Your Nickname: Nuri
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Yes
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary






Have they committed any previous crimes- if yes, what were they and were they convicted?:

Ira is known by reputation in her home country  for being a masterful mercenary and liaison- her identity however, is not widely known. As a result she is wanted by the Russian Ministry under many different names, and for several murders (known assassinations falling into notoriously high numbers). Ira has also been contracted by them to eliminate internal political threats and the government, in accordance, has often turned a blind eye to her less secreted activities.

In Britain, her reputation is less renowned. She has been responsible for orchestrating numerous murders, as a liaison, and committing many of them personally. Ira freely practices Dark Magic in the course of her undertakings. She has not been convicted or tried in the UK for any of these crimes.

What crimes might you commit in the future?  Discuss all possible:

Further contracts and a personal, ruthless desire will continue to drive her to commit murders- as well as whichever crimes that may arise as a result of this occupation. Not currently under pursuit by the Ministry of Magic.


Physical Description:

Disturbingly alien.

Ira Almasy is a lean, angular figure- almost masculine from certain viewpoints but decidedly female in her posture and bearing. She stands straight at nearly 6’5’’, a head above most of her sex.

There is nothing comforting about her features; pale as paper, sharp as sin and inhumanly dispassionate. Even her smiles lack warmth and very rarely reach her wan eyes. Ira was born with vivid red hair- now she wears it blonde, in various striking styles, as she believes that appearances are significant: they carry weight with one’s clientele. As she is a metamorphmagus, Ira is accustomed to sometimes changing her appearances or colouring to avoid detection, and to perform her murders. It would be difficult not to distinguish her in a crowd and even moreso in a room. Gazes gravitate to her, as they would to any aesthetic abnormality, and then flinch away.

Ira’s wardrobe is extensive and immaculate. It is prepared to provide for most occasions: elegant robes, silken garments, tasteful gowns… and suits. Clean cut, refined suits that drape across her gaunt frame in the same way that pretty much everything else does; like a second skin. Ira knows better than most that it is easier to get away with murder when you aren’t dressed for it.

Her mannerisms are relaxed, moving with a grace that is surprisingly unguarded although they are not the gestures of a careless woman. She is extremely aware of the physical self and her instincts are quick, only improving in their dexterity over the years.


Personality Description:

There are not many people who genuinely like Ira Almasy, for there is very little to like about her- she is a rather dry, impersonal character with concrete opinions and a scathing disposition. Her sense of humor is morbid and often hints at the nature of her true occupation.

On the other hand, one doesn’t have to like a woman to respect her; and Ira is very much respected in most circles. As a patron of the wizarding arts, she is known for her discerning taste in classical theater and other forms of magical performances. Even those who do not know her to be a malefactor understand that she is not to be trifled with. As a Criminal Liaison, Ira is well regarded for competency and professionalism- she may charge a hefty fee but only with good reason.

It would be a lie to say that the witch holds nothing close to heart. With no immediate family and only a handful of reliable personnel, that may certainly be the appearance of it—except, of course, even a killer must sometimes love. Ira has had her fair share of flings before; in the past few years she has remained, with almost asexual flair, a singular entity. Her affection is expressed in some part to her familiars: a matching pair of pure white Siberian huskies.

And then of course, her extended family. The Almasy clan mostly reside abroad in the mother country, although several members are spread across the rest of Europe; purebloods and halfbloods in odd corners of various nations. This includes her bastard cousin, Roman Almasy, and his little… brood. Ira pays her obligatory visits to them: she shares a history with the cousin and a glancing sort of endearment for her niece, Reinka (this is Raine).

Most importantly- buried underneath her orderly manner and harsh temperament, exists a cultivated strain of sadism. Ira would not admit to this aloud but she acknowledges it at least to herself- that there is a sweet and shamelessly anarchic pleasure in the butchery of human life.  It is, to her, more gratifying and sensual than any form of interaction.


History:

The term ‘underdog’ does not subsist in the Almasy Clan because underdogs, as a rule, were not permitted to subsist among their ranks. They are not the strictest or harshest of pureblood families: their rules are not law and their punishments are hardly ruthless.

But there is one understanding- that regardless of inclination for or against the clan, you are not allowed to be weak. An Almasy must stand on their own two feet, must be powerful, must be intelligent, must be capable of holding her ground. That is how an Almasy must be and how most of them truly are. Cripples and weeds were often sent away to live quietly in some countryside mansion or another.

Ira Almasy was born into a family full of sons and her birth was celebrated with almost irrepressible joy. The Clan, after all, was matriarchal, and they had been cursed in the past half-century with more men than women. A tragedy, really.

CHILDHOOD

There is something to be said about being raised around a mess of boys. Ira was the youngest of her siblings and by far the most ruthless, in spite of it—perhaps even because of it. They were a very wealthy family and were afforded most luxuries: lessons in foreign languages, classical instruments and many trips abroad; but for the most part she was raised in a large home by a lake on the outer districts of Moscow city.

When she was very young it was easy to tease Ira: for her messy red hair, her awkward looks, her awkward disposition and (when it arose) her volatile metamorphmagi changes. Closer to school-going age, much of the teasing was dropped. She learned to retaliate against her brothers and began to understand, at least in principle, the subtleties of asymmetric conflict. Ira reasoned that one did not always have to play fair and the reprisals of this deduction were terrifying. Beds were set on fire and buckets balanced on doors and trap doors rigged to drop down into dark, damp cellars if trampled on. So they told her off or sent her to bed without supper: but nobody teased her anymore, not if they could help it.

BEAUXBATONS

Ira’s parents had been adamant about not sending their daughter (by now an obvious problem child) to Durmstrang, where Almasy children traditionally attended. They correctly supposed that such instruction would only aggravate her already belligerent tendencies, and so the sulky-lipped eleven year old was packed away to study at Beauxbatons Academy where it was hoped that perhaps the French might be able to straighten out her crooked backbone.

Which worked… to a degree. The institute’s emphasis on etiquette had a marvelous effect on the girl; she took to it quickly, unfettered by her brute brothers and critical relatives. It was clear from very early on in her education that Ira was an extremely adept witch.  If anything, Beauxbatons did not so much as strangle away her belligerence as it allowed her to very competently channel it. She became aware of abstract notions like tastefulness and style- aware of their influence on others if not herself; and everything she learned became more than a fact but a tool to obtain desired effects.

Over the summers, Ira returned home where she picked up the Dark Arts from her Durmstrang-educated siblings. There was no shortage of knowledge to acquire.  She graduated at eighteen- amongst the best of the year, having mastered subjects (mostly in wandwork and wizarding literature) as well as her abilities as a Metamorphmagus. Although, admittedly, the reputation she had left behind was far from perfect—outbursts of violence, excess of force and an alarming disregard for mutual safety.


ADULTHOOD

Ira returned to Russia’s capital and fell in almost immediately amongst the ranks Moscow’s unsavoury elite. There was no pretense of pursuing other lines of work—she knew what she wanted with almost childlike candor. Practitioners of dark magic, curse breakers, arsonists… they were not very nice people but naturally, Ira got along with them extremely well. She sifted through the different layers of miscreants or brigands; befriending some and antagonizing others with her patronizing conduct. Until, in her 21st year, she found the sort of trouble she had been looking for: not petty criminals or thieves, but mercenaries.


There was no looking back after that. No looking back after you’ve made your first kill (an accident) or your second one (not an accident) or your third (well she was beginning to rather enjoy it at this point). Ira was in an element that not only affirmed her sadistic impulses but also indulged in them. It was a disturbing process to witness for those who knew her then; the value of human life had never meant a great deal to her and it only depreciated the longer she spent amongst the criminal community, working initially in groups. It was only in her late twenties that Ira struck out on her own to pursue an intriguing concept.

To be a murderess for hire was elementary but mercenary work was a competitive playing field in Russia. And that difficulty, she knew, could easily be remedied by a middleman. The very idea delighted her. Its mundane logistics was ideal… an agency for contract killers, seemingly safer for the client and efficient for the mercenary while Ira, of course, would have her pick of the litter. It was the start of something beautiful.

There were no pseudonyms. If you wanted to find her, then you would, and sometimes (if you were unlucky enough) she would come to find you. Ira built a gradual and definitive network in Moscow. It was based on a handful of her closest contacts but mostly functioned as a result of her own deadly proficiency.

In the early 90s, the government powers running the Ministry of Magic were beginning to shift. The status quo, which had protected her and her kind from the piercing eyes of wizarding Law Enforcement, had begun to crumble. Ira slowly began to leave the country- often spending time abroad, months at a time, in various other European nations. As a result she was often spotted in the criminal underworlds of the United Kingdom, France and Germany- particularly between the years 1992 and 1998.

Finally in 1999, the Russian Ministry of Magic disbanded its former ruling cabinet. It was time to move permanently, even if this meant abandoning an esteemed reputation and fruitful clientele. Ira cut her losses and slid away from mother Russia like a shadow that might never have existed.

And the shadow moved slowly through Europe once more- months in Ukraine, and then Slovakia, and then Germany. For a while it seemed that she would settle in Berlin but it was the familial beckoning of a cousin, Roman Almasy, which pulled her further west. England: where the aftermath of a wizarding war had left a confused and wonderfully vulnerable vacuum of criminal activity.

More than a decade has trickled by since Ira Almasy had come to Great Britain. Starting from scratch had not been easy but she was a patient woman prepared to go through great lengths to achieve her personal desires. The witch now lives in London, occupying a large home in one of its more affluent neighborhoods, although she chiefly discharges her Liaison business within the confines of an elegant little apartment near the city center. She is well known, as an identity if not a name, by most members of criminal society.


Job description & Qualifications:

Ira is a Liaison for criminal assassins and mercenaries- she essentially functions as the middle woman you contact when you are looking to dispose of (or inconvenience) a person. On occasion, Ira will assign herself to an undertaking.   

As a murderess she is perhaps not the most efficient, often investing in the idea of taking her time to perform a task. Ira does not kill with a signature style. She enjoys almost every aspect of this job: it is what compels her to continue on in this lifestyle.

Besides possessing an inherently cruel and sadistic mindset, Ira has been in the business of assassination for over the last twenty years of her life. She began her profession as a Liaison in her mid-twenties and had left behind a chilling reputation when she departed from Moscow.


Writing Sample: See Vivienne Thorpe if necessary.

Sum up your character in one paragraph:

Ira Almasy is a Criminal Liason who arranges for (and sometimes performs) contracted assassinations. She is known to be an unperturbed and sadistic witch, as well as a  prominent figure in the criminal community. Those who wish to find her eventually do but she is very rarely known to them beforehand- at least not by name.

Accepted! -- Sparky



Special Ability: Metamorphmagi
What level is this ability at?: Master
At what age did your character gain this ability?: Birth

How did they learn or hone this ability?:

Ira was born as a Metamorphmagus, an ability which only began to show itself when she was three to four and could not control her colouring very well. Her family went through great lengths to acquire the literature (and later, a tutor) to assist her with this. Ira learned to fully cope and master her ability during her schooling years in Beauxbatons, where both knowledge and teachers were in better reach. She has continued to hone this skill over the years.

Describe how the Special Ability influences their life.  What do they use it for?:

As a murderess, Ira utilizes her ability to avoid being recognized. She has a respectable standing in wizarding society and practicing Metamorphmagi allows her to create an adequate facade without jeopardizing it.  It is an ability of convenience although she is known to use it for trivial purposes- hair or eye colour, fashionable alterations. Ira does not frivolously change her body structure unless necessary.

Write a description of what happens when your character is exhibiting this Special Ability: I

Ira is a proficient Metamorphmagus. When she transforms, it is with fluid rapidity- features melt and blend and rise. Most importantly, she understands the significance of subtlety and is adroit at imitating details. She is also capable of more drastic changes (gender, body frame, height). Ira does not like to waste time when she transforms: she chooses to change as quickly and with as little hesitation as possible.

 
Special Ability: Occlumens
What level is this ability at?: Master
At what age did your character gain this ability?: 26 years old

How did they learn or hone this ability?:

Ira took to learning Occlumency at a relatively late stage of her life, as she was working her way up the ranks of Moscow's wizarding criminal underground. She was tutored by a crime lord - Gustav Dykhovichny - who had been grooming her as a successor to his position, and who believed that it was impossible to maintain influence as a leader if one's mind was open to the whims of Leglimens. He did not teach her Legilimency as he was afraid of what she was capable of doing with such an intrusive faculty. Needless to say Ira found a more direct way of removing Gustav from power before his time was up.

She has since practiced Occlumency with various other users of the ability and is in constant practice herself, having made enemies who utilise all manners of mind magic.

Describe how the Special Ability influences their life.  What do they use it for?:

Ira uses Occlumens to protect herself from those few enemies - or even allies - aware of her true identity as a criminal liaison, and her growing criminal presence in the United Kingdom. She particularly uses it to protect against her old time nemesis, Mihai Zamperia, whose family members she has repeatedly threatened with murder.

Write a description of what happens when your character is exhibiting this Special Ability:

Ira has been an Occlumens for nearly nineteen years - she uses it in a perfunctory, defensive manner that rarely has an external reflection of the inner action. If she is pressed by an especially powerful Leglimens it may become necessary for her to excuse herself from a social or public situation in order to focus on the matter at hand.

Using Occlumency in will leave Ira with a general sensation of mental activity; a tingling at the back of her head. She experiences headaches and migraines only after a long or arduous struggle with an attacker. On rare occasions Ira will have to retire at the end of the day and sleep long hours to recover from the exhaustion.

Special Ability
Character Name: Ira Almasy
Age: 46 years old
Character Biography: Biography
Do any of your other Characters have Special Abilities?: Yes
If Yes, then Please provide their name and a link to their bio: Balfour Spectre (Animagus), Ira Almasy (Metamorphmagus, Occlumens), Virgil Carstairs (Leglimens), Rascal Rosier (Occlumens), Raine Almasy (Animagus)
 
Special Ability: Leglimens

What level is this ability at?: Intermediate

At what age did your character gain this ability?: 39 years old

How did they learn or hone this ability?:
Not adding an ability so much as completely her Leglimens/Occlumens ability.

Referring back to Ira's status as an Occlumens, she has been gradually practicing her attempts at Leglimency since moving to the United Kingdom this past ten years. Much of her exposure to the practice is through her personal assistant, Jebediah Layton, who frequently communicates with her as an advanced Leglimens.

Ira is only at an intermediate level of being able to exercise this ability. She is certainly capable of penetrating unprotected, open mindspaces but would face great difficulty (and likely defeat) against a formidable Occlumens.


Describe how the Special Ability influences their life.  What do they use it for?:
Ira uses her Leglimens in her interactions with criminal contacts to gain an upperhand or retrieve surface information from their minds. She also uses it to send orders or warnings to Layton when they are not in one another's direct presence.

Write a description of what happens when your character is exhibiting this Special Ability: While simple acts of Leglimency - such as accepted communications - do not require great exertion of her acumen, Ira tends to pick up on signs of mental exhaustion when she has recently attempted to thoroughly infiltrate an unprotected mind.

She makes for a subtle and precise Leglimens; this requires a good deal of her concentration and Ira will sometimes cease to do anything else if she finds herself having to search painstakingly for a specific piece of information.