From the south Dabor is guarded by the Ortysh mountains, its northern shores are washed by the cold waves of the Northern Sea, on the west it borders with the powerful Empire of Hemar and on the East only Zmei’s Wall defends Dabor from the attacks of the nomadic tribes of Rud’.
Dabor is ruled by Witias and the all-knowing Wyrt-women, it’s a homeland for people as well as magical folks, like rusalkas, vodniks, vilas, likhos, pokuc’ and other demons. But above all Dabor is the land of old Gods.
The Tree of Memories
The Tree of Memories it’s a tree which branches reach up to the sky above the Afterworld of the Drewian clan. It does not have leaves, only flowers which shine in all the colours of rainbow. The nectar of its flowers is golden and carries the memories of all women of the family of Drewian. Looking closely at the heavy drops at the bottom of the colourful flowers, visions of the past can be seen – love, happiness, suffering and pain, wars lost and won, desires, dreams and hopes. All the wisdom of past generation flowing through the branches of the Tree of Memories.
The Tree of Memories is not a plant, it’s an embodiment of the history of the Drewian clan. The oldest sprout grows from the life of Stenka, the first Witia. The trunk is woven from the memories of countless mothers, sisters and daughters. Some branches die off, some grow new buds and each of them is a life. Each of them is the hope for the future, fed by the nectar of the memories of the past.
Miro
Miro is a voy (a soldier) in the Druzhina of Witia. He’s spent nearly his whole life guarding the tracts, the gords (fortified settlements) and the borders of Dabor against attacks of the Hemar Empire and Rud’. His life’s never been easy, but became even harder after the death of the last Witia, after Dabor fell into the chaos of corruption and lawlessness.
Miro’s weapons and armour, as the equipment of all the voys in the Druzhina, had to be fixed countless times by a village blacksmith, as officials in the capitol of Dabor did not care to provide a new one. Instead of resting, he spent the evenings and night making arrows, fixing his bow and his shield, as the supplies were not form the capital. He had to grind his flour, gather herbs and roots, hunt.
The only thing he had left in this difficult times was his family. Every winter, when it was too cold to fight and to camp in the woods, his parents, his brother and sister provided roof over his head, fed him, cared about him and loved him. It was them who kept him going. It was them he wanted to protect.
But one summer, when Miro was away, fighting, his father, brother and sister perished on a tract through the forest Miro was supposed to keep safe. A few months later his mother passed away from a broken heart, when he was combing the woods to find his revenge.
Miro lost his life fighting for the freedom of Dabor. When he realised how pointless were his efforts it was too late to save the people he loved. He lost everything. He gave anyrything to a dead Witia and her dying land.
Can he still fight?
Saja Drewian
Saja is twelve years old. She lost everything – her home burned down, all possessions of her parents were plundered, and her family – murdered. She’s an orphan, but she’s not alone. She resides in the Afterworld but is not dead.
She is a Witia.
Stoyko, woyski (a castellan) of Zatonie
Zatonie is a large gord by the mouth of the river Rwa to Slawina. Zatonie is an important centre of trade and commerce, as well as the headquarters of the żupan of the opole (administrative subdivision of Dabor) of Zatonie. When the żupan is away Stoyko is responsible for running not only of the gord but of the whole opole.
Before Stoyko became a woyski, he spent many years as a woy in the Druzhina of Witia. He was a great leader, so he quickly got promoted to a senior officer. His military career finished abruptly after he lost an eye and suffered head wound in the battle on Fox Fields.
Stoyko is a man of action. He runs Zatonie with a strong hand, determination and perseverance. Thanks to his efforts Zatonie did not fall into corruption and lawlessness, as most of other opoles did.
After the death of Per Wenad’, the żupan of Zatonie, Stoyko himself decided to find a new żupan. How could he know that Kalin Wernad’, the son of Per, turns out to be a traitor?