Profile
Anastasiya Novikova
formerly Natalya Firebird
- pronouns she/her
- species equine
- background Order Mage
- age 23
- height 16.3 hh
FIRE IN THE HEART SENDS SMOKE INTO THE HEAD.
Most call Firebirds things of legend, mythical creatures that spark and blaze and glow, burning all around them to ash, before birthing themselves again from the destruction they caused.
Clearly, they have not met the Firebird lineage.
Firebirds are an illustrious noble family in Ivras, so named for their fiery magic and hearts. Firebirds are warriors, full of passion and grit, and were raised to nobility after their grand defeat of a powerful monster- a witch gone mad with power, corrupted so far beyond normal that they could not be saved- only eliminated. The King at the time rewarded their bravery with a noble title.
With their newfound power and prestige, the Firebirds built themselves a legacy of fire- bright, passionate, and skilled. Those in their line that have magic (which are many) all seem to have powers of fire- no one knows how they make it so, but it is true nonetheless. Firebirds all go into the Order, where, after learning control over their magic, they can expect careers as professors, councillors, and enchanters. Those born without magic can often expect the same prosperity, although in fields without magic.
As for their wealth, the Firebirds are steelworkers, using their inherent gifts with fire to create armor, weaponry, and artwork for the Crown. This position, of being both politically and monetarily important to the King, has been beneficial for the Firebirds for many years, and they will do anything to keep it that way.
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(new words)
So when the shining jewel of the Crown, the Heir to all of their glory, lost control and killed four and severely injured a fifth, when her sanity was called into question as a result of a beast wearing her skin, the Firebirds protected themselves. Although they did their best to protect the girl as a way of protecting themselves, it was clear that she was beyond saving. She was to die- she was to die by their hooves, from their own powers- death by burning. They mourned her, but only the loss of the last true Heir, not the girl herself. Another would take her place, and the Firebirds would continue because of the girl's sacrifice.
They did not expect the girl to fight back.
Though she lost everything- her title, her power, her wealth, even her very name and face- she continued on. She shed the skin and trappings of her former life, much like the Firebirds her family was named for, and was reborn. Her old life died in a blaze of fiery pain and anger, and a new one began.
Lady Natalya Firebird is dead. All that remains is Anastasiya Novikova.
And now... the badge-hunting
and two more for good measure because Gold and Mercuriel are lovely
Personality
Natalya Firebird is a study in contrasts. Born as the Heir to the Firebird legacy, she is privileged and perhaps a touch spoiled- yet she is often thought of as lesser by her family. Her gifts with fire are still very weak, despite her age, and this has created some self-loathing in her mind. The Heir is supposed to be powerful- yet she is not. This supposed weakness leads her to be meek and a bit submissive.
However, she is far from calm and docile. Reckless* and impulsive*, she does what she wants, when she wants to, and is often prone to fits of fury*- far more so than for a Firebird with as little magic as her. She is passionate, too- for mages' rights, her family, the Crown- any cause that she agrees with, she will throw herself into wholeheartedly. She wears her heart on her metaphorical sleeve, and while young and inexperienced, she is genuine and caring for those around her.
(163 words)
* denotes personality traits affected by the Firebird magic
History
Natalya was born as a set of two, followed by her sister, Naviri. Growing up, the two were exceptionally close, thinking themselves both the Heirs to the Firebird line. That is, until it was revealed that since she was born first, Natalya would inherit- Naviri would be married off into another noble family. Naviri didn't understand- they had been born together and should be Heirs together, she said- but the words fell on deaf ears.
Naviri was betrothed to Wynston Crespiro practically from birth, another noble family who wanted to bolster their dying political power via marriage to a Firebird. Naviri protested, and a sudden canyon opened between the twins. They fought more and more often as their magic grew, fueled by the fury and hatred that their fire forced upon them. Deep down, Natalya still loved her twin, but she couldn't see beyond the raging firestorm inside her.
She burned Naviri in an argument over a dress, searing her fury into her twin's face forever. The healers did what they could, but nothing would work like it had before. Her beauty was ruined- one half perfect, the other a ruined mess of wrinkled flesh. And yet the marriage stayed in place, the groom willing to marry a "ruined beauty" so that he might gain access to the power Naviri held.
Natalya was not punished in the slightest by her family, tearing apart the last hopes for a good relationship between the twins.
Immediately after her outburst, the twins were sent to Namarast, traveling separately. It would take time for Naviri to be healthy enough, strong enough, to travel. Natalya arrived, ready to train so that she might control the flames beneath her skin, but Naviri never did. Her entire entourage went missing, and to this day no one in the Firebird family knows what became of her. This loss tempered the flames for a full year, Natalya pushing her magic away, hating her family and mourning Naviri's loss. She knew that her position as Heir, and not Naviri, had led to this, and while she did her best in the Order, she failed to grow her power, only learning discipline.
Natalya was still an apprentice at the age of 22, serving another fire mage in hopes that she will grow to do more than simply create and control fire- to access the possibility of rebirth via flame, shapeshifting, and other fiery powers of her family. However, as she aged, the Order began to wonder if she would even reach those heights, or if it would be better for her to become an enchanter and cut her losses.
And then came the flames.
A few words, implying the loss of her twin to slavery and not to death, were all it took to unleash the beast living beneath her skin. Her magic, having grown a mind of its own, hated being trapped behind the mental block Natalya had put there after she had so cruelly destroyed her sister's life. It attacked, its fury and flames killing four and severely wounding a fifth.
She went willingly to her prison, to her gilded cage, to her trial- but she would not go willingly to the executioner's pyre.
Natalya escaped, shedding all of who she was before in an effort to survive, to taste true freedom for once in her entire life. Her face, her status, her wealth- gone. In its place was a young woman finally freed, who wanted her life to mean something.
Without her family's ties to shackle her, she is able to make a move of her own volition for the first time in her life. Although her dreams of rebellion against the Order are delayed by her search for a new, permanent face and papers so that she might not be instantly targeted, her movements and actions are her own.
The Lady is dead. Long live the Rebel.
(804)
Phoenix's Flames
Firebirds all share a similar type of magic- the mastery over fire. There are many applications to this magic, but above all else, one thing is clear: Firebirds cannot be harmed by fire of their own making or under their control. Now free of her mental block, Anastasiya's power is rapidly growing and developing, although she does worry about her lack of control. She has a pair of bounty shackles that completely cut her off from her magic, which she uses to control any outbursts that could immediately identify her as the infamous missing criminal- and to keep Senán in check.
As of right now, when not shackled, Anastasiya is able to do the following:
- Control existing fires
- Whether it be the light from a match, a campfire or a wild blaze, Anastasiya is able to control that fire and bend it to her will, making it grow larger (up to 125 feet in diameter), smaller, or extinguish it entirely.
- Create her own fire
- This is more taxing for Anastasiya, but she can make her own fire, either on or around her (no more than 25 feet away), and grow one fire up to 125 feet cubed, or up to 10 small fires, around 12.5 feet cubed. She can make her own fire grow larger, smaller, or extinguish it at will. In times of anger or stress or any negative emotion (although it can happen with some positive or neutral emotions), she can also cloak herself in flame, where it coats her body. This can and will burn others and any clothing she is wearing, but will NEVER harm her body/herself.
- Shape fire
- This is more of an artistic touch, but it also helps demonstrate a Firebird's control. Anastasiya can make basic shapes out of her fire, such as rectangles and triangles, and can make more complex images such as birds, flowers, etc. Her shapes are no longer pixelated, and are incredibly detailed. She is able to affect the color of her flames, making them appear nearly any color she wishes.
- Breathe fire
- Anastasiya is now able to use her fire much more like a weapon, exhaling her flame in a 90 foot long, 30 foot wide cone. This ability takes a moment to "charge," at which point her entire neck appears to be lit up from the inside, and her face begins to glow. When she exhales her flames, the tissue on the inside of her mouth appears to glow, as well as any and all areas with mucosal membranes, and her eyes appear lit from within. After using this attack once, she must take about 20 seconds to recharge before she can "charge" her ability again.
- Heal
- The Firebird's gift of rebirth and renewal doesn't just affect the user itself. Anastasiya is now capable of healing severe, but not mortal, wounds- closing a deep gash, cauterizing and healing arteries, curing an infection, easing severe aches and pains, mending complex broken bones, and closing complex wounds without scarring- for both herself and others. As she grows more powerful, so will her healing.
- Resurrection
- Along with healing comes resurrection. When Anastasiya is killed, her magic will resurrect her, with all mortal wounds closed and healed, but non-lethal wounds remaining. A large amount of fire magic is used to do this, and after a successful resurrection Anastasiya will have her power halved for up to three days, depending on the severity of the wounds she suffered.
- As of right now, Anastasiya has 4 extra lives- 5 full resurrections. She will gain more as she increases with power.
- Lost her life battling the corrupted Paroxysm, resurrected. Current standing: 4 extra lives.
- Immortality (15 Power + Discipline)
- Although she has not yet noticed, Anastasiya is now immortal. She is able to resurrect, which is a different type of immortality, but she will now no longer age and look in her twenties forever.
Costs
- Magic has a long-term adverse emotional effect on the caster, whether it is in use or not.
- Like all Firebirds, the raw firepower (pun intended) of their magic makes it so that they are reckless and impulsive, and often filled with fury. It takes a great amount of discipline to recognize and attempt to control these feelings, so young Firebirds are often guided by an older Firebird who can let them know when their feelings are magic-caused, rather than normal. Recently, Anastasiya has gained some control over these feelings. While she is still prone to bouts of rage, they are seemingly controlled by... something else.
"Familiar"
Anastasiya's "familiar" is... not something normally seen. It is a manifestation of that ancient, forbidden power that she locked away for her own safety and the safety of others. With the mental block gone, her power has taken on its own form and personality, which grows stronger as she does.
She calls him Senán, meaning little old one, for it is ancient and old... but it is certainly not little. It is a physical representation of the magic inside her, having clawed its way free (in a way) after her interaction with Mordreaux, the murder (by her, even if by accident) of some of her closest guards, and her imprisonment.
Senán is known for his ancient ways and somewhat-garbled speech, and for the almost-hypnotic effect he has on Anastasiya's mind. He may now appear outside of her mind, but he is still his own creature, capable of influencing her emotions and actions.
As of right now, this form and his speech, as well as his burning coat and ability to burst into flame, are most of what he can do. He has recently been able to start interacting with others in a physical manner, although Anastasiya has begun to work on reining that in, and threatens him with time in the shackles if he pushes her too far.
Still, controlling him is a challenge, and Anastasiya struggles. He grows more powerful by the day, and there are times where he becomes exceedingly close to taking over Anastasiya's mind, wearing her skin as his own. Let us hope that Anastasiya can rein him in- for a fully-powered Senán, in control of a mortal host, is almost as dangerous as the monsters that roam Ivras.
(283)
Purchase history & STAT CHANGES
- Stat Tokens: +2 Power. 10/12/21. Bigger fires and the ability to cloak herself in flame.
- Familiar Scroll. 10/19/21. Gives Nat her familiar.
- -1 Cost. 11/12/21. Changes the emotional impact from constant to long-term.
- Stat Token: +1 Discipline. 3/24/22. Gives +1 discipline- breathing fire.
- +1 Discipline. 4/3/22. Natalya can now provide basic healing to herself and others.
Senàn's new form. 5/4/22. Senàn is no longer a spooky porcupine bear, but a giant wyvern. Have fun pissing him off.
- Deep Mirror. 5/5/22. Discards the "Natalya" form in favor of the "Anastasiya" form as the true, permanent form of this character.
Enhanced Familiar Amulet. 5/11/22. Allows for Anastasiya's familiars to use her magic.
+2 Power. 5/23/22. Bigger flames, better healing, and two more lives.
Handmade Idol. 5/23/22. Allows Anastasiya to hold weapons.
+2 Power. 5/24/22. Better flames and two more lives.
+1 Discipline. 9/6/22. I haven't figured out a magic effect yet, that'll come later.
Extended Telekinesis Scroll. 9/21/22. Better teke.
Item or Stat change. Date of transaction. Effect.
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