mavka: A female forest spirit. In addition to stealing garments left out to dry, mavki are notorious for tickling men to death—usually to grotesque effect.

plural mavki.

Otzvuk: The coalition of factions loyal to the tsarist regime and determined to restore Tsar Mikhail to power. Composed of the deposed nobility, the remnants of the military police and the imperial army, and the civilians they’ve conscripted to their cause. Although not all members of the Otzvuk are bogatyri, bogatyri play a central leadership role in its armies.

prahvekht: (affirmative, Strannitsky) True, absolutely.

rusalka: A female river spirit. Although they are seldom found in lakes and ponds, it isn’t uncommon to come across them in saltwater bays and estuaries.

plural rusalki.

rushnyk: An embroidered tapestry, commonly used to adorn the Troika home and altar, as well as in marriage and burial rites.

plural rushnyky.

schväst: (noun, Strannitsky) Tail.

plural schvästen.

Seredina: The goddess of fate, technology, and weaving, and one of the Three Sisters of creation. Her sigils are the distaff and spindle.

sovnya: A polearm with a long, curved blade. One of the sigils of the goddess Voyna.

spoil: To be cursed or corrupted by the Unclean Force.

Strannik: One of Kosa’s largest minority groups. Within the imperial mainland and its territories, the Strannik population ranges from 0.2% (the Kosa interior) to 7.0% (the Edge). Prior to the rise of bogatyri, the Stranniki were known as Strazhniki, or guards, due to the pacts of fealty they pledged to the now-eradicated noble houses in exchange for rights to settle. Despite being forbidden from carrying firearms and bladed weapons, the Stranniki’s legacy as combat servants has continued under the Morev Dynasty in the form of forcible conscriptions to Kosa’s frontline infantry—often starting in their early teens, of boys and girls alike.

plural (Kos) Stranniki, (Str) Stranniker/Strannikiten.

Sudrekht: (noun, Strannitsky) Colloquial term for the Holy Tribunal.

Svet: Kosa’s political ally to the west. What the kingdom of Svet lacks in military might, it makes up for in a powerful economy and friendly diplomatic relations with foreign powers. In the months preceding Tsar Mikhail’s dethronement, discussions were underway of a marriage between the Tsar and Princess Agathe.

Troika: Ecclesiastical term for the Three Sisters, the goddesses of creation. Also refers to the worshippers of the Three and the faith in general (e.g., a Troika temple, Troika worshippers).

tsurästvo: (noun, Strannitsky) A riot or attack.

plural tsurästvim.

tza slovanakh: (exclamatory phrase, Strannitsky) The stench.

Unclean Force: A dark energy capable of spoiling crops and bringing death and sickness. Said to be the force that powers witches’ magic, as well as that which resurrects the dead as monsters.

upyr: A wandering revenant that preys upon the dead and living alike, often spotted scavenging through potter’s fields and waste pits. Typically, an upyr’s flesh mummifies with age. However, specimens have also been found with wet rot or the pickling characteristic of bog burials.

plural upyri.

vasyem: (noun, Strannitsky) Water.

vodyanoy: A male water spirit. Can typically be found in marshes and swampland. Characterized by their two sets of teeth and froglike eyes.