Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 13 STR 3 12- Lift 151.6 kg; 2 1/2d6 HTH Damage [3] 21 DEX 36 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7 18 CON 16 13- 11 BODY 2 11- 10 INT 0 11- PER Roll 11- 12 EGO 4 12- ECV: 4 18 PRE 8 13- PRE Attack: 3 1/2d6 20 COM 5 13- 5 PD 2 Total: 5 PD (0 rPD) 5 ED 1 Total: 5 ED (0 rED) 4 SPD 9 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 7 REC 0 36 END 0 27 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 86 Movement: Running: 6"/12" Leaping: 2"/4" Swimming: 2"/4" Cost Powers & Skills Martial Arts: Saber Fencing Maneuver OCV DCV Damage 3 Cut +2 +1 Weapon Strike 5 Lunge +1 -2 Weapon +4 DC Strike 4 Parry +2 +2 Block, Abort 5 Slash -2 +1 Weapon +4 DC Strike 5 Thrust +1 +3 Weapon Strike 3 "Drinks The Strongest Under The Table": +5 CON; Only To Avoid Intoxication (-2) 12 "Her Strokes Followed Each Other Too Quickly For The Eye To Follow": Autofire (5 shots; +1/2) for up to 25 Active Points of Cut Martial Arts Maneuver, END 1 Talents 7 "Men Went Down Like Ripe Grain Before The Reaper": Deadly Blow: +1d6 (with Swords in HTH) 4 "Blade A Blur Of White Fire": Lightning Reflexes: +4 DEX to act first with Saber Skills 16 +2 with All Combat 6 +2 with Saber Fencing 2 AK: Eastern Europe 11- 2 AK: Russia 11- 2 KS: The Mercenary/Military World 11- 1 KS: Military Customs And Procedure 8- 3 Language: German (completely fluent) 0 Language: Russian (idiomatic; literate) 3 Language: Turkish (fluent conversation; literate) 3 PS: Gunner 12- 2 PS: Soldier 11- 3 Riding 13- 0 TF: Equines 4 WF: Early Firearms, Blades, Early Emplaced Weapons Total Powers & Skill Cost: 95 Total Cost: 181 75+ Disadvantages 5 Distinctive Features: "Outswears A Spaniard" (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 10 Distinctive Features: Beautiful (Easily Concealed; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 0 Normal Characteristic Maxima 15 Psychological Limitation: Despises/Hates The Turks/Her Sister (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: "Wild Nature" (Common, Strong) 10 Reputation: "Leave Her Alone, Sir Brother; She's A Wild Cat", 11- 51 Experience Points 181 Total Disadvantage Points
Background/History: Next to nothing is known of the origins of Sonya. Her home is in Rogatino, a town in Russia, where she lived with her family, at least until the Tartar slavers came. They attacked her father's house, capturing her sister, Roxelana, and sold her to the harem of Suleyman the Magnificent, Sultan of Turkey. As for Sonya, she apparently ventured forth after them, eventually making her way into eastern Europe, where she took up path of the professional soldier and now "Marches and fights like a man...."
Personality/Motivation: To say Sonya is "hot-tempered" is definitely an understatement. She swears constantly, impressing even her fellow soldiers with her temperament. Not surprisingly, she hates the Turks, and seems to have special loathing for her sister, calling her a "slut" and lamenting the target of a cannon she is preparing wasn't her sibling. Her contempt is apparently due to her sister, Roxelana (also known as Khurren the Joyous), status as the Sultan's harem favorite. I can only presume Sonya feels Roxelana should have either A: escaped, B: killed herself, of C: killed the Sultan, instead of accepting and even adapting to her fate.
Although fiercely independent, contemptuous of drunkards and fools, and merciless in battle, Sonya does have a bit of a softer side. For example, she spends most of the story The Shadow Of The Vulture verbally abusing the German knight Gottfried von Kamblach, eventually goading him into leading a drunken assault on the Sultan's army. Later, when he is staggering back to safety of his own lines, she saves him from being killed, eventually telling him "I see you need a wise person like me...." When Gottfried questions her change of heart, she snaps "Well, a woman can change her mind, can't she?"
Quote: "Hell to you, dog-soul! The Devil can stir your broth for you!"
Powers/Tactics: Although Howard only briefly describes sequences of Sonya fighting, one gets an impression of great speed and agility. Her sword is said to be "...a blur of white fire...," while her sword blows "...followed each other too quickly for the eye to follow...." And although she isn't all that strong (at least when compared to other heroes) she hits hard with her sword, with the result that "...men went down like ripe grain before the reaper...." She is also skilled with emplaced cannon, and seems to be a capable gunner. Physically she apparently possesses phenomenal endurance and durability, as she jumps up almost instantly after being knocked on her back by a cannon going off, can out drink most men, and defends the walls of Vienna hours on end without collapsing.
Appearance: Howard describes Red Sonya as thus: "She was tall, splendidly shaped, but lithe. From under a steel cap escaped rebellious tresses that rippled red gold in the sun over her compact shoulders. High boots of Cordovan leather came to her mid-thighs, which were cased in baggy breeches. She wore a shirt of fine Turkish mesh-mail.... Her supple waist was confined by a flowing sash of green silk, into which were thrust a brace of pistols and a dagger, and from which depended a long Hungarian saber. Over this was carelessly thrown a scarlet cloak." Gottfried himself admires "the splendid swell of her bosom... the curves of her ample hips and rounded limbs."
Designer's Notes: Red Sonya of Rogatino appears in the Robert E Howard short story, The Shadow Of The Vulture, where she helps defend Vienna from Suleyman's 1529 invasion. As she ends up Gottfried von Kamblach's companion and probable lover by the end of the story, it is likely Howard would have written more about her adventures, except he found it easier and more lucrative to concentrate on Conan stories instead. In many ways she reminds me of Valeria, in both skill and appearance (and Gottfried von Kamblach could be a stand-in for Conan).
This character sheet is based on Sonya's scant scenes in the story. She is a secondary character, even more so than Valeria is in Red Nails. Thus, most of what I have here is based on my impressions of her as well as various comments and hints Howard drops in the course of the story. I will also admit to using my Valeria character sheet as a base for this one. Sonya could easily be more powerful—for example, she carries a pair (brace) of matchlock pistols, as well as a sword and a dagger. Thus, one could easily give her Two Weapon Fighting (HTH or Ranged) and WF: Offhand.
Red Sonya's Hero Designer File
(Red Sonya created by Robert E Howard, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)
Return to Book-Derived HERO System Character Adaptations.