Biography
Character Name: Ekateryna Irishivna Krylenko (Katya)
Character Age: 30
How Long They've Been in the Deck: Five Years
Character Rank: Queen of Spades
Character History: how did they come to the Deck, what have they done since they got here?
Katya is Ukrainian by birth (Russian father and Ukrainian mother) and was born and raised outside of Kiev. She came from a traditional family, of which she was the brightest star, but the only girl. Her younger brother, Dimitri, was ten years younger than she, and so her father treated her much as he would have a much-coveted son. He began training her in Samooborona Bez Oruzhiya (SAMBO), krav maga, small arms, knives. He stopped once Dimitri was old enough, but by then, Katya had found other people willing to teach her, including the sword master who had trained three members of the Ukrainian World Team.
She was a bit of a tomboy and saw no reason to stop being one just because she finally had brothers. She grew up tall and athletic and beautiful. Around thirteen, she discovered boys (and girls. This caused even more arguments at home. A good daughter would not flirt, would not smile, would not do such things. When Vasily Alexandrovich Krylenko informed his daughter she would not go on to university, it was the last straw. She left home that night.
She entered the Army at 15 (lying about her age) serving in a peacekeeping force in Kosovo and later a combat unit in Iraq. There the CSO A (Ukraine Special Forces) recruited Katya. Katya’s skills were much appreciated by the Special Forces. She became the only female instructor in SAMBO, and later, Krav Maga. She thought her star was rising when she was promoted to Starshyna (Master Sergeant). But women aren't often promoted to officer ranks in the Ukraine, particularly women who are known to beat underlings when warranted. One such underling was severely brain injured after Katya caught him forcing himself on a young boy and reacted accordingly. The man had friends in high places, and Katya was dishonorably discharged and considered lucky to have avoided jail time.
She drifted then, a well-honed weapon aimed at nothing, finally recruited by the Bratva (Brotherhood). There is but one use for women in the Bratva. Katya took exception at the attempt to lure her into white slavery. Several bodies later, she came to an understanding with her Voř v Zakone. This wise man realized Katya, who saw death as the ultimate punishment, would make an excellent assassin. Katya not only excelled at killing, she was clean, quick and efficient. Her looks, brains and special training gave her an advantage that most assassins lacked.
But a shift in power brought her former compatriots down on her. Things grew too hot. Four years ago she found the Deck and the Spades. Her skills allowed her the chance to challenge in at a higher level. She took advantage of that opportunity, entering as a Six and challenging up to her current level of Ten, one challenge a year. Sadly, two of her opponents suffered accidental injuries that later led to their deaths. Another hung himself after his defeat and the last disappeared altogether, probably leaving the Deck to return Outside. (These coincidences can have nothing to do with Katya's dislike of leaving an enemy behind her.)
Every death can be neatly explained, thus no one complained about the bodies left in her wake.
Katya is well-versed in Samozashchita Bez Oruzhiya (Sambo) and Krav Maga, as well as lovingly fond of a variety of weapons, particularly knives and garrotes. She wears a beautiful watch on her left wrist that she never removes. The watch contains her garrote. One flick of the clasp and she is ready to kill.
Challenges:
6 to 7: Sambo
7 to 8: Swords
8 to 9: Krav Maga
9 to 10: Knives
Other skills/hobbies:
Balalaika, bandura and guitar, carving, pysanka (Ukrainian eggs), speaks Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Polish, and English. (Katya actually understands English much better than she speaks it.) She has a passing familiarity with Albanian, Farsi, French and Italian and can swear and toast drinks in 27 languages. She has at least one drink of horolka (vodka) every night in honor to absent comrades. Katya uses her horolka as an ice breaker and actually drinks far less than most people realize. She once killed a man by poisoning him, and thus never drinks from an open bottle. Chives is the only person at Spade castle currently who she trusts to prepare her food and drink.
Character's Goals/Ambitions:
Katya is one of the few--if not the only--Spade to remain neutral, serving the Royals equally, trustworthy to all but not privy to their deepest secrets. At first, she held back because she was assessing them. Later, she came to believe that her Suit could be best served without the in-fighting that was happening.
Her goal, foremost is to strengthen her Suit and, hence, the Deck. She's from Outside. The Deck seems huge to people who were born there or who have lived among them for years, but it is actually very small. The advent of the Arcana, for instance, proves the need for a more unified Deck.
But the Deck cannot be unified if the individual Suits are not strong. Each Suit attracts a certain type of person. Strong individual Suits make for a stronger Deck, so long as the Suits work with rather than hinder the others. In this regard, she admires David the most for what he has brought to the Spades and his tireless attempts to achieve these goals, hopes that Julien will settle into serving his Suit more, is watching to see whether the new Jack settles into his position and decides to serve his Suit and not just their King, and is icily furious at the former Queen for the timing of her abdication. She understands the whys; however, Katya feels Athena could have held off until the turmoil and possible danger presented by the Arcana had subsided.
Katya naturally has personal goals, but those come secondary. She was drawn to the Deck for a number of reasons. One of those may not be as noticeable to a Westerner. However, both in the Army and the Bratva, Katya's advancement was stalled because of her gender. The Deck treats male and female equally. She could not imagine displacing the Ace or Queen while they served her Suit and while the King would disapprove, but that does not mean she has not thought that someday those positions could become available to her. She appreciates that possibility much more than some others might.
Challenges
Katya entered the Deck four years ago and, after giving Alek Kastrati enough of a drubbing, she was allowed to enter as a Six. She was 25 years old.
On her 26th birthday, she challenged Roman Volkov in SAMBO. She had won five of the seven rounds decisively so it is unfortunate that he broke his neck (dying instantly) when Katya performed a nognitsy (scissors take down) but at least she was now a Seven.
At 27, she challenged Hamasaki Mai to a sword fight to first blood, winning in 1:09 minutes. Hamasaki was found two days later in her rooms, an apparent suicide. Katya was now 8 of Spades.
At 28, she challenged twice. From 8 to 9 she challenged Nissa Sokol in krav maga. Sokol suffered a broken L4 vertebra and serious complications which left her paralyzed from the waist down. She was taken to a hospital Outside and chose not to return to the Deck. Katya suffered a broken right fibula and left wrist, yet oddly, no one chose to challenge her for her rank at this time.
Six months later, she challenged Alexio Metaxes in daggers, three touches. Alexio got one hit on Katya's left arm, she returned the favor by nicking his belly and to his misfortune, he dodged the wrong way while she was going in for a hit on his chest and her knife wound up slicing into his carotid. The former Ten bled out before he could be saved and Katya assumed his rank.
Character Age: 30
How Long They've Been in the Deck: Five Years
Character Rank: Queen of Spades
Character History: how did they come to the Deck, what have they done since they got here?
Katya is Ukrainian by birth (Russian father and Ukrainian mother) and was born and raised outside of Kiev. She came from a traditional family, of which she was the brightest star, but the only girl. Her younger brother, Dimitri, was ten years younger than she, and so her father treated her much as he would have a much-coveted son. He began training her in Samooborona Bez Oruzhiya (SAMBO), krav maga, small arms, knives. He stopped once Dimitri was old enough, but by then, Katya had found other people willing to teach her, including the sword master who had trained three members of the Ukrainian World Team.
She was a bit of a tomboy and saw no reason to stop being one just because she finally had brothers. She grew up tall and athletic and beautiful. Around thirteen, she discovered boys (and girls. This caused even more arguments at home. A good daughter would not flirt, would not smile, would not do such things. When Vasily Alexandrovich Krylenko informed his daughter she would not go on to university, it was the last straw. She left home that night.
She entered the Army at 15 (lying about her age) serving in a peacekeeping force in Kosovo and later a combat unit in Iraq. There the CSO A (Ukraine Special Forces) recruited Katya. Katya’s skills were much appreciated by the Special Forces. She became the only female instructor in SAMBO, and later, Krav Maga. She thought her star was rising when she was promoted to Starshyna (Master Sergeant). But women aren't often promoted to officer ranks in the Ukraine, particularly women who are known to beat underlings when warranted. One such underling was severely brain injured after Katya caught him forcing himself on a young boy and reacted accordingly. The man had friends in high places, and Katya was dishonorably discharged and considered lucky to have avoided jail time.
She drifted then, a well-honed weapon aimed at nothing, finally recruited by the Bratva (Brotherhood). There is but one use for women in the Bratva. Katya took exception at the attempt to lure her into white slavery. Several bodies later, she came to an understanding with her Voř v Zakone. This wise man realized Katya, who saw death as the ultimate punishment, would make an excellent assassin. Katya not only excelled at killing, she was clean, quick and efficient. Her looks, brains and special training gave her an advantage that most assassins lacked.
But a shift in power brought her former compatriots down on her. Things grew too hot. Four years ago she found the Deck and the Spades. Her skills allowed her the chance to challenge in at a higher level. She took advantage of that opportunity, entering as a Six and challenging up to her current level of Ten, one challenge a year. Sadly, two of her opponents suffered accidental injuries that later led to their deaths. Another hung himself after his defeat and the last disappeared altogether, probably leaving the Deck to return Outside. (These coincidences can have nothing to do with Katya's dislike of leaving an enemy behind her.)
Every death can be neatly explained, thus no one complained about the bodies left in her wake.
Katya is well-versed in Samozashchita Bez Oruzhiya (Sambo) and Krav Maga, as well as lovingly fond of a variety of weapons, particularly knives and garrotes. She wears a beautiful watch on her left wrist that she never removes. The watch contains her garrote. One flick of the clasp and she is ready to kill.
Challenges:
6 to 7: Sambo
7 to 8: Swords
8 to 9: Krav Maga
9 to 10: Knives
Other skills/hobbies:
Balalaika, bandura and guitar, carving, pysanka (Ukrainian eggs), speaks Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Polish, and English. (Katya actually understands English much better than she speaks it.) She has a passing familiarity with Albanian, Farsi, French and Italian and can swear and toast drinks in 27 languages. She has at least one drink of horolka (vodka) every night in honor to absent comrades. Katya uses her horolka as an ice breaker and actually drinks far less than most people realize. She once killed a man by poisoning him, and thus never drinks from an open bottle. Chives is the only person at Spade castle currently who she trusts to prepare her food and drink.
Character's Goals/Ambitions:
Katya is one of the few--if not the only--Spade to remain neutral, serving the Royals equally, trustworthy to all but not privy to their deepest secrets. At first, she held back because she was assessing them. Later, she came to believe that her Suit could be best served without the in-fighting that was happening.
Her goal, foremost is to strengthen her Suit and, hence, the Deck. She's from Outside. The Deck seems huge to people who were born there or who have lived among them for years, but it is actually very small. The advent of the Arcana, for instance, proves the need for a more unified Deck.
But the Deck cannot be unified if the individual Suits are not strong. Each Suit attracts a certain type of person. Strong individual Suits make for a stronger Deck, so long as the Suits work with rather than hinder the others. In this regard, she admires David the most for what he has brought to the Spades and his tireless attempts to achieve these goals, hopes that Julien will settle into serving his Suit more, is watching to see whether the new Jack settles into his position and decides to serve his Suit and not just their King, and is icily furious at the former Queen for the timing of her abdication. She understands the whys; however, Katya feels Athena could have held off until the turmoil and possible danger presented by the Arcana had subsided.
Katya naturally has personal goals, but those come secondary. She was drawn to the Deck for a number of reasons. One of those may not be as noticeable to a Westerner. However, both in the Army and the Bratva, Katya's advancement was stalled because of her gender. The Deck treats male and female equally. She could not imagine displacing the Ace or Queen while they served her Suit and while the King would disapprove, but that does not mean she has not thought that someday those positions could become available to her. She appreciates that possibility much more than some others might.
Challenges
Katya entered the Deck four years ago and, after giving Alek Kastrati enough of a drubbing, she was allowed to enter as a Six. She was 25 years old.
On her 26th birthday, she challenged Roman Volkov in SAMBO. She had won five of the seven rounds decisively so it is unfortunate that he broke his neck (dying instantly) when Katya performed a nognitsy (scissors take down) but at least she was now a Seven.
At 27, she challenged Hamasaki Mai to a sword fight to first blood, winning in 1:09 minutes. Hamasaki was found two days later in her rooms, an apparent suicide. Katya was now 8 of Spades.
At 28, she challenged twice. From 8 to 9 she challenged Nissa Sokol in krav maga. Sokol suffered a broken L4 vertebra and serious complications which left her paralyzed from the waist down. She was taken to a hospital Outside and chose not to return to the Deck. Katya suffered a broken right fibula and left wrist, yet oddly, no one chose to challenge her for her rank at this time.
Six months later, she challenged Alexio Metaxes in daggers, three touches. Alexio got one hit on Katya's left arm, she returned the favor by nicking his belly and to his misfortune, he dodged the wrong way while she was going in for a hit on his chest and her knife wound up slicing into his carotid. The former Ten bled out before he could be saved and Katya assumed his rank.