Albin Kosnik

ALBIN KOSNIK

personality

biography

Albin was born into a line of powerful magi. In his homeland of Poland the Kosniks had been the first major line of Magi since their race was culled.

It started with Iwo around six hundred years back. As a boy Iwo was a cut above the peasants, his father being the Duke of the area's most trusted assistants as well as a council member in a loose association of Magi. All was well until three years after Iwo's magical potential awakened and he showed signs of something is parents lacked: Ambition.

Upon being initiated into his father's ragtag group of magi Iwo worked tirelessly to rise in both power and influence. Some human peasants noticed some strange behaviors from the man, primarily that he'd go into the wilderness under the guise of "hunting" and seldom brought more than a shortsword. Obviously this was to train, but Iwo's father used his influence to keep the rumors from reaching his Duke's ear.

It was when Iwo was caught by a hunter practicing a (rather impressive) fire spell that the strage behaviors by the Kosniks could be ignored no longer. A mockery of a hearing was held and the entire Kosnik family was to be put to death. Of course, beheading three strong magi users is quite difficult if they resist. During the execution the Duke's sturdy balcony overlooking the fallows crumbled thanks to an invisible push, the fall and debris killing the man instantly. In the confusion that caused hardly anyone even noticed flames erupting from the executioner's chest. During the ensuing hunt Iwo's father and mother were found and killed. The town burned to the ground in a matter of hours after this event.

The council of magi likely should have finished the deed the humans attempted, but instead they made Iwo the head of everything. Almost immediately the council was formally named "Rada Iwo," or "Iwo's council"

Three hundred passed and Iwo had single child, Feliks, before passing peacefully. He had expanded the group's influence to modern day Germany before he passed, so the natural choice for leader was his son, then just under one hundred years old.

Rada Iwo flourished under Feliks. Many of the magi on eastern Europe found shelter in the coven, and they stayed just far enough out of the spotlight that hardly anyone knew of the coven other than those who were supposed to.

But in recent years -around the time Albin was born- they began drawing attention -and ire- from the other supernaturals.

Albin had a sheltered existence for a long time. He was escorted wherever he need to go, as he was the heir to the Rada Iwo "throne." At the age of seven his escort was slain and he was taken by a small werewolf pack. Whether he was to be used as a bargaining chip or his age granted him mercy from the pack leader, Elegia, Albin was not immediately killed.

Instead, Elegia kept him fed and gave him company until the full moon twelve days later, when she would have the wolf within her end his life. Ten days passed and Albin awoke to the sound of screaming. It seemed Feliks had mustered a decent sized group of magi to take his son back. Elegia and the others that survived the initial attack withdrew into the shack intent on at least ending the Kosnik line before their deaths.

As the door broke down the remaining wolves were keeping Feliks and a few other Rada Iwo attackers away while Elegia mustered the strength to kill the helpless Albin. When she was ready, she uttered an apology before driving a knife into Albin's chest.

A week later Albin's eyes opened. Fortunately there was a healer on site at the time of the stabbing or that would have been the end for the boy. From what he heard in the days following there were heavy casualties on the coven's side: nearly two for every dead wolf. But even though they lost the numbers game the pack was annihilated, At least that was what Albin heard countless times growing up. To this day Albin despises werewolves (or "wilkolak" as he often calls them in his native tongue) but feels nothing but pity for the one who stabbed him. What happened obviously was not her fault, she couldn't have planned his capture and lacked the heart to end him, right?

Anyway, years came and passed and Albin took on his position as next-in-line with grace, though he certainly had his doubts about his ability when the time would come.

The progress that the Rada Iwo had began to slow as the coven became too large scale to hide from other supernaturals. All eyes were on Albin to reinvigorate the coven with his fresh blood and (they assumed) new ideas. The best magi in that section of the world were gathered to teach Albin the magical prowess and politics he would need for leadership. While he learned the magic just fine political tact did not suit him.

Twenty years ago the world became much more uneasy for Albin. His father Feliks had been found murdered and one of his teachers, Leopold Banazewski became the 'acting leader' of the coven. Leo was a longtime friend of Feliks, but without a Kosnik in charge the Rada Iwo lost power every passing day.

The decent was long. With increasing frequency Albin would hear a new person was missing, dead, or fled the sinking ship. Eventually the once great Rada Iwo's operations had fallen back to its homeland of Poland. Being revealed to the world just further pushed the coven closer to the breaking point.

Late one night not a year back Leopold woke Albin up with news that the Rada Iwo was going to fall in a matter of weeks. There were some members who foresaw the end and while Leo formally dismissed it as a rumor, he bought Albin a plane ticket to America and tried to arrange a meeting with anyone in the Council overseas for Albin to take shelter with them. This seemed to have gone unheard for quite a while.

Two months ago Albin received a letter from Leopold that the Rada Iwo was formally disbanded in an attempt to save the remaining members. Their records were burned in an attempt to help hide the remaining Magi.

At the bottom of the letter Leo told Albin that he was going down with the ship. There were assailants coming and nothing Leopold could do would save him. Attached was a silver ring from Feliks.

MacieJ ZAKOSCIELNY