Tatiana Volkonskaya

Tatiana was a former Grand Duchess and first cousin of now-last Emperor Viktor of Groszargrad. Her mother passed early in her life and her father was banished for marrying a commoner, she was raised in her youth by the Emperor and his immediate family, almost like a foster daughter. She also held a significant position in the Imperial court. Viktor was remembered as well-meaning but ineffectual. In her early twenties, she participated in the conspiracy to assassinate Rozpusta, a controversial holy man closely involved with the formerly ruling Imperial family and wielded insidious influence over them. Tatiana was approached by her childhood friend to carry out his assassination, and together with other co-conspirators, successfully killed Rozpusta in a private residence under the pretense of a housewarming party. Due to the amateur handiwork of the crime, they were quickly apprehended, banished from the Imperial court, and subsequently exiled without a trial.

The Empire of Groszargrad was crippled with insurmountable political volatility, debilitating economic crashes, and devastating losses from the conclusion of their major war due to being stretched too thin on multiple emerging fronts. Forced to sign a humiliating peace treaty, the empire was dismantled. Following a revolution, Emperor Viktor agreed to abdicate the throne, effectively ending the monarchy, and allow an emergent republic government to rule instead. However, after several months of unpopular rule, the prime minister of the new Groszargradian Republic was assassinated by an anarchist. Fulfilling the power vacuum to prevent radicals from assuming position, the General of the Army stormed the capital and launched a coup d'état. Angered by this sudden seizure of power, the powderkeg had been ignited, and the entire country finally erupted into a nationwide civil war. As of now, there are two sides, the Socialist Revolutionary Front (The Reds, a radical leftist coalition), the National State Government (The Whites, a loose collective of anti-Reds of varying ideologies united against a single enemy). Warfare is extremely messy and chaotic, with partisan uprisings everywhere. The fate of Viktor and the Imperial family is unknown, as there is a massive slew of misinformation about their whereabouts or if they are even alive. It is strongly assumed they are still in Groszargrad, somewhere in controlled regions of the Socialist Revolutionary Front due to a lack of national reporting of their appearance. Tatiana is merely an outside spectator ever since her exile, from the end of the war, initial revolution, establishment of the republic, and ignition of the civil war.

The coalition of conservative aristocrats and wealthy landowners, monarchists and moderate right-wing republicans alike, of the National State Government has invited Tatiana back with a governmental position, as they see a savior within her charismatic persona. She would gladly accept their proposal and the power that comes with it, returning to her homeland and involve herself in politics, only on the condition that the Whites achieve a total decisive victory. For now, she remains outside until the foreseeable future. She does write letters and keep in touch. She would rather pass the title of claimant to the throne onto her second cousin, the strong-willed and ambitious Grand Duke Mikhail. She doesn't think of herself as responsible for THAT much of a powerful position as of yet, though if she were to be thrusted into power, she certainly wouldn't object. She also holds latent autocratic tendencies, perhaps extracting amusement out of lording over others.

PERSONALITY: Much like her aristocratic upbringing, she acts in a sophisticated and classy manner as instilled in her formative years. However, she behaves quite recklessly and sometimes without tact. This goes hand-in-hand with her bold charisma and charming bravado, striving to leave a lasting impression on her interlocutors and hopefully establish new connections. Despite her professional demeanor, she often breaks it to be cheeky and playful at times. She is a people-pleaser to an extent when it benefits herself and generally loves being in the limelight. Her "wild" side seems to be carefully maintained so she is portrayed in the best light possible. If rebuffed, she remains unaffected and moves on with grace. Apart from socializing, she also seeks to expand her network of connections within the sphere of influential high class society. An ardent opportunist, she may be impatient at times. Despite mostly participating in the upper echelons, she may hang out with any class if it sounds entertaining. With a keen eye, her fashion is impeccably sharp, often remarked as handsome and usually wearing a custom-tailored, three-piece suit with a black bowtie. Her voice is slightly gruff and boisterous, yet with an instilled smoothness. Her long black hair is usually straight and undone, with long bangs curtaining right above her blue eyes. In her late twenties. Takes excellent care of her skin and uses minimal cosmetics. Her overall style leans on masculine. Despite her sizable wealth from former royalty, she is money-wise, it is just that her most expensive budget is maintaining her fashion and entry costs to social events. She may crash at whatever nearby residence that allows her and will eat anything as long as it tastes good. If asked, she would openly regale her involvement with the assassination of Rozpusta. If sufficiently inebriated, she becomes aggressive, domineering, slightly uncouth, and even a bit of a womanizer while still conversing in aristocratic fashion. She possesses a strong work ethic. Despite her mediocre visionary skills, she holds natural acumen and adaptability. As she is exiled without an existing throne, she will only refer herself as a civilian. ESTP 3w2