ðə stˈoːɹiz ɑːɹ sˈɛt ɪn mˈɛdɪˌiːvəl ɹˈʌʃə ɐlˈɔŋ ðə dnˈiːpɚ ɹˈɪvɚ, ɪn ɐ fˈɪkʃənəl ɔːltˈɜːnət hˈɪstɚɹi ʌv kˈiːvæn ɹˈuːz, ɐ pɹˈɛdᵻsˌɛsɚ stˈeɪt ʌv mˈɑːdɚndˈeɪ ɹˈʌʃə, bˌɛlɚɹˈuːs ænd juːkɹˈeɪn.
The stories are set in medieval Russia along the Dnieper river, in a fictional alternate history of Kievan Rus', a predecessor state of modern-day Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.