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The tzarina
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The Tzardom of Kislev, known as the Realm of the Ice Queen, is the most northerly civilisation within the Old World, forever threatened by raiding and invasion from the Chaos Wastes. The inhabitants of Kislev are wolf-tough and self-reliant warriors, valiant and determined in the defence of their Motherland, for they are the bulwark against the horrors of the north. Since its founding, Kislev has been under constant assault by the hordes of Chaos. Countless generations of Kislevits have fought and died in the snowy tundra of those harsh northern oblasts, and it is thanks to these brave Kislevite warriors that mankind has managed to flourish in the south, huddled together in their warm, safe cities, whilst the sons and daughters of Kislev fight on to repel the horrors of the Dark Gods.
Ascending to the throne and crown in the wake of her father's bloody death fighting against the hordes of Chaos, Katarin has wasted no time cementing her grip upon Kislev. She is, in every way, a totalitarian ruler. She is stern and unflinching and will readily have rivals removed by agents of the crown if she cannot win them over with cold reason. The base of Katarin's power, beyond hereditary right, is her extraordinary magical prowess. She is the greatest Ice Witch for generations, capable of magical feats more deadly and devastating than any other wizard in Kislev.
Ascending to the throne and crown in the wake of her father's bloody death fighting against the hordes of Chaos, Katarin has wasted no time cementing her grip upon Kislev. She is, in every way, a totalitarian ruler. She is stern and unflinching and will readily have rivals removed by agents of the crown if she cannot win them over with cold reason. The base of Katarin's power, beyond hereditary right, is her extraordinary magical prowess. She is the greatest Ice Witch for generations, capable of magical feats more deadly and devastating than any other wizard in Kislev.
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Kislev
Devotion Battle against the forces of Chaos and construct religious buildings to accumulate Devotion and invoke the blessings of the Kislevite gods. The Ice Court Kislevite factions can influence the training and rise of formidible Frost Maidens and Ice Witches, aiming to ultimately gain their support. Atamans A tradition of provincial governance allows Kislevite factions to appoint Atamans to help rule their provinces. |
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Tzarina Katarin
Ice Queen of Kislev Devotion +10 from successful Frost Maiden actions. Recruit Rank +3 and training duration -2 for Frost Maidens Control +6 (Faction effects) Heir of House Bokha Upkeep -50% for Ice Guard Units (Lord's army effects) Frost Witch of the North Corruption -6 in local province Miscast chance -50% (Lord effects) |
Prologue - The Heart of the Bear
I had only been at court in Bokha palace for two weeks, when the old vagabond was hauled before the Tzarina on charges of heresy. As the court's scribe, I had been witness to the growing frustration of the nobles and the patriarchs with the Tzarina's refusal to negotiate with the Ropsmenn, and I assumed this might be the first item brought before the court that all would agree on, for obviously the heretic must be killed. Once again, however, her highness turned a deaf ear to the demands of Kislev's most powerful, and declared the man innocent; that the words he spoke were true. That Ursun lived. Though she knew she might only be followed by the Ice Guard, her late father's most loyal warriors, and her snow leopard, there in front of all she declared to not sit again on the throne of Kislev until she had found their god. Advisors and nobles alike pleaded with her to see reason, to agree to the terms of the Ropsmenn and the Church, but she silenced the clamour of disbelief and anger, and challenged all to throw aside their petty power-games and help her restore hope to Kislev. The Patriarchs did not dare charge her with heresy, but were the first to abandon the court, giving up on their attempts to bring the Tzarina to heal under their designs. They were soon followed by the chieftains, who believed they owed little to Kislev to begin with, and even less to a Tzarina who had never proven herself in war. Finally, Kislev's nobility abandoned the throne, unwilling to risk their influence on such a ludicrous adventure. Undoubtedly, all went to plot their next moves for once news arrived back in Kislev of the death of Tzarina Katarin and her loyal retainers. When the Tzarina asked me if I would not be following my priestly masters, I declared that my duty was with the Ice Court, and so she called for me to keep record of the Ice Court's preparation for war.
Army of the Ice Court
Command
Ice Witch - Tzarina Katarin
Druzhina
Ice Guard - The Tzarina's Fangs, The Daughters of Ursun
Winged Lancers - The Banner of the Ice Court
Kossars
Armoured Kossars - The Shields of the Ice Crown, The Order of the Last Snow (great weapons), The Brothers of the Red Tzar (great weapons)
Kholops
Snow Leopards - Miska the Gentle
Command
Ice Witch - Tzarina Katarin
Druzhina
Ice Guard - The Tzarina's Fangs, The Daughters of Ursun
Winged Lancers - The Banner of the Ice Court
Kossars
Armoured Kossars - The Shields of the Ice Crown, The Order of the Last Snow (great weapons), The Brothers of the Red Tzar (great weapons)
Kholops
Snow Leopards - Miska the Gentle
Conflicts and Events
The Dolgan Incursion - Nachhexen - Jahrdrung, 2502 IC
Either by negligence or foul treason, the Dolgan horde had crossed the Urskoy before Tzarina Katarin had marshalled the Ice Court's warriors into the field to meet them. However, once in battle, the Tzarina's elite soldiers proved more than a match for Kharon the Gorehunt's warband, who must have believed the ruler of Kislev to be frozen to her throne, unable to master her willful subjects. Kharon's brutes were scythed down by the disciplined servants of the Tzarina and trampled by the Ice Court's Winged Hussars, with their few survivors fleeing back to the plundered town of Gerslev. Among those freed from the clutches of the slavers was Dazhia Iltchenko, and the noble Frost Maiden quickly became one of the Tzarina's most vocal supporters at court and on the battlefield. Announcing this as the first step on the search for Ursun, the Tzarina's call was answered by the local kossars as she crossed the Urskoy to liberate Gerslev. The remainder of Kharon's Dolgans met us at the river outside the town, but the magic of Maiden Dazhia and the Tzarina froze the enemy in the shallows leaving them to be cut down by the Kislevites at ease. Kharon and his warriors were executed on the battlefield, and those inhabitants of Gerslev who had fled or been captured were allowed to return to what still stood of their town. No further sightings of Dolgan were reported and it is believed any that remained fled from the region, leaderless.
Battles:
Battle of the River Urskoy - Victory over Kharon the Gorehunt with all captors executed. Recruitment of Dazhia Iltchenko.
Battle of Gerslev - Victory over Kharon the Gorehunt with Gerslev liberated under the banner of the Ice Court. The tribe of the Dolgan is scattered to wilds.
The Ropsmenn Rebellion - Nachhexen - Jahrdrung, 2502 IC
When Tzarina Katarin called for the tribal leaders to pledge fealty upon her coronation, it was unsurprising that most wdould make some request or concession in recognition for their service to Kislev, but when Grigor Kyriakin demanded extensive authority over the Ice Court for the Ropsmenn clans, whose chieftains he had united behind him. The Tzarina chose to make an example of him and declined his demands as well as stripping already existing privileges on taxation in the Easter Oblast. Unwilling to be shamed in this way, Grigor chose to risk all on the might of the Ropsmenn, and chose not to swear fealty. Though none desired to fight their fellow countrymen, the independence of the tribes would surely doom the authority of the Ice Court, and Tzarina Katarin found no choice but to declare war on Grigor Kyriakin and the Ropsmenn clans. Soon word arrived from the Easter Oblast that those who displayed loyalty to Kislev were being publicly flogged in the market squares of ... and ..., and horsemen were seizing all property and goods from Kislevite travellers. This was followed by reports that the Dolgan had been raiding unopposed by Ropsmenn patrols, and then the fall of Gerslev to Kharon the Gorehunt and his Dolgan warbands.
Battles:
Occupation of Igerov
Occupation of Fort Jakovaww
Battle of Uskovic- Mikhail defeats Boyar Yegor Dazhev
Battle of Gerslev - Katarin defeats Girgor
Battle of Praag - Mikhail defeats Boyar
Baersonling
Battles:
Battle of Jakova's Rest - Victory over Chieftain Egil Trygurdsson
Recruitment of Boyar Mikhail Guyovich
Recruitment of
Loss of Fort Jakova to Chieftain Egil Trygurdsson
Battle of Igersev - Katarin vs Egil
Katarin vs Kharan Morrspyg
Katarin occupies Fort Jakova
Battle of Plesk - Katarin defeats Baerwyn Kalsarikannit
Invasion of the Plaguefather's realm
Battle of Kislev - Mikhail defeats Scent-taker Facadeeress
Battle of Praag - Mikhail defeats Barkor the Lord of Defiance
Order of the Last Snow lost holding a daemon forest
Battle of Praag - Mikhail defeats Arcanus of the Fluxion Host
The Dolgan Incursion - Nachhexen - Jahrdrung, 2502 IC
Either by negligence or foul treason, the Dolgan horde had crossed the Urskoy before Tzarina Katarin had marshalled the Ice Court's warriors into the field to meet them. However, once in battle, the Tzarina's elite soldiers proved more than a match for Kharon the Gorehunt's warband, who must have believed the ruler of Kislev to be frozen to her throne, unable to master her willful subjects. Kharon's brutes were scythed down by the disciplined servants of the Tzarina and trampled by the Ice Court's Winged Hussars, with their few survivors fleeing back to the plundered town of Gerslev. Among those freed from the clutches of the slavers was Dazhia Iltchenko, and the noble Frost Maiden quickly became one of the Tzarina's most vocal supporters at court and on the battlefield. Announcing this as the first step on the search for Ursun, the Tzarina's call was answered by the local kossars as she crossed the Urskoy to liberate Gerslev. The remainder of Kharon's Dolgans met us at the river outside the town, but the magic of Maiden Dazhia and the Tzarina froze the enemy in the shallows leaving them to be cut down by the Kislevites at ease. Kharon and his warriors were executed on the battlefield, and those inhabitants of Gerslev who had fled or been captured were allowed to return to what still stood of their town. No further sightings of Dolgan were reported and it is believed any that remained fled from the region, leaderless.
Battles:
Battle of the River Urskoy - Victory over Kharon the Gorehunt with all captors executed. Recruitment of Dazhia Iltchenko.
Battle of Gerslev - Victory over Kharon the Gorehunt with Gerslev liberated under the banner of the Ice Court. The tribe of the Dolgan is scattered to wilds.
The Ropsmenn Rebellion - Nachhexen - Jahrdrung, 2502 IC
When Tzarina Katarin called for the tribal leaders to pledge fealty upon her coronation, it was unsurprising that most wdould make some request or concession in recognition for their service to Kislev, but when Grigor Kyriakin demanded extensive authority over the Ice Court for the Ropsmenn clans, whose chieftains he had united behind him. The Tzarina chose to make an example of him and declined his demands as well as stripping already existing privileges on taxation in the Easter Oblast. Unwilling to be shamed in this way, Grigor chose to risk all on the might of the Ropsmenn, and chose not to swear fealty. Though none desired to fight their fellow countrymen, the independence of the tribes would surely doom the authority of the Ice Court, and Tzarina Katarin found no choice but to declare war on Grigor Kyriakin and the Ropsmenn clans. Soon word arrived from the Easter Oblast that those who displayed loyalty to Kislev were being publicly flogged in the market squares of ... and ..., and horsemen were seizing all property and goods from Kislevite travellers. This was followed by reports that the Dolgan had been raiding unopposed by Ropsmenn patrols, and then the fall of Gerslev to Kharon the Gorehunt and his Dolgan warbands.
Battles:
Occupation of Igerov
Occupation of Fort Jakovaww
Battle of Uskovic- Mikhail defeats Boyar Yegor Dazhev
Battle of Gerslev - Katarin defeats Girgor
Battle of Praag - Mikhail defeats Boyar
Baersonling
Battles:
Battle of Jakova's Rest - Victory over Chieftain Egil Trygurdsson
Recruitment of Boyar Mikhail Guyovich
Recruitment of
Loss of Fort Jakova to Chieftain Egil Trygurdsson
Battle of Igersev - Katarin vs Egil
Katarin vs Kharan Morrspyg
Katarin occupies Fort Jakova
Battle of Plesk - Katarin defeats Baerwyn Kalsarikannit
Invasion of the Plaguefather's realm
Battle of Kislev - Mikhail defeats Scent-taker Facadeeress
Battle of Praag - Mikhail defeats Barkor the Lord of Defiance
Order of the Last Snow lost holding a daemon forest
Battle of Praag - Mikhail defeats Arcanus of the Fluxion Host
