Dimitris Volkov

Dimitris Volkov, frequently revered as the Northern Bastion, is a man originating from the ruins of Russia. Speculated to have been born where Yakutsk, Russia once stood, Dimitris had a humble upbringing in a world before the Singularity event. His time as a child was spent learning to tame the hostile wilderness that had become his town, in addition to fearing the large metal birds that roared like mighty mountain lions.   After the Singularity took place and rocked the world as he knew it, Dimitris came into contact with the few mages that had been birthed within his homeland. He was first hand in witnessing their abhorrent crimes and abuse of power over those less fortunate than them, and fled into the wilderness with nothing but a half-dead horse and a blade fashioned from a rare Caelite alloy. The wintry tundra was unforgiving - much more so after the Singularity had thrown Earth's ecosystem into disarray, mutating wildlife and causing Caelus enhanced ice storms. Many assumed he went gently into that good night.   But instead, Dimitris had founded Krovgrad, a fortified colony built on hopes and dreams. Realizing how potent his Ardocyte infested blood was as a fuel source, Dimitris had developed a grid of tesseracts that ran beneath the frostbitten ground and into carefully placed braziers about Krovgrad. When Dimitris' blood is set ablaze, it results in a phenomena known as Firnfire, a combination of fire and Caelus. This would become a staple in warding off the aberrations that spawn from the frequent ice storms across Krovzemlya (Bloodland - what Russia is referred to after the UEC's formation).   The irony of Dimitris' strict anti-Caelus beliefs are lost on him and his band of survivors, as any practice of the magic will result in death by firnfire. Those suspected of being a spellcaster are burnt in a public display at dawn. Every year, the walls of Krovgrad are tested by horned wolves from the Ivory Maw, a glacial valley just northwest of the town. Those who perish in the defense of town are hailed as heroes, and are commemmorated by a hearty feast after the ritualistic slaughtering of wolves.   As the years passed, Dimitris was put into a rudimentary mech that's stationed upon the stone walls of Krovgrad. He never sleeps, eternally watching over his hamlet that lives through his blood. Some say he's long dead, his body preserved by the elements and placed where it is as an intimidation tactic. Those born from his bloodline are fiercely loyal to the preservation of Krovgrad, though the potency of their Caelus-laced blood dwindles with each generation. It is unknown how long the firnfire braziers will continue to burn with Volkov's waning sanguine essence.   One can never leave Krovgrad. For those who manage to escape the town are marked by Dimitris' undying will, leaving a trail for Caelus aberrations to stalk. This mark is only able to be cured by the most potent of spellcasters. And so he sits, evermore - in silent suffering, ensuring the denizens of Krovgrad will never experience the gift of Caelus.  

The Mark of Volkov

While it's hard to truly determine the nature of the mark as cursebearers usually perish before sunrise, it's speculated that Dimitris is secretly a mage. This mark has been determined to be a spell that intensifies the victim's heartbeat in a way that other mages or Caelus aberrations can easily pick up on.