Koszhey Urvald Malinovyi

Malinovyi Family

NOTE: The following information can be considered ICly known to your character if they meet any one of the following criteria:

• Lived in the Vast for a while
• Lived in Charn for a while
• Ranks in Knowledge/Nobility
• Ranks in Knowledge/Arcana
• Ranks in Knowledge/History

The Malinovyi family has its roots in Northern Charn, but the records of them begin once they settled in the eastern mountains of the Vast many centuries ago. During the reign of various lineages of warrior-princes, the family came to prominence by being the right-hand of the ruling family. Members of the Malinovyi line occupied advisorial positions and wove magics in service of the reigning lords. By being invaluable as servants, the family survived every change in rulership and ensured their prosperity. As such they served both benevolent leaders and harsh tyrants, establishing a rich family history that stretched back further than many of the noble bloodlines.

The roots of their arcane traditions lay in Charn, and as such bore no apprehension in using darker magics. Though the family did not dabble in matters that bordered on the religious, such as fiends and undead, they were quite adept at hexes and curses. They found their results were more potent when they were frightening as well as effective, and even though it was often labelled as witchcraft. In addition to fearsome magics they also wove protective charms around the prince’s family, and gathered information through divinations. It was not common for them to wield their spells on the battlefield, as they reserved such interventions for major battles.

The fortunes of the Malinovyi began to change when the then prince of the land, Rustei, turned to vampirism for immortality. Though unsettled by this turn of events, Prince Rustei’s reign continued almost without incident, and so did the family’s duties. However as Rustei began to delve further into studies of undeath, the Malinovyi held fast to the long tradition of stearing clear of such matters. This created tension between the prince and his advisors, until one night he sized several of the Malinovyi elders and had them turned into vampires against their will. This attempt to bring the family more firmly under his control led to them breaking all ties with the prince, and the Malinovyi were quick to recall every living family member back to their ancestral keep in the mountains. Seeing the Malinovyi as a threat, his newly-turned vampiric knights rode to war against the wizards who once served him, with bloody results. After months of skirmishes across the mountains, neither side was able to gain the upper-hand, and both suffered greatly. It was in this moment of weakness that Dran barbarians surged from the north, sweeping aside the demoralized defenders of the principality. Prince Rustei was slain, as was his bloodline, and the Malinovyi were without royalty to serve.

The Malinovyi still maintain their lone keep in the eastern mountains, but branches of the family have struck out to other lands to seek their fortunes.

Koszhey's Personality and Temperment

Outwardly Koszhey is a charming and well-mannered young man, and brash behaviour does not come naturally to him. The family may not be serving nobles, but the lessons of etiquette continue unabated. This is tempered by an almost creepy air that pervades him, something he can’t really help given his upbringing amidst practioners of sometimes darker magics. All it takes is for the conversation to turn towards the darker things in history and the world, and he’ll have the opportunity to unnerve you. However he is not unaware of how other people perceive such topics, it’s just the breadth of his knowledge that can be surprising.

Just like his forebears he avoids taking sides in religious matters, instead being respectful of all faiths until such time as it interferes with his affairs. Even the less palatable deities are given their due, though he acknowledges that their dogmas are not to his taste. He avoids the term of necromancy in reference to his own magical tradition, as he does not deal with the undead; he would rather refer to it as hexing, cursing, or any number of other terms that are more reminiscent of witchcraft.