- ωнαт α вєαυтιғυℓ ғαcє ι нαvє ғσυиם ιи тнιs ρℓαcє
- αиם ι ωσи’т тєℓℓ иσ σиє чσυя иαмє
- Алексей Демьянович Калмьıков
Alexei Demyanovich Kalmykov
- ι нєαяם чσυ ғ•cк тняσυɢн тнє ωαℓℓ
- Male
- тιмє, тιмє, тιмє
- 26
- тнє םαч ι ℓєғт тнє ωσмв
- November 12th, 160 A.F.
- sσ мαич sтσяιєs σғ ωнєяє ι’vє вєєи αиם нσω ι ɢσт тσ ωнєяє ι αм
- Alexei was born into the subzero darkness of Saratov. What used to be a thriving port and military city had become little more than an failing fallout shelter. The waters of the Volga river were poisoned beyond remedy. The soil, black and gray. Saratov was inhospitable; a place that one could only pass through. To rest would be to die from the inside. To be eaten by radiation.
Masha Kalmykov stopped anyway. She had been running alone for days. Her husband, Demyan, had left her in Kamyshen, where he had been shot apart in a fight for their lives. Demyan's legacy rested in her womb, and she pushed forward with spoiled food and tainted water. Delirious with pain; skin cracking from the poison in the air, the lone refugee collapsed and did not get up.
It was the final miracle of a since departed God that saved Alexei's unborn life. Another band of refugees, a group of survivors escorted by a handful of Loyalist soldiers and led by a priest called Maksim, came across her prostrate body on the ash swept streets. Seeing that she was with child, they revived her long enough to deliver her son, who she named Alexei as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She died without holding her baby.
Maksim and his entourage fled from Saratov that day, driving along the Volga for many days in an ancient Russian APC. Its armor protected them from much of the radiation, and shielded them from the gunfire of raiders and bandits. They dined on fire blackened loaves of bread, curdled milk and the few animals they could find, knowing full well the consequences their actions might hold for them. Despite the desperate behavior, all survived. They were determined to escape the Hell that had become Europe.
They arrived in the remnants of Samara one week later, where they rested for many months. Alexei appeared to be healthy despite his adolescence and stay in his infected mother. His guardians traveled from Samara to Ufa; from Ufa to Chelyabinsk; from Chelyabinsk to the isolated village of Kurgan. Of the twelve men and three women who had begun the journey, seven survived.
For the first two years of Alexei's life, this was it. Running. Running forever from inescapable horrors. He was a child, ignorant to most of these atrocities. Just happy to be held by Maksim. Happy until his small body began to show boils and lesions. It's the one thing he remembers of his childhood. Horrific fire eating at his skin. The flames of cancer began as they had begun to settle in the arctic hamlet of Angarsk, ending the hopes that their running was finally over.
Maksim refused to let Alexei -by now more his son than he was Demyan's- die before he had the chance to live. He found a group of travelers bound for Xing Xing de Cheng Shi, the only city in hundreds of miles that could be called "safe." A place with the technology to reverse disease and save lives. An iron cage of tyranny disguised as a sanctuary.
Years passed. Alexei's cancer submitted to the awesome technology of the City of the Stars. He was taught by his adoptive father and shielded from the visions of hypocrisy that ran rampant through the city. People dying of hunger because the government was not willing to ration. Bodies quietly dumped into the ocean during twilight hours. Growing sounds of discord.
Maksim was executed when Alexei was ten years old, after guards discovered his prior connection to Russian Loyalists. The priest's dearest friend, a secret loyalist by the name of Fyodor, stole Alexei away under cover of yet another uprising in the slums. One which was quickly crushed, like all the others. Alexei was no longer a boy. As Maksim's body struck the ground, his naivety and all the lessons that the priest had hoped to teach him -matters of peace, reverence, faith- shattered.
Fyodor took Alexei into the frozen North, and after rendezvousing with other Loyalists started a commune they named Красный рассвет, The Red Dawn. This commune flourished, and witnessed the safe passage of several hundred secret Loyalists. During this time Fyodor taught Alexei to hunt and forage, skills which Alexei came to excel in. He was given his own weapon at the age of 13.
Satellite patrols and reconnaissance slowly became aware of The Red Dawn's presence in Siberia. On November 12th, 174 A.F., amidst the celebration of Alexei's 14th year paramilitary units assaulted The Red Dawn. Under cover of a blizzard and cloaked to radar, the Chinese soldiers executed their attack without detection. It was a bloodbath, taking over one hundred Loyalists to their grave in the first ten minutes. Hearing the gunshots, Fyodor grabbed Alexei and fled to the armory with several others. In the stand-off that followed, the Chinese combatants were briefly routed. Alexei killed two. He felt nothing but dark satisfaction.
Seizing the initiative, Fyodor led a charge with the remaining Loyalists by his side. Their anger proved too great for their assailants, and the remnants of the Chinese attack force met their end, as well as two agents. One of these men was slain by Fyodor. When the smoke cleared, thirty men remained. Among them were Alexei and his guardian.
The survivors fled the commune immediately after the conflict. Taking the few vehicles that remained, they used the same blizzard to cover their tracks. Fifteen minutes later, the night sky behind them exploded in fire. The Red Dawn was no more. Once again, they ran.
Knowing that his death was almost guaranteed for the murder of an agent, Fyodor left the caravan in secret the following night. He was never heard from again. Alexei did not weep upon discovering his departure. The young boy's mind was still reliving the gunfire and carnage of the night before. By the time the loyalists reached the Bering Strait, Alexei had lost all faith in justice. There was nothing but rules made by cowards, and enforced by tyrants.
By the time he turned 18, Alexei had left the company of Fyodor's remaining comrades. He traveled from caravan to caravan, offering them the skills he had been honing for five years. His gift of murder. He killed men, women and children as he slowly traveled down Canada's western shoreline, earning himself money for meals and whores.
Though it couldn't be argued that Alexei was a monster, he had certain standards. Never kill a pregnant woman. Never kill a Loyalist. Should they ask for last words, let them speak, unless they are Chinese... Since childhood his brain became programmed with aggressive racism towards the Chinese, and it was often the deciding factor in the bounties he accepted. If a client wanted their target alive and the respective target was Chinese, Alexei would bring them back begging for death. Missing fingers, toes, teeth, or eyes. It was clear through his craft that Alexei was not a being of mercy or compassion. He imposed his values on the Earth through violence, for that was the only thing left for him. Life became a meaningless voyage. He survived only to end the lives of others.
At 20, he took a job that would give his life meaning. An elderly Japanese man, sick and dying of cancer, wished to possess the head of the man who had destroyed his life and his family. A Chinese lieutenant, retired from the service and living in solitude. Alexei accepted without discussing payment. When he arrived at the target's home he mowed down the lieutenant's four servants. The old man watched him quietly with cold eyes. The old man managed a few words before Alexei slashed his neck.
"You make no difference! You are a stray beast who waits to d--"
Demyanovich returned to his client that evening, and as the Russian dropped the lieutenant's severed head at the elder's feet the man burst into tears, clutching his hands against his heart. Barely coherent, the old man muttered.
"You have redeemed my honor. You have saved my life. Now, I may die in peace..."
His reward was not yuan. Nor was it food. Nor was it drink. It was a katana. A blade that had been passed down through the old man's family since long before the Years of the Dark. Now, with no one to carry on his legacy, the dying man's wish was to give it to Alexei. A sword that had meaning in a meaningless world. A weapon that the Chinese despised. As he held the mastercraft weapon in his hands, centuries old but the sharpest blade he'd ever seen, his dark apathy faded, if only slightly.
He had saved this old man's life. He could save others, too.
So it came to pass that Alexei traveled south, into the wasteland that was once The United States. A place of anarchy, chaos and mayhem. He took bounties in the name of another's honor. Another's revenge. While he remained a merciless and violent creature, his shadow brought hope into a hopeless place. His guns and his blade began to carve a myth in the flesh of oppressors and raiders. He would hunt slavers through dead forests to free their broken merchandise. In a place beyond even China's grand empire of order, Alexei became a faceless hero. A brutal force that left the bodies of wicked men in its wake. He loathed the reputation. Reputation was the quickest way to get yourself killed. The grander you were, the more desperate men were to have what you had.
In his 22nd year, Alexei traveled further south. His intention was to disappear within the Outer Reaches; to vanish as he'd always done before. This time, his departure came too late. Tailed by a group of transients, Alexei was ambushed at The Panama Canal. He killed enough of his assailants to make them flee, but not before being severely wounded himself. The motorcycle he traveled on was taken by one of the remaining transients, leaving him stranded in the wild.
He wandered alone for many months, in desolate plains of dead grass and black trees. He would occasionally find an animal on which to feed, but the harshness of The Outer Reaches slowly began to claim him. After five months of wandering, he stumbled upon the remnants of an old scrap yard. Exhausted and hungry, Alexei took shelter in the mountains of ruin and rust. The next morning, he smelled rotting flesh. Howling echoed off heaps of torn steel.
They descended on him with terrible speed, and his only option was to run. Even then, he could not escape. He fired upon them with all he had left, stopping many of them in their tracks, but there were more... and as he fled the scrapyard and approached a long, empty road, he turned and drew his sword.
In the end, he found himself lying face down in the dirt. The wind was softly bending the yellowed grass. Around him, the stench of rotting meat was mingled with something more. Fresh blood. His blood. He had triumphed over them, but not without suffering what might be his final defeat. The zombies had taken him by the right arm, ferociously gnashing it apart as his blade hacked into them. They fed with wild abandon even as he slew them, and as the last one fell he joined them on the ground.
Darkness consumed his vision, and fear slithered into his heart. He was infected. It was his last thought before losing consciousness.
- ι’m ωαч συт, ωαч συт
- Alexei's actions speak for him. He is a cold and ruthless man, with a heart so hidden it may often seem that he doesn't have one at all. His callousness is the product of the world he lives in, and his utter lack of mercy stems from witnessing the crimes of The Chinese Empire. His unfeeling demeanor permanently masks the compassion he has for those who are victims of their apocalyptic world's sense of "Law," and even when face to face with his clients he is stoic and reserved. His victories are their victories, and they are not to be shared between them. Violence is his gift. Upholding justice is his duty. Very rarely will he express fulfillment over any bounty, unless the target was Chinese.
He hates the Chinese with unparalleled anger. All of them. This includes civilians, women, and children. They are not "individuals" to him. The women supply infants who will grow to continue crushing the life out of what's left of Earth, and thus they are all deserving of death. If a Chinese boy were lying in the street with a broken leg and zombies descended on him, Alexei would watch just to make sure the child died. They are the root of all the madness and sorrow that now resides on the Earth, and he does all he can to make sure they taste it themselves.
People might expect that a man who has done as many monstrous things as Alexei might talk of them often, or derive pleasure from all of the death he has caused. It's not pleasure that he receives from his deeds. It's satisfaction, and he seldom speaks of the past.
- ι’ℓℓ тєℓℓ чσυ sσмєтнιи’
- LIKES
+ Tobacco
+ Clean water
+ Snow
+ Forests
+ Matsuhiro, his katana (named after its previous owner)
+ His firearms
+ People who know when to be quiet
+ People who don't ask many questions
+ Russian Loyalists
+ Salmon and Tuna
+ Days without ash storms
DISLIKES
- THE CHINESE
- Cowards
- Bandits and Thieves
- Enablers
- Manipulators
- Defeatism
- Irrational optimism
- Music
- Canned meats
- Liabilities
STRENGTHS
-IRA EX MACHINA:
------Where Alexei's right arm used to be, there is now a cybernetic prosthetic. This piece of technology was specially designed and installed by Guillermo, and unlike detachable false limbs it is physically anchored into his body through a series of microscopic mesh fibers made of titanium composite. Powered by a fission fuel cell, a series of five computer chips with a combined processing power of 50 terabytes allow the arm to register neurological transmissions and react at 200% efficiency. The arm can operate at any speed of his choice -slowed to the rate of his biological arm or accelerated to far greater speeds- by simply thinking. The arm itself itself is also a super conductor, with electrodes implanted in the hand's fingers and palm. The electrical current conducted through these electrodes is also controlled by Alexei's mind, and can range from a stunning dose of 100 volts to a lethal, incinerating charge of 5,000 volts. It is impervious to solid rounds of ammunition, heat resistant to temperatures exceeding 600 degrees Fahrenheit, and is shatter proof to forces as great as 10 tons per square foot. Sensors lining the interior of the arm's protective shell mimic the sensory feeling of nerves, while its processing engine factors out all sensation of pain. Alone, the arm is an object of awe. Attached to Alexei, it's a devastating weapon of astounding power.
-COMBAT READY:
------His cybernetic arm aside, Alexei has a variety of weapons that have carried him through countless conflicts and the dangers of this dying Earth.
[x]The pistol which Fyodor gave him so many years ago. Though outdated in the age of energy weapons, its semi/ automatic modes of fire, 22 round magazine and compact, light design make it an ideal weapon for surviving the dangers of The Outer Reaches. It's easily concealable within his coat, and fires standard 9mm bullets, the most plentiful form of ammunition on Earth.
[x][x]An MDX assault rifle, purchased from the black market using Alexei's hard earned blood money. It is the gold standard for solid ammunition firearms, and its versatility surpasses a decent portion of newer energy weapons. Its accuracy is exceptional, its recoil is practically non-existent, and it weight just under ten pounds fully loaded. This rifle has saved Alexei's life numerous times, and taken countless more. Further information on this weapon can be found here.
[x]Matsuhiro, the katana which he was given for redeeming its late master's honor. Forged from folded steel through the ancient techniques of Japan's feudal era, it has seen several centuries and been passed down from father to sun for just as long. Of all its owners, only two have wielded it in battle. The first, Tadashi Matsuhiro, the forger of the blade, wielded it in the name of his Emperor. The second, Alexei Kalmykov, wields it in the name of Tadashi's broken bloodline. As all those who came before him, Alexei treats the weapon with great respect, and cleans it after every use. Razor sharp and a symbol of defiance against China's conquest, Alexei wields it with pride and purpose.
-RESILIENT NOMAD:
------Alexei's life has been brutal since his birth. While many survivors flock towards places of safety and look to better their lives, the Russian has embraced the harshness of the wasteland as his home. A nomad all of his life,Alexei is gifted with great constitution and stamina, and skilled in the arts of ambush and guerrilla tactics. From Fyodor he learned to track, forage, hunt, navigate, and set traps. Through many years and constant application, these skills have been honed to intimidating levels. The Russian has also documented the remaining flora and fauna he's encountered, the medicinal qualities of some plants, and is trained to treat low doses of radiation. His skills in the wild and his high endurance make him an invaluable addition to any caravan, and promises a top tier performance on jobs and bounties in the wastelands.
-CONNECTIONS:
------Alexei has traveled much of the world, and his skills are well known and feared. Throughout his life he has assisted many men of great, and sometimes ill, repute. The jobs he has completed and the countless lives he has taken has earned him both a great deal of respect among mercenaries, and an even greater sum of money. His cash and infamy has landed him connections with numerous guerrilla factions, rebel militias and, most importantly, the widespread and far reaching black market. The goods and services that Alexei has access to are undeniably advantageous. They are also undeniably shady.
WEAKNESSES
-RACISM:
------His intense hatred for the Chinese is well known to everyone in the Safehouse. To Alexei, the Chinese are a subhuman species that thrives on exploitation and greed. They are vermin, and beyond redemption. Alexei will not hesitate to kill a Chinese person regardless of their age or gender if he feels they are deserving [and to him, many are]. With Chinese soldiers and loyalists, Alexei often resorts to torture, waiting to kill them until he is satisfied with their suffering. He will never help them or trust them. There was a point in his life when he hunted Chinese loyalists for sport. This aspect of Alexei brings him into his cruelest element, to the point that watching him "deal" with them would drastically alter a person's perception of him.His malice for them is deeply seeded, and has grown with him since his early childhood. As such, it is doubtful any degree of action could ever remedy his total bigotry of the Chinese people.
-INFECTED:
------Alexei is infected with whatever virus infests the flesh of zombies; contracted in his fateful showdown at the scrapyard. Now, like millions of others, he lives with the terrible knowledge that when he dies he will rise again in undeath. This revelation has plagued him with nightmares and paranoia. He has spoken at length to Adelaide and Calwyn regarding his infection, and they have both agreed to, should the time come, insure he doesn't come back. It has also made him more cautious in his travels with the other residents of the Safehouse. When he is alone, he fights as he always has. Beside his comrades, however, that fear can consume him, and drive him to withdraw or abandon another if it means that his survival will spare the others. His infection has slowly begun to chip away at his strength of will. God only knows if or when he will buckle under the weight.
-INFAMOUS:
------While few know Alexei Kalmykov by name or face, "The Russian" and his cybernetic arm are often unmistakable, and his deeds and brutality are known from the heart of the Chinese Empire to the dunes of the American Wasteland. His actions have disrupted the schemes of many wicked and powerful men, and the river of Chinese blood he has spilled has not gone unnoticed. Even though he fights for "justice," many righteous individuals also seek him out, determined to put an end to his monstrous antics. Many men want the personal pleasure of ending his life as slowly and gruesomely as possible, and there is no doubt that, while Alexei is a man both feared and loved by survivors, his enemies are numerous and considerably dangerous. The Russian has done a sterling job of maintaining a low profile so far, but it's only a matter of time before the wrong man recognizes him, and his location is betrayed. When this happens, all Hell will break loose...
- ι’м ɢσιиɢ иσωнєяє
- Bounty Hunter
- αиם ωнєи ι ℓσsє мчsєℓғ, ι тнιик σғ чσυ
Adelaide: Presently, Adelaide is the only person that Alexei has really opened up to. While it might be considered a rather awkward friendship, Alexei being the dark and cold person that he is, the Russian owes Adelaide his life. That is a debt Alexei intends to repay, and until then he helps to keep the safehouse clean and well protected. He has always taken Adelaide's side when internal conflicts arose in the Safehouse, and watches Adelaide's back ceaselessly when on a job. He cannot really grasp how devastated Adelaide is by Rosalie's loss, but does his best to support him.
Annie: Annie was living in the Safehouse long before Alexei arrived, and as such she has his respect regarding matters that involve her home and his shelter. Beyond this, he sees her as an unstable liability. He is not repulsed by her personality, but her lack of combat and medical experience is enough to remove her from his trust, and he will not hesitate to put her in her place. Adelaide will always be the Safehouse's prime resident.
Calwyn: His relationship to Calwyn is bizarre and ambiguous. He is incredibly protective of her, to the point that ferocity comes quickly when others get to close or are perceived as "watching" her. Despite this, and the fact that he was directly responsible for her freedom and rescue, Alexei treats her almost exactly like everyone that isn't Adelaide. As she has incredible stamina and supernatural pain tolerance, and he is the only Bounty Hunter who can truly take the power of her blows, Alexei and Calwyn have become constant sparring partners. It is during these fights that Alexei's perceived apathy melts away, and he bears his heart and spirit. Their bouts have been lighthearted, and they have been merciless. As it is their mutual mode of catharsis, these fights also carry certain meaning for Alexei. Occasionally, he will do something that is uncharacteristically kind for her. He never appears happy when doing either, but that shouldn't be surprising. Very rarely does Alexei smile. It should also be noted that, while Alexei isn't always nice to Calwyn, he has never been rude to her.
Dia and Rico: In his travels across the world and the outer reaches, he found few people with the resources or wealth to build and maintain robots outside of Xing Xing de Cheng Shi. Alexei finds them interesting, and makes some attempts to get to know them. To say that he feels kinship for them on account of his arm would be a very foolhardy assumption. To him, they are just robots.
Guillermo: Alexei's relationship with Guillermo isn't cold, but it's clear that they do not see eye to eye on many things. The Russian finds Guillermo's humor tiresome at times, but will never voice his opinion on the matter. In fact, Guillermo would have to do nothing short of bring a Chinese girl back to the safehouse to make Alexei lose respect for him. Respect is one thing that he gives Guillermo in bulk, for obvious reasons. Alexei's cybernetic arm was of Guillermo's design and construction. Guillermo's ingenuity when it comes to technology is also fascinating to Alexei, and when the technician begins to talk about his inventions (particularly anything regarding his arm) Alexei gives Guillermo all of his attention.
Pallis: While Alexei is deeply grateful to Pallis for treating him and helping to attach his new arm of Guillermo's design, he doesn't like him. To Alexei, Pallis is a deeply disturbed and psychotic man, whose addiction to Zhydrate could be a wild card in any dangerous situation. Chemical dependencies aside, the man's insanity wears on Alexei's own struggling mind, and will sometimes lead to Alexei's ire. Still, the man's medical skills are critical, and he is indebted to the man for saving his life.
Rosalie: It's because of his own attentiveness over Adelaide that Alexei blames himself for Rosalie's death. He feels deep regret and deeper guilt over her situation, and though he knows that Adelaide does not blame him for her loss he wonders if there was not something he could have done differently. She was a genuinely kind and loving person, the likes of which Alexei had never known before. In his own way, he loved her for the ideals she stood for, and the woman she was. However, his heart was never there for he knew she belonged to Adelaide.
- α sσиɢ sσмєσиє sιиɢs
- чσυ’яє тαкιиɢ σvєя мє
- ll Bayne ll
