True NameCatherine the Great
AppearanceClassRider
Alignment"Lawful Good"
StatsStrength:D
Endurance:D
Agility:C
Magical Energy:B+
Luck:A
Class SkillsRiding C+ Rider is capable maneuvering most mundane animals and vehicles without problem. She is incapable of riding Phantasmal or Divine Beasts, and extremely complicated modern vehicles might prove difficult. Rider can temporarily increase her riding ability through the use of Autocrat’s Privilege.
Item Creation D+Ordinarily a skill of the Caster class, Rider has replaced the Magic Resistance of her own class with one more suited to her ability. This skill allows Rider to create the weapons that expanded the territory of the Russian Empire, ranging from swords and firearms to cannon and ships. In addition, it can produce various pleasantries, oddities, and even a host of spectacular outfits!
Personal SkillsCharisma AIt was Catherine’s way with words that elevated her from inconsequential German princess to Empress of the Russian Empire. Her ability to maneuver flawlessly through social situations allowed her not only to take her throne, but to keep it. This incredible social ability has coalesced into a powerful skill that causes her will to radiate onto those around her. She appears well-spoken, confident, and beautiful to those who hear her speak, and has a remarkable ability to inspire those who believe in her.
Catherine’s reign was not without its problems, rather, it was rife with them, but she persevered through them, maintaining an astounding sense of composure. Even in the darkest periods of her rule she strove to style herself as a perfect queen. Her charisma is unyielding, and one would be hard pressed to find an opponent who could match her in a war of words.
"Power without a nation's confidence is nothing."Autocrat’s Privilege B+A variant of Imperial Privilege borne from Rider’s mental image of the absolute autocrat. In life, the Empress threw herself into matters of a wide assortment to better herself as a ruler. This ability allows Catherine to temporarily gain expertise in skills that she ordinarily would not have access to.
In terms of martial matters, Catherine can access knowledge regarding Strategy, Riding, Marksmanship and Swordplay.
Because of her interest in matters of the court, Rider also has access to Eye for Art,History, Golden Rule, and a host of philosophical knowledge.
It should be noted that while the abilities gained from this skill grant a certain level of expertise, the confidence they grant Catherine in her ability to execute them is immeasurable.
“God, grant us our desires, and grant them quickly.”Favored of the Empress C+During her rule, Catherine took a number of lovers. These men, Catherine’s favorites, quickly found their stations heavily elevated, being granted wealth and power they likely would’ve otherwise never known. This favoritism has crystallized as a skill that allows her to bestow blessings upon a chosen ally.
Rider’s Favorite is granted a powerful boon to their physical abilities, making even an average person capable of incredible things. She can grant this blessing only to a single individual at a time, and can revoke it at will. In addition, while within the territory of Rider’s Noble Phantasm they gain access to a lesser version of Autocrat’s Privilege.
“I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster.”Innocent Monster E-Despite her best efforts, Rider was no perfect ruler, and in the years after her death her failures and atrocities were inflated to a level of prominence that threatened to eclipse her achievements. To many, she became an icon for licentiousness and excess, to others a hypocritical tyrant masquerading as an “‘Enlightened” ruler. In her own mind, Catherine did the best she could to style herself as a perfect Empress. As such, if someone mentions the criticisms of her rule, or, more particularly, the dreadful rumors about her personal life, she is likely to become deeply offended. Such talk might even overcome her royal composure…
“You philosophers are lucky men. You write on paper and paper is patient. Unfortunate Empress that I am, I write on the susceptible skins of living beings.”WeaponsCavalry Saber, Flintlock Firearms, Cannon, Artillery
Noble PhantasmsZimniy DvoretsThrone of Winter/The Dream of EmpireC+
Fortress
This Noble Phantasm constructs a replica of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, the seat from which Catherine ruled for most of her reign. The palace stands as a monument to the might of the Russian Empire, a gleaming emblem of yellow and white, with glittering gold appointments. The palace itself is massive, covering roughly 60,000 square meters, and requires a large amount of magical energy to create. The interior of the palace is lavishly decorated, an extravagant testament to the wealth of Imperial Russia.
The palace was not only Catherine’s royal seat, but her refuge. As such, the interior of the palace creates a sanctuary for Rider and her allies. A constant healing aura permeates the palace, rapidly mending the wounds of those who reside within. This healing is by no means instant, but is powerful enough to repair even potentially fatal wounds within a day. The benefits of Autocrat’s Privilege are greatly boosted within the walls of the Winter Palace.
The territory upon which Zimniy Dvorets is deployed is immediately considered Russian territory, and its latent magical energy is drawn into the palace. Rider can expand this territory given ample time and focus. As such, the larger the territory grows, the more magical energy the palace draws in. The boost to Autocrat’s Privilege remains on the outside territory, though the healing aura is limited to the palace itself.
While Zimniy Dvorets is active, the palace and its surrounding territory experience a constant, light snowfall, regardless of the climate into which it is summoned.
“I have no way to defend my borders but to extend them.”Korona VechnostiResolution of the TsarsA++
Anti-Unit(Self)
A Noble Phantasm borne from the amalgamated wills of all Russian monarchs, Korona Vechnosti embodies the unshakable fortitude necessary to declare oneself an absolute sovereign. The tsars ruled over an unwieldy expanse of territory while facing the horrors of war and rebellion, all the while retaining their supremacy. This Noble Phantasm crystallizes that stubborn, unbending audacity into a shape symbolizing the right to rule: a great crown. The head that wears the crown bears a heavy weight indeed, and there are few worthy to wear it. For those who can bear this burden however, it grants immeasurable power and a connection to a dynasty hellbent on the absolute authority of its own will.
From her earliest years, the symbol of the crown glittered brilliantly in Catherine’s dreams, and she became possessed by the singular need to make herself worthy of it. Rider immersed herself in a culture that was not her own, and threw herself wholeheartedly into the task of learning and accumulating the knowledge she would need to bear the title of Empress. This effort, however, was not enough to claim the crown on its own. No, all her efforts would’ve been for naught if not for the spark that drew her to the allure of the crown in the first place: ambition. Born without a single drop of Romanov blood, it was Catherine’s ambition that led her to vy for her husband’s crown, and it was this ambition that would allow her to claim it. While she had no blood-right to the throne, her ambition and iron-clad determination would carry her into the ranks of the tsars. So it was that a foreign-born princess came to be Empress of Russia, shouldering the weight of a title and dynasty that few could bear. The crown that was placed upon her head was new, the blood the flowed through her veins was foreign, but her will alone marked her among the ranks of the tsars.
When the true name of the crown is declared, Rider calls upon the force of not only her own will, but the collective willpower of every tsar that preceded her. Their names, histories, and legends coalesce with her own, if only for a single moment, into the steely image of the absolute sovereign of Russia. In that moment, the tsaritsa becomes a symbol of absolute authority. The resolution of the tsars is given physical form in the body of the one with the right to wield it, and she becomes the image the tsars created within their own minds: the invincible sovereign, untouchable and immovable. In the few moments that Korona Vechnosti is active, Rider’s body is invulnerable to nearly all manner of attacks, a denial of the possibility that the will of the tsars could be challenged. If used in defense of territory or subjects designated as “Russian” by Rider, the power of Korona Vechnosti is increased, with usage within the territory of Zimniy Dvorets granting it an absolute defense against all but the most powerful attacks. The deployment of this Noble Phantasm requires an incredible amount of magical energy, and it is not to be used lightly.
“The title of Queen rang sweet to my ears, child though I was. ... This idea of a crown began running in my head then like a tune, and has been running a lot in it ever since.”PersonalityBold, beautiful, and charismatic, Rider carries herself with the utmost poise and grace… or at least that is what she would have you believe. In truth, Rider’s practiced, regal demeanor is a bit of a facade, a visage manufactured to give off the appearance of the “perfect ruler”. When she is not portraying herself as such, Catherine is very easily drawn in by her own whims. She has a deep love for spectacle, whatever form it might take, and is easily fascinated by art and fashion. If she has the option, she prefers to make herself the center of attention, relishing in the acknowledgement of others. The thought of being unpopular or disliked is an unsettling prospect to Rider, and she tries her best to draw the admiration and praise of those around her. While she tries her best to be likable, there are limits to her kindness. Slanderous talk and other callous disrespect is met with the methodical cruelty of a tyrant, though after the deed is done she has no problem returning to her ordinary gleeful self. Prone to excess and jealousy, any Master willing to summon the Empress will certainly struggle with the more extravagant parts of her personality. Those capable of overcoming Catherine’s difficult side, however, will be rewarded with an unwavering loyalty and dedication.
LegendSophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg, the girl who would become Catherine the Great, was born the daughter of a minor German prince. During her dull and suffocating childhood, few would have predicted her meteoric rise to power. But even in those early years there was a spark within her, an ambition and desire that could not be quenched or smothered by her uneventful upbringing.
This spark would carry Sophie to Russia, where she would meet the Empress Elizabeth and Peter of Holstein-Gottorp. Peter was to be her husband, though the two shared no love for one another. Elizabeth, however, was taken with the Princess’ boundless dedication and enthusiasm. Sophie would deny herself rest to immerse herself in the language and culture of her new home, at one point even becoming quite ill. It was during this time that she converted to the Orthodox faith and took on the name Catherine. The spark that had burned quietly within Sophie became a brilliant flame in Catherine, her ambition finding its true desire in the glittering jewels of the crown.
Catherine and Peter were married, and the ambitious young woman finally had her crown… but perhaps the not crown she truly desired. Peter quickly ruined his reputation as Emperor, as well as his relationship with Catherine. A deep disgust flourished within the Empress, but not because of her husband’s personal failings, no, those she had learned to endure. Her true disgust came from Peter’s utter disrespect for his own position as a ruler. Catherine had thrown herself wholeheartedly into understanding Russia. She had constructed an ideal of the perfect ruler in her head, shaped from endless study of philosophy and the machinations of her own imagination. She had shaped a dream for herself, and yet Peter saw fit to besmirch it. The thought would eventually occur to her: If Peter will not respect his position, then why should I? Why should anyone? Whispers abounded. The people had already grown tired of their belligerent ruler. Nobles spoke of deposing Peter. Catherine heard these whispers, and set herself to the task of shaping them in her favor. Peter was doomed to overlook the warning signs until the end. Catherine would be crowned to thunderous applause, a beloved usurper and an absolute autocrat. Peter, crownless, would die shortly thereafter in a tragic misunderstanding.
With the Imperial Crown on her head at last, Catherine set to work making herself into the “perfect ruler”. Such a thing was, of course, impossible. The Empress would struggle to balance her ideals with her ambition. She would make innumerable mistakes… but her mistakes were not to define her. Russia expanded greatly under Catherine’s reign, not just in territory but in matters of culture, art, and education as well. Philosophers lauded her as “The Semiramis of the North”. Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst had her crown, and with it she was destined to become Catherine the Great, one of the greatest rulers Russia had ever known.
