[Spirit Class 9 | Hazard D] Yekaterina Isaenko

» Name: Hetman Yekaterina Oleksandra Anatolyevna Isaenko
» Alias: Ataman, Katyusha Buranskaya
» Age: 25
» Gender: Female

» Association: Current Hetman of the Cossacks and head of the Isaenko family.

» Appearance Written: For being a mere 5’ 5” in height, Yekaterina seems to exude the aura of a woman who towers over others. Those who have only seen pictures of her often attribute this to the heels of her boots, the few extra inches of her peaked cap, or the nature of her uniform with its epaulettes and general showiness. However, those who have seen her in person know that this is anything but true. Though she is certainly a small woman, Yekaterina’s aura of total conviction seems to make her larger than life, and none but the most overconfident would ever consider her “small” because of it.

Yekaterina's hair is a bright silver that borders upon white, but which sometimes seems almost pink in the right light, a trait typical of Isaenko women. Her eyes are a stark red color, and only stand out even more against her quite pale complexion, always seeming to look over everything in the immediate surroundings. Her look is usually one of reserved confidence, though in conversation the “reserved” aspect of this tends to fade.

» Appearance Image:


Beyond all else, Yekaterina’s presence is one that demands attention. She speaks with the utmost confidence, and it is clear that leadership is something that comes naturally to her. One would be hard-pressed to make her uncomfortable telling anyone what to do, as she believes that one’s strength is irrelevant when it comes to the chain of command. Above all, she knows exactly what her position is, and will not allow it to be demeaned.

Calm, poised, and never one to step back from anything she must do, Yekaterina is an extremely stable individual who rarely allows any emotion to show through. She knows that her position does not allow for much in the way of freely shared affection or friendship, and so she keeps most at something of an arm’s length, outside of her closest family.

Idolizing her long-dead elder sister, Yekaterina keeps strongly to the ideals she believes Abalia would have held. She treats those under her fairly, if harshly, and never allows herself to display any sort of human weakness unless it is truly out of her hands. It is her singular goal to be a wise, even queen, and to lead the Cossacks into a brighter future, one free of Shadow Fall’s vicegrip over their homeland. It is her everything, and she will not be beaten.


» Abalia Yuliana Isaenko: Her deceased older sister, Yekaterina holds the memory of Abalia quite dear, even if she perished only at the age of ten. Her death had massive impact on Yekaterina, and she still truly believes that, even if she was only a young child, she surely could have done something to save her.

» Atlas D’al Decter: A man she has served with many years ago during her earliest days with the Cossacks, Yekaterina has the greatest respect possible for the Warhound of Vastime. She considers him as much of a friend as she would allow herself to have, and would trust him with her life in an instant.


The second daughter of the Isaenko family, Yekaterina’s earliest years were filled with very little stress or expectation, as it was naturally assumed that her older sister Abalia would take the role of family head. That, however, would prove not to be the case, as her sister was murdered at the age of 10, assassinated by a freelance agent working for Shadow Fall. The loss was sudden, and quite genuinely something the family had not prepared for. The gunslinger that had served as Abalia’s bodyguard was sent away, never seen again, and all at once Yekaterina was thrust into a position she had never been promised; she would be the Hetman.

She did not take well to it. She was too kind, too gentle a girl to lead the Cossacks. But her people were a dying breed, and they needed someone to lead them. Abalia had been the one who was promised that role, but now it was handed to Yekaterina. If she could not do it herself, then surely she could try to do it as her sister might have. She changed herself seemingly overnight, then, overcome by a singular desire to lead in the way that she thought her elder sister would have. No longer was she soft, quiet, demure. She had become hard as steel and cold as the winter snow, and yet her affection for those below her did not change. Such a kindhearted demeanor endeared her well to the people, and in time she became known as Katyusha, the timeless symbol of patriotism in the Slavic lands.

Perhaps she would have been perfectly content to stay within the highlands of the Caucasus for all her days, leading the Cossacks to a quiet, comfortable life away from Shadow Fall. But the tides of war were turning, certainly, and above all else, there was still some primal desire within her for revenge. Her sister had been taken by Shadow Fall, and she had given up her everything all because of that. It was only right, then, that she take everything from Shadow Fall in turn.


» Isaenko Longrifle: A family rifle passed down for nearly 5 centuries through the Isaenko line, this rifle is not only the symbol of the family, but a powerful weapon in its own right. Having slain a great many beings both mundane and spiritual in nature, the Isaenko Longrifle is capable of piercing through far greater defenses than a completely mundane rifle, functioning more akin to a zanpakuto or other sort of weapon.


» Royal Authority: A power which manifests similarly to the traditional arts of the Quincy, Yekaterina is capable in the most desperate of times of creating what is nothing short of a general miracle. This is not accomplished, however, through her own power. Rather, this occurs through the shared power of each and every man and woman she commands, whose belief in her allows a channeling of their small reserves of spiritual energy into her. Therefore, despite Yekaterina's unremarkable energy, she is capable of feats that might otherwise be seen as worthy of nearly divines. This has only ever manifested twice in her life, however.

The first instance of this was when she was 17 years of age, in the midst of heated battle. It was the event which earned her the moniker of Buranskaya, the Lady of the Blizzard. Locked in a truly heated battle, which might otherwise have seemed lost, she stood upon the ramparts of a broken castle and cried out to the demons they fought; "You will freeze in these highlands!"

The land had already been grey, cold, and coated with snow. The conditions were perhaps already there. But the strength of her words, the hopes of her men, and the nature of her authority made it something more than merely possibility. In mere moments, the blizzard had begun, the Buran which had led countless armies to their deaths across history. The Cossacks, of course, had been ready. Such an environment was their lifeblood. But the freezing winds, the pouring snow, and above all the sheere inability to even navigate had turned the tides completely.

The second instance of this was at the age of 20. It was perhaps not as remarkable as the Buran, but it was nonetheless notable, and what has led to her consideration for Sainthood in the Russian Orthodox Church. It was once more a battle in which the Cossacks were in dire straits. Beset on all sides by demons, and all but exhausted of food and ammunition, Yekaterina made a claim that, in most situations, perhaps might have been considered too bold: "Our supplies are still ample!"

It should have been a lie. By all accounts, it was in that moment. But her men believed it, and as though bread and fishes, their supplies held out. Though they always seemed to be low, they continued to hold out, and as such the faith of her men was only further bolstered. When the battle was over, after four days of fighting, the Cossacks took stock of what remained. Two cases of ammunition, and food for perhaps three pots of stew. The soldiers celebrated they had won before they ran out, but the quartermasters and the cooks knew the truth. They would not spring such praise on her now, but their words of gossip would spread far and wide.

Based upon these two events, it is made clear that this ability is not one which she can simply bandy about freely. It is an ability which can only be used in exceptional event threads, or for the sake of furthering plot very explicitly with all parties involved in said plot, and is very much at the discretion of staff to deny any usages.


Skill Sheet

General Skills

• Durability: Beginner
  
• General Speed: Beginner
  
• Strength: Beginner
  
• Weapon Skill: Beginner
  

Will Skills

• Willpower: Advanced
  
• Mental Deduction: Beginner
  
• Focus: Adept