Chapter X: The Empire
In the most southern regions, other Gods are worshipped in small numbers by some Kislevites. Most notable of these are Taal (after all, Kislev borders one side of the Talabec, his sacred river) and Ulric. Even more than other Old Worlders, the Kislevites pay tribute to all manner of nature and household spirits who help them in their daily lives, or set them tests to prove themselves. Little offerings are made and rituals performed unconciously to appease the various needs of these sometimes mischievous but usually benevolent creatures. In ages past the khan-queens of the Gospodars learned how to draw upon the power of the bitter north wind to weave spells of frozen destruction. It is a power that seeps out of the earth itself, a distillation of the magical energy that flows over the world and settles into the soil and rocks from where it is driven by the harsh winter. When the brief spring returns to the north, the power of the ice mages wanes, and they are at their weakest at mid-summer before their prowess grows again with the coming of winter. T he T Ilean C ITy -s TaTes Tilea is a sunny land southwest of the Empire. Unlike Bretonnia and the Empire, it is not a unified nation but a collection of rival city- states. It is bordered by three mountain ranges—the Apuccini to the east, the Irrana to the north, and the Abasko to Like other regions of the Old World, Tilea was settled by migrating human tribes. They discovered the ruins of Elven colonies in this land and many of today’s city-states are built atop them. They also found the Blighted Marshes, a lifeless area of shallow pools covered by a great swirling mist and fed by innumerable stinking streams. This area is so foul and so rife with disease that it is given it a wide berth by all but the most desperate outlaws and lunatics. Unbeknownst to most Tileans, the great Ratman city of Skavenblight stands crumbling within the stinking mire. While Tilea has suffered from sporadic Skaven attacks and at least one outbreak of the Red Pox, it has been fortunate that the Council of Thirteen has directed the efforts of the Ratmen elsewhere. The major Tilean city-states are Luccini, Miragliano, Remas, Tobaro, Trantio, and Verezzo. Of special note is Sartosa, the so-called Pirate City. Here, all pirates are welcome and indeed they literally run the city. Sartosan pirates prey on shipping all over the Tilean Sea, but the bickering city-states have never been able to cooperate long enough to stop their depredations. Two forces dominate the Tilean city-states—merchant houses and mercenary companies. The merchant houses rose to prominence first, acting as middlemen between the Elves and the Dwarfs. Large caravans of expensive trade goods required protection, and the hired guards of the early years evolved into powerful mercenary companies over the centuries. These became key to both the defence of Tilea as a whole and the wars between the various city-states. Sellswords are so common in Tilea that is often referred to as “the land of the mercenary.” The two facets of Tilea are also expressed in the two most favoured Gods of the city-states. Mercenaries honour Myrmidia above all others, and merchants honour Ranald. The merchants say they favour Ranald’s aspect as the God of good fortune, while their detractors say it shows them as the thieves they really are. the west—and the Tilean Sea. Due to these impressive natural barriers, Tilea never suffered invasions as did the Empire, Kislev, and even Bretonnia. While this has allowed Tilea to develop a quite advanced culture, it also has kept the region divided. With no outside threat to unify the city-states, a nation state has not developed.
across the Old World, but this is particularly strong in Kislev. These magical creatures are treated as servants and messengers of the Gods in this world. k IsleVITe r elIgIon The main God of the Kislevites is Ursun, the Father of Bears, whom the ancient Gospodar held as sacred creatures. He is, unsurprisingly, most usually depicted as massive cave bear, with a crown, teeth, and claws of glistening gold. It is said that Ursun can take human form if he wishes, and will appear as a burly, bearded man with an age-worn face, thick hairy arms and a great mop of hair, wearing nothing but a loincloth. Dazh is the God of fire and the sun. It was Dazh who took the secret of flame from the sun and gave it to the ancient warrior chiefs of the tribesmen. Without Dazh’s fire, the long winters would be fatal, and tributes and prayers are offered up regularly to him. In more civilised lands, he rules over the hearths of homes, and is also the patron of guests and the needy. Thus, hospitality to those who call engenders safety for a household, while a poor host or hostess may find that their fire will not start, or that their roof springs an unexpected leak. Dazh is portrayed as a handsome youth, with long flowing hair and wreathed in fire. He is beautiful to behold and none can look at him directly without being blinded by his divine appearance. He is said to live in a golden palace in the east where he rests every night after travelling the world during the day. In his palace he is accompanied by warrior-consorts called the Arari, who can often be seen dancing and fighting for his amusement in the northern skies. Tor is the God of thunder and lightning, and worshipped as a warrior God. He is portrayed as a muscled, square-jawed warrior. He wields a massive axe with a haft of oak, and uses it to cleave the sky to create the thunderbolts of which he is famed. A warrior God, Tor is the most active of the Kislevite Gods, and quite frequently his name is used as a curse on others.
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