Alexei Babic ♫♫♫

With a gallery of memories etched in ink staining nearly every inch of his body and his penchant for baggy clothes, most dismiss Alex as nothing more than a common thug, one in the thousands of criminals that inhabit the Big Apple’s less safe neighborhoods. However, the real Alex beneath his appearance usually comes as a bit of a surprise to those who get to know him.

Born the youngest son of the Babic patriarch, Alex has always been deeply involved in the world of the Russian mafia. From witnessing his father kill someone at the age of 10, to killing his first man at the age of 16, Alex was far from your typical kid growing up. While he had his friends, went to school, chased after girls, and wrecked numerous cars, Alex was also raised in their family’s business, taught about his father’s position within the family, and taught how to one day take his place. In time, most of the family took note of his natural talent for the craft and for the family business. However, Alex’s aspirations within the family business quickly came to a sudden halt as he approached his 18th birthday. While Alex’s promiscuity was never a secret, some of his partners, or more specifically their gender was. After rumors of him being gay spread, it wasn’t long before other family members confronted him about it.

In the end, a few of his father's associates kidnapped him and beat him nearly to death, trying to get him to admit he was gay. While they didn't succeed and his father had the two boys "taken care of", this was the final push that Alex needed to finally leave the family. While his family was a bit resistant to his decision, his father eventually allowed it. Since then, Alex has had a strained relationship with his family. Despite being kicked out, he's never blamed them for how things turned out. Liking guys isn't ok in their world and he is still a Babic. Still, as a result of his kidnapping, Alex now suffers from an undiagnosed case of PTSD as a result of his kidnapping. Because of this, Alex has frequent trouble sleeping and more often than not, drinking himself unconscious is the only way to get to sleep. This, of course, only furthering his alcohol problem.

Undoubtedly because of his upbringing, Alex knows his point of view on right and wrong are rather unique. Alex has devoted a good bit of time trying to reconcile his criminal behavior with what he knows the world thinks is right. Quite recently, he has finally come to the conclusion that what most people see as crime is usually just people trying to get by the only way they know how in a world that's turned its back on them. Life is hard, shit can get rough, and sometimes your "choices" boil down to death by starvation or death by gunshot.

Perhaps Alex's most obvious trait is his sarcastic, quick wit. Always sharp, on point, and good under pressure, Alex has a borderline genius IQ and makes a point to see fifteen moves ahead of everyone he's forced to deal with. Despite how calm, collected, and confident his outside tends to appear, Alex is not without his problems.

All of his vices, ambitions, and troubles aside, Alex is a fearless, smart, and compassionate, former mobster with a love of whisky and a plethora of dark secrets kept hidden behind a wall of sarcasm and alcohol. He has few people he trusts and few he genuinely considers friends.

As part of the Babic family, Alexei is the direct descent of the legendary figure Baba Yaga, the infamous witch of Slavic lore. Now seen as nothing more than an old wives’ tale once told to children to make them behave, Baba Yaga was once the most feared witch throughout Northern and Eastern Europe.Over her long life, Baba Yaga accrued one of the largest collections of magical knowledge in history. After her death, these secrets were bound in numerous grimoires by her children and have since been passed down through the ages by her descendants.

As time passed, the descendants of Baba Yaga have used their powers to improve their status within society. First emerging as a major player within the organized crime world in Russia's Soviet Union era, the family has sense opened up locations throughout the world, Brighton Beach in New York being one of the welathiest and most influential.

Members of the Babic family have always held a natural talent for the following types of magic:

⍟ Witchcraft; like all witches, Alex can perform rituals, speak incantations, and activate magical ruins and sigils. (Blood Magic is the Babic Specialty)

⍟ Telekinesis; like most witches, Alex can manipulate objects through thought and, though far more difficult, can even harm people.

⍟ Supernatural senses; like most witches, Alex can feel the presence of magic and given enough time and focus, can pinpoint its origin.

⍟ Energy manipulation; like most witches, Alex can manipulate the flow of energy, such as fire.