Karos

Children of A Revolution [For Karos]

'Ahh, now that depends on the man' Nikolai replied still drawing, glad to know that she'd at least feign an interest in his work. Most people didn't even pay him that courtesy. 'Different things motivate different men' he stopped holding up his notebook to better catch the light for a moment before continuing. 'A strong leader won't be bowed by pressure from commoners, well unless there's a lot of them anyway. But get a couple of his rich friends to suggest a new course and suddenly you can win him over. Peasants however, well it's much better to win over as much of the village as possible, even if they don't understand the reasons' he concluded, looking up for a second at how Anastasiya was elegantly sat in the chair opposite him.

As he looked at her, he tried to take in every detail. She reminded him of a ballet dancer, strong yet graceful, the dark hair only enhancing the image. A stark contrast to the people he spent most of his time with he thought. Usually they were either academics like himself or bumbling peasants, usually half starved, poor souls.

Nikolai listened to her guesses, 'No none of those, and I'm afraid you're out of guesses' he smiled, 'Now you'll have to wait for me to finish and then see'. After a couple of minutes he finished his drawing holding up his notebook so that when he looked at Anastasiya he could see the two simply by shifting focus. On the page in pencil was a precise sketch of the young woman. For something drawn so quickly it was exquisite, picking out her features in fine detail. He quickly signed his name at the bottom before showing it to her.

'There we are, how's that? Probably doesn't stand up to the standard you're used to, but when the others back at the university ask me what my bride-to-be looks like. Hopefully I can show them a picture she approves of?' he asked.

He hadn't spent much time with Anastasiya, but he could already tell they'd get along well. She was obviously bright, and very confident, traits he always admired, and it certainly didn't hurt that she was gorgeous too. The idea of marrying her became more appealing the more he thought about it.

Children of A Revolution [For Karos]

Nikolai looked up smiling at the question, he looked at Anastasiya her tight fitting riding gear leaving just about the right amount to his imagination. He closed the book, thumb pressed between the pages holding his place. Pencil in the other hand he gestured to another chair.

'I shall give you three guesses, but only if you sit down, it's not polite for a gentlemen to sit whilst a lady stands, but this is much easier to do sitting down' he lifted the notebook opening it once more.

'Before your guesses though, I do hope your parents told you that I'm a psychologist as much as I am soldier. Guns and bullets have their place but its much better to remove a mans want to fight without removing the man, at least that's my take on it.' he marked, biting his pencil and looking at Anastasiya.

Steampunk: Technica-Autocrator

'As a matter of fact I do miss, me and some of my associates have found a lead on him. See he killed a friend of ours not too long ago, and we're looking for a little payback. Now I don't know what you want him for, but I'm gonna guess that it's not so you can sit and have a drink with him, or am I mistaken?'

He leant on the bar as he looked at Cornelia, his eyes wary but earnest.

Children of A Revolution [For Karos]

'Yes I've heard the same, I guess you also had as much say in the matter as I did?' he said turning and sitting in a chair at the edge of the room.

He took out his notebook again, this time turning to the back of the book, here there were a number of sketches. All sorts of things were sketched there, bridges over half frozen rivers, experimental apparatus, people here and there. As he flicked to a fresh page he took a pencil from inside his coat pocket and began to sketch as he talked.

'You know it's funny' he paused biting the end of the pencil before he continued. 'From what I understood of things marriage was originally meant to symbolise a choice' he paused again looking at Anastasiya 'A covenant that one made with god. How strange that now it too has become little more than a business arrangement'.

He kept sketching away in his little book whilst he waited for Anastasiya to reply.

Children of A Revolution [For Karos]

As the woman turned to face him Nikolai first noted the pistol in her hand, his reflexes kicked in. He straightened himself, balling his right hand into a fist. He left it at his side however as she nimbly emptied the weapon of it's rounds before proffering it to him.

"Know much about guns, Nikolai?" she inquired. She was beautiful, his mother had been right about that. She had tightly braided hair, and dark eyes that complemented her pale skin.

He looked at the proffered weapon again, 'You're asking the son of Russia's largest weapon merchant whether or not he knows about guns?' He raised an inquisitive eyebrow before taking the weapon. Looking Anastasiya in the eyes he reloaded the weapon in a few fluid motions. He then walked to the table the pistol had come from, placing it on the top. '10 seconds' he said closing his eyes.

Then Nikolai's hands were a blur darting all over the weapon, first he field stripped the whole thing taking apart all of the components as though he were about to clean it. Then eyes still closed he assembled the weapon and placed it on the table.

He checked his pocket watch, 'Hmm, I was wrong' he paused '8 seconds'. He smiled and turned back to Anastasiya, 'So I take it you're Anastasiya then?'

Children of A Revolution [For Karos]

Nikolai Barakohv looked out the window of the carriage as he hurtled along the snowy road. He sat next to his mother and across from his father. All of them were wrapped up in thick winter coats but still their breath plumed up in front of them. What little of Nikolai that could be seen amidst the mass of furs showed an honest yet strong face, with soft grey eyes set against the dark black of his hair, the same colours as the frame of his glasses. He sported a short moustache as was the style of gentlemen at the time but other than that was clean shaven.

Nikolai looked at his father who was staring out of the window. 'Anything of note Father?' inquired Nikolai rather bored of the journey. He'd much prefer to be back at the university, but his parents had insisted. His father had used his full name in the letter, he'd known better than to argue.

'No nothing, Niki' he replied 'Just snow drift after snow drift, hovel after hovel'.

Nikolai took his eyes from his father, and he turned to his mother. 'So who even is this woman?' he asked her.

She looked back at him smiling 'Anastasiya Bolshova' she began 'A beautiful young lady, very bright by all accounts, she'd be an excellent wife'.

'Do me and her get a say in the matter?' he retorted 'I'm certain nobody asked her opinion on all this, and personally I'd rather be back at the university, I was on the verge of'.

'I don't care' growled his father, 'Unless you were on the verge of a way to wipe out these damned Socialists I couldn't care less what you were doing. Besides you're here now'.

Nikolai just sighed in response, his father was right he was here now, might as well settle in for the rest of the journey.

***

Nikolai laughed as his father finished his joke, all the present company laughed. There were five of them in all, Nikolai, his mother and father, and then Lord and Lady Bolshova.

'Very good, Leo very good' remarked Lord Bolshova offering Nikolai's father a glass of Vodka. Nikolai sat quietly and began looking about him, the room looked just like the many aristocratic halls he'd spent time in. Wooden panelling, paintings, a vast stone fireplace nothing of real note.

He fished in his pocket digging out his notebook and his fountain pen. He began to write in the notebook, his untidy scrawl joining that of previous sessions. 'Always working are you?' asked Lady Bolshova who sat next to his mother.

'I try, it's best to keep the mind busy, hard at work that way it doesn't get sloppy' he replied looking up from the notebook, before returning to its pages.

'Sloppy is just the word I'd use to describe my daughters mind right now' said Lord Bolshova.

'She's probably just nervous' replied Lady Bolshova 'I know I was when I was meeting you for the first time'.

Nikolai put his notebook and pen away and took out his silver pocket watch, he flicked the time piece open and noted that Anastasiya was 10 minutes late. 'Why don't I go see if I can find her?' he offered politely.

'No no, you just wait here, I'm sure she'll be here soon' replied Lady Bolshova.

'It'd be no trouble' responded Nikolai 'It would be a good opportunity to acquaint myself with more of your house at the same time'. With that he got to his feet and walked out, leaving his parents talking with the Bolshova's.

He walked down a long corridor, more panelling and paintings met his gaze. That was when he saw a lady dressed in dark riding gear walk into a room at the other end. He didn't call out to her instead he walked up to the door and stopped. He looked himself over, ensuring that his coat, waistcoat and shirt collar were all straight and uncreased.

He opened the door, walking into the room he saw the walls lined with weapons. There was easily enough weapons in this room to arm 20 men, swords, rifles, knives the lot. He smiled as he saw several weapons manufactured by his fathers company. He remembered firing those weapons back at the academy in Moscow, remembered the clash of sabres in the cold winter air.

'Ahem' he said to the woman he assumed to be Anastasiya who was polishing several pistols laid out on a long table.

Skyrim RP ((Dawnguard DLC??))

@AshLeaf
Understandable, what else did you have in mind?
(I'm sure you'll be fine :) )

Skyrim RP ((Dawnguard DLC??))

I can see that Miakardia has already offered @AshLeaf. But if you're still looking for people I'd be very interested in taking part. I have a good knowledge of TES Lore including Dawnguard if that helps at all.

1920's Americana in space? (Think The Great Gatsby meets Star Wars)

@Driving Park

Fair enough, feel free to start brainstorming a character.

@Arawak@ClocktowerEchos

Feel free to start brainstorming characters by the way, I should have the RP page itself up soon.

A Light of Hope

Name: Garrus Semore
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Occupation: Combat Engineer

Weapons: SA-80 Assault Rifle, Browning M9-A1, Diamond infused Combat Knife (also a bayonet for the rifle), 3 demolition charges (detonated via an interface in his Logic Engine).

Equipment: Portable Logic Engine (aka wrist mounted computer, left wrist), grappler unit (mounted on the back of his right hand), full body combat armour with inbuilt sensor suite and comm uplink. In addition Garrus carries all manner of engineering tools, wire cutters, wrenches etc.

Short Personality: Garrus is quite the eccentric, nothing interests him more than technology so he can be a bit calculating at times. However whilst he can come across as strange and cold hearted, he's more than happy to joke around with you and he's certainly not a coward. If you've done right by him then you'll always have a loyal and dependable friend at your side.

Bio: Garrus spent many years wondering the waste, his almost instinctive ability when it came to technology ensured he was in high demand. That demand meant moving around a lot though, which in turn necessitated that he learnt how to fight.

Over his time Garrus has learnt how to shoot, how to demolish and how to stab just about anything. But he's never forgotten the day to day engineering skills that he developed in his youth.

It was after a routine job he heard the signal for the first time, it was then he began following the transmission all the way to Home-5. When he arrived all he had was his ragged leather coat, tattered t-shirt and jeans, portable logic engine and a rusty old rifle that barely worked.

Garrus didn't know what to make of what he saw when he arrived at Home-5. A shining city of machinery and stone, he had no frame of reference for what he saw but he ventured in anyway.

Appearance: