Nachtoberst Reiter
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
"What is insanity, anyway? Is it when you scream and everyone else whispers, or is it when you fight for what's right, even when everyone else thinks you're wrong?"
Kraut, Hitlerite, Fascist, Nazi. These and a plethora of others have all been used to describe and label this living piece of history for as long as he has lived.
German; by birth of course. This common nickname used by english speaking soldiers during the periods between 1935-1945 isn't going to draw much of a response out of the man. He has been and always will be proud of his nationality, despite being exiled from ever returning. Hitlerite; Following the war many of those employed by the government in Germany were assumed to be this by the rest of the world's civillians, and in some part this holds true today. Few realize the difference between the blind, irrational hate mongers, and the simple nationalists dutifully reporting as their nation called. Use at your own risk. Fascist; Another gray label, one that is either ignored or scoffed at humorously by the man, but the facts are adding up-3rd Reich, 5th Column, Arachnos.. Nazi; The easiest way to make sure Mr. Erik never looks at you in a friendly manor ever again. The news of what was befalling fellow Germans in the horrid hellspots dotting the innards of the Empire was sickening, always considering himself an honorable officer of class, this is by far the most insulting and moving label history has branded him with. He has not been unknown to enact small and sometimes grandoise levels of 'vengeance' for soiling his image with this word.
Erik was Born October 5th, 1918 in Rosenheim, Bavaria to Ludwig & Ingrid Konstadt. His mother was a house wife, and did her best to provide the care she could given the circumstances, his father managed to hold his commission to the German Defense Force following their defeat in World War I, and remained stationed in Bavaria until his transfer and inevitable death during Operation Barbarossa. In 1939 he was conscripted into the Heer, and by 1940 graduated officer training, being assigned to the 98th Infantry Division.
- 1941-1943 Exceptional service sees selection for transfer to 5th Column.Indoctrinated into Raserei Division and transfered back to his unit in Italy.Shortly after Allied landings in Italy began, withdrawn from front-line service and inducted as escort reserves for Operation ODESSA.
- Post 1950: Volunteers for Vampyr serum experiments attempting to create a new line of Raserei Super Soldier, the experiment fails at the cost of his reputation. Is immediately transfered to Nacht Korps.Constant experimentation with super serums sees ageing reverse slightly, rises prominently through Nacht ranks for above and beyond exceptional service.
- 1970's: Reappears at the command of a Battalion sized unit spread in and around Talos Island, adorns the last name Reiter and the self title Konig. The rather illusive 5th Column villain known as Koenig Reiter is born.
- 2000-2008: Harassment of authorities and registered heroes continues for two decades following resurfacing. Unit activity declines during 90's until Council coup. 37th Nacht Korps aggressively resists until 2008 when an unconditional surrender offer is accepted. The unit is absorbed into Council hierarchy and split across their global operations. Reiter avoids authority from Heroes and Council and(gasp..) disappears again.
- 2010-2011: Resurfaces in Etoile Isles masquerading as the head of a crack Security Firm; The Saboteur Initative. Free lance work ensues for a year before being contracted by Arachnos, attached to the St. Martial Garrison as a shock element following The Shades of Tiamat terrorist attack of 2011. After completion of Operation TARTARUS The Saboteur Initiative, as an extension of Arachnos, has its operations halted in light of 'conserving resources'.
- 2012: Freeze order on operations lifted, TARTARUS has it's reactor reinstalled.
In a surprising turn of events, Reiter is tracked and caught off guard at a Council facility masked in the Rikti War Zone. Video evidence recovered sees a trio of black spandex garbed individuals confront him before the visual deteriorates into static.
The dissolution of the Initiative at the onset of what was perceived to be the end of the world, struck a hard blow to Erik. Direct confrontation with the combined navies of NATO and the CIS drove him to find safe harbor around French Polynesia, but such a basket of technology was bound to draw attention. And draw attention it did, in the form of the Chinese Pacific Taskforce, who kept him on the run for nearly a year before his oldest enemies beached Tartarus. He never liked Russians, and their deployment of super-cavitating underwater projectiles proved to be the arrow through his achilles heel.
Ironic then, that he was saved; whisked away by the assets of someone he'd been tasked escort to during his ODESSA days. With roles reversed he had been smuggled to an off-grid Portal Corp facility, and given a one way ticket to Delta Zeta 24-10. The world wouldn't hear from Reiter again for another year.
To the surprise of the secret sect expecting his arrival backed by the endless resources of an Axis dominated world, to restore the 5th Column's rightful place on this earth, and the complete and total destruction of the Council traitors who usurped them, he made his debut during a tumultuous event unfolding in South-Eastern Thailand. Several Corporate firms who had been illegally crossing into Vietnam and Cambodia were put to torch by thugs-for-hire, stopped only by the arrival of a brute-force, opposing Security entity that spared no worry for political fallout in chasing, and eventually exterminating them in jungle-covered graves.
“Men have called me mad; but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence– whether much that is glorious– whether all that is profound– does not spring from disease of thought– from moods of mind exalted at the expense of the general intellect.”
At his core, there isn't much of a personality left that hasn't decayed or been distorted over the countless years he has been on the run. Once upon a time he could've been pegged as an honorable soldier bound by his personal sense of nobility to the cause of his country. But those days have long since died, and all that remains are the hollow but tried and true emotions that have defined and sculpted humanity for centuries. Some have mistaken his vibrant and healthy intellect as a cornerstone of his 'personality', but have been mislead, the amount of wit and intelligence needed to evade all these years worth of troubles, tribulations, attempts at his life and back door politics. At one time he was reserved regarding this side of his nature, though nowadays finds little to no threat in exposing the large base of his pyramid of self preservation, figuring that if any had attempted to dissect or interpret the limits of his intelligence, he could likely evade as usual.
((If you find your character to be on good enough terms with Erik to be considered an ally, please leave the name here and I'll add in an appropriate description. Enemies section not planned right now, may still be a possible addition in the future.))
Roll of the Dice-Swayed to the cause of Judex for a short period of time, This not-so-heroic hero..thing, has become an associate to the brawler for one reason or the other. He doesn't know how she works, and he couldn't care either way, so long as she keeps her gogurt to herself.
Dr. Gunterburg-Reiter's right-hand man and partner in science crime during his reign in the 5th Column. The mountains worth of work and progress made in the Serums used by Erik today belong equally to this man whose whereabouts are currently unknown. And rightfully so, someone had to do the work whilst Reiter himself was playing guinea pig to countless scores of syringes.
Wolf of Berlin-It isn't recorded exactly when Erik and this man from the shadows found themselves on the same side. What is recorded, is there is no other individual to which he holds as high of a degree of respect as him. There are not many incidents where they've been spotted in the fray together, but for the ones documented the amount of carnage and destruction dispensed borders wanton malice.
Kroaker-The second figure-head of the Saboteur Initiative. This man and his spooky accomplice were the first level-headed, competent operatives he had the pleasure of serving with in decades. Strangely enough, Erik does not seem bothered in the slightest at this mans mysterious disappearance.
Fatal Frame-Gwendolyn is by far, the closest thing to a friend Erik has managed in half a century. Despite numerous attempts at his life made by the petite but horrifying and equally dangerous child, Reiter went so far as to put his own life willfully at risk for her. Even with her infatuation with games, he knows that for as long as she intends to haunt and make his life somewhat akin to miserable, she'll be a weapon of mass destruction if wielded correctly.
Project:TARTARUS-The 'golden' chariot to which he rides into..well, mostly empty international seas. This vessel and it's VI have provided Erik with meager companionship since it's completed construction in late 2011. Although capable of achieving and maintaining orbit, Erik felt more inclined to keep her grounded, as his first and last attempt at maintaining orbit saw a UN declaration of his unauthorized sattelite launch to be in violation of information-technology security, and granted authorization to Security Council members to eradicate the 'orbiting debris' by any means necessary if it was not removed within 24 hours..