RUSSIA 1729: Galina was born to the Count Avdonia in Russia in September as their first child. Her parents, who hardly tolerated each other were disappointed in the lack of an heir, but Galina’s mother adored her daughter as her only ally. 1731: Galina’s brother, Dimitri, is born. Her parents give up the pretense of having a marriage. Her father moves to court and her mother is left to raise them on the family estate. 1732-40: Her childhood is a fairly happy one. She is raised to marry up at court one day. Her mother teaches her womanly ways (and is having an affair that Galina is vaguely aware of). Galina and her brother are close as she grows up. She has an adventurous streak that her mother indulges and her brother enjoys. 1741: Galina’s cousin, Anya, is brought to be raised by them. The five year old is a sweet girl, but it is painfully obvious that Anya is a sister and not a cousin. 1744-45: Galina is sent to the Russian court to be one of the hundreds of ladies in Princess Sophia’s court when she arrives from Germany. During the next year preparing the young princess to marry the Russian prince, Sophia (now known as Catherine) takes a liking to Galina who becomes one of her favorites at court. During her time at court Galina begins an affair with a high ranking noble in an attempt to curry favor and gain an advantageous marriage. 1746: A newcomer, Boris Pahlen, is welcomed to the court, his is kind but a bit odd. Galina grows close with this gentleman, finding him intriguing and interesting to talk to as he seems immune to her flirting. As winter approaches the palace experiences a smallpox outbreak and the royal family is evacuated. Galina becomes ill and is on her deathbed when the Boris gives her an option. Galina takes it not realizing her life will never be the same. Boris and Galina vanish into the night. Soon after they are seperated, Galina never knows if this is intentional or not. She wanders at night through Russian countryside trying to learn this new life of her’s and leaving behind a trail of bodies. 1747-1750: Galina spends the next few years trying to adjust to her new life. She wanders the countryside, often chased from town to town leaving a trail of bodies behind. She is bitter and regrets her old life and longs for human interaction. 1751-60: Slowly Galina begins to find a way to blend into towns, often masquaring with groups of travelers, posing as a merchant, actress, or dancer. Often though her urges lead her to a string of murders and she begins to travel again. 1761: Missing her old life, Galina begins to think of recovering it. She sneaks back to St. Petersburg, humoring herself that she has been forgotten, that her urges can be contained. Instead she finds herself face to face with her cousin Anya, now in service to Tsarina Catherine. Catherine, thinking her a monster, sends men to kill Galina upon Anya’s tale. Galina flees, believing no place safe from young monarch. She makes her way into Sweden and from there England where she books passage to the new world. AMERICAN COLONIES 1762: Galina arrives on the shores of Maryland. She slowly adjusts to this new land and continues her old habits from Russia. She picks up a few habits along the way, such as learning to sew her own clothes (rather than stealing them, after all she did use to have a maid who did this for her) and learning to dress to blend in. 1764: Finding her way up to the colony of New Hampshire Galina is traveling through the outskirts of a town, trying to find a refuge from the daylight when she spots a young girl. The girl looks almost identical to Anya, when Galina realizes the intent of the townsfolk to burn the poor girl she swoops in. Before they know what has happened Galina has killed half those holding the young girl - and the young girl has taken out the rest. The town is wiped from New Hampshire’s existence. 1765-1774:The experience bonds the two of them and Galina is surprised to find that Mari and herself get along, almost as is Mari is her younger sister (despite that Mari is actually older than her). They begin to travel together much as Galina did on her own in Russia. Galina finds herself grateful for this sense of family and becomes protective of Mari. 1775-1778: The Revolution in the colonies leaves Galina and Mari with plenty of fresh meals. They scarcely bother hiding as few can harm them and the pickings are so easy. 1779: On a pass through New York City Galina spots a sailor who reminds her an awful lot of a gentleman she once loved in her human days. Before she can think too much of what to do a longing for her old life takes hold and she attacks him, hoping to change him and convince him to join them. However, she is forced to leave him behind because of an incoming mob. As she has never turned anyone she is unsure he will survive and feels bad for leaving him behind, she tells Mari she attempted to drink from him but nothing more. 1780-1797: The two continue to travel through the colonies, and then the new country that is formed. They are often forced to continue moving, but overall life is good. EUROPE 1798: Hearing of Catherine the Great’s death Galina begins to mourn her once friend, but realizes that her long exile is finally over. She suggests to Mari that they travel to Europe, having heard rumors of unrest in France. Where there is ‘unrest’ often there was easy meals to find as well. Arriving in France they become embroiled in the tail end of the French Revolution, easily finding food across the city of Paris. 1800: Traveling across France the two girls stumble of a school of a whole new type. Magic is introduced to them and other magical creatures. The woods outside the school is a perfect camping ground and when Mari begs to stay for a little Galina relents, even indulging Mari in her whims of luring small children to be their meals. Galina is fascinated and wary of this magical world, but being a magical creature herself she can’t be too scared of it. 1803-1815: They continue to travel through France, braving towns sometimes. Galina sometimes poses as a seamstress with her ‘sister’ until the murders in the town get bad enough. With the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars the two girls tend to travel by in town near the encamped armies to find easier targets. 1816-1846: The two girls begin to travel through the Prussia, Austria, Poland, and other parts of Europe that they have not yet been two. Sometimes they stop in cities and pose as sisters looking for work for a while, often when Galina’s desire for culture and her old life overcome her sensibilities. More often than not they travel through small towns and villages, sometimes living in woods, sometimes traveling with others, sometimes incorporating themselves into the town for the time being. 1847-1848: While posing for a short time in Berlin as a seamstress for upper middle class women she is sewing for. Radial ideas had been swirling in Europe on the idea of revolt from the monarchies for the past two years. Galina, remembering the last two revolutions she has seen and how she and Mari were safer in them, eggs on the wives of important men and helps encourage the revolt that starts in Berlin in March. Much of Europe finds itself doing the same as this Spring of Nations continues, however, until like the last two revolutions there is little violence and little additional food and security for the two girls. 1850: Traveling back to Paris Galina finds them work in a opera house as ballet dancers for a year. She had always loved the art of ballet back in her human days, when it was introduced to the Russian court. Mari and her spend an easy year participating in productions. After a year the rumors of a nearby serial killer begin to get taken too seriously and many begin to realize that Mari has not grown or changed as a girl her age should be. The two leave Paris. 1851-60: They continue to travel through Europe in their fashion, seeing countries such as Spain, Italy, and Greece. Galina, who always dreamed of other lands, is fascinated with the different cultures. 1860-70: Galina and Mari travel back to Germany, France, and the countries where there appearances at least blend in a little. GREAT BRITAIN 1870-76: Looking for new sites and hunting grounds Galina and Mari cross the English Channel and begin to travel through England. 1877-1887: While traveling in Scotland, Galina, who often keeps her eyes open for magical folks, learns of a new haven for vampires in the forests of a town outside of a magical school. They travel to Hogsmeade and the forests outside of Hogwarts, willing for some rest from their endless travels. Reaching the establishment they find there are some rules about killing humans, wizards or not. Galina chafes under these, but is grateful for the company of others like her. She tolerates it but begins to work to integrate herself with the vampires in hopes that she might convince them of otherwise (she had forgotten how much she had enjoyed the politics and court intrigues of her old life and this reminds her of them). She becomes a respected voice in the community despite her frequent disent of not eating humans. During this time she runs into Ismeal, the sailor she once turned. She does not admit to him her own actions in his life, and severely doubts that he remembers her. 1888: The fog in nearby Hogsmeade allows Galina her first opportunity to see daylight in over a century. If that can actually be called daylight. Discontent grows in the community and with the helpless wizards so close tensions in the coven begin to grow tense. Galina is almost sad to see the fog go for she had enjoyed the new freedom.