Name: Maksim Dmitrovich Barabanshchikova
Alias: Stierlitz
Metatype: Elf
Age: 78
Height: 1.95 m
Weight: 78 kg
Background:
Maksim is one of the “spike baby” elves born during the year 1995. He entered schooling at the age of three, as a precocious young fellow with odd pointy ears that were often a source of ridicule. However, he overcame by being by far the smartest child in his class, with a dry humor and sarcastic wit even at a young age that won him the favor of adults in his earlier years, and finally his classmates (once they could appreciate it). He attended the Anglo-American School in Moscow from Kindergarten through the 12th grade, achieving an IB diploma. During his senior year at AASMoscow, the elf and dwarf births of 2011 prompted him to find out more about Homo sapiens nobilis, and he decided not go to college, as no school yet offered him the education he so desired, which was about the Elven people. He joined the Xavier Foundation in 2012, becoming one of the youngest members (his very moderate, open views are partially due to his mentor, Sean Laverty), and becoming acquainted with Dodger, who is the same age as him. He hadn't heard about Dodger for years, until the Matrix Crash 2.0 of 2064, when he and others dug up the story of him, AI Deus, and AI Morgan.
In communication with members of the Xavier Foundation, Maksim often told Russian jokes from the Soviet era, which led to his nickname and now alias of “Stierlitz”, a recurring character in many Russian anekdoty. He became fascinated with the continuing advances of the world politically, technologically, and socially. He has always felt deprived of formal schooling, seeing as he never pursued his dream of college in the States. So, he absorbs massive amounts of information, all in the spirit of learning.
He is a great generalist, as he was during his schooling, but he has a marked love for American celebrity and American film, especially when the two unite. So, he has spent his entire life doing odd jobs for odd people, trying to stay as close to the media as possible. Stierlitz is a social democrat, left home in 2016, and spent a few years in Sweden in the late 2010s. He never had any use for Swedish there (everyone spoke English or French), but here is where he picked up his political opinions and technological passion. However, no government had yet given rights to metahumans, so he started his first stint of crime and moving around. Stockholm, Norrland, and Ostergottland were all temporary homes during his seven years there. He moved to Washington, D.C. in 2023 after the US Supreme Court granted equal rights to metahumanity. He began his freelance sleuth career there, outing celebrities, politicians, public servicemen, and “corporate sellouts” for whomever he could get money from. In order to stay safe as a journalist, Maksim used his nickname, knowing that only his fellow “spike babies” would know, and wouldn't rat him out.
In 2029, moments after the first crash, he began his Matrix reporting, still going by the alias Stierlitz, which had become ubiquitous, and synonymous with “yuppie with no respect for the way things are.” He had to work harder to find jobs that would even let him write as Stierlitz, and began writing under assumed names, doing courier work, and tracking people down. This has become his modus operandi. He doesn't much like Liam O'Connor, a few “spikes” his senior, and wasn't too happy about the establishment of Tir Na nOg or Tir Tairngire, which he views as radical and unnecessary. He never got a SIN, seeing as he was already well underground by 2036, and has been since.
In 2061, he stood strong with metahumanity, when goblinization started. Then, he joined the orichalcum rush on November 27th. Although slightly cautionary, he and other Stierlitzes throughout the world declared in 2064 that technomancers, like the otaku before them, were not abominations, and should be considered innocent until proven guilty of any crimes (being a technomancer was not, of course, supposed to be a crime).
In late 2066, he married a young, feisty ork woman (come on, she appreciated his humor!) named Kate Kendor. Their first and only child died in the second of two major earthquakes along the San Andreas fault (they lived in Santa Barbara at the time) only months after his birth, in 2067. Mourning over their child (leading to Maksim picking up his old habit of smoking), funeral costs, as well as purchasing a new home, wiped through the wealth he received during 2061, and led to their divorce in late 2067. Stierlitz decided to move to Seattle in the following year.
Come to present day, 2073, and Stierlitz is doing the same old, same old, 'running in the grey areas. He's a total night owl, and jokingly claims to be part dark elf. Several thousand people scattered all over the Russian- and English-speaking world (which is pretty much the whole world, is it not?) claim to be Stierlitz on a daily basis simply to try and up their social democrat street cred. So, this has become a great way for him to navigate the “grey areas” of his work by claiming to be Stierlitz, getting a good laugh, and going about his business, knowing that Mr. Johnson will always call him Stierlitz and not ask questions.
Notes:
Stierlitz has damn good English and French, refined over the course of his 78 years; he has spoken English for all but his first three years of life, and French since he was 12.
Stierlitz looks about 30 years old. This is one reason why he has traveled the world: He couldn't stay in one place for too long for about the first 50 years of his life; there were so few other “spike babies”, and the young ones were only about 30, but still looked 20! That's about when people started to figure it out and accept it. However, Maksim got used to this lifestyle, and enjoys living in big cities for a few years, then moving on to find new connections. In this way, he is very un-elven.
Stierlitz has become an investigator of all sorts, tracking, shadowing, and finding information on anybody you need him to. He is a brilliant negotiator and diplomat. He also understands the wisdom of a hidden blade in his shoe, a pistol in his drawer, and his own two fists.
Stierlitz often sprinkles his speech with Russian and French words, sayings, and idioms. He enjoys explaining in a way that still leaves the listener confused whenever possible.
Possible Gear, Stats, Etc.
*Light pistol w/silencer
*Digg™ brand leather boots (blade in the toe, not the heel)
*Armored black leather jacket, armored biking suit
*Low Body, Average Strength,Intuition, and Willpower, Above Average Agility, High Reaction, Logic, and Charisma
*Social Skill Group, Tracking, Shadowing, Palming, Electronics Skill Group
*Knowledge in many different subjects in the liberal arts and sciences, as well as media and current events. Most interested in French and Russian (particularly mid-20th Century) History, as well as America in general.
*Fluency in Russian (Native), American English, and French.
*Connections throughout UCAS, CalFree, and Sweden (albeit not extremely loyal).
Fluff:
Likes to wear black, white, and grey. During the colder months, often wears a favorite light blue wool scarf with a pin: a small white fist holding a red rose, the symbol of American Social Democrats, off to the side. There are no fringes at the end.
He prefers average fit t-shirts (sometimes with Russian writing or quirky Soviet-era cartoon icons) and button-up silk shirts, mostly black or white. He wears black or grey slim fit jeans. Black leather boots (with the blade in the right toe). He has a leather outfit for use on his BMW motorcycle, which is all black, and is lightly armored.
He has thick, black hair, cut in a clean, professional manner, but often sports five o'clock shadow. He can only grow this because some of his Elven traits are subdued, due to being a “surge baby”. He has a black chrome tusk (12 gauge) in his left ear, near the point, but not dragging his ear down.
Is largely Deist, believing the “Deus Ex Machina” theory, and that “God” was the Primordial Atom, manifest in the explosion of stars that made this Rare Universe possible, and apathetically fueling the advancement of society, for which the most intelligent, thoughtful metahumans are entirely responsible. “History was made, not by the common man, but by the rich and powerful. I'm not rich anymore; so I intend to be powerful” is something he often says. However, his “religious” beliefs are highly private, something only his ex-wife and a few trusted allies are aware of.
If you haven't deduced this, Maksim is thought to be dead, and no longer “exists”. Quite handy, no?
