Chinovnik
Chinovniks - named after a low ranking tsar official from times after Peter the Great's reforms - is a person, a member of one of the Russian Republic ministries, that voluntarily underwent a process of infusing themselves with the Winter. Which changed them into a mass-produced (really mass-produced, at least when compared to what other countries are doing) Ash-class Über. A weird-subtype.
Chinovniks undergo a process of Winter-irradiation similar to the creation of 'purified' metals. This changes them into chinovniks, but the effects will fade overtime. However, there is no clear research into the effects of multiple instances of irradiation done to a single person, and some signs indicate that with each successive irradiation the effect seems more stable and will last for longer than earlier.
They are best identified by the aura of cold that follows them (like the one of Father Frost, but weaker) and a rather extreme pattern of behavior. One that makes them suffer (or enjoy) one emotion to the max at once. They can't feel, for example, a combination of relief and sadness when they see a whole box of small kittins catching fire - and all but one surviving unscathed. They will either feel relief and happiness (in a way that seems almost as if they are exaggerating on purpose), or sadness to the point of depression. (
Career
Qualifications
Most candidates for the chinovniks are taken from pre-existing administracy of Russian Republic or officers of its army. The overwhelming majority of them go through at least a limited variant of Freezing, if only to make them more predictable. True Chinovniks go farther than that...
Perception
Purpose
The whole point of a creation of chinovniks is to create people that are trustworthy. Chinovnik theoretically can take a bribe, but when asked about it, he will admit without a fail - because under effects of Winter, he cannot comprehend the idea of falsehood and lies.
It is the same with the threat of betrayal - the chance for a chinovnik to betray the Republic for Reds (or from domestic politicans) simply does not exist.
Social Status
They are... weird. Wrong, even. That's how majority of Republic citizens see them. Peasants barely care - they are used to getting pushed around by the Government - but citizens, especially those active in politics, treat with combination of fear and respect.
The coldness that follows them, and the sometimes weird acting doesn't help. Rasputin himself and the Provisional Government seem to treat them as a temporary measure, used when Republic is in dire threat and only unity and organization can save it.
Demographics
Merely a small part of republican administration and officer corps underwent the chinovnik creation process. They take to occupy key positions, and are a basis of all kinds of inspections and internal security. They will screen someone for signs of betrayal in a purely objective way, not hiding anything. The whole point is to have a non-chinovnik to see through it and make decision with a human factor (and things like mercy) taken into account.
It is estimated that up to ten thousand people in Russia willingly become chinovniks.
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