The Winter Corps
Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 3:00 pm
FOUNDING
The Winter Corps, then officially known as the First Parahuman Corps, was founded in 1941, just as Operation Barbarossa was put into action and the full strength of the German Blitzkrieg was concentrated on Russia. The Winter Corps recruited every metahuman, sorcerer and paranormal being it could get its hands on, as the fighting in Stalingrad and on the Eastern Front grew ever more desperate, even with the Soviet Socialist Sorcerer Supreme fighting and the American lend-lease.
At Stalingrad, the Corps suffered its first major loss, as three of its Soviet Socialist Sorcerers were slain by the despicable German Ludwig Schroedinger in an epic battle in the skies above the ruined city. Nevertheless, the Winter Corps continued onwards with the artillery batteries of Marshal Zhukov, until General Winter himself raised the Soviet flag above the Reichstag of Berlin.
IN SOVIET RUSSIA...
After World War Two and the Death of Stalin, the Winter Corps received a lack of funding from the Khrushchev government, which saw it as the legacy of a dark past. Most of its Soviet Socialist Sorcerers were forced to leave due to lack of payment - only a select few, the Corps' best, remained. However, they were seen again in the 60's, when the ancient arch-mage Koschei the Deathless froze all of Moscow into a deathly sleep, excepting the Winter Corps, who were protected by the wards on their headquarters.
General Winter led the Corps to Koschei, who was floating above Red Square, and attracted his attention with a shot of his pistol. The result was a battle royale, Soviet Socialist Sorcery battling eldritch, antediluvian magic in a tremendous show of power.
Koschei gained the upper hand, but General Winter had an ace up his sleeve. He showed Koschei his pistol, laughing at him, which drove Koschei into a rage, ranting madly about how he had seen all things and the Winter Corps could not hope to win. At this, General Winter simply fired his gun into Koschei's face, the anti-metahuman, enchanted slug of pure Communism mowing him down with ease. Though it was a mere defeat for Koschei, it has angered him immensely and he has sworn revenge against the Winter Corps to this day.
Seeing the need for a Russian corps of metahumans, Krushchev officially shut the Winter Corps down, but they still recieved the funding of the government, even if they were out of the public eye.
In the 70's, the Winter Corps were involved in the Siege of Warsaw following an Austerlitz-induced rebellion, and fought desperately against the baying mobs of revolutionaries crying for their blood. Although they were too late to interfere in Jason Goldstein's climactic battle with Austerlitz, they ensured, some say, that he was not overwhelmed by the sheer mass of enemies attacking him before he reached Austerlitz' stronghold.
In the 80's they fought in Afghanistan, the Winter Corps crushing many militant cells with the strength of their sorcery and their metahuman might. But in the 90's, they struggled to get by, with many of their Soviet Socialist Sorcerers (particularly the weaker ones) losing their powers at the shock of the Soviet Union's fall.
However, they endured, with new members in the 2000s owing to the many threats Mother Russia faced - renegades like the Red Chord and the organisation Crimson Dawn, madmen like Austerlitz and the Avenging Aryan, and many other threats. Today, they exist in the open once again, as the Winter Corps, defenders of the Motherland from the innumerable threats it faces.
CURRENT MEMBERS
General Winter
General Winter is the leader of the team, even though he is not actually a General any more. His powers are strong - weather control, manipulation of ice, snow and frost, and other things - but his control of the weather only works on Russian soil, as he is empowered by the elemental spirit of the Russian winter to defend the Russian nation. However, he can still manipulate pre-existing ice, and retains his superhuman strength, durability and stamina when outside Russia. His name is Vladimir Chervenkov, and he is the oldest member of the team, having fought in WW2.
Firebird
Otherwise known as Katerina Aleksandrina, Firebird is a Soviet Socialist Sorcerer, young and taught by a now-retired Soviet Socialist Sorcerer who retained his powers following the collapse of Soviet Russia. She has a pet phoenix nicknamed Sparks, and is specialised in fire spells, with a hot-blooded personality. She's very much the 'brains' of the team, intelligent and cunning in battle. Her most notable feat is dropping a decommissioned satellite on a vampire's castle, annihilating it in a massive explosion.
Tunguska
Tunguska, otherwise known as Boris Leonid, can project rays of cosmic energy from his hands, devastating the enemy. He can also use this unusual energy to create shields of force to protect himself and his team-mates. His powers seem to fluctuate depending on his mood, and it can be hard to predict how he will use them - as such he is treated as something of a loose cannon.
The Red Star
Mikhail Rodion, also known as the Red Star, has little in the way of sorcery or metatalents, but his Spetznaz training and expertise make up for it, and he is seemingly always prepared for whatever mission the Winter Corps must perform. For this reason, he is the deputy leader of the team, beneath General Winter. He is a new member, having joined in the 1990's when his superiors saw that his exceptional skill might be better applied to aiding the Winter Corps.
The Winter Corps, then officially known as the First Parahuman Corps, was founded in 1941, just as Operation Barbarossa was put into action and the full strength of the German Blitzkrieg was concentrated on Russia. The Winter Corps recruited every metahuman, sorcerer and paranormal being it could get its hands on, as the fighting in Stalingrad and on the Eastern Front grew ever more desperate, even with the Soviet Socialist Sorcerer Supreme fighting and the American lend-lease.
At Stalingrad, the Corps suffered its first major loss, as three of its Soviet Socialist Sorcerers were slain by the despicable German Ludwig Schroedinger in an epic battle in the skies above the ruined city. Nevertheless, the Winter Corps continued onwards with the artillery batteries of Marshal Zhukov, until General Winter himself raised the Soviet flag above the Reichstag of Berlin.
IN SOVIET RUSSIA...
After World War Two and the Death of Stalin, the Winter Corps received a lack of funding from the Khrushchev government, which saw it as the legacy of a dark past. Most of its Soviet Socialist Sorcerers were forced to leave due to lack of payment - only a select few, the Corps' best, remained. However, they were seen again in the 60's, when the ancient arch-mage Koschei the Deathless froze all of Moscow into a deathly sleep, excepting the Winter Corps, who were protected by the wards on their headquarters.
General Winter led the Corps to Koschei, who was floating above Red Square, and attracted his attention with a shot of his pistol. The result was a battle royale, Soviet Socialist Sorcery battling eldritch, antediluvian magic in a tremendous show of power.
Koschei gained the upper hand, but General Winter had an ace up his sleeve. He showed Koschei his pistol, laughing at him, which drove Koschei into a rage, ranting madly about how he had seen all things and the Winter Corps could not hope to win. At this, General Winter simply fired his gun into Koschei's face, the anti-metahuman, enchanted slug of pure Communism mowing him down with ease. Though it was a mere defeat for Koschei, it has angered him immensely and he has sworn revenge against the Winter Corps to this day.
Seeing the need for a Russian corps of metahumans, Krushchev officially shut the Winter Corps down, but they still recieved the funding of the government, even if they were out of the public eye.
In the 70's, the Winter Corps were involved in the Siege of Warsaw following an Austerlitz-induced rebellion, and fought desperately against the baying mobs of revolutionaries crying for their blood. Although they were too late to interfere in Jason Goldstein's climactic battle with Austerlitz, they ensured, some say, that he was not overwhelmed by the sheer mass of enemies attacking him before he reached Austerlitz' stronghold.
In the 80's they fought in Afghanistan, the Winter Corps crushing many militant cells with the strength of their sorcery and their metahuman might. But in the 90's, they struggled to get by, with many of their Soviet Socialist Sorcerers (particularly the weaker ones) losing their powers at the shock of the Soviet Union's fall.
However, they endured, with new members in the 2000s owing to the many threats Mother Russia faced - renegades like the Red Chord and the organisation Crimson Dawn, madmen like Austerlitz and the Avenging Aryan, and many other threats. Today, they exist in the open once again, as the Winter Corps, defenders of the Motherland from the innumerable threats it faces.
CURRENT MEMBERS
General Winter
General Winter is the leader of the team, even though he is not actually a General any more. His powers are strong - weather control, manipulation of ice, snow and frost, and other things - but his control of the weather only works on Russian soil, as he is empowered by the elemental spirit of the Russian winter to defend the Russian nation. However, he can still manipulate pre-existing ice, and retains his superhuman strength, durability and stamina when outside Russia. His name is Vladimir Chervenkov, and he is the oldest member of the team, having fought in WW2.
Firebird
Otherwise known as Katerina Aleksandrina, Firebird is a Soviet Socialist Sorcerer, young and taught by a now-retired Soviet Socialist Sorcerer who retained his powers following the collapse of Soviet Russia. She has a pet phoenix nicknamed Sparks, and is specialised in fire spells, with a hot-blooded personality. She's very much the 'brains' of the team, intelligent and cunning in battle. Her most notable feat is dropping a decommissioned satellite on a vampire's castle, annihilating it in a massive explosion.
Tunguska
Tunguska, otherwise known as Boris Leonid, can project rays of cosmic energy from his hands, devastating the enemy. He can also use this unusual energy to create shields of force to protect himself and his team-mates. His powers seem to fluctuate depending on his mood, and it can be hard to predict how he will use them - as such he is treated as something of a loose cannon.
The Red Star
Mikhail Rodion, also known as the Red Star, has little in the way of sorcery or metatalents, but his Spetznaz training and expertise make up for it, and he is seemingly always prepared for whatever mission the Winter Corps must perform. For this reason, he is the deputy leader of the team, beneath General Winter. He is a new member, having joined in the 1990's when his superiors saw that his exceptional skill might be better applied to aiding the Winter Corps.