Characters

Diana Zoryanaya

The girl marked by starlight, whose destiny is written in silver beneath her skin.

Origins

Born during a rare celestial alignment in the scholarly household of Anton Volkov in the St. Petersburg Refugium, Diana's conception occurred in the mystical crystal caves beneath a distant monastery. 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 emerged marked by silver traceries beneath her skin, patterns that appear and fade like liquid mercury under moonlight, mapping destinies and dangers yet to come.

"But I speak truly my Lord. Just yesterday when I brought your Lady Marya her evening meal, I saw the moonlight through a window, it fell across your daughter as she lay in her cot and I have never seen the like before; such beauty. Her skin like frost and starlight, and the silver threads—there were rivers of silver running beneath, as if she were joined with the winter itself."

Her Gifts

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:

• Animal Communication: A profound connection to the natural world, able to speak with the megafauna of the mammoth steppes. The dholes recognize something sacred in her and become her protectors.
• Weather Sensitivity: She can predict changes in the weather before they manifest, sensing the rhythms of the frozen world.
• Multi-layered Perception: Diana perceives multiple layers of reality simultaneously, seeing the world as it is, as it was, and as it might become.
• Geographic Intuition: Her unique nature becomes tied to the migration patterns themselves. Her silver markings correspond to the sacred geography, and she intuitively understands which routes to take and when.

Her Journey

Disappointed by the birth of a daughter rather than the prophesied male heir he expected, Anton dismisses both mother and child. 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. At the Monastery of Warm Waters, Diana grows under the protection of the monastic community, particularly Sister Agnes (Marya's sister), Brother Thomas, Brother Anselm, and the wise woman Katyusha.

The monastery becomes both her haven and her responsibility as she grows into her role as its guardian, learning to use her gifts not for dominion but for service and protection.

The Confrontation

Years later, Anton's academic obsessions lead him to decode hidden meanings in Marya's scholarly notes, revealing the location of the monastery and hints about Diana's true nature. Consumed by intellectual hunger and accompanied by the Stepnye Volki raiders, Anton seeks to claim what he believes is rightfully his.

The confrontation builds toward the crystal caves where Diana was conceived—a place where the boundaries between worlds grow thin and the sacred waters hold memories that predate human civilization. Here, Diana must use everything she has learned about faith, hope, and charity to protect not only her adopted family but the delicate balance that allows humanity to survive the endless winter.