Biran

Biran Itzmar is a character in Scoobi's Only War game, Stuck in the Middle with You. He's a veteran Operator with a sharp tongue and who does not suffer fools.

Background
Biran Itzmar is a long-time veteran of the Guard. In his time, he's seen commanders come and go, enemies rise and fall, but he's been the one driving over their fallen bodies. Despite the cranky and bitter exterior, he takes his job as an Operator deadly serious. He may be sturm and bluster, but the fact remains that he will get the troops where they need, on time and intact, regardless of wherever it may be.

Born on Cossar in the outlying continent of Tekrite, Biran was almost forced to learn how to drive and navigate at a young age. The primary source of income was lumber for Tekrite and they did a fine job of it. The grand sweeping forests grew oddly fast, almost a woody weed rather than true trees, but the Cossar had long since found a decent equilibrium, never taking more than would grow back over the next few seasons. Biran learned the trade from his father, who he accompanied on a few cross-continent trips delivering some of the fine lumber they harvested. Over time, he grew into a comfortable ease with the large machinery, getting to know their quirks and tendencies. When he was old enough to join the labor force, he did so with zeal. His natural affinity for the vehicles and his years of training under a wise father got him some decent assignments, always enough to visit home in Cossari during the off seasons.

When Biran's time came to join the Janissaries and train as part of the planetary tithe to the Guard, it was certain that he would be an operator. His long history with operating surface vehicles and general knowledge of other transportation were well known among his hometown and supply routes, so the Departmento Munitorium gave him the training, tools and implant to do it even better. Training was standard for the Guard. Basic, followed by specialist tutoring for those who showed an aptitude. Biran was taught how to handle the more ubiquitous tanks in the Guard armory, from the humble Chimaera transport to the mighty Leman Russ battle tank. Scoring consistently well, Biran was riding high on the success his skills had given him, even able to show off and perform some vehicular acrobatics that would surely be frowned upon if anyone had caught him and his squadmates doing them. After graduation, he took his place in the motor pool of the 345th Cossar Janissaries.

Deployment was more brutal than anything they'd been trained for. The initial landings on Caliborn III were nearly bungled by overeager pilots, hotshot flyboys who also wanted to show off. Three landers were caught up by their own jackassery and torn apart by AA emplacements along the walls of the capital city. The heretics there were carving a bloody path through the Emperor's Guard and they could see the light machine guns stitch their path across the fields. Biran and his squad would have been pinned down if not for the second lander spilling its contents across the no man's land. The fuel in the Hellhound covered the emplacements atop the walls. All it took was a burst of multilaser fire to ignite the enemy position, engulfing the gunners in flames as well as, possibly, any Guardsmen that might have survived the fall from the aircraft. Biran chooses not to think about that, even to this day. It's those kinds of memories, from so many engagements over the years, that have shaped the happy young man into the curmedgeon he is today.

Since then, Biran has gotten more and more disillusioned at the childhood notions of the glory of war. War is far from the clean and honorable combat they tell you about in Basic. It's a nasty business, full of pain, fear and hate, with a small chance of ever seeing home or even a good fresh meal ever again. These new hotshots coming in, they'll learn. If they listen to Biran, they might even have a chance at living long enough to pass the lessons on.

Kills
- None listed as individual, merely as part of the squad.

Awards

 * Cog of Het, for successful machine spirit supplication even in the midst of battle (+10 to Tech-Use in battle)


 * Cossar Operator's Commendation, for superlative driving in the face of enemy resistance (+10 Operate tests in battle)


 * Cossar Meritorious Unit Ribbon (+10 to Fellowship tests with friendly Cossar units)
 * Mechanicus Cross Titanicus (+20 to Willpower tests when facing enemy super-heavies)