A Kislev cavalry column rides to battle.

Kislev Religion

The Kislevites are descended from Human tribes that traveled from the Kurgan tribes of the north and east. In particular, the Kurgan influence is still strong in the north and the horse tribes share many traditions and customs with the likes of the Dolgans, Khazags and other Marauder tribes. The ancient traditions of these peoples are more keenly held to 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 religion 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 across the Old World, but this is particularly strong in Kislev. These magical creatures are servants and messengers of the gods in this world, and should be treated as such.

Major Gods of Kislev

URSUN
Description: Ursun is the Father of Bears, which the ancient Gospodar held as sacred creatures. He is, unsurprisingly, most usually depicted as a massive cave bear, with a crown, teeth and claws of glistening gold. It is said that Ursun can take human form, and will appear as a burly, bearded man with an age-worn face, with thick hairy arms and a great mop of hair, wearing nothing but a loincloth.

Symbol: Depictions of a bear or a bear’s face are most common, although worshippers of Ursun might well also wear a medallion of gold, shaped like a bear’s claw. Devout followers of Ursun wear bearskin cloaks, or wear a bear’s paw as a talisman. Amongst the northern tribes, it is not uncommon for Ursun cultists to wear a bear’s skull over their helmets, or fixed to the front of their shields.

Temples: Ursun has no temples as such, but rough cairns and standing stones in the depths of forests have been raised over the centuries to honour him. Sometimes a cave once inhabited by a particularly large or fearsome bear will be turned into a shrine to Ursun, filled with rough lamps and offerings of fish and berries. In the cities, wooded areas are allowed to grow wild in certain parks and within the grounds of large buildings, and these are treated as areas sacred to Ursun.

It is not uncommon for someone wishing to entreat aid from Ursun to nail a fish or hunk of meat to their door to attract his spirit.

Friends and enemies: There is much friction between the followers of Ulric and Ursun. This is more a matter of pride than genuine animosity, as worshippers of Ursun and Ulric have much in common, but contests of strength-at-arms and other physical rivalry is commonplace. There is much goodwill between the cult of Ursun and that of Taal, and they share a common border at the Talabec. Ursun worshippers think it a bit daft to worship all animals in equal measure, since bears are obviously the lords of the wild, while Taal cultists think it a bit strange to revere one animal over any other. However, on the whole they share many similar rituals and beliefs. Generally, followers of Ursun are unconcerned with other religions, and many of the southern gods are seen by them as a bit soft and unworthy of praise.

Holy Days: There are only two true holy days of Ursun: the spring equinox, when cultists gather to rouse Ursun from his winter sleep with loud rituals, setting huge bonfires, roasting deer, drinking alcohol and generally making as much racket as possible; and the autumn equinox when the first harvest is offered up to Ursun so that he might gorge himself and prepare for his winter’s rest.

Strictures: Never hunt a bear in the winter – let him sleep.
Bears must always be killed by hand or arrow – no dogs or traps.
Only wear the skin, claw or skull of a bear you have killed yourself.
Eat fish at least once per week, but never eat fish and other meat on the same day.
Never perform your ablutions indoors.

DAZH
Description: 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 regularly offered up 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.

Symbol: The symbol of a sun, or a flame, are most commonly used as talismans by followers of Dazh. Gold is a sacred metal to the cult, and higher ranking priests will wear increasingly more gold decoration and jewellery.

Temples: The temples of Dazh are large, open arenas so that worshippers may pay homage to their god under the sky in which he lives. The richest of these temples are dominated by a large gilded statue of their god, and all contain many burning braziers and firepits which wreath the heavens in scented smoke and can never be allowed to go out.

Friends and enemies: The cult of Dazh is on genial terms with other main religions of the Old World, although there is some distrust between them and worshippers of Ulric (as god of winter).

Holy Days: Every day is holy day to Dazh. Worshippers must give brief thanks every morning when Dazh arises from his bed of coals, and wish him well when he returns to sleep every evening. The summer solstice is the most holy day of the year for the cult of Dazh, it being the day when their god walks amongst his followers for the longest time. Amongst the most barbaric of the northern tribes, the ancient tradition of offering up a sacrifice to Dazh on a pyre, whilst chanting praise to the sun god, is still practiced on the solstice. In the more cultured lands of the south, this has been replaced by the burning of an ox or horse upon a fire of parchments on which the worshippers’ prayers are written.

Strictures: Always offer hospitality, even to strangers and enemies.
Never let a fire go out during the night.
Never set a fire on a dirty hearth.
Offer prayers to Dazh on the first morning that the winter snows cover the ground.

TOR
Description: Tor is the god of thunder and lightning, and is 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 for 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. For example, the phrase ‘Ty Tor!’ means ‘By Tor!’ and is an exclamation of surprise. On the other hand, ‘Do Tor!’ means ‘Tor’s Bolt!’ and is an entreaty for the god to unleash his anger upon the enemy.

Symbol: Tor is usually represented by the symbol of a thunderbolt, or an axe with a thunderbolt for a haft. Silver is considered the favoured metal of Tor, and it is usual for a famed warrior to have threads of silver woven into his moustache or beard as a sign of thanks to the storm god.

Temples: Tor’s temples are built atop hills and there are many in the Worlds Edge Mountains near to the Peak Pass and High Pass. They are imposing structures of large stone blocks with heavy roofs of wooden logs.

Friends and Enemies: Tor has an indifferent approach to the other gods, and his followers have no particular allies, though they tend to get on well with worshippers of Ulric.

Holy Days: No formal holy days. However, during a mighty storm, adherents to the Torian faith will gather outside and give praise to their god. Warriors pray to Tor before and after battle.

Strictures: There is only one known stricture for the cult of Tor, and it is a sensible one – never stand under a tree in a thunderstorm.

OTHER WORSHIP
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 and rituals are followed in a near-unthinking fashion to appease the various needs of these sometimes mischievous but usually benevolent creatures.

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