Art by: Anton Oxenuk
Raisa Malikova is a former Sabbat Lasombra templar. Childer of Malenkov and grandchilder of Talley.
Raisa is not an official Vampire the Masquerade 5th Edition NPC/PC. She is a player character created by Kim Godwin for a Chicago by Night Campaign. If you wish to use Raisa as a SNPC, please feel free to! Just drop Kim a line at Kim AT Studiohnh.com.
Clan: Lasombra
Generation: 9th
Blood Potency: 2
Sire: Malenkov
Date of Birth: December 1, 1899
Embraced: November 20, 1941
Epitaph: Death answers.
Ambition: Prove herself worthy to Talley. Establish her own reputation as a hired gun.
Convictions: Courage is the highest virtue. The guilty must be punished.
Mask and Mein:
Mask 3 (Zeroed and Blank Bodied): Roussanna Lebedev is a recently discharged Russian soldier that has found success as a BDSM Vampire Erotica novelist. Her series, the “Court of the Immortals” is making its rounds with a US audience. She is known to only do night signings in costume as the her titular character, Lilia Volkova. Most BDSM clubs have strict no camera policies that she has enforced for her signings which often end with a fan getting topped by Roussanna as a special treat.
Raisa is an attractive petite (5’2″), 30 something Eastern European woman with shoulder length dark brown hair, pale skin and striking blue eyes. She has a lean muscular build with a modest sized bust. There is something about her presence that makes kine feel uncomfortable and intimidated around her. She favors tailored leather clothing and 5 inch heels. She favors dresses and heels when she isn’t on a wet work job where she trades her fetish wear for tactical gear.
- Raisa has 2 scars- 1 from a bullet wound over her right breast and a long thin scar on her right thigh.
- She speaks fluent English but her voice still holds a heavy Russian accent.
- Tainted Aura. Black veins pulse through Raisa’s pale aura marking her Sabbat past as a diablerist.
Background:
“In all the books, the embrace is a sensual act full of passion and love. The truth is far more brutal.
Hardship was no stranger to me or mine. Raising reindeer is hard, honest work. We struggled to survive but it was a good life. When the war came, they called all the men to war. Life got harder.
Then came the call for young women to take up arms. My mother objected but I had to go. I had to get away from the farm. Soldiering was an honor.
Fear hammers against us and forges us into something stronger. I felt alive with a rifle in my hands. Nothing prepares you for the noise and chaos of battle.
Smoke, fire, the screaming of the wounded through a relentless hail of incoming death. Horror stains you, seeps into your soul and curls around you. You can either withstand it or be consumed.
The Germans… didn’t see us as human. If we were lucky, they killed us on sight. I fought so hard, but it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t stop them.
When I woke, I was still in the nightmare. Pain and blood. The roar of gunfire. I heard them laughing, drunk in the room where they abused me. Hatred boiled up and I ripped the life from them.
I don’t remember when He found me. I don’t know how much of it He bore witness to. I remember the taste of their foul blood in my mouth, and my blood weeping from my body as I fell into a pair of strong arms. Fear prompted me to attempt to fight him but I was too far gone.
“I will take you to hell with me,” I whispered.
“Then here in hell you’ll stay,” came the gruff reply. Teeth tore into my neck and pain gave way to ecstasy. I always thought that when you died that your life flashed before your eyes. Only darkness greeted me.
When I opened my eyes, the war wasn’t over. I had clean clothes, my rifle and ammunition. It was time to return to the front.
—–
It wasn’t until the war came to a bloody end that I fully understood what I had become. I thought of my family and knew I could never return to them in life nor join them in Heaven. I was more disappointed by the fact than saddened. I died on the battlefield as another casualty of the war- I died a hero. They didn’t need to know the truth. The news of losing their wife and mother would be bad enough without the knowledge that she returned to battlefield a wraith filled with intense hunger.
No matter how many fell before me, my rage never sated. I couldn’t fill the hole left in me. I was content to keep killing. I wouldn’t be so poetic as to call my sire a ‘dark angel’. He is far more brutal than that. To call him my demon wouldn’t be accurate either. He is my maker. I lay bodies at his feet for the merest nod of acknowledgment.
With the human war over, there were yet more battles against more powerful opponents. I lingered in my sire’s shadow as his sire directed him at the next target. I didn’t dare disobey either. Obedience to authority didn’t need to be beaten into me- the Russian army had already.
Time moves differently. It feels strange to be in a moment of stillness, waiting for the next mission. Malenkov introduced me to the BDSM scene which is a satisfying way to pass the time. Blood, pain, pleasure, sex, and violence all mixed together in a location where the kine line up for their turn beneath our fangs. Gathered together like reindeer in a pen, waiting for slaughter.
Feed the beast but don’t let it ride you. Control it, ride it.
I’m sure Talley didn’t mean that in the way we use it but it soothes the ache. If only he’d come play….
Talley is sending Malenkov and Sierra to Chicago for a mission that requires use of our mouths, rather, words to win the battle and join with our old enemy. Such is the state of war.
I will prove myself. I adore them, worship them, but I cannot stay in the shadows forever. I will earn the right to stand beside them; a fraction of their equal but, worthy of recognition in their eyes. “
Whispers:
Bogeyman’s Shadow: Soldiers of the Sabbat are not known for their ability to make friends. Raisa is no exception. Her true relationship to Malenkov is uncertain but she was often found at his side or in his shadow for the past 6 decades.
Her deeds pale in the legend of the Bogeyman but she has fought in every bloody battle, every scourging in recent history alongside Malenkov.
Sniper: Raisa’s life before is a mystery with all of records zeroed out but she is believed to have been a member of the Women’s Battalion of Death and possibly involved with the the Soviet War effort in WW2. She is a veteran of the Soviet Union’s violent past at the beginning of the century.
Childer Liberated: (If Malenkov dies in Chicago) Raisa is finally free of her abusive Sire, Malenkov and is looking to establish herself as her own Kindred. She’s probably up for some contract work.
Up and Coming: (If Malenkov survives Chicago) Malenkov’s childer has returned to his side and is looking to establish herself as her own Kindred. She appears to be chaffing under her Master’s firm grip on her leash. With the right job, she might be able to free herself.
Attributes
Strength 3; Dex 3; Stamina 3; Charisma 2; Manipulation 2; Composure 4; Intelligence 2; Wits 2; Resolve 3
Skills
Athletics 3; Brawl 2; Craft: Knots 1; Firearms: Sniper 4; Melee 3; Stealth 2; Survival 2; Etiquette: BDSM 2; Insight 2; Intimidation 1; Performance: Belly Dancing 1; Persuasion 1; Academics: History 1; Awareness 2; Investigation 1; Medicine 1; Politics 1; Science: Reindeer 1
Willpower: 7; Humanity: 4; Health 6
Disciplines
Dominate 1; Fortitude 1; Obfuscate 1; Oblivion 2; Potence 2
Backgrounds / Merits/ Flaws:
Fame 1 (BDSM Scene) – Her pale skin, Russian accent, petite frame and ruthless nature make her a desirable Dominatrix.
Influence -1 Disliked outside the BDSM Scene, she’s seen as creepy.
Status -1 (Camarilla) –Suspect by the Camarilla. Her association with Malenkov and the Sabbat activities on the East Coast have not made her any friends in the Camarilla.
Status 1 (Lasombra) – Up and comer. Raisa seeks to make a name for herself outside of her Sire and Grandsire’s powerful shadows. She has bled and killed for the clan but much of her actions gets passed off as her being Malenkov’s blood slave.
Contacts 1 (BDSM Scene) – She can usually get in the door to most scene clubs.
Linguistics 1 – Fluent in Russian and English. She sometimes suppresses her accent but generally won’t.
Resources 2 – Her Mask’s novels are selling well and she also does jobs for Talley which allows her to stay in gear and ammunition.
Haven 1 – Small/ Haunted 1: Raisa doesn’t want too much for space. She spends her days in a small crypt with ghosts.
Prey Exclusion – Ravers (1) and Germans (1). She does not like the resonance of Ravers and German blood brings back bitter memories of the war. She has no reservations killing Germans but she will no longer drink their blood.
Relationships (Assuming that Malenkov was killed in Chicago)
Malenkov (Mawla 4; Devotion/Love): Bound by affection and blood. “Oh my beloved, Sire. What have they done to you? Could I have saved you from them?” Raisa was blood bound to her sire as a mix of their indulgences and as his Sabbat packmate. She has been a fixture in his shadow for the past 60 years and is distraught at his loss. She longed to stand beside him and Talley but now that she is without him, she must reconcile her feelings. Does she really love him or was the affection a survival mechanism to withstand decades of abuse?
Talley (Mawla 4; Admiration/Enamored): “You hold my heart in your hands. Why must you torment me so? All you must do is crush it or ask me to rip it out for you. Surely, you have a grander plan for us?” Talley is the head of her family (Grandsire), and she is unable to blame him for Malenkov’s dark fate. She longs to know his plans and waits for the order to punish the guilty.
Sierra Van Burrace (Resentment): “Auntie how COULD you?! Why? Why?” Following the events of Chicago, Raisa is angry at the Camarilla Prince that set her family against each other. With Sierra as the Legate, her anger is boiling but contained. She waits for the opportunity for her orders to change.
Sasha Kuznetsov (Retainer 2: Ghouled. Touchstone- The guilty must be punished. Affection): “My dear Sasha! He helps clean up messes that need his skilled touch. His connections help for more mundane jobs.” Enforcer for the Ukrainian mob. Roussanna and Sasha met by chance in one of the many clubs and hit it off nicely, much to Malenkov’s intense jealously. Somehow, Raisa managed to convince her sire to not kill the man and she was allowed to keep a ghoul lover so long as he was useful to their purposes.
Juliana Zoya (Touchstone- Courage is the highest virtue.): “My great great granddaughter seeks to become a District Attorney in Chicago. She has a hard road ahead but she is courageous in the face of adversity. Her choice to be a Public defender was not an easy one.” While Raisa’s first husband died in the Great War, her children survived and fled from the USSR. She has kept track of her descendants, watching from afar the life she could no longer have. She avoids contact for Juliana’s safety but does what she can to ensure her kin’s safety.
Brett Fox (Human Stalker 1: Annoyance): “He wants me to crush him beneath my heel but he’s boring. I’m tired of his screams. Not worth indulging this masochist longer.” Brett is a televangelist that frequents the BDSM scene.
Relationships (Assuming that Malenkov survives Chicago)
Malenkov (Mawla 4; Devotion/Love): Bound by affection and blood. “Shall we explore just what this town has to offer? I’ve missed your hand at my throat.” Raisa is blood bound to her sire as a mix of their indulgences and as his Sabbat packmate. She has been a fixture in his shadow for the past 60 years and was upset that she was left behind, fearing that she had outlived her usefulness to Malenkov and Talley. She longs be recognized as something more than a disposable plaything- their worthy equal. Raisa must examine her feelings. Does she really love Malenkov or was the affection a survival mechanism to withstand decades of abuse?
Talley (Mawla 4; Admiration/Enamored): “You hold my heart in your hands. Why must you torment me so? All you must do is crush it or ask me to rip it out for you. Please don’t toss me away.” Talley is the head of her family (Grandsire), and she is longs to gain his favor. His distancing from Malenkov has hurt her, since she was also put aside in favor of Sierra.
Sierra Van Burrace (Resentment): “It’s your fault Talley is ignoring Uncle. And me!” Following the events of Chicago, Raisa is angry at the increased favor Sierra has received as a result of Chicago. She considers Sierra too young, younger than her, to have been deemed worthy of Talley’s confidence. Her jealousy is contained for now.
Raisa’s relationships to her Touchstones and Stalker remain the same.