A Brief History of the Azure Star Spirit

A book on fae history. From certain details within, people of the world believe it was written by an elder among the fae.

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In the third year of the four hundred twenty-eighth Cycle—that is, the seventy-sixth year after Emperor Monomach Snezhevich raised the imperial capital Kitezh[127] upon the tundra—the Emperor sent envoys to the lands of the wind-fae and asked them: "To whom do you pay tribute?" They answered: "We pay tribute to King Mstislav[128]." The Emperor's envoys then said to them: "Pay them tribute no more, for the tribute they demand is not of ren'ai[129]." And so the wind-fae paid tribute no longer.

In the fourth year of the four hundred twenty-eighth Cycle.

In the fifth year of the four hundred twenty-eighth Cycle.

In the sixth year of the four hundred twenty-eighth Cycle, King Mstislav condemned before vassals, kin, and allies the Court of the Pale Star for breaking the peace accord previously agreed, and demanded that the Emperor pay the Beastkin Alliance ten years' tribute: each year six hundred granaries of grain, thirty granaries of gold, and slaves enough to move that grain and gold, to keep the peace. This was thirty times the tribute the wind-fae had paid them. The Emperor refused their ultimatum, and both sides thereafter prepared for war[130]. The Emperor said: "To die defending the homeland is glory. Our comrades-in-arms are the blade and ren'ai. Our enemies speak of peace because they wish to provoke war. If we shamefully yield to them (the beastkin), our sons and daughters will suffer greater war. We shall fight bravely for our survival—either taste the mead of victory, or die in glory."

In the seventh year of the four hundred twenty-eighth Cycle, King Mstislav marched on Kitezh with a vast host: the Mstislavlo clan, the Nyomorod clan[131], the Dalograd clan[132], the Chenareka clan[133], and numerous servant clans[134]. Their armies fought three times in all at the foot of Kitezh, by the ice-lake, and on the plain. The Emperor slew King Mstislav[135] and many princes who followed him: save for Grand Duke Selivik[136], who escaped disaster, Grand Duke Sugukiret[137] and Grand Duke Vodyanoy[138] were both pierced through at that time by the Emperor's long spear[139] and died. Out of mercy and ren'ai, the Emperor recovered their corpses and sent them home to their clan lands for burial. The Emperor said: "They are not kings. They were not born of sacred blood[140]. They are not ones who ought to be king. I am the heir of the Pale Star, the patron of all fae." The remaining fae clans all came to audience with the Emperor; thus he held the power to rule them, and from then on styled himself the White Tsar.

[127]

Kitezh—the first city of all Snezhnaya. From the fourth year of the four hundred seventeenth Cycle, the year of its founding, until the year when His Majesty the Emperor, in infinite grace and mercy, forgave humankind as subjects and moved the capital to Zapolyarny Palace, this imperial capital, built after the customs of the fae ancestors, was the center of power over the tundra.

[128]

Mstislav—that is, the "Blood-Drinker" recorded in the Volkhov Chronicles. Great king of the beastkin, blood-drinking sage, common lord of the Mstislavlo Alliance. By the beastkin peoples under him, King Mstislav was of towering build, conspicuous even on the battlefield like a mountain foot. Thus in the oldest chronicle manuscripts, King Mstislavlo is sometimes called by fae chroniclers "Gorynishche," meaning "son of the mountain."

[129]

Ren'ai—as the Discourse on Fae Semantics notes, this word in modern contexts may also be rendered "beneficial, lovable, or pleasing." It should be clear that in that age these senses were close; what the Emperor's envoy meant, in human speech, should be understood as: "Their demanding tribute of you is something you do not love (or that does you no good)." Precisely for this reason, some scholars read the envoy's words as a veiled threat; on this point and the word's full sense, see the Discourse on Fae Semantics.

[130]

Even to later ages, the charges the realm founded by the beastkin sages of "Mstislavlo" laid against the Court of the Pale Star seem absurd. Yet such charges were not without cause—or rather, the true reason King Mstislav, beastkin king who founded a realm in his own name, meant to provoke war was fear of the Court of the Pale Star's rise since the previous war. The alliance led by Emperor Monomach and centered on Kitezh had, over that century, taken on an entirely new face, developing rapidly in economy and polity. For King Mstislav, to let Emperor Monomach gradually gain the upper hand in that long stalemate was intolerable. Thus began the war that set the final order of this continent shadowed by silver snow.

[131] Nyomorod clan—beastkin of bovine form.

[132] Dalograd clan—water-fae clan.

[133] Chenareka clan—beastkin of lupine form.

[134] Chiefly military retainers.

[135]

In this campaign King Mstislav personally commanded the three great battles against the Emperor. It is said that in the last battle, in despair, he tried to use the power of the shadow world to delay the Court of the Pale Star's advance. Though this could not reverse the field, it still somewhat shaped the Emperor's later decisions.

For detailed records of the three battles, see History of the Snezhevich Campaign.

Of note: on a side front, the Spekin Legion, ordered by King Mstislav to pursue and prevent the Emperor's forces from joining, was strangely beguiled by ice-fog, misjudged its route, missed its chance, failed to stop the junction, and so led to Mstislav's defeat on the main front.

Many chroniclers have recorded this matter, yet the cause of the sudden weather remains unknown.

King Mstislav was at last pierced through the beast-head by the Emperor's long spear and died. It is said that upon a bear-skull as large as a war-chariot, kept in the treasury of Zapolyarny Palace, the mark of that spear still remains.

[136] Selivik—that is, the "Gray Wolf" of the Volkhov Chronicles.

Ruler of Chenareka, a soft-bodied cunning wolf; said already early in the war to have had private dealings with Polifir, then minister of finance of the Court of the Pale Star.

After King Mstislav's rule fell, he was also the only fae grand duke who appeared, with remarkable smoothness, at once among the ministers of the Court of the Pale Star.

For this reason some scholars hold that the Spekin Legion under his command failing its pursuit at the campaign's key moment may not have been chance. Yet this conjecture cannot be deemed well evidenced.

After the war he was praised by Emperor Monomach, already styled White Tsar, and received the rite of the long sword upon the shoulder.

[137] Sugukiret—that is, the "Bull of the Forest" in the Volkhov Chronicles.

Under King Mstislav, Grand Duke of Nyomorod.

In the second battle he proposed leading elite vanguards around to the rear of the Pale Star Court army for a surprise attack, forcing them into a prepared ambush zone while the main force surrounded it and struck.

Yet this strategy was stolen when Filipov—most skilled in change among the fae, and loyal to His Majesty the Emperor—infiltrated Mstislav's host.

The Emperor thus adjusted his strategy; Sugukiret's raid only trapped him deep in the Pale Star Court's encirclement. The Emperor's army besieged his force and kept destroying those who came to relieve him, causing Mstislav's great loss in the second battle.

Grand Duke Sugukiret was pierced through the chest by the Emperor's long spear and died in that fight.

[138] Vodyanoy—that is, the "Landless King" in the Volkhov Chronicles.

Ruler of Dalograd, ancestor of the water-kin in the ice-lake.

A warrior of unmatched valor, yet also a unique foolhardy man, skilled at striking from beneath the ice.

At the end of the second battle, Grand Duke Alvis of the little spirits tricked his legion out beyond the ice-lake by stratagem.

He was pierced through the chest by the Emperor's long spear and died.

[139]

The Emperor's long spear—those who never saw the field often doubt many battlefield accounts, including records that in the clash of hosts the Emperor pierced enemy generals with a long spear.

Most doubters point to army scale and a general's place in the ranks, holding that a general's single combat in the melee is nearly impossible.

It must be clarified here: the Emperor could pierce enemy generals with a long spear not by joining them in arrayed combat.

He merely used the long spear as an arrow, drew a bow with force beyond common sense, and loosed it across the field.

[140]

Sacred blood—sense unclear. Emperor Monomach called himself lord of all fae, and should have been born of the same blood as other fae. It seems the Emperor's words here were only a claim to prove legitimacy.

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In the first year of the seven hundred ninety-ninth Cycle, in April of that year, Anastasya Feodorovna was crowned Tsaritsa of all Snezhnaya. Many fae princes did not go to Zapolyarny Palace for audience. For Emperor Monomach was dead, and the Dalograd clan had cut ties with Zapolyarny Palace.

In the second year of the seven hundred ninety-ninth Cycle, seizing Emperor Monomach's death, the humans of Port Belovodye declared self-rule that winter and rose in rebellion against the fae princes. Grand Duke Zovogore marched against them, but did not prevail.

In the third year of the seven hundred ninety-ninth Cycle, Tsaritsa Anastasya marched on the self-ruling army, seized along the way the clan lands of Zovogore, Volkhovan, and Chenareka, and on charges of indolence, neglect, and abetting rebellion stripped the princely titles of those who had ruled them, placing non-hereditary officials in charge instead. Unlike Emperor Monomach, she did not gather the Winter Covenant host, but raised a force called the "Fatui" to occupy the fae princes' lands. Grand Duke Zovogore denounced the Tsaritsa for treason, led his army against the Fatui, and died. On the tenth of March the Tsaritsa sent envoys to Port Belovodye to pacify the self-ruling army, demanding they hand over the agitators of rebellion and declaring all others pardoned. The self-ruling army agreed to the Tsaritsa's terms, and so Port Belovodye was not razed. On the twenty-third of March she again sent envoys to those fae princes who still had not come to Zapolyarny Palace, demanding they surrender all power, while promising to keep for them honorary noble titles. Many princes died before answering the Tsaritsa's demand; the rest all agreed. Thus Tsaritsa Anastasya held the great power of the north.

In the fourth year of the seven hundred ninety-ninth Cycle, the Tsaritsa had the Fatui raise a new fortress near Zapolyarny Palace, called Glupov—meaning City of Fools.

In the fifth year of the seven hundred ninety-ninth Cycle.

In the sixth year of the seven hundred ninety-ninth Cycle, the Tsaritsa established the Imperial Capital Council to handle administration left vacant by absent princes, and appointed the human Ioanna Ivanovna as first speaker.

In the seventh year of the seven hundred ninety-ninth Cycle, the Edict on Improving Imperial Order was promulgated. Many fae princes, deeply feeling the Tsaritsa's grace, voluntarily gave up honorary noble titles and left Snezhnaya.

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