person she was, she knew even at that young age that she wanted to be a soldier. Whilst most looked at this with silliness, her father was a different man. He saw potential in her given that she was very athletic and tall for a girl her age, and held the knowledge that there was nothing deadlier than a child trained by a specialist. Given that she was his only child, he figured he could see whether women could actually serve on the battlefront as more than a nurse. Her mother didn't object, given that she loved seeing the sheer amount of freedom she received at that age compared to what she had, almost as if she was living another life through her daughter.
Every single day after tutoring, Astera would go out to the garden with her father and practice shooting for hours and hours. She was so committed to her word that her father had commented that "the family would not get to eat because we had to sell the food for bullets." Once she'd finished shooting in the range, she'd go and exercise her body and sleep. In any other case, this would not have worked but given the conditions that Astera had, the setting was perfect for her.
By the time she had entered her teens, Astera was something else entirely. She had been completely blessed by athleticism and strength, and her skills had vastly improved. However, her training was cut short before she could fully blossom into what her father had envisioned, as the Great War had kicked off, and her father was called upon. She badly wanted to serve but she was naught but a 16 year old girl with a premature body. They simply wouldn't take their chances when the manpower was not necessary. Astera saw this as a challenge however and continued to practice and hone her skill almost to a dangerous level going days without eating merely to practice her shot, or improve her physical conditioning.
Astera at this stage was desperate to go and prove herself. The opportunity arrived when Germany began recruiting volunteers and given the nature of the conflict, they saw nothing wrong with experimenting with Astera and seeing if female soldiers could truly function on the battlefield. Whilst they wouldn't get to learn this until much later, Astera was extremely grateful for the training they had provided as it far surpassed anything she performed. Promises of an independent Finland motivated her to push herself further as she continued through her training. However, much to her discontent she was not deployed, as the October revolution had begun by the time she was available to be deployed thus leading her to be sent home along with the other Jägers.
Astera finally received what she wanted. Combat. It turns out that the experiment was a success. Too much so. She never remembered how many people she killed. She had one mission in mind once the civil war had started and that was to free her city. Communist after communist fell to the scope of her rifle, as she operated in a lone sniper role that earned her the nickname the 'Ghost of Viipuri' by the reds as she perhaps employed some of the earliest displays of guerrilla warfare that had been seen before.
Eventually the offensive was taken directly to the city by the whites, and she proved that she was not only a sniper but someone who would gladly face battle headfirst. Following the liberation of the city, victory was close to the whites and they achieved their goal, and she had hers. She had served her nation and protected it from socialism, but she felt wrong. Both of her parents had perished due to the terrors of the Great War and more specifically socialism. This led her to have a great appreciation for the Germans who had trained her and helped save her country from such terrors.
Unfortunately for her, when Finland had become a democratic republic due to the German failure to establish a monarchy there, she felt trapped. She did not believe in democracy in the slightest, and did not feel like living under a system that could so easily turn south in her eyes. On top of this, the majority of her assets had been destroyed by the communists and she hadn't exactly earned enough to live comfortably in Finland, nor did she want to settle down. She was at a dilemma because whilst she wished to serve her nation, she did not have the means to do so as an officer, and she didn't see another war coming until she was useless to her country. She figured she'd serve Finland in another way, by becoming rich and powerful enough to prevent socialism from ever touching her nation again.
Now, how could a soldier get paid without any wars to fight in?
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