Born as Sophia Augusta Frederica (German: Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg) in Stettin, Pomerania, Catherine's father Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst belonged to the ruling family of Anhalt, but held the rank of a Prussian general in his capacity as Governor of the city of Stettin. In accordance with the custom then prevailing in the ruling dynasties of Germany, she received her education chiefly from a French governess and from tutors. Under her direct auspices the Russian Empire expanded, improved its administration, and continued to modernize along Western European lines. Catherine's rule re-vitalized Russia, which grew ever stronger and became recognized as one of the great powers of Europe. Her successes in complex foreign policy and her sometimes brutal reprisals in the wake of rebellion (most notably Pugachev's Rebellion) complemented her hectic private life. Ever conscious of her legacy, Catherine longed for recognition as an enlightened sovereign. During her reign Catherine extended the borders of the Russian Empire southward and westward to absorb New Russia, Crimea, Right-Bank Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Courland at the expense, mainly, of two powers – the Ottoman Empire and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. "Happiness and unhappiness are in the heart and spirit of each one of us: If you feel unhappy, then place yourself above that and act so that your happiness does not get to be dependent on anything." In 1775 Catherine decreed a Statute for the Administration of the Provinces of the Russian Empire. The Statute sought to efficiently govern Russia by increasing population and dividing the country into provinces and districts. By the end of her reign, there were fifty provinces, nearly 500 districts, more than double the government officials, and they were spending six times as much as previously on local government. Learned to use the saber from her lover Count Alexei Orlov. Legend

This character is the ultimate tourist. He tends to wander around looking for new ways to get into trouble. A new sport? Try it, especially if its dangerous. A new dance club? Let's go, and so what if its in the middle of a neighborhood where murder is as common as breathing. They will try anything that sounds like fun at least once. At the Moderate level the character can still abide boring days, but at Strong, anything other than going balls-to-the-wall after some sort of fun is intolerable. This Disadvantage is similar to Adrenaline Junkie, but is actually quite different. The character's idea of fun, after all, might be finding and exploring new art galleries or sculpture gardens. This is a character who thinks the world revolves around him. The character will assume that he will win any award he is a candidate to win, that he deserves special treatment simply because he is who he is, and believes that no one else's problems are more important than his. At the Moderate level, the character can force himself to consider others or to place others before his own wants if necessary. At Strong, the character must make an Ego Roll to do so, while at Total commitment the character won't consider the wants or needs of others except in the direst of circumstances. Taking this Disadvantage higher than Moderate is not recommended for Player Characters, as it would tend to make the character annoying to the other players.