Svetlana Tsermak

Lady Svetlana Yevgenievna Tsermak (a.k.a. Lady Whore)

Svetlana Tsermak is the Lady of Sidovo and the acting head of House Tsermak. She is a powerful pyromancer whose bloodline is connected to an ancient order of pyromancers from the lost lands of Geroia. Her coat of arms is a black flame on a crimson background.

History

The eldest daughter of Lord Yevgeny Tsermak, Svetlana was born bearing the powers of the the Blackflame - pyromancy powers gifted to the Tsermak family by the Lord of the Pyre Svarojitch. Showing an early affinity for both pyromancy and stately affairs, it seemed Svetlana would become the head of the Tsermak family until her brother Kuno was born several years later, resulting in her being passed over for succession.
Her preference for "masculine" pursuits such as hunting, archery, and hawking made Svetlana a hard match for marriage, but she was eventually betrothed to Vsevolod Velkov, Lord Mieszko Velkov's eldest son and a scholar. However, her betrothed would die alongside most of his family in the Battle of White Bay, slain by Nordic raiders. Seeking to retain the match, she was quickly betrothed to the only male survivor of the Velkov line: Saravslaw Velkov. Their marriage would be delayed several times over as Saravslaw refused to marry Svetlana until he could finish restoring Saravgrad to its former glory and above.
A second turn of events would occur in the year 507, when Yevgeny Tsermak died. Not too long after the death of his father, Kuno Tsermak and several nobles including Aleksei Bukov would be accused of several crimes by Svetlana - chief among them extortion and rape. She accused her brother of raping a peasant girl and fathering a child, while threatening her to prevent the secret from being revealed. Kuno and the accused nobles demanded a trial by combat to prove their innocence, though all but Kuno were incinerated by Svetlana Tsermak who stood as champion. Kuno succeeded in defeating his sister - being the more powerful pyromancer - but he nonetheless entered self-exile not long after the trial. Before entering self-exile, Kuno arranged for his son Lukash to be brought into court.
As the ruler of Sidovo and Serebryansk, Svetlana implemented many social and political changes. The first major change she enacted was the complete abolishment of human sacrifice - Tsermaks with the Blackflame such as her brother Kuno often performed live human burnings to appease Svarojitch and gain greater strength. The second major change she enacted was the establishment of a pseudo-Veche in Sidovo, a democratic system where all inhabitants are able to freely vote on representatives and key officials such as bailiffs in their regions.

Recent Events

Svetlana Tsermak was first encountered by Tema, Evia, Jaakob, and Angelus in Lord Saravslaw Velkov's keep. She visited the lord's keep with a procession of guards and retainers, and discussed matters of politics with Saravslaw - the war in the Riverlands, increasing banditry in her territory, and her nephew's loss of Serebryansk to Sorrow tribesmen. The party learned that Svetlana was betrothed to Saravslaw six years ago, but was never married for unspecified reasons.
Before leaving Saravslaw's keep, Saravslaw informed the party of Svetlana's personal history: she was the eldest daughter of the family, but was passed over for rule in favor of her younger brother Kuno. However, shortly after the death of Yevgeniy Tsermak - Svetlana's father - Kuno and his retainers were accused of extortion and raping a peasant girl, and forced to stand trial before Kuno's own advisors. Svetlana personally fought and killed Kuno's retainers when they demanded trial by combat - roasting them alive with her pyromancy. However, she lost her duel against her brother Kuno, though he entered self-exile shortly after and departed for the west, but not before leaving behind the child he sired with a peasant girl as his heir.
Svetlana, alongside Myslav Voronoff, was one of Saravslaw's possible chosen allies in his plot to overthrow House Belyaron - her magical powers and House Tsermak's heavy cavalry would be invaluable in tilting the balance in Saravslaw's favor. However, when the party visited her mansion in the town of Sidovo, she rejected Lord Velkov's offer of allegiance but promised to keep her forces neutral - siding with neither House Belyaron nor with Velkov.

Allies and Vassals

• House Belyaron (vassal of)
• House Sigalov (vassal)
• House Bukov (vassal)
• House Garin (vassal)
• Veche Society (allied with)

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Lady of Sidovo
Bearer of the Blackflame
Protectress of the Dispossessed

Age

34

Current Residence

Sidovo

Gender

Female

Eyes

Completely black

Hair

Long, raven black

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Pale white

Height

5' 7"

Weight

125 lbs.

Aligned Organization

Karadzic Principality