The Mammoth Steppes

Setting

In an alternate history where the Pleistocene ice age never ended, humanity survives in scattered refugia across a world dominated by mammoth steppes and eternal winter. After nineteen millennia of unbroken cold, civilization has adapted to this harsh reality, with only the most culturally significant buildings constructed of stone, while common dwellings burrow into the earth for protection against the relentless winds.

The Story

Diana Zoryanaya is born during a rare celestial alignment in the scholarly household of Anton Volkov in the St. Petersburg Refugium. Her conception occurred in the mystical crystal caves beneath a distant monastery, where her mother Marya—a scholar and healer—had participated in an ancient ritual with Anton, believing their shared pursuit of knowledge would bear fruit in wisdom.

Instead, Diana emerges marked by silver traceries beneath her skin, patterns that appear and fade like liquid mercury under moonlight, mapping destinies and dangers yet to come. Disappointed by the birth of a daughter rather than the prophesied male heir he expected, Anton dismisses both mother and child, losing himself in immediate pleasures while remaining oblivious to the extraordinary nature of his offspring.

Recognizing the danger Anton's scholarly obsessions would pose to their daughter, Marya flees with infant Diana into the winter wilderness, seeking sanctuary at the monastery of her youth. Their harrowing journey across the frozen steppes becomes a pilgrimage of survival and transformation, guided by dholes—wild dogs who recognize something sacred in the child.

As Diana matures, her silver markings reveal themselves as more than mere birthmarks—they are living maps that respond to threats, channels for abilities that bridge the rational and the mystical. She develops a profound connection to the natural world, able to communicate with animals, predict weather changes, and perceive multiple layers of reality simultaneously.

Themes

The novel explores the tension between knowledge pursued for its own sake and wisdom guided by compassion. It examines how power—whether scholarly, mystical, or political—can corrupt when divorced from ethical foundation, while celebrating the strength found in community, sacrifice, and harmony with the natural world.

At its heart, it is a story about chosen family, the price of protection, and the discovery that true leadership comes not from dominion but from service.

Set against the backdrop of humanity's adaptation to an ice age world, the story weaves together elements of coming-of-age narrative, mystical realism, and ecological fantasy, creating a tale where the fantastic emerges naturally from the intersection of ancient wisdom and human courage.