Kislev
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| Kislev | |
|---|---|
 The frozen bulwark against the dark |
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| Founding | |
| Founded | Ancient (traditionally 1 IC, founding of the Gospodar migration) |
| Founder | Khan-Queen Miska the Slaughterer (Gospodar), later Tzar Boris Ursus |
| Current Leader | Tzarina Katarin the Ice Queen |
| Geography | |
| Capital | Kislev City |
| Major Cities | Praag, Erengrad, Volstad |
| Regions | The Oblast, the northern steppe and taiga |
| Biology | |
| Lifespan | 35–50 years (longer if you don’t freeze or get eaten by daemons) |
| Height | 160–185 cm (5′3″ – 6′1″) |
| Culture | |
| Language | Kislevarin (Slavic tongue) |
| Religion | Ursun the Bear God, Tor, Dazh, ancient spirits; the Tzarina’s Ice Court |
| Government | |
| Government | Absolute monarchy under the Tzar/Tzarina, ruled by ice and blood |
| Relations | |
| Allies | The Empire, Dwarfs (grudging respect), Ungol tribes |
| Enemies | Chaos (eternal), Norsca, Beastmen, Greenskins, Troll Country horrors |
Kislev is the frozen shield of the Old World. North of the Empire, south of the Chaos Wastes, it’s a land of endless blizzards, iron-hard winters, and people who laugh at the cold because the alternative is dying. Think medieval Russia and Poland after the Ruinous Powers turned the thermostat to “apocalypse.” Its folk have stared into the Polar Gates and spat in their eye for two thousand years. They ride bears, shoot fire from axes, and drink enough kvas to pickle a dragon. When Chaos comes south, Kislev bleeds first—and it bleeds hard—but it never breaks.
Overview
If you want to play someone who wakes up every morning knowing the world might literally end before supper, and still saddles up to go punch daemons in the face, Kislev is calling.
Appearance
Broad faces, high cheekbones, eyes the colour of winter skies. Hair is thick, beards are mandatory for warmth and status. Everyone wears furs—wolf, bear, snow-leopard—layered over wool and mail. Winged lancers look like avenging angels forged from steel and feathers. Streltsi march in long coats and tall fur hats, axes slung across their backs like they were born holding them. War bear riders are exactly what they sound like and twice as terrifying.
Culture & Society
- Regions: The endless northern steppe, the dark taiga, three great cities that somehow still stand.
- Culture: Survive first, ask questions never. Honour is important, but staying alive is more important.
- Names: Slavic and hard as nails—Boris, Katarin, Ivan, Zoya, Yuri, Natasha, Kostaltyn.
- Religion: Ursun the Great Bear, plus older gods of fire, sun, and thunder. The Ice Court answers to no one except the Tzarina.
Relations with Other Races
| Category | Faction | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | Empire | Friendly |
| Bretonnia | Neutral | |
| Sartosa | Neutral | |
| Araby | Neutral | |
| Cathay | Neutral | |
| Norsca | Hostile | |
| Elves | Asur (High Elves) | Neutral |
| Asrai (Wood Elves) | Neutral | |
| Druchii (Dark Elves) | Hostile | |
| Dwarfs | Dwarfs | Friendly |
| Chaos Dwarfs | Hostile | |
| Greenskins | Orcs | Hostile |
| Goblins | Hostile | |
| Monstrous | Ogre | Neutral |
| Beastmen | Hostile | |
| Affliction | Chaos | Hostile |
| Vampire | Hostile |
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Strengths: Unbreakable in defence, terrifying horse-lords, actual Ice Magic that flash-freezes blood.
- Weaknesses: Superstitious, fractured boyar politics, no one trusts anyone south of Praag.
Playing a Kislevite
You were born cold, you’ll probably die cold, and you’ll take a dozen daemons with you when you go.
Speak short, drink deep, and never trust the weather. A winged lancer charges with a roar that rattles the steppe. A streltsi stands in the snow and fires until the barrel glows red. An Ice Witch doesn’t speak—she just looks at you until your breath freezes in your lungs. Superstition is common sense here: yes, the old woman in the woods is probably a hag, shoot first.
Your humour is black, your stories end in blood, and your songs are half battle cry, half funeral dirge. You don’t dream of glory; you dream of one more spring where the crops don’t fail and the Chaos moon doesn’t look bigger than last year.
Physical Appearance
Kislevites look like winter carved them out of granite. Pale or ruddy skin, scarred from cold and claw alike. Men braid their beards with rings taken from fallen enemies. Women braid their hair the same way. Everyone smells of horse, woodsmoke, and kvas. The wings on a lancer’s back aren’t decoration—they scream like banshees when the charge hits, and the enemy breaks before the lances even touch them.
Gender Roles and Sexuality
Gender Roles
- Kislevian society blends patriarchal and matriarchal elements, influenced by both Slavic-inspired traditions and harsh frontier life. Men dominate military leadership and governance, but women can hold significant power as warriors, seers, or rulers in certain regions.
- Royalty and Nobility: The ruling ice queen or tsarina can wield absolute power, and noblewomen sometimes lead armies or govern territories. Male nobles dominate traditional political roles, but female regents or queens are respected.
- Commoners: Women participate actively in family farms, trade, and household management. Frontier conditions require women to be hardy and capable of defending homesteads during raids, giving them more autonomy and influence than in many other human nations.
Sexuality
- Kislevian sexual norms are influenced by pragmatism and survival culture. Marriages are generally expected, but personal agency is greater than in strictly patriarchal societies. Warrior culture allows for consensual relationships among soldiers, and love or attraction can influence marriage choices.
- Taboos: Homosexuality is generally tolerated but discreet; sodomy is frowned upon publicly, especially under the Orthodox-like influence of Kislevite religion. Adultery is morally condemned but occurs privately, particularly among the elite.
- Warrior Influence: Among soldier communities, casual relationships, temporary liaisons, and eroticized camaraderie are not uncommon, reflecting the harsh and communal life on the frontier.
Attitudes toward Other Races (Sexualized)
- Kislevians are generally wary and xenophobic toward non-human races, but sexualized perceptions exist, especially toward elves and dwarfs:
- Elves: High Elf or Dark Elf women are considered exotic and alluring, inspiring both fascination and caution. Male elves may be admired for grace or magical skill, sometimes framed in elite fantasies.
- Dwarfs: Dwarf women are viewed as strong and mysterious, occasionally eroticized in private tales, while male dwarfs are generally respected for craft and fortitude rather than sexual appeal.
- Greenskins: Orcs and goblins are primarily enemies, but some frontier legends and tavern stories exaggerate orcish virility or depict sexualized domination/submission scenarios, often in grotesque or humorous contexts.
- Chaos/Other Threats: Chaos-tainted individuals are feared and simultaneously eroticized in dark folklore, linking sexual corruption and supernatural danger.
Notable Cultural Nuances
- Frontier life in Kislev increases women's autonomy compared to more patriarchal human nations.
- Sexualized fascination with non-human races is mostly private, circulating in underground literature, soldiers’ tales, or elite fantasies.
- Warrior culture blurs lines between attraction, danger, and sexualized heroism, creating a unique interplay of fear and eroticism in Kislevian lore.
Notable Ranks & Careers
Ungol horse-archer → Kossar → Streltsi → Winged Lancer → Gryphon Legion Boyar → Ice Maiden → Ice Witch → Tzarina (good luck)