From the Professor:

Characters

Light Others

Anton Gorodetsky (Grand Light Mage) – The main character of Night Watch and the two movies, a main or major character in the rest of the stories (except Unauthorised Personnel Permitted) and the narrator of the tetralogy (sans Day Watch). A reluctant member of the Night Watch. In the beginning of the first book he prefers mundane, technical jobs to actual field work, initially supervising the Night Watch’s IT department. The events of the series force him to step up and become a full-fledged operative. He eventually becomes an extremely powerful magician. Over time, he becomes considerably more cynical about the cause of Light Others. His favorite pastime is listening to custom mini-discs. In the novels, he uses the randomized playback feature of his player in much the same way a Taoist might throw stones to gain a rough idea of the future, for example an ominous song implying upcoming danger. Having discovered his powers 7 years (12 in the movies) prior to the series’ beginning, he starts off as a relatively weak mage, only to discover unsuspected potential as time passes by, becoming a second level mage and then, affected by the Fuaran ritual, a mage Beyond Classification.  Possesses a pistol with silver bullets for protection from vampires and werewolves.  Day Watch (Movie): as he uses the Chalk of Fate to rewind time and corrects his biggest mistake, he becomes human without any powers or recollections of the Others.

Boris Ignatyevich/Geser  (Also spelled Gesar and Gesser, also referred to as Boris Ignatyevich or Boris Ivanovich (depending on the print, in both movies) (Grand Light Mage) – an ancient mage of Tibetan descent who taught a number of heroes and philosophers during his lifetime. He moved to Europe during the early 15th century. Although he has had many opportunities to advance to high-level posts within Night Watch, he chooses to remain a Regional Director of the Moscow division (it should be noted that the Moscow division is the de facto head of all divisions of former USSR). Gesar is a battle-hardened tactician who’s been known to turn devastating defeats into small victories. He cares a great deal about his subordinates, though he doesn’t hesitate to put them in harm’s way for the sake of the greater good. His mage level is Beyond Classification (i.e. doesn’t fit into the 1-7 scale). During the course of the Dusk Watch, it was revealed that he and Olga had a son, who turned out to be mortal.

Svetlana Gorodetskaya (nee Nazarova) (Also called Sveta) (Grand Light Sorceress) – a young doctor who is not aware of her powers at the beginning of the novels. (Night Watch Book and Movie): She is a victim of a plot by Zabulon to either kill her or depress her until she turns to the Dark before she joins the Night Watch. Her power is discovered when Zabulon goes too far and she inadvertently curses herself; Svetlana’s powers are so strong that the curse develops into an enormous vortex that threatens to unleash an Inferno and destroy Moscow. She enters into a relationship with Anton which becomes strained as Svetlana’s powers continue to increase exponentially. Day Watch (Movie): She clashes with Yegor during his birthday, which starts a war between Light and Dark. Yegor attacks her with his weapon, blinding her. When Anton rewinds time and both forget what was, he meets her in a park, and shows interest in her. Twilight Watch (Novel): Svetlana and Anton eventually have a child together that is more powerful than either of them, a very rare occurrence among the others (who usually have normal, ungifted children).

Olga (Grand Light Sorceress) – an old friend and an occasional lover of Gesar. Gesar has a number of pet names for her (Olyushka, etc.) When he refers to someone whose name begins with “Ol”, he is likely referring to Olga. Night Watch (Book and Movie): Olga was turned into an owl for breaking obligations she had to the Light. In the book, she was allowed to change back to her human form during wartime, for half an hour every day. In the movie, she changed back to her human form permanently after being assigned to Anton as a partner. (Day Watch Book ): Thanks to Gesar’s manipulations, she was restored to her human form and regained her powers by the end of Night Watch. Day Watch (Movie): Gesar reveals that Olga was imprisoned in an owl body by the Inquisition when she sacrificed herself to help Gesar out in a difficult situation, and later Gesar understood that it was the Dark Others’ plan all along.

Semyon (Also spelled Simeon) (First-level Light Mage) – a crusty, experienced mage with a wryly cynical outlook on the world. Unlike many of his fellow mages, he is a capable fighter even without his magic. Unlike most mages, he is capable of “reading” people the same way a normal person would – by body language, as opposed to magic. In the films, he is associated with a large yellow supercharged truck to which he has an undefined connection. In the books, this connection is less distinct. However, he’s still the designated driver of Night Watch parties, as he’s a genius with anything that has wheels, even without his powers. In the film Day Watch, he is killed after ramming his truck through a much larger semi-truck attempting to stop him and Olga from reaching the hotel where Anton and Svetlana are stuck at a Dark Other party. They reach the hotel in the truck and he says “We made it”, before slouching forward on to the car horn, supposedly dead. However, he is seen again at the end of the film, once Anton rewrites his own fate, back when he, Bear, and Tiger Cub were attemtping to catch the witch at the beginning of the movie Night Watch. He speaks briefly to Anton, and tells his co-workers that Anton has become human again.

Bear (Shifter-Mage) – a reclusive, quiet mage known for his calculated, brutal tactics. His preferred animal form is a large polar bear, although he can take any bear form. Due to his shady personality, he is often referred to as an ex-Dark Other (though his supposed former affiliation to the Dark Others proved to be wrong). He is frequently partnered with Tiger Cub. Night Watch (movie): his first name is Ilya and he is romantically involved with Tiger Cub. Day Watch (book): when Tiger Cub dies, he is largely saddened by her demise, which leads other operatives to think he had a crush on her.

Ignat (Light Incubus) a self-absorbed mage with “[the] face of a Hollywood actor and the body of a Greek god”. He prides himself on being able to bed any woman (or man). As a result, he takes failure very hard. Night Watch (book and Russian version of the movie): He is called by Gesar to attempt to seduce Svetlana, so she would relax the vortex or at least say who cursed her. However, he tries too hard and she figures him out. Day Watch (movie): his failure drove him to be downgraded to a simple archive guard. However, as seen in front of the hotel “Kosmos”, he still has influence on other operatives, as he motivates them to attack before Olga stops him.

Garik (Light Mage) a shy mage infamous for his bad luck with women.

Igor Teplov (Light Mage) an idealistic mid-level mage. Despite his youthful appearance, he was born in the late 1920s. He is dedicated to the cause of Light Others, though his knee jerk reaction to Dark Others and refusal to compromise his principles has occasionally caused problems. Voluntarily dematerialized into the Twilight at the end of the events in the 2nd book, Day Watch.

Nadya Gorodetskaya (Absolute Light Sorceress) – Twilight Watch (Novel): daughter of Anton and Svetlana. Two years old in Twilight Watch.  Even at her young age, she’s capable of feats few Light Others can match. In spite of the knowledge that comes with such power, she retains child-like innocence, which occasionally results in her using her powers without thinking of the consequences. She is a Zero-level Other – she does not emit magic, only absorbs. In all the novels, there are only two Other’s that had such a level: Merlin and Jesus (although he is only mentioned). Nadya was intended to be the Light Messiah, with help of Gesar’s manipulations with fate. However, due to Zavulon’s intrigue, the only Light Other apparently able to be a teacher and mentor to a Messiah, voluntarily defleshed himself. Nadya is still going to become an incredibly powerful Light Sorceress, but it is not certain whether she will actually become Light Messiah.

Alexander “Las” Ulyanov Twilight Watch (novel): Normal human heavy metal bass player that Anton encounters while undercover in Dusk Watch. Anton’s apartment has no toilet, Las’s has no shower. As he has always been attracted to the strange and fantastic (and probably familiar with hallucinogens), he is unfazed by seeing magic used around him. He is eventually given powers by Kostya as a demonstration and joins the Night Watch. This character is based on a real Russian musician, Alexander “Las” Ulyanov.

Dark Others

Zabulon (Also spelled Zavulon) (Grand Dark Mage) – An ancient schemer about the same age as Gesar. He runs the Day Watch in Moscow and his plans frequently involve misdirection and hidden agendas. His power seems to rival that of Geser but he is often, if not overpowered by Geser, outwitted by him. His true form has taken on demonic characteristics because he has spent a great deal of time in the Twilight. His chosen human appearance is often misleading, as he appears as a thin intellectual who does not seem to be a threat to those who do not know him. Day Watch Novel: Geser’s consistent ability to outwit him eventually forces the outside forces of the gloom to step in and restore the balance between Light and Dark. Face of the Dark Palmira: His human name is revealed to be Arthur. The name “Zabulon” is from the Old Testament.

Kostya (Konstantin) Saushkin (High Vampire) – A young, idealistic vampire whom Anton befriended before becoming an Other. Anton’s actions during the first part of Night Watch drove a wedge between them. Kostya was bitten by his father after he was born, in order to prevent him from succumbing to a fatal disease (pneumonia in both lungs), and has resented being a vampire ever since. His goal is to study biology and find a cure for vampirism or at the very least find a way to make himself no different from everyone else. Twilight Watch (Novel): Normally, a vampire must drink blood, and kill (completely) about 6-7 humans to become a High Vampire. Kostya has managed to become one by only drinking the “Saushkin Cocktail” – a special mix from blood of 12 donors, willingly given. Later, thanks to the Fuaran book, he becomes the most powerful Other in the world. In the same novel, is revealed that the final objective of Kostya was to use the Fuaran on the whole world by undergoing the ritual onboard the International Space Station. Anton hijacks the shuttle take off, stranding him in space without chance to open a portal to teleport away.  Day Watch (Movie): he has an affair with Alisa. When the Inquisitors take Kostya’s father away, Kostya tries to attack Zabulon and is killed in a fatal tango dance. As the result of Anton’s use of the Chalk of Fate, however, he is most likely alive again at the end of the film.

Arina (Grand Dark Witch) – an extremely powerful witch. Twilight Watch (Novel): She was involved in an experiment intended to create a perfect society, organised by both Watches together with the Inquisition, but she sabotaged it, together with an unknown Light Mage who is most likely Gesar. Then she put herself to sleep for several decades, to wait out the hunt. Arina does most of her magic using plants and herbs. She chose darkness out of selfishness rather than any particular malice. She does not like to hurt people, although she will pretend she is willing to if it suits her goals. She actively dislikes and disrepects Zabulon.

Inquisition

Witezislav Hrubín (High Vampire, Inquisitor) – an old vampire who got tired of Zabulon and Day Watch and joined the Inquisition. He and Gesar share a long-standing animosity for each other. According to Gesar, when Witezislav became a vampire, he killed his own mother, though it was not intended. In Twilight Watch, he discovers the Fuaran hidden by Arina and tests it on Kostya, who becomes a Higher Vampire and kills Witezislav to get ahold of the book for himself.

Edgar (Dark Mage) – a strong Dark mage (1-2 level) who was transferred to Moscow from an Estonian Day Watch on Zabulon’s behest. Although he was, for a while, a steadfast supporter of the Dark Other’s cause, he found many aspects of the Dark Others’ lifestyle distasteful. Between Day Watch (Novel) and Twilight Watch (Novel): After becoming tired of being a pawn in Zabulon’s schemes, he joins the Inquisition. 

Plot Summary

Nobody’s Time

Anton Gorodetsky is assigned by Gesar to investigate mysterious warning letters sent to both the Watches and the Inquisition. In the letters, a powerful Great Light Other promises a human that they will turn him into an ‘Other’, which the human deeply desires. However, as far as the Others are concerned this is impossible and as such, the Light Other is in danger because refusal to fulfill this human’s request means that he or she will dematerialise in the Twilight. Anton is assigned the case and goes to the Assol, a rich district in Moscow where the letters came from. Vampire Kostya Saushkin from the Day Watch has also been assigned to the case, along with Edgar and Witezislav from the Inquisition. Anton discovers that the human is a 60-year old businessman, the son of Gesar. The four confront Gesar about making the promise to turn his son into an Other but Gesar denies even knowing his son was alive. It is then revealed that his son is a potential Other for whom Gesar claims the right to initiate. It is revealed later in the book that the witch, Arina, used the book of Fuaran to transform Gesar’s son into an Other.

Nobody’s Space

Anton joins his wife Svetlana (who left the Night Watch), her mother, and their daughter (Nadya) on a vacation in a remote area. Whilst there, he learns an incident where werewolves tried attacked two human children but who were saved by a mysterious woman living in the forest. Anton magically reads the older girl’s memory, and notices that she saw a book titled “Fuaran” on the shelf. Anton can hardly believe it, as Fuaran is a legendary and extremely powerful artifact, believed to be lost ages ago or maybe never to have existed at all. According to stories, the book, written by an ancient witch (named Fuaran) contains a spell able to turn an ordinary human into an Other.

Anton finds the witch’s cottage and the witch, Arina, who turns out to be level 1 or higher, but not Fuarar. Instead, all Anton finds is a book about the legend of Fuaran which is co-authored by Arina. The book explains how Fauran discovered how to raise the power of an Other, and grant a human the powers of an Other. According to the book, the average magical temperature of the world was 97 degrees, while humans had a magical temperature of 97 or higher. Their warmth is fed into their surroundings, while the Others have a magical temperature under 97, and thus soak up the ‘warmth’ that surrounded them. The lower an Others magical temperature, the more they soaked up. Seventh level Others had a magical temperature of about 90, while Others without Classification where in the 40s. The rarest type of other is one who had no magical temperature at all, a Zero Other, who’s power was near limitless due to the fact they only absorbed magic. After a talk with Sveta, Anton discovers Nadya is an absolute Zero Other.

Later, as Anton is relaxing in a hammock, he opens his eyes to find Edgar (an Inquisitor) standing over him. Edgar explains to Anton that Arina was wanted for questioning. In turns out the witch played a major role in a joint Watch experiment to create the perfect socialist state in the 20s. Arina was meant to put a potion in the bread that, over time, would cause whoever ate it to fully believe in newly arising government. Instead, all the subjects were turned quickly to the cause, which lead to the downfall of the government and the death of nearly all the subjects, supposedly due to the Arina’s intentional sabotage.

Confronted by Anton and Edgar, Arina dives into the fourth level of the twilight, where it takes time before the pair manage to follow her, only to find that she had escaped. Edgar and Anton return to the real world and decide that it would not be smart to search a Higher Others house, as Arina had proven herself to be. Having lost their target, the duo split ways, Edgar to get backup in order to find the witch and Anton to return to his family.

Once back home Sveta and Anton learn that while Sveta’s mother was out in the forest with their daughter, her ‘old friend’ took their daughter for a walk. Sveta and Anton knew instantly it was Arina, and through magical means contacted her. The Inquisition had erected a dome to stop the witch from escaping, and she was holding Nadya hostage with demands that they find her a means to escape.

After Sveta sends out magical means to search for Nadya, which nearly blew Anton away, and discovers nothing, the werewolves, who had felt Sveta’s power and were afraid she would come after them, showed up. It turned out to be a man in his twenties with three children. They admitted having seen where Arina took Nadya and agreed that as long as they were pardoned for hunting those children, they would help track down and fight Arina.

In the end, after a battle between Arina and a very angry Sveta, Nadya is saved, and with no deaths. Sveta, who traveled to Arina via the fifth level of the twilight, seemed changed, as though she had a new understanding on life. After forcing Arina to agree not to hurt any human or other unless in self-defense, Sveta agreed to help her find a means to leave.

Nobody’s Power

Anton later traveled to Moscow in order to talk to Gesar, at which point Gesar received a phone call, asking him to go to the witches hut, where Anton had only just been. After traveling there with Anton through magical means, they meet Kostya, Edgar, Zabulon and Svetlana. Witezoslav’s ashes have been found in a hidden room with no indication of who could have killed him, except that it would have to be someone powerful, as Witezoslav was a Higher Vampire. At first, they suspect Arina. However, it soon turns out that the Other who killed Witezoslav and took the book is Kostya, who himself became a Higher Vampire after drinking a blood cocktail made from donors in order to raise a vampire to this max potential (a mix of blood from 12 donors). Originally, Witezoslav found the book and phoned Edgar, who didn’t believe the vampire had found the actual book of Fuaran. But Kostya wasn’t convinced the book was a fake and joined Witezoslav at the hut. The Inquisitor wanted to see if the book actually worked and tried it on Kostya, using his cocktail of a blood mixture made from 12 donors, increasing his powers exponentially, after which Kostya challenged Witezoslav to a vampire duel. The loser of such a duel is ashed. His ultimate goal is to travel to the International Space Station and read the book while looking at the Earth from orbit (the spell of Fuaran works on everyone in the caster’s range of sight), turning all humans into Others, so at last he will not be different from the rest. All but Kostya realize that this will be a disaster – “you step on someone’s foot in a tram, he curses at you; now he can incinerate you.” Also, what most Others do not realize is that it is, in fact, humans who emit magical energy. The Others absorb it more than they emit, allowing them to use it. The magic level of an Other depends on the absorb/emit ratio. There were several “zero” Others in history: Jesus (Yehoshua), Merlin, and Anton and Svetlana’s daughter. Their power is nearly unlimited as all they do is absorb magic. If Kostya manages to turn all humans into Others, the amount of magic energy available will drastically decrease.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of “Fuaran” to Anton, he uses it on a human, turning him into a low-level Other. What neither Kostya nor Anton realized at the moment was that Anton was affected too – as he was standing right in front of Kostya – turning him into a mage without classification (Gesar/Zabulon/Sveta’s level).  Kostya makes it to the Baikonur Cosmodrome and mind-controls the humans there to suit him up for the rocket launch.  Anton catches up and confronts him, with Gesar, Zabulon, and Edgar all linked to his mind, and feeding him energy from everyone they have the right to leach it from.  Each is telling him to use a different destructive spell on the vampire.  They realize that Kostya is not planning to steal a rocket, as not even the Higher Vampire is capable of launching a rocket into orbit by himself. He is instead planning to open a portal to the space station. As a precaution, he is still putting on a spacesuit. However, when Kostya was about to open the portal, Anton took all the energy channeled into him by Gesar, Zabulon, and Edgar and spent it to create a shield around himself in order to shield his thoughts from Kostya.

What Anton did not want the vampire to realize was that because Kostya was an Other, an Other without classification to boot, he would not be able to perform any magic in the vast emptiness of space. There would be no energy there from which he could draw on, in space he was separated from the source of all Others energy. Kostya, assuming the shield was put up because Anton was afraid and wanted to protect himself from harm, expressed his surprise at such an act of cowardice and opened the portal. Only when the vampire stepped through it did Anton relax – the threat was over. It takes thousands of calculations to put a rocket into orbit. He knew that Kostya could not possibly calculate the exact position of the station. The portal deposited Kostya into orbit, leaving him to float in his spacesuit, unable to perform any magic. He could not make a corrective teleport into the space station, he could not open a portal back to the planet. He could only remain in orbit as that orbit decayed and he ended up burning up in the atmosphere upon re-entry, along with the book.

With the death of Kostya and others in the recent past, The Day Watch in Moscow is down to one Higher Level Magician (Zabulon) while The Night watch in Moscow has four (Gesar/Olga/Sveta/Anton).

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