Madame Yvanya
The Widow's Bite
Madame Yvanya
| Age Early thirties |
| Gender Female |
| Origin South Ilican Free States |
| Occupation Instructor at Brahman Magisterium |
Of the various and varied instructors at the Brahman Magisterium (under whose tutelage any would-be weaver of the Magistus Imperatus must pass), few are so exacting—or so ruthless and uncaring—as the notorious Madame Yvanya. Though some might quietly harbor opinions that the Madame is merely a lowborn Free States turncoat with no right to hold authority over true Imperials, such speculations are rarely—if ever—given voice: the eyes of her scuttling arachnid familiars are everywhere, and rumors still circulate nigh-on a decade later about the true cause of her late husband's death.
Given such a reputation, one might suspect that Yvanya holds her position solely via some devious conglomeration of covert threats, wealthy connections, and other such political skulduggery. Certainly, she is no beacon of popularity; the Madame's lessons border on cruel at best and outright malicious at worst, her tongue is unfailingly sharper than steel, and students and staff alike oft sweat under the threat of a loving kiss from the fangs of one of her myriad many-legged little friends.
But her merit stands on its own: no one can rightly deny Yvanya's effectiveness as an instructor. For all her malevolent nature, she is one of the driving forces behind the Magisterium's current level of rigor, and—time and time again—her harsh regimen has proven itself, weeding out the riffraff and molding those few star students capable of seeing it through into accomplished weavers and indisputably effective paragons of the establishment.
[Full Backstory WIP]
Given such a reputation, one might suspect that Yvanya holds her position solely via some devious conglomeration of covert threats, wealthy connections, and other such political skulduggery. Certainly, she is no beacon of popularity; the Madame's lessons border on cruel at best and outright malicious at worst, her tongue is unfailingly sharper than steel, and students and staff alike oft sweat under the threat of a loving kiss from the fangs of one of her myriad many-legged little friends.
But her merit stands on its own: no one can rightly deny Yvanya's effectiveness as an instructor. For all her malevolent nature, she is one of the driving forces behind the Magisterium's current level of rigor, and—time and time again—her harsh regimen has proven itself, weeding out the riffraff and molding those few star students capable of seeing it through into accomplished weavers and indisputably effective paragons of the establishment.
[Full Backstory WIP]
Appearance
| Height 5' 8" (173 cm) |
| Build Elegantly slim & poised |
| Hair Glossy black & slightly curly |
| Eyes Striking emerald-green |
Even to those unfamiliar with her reputation, the notorious Madame of the Brahman Magisterium is an immediately striking—nay, intimidating—figure. Perfectly styled, glossy black hair, cut slightly longer on one side, neatly frames a flawless, sculpted face whose elegant angles practically gleam with intimations of dispassionate condescension. The look is completed by a pair of arresting emerald-green eyes that—despite a certain languid air—somehow seem to pin one down at a glance, much like a serpent might hypnotize a mouse.
The look is compounded by the effortless elegance of Yvanya's garments. Her outfit generally consists of one of a highly curated selection of high-collared pleated shirts and dresses, all in various shades of green to complement her eyes, and is invariably completed with her signature black frock coat: an expertly tailored ankle-length affair with a splayed collar and subtle gold trim.
Accentuating the effect is a tasteful selection of jewelry, typically in various flavors of gold and emerald, often with dark-hued green feathers serving as accent pieces to complete them. One such nigh-constant example is the fine feather ornament that hangs from the upper end of the Madame's signature staff (a symbol of weaving and unofficial office alike), an otherwise simple tool that practically never leaves her hand.
All of this lends itself to—and is in turn accentuated by—Madame Yvanya's captivating presence. Though only slightly taller than the average when drawn up to her full height, her poised stance, her guise of casually dismissive disdain, and her languid (albeit deceptively efficient) movements all bespeak a noble lady who thinks—nay, who knows—that she is, quite simply, better than you, and who immediately takes charge of any room she enters at the instant her the rich, contralto tones of her honey-sweet yet cutting voice slice through the air to the ears of those present. Besides, who wouldn't give every mind to a woman with a tendency to be surrounded by threateningly venomous-looking arachnids?
Personality
At first blush, Yvanya seems at once cold, calculating, condescending, and controlling. Given longer exposure, it swiftly becomes evident that every one of those first impressions was accurate, save for that of being controlling; indeed, while the Madame herself is quite carefully controlled, she does not particularly care to control others—that is, so long as they do not inconvenience her or the Magisterium.
Such is the cornerstone of Madame Yvanya's outward personality: at once uncaring and dominating, with a noble air and a spiteful streak, whose wits are sharp and whose tongue is sharper still. Her outward air of apathy is in stark contrast to her ruthless efficiency and the ruthless rigor of her instruction.
As such, one might easily expect her to be a controlling matriarch of the rules and bylaws of the Magisterium, but in truth, the Madame is quite pragmatic and happy to turn a blind eye to whatever illicit activities may be occurring among the students (or, at times, even her colleagues)—at least, so long as they don't become too obvious or impinge upon her own activities. Oh, and if you're going to do something you shouldn't, you'd better be passing all of your classes when you do . . .
(Character motivation spoilers ahead—click to reveal if curious!)
It is therein that the clue to her motivations can be inferred, albeit rarely by any save her closest confidantes: beneath the surfaces of both Yvanya's exacting standards and tacit leniency alike runs a deeper current of deep investment in her students, given the lie by the dispassion of her outwardly uncaring attitude.
In truth, the Madame has little faith in or loyalty to the Arshakan Empire itself; rather, her loyalties lie with her fellow weavers. This manifests in an unmatched devotion to molding the next generation of weavers, and ensuring that—when the inevitable final fall of the Empire comes along—the Magistus Imperatus will be prepared to stand alone and (ideally) even fill the resulting power vacuum.
Such is the cornerstone of Madame Yvanya's outward personality: at once uncaring and dominating, with a noble air and a spiteful streak, whose wits are sharp and whose tongue is sharper still. Her outward air of apathy is in stark contrast to her ruthless efficiency and the ruthless rigor of her instruction.
As such, one might easily expect her to be a controlling matriarch of the rules and bylaws of the Magisterium, but in truth, the Madame is quite pragmatic and happy to turn a blind eye to whatever illicit activities may be occurring among the students (or, at times, even her colleagues)—at least, so long as they don't become too obvious or impinge upon her own activities. Oh, and if you're going to do something you shouldn't, you'd better be passing all of your classes when you do . . .
(Character motivation spoilers ahead—click to reveal if curious!)
It is therein that the clue to her motivations can be inferred, albeit rarely by any save her closest confidantes: beneath the surfaces of both Yvanya's exacting standards and tacit leniency alike runs a deeper current of deep investment in her students, given the lie by the dispassion of her outwardly uncaring attitude.
In truth, the Madame has little faith in or loyalty to the Arshakan Empire itself; rather, her loyalties lie with her fellow weavers. This manifests in an unmatched devotion to molding the next generation of weavers, and ensuring that—when the inevitable final fall of the Empire comes along—the Magistus Imperatus will be prepared to stand alone and (ideally) even fill the resulting power vacuum.
Skills
Puissant Poisoner—Beyond her expertise in the more standard practices of weaving the Shroud, Yvanya has a particular specialization in manipulating all manners of toxic substances and diseases. In addition to extensive working knowledge in more conventional alchemy (particularly those branches dealing with poisons, venoms, and antidotes), she possesses the ability to weave such things into being within and around all manner of subjects and substances (including people, at times), as well as cure many ailments of the same sort (magical and otherwise).
Scholar of the Shroud—Not for nothing is Madame Yvanya one of the most respected (and feared) instructors at the Brahman Magisterium. She has a natural talent for weaving in many forms, and while not necessarily the most potent of weavers in terms of raw power, her ruthless efficiency and creative applications make her a force to be reckoned with. That natural ability has been honed by more than two decades of extensive study into the Shroud, since when she was but a young girl.
Spider Queen—It is not uncommon for certain weavers to develop something of a kinship with creatures with whom they find a natural affinity, as their activities tend to accentuate the natural bond. In Yvanya's case, those creatures happen to be spiders. Woe betide the poor fool of a student who unwittingly steps on one of the Madame's myriad many-legged pets, or who dares to make a passing offensive remark about her in a seemingly empty hall; it is said that she can see through their eyes, and even the most inoffensive will find themselves waking to the rashes of hundreds of bites for weeks to come after such a misstep. Of course, on the flip side, the Magisterium is always strikingly free of insectoid vermin.
Scholar of the Shroud—Not for nothing is Madame Yvanya one of the most respected (and feared) instructors at the Brahman Magisterium. She has a natural talent for weaving in many forms, and while not necessarily the most potent of weavers in terms of raw power, her ruthless efficiency and creative applications make her a force to be reckoned with. That natural ability has been honed by more than two decades of extensive study into the Shroud, since when she was but a young girl.
Spider Queen—It is not uncommon for certain weavers to develop something of a kinship with creatures with whom they find a natural affinity, as their activities tend to accentuate the natural bond. In Yvanya's case, those creatures happen to be spiders. Woe betide the poor fool of a student who unwittingly steps on one of the Madame's myriad many-legged pets, or who dares to make a passing offensive remark about her in a seemingly empty hall; it is said that she can see through their eyes, and even the most inoffensive will find themselves waking to the rashes of hundreds of bites for weeks to come after such a misstep. Of course, on the flip side, the Magisterium is always strikingly free of insectoid vermin.
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