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info (under construction)
ABOUT
name
Tanya von Degurechaff
alias
Devil of the Rhine, White Silver, Rusted Silver, Mad Dog
affiliation
Imperial 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion, Salamander (Lergen) Kampfgruppe
rank
Lieutenant Colonel
age
12 (+ roughly 35 yrs) (looks vaguely younger)
height/weight
~4'3" (130 cm)/~55 lbs (25 kg)
birthdate
July 18, 1914
pronouns
she/her
canon
eng: The Saga of Tanya the Evil
jpn: Youjo Senki (Military Chronicles of a Little Girl)
BRIEF
Tanya is an aerial mage and Lieutenant Colonel in the Imperial Army, an alternate world analogy to our Imperial Germany in the era of World War I. She has a reputation for being a battle-hungry patriot with an inspired talent for mobile warfare, but if you ask her, she would call herself a rational and civilized pacifist. Despite her high analytical ability, her poor emotional intelligence often causes misunderstandings. She yearns for a rear line position, in fact prizing a peaceful and stable life above all else. Her loves in life are coffee, chocolate, and capitalism.
In her past life, she was a Japanese salaryman from our version of history. One thing led to another, and now she's doing her best to stick it to the Man (a.k.a. Being X, who claims to be God).
In her past life, she was a Japanese salaryman from our version of history. One thing led to another, and now she's doing her best to stick it to the Man (a.k.a. Being X, who claims to be God).
PERSONALITY
Tanya at her core is a self-centered pragmatist who views the world through an economic lens. She is supremely motivated by her goal of a safe, stable, and comfortable life and is always calculating how best to gain promotions and solidify a good reputation. At the same time, she adheres rigidly to the rules she's subjected to — even while she twists their spirit to suit her needs.
The Chicago School of Economics is her basis for evaluation of the world around her. She believes strongly in the sanctity of human capital and the free market, and that all individuals have the potential to fit into a productive role that suits their unique skills and nature. All people who faithfully do their jobs should be praised, from the poorest laborer to the richest entrepreneur, regardless of origin. In this way, she is strictly egalitarian and welcomes all people... provided they can prove their usefulness to her. As long as people do work commensurate with their pay, they're worthy of her respect. On the flip side, if someone is an incompetent waste of space that only gets in the way, she'll be happy to immediately eject them from her life.
She'd tell you that she values human capital very much, and as a result hates war for all its waste in people and resources. Her fellow soldiers would be extremely skeptical to hear it; she always charges into battle at the head of the formation, and her high kill count has earned her the status of Ace of Aces. She's been witnessed singing in battle and skipping off in anticipation of a slaughter, and when she gains the advantage it's often with a twisted smile. In truth, she enjoys the clean execution of a plan and a well-oiled organizational machine. While she detests putting herself at risk, she enjoys the thrill of battle... as long as she's on the winning side. Given the choice between war and peace, she will always choose peace — but at the same time, she's an undeniably effective soldier, her personality seeming to perfectly suit the needs of war.
She is selfish. Though she compromises as little as possible on her beliefs about economics, fair labor, free will, and the value of pacifism, she will prioritize her own life above all else. If faced with an enemy soldier, she will not hesitate to kill them first; if given subordinates, she will immediately set about building them up to be effective "meat shields". With that said, the units under her command enjoy an exceptionally low casualty rate; she puts as much care as possible into growing their skills and experience, and does not ask them to do anything she herself wouldn't tolerate. As such, she's well-respected and loved by her subordinates as much as they fear her discipline.
Tanya is rigid in her principles and is well-known for her bold and decisive tactics in the field, but she is miserable when it comes to interpreting people's emotional intent — even her own. She is an unreliable narrator to the extreme, often having a poor grasp of "human" elements of thinking. She assumes people generally operate toward logical, calculated goals as she herself does and easily overlooks irrational sentiment both kind and hateful. Even if there is no immediate goal apparent, she tends to frame people's actions by their practical ends and the dictates of law and society.
The Chicago School of Economics is her basis for evaluation of the world around her. She believes strongly in the sanctity of human capital and the free market, and that all individuals have the potential to fit into a productive role that suits their unique skills and nature. All people who faithfully do their jobs should be praised, from the poorest laborer to the richest entrepreneur, regardless of origin. In this way, she is strictly egalitarian and welcomes all people... provided they can prove their usefulness to her. As long as people do work commensurate with their pay, they're worthy of her respect. On the flip side, if someone is an incompetent waste of space that only gets in the way, she'll be happy to immediately eject them from her life.
She'd tell you that she values human capital very much, and as a result hates war for all its waste in people and resources. Her fellow soldiers would be extremely skeptical to hear it; she always charges into battle at the head of the formation, and her high kill count has earned her the status of Ace of Aces. She's been witnessed singing in battle and skipping off in anticipation of a slaughter, and when she gains the advantage it's often with a twisted smile. In truth, she enjoys the clean execution of a plan and a well-oiled organizational machine. While she detests putting herself at risk, she enjoys the thrill of battle... as long as she's on the winning side. Given the choice between war and peace, she will always choose peace — but at the same time, she's an undeniably effective soldier, her personality seeming to perfectly suit the needs of war.
She is selfish. Though she compromises as little as possible on her beliefs about economics, fair labor, free will, and the value of pacifism, she will prioritize her own life above all else. If faced with an enemy soldier, she will not hesitate to kill them first; if given subordinates, she will immediately set about building them up to be effective "meat shields". With that said, the units under her command enjoy an exceptionally low casualty rate; she puts as much care as possible into growing their skills and experience, and does not ask them to do anything she herself wouldn't tolerate. As such, she's well-respected and loved by her subordinates as much as they fear her discipline.
Tanya is rigid in her principles and is well-known for her bold and decisive tactics in the field, but she is miserable when it comes to interpreting people's emotional intent — even her own. She is an unreliable narrator to the extreme, often having a poor grasp of "human" elements of thinking. She assumes people generally operate toward logical, calculated goals as she herself does and easily overlooks irrational sentiment both kind and hateful. Even if there is no immediate goal apparent, she tends to frame people's actions by their practical ends and the dictates of law and society.
HISTORY
(Minor spoilers below!)
Tanya is the conscious reincarnation of a Japanese salaryman from our world in 2013. The salaryman was a manager in his company's HR department, highly competent in his work and coldblooded enough that one of the people he terminated would come to push him in front of a train in a fit of vengeance.
When the salaryman was confronted by the self-proclaimed God (dubbed Being X by the salaryman) that was supposed to usher him into his next life, the two came at an intellectual loggerheads. Even confronted with a clearly supernatural being, the salaryman regused to acknowledge that the being could be God. And so the salaryman was reincarnated in such a way as to teach him a lesson: he would be born as a disadvantaged girl in a technologically reduced world, in a country about to be ravaged by war, with magic ability that would inevitably force her into the front lines, all with the salaryman's consciousness intact to ensure that he would feel the full weight of regret and come around to recognizing Being X's greatness.
Instead, enraged by Being X's pettiness, Tanya made it her goal to survive and thrive in spite of his interference. She volunteered for the army when she was eight years old, knowing that all Imperial citizens with magic ability would eventually be conscripted, in order to take advantage of the benefits of volunteering and becoming an officer over being conscripted and entering as a grunt. As an aerial mage, she would quickly prove herself competent, earning herself a Silver Wings Assault Badge (comparable to a Medal of Honor) in the opening of the war along with the titles White Silver (by the Empire) and Devil of the Rhine (by her enemies).
She has risen swiftly through the ranks since then, navigating the war with her unique insight and discipline. She is currently a Lieutenant Colonel commanding the Salamander Kampfgruppe on the eastern front against the Federation Army (a.k.a. not-Russia).
Tanya is the conscious reincarnation of a Japanese salaryman from our world in 2013. The salaryman was a manager in his company's HR department, highly competent in his work and coldblooded enough that one of the people he terminated would come to push him in front of a train in a fit of vengeance.
When the salaryman was confronted by the self-proclaimed God (dubbed Being X by the salaryman) that was supposed to usher him into his next life, the two came at an intellectual loggerheads. Even confronted with a clearly supernatural being, the salaryman regused to acknowledge that the being could be God. And so the salaryman was reincarnated in such a way as to teach him a lesson: he would be born as a disadvantaged girl in a technologically reduced world, in a country about to be ravaged by war, with magic ability that would inevitably force her into the front lines, all with the salaryman's consciousness intact to ensure that he would feel the full weight of regret and come around to recognizing Being X's greatness.
Instead, enraged by Being X's pettiness, Tanya made it her goal to survive and thrive in spite of his interference. She volunteered for the army when she was eight years old, knowing that all Imperial citizens with magic ability would eventually be conscripted, in order to take advantage of the benefits of volunteering and becoming an officer over being conscripted and entering as a grunt. As an aerial mage, she would quickly prove herself competent, earning herself a Silver Wings Assault Badge (comparable to a Medal of Honor) in the opening of the war along with the titles White Silver (by the Empire) and Devil of the Rhine (by her enemies).
She has risen swiftly through the ranks since then, navigating the war with her unique insight and discipline. She is currently a Lieutenant Colonel commanding the Salamander Kampfgruppe on the eastern front against the Federation Army (a.k.a. not-Russia).
ABILITIES
Briefly, Tanya is a military mage specializing in aerial combat. With the aid of a computation orb, she uses her gun as a "scepter" to focus her formulas (spells), and can either imbue properties on her bullets or fire blasts directly from the gun. She can also cast general interference formulas with a variety of effects. Magic usage in her universe is based in scientific understanding, and so requires serious study and training to harness.
— Flight: Can ascend up to 12,000 meters and reach a speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). Can fly from Paris to Berlin (878 km/546 mi.) with "plenty of energy remaining." Tanya is highly mobile in the air and especially acrobatic even for an aerial mage, well-practiced in shooting from any orientation.
— Gun formulas:
+ sniping: sharpshooting, designed for penetration; with the Type 95, can hit a large target from 20 km (12 miles)
+ explosive/bombardment: like an artillery shell; explodes conventionally or can be modified for napalm or incendiary effects
+ guided: trajectory can be bent toward a target
+ optical: basically... laser beams...
+ infrared: used to guide artillery by marking targets
— Defensive barriers: Two layers; defensive shell (inner, lays directly on mage) and protective film (outer, spherical). Protective film deflects bullets roughly up to 12.7 mm, though saturation attacks can weaken and penetrate; also protects from substances like rain and can be used away from the mage as a containment barrier. The Type 95 can deflect up to 88 mm shots with a protective film and theoretically up to 1200 mm with a defensive shell, but the shock that would still be dispersed to Tanya's person would likely cause her to black out.
— Strength enhancement: As advertised. In war college, climbed a mountain with a full complement of gear (30 kg/66 lbs) and a machine gun (50 kg/110 lb) at 11 years old. ("If Tanya suppresses the urge to cry child abuse, there's no legal issue with it.")
— Optical decoys: Can project copies of herself or other people, as well as environmental objects such as walls and furniture. Can be noticed as fake with close observation. Optical camouflage is also possible.
— Voice manipulation: Amplification, as well as fabrication to the point where she can project the voice of an adult male.
— Heat, oxygen generation: Can warm her own body or heat objects. When ascending past 8,000 meters, oxygen generation is necessary if absent an oxygen tank.
— Doping: Significantly enhances reflexes and mental vigor to berserker-like levels, but the mind remains clear. Tanya avoids using this unless as a last resort.
— Medical formula: Eases pain and superficial wounds; Tanya is not specialized in doing much more.
— Miscellaneous: enhanced mental clarity, heat detection (building the formula is a pain), observation (enhanced eyesight comparable to binoculars), radio emission detection, gravity manipulation, measurement of refraction ratio (via orb), self-destruction
A more detailed list of her magic abilities is here.
— Flight: Can ascend up to 12,000 meters and reach a speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). Can fly from Paris to Berlin (878 km/546 mi.) with "plenty of energy remaining." Tanya is highly mobile in the air and especially acrobatic even for an aerial mage, well-practiced in shooting from any orientation.
— Gun formulas:
+ sniping: sharpshooting, designed for penetration; with the Type 95, can hit a large target from 20 km (12 miles)
+ explosive/bombardment: like an artillery shell; explodes conventionally or can be modified for napalm or incendiary effects
+ guided: trajectory can be bent toward a target
+ optical: basically... laser beams...
+ infrared: used to guide artillery by marking targets
— Defensive barriers: Two layers; defensive shell (inner, lays directly on mage) and protective film (outer, spherical). Protective film deflects bullets roughly up to 12.7 mm, though saturation attacks can weaken and penetrate; also protects from substances like rain and can be used away from the mage as a containment barrier. The Type 95 can deflect up to 88 mm shots with a protective film and theoretically up to 1200 mm with a defensive shell, but the shock that would still be dispersed to Tanya's person would likely cause her to black out.
— Strength enhancement: As advertised. In war college, climbed a mountain with a full complement of gear (30 kg/66 lbs) and a machine gun (50 kg/110 lb) at 11 years old. ("If Tanya suppresses the urge to cry child abuse, there's no legal issue with it.")
— Optical decoys: Can project copies of herself or other people, as well as environmental objects such as walls and furniture. Can be noticed as fake with close observation. Optical camouflage is also possible.
— Voice manipulation: Amplification, as well as fabrication to the point where she can project the voice of an adult male.
— Heat, oxygen generation: Can warm her own body or heat objects. When ascending past 8,000 meters, oxygen generation is necessary if absent an oxygen tank.
— Doping: Significantly enhances reflexes and mental vigor to berserker-like levels, but the mind remains clear. Tanya avoids using this unless as a last resort.
— Medical formula: Eases pain and superficial wounds; Tanya is not specialized in doing much more.
— Miscellaneous: enhanced mental clarity, heat detection (building the formula is a pain), observation (enhanced eyesight comparable to binoculars), radio emission detection, gravity manipulation, measurement of refraction ratio (via orb), self-destruction
A more detailed list of her magic abilities is here.
INVENTORY
○ Elinium Type 95 Computation Orb
○ Elinium Type 97 Computation Orb
○ Imperial aerial mage uniform
○ SIG MKMS submachine gun
○ Mauser C96 pistol
○ magic blade (knife)
○ Elinium Type 97 Computation Orb
○ Imperial aerial mage uniform
○ SIG MKMS submachine gun
○ Mauser C96 pistol
○ magic blade (knife)
FAQ
I heard Tanya is a Nazi???
Tanya is not a Nazi, that is a bad internet joke. The Empire of Youjo Senki is a parallel to the Imperial Germany of WWI, which was very different from the Nazi Germany of WWII. In our world, the Nazi party came into existence following Germany's steep economic decline after their loss in WWI. The circumstances of this series do not allow for the existence of Nazis, nor is it probable they ever will.
Her age is 12 but she looks younger? What's up with that??
It's the result of several factors: first, the poor nutrition provided by the military; second, the constant stress and exercise of constantly being on the front lines from a very young age; third, because use of magic in this world supposedly slows aging; and fourth, Being X likely put her in a genetically scrawny body to make life harder for her.
Is she really evil?
Most would agree that she is not. She is highly pragmatic and doesn't hesitate to kill to protect herself, and she can be very much morally suspect and low in empathy, but she isn't out to unduly antagonize anyone. The title "Saga of Tanya the Evil" seems to be a marketing thing.
Why is she always going on about "Being X"??
Being X is Tanya's label for the entity that (seems to) claim itself to be God, which also reincarnated her into her current life. Due to his meddling and petty handling of her reincarnation, she tends to assume that every unfortunate twist of fate in her life is him spiting her. It rarely is.
Hey so why is Tanya praying and praising God all of a sudden?
This is a side effect of her using her Type 95 Computation Orb, which was "blessed" by divine beings. It allows her to cast extremely powerful "miraculous" magic, but she is compelled to pray when she uses it, and overuse will send her into a religious fervor of which she will later have no recollection. She uses her Type 95 with great reluctance as a result, preferring to use her Type 97 instead.
von?
"Von" is usually a German surname particle indicating nobility. In Tanya's case, it was an honor bestowed upon her for graduating as one of the top students in her military college. Thus she is an ornamental noble by merit, but she lacks the land, lineage, and prestige typically associated at the time.
Which medium are you playing from?
The light novels up to their current official translation, but I will be leaning on the anime for a visual/audio foundation where the text doesn't contradict. For instance, I'm going with the anime's uniform designs, but I will not be going with the anime-only designs of the flight boot/box combo (and the skis, and the horsies). This is for my sanity, and because the anime design team did a lot of great research.
Tanya is not a Nazi, that is a bad internet joke. The Empire of Youjo Senki is a parallel to the Imperial Germany of WWI, which was very different from the Nazi Germany of WWII. In our world, the Nazi party came into existence following Germany's steep economic decline after their loss in WWI. The circumstances of this series do not allow for the existence of Nazis, nor is it probable they ever will.
Her age is 12 but she looks younger? What's up with that??
It's the result of several factors: first, the poor nutrition provided by the military; second, the constant stress and exercise of constantly being on the front lines from a very young age; third, because use of magic in this world supposedly slows aging; and fourth, Being X likely put her in a genetically scrawny body to make life harder for her.
Is she really evil?
Most would agree that she is not. She is highly pragmatic and doesn't hesitate to kill to protect herself, and she can be very much morally suspect and low in empathy, but she isn't out to unduly antagonize anyone. The title "Saga of Tanya the Evil" seems to be a marketing thing.
Why is she always going on about "Being X"??
Being X is Tanya's label for the entity that (seems to) claim itself to be God, which also reincarnated her into her current life. Due to his meddling and petty handling of her reincarnation, she tends to assume that every unfortunate twist of fate in her life is him spiting her. It rarely is.
Hey so why is Tanya praying and praising God all of a sudden?
This is a side effect of her using her Type 95 Computation Orb, which was "blessed" by divine beings. It allows her to cast extremely powerful "miraculous" magic, but she is compelled to pray when she uses it, and overuse will send her into a religious fervor of which she will later have no recollection. She uses her Type 95 with great reluctance as a result, preferring to use her Type 97 instead.
von?
"Von" is usually a German surname particle indicating nobility. In Tanya's case, it was an honor bestowed upon her for graduating as one of the top students in her military college. Thus she is an ornamental noble by merit, but she lacks the land, lineage, and prestige typically associated at the time.
Which medium are you playing from?
The light novels up to their current official translation, but I will be leaning on the anime for a visual/audio foundation where the text doesn't contradict. For instance, I'm going with the anime's uniform designs, but I will not be going with the anime-only designs of the flight boot/box combo (and the skis, and the horsies). This is for my sanity, and because the anime design team did a lot of great research.
OOC
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