Count Boris
Count Boris is a background NPC in Arknights. He is mentioned in various stories such as Episode 07, A Walk in the Dust, and Arknights: Prelude to Dawn, and was known for his plans of using the Sarcophagus' power to push forward Chernobog's future, leading to his own demise.
Background
Count Boris, one of the "New Aristocrats" that rose in prominence, was the CEO of the Boris Group, an Ursine mining conglomerate that relied on the military-controlled mining operations, and a recognizable figure in the Chernobog upper-class despite being claimed to have "bought" his family's noble status. Although Chernobog was at that point a run-down city heavily dependent on the mining industry, things would change drastically after a mysterious set of equipment, a Sarcophagus left by the enigmatic First Civilization, was discovered by a small mining company owned by Boris' conglomerate in the mountains of Southern Ursus two decades ago, arround the Terran year 1070.[1] Upon hearing the news, Boris saw this as an opportunity to turn Chernobog into a modern industrial metropolis, in an attempt to gain influence on the national mining industry and arms trade, wining his dispute with the military. Intrigued by the nature of the Sarcophagus, Boris formed a team of scientists, all of under the direction of Dr. Kal'tsit, to undergo research on its possible functions while providing maintenance. However, they soon enough made a breakthrough: Not only the tiniest energy fractions provided by its source could power up the entire Nomadic City, but also were in reality a side effect of its original life-support functions. Meanwhile, Count Boris' plans of modernizing Chernobog were going smooth like butter, acquiring various smaller cities to his conglomerate. Some of them joined out of due respect, while others for how generous he was with the money.[2]
However, as revolutionizing as it was, the scientists feared that this new power source could also be weaponized and used for military conquest, driving Ursus into chaos again. Following the Great Rebellion, Chernobog became an easy target for the military. After Grand Duke Vanya and the Ursus Fourth Army got themselves involved and forcefully entered the city, the researchers learned that things already escalated quickly. In order to protect himself and his family, one of the scientists, Dr. Sergei, decided to turn his back to Kal'tist and the rest of the team by collaborating with the military. Boris on the other hand accepted to help him, and had little to no problem on letting the secret police to "silence" the team. As a result, an absolute massacre occurred, leaving only a few survivors including Kal'tsit and one of her students, Lillia. The situation, of course, was whitewashed by the authorities as a simple, unfortunate "accident", and didn't affect Chernobog's development.[2][3] On the other hand, Boris' influence also made him an enemy of Grand Duke Vaikal, one of the Third Army's advisors and collaborators of Duke Kashchey, and the Farscope Refinery's biggest benefactor. Due to the disputes on the price of raw materials destined for manufacturing, Vaikal commanded several clandestine attacks to Chernobog, yet none of that could bring Boris down. Eventually, he arranged terms with the military, so they couldn't garrison within the city. They instead stationed on the outskirts to defend it, doing only what the Emperor told them. In order to defend the city from any external interference, Boris appointed himself as mayor of Chernobog. The Chernobog City Council was established by Boris per request of the Ursus State Council, but its control over the city was albeit nominal. For Boris, the City Council was essentially a tool to share his political power and consolidate relationships with possible business partners and collaborators.[4]
Boris kept advancing his city development plans, and in 1080, he expanded Chernobog's industrial region while Sergei founded a brand-new research institute.[3] But due to Sergei being unable to come up with something actually meaningful out of his researches on the Sarcophagus, they decided to seal up the room it was located, as all the attention surrounding it was fading away. Nevertheless, Boris promoted Sergei as secretary of the Chernobog City Council. Boris' influence also made him an enemy of Grand Duke Vaikal, one of the Third Army's advisors and collaborators of Duke Kashchey, and the Farscope Refinery's biggest benefactor. Due to the disputes on the price of raw materials destined for manufacturing, Vaikal commanded several clandestine attacks to Chernobog, yet none of that could bring Boris down. Eventually, he arranged terms with the military, so they couldn't garrison within the city. They instead stationed on the outskirts to defend it, doing only what the Emperor told them.[2] Thanks to its rapid development and high productivity, Chernobog became one of the most important cities within Ursus, and Boris had the Sarcophagus' power and the City Council at his side. However, he didn't realize that his actions would have severe consequences, even challenging Emperor Fyodor's authority. As a matter of fact, nothing last forever. On December 23, 1096, during the Reunion Movement's violent uprising, Boris attempted to flee from the city, only to be killed by the subsequent Catastrophe.[5]
References
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