An event that changed the world forever.
It became different—very strange, sometimes dangerous, and again, unexplored. Moscow stayed the capital, but now of the Republic of Muscovia; the trade center “Okhotny Ryad” had to be залит бетоном (poured with concrete) and sealed with magical seals. In Yaroslavl forests, border guards smoke out nests of black widow spiders. A retired border guard, Stas Grigorievich, doesn’t really remember his surname—long ago it was replaced by a nickname: the Lame.
Together with his friend Ivan, he carries out orders for wealthy people. Wizards hunt for useful and dangerous artifacts—and sometimes for things that look ordinary from the outside. For example, a gift for a rich merchant’s daughter. A harmless New Year’s gift—that’s where it all began…