Alexei de'Ossmann

"I love disposing of Xenos and their affiliates as much as I love chocolate, and as you should know, I really love chocolate."

- Lord Inquisitor Alexei to a member of his Retinue Inquisitor Lord Alexei de'Ossmann, formerly de'Ossmann-Sollander, is a member of the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition. An Inquisitor recognized for his flamboyance and character, Alexei is proud of his career and outright revels in the opportunity to oppose and kill aliens, and his Radical alignment allows him a wide degree of knowledge in the field of xenoarchaeology and other affiliated subjects. Alexei is a somewhat light-hearted figure and surprisingly social for an Inquisitor, although he is an Inquisitor nonetheless and is a trained, merciless professional in the art of terminating Xenos and eliminating their influence from the Imperium and its peoples.

Alexei holds a hidden philosophy revolving around integrating Xenos technology into the arsenal of the Imperium and using such technology to assault Xenos and the Ruinous Powers and their servants, although he is, needless to say, incredibly secretive of this philosophy and very rarely undergoes discussion regarding it. Alexei has served alongside Space Marines of the Deathwatch and members of his Retinue usually possess some experience with Xenos one way or another prior to their joining, and many have since noted Alexei's eccentric nature. Alexei holds a preference for close-ranged combat, stating that he enjoys fighting up close and personally, and can dominate the field of battle with his martial prowess.

Early Life
Alexei de'Ossmann was born into the House of de'Ossmann, a powerful and influential noble family, upon the Hive World of Tarkaire, located within the Segmentum Tempestus. Alexei's father, Baldassare de'Ossmann, was the brother of Tarkaire's Planetary Governor while his mother, Amalyn, was one of the daughters of the patriarchal head of the House of Sollander, a noble family that had once opposed the House of de'Ossmann. The marriage between Baldassare and Amalyn signified alliance between the two rival houses, with Alexei's birth solidifying their relationship as the product of the two noble houses inter-mingling. Alexei was the oldest of his siblings, of which he had two brothers, Devante and Carisio, and a sister, Martine.

Alexei would enjoy a noble childhood due to his upper-class heritage, with reliable education taught to him within the security of his own, well-defended home and being regularly treated with the finest meals and entertainment that the two noble houses had to offer. However, tensions arose between the Houses of de'Ossmann and Sollander regarding the emergence of a third influential noble house - the House of Brosseau - and the heads of each house had differing ideals regarding whether or not to oppose or ally with the new power. Eventually, when Alexei was 9 years of age, Sollander would renounce its alliance with de'Ossmann and Alexei's parents were assassinated in their residence. Sometime after, de'Ossmann had agreed to form an alliance with Brosseau, much to the chagrin of Sollander, and Alexei, like his parents before him, would be placed into an arranged marriage to signify their allegiance to one another, against Alexei's own wishes.

Approaching the age at which he would be married, 16, Alexei constantly disputed with his uncle and older members of the House of de'Ossmann regarding the arranged marriage, opposing it outright much to his house's dismay. Eventually Alexei abandoned his residence, donning the clothes of an urchin, and had escaped from the restrictions and pre-determined decisions of the de'Ossmann household, desiring a life of independence and being given the choice to do as he pleases. Not long after having ran away from home, he encountered the Inquisitor Castro Cerrada who had been visiting the world under regular assessment and requested that he take him away from Tarkaire, with his request initially refused due to Castro's unwillingness to effectively kidnap a child who was not even an orphan, although after some persuasion and admiring the young Alexei's sense of self-dependence Castro eventually gave in and took on Alexei as his Acolyte.

Personality
Alexei de'Ossmann is an openly eccentric and flamboyant individual, known to flirt and tease with his colleagues, his allies, and to an extent, his enemies. Alexei embraces these effeminate actions with pride and enjoys conversing with others, although he is sure to not distract himself from his duty and responsibility as an Inquisitor and an agent of the Imperium and the Emperor - he is a dedicated operative, his loyalty firm despite his hidden interests in the technology and weaponry of Xenos. As an Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos and as a secret follower of the Recongregationist philosophy, Alexei has a deep insight into the biology and anatomy of alien bodies, societies, and technologies and enjoys observing such subjects in process almost as much as he enjoys destroying and subjugating them. Alexei, while his philosophical allegiance is subtle, ironically prefers a more direct approach to combat, believing that the most loyal and truest of men fight their opponents face-to-face.

Alexei is merciless and very rarely hesitates to dispose of those who challenge or attempt to upset him, although he doesn't madden easily and retains a calm demeanour for the most part, finding much enjoyment in his career and position as an Inquisitor. Alexei places firm trust in his Retinue, most particularly in Yerik Midden, and in turn nearly all of them place their trust in him. Centuries as an Inquisitor has hardened his nerves and thus he defiantly opposes the Xenos threat without fear, and can identify, assess, and conclude a solution for problems on a large scale without being interrupted by his own personal feelings, as it is his Inquisitorial duty to do so to protect Mankind and spare it from the taint and influence of its enemies. Alexei is known to become melancholy when such solutions involve Exterminatus, and will even fall mute during the process, although he nonetheless fulfills his duty with the consequences on his shoulders without hesitation or reluctance.

Alexei despises criticism to his method and will hold grudges against those who do so, often retorting in an insulting, harsh manner in order to protect his pride and often ignores the subject of criticism itself, an attitude that contrasts with his Recongregationist stance. Alexei enjoys high-class tastes in both dining and entertainment, with his favoured food happening to be rich, alcoholic chocolate which he often carries alongside his arsenal if the situation arises where he feels peckish. Alexei often disregards the concept of personal space when conversing with others, preferring to locate himself within their closest and most immediate vicinity, which he recognizes makes certain people uncomfortable and treats with an element of humour.

Abilities and Traits
Alexei is absent of the Psyker abilities that are often found in Inquisitors although he compensates with an impressive amount of martial ability and is thought to be proficient at various fighting styles that were once used during the ancient days of the Old Earth, albeit with modified and expanded teachings in order to appropriately prepare him for the threat of Xenos - he has replaced the muscle in his arms and legs with bionics in order to strike down his foes with more power far more efficiently, as an unmodified human would often have no chance of even scratching the hide of a Greenskin without such upgrades. Alexei is often consulted by young Inquisitors and Progena regarding his knowledge and understanding of Xenos biological, technological, and cultural aspects, which has evoked the curiosity and distrust of some of his colleagues although they cannot deny his efforts and contribution to the Ordo Xenos; he can fight hand-to-hand with creatures stronger than the baseline human effortlessly and his understanding of biology and tactic allows him to strike at vulnerabilities native to his opponent, although he is often seen with a weapon and it is an uncommon sight to see him fight unarmed.

Alexei also has modifications, specifically internal adamantium plates, implanted across his body; his forehead, collar bone, pecs, and stomach have adamantium layering and plating beneath the flesh which allows Alexei to resist plentiful amounts of damage, with almost all of his teeth being tipped with adamantium, giving his teeth a somewhat blackened or darkened appearance.

Yerik Midden
Yerik Midden is a Voidborn Armsman who hails from the Chartist vessel of The Prizstocker who was assigned to Alexei's Retinue after displaying his combat prowess against Ork Freebooterz during a visit to the vessel from the Inquisitor. Yerik is considered a close friend to Alexei and serves as Alexei's personal second-in-command, allowing him to direct the other members of the Retinue in the Inquisitor Lord's absence. Yerik makes use of a Hellgun granted to him by Alexei after joining his retinue as well as a personalized sawn-off shotgun that he had used during his years defending The Prizstocker, and maintains a number of grenades on his person. Yerik is outfitted and equipped for fighting in his preferred terrain; dark, confined spaces, where he feels most comfortable.

Yerik enjoys travelling within Alexei's Retinue as he had aspired to walk upon the soil of worlds across the galaxy since he was a child - a dream shared by his ancestral heritage that resided within The Prizstocker. Yerik is the one individual who Alexei trusts the most outside of his Inquisitor colleagues and for good reason; Yerik has dedicated himself to the Inquisitor out of a deep-rooted sense of duty and contribution, having failed nearly all career options prior to becoming an Armsman and thus seeks to excel at the one thing he is good at. Confident and eager, Yerik is an example for the other members of Alexei's Retinue and even Alexei himself, who greatly values Yerik's company.

Katarina Wessel
Katarina Wessel is a Primaris Psyker who was assigned to Alexei after being found serving within the 201st Cromwell Guard Regiment.