The armies of Kislev in battle with Marauders from the Chaos Wastes.

Kislev is almost two nations in one. On the one hand, there are the more civilised peoples of the south and the cities, where the lands are relatively fertile. In the north, particularly north of the Lynsk, there are the nomad tribes.

At the time of Sigmar, the harsh lands north-east of the Urskoy were populated by the Ungol tribes, who also dominated the smaller tribes of the Ropsmenn who lived in what is now Troll Country. Sharing many traits with the Kurgan steppe nomads to the east, the Ungols were a scattered peoples consisting of nomadic horse-riding tribesmen. Sigmar’s influence did not stretch this far north and they remained independent from the confederation of tribes founded by Sigmar.

Circa 1500 Imperial calendar, there was a large westward migration from the eastern steppes, and of particular importance was the arrival of the powerful and wealthy Gospodars. Torn with strife, the Empire was in no position to contest these lands, and the superior arms and tactics of the Gospodars drove the Ungols to the west and north, who in turn absorbed the Ropsmenn completely. Over the following century, the power of the Gospodars grew, and the city of Kislev was founded.

The settlement of Praag grew in size as the Gospodars used the Lynsk to launch incursions into Ungol territory, eventually forcing the Ungol to accept Gospodar rule (who were now beginning to be called Kislevites after their capital city). By this time, the former Ungol city of Erengrad had grown into a busy port ruled by the Kislevites, and from here the Kislevites were able to sail the Sea of Claws, trading and fighting with the Norse, and on occasion the Empire, as well as keeping the Ungols in check.

This state of affairs has existed for over 750 years, and Gospodar and Ungol society has merged over the centuries, to a greater or lesser extent, into the nation of Kislev. The ruling elite, from whom the Tzars and Tzarinas hail, are of Gospodar heritage. The influence of the Gospodar language and beliefs is more evident in the south, particularly in the cities of Kislev and Erengrad, while further north the land becomes more barren and the horse tribes still hold sway. In fact, Praag itself has been reclaimed in a large part by the old Ungol nobility, and in many ways is a separate power in the north.

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 who 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.

Home

Geography and Calendar

Gods and Religion

War and Allies