History Literature / SecretCity

* ImmuneToBullets: see HealingFactor.
* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: Choods have taken their bestiaries with them upon migrating to Earth. Today dragons and various other beasts are raised for prestige and combat, but also as pets and guardians.
** Yarga's title is Dragonlord. During his rule they were common beasts of burden, replacing not existing airplanes.
* InvisibleToNormals: Glamour (illusion) grants this.

* KlingonPromotion: Red Caps.

The latest dominant species / family are humans, or [[{{Muggles}} Chels]] (short for "Chelovek" - "Человек", "human" in Russian). The outnumbered remains of most other families and Great Houses, each severely reduced in population, hide in the Secret City, which was later swallowed and surrounded by the growing city of Moscow. The Great Houses accepted the loss of the world and blended into the mostly technological Chel society ([[{{Magitek}} using its achievements as well]]), but still intrigue and struggle for more power within the city. Certain faction within Russian Orthodox Church (but with ties to Catholics) is aware of them and keeps their influence on humanity's politics in check.\\
In the Secret City, families are sorted into Great Houses by the type of magic energy which they use. Energy is provided by the Sources - [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin energy-generating artifacts]]. By now, several Sources are publically known, and some exist in secret. These are such Great Houses and families:

** '''Kadath'''. Hyperboreans of Kadath are a genetic offshoot of humans who discovered a new Source - the Golden Root. Technically still belonging to Chel, they're not considered human anymore. Their signature magics involve ice and cold, blue cold fire, gold, pain, torture and hatred. The Hyperborean ascent to power caused the other Source fractions - Nav', Lyud', Chood' and atlantean and other Chel - to unite efforts against them. Under this conditions, Hyperboreans retreated into a pocket dimension, while four of them remained outside and in hiding, seeking a supply of Golden Root. A mafia-paid chemist, who by chance synthesizes the compound, sets the events in motion.

** ManaDrain: "Nav's Noose", while easier "Fisherman's Net" simply blocks it. The latter can be integrated into restraint devices.
** Every mage in vicinity of working Inquisitor is experiencing this. Though their mana still stays in their bodies, it's just rendered inert, [[spoiler: allowing to kill Divine Lord of Tat without a [[TakingYouWithMe huge explosion]]]], and causing indescribable agony to wielder.
* ManBehindTheMan: Kara, Lord Noor, Marina, Yarga and Santiaga.

* MegatonPunch / PowerFist: "Blacksmith's Mallet" drastically increases the force of the blow.

* MundaneUtility / UtilityMagic: There are far more mundane spells than actually combat spells.

** Lyuds have old-Slavonic-like names, with one or more Slavic roots: Vseslava ("all"+"Glory"), Mecheslav ("Sword"+"Glory"), Volepolk ("freedom"+"regiment").
*** In historical flashbacks they have inhumanly sounding names. Seems like they translated them to better blend in current civilastion.

* LightThemUp: "Prominence" is a relatively simple spell and artifact, creating artificial sunlight that can burn masans.
** Asur were supposedly prone to such magic, since their element is Light.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters.

* TeleporterAccident: A ''weaponized'' version: a mage powerful and/or skilled enough can crush another mage's portal mid-teleport, grinding anything passing through to LudicrousGibs.
* TeleportersAndTransporters: portal spells are common and most mages can manage short-ranged portals.

* '''Great House Tat' '''. Tats were the third species to arrive after Asura and Navs. The three races hate each other instinctively and are involved in an untranslated divine prophecy about "The Key of Three Races". Tats are human-like in appearance, but possess a Healing Factor on par with navs and are excellent spellcasters (and had very big ears, if Divine Lords are any indication). They can't scry into the future, but also cannot be predicted with magic in turn. Tats are hence limited to predictions based on logic and rational thought, making them masters of various gambits. Tat' once conquered half the world but lost to Lyud' due to their inability to make a compromise. Their Sources are living beings called Divine Lords of Tat'. These are nigh immortal, but sterile. As Tat' faced extinction at the hands of Nav', the Divine Lords agreed to let an entire generation of half-Tats be born with human parents. While the pure-blooded Tats likely died out and the Divine Lords went into hiding, Tat' genes were dispersed among the human population. The surviving Lords are trying to rebreed the bloodlines while integrating powerful Chel mages.
* LongLived and TheAgeless: Nav' age extremely slowly. It's theoretically possible for Nav to die of old age, but their natural lifespan seems to be millions of years (they still personally remember the fall of their empire). The same likely applied to Asura and Tat (certainly Divine Lords, but their immortality is artificial). Others inhabitants of SC can live for several centuries, with the added bonus of slowed aging. Human mages also tend to live longer and age slower.

The latest dominant species / family are humans, or [[{{Muggles}} Chels]] (short for "Chelovek" - "Человек", "human" in Russian). The outnumbered remains of most other families and Great Houses, each severely reduced in population, hide in the Secret City, which was later swallowed and surrounded by the growing city of Moscow. The Great Houses accepted the loss of the world and blended into the mostly technological Chel society ([[{{Magitek}} using its achievements as well]]), but still intrigue and struggle for more power within the city. The Churches, mostly the russian orthodox church, know of this and to some part maintain the balance.\\

* '''Great House Asur'''. Asur were the first sentient race created by the setting's {{God}} and the first to arrive on Earth (nearly 200000 years ago). They preferred the power of light and were overthrown by the second species created, the Nav', and founded the Secret City to hide in. They were later completely (or so it is believed) exterminated by Navs, although some Asuran artifacts remain. Asur were the first and most successful race to develop technology behind Sources (it's believed most of their successors, except possibly Nav', in gact did not create their Sources but received them from Asur), and so they did not limit themselves to only one, instead making separate mini-Sources for important facilities. Currently known surviving Source - The Spark of Eternity. Further knowledge on the Asur is held in secret by the Navs.
* '''Great House Nav', the Dark Court'''. The extremely secretive Navs followed the Asura to Earth. Their magic prefers darkness. All known Navs appear as males of hispanic origin and mostly disguise themselves as descendants of spanish communists. All Navs are powerful {{MagicKnight}}s and [[TheAgeless show no signs of age for millenia]]. Enraged Navs show minor uncontrolled shapeshifting - their ears become pointed[[note]]In fact, their true appearance is monstrous, but they assumed humanoid shapes early in their history to better blend in with other races.[[/note]]. Their planet of origin was highly irradiated DeathWorld, with all surviving life hiding underground. Navs value their lives very highly, exhibiting SpeciesLoyalty and DisproportionateRetribution for their kin (it's implied [[ImmortalProcreationClause they do not reproduce at all]], at least since the fall of their empire). Nav is ruled by the Prince as an absolute monarch, aided by three Advisors and a Commissar (who is effectively the whole cabinet rolled into one person). Both the Prince and his Advisors [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep forsake their names]] upon ascending to the office. Nav's symbol is a black squirrel; the headquarters is called "Citadel" and their Source is only known as the Nav's Source. Details on it's nature and power output are closely guarded secret.\\

** '''Erli'''. Erli (Ärli, russian Эрли) are the second best doctors and main biologists, biochemists and pharmacists in the Secret City, combining magic and technology in their work. All mentioned Erli are male, their organization superficially resembles a monastic order with ranks of authority. No reproduction details are known. HQ - Erli Monastery, known as Moscow Cloister outside of Churches. The Erli enforce an absolute armistice between their patients.

** '''Red Caps''' are savage halflings ruled by the Great Fuhrer. They are at the lowest social position in SC and serve as constant annoyance, source of trouble and cannon fodder. Their brains run on alcohol, so the more sober a Red Cap is, the dumber he is. A smarter and cunning Red Cap is on the verge of a whisk(e)y-induced coma. Other beverages also increase the intelligence, but enhance different traits of character. Red Caps might be cross-fertile with humans and definitely cross-fertile with Shas (Badaxe was a half-blood by rape). Red Caps are notorious for liking big guns and explosives. They and their half-bloods cannot use any magic at all, and they're included in the Great House because they initially settled on the Earth during Lyud's reign and were made vassals by default (not that anyone wanted them). Their physiology includes extreme alcohol tolerance, an also extreme smell and superhuman accuracy with pre-gunpowder projectile and thrown weapons. This obviously didn't adapt to modern technology: Red Caps are bad shots going by "Spray and pray!". They likely contributed to goblins, kobolds and halflings in mythology, including the Red Caps of myths. Red Caps' HQ is the Southern Fort.

* '''Great House Chel'''. The human race, technically a Great House since they possessed several Sources, all currently lost. Currently under the rule of Lyud' because most Chel mages use the energy from Lyud's Source. All Chel mages would be able to use the lost Source. The Black Book works either as a mini-Source itself or a proxy of the lost one. Half-Choods can use magic from all three sources. Several other kinds of human mages are known. Metamorphs can use any Source. Weak mages can siphon scraps of mana from surroundings and other Chels, Inquisitors can use personal and communal faith for power, while geomancers don't need a Source at all (though geomancy isn't exclusive to Chel, it's even more rare in other races). Chels provide technology to the SC. A particular example is T-Grad Communications, or [=TGradCom=], a corporation which provides communications, news, television and Internet to SC.

* LongLived and TheAgeless: Nav' age extremely slowly. It's theoretically possible for Nav to die of old age, but their natural lifespan seems to span millions of years. The same likely applied to Asura and Tat (certainly Divine Lords, but their immortality is artificial). Others inhabitants of SC can live for several centuries, with the added bonus of slowed aging. Human mages also tend to live longer and age slower.

** '''Red Caps''' are savage halflings ruled by the Great Fuhrer. They are at the lowest social position in SC and serve as constant annoyance, source of trouble and cannon fodder. Their brains run on alcohol, so the more sober a Red Cap is, the dumber he is. A smarter and cunning Red Cap is on the verge of a whisk(e)y-induced coma. Other beverages also increase the intelligence, but enhance different traits of character. Red Caps might be cross-fertile with humans and definitely cross-fertile with Shas. Red Caps are notorious for liking big guns and explosives. Their innate magics are an extreme alcohol tolerance, an also extreme smell and superhuman accuracy with pre-gunpowder projectile and thrown weapons. This obviously didn't adapt to modern technology: Red Caps are bad shots going by "Spray and pray!". They likely contributed to goblins, kobolds and halflings in mythology, including the Red Caps of myths. Red Caps' HQ is the Southern Fort.

* HouseHufflepuff: Chel mages in the past. It's hard to believe, but they had more gimmicks that all other dominating races combined:

* HouseHuffplepuff: Chel mages in the past. It's hard to believe, but they had more gimmicks that all other dominating races combined:

* AGodAmI: The Messenger of Lyud'. It takes the combined efforts of [[spoiler: the Prince of Nav', the Grossmeister of Chood' and the Queen of Lyud']] to prove him wrong.

* [[AliensSpeakingEnglish Aliens Speaking Russian]]: Justified: all families have or at least had their own languages, but use Russian as the common language, since they lived on that territory for longer than human civilization exists.
* AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome: Stepan Razin's enchanted dagger which supposedly made him fearless. Later research shows it not to [[FearlessFool remove fear as such]], but to enable rational thinking under stress.
* TheAntichrist: The Messenger.

* {{Beastess}}: Moryanas when in battle skin.

* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: Choods have taken their bestiaries with them upon migrating to Earth. Today dragons and various other beasts are raised for prestige and combat, but also as pets and guardians.
** Yarga's title is Dragonlord. During his rule they were common beasts of burden, replacing not existing airplanes.

* LightningBruiser: Navs, Masans and Moryanas are basically species of Lightning Bruisers, virtually able to chase down a car and rip it open like a tin can.

* '''Great House Asur'''. Asur were the first sentient race created by the setting's {{God}} and the first to arrive on Earth (nearly 200000 years ago). They preferred the power of light and were overthrown by the second species created, the Nav', and founded the Secret City to hide in. They were later completely (or so it is believed) exterminated by Navs, although some Asuran artifacts remain. Asur were the first and most successful race to develop technology behind Sources (it's believed most of their successors, except possibly Nav', in gact did not create their Sources but received them from Asur), and so they did not limit themselves to only one, instead making separate mini-Sources for important facilities. Currently known surviving Source - The Spark of Eternity. Further knowledge on the Asur is held in secret by the Navs.
* '''Great House Nav', the Dark Court'''. The extremely secretive Navs followed the Asura to Earth. Their magic prefers darkness. All known Navs appear as males of hispanic origin and mostly disguise themselves as descendants of spanish communists. All Navs are powerful {{MagicKnight}}s and [[TheAgeless show no signs of age for millenia]]. Enraged Navs show minor uncontrolled shapeshifting - their ears become pointed[[note]]In fact, their true appearance is monstrous, but they assumed humanoid shapes early in their history to better blend in with other races.[[/note]]. Their planet of origin was highly irradiated DeathWorld, with all surviving life hiding underground. Navs value their lives very highly, exhibiting SpeciesLoyalty and DisproportionateRetribution for their kin (it's implied [[ImmortalProcreationClause they do not reproduce at all]], at least since the fall of their empire). Nav is ruled by the Prince as an absolute monarch, aided by three Advisors and a Commissar (who is effectively the whole cabinet rolled into one person). Both the Prince and his Advisors [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep forsake their names]] upon ascending to the office. Nav's symbol is a black squirrel; the headquarters is called "Citadel" and their Source is only known as the Nav's Source. Details on it's nature and power output are closely guarded secret.\\
Nav's vassal houses are:
** '''Shas''''. Shas are the traders, artificers, merchants and bankers of the Secret City, including occasional artists and fences. Shas appear as descendants from middle Asia[[note]]There's a joke in Secret City that Jews are descendants of their half-bloods with Chels.[[/note]]. They are in charge of the masquerade-maintaining Utilization Service, including the Shas'-Print, a massive enterprise dedicated to forging any sort of data for TheMasquerade. Shas have unspecified cross-fertility with other families, with Shas-Chel half-bloods best known. Headquarters - Money Tower. The Shas govern themselves as a plutocratic Trade Guild with strong tendencies of [[ThickerThanWater nepotism]].
** '''Erli'''. Erli (Ärli, russian Эрли) are the second best doctors and main biologists, biochemists and pharmacists in the Secret City, combining magic and technology in their work. All mentioned Erli are male, their organization superficially resembles a monastic order with ranks of authority. No reproduction details are known. HQ - Erli Monastery, known as Moscow Cloister outside of Churches. The Erli enforce an absolute armistice between their patients.
** '''Masan'''. Earth offered a nasty welcome to this family - sunlight burns them and wood spikes paralyze them; food offers Masans no true nourishment. To survive the Masans need blood, preferably from sentient beings, especially mages. As Navs are among the few species equal to Masans in combat and the only species whose blood is poisonous to them, Masans were given under the jurisdiction of Navs. Nav' issued the "Dogmas of Submission" designed to integrate Masans into TheMasquerade. This caused a civil war splitting Masans into the Nav'-loyal Camarilla and the Nav'-hating Sabbat. Nav' is running a centuries-spanning gambit to reunite the fractions, not least due to the success of vampire depictions in urban fantasy. Masans obviously contributed to the vampire myths, but there are several important differences. Masans don't fear garlic, holy water or religious symbols, and most importantly, they don't carry TheVirus. Masans reproduce sexually as ordinary mammals who are neither cross-fertile with any other family nor can they "turn" anyone. Masans are organized in clans with no overarching structure. Their Source is blood and they use unique spells, which make them Nav's stealth and shock troops. Barely canonical novel by another author claims that their native world was destroyed.
** '''Os' ''' dwell in Moscow's AbsurdlySpaciousSewer, where they scavenge garbage and hunt with packs of domesticated [[RodentsOfUnusualSize giant rats]]. While far from technological advances, they have a complex religion and are developing their unique culture. [[spoiler: Os' are a disconnected BeePeople with the last surviving HiveQueen and King]] kept in suspended animation by the Nav' since their survival is required for the Os' to procreate. Santiaga is working towards severing this link and emancipating the Os' who are as of now obviously not cross-fertile with any other family.
* '''Great House Lyud' (The Green House)'''. Lyuds eventually defeated Nav' and took its place. They are blonde beautiful people, men tend to be very large and muscular. Their signature color is green, since their magic comes from Nature. Only women of Lyud' are capable of magic, so Lyud' society is matriarchal; but lesbian relationships are frowned upon and considered scandalous. Male Lyuds possess great physical prowess and often take human mistresses. Lyuds are cross-fertile with humans, but not with Chuds. Their genes likely contribute to the increased amount of Chel mages. The territory of Lyud' is divided into several Domains, each controlled by a Baron. All barons obey the Queen, who is aided by the council of Priestesses, the most powerful sorceresses. Priestesses elect a new queen from their ranks if needed. The Queen is an absolute monarch, but strong opposition can form from priestesses. The currently stable setup resulted from the inofficial leader of the Baron's Council becoming the Queen's lover and then husband. However, ascension to authority is based on personal power and political support, hence direct succession on the throne is rare. Due to overall similarities in appearance, bastard children are common among the Lyud'. This results in a DecadentCourt and ThickerThanWater situations. Lyud's symbol is a dancing crane, their Source is the Well of Rains, and their HQ is called the Green House.[[note]]literally translated from russian Зелёный Дом, pun on greenhouses not intended.[[/note]]
** '''Moryanas''' are a genetically engineered race of shapeshifting women, who can switch between human and monster forms. White Moryanas retain their mind under transformation. Black Moryanas were designed to be controlled by [[MacGuffin Mara's Amulet]]; after it was lost, they simply fall into UnstoppableRage. If this item would come into Moryanas' hands, they would be free. [[spoiler:As of "Attack by Rules" it's magic is destroyed, along with Basin of Rebirth.]] Black ones are discriminated against and killing them counts as self-defense. Black Moryanas are slightly slower and weaker, but their fangs and claws carry a unique venom which, possibly by design, also smells like peaches. The venom is not available by synthesis, hence Erli monks will pay for a Black Moryana's head, where the poison sacks are, its weight in solid gold. Moryanas give birth only to other Moryanas, whoever the father was. White Moryanas are capable of telepathic links among their kin, [[spoiler: which can also include Black Moryanas and circumvent standing orders issued by Mara's Amulet]]. Both the details on creating Moryanas [[spoiler: yielding one Moryana from two chel females]] and the required artifact known as Basin of Rebirth were lost, although supposedly not destroyed. Moryanas can conceive children with men of all races, but always beget moryanas. Due to the difficulty of distinguishing Moryanas from humans and their instant transformation, Moryanas became Lyud's stealth and shock troops. Moryanas have contributed to various shapeshifter myths. Shared Black and White HQ - Deceiving Girls' Pavilion.
** '''Kontsy''' are the showmen of the City, they own all the clubs, restaurants, other forms of entertainment, casinos and totalisator. Their family name sounds like Russian "the end" or "the prick", but stress falls on the first vowel. All kontsy are bald, short and fat but extremely jovial and charismatic. They possess "family secret" - some extremely powerful seduction factor, which is effective on all females, including Masans and possibly Hyperboreans.[[note]]although the only living Hyperborean is engaged in TrueLove, so no konets has yet reported a success.[[/note]] Kontsy most likely beget kontsy with human women, though WordOfGod gave correct female form of race name[[note]]Kontsa[[/note]]. No dedicated HQ known.
** '''Red Caps''' are savage halflings ruled by the Great Fuhrer. They are at the lowest social position in SC and serve as constant annoyance, source of trouble and cannon fodder. Their brains run on alcohol, so the more sober a Red Cap is, the dumber he is. A smarter and cunning Red Cap is on the verge of a whisk(e)y-induced coma. Other beverages also increase the intelligence, but enhance different traits of character. Red Caps might be cross-fertile with humans and definitely cross-fertile with Shas. Red Caps are notorious for liking big guns and explosives. Their innate magics are an extreme alcohol tolerance, an also extreme smell and superhuman accuracy with pre-gunpowder projectile and thrown weapons. This obviously didn't adapt to modern technology: Red Caps are bad shots going by "Spray and pray!". They likely contributed to goblins, kobolds and halflings in mythology, including the Red Caps of myths. Red Caps' HQ is the Southern Fort.
** '''Pristavniks''' (the Assigned) are 8-feet-tall, somewhat slow-minded people whose business is the protection of hidden and lost treasures. Whenever a treasure is unearthed, a pristavnik takes 10% of it as the payment. While innately capable of estimating monetary worth, pristavniks can be coerced. No reproduction details are known. No dedicated HQ known.
** '''Lets''' are barely mentioned artificial hermaphroditic ServantRace. Lyubomir's servant Psor may be one of them, fitting official description of meek and small people with no distinguishable features.
* '''Great House Chood' (The Order)'''. Red-headed, hot-blooded, utilizing the power of Fire, Chood knights ruled the world after Lyuds. Their women are very passive and mostly inferior to men intellectually, physically and even more so magically, so they live in a patriarchal, militaristic society (greatly resembling medieval knights' Orders, hence the name). Chud' males often take human mistresses, and their youths almost always dally with Lyuds (they're cross-fertile with Chels, but not with Lyuds), while females are easily susceptible to seduction by kontsy. Chud genes likely contribute to the increasing number of human mages. The Order is ruled by Grossmeister and divided into several lodges. Multiple lodges have been lost over the millenia, and only some names and occasional artifacts or data remain. The conflict between mages and non-mages resulted in the foundation of Galla's Heresy. Chood's symbol is a red unicorn, their Source is the Carthagenian Amulet and their HQ is called the "Castle". Choods have two mentioned vassal families:
** '''Khvan''' are four-armed, extremely fast people who mostly live outside Moscow, in Altai mountains. Khvans obviously are not cross-fertile with any other family. The society is patriarchal; males travel the world as mercenaries, assassins and all kinds of hired guns. Females, the adolescents and the elder farm the Golden Root in their village, while the warriors on home leave guard the area. Assignment to farming is a popular punishment for warriors who botch up a job. The Golden Root justifies being under guard by a nation of warriors by being a potent pharmaceutical ingredient, an even more potent drug, and a unique poison. Khvans themselves use Golden Root's leaves and flowers for a mild tonic with minor relaxant properties, which is brewed with vodka and is safe for humans. The dangerous effects stem from a small part of the root which gave the plant its name. Khvans are the Chood's stealth and shock troops, filling the same tactical niche as Moryanas and Masans.
** '''Daykini''' are immaterial spirits who can technically possess any female body. This process either destroys the host personality or submits it to the daykini; daykinis follow their own agenda regardless of host species. After the daykini conspiracy was discovered, they were limited in their actions with a powerful binding ritual. Since daykini-possessed prefer red mana, they were submitted to Chood' jurisdiction.
* '''Great House Chel'''. The human race, technically a Great House since they possessed several Sources, all currently lost. Currently under the rule of Lyud' because most Chel mages use the energy from Lyud's Source. All Chel mages would be able to use the lost Source. The Black Book works either as a mini-Source itself or a proxy of the lost one. Half-Choods can use magic from all three sources. Several other kinds of human mages are known. Metamorphs can use any Source. Weak mages can siphon scraps of mana from surroundings and other Chels, Inquisitors can use personal and communal faith for power, while geomancers don't need a Source at all (though geomancy isn't exclusive to Chel, it's even more rare in other races). Chels provide technology to the SC. A particular example is T-Grad Communications, or [=TGradCom=], a corporation which provides communications, news, television and Internet to SC.
** '''Kadath'''. Hyperboreans of Kadath are a genetic offshoot of humans who discovered a new Source - the Golden Root. Technically still belonging to Chel, they're not considered human anymore. Their signature magics involve ice and cold, blue cold fire, gold, pain, torture and hatred. The Hyperborean ascent to power caused the other Source fractions - Nav', Lyud', Chood' and atlantean and other Chel - to unite efforts against them. Under this conditions, Hyperboreans retreated into a pocket dimension, while four of them remained outside and in hiding, seeking a supply of Golden Root. A mafia-paid chemist, who by chance synthesizes the compound, sets the events in motion.
* '''Great House Tat' '''. Tats were the third species to arrive after Asura and Navs. The three races hate each other instinctively and are involved in an untranslated divine prophecy about "The Key of Three Races". Tats are human-like in appearance, but possess a Healing Factor on par with navs and are excellent spellcasters (and had very big ears, if Divine Lords are any indication). They can't scry into the future, but also cannot be predicted with magic in turn. Tats are hence limited to predictions based on logic and rational thought, making them masters of various gambits. Tat' once conquered half the world but lost to Lyud' due to their inability to make a compromise. Their Sources are living beings called Divine Lords of Tat'. These are nigh immortal, but sterile. As Tat' faced extinction at the hands of Nav', the Divine Lords agreed to let an entire generation of half-Tats be born with human parents. While the pure-blooded Tats likely died out and the Divine Lords went into hiding, Tat' genes were dispersed among the human population. The surviving Lords are trying to rebreed the bloodlines while integrating powerful Chel mages.

* ManBehindTheMan: Kara, Lord Noor, Marina, Yarga and Santiaga.

* OneManArmy: Every mage powerful enough, but Cortes' mercenaries also count. Also, navs (even without magic), Kadath hierarchs (one monster army) and moryanas (one woman-monster army).

* TimeAbyss: Navs are ridiculously long-lived, with most of them apparently still remembering The First War. At least one Nav still has a keepsake from the dominance shift war with Lyd'.
** Divine Lords of Tat were made immortal somewhen around this period too.
** [[spoiler: Galla is the zeroth creation of the Sleeper. Everyone else is just a mayfly to him.]]
* VoluntaryShapeshifter: Moryanas switch between human and [[OneWingedAngel monster]] [[SuperMode mode]]. Metamorphs are somewhat limited by their mass and otherwise by time and imagination.

* '''Great House Lyud' (The Green House)'''. Lyuds eventually defeated Nav' and took its place. They are blonde beautiful people, men tend to be very large and muscular. Their signature color is green, since their magic comes from Nature. Only women of Lyud' are capable of magic, so Lyud' society is matriarchal; but lesbian relationships are frowned upon and considered scandalous. Male Lyuds possess great physical prowess and often take human mistresses. Lyuds are cross-fertile with humans, but not with Chuds. Their genes likely contribute to the increased amount of Chel mages. The territory of Lyud' is divided into several Domains, each controlled by a Baron. All barons obey the Queen, who is aided by the council of Priestesses, the most powerful sorceresses. Priestesses elect a new queen from their ranks if needed. The Queen is an absolute monarch, but strong opposition can form from priestesses. The currently stable setup resulted from the inofficial leader of the Baron's Council becoming the Queen's lover and then husband. However, ascension to authority is based on personal power and political support, hence direct succession on the throne is rare. Due to overall similarities in appearance, bastard children are common among the Lyud'. This results in a DeadlyDecadentCourt and ThickerThanWater situations. Lyud's symbol is a dancing crane, their Source is the Well of Rains, and their HQ is called the Green House.[[note]]literally translated from russian Зелёный Дом, pun on greenhouses not intended.[[/note]]

* [[AliensSpeakingEnglish Aliens Speaking Russian]]: Justified: all families have or at least had their own languages, but use Russian as the common language, as they lived on that territory for longe than human civilization exists.

* DarkIsNotEvil: Nav' and Erli, mostly.

** Averted with Galla who could carry a lot of grand titles but simply goes by his given name.

** Every mage in vicinity of working Inquisitor is experiencing this. Though their mana still stays in their bodies, it's just rendered inert, [[spoiler: allowing to kill Divine Lord of Tat without a [[TakingYouWithMe huge explosion]], and causing indescribable agony to wielder.

* TymeAbyss: Navs are ridiculously long-lived, with most of them apparently still remembering The First War. At least one Nav still has a keepsake from the dominance shift war with Lyd'.

** Obsidian weapons negate Nav's HealingFactor. This includes obsidian dust on common steel blades.

** Moryanas shrug off almost all magic, one of the few exceptions is an "Eye of Basilisk", expensive artifact specifically designed to stun them.

* '''Great House Asur'''. Asur were the first sentient race created by the setting's {{God}} and the first to arrive on Earth (nearly 200000 years ago). They preferred the power of light and were overthrown by the second species created, the Nav', and founded the Secret City to hide in. They were later completely exterminated by Navs, although some Asuran artifacts remain. Known surviving Source - The Spark of Eternity. Further knowledge on the Asur is held in secret by the Navs.
* '''Great House Nav', the Dark Court'''. The extremely secretive Navs followed the Asura to Earth. Their magic prefers darkness. All known Navs appear as males of hispanic origin and mostly disguise themselves as descendants of spanish communists. All Navs are powerful {{MagicKnight}}s and [[TheAgeless show no signs of age for millenia]]. Enraged Navs show minor uncontrolled shapeshifting - their ears become pointed. Navs value their lives very highly, exhibiting SpeciesLoyalty and DisproportionateRetribution for their kin. Nav is ruled by the Prince as an absolute monarch, aided by three Advisors and a Commissar (who is effectively the whole cabinet rolled into one person). Both the Prince and his Advisors [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep forsake their names]] upon ascending to the office. Nav's symbol is a black squirrel; the headquarters is called "Citadel" and their Source is only known as the Nav's Source. Details on it's nature and power output are secret.\\

** '''Shas''''. Shas are the traders, artificers, merchants and bankers of the Secret City, including occasional artists and fences. Shas appear as descendants from middle Asia. They are in charge of the masquerade-maintaining Utilization Service, including the Shas'-Print, a massive enterprise dedicated to forging any sort of data for TheMasquerade. Shas reproduce as regular mammals of unknown cross-fertility with other families, with Shas-Chel half-bloods best known. Headquarters - Money Tower. The Shas govern themselves as a plutocratic Trade Guild with strong tendencies of [[ThickerThanWater nepotism]].

** '''Masan'''. Earth offered a nasty welcome to this family - sunlight burns them and wood spikes paralyze them; food offers Masans no true nourishment. To survive the Masans need blood, preferably from humans. As Navs are among the few species equal to Masans in combat and the only species whose blood is poisonous to Masans, Masans were given under the jurisdiction of Navs. Nav' issued the "Dogmas of Submission" designed to integrate Masans into TheMasquerade. This caused a civil war splitting Masans into the Nav'-loyal Camarilla and the Nav'-hating Sabbat. Nav' is running a centuries-spanning gambit to reunite the fractions, not least due to the success of vampire depictions in urban fantasy. Masans obviously contributed to the vampire myths, but there are several important differences. Masans don't fear garlic, holy water or religious symbols, and most importantly, they don't carry TheVirus. Masans reproduce as normal mammals who are neither cross-fertile with any other family nor can they "turn" anyone. Masans are organized in clans with no overarching structure. Their Source is blood and they use unique spells, which make them Nav's stealth and shock troops.

* '''Great House Lyud' (The Green House)'''. Lyuds eventually defeated Nav' and took its place. They are blonde beautiful people, men tend to be very large and muscular. Their signature color is green, since their magic comes from Nature. Only women of Lyud' are capable of magic, so Lyud' society is matriarchal; lesbian relationships are reasonably common. Male Lyuds possess great physical prowess and often take human mistresses. Lyuds reproduce as mammals and are cross-fertile with humans. Their genes likely contribute to the increased amount of Chel mages. The territory of Lyud' is divided into several Domains, each controlled by a Baron. All barons obey the Queen, who is aided by the council of Priestesses, the most powerful sorceresses. Priestesses elect a new queen from their ranks if needed. The Queen is an absolute monarch, but strong opposition can form from priestesses. The currently stable setup resulted from the inofficial leader of the Baron's Council becoming the Queen's lover and then husband. However, ascension to authority is based on personal power and political support, hence direct succession on the throne is rare. Due to overall similarities in appearance, bastard children are common among the Lyud'. This results in a DeadlyDecadentCourt and ThickerThanWater situations. Lyud's symbol is a dancing crane, their Source is the Well of Rains, and their HQ is called the Green House.[[note]]literally translated from russian Зелёный Дом, pun on greenhouses not intended.[[/note]]
** '''Moryanas''' are a genetically engineered race of shapeshifting women, who can switch between human and monster forms. White Moryanas retain their mind under transformation. Black Moryanas were designed to be controlled by [[MacGuffin Mara's Amulet]]; after it was lost, they simply fall into UnstoppableRage. If this item would come into Moryanas' hands, they would be free. Black ones are discriminated against and killing them counts as self-defense. Black Moryanas are slightly slower and weaker, but their fangs and claws carry a unique venom which, possibly by design, also smells like peaches. The venom is not available by synthesis, hence Erli monks will pay for a Black Moryana's head, where the poison sacks are, its weight in solid gold. Moryanas give birth only to other Moryanas, whoever the father was. White Moryanas are capable of telepathic links among their kin, [[spoiler: which can also include Black Moryanas and circumvent standing orders issued by Mara's Amulet]]. Both the details on creating Moryanas [[spoiler: yielding one Moryana from two chel females]] and the required artifact known as Basin of Rebirth were lost, although supposedly not destroyed. Due to the difficulty of distinguishing Moryanas from humans and their instant transformation, Moryanas became Lyud's stealth and shock troops. Moryanas have contributed to various shapeshifter myths. Shared Black and White HQ - Deceiving Girls' Pavilion.

** '''Red Caps''' are savage halflings ruled by the Great Fuhrer. They are at the lowest social position in SC and serve as constant annoyance, source of trouble and cannon fodder. Their brains run on alcohol, so the more sober a Red Cap is, the dumber he is. A smarter and cunning Red Cap is on the verge of a whisk(e)y-induced coma. Other beverages also increase the intelligence, but enhance different traits of character. Red Caps reproduce as mammals who might be cross-fertile with humans. Red Caps are notorious for liking big guns and explosives. Their innate magics are an extreme alcohol tolerance, an also extreme smell and superhuman accuracy with pre-gunpowder projectile and thrown weapons. This obviously didn't adapt to modern technology: Red Caps are bad shots going by "Spray and pray!". They likely contributed to goblins, kobolds and halflings in mythology, including the Red Caps of myths. Red Caps' HQ is the Southern Fort.

* '''Great House Chood' (The Order)'''. Red-headed, hot-blooded, utilizing the power of Fire, Chood knights ruled the world after Lyuds. Their women are very passive and mostly inferior to men intellectually, physically and even more so magically, so they live in a patriarchal, militaristic society (greatly resembling medieval knights' Orders, hence the name). Chud' males often take human mistresses, and their youths almost always dally with Lyuds, while females are easily susceptible to seduction by kontsy. Chud genes likely contribute to the increasing number of human mages. The Order is ruled by Grossmeister and divided into several lodges. Multiple lodges have been lost over the millenia, and only some names and occasional artifacts or data remain. The conflict between mages and non-mages resulted in the foundation of Galla's Heresy. Chood's symbol is a red unicorn, their Source is the Carthagenian Amulet and their HQ is called the "Castle". Choods have two vassal families:
** '''Khvan''' are four-armed, extremely fast people who mostly live outside Moscow, in Siberia. Khvans reproduce as mammals, obviously not cross-fertile with any other family. The society is patriarchal; males travel the world as mercenaries, assassins and all kinds of hired guns. Females, the adolescents and the elder farm the Golden Root in Siberia, while the warriors on home leave guard the area. Assignment to farming is a popular punishment for warriors who botch up a job. The Golden Root justifies being under guard by a nation of warriors by being a potent pharmaceutical ingredient, an even more potent drug, and a unique poison. Khvans themselves use Golden Root's leaves and flowers for a mild tonic with minor relaxant properties, which is brewed with vodka and is safe for humans. The dangerous effects stem from a small part of the root which gave the plant its name. Khvans are the Chood's stealth and shock troops, filling the same tactical niche as Moryanas and Masans.

* '''Great House Chel'''. The human race, technically a Great House since they possessed several Sources, all currently lost. Currently under the rule of Lyud' because most Chel mages use the energy from Lyud's Source. All Chel mages would be able to use the lost Source. The Black Book is rumored to be either a Source itself or a proxy of the lost one. Half-Choods can use magic from all three sources. Several other kinds of human mages are known. Metamorphs can use any Source. Weak mages can siphon scraps of mana from surroundings and other Chels, Inquisitors can use personal and communal faith for power, while geomancers don't need a Source at all (though geomancy isn't exclusive to Chel, it's even more rare in other races). Chels provide technology to the SC. A particular example is T-Grad Communications, or [=TGradCom=], a corporation which provides communications, news, television and Internet to SC.

* '''Great House Tat' '''. Tats were the third species to arrive after Asura and Navs. The three races hate each other instinctively and are involved in an untranslated divine prophecy about "The Key of Three Races". Tats are human-like in appearance, but possess a Healing Factor on par with navs and are excellent spellcasters (and had very big ears, if Divine Lords are any indication). They can't scry into the future, but also cannot be predicted with magic in turn. Tats are hence limited to predictions based on logic and rational thought, making them masters of various gambits. Tat' once conquered half the world but lost to Lyud' due to their inability to make a compromise. Their Sources are living beings called Divine Lords of Tat'. These are nigh immortal, but sterile. As Tat' faced extinction at the hands of Nav', the Divine Lords agreed to let an entire generation of half-Tats be born with human parents. While the pure-blooded Tats likely died and the Divine Lords went into hiding, Tat' genes were dispersed among the human population. The surviving Lords are trying to rebreed the bloodlines while integrating powerful Chel mages.
* LongLived and TheAgeless: Nav' age extremely slowly. It's theoretically possible for Nav to die of old age, but their natural lifespan seems to span millions of years. The same likely applied to Asura and Tat (certainly DIvine Lords). Others inhabitants of SC can live for several centuries, with the added bonus of slowed aging. Human mages also tend to live longer and age slower.

** The Lyud'-developed "Lockdown" spell suppresses both the magic and the aura of the user, making them show up as muggles for scanning spells. [[spoiler: At least two "Lockdown" users were able to disable and reenable the spell on their own.]]

There was also TV-series adaptation, loosely following plot of first 2 books, but it wasn't met well with audience, sinking any plans for continuation.

* ''The Ouroboros Kiss''

** Chels: Flower and leaf extracts are mild relaxants without pronounced addiction potential. Root extract replaces cravings for other drugs with cravings for Golden Root, causes [[GlowingEyes glowing]] eyes of [[EyesOfGold solid gold]] without pupils, causes happiness and euphoria and greatly enhances physical and magical potential. Long-term abuse causes mutations.

* ''Bad Blood'' - seriously, it's starting to become tedious.

* ''Bad Blood''

* ''The Chair of Wanderers''

** [[spoiler: Galla]] can negate any magic. His Temples are AntiMagic areas, although he can restore magic for rooms or even selected individuals at a whim.

* ElementalPowers: Subverted. Spells are the same for everyone, it's the type of energy and the source of it that differ. However, when the most powerful mages operate directly the vast currents of energy, it's played straight.

** Tat' - PureEnergy and Logic
** Hyperboreans of Kadath - [[AnIcePerson Ice]] and [[ThePowerOfHate Hate]]

** Navish tattoos work as prohibitively expensive permanent amulets. The best known benevolent ones are "Watchful Royal Hawk", which grants the carrier [[SpiderSense a danger sense]], "Circle of Indifference" which works as a combat analgetic and "Erli's Cross" which acts as an emergency healing spell.

** "The Lamp of Oblivion" is the only way to subdue a metamorph in combat. It scrambles the brain activity.

** '''Shas''''. Shas are the traders, artificers, merchants and bankers of the Secret City, including occasional artists and fences. Shas appear as descendants from middle Asia. They are in charge of the masquerade-maintaining Utilization Service, including the Shas'-Print, a massive enterprise dedicated to forging any sort of data for TheMasquerade. Shas reproduce as regular mammals of unknown cross-fertility with other families. Headquarters - Money Tower. The Shas govern themselves as a plutocratic Trade Guild with strong tendencies of [[ThickerThanWater nepotism]].
** '''Erli'''. Erli (Ärli, russian Эрли) are the second best doctors and main biologists, biochemists and pharmacists in the Secret City, combining magic and technology in their work. All Erli are male, their organization superficially resembles a monastic order with ranks of authority. No reproduction details are known. HQ - Erli Monastery, known as Moscow Monastery outside of Churches. The Erli enforce an absolute armistice between their patients.

** '''Os' ''' dwell in Moscow's AbsurdlySpaciousSewer, where they farm mushrooms and hunt with packs of domesticated [[RodentsOfUnusualSize giant rats]]. While far from technological advances, they have a complex religion and are developing their unique culture. [[spoiler: Os' are a disconnected BeePeople with the last surviving HiveQueen and King]] kept in suspended animation by the Nav' since their survival is required for the Os' to procreate. Santiaga is working towards severing this link and emancipating the Os' who are as of now obviously not cross-fertile with any other family.

** '''Kontsy''' are the showmen of the City, they own all the clubs and restaurants. They forgot their family name, so "konets" ("the end" or "The prick") is their nickname. All kontsy are bald, short and fat but extremely jovial and charismatic. They possess innate seduction magic which is effective on all females, possibly including Masans and Hyperboreans.[[note]]although no konets has yet reported a success.[[/note]] Kontsy most likely beget kontsy with human women. No dedicated HQ known.

* '''Great House Chood' (The Order)'''. Red-headed, hot-blooded, utilizing the power of Fire Chood knights ruled the world after Lyuds. Only their men (and not all of them) can use magic, so they live in a patriarchal, militaristic society (greatly resembling medieval knights' Orders, hence the name). Chud' males often take human mistresses while females are easily susceptible to seduction by kontsy. Chud genes likely contribute to the increasing number of human mages. The Order is ruled by Grossmeister and divided into several lodges. Multiple lodges have been lost over the millenia, and only some names and occasional artifacts or data remain. The conflict between mages and non-mages resulted in the foundation of Galla's Heresy. Chood's symbol is a red unicorn, their Source is the Carthagenian Amulet and their HQ is called the "Castle". Choods have two vassal families:

** '''Daykini''' are immaterial spirits who can technically possess any female body. This process either destroys the host personality or submits it to the daykini; daykinis follow a common agenda regardless of host species. After the daykini conspiracy was discovered, they were limited in their actions with a powerful binding ritual. Since daykini-possessed prefer red mana, they were submitted to Chood' jurisdiction.
* '''Great House Chel'''. The human race, technically a Great House since they possessed several Sources, all currently lost. Currently under the rule of Lyud' because most Chel mages use the energy from Lyud's Source. All Chel mages would be able to use the lost Source. The Black Book is rumored to be either a Source itself or a proxy of the lost one. Half-Choods can use magic from all three sources. Several other kinds of human mages are known. Metamorphs can use any Source. Church-styled mages and Inquisitors can use personal and communal faith for power, while geomancers don't need a Source at all. Chels provide technology to the SC. A particular example is T-Grad Communications, or [=TGradCom=], a corporation which provides communications, news, television and Internet to SC.
* '''House Kadath'''. Hyperboreans of Kadath are a genetic offshoot of humans who discovered a new Source - the Golden Root. Their signature magics involve ice and cold, pain, torture and hate. The Hyperborean ascent to power caused the other Source fractions - Nav', Lyud', Chood' and atlantean Chel - to unite efforts against them. Under this conditions, Hyperboreans retreated into a pocket dimension, while four of them remained outside and in hiding, seeking a supply of Golden Root. A mafia-paid chemist who by chance synthesizes the compound sets the events in motion.
* '''Great House Tat' '''. Tats were the third species to arrive after Asura and Navs. The three races hate each other instinctively and are involved in an untranslated divine prophecy about "Key of Three Races". Tats are human-like in appearance, but possess a Healing Factor and are excellent spellcasters (and had very big ears, if Divine Lords are any indication). They can't scry into the future, but also cannot be predicted with magic in turn. Tats are hence limited to predictions based on logic and rational thought, making them masters of various gambits. Tat' once conquered half the world but lost to Lyud' due to their inability to make a compromise. Their Sources are living beings called Divine Lords of Tat'. These are nigh immortal, but sterile. As Tat' faced extinction at the hands of Nav', the Divine Lords agreed to let an entire generation of half-Tats be born with human parents. While the pure-blooded Tats likely died and the Divine Lords went into hiding, Tat' genes were dispersed among the human population. The surviving Lords are trying to rebreed the bloodlines while integrating powerful Chel mages.

* OneManArmy: Every mage powerful enough, but Cortes' mercenaries also count.

** The daykini-developed "Lockdown" spell suppresses both the magic and the aura of the afflicted, making them show up as muggles for scanning spells. [[spoiler: At least two "Lockdown" users were able to disable and reenable the spell on their own.]]

* TakingYouWithMe: an innate ability of Tat' Lords. Upon demise, the entire power reserve of the Lord, i.e. a living Source, detonates in a single explosion. The last time someone killed a Tat' lord on land, the resulting blast laid the foundations of the Grand Canyon.

*** Some blink-and-you-miss comments imply it stopped working at some point, because "Universe changed in some way".

''Secret City'' is the UrbanFantasy book series by Russian author Vadim Panov. It's a chronicle of the eponymous city, [[TheMasquerade hidden]] on the territory of modern Moscow, where the last remains of great magical races, who formerly ruled the Earth, dwell. The series now consists from fifteen books (two of which, however, consist mostly of FanFic) and still goes on.

* [[AliensSpeakingEnglish Aliens Speaking Russian]]: Justified: all families have or at least had their own languages, but use Russian as the common language, as they lived on that territory for centuries.

* CompellingVoice: the reason the Prince is an absolute monarch of the Nav'. [[spoiler: This is a spell granted to each Prince upon ascension but not removed should Nav' ever need or force a Prince to step down.]] While nobody remembers a Prince before the current one, [[spoiler: there was one and it ended in Nav's only civil war.]]

** Lyud' - Life and Nature

** Os' - Earth

** Khvans: Flower and leaf extracts used as mild relaxants, commonly used as an additive to vodka. Root extract is exported, but not consumed. Root extract likely with destructive effects.

** Hyperboreans of Kadath: Mutated long-term Golden Root addicts. Golden Root is their SpiceOfLife. Withdrawal causes depression, inactivity, then death. Azag-Toth and his [[TheDragon second in command]] are able to survive withdrawal.

* GlowingEyes: Heads of Great Houses when powered up, and with the respective color of their Source. In case of the Prince of Nav', the area around him darkens.

* InvisibleToNormals: Morok (illusion) grants this.

** Golden Root is the only poison effective on Navs, but to devastating effect.

** '''Daykini''' are immaterial spirits who can technically possess any female body. This process either destroys the host personality or submits it to the daykini; daykinis follow a common agenda regardless of host species. After the daykini conspiracy was discovered, they were somehow limited in their actions. Since daykini-possessed prefer red mana, they were submitted to Chood' jurisdiction.
* '''Great House Chel'''. The human race, technically a Great House since the Atlanteans possessed a Source, currently lost. Currently under the rule of Lyud' because most Chel mages use the energy from Lyud's Source. All Chel mages would be able to use the lost Source. The Black Book is rumored to be either a Source itself or a proxy of the lost one. Half-Choods can use magic from all three sources. Several other kinds of human mages are known. Metamorphs can use any Source. Church-styled mages and Inquisitors can use personal and communal faith for power, while geomancers don't need a Source at all. Chels provide technology to the SC. A particular example is T-Grad Communications, or [=TGradCom=], a corporation which provides communications, news, television and Internet to SC.

* '''Great House Tat' '''. Tats were the third species to arrive after Asura and Navs. The three races hate each other instinctively and are involved in an untranslated divine prophecy known as "Key of Three Races". Tats are human-like in appearance, but possess a Healing Factor and are excellent spellcasters. They can't scry into the future, but also mess up any prophesy which involves them. Tats are hence limited to predictions based on logic and rational thought, making them masters of various gambits. Tat' once conquered half the world but lost to Lyud' due to their inability to make a compromise. Their Sources are living beings called Divine Lords of Tat'. These are nigh immortal, but sterile. As Tat' faced extinction at the hands of Nav', the Divine Lords agreed to let an entire generation of half-Tats be born with human parents. While the pure-blooded Tats likely died and the Divine Lords went into hiding, Tat' genes were dispersed among the human population. The surviving Lords are trying to rebreed the bloodlines while integrating powerful Chel mages.
* LongLived and TheAgeless: Nav' age extremely slowly. It's theoretically possible for Nav to die of old age, but their natural lifespan seems to span millions of years. The same likely applied to Asura and Tats. Others inhabitants of SC can live for several centuries, with the added bonus of slowed aging. Human mages also tend to live longer and age slower.

** ManaDrain: "Nav's Noose" and "Fisherman's Net". The latter can be integrated into restraint devices.

* PublicSecretMessage: Navish is effectively unknown outside of Nav'. Santiaga uses Navish messages spelled out in Russian letters on e.g. advertising trucks.

* RandomlyGifted: human mages and other special abilities in the population. While Lyud', Chood' and Tat' genes contribute, the original Atlantean humans already had mages.

** While both Throne and Chalice are Sources in their own right, the reassembled Lesser Throne of Poseidon [[spoiler: is needed to introduce new Wanderers and open their personal ways between the worlds.]]

* SpiceOfLife: Golden Root for [[spoiler: Yana after revealing]] her heritage - she will not die from withdrawal, but loose access to magic.

* TymeAbyss: Navs are ridiculously long-lived, with most of them apparently still remembering The First War.

** [[spoiler: Galla is the first creation of the Sleeper. Everyone else is just a mayfly to him.]]

The series consists of following books:

* ''The Rules of Blood''

* ''The Webbing of the Opposition''

* TheNewRussia: on the background.

The latest dominant species / family are humans, or [[{{Muggles}} Chels]] (short for "Chelovek" - "Человек", "human" in Russian). The outnumbered remains of most other families and Great Houses, each severely reduced in population, hide in the Secret City, which was later swallowed and surrounded by the growing city of Moscow. The Great Houses accepted the loss of the world and blended into the mostly technological Chel society ([[{{Magitech}} using its achievements as well]]), but still intrigue and struggle for more power within the city. The Churches, mostly the russian orthodox church, know of this and to some part maintain the balance.\\

* {{Magitech}}: From enchanted bullets to GPS-integrated search spells.

* FragileSpeedster: Khvan. A subversion: while their main advantage is their superior speed, they are still inhumanly strong. Compared to Navs, combat golems, Moryanas, Masans and male Lyuds, they are, indeed, Fragile Speedsters.