Name: Alexei Stukov
Appearance:
Age:
31
Sex:
Male
Class:
Noble/Unsanctioned Psyker
Psyker Powers:
Alexei never had his powers formally classified, utilizing his wealth and status to hide his secrets from prying eyes. However, if one were to classify him, he would be equal parts Biomancy and Divination. His focus tends to be on anything that either augments his abilities, or causes the enemy to suffer a more dire performance, although he can muster straight up psychic onslaughts of power in a bind, drawing from the Biomancy part of his powers. However, being unsanctioned is a double edged sword. While he draws more raw power into each of his abilities, he runs greater risk of backlash from the Warp, lacking the training to safely utilize his powers. And, for a gambler like Alexei, he would have it no other way.
Equipment:
Dreamer - Alexei's personal pistol commissioned by Alexei early in his dueling career, preferring the accuracy and art of a hand tooled pistol over other weapons at range, the solitary pistol appears, on the surface, to be a glorified stub revolver. However, upon actual inspection, one would find a highly refined hand cannon at worst, the weapon on par with most military sidearms in regards to accuracy and sheer power. The recoil would normally shatter the wrist when fired one handed, which is typical of how Alexei uses it, but allowing the warp to enhance his strength naturally prevents this from occurring, as would proper armor or bionic enhancements. Each round is designed to punch through armor before shredding, turning a target's insides into mush, and coupled with the inhuman accuracy bequeathed unto its wielder by the warp, makes him capable of taking down far more potent beings than normal by picking out the weak points in armor.
Requiem - A weapon passed down from father to first born son, or whomever can best the first born and lay claim to the blade, claimed from the hazy past of the family when it was once a Rogue Trader family, bound to space and trade and unlike any sort of current Imperial weaponsmithing. While not something that could be linked to any sort of xeno tech, the parallels between the blade and many Eldar crafted weapons often draw the attention of authorities, but whether by luck or fortune in bribes, the blade has remained firmly in the possession of the Stukov family. Of course, the weapon resonates with its latest owner, Alexei, on a level unseen in previous generations, gifting it a unnatural edge, capable of parting armor and some lesser blades like a mono edge through paper, and often seems to be nothing more than a natural extension of his being. While Alexei is far more gifted as a swordsman, due to the attention the blade draws, he more frequently relies on his side arm to settle problems if possible.
Solaris - A Raven that seems to never be far from its master, the creature is as steeped in the raw warp as its master is, emitting an ominous aura that only amplifies the abilities and capabilities of Alexei and his own powers, much to the chagrin of his detractors. Unsurprisingly, Alexei is incredibly fond of his familiar, having forged a closer bond with it than most of the other people to walk in and out of his life. He cannot recall when it precisely came into his possession or even, indeed, why it seems to close and natural to be around. In reality, it is a psyber-raven that not only amplifies the abilities of its master but also acts as a scout, should the need arise, and since such birds are not uncommon in his home city, seeing the creature would not be, in and of itself, a warning sign. As a Familiar, Alexei can perceive what it can see, hear, and otherwise sense, giving him an inhuman edge when assaulted from all sides, appearing to intrinsically know what is coming from any angle of assault, his assailants unaware of the raven watching from the shadows, revealing their movements before Alexei would ever even know they were there.
The Emperor's Tarot - For a braggart and self professed gambler, to find a true set of the Emperor's Tarot within his possession is a bizarre thing indeed. After all, what good is a gamble that is foretold to doom or fortune before it is ever made? However, Alexei is quick to utilize the Tarot during his private moments, centering himself on the Tarot and his own connection to the warp, unfettered by training and the safety measures that sanctioned psykers have, drawing and interpreting to his best ability. Which, is not always accurate as the reading is greatly influenced by the feelings and beliefs of Alexei. However, the readings are still true, as true as any psyker might draw, so one might heed their warnings lest they find misfortune upon their lives. Alexei, moreover, than anyone else would be wise to heed the warnings.
Notable Deeds:
Man, Myth, Legend, Charlatan- By both Alexei's own hand and, understandably, some of the rather outlandish rumors that have spawned from his actions, separating the truth from the deceit is not easily accomplished. While his tall tales and flagrant lies are likely as numerous as his actual deeds, discerning one from the other is made difficult by the fact that actual records of the man are few and far between, and whether they prove to be reliable or not is debatable, as a great deal of wealth has gone into obscuring much of his records, even those in places that, by all rights, should not be accessible and alterable. Indeed, stories and information on Alexei seem to be controlled rather tightly, implying a level of control above what your average noble boy with a flare for the dramatic should be capable of. Of course, one would be foolish to think he would ever deceive the common man, Alexei merely plays down his role in affairs, and would let the true heroes shine in his stead, if fate would simply allow it!
Duelist Honors - Born to a society of both martial prowess and deception, the higher one rises, the more demanding the talent in both, Alexei was first and foremost a master of the blade compared to his peers. He would rocket to the top of any dueling club or organization that allowed him entry, and many would turn the curious noble away, fearing for their current status quo to be disassembled by the young man prior to him moving on to newer challenges and more fame and money for his family lineage. He would be quick to boast besting even the darkest of arena opponents, those who were whispered to be heretics of the highest order, besting them with skill and grace. Of course, he was always gone by the time the Arbites kill squads arrived, finding only another defeated society of fighters and duelists, and rumors of a man with the grace and speed to rival the Eldar, and the strength to best a Traitor Marine in a contest of raw strength.
Heretics, Heretics! - What one might call a random bout of misfortune, another calls a conspiracy. Alexei was quick to pick past the increasingly rampant assaults on his fellow nobles as more than disgruntled lower class citizens coveting what they couldn't possibly handle, and would lead a band of like minded activists, alongside official Arbites special support that were only acting in the interest of upholding the Law, of course, into the deepest dens of the underhives of his world, finding rampant mutation and heresy alike. Acting as an incorruptable pillar of leadership, he would selflessly lead the band into the depths, having shown his family's enemies the truth of things, and while he alone survived and would openly pass condolences to his now ruined enemies households, missing their firstborn and heirs, he swore on their memory to see the remains of their houses integrated into his own, for their own good of course.
A Song of Warp and Fate - Despite unifying the disparate houses of his home hive, Alexei would find himself embroiled in a planet wide uprising against the Emperor of man. Lines were drawn in the sand, as the major space ports were held by Loyalists, yet industrial centers held by the traitors. At the behest of the planetary governor, loyal yet unsupported as he was, Alexei would humbly gather both Imperial Guard forces that could be spared alongside his own personal house troops, leading the mixed force into combat against the traitors. Of course, one would reasonably expect such a selfless, noble action to be rewarded, but treachery was planned for the noble Alexei. Abandoned and cut off from allied forces, all expectations were for him to be slain, allowing the Governor unopposed claim to the nobility of the hive. However, Alexei had other plans as he fought farther into traitor territory, losing each man one by one, eventually only leaving him.
Weeks passed, and one could be forgiven for losing hope and expecting the noble man to be dead or worse. Yet, when the doors of the Planetary Governor's chambers swung open, and Alexei Stukov strode forward, the head of the Traitor general in one hand, and evidence damning the Governor in the other, he was met with shock and revulsion as he walked into the den of the treacherous Governor's seat of power. He would slay them to the man, the Governor resisting being taken into custody and accounting for his crimes, and Alexei would vanish instead of take up a role that had clearly corrupted its last incumbent. Instead, he quietly slipped away with a rogue trader, selling his services to the man in exchange for transport away from his home. It would be this way for the forseeable future, following the Tarot wherever it might take him and seeing where he was needed. After all, was it not his duty to humbly go forth, in the Emperor's name, and serve however it was fated for him to?
The Truth of Things - An alternate account, no doubt by those who would see the heroic figure slandered, paints a different picture completely. He organized the noble raid into the underhive not to purge it of heresy and mutation, but to put his political enemies into positions that they could reasonably vanish without too much scrutiny. The arbites presence merely paid for, outlandish the noble Alexei would assure anyone, and the following integration of the other houses came with ruthless purges of those that might not toe the line quite to his satisfaction. The noble deployment into Traitor lines? An attempt by the Planetary Governor to remove the volatile presence and allow him to focus on the needs of the front as a whole instead of those of the people of the hive. Foolish, indeed, that one would so callously abandon innocent Imperial citizens. And certainly, Alexei had not planned to abscond to parts unknown with noble resources, manpower, during his plan to commandeer a void craft for sudden assault against unaware targets.
Indeed, one would be considered mad in thinking that the evidence against the Governor was false, as is so claimed by some as a measure of revenge vice justice, and that the traitor had not been bested in glorious single combat, but by ambush when using the privy! Perish any thoughts that, indeed, his flight from his homeworld was not an attempt to escape justice, but to let the people choose a fair, just ruler that would have no bias for either his own views, just as they may be, or those of the former Governor. His wanderings, seeking wherever he is needed by Tarot, certainly aren't moves made to avoid bounty hunters and those who have been deceived by Alexei's detractors, since merely conversing with the man would obviously clear up any confusion, so why would he have any fear of retribution?
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