Ivan Ostmark

'Zinc'

Played by: Vol

INFORMATION

Human/fey, Male, 934

Aliases: None known
Nationality: German
Residence: Squatter
Employer: Unknown
Function: Knight-Errant

• Appearance •

• Favorite Squatting Spots •

• Family •

• View on Factions •

• Early Life •

• Adulthood •

• After Death •

A short remarkably handsome and beautiful man with fair skin and white, soft, short hair. Most soon realize that his elegant air of beauty is somewhat unnatural. Even though his features are considered handsome, much of it comes from his inhuman nature. He speaks very softly and kindly, but with a strong commanding voice and that same commanding nature is seen in his face. His eyes are a rather shining purple, yet look pained and saddened but he does not seem to remember why. He smells like a man who takes great pain in making sure his body odor is never an issue, and often wears a nice pleasant cologne.

Ivan spends a lot of time in the park, as he feels sense of familiarity with the people there and the location. If not there, he would be walking about the Haitian market seeing what new odd and ends have found their way there. If he isn't in those two locations he is spending time in one of the bars. If he is not seen in any of those places at all, he is off fighting monsters or helping some poor soul.

Father: Volgrin Ostmark

Mother: Unknown

Brother: Drago the Red Dragon Duke

Cousin: Rei

Templars: “One of the most noble and righteous of the factions and I have no fears with aligning myself to them. That they may forget that even the smallest details can affect the outcome of the events that will be unfolding is my only point of concern. They have no qualms about standing as protectors against the coming darkness. Many in this new world have no courage when it comes to that. Even though only a few will remember their names when oblivion takes them, the Templars choose to put their lives at risk for little reward.”

Illuminati: “They seem more keen on trying to climb to the top of their blue pyramid. So they see it better to fight themselves on the ladder of progress than to focus on more important matters. They seem narrowed minded in their selfish nature and I am not surprised that all they only seem to rule now is a crumbling nation run by even more foolish shortsighted men.”

Dragon: “Utter chaos is what they are, they focus on dismantling everything they come across just because it is a week old. How they can be called a faction is beyond my understanding. They seem to not even have a hierarchy to stand on. With their major focus on chaos I believe they are even greater threat to the world than most realize.”

Phoenicians: “It is dangerous when you are taking artifacts without knowing what they are. It is horrifying when you are stealing artifacts while knowing what they are. Though you still wish to fence them for a profit, that is unthinkably horrifying. That the Phoenicians are still around amazes me but we will always have our pirates. Even if it is the year of our lord 2017.”

Orochi: “I don't understand how many Orochi failed experiments and projects I have encountered. They seem to have a rather hard time learning how the real world works. Though they just blunder on with their hellish experiments on children and wildlife. And they foolishly and blindly help plunge the world into the abyss as long as it gives them a small ounce of fading power. So I have made it my personal Crusade to purge any Orchi I come across.”

Council of Venice: “They seem to have lost all respect from the powers of the world. By losing respect they seem to also lose whatever power they once had. As I came into this world they seemed but a footnote.”

Ivan was born into the same royal family as his brother, Drago. During Ivan’s childhood, Ivan was always listening to the old fairy tale stories told by the court bard or trying to find a new way to sneak into the larder. Although Drago was older then Ivan, Ivan was always seemed to take the role of the big brother, protecting Drago from bullies and monsters in the closet. Ivan also was more mature and orderly to the point the staff started calling him the Commander. He also had a hand in taking in wandering animals from outside and would be seen around the castle with them at his heels. When Ivan grew older he started looking more like his cousin Rei then his brother Drago. Then the whispers began, asking who Ivan’s true parents may be. Soon the constant interrogations finally got to Volgrin Ostmark and he admitted that Ivan was born from a beautiful Slavic minstrel that had come to the castle and had spent the night in Ivan’s father’s bedchamber.

Out of fear that Ivan might become a threat to his brother, he was shipped far south at the age of 10, to a military academy. Ivan did not receive a warm welcome there. He was viewed as a half-breed bastard by the noble born and as another self-important noble by the commoners. He did find one friend, though, a boy named Elmric. Elmric was the best of the best in the academy until Ivan showed up and then they were evenly matched in combat and stratagem. They became fast friends in the academy and they were never seen without the other. Ivan would spend his days training in combat and riding in the fields, and his nights training in tactics and diplomacy. He did this for three years, exceeding his teachers’ expectations of him. He never sent one letter to his family telling them how he was doing because he knew they didn't care. He knew he was sent away to be forgotten.

Ivan killed his first man at the age of fourteen. He was in the forest with his comrades learning how to navigate back to the academy by using star light and landmarks. The squad decided to set camp for the night and Ivan went to sleep. He soon awoke to the rustle of leaves. He then proceeded to get up, taking his short sword from his backpack. He looked through his tent flap to see that three bandits had appeared. They were taking the children and had killed the guide who was in charge of protecting them from such things. Ivan followed the bandits to their camp where he then proceed to kill the guard in charge of the keys. He unlocked the cells the kids were in, then ordered them to take torches and toss them on the bandit tents to help further their escape. He was awarded for his heroism when they got back to the academy and became the unofficial squad leader of the Blutfalkes.

When it came time for Ivan to choose his mount, the other recruits were having issues trying to ride a wild black stallion with a white paint marking it face and the blue eyes that matched Ivan's own. The stallion had already crippled three recruits and was gunning for a fourth when Ivan decide to take up the challenge. He got into the ring with the Stallion and looked the stallion down. The stallion charged toward Ivan but stopped before hitting him. Ivan jumped on the stallion’s back and began to ride him around the corral. He took that stallion as his own and named it Arron.

When Ivan was ready to take his oaths and choose what lord he would be assigned to, he chose his brother Drago. Ivan’s anger toward his family did not extend to his brother. Although most knights take their oaths in a church, Ivan never felt close to God and never felt that God answered his prayers, so instead he chose to take his oaths in a house of law.

Before he joined up with his brother he was assigned to a unit whose mission was to remove possible enemies to the crown. The unit ended up burning three villages to the ground and later declared the fires to be caused by rebel attacks in order to cover up the true mission.

Ivan was given the post of Drago's Elite Guard. Drago put him in charge of all things involving his army. Ivan did not know Drago was delving into dark magics while he took his borther’s army on a campaign. During this time Germany was expanding and new lands where opening up that needed settlers and nobles to rule them.

Volgrin gave Drago a large piece of land to govern and control. This land was still very much wild in terms of nature and magic. Fairies had claimed most of forest and were not overly willing to offer any of the forest goods to the humans. Though Ivan's sister Rei was able to negotiate for some use of the forest after saving the fairies from corrupted creatures left over by the dark magics of the early rulers. Once the land has been tamed, Drago began building a proper town for future German settlers. But when this was only beginning, the Crusades began and Drago needed to send men to fight for the holy land. He sent Ivan and a few of his knights to be placed under the banner of the Teutonic order for the duration of the war. Ivan did not become a member of the order, but was there as a volunteer for their army. Ivan never spoke of what he did in Jerusalem but it cannot be denied that he was changed by it.

When Ivan returned from the war, most of the town was completed and the castle was built. Ivan was still in charge of most of the duties involving law and jobs involving the need for armies. By now Drago's power had grown but he kept it well hidden from prying eyes. Drago had Ivan take most of his prisoners to him, though Ivan never thought too much on it. Ivan was still blindly loyal to his brother.

Years passed and Drago became more and more of a tyrant. Unrest grew to the point Ivan was placed in charge of hunting down a group of rebels who were trying to dethrone Drago. By now Drago had killed the local fairy population for their powers, but Ivan believed it was truly so that Drago might claim the forest and the lands.

Ivan’s own cousin Rei led the rebels, a thing Ivan never learned. Rei knew of what Drago was doing but needed help to dethrone him. She did not trust Ivan with this knowledge, knowing of his blind loyalty to his brother. But she did inform one of the neighboring lords who wanted Drago's land. The lord was willing to help fund the local rebels and come with his army when the time came- only if Rei was willing to take his hand in marriage. Rei felt she had no choice but to say yes. The lord began funding the rebels and kept it hidden from most of Ivan's men, but not all. Ivan was at the time close to finding out who the rebel leader was, but he was also loyal to his cousin. Almost as much as to his brother, so he never truly saw the signs telling him the truth.

Civil war erupted in the small kingdom. Ivan was out in the field most days, overwhelming the rebels, but it seemed the rebels forces had an infinite supply of men and weapons. Soon towns fell to the rebels one by one, until there was to be a final stand at the castle. The lord who funded the rebels kept the rest of the empire in the dark for most of the war, though he did send out one false letter that was made to look as if it was Drago who penned it. The letter said that he had built an army to take over the rest of the empire and put himself on the throne. If the lord did not send that letter, the empire may have fallen to the undead army that Drago was forming.

At the gate the rebel army began its siege of the castle, Drago convinced Ivan to wear a suit of blackened, runed armor for this battle. Unknown to Ivan the armor was possessed by a powerful demon that Drago had made a pact with. Ivan donned the armor and was quickly overtaken by the demon. Now Drago had the last piece in place to awaken the army he had been building up to this point. Ivan ‘s skill in swordplay and tactics coupled with the strength of a demon made him unstoppable.

Ivan broke from the demon’s hold when he came face to face with Rei. Even one as suppressed as he could break such bonds, by virtue of his heart. Ivan saw what was happening and everything became clear to him. He took up the fey-forged blade that was given to him as a gift for saving the fairies from the corrupted creatures so long ago. He turned the blade onto himself and plunged it into his own heart. When the demon was expelled, so was Drago's army. The force of the demon leaving also caused the castle to crumble on top of Drago, and with the blast was destroyed all evidence of any dark magics that might be witnessed by the knowing eye.

Ivan died from his self-inflicted wounds. The rebel lord’s army arrived at the last minute and ordered his men to turn on the rest of the rebel army, but he wanted Rei alive. He convinced the other lords that Rei used witchcraft to corrupt the small kingdom for her own personal goals. Rei was burned for witchcraft and the lord was rewarded with Drago's land as thanks for stopping Rei. The Fey Blade was lost and never found after that battle, and was soon forgotten along with the Fey that gave it.

Ivan awoke many years later in modern Germany. He found himself in the catacombs of a church. He quickly learned that he was sainted after his death, but he did not know why. He soon learned and came in contact with the secret orders of the this world. The Templars told him of what happened. Ivan saw his reincarnation as a second chance at life and he made an oath to become a Knight of the people and not of nobles or kings. He was put back in this world to help people and to fight against the hordes of evil. He swore another oath, to join and fight for the Templar order, as he saw them as an honorable order to follow on his track of redemption.