I don’t really know how long ago I first dreamed up Katarina. I know that she went through Arena and Daggerfall when they were new. She may even have started with the original Bard’s Tale, but its hard to remember. But there are very few CRPGs of the last 40 years that she hasn’t had a crack at. Her companions didn’t start as a cohesive party. But they all came from my time with tabletop as a kid, and coalesced together into a group over time.
Katarina was born into a minor noble family in the hinterlands. Her family resided in a reasonably prosperous trade city, but near the frontier where minor trouble with bandits and goblins was not uncommon. She was the oldest child, with two younger brothers, and her parents groomed her from a young age to someday claim title for herself. But she was always far more interested in sneaking out to watch the guard practice, run through the hills, or peak into the stables. The majority of her family had a political bent, and were heavily involved in local politics. Her grandfather, however, had been somewhat the “black sheep” of the family as a wandering paladin in his younger days. And there was nothing she liked better than listening to his stories of everything from battles and adventures to far off lands and fantastic beasts.
Her father would not yield in his resolve to mould her into a “proper young lady”, and her childhood was a never ending battle of wills between her father’s attempts to rein her in and her ever more adventurous attempts to define her own path. She duly learned history and politics as her father demanded, but she also learned strategy and tactics from her grandfather and everything from swordplay to horseback riding from her frequent escapes to train with the guard or patrol with the rangers.
When she was 12 she was assigned a bodyguard – ostensibly to keep her safe but also to keep her out of trouble. A halfling named Percival, a recent recruit with the guard who the captain didn’t want to assign to work he considered more suited to “men” was given the task. Little did Katarina’s father realize how badly that chain of decisions would backfire.
“Percy” was an incorrigible story-teller and tall-tale-spinner, and Katarina was kept spellbound by his ever wilder tales of adventure and derring-do. The two were fast friends in no time. But Percy kept his duty and made sure Katarina gave all appearances of obeying her father. One fateful day, while much of the guard was in the city securing a trade conference, a particularly bold group of bandits snuck into the lightly armed castle intending to take Katarina and her brothers as hostages. The keep’s remaining guards quickly discovered the intrusion, but too late to prevent them from reaching Katarina’s chambers. They burst in fearing the worst…. only to find five would-be kidnappers piled dead near the doorway, and Percy calmly sitting with Katarina and cleaning his knives while waiting for them. When her father rushed home to console her, he found her listening intently to Percy’s analysis of the bandit’s poor tactical approach. And instead of looking fearful, her eyes were *shining*. That’s when he knew in his gut – she would never be the lady of the court he envisioned.
From that point on he gave in. He gave her access to the best trainers he could find, and let her grandfather guide her training. He allowed her to officially relinquish her claim to his title, passing it on to her eldest brother instead. When the time came, when her grandfather pronounced her ready, she prepared to set off to make a name for herself in his footsteps. The day she left he presented her with a worn sword and battered wooden shield. Her father protested – wanting only the finest his daughter. Surely there were finer, more magical armaments he could bequeath to her from his long career. But she smiled and accepted the relics from her grandfather. She knew what they meant. The were the very first sword and shield he had borne when he began his own career, and she was to use them to forge her own destiny rather than continuing his. She set off that day on the beginning of a long and illustrious career, with Percy as always right by her side.
Katarina is a very tactical and thoughtful fighter, always staying aware of the larger picture. She is the first to discern the enemy’s tactics and shout out counters. She is the first to notice a changing tactical situation or new combatants and redirect her companions to meet the new challenges. She is a perfectly capable combatant in her own right, skilled with sword and shield, but her real talent is understanding how to meld and leverage her companion’s varied capabilities.
Katarina has been around so long that she has been a lot of things. Somewhere between fighter and ranger. Sometimes even paladin, marshall, or knight. Whatever is available that best represents a tactically-minded combat leader. But her essential nature as a woman who has always felt drawn to adventure to help who she can, and who seeks to better the world up close and personal rather than from a throne or courtroom – has been constant.
“noble czech warrior woman, mid 30s, athletic, strong, ranger, with a proud but warm expression, brown hair, wearing leather over a chainmail shirt and a simple cloak, one hand on her belt and the other holding a wooden shield with winter motif”
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