Prologue: The Redemption of a Lost Soul

Prologue- The History of the Ivovorsk Empire

At the conclusion of the first millenium A.D., as the Roman Empire was nearing its end, the Ivovorsk Empire was being formed to the northeast. Present-day Izborsk, Russia was growing, and becoming a haven for those that wished to escape from the harsh rule of the Romans. The new residents were given new hope, and with this came new dreams. The fledging empire represented the spector of glory that used to be seen only in Rome.

The traditional architecture used by the Greek and Roman civilizations was discarded for a newer, more prestine style. Buildings of this style were erected to shelter the citizens and their businesses. The land’s soil was rich with minerals, which made farming much easier than in the distraught landscape of the Roman Empire.

For the first few centuries, the empire was glorious. Other civilizations knew nothing of its existence, and so there was peace. Things changed as the year 1226 A.D. came around, though. People were mysteriously disappearing. Bodies of the missing were found only days after they had vanished, and they were mutilated. This caused panic in the city. The czar, Igor, was forced to set a curfew that required all citizens indoors at nightfall. In addition, Igor called forth the military, and ordered them to patrol the streets. The soldiers were also ordered to arrest any and all that acted suspiciously. After Igor’s daughter was found dead, Igor sent an order to annihilate anyone and anything that was abnormal. With this proclamation, which the following czars upheld, innocent people were killed. The people became frightened of the czars, which had never happened before. Another result was the mass expansion of the empire, with Izborsk, of course, as the capital.

In time, the disappearances dwindled to a number so low, that they were no longer a concern. This was the year 1600 A.D.. It was the year that Ivan was crowned Czar of the I. His first notion was the abolishment of the ordinance that Igor had set forth centuries before. This decision made him immediately popular with the citizens. It was a sign that the empire was now entering an era of reasoning. The people were happy again, for they were finally freed to do as they and their families had wanted to do for centuries, though many remained skeptical that the period of freedom would last long.

It was eight years later, in 1608 A.D., that I was born, an unknown savior for the events yet to unfold in my lifetime. Events that would forever change the empire. My story begins in the year 1624. I was only 16. How was I to know the destiny that had been laid out for me?

END OF PROLOGUE