Grigorij Rasputin
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin
Father Frost, Father Grigori, Living Saint, Grigori the Immortal
Archetype-class Awakened, and one of the greatest enigmas of the world. A former grey eminence of the tsar's court, a man full of secrets and mysteries that for a while almost literally ruled over Russia. With even other court members divided as to whether he helped the tsar or was the primary reason for his downfall.
Assasinated by a group of aristocrats that saw him as a terrible threat to the tsar, he was considered a thing of the past. This changed, when one day he emerged from wastelands of northern Siberia, alive once again. Alive, but not exactly a human. Still detested by many, but also a key to salvation of Russian Republic. He quickly installed himself as a Minister of Winter of the Provisional Government, with the de facto dictator of Russia - Lavr Kornilov - considering him a a crucial asset to the ongoing Russian Civil War.
With the growth in power of both Orthodox Church and monarchist-reformists (both of them under his protection and with his support) he quickly changed into a de facto grey eminence of the Provisional Government and one of the most hated enemies of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party that remains the strongest political bloc of the Russian Republic.
Physical Description
Special abilities
Rasputing is an Archetype-class Awakened, a living anchor of the Winter influence in the world. It is unknown at this point how much a human he is, and how much something else. He lowers temperature simply by being somewhere (if he stays somewhere too long, it drops beneath 0C), also extending the same effect as Winter does. He doesn't seem to sleep more than three-four hours (and it seems random, they are theories that he merely 'skips' time when there is nothing to do).
Exact detail of his 'mundane' combat power is unknown. He has no bodyguards (with an exception of public appearances, but they are used more to keep people at bay than to protect him from something). Two times an assasination of Rasputin was attempted. Both times not a single one of the assasins lived to tell the tale.
Apparel & Accessories
Always seems to carry an Orthodox Church Bible, and a metal prayer rope (made from Frozen metal). Plus he wears simple black robe and has glasses. It isn't sure why he uses them, as he lacked them before his ressurection. He never shows without them... and seems to be able to see through them despite them being permanently covered in hoarfrost.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Beginnings of the Rasputin history are shrouded in myth. What is known is that he born to a family of peasants in the Siberian village of Pokrovskoye in Tyumen Oblast. Somewhere early in his life he underwent a religious rebirth, probably as an aftermath of the death of his firstborn son. He began a wandering 'monk', gaining a lot of attention even in religious circles due to his charisma (despite complete lack of religious knowledge, as he most likely didn't knew how to write or read.
He met tsar Nicholas around 1905. Soon he entered his court as 'mystical' healer, after he proved to be capable of suppresing the haemophilia of the tsar's only son and heir. From there he soon took over the control over tsar through his wife, that was quickly swayed under his near total control.
Rasputin was against the Empire participation in the Great War, believing it to be a source of great calamity and claiming that it will be the end of the dynasty. He was, however, disregarded in that particular matter. Since then, his suggestions whispered to the tsar family began being more and more wrong... as Grigorij himself began indulging more and more in his newfound power, which caused explosive increase of romances, orgies and even religious heresies.
He was finally assasinated by a group of aristocrats. He proved immensely hard to kill - at least according to gossips - as it required him being poisoned, shot multiple times, had his head caved in with a blunt object, and finally was thrown into the nearby river (in the middle of the winter), with some signs suggesting that he managed to partially free himself from binds before ultimately dying of drowning.
It failed to save Russia or the dynasty, as soon house Romanov was overthrowned (with the tsar himself practically imprisoned with his entire family) and then the provisional Russian Republic was broken in half by a bolshevik May Revolution.
Then, in June 1922, Rasputin unexpectedly returned from the dead. Nobody was there to witness his resurrection, and since he never spoke a single word about what exactly happened to him, details are one of his many mysteries. He suddenly showed up in front of Kornilov and the vohzds, managing to meet them with only his charisma, now improved to a truly supernatural level.
While their initially wanted to imprison him (and that's after Kornilov, Kolchak and Denikin literally tried to shoot him) or even execute on the stop, he made a deal with Lavr Kornilov. His arrival happened merely a month after Denikin was defeated near Orel and remains of Northern and Northwestern Armies were forced to evacuate from Russia. Rasputin asked for two weeks and relatively negligible amount of money and engineers - and offered to bring back the weapon that will stop the Reds. He received that.... and succeeded.
Six weeks later, when the Reds began another offensive against the combined forces of the Denikin's weakened Volunteer Army from Southern Russia and Antonov's Greens that constitued majority of the frontline - that, if it succeeded, would mean the front broken and would end up with them being forced to flee through Siberia - they were met with wave after wave of Winter-coated artillery rounds. Unprepared and lacking sufficient protection, the battle turned out to be a massacre and Whites managed to achieve substantial territorial gains, before their enemies managed to reorganize themselves.
This instantly elevated Rasputin into the position of a de facto Kornilov's thaumaturgic advisor... that soon enough was changed into an official position as he was made the head of newly made Ministry of Winter, tasked with overseeing all manner of supernatural works of the Russian Republic.
Ever since then his influence keeps growing, just as that of the Orthodox Church and the former tsar and monarchists-reformists that he seems to personally shelter and support. He is a cornerstone of their influence over the Republic - while personally detested by the socialists and distrusted by liberals, the only person capable of eradicating him from the Republic is Lavr Kornilov himself... and he knows well enough that Rasputin and his Winter-based techmaturgies are the only thing that stand between the Republic and its annihilation by the Reds.
Education
None. The closest thing to education Rasputing ever gain was listening to religious debates on Mount Athos in Greece (where he pilgrimed once), but all it gave him was quotes from the Bible (it isn't precisely sure if he ever read the whole thing). He was a peasant and a prime example of peasant Orthodoxy. Based more on feelings and simple faith than intellectualism and knowledge.
This changed after his ressurection, as he returned as a person of extremely deep knowledge. Most of it is related to Winter and the techmaturgies it brings. According to some, the Ministry of Winter doesn't research them at all - they are merely materializing his ideas, changing his descriptions and words into technical schematics and working prototypes. His theological knowledge also increased by leaps and bounds. He certainly can read and write (and seems to have a Bible on himself all the time), but exact details of the extent of his knowledge on fields other than thaumaturgy are at best sketchy.
Employment
Before his death he never had 'real' job, instead being a wandering monk with skills of an exorcist, healer and prophet, that also coincided with at least some beliefs that the Orthodox Church couldn't stand. After death he almost immediately became Kornilov's personal advisor... and then a Minister of Winter and permanent part of the Provisional Government, regardless of current political situation.
Intellectual Characteristics
Current Rasputin is... a flegmatic and infinitely mysterious intelectual. He speaks in a most laconic matter, but with every word bearing the weight of a rock battering ram. This changes when he is preaching to some encountered non-Christians (or bad Christians) which he sometimes do, which changes him into eloquent and very talkative 'fire and brimstone' type preacher.
In short, he is almost disquieting to those that knew him before his death, as very little is left from the 'old' Rasputin.
Morality & Philosophy
Since his rebirth he seems to be a staunch supporter of the Orthodox Church that actually tries to live according to its moral tenets. Which includes everything from giving alms to the poor (his pockets seem endless in that regard) to being practically ascetic when it comes to alcohol and sex (very much unlike his former self).
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