Vladimir Kraskov
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Persona
Born in Moscow, Russia in 1556 from a chance meeting of a Russian courtesan and a Romanian merchant. He lived mostly on the streets of his mother city, fending for himself. His mother, an opium addict and woman of ill-repute, had little if any morals to instill in the young street rat who survived by any means necessary. He learned well the ways of guile and thievery. When he was thirteen, hard times and severe weather left his mother sick and ultimately took her life. Left entirely on his own, it was not long before he found without resorting to violence he could not steal the means to survive. Being a tall and ungainly young man, peoples sympathy was passed onto to younger pan handlers. It was then he joined the militia, helping to bear the arms of what remained of Ivan the Third's army that liberated Moscow from the Tatars. The year 1571, was the year when things would turn him to the path he treads, it seemed no sooner did he learn the history of the city whose streets he knew so well, he was set to turn sixteen years of age, Moscow came under attack. The battle was quick, a horde of Crimeans came and seized the city in one relentless attack. Vlad fought hard, but more and more of his comrades fell, and their forces became less able to hold back the relentless onslaught of the oncoming horde. As the city burned around him, he followed the masses as they turned and fled. Most did not survive the first few nights out on the steppes, and neither would he had it not been for the most unlikely of friends. A Crimean, known as Little Horse, or Colt, found him on death's door and showed mercy. They formed an unlikely alliance and an even more unlikely friendship. Colt assisted Vlad on the long journey and they parted ways on the border of Romania. He found their way into Targoviste, a central city of Wallachia, he found the land of his father in a time of chaos, rival principalities overthrowing one another for rulership, foreign sponsorship further adding to the blood shed. This is where Vlad got his first taste of work as a mercenary, helping to bodyguard a prospective prince, who was ultimately poisoned, leaving the him out of work and with a foul taste in his mouth for these darkened lands. He used the money they earned to search out his father. It soon became apparent that being a merchant, and from what he could tell, a successful merchant, that the allure lay further west in Central Europe. Nearly a century had passed since the Hundred Years war, many tales of gun powder and the end of castle walls, of kingless lands and hired blades, artists and philosophers, great sailing fleets, exotic trade and above all, warmer weather. The journey was long and fraught with peril. Vlad joined up with an eccentric Lansknecht troupe, The Iron Ring, who were on their way to Italy to earn their fortune fighting in the land wars that ravaged the country. Vlad spent many successful years with them and honed his skills on the battlefield. As the land wars began to taper off and the money was less and less available, Vlad took his new found wealth on the road, continuing the journey to find his father.
On his journey through Europe, through France and into Spain, Vlad had many adventures, broke many hearts and found a new love in his life: Fencing. No longer a young man, but wiser and wealthier, he paid tuition to a Spanish Academy, L'Academa delle Sette Spade, where he now finds himself with new friends, new pursuits, and new adventures yet to be written. While he never did find his father, he is content to know that he lives a life he would be proud of.
Associates
- The Iron Ring An Tir
- Squire to Earl Edward Ean Anderson - An Tir
- Provost to Master Eoghan O`Brian - An Tir
- L'Academa delle Sette Spade - Caid
- Steel Brigade - Caid
Offices and Positions
- Field Master (The Iron Ring) 2005-2022
- StormBlade of Stromgard (Baronial Champion) 2019-2022
Awards
- AoA 2014
- StormBlade of Stromgard 2019
Photos
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