 |
Attention, Empire Citizens!
This article or this section of the article contains information regarding the Storm of Chaos campaign and its aftermath, which is now considered a non-canon, alternate timeline.
|
Yuri Kovalenko has seen more than his share of excitement and adventures. A steppe nomad of the Ungol who went on to serve as a horse archer in the armies of the Tsarina, Yuri has lived through interesting times. He fought against the great Storm of Chaos.[1a]
He was at Mazhorod when Boyarin Kurkosk defeated an army of Chaos. Now he has had enough of war and adventures, and simply wants to be left alone with his horses. He breeds some of the finest Kislevite warhorses in the land and is proud of his stock. The name "Kovalenko" holds a great deal of prestige in certain circles, but such fame means little to this proud horsemaster.[1a]
Yuri cannot entirely escape his past. On the battlefields of Mazhorod, just before victory was won, a dying Chaos Champion stumbled towards Yuri. The Ungol put his final arrow in the fiend's gut, and laid the warped half-man low. The champion grasped in his hand a sparkling red jewel that seemed to burn with its own inner fire. Yuri pocketed the treasure and told no one.[1a]
Since then he has grown darker in his moods and more and more isolated from his fellow men. There is a reason for this – Yuri has gained his first Chaos mutation thanks to exposure to the arcane influence of the jewel – a clawed hand. Yuri can feel himself changing and knows it is only a matter of time before he transforms fully into a beast and goes hunting for man-flesh. He hopes that by living far away and alone, he can keep his shame secret.[1a]
Trivia[]
The Total War: Warhammer III character Yuri Barkov, who like Yuri Kovalenko is an Ungol who was corrupted by Chaos, is probably inspired by the RPG character Yuri Kovalenko. Unlike Kovalenko, who was just an Ungol nomad who became aflicted by mutations, Barkov was a noble whose fall to dammation has lead him all the way to become a Daemon Prince.
The short story Son of Kislev, released as part of the advertisement for the game, states that Yuri Barkov is related to the Kovalenko family, which solidifies the inspiration from Yuri Kovalenko.