Avatar Yakov Velikiy

Avatar Yakov Velikiy (Яков Великий) was the sixth Avatar to Koloktos in the New World. He is remembered as a legendary figure in history for being the first Avatar since Airwalker Vaike to forge a spiritual connection with Koloktos himself, granting him incredible powers. He was one of the leaders of the Yakovian Revolution despite his young age at the time, and is the namesake of the Kingdom of Yakovia. Additionally, the sun depicted on the flag of Yakovia is a direct reference to the Great Big Light, Avatar Yakov's brief connection with Koloktos in 477; a bond so powerful in the moment that it emitted a light that was visible in various forms all over the world, seen directly in the northern hemisphere and seen as an aurora in the southern hemisphere. Yakov's powers and respectable demeanor captured the hearts of his contemporaries. He left behind a world sorrowful for his absence but ultimately grateful for his contributions to mankind.

Childhood
Yakov was born in 456 in New Albatross (Новый Албатрос), the capital city of the then Kingdom of New Rybak. He and his family lived in a small residential area in the Judicial District of the city. His home was at his time one of the larger homes in the area, but quickly became the smallest after the developments in the district following the Yakovian Revolution. Though Yakov's childhood home was untouched during his lifetime out of respect, it would later be lawfully deemed a protected heritage site by his friend Alm's daughter Queen Liliya of Yakovia, one of her first decrees as Queen after the passing of her father.

The first eight years of Yakov's life went by peacefully. He was the son of activist parents who often indulged in the arts, with his father being a well known glassblower in their neighborhood and his mother a poet. Yakov got along well with his parents being an only child as well as with his close friends from school; the closest of his friends being a boy called Alexei. Alexei's father was an affluent lawyer in New Albatross who knew Yakov's father well and would thus visit Yakov's home often, bringing the two young boys close. Yakov and Alexei had a large group of friends in primary school with whom they would play skyball on the courthouse roof which was easily accessible at the time. Yakov would later recall this period in his life as being "the only years during which I could live innocently" as his life would turn around completely in 464.

The Massacre
Near the end of Avatar Kaarle's life, plans were put in place for the establishment of a Taiga Union akin to the union of the Western Powers that was established between Eagland, Fayette, and the Kleijnlands. Though there were plans to construct a headquarters for this union in the 450s somewhere in Charleston, Avatar Kaarle passed away early in his life before the construction could begin. With no leader in place to dictate the finances, Evazia quickly pulled their money away from the project believing they would likely be taken advantage of by New Rybak and Gransylvania. As a response to this, New Rybak's then monarch King Ivanovich announced to his citizens that taxes would be raised to account for Evazia's failure to contribute adequately.

It is believed that this was a part of a plan by Ivanovich to turn his people against the Evazians so that he could justify war to once again unite the peninsula under one crown, except this time the Rybaki crown. The citizens of New Rybak were instead more critical of their own King and the city was soon after crowded by protestors, some more violent than others. Yakov remembers little of this period of the conflict except for some memories he shared with Alexei regarding conversations their parents would have together. Their parents met more regularly around this time to discuss the conflict as they were all subscribed to the opposition to Ivanovich. Eight year old Yakov and Alexei contributed little to their efforts besides hearing news from people in the streets while wandering around.

As a sign to the people of New Rybak that they were not forgotten despite the unrest, the GCU sent their top diplomats to the city to meet with Ivanovich so that the fate of the Taiga Union could finally be determined. The diplomats arrived in the winter of 464, an arrival that attracted the largest crowd of protestors the city had ever seen. Among the protestors were Yakov and Alexei's parents. The general consensus among the civilians were that they were not interested in establishing a Taiga Union unless Evazia payed their fair share; believing that they should not have to suffer more for their benefit. Most of the protestors respected the arriving diplomats seeing them as a sign of changing times whereas others saw the diplomats as figureheads of the establishment that threatened their sovereignty. Among those more violent protestors was a writer called Mikhail Bulgakov who had recently pledged to his fellow protestors that he would give his life to the cause.

The last of the diplomats to arrive was also the most influential: Jourdain du Nord. Being a close friend of Queen Auke of Fayette and a diplomat with the GCU for many years, his arrival was most anticipated. Queen Auke had supposedly advised Jourdain and his wife to call off the meeting in Albatross and demand they meet in Covington or Charleston instead. She claimed it is what Kaarle would have preferred as he supposedly referred to the city of Albatross as a "powder keg soaked in alcohol," a description she took seriously. Albatross to her was a city too likely to go up in arms to host such an event. Jourdain and the rest of the GCU ministers disagreed and hosted the event anyway.

Just as Jourdain and his wife were entering the palace of Albatross, the aforementioned Mikhail let out a cry and shot Jourdain down. After hearing the sound of the gunshot and the loud cry of Jourdain's wife, Ivanovich quickly responded by ordering his soldiers to "shoot the assassin." Because Mikhail disappeared among the crowd, the soldiers fired at random. Two bombs would later go off in the panic, killing many more protestors. Mikhail was eventually captured and sent to the palace dungeon, as well as Alexei's father.

Yakov's father was among the first shot and killed after the soldiers began firing at the crowd. Yakov's mother was then killed by one of the two bombs as she was tending to her fallen husband. Alexei's mother was also killed by the soldiers. Alexei's captured father was damned by the government which would change Alexei's surname to Izmenikovich (son of a traitor). Afterwards, his eyes were gouged out and he was thrown into the tundra north of the city. He was later found dead in a cave west of the city's Fort Gorod.

Yakov and Alexei were watching the protests from their usual spot at the courthouse. They witnessed everything as it unfolded, but Yakov wouldn't realize his parents had been killed until he went down and stood over their mutilated corpses. This event would come to be known as the Massacre of 464, and was the first catalyst to the Yakovian Revolution.

The Famine
After the assassination of Jourdain du Nord, all plans for a Taiga Union established through the GCU were called off, leaving it in the hands of the nations themselves. Not only do none of the Taiga nations take the initiative, they all cut contact with one another which put both Evazia and New Rybak in a very weak position. Through the late 460s, the citizens of New Rybak endure a great famine coupled with an even higher increase in taxes justified by the state's attempt to reignite plans for the union.

After their parents were killed, Yakov and Alexei move in together and try to take care of themselves. They stay at Yakov's home which was not repossessed by the government like Alexei's home was. As far as the government was concerned, nobody was living in Yakov's home and thus no soldiers ever came to collect tax or any other payment.

The two young boys quickly faced the struggles of the famine, sometimes fasting for long periods of time. Though they knew they had to anyway, this prompted them to pick up some jobs off the books that they could do after school for some extra money. Alexei started working on the docks while Yakov started working as a farmer on the city's potato & radish farms as well as construction work. Since the massacre, rebels in the city have been sought out by the central government. By 470, over thirty rebel leaders were captured and banished to the tundra.

One week in the deep winter of 470 was especially bad for Yakov and Alexei. This brought the then fourteen year old Yakov to his patroon's quarters where he inquired about where all the food they were planting was actually going. Yakov had assumed that they were purchased by merchants who sold it at the town for a higher price, but he was surprised to learn that all the supply would go directly to the palace where Ivanovich's men would budget the food into small crates and distribute it to the merchants who would then sell it to the people. This angered Yakov and made him suspicious that Ivanovich was intentionally giving loyalist merchants small amounts of food so that they could charge more for them ''(and thus a higher tax). One morning before school, Yakov has his friends Alexei and Pavlov meet in his basement to discuss how they could hypothetically ''rob the palace of all the food and distribute it to everyone in the city. They decide that morning to spend the next month studying the schedule of each soldier in the palace so that they can determine an optimal time to strike as well as plan how they would get inside.

They learn that at the beginning of every week, a large portion of the soldiers are sent to march around the tundra to look for the banished; a window of opportunity to storm the palace. It takes that group the first 3 days of the week to go out and then return, leaving the final four days of the week to be the time during which the palace is most heavily defended. Alexei steals a pulley and zip-line from the docks. The zip-line is set up between the courthouse and the palace itself, and the pulley is set up behind the palace to send the crates of food down once they've taken enough. Yakov and Alexei decide that they will be the ones to go inside while Pavlov keeps an eye out for soldiers from the roof of the nearby church only to then rush behind the palace to collect the food from the pulley.

At 21:00 on the second day of the week, Yakov and Alexei storm the palace. The windows on the upper level are always open, so they slide into one of those and land in the throne room. The first thing the two boys do is try to deface the throne of Ivanovich by smashing it up as much as they can. While doing this, Yakov accidentally uncovers a tiny casket beneath the throne's pedestal that he is able to open. On the inside, he finds New Rybak's original Declaration of Nationhood that was at that time almost two centuries old. Yakov does not immediately reveal to Alexei what he found. He rolls the piece of paper up, slides it into its canister, and tucks it away in his jacket pocket.

They eventually find the food in the palace basement. There ended up being much more hidden away than they expected. They immediately start carrying the crates to the upper level and prepare for them to be brought outside to Pavlov who was waiting by the pulley. After about half an hour of doing this, they lift their collection to their usual spot on the courthouse roof where they greet the evening crowd at the city square and unload massive amounts of fruits and vegetables on them. The food attracts a large crowd of people and eventually gets the attention of passing squads of soldiers. The soldiers locate the boys and chase them all the way to the city's stadium where they capture Alexei. Alexei cheers triumphantly as he is tied up and carried off. Yakov and Pavlov rush back to Yakov's home where Yakov hides the Declaration in his bedroom. The two boys then meet in the basement again to take in what had just happened to them.

On the Brink of Chaos
Yakov hears the next morning that his Alexei was sent to the tundra as he suspected. Yakov accepts that his friend is now likely dead. He and Pavlov decide to no longer return to school as they were declared enemies of the state. Ivanovich declares an unofficial war on the citizens of Albatross until the culprits are found, announcing also that they had stolen the nation's Declaration of Nationhood. During this time, Yakov and Pavlov barely manage to survive each day as they spend most of their time going back and forth on whether they should be in the tundra looking for Alexei's body or stay in the city. They eventually decide they should stay in the city because not only would they likely die in the tundra, but they want to finish what they started. The show they put on for everyone proved that Ivanovich was an untrustworthy king, and news that the culprits had stolen the Declaration only bolstered their credibility. Yakov and Pavlov decide that this is the perfect climate to start a revolution of their own.

By 472, Yakov and Pavlov have amassed a large gang of old friends from school. Up until now they had just been planning small protests all over the city to keep the message alive. This was an easy task as conditions for the average citizen had only been getting worse. They were in the midst of planning something a raid greater than the one two years ago when one of their protests went out of control. What was meant to be a small protest in the city square against recent regulations on exports turned into a riot that got so violent it saw four people dead by the end of the night. Yakov and Pavlov rush home but are followed by guards who storm their house a few hours after they thought they were safe. That night, they are sentenced publicly in the city square and banished to the tundra.

Moroz
Initially it was planned for Yakov and Pavlov to be dropped off in different parts of the tundra, but harsh weather conditions only saw them separated by a little less than 1km. They were able to find each other after a few hours and took refuge in a nearby cave. They sustained themselves there for a week before being found by a fellow revolutionary who had been banished years ago called Thierry. Thierry and a few other survivors would be sent into the tundra from their camp to look for newly banished rebels to rescue. The camp in question grew to be a small village with its own fort by the time Yakov found himself there. The fort was built first, and the village simply took the name of the fort: Moroz (Мороз), a Yakovian word meaning frost.

Moroz was founded after the original purge of city rebels that took place after the Massacre of 464. Among those banished in that year was Ivanovich's brother and Rybaki General Rudolf who instead fleeing to Evazia like prisoners would generally try to do decided that they could found a village of their own from which they could plan their revolution. What started as a collection of igloos and a large fort made of snow and stone became a rather large village and port on the northern coast of the country, too far north to be noticed by search squads. The village was built in a fjörd that resembled that of Evazia, a small peninsula protected by a natural harbor. On the tips of the natural harbors were two large archer towers with braziers. The village itself consisted of several homes, a large village hall, and a long meeting house where the residents would gather generally once a week. It is here that the two boys reunite with Alexei who they had presumed to be dead by now. Alexei, who by then was well known in the village, ensured Yakov and Pavlov a proper life there and introduced them personally to the man in charge: General Rudolf.

General Rudolf was the brother of King Ivanovich, and before his exile he was the most vocal opposition to his brother's reign in the city. Rudolf quickly realized Yakov and Pavlov's potential as members of the resistance considering the stunts they had pulled up to then, and made sure to keep them both very close to him and Alexei during meetings and training sessions. Because Rudolf at the time had a son who he intended to crown king by the end of the revolution, it is believed he was hoping to train Yakov, Alexei, and Pavlov as his son's contemporaries to be educated and able leaders themselves to ensure his son would have lifelong companions he could trust.

Yakov and Pavlov were temporarily assigned to a small home in the outskirts of the village that was already occupied by another person, a young foreigner from Kosomarque called Macqueline who found herself in the village while looking for her father who was exiled to the Rybaki tundra years before. Yakov recalls his first interaction with Macqueline being one of slight suspicion since she was an outsider, but after a quick spar session in the house that had his friend Pavlov shaking in his boots, he knew he wanted to use his newfound influence to recruit her into the resistance. Not only does Yakov recruit Macqueline as the first outsider, but later another outsider called Isabelle du Nord; the daughter of the diplomat shot in Albatross during the massacre.

Isabelle was in the tundra as a member of les Loups Froids. She was sent by her clan to find a man called Anton, but she had a mission of her own: to find the man who had murdered her father. Though skeptical of Yakov, Isabelle confides in him her personal mission. Yakov was able to quickly identify her father's killer as Mikhail Bulgakov. Though Isabelle was worried Yakov would have her exiled for her intention to kill a fellow revolutionary, Yakov himself bore a mutual hatred for Mikhail considering the fact that the sloppy assassination is what led to the eventual death of both his parents. Realizing now that they had a common enemy, Yakov promises Isabelle that he can help her find him. After doing some research in the village, Yakov discovers the location of Mikhail and asks Isabelle to meet him privately in the village's snow fort so that he can disclose the information to her. Mikhail was a decorated revolutionary and sent to Evazia with an escort as his blindness prevented him from being able to fight.

Antebellum Years
By the year 476, Yakov has fully integrated himself into lives of the revolutionaries. It is during this year of his exile that Yakov remembers being his happiest. His main duties during this time included manning the docks with Macqueline where they would greet new members as well as aid the village's fishermen. When the sun set though, Yakov and Alexei would meet with Rudolf and the other military men of the village to keep one another up to date on village affairs. During his free time, he would enjoy the company of his tight knit group of friends which included Alexei, Pavlov, Isabelle, and Macqueline. It was also during this time that Yakov and Pavlov moved into a new bigger home with Alexei on the east side of town, and Macqueline moved with Isabelle into the old home of Thierry of Mikhail on the west side of town.

Another one of Yakov's duties was keeping in touch with a revolutionary spy they had based in Albatross who would deliver post to and from Moroz. This job would actually see Yakov regularly leave the tundra if a particular letter needed to be sent discretely. Such a letter needed to be sent by Thierry to his family that he claimed to have back home in Kaarleville. This was the fist time Yakov was assigned to go alone, so he asked his co-worker and close friend Macqueline to come along with him. Since this was before they moved out of the small house together, it seemed appropriate, but the significance that this voyage would later have for them both was unbeknownst at the time. Not only was it a significant step forward in the relationship between Yakov and Macqueline, but also a step forward for Macqueline towards finding her father. Thierry was her father, and she now knew where he was. Unfortunately for her, the escort who was assigned to take Mikhail to Evazia was Thierry, and thus he was no longer living in the village. This coincidence would see the blossoming of a closer relationship between Macqueline and Isabelle though, as their fates were suddenly intertwined. They begin to plan a possible trip to Evazia that would see Macqueline reunite with her father and Mikhail assassinated. Isabelle withheld this information from Yakov at first, knowing well that if she did assassinate Mikhail it would result in her banishment from the revolutionaries.

Near the end of 476, Yakov intercepted a letter at Albatross written to an Isabelle. It was written by Isabelle's mother years ago who did not know where she was, and after a long effort by postmen to track down the Isabelle in question, the letter found itself in Albatross and ultimately in Yakov's hands. He delivered the letter to Isabelle and offered to help her write a reply. She graciously accepted, finishing her reply on New Year's eve of the same year.

New Year's eve was very stressful for the higher ups, as they were certain war was imminent. It was around this time that General Rudolf held an emergency meeting during which he announced to everyone that they would have to begin planning for a full invasion of Albatross. He believed the location of their settlement was discovered by the crown and that it was only a matter of time before they would arrive with full force. Despite it all, the villagers happily welcomed the New Year together in a celebration they would forever remember fondly.

The Spark
The first task Yakov focused on in 477 was having the spies deliver the letter to Isabelle's mother who was living in Westminster, Eagland at the time. Fearing that an active port could lead to their downfall, Rudolf shuts down their naval operations immediately, leaving Yakov and Macqueline without a day job. Rudolf proposes that the two open a small eatery in the village to boost morale, as he believed they would need it very soon. Though Macqueline accepted the offer along with Yakov, she was not entirely sure she would be able to see the project through. She had plans with Isabelle to make their trip to Evazia early in the year, a plan Yakov would soon discover after catching Isabelle looking through his collection of maps of the western tundra. Yakov warns Isabelle that Rybaki soldiers are in the area, but admits that he cannot stop her from leaving if she really wanted to. Yakov later admits that were he a wiser and more assertive leader at the time, he would have requested she stay, ultimately avoiding the travesty that was to come of their decision. Just before reaching the Rybaki border with Evazia, Isabelle and Macqueline are confronted by Rybaki soldiers. They manage to capture Isabelle and badly wound Macqueline, leaving her in the snow to bleed out.

Warnings of an incoming blizzard prompted Yakov, Alexei, and Pavlov to head west on horseback to catch up with Isabelle and Macqueline to take them home. Taking the same route Isabelle had told Yakov they were going to take, the three boys stumbled upon a scene of fallen trees and a wounded Macqueline who had nothing to say but the fact that Isabelle had been taken. The army's run in with Isabelle and Macqueline allowed them to accurately triangulate where the rebel settlement had to be, so as soon as they returned home they ordered the villagers to prepare for war.

Macqueline was lay to rest at her home. Rudolf ordered Yakov to be her caretaker until further notice while he and Alexei gathered the troops and prepared to meet what they believed would soon be a moderate invasion force. It is also during this time that Rudolf sends a small team of spies to Albatross to help Isabelle escape if she is still alive. A few of those spies break off from the rest of the group and return to Rudolf to inform him that not only was an invasion force on its way, but one far larger than they expected.

The Royal Army reaches the city the moment the blizzard would begin, a coincidence that both aided the rebels but also nearly led to their downfall. Seeing Alexei at their snow fort all by himself, Yakov rushes over to be by his side and prepares to fight. The fort collapses halfway through the invasion. Alexei is able to escape but Yakov finds himself quickly lost in the growing rubble. At this time, the rebel army is on the cusp of being eliminated entirely.

The Light
Being completely surrounded by brick and snow, Yakov prepares to die as he is no longer able to breathe. As soon as he faints, he recalls seeing a vision Koloktos himself who rushes towards him. At the moment Koloktos reaches Yakov in the vision, he recalls feeling unbearably hot.

''"I was with my parents, and I saw a man walking to me. He looked like a captain of some sort. He put his hand on my shoulder. I could feel the heat from his body flooding through me." -Yakov, on his vision.''

Koloktos briefly returns to the material world through Yakov's body, opening a wide channel of access to his power. The result is a light so blinding that is seen all over the world. In the northern hemisphere, the light appeared as a second sun in the sky, where in the southern hemisphere it presented itself as an aurora on the horizon that Jordan in Avalon later told Isabelle he witnessed when asking her questions of the changing world.

The effect this light had on the world cannot be understated. Not only did it give Yakov access to a power stronger than any Avatar previously held up to that point, but it for that moment in time united the entire world. Civilizations that up until this point had not been discovered by the people of Memphezia were able to see this light, which proved to them that the world was likely larger than they previously believed. This prompted multiple exploration expeditions in later years that would see the development of a much larger and interconnected world. The two major civilization hubs that this light attracted were a pair of nations that had been founded on the Western Continent as well as another pair of nations that was situated in the far east. As people all over the world stopped and turned to view this event together, they all would end up giving it a similar name; something akin to the great big light.

While in his body, Koloktos melts away the rubble around him and uses his power to kill many of the kingdom's soldiers and scare away the rest, winning the day for the rebels. Despite the victory, this event took a toll on the state of Yakov's physical body which would fall from the sky and roll down what was left of the fort and into the water.

Avatar Yakov
Yakov's body was quickly fished out by Alexei who dove in after him. Yakov would spend the next few weeks alone, being treated back in Moroz for his severe burns while his friends fought the revolution. One evening in the spring of 477, Yakov would be visited by King Yakup of Kaspia. After seeing the light, Yakup was ordered by Koloktos directly to retrieve the all powerful Jay stone from Covington and take it to New Rybak; disclosing to him that the new Avatar was badly wounded deep in the tundra.

As Yakov was struggling to understand his vision and what he had done, Yakup arrived to clear everything up for him. Greeted by the strange sensation that all avatars feel when seeing Yakup, one of indescribable recognition of the man and an instinct to trust. Without hesitation, Yakup presents the Jay stone and heals Yakov of his wounds. He then sits beside him and tells him he is the Avatar, and how he decides to proceed from here is up to him, but he asks Yakov to visit him in Kaspia after the war so that they can work together on learning how Yakov might be able to control this unprecedented power. Yakov agrees, and decides to keep his identity a secret until the war is over so not to distract the rebels from their main objective.

As is common at this stage, Yakov saw his newfound identity as a great burden on his plans for the future. Up until this point, he had felt greatly disconnected with the greater world after the tragedy he had to suffer through, and figured he would spend the rest of his days living peacefully in Albatross if he had not already died for the cause. Yakup advised Yakov to rest at the house for a few more days to let his wounds disappear completely. He spent those days reconsidering his future and the kind of man he wanted to be for the world that he was soon expected to lead.

The Yakovians
Upon meeting up with the others at a camp to the east, Yakov learned that his great big light inspired a new identity for the rebels as well as a newly adopted flag that featured a sun. In Yakov's absence, the rebels saw Yakov as a martyr to the cause (despite him not being dead) and saw themselves as upholders of his legacy (despite him not being dead) ultimately calling themselves the Yakovians.

Yakov was naturally very uncomfortable with the name, and it is said that never once in his life did he utter the words "Yakovia" or "Yakovian." His wife Macqueline confirmed that even in private she noticed he would avoid referring to the country directly, using words like "home" or "homeland" instead. During official speeches regarding the country or even in the country itself, he would exercise circumlocution instead of saying the name of the country outright. Yakov expressed his disliking for the country name multiple times in private to Rudolf, saying that he did not deserve to be the namesake. He suggested a few names to Rudolf that included references to the tundra itself, Rudolf himself, Moroz, the Chimnese people who founded the Rybaki culture in the Ancient World, and even considered keeping the name Rybak without the "new." Rudolf rejected these suggestions. Rudolf argued that it was the only appropriate name considering the great event that Yakov was directly at the center of, though he also admits that he and his men also considered the name "Svetia" for a while, meaning "Land of the Light." Though this name never made it to the top, the province Moroz is situated in today is officially called Svetia. They eventually chose to honor Yakov himself as they believed the light must have been an act of God and in turn Yakov was somehow chosen by God even if they did not understand why at the time.

Fort Palto
As they were considered partners by Rudolf at this point, Yakov was assigned to stay in Macqueline's tent at the eastern camp and they were given responsibility for one another. It is for this reason that Macqueline accompanies Yakov on his first mission out east where she fully ignites her own military career.

After a few days of scouting, Yakov is asked to lead a small squad of soldiers to the east to cease the construction of a fort by the royals. This was meant to be a small test of leadership by Rudolf, but would turn into a week long campaign as the fort was built far quicker than they thought. As soon as Yakov realizes how much bigger of an operation this would become, he ordered his troops to build a deep trench half a kilometer away from the fort while he sent a small team back to Rudolf to request more troops. Putting all his faith in the young man, Rudolf sends his own troops to be led by Yakov.

The fort was called Fort Palto, or The Coat Fort as it was considered so useless to the Rybaki army that they figured they could at least "hang their coats there." After a week of waiting and striking ever so often, Yakov is able to take the fort for the rebels with heavy assistance by Pavlov as well as Macqueline who would earn the title "The Valkyrie" from this campaign.

This campaign would prove to be a major turning point in the war, as it proved to the crown the capabilities of the rebels. Ivanovich upon finding Moroz believed the rebellion could be eliminated quickly, even after the light. This resulted in a heavy mobilization campaign at Fort Gorod, Rybak's largest fort.

Fort Gorod
Fort Gorod was situated just up the river from Albatross itself. It was a large fort that was the beating heart of the Kingdom, being the main hub for all military activity. If the rebels could take Gorod, they would have the upper hand. For this reason, they do not hesitate at all after taking Palto. They immediately start planning an invasion of Gorod, as well as a subsequent invasion of Albatross itself. The rebels already had troops inside Albatross fighting a war for occupation of the streets. Though that war wasn't going so well, it meant they had support on the ready. For this reason, Albatross seemed far less daunting a task than Gorod leading some in Rudolf's court to suggest they take the city first. Rudolf refused, stating that they were better off fighting for Gorod with higher numbers, believing that even if they did take Albatross, they would quickly lose it to the army at Fort Gorod that they were outnumbered by.

Rudolf officially promotes Yakov and Alexei to the rank of General just before the invasion which meant that they would each lead their own army to the fort. After planning and training for a few days, they begin marching.

They meet little resistance on the way as most troops have been called to regroup at Gorod. They feel this heavy resistance as early as the moment Gorod comes into view on the horizon. The first few hours of the invasion are brutal for the rebels, but to their surprise they are aided by some backup that was fighting in Albatross, a squad that included Isabelle du Nord.

Ivanovich had been at Fort Gorod the night before warning that the rebels would likely not hesitate to strike. Not only did he expect his troops to defeat the rebels, he ordered them to take all their leaders prisoner except for one: his brother Rudolf, whom he ordered his troops to kill on sight.

The last of the Yakov's allies to see Rudolf was Isabelle who was in the fort with him when he was shot down and killed by Rybaki troops.

About half an hour later, tragedy would unfold on the ground. Pavlov, Yakov and Alexei's close friend, would break down and ride headfirst into heavy resistance knowing he would not make it back alive. Completely exhausted from battle and seeing no hope for victory, he lets himself be sprayed by enemy arrows just beneath the walls as it was likely a preferable fate than being captured.

Pavlov falls to his death not too far from Yakov who witnessed the event unfold. Unable to contain his anger, he unwillingly reawakens the lingering soul of Koloktos who rises Yakov's body into the air and redirects a heavy bolt of lightning to the fort, destroying its central tower and creating an opening in the outer wall allowing rebel troops to swoop in. Only after another hour of fighting, the rebels manage to capture the fort and drive the remaining troops to Albatross. From this point on, Yakov begins to develop a strong hatred for himself, claiming that if he were stronger and knew how to control this energy earlier, Pavlov and many others would not have had to die the way they did. This commits him more than ever later in Kaspia to do what it takes physically and mentally to get a firm grasp on this power.

Endgame
After the fall of Gorod, the army did not hesitate to chase the fleeing royal army and take the capital. Several streets in the city had already been taken for the rebels, so Yakov's main objective was to see Ivanovich dead and declare the war over. Knowing it would be too hectic to send an entire army into the palace, Yakov gathers those closest to him to accompany him to the king's chamber. With him he takes Alexei, Macqueline, and Isabelle through the palace he and Alexei have memorized the layout of and straight to Ivanovich's throne room where he was seen sitting quietly as if waiting for this moment to come.

The rebels did not give Ivanovich any time to say anything as they assassinate him immediately. In order to stop the fighting, in traditional fashion, Ivanovich's head is cut off and displayed to the crowd below from the palace's upper balcony. As soon as the royals saw the head of their dead king, they surrendered. Before the city was even fully cleaned up, the successor Kingdom of Yakovia is declared with Rudolf's son Alm at the helm as its new king. As Alm was the nephew of Ivanovich and thus directly related to the original King Vladimir of New Rybak, there was no dissent. Alm promised his people a revival of integrity for the royal family, a new dawn to burn away the hardships of the past and a new road paved towards the future, one of prosperity and kinship. It is also during Alm's coronation that Yakov reveals to his friends and city that he is the new Avatar.

With the war over, Yakov and his group of close friends had to decide what to do next. Yakov, still grieving over his friend Pavlov and motivated to control his power, tells his friends that he will be heading straight to Kaspia to meet with King Yakup. Isabelle and Alexei paired up to travel to Westminster so that Isabelle could reunite with her mother, and Macqueline commits to a journey of self discovery far from the tundra.

They spend one last night together in Yakov's childhood home. Sometime during that night, Yakov remembered that he still had possession of New Rybak's Declaration of Nationhood and decided that together they should decide the fate of the document. Perhaps due to his newfound identity as the Avatar, Yakov felt it was his duty to add the document to Lafayette's collection of historical artifacts at his estate in Suffolk. After the group sign their name on the back of the document with the initialism AMBY, Yakov asks Macqueline to bring the document to the estate while on her journey.

Yakov wakes up early in the morning the next day and heads for Kaspia on his own.

Kaspia
King Yakup did not hesitate to start training the young Yakov. After a short conversation over dinner, Yakup quickly concluded that Yakov was "angry, soulless, and lost" and needed to reconnect with a part of him that had been long forgotten. For this reason, the first couple of months at Kaspia were focused more on spiritual training than the physical. This frustrated Yakov greatly, as he felt he was not making any progress. Though Yakov promised Yakup he would be open and honest about every aspect of his life for the purpose of spiritual enlightenment, Yakov remained professional and closed to Yakup for several months.

Yakup was no fool. He did not bother prying initially, and stuck instead to training him through board games like Tavrupan Memleket as well as language study. He asserted that Yakov would be trained the same way Kaarle was and would be taught as many languages as possible. He started by teaching him the basics of a few, and then sticking to speaking one of them an entire day much to Yakov's frustration. This eventually proved beneficial as Yakov grew to be conversationally fluent in multiple languages by the end of his first year. He also finally lost his heavy Rybaki accent.

After half a year of training had gone by, Yakup managed to unpack Yakov's inner thoughts by asking him to assign names of those closest to him to soldiers in a board game called subjugé, a Gransylvanian game often used to train tacticians. Yakup knew the basics of his life back in Albatross, and was thus able to come to several conclusions based on where he placed certain people on the board. This allowed Yakup to pry properly enough to discover the emotion blocking his spiritual progress; Yakov's immense guilt towards not only Pavlov but all people in his life including his parents whose deaths he blamed himself for. He concluded that Yakov was self destructive and far too hesitant to open himself up to vulnerability and would thus need to learn to forgive himself before he could unlock total control of the energy placed in his body.

The Santigen Threat
The next few months saw more progress in Yakov but were far more painful and unpleasant for him. Around this time, Yakov received a letter from Isabelle and Alexei who had settled in Westminster safely. In that letter Yakov read what would be one of his first calls to responsibility as a world leader, the network of clans and gangs in the northern reaches of the world. Isabelle warned of a gang in Evazia called ''i Disparati. ''He also received a letter from Macqueline who confirms that she delivered the document and had found herself living in Kijkomhoog. She was working as an aid to Rosaline van Ajax at the time.

Around this time, Yakov had another call to responsibility that would change the course of his training as well as his entire life. He was invited to meet the Tavrupan Royal Family to discuss fears over possible Santigen expansions in the southern continent. It is there that Yakov met Princess Mahidevran of Tavrupa, a woman who would become one of his closest friends in life even if for only a short time. Mahidevran was not one for politics and instead insisted on speaking to Yakov about the arts such as painting and music.

The meeting was cut short when news of a Santigen invasion of the Kleijnish mainland reached Isyankale. Without hesitation, Yakov stormed out of the palace with Mahidrevran and met with Yakup who helped arrange a voyage to Netherestra. The invasion was short lived, as lucky for Yakov his friends were already in the area and managed to drive the Santigens out; Isabelle and Alexei with Black Taiga members from Southton and Macqueline with a kitten she found on the street.

It was during this trip that Mahidevran and Yakov truly bonded as friends, enough so that Yakov opened up about his complications with his training. Mahidevran insisted that he take her to Kaspia with him so that she could teach him music theory and how to play the cello, believing it would help me loosen the knots in his brain and heart. He accepts, and the two travel with Yakup back to Kaspia as soon as they returned to the east.

Invocation of the Muse
Yakup agreed that music would be an effective way for Yakov to cleanse his soul enough to control the flow of energy in his body. He spends most of every single day during this time practicing the cello in the mountains and studying music theory back in town. What started as a relationship of respect between a teacher and her student naturally shifted to one more romantic and free. The two had very strong feelings for one another during this time and suspected the same of the other, but Yakov's stubborn demeanor and outlook on life prevented him from allowing himself to commit to any kind of relationship beyond what they already had. In his journal Yakov described Mahidevran as being "beautiful and incredibly wise" but there is a noticeable absence of any desire for anything more than friendship built on mutual respect. On the contrary, in Mahidevran's personal memoir that was found in her family's possession, she described her relationship with Yakov during this time as one that she at least saw as very real and a seed of hope for something between them in the future.

Nothing would ever come of these feelings though, as Mahidevran eventually confessed to Yakov that she never told her family that she was leaving with him and that she needed to return home. Yakov begged her to stay, but she was committed to leave, though with the promise that she would return. When Macqueline surprised Yakov with a visit to Kaspia in the 480s, Yakov and Mahidevran saw the last of one another for a while as she returned home without saying a proper goodbye.

Macqueline's visit was unexpected but welcome all the same. They two spent time in the Kaspian Mountains, and since Yakov had nearly perfected the cello by this point he was able to perform for his friend. They took a trip to Bayrak in Tavrupa before Macqueline left once again to travel throughout Tavrupa.

The next few years are full of practice for both the cello and his power which he was finally getting a grasp of. Yakup sent him around the continent around this time to meet various leaders, and Yakov would find time to visit Mahidevran a few times as well. These visits were at most for two days, and Yakov recalls Mahidevran looking very broken and confused during these years. Whatever they had built up to that point was fading from their immediate memory.

The World Cup of 485
The World Cup of 485 was hosted by the Yakovians as the Rybaki team The Gatekeepers had won the last tournament in Covington. This cup would be the first time in years that Yakov would return to Albatross as well as the first time since the revolution that all his friends would find themselves in the same place at the same time. They all meet in the palace and for a short while it feels to them like old times.

Yakov's closest friend was elected Prime Minister of Yakovia a few years back and so the group had the best seats in the stadium for watching the games. What should have been a relaxing month of sport and friendship was spoiled by the murder of a Kleijnse detective called Nicolaas in the stadium lobby. This was the first of a series of murders that took the lives of several members of the Yakovian parliament. The ministers killed during this time were Ministers Alyona, Egor, and Timur. To make matters worse for Yakov and his friends, because Alexei was Prime Minster there was a very palpable threat on his life as whoever was committing these murders vandalized his bedroom and office multiple times, once even writing his name with blood on his wall. This terrified them all and prompted them to lead the investigation towards finding the one responsible.

After investigated several different leads thoroughly, they were able to tie all the various clues towards a woman called Vremya. She was the girlfriend of a local musician as well as a worker at Magdalena's café called The Rising Sun. They learned that because of her lover's adamant distaste for the Yakovian parliament and government in general, she took it upon herself to eliminate them so that they could live in a more peaceful world. Upon her detainment she is sent to a prison near Fort Gorod where she is hanged after a week of residence.

The World Cup ends with the Norfolk Devils coming out on top as the victors, much to everyone's surprise. That same night, Alexei and Isabelle are engaged to be married.

After spending time together in the city again, the partnership Yakov and Macqueline experienced but had since forgotten from the war days had been rekindled, enough for Yakov to ask Macqueline to accompany him on his trip through the desert to Saintepiotr to meet the Keasben royal family.

Road to Saintepiotr
Not too long after Albatross' Victoria's Day celebration, Alexei and Isabelle were married in the city palace. After the wedding, Yakov and Macqueline set off for Saintepiotr on a route that took them through Tavrupa. While trying to sell a horse in the Tavrupan capital of Isyankale, they encountered and fought with a man called Amir who Macqueline had previously met on her way to deliver the Rybaki manuscript to Lafayette's Estate.

The gateway to the desert is a Tavrupan village called Eskidere, and was naturally the next destination on their list. Yakov decided they should meet with the Governor before descending into the desert, a meeting that proved to be very useful. After hearing about their mission to cross the Southern Desert, the Governor offered Yakov and Macqueline access to a prototype vehicle being designed for the military called the kumgemi, which was essentially a large wooden sled with a sail that could be used to cross the desert at high speeds. The fan mechanism for the ship wasn't fully integrated, but because Yakov could produce his own energy it was not necessary for them. They happily agreed to take the prototype and prepared for their voyage across the desert.

They were making great time until they encountered a terrible sandstorm just west of the Keasben Mountians. The sandstorm destroyed the kumgemi with ease and hurled Yakov and Macqueline in opposite directions, Yakov to the west all on his own and Macqueline to the east with what was left of the kumgemi.

When Yakov woke up, the sun had fully set. He scrambled around only to quickly realize he was completely by himself. He shouted for Macqueline and desperately searched for any sign of her or even the kumgemi itself. Looking around with hopeless eyes Yakov had no idea where to begin looking for Macqueline, and out of desperation and frustration he began firing lightning up into the sky. He did this long enough for Macqueline to not only see the lightning and hear its thunder, but also make her way over to him. The two would later cite this experience having nearly lost one another and potentially their own lives as a turning point in their personal relationship.

After reuniting, Yakov pointed out the Keasben Mountains in the distant east. They began making their way to the mountains on foot knowing that the city was just on the other side. Luckily they were not too far from the city, but the journey still took two full days of absolutely no food and very little water. After finally crossing through the mountains, the city presented itself to them as a faint glow on the horizon.

Saintepiotr
Since Saintepiotr was right on the coast, they decided to wash themselves in the water before making their way into the city. There were barely any roads around the city itself so they were forced to endure the rough terrain all the way up to the gates which saw them go deep underground. The first place they went to in the city was the central tower where the Royal Family of the Kingdom resided. Yakov went to meet King Donnus alone and the two were shown their new home, a corner house in the lower ring that was once occupied by Avatar Mason when he visited the city nearly a century before.

Yakov's time in Saintepiotr as an advisor to the Keasbens felt to him like a day job. He spent most of his day sitting in the tower hearing the Keasben Generals argue with one another and the King as they tried to plan their retaliation to Santiago's attempted expansions into the desert. The situation was far worse than Yakov had initially thought which took a heavy toll on his mental health. His greatest fear was that were he to make a mistake, it could lead to all out war against the Santigens that would see thousands of people needlessly die. Because of this fear, he seldom slept well and would have terrifying nightmares almost every night. Macqueline took notice of Yakov's failing mental and physical health and took close care of him when not researching her ancestor Airwalker Enjolras or spending time with the lady next door. By living in the city and coming to know those in charge very closely, Yakov determined that something was very wrong about Saintepiotr, which only added to his stress as he felt more and more out of control.

One night on his way home, Yakov found Flinkje sitting outside the house without Macqueline at his side. As soon as Flinkje saw Yakov, he ran off prompting Yakov to follow him. He eventually led Yakov all the way to a cave in the Saintepiotr Grotto where high profile enemies of the state were supposedly kept in secret. Macqueline was locked in one of the cells and had sent Flinkje to get Yakov. Yakov was able to successfully melt the bars and let her out.

Another one of these enemies to the state was a man called Noah whom Macqueline had previously met in Kijkomhoog. With them was a woman called Aicha, a local and lover of Noah's. The last time Macqueline saw Noah was when he disappeared to Santiago hoping to find a way to take them out from the inside by way of revolution or assassination. He was eventually captured by Santigen guards, cut up severely, and left in the middle of the desert to rot. He was later found by Keasben scouts who deemed him a Santigen plant and threat to their Kingdom, so they took him in for questioning. He had been rotting away in the Grotto ever since. It was there that he met and fell in love with Aicha. She hated the crown, and would often bring food to Noah from the town market. It was then that Yakov's suspicions towards the state of Saintepiotr were verified. The Royal Family did not allow anyone to leave the city, and they refused to settle any major cities elsewhere fearing it would be too difficult to control. This led to serious overpopulation in the city that made it difficult for the government to support its citizens effectively.

This prompted Yakov to try and discuss the matter with King Donnus. The King heard Yakov out, but ultimately brushed him aside stating that no time should be spent solving that problem as the Santigens were threatening their very existence. Donnus begged Yakov to come up with a solution within the next week believing they were running out of time. Yakov was hesitant to suggest an invasion, but felt forced to realistically consider it during this time.

One night during that week, Yakov finally put together a proposition that would satisfy both of his desired outcomes at once; easing the Santigen problem without going to war and giving those in Saintepiotr who wish to leave a way out. He cited the Terzo Compromise that King Jay and Koloktos initiated as a way to try and tame the expansions of King Jordan of Toledo. In that war, Koloktos and Jay gave uninhabited lands in the Southern Sea to nationless people groups of Memphezia only if they promised to take up arms against Toledo.

Yakov decided that the best course of action would be to declare a new nation in the uninhabited land between Tavrupa and Keasbey in retaliation to Santiago's attempted expansion in that same area. The land would be given to anyone in Saintepiotr who'd want it, anyone willing to set up a homestead in the delta and provide to the new central government. This would be an effective way to solve Saintepiotr's domestic problems, expand their influence and populace without worrying about control, and establish additional protection from Santiago for both Memphezia and Keasbey.

Yakov spent the remaining days of that week drafting the plan and preparing his proposal speech to Donnus and his council. To ease the stress of this time, Yakov and Macqueline decided to spend a night in the city together to talk about everything except work. They first went out for dinner to try the local cuisine, and later went to the Great Hall (Êt Tarxlâ) to see a Keasben play called the Drunk Farmer. The two had grown very close up this point. Yakov had already developed strong feelings for Macqueline by that night but showed very little of it. That would all change that night as the two exchanged a kiss on one of the Great Hall's balconies during the intermission of the play, completely changing the nature of their relationship going forward. This balcony would later become the inspiration for many works of art and literature throughout the years. Even long after the fall of Saintepiotr, the phrase "Gone to Saintepiotr" is widely used by people as a form of circumlocution to describe falling in love or even to announce an engagement without saying it directly.

Yakov proposed the plan to Donnus the next morning, and he reluctantly agreed. The two drafted a letter to the Tavrupan Royal Family detailing the plan and asking for their support as this new nation's borders would come in contact with theirs. The project became official when King Donnus announced to the citizens of Saintepiotr in 487 that "all who wish to leave, may."

Bruxeria
Not too long after this announcement, Yakov contracted a terrible illness and was bedridden for days. He was taken care of by Macqueline and their neighbor Anita. Though this made it difficult for Yakov to leave the house, it gave him the time he needed at home to come up with how he could spread word of this new nation and its opportunities to the people of Saintepiotr.

He and Macqueline visited a printing press downtown and had flyers printed that outlined the plan and where those interested in the new country could help with its conception. They rented out a large house by the city waterfall and statue square on the north side to host a series of meetings where the new nation could be planned. After some discussion, it was decided that Noah would become this new nation's first leader, and that the settlers would leave as soon as possible.

The region in which this new nation was to be founded began to be referred to colloquially as "The Bridge" as its purpose was to unite the northern world with Keasbey. Noah, being a native speaker of Kleijnish, began referring to himself and his fellow settlers as Bruggers, or "Bridgers." The Skën speaking settlers picked up on this nickname, and grew to like it a lot. On the map of the region that was being used to plan the city and its streets, a Skën speaker wrote at the top what would eventually become the name of this new country: Bruxeria, or "Land of the Bruggers/Land of the people of the Bridge." The hard 'g' sound from Kleijnish translated as an 'x' in Skën, and the name stuck.

As soon as the settlers arrived in the delta where their capital would be built, they apparently came across a lone donkey who quickly became the center of attention. The settlers took good care of the donkey during the city's construction, even knitting for it a red pancho that it would wear at all times. This donkey became the inspiration for the country's new capital's name: Derikenot, or "Red Donkey." The construction of this capital marked the end of Yakov and Macqueline's responsibilities in the southern continent as the torch was handed to back to Donnus and Noah. The plan now was to take some time off in Westminster where they would regroup with Alexei and Isabelle.

The Storm
Yakov, Alexei, Isabelle, and Macqueline all planned to meet at Westminster that spring to take some time off together, Alexei and Isabelle from Yakovian affairs and Yakov and Macqueline from their world affairs. A lot had changed since the last time they were together, and they were eager to catch one another up with what they had been up to. Despite that though, Yakov planned to meet with Eagland's King Henry as the king was eager to meet with him to discuss the situation in the desert. He knew the meeting would be casual though, and was even looking forward to it.

The overcast came as early as they did, and it would be a while before they saw the sun again. They knew rain would follow, they just did not know when exactly. Drizzle would come and go accompanied by some distant thunder; a storm was brewing and the city was prepared.

On one of those drizzly nights, Eagland's Queen and her son Prince Jared were holding a peace conference in the north part of town that was open to the public. None of the group decided to go as they were upholding their commitment to avoid politics, but a friend of Macqueline's called Davìd who they reunited with at the pub said he was going. The group decided to sit in the pub in the meantime and just get the highlights from Davìd when he returned.

Two hours of drizzle of some thunder went by, and suddenly Yakov saw a large plume of smoke across the harbor. Not too long after that, a man stormed into the pub to announce that the meeting house had caught fire. According to him, lightning struck the building and started a small fire that grew to take the entire building down and killed everyone inside including Davìd.

That night the rain came down, and it came down hard; harder than it had up to this point. Hours went by and the rain showed no sign of calming down. Yakov and the others volunteer to assist the now grieving King with domestic affairs such as distributing food and supplies since the rain made it difficult for anyone to do anything. While spending a lot of close time with the King in his castle, Yakov and the others noticed the distant relationship Henry had with his son Prince Marvin. Marvin was the younger prince and thus never showed any interest in royal affairs or anyone in his family except for his mother. He despised his brother Jared and was indifferent towards his father. Marvin would spend most of his time either playing in his bedroom or escaping north to the Highlands.

Marvin was not as popular as Jared was, and the citizens of Westminster began to show their discontent towards the fact that Marvin was now next in line to take over the throne. The public opinion was fair, as Henry did little to show off his apathetic son to his people; spending most of his time instead endorsing Jared and his better qualities. The four try at different times to bring Marvin closer to his father, but to no avail.

The Wolf King
One night in the midst of the great storm, Prince Marvin went missing. Henry, in desperation, begged Yakov and Macqueline to find him as soon as possible. Knowing of his liking towards the Highlands, Yakov decided that should be the first place to check after investigating the entire city.

The Highlands is a region of North Eagland known for its fjörds akin to those of Evazia. The terrain is rough, so Yakov knew it would be difficult to know where to look. There are a few battlefields and abandoned forts from the time of the Highlands war that could have captured Marvin's imagination, so they thought they would search those areas first.

After several hours, they find Marvin sitting by a small fire in a large cave in the middle of the old battlegrounds. They determined by the state of the cave that this must be a cave Marvin visited regularly. When they saw him, he was in the middle of projecting shadow puppets on the cave wall with the light of the campfire.

They caught Marvin by surprise, and at first he did not cooperate with them at all. They sat with him for a while to try and get him to open up and come back home with them, and he eventually did. Yakov was able to get Marvin to open up about his family and how he felt about his father and the kingship. The three developed a relationship within those short hours that Marvin would remember for the entirety of his life.

They eventually convinced Marvin to get up and go home with them. They took him back to the castle where he reunited with his father and spoke words to him for the first time in a while. During this reunion, soldiers stormed the palace to warn the King that wolves famished by the storm have raided the city looking for food and supplies. The King ordered the extermination of these wolves as soon as possible, but Marvin objected with teary eyes. Marvin was no stranger to the wolves considering how much time he spent with them out in the Highlands. He considered them his only friends and could not allow them to be harmed.

Escaping his father's grasp, Marvin stormed out of the palace. Yakov chased him all the way down to the city square where a large crowd had amassed around the pack and a few soldiers who were prepared to cut them down. The wolves were visibly starving and prepared to kill. Despite this, Marvin confronted them with a little bit of food in his hands. Sneaking between the legs of the soldiers, Marvin was able to give the wolves some food and lead them out of the city peacefully. This event transformed the public's opinion of Marvin, earning him the title "The Wolf King."

A New Chapter
A few days after this event, the storm would finally come to an end. The group did not stay for much longer, as Isabelle and Alexei knew it was time for them to return to Yakovia. Yakov and Macqueline wished to return to Yakovia as well to meet with Alm, though they would take a route from the south while Alexei and Isabelle would take a route from the north through Moroz. Not too far south from Eagland's Fort Hector, Yakov and Macqueline set up camp for the night. Neither of them were able to sleep too well, so they spent a large part of that night lying down outside on the grass.

On their way to Westminster, Yakov and Macqueline had stopped in Covington. It was during that visit that Yakov had an engagement ring forged from the same jeweler workshop that Kaarle had had his ring made for Rosaline. Yakov figured that that night in Eagland together was the perfect time to propose, so he did. He asked Macqueline if she would marry him, and she said yes. Yakov confessed to Macqueline that he wanted to return to Albatross so that he could finally have his estate built, as it was a tradition for all Avatars to build one to store their knowledge and uphold their legacy. He wanted Macqueline's help in designing the estate as the two would be living in it together. They stopped in Charleston on the way to spend a few days discussing what they wanted for the estate, but they were unsure where they would be able to have it constructed.

After meeting with Alm upon their arrival in Albatross, Alm made an offer to Yakov that he could not refuse. On the other side of Albatross harbor was a small peninsula called the Fioletovvy Poluostrov or "Violet Peninsula." The land was perfect for a well sized estate to be built as it had a beautiful view of the city while also being far enough to ensure privacy. An architect was hired immediately and the building project commenced. The couple stayed at the palace until the project was finished. They moved in near the end of construction, eager to start decorating and making it their home. They received many visitors in the early days and host numerous parties for their friends throughout the summer of that year.

The Yakov Estate was built as a large fortress with a watchtower overlooking the harbor. The house has several rooms including a study, an armory, a bedroom for their cat, and a large underground catacomb.

Growing Unrest
Their newfound peace would not be long lived. It all began for them when Flinkje grew very ill suddenly followed by a mysterious package being sent to their home containing a doll with burned eyes. Yakov, having been following world affairs alongside Alm, was well aware at that time that the Santiago problem was only getting worse and that major players in the game like King Espoir were preparing for what could become an all out war. Any suspicion Yakov might have had at the time was verified when he received a letter from Mahidevran, now Queen of Tavrupa, inviting him and Macqueline to Isyankale that very issue. Even the journey to Isyankale wasn't peaceful, as they had a close encounter with a bounty hunter out for Macqueline's head in the Gransylvanian wilderness.

Upon entering Isyankale they were immediately greeted by Mahidevran and her husband who neither Yakov nor Macqueline had previously met. The trip started out very peaceful for them, aside from some clear tension between Mahidevran and her husband, foreshadowing the events that would unfold in Tavrupa in the coming century. Macqueline and the Queen spent a good amount of time together during this trip while Yakov was spending most of his time in the workshop of a man called Guy, someone Yakov had previously only known to be a friend of Isabelle's but could now get to know better himself. Together they worked on furthering the design of Tavrupa's kumgemi as Guy was the newly hired head engineer on the project and Yakov was the only person in the world who was able to sail one without its mechanism in place.

Yakov was enjoying his time in Isyankale up until Macqueline was suddenly captured. Everyone in the city was already on high alert, but this event nearly drew the royal family and Yakov over the edge. They weren't sure if Santiago was somehow behind the kidnapping and if they were, what they would do to her. Mahidevran advised Yakov to stay in the palace while the troops searched the nearby area, but Yakov had a strong feeling that whoever took her must have come from the desert, and that was likely where she was taken. This was likely due to their earlier experience with the bounty hunter which proved that whoever was after her was familiar with the Skën language.

Yakov sailed immediately to Derikenot to meet with Noah so that they could start a massive search of the nearby lands. Noah and Aicha were committed to help find Macqueline but the underlying tension of the region began to unravel; Santigens were still in the area and they were worried a poor interaction between Bruxerian guards and Santigen scouts could be the spark for the war that was clearly on the horizon. Luckily for them, the search team was not necessary. Macqueline showed up in Isyankale claiming to have been saved by a mysterious man with an Yvian accent. Yakov returned to Isyankale to reunite with Macqueline.

Yakov learned a lot about the Santigen presence while in Bruxeria, and the threat was far greater than he imagined. While there he was also made aware of suspicious activity in the election going on in Suffolk at the time. Mahidevran and her advisors told Yakov the same story when he returned, prompting him to visit the country himself.

Calm Before the Storm
A Santigen plant is believed to be running in Suffolk after the death of a popular local candidate. This was very believable to Yakov as similar plants were theorized to have been placed in Wellington as well as the Yvian Islands. They were believed to have been placed there in preparation for a war waged by Santiago on the continent of Memphezia. Having plants in the right places would make it difficult for any one nation to unite against Santiago. The role of the plant would not be to sympathize with Santiago fully but simply gear the nation towards domestic affairs, a plan that would have worked in Suffolk if given the chance to.

The special case with Suffolk was that the plant had not yet won the election, so it was still possible to find a candidate to beat the Santigen plant. During this time, Yakov and Macqueline reunite with Paul; a descendant of Lafayette's close friend Stanley as well as the current head protector of the Lafayette Estate. After some discussion, Yakov asked Paul if he would consider running against the plant, believing that he was likely the only candidate who had a shot at winning considering how well known he was in the Suffolkan community and his overall likability. After some consideration and some backing by Suffolk's then head councilman Fabian, Paul accepted the offer. Paul traveled to Nassau with Yakov and Fabian while Macqueline and Paul's wife return to Norfolk where they live.

Paul wins the election despite how late into the race he entered. Despite Suffolk's size, the community of the nation was very important and the people of the various townships were very close knit. For this reason, a random plant nobody knew had no chance at winning over the people, especially when going up against someone like Paul. This sigh of relief and sense of optimism was short-lived, as no more than a few days after the election the southern half of Suffolk was invaded by Santigen troops. At the same time, Santiago led an even greater attack on the Yvian Islands and managed to claim them for their own.

The Scarland Accords
Yakov, Fabian, and Paul return frantically to Norfolk to give news of the invasion in Nassau. In Norfolk they learn that there was a similar invasion in the Yvian Islands, and in that state of panic they decided they would go to Scarland for safety. Not too long after arriving in Scarland, they saw that people from all over the world had the same idea. Ships from nearly every nation were gathering at the port making it nearly impossible to dock anywhere. Scarland was always considered a safe haven by most nations of the world, and it was thus the natural meeting place after such a terrible event. Most monarchs were in the region anyway, waiting for a move by Santiago.

At the center of Scarland's old castle is a large meeting room that was soon to hold the single greatest and most influential of discussions of the millennium: The Scarland Accords. Leaders such as King Espoir of Fayette, King Alm of Yakovia, Noah of Bruxeria, King Stefan of the Kleijnlands, and even representatives from Eagland, Gransylvania, and a few from Evazia.

Though the accords were unplanned, they all wanted to immediately discuss one thing: how they were going to annihilate Santiago. Up until this point, King Espoir had been the loudest advocate for a diplomatic solution, but after witnessing the invasion of the Yvian Islands, hearing about the invasion of Nassau and reconsidering the invasion of the Kleijnlands paired with their expeditions into the desert, it was clear Santiago had lost its right to sovereignty in what Espoir called their "world of peace, where the goal is always peace and prosperity for all, not just the one."

This meeting directly led to the temporary establishment of a united army referred to colloquially at the time as the "united forces." Nearly every nation there vowed to provide a percentage of supplies and troops to the war effort. The only nations not fully committed to the cause were Kaspia (who provided only supplies, and no troops as they do not have an army) and Evazia, who offered to provide nothing believing this war to be none of their business and believed Santiago to be a potential business partner in global trade.

During the meeting, Yakov and Macqueline volunteer to go back to Bruxeria with Noah and fight in the desert alongside the army. Alexei decides to go to Covington with the other leaders, and Isabelle decides to stay in Scarland with Émile and Liedewij Paradis to aid in mission intelligence.

General Yakov
As soon as they arrived in Bruxeria, Yakov and Macqueline decided with Noah that the two would join the army as generals and each be given a percentage of the overall troops to lead into battle. They were generals alongside General Kutu from Keasbey. Beneath Kutu were Commanders Anthony and Gabin. Beneath Yakov were Commanders Sinclair and Guy who had volunteered to fight alongside Yakov. Beneath Macqueline were Commanders Deniz and Jasmijn. As soon as Yakov and Macqueline were acquainted with their commanders and troops, the two took their armies to Bruxeria's Tûostrov in the south while Kutu remained at Fort Noah in Derikenot.

Despite Santiago's previous invasions, the armies of the United Forces were still hesitant to strike first in the desert. At these early stages, they preferred to be defensive. Their commitment to this decision was tested early, as they would hear word of a Santigen invasion in Saintepiotr. Though this was a strike by Santiago, Yakov decided they would not have time to reach Saintepiotr to stop the invasion and would have to hope for the best. If they separated now, it would be too long before they were reunited again, and they were in no position to weaken their defenses. Instead, they take this as their cue to march west towards Santigen lands.

Mason Hills
At this point they are making excellent time as they are loaded with supplies and are sailing on fully functional kumgemis. After almost an entire day, they reach the Santigen fort at Mason Hills, a fort situated high on the range. The battle goes on for some time, but the United Forces troops are ultimately victorious after a Santigen surrender. After the remaining Santigen troops are forced out of the region, both Yakov's and Macquenline's armies settle in the fort. Several hours after the victory, by the time the sun had fully sent, the army of Queen Amelia's older brother, General Constantino, visit the fort at Mason Hills not looking for a fight but just an opportunity to acquaint himself with the enemy.

Though it is unclear what Constantino's true intentions were, the visit was likely an attempt to intimidate Yakov and the troops. This intimidation tactic worked, as Constantino was able to present himself as a general so powerful, he was in no rush to fight Yakov's army. Yakov considered that that was likely the intention of Constantino's visit, and because he was committed to present himself to his own troops as a general just as capable and powerful, he agreed to meet with Constantino individually. When Yakov returned to his troops, all he told them about the encounter when they asked was that Constantino's army was "far weaker than I had imagined."

Hitting the Wall
After some backup troops arrived to hold the fort at Mason Hills, Yakov's and Macqueline's armies prepared to continue westward knowing they would likely run into another Santigen general if they traveled far enough. In a vast part of the desert equidistant to both Mason Hills and Fort Penùltimo, they met with Santigen General Gomez and his troops. Still full of energy from their recent subjugation, Yakov's troops annihilate Gomez's troops. The battle ended with a one on one between Gomez and Yakov where Yakov used a bolt of lightning to end his life in front of everyone. Not only was this a quick way to end the battle, it was another tactic by Yakov to maintain the faith of his troops, and it worked. Instead of sending the surviving Santigen troops to the east as prisoners, Yakov offers them the chance to fight alongside them, referring to his army as one of a Global army, and that they had a place in it as well if they wished to live in a world more peaceful for their families back home. The Santigens graciously accepted the opportunity, and the army continued westward.

These consecutive victories built up overconfidence in both the leadership and the troops. Despite knowing how dangerous it would be, they all agree to take on the next target on the list and hopefully put a quick end to this war. The target was Fort Penùltimo, the last major fort standing in their way to Santiago's capital of Eltresedo. Yakov hoped that with the momentum they had they may be able to swiftly take the fort and the capital in one go.

When they reached Penùltimo, they were much more outnumbered than they could have reasoned back in the planning stages of this invasion. This was because one of Santiago's more powerful generals, General Francisco, had defeated Commander Gabin in the north and was able to reach Penùltimo before Yakov's army could.

Francisco was a deadly man, proving himself as such as he presented himself to Yakov with Commander Gabin still dangling from his lance. Despite how easily they could have, the Santigens show no interest in maintaining any prisoners. They go full force, prepared to kill every enemy soul on the battlefield. They destroy nearly all of the army's kumgemis by the time Yakov called for a retreat back to Mason Hills. The march home was demoralizing for most, but Yakov - despite his fleeting hope - was afraid to show his troops any ounce of hopelessness. One detail that Yakov would recall in the lectures he gave later in his life was that he noticed the Santigen troops whom he had recruited after defeating Gomez had stuck by him and were marching to Mason Hills with him despite their defeat and how easily it would have been to switch sides again in that moment. This gave him the energy he needed to maintain his façade of confidence.

After resting in Mason Hills and regrouping with Kutu, Yakov decides that the generals and some commanders should go to Saintepiotr to both check on the status of the city as well as plan how they are going to bounce back from this defeat.

Fall of Keasbey
The group of generals found Saintepiotr not to be populated, but not ruined either. The city had been completely abandoned, its flags torn down and every one of its buildings empty. There appeared to them to be no signs of any battle, just a city frozen in time. They explored the empty city to infer what could have happened to it before settling down somewhere to plan their retaliation.

They took refuge in Yakov and Macqueline's old home and turn the living room into a war room with all of the remaining furniture. Having to plan the rest of the war in the shadow of this fallen city took a great toll on Yakov as he felt himself partly responsible. Saintepiotr was a city that remained safe for centuries as they sat quietly and peacefully, distant from the troubles of the north. As planning their retaliation took many days, Yakov spent his nights walking the streets alone pondering what he could have done differently to save Saintepiotr, but more importantly what it was that exactly happened to the city in his absence. Because there was no sign of any slaughter anywhere in the city, he was able to find peace of mind. As the years passed, Saintepiotr and the Kingdom of New Keasbey would be seen as a shadow of the world's past, an era long gone. This was a sentiment shared by all members of the small group in Saintepiotr, and it helped them draft their plan for the rest of the war with clear heads.

Rise of a New World
After studying regional maps taken from the army at Mason Hills, the generals were able to find the ideal route to get themselves back in the war while maintaining an element of surprise. To the west of Santiago were a chain of islands that seem generally ignored by every map they've seen, implying that though they are aware of their existence, they never bothered to settle on any of them or build anything of importance there. The islands were even left out of some maps, leading the generals to believe that they could be used to their advantage. On Santiago's west coast, the coast closest to those islands, was a valley with a fort at the very end of it. This fort would become their next major target, believing that if they were able to storm the beaches of that valley and take down that fort, they would have ease of access to the rest of Santiago, essentially tearing it down from the inside.

In order to do this effectively, they would need a small army of incredibly skilled warriors rather than a larger army of average foot soldiers. Such an elite army existed in Covington, and had been offered to Noah and Yakov during the Scarland Accords by Espoir if they ever needed their talents. Yakov and Macqueline decided they would go to Covington to meet with Espoir and collect that army while Kutu and Guy traveled to Eagland to collect the ships King Henry had promised them before. They were to meet on the third island from the east in the chain west of Santiago's Fort Valle.

Hochzeitsland
After a month of traveling, Yakov and Macqueline were able to reach Covington on their scheduled time and take their new army to the meeting place. Upon arriving on the islands, they found them as untouched as they had hoped. The island they chose also had a perfectly shaped natural harbor that they could easily utilize. They start constructing small homes and a makeshift dock immediately, and not too many days after that Kutu and Guy's fleet of ships arrived from the north.

The group had a large meeting house built on the tallest hill of the island, and the surrounding hills became littered with small homes and barracks for the soldiers to sleep in and train. They orchestrate a few landings on the nearby islands to be better prepared for the real thing that was to take place very soon. It was very clear to Yakov that if this invasion did not work out, they would be too cornered to escape the valley alive. The mission as everyone knew it was either win and take the fort or die trying; there was no in between.

As tradition would have Yakov and his contemporaries believe, the act of marriage between two people was not only a marriage for the material world but also for the world after, the paradise para dis, the world beyond the material wall. In choosing to marrying somebody, you were also promising them an eternal life together in the afterlife. It was believed that couples bound by marriage would would be bound in the afterlife as well, and thus it would be guaranteed that they would find one another in the large world beyond the wall. Couples not bound by marriage then would be doomed to search endlessly for their lover only to perhaps never find them, turning what could have been a heaven into a lonely hell. Yakov had promised Macqueline in his proposal that they would be married, and thus they promised one another that they would be by one another's side in the afterlife as well. To see this promise through, Yakov - despite their current situation - asked Macqueline if she would be willing to hold their wedding where they were on the island. She accepted, and the two were finally a married couple.

The wedding grew to be more significant than they could have imagined at the time. The soldiers who helped find the gem and prepare the ceremony were incredibly moved and motivated by the event, and several of them returned home with fond memories of it. The story of the wedding quickly spread through Eltresedo as well just after the war, and it gave the land that had found itself without an identity an epic tale to identify themselves with. The island they were married on was then dubbed by the incoming settlers as Hochzeitsland or "The land of the wedding." This later inspired the name of the country that would be founded in this region, taking a more Skën inspired spelling and becoming Hoxzeitia. The Skën 'x' replaced the rough sound of the 'ch' and the -land suffix was replaced with -ia, a suffix that also meant "land of" but had its roots in the original language of the Santigens, one close to Lexinais and Lazian; making the name Hoxzeitia one that embodies the three major cultures that would come to call this land home in the coming years.

Fort Valle
Not too long after the wedding, the soldiers began preparing for the invasion. They had trained greatly up to this point and were given ample time to rest just before setting off. They stocked their ships with supplies and boarded them, leaving behind in their meeting house a message for future visitors proclaiming their purpose and what kind of world they hope to be building in conducting this war.

The ships they used were long triremes that were propelled by several oars each. Each general and commander was in charge of their own trireme with a few more left over. Knowing approximately how long it would take to reach the beach, they set off around dusk hoping to reach the shores just after midnight to catch the sleeping soldiers by surprise. Knowing not to prepare for an exit plan, they drive their triremes far up the beach, anchoring them in. Afterwards they all jumped out and began storming the fort's defenses.

Fort Valle was protected by a series of walls that had to be either traversed or destroyed in order to reach the fort itself. The valley cliffs were littered with watchtowers firing the incoming soldiers with ease. For this reason, Yakov and the others knew they had to be taken out on the way, otherwise they would lose too many soldiers by the time they reached the fort.

Just after destroying the second wall, Macqueline - in attempting to take a watchtower out by herself - triggered a small avalanche on the cliff she was climbing, nearly killing herself. She lost consciousness briefly as she came down with the heavy hitting boulders and sand. This briefly slowed down the army's progression, and allowed them to think strategically on how they were going to get up to the fort that they had finally reached. Yakov and Kutu struggled to find Macqueline and first, knowing it was possible she had died in the fall. Luckily, she managed to survive and was pulled from the rubble. Despite the fall, she hadn't broken any bones and was able to continue fighting after regaining consciousness.

In the meantime, the army discovered a path on the side of the southern cliff that led directly to the fort, but it was too narrow to march the entire army through. They decided they would send a small group through that passage and keep the rest of the army in the valley. The small group went into the fort and destroyed its façade so that its rubble could be climbed by the troops still in the valley. During this part of the invasion, Yakov suffers his first major wound of the war that prevents him from going forward; he was shot by an arrow just before the army took the main tower. Macqueline stayed behind and tended to his wound in the nearby barrack, and by the time the arrow was removed, the fort was theirs.

After the battle was over and the fort was theirs, Yakov and Macqueline went up and down the valley with a few others to count the dead. Among the soldiers who fought that night was a young girl called Vona who was so desperate to fight for something larger than herself that she stow away on the army's ship when they left Covington. When they didn't see her at the fort, they were worried she died in battle, but they could not find her body.

The victory in all was a major turning point for the war, but also for Yakov. Up until that point he had doubted himself time and time again, not fully convinced he was worthy to lead these men as he was younger than some of them. He also constantly felt like the world was slipping through his fingers as he struggled to maintain control. He thought he was meant to be fighting for every person in the world at once, like every single one of them was counting on him and only him not to mess up the world he was inherited, but upon his victory at Valle, the comradery he felt with his troops and Kutu, and the hours of blissful silence he spent with Macqueline after his injury, he was able to for the first time pin down who it was he was meant to be. His voice was not the only voice expected to push the world forward, and though his voice was perhaps louder than most, he was not the sole voice responsible for the outcome of this war and the fate of the world.

He was fighting for the world of course as it was his responsibility to, but Yakov the person - a man he thought he was meant to abandon - was to fight for those closest to him. Fort Valle allowed him to see his place in the world much clearer, and was the final major transformation for Avatar Yakov.

Constantino
The night after the invasion, Macqueline found it incredibly difficult to sleep because of how worried she was for Vona. This prompted her to search the valley once more, a night walk that turned into an all out hike of the valley and its surrounding areas. On this hike, she saw a large army on the northern side of the mountain range. The army no doubt belonged to Constantino, and they were heading south to Valle.

Macqueline rushed to wake Yakov up so that they could prepare to fight. They wake all of the soldiers up, have them eat and hydrate, and prepare for yet another battle. They march out the northern exit of the fort and up the valley. Upon reaching the mountaintops, they are met with a gorgeous view of the green fields of Western Santiago polluted by an army just as large as the one they saw after taking the fort at Mason Hills. Constantino knew they were there, and the final battle between them that he told them they would have was about to commence.

Yakov's army was much smaller than Constantino's, but he was confident in their abilities regardless. Even if they were much stronger though, it would be difficult to maintain control of the fight considering how much less space they occupied. They would be quickly surrounded and eaten up.

To circumvent this problem, the generals agreed that the best course of action would be to implement Rémy's Moat, a battle tactic for this exact scenario that would see the army's more skilled fighters group together and move to the center of enemy soldiers while leaving the rest of the army on the outside. As the enemy soldiers are trying to break the defenses of the core army, the troops in the moat keep the outer layer of the enemy troops busy and slowly work their way inwards. Once they make it far enough, the core soldiers break their defenses and unleash everything they have on the exhausted troops.

After Constantino's troops were largely slain, the time came for the duel between Yakov and Constantino. The fight went on for a while until Yakov got close enough to Constantino to break his stance and grab a hold of his face. In this position Yakov was able to grasp all the tiny electrical shocks in Constantino's muscles, send them out of his body and into himself only to then fire it into the sky. This killed Constantino immediately in what was likely a very painful death.

Fort Eternidad
Just after slaying Constantino, the army wastes no time and marches west to Fort Eternidad, a fort they know not to be too populated with troops. Fort Eternidad largely acted as a lighthouse with a tall tower equipped with a brazier and multiple rooms in the tower itself. The army was able to easily take the Fort down and give themselves a few days to rest, plan their next move, send word to the second half of the army still in the desert, and train.

During this invasion and the days after, Yakov suffered from vertigo and random lapses of memories for a life he didn't live. What he was experiencing were the side effects of blending the electricity in Constantino's body with his own. In a final attempt to get him out of his body, he placed in hands in the ocean and released as much electricity into it as he could muster. Though this was the last of those lapses, the memories gave him an insight into the kind of life Constantino lived.

He learned that when Constantino was a child, his rightful place on the throne (due to him being the eldest) was threatened by his sister whom the royals of Santiago admired more than they did Constantino for her exceptional intelligence and gentle behavior. Constantino on the other hand, in the eyes of his father, was far too aggressive, unreliable, and overall unfit to be king. The one area in which Constantino earned himself respect for from a young age was his ability to best just about anyone in a variety of board games, making his father believe that he would be better off serving the military.

The rumors were widespread, and Constantino was displeased. He was not prepared to lose his throne to his younger sister, so he devised a plan that he believed would deem her completely unfit to rule. One night he had his sister sneak out with him to go to the city's poorer districts to play in the streets. The everyday people of Santiago seldom saw the royal children so they would never be recognized on the street. While they were playing, Constantino started a small fire that grew large very quickly. Because they were in a poorer neighborhood, he knew he would be able to blame the fire on them without consequence. When the fire was big enough, Constantino grabbed his sister and told her he would help her. He instead grabbed her head and rubbed it against a burning wood plank. When that wasn't enough, he grabbed a lit torch and burned her eyes shut for good. He figured that a blind girl would never be fit to rule. When they escaped, he was able to frame the whole thing like a terrible accident, and told her that if she ever told her parents the truth that he would kill her.

When they returned, the parents were horrified. They were distraught over what had happened to their little girl, but also they felt blessed. They figured that because she managed to survive, she had to have been blessed by some greater power. She was deemed to be Santiago himself reborn, and given the full name Amelia Santiago II. A few days later, despite her parents still being alive, she was crowned Queen and religious leader for all of Santiago. Her burnt eyes were covered by a jeweled mask that she would wear at all times.

Yakov was deeply disturbed by the truth he had uncovered and realized that killing Amelia was not going to be as easy as he had imagined. He empathized with her, but knew that so long as she was alive, she would be a potential revival of the Santigen dynasty. She has aged much since then, and surely brainwashed enough to believe she is worthy of being treated as a Goddess.

Eltresedo
Taking the capital was the prime objective, and it was finally the next step on their list. All they had to do was secure the capital, and the war would be over. Eltresedo is directly east of Eternidad, but would take half a day to reach on foot including rests. They left just after sunset, and arrived just before sunrise the next day. Though they didn't know it at the time, both Isabelle and Alexei were inside the city walls.

The walls were the easiest part for the army as they had not been maintained well by the Santigens. They were able to break through the sandstone and begin marching through the city, subjugating it street by street. For a while, the invasion was going well but progress began to wain. Just before noon, Kutu and Guy are badly injured. Yakov himself endured several heavy blows. After seeing Macqueline carrying an injured Guy down the streets toward him, Yakov knew he needed to do whatever it took to end this as soon as he could before it was too late.

Mustering together all the energy he had inside of him, and with the aid of Koloktos, Yakov was able to create a thick dome of fire around the entire city making it impossible to leave. The dome also made it extremely hot, and thus impossible for the soldiers to keep fighting. Knowing he couldn't hold it for long, Yakov and the others rushed to the palace. Yakov arrived at the palace with Macqueline, Isabelle, and Alexei while Kutu and Guy were brought to safety. The four met in the throne room just as they did when they slay Ivanovich. This time it was different.

Yakov wholeheartedly did not want to kill Amelia. When he arrived, she felt the presence of someone in the room but did not know who it was. Her enraged and confident questioning quickly turned to whimpers. She realized she was in the room with the enemy, and when she did, she begged to be killed. Yakov did not react right away, as he noticed tears streaming out from under her mask.

She took her mask off to reveal her scars- two blackened eyes no different than the ones on the doll Yakov and Macqueline had received in the package. Amelia jumped forward and begged to die. Once she started screaming, Yakov finished her off. He shot a soft bolt of lightning that struck her down and killed her without hurting her too much, he hoped. Amelia was dead, and Santiago had fallen. Yakov removed the dome of fire around the city.

Victory
Just after the battle ended and the city was taken, a large caravan surrounded by hundreds of troops could be seen marching in from the north. It was Espoir with the Fayettian military coming to maintain control of the city. That night, a small award ceremony was held in a random building on the main street where the United Forces and its leaders were honored by the GCU. Multiple world leaders honor the heroes, including Mahidevran whom Yakov saw for the last time that very night. She seemed very upset, as Yakov would later recall. It was like she knew she was going to give up on her life now that the war was over and thus would never see him or any of her friends ever again.

The next morning and throughout the week, hordes of travelers made their way to Eltresedo. Various people groups, all considered minorities in their homeland, came and made what was left of Santiago their home. Through the next decade, the city of Eltresedo would be completely transformed and renamed Altestadt, and would become the capital of Hoxzeitia.

Seeing all the people eager to make this land their home, Espoir and the others decide to leave it in their hands and not bother making it a project for the GCU. They figured that the less they interfered with the fate of this land, the better a place it would likely be.

Yakov, now finally done with the war, is eager to go home and rest. He and Macqueline celebrate the beginning of the rest of their lives with an original bottle of Dimitri's wine.

Happier Days
Yakov and Macqueline agree to spend the next year or so in their home in Albatross assisting with domestic issues and enjoying the era of peace that had just dawned on the world. They name their harbor boat the Tundra Wolf from a conversation the two had at Fort Valle, and sail it back and forth every single day. While searching for a plaque for the boat, Macqueline noticed Yakov's interest in the craftsman's cellos and other fine instruments. Though he brushed it off in the moment, this prompted Macqueline to buy him the cello that would become the Velikiy Cello. They started performing quite regularly at the Rising Sun after an impromptu performance not too long before buying the cello. Yakov would play the cello and Macqueline would sing. They would do this at the pub, but also at home. Around this time, Yakov received a letter from Mahidevran telling him that she would be giving up her crown to live on her own. She asked him not to look for her and not to bother sending a reply as she would be long gone by then. Mahidevran and Yakov would truly never meet again, though it is believed she attempted to contact him one final time before moving to the far east of Tavrupa with her new husband. Additionally, according to her memoirs, hearing of Yakov's death was the event that drove her to return to Isyankale to reassume the throne so she could stop Tavrupa's expansions. She would die attempting this.

Despite being married already, Yakov and Macqueline wanted to have a ceremony at their house so that they could celebrate with all of their closest friends. Though Yakov didn't know it, Macqueline was also pregnant during this time. Macqueline's parents as well as all of their friends that they met all over the world traveled to Albatross to attend the wedding. The whole city celebrated with the couple.

Du Nord Family Heirloom
Because Yakov and Macqueline had already cut a gem at their wedding on the island, the second gem was not entirely necessary, though it was cut anyway. Unsure of what to do with the gem at first, Yakov decides to take his friends and the gem to Moroz spontaneously that night.

In the same way that the cut gem binds two souls into the afterlife in Rybaki tradition, Yakov believed that were he and his friends to cut a gem in a similar fashion, their souls would too be bound into paradise, and so they did it. They traveled to Moroz by wagon that night and took the gem to the basement of the village's old Town Hall. They spent hours in their perfecting the design, a simple heirloom designed around the gems. The Heirloom is a diamond with four smaller diamonds of different colors on it, each diamond representing one of them.

At the time, Isabelle and Alexei were waiting on the completion of their estate that was being built in the province of Éternité, not too far from Covington. Yakov asked his friends to take the heirloom there and let that be its home, and so they did. It remained there for centuries.

Avatar Yakov Velikiy
For the next phase of their life together, Yakov and Macqueline traveled all over the world on foot and by wagon to villages where people may be in need. They would visit a village, help as many people as they could, and then move onto the next village. In between they would go back to Albatross or visit their friends in Fayette. They would also often give lectures at universities all over the world, usually about the wars they fought or just open forums where people could ask them any question they liked. By this time in his life, Yakov had developed a very strong connection with the people of his time.

Yakov and Macqueline had two children together: their eldest daughter Violet named for the violets that would grow outside of their home, and younger son Piotr named for the city they felt was theirs before it disappeared from the world. Violet grew to be a lot like her father, and Piotr his mother.

Around this time, Yakov and Macqueline finally return to the Great Divide in Kaspia so Macqueline could speak once again with her ancestor Airwalker Enjolras. She had been meaning to tell him of the effect their previous interaction had had on the world. She told him of Bruxeria, and how alive his legacy is there. She told him of the Kakusei Tower, a lighthouse that burns its light in memory of him. Finally, his actions felt as though they weren't in vain, and he could rest easy.

Their adored cat Flinkje passed away while they were on their many travels. They were in Kijkomhoog at the time, and decided they would bury him there. In the area he was buried, the crown of the Kleijnlands would built a cemetery in honor of Flinkje. In the coming decades, the head of a cat would find itself at the center of the city's coat of arms in honor of Flinkje.

The Stadium
One of the final things Yakov dealt with in his old age was the debate as to where the Suffolkans should build their World Cup stadium. Because the Devils won the world cup, the nation of Suffolk was responsible for hosting the next one after the death of the Yakovian monarch. After King Alm passed away, Yakov wrote the council of Suffolk a long letter detailing why he believed the stadium must be built in the northern half of the country.

The southern half of Suffolk saw the most economic activity, and thus the northern half would often be drained of its resources and left with the scraps. The Suffolkans of the south were growing accustom to their wealthy lifestyle, and were eager to build their new stadium just outside of Nassau. Yakov implored the council not to do this, believing it would be disastrous for the peninsula.

The Council ignored Yakov's warnings and built the stadium outside of Nassau. It was a beautiful wooden structure that mainly soaked its resources up from the north. As Yakov warned, this led to further divide between the laborers of the northern provinces and the wealthy of the south and would ultimately lead to the Suffolkan Civil War and ultimate collapse of the nation's central government a few decades after Yakov's death.

Retirement
Yakov and Macqueline fully retired to Albatross in old age where they organized more domestic enrichment projects while playing at the Rising Sun as often as they could. Unable to travel as much as he would in his youth, Yakov would spend his final years at the house corresponding with world leaders and King Yakup by sending letters back and forth. King Yakup, in the years after Yakov's death, revealed Yakov's final concerns for the world to have been the state of Suffolk and the corruption of the growing Tavrupan Empire. He and Yakup agreed on many other things that Yakup never revealed publicly, but he did say once that upon meeting Avatar Hugo, he spent extra time teaching him not only how to maintain a relationship with the people of this world, but nature as well, as it was what Yakov had asked him to do.

Death
One night while Yakov was playing the cello for Macqueline as she prepared tea for them, he stopped suddenly and coughed up blood. He tried to hide it, but she noticed the blood on his hand. He told her he loved her before collapsing on the floor.

Macqueline quickly got him onto a boat to the city, but he died before they reached the other side. It was 536, and he was 80 years old.

In describing his final moments, Macqueline would always tell her children that they shared a special conversation on their way across the harbor but would never real what they discussed. For this reason, it is unclear what Yakov's final words were.

Worried that the power he possessed during his life would bring his corpse a lot of unwanted attention from looters, he decided to keep his burial spot a secret. A public funeral was held for Yakov and eventually Macqueline in the city square. Macqueline had always wanted for them to be buried on their estate, but Yakov's aforementioned worries made that seem unlikely despite him having promised her they would be buried there during the construction.

Ultimately though it would be decided that a secret tomb would be built beneath the house only accessible through the guard tower's basement. They lay now together in the middle of a grand labyrinth beneath their estate. Their secret would not be solved until Piotr's grandson's curiosity led him to finding it in the early 700s (though it is believed someone might have accessed the tomb before him, though it is unclear who). He did not share this information with anyone though, keeping the secret of his great grandparents. Nobody after him would ever find the secret tomb of Yakov Velikiy and Macqueline Velikaya.

Legacy
Yakov, his wife Macqueline, and their friends Isabelle and Alexei would leave behind a legacy unmatched for hundreds of years. Their generation alongside their contemporary monarchs would later be referred to as the "Golden Generation." Yakov's name would be immortalized in the name Yakovia, a kingdom that maintains its powerful presence on the global stage long after his death.

Macqueline remains a strong figure in Kosomarquis history, and is often considered by natives to be the nation's main pride and joy. Her name has found itself on their map as well. When a port town was to be built on the country's east coast, it was name Vélique, or "The Great Lady," in honor of her. The term itself became synonymous not only with Macqueline herself, but with her admirable traits. For centuries after her death, it would be considered a great compliment for a woman in the Lexinais speaking world to be called a vélique as they were being compared to Macqueline.

The most impactful event of Yakov's life was his great big light that was seen all over the world in 477. Though it was unclear to all including Yakup what the overall significance of that event would become, the truth would slowly unravel decades after Yakov's death. The light united a world longing to be connected, inspiring expeditions from nations of the far west during Hugo's life as well as capturing the imagination of people groups living in the far east who could also see the light and even believed to know what it was.

For this reason alone, Yakov in particular would become the sole face of the Avatar to cultures all over the world. The location of his tomb would be sought out for centuries not for looting purposes, but for religious purposes, as his life would later be considered a brief time during which God himself returned to the world. To the people of his time, Yakov was loved, admired, and respected greatly, and to the people of the future, he would be remembered as the single greatest man to ever live.