Katerina Saburova

Pathologic 2=

Katerina Saburova is the wife of Alexander Saburov and the Town's Dream Mistress.

Description
"By status, she’s the chief ruler and prophetess; in reality, she’s an impostor, a person in a position she shouldn’t be in. She dreams of having a child and is tormented by her barrenness. Morphine has put her at death’s door. In her intrusive visions, an alraune/nagual manifests itself to her—the Rat Prophet, who bogs her that much deeper in melancholy and lack of faith. She genuinely wants to do good for the town and take care of it in a real way, “like Nina and Victoria”. Alexander and she are the most loving couple among our characters, earning respect and admiration for their mutual feeling not only surviving the hell they’d been through but getting stronger along the way."

- From the game's design documents

Katerina is one of the three Mistresses in town, and remains the oldest one after the passing of Nina Kaina and Victoria Olgimskaya. She is married to Alexander Saburov. In the recent years, Katerina has developed a morphine addiction, having even been the cause for her husband to briefly outlaw tourniquets in an attempt to curb her addiction. She, alongside her husband, are a third of The Ruling Families in The Town.

Appearance
Katerina is a sullen woman with dark circles around her eyes and dilated pupils. Her black hair is pulled back and tied behind her head, though it is very dishevelled. She has hazel eyes. She wears a dark purple dress with an open collar and is layered with frilled white fabric. The skirt of her dress is black and covers her shoes. She wears silver rings on her right thumb and index finger, and has painted her nails black.

Haruspex Route
"My path was called "The Rat Prophet." I didn't know that it was he who whispered to me in dreams. Until the very end, I believed it was the Earth."

Though acknowledged as one of the town's Mistresses, Katerina's vision are often doubted due to their dubious nature, muddled with vague language and meandering truths. They cause her great pain and often several reflections appear within her Wing in the Rod decrying her painful inner thoughts. Katerina believes that she is a failure as she is barren, childless and unable to protect the Town.

Following the outbreak of epidemic the Townsfolk try to find the cause of the Sand Plague. A mob blames the Saburovs after a rumour begins that they are housing a young carrier. Should the Saburovs gain the Haruspex's help in investigating it is discovered by him that while the Saburovs are not the cause of the outbreak, the Rat Prophet influences Katerina's visions and feeds her lies or, at the very least, half truths.

On Day 8, she can be found locked inside a house in the infected Marrow district. She'll say townspeople did this as a trial for her, but refuses to be helped out of it, saying she is waiting for someone.

In the Diurnal Ending, Katerina will lose her place as a Mistress, just as her husband Alexander Saburov loses his power as a Governor. Following the Diurnal Ending, Katerina and Alexander adopt Grace as their new daughter. Though Grace may be living with Peter Stamatin, both declare that he is unfit to be her father. If both the Saburovs are dead, Grace claims their spirits adopt her.

In the Nocturnal Ending, Katerina can be found fleeing the Town alongside many of the Utopians and Humbles.

Pathologic: The Marble Nest
"Someone convinced Katerina Saburova, a local ruler, that she must save the Town. She promptly went across the river. And we had just evacuated her, too..."

Katerina is still alive during the events of Pathologic: The Marble Nest: she is stated to have gone across the river.

Spoken Dialogue

 * → See Katerina Saburova/Spoken Dialogue

Description
"Appearance: A tall woman with a classy posture. She has very long straight dark hair. Katerina posses the mores of a predator, her movements are slow but alert.

Personality: Katerina is more of “a ruler” than “a ruler's wife”, but she can skillfully combine both. Smart, patient, a good listener. She makes a perfect match for her husband even though their marriage is built on affinity and respect rather than love. Katerina is a good judge of character, she is able to firmly say “no”. The Humble ideology occurred to her naturally, influenced by the inner sense of discomfort coming as the result of complete loss of moral bearings. After the deaths of Nina Kaina, the Black Mistress, and Victoria Olgimskaya, the White Mistress, Katerina was left as the only Mistress of the town. Still very young, Katerina had a hard time choosing sides. Previously, she served as independent arbiter to opposition of the two Mistresses, then heartily replaced the infernal Nina. After Victoria’s death, she was left on her own and rushed to become the White Mistress, but it was too late. The evil seeds grew strong roots in her soul. Her games with the poltergeist called the Rat Prophet, who appeared to her as both her inner voice and a character of prophetic dreams, went too far. The poor woman who wanted to become a Mistress so badly was deceived. The Rat Prophet indoctrinated her with the idea that the Town’s demise is inevitable and fighting it would be as pointless as resisting the coming of winter. "

- From original Pathologic character concepts

Katerina is much weaker than the forces of the deceased Mistresses. Unlike them, she is neither dark nor light, torn between two principles. Her words are vague; they cannot be expressed clearly, since, according to her, details distort the essential meaning and devalue what is said. Many citizens doubt the truth of her prophecies, in part due to her morphine addiction.

However, despite Katerina's dubious ability, some citizens trust her visions. According to Capella, the visions of Katerina are true in general, but the little things are often distorted, such as specific details and unclear concepts. Katerina herself knows this and thus refuses to clearly and unequivocally formulate her prophecies.

At night, she is visited by the strange Rat Prophet, who whispers to her and influences her prophecies.

Background
Her position as a Mistress was held alongside Nina Kaina and Victoria Olgimskaya, the Mistresses of Dark and Light respectively. While both were alive, she occupied an intermediate position. After the death of Nina she began to play the role of Mistress of the Dark, but after Victoria's death could not revert to the light.

Appearance
Katerina has long black hair and intese grey eyes. She wears a dark purple dress with lace sleeves, decorated with silver accents and with a black shawl over her shoulders. Her gloves and skirt are a similar purple colour to her gown, and she wears silver heels.

Bachelor Route
On Day 5, Bachelor can appeal to the Saburovs to release the Haruspex, although unsuccessfully. However, Katerina Saburova will let slip that Lara Ravel is somehow involved.

On Day 10, the Bachelor will receive a letter from Katerina. She tells him that she felt the spirit of Simon Kain at the Crucible.

On Day 12, as Katerina Saburova is one of the Changeling's Bound, there is a chance that an Executor will be stationed outside of the Rod.

Haruspex Route
On Day 8, Georgiy Kain will direct the Haruspex to Katerina to report Vlad the Younger's potential execution. Katerina will tell him that the Saburovs cannot intervene, and directs the Haruspex to Taya Tycheek.

On Day 10, the Haruspex can ask Katerina for her interpretation of the Udurgh, following a disagreement with the Bachelor as he believes that Simon Kain could have been the Udurgh. As a Mistress Katerina is uniquely reliable in decoding the mysteries of the world. Katerina, through her usual vagaries, informs the Haruspex that he is to destroy a woman - one who loves him already, and that he is to be required to give a proportional sacrifice of some kind.. She then concedes that some men are larger than men, not disproving the Bachelor's theory, but not exactly confirming it either.

On Day 12, as Katerina Saburova is one of the Changeling's Bound, there is a chance that an Executor will be stationed outside of the Rod.

Changeling Route
Throughout the Changeling route, in contrast to the commands of her husband, Katerina appeals to Clara to convince her to spare the ones that Alexander is scorning. She encourages her to prove the innocence of the people that the town requires, be it through their expertise or the role they will play in the coming days. While it does seem that she holds a maternal love for Clara, it is soon spoiled when the truth of her prophecies is revealed, that the Rat Prophet whispers secrets to her from the earth, as means to corrupt her.

On Day 1, the Changeling can visit Alexander Saburov at the Rod after healing the wounded man at the Willows. He will direct the Changeling to speak to Katerina Saburova in her wing. After proving herself to him, Saburov will ask her to visit Georgiy Kain and the Changeling will ask Katerina for help.

On Day 2 Katerina instructs the Changeling to grow close to Grace. She tells the Changeling that if she needs to learn more about her Lara Ravel is the person who will tell her what she needs to know. Katerina explains that there is to be a great punishment soon and that the only ones spared with be those who follow the path of Humility. Katerina requests the Changeling to speak to Grace to convince her of the ideology of the Humbles as Grace has become especially dear to her. While speaking to Grace the Changeling learns that Grace knows there is to be a plague, one she believes is the result of transgressions against an unknown higher power - a theory Katerina also shares.

On Day 3 Katerina will ask the Changeling to speak to Eva Yan, similar to her request the previous day. She believes that Eva's following of the Utopian faith is heresy and wishes to convert her to Humility. Katerina explains that she believes Eva is gentle and weak, and will be easily swayed. Unbeknownst to her, however, Eva holds her Utopian ideals much too closely to ever be swayed from them. She may, however, still give a sacrifice - though the implication is that her sacrifice will be for Utopia, not for Humility. The Changeling can tell Katerina of this or, instead, she may lie, and say that Eva was swayed to Humility.

On Day 4 Katerina will ask the Changeling to speak to Mark Immortell at the Theatre to tell him not to allow the Theatre to be turned into a hospital, as well as to lead him away from Utopian ideology. Though Mark is not in the Theatre and can instead be found in the Crucible alongside Maria Kaina he will tell the Changeling that if she insists on trusting Katerina, she ought to know the truth about her visions.

On Day 5 Katerina is focused on converting Peter Stamatin, and will direct her to speak with him. Peter is initially interested in the concept but refuses following his brother's refusal to convert.

On Day 6, Katerina will ask the Changeling to speak to Capella to get close to Vlad the Younger in order to convince him to become a Humble. Katerina notes that although Vlad Jr. seems to love money most of all, he must have other weaknesses, as he does not appear to be digging the well for profit. Through Capella, the Changeling is able to get close to Vlad Jr, though he has already decided to die on his own terms and is planning to face the Kin in the Termitary. Later, when the rumour spreads that a girl resembling Changeling is a carrier of the plague, Katerina and her husband cast Clara from their home.

On Day 11, as part of the Changeling's Bound Katerina Saburov may be chosen to be spoken to in relation to the Humble sacrifice. Before she is to die, she tells the Changeling that she regrets how she treated her, and that she loves her deeply.

Spoken Dialogue

 * → See Katerina Saburova/Spoken Dialogue