Roman von Untern-Sternberg

Baron Roman von Untern-Sternberg (a.k.a. Mad Baron, Gengis Khan II)

There are many myths and mysteries surrounding the man often known as Mad Baron. He is a person seemingly taken straight from the courts of Genghis Khan or Atilla - a cavalry warlord that exists to put fear in his enemies and stomp everyone on his way, until everyone and everything bends before his will.
He is a barbarian warlord... and an organizer, ready to use most modern weapons and tactics. He is a leader encouraging blood sacrifices... and a great introducer of the rules of modern hygieny. One of the most successful commanders of our times - whose decisions making is mostly based on shaman prophecies and his own opium dreams. A former soldier of one of the most disciplined army in the world, that rides to battle half naked and covered in talismans.
Warlord and conqueror, but also a general, monarchist and an arch-reactionary conservatist and ascet. Eastern orthodox... but also lutheran and buddist. Occultist, mystic and prophet, but also a philosopher, administrator, and economy reformer. Promotor of religious tolerance and a champion of buddism, but also a fanatic antisemite responsible for many pogroms. Major Awakened, seen by many as a god of war in flesh, a reincarnation of Genghis Khan or a Great White Liberator from the North, the Shambhala.
Madman, according to most. Genius, according to some.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Peak. He is an Archetype-class Awakened. An antropomorphic personification of a steppe conqueror. He is practically immortal, as even anti-magic ammunition seems to merely graze him. With his sabre he sliced thousands of people, dozens of Übers and at least fifty tanks and other armored vehicles into pieces.

Special abilities

Immortality

Many consider him immortal. It is certainly true that he is inhumanly resilient - far surpassing strongest of Übers - but he already received mortal wounds at least several times. The only cases of his supposed heavy wounds were connected to the usage of tanks or artillery. And in any case (maybe save for artillery) very few of his opponents managed to escape.
This effect supposedly spreads even to his horse. Some ezoterists suggested, it is the idea of a undefeated horseman that is immortal, with the body of man and horse being merely vessels for it. Others indicate that the source of this immortality might be shamanistic fetishes he wears on his body when he marches to war.
If the former option is right, Sternberg is practically immortal as long as either his orda exists - or he is riding a horse through a steppe. The latter is believed by most to be wrong.

Aura of Fear

Second, even more disturbing power associated with his nature as an Awakened is the aura of fear he spreads around himself. If that was simple aura making human afraid of him, that would be nothing scary. The nature of it, however, is much more insidious and terrible.
Roman is an archetype of steppe conqueror. His soul is not unlike those of Gengis Khan, Atilla or Temujin. They ruled by fear... and so is Roman. When a person is afraid of him, this fear begans devouring ones brain. Changes him. Makes him more and more... subservient to the Mad Baron.
His hordes use terror tactics for a reason. During his invasion of western China, entire chinese divisions fell on their knees before him and begged him to be allowed to serve him - merely because of the fear of him that devoured their will.
The effect is, of course, limited in range. It can be stopped (otherwise entire Republic of China would already pledge their allegiance to the Mad Baron, even despite the range limit). It can be even reversed, when one is taken away from the area near the Mad Baron - or relay 'towers', that Mongols keep erecting throughout the Khanate under Roman's orders.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Until 1905

Roman was born in Graz in Austria, but as his mother remarried, he moved over to Estonia (then called Estland) quite early. He was a troubled child. Very autonomous and thrown out of every school it entered. He seemed to have an inborn dislike to being ruled by anyone, often facing his teachers for no apparent reasons.
What set him straight was military. He volunteered to the Russian Army when its war against Empire of Japan began. He barely managed to participate in the fighting, but his behavioural problems disappeared overnight. According to many, he heard the call of war - and something in him awoke.
Nobody was as much against the tsar autocracy being weakened after the 1905 revolution as baron Roman and tsar himself. The revolution was an abomination, an insurgency of primitive masses that had no right to demand anything. With his own home burned down by the peasants, Roman started becoming even and more reactionary.

1905-1914

He finished Pavlovskoe Military School in St. Petersburg with mediocre grades - but with no further problems in behaviour. He joined the Russian Army, soon joining Cossacks as an officer. This was his first meeting with 'wild' cavalry, one that was going to leave a lasting impression.
It was also a time when he became more and more interested in ezoterism. According to some who knew him back then, he was almost 'supernaturally' gifted. For some reason nobody who meet him can tell anything conclusive about his eyes - every person remembers their colour differently. He was also said to be able to see future and read in minds. Some consider him a first case of Awakened, albeit minor (for now).
He also spend some time in and around Mongolia. Taking in at least some of its weird, almost supernatural atmosphere. He was changing. And probably not for better..

Great War

He fought on the eastern front against the Central Powers, known for his valiant (if ferocious) fighting during the battle for Tannenberg. He lost his cousin - Friedrich von Untern-Sternberg - during a charge at a heavily entrenced enemy during that battle.
He showed a notorious lack of interests in discipline and military regulations... but also a ferocious bravery that brought him medals, promotions (slower than if he understood that drunken sword brawls with other officers aren't really good ideas) and at least some recognition.
Later on he was sent - together with his best friend, Georgij Semyonov - for a Caucasus front when he saw ethnic cleansings of assyrian Christians. Which made him even more... broken, at least in some not exactly known way. Perhaps he was never not broken... He was there when tsar was forced to abdicate, an event that shook him even more.
He remained loyal to it - albeit with increasing distaste for the more and more socialist cliques that ruled over it - and fought on eastern front again. Where he proved to be almost insane battle junky. He was there during the Second Kierensky Offensive... and once again emerged alive from even the worst problems.

Russian Civil War

He was an almost open enemy of the Russian Republic... but bolsheviks were much worse than it. They were an epitome of everything that Roman hated. Enemies of religion, and anti-monarchists. That glorified peasants and robbed aristocracy of its wealth to give it to masses (that Roman saw as brainless mob). What's more, a Jews (or at least that's how conservative elites of the late Russian Republic saw them) that also backstabbed the Russian Army when it was busy fighting the Central Powers.
He deserted in the chaos and travelled east. He joined Georgij Semyonov in the Transbaikal region, when they began organizing armed forces to fight against the bolsheviks. They did it independently from the Lavr Kornilov attempts to united the country against its own army and main population centers, concentrating on non-Russians (especially Buryats tribes) that weren't subjected to recruitment under normal measure.
His first major action in the Russian Civil War happened in Manczula, near Russian-Chinese border, where almost singlehandedly he disarmed 1500 rebellious soldiers after intimidating their commander - known later on in the war against the Reds from his ruthlessness - to help him.
They managed to clean most of the region from the bolsheviks supporter, pacifying whole area for the Provisional Government. Fame of the Red Baron grew... just as his personal distaste for Semyonov and his 'oriental' ways. Roman was almost an ascet, while his friend indulge in power. Traveling around with an orchestra made from Austro-Hungarian war prisoners, an entire harem of concubines and feasts that bordered on orgies didn't sit well with Roman.
After particularly serious disagreement, Roman left Semyonov together with sources loyal to him. It is believed that he has Awakened completely around that time. Mongolia called him... and he planned to listen to the call.

Outer Mongolian Liberation

The moment was perfect. The 'clean', and 'righteous' monarchist system in Mongolia - under bogd chan, a theocratic... and unbelievably corrupted leader - was threatened. One of Chinese warlords entered it and occupied, imprisoning bogd chan.
Republic of China for Roman was little better than bolsheviks. He would gladly serve the Qing dynasty - a monarchy was a monarchy, especially one serving the will of the higher power - but the accursed, revolutionary republic threatening yet another monarchy was too much.
He led his warriors in a war of liberation. Despite having no more than a thousand soldiers, he quickly liberated Urga and freed the bogd chan. The local Chinese garrison was either destroyed or taken prisoner and forced to join Untern due to his aura of fear. Few resisted and tried to desert - they were executed without mercy.
Locals saw him as Shambhala, a mythical 'white liberator' coming from the north to save Mongolia from evil. Whispers of him being a god of war began spreading.

Mongolia

Mongolia was free, but almost immediately local communists (fighting in the name of both buddism and communism, ot make it weirder) began their own march of liberation. For now, however, Roman von Untern-Sternberg was busy with something else.
After liberation of Urga he began organizing a government under local aristocrats (those, that helped him in his invasion/liberation), while also making major reforms. Urga was properly electrified, a system of street lamps (seen by natives as a miracle) was created and modern laws of hygiene were introduced. Thousand of bodies lying on the streets were properly taken care off, and vultures that tried to ate them were shot (unlike the tenets of local culture).
He even created - together with bogd chan - a first mongolian currency, made with woodcut technology, and with bogd chan's herds being its equivalent of gold standard. Initially met with distrust, situation changed overtime as Untern continued his rampage and Mongolian Khanate kept growing.
He also created political police - a Department of Political Intelligence - and began a rule of absolute terror. Every person suspected of being a sympathizer of a revolutionaries (be it bolsheviks or Republic of China) were send for a long, agonizing death in the hands of Sternberg's torturers.
His host kept growing. Mongols kept joining the army of the Shambhala himself, regardless of the tribes they belonged to - some of the nomads even kept coming from Russia to do that. Dalailama of Tibet send him a host of warriors (armed and trained by British Empire) to fight the Chinese and the communists. Even some 'adventurers' from both Russian Republic and Empire of Japan joined him, bringing some modern weaponry and even artillery with them.
His first target were local communists. It wasn't an easy battle, but with them being essentially cut off from the support from bolsheviks (due to Whites controlling western Siberia) it was bound to end up one way. Local 'commubuddism' was eradicated, and last significant resistance towards Roman in Outer Mongolia was eliminated around the end of june 1921.

Expansion - Inner Mongolia

With every step he made, his host grew just as his fame... and the fear he caused. Which, in turn, made people even more loyal to his insane cause. A snowball effect raged around in Mongolia, and there was no power strong enough to end it early on.
Next step was the so called Inner Mongolia, under control of the accursed Republic of China. It was weak, however. Natives were less happy than Chinese would like them, and the local RoC forces were as demoralized and prone to changing sides as everywhere else.
After consolidating his power in Outer Mongolia, Untern struck the Inner Mongolia, liberating it and creating a united Mongolian Khanate. Bogd chan was its theocratic monarch and a head of its civilian government, while Untern was... officially unaligned with the Khanate. He was seen as a khan, he even used such a title (one more honourable than real one), but he was pretty much an independent power, a leader of a stateless host of warriors dreaming of restoring Old Order throughout Asia.
Which included restoring Qinq dynasty, the bogd chan in Mongolia and either cooperating with or conquering as big part of Japan as possible (though for Untern with his respect for an orderly and militant society of Empire, it was at best secondary thing). And then, finally, leading the massive host of warriors of all asian people to restore the tsar in Russia before attacking the source of all evil in the world - the degenerated european societies, with its liberalism, socialism and republicanism.
He becane a rare case of Asian Supremacist, despite being a white man himself.

Expansion - Western China

The Sternberg's orda required more and more soldiers, if he was to ever achieve his dream of pan-asian empire and a crusade against the bolsheviks and revolutionaries. He had to find them somewhere. Manchuria would be a prime recruitment ground, but for now, Sternberg didn't want to fight the only 'proper' monarchy in the east - and as it was a puppet government of Japan since 1919, that would be the effect of it.
Instead, he concentrated his army and moved south. Western provinces of China were underdeveloped and with significant part of their inhabitants essentially nomads. Who, as all nomads, were considered a great source of soldiers for the orda. What's more, the local Republic of China garrisons were internally divided and weak, while the whole region was far enough that it shouldn't trigger total mobilization of the RoC.
Sternberg's orda descended upon the region in April 1922. By August 1922, the last remnants of Republic of China control of the area were gone, and the whole region was firstly pillaged and terrified into compliance, and then become a part of puppet (for now) Chinese Empire under titular rule of Qinq Dynasty. Puyi has nothing to do with that, and if anything, he tries to avoid any sort of connection with it (although he also avoids antagonizing Sternberg, just in case he actually succeeded) from his current place of living, in the Republic of China.
Not long after that Tibet joined his Orda, under the same agreement as it had with Mongols much earlier. Secular power over Tibet for the Mongols - for religious power over Mongols for Tibet. It strengthened the orda immensely, especially in terms of modern equipment.

Consolidation

For now, Sternberg remains an enigma. He is busy consolidating his power and spreading his aura of terror throughout the big part of Asia he conquered. Nobody knows what his further plans are. For now, he is observing the war between Republic of China and Empire of Japan.
On one side, he wants to destroy the Republic and re-install the Qing Dynasty, while simultaneously annexing the newly created Empire into his orda. However, he is now surrounded by enemies or potential enemies. If they united, his orda would be in major trouble.
In the north there is a Russian Republic. It supported him at the beginning, seing him as a way of causing trouble and mischief to Republic of China and Empire of Japan, hoping that this would prevent any of them from interrupting the Russian Civil War. Now, however, he become a major threat himself, as the gossips of him planning to attack and 'liberate' Russia from republicanism after the East is conquered spread.
In the southeast there is Republic of China. A country of almost endless reserves, with rather massive army that also seen Sternberg as an enemy. No fighting for now, but since he created a puppet Chinese Empire, the war is imminent. The only question is where it starts.
In the east there is an Empire of Japan. Well organized, modern state, but one that is numerically weak. While Roman admires the soldiers and the political system of Japan, his suggestion of helping the Empire in its war against the RoC was violently denied. EoJ sees restored and united China as a deadly theat to its future survival, and this makes them an enemy of his plans of pan-asian crusade. Because of that, their relationship went sour... and they have a lot of tribesman on their territory.
In the South there is the British India. While more or less neutral, the loss of Tibet (that was in British sphere of influence) made their relations go sour as well. Nobody knows what exactly India will do, but most of the colonial government is painfully aware that while Sternberg might like the average native and their culture, the government is his ideological enemy as a part of the hated West. His attack is also a matter of time. And the Entente still doesn't take him seriously...
Nobody knows where Ungern will struck next. For now, he is biding his time, enforcing his rule and growing his army. The war is only a matter of time now...

Sexuality

Complete lack of any sort of interests in women - he even dislikes to be in their presence. Some claim he has a homosexual tendencies, but there are no conclusive proof. In fact, most things suggest that he lives in a self-imposed celibate due to religious views.

Education

Tried for a military academies and other schools multiple times, always threw out for behavioural problems. Saw not as much as a bully, but rather as a person that even most hardened bullies didn't dare to threaten. Finally succeeded in finishing the course in Pavlovskoe Military School in St. Petersburg.

Mental Trauma

During peasant riots in Estonia, where he lived with his family as a child, his mansion was burned to the ground by the rebellious peasants. This make him a fanatic monarchist and authoritarian. As he once said: why should any power be granted to people that claim to be able to use it, but never even have a servant to order?

Intellectual Characteristics

Roman von Untern-Sternberg is both a person with bright intellect (some would say - a genius) and probably the most superstitious person in the world, with absolute lack of tolerance for those with different views than himself. He possessed a lot of ezoteric knowledge even before magic returned in force. Now, the only person who truly has an idea how wide Roman's knowledge is, is Roman himself. And he isn't talkative.

Morality & Philosophy

Roman's personal philosophy is a mystery. Nobody knows what exactly his views are. He is a mystic under influence of the theosophy. He seems to be buddist, lutheran and orthodox at once, seeing them all as intercompatible while knowing only a bit about each of them.
When it comes to his morality, the situation is even more complicated. The word 'ruthless' doesn't begin to describe him. Roman is a genocidal madman that sees himself as a champion of good and order in the world. He fights for a world where an absolute monarch rules, aristocracy governs, peasants obey and priests preach.
West has already fallen long ago. Russia is dying at the hands of both accursed bolshevik and the Russian Republic (with even monarchists-reformists being too liberal for Sternberg). Only the East still fights, and from it, Sternberg will depart on a bloody crusade against evil.
Everything he does to achieve that is permissible. Killing and torturing civilians. Pillaging. Burning whole villages for the slightest bit of disobedience. Honour and mercy can be shown only when good faces good. But when fighting evil, EVERYTHING is permissible.
There are gossips about communists and Jews being sacrificed in a bloody rituals or even consumed in a cannibalistic feasts... but nobody knows if there is even a tiniest bit of truth. What is known is that more than a three hundred thousand of communists (or even suspected communists) already met their end by the blades and guns of Sternberg's horde - and that number includes only civilians.

Personality Characteristics

Virtues & Personality perks

He is known to have an almost ascetic lifestyle. No women, no alcohol, he lives along his soldiers - he never eats even a bit more than regular soldiers of his army and refuses to take money for himself - despite conquering a big part of Asia, he is peniless.

Vices & Personality flaws

While he stopped drinking alcohol after the shock of the tsar's dethronement, he later on replaced that addiction with opium. It is now sure if its truly an addiction - he claims that he uses it not for his own enjoyment, but because it supposedly enhances his prophetic visions.

Year of Birth

1886 38 Years old

Eyes

Varied.

Known Languages

Poliglot. Can speak Russian, German, English, Chinese and French, also most likely Estonian, and many languages of mongols and other steppe tribes. Finds learning new languages quite easy and does that whenever he can.