[hider=Vitaly Mirakteenov, Pahzan of the 14th Legion] [INDENT][COLOR=SLATEGRAY][CENTER][sup][h1][center][img]PRIMARCH_PORTRAIT_IMG_URL[/img][/center][b][center][color=black] V I T A L Y M I R A K T E E N O V[/color] [color=darkgray]V I T A L Y M I R A K T E E N O V[/color][/center][/b][/h1][/sup] [color=darkgray][sup][i]"Many look upon me and see a brute, they look upon my legion and see nothing but thugs hardened deep in the hive cities of Sebrys. That is fine, it will be all the sweeter when they beg for mercy and I have none to give them."[/i][/sup][/color][/CENTER] [table] [row] [cell] [center][img]LEGION_SIGIL_IMG_URL[/img] [b][color=darkgray]A P P E A R A N C E[/color][/b] _________________________________________________________ [img]Portrait IMG URL[/img] A goliath of a man, even among the primarchs, Vitaly stands a head above his brothers and sisters. Tall and broad, he shared in common the physique of a leaner Terran ursine from the ancient past. He sports a thick, dark brown beard he keeps short with deep green eyes like a vibrant forest. His custom warplate is of dark grey and a dull matte blue, Sebryan script flows along his wrist and shin plates filled in with dull black stone. His gauntlets sport massive lightning claws in the image of the Emperor's own, and he dons a cape made from the pelt of a large ursine xenos previously worn by the former head of the Sebrys Syndicate. [b][color=darkgray]D E T A I L S[/color][/b] _________________________________________________________ [color=darkgray] [b]Legion Name:[/b] Hive Raiders / Night Stalkers (14th Legion) [b]Homeworld:[/b] Sebrys IV [b]Psyker Grade:[/b] Eta[/color][/center] [/cell] [cell] [center][img]TRANSPARENT_PIXEL_URL[/img] [b][color=darkgray]C O N C E P T[/color][/b] ________________________________________________________________________________________ [color=darkgray] [b]Primarch Concept:[/b] — A gentle giant in demeanor who understands that a steady hand can do far more than a charged thunderhammer. He prefers to conduct war with decisive tactics learned among the gulags of Sebrys IV between warring gangs and later during the aeldari raids on the planet. Small skilled units sent in with support to weaken enemy positions physically or by picking off individuals to sow fear in small bursts. — Respect must be given to be received. The Lord of Sebrys always extends respect, no matter who speaks with, from his sons down to imperial serfs. When that respect is returned, the man is cold and distant. — He runs his legion and his worlds like a criminal syndicate. He allows infighting and rivalries to help weed out the weak and lacking while sharpening the skills of those who come out on top with the exception that such rivalries do not hinder the operations of the legion and crusades. Supply caches, safe houses, resupplies, and more are planned, placed, used to ensure every mission succeeded. [b]Backstory:[/b] When he landed on Sebrys IV, his pod crashed deep into the Urals gulags. He was taken by a minor prison faction, the Mirak family, his adoptive father and patriarch, knew the boy would become something special. And he was willing to toss in on a gamble. The boy grew large and quick, overpowering the men of seasoned mining crews in arm wrestling by age 6. Towering well above even the ogryn prominently locked up on the planet by age 19. By this age, he'd learned the nasty politics of the Sebrys Syndicate through the prison gangs of his home. He kept a sharp mind and dangerous business acumen, negotiating with guards and wardens to get goods snuck through while also keeping competitors and disruptions 'managed'. He was ruthless and ambitious, eventually taking over the family by force from his father when he wasn't willing to take the risks Vitaly knew needed to be taken. With control seized, he worked to expand his influence, breaking down and consuming rival families and gangs until the Mirak numbered in the millions. With careful obfuscation and misinformation delaying quick action, Vitaly led and succeeded in overthrowing the ruling organization of Sebrys IV's mining operations, the Bogdanov regime. Taking the mantle of the new organization in charge, he asserted himself into Syndicate as its newest member and leveraged the many secrets and dirty laundry that had once been locked away on the penal colony as leverage to cement his claims. It would take many years before Vitaly was the undisputed ruler of the system, his organization stretching across every planet, having brought every individual house under his banner. The newly minted Godfather of the Syndicate would be tested greatly when an Aeldari fleet arrived, seeking to recover some artifact lost on one of the worlds of Sebrys. Decades were spent holding off the Aeldari raids and rooting out infiltrators before a Legio Cybernetica exploration fleet arrived in the system and offered support to the Primarch's cause. In return he promised a planet to the Legio as thanks, a stronghold that would be protected and produce automatons for the Imperium and the Legion to be. The emperor would not be far behind this fleet when word arrived of his son's discovery. Arriving at the system, the Emperor would be welcomed with open arms by his son leading a well oiled system of planets. Vitaly would pledge allegiance to the Emperor with little hesitation, the chance to expand his influence to new systems and engage in the brutal and subtle game of war, it wasn't something he could say no to. [b]Skills:[/b] — Pahkan of Subtlety: Learning quickly to navigate the deceptive and aggressive criminal politics of the Sebrys Syndicate worlds, Vitaly picked up a knack for reading a situation and others as well as how to aggressively pursue his goals. Not always using outward displays of force, he's clever and insightful enough to set up leverage, blackmail, or pressure that gives him an edge in talks. His psykic prowess manifests in his ability to read the minds and desires of those before him, peeling back the layers of a person's wants until he finds an avenue he can seize to gain the upper hand in negotiations. In a physical sense, he is also surprisingly silent despite his stature, moving with a silence and speed that leaves those unused to it disconcerted and unsettled. — Godfather of the Sebrys Syndicate: Conquering his home system took more than military might. The planets were thick with hive cities too valuable to completely destroy, the flow of goods couldn't stop or it would cut into profits and quotas. Sabotage, terror tactics, selective killings; weakening the opposition from within to avoid widescale loss, Vitaly leveraged small and tactical strikes to reach his goals. He is a master of subtlety in war and social politics. — Unwavering Ursine: Stalwart and persistent, little stops Vitaly when he sets his sights on something. He possesses a high degree of resistance to psykic influence and manipulation, rarely succumbing to the wiles of psykers through their unnatural methods. His large stature is not just for show, he is especially strong and durable compared to his brothers. And that is before he enhances himself further with Biomancy; enhancing his speed beyond what such a large being should be expected of, boosting raw strength considerably above the norms, and hardening skin like ceramite. These allow him to excel in close range physical confrontations where he prefers to unleash his fury in close quarters. — The Emperor's Lawkeeper: Intended from birth to the Lawkeeper of the Emperor, he has a mind tuned to being a jailer capable of running those places that would take in the undesirables of the Imperium. His legion and his worlds are set up to be self-sufficient and well managed though the methods by which this is accomplished is not always within the spirit or letter of Imperial Law, usually with enough wiggle room to get away from harsh censure thanks to a keen understanding of Imperial Law and how to circumvent. — Cybernetica Tyrant: While he lacks the desire to absorb the depth of mechanical knowledge available to him, he has developed a masterful knowledge of automata thanks to his alliance with the Nawia Cohort of the Legio Cybernetica. When time permits, he tinkers and plays with not only the forms the automata at his disposal, but the programming behind the machines to alter or fine tune their combat cabilities. He does this in private, often away from the judgemental eyes of his Mechanicum allies and those too familiar with technology to avoid his modifications becoming well known. [b]Legion Concept:[/b] — Urban Warfare specialists: Trained to deal with the perils and hazards of hive cities, narrow spaces, bunker complexes, etc. that pose a threat to legions with a more open war ethos, the the Twilight Stalkers are adept at navigating confusing and small spaces while clearing out heavily entrenched forces from within. — Infiltrators: Subtlety is a specialty of the legion. Sabotage, misinformation, killing key targets, stoking fear and anxiety; the legion emphasized minimal damages to hive cities and key facilities. Becoming experts at precision strikes to weaken the enemy before closing in and taking control. — Drones: The Legion has developed a knack for utilizing small drone-like automata, typically pairing one drone per two man squad. They are equipped with powerful auspex and detection equipment, and firepower to support their operators on missions. Some can even be used to build temporary obstacles or chew through structures to plant explosives deep. — Independence: The legion emphasizes self sufficiency. Every marine is trained to survive on his own if he must by any means. While the smallest deployed unit are teams of two, every marine is as undaunting as their genesire and pushes forward without fail. This has led to a lot of strong personalities and fierce individualism running rampant in the legion. Causing rivalries and feuds to spark often. In this way, the worlds the legion brings into compliance are built to be self-sustaining, taking a long time to convert as many worlds in a conquered system into usable settlements as they can so that every System can support itself should warp storms cut off travel. — Thieves: The Night Glaives take from all they conquer, stealing the finery and spoils of the former leadership on worlds they claim to adorn themselves as trophies and for status. Gold and silver and melted down into chains, fine jewels decorate their armor and weapons, animal pelts and furs are esepcially popular. [b]Unification War events[/b] — Born from cooperative (and opportunistic) marauder and bandit clans who once called the devastated city ruins of Ursh home, the Terran born members of the 14th Legion took those urban survival skills with them as they became a terror legion for the Great Crusade. — Their greatest claim to fame during the Unification War was against the Ursh Empire, being natives from the outer edges of Ursh society, they were used to infiltrate and undermine the Empire before the Emperor’s larger forces of Thunder Warriors came to bear. This act of cooperation with the Emperor earned their children the honor of being uplifted, and the parents spared and drawn into the fold. —[/color][/center] [/cell] [/row] [/table] __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [/COLOR][/INDENT] [/hider]