Difference between revisions of "Praetora"

Praetora
Player: @Trinitite
Adapt or Die!
Biographical Data
Real Name:	Unknown
Known Aliases:	Anastasia, Katarina
Gender:	Female
Species:	Human, Meta
Ethnicity:	Russian
Place of Birth:	Moscow, Russia
Base of Operations:	Global, Depends on Contract
Relatives:	Unknown
Characteristics
Age:	24-26
Height:	6'0"
Weight:	140
Eyes:	orangeish yellow
Hair:	auburn
Complexion:	Lightly tanned
Physical Build:	toned, lithe
Physical Features:	Scar over her right eye
Status
Fame:	██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ Local
Alignment:	LG LN LE NG TN NE CG CN CE
Identity:	Multiple
Years Active:	Unknown
Citizenship:	None
Occupation:	Mercenary
Education:	Unknown
Marital Status:	Single
Known Powers and Abilities
Mimetic Muscle Memory, Enhanced Agility/Strength, Accelerated Healing, Predator Instinct, Magical Resistance
Equipment and Paraphernalia
Lightweight armor/garb and stealth-suits concealing a wide variety of weaponry.

Physical Attributes
	Strength			Weapon
	Durability			Armor
	Speed			Reflexes
	Resistance			Stamina
	Dexterity			Agility
	Combat			Regeneration

Non-Physical Attributes
	Energy			Psionics
	Telepathy			Willpower
	Sorcery			Technology
	Intelligence			Knowledge
	Charisma			Bravery
MaekadaBox created by @Maekada

Personality

Cold, capricious, and calculating, at least that's the impression that most would have of her initially and it isn't too far from the truth. Praetora can be incredibly judgmental, especially of heroes, tough she is kinder in her opinions of them than she has been in the past. Her patience with them however, is thin, especially when it comes to those that she sees as being self-righteous or hypocritical, something she has a great deal of disdain for. Heroes who show a lack of tolerance, are highly opinionated and quick to lord their views over others, or in general rude and disruptive towards their fellows almost immediately earn her disdain, as do those that she sees as being stubborn or ignorant. It could be considered rather ironic that she's so tough on heroes when it comes to this, but she very much feels that there is a standard to which they are forced to adhere, and that if they do not they are not deserving of the station and respect that society as a whole grants them. Those that do not claim to be heroes do not suffer this scrutinizing, unless of course they adhere to what she views to be a heroic code.

She can be friendly however, either when she wants something or someone happens to pass her judgment. Strangely enough, she can be quite cordial towards heroic-types, though she does have a bad habit of sometimes falling into old banter and rhetoric, referring to them disdainfully as 'superfools' or 'capes' when irritated.

Abilities

Mimetic Muscle Memory

• • Pending conclusion of Nine Lives No More plotline

Predator Instinct

• • Pending

Enhanced Abilities

• • Pending

Accelerated Healing

• • Pending

Magical Resistance

• • Pending

Training

Praetora is well-trained in the art of killing, to such an extent that it had become the major focus of her life well before she ever gained her powers. Taken in by a secretive cult that trained assassins in Rome for political and religious purposes, she was weaned on the knife and raised to be a stealthy and efficient huntress while other children were enjoying their youth. This training involved the use of tools and techniques, as well as a myriad of martial arts to get the job done. The training was not entirely martial however and also focused on other means of being unseen while operating within society.

Praetora's Old Powers

Super Speed, Heightened Strength, and Regeneration were all abilities (along with her feline appearance) bestowed upon Praetora by the phylactery of a high priestess of the cult of Bastet. These powers however are fading and almost completely gone, being replaced by the new abilities mentioned above. By the conclusion of the Nine Lives No More plotline, Praetora's powers will have been replaced and a new milestone should hopefully be met for the character, if she makes it out alright.

History

Childhood and The Ordo Custodes

Born in Moscow, the young girl that would eventually become Praetora never knew her parents but was instead delivered to an Orphanage an infant where she was cared for. She was only there for a couple days before being whisked away. The family she was taken to was no family at all, she grew up in a house where she was punished for failure and rewarded for success, the approval she would receive the only 'love' that she knew. Once she was old enough, the family sent her away to Rome, where she would begin her training with her new 'family', the Ordo Custodes.

The Order taught her well but was merciless in its methods, the basic lessons she had learned with her old family caused her to strive hard to succeed, to out perform any and all other students to ensure that she was the favorite, that she was the one that met with their approval. At the age of 11 she had killed her first man, and the nature of life and death was demystified to her, as the Order had intended. At 14 she was ready to begin their work in Rome and abroad, watching over European power-bases, and covertly dispatching those that would upset the greater balance of power. Her work often took her back to her birthplace, Russia, where she would be tasked with eliminating neo-nationalists and other threats that pushed for a return to the glory of their old glory. She would swiftly enforce the will of her masters, eliminating corrupt Bishops, politicians, and revolutionaries. She would rise through the ranks until she became the youngest agent ever to ascend to the rank of the top six assassins.

Her rise was too swift however, earning her the enmity of her colleagues who felt threatened by her ascension. Thus a plot was hatched to betray and dispatch the young killer, so they lured her into a trap that ultimately failed. The betrayal shocked her to the very core, and she lashed out against those that would turn on her, the only family she had ever known. She bested 3 of the top assassins and eventually went for the first, the one who had orchestrated it all. The fight was terribly brutal, and she was nearly killed, the first of the Order skilled beyond the capability of any normal mortal, with incredible speed and strength. It was in that moment that she heard a voice, offering her a deal, to grant her the strength she needed to beat her foe, in exchange for freedom. She obliged and fled, losing her hunter and seeking out the source of the whispers. She found it in the form of an artifact, an ancient feline shaped artifact of what appeared to be Egyptian origins. Obeying the voices, she seized hold of the item from the Order's collections of ancient and priceless idols and relics that they had collected throughout human history. The power she felt was tremendous and visions flashed through her mind, learning much of the Order's history as the item in question had seen it, of how it was first taken as a treasure by Caesar's Praetorian Guard while in Egypt, and how an agent of the Order within their ranks had taken it, knowing the power that was contained within. She was not the first to accept its power, and she would not be the last.

Birth of Praetora

Accepting the power within the phylactery transformed her, not immediately, at first she simply felt stronger, more agile, swifter, aware of her surroundings like never before, the only physical change was in her eyes which took on a bright yellow tinge. The initial power was enough for her to prove victorious over her hunter when he at last came for her, if only through the element of surprise on her part, though she failed to kill him, his own preternatural abilities allowing him to avoid such a fate; as she learned through the whispers that she had first heard, the top three assassins of the Order were each gifted with arcane artifacts that were used to empower them, to make them much more than human. She left the order behind her, and having no true identity other than the many name she had held during her various missions, she adopted the name Praetora, naming herself in part after the Praetorian Guards whom the order was originally based off of, and were responsible for acquiring the artifact in question. She left the Order behind and struck out on her own, using her new-found strengths to her advantage, along with the skills she had learned, surviving, and occasionally employing herself to those who would pay.

Over the years, the artifact's influence changed her physically, to the point that she took on increasing feline traits, eventually making her almost as much feline as she were woman, an embodiment of the powers that had blessed the item. She still considers herself human, despite now being something more, and detests being associated with other individuals bearing any feline traits, or much less Manimals. Despite many of the feline qualities she does have, she is still very much human in her mannerisms and appearance.

Becoming a Super-Villain

Praetora's early life had been an incredibly amoral existence, so it was no surprise that after leaving the Ordo Custodes behind and her new discovery of power that she continued to live in a way that was based almost solely off of the need for survival. Kill or be killed, survival of the fittest, this summed up her existence for the years that followed in the wake of her departure. It should serve as no surprise that with this kind of approach to life she would take actions that others would find incredibly evil and villainous in nature. She would coldly dispatch foes without mercy or thought, and in any confrontation she always considered the death of an opponent a viable solution. She lent her services to super-villains in need of talents like hers and began to make a considerable profit for herself, eventually embarking on her own heists and plots, which were all initially very self-serving affairs.

As time passed she began to familiarize herself more with the workings of the world outside that which she had grown up in, examining philosophies and literary works that had been otherwise forbidden, and through this started to alter her worldview. She still believed strongly in a system in which survival instinct and skill were rewarded, but she curbed her ruthlessness and began to become less of an instrument of death and more of a professional. It was at this point that she began her true career as a super-criminal.

The Night's Fist

Having left one secret society behind she fell into another as her notoriety increased. The Night's Fist presented an opportunity where she could once more put her skills to use but in addition to making it into an incredibly lucrative career she could pursue her own ambitions, while working towards mutually beneficial roles within the dangerous organization. It was within the Night's Fist that Praetora truly began to rise to infamy, working alongside other nefarious super-criminals such as Metal Shrike (once a brilliant man who had turned himself into a diabolical war-machine), El Rojo Muerte (AKA Crimson Rage, a former luchador and South-American revolutionary hero who empowered himself through Draysha use), and Snapfire (a deadly marksman who is said to never miss a shot). She and her compatriots plagued the hero community for years, suffering their fair share of victories as well as defeats.

Eventually, as often happens within villainous organizations, greed and paranoia began to drive a wedge between the colleagues. This came to a boiling point when they were hired to eliminate a group of revolutionaries on a small and otherwise obscure Caribbean island. As it would turn out, the island was being run by slavers and the slaves in question were the revolutionaries that they were sent to dispatch. Shrike and Snapfire had no problem with the mission and set to work, Praetora and Rage however, felt much differently about the affair and refused to cooperate. Turning on their benefactor and compatriots, both the villains fought on the side of the slaves and saw to bringing about their liberation. It was their refusal to commit such an atrocity that caused them both to be evicted from the organization and to be painted as targets themselves for the treachery. Praetora and Crimson Rage after a number of disagreements parted ways, Rage returning to South America while Praetora set out on her own to find a new future. She never expected that she would begin to walk a more noble path than she had before.

Praetora the "Hero"

Her action in the Caribbean earned her some acclaim as reports drifted out that she and another known villain had been responsible for disrupting the slave-ring and saving hundreds of otherwise doomed human lives. This however was viewed as a freak incident and few questioned that Praetora was done with her evil ways. Back in the United States she started making a new living for herself in less than scrupulous ways but still better than her old profession, as she stopped performing hits completely, tired of the backstabbing and betrayal that seemed to inevitably plague the profession. She had several unfortunate run-ins with PRIMUS, as well as some villain organizations, most notably VIPER, though in both cases she spared those she went up against, stating that they "weren't worth the effort". She began to question if she was getting soft.

Several heroes tried to bring her to justice along the way, and though she fought back and handily won one of the engagements, she again spared her opponent. This rash of mercy she showed was uncharacteristic of the assassin. While pondering her apparent change in procedure, she was approached by Rezz who after some lengthy conversation and philosophical debate convinced her to at least unofficially work for the Ministry. It wasn't until Metal Shrike staged a brutal attack on Millennium City that she performed an action that brought to question if she had become reformed. She stepped to stop her former colleague, endangering herself greatly in the process and thwarting his plans -- unknown to her the entire affair had been a setup. He successfully lured her out and exposed her to the press which painted her actions as heroic, despite manipulations having been in place to assure that she would intervene. Her latest location was exposed to her former allies, now enemies, and it was made clear to them that while gone, she had decided to begin meddling in their affairs. Due to this treachery, she has become the target of Metal Shrike, Snapfire, and many others whom she had once worked with.

It is anyone's guess what the future holds....

As Things Stand Now

Metal Shrike

*Deceased*

Praetora joined the ranks of the Ministry after being approached by Rezz, who had taken great pains to track down the especially elusive woman. As time passed, friendship and a modicum of trust grew between the two, and Praetora began working more closely with Rezz. The two allies battled with Praetora's former colleague Metal Shrike on several occasions, though the problem was never completely resolved, and it soon became clear to her that the only solution was to deal with it permanently, something she could not do while under potential scrutiny in Millennium City, and knowing how Shrike operated, she would not endanger her new friends and allies who would be his first targets. Leaving without word for Puerto Rico began orchestrating a trap to draw in Shrike and deal with him once and for all. It wasn't a clean operation and had unfortunate collateral losses, but the conflict finally ended when Praetora used Shrike's arrogance to her advantage, luring the once brilliant scientist into a trap that left his robotic form disabled, and now resting in the depths of the Puerto Rico trench. Shrike is currently presumed dead, and has not been seen since.

Nine Lives No More

Praetora's past has caught up with her and it looks like this time she's not going to be able to get out of it on her own, at least not unscathed. The Night's Fist has shown up in Millennium City once more and is gunning for the mercenary. Unfortunately for them, and even more unfortunately for Praetora, so has the Order. However, it seems both groups have more on their mind than simply eradicating this pest once and for all.

• Plot Currently Ongoing as of 7-19-11, if interested in participating, contact @Trinitite*

Affiliations

The Ministry of Order: On the run after having turned her back on her former colleagues, she was soon after tracked down and approached by Rezz who convinced the former villain to lend her talents to the Ministry in return for their mutual aid. Though she's not quick to trust anyone, she's yet to be given a reason not to as far as the organization is concerned. As of late she has drifted away from the Ministry and has once again begun independent work.

The Night's Fist: A secretive league of super-powered assassins and covert operatives who hire themselves out to the highest bidder. The Fist however is not purely mercenary in its activities and does pursue its own agendas as well, sometimes working alongside other villain organizations if there is enough benefit. The Fist is not so much bent on world domination but instead on influence, planting agents within governments to promote their ambitions and establish a web of reliable informants. Not all agents within the Fist are super-powered, most of them are simply highly-trained normal humans, but the upper echelons of the organization, especially its assassins, are almost all exclusively metas, often specializing in the removal of super-powered threats.

• 

  Snapfire, a deadly marksman.

• 

  Crimson Rage, a Draysha infused warrior

• 

  Metal Shrike, a once brilliant mind, now a half-mad war-machine

• 

  A Night's Fist Trooper

The Ordo Custodes: A secret society that adopts and trains orphans as assassins, ensuring their loyalty to the organization. Based out of Rome they police major power structures in Europe to ensure stability, hoping that through their actions major upheavals and potential wars can be prevented, unless of course such a conflict is deemed beneficial. The Order has a long and bloody history dating back to the Roman Empire, during which they would dispatch of tyrants that got too powerful for their own good.

• 

  A Bishop of the Order in ceremonial garb

• 

  An Ordo Assassin, Praetora used to wear this uniform when part of the organization

Appearance & Costumes

Praetora Now

Praetora, after gaining the Phylactery's power

• 

  Her usual garb, lightweight, unrestricting leather 'armor' to allow ease of movement.

• 

  Sometimes a job calls for discretion.

Quotes/Comments from Allies & Enemies

Rumor Mill - Plot Points

(All information is available IC, feel free to add new ones. Disproved rumors are stricken out, confirmed rumors are in color. Players can follow-up on and investigate any rumors by contacting @Trinitite if interested)

• She hates all cat-girls.
• She had taken up residence on Monster Island and was maintaining contracts with Argent.
• The Super Villain Metal Shrike was killed by her in Puerto Rico.
• She had been hired by Rezz after the attack on his home to act as his own private bodyguard, or possibly his personal enforcer.
  Some believe that the two might even be dating currently.
• She has been issued a contract to kill her former ally Rezz and his companion Crimson.
• Her attempts to distance herself from her villainous past are legit, and she is truly trying to redeem herself.
• She has been seen working with VIPER.
• Despite claims of having left the Night's Fist she is actually attempting to infiltrate the heroic community to eliminate a high-ranking target who has become too involved in global politics: some suggest it might be Thundrax
• She has designs on killing Mayor Bisselle, which is why she is in Millennium City.
• With the increase in VIPER activity she has been offered bounties by the US government on high-ranking VIPER personnel.
• She's infiltrated the Ministry in an attempt to remove one of its leaders.

Trivia

• Inspiration: Praetora was inspired by both Black Widow and Cheetah.

Facts:

• She was never given an actual name but instead went by various pseudonyms that were assigned to her.
• She's never been on a date that wasn't related to an assignment or agenda.

RP Hooks

• Tired of a character and want it killed off in a dramatic and memorable manner? Hit me up and we can organize a plot!
• Praetora was a super-villain and this dark past is something that she can never entirely escape. Its quite possible that heroes have been wronged by her or her old associates in some way or another, so there could be old grudges or good reason for suspicion or maybe even a desire to see her brought to justice for her old crimes.
• Have something nefarious planned and need someone to do the deed? She might be willing, for a price! This doesn't mean she'll do absolutely anything, but she'll at least consider the offer.
• Conspiracies: Praetora has been deeply involved in all manner of treacherous plots, especially those of a political nature.
• Redemption: Though she claims she doesn't want any kind of redemption that may be a total lie. There is a potential for good in her and its possible that she could be guided down that path if anyone were ever willing to try.