Age: 37 

Physical description: 

There are many Keys in the Palace whose sheer beauty can make men weep.  This is not one of those Keys. 

Grigori is not exactly good-looking, by any stretch of the imagination.  He is, on first appearances, rather coarse.  He is quite tall and solidly built.  His face is square and his nose looks like it has been broken more than once.  A hare-lip that was poorly fixed as a child has left him with a lopsided smile.  His hair is shoulder-length and dark, and usually pulled back into a short, scruffy ponytail, because it requires the least effort to maintain.  The one feature that does stand out is his eyes. They are grey and kind, and crinkle at the corners when he smiles. 

Based on his physical appearance, Grigori is one of the Keys at the 'cheap' end of the scale. 

He has large, strong hands, nicked with scars here and there from accidents with tools and the like (see hobbies). Physically, he is in quite good shape for his age.  He believes it is important to look after the body as well as the mind, and so devotes a portion of each day to exercise. 

Grigori tends to wear dark, comfortable clothing; black or brown corduroy slacks, collarless cotton shirts, lace-up boots.  If he is dressing up for something or someone special, he may wear a bottle-green velvet shirt, which is his favourite.  He considers it too fine for everyday wear, though. 

Experience: 

Grigori has lots of it.  He's been a Key for fifteen years.  He makes a good dom, because of his height and size - many Masters love to feel his strength as he takes them.  However, he also makes a surprisingly good submissive, because of his gentle nature.  He actually has no preference, he's content to go with whatever his Master requires of him. 

He does not like rough play or S&M, and will flatly refuse to participate in it.  Since the Palace Trainers recognise his usefulness lies in other areas, they are happy to go along with this.  Because he is such a reliable and non-violent Key, he is often given to new customers, or people who want a simple, amiable fuck with no angst attached. 

Personality: 

Grigori, while easygoing and quite friendly, does not like to get emotionally involved with his Masters.  He will not open up about matters he believes are personal, and will politely direct the conversation elsewhere, if a Master asks probing questions about him. 

He is, by nature, an optimist, though not irritatingly so.  He is quite pragmatic about his lot in life. 

Hobbies: 

Grigori is very deft with his hands, and likes to construct small electrical or mechanical things.  He is often called upon to fix appliances and things that have broken down.  He also keeps the spare parts and things that can't be repaired, and sometimes makes toys and nick-knacks out of them. 

His skill with small tools is also useful in another way - picking locks.  Early on, he discovered how to pick the lock to his room.  He explored the Palace, night by night, and eventually found a way out.  And yet, he has never attempted to run away.  This is because he feels that he has a purpose - he has nominated himself the Guardian of the Keys. 

Whenever he does not have a Master, he can be found lurking about the Palace.  He creeps from room to room, picking locks to check on other Keys.  If they are troubled or upset, he will stay with them and soothe them.  If they are railing at their captivity, he tries to talk to them and distract them.  If Keys are longing for books or pencils or other small items, he tries to obtain them.  He provides any number of small kindnesses, which the Keys would not otherwise get. 

He is very protective of other Keys, and more than once, has stepped in when a Key is being harshly treated in public. This has earned him reprimands and punishment on numerous occasions, but it has never stopped him saying or doing things, if he thinks it will help his fellow Keys. 

The management of the Palace are aware of his nightly jaunts, but since he has proven he has no desire to leave, they allow him this small freedom. 

Background: 

Grigori was once a monk.  From an early age, he knew he wanted to devote his life to contemplation, worship and helping others.  Early on, he got the opportunity to test his faith.  A childhood friend of his, Bastian, was caught dallying with another man.  Furious, Bastian's father disowned him and sold him to a slave trader. 

In the dead of the night, Grigori broke into the slave lots to try and free his friend.  He made it in all right, but on the way out, they were sprung by the guards.  Grigori and Bastian both ran in different directions to try and throw off the guards.  Bastian made it out, but Grigori didn't. 

Furious, the slave trader threw Grigori in chains, deeming that since Grigori was responsible for the loss of a valuable slave, he would have to take his place.  Grigori fought and argued as hard as he could, but to no avail.  He could not break the iron of his shackles. 

After changing hands a number of times, Grigori ended up at the Palace and was trained as a Key.  The acts he was forced to perform there were completely foreign to him, and for a while he fell into a deep depression, seeing himself as soiled and worthless.  Then he realised that either he could become bitter and twisted, or he could see his new position as an opportunity to do good in a place where simple kindness was really needed. 

It gave him a purpose, and a reason to keep on living. 

Room: 

Grigori has a small set of rooms.  The main room is a livingroom which has two long couches at one end and a real fireplace. On the mantelpiece above the fireplace, a number of the small toys and gizmos that he has created sit proudly. 

At the other end of the livingroom is a table at which to eat.  At this end there is also an archway which leads through to a kitchen which Grigori keeps spotlessly clean.  He can cook simple meals, but has never tried anything complex. 

At the other end of the livingroom, nearest the fireplace, is a doorway through to the bedroom.  The bedroom has a large bed with an embroidered quilt-cover spread neatly over it, and four large pillows at the bedhead.  There is also a cupboard and chest of drawers in which Grigori keeps his clothes and personal items, as well as some objects which may be used in 'play'. 

From the bedroom, there is a doorway into the bathroom, which has quite a large tub, ideal to sit and soak in. 

The final room is Grigori's workroom, which has a long wooden workbench, and a rack full of tools upon the wall.  This room and the kitchen are windowed, letting natural light in, and looking out onto a small garden.  The workroom has a backdoor which leads through to the bathroom (so the rooms all link up in a circle). 

The rooms are decorated in shades of cream and brown, with polished wood being something of a feature.