Gavriil Rodion Starkov
The Royal Guard
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“I was made to rule the darkness.”
— Rae Hachton
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G A V R I I L
Masculine | "God is my strength" | Russian[img][/img]
R O D I O N
Masculine | "Song of the hero" | Russian[img][/img]Masculine | Surname | English
S T A R K O V -
BASICS
⎨NAME⎬
His full name is Gavriil Rodion Starkov.
⎨ALIAS(ES)⎬
He prefers to go by his first name Gavriil, since he is not a fan of nicknames.
⎨AGE⎬
He is 29 years old.
Born under the sign of Aries, which makes him fiery, willful, and uncompromising.
⎨NATIONALITY⎬
He is a citizen of Ravka and fiercely loyal to his Ravkan heritage.
⎨RESIDENCE⎬
He currently resides aboard the Crown Prince’s privateer vessel, traveling under a false banner.
⎨OCCUPATION⎬
He serves Ravka and its Crown (Prince) as a royal guard, but is currently disguised as a Privateer and second-in-command on his Royal Highness’ ship.
⎨BUILD⎬
He is tall and lean, with a broad and muscular frame built from relentless training and battle.
⎨COMPLEXION⎬
Sun-kissed, bearing the faint traces of long hours outdoors.
⎨HEIGHT⎬
He measures 185 centimeters.
⎨EYES⎬
He has clear hazel eyes, framed by strong brows and lashes that give him a piercing, attentive gaze.
⎨HAIR⎬
His dark brown hair is kept short and neatly styled for practicality.
⎨TRADEMARKS⎬
A squared jaw dusted with stubble enhances the impression of an unyielding soldier, though there is a softness to his eyes that hints at depths of emotion that aren't always shown in the rest of his features.
⎨QUIRKS⎬
He sharpens his weapons obsessively, even when they don’t need it, and has a habit of crossing his arms whenever he feels defensive.
⎨SEXUALITY⎬
He considers herself to be heterosexual.
⎨STRENGTHS⎬
Assertive, outspoken, willful, a force of energetic action, competitive, spontaneous, extremely dutiful and loyal, caring, thoughtful.
⎨WEAKNESSES⎬
Roguish, prideful, stubborn, hot-tempered, emotionally intense, struggles with vulnerability, and overprotective of those he loves.
⎨LIKES⎬
Being challenged in any way, a hard-fought battle, discipline and training, the sea, and rare moments of intimacy where he can lower his guard.
⎨DISLIKES⎬
Inactivity, losing, being ignored, dishonesty, and above all, threats to those he cares about.
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BACKGROUND
“Maybe we all have darkness inside of us and some
of us are better at dealing with it than others.”
— Jasmine Warga
HE WOULD NOT FEAR THE DARKNESS
HE WAS THE DARKNESS
Gavriil Rodion Starkov was born the first son of Ravkan nobleman Samuil Lazar Starkov and his wife Aliandra Lilia Starkov. As the heir, everything was laid out for him—the family name, the manor, the wealth, and the duty of carrying on his father’s legacy. From his earliest days, Gavriil had known privilege, receiving the finest tutors and learning to wear confidence like a second skin.
His father groomed him for leadership, expecting that when the time came, Gavriil would step seamlessly into his shoes. But destiny had other plans. At twelve years old, it was discovered that Gavriil was Grisha—not just any Grisha, but one who could summon darkness itself. Shadow Summoners were rare even among the Grisha, and that rarity made him both powerful and dangerous.
His father raged at fate, mourning the loss of his heir to the Small Science, but Ravka’s nobility could not afford to insult the crown by suppressing such a gift. To save face—and perhaps to strengthen his own standing at court—Lord Starkov sent his son to the Little Palace, where the Grisha trained for the Second Army.
Training was merciless. Many broke under the weight of expectation, but Gavriil thrived. He was clever enough to adapt, strong enough to endure, and gifted enough to dominate. His ability to bend darkness gave him an edge his peers feared. It was during these years that he met Zoran Illarion Romanov, crown prince of Ravka.
By all accounts, they should never have been friends. Zoran was all charm and wit, quick to talk his way out of any scrape, while Gavriil preferred direct action and found honesty far easier than flattery. But from their very first meeting, they were inseparable. Trouble seemed to follow them like a shadow—usually sparked by Zoran’s mischief, and usually blamed on Gavriil. He didn’t mind; he knew the truth, and Zoran’s sly grin in the aftermath was payment enough. They often joked that Zoran was the brain and Gavriil the muscle—but together, they were unstoppable.
“Darkness is my destiny.”
— Hafsah Faizal
When Gavriil came of age, his prowess could no longer be ignored. The king himself summoned him and offered him a place in Zoran’s personal guard. Few were ever considered for such an honor; fewer still were chosen. But a Shadow Summoner at the prince’s side was an opportunity the king coveted. Gavriil accepted—not out of ambition, but because he believed it his duty. To protect Zoran was to protect Ravka’s future. He proved himself worthy. Gavriil respected Zoran more than ever when the prince chose to serve his mandatory military term not as a pampered officer, but in the infantry, shoulder to shoulder with Ravka’s common soldiers. Gavriil fought at his side, guarding him not only against enemy blades but against the weight of his crown.
And then—silence.
After Zoran’s service ended, he and Gavriil vanished. No body, no farewell, no trace. Their disappearance struck Ravka like a blow. The king and queen grieved in secret, as did Gavriil’s parents, though his father’s grief was tempered with the bitterness of losing his heir a second time. Publicly, the crown wove a lie—Zoran was preparing for marriage, preparing for his coronation. Invitations were sent, ceremonies planned. Behind closed doors, the Grisha were dispatched in quiet desperation, scouring the land for any sign of the missing prince and his shadow-bound guard.
The truth was known only to Gavriil himself: he had not abandoned his duty. He had chosen it. He followed Zoran willingly, not for crown or country, but because the true danger to the prince did not come from Ravka’s enemies—it came from the throne itself.
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CORE TRAITS
"“All shadows of clouds the sun cannot hide
like the moon cannot stop oceanic tide;
but a hidden star can still be smiling
at night's black spell on darkness, beguiling."
— Munia Khan
☉ D U T I F U L
Adj. | X | X
Coming soon...☉ D R I V E N
Adj. | X | X
Coming soon...
☉ C O M P E T I T I V E
Adj. | X | X
Coming soon...☉ TRAIT#4
Adj. | X | X
Coming soon...
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ASTROLOGY
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A R I E S
Date start – Date end
Coming soon...
P L A N E T
Coming soon...
Greek deity: X.E L E M E N T
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Coming soon...S Y M B O L
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Coming soon...
"Quote."
― X
X · X · X · X · X · X.
The Aries man possess the spirit of a warrior and they carry a strong personality. Aries is one of the easiest signs to understand, as these are action-driven people, extroverted and assertive. They want to be in charge. They are typically confident, bold, spontaneous and independent. They follow their passion with great dedication and never lose their focus.
This man is particularly masculine and virile and is in touch with his inner child. The latter manifests in both good and bad ways; on the plus side he tends to be very fun, loving and adventurous, and on the negative, he can be very sulky if he doesn’t get his own way, or is ignored.
He tends to be very competitive, but unlike some signs he also has a strong sense of fair play – he wants to win for himself; to prove to the world he could do it – and isn’t interested in deceit or cheating. He hates to be bossed around, or feel trapped.
Uncomplicated, bold, aggressive and impulsive, Aries men can sometimes be seen as selfish, insensitive, domineering, blunt, outspoken and impatient. They’re never afraid of taking a risk. Lacking in self-control they more than compensate in resilience – this is one tough cookie, who will live life to the fullest. The danger for an Aries in a relationship is being too controlling and confrontational. They need to consciously curb their desire to battle and win. More specifically, they need to learn how to lose when fighting someone they love. It may sound like a quote from Sun Tzu, but in love, they need to learn the art of ‘winning by appearing to lose’.
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POWERS & ABILITIES
E T H E R E A L K I
SHADOW SUMMONER
“...our souls may be consumed by shadows, but
that doesn't mean we have to behave as monsters.”
— Emm Cole
Grisha are humans who practice the Small Science and are traditionally divided into three orders, Corporalki, Etherealki and Materialki, with each order being further divided into specialized types. Most Grisha show certain powers at a young age but sometimes Grisha are born with extremely uncommon hereditary abilities to summon light or darkness.
|ETHEREALKI|Etherealki, or the Order of Summoners, are Grisha whose power lies in the manipulation of different natural elements. This Order is divided into Squallers, Inferni and Tidemakers.
The order is loosely referred to as Summoners, and Etherealki typically train in pairs; Inferni partner with other Inferni, while Squallers and Tidemakers are usually train together.
The Sun Summoner and The Shadow Summoner, respectively, are also technically considered Etherealki, yet their kefta are usually gold or black.
The word Etherealki comes from classical greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr) which means sky or heaven. But aithḗr is also the fifth element in the ancient science of four elements which include water, air and fire, which can be summoned by the Etherealki.
|SHADOW SUMMONER|Shadows Summoners are a rare and powerful class of Grisha. Shadow Summoners belong to the Etherealki, or the Order of Summoners, who are Grisha whose power lies in the manipulation of different natural elements. In the Second Army, the Shadow Summoner wears a black kefta.
Their power is shown in their ability to manipulate and summon darkness and shadows. Shadow Summoners' Grisha power can be described as inky pool of darkness in their hands, which they can shape into tendrils or waves of darkness, and in some cases, darkness can be made into the Cut, a lethal ability that uses shadows or darkness to create a slicing effect on the target. They can also blend in with the shadows and disappear almost completely.
|LIVING AMPLIFIER|Usually, amplifiers are objects that increase a Grisha's powers but some humans have been known to be living amplifiers. In this case, living amplifiers have the ability to detect Grisha power in a person through touch and some are considered very powerful, because being a living amplifier can affect their own Grisha power.
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SIGNATURE
