Stefano Gorbalienko
Master Stefano Gorbalienko
Stephano was raised along the shore of the The South Sea , just to the west of the Great River Delta. He began his life as the fifth son of a marsh fisher. While the family was fairly well off (by local standards anyway) when a mage from the elf/dragon empire came through to sweep up possible students as a part of a "look at us, we're the best" initiative, his parents saw a chance for them to save money on food, and him to possibly get a better life, so off he went. He studied in one of the cities of the empire (although far from the largest, maybe like a St. Louis or something) and discovered a passion for history and magic. As a result he stayed the course through primary and secondary education (elementary and high school, basically) before getting a scholarship to the local academy. During this time he continued to return home on breaks and such, as possible, and even helped bring some of his enchanting abilities to his village and the surrounding towns.
After finishing his initial degree, he was proclaimed a Bachelor and given a "dissertation" (quest) to pursue. His focused on aggressive archaeology and magic item retrieval, and he even managed to survive it. That was two years ago, and after a 9-month sanity break back at home with his siblings, nieces, nephews, and other relations, he was proclaimed a Master and began the next stage of his studies, wherein he takes the practical applications he learned during his dissertation and begins reading and writing about them, under the direction of a Doctor Magus. As a part of this phase of his education, he is also in charge of the tutorship of a minor prince and princess in the Corner.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Stephano is a human male of average height and abnormal thinness. He is not frail necessarily, and keeps in decent shape for someone of such scholarly persuasions, but is far from imposing either. He comes from a darker-skinned people, and alternates about half his time locked away studying or rooting around underground and the other half out and about and exploring, which leaves him somewhere in between tan white guy and pale native american.
Mental characteristics
Education
He made it through the grueling 8-year mundane schooling and 4-year magical education programs decreed by the International Magicians' Consortium , and survived both his preliminary dissertation and the defense of it, earning him the title of Master in the I.M'.C.
Employment
This is the first time he has been "gainfully employed" since he was 8 years old. He is the academic and political assistant to the adviser to a minor "King" in The Corner, as well as the tutor to the twin children of said "King".
Accomplishments & Achievements
Raided 7 1/2 tombs and 3 barrows successfully, and accidentally ended 4 undead scourges in their pupa stages in the process. He claims its "archaeology" but most people know better.
Made it through the rather grueling slog that is an E.M'.C. education, most of it on scholarship, as a nobody from the sticks.
Made it through the rather grueling slog that is an E.M'.C. education, most of it on scholarship, as a nobody from the sticks.
Failures & Embarrassments
The 1/2 tomb above was beneath a female bath house in a small nation with especially strange customs and a very sickly princess, causing him to accidentally destabilize the ruling family there by causing a succession war when he mistook her for his 5th undead scourge (he got a bit trigger happy there).
Currently forgot to tell his boss (the king) he needs to take his only two children on a voyage across the known world to an international gathering of similar-leveled Masters and their charges, and was "forced" to kidnap them and tell them their parents had been murdered in a coup to make it there on time. He is currently working on resolving that SNAFU as it devolves.
Intellectual Characteristics
He is can get easily sucked into his work, but is EXTREMELY effective at whatever pursuit he is engaged in that involves his mind. A rare person who is able to combine flashes of creativity with single-minded dedication.
Morality & Philosophy
He believes that ownership is 15/10ths of the law, and any intellectual property should belong to the community at large. Property rights only apply for taxes, and have no bearing on where he wants to walk. Otherwise a pretty standard, nice guy.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Wants to make sure all of the wondrous magical creations of the past don't "go to waste" in the various tombs and cairns they were left in.
Wants to standardize the creation of magical items across history and cultures, taking the best elements of each and discarding the common worst practices
Savvies & Ineptitudes
This dude is very intelligent, and very gets very dedicated to things that interest him. Things that bore him though (paperwork, calendars, and planning to name a few) he is terrible about. Although a borderline genius, he is rather willfully scatterbrained, and procrastinates well enough to put modern college students to shame.
The focus of magical studies is in the enchantment (and de-enchantment) of magical items, and the focus of his mundane studies is on history, as it pertains to the acquisition of ancient magical artifacts. Basically take your standard absentminded professor, combine him with Indiana Jones, and then give him magic.
Who thought this man should privately tutor children again?
Likes & Dislikes
Hates bureaucracy, deadlines, curses involving the undead, and spells that create light.
Loves his collection of magical knick-knacks, his two charges, practical archaeology (grave robbing), and spells that let you see in the dark.
Virtues & Personality perks
Intelligent, creative, bold, patient
Vices & Personality flaws
Easily distracted, professional procrastinator, denier of things like personal space, permanency of ownership, etc.
Personality Quirks
Is convinced at least one of the magic items he is currently studying is sentient, just isn't sure which one, so he is constantly trying to talk to them and do other things to get one to respond to him in some measurable way.
Hygiene
Actually knows soap is a thing (rare in most of The Funhouse)
Social
Contacts & Relations
He is the Tutor to Grant IV and Aukla Rhufbar of the Rhufbar Family, ruling line of Ayn , and the technical subordinate to Doctor ______.
Social Aptitude
When motivated (or paying attention) he is a competent social person. Not a butterfly by any means, but he knows courtly etiquette and is smart enough to be an engaging conversationalist... if he remembers to devote the mental processing power to it.
Mannerisms
Talks to his clothes and other items he carries on himself if he thinks no one is looking. Or if he forgets other people are in the room.
Speech
The less attention he is paying to a conversation, the more he sounds like a dissertation.
Relationships
History
A lot of work still needs to be done on what exactly happened here, but at some point
Wealth & Financial state
If wealth is categorized by pure amount of inanimate objects with some spark of magic stored in them, he is richer than most treasure vaults and mago-scientific colleges.
...But if he did not live 3 floors above the palace kitchens, and have several maids who chased him around to make sure his clothes didn't have holes, he probably wouldn't be able to afford food 2 nights in 3 and everything he owned would be holier than the Shroud of Turin, and smell of smoke and sulfur.
Current Location
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Master of Items
Year of Birth
380
38 Years old
Birthplace
East of the Great River Delta
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Gender
Male
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Short bowl cut
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Either hella tan for a white guy, or pretty pale for an aboriginal
Height
5' 7"
Weight
135
Aligned Organization
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