Anastasia Volkov - City Gangrel

Character Information

Character Name: Anastasia Volkov
Clan: City Gangrel
Generation: 10th
Age: 100
Sect: Independent
Sire: Ivan
Disciplines: Celerity, Obfuscate, Protean, Quietus (With Additional Discipline merit)
Backgrounds: Generation 3 - Underworld Ties 2 (Drug)
Merits:

(7pt Merits for 7pt Flaws)
Acute Sense - Sight (1 pt)
Ambidextrous (1 pt)
Additional Discipline (5 pt) - Quietus

Flaws:

Touch of Frost (1 pt)
Vengeful (2 pt)
Territorial (2 pt)
Beacon of Unholy (2 pt)


Additional Features:
Background Story:

In the last years of the 1800s, under the grand shadow of the Russian Empire, Anastasia Volkov was born into a world on the verge of big changes. In the winter of 1894, her life started during the final moments of an era known for its grandeur and sharp contrasts. Being the daughter of freed serfs, she was grounded in a history of struggle, her family's freedom was hardly real against the ongoing poverty and old traditions.

Her father, Mikhail, worked hard on the land that once owned him, while her mother, Ekaterina, filled their small, cozy home with old stories and dreams that never came true.

The huge, wild lands of Russia, with its thick forests and cold rivers, were both a playground and a strict teacher for young Stasya. Here, in nature's hug, she sharpened her senses and spirit, moving silently and always alert. These early years, soaked in the land's untouched beauty and her parents' stories, built a strong will and a deep bond with the world around her.

Yet, the warmth of family and lessons from nature couldn't protect her from the tough realities ahead. The early 1900s brought famine, taking her parents and leaving Stasya alone at just ten. On her own, she moved to the heart of St. Petersburg, driven by need and a slim hope for a better life.

The city, full of hope, sadness, and revolutionary energy, became Stasya's new test. She quickly learned to survive in the city, her natural talents turning into the skill to move through dangerous streets. She became a ghost among people, her small body weaving through crowds, her hands quick to take what she needed unnoticed. But theft was just one part of her survival, Stasya also learned to read the city's mood, to find safe spots in its ignored places, and to trade information for protection or a bit of food.

In this place of revolution, Stasya's path crossed with Ivan's, a person whose past with the Sabbat cast a long shadow over their futures. Ivan, marked by the Sabbat and chased for turning away from them, saw in Stasya not just a survivor but a similar soul. His influence changed her understanding of survival into something much deeper. With his help, she saw the hidden sides of St. Petersburg and the broader world of creatures like them, a destiny now tightly linked to hers.

Over time, their connection grew, leading to the Embrace, Stasya's transformation into a creature of the night. This moment, showing her vulnerability, not only changed her very being but also cemented her bond with Ivan.

After Stasya's Embrace, the streets of Russia, once familiar, now threw long shadows full of danger. The night, with its new colors visible to Stasya's eyes, brought not just wonder but also the knowledge of hidden threats. Ivan, her creator and partner in this new life, had enemies unwilling to leave him in peace. Their independence, rare in the structured society of their kind, marked them as unpredictable and unsettling to those in power.
The core of their danger was the Sabbat. Ivan, once involved with their dark plans, had chosen a different path, one that didn't delight in chaos but sought understanding in the world's shadowed corners. The Sabbat didn't forgive his betrayal, and revenge was inevitable.

As they navigated Russia's nighttime landscape, signs of being followed increased. Rumors at night talked about a price on Ivan's head, attracting hunters looking for respect or forgiveness within the Sabbat's ranks. Stasya, new to her enhanced senses, felt the danger growing with each night.

Choosing to flee to Constantinople was Ivan's plan. The city, a blend of Eastern and Western worlds, was a place where history was layered, each layer a story of the city's endurance and change. Here, among remnants of empires and legends' birthplaces, they hoped to find a break and maybe allies hidden enough to offer protection from the Sabbat.

In Constantinople's shadowy heart, where past empires' echoes whispered in the streets, Anastasia Volkov and Ivan looked for safety from their pursuers. The city, a center of old history and secret power, was a temporary refuge in their flight. Yet, betrayal hid in its hidden alleys, leading them into the catacombs for a meeting that promised safety but led to deceit.

There, under the city's ancient surface, they met the Assamite assassin, a death messenger sent by unseen foes to end Ivan's lineage. The catacombs, silent keepers of centuries of secrets, became the stage for a fight that would change Anastasia's life forever. In the battle, Ivan was fatally wounded and met final death.

Anastasia, driven by a storm of grief and fierce anger, faced the weakened assassin in a desperate fight for revenge. Her victory leaned more on luck than on her ability to fight. In her anger, she committed an act of diablerie, taking the assassin's soul and with it, the dark power of Quietus.

This act, fueled by loss and the need to survive, marked Anastasia's change. She walked out of Constantinople's catacombs not just as a survivor but as the holder of a new, powerful legacy. Ivan's death, a deep scar on her soul, pushed her forward, his last lessons a guide for her solitary path.

After the dramatic events in Constantinople, Anastasia, bearing Ivan's death and learning the unsettling new power of Quietus, looked for refuge and a new beginning across the ocean. Her journey led her to New York in the late 20th century, a bustling city offering anonymity and a new urban jungle for survival.

New York presented a sharp contrast to Constantinople's ancient mysteries. Here, in the skyscrapers of steel and glass, Anastasia found a different chaos, not of political schemes and old feuds but of human ambition and the constant noise of modern life. Her nights were spent navigating the city's streets, a continuous struggle for survival among the city's other nighttime creatures.

In this large city, Anastasia lived simply as another creature of the night trying to make it through. Her dealings with New York's other creatures were careful, based on need rather than a wish for power or control. She was a shadow among other shadows, her presence felt but seldom seen, always on the edges of the city's supernatural dramas.

But the restlessness that had driven her across continents called to her again. Los Angeles, a light on the west coast, promised new challenges and chances. In 1994, with just her most essential belongings and the quiet memory of Ivan for company, Anastasia headed for the City of Angels.


Questions

1. Explain the way your character view the Traditions and each of the Sects.

The Traditions
She respects the Masquerade for its utility in preserving Kindred society from human scrutiny and the inevitable chaos that would follow its breach. However, her respect for the other Traditions is more pragmatic than reverential, recognizing their role in maintaining order but always questioning their application and the motivations behind those who enforce them.

The Sects
The Camarilla: Stasya has little love for the Camarilla, viewing it as an institution rife with hypocrisy, where power and control are masked as civilization and order. She sees its members as power-hungry, using the Traditions as chains to bind the individual will of Kindred. While she operates within the boundaries of the Camarilla's laws when necessary, particularly when in their cities, her compliance is a matter of convenience rather than allegiance.

The Sabbat: Her disdain for the Sabbat runs deep. Stasya sees them as a dangerous and fanatical sect, their rejection of the Masquerade and embrace of monstrousness a threat to all Kindred. She views their practices and rituals with contempt, considering them to be as much a yoke of control as the Camarilla's politicking, but dressed in the garb of freedom and rebellion.

The Anarchs: The Anarchs are the sect Stasya feels the most affinity with, understanding and admiring their quest for freedom and autonomy within the Kindred society. She appreciates their challenge to the old powers and their fight for individual rights, seeing in them a reflection of her own values.

The Independent Clans: Stasya holds a certain respect for the Independent Clans, seeing in them a reflection of her own desire to navigate the Kindred world on her own terms. She is particularly intrigued by their unique cultures and disciplines, always eager to learn more about their ways.

2. Explain in your own words about your character's Clan, in your answer include its curse and some history.


Stasya belongs to the City Gangrel, a variant of the Gangrel clan known for their adaptability and resilience within urban environments. The City Gangrel are usually closely associated with the Sabbat. They were known as Greek Gangrel in Dark Ages and they are considered the historical ancestors of what are known today as the City Gangrel.
Unlike the classic Gangrel who roam the wilderness, the Greek Gangrel found refuge within the burgeoning cities of mankind, learning to coexist in the shadow of human civilizations.
Same goes for City Gangrel, They are the embodiment of the urban predator, utilizing the concrete jungles of the world's cities as their hunting grounds.

As for the clan curse for the Gangrel, this curse manifests as a temporary bestial appearance or behavior with each frenzy they experience.

Hello!

Thank you for applying!

This is accepted with 20 experience points as bonus for the story.

With the following addition:

Dark Secret (3pt. Flaw): You've got a secret that if revealed you're essentially dead.
Dark Secret (->): You have committed the act of diablerie, and not during a Blood Hunt.