Chosen name: Kalina Petrov
Guardian name: Summanus
Concept: This is a freeform concept contest. Include any information about the chosen and guardian characters you feel is relevant, such as a description of their personalities, their relationship with one another, their shared history, and the circumstances of the choosing; alternatively you may link to an unaccepted character profile thread in the guild, as long as you are willing to remove all references to the contest guardian from it after the contest is over if you do not win. Entries will be judged on characterization, appropriateness to and understanding of the setting, and writing quality. Good luck!



Name: Kalina Petrov
Nickname(s): Lily (by her adoptive family)
Gender: Female
Nationality: Katchian
Current Residence: Western Palisade
Age: 20
Occupation: Mid-Wife (Physician's Assistant)

Appearance: Short in stature and petite in size, Kalina’s youthful appearance tends to lead others to believe she is younger than she really is. Her skin is a medium tan tone, with dark brown hair and eyes. She does not have any notable scars or blemishes. The type to be conscious of the latest fashion trends, Kalina keeps her mid-back length hair in an up-do, allowing small locks to frame her face, only wearing it down when at home. Her style of dress is modest, but very feminine. She prefers the light pastels to bold colors and prints. Raised by her adoptive family to present herself well, Kalina has an air of elegance sans all the froufrou, but her childlike curiosity is easily expressed around those who know her well. Her mannerisms are all cordial and well-groomed, unless someone makes the mistake of crossing her; when Common or Gallian words fail to express her feelings, she will switch to Katchian and some of that language is in fact, quite foul.

History: Kalina was orphaned at the age of 10 when her parents were killed in the war between Katchia, Belastrana, and Okraina. Her home was located in a small Katchian farming community, and was one of the first areas to be seized when the Okrainan troops crossed the border. While the memory of her father being shot down in the cattle fields has been dampened with time, Kalina does still remember her mother’s screams of terror as she ran out of the house in attempt to collect his corpse. She and her twin sister Dafina had no choice but to run when the soldiers came closer and closer to storming the house, abandoning all hope along with their home. They were spontaneously adopted by a merchant neighbor and his family who were fleeing the country that same day, and together they left the broken Katchia behind in favor of prospects in Gallia.

After joining the Zajac family life become more stable for Kalina and Dafina despite all the territory that was unfamiliar. It took the twins time to grow accustomed to living as a part of a family unit with stable finances that was already so tightly knit. Ognjen and his wife Vera were open to the task of raising the two girls and were fully committed to the adoption, treating them like daughters when they already had three sons: Andrik, Borris, and Jan. While the boys were apprentices to their father, Kalina and her sister helped Vera who took care of their home. Her kindness and knowledge inspired both of the girls to better practice their reading and writing skills that hadn’t been fully nurtured by their biological parents. It was then that Kalina developed a strong passion for reading and learning with a growing curiosity for everything new she could get her hands on. Her sociable nature and charisma allowed her to engage easily in conversations with her “brothers” and “father” about the complexities of a merchant’s career, and the news of the world around them. Living in Gallia also gave her reason to learn to speak and read in a language other than her native Katchian tongue, which she proved with surprising proficiency.

Despite never attending school, Kalina and Dafina were at Vera’s insistence, tutored by a Miss Toure in music, sewing, and painting. While Dafina had the patience and a gift for the fine arts, Kalina put no more effort into it than the minimum requirement, finding it too boring despite those subjects being ones that every woman should know. As the years passed, Andrik, Borris, and Van gradually left the family estate to pursue their education at University. It was Borris however, who took the unexpected path of wanting to become a doctor. Ongjen and Vera supported their son’s decision and arranged for him to apprentice to a doctor in Sunderland. Fortunately for Kalina, she and the middle Zajac son had always been close; years later when Borris became a licensed physician and opened his own practice, he called for her to join him as an apprenticing midwife. Pleading for the opportunity to leave home and study abroad, it took a lot of convincing to persuade Vera to allow her ‘precious Lily’ to cross the waters and be away from her family. It had been a heartfelt but excitable going away party for Kalina before she moved to join Borris in Palisade.

It has been four years since Kalina first arrived in Sunderland and while many things are different from what her life had been like in both Katchia and Gallia, she still finds it to be an adventure every single day. Her eagerness to learn medicine has helped her to find footing in a place where she once again needed to learn a new language. She currently lives in Western Palisade, and while her lifestyle is perhaps a little more modest than Vera would like if she were aware, Kalina prefers the slightly quieter side of the Thrithing River. Her days are spent assisting Borris in his work, and she especially delights whenever they get to travel Sunderland for personal house calls.


Personality: Kalina Petrov is a confident young woman who puts her charisma into everything she does. She has been fortunate in life and intends to spend every precious moment of her remaining time in this world not wasting it. Her “rags to riches” background is nothing short of a fairytale in her mind; improbable yet fascinating, and she fully intends to prove to others that she deserves her current social standing. While her fairly wealthy upbringing would lead most to believe she was born there, Kalina has never forgotten her humble Katchian roots and still prides in her home country, although it has been lost in war. The kindness of the Zajac family has taken her eternal gratitude, and to honor their rescue of her and her twin sister she strives to live a life using her abilities to help others in need. To make her adoptive parents proud is a major goal for her, and she would be extremely upset by it if she ever disappointed them.

Due to her being orphaned, children in particular especially have her sympathy as a midwife, and she will always stop to help them if ever asked. Kalina however, does not let her heart get the best of her on a day-to-day basis. Her adoptive father taught her that politeness is a tool to get what you want just as much as manipulation is, and behind her well-mannered smile is a clever mind that is not afraid of getting a little saucy if the situation requires it. She presents herself as a well-groomed lady, but having grown up in the Katchian countryside, it is easy to recognize that she understands the life of commoners quite well. Her calm exterior and good sense of humor draw others to her; her social circle is quite large and she is very good at keeping up with all the gossip, both good and bad. Her family likes to tease her by saying she has always been a chatterbox, but she likes to believe that holding conversation helps her ease the minds of her guests and patients. She always pays attention to the stories they tell her of their personal lives, and is willing to share her own hardships to comfort them if they are in need of a friend. To this end, she enjoys company and entertaining others with exciting stories or just her wide range of knowledge.

Choosing: Kalina’s encounter with the Wardwood was unexpected, to say the least. After traveling to Oldcastle to visit her brother’s friend Alexander for a weekend getaway, the pair travelled by carriage along the King’s Road to reach the Hamill’s small country estate. Kalina greatly enjoyed seeing the countryside because it reminded her of her childhood in Katchia, and she has always taken pleasure in experiencing the green of pastures and the calmness of livestock grazing. This was not her first visit to Oldcastle, but this time she became curious about the Wardwood. Borris had warned her several times not to get caught up in Sunderland’s folklore, but she reminded him that even in Katchia they had heard tales of bewitched hounds terrorizing the land, although no one had ever properly seen them. Her parents had dabbled in some of the rituals of the Order of the Kirghiz Light, and even she could remember the sacrifice of the last bale of grain from each harvest in order to appease the gods that would otherwise steal away the land’s fertility if not honored. The people of Sunderland who practiced the Old Ways must not be so different, even if they were probably worshipping the wrong gods.

While Borris joined a hunting party with the men of Alexander’s family, Kalina spent her own time touring the outskirts of Oldcastle’s ruins, able to feel a strange sort of energy she couldn’t properly describe. It was there that she overheard the conversations of some locals about the night’s planned ritual for the coming summer solstice. Imposing herself upon the group, she asked for their permission to join in the ritual, wanting to experience firsthand the Old Ways. An old greying woman named Imogen welcomed her as a temporary member of their cult, and told her the time and place of their meeting. Excited beyond belief, she returned to the Hamill estate and retired to bed early. Kalina awoke in the middle of the night to a strange feeling of anxiousness and longing, as if she were on the verge of missing an important opportunity.

As she got up from her bed in effort to find an explanation for these unprecedented emotions, she noticed a group of lights headed toward the Wardwood from her windows. Ah, yes..! She had almost forgotten about the ritual, and there it was on the eleventh hour, already about to commence. Quickly and quietly, she snuck out of Alexander’s home and to the barn in order to retrieve her horse. She rode out to the wood in search of the lanterns she had seen, and dismounted in time to find them flickering in between the trees, as if a small group were dancing. Kalina cursed her luck for not even thinking to bring a light with her, so in order to spare her horse of potential injury she tied him to a tree and entered the Wardwood on foot.


the voice of recollection

Kalina wandered for what felt like minutes, years, or even hours through the Wardwood, chasing after the bursts of light in the otherwise dark night. The moon was obscured by clouds and offered little help to brighten her way. How could this group even prepare for a meeting in such blackness..? It was then that she found the circle of men and women, both young and old, assembled around a large stone that served as a table for what appeared to be a feast of food and drink, their lanterns interspersed between the baskets and bowls. She silently joined the circle, taking place next to a girl that couldn’t be older than twelve. They all were cloaked, but their faces were visible in the lamp light, and that was slightly comforting.

”What is taken must be given back.”

The words that broke suddenly through the cricket song startled her into gasping openly, making Kalina tense where she stood. Their voices had all been so unified, and without any cues from what she could see, that it had unnerved her. Embarrassed by her slight outburst, she forced herself to remain quiet and to pay attention. These people were so strange, and yet she felt a surprising amount of respect toward them for being willing to come out into the wood and worship. It was Imogen who lead the next chant, her wrinkled hands coming upward to lift above her head as she spoke.

”Flesh breeds flesh.”

The children of the group were the ones to repeat Imogen’s words, their voices whispers and hardly recognizable. Kalina would have strained to hear them as they each spoke in turn around the circle, if her attention had not been drawn to their sudden movement forward. They laid their small hands flat against the smooth white rock in the center of the circle, heads bowed as they began to hum a tune that could only be described as ancient.

”Bone bears bone.”

The women of the party joined now, their voices louder than the children’s but not enough to be considered yelling as they repeated their verse in unison. Their voices overlapped with the humming, but it was musical and not disruptive, as if the song and chant had specifically been made to be heard together. For a reason she couldn’t describe her heartbeat was starting to pick up, and she felt a sort of restlessness gnawing at her, although the ritual had only begun. The women approached the table and each grabbed a cup, before moving back to their original locations. Once they did, they slowly poured their drinks onto the ground, which Kalina quickly recognized from the aromatic scent: wine. Their melodic voices joined the children in song, not uttering clear words but only sounds.

”Blood begets blood.”

After the last drop had been spilled, the men joined into the chant, their voices piercing through the music the women and youth provided, but still they did not seem to be causing a disturbance to the ceremony. They individually cried out their line, one by one, until they too joined in the song. Their voices were deep and low, and the combined sound of the group was quite the haunting choir. Kalina’s chest tightened as she felt a sudden urge to leave the ritual and continue travelling in the Wardwood. How was this happening, when she had hardly any idea of her current location, let alone how to get out of here by herself…?

”In the name of our ancient protectors, we who are blessed with liberty, benevolence, and prosperity ask for rejuvenation of our lands and souls so that we may protect the balance; what is taken must be given back.”

With the final chant complete, the group returned to silence but they were not finished yet. Kalina could only watch as the men each grabbed a lantern and removed the candles from inside, waiting farther back as the children moved away from the rock and the women refilled their empty cups with oil from jars. The oil was splashed all over the crops and their containers, only to be set ablaze shortly after by the candles to create a primitive bonfire. Like a horse spooked by lightning and thunder, Kalina abruptly turned and ran away from the flames and out into the dark wood.

Heart pounding in her chest like the steady beating of rain against shutters, she ran, and for how long or short of a distance she couldn’t tell. At some point, she stumbled into a clearing that was bathed in moonlight. A massive tree stood at its center, and some things were in its branches as far and wide as they spread. After standing there in awe for a moment, it was only then she realized that everything was still in the Wardwood, and Kalina felt a strange sense of peace.

She slowly approached the tree and studied the small items hanging from the branches. They were as countless as the stars, and with so many colors, but it was on a small, dark figure that her eyes and heart honed in on. Gently, she plucked it from in between the branches of the ward tree and traced its whorled pattern with her finger tips, knowing without being aware of why, that this item was extremely precious. Closing her eyes, she breathed a sigh of relief that washed over her entire body.

Holding onto the item, she walked to the edge of the clearing, staying in the halo of moonlight and staring out into the darkened wood that seemed to extend endlessly in front of her. After only a split second of hesitation, she began walking back in the direction she had come from. When she reached the tree where her horse was waiting she unclutched the dark stag figurine from her hand and gazed at it one more time, curious of the mysterious force that had brought the two of them together.



When Kalina returned to the Hamill estate, the whole house was awake and Borris was immediately furious with her for going off on her own in the middle of the night. Any number of things could have happened to her, and while she had spent a good portion of her night in the company of strangers, she let Borris scold her to his satisfaction before she told him what had happened to her in the Wardwood. Her brother refused to believe her, but it was Alexander who took her side when she presented the totem that had never been in her possession before that night. While he was not a practitioner of the Old Ways himself, he told her that there were several stories lately of people entering the wood and coming out changed somehow. Kalina immediately added herself to the statistic, and insisted that there was something truly special about the gift she'd been given.

The next day, Kalina found and met with Imogen who had also been searching for her, to ask why she had left the ritual so suddenly. Kalina explained herself as best as she could manage, in that she must have been possessed by something because her need to leave had been absolutely dire. She told Imogen about the large tree, and even showed her the totem, although she didn't allow the older woman to touch it. She felt an odd sense of duty when Imogen said that she had been empowered by the Wardwood to find and claim a treasure, and now she too would have to give its abilities back to the source that had granted it to her. She knew there was more to the message than just the literal words, but to this day she is still discovering their meaning...

The remainder of the weekend had gone smoothly after that and Kalina headed back to Western Palisade with Borris. While he didn't like to admit that something certainly had happened to Kalina that was not explainable, he told her to simply keep her trinket hidden if she refused to throw it away. When they got home, she immediately found a small leather cord and proceeded to fashion the deer into a necklace, tied around the waist to hold it in place. It is worn daily but she keeps it hidden beneath her dress to appease her brother.

Relationship with Guardian:

Kalina and Summanus have grown with time into a strong, well-bonded pair. Their beginnings were rough and awkward, with Kalina having little flexibility in her schedule to devote to trying to raise a fawn and Summanus no patience or desire to be away from her. In those days she called him her little goat, from the way he stubbornly bit at her clothes whenever she tried to leave him behind, and would head-butt Borris if he tried to provide any discipline. Summanus began to make it a game of finding ways to get into trouble, because it was the best way of getting attention from his Chosen. The first time they truly bonded was when Summanus had stolen one of Kalina’s hats; she’d chased him outside their home into the garden and wrestled him to the ground. While laughing, she swore that she could feel his joy from the encounter, too. She felt a childishness similar to her own, and at that moment she knew that she would grow to love him.

It took a lot of effort on Kalina’s part to “train” Summanus, but they started to develop a routine as he grew familiar with his surroundings and the humans that were regularly a part of his life. He would be allowed to accompany her wherever possible, and she would reward him for waiting for her without getting into any trouble. They also practiced their emotional bond daily, trying to send each other signals without making any noise or movements. Randomly, it worked, but the small successes were enough to be celebrated. While Summanus didn’t eat or drink regularly he would enjoy the occasional treat of sweet fruits and honey. Time passed, and Kalina’s little goat grew into a yearling. The transformation also marked a noticeable change in their relationship.

With the sprouting of his antlers, Summanus began to show less interest in travelling with Kalina and instead would find ways to entertain himself for the day. This was the phase where they began to learn to trust each other. Summanus no longer needed to be looked after like a baby, and as Kalina also aged she began to have more responsibilities as a midwife. Borris was depending on her more frequently, and even to her brother’s surprise Summanus was becoming, for the most part, well-tempered. The emotions and senses the Guardian sent her over distances became clearer, and Kalina felt a growing desire to want to better communicate with her friend.

As the seasons continued to pass Summanus grew into a handsome, albeit large, buck. While they had learned to spend time apart from each other, they quickly yet naturally came back together. Kalina was light enough to actually ride Summanus, and so she would use him for transportation instead of a horse to take her from place to place for errands. She had always been fond of talking to Summanus but now, as an adult, he could quite easily converse with her through their mental bond. She learned a lot of things about him then that she hadn’t realized before, but perhaps the most important of them all was that he desired to be respected. He was not a mere animal, and he had the strength and will to protect her from harm. Kalina honored his wish, and since then they have been equal to one another.

The fourth and final change in Summanus had been slow, but still unexpected. The two were evenly matched in their hunger for knowledge and also shared the same sense of humor; Kalina believed that there was nothing left for them to keep from one another, and yet she sensed something she couldn’t understand in Summanus growing day by day. It was when she finally recognized this emotion as a passion, almost on the verge of fury that she realized he had grown once more into something even fiercer than what he was before. Summanus towered above her now and his eyes possessed a glow of awareness that hadn’t been there before. He spoke her name with a low and commanding voice, but it only brought to mind his trustworthiness and served to enhance his regal aura. Whatever doubts she might have had that he was meant for a higher purpose simply vanished; Summanus had been built to fight, and she resolved from that moment onward to follow him to victory or death.