Runner Tracking Number: 7764
Real Name: Vasili Sokolov
Alias: Boyar
Age: 27
Blood Type: O-
Appearance:
History: "I come from shithole. Only options for me were slaving in factory or shooting mutant bears. Such was life in Russia."
Vasili Sokolov was born in post-war Russia, one of the countries hit hardest by the last world war. Life was hard in the Russian countryside, as irradiation caused from fallout tended to create mutated wildlife, causing Vasili to learn how to handle a gun early in order to help his family defend their homestead. With several siblings in his family already, Vasili struck out on his own when he came of age, not wanting to burden his family with another mouth to feed.
He found himself joining the Russian army, considering that his most notable asset was his ability to handle a rifle. Further training made him find that he excelled at sharpshooting, and after basic, Vasili was fast-tracked into marksmanship school, becoming a designated marksman for his future squad.
A large portion of post-war Russia was an irradiated shithole filled with mutants, criminals on the run, and insurgents looking to topple the government, and Vasili was often deployed to such zones. He spent several tours of duty risking his life for coin and country, only to be paid a pittance for his efforts. His bitterness over his circumstances eventually got to the point where he and a few like-minded soldiers in his platoon concocted a scheme: they'd desert, make their way to Nikaigan where one soldier had an uncle that could set them up, and they'd be Runners for hire. It'd be a job where they did the same shit they were doing now, just with less risk and far more pay. Perfect, right?
The plan went to shit from the start. Two of the conspirators were in a different squad from the rest, and managed to get found out, court-martialed, and subsequently executed for conspiring to desert. Good thing that the military brass was too interested in making an example out of the men to determine if there were any co-conspirators. After that display, the remaining three got the fuck out of dodge, pooling their savings together to take the first flight out of the country that would stay quiet about its passenger list.
Things went even more pear-shaped after they'd arrived at Nikaigan, however. With Vasili the only one capable of speaking even passable English, the squad finally found the uncle's residence and entered the apartment, only to find him recently shot and left for dead by a team of Runners. Down on their luck and with no other options, the former soldiers took what guns and ammo they could scrounge from the apartment and set out on their own as Runners. Their first employer backstabbed them completely, calling in local SWAT to shoot the team up once they'd completed the job. Vasili, now Boyar, was the only one of the three to make it out of that fiasco alive. Now at rock bottom and on his lonesome, Boyar was left with no option in sight when he was contacted by the mysterious fixer known as Sovereign. Life finally saw fit to do him a favor.
Psych Profile: "What are you talking about? Boyar is completely decent guy, yes? Very fun!"
Cheerful and affable, Boyar generally tries to get along with people. As a career soldier, he understands that the hand you're dealt with in terms of squad members is what you're stuck with for a while, and tends not to rock the boat when interacting with others, preferring to go with the flow.
He takes pride in his skills, believing that his ability to shoot straight is one of his only defining features. But as such, Boyar takes offense at being underestimated or undervalued, which is why he'd deserted from the army in the first place. But as such, he enjoys Running immensely, loving the challenge and the ability to apply his skillset effectively. The fat paychecks don't hurt either.
Mode of Operation: "Give me target, I shoot target. Not matter how far away. Very simple, yes?"
Boyar is capable of operating as either a sniper or a designated marksman, depending on what the job requires. Considering his military background, he conducts runs in a professional manner, seeing collateral damage and civilian casualties as wasteful.
When given an assignment, he conducts it carefully and with as much information as he can gather, preferring to conduct thorough reconnaissance on his target before attempting to solve the problem at long range. He is incredibly patient, willing to wait as long as it takes for an optimal opportunity to pop up.
Equipment: "Eh? Why the fuck would I name gun? Is object, not dog. What jackass names gun 'Sasha'?"
Hammer Arms VSS: A sniper rifle based on the old VSS Vintorez model. Created for special operations, it features an integrated suppressor and was designed to be easily concealable, capable of quickly being stripped down and transported in a briefcase. Chambered for 9x39mm ammunition fed from a 20-round magazine. Has access to both subsonic rounds for stealth operations and armor-piercing rounds for when shit gets heavy. A selective-fire switch allows toggling between semi-automatic and automatic firing modes. Modified with a smartlink for improved accuracy.
UEG Peacemaker-4: Seven-cylinder revolver chambered for .357 Magnum rounds. Loud and unsubtle, but reliable. When shit hits the fan, pop pop, watch bitches drop. Modified with a smartlink for improved accuracy.
E-tool: A small folding shovel, designed to be a capable last-resort melee weapon. Also useful for digging things.
Grenades: Boyar carries a stock of frag and smoke grenades.
Gas mask: Useful for both concealing one's face on a run and for keeping gas out. Boyar is used enough to wearing one that it doesn't impact his marksmanship.
Augmentations: "Army not stick much metal in soldiers. Too much rubles for grunt with gun."
As a soldier in the Russian army, Boyar was fitted with a cheap baseline augmentation package of muscle and reflex enhancers, as well as a datajack for a smartlink. However, now that he works as an active runner in Nikaigan, Boyar has invested a decent chunk of his earnings into acquiring more 'ware for himself.
In recent months, Boyar has had a pair of cybereyes installed. The eyes are of the discreet variety, designed to resemble natural eyes as much as possible. Boyar sprang for the full package with these eyes to enhance his sniping, featuring image link, vision enhancement, magnification, low-light and thermal vision, and flash suppression.
Day Life: "Welcome, what can Ivan pour for you today? Chto? What is 'cosmo'?"
Boyar, or Ivan Sevchenko as he goes by in public, works as a bartender for a relatively popular strip club, pouring drinks and shots and mixing cocktails with one eye while watching the ladies do their work with the other.
In his spare time, Boyar can be found either working out, watching movies, or cooking. He invests much of his free time into learning how to cook well, trying out new recipes he finds online.
Runner Status: Active