Nadya Morozova
Nadya Artyomovna Morozova
Sonia Petrovna
Sonia Petrovna as Nadya Artyomovna Morozova
Name Nadya Artyomovna Morozova
Status Alive
Age 34
Occupation Psychiatrist
Place of Origin Yakutsk, Sakha Republic, Russia
Date of Birth October 16, 1978
Player Chaemera
Timezone EST
Notes Notes for Nadya Artyomovna Morozova

A licensed psychologist with ties to the Watch, though unTouched by the Gloom. Also rumored to be a practicing witch, if you can believe it.

"The greater the shadow, the closer to the light we dance."

Background

Sometimes, it’s not where you start that’s important. It’s where you go, and what you do.

Being born in the Soviet Union was a challenge all in itself. Adapting to a new life in the United States when the USSR dissolved was another. But Nadya rose to the challenge each time. Her family was never what could be considered wealthy, with her father working construction and her mother making what money she could as a housekeeper, and Nadya ended up having to fend for herself more often than not. She managed, though, being a voracious reader, devouring the English language as ferociously as any other subject left within her reach. Her marks in school were exemplary, much to the pride of her parents. They regretted not being able to be there for their little girl, but living in America brought with it certain expenses, and they could not take time off. They fretted that their daughter would be stymied by their own lack of wealth, but she assured them that she had everything well in hand. With nothing else to do, they trusted her.

Financial aid is a wonderful thing, for those of lesser means. So began little Nadya’s rise through the ranks of society, on the shoulders of giants. Her high marks followed her into her undergraduate classes, and she set her sights higher. A scholarship saw her off to university in London for her doctorate courses, leaving her parents behind yet again. But they would always be in her heart and mind, for they had gotten her to where she could begin. Letters arrived in their mailbox regularly, and eventually, money as well. Such a strange world, her parents laughed, where a daughter supports her parents!

What they didn’t know was that Nadya was following another course of study as well. While psychology was fascinating to her, it also came surprisingly easily, giving her more time than a student of her age usually had. Her thought turned to things she’d read, things she’d seen, and she began to dig further out of curiosity. What she found was a world that should not exist.

What she found was fascinating.

In the Old Country of Russia, folklore runs deep. Everyone knows the tales of witches in the forests, of beasties in the walls, of the little tricks and charms not just helpful but necessary for life under the dark skies and snow. That hungry mind of little Nadya’s took these bits and pieces, compared them with the folklore of other cultures, and began to draw parallels… and hypotheses.

The Watch found her after reports of odd occurrences drew their attention to the college of London where she was studying to become a registered psychologist. Though they had a remarkably tricky time actually tracking her down, at first. Nobody that wasn’t one of the Touched had ever managed to set up functional wards against scrying, before!

Ever since, she’s worked with the Watch as something of a consultant, lending them her knowledge where applicable, her talismans and charms where helpful, but her time remained her own for the most part. Now that she’s finished her degree and been licensed to practice, however, things may be changing…


Personality

Cheerful, fatalistic, sardonic and silly by turns, the only constant about Nadya is the fact that she always seems to find something to smile about. Whether that thing is herself, others, or the situation in general is up for grabs. However, the smiles and smartass remarks never get in the way of getting done whatever needs to be done.

When she's working, Nadya steadies down quite a lot from her usual demeanor, putting whatever job is at hand before her (admittedly somewhat odd) sense of the ridiculous. After all, it doesn't do your patient any good when you find their crippling fear of clowns amusing (to their face).


Paranormal Abilities

Extensive research in areas most regard as whimsy has taught Nadya many things. Combining the hearth-wisdom and hedge-magic of diverse cultures, she's developed a form of modern "low magic" that actually works, though its effects are hardly earth-shattering, most being akin to the classic "witch" from folklore. No, not the sort with ruby slippers; this is more Old Country than Oz.

  • Able to create minor luck or health talismans, either good or bad.
  • Able to ward areas against certain influences or intrusions, with the type of ward requiring different preparations and materials. Warding a house against roaches is entirely different than sealing the Gloom inside a building (and much, much, MUCH less dangerous).
  • Able to apply wards to people, thus protecting them against (or purging them of) certain influences. This is basically a kind of fusion of the first two 'abilities' (placing a ward on a talisman, or directly on a person).
  • Nadya has a permanent "general protection" ward on herself that tends to muffle her to Touched senses, as well as giving her a general, low-grade resistance to various Gloomish things. This by no means makes her immune to paranormal abilities, but requires some effort to get through (giving her effective resistance roughly equivalent to one of the Touched).

Skills

Esoteric knowledge - Starting out as a hobby (and a tendency to bother her grandmother back in Russia for stories), Nadya has a surprisingly broad knowledge of the various mythologies and mystical systems of the world's cultures. From Orthodox Christianity to vodun to Zoroastrianism, she's read the book on it.

Firearms (heavy pistols) - Owing in large part to her father being paranoid (not without just cause), Nadya was trained in how to use and care for what are widely known as "home defense" pistols, designed to either drop a man on the spot or frighten him sufficiently to take his business elsewhere. The fact that she happens to be a good shot was a point of pride for the old man that often drew rolled eyes from his wife. As a note, Nadya does not currently possess a personal firearm. She left her hand-cannon at home when she went abroad to Britain due to ownership laws.

Investigation - While by no means a forensic investigator, Nadya's attention to detail and ferocious curiosity have made her something of a natural hand at scene-analysis. And gods help you if she turns her attention towards peeling your motivations apart, there's a reason she has a degree in psychology.


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