Post by Spheckles on Sept 21, 2009 1:44:54 GMT -5
Canon Character Application
My name is Sphecks and I am sixteen years old. I want to join this site because the premise is exciting, and I have a soft spot for fantasy settings. Not to mention it's been awhile since I've been able to try a new character. I have been roleplaying for three or four years and I normally post between the three hundred words range, though it really depends on the situation mark. Here is my application:
Character name: Ivan "Russia" Braginski
Age: Unknown; presumably between 1000 to 1200 years.
Appearance: Ivan is a tall man, with a large build and pale skin that help him survive the Northern climate; he is every bit as physically strong as he looks. He has short, beige/light blond hair, deceivingly honest violet eyes, and a childish face that nary displays his true thoughts. His body is to a large extent marred by many scars and burns, the causes ranging from wars, to uprisings and their suppressions.
He is always dressed to guard against the cold, as he is constantly haunted by General Winter year round, even when the general is not attacking. As such, he'll almost always be wearing boots, a long coat and gloves. Even when he visits the south, Ivan will never be seen without the light scarf draped around his neck that Ukraine gave him when he was a child. Likewise, he is often seen walking around with an old, metal faucet pipe in hand; a reported 'prize' from one of his past victories.
Personality: In few words, Russia has the mentality of a child; he appears to act completely innocent, but is in fact relentlessly cruel. It appears as though he is oblivious to the harmful nature of many of his actions; however, the fact that he makes no secret of his malicious behavior appears to contradict this reasoning. He constantly gives off an air of intimidation, even when he just stands and smiles.
It would not be far from the bull’s-eye to describe Russia as mentally insane. Years and years of internal strife and external torment have led to the destruction of his psyche, leading to his childish disposition. He has a habit of chanting 'kolkolkol,' and is constantly revealing his desire for and the inevitability that 'everyone will become one with Russia.'
Despite his cruelty, he does have a soft spot for his sisters Ukraine and Belarus; however, he's downright frightened by Belarus most of the time. He is also incredibly fond of sunflowers, and after years of living with General Winter, wishes to live in a place that's warm and sunny.
Throughout the years, Russia has remained deeply devoted to the Russian Orthodox Church, and has stood strong the numerous times his faith has come under fire. This isn't to say his devotion hasn't waned on more than one occasion, but to this day he still abides to it. Since his childhood, he has also been deeply invested in magic, but the constant discord at his home usually left him unable to develop. Since the revolution, he has put all his efforts into technology.
Occupation: Unknown; he can be most closely equated to a berserker. He fights with a club and a faucet pipe, and despite apparently flimsy weapons has enormous offensive strength. He also has relative access to magic, and can summon General Winter to cause immense destruction; usually at his own cost as well. While he has been working on technology, he rarely uses it in battle, instead using a fighting style that is blunt and fierce.
Strengths: His ferocity and devotion. He is strong and knows it, and will go to any means to accomplish his goals and wishes. When he is opposed, he will go to ridiculous lengths to prevail, even going as far as to harm himself to achieve victory. He has an odd sense of protectiveness whenever anyone threatens his family or 'friends,' even if they don't want him to. Regardless, his history has many people far too afraid to go against him.
Weaknesses: His instability. Years of bullying and conflict have led him to be incredibly paranoid of anyone's true intentions, and he ends up sabotaging himself to protect himself. The hesitance is likewise reciprocated, and many people are deterred by his apparent insanity and cruelty.
Backstory: Ivan's earliest memories are of growing up with Natalia and Yekaterina as Kievan Rus'. During this time, he experienced relative happiness with his sisters, as Yekaterina took care of most of the matters of the state. He and his sisters also savored a friendship with the Byzantine Empire, and enjoyed relative luxuries from their trade with the empire. Ivan often spent his time visiting Byzantium, picking flowers, or learning about the workings of magic, an interest he often relayed to his sisters.
With the decline of Byzantium and fighting between the princes, their luxuries soon came to an end. In this time of weakness Ivan and his sisters were attacked by the Mongol Empire; the three already weakened due Kiev's instability, Russia was separated from his sisters, and taken away by Mongolia. During his time under the Tatar yoke, Ivan was forced to pay tribute to Mongolia, and though constantly subjected to threat of invasion and Mongolia's demands, worked to develop various aspects of his economy and military.
It was during his time as a child living with Mongolia that Ivan wandered off one day in the cold winter at the end of the year. Alone and exploring, he ran into a man, standing nonchalantly among the snowflakes without so much as a shiver. Ivan introduced himself, and made a pact with the man named General Winter; the force of his protection and knowledge of magic in exchange for a place to stay once a year.
When he had grown a bit older, Russia and his princes opposed Mongolia, and Russia ran away from the Tatar rule. While he was still forced to obey the greater power of the Tatar, he gathered more friends to come live with him, and eventually defeated numerous khanates to build himself into an empire.
Russia was later harshly bullied by his boss, Ivan IV, resulting in an attack on himself and his nobility in the Massacre of Novgorod. At the same time, he was being bullied by Poland, Lithuania, and Sweden, and was plunged into a period he would later call the Time of Troubles.
When the reign of Ivan IV's son ended, he was attacked by General Winter and suffered from a widespread famine; many thought he suffered from temporary insanity as his children entered civil war. He was continually bullied by Poland and Lithuania, and fought with Sweden, much to his own disadvantage. Eventually he was able to fight back against Poland and Lithuania and expel the invaders from his house.
Once the Romanovs came to power, Russia made peace with Poland, Lithuania and Sweden. He offered his protection to Ukraine's Cossacks from Poland, and would eventually-- finally-- bring his elder sister home with him. All that was left now was to bring his younger sister home; but after meeting so many of the other kingdoms and empires, he decided he wanted more. Even more friends and family to come stay with him and make his house warm.
Besides fighting, Russia spent most of his time farming, isolating himself from the rest of the world and oblivious to the advancements of the West. With Peter the Great's help, he was able to regain some of his previous magic prowess and re-establish his contact with the outside world, bringing Estonia and Latvia to live in his house. With Catherine the Great, he attacked Poland, taking Belarus and more new friends home with him, and later Finland from Sweden under Alexander I. When he was attacked by France, he called General Winter for the first time in years for his help, and in the resulting aftermath, brought Poland to live with him as well.
His bouts of insanity continued, now coupled with delusion and depression. His delusions crashed when he was defeated in the Crimean War. When his poor children were free from serfdom, his mind calmed, if just a bit. He began developing thoughts of nihilism, and he became unusually lethargic.
Nicholas II came to power, and Russia became very attached to Anastasia and Alexei. The Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks rose as he dealt with what some thought to be either extreme mental stress or schizophrenia. Finally, when a mob of civilians marched to the Winter Palace, Russia broke down, and he and the Cossacks fired on the procession.
Come World War I, Russia had made friends with England and France, and was forced into action to protect his friends. He developed a terrible cold and he and many of his children went hungry as General Winter pounded on his door. Strikes broke out and Russia was debilitated by confusion and hysteria. It was the last time he saw Alexei, Anastasia, or any of the Romanovs, and he begged for peace with Germany; Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine and Finland left him as a result. When Lenin offered his hand in aid, Russia accepted as he was once again plunged into civil war. Russia converted to the mindset of the Bolsheviks, but his discovery of the Romanovs' deaths gave way to what many have described as sociopathic mentality.
Lenin was able to cure his cold, but when Stalin came, Russia was finally forced to abandon his dreams of magic and invest his resources in technology. He quietly obeyed, and it built him into a superpower to contend with some the next war.
During World War II, Russia made friends with Germany, and brought Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania back to his house; all of which he lost along with Belarus when he was attacked by Germany. So he joined France, America, England and China, and disregarding his boss' disapproval of magic, summoned General Winter's aid once more to help defeat Germany, bring all his old friends and family home, and begin repairs once again.
Sample Post: It was starting to get warm again. General Winter had finally gone home for the year, but he was sure it wouldn't be long before he came back. So he had to work fast, and work hard.
Russia picked at the dirt by his feet with an old hoe; the ground was still dark and firm from General Winter's last attack. He kept digging at the slightly thawed earth, his breath fogging up in front of his face. His hands remained wrapped around the handle of the hoe, his grip tightening with each passing movement.
Soon he stopped tilling and started digging, and soon he stopped digging and started hacking and soon he stopped. Dirt was covering his face and his clothes, and his hand ached from the grip on the hoe. He looked up and frowned at the neatly tilled, empty plot of land. He was the only one there on the large, quiet, cold plot of land.
Russia returned his attention to the dirt at his feet, shifting the dirt and fixing the mess he had made with his momentary outburst of violence. But his mind began to drift to other thoughts. His sisters; he hoped they were doing alright. The two they were staying with-- Poland and Lithuania was it? -- they seemed nice enough. They bullied him a lot, but surely it was just because they were lonely like him, wasn't it?
'They must want more friends too,' he thought as he nudged some dirt into a small mound. Their house was warm and they had lots of friends and family living with them; they bullied him a lot, so they must have wanted him to come live with them too? Maybe that Sweden guy did too. But he couldn't leave his home, not when his children needed him, not when General Winter always insisted on needing a place to stay.
Perhaps they could come stay with him then? Yes, he liked this idea. He'd been working to bring his sisters back home for years, but maybe his sisters' new friends would want to come stay with him too after he brought them home. They'd like that, wouldn't they? Then they could all be one happy family.
The thought made him smile.
