Nikolai Semyonovich Zolikoff

Nikolai Semyonovich Zolikoff is a character in 7th Sea: The Search for Salvation, played by Munin.

Biography

Nikolai Semyonovich Zolikoff was born in 1630 in the village of Knyaczna in Somojez, in the foothills of the southeastern Bushka Gora. The son of Semyon Ilarionovich (the local butcher) and Tatiana Grigorieva Zolikoff, Nikolai led a fairly ordinary Ussuran childhood. Taught hunting and woodsman skills by his father, Nikolai was instilled with a healthy respect for the power of Matushka.

Born stubborn and possessed of a fighting spirit, Nikolai's father and the village Orthodox priest also did perhaps too good a job teaching the young boy about justice. When Nikolai was 14, a caravan of the Vitzi Curara came to Knyaczna. During the ensuing festival, Nikolai observed the son of the local boyar, a boy about his own age, picking on one of the Fhideli boys. Springing to the boy's defense, Nikolai engaged in a scuffle with the boyar's son, a scuffle that led to the village scion being shoved roughly to the ground. Had this been the end of it, perhaps all would have been forgiven. Unfortunately, the son of the boyar struck his head on the edge of the village well.

The Fhideli boy whom Nikolai had defended simply turned to him and said, "Thank you. Now run."

And so he did. Though not knowing his victim's condition, Nikolai was sure that his transgression would bring trouble for his family. So he grabbed his hunting gear and fled into the forest. No plan, little preparation, and no idea of what tomorrow would bring.

Nikolai lived in the woods for several weeks, but winter was fast approaching. Indeed, an early storm blew down from the Bushka Gora, and in the whiteout conditions Nikolai became lost. Finding what meager shelter he could, Nikolai was on the verge of succumbing to the cold when he was found by a Tibesti woman (herself the scout for a small group of Tibesti hunters caught out in the same storm). Nikolai's last thought before lapsing into unconsciousness was that this was Matushka, come to take him to the land beyond.

Imagine the young lad's surprise, when several days later when he awoke inside the rumbling wagon of a Vitzi Curara caravan, the same group that had been in Knyaczna earlier that fall. Three days and countless miles had passed, and Nikolai had already been identified as the one who had stood up for the Tibesti boy. With a wisdom unique to the Tibesti, Mashka Vulova (the woman who had initially found young Nikolai during the storm) said simply, "If you were meant to be punished for your actions, they boyar's men would have found you. But we found you, so clearly you are meant to be with us." That settled the matter, and Nikolai spent the next two years travelling with the Vitzi Curara throughout western Ussura with Mashka Vulova's people.

In 1646, the caravan travelled into the war-torn border territories of eastern Eisen. The War of the Cross was in full swing, and Nikolai was apalled at the destruction it wreaked on the poor folk of the countryside. It was at this juncture that Nikolai's extended sense of social justice again got him into trouble, this time with troops belonging to a local Eisenfaust who were systematically pilfering a village for edible grain. In the ensuing combat, Nikolai killed four men, one with his bare hands. When he returned to the caravan, he knew his choice was clear - he must dissociate himself from the Vitzi Curara or risk embroiling them in further violence. He must spare them trouble just as he had done with his own family all those years before. So he went to Mashka Voluva and said, "Thank you. Now run."

Nikolai wandered further into Eisen, occasionally getting into trouble with people he felt were taking advantage of the meek. At some juncture, he came to the attention of Nicoletto Venzini di Sigillo, a Vodacce mercenari commander. Impressed with Nikolai's size and formidable strength, Nicoletto offered the young man a job. Given that Venzini's mercenari were about to be hired to defend a town from an impending siege, Nikolai agreed.

For the next 20 years Nikolai served with Venzini's company, and his experiences would continue to shape him. Most importantly, the inflated sense of social justice that had so colored his earlier perceptions would be worn away. After seeing townsmen whom he had defended turn on one another once the immediate threat had passed, or farmers charge extortionate rates for provisions, Nikolai became increasingly jaded on the concept of "innocence." Still, Nikolai drew certain lines, and in that regard was in good company - Venzini had strict rules about the conduct expected of his men when under contract. Nikolai fit in well, and become a trusted tool for Venzini, so much so that he was occasionally sent back to Vodacce to serve as a messenger, recruit new men, and escort the company paymaster.

As the War of the Cross drew to a close, there was still work for Venzini's company in Eisen. Years of warfare had depleted the coutryside, and many Eisenfaust found it expedient to maintain mercenari on hand to keep the peace if nothing else. But a new problem has arisen. Nicoletto Venzini di Sigillo has just received word from Vodacce. A new tip concerning his daughter, disappeared from her chambers some 10 years ago, has come to light. Professional obligations dictate that Nicoletto himself must remain in Eisen. But a trusted man like Nikolai, with a proven track record for getting things done and not asking too many questions might be just the one to find her...

Known Associates

Nicoletto Venzini di Sigillo - Mercenari commander

Twenty Questions

• 1. What country is your Hero from? Ussura
• 2. How would you physically describe your Hero? Nikolai is a hulking brute. Much taller than average, he is also quite broad, with powerful, muscular shoulders which make his shaved head seem too small for his body. His nose shows signs of having been broken often and set poorly.
• 3. Does your Hero have recurring mannerisms? Aside from his perpetual Ussuran frown, Nikolai has a habit of sucking his teeth when he is pensive, suspicious, or unimpressed.
• 4. What is your Hero's main motivation? Nikolai spends most of his time just trying to get by. The vagaries of over a decade of warfare have left him with an appreciation of the little things in life, even things most people find commonplace. He always wants to do the "right thing," but is often conflicted about just what the "right thing" should be.
• 5. What is your Hero's greatest strength? Greatest weakness? Though guarded and suspicious, Nikolai is unerringly loyal. Once someone has earned his trust, he will go to the ends of the earth to render aid should it be needed. Unfortunately, Nikolai is somewhat gullible, and so opens up his loyalty to abuse by those clever enough to take advantage of him.
• 6. What are your Hero's most and least favorite things? Nikolai is never as happy as when surrounded by the camaraderie of shared adversity. Barring that, a hot, clean bath is pretty good too. But the horrors of war have taught him to despise people who treat warfare as a game to be played with the lives of others.
• 7. What about your Hero's psychology? Nikolai is stubborn, and while he is slow to anger his fury once roused often gets the better of him.
• 8. What is your Hero's single greatest fear? Nikolai has almost no experience with boats and is not a very strong swimmer. As such, he is terrified of the idea of being on a ship outside the sight of land.
• 9. What are your Hero's highest ambitions? His greatest love? Nikolai would love nothing more than to find a good woman, settle down, and raise a family. He loves the freedom of the Tibesti lifestyle, but recognizes that his current path and obligations do not allow him to partake in it.
• 10. What is your Hero's opinion of his country? Nikolai loves Ussura's wildness and misses it on some deep level.
• 11. Does your Hero have any prejudices? Nikolai is not overly fond of Montaignes, finding them generally effete and arrogant.
• 12. Where do your Hero's loyalties lie? Nikolai's strongest loyalty originally lay with his long time commander, Nicoletto Venzini di Sigillo. However, after Nicoletto's daughter (Vodacce Fate Witch Mercede Panebianchi di Vestini) severed the fate strand between Nikolai and Venzini, Nikolai has begun to transfer his trust and loyalty to Castilian nobleman Benito Garcia de Rivera.
• 13. Is your Hero in love? Is he married or betrothed? Nikolai was close with several young girls among the Vitzi Curara, but left the caravan before coming to an age where betrothal or marriage was a serious consideration. As a mercenario wandering through Eisen, Nikolai never spent long enough in one place to form relationships. He is accustomed to and comfortable with paying for the attentions of women.
• 14. What about your Hero’s family? Nikolai has never returned to Knyaczna, and harbors a deep guilt that he does not know of his family's current condition.
• 15. How would your Hero’s parents describe him? Semyon Ilarionovich would have proudly called Nikolai a chip off the old block. Tatiana Grigorieva would have rolled her eyes and agreed. But neither would recognize the killer their son has become.
• 16. Is your Hero a gentleman or gentlewoman? No, and statements to that effect are fightin' words.
• 17. How religious is your Hero? What sect of the Church does he follow? Nikolai was raised in the Ussuran Orthodoxy, but long service during the War of the Cross has has soured him on the churches of man. The only higher power he truly believes in is that of Matushka.
• 18. Is your Hero a member of a guild, gentleman’s club, or secret society? No.
• 19. What does your Hero think of Sorcery? Pyeryem seems natural to him, but other forms of sorcery are more alien. And Vodacce Fate Witches scare the hell out of him.
• 20. If you could, what advice would you give your Hero? Nothing is as it appears, and nothing is ever easy.

Character Sheet

Brawn	Finesse	Resolve	Wits	Panache
3	3	4	2	2

Nationality: Ussuran
Drama: 2	Wounds: 0
Arcana: None	Reputation: 0	Dice: 0

Sorcery

None

Advantages

• Able Drinker
• Combat Reflexes
• Keen Senses
• Large
• Legendary Resolve
• Toughness

Skills

Civilian Skills

Hunter

• Stealth 1
• Survival 1
• Tracking 1

Merchant

• Butcher 2

Streetwise

• Socializing 1
• Street Navigation 1

Martial Skills

Athlete

• Climbing 1
• Footwork 2
• Sprinting 1
• Throwing 1
• Lifting 1

Dirty Fighting

• Attack (Dirty Fighting) 1
• Improvised Weapon 1

Hand Axe

• Attack (Hand Axe) 2
• Parry (Hand Axe) 1
• Throw (Hand Axe) 1

Heavy Weapon

• Attack (Heavy) 1
• Parry (Heavy) 1

Knife

• Attack (Knife) 1
• Parry (Knife) 1

Pugilism

• Attack (Pugilism) 1
• Footwork 2
• Jab 1

Rider

• Ride 1

Wrestling

• Grapple 1
• Headbutt 1

Languages

• Ussuran (illiterate)
• Vodacce (illiterate)

Total XP: 30 XP Remaining: 0 Advances:

• Panache (1 to 2): 10 points
• Open New Skill (Heavy Weapons): 10 points
• Background (Romance 1): 3 points
• Background (Hunted 1): 3 points
• Raise Knack (Throw (Hand Axe) 0 to 1): 2 points
• Raise Knack (Improvised Weapon 0 to 1): 2 points
• Raise Knack (Wrestling: Headbutt 0 to 1): 2 points