Hands in the Night (War/Horror; OOC/Open/WB)

[Torrocca]

Gonna try and get my IC post done by tomorrow. I've already got an outline of it done, just gotta give it its meat.

[Rudaslavia]

Almost done with my app, y'all. Stay tuned.

[Cylarn]

Posting soon!

[Torrocca]

So, quick lil' update: post is coming along nicely, I've been putting a lot more into it than I initially planned though. Should be up sometime soon. :3

[Cylarn]

So, quick lil' update: post is coming along nicely, I've been putting a lot more into it than I initially planned though. Should be up sometime soon. :3

Sweet! I want to wait for some more intro posts, so that my briefing at the trucks can encompass everyone who walks up.

[Torrocca]

So, quick lil' update: post is coming along nicely, I've been putting a lot more into it than I initially planned though. Should be up sometime soon. :3

Sweet! I want to wait for some more intro posts, so that my briefing at the trucks can encompass everyone who walks up.

Gotcha, gotcha. I'll make sure my post ends with my character arriving there, in that case!

[Wolfenium]

I'm torn between making an insurgent or a Catholic nun, but I have some worldbuilding to help with that. Here's app. :3

(MILOVANOVIĆ, A)

+++Name: Artem Milovanović
+++Age: 36
+++Gender: Male
+++Physical appearance: 177mm, 60 kg
+++Identifying Marks: "Not on the face, but those Chetniks gave me some nasty scars on my body."

+++Ethnicity: Volkavian/Tikhonici
+++Religion: Volkavian Greek Catholic Church (Eastern Catholic)
+++Birthplace: "Dragulje, near Ilica. Nice village. Pretty alpine hills. Ruby mines there are pretty barren now, but I still managed to dig one up as a child. Been with me ever since."
+++Criminal History: "Conspiracy against the state, treason, all tried in absentia. Fuck if I care... Maybe some time in juvie too."
+++Military History: "Served in the Croatian Defence Council in Bosnia, before taking on some odd jobs in warzones here and there. Never too keen to fight for Turks or blacks, though, but a man's gotta eat, somehow."
+++Skills: "Demolitions, motorcycle riding, vehicle repair, basic first aid... I think that's all, unless you could 'killing' as a skill."
+++Occupation: "Most people call me a mercenary, or something fancy like 'PMC'. I don't feel that's inaccurate, but I don't consider money to be that important in my life decision, even if it puts bread on the table."
+++Family: "My dad, Stefan, my mom, Yulia, and my sister, Ljubjana. Parents divorced when I was a child, and me and my dad left for the States. Dad's been under for some time, and hell if I know what happened to Mom and 'Jana. Hopefully, they'd have left, but if they're dead... I can send a few Marian toadies their way."

+++Psychological analysis: *laughs* "You don't want to know. Ok, fine, here's the report from my failed psych evaluation when I tried to sign up for the Marines. 'Reckless', 'disregard for authority', 'prone to violent behaviour', 'frequently inebriated'... Good thing they said 'no', because then I wouldn't be that pissed to go to Bosnia."
+++Likes/dislikes: "What I like? Beer, bike, and bitches. Unless they're Marian shills, I hate those kinds of bitches. And put God into that too, I guess, though mine is pretty specific. What I don't like? Heretics probably come on top, and this country is full of them. Second would be peaceniks (peace activists), I suppose. Damn hypocrites won't shut up about letting those savages run the show while weeping crocodile tears about all the ill they do."
+++Interests: "I like range, barbecues, bike riding and tweaking... Usual redneck stuff, even if I'm not exactly a redneck."
+++Fears: "Hoo boy... I suppose trying to fit in dogs my mind sometimes. I used to be called a commie a lot, even if Volkavia never had been. But it's not the kids I'm worried about, it's the big boys. If one of these says, that mental, bloated king offers up a nice slab of meat to Uncle Sam or Ivan, we'd be wiped off the face of the Earth. I just hope Mom and Sis got out while they still can..."

+++Equipment: "Zastava CZ99, took it off a Chetnik during the Bosnian War. Never left my side ever since. Other than that, I have my kevlar jacket, old Croatian army uniform, satchel charges, pipe bombs, my Vektor R4 from the war, a hip flask, and some bottles of cold ones (beers) for my nerves. Good for 'recycling' too, if you know what I mean (Molotov cocktails)."
+++Biography:
"My story, huh? It's not much of a story... Almost cliche, if you ask me. I used to grow up in these parts when I was a kid. Rural village, not much traffic. Almost idyllic in a way. My dad, though, he's always away. Big businessman with an MNC. Rumour has it that he has a lot of tryst while going around. My mother didn't like it, so they divorced. Before I left with Dad for the states, she told me to keep an eye on him. On hindsight, I should have listened. Damn, it was rough leaving Mom and Jana behind.

When I got to the States, at about nine, maybe ten years old, I had a tough time adjusting. Kids at Belfield (North Dakota) used to call me 'commie' a lot, and my English was pretty damn lousy. I used to hang out in the shady parts of Little Urjiu up till my teens, when I got busted for cocaine. Dad's rarely at home, still, didn't think to care. It was only when I got out of Juvie when I found out he was rubbed out. Police couldn't find the culprits, but some of our neighbours pointed the finger at the Volkavian Jewish mob, or worse, the big cheese on the throne. It was probably the lowest point of my life. No money, no direction, then for the first time in my life, I stepped into a church. That was when I knew."

"All things have an end, and all ends have a new beginning. Saint Tikhon's prophecy is reaching its climax, and we, who have followed him to the embrace of the Holy Pontiff, must heed his call." - Father Cain, Head Bishop of the Volkavian Greek Catholic Chapel of St Tikhon, Belfield, North Dakota.

"I don't know where I'd be without Father Cain. Maybe I'd be wandering the streets like some hobo, or O.D. in some back alley. No... he pointed me at something bigger than myself, something beyond my rough and tumble life. More importantly, he made me remember who I am. I'm not a pious man, never had been. My mother had been all her life, praying for better things as a Catholic in an Orthodox country. But when your king controls the church and doesn't like it when his subjects listen to some priest half a continent away, you know things will get rough. He told us Saint Tikhon's prophecy, and he showed us the way.

Fast forward to the present, and here I am. I've been to several places, Bosnia, Congo, Iraq for a bit... Can't recall anything specific beyond Bosnia, to be honest. Not too motivated to fight for anyone but the Croats up to this point. But this... this is what I've been waiting for my whole life. Saint Tikhon said that the monarchy will end when the king consorts with the Devil. It's about damn time their age old consorting get them to this point. I was hoping to sign up with the Templars (Ilican Liberation Army), but the road to Ilica had been choked up with royalists lackeys. FVF wanted some extra guns, so here I am in Borsten. But damn if I stay with these deluded revolutionaries too long... No matter, as long as I get to kill Marians, I'll think I can hang out for a bit, at least until we get to Ilica."

+++RP Sample: "I don't think so."
+++Why Are You Here: *laughs* "I'm here to spread the word and love of Jesus Christ to my ancient decrepit home. What's that? They already have? Not in my book, they haven't."
+++Theme Song: (optional)
#ItWillBeDone (DO NOT REMOVE)

Demographics

Graničari - Called 'Frontiersmen' in the Volkavian tongue, the Graničari are descendants of Volkavians who had converted to Islam, joined by Turkic Muslim settlers throughout the centuries. Originating from Tatar settlers invited by King Bolisarius II and later Marian kings to settle in the border regions facing their rival Christian neighbours, the Graničari had largely managed to integrate into Volkavian society, while preserving their unique identity and culture. Even in the rise of nationalist sentiment in the 19th Century, and growing pressure from the government, the Graničari had so far been able to resist full Christianization. But King Velkan's pogroms and forced assimilation program, disguised as anti-terror operations, had radicalized many members of the Graničari. Filling the ranks of the Islamic Emirate and VIDB, most Graničari are now in open revolt against the monarchy.

In terms of sect, the vast majority of Graničari belong to the Sunni branch, following the Hanafi school practiced by most of the Turkic Muslims. Shi'ites, largely from the Iranian diaspora, remain miniscule, though a Shi'ite Sufi sect was known to be present in Volkavia up to the early modern period.

Tikhonici - Named after the followers of the first Patriarch of the Volkavian Greek Catholic Church, Saint Tikhon I, the Catholics of Volkavia has always had an uneasy relationship with the monarchy and the majority Orthodox population. Formed from a succession dispute in the Volkavian Orthodox Church in the 15th Century, Bishop Tikhon, regarded as being favoured by the previous patriarch to succeed him, disputed the election of his royally-appointed rival, Cyril IV. Excommunicated, he led his parish's three thousand followers into communion with the Holy See in Rome, and was granted the title of Patriarch of Ilica (Tikhon's parish) by Pope Paul II in 1467. Since then, both Latin-rite and Byzantine-Rite Catholics in the country had grown substantially, particularly through missionary activities both within the country and overseas. However, the Marian dynasty had long sought to root out Papal influence in the country, seeing the Catholics as a direct challenge to the monarchy and the Orthodox Patriarchate they control.

Since the 1990s, the Tikhonici had come under serious attack from the Volkavian government and the Orthodox Church. With many church properties seized and frequent arrests of bishops, many Volkavian Catholics fled the country, substantially whittling down the population.Those in the diaspora became eager supporters of regime opponents, with several prominent Tikhonici joining the Herzeg-Bosnia militia to fight against the Volkavian-supported Serbs. With civil war taking over Volkavia, and persecution of Catholics ramping up, many Tikhonici, local and abroad, had joined the Free Volkavian Forces in hopes of winning greater religious freedoms in the new republic. Other, more radical members, had formed their own militia, the Ilican Liberation Army. Informally called Tepličĭ, or Templars, the Ilican Liberation Army seeks only the creation of an independent, Catholic nation-state. While the ILA and FVF had so far avoided coming to blows, the ILA's violent, anti-Orthodox ethos, would nonetheless become a sticking point for the FVF.

Locations

Named for its natural hot springs, Ilica had long been a strong tourist hub for Volkavia. Home to the largest concentration of Catholics in the country, it is the seat of the Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Ilica, which oversees both the Volkavian Greek Catholic Church, and Latin-rite parishes on behalf of the Pope. Since the outbreak of the civil war, Ilica has become a vicious battleground between Volkavian government forces, the FVF, and the ILA. So far, while most of the city had come after government control after the FVF had been forced out, the vast network of ILA cells proved far harder to dislodge, due to their fanaticism and training under Croat-aligned Bosnian war veterans. The results for the Catholic population proved catastrophic, with government forces conducting wide-scale ethnic cleansing in the city. Even the rest of Ilica were not spared the horrors, either becoming victims of ILA reprisals, or targeted by the government for rebel sympathies.

Situated near Ilica, Dragulje was once one of Volkavia's key mineral deposits. Known for its ruby gems, most of the mines had long been shut down due to depletion. Since then, the village had attempted to transition to a tourist economy, organizing guided tours of the old mines and selling traditional handicrafts. However, with nearby Ilica boasting a far more robust hospitality industry, Dragulje had found itself in terminal decline, hastened only by the outbreak of the civil war and a government crackdown in the village for ILA rebels.

[Pyrghium]

Tag.

[Pyrghium]

Locations:

Zarnagrad


Zarnagrad is located on the coast of the Black Sea, and has long served as Volkavia’s main port, and “Cultural capital”. The City was and remains famous as a regional centre of the arts, and came to be known as the “Vienna of the East”; because many famous Balkans musicians and composers hailed from there. Zarnagrad was also Volkavia’s capital, from 1751 AD - 1853 AD. King Leo V (ruled: 1729 AD - 1799 AD) “the Fat” built a grandiose baroque-style palace on the gentle green slopes just outside the bustling port, and in 1751, upon the Palace’s completion, moved the capital there. The Palace, posthumously called “the Leonine Palace”, was known as “the Versailles of the Balkans”, and Leo and his successor, Queen Leonida (ruled: 1799 AD - 1849 AD) ruled from there. They were both very well known for their patronage of the arts, and it is during their reigns, that Zarnagrad achieved its cultural and artistic notoriety.

In 1853 AD, King Karolin I (ruled: 1849 AD - 1853 AD) brought Volkavia into the Crimean War against Russia, and on the side of the Allies. This proved to be a disaster, because a few months into the War, the Russians attacked Zarnagrad and captured it. The King and the Royal Court barely escaped the city, and fled to Shigal, the current capital of Volkavia. Karolin was assassinated shortly after this, and the throne was seized, by his younger brother, Szrad (ruled: 1853 AD - 1895 AD) who was a pragmatic and serious ruler, quite unlike his frivolous, luxury loving, predecessors. He hated Zarnagrad and everything it stood for, all its wealth and pomposity and circumstance, and so, even after the city was returned to Volkavia after the end of the Crimean War, in 1856, King Szrad did not take up residence there, keeping the Royal Court in [city]. Zarnagrad blossomed throughout the rest of the 19th century, becoming also the nation’s premier university town.

Zarnagrad remained the largest city in Volkavia , until the Civil War. Being a centre of the arts, learning, and commerce, Communism flourished in the City; and Zarnagrad was the location of much brutal fighting, this was followed up by the brutal Nazi occupation of Volkavia , during World War II, which further reduced the city to a shadow of its former self. The Leonine Palace still sits cropped on Zarnagrad’s outskirts, a decrepit monument to what the city used to be.

Zarnagrad still remains Volkavia’s “cultural capital” and her main link to the outside world.

Character WIP (planning for him to be Velkan’s uncle, the younger brother of the late King Bolisarius IV, with the rank of Grand Prince; he was granted Zarnagrad and it’s environs to govern by his brother, due to its historical significance. I will work on this character and other cities and regions and lore about Zarnagrad)

On a side note, I think a map would be a good idea, no? That way, we kind of know what Volkavia looks like, and where everything is.

[Pyrghium]

(Marius, K)

+++Name: Karolin Marius
+++Age: 61
+++Gender: Male
+++Physical appearance: (Mostly optional if you have a picture, but put in height and weight regardless)
+++Identifying Marks: (Mostly optional if you have a picture, but describe anything hidden in the image, like tattoos)

+++Ethnicity: Volkavian
+++Religion: Eastern Orthodox
+++Birthplace: White Palace, Shigal, Volkavia
+++Criminal History: Smuggling, Criminal Networking, Bribery, Espionage (but due to his Rank and Status, he is above the Law, and cannot be investigated or prosecuted)
+++Military History: (Optional, but be conscious of this.)
+++Skills: Strategic Planning, Charisma (good orator, writer)
+++Occupation: Grand Prince, Governor of Zarnagrad, Member of Royal Family, Former Minister of the Interior (1985-2000)
+++Family:

King Bolisarius IV (Brother), deceased
King Velkan (Nephew)

+++Psychological analysis: Ruthless, Cold, Greedy, Corrupt, Vain
+++Likes/dislikes: High Culture, History, Antiques (old palaces, furniture, works of art)
+++Interests: (Optional)
+++Fears: Death, Losing Power

+++Equipment: (Guns, boots, etc)
+++Biography:
+++RP Sample: (If I know you, then you know that I know you. Feel free to insult me, if you have known me for a while)
+++Why Are You Here: the setting interested me.
+++Theme Song: (optional)
#ItWillBeDone (DO NOT REMOVE)

[Fegun]

Marked to read and make app later

[Wolfenium]

Posted. Cy already said I'm in, though I can hold back my post if I heard wrong.

[Dalria]

(Vladovich, A)

Name: Lord Alexander Vladovich

+++Age: 48

+++Gender: Male

+++Appearance: 6 foot and weighing in at 220 pounds

+++Religion: Eastern Orthodox Catholic

+++Birthplace: Shigal, Volkavia

+++Criminal History: While Alexander has never been charged of a crime formally he has been suspected or investigated for the following: money-laundering, racketeering, corruption, and murder.

+++Skills: Alexander is ruthless and cunning. His influence is spread throughout the Kingdom; knowing how to persuade individuals easily and what may make an individual tick.

+++Occupation: Chief Operating Officer of Caldera Mining

+++Family: Alexander is married to a distant cousin of the Crown, Isabella Popov. The couple have eight children; the oldest and heir apparent is the lecherous Ivan Vladovich.

+++Psychological analysis: Alexander is cold and calculated, he cares for nothing but the pursuit of wealth and power. He lives every day as if it was a chess match. He has been labeled narcissistic, egotistical, and selfish by many which is the exact truth. Alexander would not think twice about double-crossing an individual if he stood to benefit.

+++Likes/dislikes: Although married, Alexander dabbles in fine and exotic women, unlike his son he has been able to keep this off the record. He is a bourbon connoisseur, often buying some of the most expensive vintages around the globe. Alexander is also surprisingly a fan of Western film, he often invites A-list actors to his home in the Alps.

Alexander typically dislikes associating himself with the unwashed masses of the land; he extremely dislikes insubordination and sloth which he will punish to the utmost of extreme to someone under his employment.

+++Fears: Alexander, as most, is afraid foremost of death. With a life built around materialism; Alexander does not wish to look death in the face.

+++Equipment: Alexander carries a 9×18mm Makarov with one clip and a switch-blade stashed in his loafer; one can never be to careful.

+++Biography: Alexander was born of noble birth on a warm July afternoon in 1960. The Vladovichs' were a landed family who had served the crown for decades. His father, Mikhail, was the acting Secretary General of the Court for the King, a prestigious position that put him in the favor of the crown. Alexander was raised among the aristocracy, gifted anything and everything in life that he could have asked for. He was a bright student and popular among his peers.

His first run-in that defined his future was a primary school math class. He was close to losing his A+ in the class and therefore had to find an "alternative" method to keep his grade. He was able to convince a fellow classmate to steal the answer key and deliver it to him; after he had the key and memorized the answers, he reported the classmate in order to gain favor with the teacher. Alexander had everything: women, grades, popularity. He ended up graduating at the top of his class and was given an administrative position within the state-ran company Caldera Mining.

Alexander was a simple overseer of one of the major mines. He was able to increase the mining efficiency by over 40% at the expense of labor conditions. Alexander was ruthless in the way he ran the mine, often working the miners to the point of exhaustion but he got the job done. With his family loyalty and as an up-and-comer, his father was able to arrange a political marriage between a relative of the crown. Isabelle was young and beautiful, the best thing that one could ask for in an arranged marriage. Mikhail Vladovich soon passed after the birth of Alexander's first child, leading Alexander to become head of his household. The Crown offered Alexander his father's position as Secretary General of the Court but Alexander could not see himself as a subservient lackey to the King.

After years with a mixture of diligence, intrigue, and bribery, Alexander was made Chief Operating Officer of Caldera Mining Corporation. This was a momentous occasion; Alexander hosted a lavish party at his estate in the Alps. He soon became one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the entire country. He retained a strong relationship with the Crown and often acted as a distinguished emissary around the globe as he became the perfect mixture of aristocracy and plutocracy. Although never convicted, Alexander had strong ties to the criminal element within the county as well. He often worked with the Jewish crime families in order to smuggle in cheap and affordable labor to his mines. There are rumors that Alexander has funneled cash into the Free Volkavian Forces; some say he has done this to create chaos and increase the price of ore others might say he would like to see the end of the archaic monarchy and a modernization of the state.

Recently a new vein of copper was found near Borsten. Alexander has moved into his fortified estate near the city in order to rebuild the local mining operation and capitalize on the new vein of copper. Alexander has coordinated with the Crown and Lord Radim Kotro with a plan to reinvigorate the local economy with mining and use the profit to modernize the city. Alexander has a small team of foreign mercenaries that protect his estate and mining operation.

+++RP Sample: Been gone from NS for quite some time, here is one of the most recent.
https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=433971

+++Why Are You Here: To etch my mark on history.

#ItWillBeDone (DO NOT REMOVE)

[Cylarn]

Alrighty...

Wolf, all good.

As for Lord Vladovich, I would allow him on the pretense that he has no access to his former wealth or personnel, and that through a scandal of your choosing, has been stripped of his office, title, and holdings in the wake of Velkan's ascension to the throne. Also, keep in mind that everyone is a rebel in this RP.

[Pyrghium]

Alrighty...

Wolf, all good.

As for Lord Vladovich, I would allow him on the pretense that he has no access to his former wealth or personnel, and that through a scandal of your choosing, has been stripped of his office, title, and holdings in the wake of Velkan's ascension to the throne. Also, keep in mind that everyone is a rebel in this RP.

What do you think of Zarnagrad?

[Wolfenium]

Alrighty...

Wolf, all good.

As for Lord Vladovich, I would allow him on the pretense that he has no access to his former wealth or personnel, and that through a scandal of your choosing, has been stripped of his office, title, and holdings in the wake of Velkan's ascension to the throne. Also, keep in mind that everyone is a rebel in this RP.

What do you think of Zarnagrad?

Rejected, most likely. You can't app as a loyalist, much less a member of the royal family, with a fiefdom of your own. I mean, it's probably still possible to app as a royal family member, but he'll have to reject his kin for whatever reason and defect to the rebels, thus losing pretty much all the privileges granted to him, and you'd still have to make a very good case for that.

[Rudaslavia]

Given that Colrania has been put on hold, I call for a reboot of this masterpiece.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Given that Colrania has been put on hold, I call for a reboot of this masterpiece.

Aye! For sure!

[Rudaslavia]

I can even co-OP if you need help, Cy. I really wanted to take part in this before I got slammed with that small cluster of personal crises back in February. It's been a long time since I actually took part in a Cy RP.