Anastasya Fyodorovna Snezhnaya

Anastasya Feodorovna Snezhnaya (Russian: Анастасия Фёдоровна Снежная Anastasiya Fyodorovna Snezhnaya), also known as the Tsaritsa (Russian: Царица Tsaritsa) and by her divine name Vassaga, is the God of Love and Cryo Archon of The Seven, presiding over Snezhnaya. Chayka — a small Domovoy Confidential Secretary to the Tsaritsa. Anastasya was a resident of the unified civilization 6,000 years ago who was in a relationship with Saarelainen, with their descendants eventually becoming the Khaenri'ahns. She later suceeded the Belyi Tsar as Cryo Archon in Snezhnaya after his death during the Cataclysm 500 years ago. She cemented her authority by establishing the Fatui under Pierro to suppress dissidents, abolishing the feudal Snowland Fae aristocracy, and replacing their political dominance with the Snezhnograd Veche. Over the past five centuries, she and Pierro have recruited powerful individuals from across Teyvat as the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. With their aid, Snezhnaya has become the most militarily and technologically developed nation on the continent, and uses this to intervene in the other nations in pursuit of her final goal: overthrowing the Heavenly Principles. Her ambition to consolidate The Seven's Gnoses in her grasp has been one of the driving questions behind the Traveler's journey. [Profile] As the Cryo Archon of The Seven, Anastasya is granted elemental power from both the Cryo Gnosis and the Cryo Authority within her seat among the Divine Thrones of Celestia. Over the course of the Traveler's journey, she has also come to possess five of the other six Gnoses, with the sole exception of the Pyro Gnosis. Using the six Gnoses, she is able to enhance her Cryo powers to the extent of being able to affect the laws of Reason in Teyvat, with one application of this ability allowing her to slow the passage of time within the span of a large room. Anastasya has the ability to grant her subjects a power separate from Visions, called Delusions. These Delusions are used by the Fatui, particularly by the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. While Anastasya holds the position of God of Love, as the Heavenly Principles has laid a curse upon the gods of Teyvat mandating that they love humanity, Anastasya refuses to identify with or use her authority, viewing any love she feels for humanity as false and coerced. Unlike some of the other Archons, Anastasya is directly involved in the day-to-day administration of her nation; she holds absolute power in Snezhnaya and reigns from her seat in Zapolyarny Palace. Decrees published by Anastasya are called Edicts and are considered the highest level of authority in the nation. The Fatui, who are responsible for most aspects of governance in Snezhnaya, have as their primary purpose to enact her will throughout Teyvat. The Fatui Harbingers all answer to her and receive their appointments from her, either directly in the palace or communicated via Pierro on her behalf. The nobility, most of whom hold no political power, possess their titles at her pleasure. Nod-Krai, though part of the sovereign territory of Snezhnaya, was granted full autonomy from Snezhnayan governmental institutions by an Edict of Anastasya. Anastasya was in a relationship with Saarelainen, with whom she had a son. Their son had distinctive pupils in the shape of a four-pointed star, a trait that was eventually inherited by her descendants, the Khaenri'ahns. The Khaenri'ahns appear to be aware of their heritage, honoring her as their founding ancestor by the title "Mother of Khaenri'ah." [Appearance] Anastasya has the appearance of a young woman with pale skin, long silver hair, pale blue eyes, and pointed ears. In the past, she wore her hair down, but she now wears it in a braided updo. Others have commented on her stony, unreadable expression, while her gaze is said to be "cold but pure." She wears a long white and pale blue strapless dress that is opened on the front, revealing her legs, with golden details and a snowflake-shaped gem on the front of her chest. A small chain goes from the upper right part of her dress to the left side of her waist, holding a crown and emblem-shaped decoration. She has a blue mini cape around her shoulders with white fur trimming and a white cape on the right side. Her accessories consist of a blue and silver kokoshnik-like crown, blue 4-pointed earrings, a black and blue long bow behind her hair and a white detached collar with a golden oval gem on her chest, surrounded by a snowflake-shaped white marking on her skin. She also wears pale blue opera gloves, that fade to white on her hands, with a matelassé pattern and matching thigh-high boots with blue heels. [Personality] Anastasya is diametrically described as being cold and stern by her Harbingers, as well as being gentle and compassionate, although it is suggested that she has sealed her emotions beneath her icy demeanor. From her actions immediately after the Cataclysm, she may be considered iron-willed, if not to the point of ruthlessness, particularly in her renunciation of the nobility. She is graceful, strong, authoritative, terse and serious. Yet motherly, she hates seeing children suffer. While Anastasya refuses to show love due to the Heavenly Principles' curse on the gods, many of her subordinates, such as Vesna and Danica, believe Anastasya is more sincerely kind than she herself believes. [Story] Over 6,000 years ago, Anastasya Feodorovna was a resident of the unified civilization. Around this time, Saarelainen arrived from the sea of stars and landed in Ancient Snezhnaya, with the Hymns of the Far North claiming that he traveled across Hiisi Island and Pohjola to court her at her home. The two of them entered into a relationship that produced a son, with their descendants eventually becoming the Khaenri'ahns Thousands of years later, Anastasya became a herald in the Pale Star Court of the Belyi Tsar. During this period, the Belyi Tsar incited her and Saarelainen to open the gates of the Abyss, which the Hymns of the Far North claims to have been located on Pohjola, creating a passage into the Shadow Realm. The opening of the passage caused the corruption of the Abyss to begin seeping into the world and triggered numerous Abyssal disasters. According to legend, she and Saarelainen created the Wings of the Silent Moon for the Belyi Tsar to cross the Shadow Realm. As punishment, the Heavenly Principles erased Anastasya's existence. Saarelainen, however, ascended to Celestia to negotiate with the Heavenly Principles and secure her resurrection, as well as obtain a promise that they would not lay a hand on their descendants, the Khaenri'ahns. Due to his unparalleled affinity for the power of Teyvat's Human Realm and his ability to amplify the power of the elements, he offered his own life as the price. The Heavenly Principles, having been severely wounded during the war of funerary flame and their functions severely damaged, could no longer fully exercise their authority to suppress the original order of Teyvat. They agreed to resurrect Anastasya and promised never to lay a hand on her descendants in exchange for Saarelainen consenting to have his remains split into the seven Gnoses, which would be used to consolidate the system of rule established by the Heavenly Principles. Anastasya was resurrected, but on the condition that everything related to Saarelainen would be forgotten. The Heavenly Principles used Irminsul to erase all traces of his existence from the world and, in accordance with the terms of the agreement, manipulated her memories, leaving her unable to remember the Third Descender or any events related to him. The Belyi Tsar, because he had escaped into the Shadow Realm to avoid punishment, retained his memories of Saarelainen. Consumed by guilt and accepting responsibility for all the sins committed, on his later return he told Anastasya about what had happened and of her lover, though she never fully trusted him. Realizing that she could not trust her own memory, Anastasya later acquired a memory prism and recorded each day's events in it; the prism was a product from the Third Descender, and would be immune to any modifications such as Irminsul changes. [Historical Reign] During the Cataclysm 500 years ago, she succeeded the Belyi Tsar as Cryo Archon following his demise during his expedition, and was crowned Tsaritsa of All Snezhnaya. Some of the Snowland Fae nobility, furious a non-fae had taken the throne, refused to recognize Anastasya as their new ruler: some did not seek an audience with her, while others, such as the Dalegrad clan, broke ties with Snezhnograd altogether.Anastasya herself was left severely embittered by the events of the Cataclysm, and cut ties with other Archons, including Venti. After stabilizing Snezhnaya, Anastasya began a series of reforms in her nation, aimed at crippling the Fae's aristocracy's political power while strengthening the status of humanity in her court. Firstly, she sent emissaries to all fae princes who had not come to seek an audience with her, and demanded they relinquish their princely titles. Many died before responding, while the remainder acceded. Secondly, she strengthened the Fatui by ordering them to build a new fortress near Snezhnograd, named Glupov. Lastly, she replaced the Fae aristocracy with the Snezhnograd Veche as an administrative organ, headed by a human, I. Ivanovna N.. On the 7th year of her reign, she issued the Imperial Order Reformation Edict, in which many princely Fae, "deeply grateful for Anastasya's mercy and virtue", voluntarily forsook their noble titles and departed Snezhnaya; many would choose to reside in Novokitezhgrad, where their descendants continue to live in the present day. Around three to four centuries ago, she invited Kuutar to the Fatui, bestowing upon her the name Columbina together with the position as Third Harbinger, telling her that they would be like a second home to her, which she accepted. Over a decade ago, Anastasya pardoned House of the Hearth orphan Peruere of the crime of killing a Harbinger—Crucabena, the former House of the Hearth director—and promoted her as Crucabena's replacement, bestowing the name Arlecchino to her. Some time later, she promoted Ajax to the position of Eleventh Harbinger, granting him the name Tartaglia. Shortly before the start of the Traveler's journey, Anastasya launched her plan to collect the Gnoses of the other six Archons. Pierro then held a meeting with the Harbingers in which he outlined the details of the plan to them on her behalf. At some point, Anastasya became acquainted with Danica, a maid whose family had served Anastasya for generations, and Vesna, the current Commander of the Druzhna. After Signora's death in Inazuma, Anastasya held a funeral for her in the Sanctuary of Grief. Before the proceedings began, she played a game of chess with Pierro (with the already collected Anemo and Geo Gnoses placed on the board as chess pieces), using her powers to remotely move her pieces. After all of the Fatui Harbingers arrived to pay their respects—except Scaramouche, who had gone missing—Anastasya froze her tomb along with the entire mausoleum, encasing it in thick layers of ice. Learning of Dottore's rogue behaviour and the now-growing situation in Nod-Krai, Anastasya sent Tartaglia to assist Arlecchino in evacuation efforts while having the Fatui Internal Affairs division investigate Dottore's conduct. The division concluded that Dottore had gone against Anastasya's will, which granted Arlecchino and Sandrone executive authority to eliminate Dottore should the need arise. Once the situation was handled, she also rescinded the Palestar Edict. Afterwards, she summoned Pantalone and Pulcinella before her to answer for the recent events; Pantalone excused any involvement he had with Dottore on pressure from the latter's seniority. Anastasya is currently overseeing a massive plan known as Project Stuzha. While its details are unknown, it is connected to a concept or thing known as "Mistilteinn". By the time the Traveler arrived in inner Snezhnaya, Anastasya had already embarked on a campaign against a monster that had been creating endless snowstorms to the east, departing with Danica, Vesna and some of the Druzhna. Anastasya had returned from the campaign. The snowstorms had become so intense that Anastasya had to venture alone, but when she got to the monster, she discovered a hooded figure and Asmoday. The project Stuzha had to be temporarily stopped, because one of the Shades, Ronova, the Shade of Death, made it her mission to temporarily kill anyone making progress in creating a weapon to Strike Celestia. Aware that Rhinedottir was involved in reviving those killed by Ronova's curse of death, Anastasya used her mastery of Cryo alongside the six Gnoses to create a realm in which time was slowed, stalling Rhinedottir long enough that the Shade was unable to finish closing the loop before the next monitoring cycle occurred, resulting in Ronova's authority being removed by Celestia for abuse. Naberius demanded Rhinedottir punish Anastasya for her defiance, but she declined and told her that as a member of the Hexenzirkel, she had her respect. With the help of her subjects and Pierro, Ronova was slain. without the help of Rhinedottir, she was punished by the Celestia for abusing the power of death to strike mortals. [Snezhnaya locations] Zapolyarny Palace. It is located in Snezhnograd and is the residence of the Cryo Archon from which they rule over Snezhnaya. The Belyi Tsar reigned over Snezhnaya from Zapolyarny Palace until his death, after which Anastasya took his place. Glupov. It is a satellite city within Snezhnograd and serves as the headquarters of the Fatui.It also houses the Royal Armory Palace. Glupov's present Mayor is the Fifth of the Fatui Harbingers, "The Rooster," Pulcinella. The House of the Hearth is an orphanage run by "The Knave" Arlecchino of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. Orphans within the house are often raised directly into the Fatui's ranks or remain closely affiliated with the organization by way of their relation to Arlecchino. The Korolevskiy Theater is a subarea located in Everfrozen Earth, Snezhnaya. It is a theater in Snezhnograd where the Korolevskiy Troupe holds their performances. Most popular are the ballerina Odette, who also works for the Fatui and is an adopted daughter of Signora, as well as Vodyanitsa, a prima donna, a rusalka with a beautiful voice. Most of Snezhnaya is frozen and different cities can be accessed by a train. Main cities include: Snezhnograd (the capital), Morepesok, Svetloledovka, Rankova Zorya station, Sretomorozsk.