Chapter X: The Empire
kingdoms. Without a Sigmar or a Gilles to lead the way, Estalia fell back into familiar patterns. In less than a generation, the crusaders were gone and the Estalians were once again fighting amongst themselves. Today, the two most powerful kingdoms are the city-states of Bilbali and Magritta. Both are strong because of trade and access to the sea, a fact that causes much jealously amongst the poor kingdoms of the Irrana Mountains. There is little evidence of the influence of Chaos in the Estalian Kingdoms, but it is there. Subtle perhaps, but no less deadly. It is not the brute power of the raging Beastman, but the hidden plotting of secret societies and cults which is eating away at distant Estalia. There are no Witch Hunters hunting Chaos in Estalia, but worship of Myrmidia is popular. She is patron Goddess of the art and science of war and the Estalians have learned her lessons well. If Tilea is known for its mercenaries, Estalia is known for its duellists. Fencing schools can be found throughout the region, many with long histories and deadly rivalries. Estalian sword-and-buckler fighters are well known, and the Diestro (see Chapter 3: Careers ) are also now gaining recognition. k IsleV To the northeast of the Empire lies Kislev, the most northerly “civilised” nation. It is bordered by the Empire to the south and west, the Sea of Claws to the west, the Troll Country to the north and the World’s Edge mountains to the northeast and east. The northern border of the country is ill-defined, but many draw it at the River Lynsk, which flows westward from the World’s Edge mountains to the Sea of Claws. Its border with the Empire has been established at the River Urskoy (named after the God Ursun), a tributary of the Talabec. The north of Kislev is barely distinguishable from Troll Country and the tundra beyond, more wooded to the east in the foothills of the mountains. Some Kislev tribes travel further north than the Lynsk, into the Troll Country, and eastwards along the High Pass. It is a cold, infertile land, and most of the Kislevites who live here lead a nomadic existence, migrating from one grazing ground to the next, much like the marauder tribes of the Shadowlands. Further south, Kislev becomes more hospitable, though still chill for the entire year. Farmsteads can flourish in these lands, though quarried stone is in short supply and such buildings tend to be of uncut rock or rough wooden construction, which people of the Empire would consider backward and uncivilised. This is not so true of the mighty palaces and temples of the southern cities, with their distinctive gold, onion-shaped domes and towers. T he p eople of k IsleV Kislev is almost two nations in one. On the one hand, there are the more civilised Gospodar peoples of the south and the cities, where the lands are relatively fertile. And in the north, particularly north of the Lynsk, there are the Ungol nomad tribes. Kislevites are known as dour, taciturn people, and this is not surprising considering the harsh lands they inhabit. They are as unforgiving as the northern climate, with a grim, even morbid sense of humour. Frequently the bulwark against the tribes of Chaos, they relish in part the debt owed to them by the people of the Empire to the south, whom they protect. However, this does not stop a Kislevite bitterly complaining about this state of affairs at any opportunity. The Kislevites are closer to the people of the Empire than many of them would admit, and view them with a kind of patronising humour that one might reserve for a bright but slightly eccentric child. In point of fact, most Kislevites think that their neighbours have gone soft from
easy living in fertile lands, and would benefit from a year or two in the north, or “living in the wind” as the Kislevites like to describe it, in reference to the fierce north winds that often herald a Chaos incursion. The Kislevites are descended from human tribes who travelled from the Kurgan tribes of the north and east. In particular, the Kurgan influence is still strong in the north and the Ungol horse tribes share many traditions and customs with the likes of Dolgans, Khazags and other marauder tribes. The ancient traditions of these peoples are more keenly held amongst the nomads, who see their southern cousins as weakened by the civilising influence of the Empire. In this respect, worship of the various ancient Kislev Gods varies across the nation, being more prominent in the north, while other Gods have been incorporated into the Kislevite pantheon in southern lands. In addition, the Gospodars brought with them the Cult of the Bear God Ursun, which has been strongly established as the dominant religion of Kislev. As most of the Kislevite ancestry originated from the eastern steppes and the harsh northlands, their Gods represent very important forces in their lives. Various nature and household spirits are worshipped all a l eTTer h ome My Dearest Magda, I hope this letter finds you well. It seems like years since I left Delberz with Herr Grunner’s caravan, though in truth it has only been six months. I do not know if you received my letter from Kislev but we left that strange land two weeks ago. I had thought Herr Grunner would take us no further than Erengrad but I was wrong. He met some traders from Norsca there. They said our goods would be welcome in their homeland, since few merchants are willing to brave the journey. Herr Grunner sent half the caravan to Marienburg and the rest of us boarded a ship to Norsca. Can you believe it? I am writing from a town whose name I can’t pronounce. It’s a small settlement on the southern coast of Norsca. The first few days here were remarkably peaceful. Most folk engaged in fishing and hunting and we spent each night in a large longhouse, sharing food, warmth, and stories. I was quite surprised. All the tales we had heard about bloodthirsty Norsemen seemed absurd. A week after our arrival, we spotted several sails heading towards town. Three longships docked next to ours an hour later. These boats carried neither merchants nor fisherman, but raiders from the north of Norsca. They were huge men, bristling with weapons and ready for war. They had just returned from a raid on Kislev, with prisoners and plunder. A three-day celebration followed that words can scarcely describe. Huge kegs of ale were drained, wild boars were spitted and roasted, and tales of the raid told. Then Kislevite prisoners were chained together and given weapons. Oh, Magda, it was terrible. The prisoners fought each other to the death while the drunken Norsemen cheered and howled. They toasted to barbarous gods as each man died, then threw new combatants into the ring. The survivors had to fight the raider’s champion, a giant of man surely over 7 feet tall. He took on three men with his bare hands and killed them all by snapping their necks. We tried to stay out of the way, hoping the raiders would move on quickly. It was to no avail. Heinz, Gunther, and Willi were all killed. The rest of us retreated to the ship, enduring freezing night after freezing night until at last the raiders went back out to sea. Herr Grunner says we will leave as soon as possible. I cannot wait to sail away from Norsca and return to civilization. I hope this letter reaches you safely. If all goes well, I should be home in a month or two. Next time, I’ll hire on to a southbound caravan. May Sigmar preserve you, Wolfgang
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