Prince Vasilej Starosta (a.k.a. The Druzhinnik)
PROLOGUE -
Vasilej Starosta, the head of House Starosta, is a Druzhina Knight hailing from the Kingdom of Palischuk. During the Palischuk Schism, he fought for the current Lyubov Dynasty and secured his noble status in commemoration of his deeds of heroism that haunt him to this day. He is reserved, pious, seeing a romantic side in every facet of life. Vasilej was not born from a position of privilege, hailing from an impoverished peasant family that served in the city watch. With Vasilej as the brains and Bertryll the skill, the brothers were hardened by the blistering cold of Vaasa and became inseparable in a bond forged by war and poverty. As a boy, he stole from a merchant who traded on behalf of the Warlock Knights; after failing, he and his brother were beaten senseless and his mother twisted by Warlock magic until she was dead. This event caused him to resent the feeling of being defenseless (or seeing others defenseless), as well as a seething hatred for the Warlock Knights.
Growing up a peasant man, he and Bertryll learned of the Pravda and joined the first riots against the Warlocks. He led many hit-and-run attacks on Warlock supplies, eventually leading a peasant mob to storm Palischuk Castle. The castle was taken, but what he saw inside drove Vasilej and the peasants into a fury, killing everyone inside without mercy. During the attack, Vasilej was wounded by potent fire magic and bedridden. Lorina Lyubova, a noblewoman with the House of Lyubov nursed him to health, where he charmed her despite his weak state; they would eventually develop a romance. With the castle in Pravda hands, the House of Lyubov assumed the throne from the Warlocks and the Pravda was able to drive out the Warlocks into the tundra. Vasilej was raised a knight and inducted into the Druzhina, where he took up the dragon banner of the Pravda against Warlock holdouts.
For 2 years, the Druzhina hunted the Warlocks in the tundra, destroying holdouts and gaining the support of the nearby villages. The Bogatyr in particular, consisting of Bertryll the cossack, Squire Maksym Relkov, Vladis Konski the steward, and Ivin Nykon the steward, under Vasilej, specialized in tracking and destroying isolated and weakened Warlock holdouts. While reconning a Warlock castle in the Galena Mountains, the Bogatyr had a delay in returning to Palischuk and their return was three months late. Now-Princess Lorina, distraught over the disappearance of her lover, ran off in the direction of the Galena Mountains to find him.
Upon the return of the Bogatyr to Palischuk, an enraged Knyaz Markus gave Vasilej the ultimatum of finding her and mending the situation by finalizing a marriage between the two, or to go into exile and never return to Palischuk. The Bogatyr made a solemn agreement to not rest until she is reunited with her Druzhina and home. Bertryll tracked Lorina to a mountain cave high in the Galena Mountains. The Bogatyr carved their way through the Warlock Knights that held Lorina captive, but before the sorcerer that kept her was killed, a portal was cast under Lorina and she fell through. The Bogatyr jumped in after her.
AS LONG AS STARS SHINE -
Awakening in the hold of a ship with Bertryll and Lorina out of sight, the Bogatyr made their way to the deck of an airship traveling through the Astral Plane. Seeing it as his way to find Lorina, he and his retinue joined the crew of Captain Shoanna Jin, the Kolda's captain. Vasilej and Maksym would accompany her and the crew to the town of Yellowseed, where they liberated the town from the control of a false hydra. This is also where he met and came into possession of Rathian, a silver, sentient longsword imbued with the spirit of an ancient military commander. Maksym Relkov, finding his purpose in leading the people of Yellowseed in the wake of the false hydra's defeat, opted to stay behind and become the town's mayor. The Kolda would go on to an underwater temple outside Yellowseed and slay sea hags and their aboleth, winning the blessing of the pagan god of knowledge, Aghma, for clearing his temple of vermin.
Making their way to the floating city-state of Azoth, the Kolda's crew would accept a contract to retrieve the egg of a solar dragon for use by the city's navy. On their journey to the Rock of Bral to start their journey to the solar dragon's asteroid, Vasilej would adopt Ivin into House Starosta as Ivin Starosta, witness a game of colossuses playing with gargantuan dice, the rise and fall of a space civilization, and be granted immortality for solving the riddles of an astral dragon along with the rest of the Kolda. Vasilej, Ivin, and Vladis would fight in a space battle against a crew of vampirates, surviving and continuing their journey toward the Rock of Bral.
Hearing rumors that battle-hardened pirates known as the Sea Dogs were making their way to the Rock of Bral with an ancient woman as cargo, Vasilej and the Kolda sprung into action. The ship's mechanic joined a crew of clown pirates under Captain Bongo to pit that crew against the Sea Dogs, while Tlaloc and Shoanna transmutated a unicorn and vial of high-explosive liquid to trade with the Sea Dogs' mindflayer trade partners in exchange for Lorina. Lorina would be rescued and the Vasilej was happy, even if he could not return home. They vowed the divine mandate of their love for as long as the stars themselves shine.
Vasilej's mission with the Kolda was not complete, however. The Kolda raced against the Sea Dogs and Captain Bongo to the asteroid, being beaten by the Sea Dogs but outpacing Bongo. The clowns successfully defeated the Sea Dogs, while the Kolda made their way to the dragon's lair, taking the egg for themselves. The clowns stormed the lair, attacking the dragon's youngling thinking it had the egg. The Kolda's crew fled to their ship just as the solar dragon craned its head to fix the Kolda within range of its fiery breath. Reading Vasilej's honorable nature and his longing for home, she offered a deal to return him, Lorina, Ivin, Vladis, and Bertryll back home in exchange for her egg. The deal was kept by both Vasilej and the dragon, and the Bogatyr walked through it back to their home and time.
Back in Palischuk, Vasilej would marry Lorina, becoming Prince Vasilej Starosta. By the Knyaz and the people, he and his Bogatyr would be hailed as heroes for saving the kingdom's future. Though Lorina was safe, the job of the Bogatyr was not yet done, and they would soon leave Palischuk's walls to fight the Warlock Knights once more.
Physical Description
Identifying Characteristics
Vasilej is of medium height and build, with a black mustache and confident aura in his mannerisms.
Mental characteristics
Accomplishments & Achievements
Prince Vasilej Starosta earned his knighthood by successfully leading a mob of peasants to storm Palischuk Castle when it was held by the Warlock Knights.
He would go on to rescue Princessa Lorina Lyubova from space pirates by traveling 7,900 years to the future in the Astral Plane. During this time, he would also liberate the town of Yellowseed and gain the blessing of the pagan god of knowledge, Oghma.
Arriving back in Palischuk, he would marry Princessa Lorina, starting from humble beginnings as a serf and becoming a prince.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Prince Vasilej is determined to safeguarding the future of the Kingdom of Palischuk, and in ensuring that he and his wife Princessa Lorina may one day raise a family without the fear of war and harm.
Virtues & Personality perks
When Vasilej sets his mind to something, he follows through no matter what gets in his way.
Equality. His roots as a serf endear the common folk to him, with which he believes the downtrodden must be protected and uplifted in the face of injustice. He will protect those who cannot defend themselves.
Vices & Personality flaws
Prince Vasilej has trouble trusting allies which have not proven themselves to him. As soon as his trust is broken, he will act in such a way that the perpetrator is no longer worthy of his attention.
Social
Family Ties
Prince Vasilej is the patriarch of House Starosta, which married into the Palischian Royal House of Lyubov through his marriage with Princessa Lorina.
Religious Views
Prince Vasilej is a devout Pravdan, subscribing to Gospod's teachings of the Gospel of Mercy. He despises magic, seeing it as a way for people to bypass blessings of Gospod by partaking in forbidden knowledge to gain power over others.
Relationships
Prince Vasilej Starosta lives a life of adventure and ambition. Vasilej started life as a peasant under the oppression of the Warlock Knights, to a prince in the Kingdom of Palischuk.
View Character Profile
Alignment
Lawful Neutral
Age
25
Date of Birth
20th of Flamerule, 1456 DR
Birthplace
Palischuk
Spouses
Lorina Starosta
(Wife)
Siblings
Bertryll Starosta
(Brother)
Children
Current Residence
Palischuk Castle
Gender
Male
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Tanned
Height
5 ft, 6in
Weight
152
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