Hekat Bakshi

"Out of my way. I won’t say it again."
Hekat stands tall at 5’8”, lean and wiry rather than overtly muscular, but make no mistake, there’s considerable strength in those limbs. Her copper skin is an even deeper brown from long hours in the sun, and her yellow-green eyes are often fixed either in a glare or on some distant horizon. Her masses of dark hair are nigh-untameable, and always seem to be crackling with static electricity; usually, she’ll beat them back into a braid and hope it holds. Wherever she goes, she walks with purpose and intent, head held high and shoulders back, and she holds herself in a perfectly balanced fighter’s posture when still. She carries a strange scent, a mixture of ozone and spice. Hekat is striking, yes; approachable, no.

Age:
21

Gender:
Female

Rich or Poor?:
Poor. The rich in Sector 5 made their fortunes either from the Battle, or managing the services of those less well off; Hekat is in the latter category.

Sector:
5

For the Battle or Opposed?
Hekat never wanted to enter the Arena; the Choosing Ceremony interrupts plans she’d been working on for years, and might have been able to put into motion within a few more. Now that she’s here, though, she’s outside of her Sector for the first time in her life—and she wants to take advantage of any opportunity that offers, including the riches she’d gain from winning the Battle. She’ll fight as hard or harder than anyone else to stay alive.

Power Description:
Hekat is a weather leviathan, which means she has the same basics the other leviathans from her sectors do: sensing weather changes, slightly ‘nudging’ weather the way she wants it, temperature sensing. However, she specializes in:
Electricity Manipulation: Sparks fly around Hekat—literally. She has the ability to generate, direct, control, and absorb lightning and electricity. This includes manipulating electronics and machinery, although her fine control is not as fast as she’d like—she’s more likely to throw a lightning bolt and fry the whole machine than manipulate a turret into swiveling towards its owner, although she could do the latter, with a little more time and focus. She’s also been struck by lightning—more than once—and come out just fine. Usually, she generates her own charges, but if there’s a natural source of lightning nearby, she becomes exponentially more powerful.
Weather Generation: This is the cataclysmic side of being a weather leviathan. It’s not as obvious nor as fast as her electrical manipulation, but calling weather is one of the few situations in which Hekat can be patient. She can let loose tornados (although truly leashing them is beyond her), cloud over a sunny day or chase the rain away, or call down a monsoon. There are a thousand different applications, and all of them take time, but Hekat is nothing if not inventive—if there’s a will, there’s a way, and she most certainly has will. There’s less finesse involved with bringing down the sky, but she tries to control it as best she can. She’s reluctant to do too much with rain, though, due to...

Power Weakness
Water: Water and electricity always makes for a deadly combination; Hekat knows this better than most, as she occasionally fried entire ponds of fish back home. However, because the potency of lightning is so amplified by water, it can easily get dangerously out of her control. When wet, manipulating electricity becomes impossible, and just directing the shocks away from her major organs would require all of Hekat’s considerable skill, and she certainly would not escape unscathed. She prefers not to test her theories, and simply avoids water altogether.
Emotionally Affected: Control of the weather is an inherently emotional pursuit. While Hekat has plenty of power behind her abilities, she’s also worked for more than twenty years to perfect them, and herself. It takes a lot to break her control, but once it’s broken, things get out of hand very quickly.

Weapon of Choice:
Spears and Polearms: Long sticks were easily obtainable on Sector Five plantations, so Hekat began using them as weapons at an early age just to entertain herself. From there, it grew into true skill—she can use all kinds of staves and spears, and has mastered the balance of bladed ones.
(To a lesser extent, Hekat can also use katar, traditional Indian punching daggers. Her family owned a pair, so if she finds something similar, she’ll know how to use it.)

Fighting Skills:
Hekat didn’t train to enter the Arena, but she did train herself to fight—one never knows when such skills will be needed, especially with her goals in mind. She knew she’d be smaller than many opponents, so she taught herself all sorts of dirty tricks, using her unfortunate brothers as test dummies.

As shown above, she’s also proficient with polearms, and will use them to put distance between herself and larger opponents. In Sector Five, she’s most recently used a discarded pipe as her practice weapon, and has perfected electrifying the weapon without harming herself, posing an extra risk to her enemies.

Personality:
At first glance, Hekat comes across as proud, haughty, and intimidating—and that assessment proves absolutely true. She carries herself regally, sets herself apart from others, and at first glance one can tell she’s dangerous. Mostly, this is her true self. She’s not so much arrogant as reserved, and has few friends, none of them as close to her as her siblings. Hekat keeps a tight lid on her emotions when dealing with strangers, both good and bad—however, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t offend. She does, and easily, but grits her teeth through it and remembers it for later; she’s never forgotten a slight. On the flip side, she values honesty and politeness. Deep down, though, where only her favorite brothers and mother can see, she’s a passionate, driven individual.

Hekat values no one more than her family, and is unwilling to test if that holds true in the face of true friendship, so she simply avoids making friends—she wants to be able to devote her full energy to her kin, rather than being distracted by other bonds. This devotion has shaped her into the loyal, painfully protective woman she is today, and a friend would be wise not to betray that confidence. Everything she does, she does for those she loves—so she has a powerful motivator for winning the Battle. Although she considers herself honorable, she doesn’t truly know the lengths she’d go to to win.

Biography:
Hekat is the second oldest of five and the only daughter of the large Bakshi clan. She lived in a four-generation home on the outer edges of the Sector City, run down and filled to the brim with loud, nosy, wonderful relatives. Hekat and her older brother, Amar, were the only leviathans to have ever been born in their family. Because of their powers, Hekat and Amar started working as soon as they were able, before either of them hit ten years old—taking long monorail rides out to the plantations or into the industrial centers of the city. Amar was skilled at bringing rain or sun to the crops, while Hekat was more proficient working at power plants wherever she could, carefully moderating her bolts of lightning into the great tesla coils that dotted the sector. Whether working nearby or separated by miles and miles, they always tried to help each other with training as best they could.

These exacting, precise tasks built the foundation for her legendary control; it was cemented by the death of her brother. A twelve-year-old Hekat arrived home from the factories one day to find her family dressed all in white—the monorail Amar had taken home every day for six years had been struck by lightning, and the fourteen year old had reflexively absorbed the energy rather than let the entire car be electrified. From then on, Hekat vowed to learn every nuance and capability of her powers. However, it was the city’s denial of their pleas for compensation that truly galvanized her into action, and put a concrete goal in her mind. After losing a third of their income, the family was plunged even deeper into poverty—she had to do something.

Since she was a girl, Hekat had heard stories of Before. Her great-grandmother and grandparents all remembered the country the family came from, far away and untouchable. They described the glittering of the Indian Ocean, the noise and crowds of the bazaars, even the long plane ride to America (just in time for Before to end). Her great-grandmother had traveled the world from Paris to Timbuktu, and she gave every memory she had to Hekat—and the young leviathan was enthralled. As she grew up, wonder turned to serious thought turned to determination. If she could just get her family past the walls and barbed wire of Sector Five, there must be something better out there.

That ideal has been Hekat’s driving motivation for the training, experimentation, and toil of the last nine years, carrying her through even when circumstances were dire. She passably finished high school, and is in her third year of the community college, by the time the Choosing Ceremony rolls around—most of her time has been taken up with supporting her family or training her powers. Being Chosen was completely unexpected, and has, understandably, completely derailed her long-term plans.

Likes:
The great outdoors; storms (obviously); has a top secret love of romance novels; high places.

Dislikes:
Apathy and laziness; being belittled; cold weather; failure.

Fears:
Drowning. This fear combines two things she’s terrified of: dying slowly and being helpless.
Refuses to admit the possibility that nothing she does matters, and the world will never change.
Now that it comes down to it, she doesn’t know what lines she won’t cross, and in extreme situations that could cause her to doubt herself.

Weaknesses:
Water, as mentioned in the ‘Power Weakness’ section.
Betrayal is guaranteed to break through her control in record time. Because of this, she’s also reluctant to ally.
Has a debilitating fear of drowning.
Hekat finished high school and attended community college; she’s never had any high-quality education.

Other:
Excellent stamina.

Theme Song:
"Castle" by Halsey

Leah Jackson
Female
19

Character Theme – Halsey - Drive
All we do is drive
All we do is sit in silence waiting for a sign
Sick and full of pride
All we do is drive
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Standing at just over six feet tall and built like a brick, Katya cuts an imposing figure. Between wrangling both bikes and riders, spending time in a boxing ring, and simple hardy genetics, she’s packed on the muscle; anyone sane would think twice about taking her on. A hard face and harder living are signified by the small scars that dot her hands and back, a permanently crooked nose, and the tattoos that cover her left arm, right shoulder, and upper back. She’ll gladly tell you the story for each (if you have the balls to ask), but the eight-pointed stars on the front of each shoulder are off-limits. She wears no makeup, and if her shoulder-length hair isn't down, it's back in a tight ponytail to keep it out of her face. Usually reserved, but when she does speak, it’s with a lingering trace of a Russian accent.

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【Full Name】
Katya Ignatyev

【Nick-name?】
The Bear

【Gender】
Female

【Age】
26

【Sexuality】
(to be revealed IC)

【Birth Place】
Near St. Petersburg, but has lived in Norfolk since she was nine.

【Club Status】
First X and Road Captain

【Profession】
Manufacturing—heavy lifting and forklift driver down at the local auto plant.

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【Personality】
For her size and obvious strength, Katya is surprisingly quiet. She’s not unfriendly, but reserved, more willing to listen to others than talk herself. She considers every word before she says it—this slow speech and her large size combine to give the impression of stupidity, at first glance. Make no mistake, though, she’s smarter than many of her peers—she just likes to see the whole of a situation before diving in.

That being said, she’s also incredibly loyal to the club and all its members, from the president to the prospects. Having no family of her own left, she’s latched onto the Yare Raiders instead. While she usually prefers to stop conflicts without violence—trust me, she’s being merciful, not a coward—threats against the club, especially the younger members, are one of her berserk buttons. She’s not one to showboat, but she will put you down if you’re causing too much trouble. She also values discipline, and while she’s more than happy to run point on drug operations, she never takes them herself, and never has. Alcohol, however, is something she takes in great quantities and with great fervor.

Her nickname, ‘the Bear,’ comes both from her heritage and her protective instinct, especially towards those younger than her. Usually, she doesn’t make it obvious what she’s doing when she steps in on someone’s behalf—just a quiet threat or a silent glare when needed. Towards women, however, especially younger women, she’s more likely to offer a brass fist towards any threats than try and talk them down. Because of this, she holds a special hate in her heart for Reapers—she despises any and all forms of human trafficking. She saw enough hollow-eyed ‘exotic’ girls back East.

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【History】
Katya’s family has a long and…’colorful’ history. The Ignatyevs were longtime players in the Russian mob—specifically in matters that involved less finesse, such as extortion, arson, fixing fights, etcetera. Katya was the second youngest of six children; her mother died shortly after giving birth to her younger brother. Her father was a professional boxer and the most removed from the family business, but she was mostly raised by her four uncles, who were very involved. She has fond childhood memories from both sides of the life—being lookout for an uncle or two, and sitting ringside with her father. Her father was careful—although they had plenty of money squirreled away, they never showed it, packed in three to a bed in tiny tenement housing. What Katya remembers of Russia is mostly pleasant, and she has plenty of nostalgic tales to tell.

Of course, that all changed when she was eight.

Her oldest brother, Mikhail (more widely known as ‘the family disappointment’, unfortunately), was arrested for shoplifting. They would’ve given him a slap on the wrist, maybe a few hours in a holding cell, but someone recognized the false family name he’d been taught to give and realized who this kid really was. They threw him in a holding cell for a night, but the agent they brought in had barely opened his mouth when Mikhail started blabbing.

He rolled on his family. All of them. Katya never dreamed what was happening only a few miles away at the police station—but within a week, every local safehouse the Ignatyevs had was raided. Business was worse than ruined, the family scattered—those that managed to escape, that is. Katya’s father, uncles, and most of her older siblings and cousins were killed or lockedu p for life within weeks. In the case of the youngest family members, they were taken into government custody; the only reason Katya escaped was because Mikhail proved to be as much of a coward as ever and warned them at the last minute. Katya’s father got his youngest three children out, the only ones he could safely move in such a short time—to this day, she’s still ‘Unknown Female, aged 7-9’ on the Ignatyev file. Her brother and sister perished on the hard trek out of Russia. She still remembers, clear as day, her father saying goodbye—telling her to be strong.

Katya was on her own—for good. After finally making her way out of her homeland, she slowly moved east across Europe. The longer she traveled, the quieter she became, and the more odd skills she picked up. Eventually, she became a grunt for one of the crime syndicates in Eastern Europe, using the skills she’d only observed as a child. She spent ten years there before she decided she had to get out—not so much because she was tired of the violence, more because she was hearing rumors about the Ignatyev case being reopened, and too many people were starting to know her name. In her book, any notoriety was bad notoriety. Another long trek and her first motorcycle later, she ended up in England, as far as she could go without crossing the Atlantic, and decided to stay there. She got involved with a few mid-level dealers in the area around Yarmouth, mostly running guard duty on shipments and occasionally roughing up the minor thugs, and that’s how she met Hector Zelos.

Well…’met’ is a strong word. She fished him out of a dumpster—literally—after taking out the two thugs who’d tried mugging him when he was stoned out of his mind. She brushed him off and went on her way, but not two weeks later, she found herself pulling him out of trouble again, this time an ill-advised bar brawl. Her duties took her in and out of Yarmouth proper, and it started to seem like everywhere she went, there was Hector. To this day, she doesn’t know if he did it on purpose, but they ended up in a curious kind of friendship. She was around when he sobered up, and she mentioned his name to her employers—which helped significantly in the transition from junkie to dealer. When Hector and Axe started riding again, it reminded her of some of the few good memories of her earlier years—talking shop with hitchhikers in a boxcar, learning the basics of bike maintenance from an ex-con with one hand, and riding a bike of her own on the barren roads of western Ukraine. When talk started about a formal club, Katya signed on immediately, and she’s never regretted it once.

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【Skills and Abilities】

• Master of vehicles—This applies to motorcycles, cars, trucks, 4-wheelers, you name it. She can also perform basic repairs on most vehicles, although for major or fine repairs you’ll need to go elsewhere.
• Hand to hand fighter—Katya’s been involved with boxing all her life, and she certainly packs a punch. Her pain tolerance is extremely high, and she often simply won’t notice minor blows until after a fight. She also carries brass knuckles and at least one knife on her at all times, and is known to improvise some pretty creative weapons in a pinch.
• Officially ordained—Technically, according to the internet, she’s an ordained priest. It’s ninety percent a joke, five percent an excuse to call vodka ‘holy water,’ and five percent a serious tie to her past, but if anyone needs to get married in minutes, she’s your lady.
• Dog person—Has an uncanny skill with training and keeping dogs. Her father owned a pair of rottweilers back in Russia, and she picked up a few stray canines for a time on her journey across Europe.
• Multilingual—Fluent in English and Russian, can muddle her way through most Slavic languages, and knows a few phrases in a handful of odd tongues.

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【Equipment】
Clothing
Day to day, Katya can be seen in a snug black sleeveless shirt, black jeans, dark aviators, and knee-high steel-toed boots that have seen their fair share of wear and tear. When riding, she adds the club jacket, fingerless leather gloves, and a cracked and scuffed helmet that’s seen better days (she once used it to break a man’s nose; that particular dent she’s outlined with a key scratch).

Her jacket she keeps in good condition almost religiously. The base itself is a black leather bomber jacket, decorated with the First X and Road Captain patches on the front in addition to the standard club patches. Her own additions include a tiny, barely-noticeable Eastern Orthodox cross pin sewn to the inside left breast and a bear’s head symbol on her right shoulder, mimicking the tattoo beneath.

Bike
Katya rides a custom Harley Davidson Dyna Street Bob that she keeps in peak condition—what she can’t fix herself, she brings to Axe. In her usual style, the bike is almost entirely black, but instead of a shiny finish almost every surface is matte.

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【Opinions】
Club Direction
When Hector was president, Katya was content with the ways of the club—moving drugs, racketeering, etcetera—but now that he’s gone, she doesn’t know what to think. Her loyalty to Hector is no longer as much of a factor—she doesn’t believe in keeping things stagnant just because ‘that’s what he would have wanted’—but she’s also not sure what else the club could do. She’s also privately worried that if they become a legitimate club, she’ll have no place in the operations—if the club changes, can she change with it? To sum up, she’s content with things the way they are, but she’s open to being convinced.

Other Members
Axe - Katya is not nearly as close to Axe as she was to Hector, but close enough. She respects him, of course, but she’s also dubious that he can truly bring the club out into the light and keep it going at the same time.
Emer - Emer is a dubious friend at best. While a fellow founding member, she's too unstable for Katya to really feel comfortable relying on her, but her...skill set is unquestionable. However, she did go to Emer for the bear head tattoo on her shoulder—her work is impeccable.

Lɪʟʏ Sᴍɪᴛʜ

A practical lady of the night who has decided it’s time to move on.



Ask anyone in the lower quarter of Enn—Lily (although no one really believes that’s her name) is a florist. A successful florist. A curiously successful florist, actually, for someone who lives in one of the poorest district in the city, where few people have to coin or the urge to buy the delicate blossoms she peddles. Occasionally, she’ll take her wares to the upper districts and actually come home with an empty basket—but that’s not really how she makes her livelihood, and everyone knows it.

Almost six years ago, times were tough on the docks of Enn—there was little work, all of it backbreaking, and much too difficult for Lily’s widow father or her three younger sisters to keep up for long. For months, as the family got closer and closer to starving, Lily tried to find work for herself, and took any and all jobs to keep the family afloat. Every once in a while, though, she’d dream of leaving the city and finding adventure and riches—but she’d never abandon her family like that.

One day, some rich merchant’s boy offered her an entire silver piece for a drunken kiss, and she had her ‘eureka’ moment.

Things quickly escalated, and these days she’s making enough to support herself, her father, and her sisters—all three of whom now have lives of their own, in Enn and in other cities, all of which Lily paid for. The youngest is studying at the Royal University, the next oldest works for a seamstress in the next city over, and the second oldest lives on one of the outlying farms as a stablehand. Their room and board, their food, their tuition, father’s medicine—all of it, bought on Lily’s dime, and she doesn’t mind one jot. As far as she’s concerned, once she crossed the line, she might as well do the best she can. ‘Shameless’ is an understatement—she’s actually very proud of how far her family’s come.

These days, though, things are not as good as they were a year ago, even if her sisters are largely supporting themselves now. Her father’s wasting sickness has only gotten worse, and even with more and more coin going towards his care, his condition declined. Rapidly. With all her experience, she could see what was coming plain as day, but refused to believe it.

She saw the notice calling for Traveller’s companions on a Saturday. Her father died on Tuesday. Today is Thursday, and she’ll be at the east gates with all she owns at the crack of dawn. There’s nothing left for her to do in this city now—time to find those adventures she’s been dreaming of.