Filipov

Filipov Vseslavyevich was a Snowland Fae Grand Duke who served as the first Commander of the Druzhna and the Belyi Tsar's "Synaimos", his greatest comrade in the fae tongue.^[1]

Profile

Filipov was a Snowland Fae lord^[2] and Grand Duke^[3] of the Belyi Tsar's court, described as "the most adept of the fae at the art of transformation,"^[4] the "progenitor of the shapeshifters" and the second most powerful person after the Belyi Tsar during his time.^[5] Ancient cronicles always described him as a far-seeing strategist, cunning and quick witted. Filipov was a close friend to Monomakh^[1] and someone whom the Belyi Tsar "deeply trusted."^[2] He also served as the first Commander of the Druzhna,^[1] with Dmitri Dubrovich Sukhotin, third-class military officer and Chief Instructor of the Snezhnayan Royal Military Academy, serving as the Grand Duke's trusted aide sometime before the Cataclysm.^[3] It is said that he was only defeated in combat three times: when he first met Monomakh, when he first met his wife and finally by the Abyss when he disappeared during the Cataclysm.^[1]

Filipov once said that "all the living desired to be deceived" and that all people, regardless of their standing, crafted narratives to avoid facing the realities of their situation.^[2] This belief stemmed from the love he held for his late human wife, Nepla Korolevitsna. Filipov was left depressed by her death, only tethered to the world by his friendship with Monomakh Snezhnyi. This left him prey to manipulation by both Rotwang and the Abyss. Filipov himself appeared aware of these manipulations but was willing to be deceived so long as he could be with at least a simulacrum of his beloved. Once Monomakh died, Filipov fully gave in, and disappeared into the dark.^[1]

Story

The first encounter Filipov would have with the future Belyi Tsar came shortly after the latter set off from Yalyane Morevna. Desiring to be friendly, Monomakh offered "crystals of the purest kind" yet Filipov rebuked him and challenged him to a duel. Filipov first transformed into a weasel to destroy Monomakh's armaments but was caught by Monomakh by the scruff of his neck and hurled as one would a spear, right over an entire mountain. He then transformed into a variety of animals of gradually increasing size (culminating in transforming into his opponent's own form) and was summarily thrown over increasingly more mountains after each attempt. After this event, Filipov swore loyalty to the Tsar and the two became close friends. Tales tell of their many exploits together, including stories of them sailing into the belly of a giant whale and fighting a dragon on the snowy plains over the course of a week.^[1]

Some time after that, Monomakh and Filipov would meet Nepla Korolevitsna, a warrior who stood guard over a human clan that in the future would build Port Belovodye. To intimidate her, Filipov shifted into the form of a serpent and was hurled by Monomakh at her, but as happened to him before, she caught him and hurled him as one would a spear, right over three mountains in a single throw. Filipov would lose an eye in efforts to bring down her warhorse, and after her surrender the two were wed, despite Monomakh's warnings that his nature as a fae would mean he would long outlive her. Korolevitsna passed even sooner than expected, dying from illness. Filipov wanted to follow her in death, but his strong friendship and oaths to Monomakh kept him alive for a few thousands years until the Cataclysm.^[1]

During the second campaign in the war with King Miscislav, ruler of Miscislavli and king of the Volkodlak, Filipov used his transformation techniques to infiltrate Miscislav's army and gather intelligence about a planned ambush by Grand Duke Skoldyryt of Nyholmgarthir. This vital piece of information allowed Monomakh, now the Emperor, to adjust his plans accordingly, ultimately ending in the death of Grand Duke Skoldyryt and a catastrophic defeat for Miscislav's forces. Monomakh was later crowned as the Belyi Tsar.^[6]

Near the end of the war with King Miscislav, Filipov traveled to meet with the first Grand Dutchess of the Vila, Vaselisa Strivozha, after she had denounced her alliance with the Volkodlaks to offer her a sword as a gift in hopes that she would remain an ally to Emperor Monomakh. She gladly accepted his request and held a banquet that lasted seven days and seven nights.^[1]

According to a tale circulating the court of the Belyi Tsar around 500 years ago, Rotwang summoned the soul of Filipov's late wife, who had been appearing in the fae's dreams, after he publicly called Rotwang's research an "elaborate hoax." However, Rotwang never verified the truth of this tale and others like it when asked about them.^[4] Filipov himself is indicated to have bought into it, and thus did not warn the Tsar not to trust Rotwang.^[1]

During the Cataclysm, Filipov joined the Belyi Tsar's expedition to Khaenri'ah,^[1] alongside "Zver" and numerous fae and Aberrant Chimeric Monsters.^[7] During the fighting, the Abyss took on the form of Korolevitsna and attempted to persuade Filipov to desert the Tsar's forces. Filipov asserted that the Abyss' shapeshifting was inferior, as it had missed one detail: Nepla had a mole hidden behind her ear. The mimic claimed such a detail did exist, but Filipov burst into laughter that eventually devolved into tears, revealing he had made the detail up and exposed the Abyss' trickery, but now could no longer accept the imitation as his returned wife. He spoke of how people want to be deceived and lied to, and both he and the Abyss were no different.^[1]

As the fighting continued, Filipov learned of the Tsar's death and, as a result, abandoned his men.^[1] To this day, no one knows if he still lives or if he died.^[5]

Trivia

• Filipov was not described as a Grand Duke during the war with King Miscislav, suggesting he gained his title after the war.
• Though the Druzhna was and still is mostly comprised of Vila, Filipov's shapeshifting abilities and his seeming lack of flight suggests he is not among their kind.
• The accounts of Filipov and Monomakh sailing into the belly of a whale and doing battle against a dragon over the course of seven days match folkloric accounts of the fictional hero Ajax.^[8]

Etymology

• Filipov's patronymic may be inspired by Volga Svyatoslavich (Russian: Вольга Святославич Vol'ga Svyatoslavich) or Volkh Vseslavyevich (Russian: Волх Всеславьевич Volkh Vseslav'yevich) a Russian epic hero, a bogatyr, from the Novgorod Republic bylina cycle.

Other Languages

Language	Official Name
English	Filipov
Chinese (Simplified)	菲利波夫 Fēilìbōfū
Chinese (Traditional)	菲利波夫 Fēilìbōfū
Japanese	フィリポフ Firipofu
Korean	필리포프 Pillipopeu
Spanish	Filipov
French	Filipov
Russian	Филипов Filipov
Thai	Filipov
Vietnamese	Filipov
German	Filipov
Indonesian	Filipov
Portuguese	Filipov
Turkish	Filipov
Italian	Filipov

Change History

References