The Kislevites
an unofficial Armylist

Foreword

This Army List was originally published to the Internet by Tuomas Pirinen around 1996, and subsequently published to the Citadel Journal. With the exception of a few minor adjustments the purpose of this work is simply to bring Tuomas' previous army list up to date with Warhammer Fantasy Battle 6th Edition. Adjustments contributed by this author will be footnoted at the end of the Army List in order to preserve any previous claims Tuomas or Games Workshop may have regarding legal Rights of Protection.

History

The history of Kislev reaches back almost 1,000 years, from the times when the hordes of Gospodars migrated en masse over the World's Edge Mountains to settle north of the Urskoy River basin. The Empire was, at best, a fragmented coalition of states ruled by several self-proclaimed Emperors, and unable to stop the Gospodars from taking the northern-most province.

Realizing that the united Empire would benefit from this bulwark against the forces of Chaos and the marauding Norse Clans, Emperor Dieter III formed an alliance with Tzar Alexandr. Since then, Kislev and the Empire have enjoyed a strong alliance, often sending troops to assist one another in times of need. A notable example is the Gryphon Legion that is based in the Empire and contains many of the noblest sons of Kislev.

The barbarians of Norsca and the hordes of Chaos regularly threaten the borders of Kislev. Responding to this threat, the army of Kislev is a formidable force, and mercenaries are always welcome. The northern fringes of the realm are always in a state of war and the people of Kislev have grown hard in the face of their trials.

The last great Chaos incursion almost overran the Old World, and only the valiant efforts of the Kislevites supported by Dwarfs and the mighty army of Magnus the Pious stopped the tide of Chaos at the Gates of Kislev in 2303.

Tzarina Katarin, daughter of deceased Tzar Radii Bokha, is the current ruler of Kislev and coldly wears the title of "Ice Queen."

The People

The Gospodars

The Gospodars are the mainstay of the people of Kislev. They are tall, broad-shouldered people with blond or red hair and deep voices. They are quiet and grim in the presence of outsiders. However, they are very sentimental people with a deep love for their families and their land, and it is these values that makes them such worthy adversaries in defending their homes against the invaders from the North.

The women of Kislev are famed for their beauty and held in as high regard as the men. Bloodlines are traced by the mother's side and women occupy as many positions of power as their male counterparts. Despite these admirable opportunities, most women prefer the simplicity of remaining at home where her authority over the family is absolute and without question.

It's no coincidence that the most powerful sorcerers in Kislevite history are women and many tales have been told about Baba Yaga, the most powerful witch ever.

Gospodars love music. Their dances, especially the Bladedance, are known throughout the Old World. The other races of the region have been picking up their battle songs for generations, and any musical scholar can recognize their melodies whether being sung by the rowing crews aboard Norse Longships at sea, or by Dwarfs working deep within the mines of Zhufbar. The dreaded war cry of the Gospodars, "Uraaa! Uraaa!" unnerves adversaries wherever it is heard.

The Cossacks

These nomadic people are descendants of the Kurgan who roam the vast, forested lands far to the East. Many of their kin have succumbed to the persuasion of Chaos, and the Cossacks have vowed to avenge the families who fell to the traitorous marauders before they migrated westward.

Riders and without peer, these brave warriors have always been the first line of defense against incursions from the north. The Cossacks fight a never-ending border war of ambush and counter-ambush, often emerging victorious even when outnumbered by their bestial adversaries.

The Huns

Similar to the Cossacks, the Huns have migrated from the steppes of the Far East to avoid the hardship brought on by the influence of Chaos as it sweeps southward. However, unlike the Cossacks, the Huns have never established a formal civilization within the land of Kislev, and continue to migrate with their herds along the Eastern Steppes, just north of Uzkulak. They eek out an animal-like existence in these harsh lands, and constant battles with the forces of Chaos to the North, other Marauder tribes to the East, and the Chaos Dwarfs to the South, have produced a vicious, cannibalistic race that will fearlessly defend the pastures where their herds graze.

The Huns have a shaky relationship with the rest of the Kislevite people, based solely upon the need for supplies and sustenance. The Huns regularly travel across the High Pass to Praag to barter off wool, hides and meat for goods that are unavailable beyond the World Edge Mountains. Being a race that scar their bodies, file their teeth and commit other rituals of self-inflicted pain, the haunted streets of Praag become even more chaotic when a train of Hun traders comes into town.

Places of Note

Erengrad

Of the trading cities in the Old World, only Marienburg is larger and more noteworthy. Whale Oil, Sea Ivory, timber, pearls, tar and fish are traded here in the lagoon at the mouth of the River Lynsk. Despite the ever-present dangers in the Sea of Claws, which is a breeding ground for Norse raiders and followers of Chaos, the Kislevites have little need for any sort of maritime fleet. These lanes are too valuable for the other races of the Old World, and it is constantly patrolled by sleek, High Elf warships from Ulthuan, or privateers bankrolled by the merchant guilds of Marienburg.

Kislev

Standing on the banks of the River Urskoy, it is built around a square called Gora Geroyev, which means "Hill of the Heroes." Those from outside Kislev refer to it as the Kreml. Originating as a burial site for their fallen heroes, the red soil of the hill is considered sacred to the people of Kislev. The eventual fall of Praag to the last Chaos incursion forced the Kislevites to move their government buildings here, and a great statue of Boris Ursa, The Forever Tzar, gifted by the Dwarfs at the end of the war solidified the Kreml's place as the new Capital of Kislev.

The vast defenses that surround the city are constantly being improved and maintained by Tzar Saltan, husband of the Tzarina. Much of his family perished in the siege at Praag, and he obsesses over preparations for the next great invasion and his opportunity to extract revenge against the fowl minions of Chaos.
Praag

This once beautiful city, and former Capital of the realm, was completely overrun by the forces of Chaos. The besieged defenders of the city put forth a valiant and, as yet, unmatched effort to secure the city gates, but eventually the overpowering numbers of the Four Chaos Powers poured into the city and put the remaining inhabitants to the sword. Those who survived by fleeing into the surrounding woods returned to find their homes twisted by Chaos. Buildings had melted into flesh, forming disturbing and sickening visages of horror.

When the forces of Chaos were rolled back, the Tzar ordered the city to be burned to the ground and rebuilt. But, despite the efforts of the people to restore their city, the signs of Chaos return. Ghosts of the fallen roam the city at night in a never-ending search for their missing family members. There are stones in the street that, when stepped on, exude a sharp jolt of energy that runs up the victim's spine and makes them shutter with visions of the horror that took place there. There are inexplicable cries in the night, and if you look closely, you can see the empty faces of the dead staring back at you when you examine the walls of the buildings built from the stone of the old city.

Despite the obvious dangers when a Hun trading band is in town, many feel the most comfortable during these visits. For it is the only time in Praag when the antics of the human surpass the antics of the inhuman.