Tuija Draganova
поляница Tuija Miloslava Draganova (a.k.a. Tuj, Tuyu)
An ancient Bogatyrs promised to Perun, Tuija is a veteran of The Mystic War. Stern, physically powerful and capable, Tuija was the last Folk cursed with Rastenivitsya. Body slowly morphing into an extinct cedar, her resilience has kept her fighting a century longer than any other. To know Tuija is to seek a lesson in courage, not once giving up.
Banished from Mat Zemlya for the security risk of turning into a Fae, Tuija lived in Finnegan's Bluff Public House and worked as a bartender. Finnegan owed her that much.
"Hey Book, what gives? Why can't I scroll down? I know there's more, why's this Tuija chick come up when I click on Daddy's bio?"Child...Karisma Calebdottir
"Rrrgh! Scroll, you... wait... why're you blanking things out? Hey! Stop that!"Child. Please, stop, not this article. I'll show you a unicorn, or the pristine paradise of Prav. Perhaps you might light to see Makosh, Tuija knew Makosh well.Karisma Calebdottir
"Dad! The Book's broken and I didn't do it!"Child no, Karisma stop don't... Caleb...Karisma Calebdottir
"What're you talking about, Kari, what's... Tuija..."Caleb Mauthisen
"Dissuade me from what? Midgard to Dad-meister? Seriously, I get why you're all 'don't show Karisma the disembodied bits' 'don't show Karisma the terror curses', but some weird bartender with a cut up face?"KARISMA CALEBDOTTIR THAT IS ENOUGH.Karisma Calebdottir
"Stop talking... give Book here. No more."Caleb Mauthisen
"Woa, what did I... are you... wait. Daddy? Are you... are you crying? What did I do?"Karisma Calebdottir
"Leave."Caleb Mauthisen
"No. Sh-show me Tuija's picture, please."Caleb Mauthisen
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Identifying Characteristics
”Yes. Yes, best not leave that aside.”Caleb Mauthisen
”Love?”Karisma Calebdottir
Yes, Karisma. Love as sturdy as century cedar, a pure and hearty affection. Do you see now why your father is having a hard time?
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Born to nobles lost to history in the Kievan Rus, Tuija was raised hearing stories of the Bogatyrs and the gods. Eventually deciding life as a mother was not for her, she took up arms to defend her people. Hunted and fought, stayed around the fire. Dependable and sensible, Tuija became known to Perun, Lada and Makosh. After a series of quests, she was given the honour of travel between Yav (The Makoshki word for Midgard) and Prav.
She built a reputation for her prowess in battle, and joined the Wild Hunt for centuries. At the last skirmishes of The Mystic War, in a battle between the Fae and Perun's forces hunkered down in the Caucasus, Tuija threw herself between Finnegan and Perun as the mighty Fae Lord cast Rastenivitsya at his hated enemy. Struck with the curse, and wounded on the killing field, only the spark in Tuija's eyes and her dogged intent not to die saved her from a mercy kill at her god's hand.
Outcast, Tuija stumbled to the Axis Mundi to recover and attempt to lift her curse. She waited for Finnegan, believing his death would free her. She sharpened her sword and waited.'
She waited, until Raynar Einridsen stumbled into the sacred circle, and placed his newborn son Caleb Mauthisen upon the altar. Filled with ire, Tuija watched the Truce take hold. In recompense, Finnegan took Tuija in, and watched her drink half a century away before she began to live again.
160 years after the curse took hold, Tuija met Caleb again, and after a while... well. For once, this is not my story to tell.
Read about Tuija's journey in Char & Ash
Accomplishments & Achievements
Failures & Embarrassments
Failures
- Being incapable of ridding herself of the Rastenivitsya curse
- Getting struck by the curse in the first place
Embarrassments
- Cedar bark on her body
Mental Trauma
Rastenivitsya is a slow curse. It kills in a string of ever increasing moments, a cut here, a bruise there ambered over. While Tuija was the bravest cursed person in the Realms, the curse still took its toll on her mind. Between the curse and her abandonment by her fellows, Tuija was at one point, a broken drunk drinking copious amounts of vodka at Finnegan's table.
It took decades for her to set down her bottle, look around and start cleaning up other people's glasses. Then wiping tables, washing cups. Pouring libations. One more purpose for the warrior at the Realm's gates.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Relationships
History
They met for a night of fun at Finn's, another warm bed for Caleb to curl into after a long.
Nicknames & Petnames
Tuyu, Cale
Commonalities & Shared Interests
The Realms, The Mystic Truce, combat.
- Ukrainian
- Russian
- Proto-Slavic
- Kievinsk
- English
- French
Sexuality
While a few dalliances are recorded, the most significant is Caleb Mauthisen. They took comfort in each other, in a way neither knew in others arms.
Education
Picking up plenty of books in her thousand years of life, Tuija educated herself beyond mere battle tactics and survival and enjoyed reading in multiple languages.
Employment
During the Mystic War, Tuija was a warrior in Perun's War Band. Post-war, she became a bartender in Finnegan's Pub.
Intellectual Characteristics
Cunning and handling little to no nonsense from others, Tuija's mind was sharp as her sword.
Morality & Philosophy
Tuija was in possession of a firm sense of justice.
Taboos
Getting cut.
Appears In
The Judge of Mystics Saga is a series of contemporary magic realism novels by Sapha Burnell, published by Vraeyda Literary.
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