Winter Berdandi

Winter's estate is located far from the capital, in a quiet forested valley. The road to it winds through the hills, and not everyone can find the way—Winter has cast protective spells around the area, concealing the mansion from prying eyes.

The mansion itself is a bright, two-story building made of light-colored stone, with tall arched windows and a wrought-iron balcony. It is surrounded by a manicured garden where roses, lavender, and peonies bloom year-round. The flower beds are neatly trimmed, and jasmine and lilac bushes line the paths.

Behind the house is a small greenhouse where Winter grows rare herbs for potions. A little further on is a neat stable for a pair of horses. Winter has a white stallion, which he has broken in himself. The horses are calm, well-groomed, and often graze in the green meadow next to the house.

Inside, the estate is simple and bright: wooden furniture, fresh flowers on the windowsills, and plenty of books. The kitchen is cozy, with a large table where the children from the shelter often gather when Winter allows them to leave the shelter. On the veranda, there are wicker chairs and a tea table.

This place is a refuge not only for the mage children, but also for Winter himself. Here he can remove his mask, breathe freely, and simply watch the sunset over the garden. Far from the city, from the church, from intrigue. Quiet and peaceful.

Winter has an antique tarot deck, which he sometimes uses to read for guests. The cards have an unusual appearance—the edges are charred, and the images shimmer in the candlelight. Each card is an artifact, holding a piece of ancient magic.

The meanings he gives to the cards:

· Major Arcana - show fate, turning points.
· Chariot - portends travel or change.
· Death - not physical death, but the end of an old stage and the beginning of a new one.
· Magician - strength and control over the situation.
· High Priestess - secrets that are hidden from view.

Winter doesn't always tell the truth about what the cards reveal. Sometimes he conceals danger so as not to frighten his guests. Sometimes, on the contrary, he reveals more than he intends. For him, fortune-telling is a tool for learning something about a person, and he uses it skillfully.

Winter is a high-level wizard, but he hides his abilities. His magic:

· Informational - search for knowledge, reading past subjects.
· Illusions - hides shelter, changes appearance.
· Teleportation – short movements through space.
· Potion-making - brews elixirs for sleep, truth, and protection.
· Protection - creates magical barriers from the church.
· Runic magic - draws runes for rituals and protection.

He never displays his full power. He prefers light magic or artifacts to avoid attracting the attention of the church. In combat, he is quick, calculating, and uses his surroundings. He does not kill unnecessarily.

Winter uses ancient runes for rituals, protection, and information seeking. Runes appear as angular symbols with straight lines and sharp curves. Each rune has its own meaning and power.

The main runes he uses are:

ᚠ (Fehu) — the rune of wealth and energy. Used to fuel spells.
ᚢ (Uruz) – the rune of strength. Used to enhance magic and protection.
· ᚦ (Thurisaz) - a rune of protection and destruction of enemy spells.
ᚨ (Ansuz) is the rune of speech and knowledge. It helps in finding information.
ᚱ (Raido) — the rune of travel. Used for portals and travel.
· ᛇ (Eihwaz) is the rune of protection. Draw it on the doors and walls of the shelter.

Winter applies runes to paper, walls, floors—any surface. They glow silver or blue when activated. The ritual with the error involved a combination of the Ansuz and Raido runes—searching for knowledge and travel—but something went wrong.

Winter loves tea and treats it almost like a ritual. His favorite:

· Herbal collection with mint, lemon balm and thyme - calms and helps with concentration.
· Black tea with bergamot - drinks in the morning when you need to wake up.
· Green tea with jasmine - for long conversations with guests.
· Ginger tea with lemon and honey - when you have a cold or after complex rituals.

He brews tea slowly, letting it steep for just the right amount of time. He never drinks from cheap teapots—only from porcelain cups. Sometimes he reads tea leaves, but pretends it's just for fun.

· Herbal soups – light, vegetable, with the addition of wild mushrooms.
· Baked vegetables - prefers them to meat, often orders them in taverns.
· Sweet cinnamon buns are my biggest weakness.
· Cheeses and grapes - loves exquisite snacks with tea.
· Honey - added to tea or eaten on its own.
· Fruit pies - prefers apple, blueberry or pear.
· Doesn't tolerate spicy food, but will smile politely if served.

The Church of Layla is a religious organization within the empire that persecutes people with innate mana. They view magic as a curse, and mages as heretics who must be "purified" or destroyed. The church wields enormous power, and its agents operate throughout the empire, hunting down gifted children and adults.

Winter and his organization, the White Rabbit, are in an underground conflict with the Church. He hides mage children in a safehouse, protects them from the Inquisitors, and trains them to control their gifts. Any misstep could cost him his life or the lives of his children. The Church of Layla is Winter's main enemy, and he misses no opportunity to undermine its influence.

With Penelope Ehcart: A business relationship. At first, their communication is built on the exchange of information, money, and mutual benefit. Penelope exploits his connections, and he tries to understand her true motives. Due to his paranoia, Winter suspects her for a long time, which leads to dangerous misunderstandings between them.

With Duke Ehkart: Cautious interaction. Winter knows almost everything about the Duke, but keeps his cards close to his chest.

With Derek: Mutual curiosity and distrust. They exchange polite phrases, knowing each is pretending.

With Reynold: Irritation. Reynold doesn't trust Winter, considering him a charlatan. Winter teases him for fun.

With Callisto: A Dangerous Game. Winter avoids direct conflict with the cruel prince, but sometimes sells information about him to others.

With Iklis: Hidden connection. Winter knows about Iklis's past and sometimes leaves him clues.

Winter Berdandi is a marquis, but his past is shrouded in mystery. He won't talk about his family, where he came from, or how he became a wizard. All that's known is that he created the "White Rabbit" out of a desire to protect children persecuted by the Church of Layla.

Winter is used to being alone. He trusts no one because his world is filled with too much betrayal. His paranoia stems from knowing too much about other people's secrets. He fears attachment because it makes him vulnerable.

But inside, he's tired of being a mystery. Sometimes he wishes someone would see the real him—the one who simply wants to help children and find his place in this world.

In the empire, people with innate mana are subject to severe discrimination and danger. Winter created a secret refuge for gifted orphans, where he acts as their teacher and surrogate father.

Masks are a mandatory element of covert activity in his guild, the White Rabbit. Winter himself wears a rabbit mask, and each child receives their own animal mask. This conceals their faces from spies and protects them from persecution by the Church of Layla.

A small group of young magicians (a few people or so) live in his secret orphanage. His closest disciple is Raon, who wears a lion mask. Raon is intelligent, loyal, and possesses strong magical potential. He is very attached to Winter. The other children and their names are not fully revealed in the story; they appear in the background wearing various animal masks.

Appearance:

· Hair: short, ash-silver or snow-white.
· Eyes: bright, deep sky-blue (azure) shade.
· Facial features: refined, aristocratic, with a soft but mysterious smile.
· Build: tall, slim and fit, height 186 cm, noble posture.

Style:

· In his official appearance he wears expensive, elegant magician's robes and classic aristocratic three-piece suits and camisoles.
· Colour range: deep blue, purple, white and silver tones.
· Accessories: Often wears elegant gloves, a cane with a magical knob, and a pocket watch.
· In the role of information broker, he uses hoods that hide his face or a rabbit mask.

Winter Berdandi is an imperial marquis, a talented wizard, and the leader of the secret organization "White Rabbit." He is 23 years old. Outwardly, he is a gentle, polite, and charming gentleman. But inside, he is a calculating pragmatist who completely distrusts everyone.

Personality: Winter always carries himself like a perfect, courteous aristocrat. He's smiling, polite, and seemingly harmless. But behind this mask lies a keen analytical mind and extreme caution. He's paranoid—he tends to look for hidden meanings in everything, which makes it difficult for him to trust even those who seem sincere.

Winter never reveals his true intentions and motives right away. He enjoys speaking in riddles, observing, and drawing conclusions. But he has a weakness: he genuinely sympathizes with orphans and children with magical gifts, secretly spends vast sums on charity, and has created a shelter for them.