Aikaterinē of Sestos

Name: Aikaterinē of Sestos/Αικατερινη
Nicknames: Kat (will be given to her)
Gender: Female (she/her)
Physical Age: 18
Real Age: 3,277
Birthday: August 5, 1258 BCE
Sexuality: Pansexual panromantic

Personality: Aikaterinē aspires to be the best person she can be for others. She wants to brighten lives, carry her peers’ burdens, and overall wants to leave a good impact on someone. Between being a daughter of Zeus and her sociable attitude, it is not hard to see why her mother had no trouble finding suitors for her — though none of them could make it work.

Despite her electric outward behavior, there is one person Aikaterinē has a hard time winning over — herself. The shadow casted by her sister looms high and heavy, and while Aikaterinē never saw herself as set to be a hero, ever since Amara disappeared she has had to fit her square peg life into the gaping hole left empty. Aikaterinē is no fighter, no defender, no hero, but that is who she needs to be now. If not for her sake, then for Amara’s.

Overall, Aikaterinē will always try her hardest to do the right thing and help the people who matter to her, even if she never expects them to return the favor for someone as unworthy as herself.


Flaws:

• Tainted Love: Hera’s curse; Aikaterinē is unable to maintain a relationship with romantic intentions. No matter who instigated the relationship, no matter who gets feelings first, no matter what their histories are. If romance is a factor, something — anything — will go wrong. This can only be avoided through celestial means. (Unknown flaw)
  
• Dr. Burke’s Favorite Customer: Between living in the shadow of Amara, being denied the opportunity to be a hero in her time and being unable to connect with one of the suitors Iantha finds for her, Aikaterinē does not have the highest level of confidence in herself.
  
• Spotlight: If Aikaterinē remains in an unprotected area for more than 15 posts, monsters will be attracted to her position. This can be thwarted by remaining in motion.
  
• Burn (Lack of) Notice: Due to her ability to cause small static shocks, it is likely that she can give someone electric burns or worse during otherwise innocent physical interaction. While this is rare, there is a non-zero chance that it will happen.
  
• You Cannot Handle the Truth: Due to being denied opportunities to explore being a hero, Aikaterinē is ignorant to many of her powers. While she has some grasp on air, atmosphere and electricity control, it is only at a basic level. She will need to discover the top end of her power.
  
• Gaps In The Record: After being trapped in the Lotus Hotel for over 3,200 years, Aikaterinē is very behind on her history. While she has Forrest Gumped her way into some notable figures in the meantime, there is a gaping hole in her personal historical record.
  
• Aquaphobic: Due to her experience drifting at sea, Aikaterinē has a fear of deep water.
  

Eye color: blueish-brown
Hair description: cut just above her shoulders, wavy, black
Height: 5’8”
Skin tone: olive
Ethnicity: Greek
Body structure: Due to her rash arrival into the world of heroics and her extended stay in the Lotus Hotel, Aikaterinē is lean with light muscle buildup.
Personal Appearance: Aikaterinē has always tried for as much of a natural look as possible, typically avoiding cosmetics and making the best with what she had. This philosophy has not changed with time.
Scars/Tattoos/piercings/etc: When you live a life of royalty, you tend to avoid these. Though she did catch a scar on the inside of her right leg while at sea in the process of washing up with the Lotus Eaters.
Clothing Style: Aikaterinē has adopted a very western style of clothing. Blue jeans, plaid shirts, these boots that cover her feet and shins completely, and those lovely brimmed hats that keep the sun out of her eyes. She does not know why people call her “cowgirl,” but being compared to heffer is a small price to pay for such durable, comfortable clothing. The summer months may see her break out a chiton, though the boots are here to stay. For formal occasions Aikaterinē will sport a traditional peplos with a himation if the weather calls for it; formal footwear also depends on the weather.
Armor: While the cowgirl attire has won over the daughter of Zeus, Aikaterinē keeps to what she knows when it comes to combat gear. Her bronze helmet lacks a nose guard but has blue-dyed horsehair, her bronze cuirass, bracers and pericheirida — upper-arm armor — keep her upper half defended while her lower half is protected by bronze-studded pteryges — that skirt-like thing — and bronze greaves that shield her shins. The armor is worn over a chiton with the worn remains of her blue Athenian chlamys draped and pinned around the shoulders like a scarf. Her “cowgirl” boots protect her feet in battle.
Social status: New in town.

Place of Birth: Sestos, Thrace, Greece (Modern day eastern Turkey)
Mortal Parent: Iantha, Queen of Sestos
God Parent: Zeus, King of the Gods
Relationship with God Parent: Aikaterinē and Zeus, despite all this time, have never met in person. Aikaterinē never got around to ascending Mt. Olympus and Zeus never visited Sestos outside of two encounters with Iantha. This has not soured Aikaterinē’s fidelity to the king of the gods. She remains supportive of him and the pantheon, even if she thinks she has failed them in her quest to find Amara.


Abilities:

• Better than Copper: Aikaterinē is an incredible conductor, able to carry up to 500,000 amperes of electric energy for one (1) minute, though lower amounts of energy can be carried for much longer.
  
• Spark It Up: Aikaterinē can summon a small 0.5” ball of electricity. It can be used for — among other things — lighting dark spaces, igniting things that can be ignited by a spark or creating a distraction. It falls apart upon physical contact.
  
• Disney Princess: Aikaterinē can communicate with birds.
  
• Keys to the Realm: If something falls under the domain of Zeus (air, weather, electricity), they/it are compelled to follow Aikaterinē’s every command. (Mostly unknown ability; she is aware that birds will follow her commands.)
  
• Portable Charger: Aikaterinē is able to cast small amounts of electricity without physical consequences. The maximum amount of energy she can use without side effect is about 1,500 watts for a minute (1,500 watts in one (1) post.)
  
• Oh Yeah She Cannot Be Electrocuted: Does not need to be said, but probably should go on the record.
  

Powers:

• Aerokinesis Powers
  
  
  
  • Aikaterinē can weaponize the air around her, using it similarly to an air cannon. The amount of compression dictates the burst’s force. Aikaterinē will be short of breath for one (1) post if light compression is used, two (2) if moderate compression is used and three (3) if heavy compression is used. She can resume air bursts immediately after catching her breath.
    
  
  
  
• Atomokinesis Powers
  
  
  
  • Aikaterinē can summon a small tornado (5” diameter, 10” height”) capable of EF3 speeds (136–165 mph or 218–266 km/h). This lasts for up to six (6) posts with an extra two (2) posts for setup and dispersion for a total of eight (8) posts (setup (1), tornado (6), dispersion(1)). There is a 15 post cooldown and can be done up to three (3) times within 75 posts. Other powers can be used during the storm’s six (6) posts in a reduced capacity, and doing so can cause Aikaterinē to pass out. (Unknown power, will need to work her way up to EF3)
    
  • Aikaterinē can fluctuate the air temperature up to 25ft3 around her by 10 degrees fahrenheit either way. This lasts for 10 posts with a one (1) post cooldown.
    
  
  
  
• Electrokinesis Powers
  
  
  
  • Aikaterinē can summon a bolt of lightning from the sky capable of killing any three monsters in an area. It lasts for one (1) post and has a five (5) post cooldown. The impact location remains live for three (3) posts after summoning. (Unknown power)
    
  • Aikaterinē can summon a lightning bolt that can be thrown up to 30ft. This can be done every five (5) posts. (Unknown power)
    
  • Aikaterinē can channel lightning from her body through her weapons. This can only be done with weapons made from conductive metals.
    
  • Aikaterinē can create an 8’ tall 10” diameter shield of static electricity that lasts for three (3) posts and has a five (5) post cooldown. (Unknown power)
    
  • Aikaterinē can summon electricity to accelerate her movements, lasting for two (2) posts with a three (3) post cooldown. Excessive use can make Aikaterinē nauseous to the point of vomiting, likely occurring after three (3) uses within 15 posts. (Unknown power)
    
  • Aikaterinē can summon lightning to strike her, transporting her molecules up to one mile (1.61 kilometers) in one (1) post with a four (4) post cooldown. Excessive use can make Aikaterinē nauseous to the point of vomiting, likely occurring after three (3) uses within 15 posts. (Unknown power)
    
  
  
  

Weapon: Spear with a celestial bronze tip from Camp Half-Blood, celestial bronze xiphos from Camp Half-Blood and a bronze shield from the Sestos Armory
Pets: Aikaterinē had a cat named Andrónikos that roamed around with her for a bit. She used to call him Andi before he ran away. Aikaterinē does not currently have any pets.

History:

• Born to Iantha, Queen of Sestos in the late summer of 1258 BCE Aikaterinē was — on paper — a shoe-in for a heroics. A daughter of Zeus with the potential for awesome power, those in the know imagined that she would follow in the heroic sandals of her sister. But Iantha had other plans for her second child. With Amara out in the field protecting the realm and raising Sestos’ profile, she needed someone who could be the perfect diplomatic pawn.
  
• Social functions, arraigned dates, myriad public appearances at the hip of Iantha — such was life for Aikaterinē. And all the while her senior sister was out in the wilds serving the gods and Sestos with a raw grace and glee. But Aikaterinē was not upset by this; Amara was someone for her to look up to, someone for her to idolize — not someone to imitate. Amara was the first daughter, the oldest daughter, the worthy daughter. And that was fine for Aikaterinē, even if the third outing with Euphemios of Teos lacked the the thrills of slaying Iphicles the Mauler.
  
• One day in 1242 BCE, Aikaterinē watched as her sister left Sestos in the usual fashion for a quest. The 16 year old took in the fanfare from afar, watching as the people of Sestos showered the road with gifts and offerings, hoping to see Amara back home in a few weeks time. Weeks passed, then a month, then three with Amara never returning. Rumors were being spread — bold lies from a gossiping public — that maybe Amara finally died in battle or had run off with her spoils, but Aikaterinē knew better. She knew Amara, she knew that Amara would never abandon her task and she knew that Amara would not give up that easily.
  
• And when five months passed with no sign of Amara, Aikaterinē was sent to find her. Despite only having a month of training under her belt, Aikaterinē and a crew of Sestos’ finest fighters were on their way to find the lost Storm of Sestos. Despite the somber mood of the moment, Sestos gathered to send off what might possibly be their last and only hope of saving their hero. As the Pyrofóros left the port of Sestos, Aikaterinē was left to face the Greek wilds, ignorant of what lay before her…
  
• About five months into their search, the crew of the Pyrofóros ran into trouble at sea. As the ship got battered by Poseidon’s Ionian Sea, sailors cursed Iantha for her bright idea of bringing an armed Zeus kid to sea and Aikaterinē held on for dear life. An errant wave washed over the Pyrofóros and Aikaterinē was consumed by the dark, foamy void.
  
• After drifting for some time, she washed up on the shores of a strange island full of bountiful fruit and an apathetic group of people. Starving and in what looked to be a safe place, Aikaterinē decided to eat the island’s fruit and wait for her rescue. After all, it would probably only take a day…
  
• In the summer of 2019 CE, Aikaterinē finally noticed that the bathrooms of the Lotus Hotel had these pipes that carried water through them when you turned a handle. It was at this moment that the past 3000 years were finally beginning to process in her ancient mind. It would take a few days before she would leave the hotel and enter the hot, loud and smelly world that most certainly was not in the Mediterranean. After stumbling around Las Vegas for a bit, a satyr found Aikaterinē and began the long journey east to Camp Half-Blood.
  

A Memory:
By all means, Aikaterinē was not supposed to be here.

Well, not “here” as in Sestos or the oikos, but… just…

Amara had left roughly five months ago on a quest from the Oracle herself. While the elder sister was cryptic with her objective, Aikaterinē was able to convince her to spill some beans — she was looking for a sundial in a Cypriot cave. It was supposed to be a simple quest, in and out, back before the summer solstice.

As the June date came and went, so did the good fortunes of Sestos. A string of monster attacks turned what would be a season of joy into a summer of terror, and the polis’ wells began drawing water with the sweet metallic tainting of lead. And as the attacks and poisoning continued, tensions boiled in the streets and in homes across the peninsula — including Aikaterinē’s own opulent home. The once shrewd Iantha had begun entertaining even the most maddening ideas, the most recent of which was… just...

Aikaterinē understood why her mother was so desperate. Amara had been her everything, even if she spent more time slaying on the mainland than politicking at home. But Amara had the burden of leadership Aikaterinē would not be facing, and the second daughter knew how important bringing her elder sister home was for the sake of the city. Aikaterinē would do anything to have Amara back.

But dressing her up like a hoplite and expecting her to be her sister’s savior was… just…

Iantha did not care, unfortunately, and it was too late to stop her. Atreus and Lysandros, the two most decorated hoplites in Sestos, understood Aikaterinē’s plight almost as well as she did. Training the unskilled demigod was a task unlike any other, and while they were able to extract some of her divine abilities in time for their mission, the idea of spending months at sea with a daughter of Zeus did not sit well with them. But their loyalty to Iantha was steadfast, and Aikaterinē had proven her competency, so with a silent nod to the slaves, the doors opened for the three heroes of Sestos.

The journey to the port would take about 1,000 paces. The gentle downhill route was not alien to Aikaterinē, but the adoring masses lining the way were a feature she did not face under normal conditions. The armor provided had a helmet — despite the protests of her mother, insisting the god-princess of Sestos show her face to the world — and Aikaterinē was not hesitant to wear it the whole march down. Luckily Atreus and Lysandros were a sympathetic pair, keeping their lids on as the three made their way through the city. While the crowd showered the trio with praise, blessings and tribute, the harmonious silence among the three would-be warriors rung louder. The city was dying, for one reason or another, and being cast out on a suicide mission instead of going down with the ship was… just…

The Pyrofóros bobbed in the Hellespont, moored off around that tower where a disciple of Aphrodite threw herself to the waves. The memory of the mangled priestess’ body lying between the waves and rocks had been burned into Sestos, and the brutal omens of self-inflicted death were not lost on the ship’s crew. As crates of fruit and amphorae of cheap wine were loaded on, the crew took to cursing whatever ill fortune struck them for taking on a certain divinely touched passenger. The salty chorus silenced as the three arrived, the heroes’ silence infecting the entire team. An hour passed before the Pyrofóros was casted off, sailing freely into the wild waves of the Aegean.

Time at Camp: 0 years
Notes:

• FC is Leem Lubany
  
• She was given Fortuna’s Lucky Coin by Amara, who found it Athens and thought Aikaterinē would appreciate the small token.
  
• She arrives at camp on August 12, 2019
  
• 2784 words
  

Code:

Aikaterinē of Sestos [i](redline2400)[/i], Cabin One

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