Upyr Volkhv: Lore, Origin and Role in Tsarevna: Age of Tales
The full story of the Upyr Volkhv: a sage who stole years from villagers to cheat death, was cursed by Veles, and became a hostage corpse between worlds.
What is the Upyr Volkhv's backstory and why is he undead?
The Upyr Volkhv is a character who began his journey as a respected sage and ended it as an unholy creature, and he is undead because Veles would not allow his soul to find peace after he stole years from villagers to extend his own life. Watt Studio introduced him in an official Steam announcement that traces his fall from respected sage to unholy creature.
Who was the Volkhv before he became a monster?
He was a respected sage. The announcement frames his story as one woven from pride, fear of old age and reckless rituals rather than simple malice, and it notes that he began his journey as a sage and ended it as an unholy creature.
How did he try to cheat death?
He stole years from unsuspecting villagers. As old age approached, fear of the inevitable drove him toward forbidden rites, and he extended his own life by taking time from other people.
According to the same announcement, he did this in several ways:
- Curses
- Enchanted objects
- Drinking his victims' blood
Each ritual restored his youth, but gradually erased his humanity.
Why did he become an upyr?
Because Veles would not let his soul rest. The announcement describes a late, agonizing and unclean death; neither rituals nor incantations could ease the torment as his flesh decayed while he was still alive. For the lives he stole, Veles refused his soul peace.
The result was a volkhv trapped between worlds, transformed into a "hostage corpse" — an upyr. Notably, he kept his mind and his sorcerous power, and his soul continued to suffer even as death granted him the eternal existence he had sought.
What does the Upyr Volkhv do now?
He serves the unclean instead of people. He still thirsts for power and forbidden knowledge, and the announcement says he now performs rituals for the unclean, desecrating sanctuaries and carving amulets from ichor.
Whether he appears as a boss encounter, a story character or both is not documented in official materials yet; the announcement presents his lore without stating his in-game mechanical role. There is also no release date beyond 2027, and the game currently has no critic or user reviews on Metacritic, so there is no outside assessment of his fight or story presence to draw on.
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