The Oldbloods are the oldest known vampire lineage — ancient, living curses created through a desperate bargain with Koschei the Deathless. Most vampires trace their existence, directly or indirectly, to the shadow of what happened to the Morozovs. Yet the oldest stories still whisper of things that drank blood long before the Oldbloods walked the earth.
The Shadow of the Ancestors is one of several covens hidden throughout Chicagoland — an old Slavic order with roots in the former Soviet Union, built on blood, memory, duty, and the belief that the dead are not gone, only waiting to be obeyed.
Most wolves are born into bloodlines, but some are made through old ritual, willing sacrifice, and the judgment of the Moon Goddess. Across Illinois and the neighboring states, packs survive through territory, family, law, and devotion. Chicago's Slavic pack is only one of them — loyal, territorial, emotional, and far more human than the monsters who underestimate them.
Chicago's Vampire Council manages secrecy, influence, punishment, and public narrative. It is less a throne room than a pressure system — political, elegant, and always watching.
The Morozov stronghold in Chicago: part mansion, part fortress, part old-world refuge, and part emotional pressure cooker for everyone unfortunate enough to live there.
The origin point. The wound beneath the myth. A mother's desperate plea became a curse that reshaped the supernatural world — and may not be finished with the Morozovs yet.
In the wilds of old Rus', Miroslava Morozova invokes Koschei the Deathless to save her children. The Morozov siblings survive — but not as mortals.
The Starokrovs become one of the dominant sources of vampire history: feared, misunderstood, imitated, and mythologized across centuries.
The Morozovs establish a foothold in Chicago and acquire the Gold Coast estate, one of their most important modern strongholds.
A psychic message, a murdered messenger, and rumors of an impossible cure draw the Morozovs back into Chicago — and pull Liza Belov into the center of a crisis she never asked for.
A quick guide to the Russian, Slavic, and supernatural terms used throughout Devils in the Windy City.
Starokrov Старокров / Старокровные (stah-roh-KROV / stah-roh-KROV-ny-yeh)
Oldblood / Oldbloods. The oldest known vampire lineage. The Morozovs are the original Oldbloods, and most vampire bloodlines ultimately descend from them.
Oldblood
The English term most commonly used for a Starokrov: an ancient vampire of the Morozov lineage.
Staraya Krov' Старая Кровь (STAH-rah-yah krohv)
Old Blood. The literal phrase behind the name Starokrov.
Morozov Морозов (mah-ROH-zov)
The ancient vampire family at the center of the story. The Morozovs are the founding Oldbloods.
Krov' Кровь (krohv)
Blood. A central concept in vampire lineages, witch traditions, and inherited magic.
Oborotni Оборотни (oh-boh-ROHT-nee)
Werewolves. Most are born into wolf bloodlines, though transformation is possible through ancient ritual, willing sacrifice, and the judgment of the Moon Goddess.
Volk Волк (vohlk)
Wolf. A term tied to werewolf culture, pack identity, ancestry, and Slavic folklore.
Moon Goddess
The divine force associated with wolf transformation, instinct, survival, and worthiness.
Ten' Predkov Тень Предков (tyen' PRED-kov)
Shadow of the Ancestors. A Slavic coven built on ancestral magic, inherited memory, and bloodline tradition.
Vedmy / Magi Ведьмы / Маги (VYED-my / MAH-gee)
Witches / Mages. Practitioners of magic.
Magiya Магия (MAH-gee-yah)
Magic. Supernatural power, spellwork, and forces that bend the ordinary rules of the world.
Predok / Predki Предок / Предки (pree-DOHK / PRED-kee)
Ancestor / Ancestors. A recurring term in Ten' Predkov traditions and beliefs.
Rus' Русь (roos)
The medieval East Slavic world where many old supernatural traditions trace their roots.
Koschei Bessmertny Кощей Бессмертный (koh-SHAY byess-SMYERT-ny)
Koschei the Deathless. An immortal sorcerer from Slavic folklore whose bargain transformed the Morozovs.
Devils
A metaphor for monsters, supernatural beings, impossible choices, and the darkness people carry within themselves. Not literal devils. Usually.
Beneath the lake wind, old money, glass towers, churches, clubs, brownstones, and back rooms, Chicago's supernatural world survives by pretending not to exist.
In Devils in the Windy City, every faction has something to protect, something to hide, and something to fear. The Morozovs did not create every monster in the city — but when the Oldbloods gather, every monster notices.