Czechoslovakian T-72M1 main battle tank, nicknamed “Ural”
Imported from a heavy military surplus retailer in the Czech Republic into the United States by a rich collector shortly before the collapse, this T-72M1 was found still crated up on the property of its would-be owner, complete with a small stock of ammunition, shells, tools and other equipment. Affectionately called “Ural” by its crew, it has served for the last three years as their home and transport.
Age: Manufactured in 1979, in Czechoslovakia.
Crew and passengers:
- Commander and scout: Gregory “Grisha” Bainbridge, 18 PLAYED BY SECTION
Born in the last few years before the end, Gregory Bainbridge was left an orphan when his mother died in childbirth. As a youth, he lived among a small community living on the island of Bainbridge (which became his namesake), in the former state of Washington, but after developing a wanderlust in his teenage years, he decided to set out with his best friend, John Kawaguchi and head south. It was in the former state of California on the decimated property of a rich collector of military vehicles that they found their new, moving home, a T-72M1 main battle tank and since then, they’ve lived a nomadic lifestyle, picking up new members of the crew along the way. When on the move, he fulfills the role of commander of the tank and when it stops, he’s the main scout, looking for supplies, diesel fuel and making a plan of where to go next. - Gunner: John Kawaguchi, 20 NPC
John Kawaguchi, also born on Bainbridge, is Gregory’s best friend and almost like an older brother to him. A fanatic of old world relics, militaria and adventure, it was he who initially pushed Gregory to leave the relative safety of their community and see more of the world. He was the first mechanic and driver of the tank, giving it the name Ural after the Russian name for the initial model of the T-72 and oftentimes, conflict erupts between him and the rest of the crew over whether or not some little item that catches his fancy should be taken aboard or not. - Driver and mechanic: Andy O’Keefe, 45 NPC
A veteran of the last war the US Army ever fought, Andy O’Keefe is a proud Coloradan and used to be a crewman of an Abrams tank, which lead to him becoming the driver and mechanic of Ural when Gregory and John passed by his survivalist hermitage, conveniently when he was running out of supplies. A crude man, he’s never afraid to say what’s on his mind and his tales of life before the collapse are enjoyed by the rest of the crew (most of the time). Often argues with John about the tank, as he enjoys mocking it as the tank of his former adversaries, which the latter loathes. - Passengers:
-Raisa Feofilevna Pasternak, ex-scout, 16 TO BE PLAYED BY SECTION
Born in Moscow, former Russia, Raisa came to North America in a group of migrants seeking to escape the anarchy of post-collapse Russia, where in the cold rubble of the cities, skirmishes were fought between looters, survivors and the remnants of the Russian Army and in the cold plains, few supplies could be found. Soon after their ramshackle boat arrived on the west coast from the Russian far-east, they were scattered by bandits and Raisa’s group steadily dropped until it was only her when she was found by the crew of Ural. She was for a long time the second scout of Ural, operating alongside Gregory (who she gave the diminutive nickname “Grisha”, which is jokingly used by most of the crew) or on her own, until she fell sick. Currently, she is still sick and survives on medicine found by Gregory on his excursions. Speaks English fluently with a rather heavy accent, but enjoys mixing Russian expressions and words in.
-[Empty Place], [Role], [Age] PLAYED BY GUNTHER
-Maria Alvarez, chef, 24 NPC
A descendant of Cuban exiles, Maria grew up in Florida, before moving to Las Vegas to pursue a life as an entertainer. With the end of civilization, this industry was effectively erased and she spent time roaming with various bands of people, hopping from group to group whenever it was most favorable for her. Her talent is making passable meals from few supplies and her sense of humor make her popular among the rest of the crew.
-Franklin “Frankenstein” Scott, camp guard, 26 NPC
An African-American hailing from Chicago, Frank is a gentle giant of a man, standing at nearly two meters tall. With immense strength, he was once a bouncer at a nightclub, but during a fight with a drunken man, he was left with mean wounds in his legs which give him a gait and keep him from running. Thus, he serves as the guard for the camp when Ural runs out of fuel, as well as the strongman for carrying supplies. He’s a close friend of Andy and often helps him with maintenance on the tank. Was once married, but lost his wife to disease, making him very sympathetic with Raisa. In general, he is well-liked among the group.
Description: While once found in mint-condition, over the years, the T-72M1 has received a lot of wear and tear, missing some rubber side-skirts on both sides and the coaxial machine gun has been long removed and replaced with a make-shift viewport. As well as this, the spotlight has been shattered and broken. The single round for the main-gun has been loaded into the auto-loader and in the place of the shell-racks, the most important supplies are kept, such as medicine, exhaustible foods, and some weaponry for the crew. On the exterior of the turret, the extra caterpillar tread pieces have been taken off and used and in their place, tarp bags containing tents, sleeping bags and blankets have been attached, protecting the sleeping arrangements of the crew and in various bags and suitcases attached to the sides of the tank, personal possessions, food and other supplies are kept. The most important equipment for keeping the tank in working condition is kept in the turret bustle box. The once green paint has started to wear and tank itself has rust in areas and especially dirt, mud and dust. The three main crewman sit inside the tank, whereas Raisa, Bernard, Valentin, Maya and Maria are seated behind the tank, near the engine compartment and on the sides of the turret. Franklin mans the NSVT 12.7 mm machine gun, seated on top of the commander’s hatch. Finally, behind the engine compartment, a fuel tank hangs, along with a few jerry cans tied to it.
Equipment Summary (at the beginning of the RP):
One 125mm HEAT-FS round (High-Explosive Anti-Tank Fin-Stabilized)
One-hundred-twenty rounds of 12.7x108mm API (Armor-Piercing Incendiary)
One smoke grenade left in turret launcher.
Enough food for a week and a half of very modest eating.
Enough collected rainwater for a week of very modest drinking.
Enough blankets for the crew, three tents.
Various camp-making and survival supplies.
One Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifle with seven 7.62x54mmR rounds (emergency weapon, carried by Franklin in any situation where the NSVT might not work anymore).
Two Makarov pistols, one broken (belonging to Raisa) and the other kept inside the tank in case of emergencies, seventeen 9x18mm rounds.
Basic first-aid kit.
Tanker helmets for the crew.
Notes: The most important section. Extra info goes here, and this is where you can edit and keep an almost diary of the character as time passes throughout the RP.
)