Slava Alkaev

art by Millie/arvadswife

Darya Alkaevna (stepmother)

Alexey "Alyosha" Alkaev (half-brother)

Miroslav "Slava" Alkaev was a vampire planeswalker from Dominaria. His alignment was red/white/black. He was created by Millie.

## Description

Slava was a tall, muscular vampire with tanned skin, long brown hair kept in a ponytail, and red eyes with black sceleras. He was 21 years old at the beginning of his story, and 27 upon his death.

He wore a gray shirt, a dark brown vest, a braided belt over his shoulder, a green shoulder guard, black pants, brown boots, and brown gloves. Slava attempted to style himself after his hero, Gerrard Capashen.

## Personality

Slava was a hot-headed, brash young man with a heart of gold. He was known for his extremely high charisma; he frequently bragged that there wasn't a man he couldn't woo. Despite his flirtatious personality, Slava was always respectful of the men he flirted with and would back off immediately if he sensed they were uncomfortable.

Slava wanted nothing more than to be a Benalish hero like his idol, Gerrard. He dedicated himself to ideals of justice and law, and threw himself into his training as a soldier. Slava would never hesitate to throw himself into a fight in order to defend someone; he wished to be seen as the pinnacle of justice and heroism.

Slava was also a very stubborn and brash man who found it difficult to relate to other's struggles. He would frequently talk over others and wouldn't realize it. Slava refused to see others' perspective and tended to have a very black-and-white view of morality until he was turned and became a planeswalker. He struggled with that up until the very end.

He frequently got into fist fights with others. In spite of his flaws, he only ever saw himself as a man close to becoming a hero.

## Abilities

Slava was a powerful soldier whose abilities were enhanced by his vampirism. He also had minor combat magic, though he never truly learned how to use it.

## History

Slava was born in Aprelevka, Benalia. His mother, Yekaterina, was a brilliant wizard who had never wanted children but loved her son deeply; her mental health problems caused her to commit suicide when he was seven. Boris, his father, remarried when Slava was nine, and his younger brother Alexey (“Alyosha”) was born the next year. Slavawent into training to become a Benalish soldier at age eleven, under the guidance of Aprelevka’s knight-commander, Sergei Volkov. Sergei told stories of Gerrard Capashen to his recruits. Slava was inspired by Gerrard's story and vowed that, like Gerrard, he would become a hero and the epitome of justice.

Shortly after turning 21, Slava was sent on a mission with his comrades Dmitri and Vlad to retrieve a Kevyan artifact from an abandoned chapel to the east. The trio didn’t realize that Kazarov Sengir had been the reason for the chapel’s abandonment, and that vampires roamed the forest. The trio was separated, and Slava ended up stumbling upon Kazarov’s lair. To his horror, a pile of broken, mangled bodies sat in the middle of the room, a monument to evil. Kazarov attacked Slava and turned him into a vampire. Just before the transformation was complete, Slava’s spark ignited; his spark kept his heart beating, making him "alive" enough to remain a planeswalker. Slava’s first planeswalk was Innistrad, where he met fellow Dominarian planeswalker Olympia Bellamy. Slava and Olympia decided to travel together, seeking a cure for Slava's vampirism and honing Olympia's skills. Along the way, they met planeswalkers Chiara Acardi, Amerius, Ikal of Ixalan, Mika Halloway, and Luciette Ainsley.

Slava, Mika, Chiara, Amerius, and Luciette returned to Innistrad to investigate Emrakul's disappearance. While there, Luciette attempted to kill Sigarda; she wounded the angel and was about to kill her when Mika stabbed her. Mika fled the plane upon realizing what she had done, leaving Slava, Chiara, and Amerius to comfort Luciette in her final moments. As she died, Slava told her, "Rest easy, Luci. Your fight is over." When Chiara expressed pity for Luciette, Slava agreed with her.

On Dominaria, Slava, Ikal, Chiara, and Olympia joined the Weatherlight Crew in trying to destroy Emrakul. Slava and Arvad disagreed on blood drinking, leading to a bloody fight in which Arvad punched Slava's jaw off and nearly killed him. Olympia broke up the fight, and Slava surmised that Olympia was romantically interested in Arvad. In spite of the bloody fight with Arvad, Slava encouraged Olympia to pursue a romantic relationship with him. Later, Arvad and Slava patched things up, coming to an understanding.

Aprelevka had been destroyed by vampiric abominations when the crew arrived. Slava sprinted off into the forest, ready to kill any vampire he saw. Instead, he was attacked by Emrakul and turned into a horror. In his half-dead state, Slava found Kazarov, who was also a horror. Emrakul's machinations melded the two into the abomination Kazaslav. Olympia, Ikal, Chiara, Arvad, and Raff Capashen battled Kazaslav. Ikal used a mind-breaker spell so Olympia could cast her necrotic magic to kill Kazaslav from the inside out. As the horror died, Olympia collapsed to the ground, weeping.

After Emrakul's defeat, Slava was buried in the same graveyard as Gerrard Capashen in a mausoleum. Chiara came up with the engraving on his tombstone: "Rest now, brother." Olympia elected to remain on Dominaria with the Weatherlight crew, and rebuild the world in his honor. Mika prayed to Gabriel Angelfire to make Slava an angelic deity, and in response, the angel Ramiel was created.

## Relationships

### Olympia Bellamy

Slava and Olympia were best friends for six years. Slava always encouraged Olympia in her studies of necromancy, while Olympia helped Slava overcome his traumatic past. Slava wanted nothing more than for Olympia to seek her own happiness since she had only ever served others. The vampire helped Olympia pursue a romantic relationship with her future husband, Arvad, and expressed nothing but happiness for her when she revealed to him that she and Arvad were quietly seeing each other. When Slava died, Olympia was completely devastated. She promised herself that she would chase Emrakul across the planes for as long as it took to kill the Titan as revenge for Slava. She struck directly at Emrakul using the Chain Veil, and along with Ikal's mind-breaking spell, killed the Titan.

After her wedding, Olympia returned to Slava's mausoleum and planted her bouquet there, so he would know that she ended up happy. She also took her daughters to Slava's grave and introduced him to them as "Uncle Slava."

### Chiara Acardi

Chiara saw Slava as a "cool older brother" figure. She frequently begged him to tell stories of his heroic feats as a Benalish soldier. Chiara mediated fights between Slava and Amerius, which earned her both men's respect. When Slava was killed, Chiara wept over his disintegrating body and vowed to slay Emrakul at any cost. She planted a rose bush at his grave and came up with the engraving on his tombstone: "Rest now, brother."

### Ikal of Ixalan

Slava enjoyed flustering Ikal with flirting, though Slava himself admitted he was never romantically interested in Ikal. Ikal always reacted with volatility towards Slava's joking advances. In spite of that, the two worked well together, and had camaraderie based on the fact that they were both warriors. When Slava died, Ikal expressed regret that he used the mind-breaker spell, and cried when he thought of how fearful Slava must have been in his final moments. He continued his work in the Gatewatch in Slava's honor.

### Mika Halloway

Slava and Mika were relatively close, in spite of Slava being Serran and Mika being a devout cleric of Angelfire. They enjoyed discussing theology together, though this often led to arguments. After Luciette's death, Slava told Mika she had done nothing wrong, and that he didn't see her as an evil monster. After his death, Mika asked Gabriel to make Slava an angelic deity. Her prayers were answered with Ramiel.

### Luciette Ainsley

Slava and Luciette enjoyed drinking and sparring together, but Slava always sensed something was off about her. On Innistrad, Slava tried to dissuade Luciette from harming Sigarda; when Mika killed Luciette to save Sigarda then fled, Slava held Luciette as she died. Like Chiara, he expressed pity for Luciette. He took her hunting knife to remember her by.

### Arvad

Slava and Arvad argued often during the former's time on the Weatherlight. Slava frequently drank blood, while Arvad abstained almost entirely. During an argument, Slava threw blood from his enchanted jar onto Arvad, sparking a full-blown fight in which Arvad punched Slava's jaw off. Slava later patched things up with Arvad, and the two came to an understanding. When Slava died, Arvad visited his mausoleum alone and wept, expressing regret for their fight and praying that Slava was safe from Emrakul, with Serra. The wind softly blew, and a red leaf fell on Arvad's shoulder. The knight felt as though Slava had forgiven him, and left feeling comforted. Arvad encouraged Olympia to plant her wedding bouquet at his mausoleum. When Arvad's daughters questioned him about Uncle Slava, Arvad told them that Slava was the bravest man he had ever met and a fighter until the very end.