Nikolai Bukulov (NPC)

=• History •=

Most of Nikolai Bukulov's past is mired in secrecy. What is known is that he was born somewhere in the USSR in 1957 and promptly deposited in an orphanage. Despite impressive indications of intelligence, the young Nikolai's defiant streak and often dark personality served to keep him without a home, and at about 15 years old he escaped the system and vanished into the Russian underworld.

Periodic reports appear during this time which indicate Nikolai floating across the criminal spectrum - operating as a lookout, enforcer, and so on for various operations. It is debatable what his life might have been, without the intervention of fortune headed his way.

At 18, Nikolai manifested the ability to control anima. Shortly afterwards he was located by Templar agents in the region and brought to England, inducted into the Secret World.

The Templars served as patrons for Nikolai, recognizing quickly his raw abilities beneath his gruff exterior. He was provided with an extensive education in the finest universities available, and quickly established himself as a reliable agent with a promising future.

=• Present •=

Today, Nikolai is perhaps not an everyday name, but is generally highly regarded amongst those Templars who do know him. Rarely utilized on regular field operations, his current role is that of an overseer managing relationships between the Templars and assorted groups in power throughout Europe, be they political, criminal or religious.

Less often discussed is his role as a leader in a fringe group of Templars known as the Penitent, known among circles for their oft-extreme interpretation of Templar duty.

=• Appearance •=

Admirers would call him "solid," although detractors would likely prefer "squat." By most standards, Nikolai is short, and perhaps going a bit soft around the middle in his escalating years. But he is still visibly strong, and Nikolai is eternally well groomed. Always found freshly shaven in a well-tailored suit, often with a cigar clamped between smirking lips.

=• Personality •=

Nikolai was originally drawn to the Templars as a matter of pragmatism. Seeing an opportunity to escape his circumstances, and wooed by the promise to understand the strange abilities he had begun to develop, he seized upon their offers to help.

As time went on he came to admire and appreciate the Templar cause on a personal level. Seeing in them the capacity to preserve humanity against the darkness all around them he became increasingly devoted to the order, to the point of what some would call fanaticism.

One-on-one, Nikolai's personality is often frenetic. A gregarious showman at one moment can be crushing your throat between meaty hands the next. However, his outbursts are rarely unfounded, and he has fostered a certain loyalty in many of his colleagues.

=• Family/Friends/Associates •=

Rumors have swirled for years that Nikolai keeps at least one secret family stashed away in Russia, but these stories have never borne fruit.

Out of the ranks of the Penitent, one of Nikolai's closest followers is Nathan Covington. A trusted operative recruited and trained by Nikolai personally, he is the go-to agent on many missions.