[hider=Artyom Barkov]
Name: Artyom Barkov

Species: Badger

Age: 26 years old. 

Appearance: 
A self made and well traveled badger of respectable wealth, Artyom Barkov appears to the world as a successful merchant; His blue coat is worn but very well tailored and made from good material, his glasses have long left their little imprints on his muzzle and his pants are a dusty cream color that compliments his coat. 

Those who take a closer look through will see that being a successful merchant isn't as easy as some might think; His shoes tend to be comfortable and worn, suggesting that he has worn them a [i]lot[/i] while his legs are clearly well toned muscle. There are almost always bags under his eyes, suggesting one or more sleepless nights and he is a lot more lean then someone as wealthy as him should have been. Becoming a successful merchant takes time, hard work and sacrifice and Artyom has clearly done all three.  

Overview:
Born in Loratok, Artyom's parents ran a local pub called [i]The Eastern Coach[/i]; His father owned the pub and was the face of the operation while his mother was largely in control of the finances and the book keeping behind the scenes. The pub itself never fully thrived, but despite its humble nature it provided Artyom and his sisters with a wonderful childhood that even to this day he wouldn't have traded for all the wealth in the world. 

The war wasn't something that Artyom really understood until he was older and could look back on things in hindsight. It was just... there. Some dark and horrible boogieman that cast its dark and corrupting shadow over everything, even if the fighting itself was a long way off. Worried for the safety of their children, Artyom was sent off with a friend of his father because he was the eldest at the time in order to see the world (and most importantly, get out of Uskary) and learn how to be a successful trader, learning about other cultures and how to make a living in the world. 

The Eastern Coach was hit by artillery fire several months after Artyom had left, killing all inside instantly. 

Unaware of the fate of his family, Artyom took to his studies with great zeal. He adored the cultures of other places, saw horrors and wonders that would stick with him for the rest of his life and made a great deal of friends and contacts along the way. What caught his attention the most through was simply the level of advanced technology that was present in other nations that simply weren't back home; It was a market that he could easily see developing if someone was to spearhead it and he could see the profit that such a venture could bring. 

Almost a decade after he had left Uskary, Artyom returned to his homeland after the war had ended... and saw the price that it had demanded for himself first paw. Visiting the ruins of the Eastern Coach and seeing the graves of his family... it left scars on his soul that would never fully fade away. He turned to the local priest for advice and guidance through the dark months after his return and with time he was able to... come to terms with what had happened. Not get over it or properly move on, but at least reach a point where he could carry the pain while he lived his life.    
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