I am very glad that I managed to participate. My first experience of participation in such contests. When creating the concept of the character I was inspired by the costumes of Chuvashs, Bashkirs and Russians, as well as the beliefs of these peoples. The objects of the environment are connected with animals, paganism and myths. The location refers to the legends of "Kitezh-grad", the city that went under water to escape from invaders. __________________________________________________________________________________ Explanatory text: 1. Character. Throughout the village near the Mysterious Forest, legends of a monstrous half-blood creature circulated. It was rumored to have been born from an unmarried woman and a forest spirit. Like a beast, the monster dwells in the forest, changes its appearance, emits a piercing call, and kills travelers who have had the courage to pass through this forest to the city. This terrible monster is believed to be Aisha. Her mother hid the girl in the forest, hoping to save the child from the lynching of the community, who spread rumors of a magical conception. Since then, Aisha has lived in the wilderness, in a settlement of exiles. Resentful of the people of the community, but watching them from the thicket, she hoped deep inside that she would be welcomed back in the future. Everything changed when, under mysterious circumstances, eternal darkness enveloped the settlement and the forest, and the heroine began to hear the voices of the forest spirits and see all that was hidden behind the shadowy trees. ... so maybe these weren't rumors? 2. The tower and the path to it. The voices of the forest spirits lead Aisha into the thicket of the forest. At an enchanted tree, the heroine finds a chest with a map and the key to the tower gate. What is this tower and what city are they always telling her about? A city that went underground, cut through the forest after darkness fell. Its inhabitants now barely resemble humans, and the main tower holds many secrets.