Natalya Stepovna

Ivan Stepov (Uncle)

Danila Stepov (Brother)

**Natalya Stepovna** is a once-NPC, now Player Character in Primed RP played by Ellaine Simpkin.

## Physical Description

Taking after her mother's features, Natalya stands at 5'2"(157cm) and 128lbs (58kg) with tan-brown skin and wild, curly black hair. Bright, icy-blue eyes sit beneath a pair of bushy eyebrows, accompanied by a snub nose and full, dark lips. Her build could be described as 'stocky'. Her mother often joked that Natalya "grew out and not up", due to her relatively short stature and curvy frame.

More often than not, Natalya is seen sporting a large, comfortable orange tunic, the left sleeve of which has been torn off, under which sits a baggy light-grey undershirt. A large, red sash keeps it and a pair of dark-grey sarouel in place, all supported by a pair of black travellers boots. In addition, Natalya is almost never seen without a large collection of scrolls rested in a pouch at the small of her back, accompanied by a set of calligrapher's tools.

Natalya often wears a good amount of jewellery; each ear boast a pair of rings, and a large necklace rests about her collarbone. Some locks of hair had even had bands of gold woven into them.

## Background

A native to the city of Istoriya and the eldest of two children, Natalya was born to the Stepovna family - a wealthy, upper class family with close ties to the Church of Moira. There she was afforded many luxuries, the most influential of which being a finely tuned education, both academic and religious, along with her younger brother Danila.

Throughout her studies, two things became clear for the girl; her affinity with the quill, and her passion for the arcane. It was these qualities that motivated her father, Lyonechka, to pursue claiming a position for her at the Drakonvakhta, studying and cataloguing the artifacts of the Dragon Vaults.

As Natalya's studies came to a close, Lyonechka's efforts bore fruit; Natalya was accepted into the ranks of the Church and the Vault, working beneath the Bozhestvo to catalogue and even replicate the many artifacts stored within its walls.

It was there that Natalya met a pair that would go on to be close friends of hers; Katenka Nikitovna and Evgenia Jenya, affectionately called Niki and Jen respectively. The three of them worked together in one branch of the Drakonvakhta, each working on their own pet projects while assisting the others with theirs.

However, Natalya was not brought on solely to work as a Vault Archivist. In truth, it was her expertise with a quill and parchment that convinced the Church to take her on as one of their own. Not all measures of maintaining order within the city were above board, and more hands were needed to ensure the regulation of 'proper' information to the public.

So it was that Natalya found her passion as an Archivist, and her career as a Propaganda Artist. Few could match her skill or speed with a quill, and though she often complained about the nature of the tasks given to her,she always carried them out with a healthy combination of quality and reliability.

## Character Connections

**Menyat' Parfenko:** Natalya and Menyat' are... Complicated. Since the pair first started working together, Natalya's life has grown utterly chaotic and dangerous. This is to say nothing of the public eye's belief that the pair are currently courting each-other. Yet, she'd be lying if she denied having any feelings for him...

**Theadora LeGrand:** One would expect Natalya to have little interest or interaction with young Theadora, but one would be wrong for assuming such! Natalya's earliest meeting with Theadora was quite literally the little Tiefling saving her life, after all. ..Actually, that happened twice.

**Kevin Dawnson:** While Natalya appreciates Kevin for his work in keeping her and Menyat' away from Hush at the ball, prior interactions with him have her preferring to keep him at arms length. She trusts him about as far as she can throw him.

**Hush:** To call Natalya uneasy around Hush would be the understatement of the age. Given that her first impression of the fellow as a kidnapping attempt, all future interactions with Hush carry an air of caution. His persistence with acquiring information from both herself and Menyat', coupled with events at the Ball, have painted him as a dangerous threat in Natalya's eyes.

## Recent History

#### The Interviews

Alas, poor Natalya's life wasn't to go as smoothly as she wished it to. Following a series of rumours surrounding the life and death of one Chast'Krov, Natalya was assigned by the Drakonvakhta to gather information from various sources and craft a modified history that would settle public unrest within the city.

Little did Natalya know, this would be the day that her comfortable life would be turned on its head.

The chief concern to be dealt with, even greater than the rumours themselves, was the insufferable creativity of the local playwright, Vasalie. Due to the pair's professions, they were often at odds with each-other with Natalya often being ordered to restrain his rampant creativity. In this case, Vasalie had it in mind to create a play depicting the events surrounding Chast'Krov's death - something that the Vault, and by extension Natalya, would have to keep a close eye on.

Vasalie, thankfully, proved somewhat straightforward. What proved to truly start the chaos, however, was Father Parfenko. More to the point, Father Parfenko's son, Menyat'.

After an interview with Father Parfenko, the fellow assigned Menyat' to work alongside Natalya in the interviews to both keep her safe and allow Menyat' to explore the city after his recent return. Despite her initial protests of having a 'Bulky show-off' accompanying her on her work, Menyat' proved quite a helpful sort. He accompanied her on a number of other interviews, most notably one with Father Yuri.

One of the many rumours surrounding Chast'Krov was that the Church of Moira had psionic assassins under its employ, and that Chast'Krov was one of them. Such rumours Natalya hoped to dispel via testament of Father Yuri... And such rumours were entirely *confirmed* by Father Yuri's testament in turn. Such a revelation was jarring for poor Natalya to say the least, let alone the fact that Menyat' had also been informed of all of this via proxy.

#### The Waylay and the Boarding House

After another series of interviews, Natalya attempted to return to the Drakonvakhta under Menyat's escort, only to be waylaid in her caravan by one such assassin - a man she would later learn was named Hush. Thanks to the quick action of Menyat' and a passing Theadora, the assassin was apprehended and taken to a quiet place by Menyat' for interrogation. Natalya, on the other hand, thought it smart to have a change in location to hide away for a time; her final interview was to be with one Mama Nadeska, who ran a boarding house in the Spinning District. After a somewhat curt interview, Natalya and Menyat both pursued - and shortly after acquired - shelter at the house.

In one day, Natalya had had her faith in the Church's motives shaken and her sense of safety all but shattered.

During her time in the boarding house, Natalya became familiar with its inhabitants, and began speaking with Menyat' ever more frequently due to their mutual secrets. The pair's frequent interactions, however, appeared to gain the attention of some individuals quick to assume a blossoming romance between the pair. Such rumours would only be exacerbated as Menyat invited Natalya out to a nearby park one morning so the pair might discuss recent matters in private.

#### The Ring, the Revolution, the Ball

It was there that Natalya found out about Menyat's growing ambition; he wished to address the corruption within the Church, to the extent of leading a people's revolution and overthrowing Father Yuri. Of course, Natalya was initially incredulous, but soon fell into an understandable stint of panic upon being told such sensitive information. After being calmed down by Menyat', a time was arranged for Natalya to interview Menyat' for a recent raid on a Polska hideout elevating him to the position of a war hero, and the Archivist was escorted to her place of work... Though not after she was extended an invitation to accompany Menyat' to the ball.

During her time at work, Natalya sought out her superior, Mother Elizabeta, and explained the recent events with Father Yuri and his psionics, petitioning the acquisition of an item known as a Ring of Mind Shielding for safety and study. Upon claiming the item, Natalya spent the weeks leading up to the ball researching the item, learning its properties and creating a recipe to craft more with the aid of a second, spare ring.

As for the ball... Ever a source of dread for poor Natalya. While her fellow archivists Niki and Jen flourished in such social environments, Natalya was more of a fish out of water; a fact that frustrated her friends endlessly, who vowed to do something about her tomboyish, antisocial nature. So it was that on the day of the ball, when Natalya was ready to leave in her usual tunic, she was waylaid by her friends and all but trapped in her office until she agreed to surrender herself to a fate even worse than her recent strife: dress-up.

Meeting her outside of the Vault with a carriage, Menyat' would find an almost unrecognizable Natalya; her wild mane of curled hair was tamed and straightened, her comfortable tunic and scroll pouch exchanged for a sleek, form-hugging blue dress, laden with jewellery and various artifacts to represent the Vault. Why, she'd even been put into a heavy face of make-up adorned with a fanciful Masquerade mask!

If only the ball itself were so innocently frustrating.

Out of her element as she was, Natalya spent the duration of the ball all but glued to Menyat's arm, barking away any potential assailants.. Much to the credit of the rumours surrounding the pair's blooming relationship. Even her friends and coworkers were now convinced of Natalya's feelings for the man. This would only be the focus of the night until a familiar face was spied; Hush, with his gaze set on Menyat'. What followed was an unabashedly chaotic night, culminating in an altercation between Hush and Menyat' in one of the private rooms on the upper floors, with a frightened Natalya looking on.

Disconnected from the pair's psionic communication as she was, Natalya was left unaware of the particulars of their confrontation. All that she found out was that there was another assassin in the building, and that neither Natalya or Menyat' were safe there. ...Oh, and there was the incident of Natalya's superior, Mother Elizabeta, being summoned to the room to find Natalya in a rather compromised state alongside Menyat' - a cover-up on Natalya's part in case of anyone discovering the pair hiding away. Of all the people to see her in such a state...

#### In Flight

Towards the end of the ball, whilst Natalya spoke with Theadora - unabashedly supportive of the blossoming relationship between Natalya and Menyat' - a decision was made. Menyat' would have to flee the city due to information discovered by Hush, and due to her involvement, Natalya would have to leave with him.