Karel Volnikov

[["Information",[{"data":"[[Merfolk]][[Category:Merfolk]]","label":"Species"}]],["Birth, Life & Death",[{"data":"[[Vodalia]], [[Dominaria (plane)|Dominaria]]","label":"Birthplace"},{"data":"[[The Dark Age]]","label":"Lifetime"}]]]

Karel Volnikov
Marshall Volnikov
Information
Species	Merfolk
Birth, Life & Death
Birthplace	Vodalia, Dominaria
Lifetime	The Dark Age

Marshall Karel Volnikov was the leader of the Vodalian merfolk army in the Voda Sea near Sarpadia (Dominaria). He was a noble warrior, who led the Vodalian army for many years and lent political savvy to empress Galina's court. Volnikov was also the only merfolk brave enough to disturb the thoughts of his cruel empress.

History

When the homarids invaded their territory, Marshall Karel Volnikov led the Vodalian army against them. The merfolk initially succeeded but were later overwhelmed by the homarids' capacity to breed and flourish in the cooling waters.

Volnikov was also the Vodalian emissary to the Icatian court and wrote at least one letter to the Prime Minister Margaret Ellsworth, thanking the Icatian for the shipment of armor and weapons they had sent to the Vodalians. Volnikov sent a small supply of medical aid back to Icatia, saying that it would probably be the last since the war between the merfolk and the homarids required every resource the Vodalian could spare. Since the merfolk did not have the foresight to store food, they had enough food only for the army, leaving the sick, the crippled, and the young with almost nothing: he hoped that Icatia could spare part of their food to help Vodalia.

Icatia's answer, however, was negative. Surrounded by empires locked in war, Icatia knew that it was only a matter of time before the war reached its border. Since the harvest had been poor for the cooling climate, the food reserve of Icatia was scarce and the King reasoned that it should be used for the benefit of Icatia first, thus negating the help for Vodalia.

Without medical supplies and no stored food source, Vodalia was abandoned: the survivors traveled through a magic portal to the distant colony of Etlan Shiis. However, the portal malfunctioned: the Vodalians reached indeed Etlan Shiis, but three thousand years later. Volnikov's scouts had found a great walled city, rivaling old Vodalia in size and surpassing it in grandeur. After the initial shock, Galina decided to reclaim the city for the empire and traveled to the Council of Etlan Shiis.

Here, after Volnikov's introduction, the councilors decided to not acknowledge the strangers' story, believing in any case that the old Vodalian caste system was a corrupt and inefficient government. At this, Volnikov started killing easily the council members; only one escaped, and Volnikov ordered one of his men to apprehend the fugitive. Only a few hours later, Empress Galina had gained control over the entire colony, and proceeded with the Founding of New Vodalia.

Story appearances

Title	Author	Publishing date	Set	Setting (plane)	Featuring
Fallen Empires	Denise Weir	Fall 1994	Fallen Empires	Dominaria	Ornder, Kolevi, Danhelm, Sarya Haasendel, Margaret Ellsworth, Henry Joseph, Karel Volnikov, Galina, Oliver Farrel, Thurzen Klathe, Ivra Jursdotter
Return of the Empress	Richard Thames Rowan	1998	Fallen Empires	Dominaria	Galina, Karel Volnikov, Akoroun

Trivia

• Judging from the flavor text on the card Vodalian Soldiers (Fifth Edition), it may be inferred that Marshall Karel Volnikov's skin was red.
• Although Marshall appears to be his rank rather than his name, it is consistently spelled "Marshall" instead of Marshal.

In-game references

Quoted or referred to:

• Elvish Scout (Fallen Empires, #68b)
• Vodalian Soldiers (Fallen Empires, #31c)