“Sneaky” Piotr

Human Male Thief 4 N

STR:8 DEX:15 CON:15 INT:13 WIS:10 CHA:9

HP: 20

Languages: Russian, Norse

PP:25% O/L:10% F/RT:5% MS:60%

HiS:60% DN:30% CW:60% RL:10%

As a youth, Piotr was lured off his farm with tales of the Bogatyrs’ greatness, and applied to join the Vladmir’s army. Brave and hardy though he may have been, he was considered a mite too scrawny and rejected. Heartbroken, he approached other recruiting stations in the hopes he might be able to weasel his way into the ranks, somehow, but he was always turned away. Not to be put off, he went through a number of outlandish disguises and outrageous attempts to sign up, but each time he was found out and rejected.

Determined to gain entry, he fell in with a number of varangian traveling south to find mercenary work in the hopes that what with their reputation as ferocious warriors something might rub off on him if he spent enough time around them. Perhaps had fate guided him to a better class of Norsemen, indeed, he could have learned something... but these fellows were the worst sort, and he was cajoled into taking part in their banditry, until he finally concluded it was a lost cause and slipped away one night into the darkness.

It just so happened that the Russian army was beginning its Bulgarian campaign at this time, and, at long last, Piotr was accepted into their ranks as a scout. It would never put him under the command of Muromets, but being assigned to a unit led by Alyosha Popovich was still a dream come true. For two months he gave his all, practicing war games and soaking in the espirit d’corps that made the Russian military among the greatest in the world.

Unfortunately, his first mission within enemy territory was a dismal failure. Assigned to sentry duty along a wooded path, he neglected to notice the Bulgarian troops crossing the trees above him. An entire 500 man battalion snuck by him, surprised the flank of his brigade and inflicted serious casualties before scattering into the forest.

The recognition he received from Popovich was not at all what he had in mind when he dreamed of meeting the Bogatyr. Piotr lost his stripes, and the priest’s son insulted him with such force he temporarily lost three hit die.

Reduced to the rags he wore when he joined up, Piotr was driven into the forest without two coppers to scratch together. But he did not despair. He carefully made his way through Bulgar territory and hung around the outskirts of the army’s baggage train, listening for updates on their progress and gossip he might be able to capitalize on that could help him restore his lost honor.

He caught wind of the fact that the second Bogatyr detachment was encamped in Chrysopolis and went there in the hopes that news of his ignominy had not reached the Anatolian front. He arrived too late, weeks after the army had been fielded, but learned from the barkeep at the Governor’s Mansion Inn that indeed word of his epic failure had reached this far south, and that the watch was now instructed not to emulate “Sneaky” Piotr; a man so stealthy that even his senses went into hiding.

Even so, with this revelation, he still did not give up hope for a military career. He offered loyal service to Eorl if only some day he might earn a recommendation that would put him back in Ilya Muromets’ good graces. Eorl welcomed him warmly, and swore to do what he could to help the man out.