Valeriy Chernozyom

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Physician

Reconfiguration Specialist

Professor Valeriy Anatoliy Chernozyom (-10 L.C. - ) is a gnomish engineer, physician, self-proclaimed Reconfiguration Specialist, the father of Adjustable Weaponry and the head of the 4th division of the Underdogs.

## Early life

Born into a family of skilled engineers and tinkerers in Gnomeregan, Valeriy was always fascinated by the intricacies of technology and its potential to change the world. His inquisitive mind and insatiable curiosity drove him to explore various disciplines, often leaving behind a trail of odd inventions and peculiarities.

His life took an unexpected turn during the tragic events of the fall of Gnomeregan. As the radiation and toxic gases swept through the city, Valeriy lost many of his loved ones and friends. Wracked with grief and guilt, he resolved to find a way to protect those he still held dear, to ensure that no one else would suffer as he did. Valeriy earned his surname with the discovery of a augmented and enriched black planting soil that was able to withstand radiation and accommodate plant life in spite of it. What's more, one of its later iterations, Chernozyom Theta was able to absorb radiation and turn it into nutrients for the plant.

## Spiritual journey

After helping his people and deeming his work done in Gnomeregan, Valeriy turned his back on botany and embarked on a journey, traveling across Azeroth in search of knowledge. He studied under some of the most esteemed physicians and engineers, even being inducted into the Arclight Society. He honed his skills and developed innovative approaches to body-altering surgeries and augmentations, taking a keen interest in cybernetics. Guided by his deep empathy and determination, he sought to provide adventurers with the strength and resilience they needed to face the rising darkness that threatened the world.

In his travels, Valeriy encountered countless creatures, both friend and foe. He sought rare herbs, magical essences, and ancient artifacts to further his research. In 30 L.C., he befriended the mysterious Luciel Ambrose, who took him under his wings, and introduced him to his friends and proteges, with Nathaniel Clayden taking a particular liking to the gnome. He eventually joined the Underdogs. Nathaniel learned much of his engineering skill (apart from the little he had learned from his reclusive, morose and heartless father) from Valeriy.

## Inventions

Valeriy excels in not only body-altering surgery, cybernetics and enhancements, but he has also made major strides in the field of non-invasive alterations, such as suits of power armour, micro-adjustments in existing armour and one of his greatest inventions yet, Adjustable Weaponry, or AW for short.

### Adjustable Weaponry

AW is the perfect fusion of Ys'thriss-empowered shapeshift magic and engineering ingenuity. It is, in essence, a way to manipulate weaponry into changing shape and function, such as a longsword splitting into a shortsword and a shield. This modification can be done to existing weapons, such as Warren Miller-Hargreaves' Daybreak Shadow, or made from scratch, such as Jaime Sootleaf's Funeral Pyre.

### Sight Beyond Sight

SBS is a magically enhanced set of mechanical eyeballs that give blind people the sense of sight - in a way. SBS is no ordinary prosthetic eye, it senses vibrations and changes in light, and, based on that information, projects rough outlines directly into the user's brain, as well as predicting any future movements and changes that may occur in the environment so that the user can "see without looking". It was developed as a countermeasure to the mind control powers of timeline 5151616's Erhand. Li Li Mistblossom, when offered this augmentation, sharply declined it, stating that she already has all the abilities it provides.

### Serum X

Serum X is essentially a super soldier serum devised by Valeriy in 35 L.C. with the aid of Dezz Torqueblow and Amanda Blake. The exact components are kept secret by Valeriy, but it is at least partly made of worgen blood and is rumoured to contain the essence of Ys'thriss himself as well. It grants the imbiber increased strength, agility and slightly heightened resistance to harmful spells, as well as - obviously - bestowing the worgen curse onto them. The serum was commissioned by Eseridormi, as she found that some members of the Underdogs are "softer" and in her opinion, less capable than others. Some limitations and side effects of the serum are:

* It seemingly only works on humans, coincidentally the prime target of Eseridormi's criticism
* Those who wield the Light are immune to the effects of the substance. Only if the imbiber had previously purposefully abandoned the ways of the Light can they benefit from it
* The imbiber's hair and eye colour might change

## Personality

Valeriy's passion for his craft often led him to lose track of time and forget about the changing world around him. His friends affectionately referred to his occasional bouts of absent-mindedness as "Chernozyom moments." Despite these quirks, his heart was always in the right place, and his dedication to improving the abilities and resilience of his comrades never wavered.

Yet, even as the professor's alterations proved to be game-changing in battles and heroic encounters, he could not escape the moral dilemmas of his actions. The fine line between empowerment and exploitation gnawed at his conscience. He grappled with the fear that he might inadvertently be changing the essence of his friends and allies, robbing them of their true selves.

In the ongoing conflict of Azeroth, Professor Valeriy Chernozyom remained a beacon of hope for his allies. He stood as a symbol of boundless intellect, creativity, and unwavering friendship. While he might occasionally drift into the realms of absent-mindedness, his determination to protect his comrades and safeguard Azeroth from peril was stronger than any enchantment or machine he could ever create.

He is completely and utterly desensitised to the sight of blood and gore, not even flinching at sights that others would consider distasteful at best, and stomach-churningly disgusting at worst.