General writing, I go for prog rock or classic rock, generally on the softer side, something uplifting, or something psychedelic. Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and the Foo Fighters are standbys for me. Jazz works, too, but listening to it too long makes me tired.
I'm a slow poster, so that's one problem. Plus, I tend to think way too hard, and put way too much into a CS, that's two. Plus, I constantly doubt my writing/RPing skill in the presence of others. But four is the most important: I can get mentally exhausted, very, very easily.
Say you play a big board game, like, I dunno... Civilization the Board Game, or Argent: The Consortium, or Twilight Imperium. By the end of it, you can often feel physically and mentally exhausted, because you've sunk several hours into poring over strategies, actign and reactign with the ebb and flow of a needlessly huge and needlessly complicated system.
Generally I can either play a big board game like that, squeeze out a few posts, or work on a few pages of the novel that hasn't been finished in years, but I can't do more than one in the same day.
@Cerberov I like the idea that our kingdoms are allies yet relations are tense. Could lead to some fun in the IC.
That is the plan. After all, tense alliances leave open a bunch of solutions: war, political marriage, secession of land, shuffling of trading rights, etc.
Even back when I most likely was on this forum, there was a mentality among Advanced RPers, which I like to dub the "what are you, casul?" Phenomenon. This phenomenon made Advanced Players seem like, for lack of a better term, pretentious dickbags in the eyes of most, despite those who actually exhibited said phenomenon being few and far between. I haven't encountered it lately, but it's one of the main motivators behind "High Casual" still existing.
Name: Yuri Fedorovich Maximov Age: 32 Gender: Male Ethnicity/Nationality: White/Russian Physical Description: At 5'9 and 180 lbs, Yuri is of average height and stocky build. His features are rough and worn, his nose indicating that it has been broken more than once in the past. A shock of shaggy brown hair barely conceals a set of surgical scars running down his scalp. Shifting brown eyes and a crooked set of chipped teeth fill out the rest of his thuggish features, along with the various tattoos on his arms, chest, and lower neck. Along his back, from the base of his spine to the base of his skull, his spine seems overly large and misshapen, and a metallic coupling peeks out from the back of his neck.
Skillset: Along with training in firearms and hand-to-hand combat gained from a brief stint in the Russian Army, Yuri has gained valuable skills in investigation, interrogation, cutting deals and criminal procedures from his time as an enforcer for the Solntsevskaya Bratva. He is also adept at cutting off any emotions he would see as interfering with his work, whether that work involves disposing of a body or torturing a police informant.
He can speak Russian and English well, and knows a smatterign of German and French.
History Yuri was born In Saint Petersburg, to a struggling working class family. And even from a young age, he had behavioral issues. He took no joy in his parent's love, and seemed to do all he could to torment them. Even as his behavior became worse and worse, his parents shrugged it off. After all, children could be cruel. Though, they did not realize the extent of his cruelty until they saw him, gleefully smashing in the head of a stray cat, on the side of the road.
At the age of 13, Yuri Fedorovich Maximov was shipped off to a correctional institute by his beleaguered family. It was then that he fell in love with the military culture that seemed to pervade his new surroundings, and after graduating from high school, he joined the Russian Army. It was through experiencing training, and everyday soldier life, that Yuri became disenchanted with the one thing that had captivated him as a bot. He had fallen in love with the pride that came with being a warrior, but chafed under another's command. When his contract ended, he left the service, and took the advice of a man he had befriended during training: find the Bratva, tell them I sent you.
The next few reports of Yuri were sparse, seeing as he had dropped off the grid not long after his discharge. Photos of him came up, in connection to several murders, robberies, and drug rings, stretching from Moscow to Monaco. The incident that brought him to the attention of the Vigil, however, is very well-recorded.
During a hunt, one Vigil killteam found Yuri and a cell of the Bratva engaged with the target. Undeterred by his more heavily armed comrades being torn to shreds, Yuri managed to plunge a knife into the eye of the target before being thrown against a wall and receiving fractures in his ribs, skull, and spinal column. Though he was wounded, the action distracted the target long enough for the killteam to act, and he was picked up for medical treatment.
When told of what he had fought, and what the Vigil as, Yuri was all too eager to join.
Psychological Profile: Yuri shows a heavy predisposition towards violence, and a lack of regard for the safety of himself and others. His primary motivation, other than violence, is often instant gratification of some sort, in the form of money, alcohol, games, or various other “rewards”. His default mood is one of apathy, which can be covered up easily in order to smooth over negotiations or aid him in his work. Though he usually has a problem with authority figures, he has little problem with the Vigil, most likely owing to his incident. He is also not averse to working in groups, though he prefers to participate in the “fun parts” such as interrogation and fighting.
Modifications: Communications suite, HUD and neural-computer, all standard issue – Vigil agents are able to text by thinking it among each other on a heavily encrypted wireless network. In fact, the computer works off brain impulses and is easily one of the most sophisticated and useful implants they have; what's more, its capabilities have yet to be fully exploited. The downside of this implant is that it includes a cortex bomb with an anti-tampering device. A captured agent can set it off, destroying the hardware inside, or a signal from control can do the same. This is to prevent the enemy from learning the capabilities of implanted agents. Internal air supply and aerial toxin filter -- this also has the added advantage of making the agent immune to vampire pheromones, as some types of vampires are known to use this to seduce their prey. Blood/liquid toxin filter -- the obvious is at work here -- vampires use their blood as a means of controlling mortals, and this system (and everyone, even non field agents, in the Vigil organization have this implant) screens out one of most subtle weapons a vampire has, rendering them functionally immune to being controlled through ingested blood the way mortal thralls of a vampire might be. Eye augmentation; a HUD showing all sorts of system data, such as the status of implants, as well as allowing for low-light and ultra-sound modes of vision, the latter being thought to be more effective than thermographics when dealing with vampires, who tend to run cold if they haven't fed lately. Facial recognition database, using a high-resolution, high-speed camera added to the ocular impact and a five terrabyte cranially-implanted solid state hard drive, designed to allow ease of recognition for vampires and suspected vampire accomplices, as well as aid in general investigation. Hard drive must be periodically sweeped for irrelevant pictures. Pheremone and chemical scent detector, used to aid in interrogation as well as help track targets marked by a specific scent. Spine-integrated medical suite, including coagulant, stimulant, general and local anaesthetics, and, in cases where the agent is compromised, a “kill switch” package of toxins remote-activated by off-site handlers. With the exception of the “kill switch”, the medical suite dispenses medication based off of a wide variety of medical stimuli, with the intent of either healing minor wounds or stabilizing the agent in preparation for medical care. Reinforced and repaired spinal cord, ribs, and cranium. Capable of withstanding heavy impacts and crushing pressure.
Equipment: Mimetic Camouflage (Predator) coat, though this is designed to look more like a trenchcoat -- no doubt some project engineer with a penchant for the dramatic, or an interest in fashion design. The coat is actually stylish, which serves a dual purpose as vampires tend to dress stylishly and surround themselves with the stylishly dressed. This allows Vigil agents one more edge. Of course, they call it the Predator Coat. Because the engineers are geeks. (This is a standard issue Vigil item) Modular, caseless assault rifle/carbine. Bullpup, caseless ammunition, synched with existing implants and capable of mounting a variety of accessories including a 25mm grenade launcher whose munitions range from conventional high explosive to nano-guided scattered mines. It also syncs with HUD implants for improved accuracy in a mechanism similar to a bluetooth link. The trigger is electric and the weapon includes a biometric security system; anyone but someone authorized to handle it and it will blow; that is a standard feature on most any weapon the Vigil has in service with its teams. (This is a standard issue Vigil item) A number of electronic accessories, including a PDA tablet and other items to assist in making physical connection with computer equipment. (This is a standard issue Vigil item) Grenades, mostly white phosphorus. The organization has designed a 'grenade' that involves a strobing UV light that damages vampires -- it is known as 'the disco ball'. Adaptive fluid ceramic armor, worn under street clothes. The armor consists of “plates” of high-density polymer with ceramic fluid suspended between them, which are fluid during normal movement and rigid when struck, allowing both mobility and protection from bullets and blunt impact. Small caliber concealable pistol, with two 6-shot magazine of .22 caliber rounds. Each round is filled with tungsten filaments, designed to scatter upon entry, shredding bone and organs upon impact. Six inch long electric baton, designed with variable voltage and current settings, with the max for each being forty million volts and up to three amperes of current. Comes with hand charger and spare battery. Civilian clothes, consisting of a grey-and-white jacket, a pair of black track pants, a pair of white running shoes, and a black t-shirt with the words “туда-сюда́ ” in bold white letters.
