Name: Zakhar Branimir Korzhakov
Nickname: Zak is about it. People attempt to stick him with a nickname, and it really just bounces off.
Age: 25 (409)
Race: Vampire. Made his job sort of easier at times.
Powers:
Zakhar has a few minor abilities in Audiokinesis. First is the ability to silence himself or others. Doesn't matter if it is himself, another or an object, he can silence it with a mere touch. All sounds that are emitted are instantly destroyed and silenced. The opposite is also true, as he can explode and amplify sounds as well - mostly ones that come from himself though, but things he touches as well. Finally, his hearing is easily on par with that of a werewolf.
If being hardy is a power, then it would also go here: he didn't live in a wasteland or on the sea for nothing.
Sexuality:Pansexual - he has learned that 'beggars cannot be choosers.'
Likes:
-Sailing
-His beard
-The Ocean
-Being in command
-Piercings
-Vampirism
-Sex - what? How can he NOT enjoy it?
-Reading
-Literature of all forms
-EDM
-Stealing
-His Coven (sorta)
Dislikes:
-Law
-Narrow mindedness
-Shaving
-Metal Music
-Flying
-Being Bound - unless the payoff is worth it
-Talking about the Past
-The New Leader in a way
Fears:
-Being Restrained
Not in the physical sense, but in the metaphorical sense: he fears that one day he will be tied down by obligations, morals, etc that will keep him from roaming the world wild. It is like a form of ADD, except instead of being unable to focus, Zak is unable to stick around. Which has kept him out of many long term relationships, which leads to...
Death
In death, all of his memories and thoughts are lost. As he has lost most of those that he could consider friends, he is really the only man alive that can recount their stories in happiness and nostalgia. Zak just likes life too much to give it away easily.
The Cacciatori
How else would he have become the right hand man of this coven, being the killer of killers? Zak fears and hates them. The fact that puny, insignificant humans can somehow rival immortals baffled him when he first turned, and horrified him when he saw them in action and lived. As much as the man may seem indifferent about them, there is an underlying fear that drives him - making it a fear, yet not one at the same time.
Dreams:
"Settle Down"
Zak doesn't really want to settle down in the traditional sense. He just wants to find a girl or guy or whatever that wants to be with him, regardless of where he might go or be. Its odd to think of it as settling down, but it is what Zakhar is driving for: that one day, he will meet that special someone that he would actually pursue himself and court instead of letting them come to him.
Keep Going
Simple enough, Zakhar likes life. Not too difficult for many to understand. He just really enjoys his lifestyle and how he does things too much to just drop off the face of the earth.
Acquire more Knowledge
A goal that he knows he shall never fulfill entirely, Zakhar wants to keep learning about more things until his head explodes with information.
Secrets:
Coven of the Caribbean
Okay, so many don't entirely know about how Zakhar was a prominent pirate in the East Indies and the Carribean for a lot of the 18th century - even fewer know that he was the leader of a Vampiric Pirates. Sure, he lets many know that he loves to sail old vessels and is a prominent captain, but Zak doesn't like to tell people of his past profession, even if some days it is as clear as a cow trying to disguise itself as a sheep.
Where are you from, again?
Zakhar told his new coven that he was from the Caribbean, but with Russian parents. This is nowhere close to being the truth, which is odd as many people don't think of it being that much of a deal where one was born and raised. Well, Zakhar doesn't like to delve on his life before the Americas, so he dodges the question every time he is asked, or straight up lies to their face. It isn't personal, as nobody alive but he remembers his homeland.
Time to get away.
Another secret that Zakhar carries is that every year, he takes a trip back to Siberia; though he isn't sure why. Most of his life, Zakhar was sailing the world - mostly the Carribean - so it seems odd that he would bother returning to his birth country. Yet every year for the past hundred or so years, he would return for a month or so on end, and simply survive in the wasteland. He sees it as a cleansing of all the filth that has accumulated; people he cared not for, knowledge that didn't stick correctly, habits he doesn't need. He tells nobody where he is going, only that he is taking his vacation time.
Personality:
Zakhar is a bit tricky to fully comprehend as a human, much less than a vampire. See, Zakhar likes to consider himself a free spirited and adventurous individual, and yet has no intention of seeking it out himself. Contradictory is the name of his game, but then again, it makes sense for a guy that in one moment is translating Shakespeare into Cyrillic and then the next minute hoisting sails. He moves fast, parties hard, and regrets little to nothing in life - well, again, somewhat a lie. Truth be told, Zakhar is living in one giant string of lies and banters, yet he is extremely geniune. But enough of the vague and confusing, let us delve into his mind.
On the first side of the coin, Zakhar is a mild-mannered, studious man who will care more for his beard than for some individuals. He is constantly found reading in awkward places wherever he goes, regardless of how important the destination or reason for leaving the house may be. The choice of literature also varies as well; not based off of his mood, but whatever is available where he goes. For the most part he will be able to pull Voltaire or T.S Elliot out of thin air, yet will also attempt to read physics theorem novels attempting to explain complicated ratios. Sure he might not get it, but his expansive brain capacity will soak it up anyway and store it away for later, which can sometimes be never. To him, it doesn't matter, just the fact that he has acquired another piece of knowledge is an accomplishment on its own.
While he remains quite mild-mannered on the other side of the coin as well, it is a little more of a sly style of charming than an honest normality. Zakhar has a very smooth edge to his voice coupled with an odd speech pattern that rarely makes sense if one tried to think about it too much. Yet it doesn't matter: it gets him the men and the women, just because it is smooth. Not to mention that along with the straight up flattery, Zakhar is quite charming when engaged in a conversation. If there are no pieces of literature hindering his conversation, he will most likely give the other person his undivided attention - either because he actually cares, or because he wants more information, it doesn't matter. However, his charm isn't one that works on all life forms on earth, as many have interpreted this as 'dumb, arrogant or just straight up rude'. It isn't that he is meaning to be that way, it just is how he talks.
Now, about his adventurous side. Zakhar grew up in a fashion that disallowed him to really settle down, and he enjoyed it. The constant need for adventure has always been ingrained in the man's mind, and literature is only one way he gets his 'fix'. However, he isn't one to always go out and seek it, as more often than not he gets dragged into said adventures. Every time, it is always with a smile and a heart of excitement. Acquiring new knowledge, understanding new things, they excite him to no end, and more than likely Zak will become extremely giddy. He does contain himself, but sometimes a burst of energy does let itself loose. This excitement for thrills has lead Zak down some seriously interesting paths, and not many of them legal.
See, Zak is one that doesn't entirely like to follow the rules 90 percent of the time. He sees them as hindrances to the excitement that is adventure, and if he cannot adventure than he cannot enjoy the life that has been given to him. So more often than not, Zak has been caught doing something pretty damn illegal, and yet has always gotten away with it. No, it isn't because he can smooth talk his way out, he is just highly experienced in the art of escaping the law. Tip a guy here, duck around there, throw off the dogs here. All of his life he has been running from the authority in one way or another, and to Zak he actually quite enjoys it, almost to the point of just letting himself get caught to see how fun it would be to get out of prison cells.
However, Zakhar's flaws are a little blatant. His vanity, as with all vampires, is an annoying hindrance that he has tried for years to get rid of, but can't help but admiring his beautiful beard. His adventurous yet studious nature has him coming off as quite distant from many of the others, which makes interactions or introductions highly difficult for the man. He rarely goes out of his way to talk to those he doesn't know unless they have something he wants/wants to steal. His sense of camaraderie is also a little skew: since many of his actual friends are dead and rotting while he survives, he only feels camaraderie in the sense that he must keep others alive so that they can in turn pay him back by keeping him alive. It's an odd give and take system that he has set up, but it has worked so far.
Place of Origin:
Somewhere near the port city of Vladivostok, Siberia.
History:
While his original name was Branimir - yeah, he didn't like it either - Zakhar was born the 5th of 6 children to a family of roaming tribesmen. While it sounds like a decent life at first, Siberia makes things harsh fast. Growing up in the frigid wastelands of Siberia was rarely a day for fun. Their wandering was to ensure that they would have enough food for the upcoming winters, which froze the life out of many outsiders to the territory. In most cases, the area near Vladivostok was where they would attempt to reside for the winter, as it was warmer than any other location in the barren rock without delving into Oriental territory. Not that his family had anything against the Chinese or Mongols - they just prefered to be alone.
However, this lifestyle was horrifying for Zakhar. Even though he knew little else, he yearned to explore and leave such a desolate place. In his only visit to China to gather goods, he became fascinated by the sea and traversing the oceans. While his family was originally reluctant about letting him become a cabin boy, his persistance soon paid off and he was working on a cargo ship carrying goods throughout the Chinese territories. The problem? At the young age of 11, Zakhar didn't realize the fine print in his conditions, nor did he realize that cabin boys were usually used by captains to satisfy their sexual urges while out at sea. As you may have guessed, things didn't turn out so well for Zakhar, and the next few years at sea turned into a living nightmare for the child. All he ever got to do was service the captain in whatever way he wanted, and scrub the floors. The only pleasure Zak got from the year expedition was the books he acquired. While it was difficult to understand and read Mandarin, Zakhar had a few hours throughout the day to teach himself and learn of the mysteries of the world. He read of lands in the far East, across the vast Pacific Ocean, that held untold fortunes. He learned of the white men, similar to himself, of the west, that had grand ships and odd styles.
However, his ability to understand Mandarin got nowhere fast as his time as cabin boy expired - to which he was highly grateful - when he turned 14. Now out of luck, and trying not to cry abysmal tears as he looked for a way home, he stumbled into an opium den. There he met a mysterious gentleman who only went by Xu. Whatever Xu saw in the little boy, it mattered not - Xu instantly took a liking to the young one's insatiable appetite for adventure, sailing and knowledge, and he humored the scared lad for the rest of the day as he told of his fairly boring tales out at sea. By the end, Xu made little Zakhar a proposal - smuggle his goods for him (that is to say, the opium) on the ships that Zakhar would get onto, and when he became old enough Xu would fund him on an expedition across the Pacific. For an eleven year old, it was a dream come true.
Fast forward a few years; Zakhar was now around 19 years old, and had smuggled opium to every corner of the Chinese country and other parts of Asia as well. Wishing to expand, Xu got his little smuggler to befriend a Spanish captain and get aboard their ship that was headed back to Spain. It was difficult at first, only knowing one word in Spanish made it almost painfully slow, but eventually the Captain hired him as a laberor, and Zakhar refused to let him down. So began his learning of the European languages, starting with Spanish. While travelling on the boat, he learned their language, their customs and their fighting styles, as well as soaked up all the knowledge he could comprehend. A different world, these Europeans - and all the while Zakhar was smuggling opium to the addicts in Spain and surrounding areas. When his term was finished, Zakhar had nearly gained the trust of the Captain completely, but he refused to be promoted, simply stating that there was someone waiting for him back home.
Now 25, Zakhar returned to Xu's opium den with the most excited face in his entire history. Here he was, about to sail across the Pacific ocean and live his own adventures. Xu was faithful to his word, and a Portugese Caraval with a massive crew was awaiting his command. There was just one thing that Xu failed to mention, until Zakhar felt the fangs dig into his neck as he turned to leave. The opium den he had been visiting was run by a Vampire Coven - more specifically, a Syndicate - and Zakhar had been their loyal pawn the entire time. Xu wanted to make sure that the man would live across his journey - after all, money to be made for their den if he succeeded. And what better way to ensure his survival than to give him a massive crew, and immortality? Yes, Zakhar was granted immortality. And while he was seriously pissed that Xu had refused to tell him something so important, the idea of living forever was like a new adventure in its own. So the young man set off for Mexico.
Let's just say that by the time he had arrived, only 10 of his original crew members had survived - it was the only way to ensure his own survival after all, much to his own chagrin. Besides, some would have caught scurvy, and that wouldn't have been good for him. Pushing past that, Zakhar found the western coast of Mexico, and after realizing he was on the wrong side for money, sold his ship and made his way to the Caribbean to where his life truly began. It was there that he stole a proud Spanish Vessel, Relámpago (lightening) and began his age of Piracy. He found vampires that needed work, and gave them a place on his ship, soon becoming the Captain of the Caribbean Coven, to which they would merrily plunder East India Trading Company ships and others alike. It was roughly 5 years after he had left China that he soon realized that they had only given him a way of existing simply because he was useful. In a spur of annoyance, he sold all of the opium at the open market, claiming that it came from the Chinese, and ditched the stuff to run as the authorities showed up.
This lasted quite a numerous number of years, his plundering and glory days, until he got an odd letter from a man he did not know, writing in broken English that the Chinese Syndicate was dead. While he didn't entirely care, there was an odd confusion as to why they would send it to him. No later, in the late 1750s, Zakhar experienced what he wanted to call 'The Cleansing of the Caribbean'. Pirates - even the vampires of his ship - began to become captured and executed in the hundreds. Docking became almost a death sentence as the authorities cracked down on every pirate spot: Tortuga, the Bahamas, everywhere. It wasn't until he found his second in command dead with an Artemis statue that he got seriously concerned, but by then he was screwed: his crew was in shambles, and he disbanded the Coven for their safety. It didn't matter though, all of his crew were dead within the month.
So began the transition from Pirate to Killer: having feared for his life, Zakhar didn't return to a port until he was nearly dead with hunger. Once he had fed on a prostitute, he had been attacked in the night. While it was a tough fight, he ended up coming out on top, finding that his attacker was hooded and wearing odd clothing items. After identifying them as oddities in society, he began to sniff them out himself, finding out their name: Cacciatori. It was then that he began stalking them as his new enjoyment, using his newfound silence ability to watch them closely. He learned their fighting moves, their structure, their devotion to the extermination of his kind: and that caused him to fear and admire them. He wanted to learn more about them, but at the same time wanted them to all die in a fire. However, by the time the present rolled around, he had become proficient at hunting the hunters. Which is probably why when he entered Rose City, and stayed with the Coven during an attack, he was drafted as the Right hand man: that was back in the old Coven Leader's rule. Now there is a new one.
Theme Song (s):( TBA )
Anything else: Unlike many vampires, Zakhar was born in a place and time that almost required tattoos and piercings. Both of his ears are pierced, and odd tattoos litter different places of his body (TBA for later).
