Alek'voyna

Alek in his godly form

### Relatives

Unknown, though parents were likely casualities of the Great War, or died from old age

## Biographical information

### Date of birth

Much of his pre-deity life is left unknown

### Place of birth

Presumed to be somewhere in Pre-War Russia

## Physical description

### Eye color

Gold

**Alek'voyna** was the Russian God of War and Protection in Sapphiria, and the patron deity of the Northarian people. He remains dedicated to the Russian Empire of Northaria. Taking the form of an arctic hawk, Alek'voyna grants his people protection and prosperity from the sky. Alek'voyna was killed during the final battle of the second Sapphirian/Rubidian War.

## History

### Origins

Alek'voyna wasn't born a deity, having once been a mortal man of Slavic origins, and once having an ordinary life. He was one of the most reputable pilots on Earth's surface, prior and during World War III. No one is quite sure of his mortal name. Alek'voyna was such a skilled pilot that he often earned favor from Perun, the previous war deity, who blessed him in many of his earthly struggles. Though Alek'voyna was skilled in every art of war when he was a mortal, he preferred to take war to the skies.

During the Great War, Perun sent Alek'voyna's legion a blessing: he would fight in the air beside them as a reward for their unwavering trust in him. The battle was long and hard, but they were on the winning side until their partnered god fell. The winged warrior was hit multiple times and spiraled down into the earth with a crash. Only Alek'voyna attempted to rescue the god, flying back down to Earth to offer any medical support he could, despite not having godly medical experience. The god was grateful for the assistance, but it was to no avail. The god was fading quickly, so he blessed Alek'voyna with one last gift: his own essence. At that moment, Alek'voyna became the war god, but he gave a part of himself into this newfound immortality too. He became a protector of those in war.

As Alek'voyna accepted Perun's essence, he could feel his own fading; he could feel his thoughts leaving him, as he accepted a godly visage. By the time his ascendance was complete, he was no longer the mortal pilot, but the God of War. From then on, Alek'voyna was depicted as half-man, half-arctic hawk. He periodically appears to mortals, but he has never fought alongside them. He never fully recovered all his mortal memories, due to the transition from mortal to god.

### The Sapphirian Empire

In the Sapphirian Empire, Alek'voyna took over being patron to Northaria, because of his Slavic past. He felt more comfortable in the cooler airs. He spoke the language and understood the culture better than the other areas of Sapphiria. The people of Northaria are more warlike as well, so his warrior nature felt at home within this region. He currently rules over this place by himself.

### The Sapphiria/Rubidia War

While not normally one to involve himself in mortal affairs, like his predecessor before him, Alek'voyna was forced into action when Rubidian forces attacked the stronghold in the north; Corinth, capital of Northaria. Under cover of night and under the thick, green smog of the Black Plaque, the forces of Rubidia attacked the city. Machines of war thundered across the frozen tundras, with one of Jasper's mighty black ships looming overhead. The assault began somewhere around midnight, leaving Northarian forces caught off-guard as the initial assault began. However, they were quick to spring back after Alek made his appearance. The God bestowed his boon upon the battlefield, temporarily dismissing the green smog while also allowing Sapphirian units to heal more quickly from their wounds. Coupled with a deadly energy rain that decimated the enemy forces, Sapphiria was able to turn the tide of the battle. Before the battle could be won, Alek'voyna was struck with a piercing arrow through the clavicle, courtesy of a Corpus Diaboli agent. He was forced to flee and hasn't been seen since, but it is assumed that he has managed to make a full recovery in the months that followed.

Alek surfaced again towards the climax of the war, proving he had not made a full recovery from his injury. Due to severe toxins found in the arrow, he was forced to amputate his arm. Alek'voyna accompanied Sapphirian, Gregory, the Northern Raiders and the Boyband towards the final confrontation with Jasper and the Red Army. Aboard the Northern Raiders' submarine, a freak hurricane struck and quickly diminished their odds of survival. Rather than stay around and help, Alek flew off ahead to meet the battlefield. The war god was heavily involved in the initial offensive against the Red Army, laying waste to scores of enemy troops with light-based attacks. Once Sapphirian arrived on the field, Alek fulfilled a support role and conferred boons towards his allies. Once again however, Alek was forced to fight against the same Corpus Diaboli agent who claimed his arm. The two were forced into a pitched battle, but Alek was ultimately bested by the fleet-footed sniper. With an arrow detonating his pent-up energy, Alek was incinerated and took out half of the battleship below him.

Following the war's end, nothing remained of Alek's body. His broken stave was buried in a memorial to the north of Corinth, to commemorate the god who had helped bring the Northern Empire so many victories before. A small ceremony was held sometime after, in honor of him. Though he died, many will not soon forget the sacrifice he made and how he had helped Sapphiria earn their freedom from the Red tyrant who opposed them.

## Description

Alek'voyna is typically viewed as a half-man, half-hawk gargantuan male. To the gods, he's viewed with a more azure-hue to his stature. To the mortals, he becomes more gilded. His wing span is fourteen feet wide. His feathers are silver with small highlights of a metallic blue. He carries a staff with an evil eye, which became one of his symbols of protection. During times of war, his attire is armored. During times of peace, his attire is just a belted, battle kilt.

## Personality

Alek'voyna is a mostly peaceful god, particularly outside of wartime scenarios. His main goal is to ensure that his people are armed and safe. Though he is a god of war, Alek would much prefer that war would not happen whatsoever, knowing that war would only put his subjects into danger. Should war break out, Alek adopts the guise of a calm and collected military general. He does not make rash decisions, because he wants to protect as many of those loyal to him as he can. His war tactics are brutal and effective, assuring the highest possible victory for his allies.

## Abilities

As a God of War and Protection, Alek'voyna's abilities mainly revolved around defense and offense. His powers are light-based, able to call down a rain of destructive light or fire off his energy in a single, hyper-condensed beam from his mouth. Alek can also apply either personal shields or large barriers of light, able to reflect even the most powerful projectiles back to sender. He was able to heal allies through rejuvenating light, invigorating them and rallying them for a second wind. As well, he is typically seen with his staff/stave, which may have been a catalyst for his powers.

## Relationships

### Sapphirian

Sapphirian and Alek share a healthy relationship with one another, much like she does with any other god of her pantheon. Due to Sapphirian's close connections with the Northarian Royal Family, these connections extend towards the patron deity of the North, Alek. Much like Sapphirian, Alek prefers peace to war, as he is as much a god of protection as he is a god of war. The two hold monthly councils together, apart from the annual Divine Council, where all of the gods of the Sherwood Isles meet.

### Schäfer

Schäfer and Alek'voyna share a rocky relationship, mostly due to the fact that Schäfer will only appear to Alek while the former has assumed the Forger Aspect. Schäfer's belligerent nature and anger has often gotten on Alek's bad side, of which the latter often maintained a cool demeanor, even in times of war. Nevertheless, Schäfer has successfully provided Alek and Northaria with many of their modern-age military equipment, and has helped Northaria bolster their military might in the past few decades. While Alek would prefer not to associate with Schäfer while he is like this, Schäfer's creative genius makes him a valuable ally. When Schäfer shifts back to his Inventor Aspect, he apologizes profusely, helping to maintain the friendship between the two gods.