[hider=Katerina]
[u][b]Name:[/b][/u] Katerina Valentina 

[u][b]Age:[/b][/u] 25

[u][b]Gender:[/b][/u] Female

[u][b]Race:[/b][/u] Half-Elf

[u][b]Appearance:[/b][/u]

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[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/767581646408646716/1006955199975391272/unknown.png[/img]
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[hider=Armor Reference]
[img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/e6e289bb-196d-4a15-bb3d-9fa433f61cff/d93xgo5-1ed6909d-f88e-40c3-929c-cbc711201105.jpg/v1/fill/w_1024,h_1919,q_75,strp/mage_concept_by_jasontn_d93xgo5-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTkxOSIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2U2ZTI4OWJiLTE5NmQtNGExNS1iYjNkLTlmYTQzM2Y2MWNmZlwvZDkzeGdvNS0xZWQ2OTA5ZC1mODhlLTQwYzMtOTI5Yy1jYmM3MTEyMDExMDUuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEwMjQifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.dk6KfATiA63gEHClo5kktIQ0QE-UEChENxLdqPYJMSM[/img]
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Standing at 5'11.5" with an athletic build to her, Katerina looks the part of a well-kept knight when in casual attire. Sporting dark viridian hair that reaches down to her mid back, she usually keeps at least part of it braided or tied, out of the way of her emerald eyes. She seems rather attentive even in her neutral pose, as if making mental notes of specific details or another. 

[u][b]Personality:[/b][/u]

Katerina held a lifelong suspicion that most people had thought of her as either banal or revolting, through most who had met her as an affable and sharp woman, if possessive of a grim sense of humor. While usually agreeable in small talk and casual conversation, Katerina can get very protective about things she has grown fond of, whether that be her steward approach when dealing with those she considers close to her or her rather territorial approach when she sees her interests being interfered upon. At first, Katerina often views other with some caution, though if there's any consolation in the matter, when she does eventually open up they will likewise find that she values tranquility and periods of independence. She can also be fiercely stubborn, difficult to change her mind or talk her out of something once she's made her mind up.

If one should wish to test out the limits of her defensive posturing, call her a "witch". 
 
[u][b]Brief Backstory:[/b][/u]

Katerina was born on the borderlands of Velt to a human wizard and an elven traveling bard. Her early life was mired with ceaseless household troubles, the result of both her parents free-spirited personae and the chaotic lives with which they both lived brought no shortage of conflicts between the two. The last memory that she had of her father was when she was six years old -- her parents were engaged in one of their usual mutually-drunken arguments, one last remark had seen the two through, and father packed up his belongings and sang to his daughter [i]"Farewell My Darling"[/i] while her mother threw shoes at him. In the words of one of her tutors, her mother was, "A good woman who could not be a good mother" -- as Katerina grew up, she commented that this translated as, "A deadbeat mom with extra steps". 

Though she had a great natural inclination to magic from a young age, Katerina lived most of her early life in the accompaniment of her mother's bardic troupe -- in practice, this meant flinging her between the houses of friends and acquaintances. Katerina leveraged whatever tutelage she could find for magic, often of dubious safety and highly varying in quality. She had many mentors throughout her early pedagogy, and although she had constantly petitioned her mother to be sent off to a proper magical school, Katerina's mother insisted that she had neither the resources nor the peerage to enroll her. As such, Katerina had to get crafty with her magical studies, and often learned from secondhand sources, such as other magical students around her age, old manuscripts, and the like. 

At the onset of the War of the Red Flag, Katerina found herself pressed into service within the ranks of a clerical corps, whom were to travel alongside bands of soldiers to provide care and medical service, after she had been in the study of a pastor for a few weeks. She was less than pleased about the fact at first, but as disaster after disaster ran through the course of the war's chaotic onset, Katerina proved to have an uncanny knack for persevering through sticky situations, as she provided an invaluable bulwark in poorly-organized retreats. When asked about where she received her knowledge of magic, Katerina often jokingly answered, "The College of the Verdant Weald" -- that is to say, witchcraft. Much to her chagrin, she received the moniker, "The Witch Knight" on account that she had never given any consistent answer as to where she received her magical training.

After the war, Katerina would find some difficulties finding permanent employment, even as her mother -- believing that her newfound title had meant she had made quite the amount of fame and fortune -- constantly made attempts to hit her up for currency. She found inglorious work as the bodyguard to a renowned alchemist supplier, and although the postwar realities were rather unkind to his supply chains, Katerina had managed to surprise him time and time again when tasked to protect shipments or retrieve alchemy ingredients. Though he could not offer her much in the way of direct advancement, he saw the displeasure in Katerina at her current life situation, and at his recommendation he had vouched to her that she should join a knightly order. At first, she believed that he had simply grown tired of him and was looking to be rid of her, but soon after came around to the idea and had been ensquired unto the Iron Rose Knights.

[u][b]Equipment:[/b][/u]

Katerina's armor is a simple breastplate adorned atop some mage's robes, now bearing the insignia of the Iron Rose. Accompanying her are a few magical talismans, most evidently include an incense censer and a deck of cards with align themselves with magical insignia. To battle she carries a steel flanged mace, adorned with a spike atop the hammerhead. She also carries a thin, puncturing dagger with a single bladed edge.

[u][b]Skills:[/b][/u]

Kateria's magical education came from whichever sources she was able to find, and has at least a dabbling proficiency with all but the most obscure or profane of magical schools. With such a patchwork field of magical expertise, Katerina has eventually refined her magical skills into proficiency with life magic. In particular, she is quite knowledgeable with healing magic -- of which she has had ample expertise in dealing with since the years of her line of work. She also has some knowledge regarding the application of and dispelling of hexes and curses as a result, though most of the more direct applications of putting curses onto things or people are beyond her area of expertise: Katerina is more used to ridding people of hexes than giving them out. In addition, she's quite the hand with pyromancy and electromancy -- which she's had plenty of time to refine both during and immediately after the war. Although she's quite athletic and in good shape, Katerina has not had much direct weapons training beyond the basics of combat instruction, and instead prefers to utilize a stripped-down array of simple, effective techniques than apply any advanced combat maneuvers.

Outside of battle, Katerina is quite fond of most card games, and dabbles in literature and horticulture. She's also a [i]fantastic[/i] cook: Her lamb casserole is [i]to die for.[/i]
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