Maria Ilyinichna Vinogradova (Russian: Мария Ильи́нична Виноградова) is an alias used by a Russian-born professional grifter, contract killer, and member of a long-con crew with Thomas Kingston and Cesar Álvarez. A self-styled "sexpionage expert", she uses likable personality and sex appeal to entrap her mark.
Backstory[]
Maria was born in Rostov-on-Don to a dysfunctional middle-class family. She studied psychology and took drama class in college, but dropping out in her third year due to her troublesome behaviors, such as drug dealing between students, drinking during her side job in a tavern, and attempting to seduce a lecturer for better grades. Her family disowned her and cut all contact afterwards.
In order to survive, Maria applied for honest works in bars, restaurants, and hotels to little satisfaction. During her short-lived hotel employment, she encountered multiple call-girls and was moved to choose that world's oldest profession for quick buck. Although her income did improved, her state-of-living did not. She almost fell to a cocaine addiction at this point.
At the age of 23, while servicing the elite class, a client bought Maria to bait an assassination target. This unique task inspired her that her good looks was not just a commodity, it was her best arsenal. She attended erotic stervologiya classes and volunteering herself for “corporate sexpionage” for clients, her social status slightly leveled up as an expensive honeytrap-for-hire. Added with firearms training, English studies, and interactions with the local mafiya, she rose further as an assassin, delivering two-in-one package: she was both the distraction and the executioner.
Maria found that everyone only slightly paid her better and treated her the same. Similar to the male counterpart, people tossed a hitwoman around like a disposable chess pawn. She claimed to have been captured by her enemies four times. Refusing to elaborate the details, she commented, "(There's) no secret that people put a worse torture on a sweet lady". Such experiences, while disturbing, hardened her to not be broken easily and stimulated her survival instinct.
Light & Shadow (2017-2018)[]
Chapter I & II (March-June 2017)[]
Maria in 2017
In 2017, an oligarch named Artemiy Yelagin extended an offer of full-time work abroad as a reconnaissance operative in Vice City. Seeking a permanent escape from the toxic underworld of Russia's upper echelons, Maria eagerly accepted the invitation.
A paranoid businessman, Artemiy was anxious about his safety in America: his affiliates had been assassinated mysteriously; his yacht company, Leviafan, was sued for the accidental death of an employee; and he set to supply yachts for Kirikov Bratva's drug smuggling and mobile entertainment endeavors. Maria's early assignments were infiltrating Kirikov's circle that were known to hate wealthy associates like Artemiy, and helping Leviafan to manipulate the trial. Artemiy's "talent scout", Evgeny “Gent” Karshakevich, became her handler in these missions.
This was the beginning of her new identity as Maria Ilyinichna Vinogradova, a Leviafan accounting staff with a business visa who had a penchant for American culture, clubbing, and guns. She became a frequent of Gostinaya, Kirikov's top nightclub and hotspot for Bratva members, where she identified two Bratva figures who intended to sabotage Artemiy's businesses: Andriy Maximov, the head of Vice City's narco-trafficking division; and his comrade, Maksim Ivanovich, the club's manager. Maks was passive, only verbally expressing his distaste on Artemiy, but Andriy went as far as sending his goons to bomb the oligarch's boats and to plan the kidnapping of his staff. Maria targetted Andriy's right-hand, Ivan "Evan" Lifanov and successfuly persuaded him into killing his boss in an "accidental" cause.
Maria became a supportive girlfriend for Evan, who was automatically promoted to replace Andriy, granting her better access to the Bratva's inner-circle. The initial assumption was that Andriy's death would scare Maksim. From spying Maksim, however, Maria discovered that he discussed his suspicion with Kirikov's second-in-command, Kirill Zverov, who had vocally opposed Nikolai Kirikov's policy of opening Riviera to rich outsiders. Maksim also suspected that their enemies had planted spies in the Bratva, which violated Nikolai's own business term and condition. Maria and Gent believed that Kirill was outside their supposed reach, but Artemiy insisted on eliminating that man.
Replicating the same strategy, Maria got closer to Kirill by attempting an affair with Kirill's protégé, a spoiled playboy known as "Prince Petrenko". All the while, Maksim appeared to know about her secret agenda with his cat-and-mouse game that culminated in Maria's interrogation. She denied being Artemiy's spy and questioned whether Maksim could prove it. Maks could not answer so he released Maria. He then threatened that he would carefully observe her from now on.
As for the court case, Artemiy hired Gregor York from Alarcón, York & Co. to represent Leviafan. The firm dispatched their enforcer, Cesar Álvarez, as Maria's partner on the mission to manipulate the case's jurors and witnesses from sympathizing with the prosecutor side. The pair did not go along at first. Cesar personally hated Maria, showing hostility when she flirted with him to figure his personality. On the other hand, Maria was irritated by his superiority complex. She suspected that Cesar tried to use her, and vice versa. Neverthless, the two managed to pull their objectives.
"A Voyage To Remember" (June 2017)[]
- ❝Why don't we look at the stars outside while I tell you everything?❞
- — Maria to Thomas
Amidst her obligations, Artemiy assigned Maria to kill Black Caesar, a Haitian "pirate" who had recently raided a Leviafan yacht that transported heroin from Liberty City. The target was set to have an appointment with his sponsor, Pierre Labissiere, on a Sargasso Witch trip to Lucaya.
Aboard the cruise ship, Maria met Cesar, whose mission coincided hers. They decided to execute their tasks together despite the recurring trust issue. They were surprised with another guest of Labissiere, a charming man who Cesar quickly recognized as Thomas Kingston and perceived him as a foil to their scheme. From the way he stared at her, Maria suggested that getting rid of Thomas would be a piece of cake: she would lure him like a siren, then it would be Cesar's turn to knock him out and dump his body into the Atlantic Ocean.
Maria convinced Thomas that she was willing to tell him their business with the Haitians. She took Thomas to the deck outside where Cesar awaited with a crowbar. However, Thomas turned his head just in time to dodge Cesar's attack and punch him back. Maria fired her silenced pistol at Thomas' right legs to give her companion an upper hand. Before Cesar could dispose Thomas, one of Labissiere's guards happened to waltz in at the very wrong time. Maria reflexively killed him before he could raise his rifle. It was too late, his loud scream had allerted the entire ship. The con was off.
Rather than foolishly fighting against the entire ship, Maria and Cesar choosed to trust Thomas' escape plan of stealing a nearby lifeboat. Thomas took the boat to Central Vizcaya Bay, where they swapped watercraft by hijacking a Marquis and sailed to Key Vizcayo.
Chapter III (June-July 2017)[]
- ❝He frightens me. So stick with me only, you handsome.❞
- — Urging Thomas to not trust Cesar
Having escaped to safety, Maria and Cesar debated whether they should kill Thomas for ruining their con or not. Maria was aware that Artemiy would not tollerate her failure unless she showed him the man who was responsible. Thomas interrupted and offered them his "grifter service": he could tie up their loose ends if they spared him. It changed Maria's mind. She demanded Thomas to con Artemiy and the Kirikov Bratva so she could keep her secret.
While running the cons, Maria and Cesar remained cautious towards one another. She could not control Cesar, so she raced against him to influence Thomas into supporting one side. She utilized her feminine wiles on Thomas, which became increasingly provocative with each attempt. From teasing him with suggestive invitations to giving him a seductive "strip show" of her switching dresses, she was confident that Thomas would fall for her. However, Thomas resisted her and Cesar until the very end, and proposed that they could carry more profitable capers as a permanent crew. The two turned down the idea, but agreed to pay up Thomas' favor by helping him conning his former boss, Horacio Vera.
Thomas planned to pin all Maria's sexpionage activities on Artemiy himself, making the Bratva believe that he was an ex-KGB operative. _.
Present Day (2018-)[]
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Personality[]
A cynical woman, all Maria thinks is how quickly a male can be lured with her curves. She is sophisticated, seductive, witty, but is also aware when she should be focused and serious. Her interactions with various people in Vice City, including Thomas and Cesar, develop her compassionate side. She often provides the emotional support shall things start falling apart. Her intimate attatchment to the crew, however, also doubles as a vulnerability. She can get too emotionally invested that it can put her and everyone around in a danger zone.
Maria has mastered the art of seduction, skillfully making her target view her as a best friend, ideal colleague, or alluring lover by aligning with their hobbies and interests. Her approach ranges from innocently friendly to playfully sultry, depending on the personality of the mark. Provocative tactics, such as hooking up with the target, are reserved strictly as a last resort. While Maria is unafraid to use her beauty as a tool, she has firm boundaries. She refuses to fabricate scandals that would expose her identity publicly and will not sexually blackmail a target who has no interest in her, recognizing such actions as borderline harassment.
Thanks to her assassin background, Maria is a profecient markswoman, and is most knowledgeable about diverse types of poisons/drugs to use during cons. She is also, for obvious biological reasons, the weakest in brute strength. To overcome her physical weakness, she was trained in defensive-oriented Krav Maga martial art.
Other Connections[]
- Elvira Higuereda and Irina Alyenova: Two friends Maria met in Gostinaya. Elvira worked in the club as a bottle servant, ensuring the customer's happiness while squeezing as much money from them by expensive wines or pickpocket acts. Irina was a trafficked prostitute who used to befriend Maria back in Rostov, in a time when Maria used her past name, Ludmilla Petrova.
- Solomon "Solo" Bradley - Connor Town street gangbanger turned killer-for-hire. He first met Maria through her weapons supplier, Manuel Ortega.
Trivia[]
- Maria is mainly inspired by Stacie Monroe/Emma Kennedy from Hustle, Tara Cole from Leverage, and real-life Russian honeytrap spies such as Anna Chapman, Katia Zatuliveter, and Maria Butina.
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| Contents from Light & Shadow |
|---|
| Characters & Factions: Thomas Kingston • Maria Vinogradova • Cesar Álvarez • Adegoke • Edgar Zuáznabar • Irving Belfort • Medalla Cartel • National Revenue Authority • The Collective (Nikolai Kirikov) • Tijs Bergling • Valerio Reyes |
| Stories & DLCs: Light After Dark • Fortunate Face |