Player Name: Hedge
Personal LJ:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
1000morefools
AIM Contact: taoofcrime
Character Name: Nikolai Djerassi
Source Canon: Battletech
Community Tag: Nikolai Djerassi, Clan Goliath Scorpion (for NPCs)
Notes: Will be introduced after I kill Resnick
Nikolai is not an OC. He's one of the personalities profiled in Field Manual: Warden Clans, and is mentioned in several other sourcebooks.
Background: Nikolai was born in the early 3000s, in an average elemental sibko of Clan Goliath Scorpion, on Roche. From an early age he distinguished himself for his cunning and antics, exasperating his sibko trainers. Though the runt of the litter (by Elemental standards), he was also quite strong for his size. They grew up, constantly jostling for position and forming bonds that would last the rest of their lives.
Following his blooding, he impressed his superiors enough to be assigned to the 1st Cateran Cluster, the elite "Heartvenom" cluster. A unit known for unconventional tactics, they were famous for training Wolf's Dragoons before they left for the Inner Sphere. There he befriended Vlad Dinour, who would later be taken as abtakha by the Dragoons upon their second
return to Clan space. Nikolai was bitten by the wanderlust bug and took necrosia, which showed him visions of Star League sites abandoned in the deep Periphery. He also felt a burning wish to understand the culture and tactics of the Inner Sphere better.
Thereafter he took the Seeker's oath and spent a decade traveling Clan space and the Periphery, going so far as penetrating the borders of several Succesor States. He returned every two years with more artifacts and eventually the location of an entire League dropship. This ensured him a nomination for the Djerassi bloodname, which he won, though not without struggle.
With the death of the previous Khan, he was nominated for the position, which he gladly accepted, thinking he could reform the Scorpion touman. However he found himself stymied by Clan politics and the stubbornness of his own Warriors in resisting change. He could change only policy, not attitude, and he feared for the future of the Scorpions. His only truly proud accomplishment as Khan was to prevent the Scorpions from becoming drawn into the fervor sorrounding Operation Revival. He decided the Scorpions' vote for the operation with a coin toss to show his contempt for Lincoln Osis' political brinksmanship.
Frustrated by his inability to affect change that would prepare his Clan for the coming confrontation with Inner Sphere forces, he decided he needed to try a drastically different strategy.He shocked the Clan in 3051 by stepping down from the Khanship to take charge of the Clan's training programs.
He discovered a love of teaching and found himself much happier with his position than as Khan. Seven years passed in contented relative obscurity. Then the Refusal War happened and the Scorpions longed to throw in for their longtime allies. Khan Myers urged caution though, not wishing to offend the Wolves' honor in what was still technically a Trial of Refusal with the Falcons. But then...half of Clan Wolf simply vanished. The Khan and saKhan searched frantically for someone to assign to finding their missing allies.
The former Khan and Seeker was a natural candidate. Ordered to resume active service with the rank of Galaxy Commander, he was given two trinaries each from the Heartvenom Cluster and newly formed First Seekers of Chi Galaxy, heading towards the last place the Wolves had been spotted...
Personality: Nikolai differs from the typical Clan Warrior in several ways.
The first is his good humour. He's a jovial spirit, with a love of Mr Myagi-esque psuedo-koans and practical jokes which nevertheless teach important lessons.
The second is having hobbies which aren't a result of or directly tied to the practice of warriorship. For him, it's history. Though avidly interested in military history, he also has an appreciation of it for its own sake.
The third is his relative lack of a young warrior's ego. Absolutely willing to fight when that is the best solution, he is far less likely to throw down over every slight of his honor than a younger warrior like Matthew or Resnick. Age and accomplishment have given him the self esteem necessary to weather petty insults. When forced into such a situation he'll bend, though not break, the rules in order to win, unafraid to use tactics other clanners would call dezgra. Although respectful of the traditions of Clan life, he is averse to dogma (at least as much as Clansman can be) and generally adheres to Natasha Kerensky's maxim: "Slavish adherence to mindless ritual is a sign that one has nothing better to do." He is not missionary, seeing the Clan way of life as something created for a specialized purpose and questioning of the traditions of the Clans is not likely to set him off, though there are limits: wipe your ass with a copy of The Remembrance and it will be on.
Like many Scorpions, he's an avid collector. This Clan-wide habit may have been the source of the "living heraldry" tradition rather than the outcome of it. He goes after objects of interest with all the attention of a magpie or packrat. His roommates will find his portion of the room encrusted with souvenirs prissily arranged just so and woe betide you if you should move anything in it.
Like objects, he also tends to collect people, younger Warriors (which is almost all of them) to take under his wing (pincer?). This isn't entirely an unselfish action though: he also likes to use them to test new pedagogical theories and play quasi-educational pranks on them which develop the agility of their minds as well as their bodies. He's not averse to discipline and will push his charges hard, not through the standard Clan practice of Full Metal Jacket-esque screaming but through a quiet expectation of excellence from them. However he sees it as a tool and will reward good effort and clever tactics.
Under the influence of necrosia, a rare side of him can be seen. His normal good humor melts away and he becomes serious and quasi-mystical. He interprets practically every event around him, no matter how insignifigant, as some form of sign. Sometimes becomes unpredictable, angry or uncomfortably afraid when he sees something bad, ecstatic when he sees something good. Sometimes the trance is more zen-like, with a flat, disturbing affect. The whole thing is somewhat like being a shaman in a trance. When the drug wears off he abruptly becomes his normal jovial self, cracking a joke with a weak smile.
Capabilities and Resources: In addition to the genetically engineered Elemental physique, Nikolai is well versed in many forms of hand to hand and weapons based martial arts.
His educator's bent has manifested in a skill with pedagogy, something few in the Warrior caste, even instructors, know. He can design, structure and impart a curriculum.
As a former Seeker, Nikolai is something like an amateur archeologist, with the equivalent of several years field-training. He is an afficianado of military history and the history of the Star League.
He is a very difficult opponent at any game, especially those with a strategic element.
Taking Necrosia sometimes allows him to see accurate visions of artifacts he may wish to seek and may provide a bonus in battle. However it is a risky substance, as likely to put you in a coma or kill you as grant you insight and thus used only in emergencies. It's also highly addictive. This information is canon, as according to the sourcebook Mechwarrior's Guide To The Clans.
(*REQUIRED* if you have a robot)
Robot Name: Elemental suit
Robot Description: As in the sarna.net article. He favors a flamer, grenade launcher or mine layer to replace the laser, or a shaped charge when attacking a mech.
Terrain Stats:
Land: A
Air: C (capable of extended leaps with its jump jets but not actual flight)
Sea: C
Space: B
Flagship Name: CGS Serket
Flagship Description: Serket is a Sovestkii Soyuz class cruiser, assigned to carry Nikolai and his Warriors and defend them from spaceborne attack. Though a formidable warship in peak condition, it will be arriving severely banged up and will require several months repair to function even as a giant turret, much less a mobile warship. Its jump drives will take even longer to repair.
Its captain is Star Commodore Vikram, a sallow-skinned, ambitious ex-Seeker aerospace pilot who resents his transfer to the regular forces. He is as amoral as a Burrock.
Terrain Stats:
Land: -
Air: -
Sea: -
Space: C (A when repaired)
Upgrades: (if any)
Job: battle armor and close combat instructor, drug-assisted archeologist
Suggested Event List: As per the other Battletech missions
Sample Post:
1: http://testrun-box.dreamwidth.org/75992.html?thread=1711576#cmt1711576
2:
Nikolai Djerassi stopped on the rocky hill, frowned as he looked down at the ruins of the installation. Once a respectable sized installation (research? barracks? he wouldn't know until he got closer) its walls lay tattered and crumbled like grey crackers struck by a collosal hand. It wasn't a very large building, meant to house no more than a couple dozen, but it had been where the records White Chalice had gotten out of those Blakists they'd ambushed said it would be. No luck from the Blakists themselves, who'd stopped their own hearts somehow. His Sage would probably be done with their autopsies when he got back.
With a subvocalized command to his battle armor's systems, he zoomed in, though he had a feeling he was wasting his time in doing so. Rubble, broken chairs and desks, moldering paper, scraps of plastic in a rectangular pattern that could have once been beds. Thermal, IR and magscan confirmed it: this place had been picked clean with the thoroughness of the starving in post Second Impact Terra. He could take necrosia to be certain, but in all probability that would be only a quasi-mystical further confirmation of that. Only the harshness of the Siberian winter kept squatters out, he was sure.
If he was going to find the next piece of the puzzle, he had a feeling it would be in those papers. Paper records! Oh how the mighty had fallen.
With a gesture, he activated his jumpjets, rocketing over the destroyed base, coming down with his ton of armor on the other side with a clang. The logo he saw on the other side made his heart leap even at his age, even with all he'd seen.
A five pointed, white daggerstar. The Star League had been there.
Personal LJ:
1000morefoolsAIM Contact: taoofcrime
Character Name: Nikolai Djerassi
Source Canon: Battletech
Community Tag: Nikolai Djerassi, Clan Goliath Scorpion (for NPCs)
Notes: Will be introduced after I kill Resnick
Nikolai is not an OC. He's one of the personalities profiled in Field Manual: Warden Clans, and is mentioned in several other sourcebooks.
Background: Nikolai was born in the early 3000s, in an average elemental sibko of Clan Goliath Scorpion, on Roche. From an early age he distinguished himself for his cunning and antics, exasperating his sibko trainers. Though the runt of the litter (by Elemental standards), he was also quite strong for his size. They grew up, constantly jostling for position and forming bonds that would last the rest of their lives.
Following his blooding, he impressed his superiors enough to be assigned to the 1st Cateran Cluster, the elite "Heartvenom" cluster. A unit known for unconventional tactics, they were famous for training Wolf's Dragoons before they left for the Inner Sphere. There he befriended Vlad Dinour, who would later be taken as abtakha by the Dragoons upon their second
return to Clan space. Nikolai was bitten by the wanderlust bug and took necrosia, which showed him visions of Star League sites abandoned in the deep Periphery. He also felt a burning wish to understand the culture and tactics of the Inner Sphere better.
Thereafter he took the Seeker's oath and spent a decade traveling Clan space and the Periphery, going so far as penetrating the borders of several Succesor States. He returned every two years with more artifacts and eventually the location of an entire League dropship. This ensured him a nomination for the Djerassi bloodname, which he won, though not without struggle.
With the death of the previous Khan, he was nominated for the position, which he gladly accepted, thinking he could reform the Scorpion touman. However he found himself stymied by Clan politics and the stubbornness of his own Warriors in resisting change. He could change only policy, not attitude, and he feared for the future of the Scorpions. His only truly proud accomplishment as Khan was to prevent the Scorpions from becoming drawn into the fervor sorrounding Operation Revival. He decided the Scorpions' vote for the operation with a coin toss to show his contempt for Lincoln Osis' political brinksmanship.
Frustrated by his inability to affect change that would prepare his Clan for the coming confrontation with Inner Sphere forces, he decided he needed to try a drastically different strategy.He shocked the Clan in 3051 by stepping down from the Khanship to take charge of the Clan's training programs.
He discovered a love of teaching and found himself much happier with his position than as Khan. Seven years passed in contented relative obscurity. Then the Refusal War happened and the Scorpions longed to throw in for their longtime allies. Khan Myers urged caution though, not wishing to offend the Wolves' honor in what was still technically a Trial of Refusal with the Falcons. But then...half of Clan Wolf simply vanished. The Khan and saKhan searched frantically for someone to assign to finding their missing allies.
The former Khan and Seeker was a natural candidate. Ordered to resume active service with the rank of Galaxy Commander, he was given two trinaries each from the Heartvenom Cluster and newly formed First Seekers of Chi Galaxy, heading towards the last place the Wolves had been spotted...
Personality: Nikolai differs from the typical Clan Warrior in several ways.
The first is his good humour. He's a jovial spirit, with a love of Mr Myagi-esque psuedo-koans and practical jokes which nevertheless teach important lessons.
The second is having hobbies which aren't a result of or directly tied to the practice of warriorship. For him, it's history. Though avidly interested in military history, he also has an appreciation of it for its own sake.
The third is his relative lack of a young warrior's ego. Absolutely willing to fight when that is the best solution, he is far less likely to throw down over every slight of his honor than a younger warrior like Matthew or Resnick. Age and accomplishment have given him the self esteem necessary to weather petty insults. When forced into such a situation he'll bend, though not break, the rules in order to win, unafraid to use tactics other clanners would call dezgra. Although respectful of the traditions of Clan life, he is averse to dogma (at least as much as Clansman can be) and generally adheres to Natasha Kerensky's maxim: "Slavish adherence to mindless ritual is a sign that one has nothing better to do." He is not missionary, seeing the Clan way of life as something created for a specialized purpose and questioning of the traditions of the Clans is not likely to set him off, though there are limits: wipe your ass with a copy of The Remembrance and it will be on.
Like many Scorpions, he's an avid collector. This Clan-wide habit may have been the source of the "living heraldry" tradition rather than the outcome of it. He goes after objects of interest with all the attention of a magpie or packrat. His roommates will find his portion of the room encrusted with souvenirs prissily arranged just so and woe betide you if you should move anything in it.
Like objects, he also tends to collect people, younger Warriors (which is almost all of them) to take under his wing (pincer?). This isn't entirely an unselfish action though: he also likes to use them to test new pedagogical theories and play quasi-educational pranks on them which develop the agility of their minds as well as their bodies. He's not averse to discipline and will push his charges hard, not through the standard Clan practice of Full Metal Jacket-esque screaming but through a quiet expectation of excellence from them. However he sees it as a tool and will reward good effort and clever tactics.
Under the influence of necrosia, a rare side of him can be seen. His normal good humor melts away and he becomes serious and quasi-mystical. He interprets practically every event around him, no matter how insignifigant, as some form of sign. Sometimes becomes unpredictable, angry or uncomfortably afraid when he sees something bad, ecstatic when he sees something good. Sometimes the trance is more zen-like, with a flat, disturbing affect. The whole thing is somewhat like being a shaman in a trance. When the drug wears off he abruptly becomes his normal jovial self, cracking a joke with a weak smile.
Capabilities and Resources: In addition to the genetically engineered Elemental physique, Nikolai is well versed in many forms of hand to hand and weapons based martial arts.
His educator's bent has manifested in a skill with pedagogy, something few in the Warrior caste, even instructors, know. He can design, structure and impart a curriculum.
As a former Seeker, Nikolai is something like an amateur archeologist, with the equivalent of several years field-training. He is an afficianado of military history and the history of the Star League.
He is a very difficult opponent at any game, especially those with a strategic element.
Taking Necrosia sometimes allows him to see accurate visions of artifacts he may wish to seek and may provide a bonus in battle. However it is a risky substance, as likely to put you in a coma or kill you as grant you insight and thus used only in emergencies. It's also highly addictive. This information is canon, as according to the sourcebook Mechwarrior's Guide To The Clans.
(*REQUIRED* if you have a robot)
Robot Name: Elemental suit
Robot Description: As in the sarna.net article. He favors a flamer, grenade launcher or mine layer to replace the laser, or a shaped charge when attacking a mech.
Terrain Stats:
Land: A
Air: C (capable of extended leaps with its jump jets but not actual flight)
Sea: C
Space: B
Flagship Name: CGS Serket
Flagship Description: Serket is a Sovestkii Soyuz class cruiser, assigned to carry Nikolai and his Warriors and defend them from spaceborne attack. Though a formidable warship in peak condition, it will be arriving severely banged up and will require several months repair to function even as a giant turret, much less a mobile warship. Its jump drives will take even longer to repair.
Its captain is Star Commodore Vikram, a sallow-skinned, ambitious ex-Seeker aerospace pilot who resents his transfer to the regular forces. He is as amoral as a Burrock.
Terrain Stats:
Land: -
Air: -
Sea: -
Space: C (A when repaired)
Upgrades: (if any)
Job: battle armor and close combat instructor, drug-assisted archeologist
Suggested Event List: As per the other Battletech missions
Sample Post:
1: http://testrun-box.dreamwidth.org/75992.html?thread=1711576#cmt1711576
2:
Nikolai Djerassi stopped on the rocky hill, frowned as he looked down at the ruins of the installation. Once a respectable sized installation (research? barracks? he wouldn't know until he got closer) its walls lay tattered and crumbled like grey crackers struck by a collosal hand. It wasn't a very large building, meant to house no more than a couple dozen, but it had been where the records White Chalice had gotten out of those Blakists they'd ambushed said it would be. No luck from the Blakists themselves, who'd stopped their own hearts somehow. His Sage would probably be done with their autopsies when he got back.
With a subvocalized command to his battle armor's systems, he zoomed in, though he had a feeling he was wasting his time in doing so. Rubble, broken chairs and desks, moldering paper, scraps of plastic in a rectangular pattern that could have once been beds. Thermal, IR and magscan confirmed it: this place had been picked clean with the thoroughness of the starving in post Second Impact Terra. He could take necrosia to be certain, but in all probability that would be only a quasi-mystical further confirmation of that. Only the harshness of the Siberian winter kept squatters out, he was sure.
If he was going to find the next piece of the puzzle, he had a feeling it would be in those papers. Paper records! Oh how the mighty had fallen.
With a gesture, he activated his jumpjets, rocketing over the destroyed base, coming down with his ton of armor on the other side with a clang. The logo he saw on the other side made his heart leap even at his age, even with all he'd seen.
A five pointed, white daggerstar. The Star League had been there.
