Background

“And what did being women have to do with it? She was better than any male player in America. She remembered the Life interviewer and the questions about her being a woman in a man's world. To hell with her; it wouldn't be a man's world when she finished with it.” — Walter Tevis

 

Pre-Specter Era (1940-1962)

Ruslana Amelia Doyle was her own kind of prodigy. At a young age, she mastered a variety of card games—poker being her strongest suit—that spurred her into the cruel and beguiling world of gambling. She was depicted as a shy and reserved adolescent who longed for nothing but to veer away from her birthright and to dawn her own legacy.

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Coming from a family that engaged themselves in the practice of apothecary, Ruslana knew that her destiny had already been decided for her. Her family, the Doyles, served the entire English domain by crafting and supplying botanical medicines—a legacy they had long carried since the early 1910s which eventually acclaimed them as a notable familial figure in the land. However, despite the prestige the family had garnered over the years and for being at the constant glare of publicity, the Doyles entailed a dark and devious secret—one that would perpetually mar their impeccable standing in society. The masquerade they had long preserved became a strong disguise to what they were truly proficient at—crafting poisons. Over the years of their supposed pursuit, the Doyles supplied a variety of lethal concoctions that could end one man’s suffering through a simple swill. Their trade eventually became renowned in the underground trading scene, and with prominent figures securing powerful patronage, the family managed to maneuver their way into a world where they least anticipated—the political realm.

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Ruslana knew that she did not want to become another shadow that condoned her family’s devious schemes. Although she exhausted most of her life being tailored to be urbane and virtuous, as well as immersing herself in the art of materia medica, she had always been unperturbed by her own future. Even as a child, Ruslana had long perceived herself differently from that of her family, longing for free rein over her life regardless of the fear of being condemned a traitor to her own bloodline. The strain would often overwhelm her to an extent that she incessantly felt the need to escape familial grounds and ramble aimlessly to wherever she could. Although she wanted to elude herself from what she deemed was an encumbrance to her life, her fate had already been sealed. There was no better route that she could take that would allow her to break free from the expectations of being a so-called public figure. The Doyle name was already embedded into the minds of many, their devious legacy being a champion that gave them honorable pride. Though, it was not long until a stranger, a male veteran who went by the name of Claude, played a significant part in rewriting Ruslana’s destiny.

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At a run-down site in the marketplace, Ruslana would often make casual visits to the stranger, spending her spare time to become more well versed at playing cards. From solitaire to blackjack, to baccarat and poker, she mastered everything with ease, along with her dexterity with shuffling cards. Her prowess from excelling in every game he instilled in her made him marvel her for what he divined her to be—a clever young woman bearing the burden of a vile and appalling legacy. He saw her potential of being an acclaimed player, one who could lure man into thinking that luck is merely a mocking belief. It then dawned on Ruslana that she had at long last come upon her own métier, one where she no longer seeks the need to bear the onus that became the bane of her existence, regardless of it being a domain tyrannized by men.

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Despite her incessant refusal to submit herself to the family’s undertakings, the Doyles nevertheless continued to assemble their own empire, bolstering their trade in various locations which allowed their name to be prevalent beyond English borders, eventually becoming the country’s pride. However, glory came at a price. Over the course of their reign, the Doyles also became an object of ridicule, and as the family made its way in forging associations to strengthen their ground, everything they had long worked for was suddenly tarnished merely by two things—an exposé that foregrounded their illicit business, and the assassination of a political figure. The family immediately faced indignity and were left to brave their own ruination after the disclosure of their underground trades and associations to criminal syndicates.

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Ruslana’s determination to relieve her family’s place in society served her primary purpose. Through her expertise at playing cards, she was ushered into an ungodly world that was referred to as a triumphant ground for men—the gambling scene. The cruelty it veiled deluded her to naively pursue it despite Claude's admonition, and before she knew it, she was ensnared by its greedy clutches, her own raw perseverance being the culprit of it all. She succumbed to its beguiling world and since then failed to find an escape. By the time Ruslana became acquainted with the works of gambling, she became consumed with it. It devoured her good sense and prudence, her proclivity assuming control that it had deprived her of her own reason. The dawning of her trade became a revelation, but little did she know that it also signified the dawning of her own undoing.

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In a male-dominated arena, Ruslana immersed herself in the idea of winning, yearning to overpower the entire scene and to embed in the minds of many what she was—a gambling prodigy. Her passion drove her to outplay adept players and to outsmart men in their own trade. Being the only known female player, she immediately worked her way into greater heights. However, like what her family faced through, everything came at a cost. Although in the midst of making a name for herself as a renowned player, she needed to pay the price—the price of being a clever, female gambler.

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Specter Era (1962-present)

Upon her death, Ruslana was faced by the operatives of The Order to undergo The Test—where souls face judgment as to whether they qualify to be endowed with another chance at life, this time as unworldly beings. Her demise, as perceived, was a consequence of antipathy and envy, which aggravated her resentment towards gamblers. Her soul, fueled with the desire for vengeance, appealed to The Order, which then granted her the chance to avenge those who endured the same fate. Ordained the highest echelon in the spiritual realm, Ruslana was bestowed the classification as Specter. To signify her rebirth, she was baptised under the name Kaia Renee, The Third Keeper, and had since then made a solemn oath that bound her to eternal despair.

There was an edict that required a Specter, with exemption to the House Master, to immediately possess a Host by the time they had transformed into spiritual beings in order to prevent cases of unmindful possessions. The Order was well aware that a Specter’s mortal death could sow a seed of revulsion that would come to sprout into a desire to exact what they had failed to do in their final moments—to take vengeance. It was a principal motive that a Specter would first call to mind after they had been granted their rebirth. Unfortunately, Kaia was not spared by such inclination. Although The Order had instituted their own sacred commandments in the spiritual realm that in turn yielded a range of sanctions, Kaia nevertheless defied them all and had set out to pursue a haunting escapade that would fulfill the promise she vowed to herself before her demise, her final words echoing in the deepest parts of her mind before she caved into the darkness: “May my ghost find no rest until I finish the lives of those who had finished mine.” Her urge to exact retribution became a solemn mission, her spirit finding no rest or appeasement until her promise had been fulfilled. Over the span of being a hostess Specter, she took advantage of merely having a disembodied form to possess those who were close to former adversaries, meddling and toying with their sanity, haunting them until they all fell apart, one by one.

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By the time she had brought her furtive expedition to fruition, she was condemned by The Order to settle upon a Host to bind her soul with; otherwise, her essence would be devoured and her mere existence in the afterlife would come to an end. Though, it was not long until she sought a young woman who was on the brink of her death—the second and last child of the Eleutheros-Orlov couple who established the Sun Empire, Mavaris Catriona Eleutheros-Orlov. Manifesting her spectral abilities to retrieve the woman’s thoughts and memories before she faded into oblivion, the chapters of Mavaris’ life were unveiled before her eyes.

 

A Glimpse of the Life of Mavis Sun

Being born to a Russian firearm inventor and a Greek journalist, Mavaris was indelibly known as the spawn of a formidable alliance between the most notorious families in Russia and Greece. Her father, Vladimir Bogdan Orlov, and his union to her mother, Aglaia Sankta-Eleutheros, became the fount that established a dominant bloodline known to be The Sun Empire, declaring the alliance an insignia that would long bind the Orlovs and the Eleutheroses together, forging a future brimful of cosmic power.

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As the families thrived on underground negotiations, arms trafficking, and publishing exposés, the synergy between both clans became the source that empowered the Sun Empire. Soon enough, the association materialized into the form of an organization under the same name, signifying another profound legacy under the Eleutheros-Orlov reign that executed furtive operations and espionage work, of which Mavaris had immediately taken charge of after her parents’ sudden passing. Branded as among the heir apparents to the Sun Empire’s multitude of underlying businesses, Mavaris was impelled at a very young age to assimilate the operations of her family’s line of businesses, which involved her grandfather's pioneering work: Orlov Heavy Industries, one of the most favored ammunition industries in the Russian Republic that developed substantial weaponries since 1906. Despite being the youngest born, Mavaris was named the immediate successor to the family's establishments in lieu of her sister, Ethos Alina Eleutheros-Orlov, who fled the Russian domain to dawn a path of her own.

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Witnessing the woman on her deathbed was a dismal sight for Kaia. She knew that the woman had more potential, despite the odious heritage she was forced to succeed. The connection she felt with the undercover agent was powerful that every memory she could retrieve from her felt as though it was her own. Mavaris’ involvement in the defense industries, her background and extensive knowledge in espionage operations, as well as being adept in handling firearms of various classes truly made her an intriguing candidate, but it was the shadows of her past that drove Kaia to decide to take over her body. With no further hesitation, she conveyed her to The Void where solemn rites were performed that would bind them for all eternity.

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Personality

Kaia pursues a warm and amiable persona. She is usually kind towards every individual she meets, expressing utmost concern for every person’s well-being. She can sometimes be ebullient and would come off loquacious, especially to those who she is close with. Though, every so often, she can also be taciturn and socially detached. Because of this, she may turn most of her attention towards her familiar, Sova, gearing him for espionage undertakings by enhancing his instincts and amplifying his skills at hunting—or perhaps play a round of poker with him as a means to pass the hour.

 

As “The Third Keeper”, Kaia obligates herself to her responsibilities in keeping the peace between both the spiritual realm and the mortal realm, and remains acquiescent to what The Order demands of her. When in the midst of desperate circumstances, particularly during missions, she often employs a calm and sensible bearing, and never falls short in making a sound judgment.

 

When dominating the gambling scene, Kaia often unveils a dark and devious side of her. At a poker match, she turns to wield her telepathic abilities, enabling her to decipher the course of the game, read the minds of her opponents, and manipulate everything into her favor—particularly when settling negotiations or executing investigations. Christened with the title of “Master Gambler”, Kaia’s tenacity to conquer each round may get the best of her as she may come to be ruthless and unsparing in the midst of the gambling match. This side of her is believed to have been attributed to her past life as Ruslana and her provocative urge to exact retribution to those who had compelled her to her death.

For a time, Kaia may embody authority and discipline. This is due to her loyalty in fulfilling her duties as both a Specter and as an Eleutheros-Orlov descendant. It is also because of the role she plays as the right-hand of the Sun Empire’s current head and as the President of Orlov Heavy Industries. Under her new identity, she is often acknowledged by one of their personnel as an authoritarian as she occasionally manifests a stern temperament, but only when she deems it necessary. She manages to perform her job professionally with further reinforcement on the saying “mind over matter”.

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