[Spirit Class 5] Mikhail Dobroshtan

○ Name: Mikhail Alexeyevich Dobroshtan ○ Alias: -Knight of the Dance -Misha ○ Age: 30 ○ Birthday: November 3 ○ Gender: Male ○ Race: Quincy ○ Affiliation: -Former Osavul of the Ilek Cossack Host ○ Marital Status: Single ○ Nationality: Cossack ○ Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual ○ Ideal Type: Valiant, temperate, and respectful ○ Special Skill: Befriending animals ○ Height: 6’ ○ Build: Fit. ○ Hair Color: Gold ○ Eye Color: Gold

The manner in which Mikhail carries himself can best be described as “earnest.” Always confident, with a bright smile, he stops to greet everyone in the street and takes every opportunity to help those in need, regardless of how major or minor the issue might be. Indeed, those who have only met the man in passing often assume he is simply a cheerful and good-natured individual, but those who interact with him more regularly often speak a bit more critically of his actions. This is not because there is any question about his ethics, however, or because there is doubt he means well; rather, it is because those who interact with Mikhail for any meaningful amount of time quickly realize that his kindness is not so straightforward.

Put plainly, all who know Mikhail well can see that he is a man who is fundamentally unwell, for he carries himself at all times, and in all things, as if he were a classical knight of old. This isn’t simply an idealization of that mentality, or some sort of romantic evocation of the aesthetic. Rather, he by all possible metrics treats life as if it is a tale of knightly gallantry, a fantastical storybook rather than addressing the reality of the world.

Mikhail will, at all times and under all circumstances, pursue what he believes is the most correct action in accordance with his own knightly virtues. Such virtues are perhaps not entirely in accord with what most would consider "chivalry," for they undeniably take on the cultural distinctions of Mikhail's ancestral home in the steppes north of the Caucasus. He is vicious toward those of dishonesty, and unflinchingly loyal toward those near to him. Trickery and guile are noble tools to be used against villains, but never against one's fellows. He is charitable, kind toward women, children, and the elderly, and above all valorous in battle, always willing to lead those at his side to a flawless victory. And after such a victory, it is only natural that he ensures they enjoy a grand feast to celebrate their good name.


○ Ilek Cossack Host: By all official metrics, Mikhail is the leader of this particular host, the head of the Dobroshtan family and ranked below only the Hetman among the Cossacks. However, his current behavior has him “on campaign,” and so while his authority among them is still as firm as ever, he rarely, if ever, actually sees his people.


In the far east of the domain of the Cossacks, along the Ilek river, young Mikhail lived his life always being raised to lead. He was the firstborn son of a long line of leaders, and the Dobroshtan was a prestigious bloodline among their people. As such, he was trained from his earliest days to be both a commander and a soldier, an everyday warrior and a Quincy both, for that pedigree too was one more mark of prestige for the Dobroshtan and their kin among the Cossacks. Across countless centuries, bloodlines had grown diluted, other families had joined the host, but there were still those families whose lines could be traced to long ago, to the days when mighty warriors had fought even gods.

Across every campaign he traveled on with his father, Mikhail learned from each of the Cossack leaders, fighting against them on the training grounds and at their side on campaign. Yet none taught him more than the elder of the Isaenko, personal guard of the Hetman, Nazariy. He, being the strongest among all the Cossacks, trounced the young man thoroughly, but considered him promising. He offered to train him in the ways of their ancestors, to fully honor their bloodline as people of the steppe and the highlands. Naturally, Mikhail accepted, and he was sent into the wastelands often to harden himself. Though he certainly could not temper himself in the forge of the gods, as his mightiest ancestor had, he could certainly temper himself against foes.

He grew stronger as he grew older, cutting down hollows and demons alike on behalf of the Cossacks. Every time he went on campaign, he said a farewell to his younger sister Nataliya, and promised that he would return with a new story to tell her. She was much younger than him, but seemed to burn with a wish to hear his stories of bravery and combat. Every campaign, when he was not battling, he was reading through any text he could find of knightly quests. When he did battle, he pushed his abilities to their utmost, enhancing himself with burning, steely Blut, as his blade cut thunderous lines across the steppe. And when he returned home, still covered in the wounds of battle, he would tell all of his newest stories to little Natalka, those stories he had read and adjusted so they would feel more familiar to her. Whether history or fiction, legend or fact, countless new tales made their way to the young girl. Warchief Nabazos Nawriz and his god-slaying volley of 3000 arrows, the warrior king Sharaloqua with his 12 flawless horsemen, and of course, brave Artyom, who slew his own treacherous son and cast his blade into the sea just as the mythic Batraz had before him. Many among the Cossacks said that such stories were hardly something Mikhail should focus himself on, but the joy it brought to his little sister was all the reason that he needed.

The Fourth World War, however, took away everything Mikhail had. All who know him among the Cossacks say that not even his mind was safe from the hell that was wrought upon him by the war. He fought valiantly, protecting his people from incursion after incursion. Europe had been among the most violent of the theaters, and Mikhail saw no small amount of combat. Every time there was a battle, Mikhail stood on the frontlines, cutting through swathes of demons and hollows alike without any regard for his well-being. His final battle of the war was one which required his fullest strength, the release of his Letz Stil and every last bit of his spiritual reserves. He cut a line through the lands in the course of that battle, one so wide and so deep as to redirect the Ural River. Yet, even having won in that bout, having routed one of the last offenses of Shadow Fall, there was no victory for Mikhail himself.

It had not been the only offensive Shadow Fall had mounted. Another, to the east, had moved to reach Russia through the less defended, quieter lands of the steppe. Those same lands which Mikhail hailed from, where his family had remained. He had already given everything in that last battle, and so even as he made his way back, he already knew that there would be nothing left he could do. Upon his arrival, the war had already ended. Shadow Fall had been pushed back, but the battle had been grave. Mikhail’s father had perished, and his sister had fallen into a critical state. She did not awaken, no matter how she was cared for, and in the wake of that loss, all in the Ilek Host quickly saw the change which took place in Mikhail. He seemed to disconnect from the reality of the world; he told all the more stories to his comatose sister, and became consumed by those tales, the words of his mother hardly seeming to reach his ears.

Before anyone knew it, he had begun to speak to everyone as the Knight of the Dance, Sir Mikhail. He interacted with everything and everyone as if through a filter of chivalric tales, and none could seem to get through to him. Before long, he made a declaration to all his fellow Cossacks, one colored with the tone of knights and the ancient Narts both:

“I depart on campaign, to find the cure for the princess! Should tragedy befall, simply call my name, and I will come upon the wind!”

Off he rode, and none knew where he might go. For now, he simply seeks worthy companions in his questing, fellow valorous knights to accompany him.


○ Mayi-sha: A cultural variation of the seele schneider, the mayi-sha often take the form of spears rather than swords, and when they do come as swords, their form is curved and sleek, rather than the straight, dagger-like form of a seele schneider. Other than this, however, they function identically.


○ Shimd: Among the people of the highland steppes, where great distance and towering mountains both impede one’s travel, the necessity of moving both quickly and efficiently can never be overstated. The Quincy of these lands, by extension, have developed methods of movement which are decidedly distinct from the traditional steigen of more “civilized” Quincy, which do not so much “ride” upon the current of reishi, but rather, use the reishi to forge a “path” upon which the Quincy moves. One might find such a distinction trivial, but such a difference demands that the warrior still move himself, still know footwork and how to carry himself on the battlefield. Mikhail, in particular, displays an extremely deep understanding of this form of movement, and his movement in battle is both so fluid and so eyecatching as to have gained the name of the dance of old, which caught the attention of the maiden Akola; the Shimd.

• Meghazash: Named for one of the oldest and most venerable mothers of all Narts, who took the form of a dove and brought the divine lineage of the sea to the Narts by marrying their leader. The most fundamental of Mikhail’s techniques, Meghazash is the formation of the path itself. Much like the currents of reishi used for traditional steigen, this path is capable of moving extremely quickly, but will often come to an abrupt end, the path lasting no longer than is absolutely necessary. Each step Mikhail makes is with purpose, and as such, each of these reishi flows will be much shorter than would be expected from steigen. He is not simply capable of stepping from one of these reishi flows to the next; it is the most fundamental skill he cultivates.
  
  
• Adif: Named for the crescent moon, who condemned her husband to darkness and who stained the earth red with her own blood in mourning. With a single short step, Mikhail creates a bright line of reishi in his wake for only a moment. This step quickly bursts with bright light, the spiritual equivalent of a flashbang, and can often disorient even the spiritual senses of beings weaker than himself, due to the intense density of reishi being utilized for this flash.
  
  
• Wardana: Named for the furious rider who carried knowledge of the future, and who left seven mountains in the wake of his vengeance. A routing technique, Wardana is similar in nature to the Senka of the shinigami, stepping past an opponent with such speed that they may not even be aware that they have been passed, and opening an opportunity for severe, crippling wounds.
  
  
• Totaresh: Named for the villain who in his youth led his foes into the parted sea, only to turn and cut them down in a line. This step is one which relies on maintaining the paths laid down by use of Meghazash for a bit longer than necessary, maintaining their form as Mikhail steps ahead. At his wish, he may then turn himself around effortlessly, and move back in the opposite direction to meet a pursuer head-on, or to simply throw off an expected attack. Because it relies on maintaining his paths for a bit longer than usual, those who get a firm read on this technique may be able to predict it; however, there is nothing compelling Mikhail to actually move backward simply because he has prepared for it.
  
  
• Zhelayagha: Named for the Milky Way, the little sun born of Lady Tree, who was able to guide all who followed him to a perfect path–until, that is, the day he vanished, unable to be found by the seven handmaidens or any of the warriors who had relied upon him. This technique creates a veil of reishi around Mikhail as he steps, which trails behind him and leaves dense, highly charged “stars” of reishi in a line behind him, to a maximum length equal to his Spirit Class' area of influence. After this technique is complete, these stars will explode, the intensity of which can easily cut a line through even the most hardened battle lines.
  
  
• Zhaqa: Named for the steed of the grave mound, from whom none can flee, Zhaqa is a technique which relies on the externalized energy expenditure of others to properly utilize. When spent reishi from spiritual techniques has begun to disperse, Mikhail may capitalize upon that reishi’s presence, forging it into a path without waiting for it to collapse into shapeless energy. This allows for him to maintain an extremely tight offense against opponents, one which he can still adjust as necessary. Even the movement techniques of others are not immune to such a thing, barring those above his own mastery, and as such it is a tremendous feat to flee from the Knight of the Dance.

○ Tlepsh: The distinct name for blut among the Quincy of the highlands, Mikhail’s blut in particular is fashioned after the great hero Batraz, whose skin was like steel and whose greatest strength came in his quest for vengeance. Mikhail’s blut vene is notably simplistic, defending him and absorbing blows as typical for blut. Should he then shift into blut arterie, however, Mikhail is able to return half of all the force he has received into his next blow, the blut maintaining the grudge of wounds sustained.

○ Sosruko: Named for the most cunning of tricksters, these spells are simply a cultural variation of gebet. These spells are often less flashy than traditionally expected gebet, and typically are known to rely on close-quarters proximity. While Mikhail is far from a wise man of his clan, his familiarity with these spells is nevertheless impressive.
-Grade II:

• Pshimaruquo: Named for the Prince of Death, who blinded even the king of warriors with his turned blade by calling upon the light of the sun. This spell requires the usage of at least four seele schneider or mayi-sha, though more may be used to further amplify the effect. After speaking the incantation, the caster must throw the seele schneider into the air, after which they will point themselves toward the intended target of the spell. Each one will burst into dozens of small beams of reishi, which converge on the target in an effort to overwhelm through sheer might.
  

  Incantation:

-Grade III:

• Zhgau-sau: The chains that bind the One Who Committed One Hundred Sins for his atonement. When this spell is cast, black chains burst from the caster’s hand, and quickly fill the air with their number, creating a veritable spiderweb of iron in a 200 meter radius around the caster. The chains at their densest points can often layer atop one another, but generally are roughly 10' apart from one another in their layering. These chains do not actively seek out the caster’s foe, remaining completely stationary, but instead react to the opponent’s presence, immediately binding onto them upon any contact. Each of these chains that binds itself to the opponent will nail itself to the victim with a large nail of reishi, wounding them and allowing the chain to fully wrap itself around them. As chains build up, naturally, the opponent will find themselves hindered. However, this is a cruel spell indeed, for it cannot actually kill an opponent regardless of how many chains have bound them and how many nails have pierced them. The nails will keep them at the brink of life; after all, this is a matter of punishment.
  

  Incantation:

○ Name: Dzus-qara

○ Appearance: Dzus-qara takes the form of a long, ornate sword, with a purple and gold blade that evokes the image of a lightning bolt crashing through the night sky.

○ Abilities: While one might imagine that a sword would carry with it extensive melee-aligned abilities, this is not in fact the case. By pointing his sword toward any target, Mikhail can manifest large, almost spear-like arrows behind himself, which will quickly fire toward his foes with impressive power. These arrows will typically travel in an arc, but are naturally capable of moving as any quincy’s arrows can. These arrows burn white hot, and cut through the air with such force as to sound like a crack of thunder, able to draw a line through the earth like a scar with their power.


○ Name: Pija and Pizigash

○ Appearance: Pija and Pizigash take the form of a paired sword and spear, unremarkable in form and seeming almost utilitarian.

○ Abilities: The melee variation of the spirit weapon, Pija and Pizigash completely remove the ability for Mikhail to form and fire arrows. In exchange, however, the head of the spear and the blade of the sword are both, in effect, a constant manifestation of the spirit weapon’s burning arrows.

—

○ Name: Fara

○ Appearance: Fara, an unusual spirit weapon form, takes the shape of a spectral blue warhorse, large enough and strong enough to carry any mighty warrior.

○ Abilities: Forgoing offense for versatility and unpredictability, Fara allows Mikhail to ride upon its back effortlessly, the steed moving across the earth in the same way as arrows fired by Dzus-qara. Because the steed itself is the spirit weapon, Mikhail lacks a proper weapon when riding Fara, but even without considering his knowledge of gebet, simply ramming with the steed is a more than sufficient offense to deal with most foes, and even most obstacles in one’s path.


○ Letz Stil Name: Kurdalagon

○ Letz Stil Appearance: When Kurdalagon is active, every bit of Mikhail’s body glows white hot, making him for all the world like metal freshly pulled from the forge. Wisps of flame flow from his form, and the air around him shimmers from the heat.

○ Letz Stil Abilities: Mikhail’s body, while in this release, becomes like white hot steel, his form not only made radically more dense but able to scorch anything he comes in contact with at just a touch, making wounding him in close-range combat exceedingly difficult due both to his increased defense and the searing heat that surrounds him. His spirit weapon returns to its most basic form, that of the sword, but ultimately the usage of that sword is functionally inconsequential; the reality of this letz stil is that it coats Mikhail’s body in what is, in effect, a layer of his spirit weapon’s arrows. It is a straightforward release, one which relies on his own capabilities as a warrior to fully capitalize on.



General Skills

• Durability: Adept
  
• General Speed: Beginner
  
• Strength: Adept
  
• Martial Skill: Beginner
  

Human Skills

• Blut: Adept
  
• Gebet: Adept
  
• Kreuzen: Advanced
  
• Steigen: Elite
  

Will Skills

• Willpower: Adept
  
• Deduction: Beginner
  
• Focus: Adept