Avdotya Petrov

ABOUT: Avdotya is the daughter of the infamous spirit Athene, the Lady Solstice, who died before Avdotya ever knew her; Avdotya has since been rumoured to have died as well and become a forest spirit, but she did not become a spirit with a physical form until 24 years of age when a hunter shot her in the head thinking her to be something inhuman, and her witch companion Sibley Delamonde transformed her into a spirit with a physical form to prevent her from dying. Before this event, Avdotya was raised by her adoptive parents as Avdotya Petrova until she changed her surname to Petrov when she worked in the medical field as a doctor. Avdotya later spent many years leading people away and tricking rich lads and ladies into loving her, because of which she gained quite a fortune of inheritances. Avdotya also learned witchcraft, though never enjoyed working with covens. Avdotya has had her share of social rejection, and believes this to be a cycle she is bound to, as she believes everyone has a cycle that follows them in their lives. She lived alone for years in Harpier Manor with her library and her statues of Athene, occasionally sharing the space with the actress Blasa Brandt. She also helped Lorentz Vogel with his health concerns, and did this under the name Bonfilia “Bonnie” Miller. She was good friends with Rhiannon Herkimer’s mother, and was trusted as Rhiannon’s guardian for a while, but this resulted in a terrible curse Rhiannon would later resent Avdotya for. Avdotya had ill relations with Lady Emory and Ruthe Emory, though this changed when she started writing letters to Ruthe and the two fell in love. Shortly before these letters, Avdotya was presumed dead as she had been for many times in her long life, this time from a near-drowning incident, the aftermath of which caused her to move from Harpier Manor to Olivine Castle. This is when she became involved in an unwanted ritual that brought Athene back into her life for some time, much to the danger of those around Avdotya.

APPEARANCE: Avdotya is pale and tall with "a veil of long black hair" and "haunting peridot eyes," according to The Curse Of Rhiannon. She also keeps her fingernails long.

STYLE: She often wears, as noted in The Olivine Letters, "black velvet and green silk, in an idiosyncratic silhouette of gothic fashions and styles from the 1870 and 1883 gowns" she had seen. This is the book in which she also acquires a peridot necklace as a gift that she often wears, the “pendant with the two stones, faceted, one oval and one pointing down a teardrop, set in silver that twists in its ornate setting.”

MAGIC: Avdotya has energy healing abilities as well as other energy work skills, and she has other witchcraft magic such as casting and removing curses and other spells. She is also skilled in divination. Avdotya does not like to be watched when she does magic. She has long since been a spirit with a physical form, with reduced aging and an inability to die by natural causes, though this does not prevent others from suspecting her to be dead. At some point she gains a persuasive power from Athene for a while, but she hardly needs this; she has developed skill in persuasion even without magic. Avdotya is also well known for her attention spells, which manifest as a compelling green light.

OTHER: Avdotya is nearly 100, though appears to be 24 due to her status as a spirit with a physical form. She is bisexual and becomes romantically involved with Ruthe. Avdotya is also known as Bonfilia "Bonnie" Miller as an alias, and as the daughter of Athene. She is also known as Eudocia, the name Athene thought of her by, Avdotya Petrova before changing her surname, and Dr. A. Petrov. She is fond of decadent aesthetics, velvet, silk, fine furniture, portraits, red wine, sometimes absinthe, anachronistic clothing, Victorian fashion, collecting gemstones, witchcraft, energy healing, divination, large homes, statues, jewelry, peridot stones, Ruthe, acquiring the fortunes of others, hedonism, collecting and organizing documents and books. As well as The Olivine Letters, Avdotya appears in The Curse Of Rhiannon.