bogatyr: An individual endowed with magical powers. Troika belief states that a bogatyr’s power comes from the three goddesses of creation—with Tsarina Yelena’s reforms several hundred years ago, this doctrine has been codified into imperial law.

plural bogatyri.

drekavac: A harbinger of doom created when an infant dies before its time. It is said that when a drekavac crosses through a person’s shadow, woe is certain to follow.

plural drekavcy.

dreynikit: (noun/adjective, Strannitsky) feminine and gender-neutral term for a worshipper of the Three Sisters. Dreynik is the masculine equivalent.

plural dreynikiten/dreyniker.

The Edge: Kosa’s northwestern territory, stretching from the Ice Plains in the north to the Granary in the south. It shares a border with Groznaya, and as a result has been host to the worst of the frontline fighting between Kosa and the neighboring empire.

Fraktsiya: Collective name for the revolutionary factions controlled by Koschei, consisting mainly of civilian workers, conscripted peasants, and imperial soldiers loyal to the Fraktsiya cause. What they lack in magic, they make up for in unit cohesion and resentment at centuries of the bogatyri’s oppression.

The Granary: The Kosa Empire’s southwestern territory and agricultural hub. With its fertile soil and favorable climate, it provides much of the empire’s wheat, kasha, sunflower oil, and cotton.

grevka: The currency of the Kosa Empire. Grevka is used both as a singular unit and a collective plural (e.g., one grevka, twenty grevka).

Groznaya: The Kosa Empire’s northwestern neighbor, sharing borders with the Edge and the unsettled Ice Plains. No conflicts have occurred between Groznaya and Kosa since the devastating war ten years ago. While Groznaya has not yet interfered in the power struggle between the Fraktsiya and the Otzvuk, there has been an increased military presence along the Groznaya-Kosa border in recent weeks.

Holy Tribunal: The ecclesiastical body responsible for overseeing the trials and executions of suspected kolduny and heretics, under the authority of the Ministry of Heritage. Installed by Tsarina Inessa a hundred years ago to replace the previous vigilante system, the Tribunal’s stated goal is to preserve the cultural and religious integrity of the Kosa Empire.

The Ice Plains: The region to Groznaya and Kosa’s far north, a frigid and inhospitable expanse of tundra and glacial seas. Small whaling communities and mining camps can be found near the Groznaya and Kosa borders. Expansionist efforts from both empires have failed in the past, and those who venture into the region’s depths seldom return. It is rumored that the tsarina of witches rules the Ice Plains from her moving castle, and puzzling tracks found in the snow only seem to reinforce that theory.

koldun: A male witch. Koldunia is the female equivalent. Unlike the bogatyri, it is believed that kolduny derive their powers from the Unclean Force, and lurk in all strata of society.

plural kolduny.

Kosa: The goddess of harvest, homeland, and fertility, she is one of the Three Sisters of creation and the Kosa Empire’s namesake. Her sigils are the reaping hook and wheat sheaf.

Koskiy: The official language spoken in Kosa and its territories. As per imperial law, it is the mandatory language used in state schools, military institutions, and government transactions and proceedings.