User blog:Ilniaj/The Realm of the Ice Queens

There is possibly no nation in the world more militarily prepared than the Realm of the Ice Queens. This collection of demon realms and monster-friendly areas are surrounded by hostile nations, the Empire to the south, the Dwarves of Hashut to the east and Norsca to the north and west. There is almost no adult citizen who hasn't served in the military in some form, ranging from being part of the militia that protects every settlement and village, to the nomadic tribes and hunters, to the elite forces. Every village and settlement has a training ground and archery field, and most cities hold special riding competitions for skilled young raiders so they can hone their horsemanship. In addition, the land is cold, even colder than the farther north lands of Norsca due to the influence of the Ice Queens. Attacking armies will have to endure vicious attrition as the cold saps their willpower and men succumb to the offers of monsters wishing to warm their beds. The people of the Realm of the Ice Queens can be split into majorities of Ungol and Gospodar peoples. The two tribes also have a bit of blood from both the Norse and peoples of the Empire in them, usually through monsters from these tribes taking outside men as husbands or monsterized woman who have become accepted by either. This cultural mix can be volatile but will always melt away in the face of a common foe.

The main strength of their army is the levies and citizens instead of professional warriors and mercenaries. Because of such evident threats, they are willing and motivated soldiers who know that they are defending their homes and families. This does not mean there are no professional soldiers as the Kreml Guard, Bear Cavalry and Streltsi are some of the most famed soldiers in the old world. When the people of this land go to war, there are two types of combat in which they excel, guerilla warfare and open field battle. Hunters, Kossars and Horse Archers of the smaller tribes mount daring skirmishes and wild raids to cause the maximum amount of damage to supply lines and siege trains and then fleeing before any pursuit is possible. When a particularly large and powerful enemy force threatens the borders of the Realm, these tactics are insufficient and armies (known to them as "Pulks") are formed. In major battles, heavy cavalry like Winged Lancers and the Griffon legion engage the elite of the enemy forces while their flanks are protected by infantry. Urugan cannons are brought forward protected by the best infantry like Kreml Guard and Streltsi. The gun opens fire at close range as the infantry charges on. While the price in blood is often high in such battles, considerable success has been observed with these brutal tactics.

Beneath the Tzarina are a number of high ranking nobles known as Boyars, each of whom commands an army in times of war. Boyarins are heriditary, the title passing to the one chosen among the bearers offspring, with the lands and settlements nearby owing them fealty and loyalty. In return, the village can expect protection and support from the local lord in times of famine and war, but are beholden to answer the Boyar's call for battle. When the Tzarina gathers her armies, the Boyars send riders out to the settlements to which they are responsible and a muster of warriors are formed with a speed that puts most other nations to shame. While the people of other nations might only fight when their lives are threatened, the bond formed between the people of the Realm of the Ice Queens means that the idea of invaders despoiling even the most distant part of their homelands is abhorrent to them, and there is no shortage of brave men and women seeking glory and honor as a horse archer or lancer. In each settlement, the people are led by a Hetman, who has displayed the qualities of a warrior and leader and has earned the respect of the rest of the village. Unlike Boyars, the title of Hetman is not heriditary and must be earned, whether the office is seeked or not. The Hetman must see the village through trials both good and bad and rule with wisdom and courage. Many noble families and Boyar can trace their lineage to a Hetman of a humble settlement, though most prefer not to.

The people of the Realms of the Ice Queens worship much the same gods as other nations do, the Chief God being an exception. Especially popular is the worship of Ares and the Realm of the Ice Queens is one of the few monster-friendly places to enjoy their own hero system, albeit only of the Priest type and by relation, small in number. These Priests can sometimes be observed in armies, serving a role as leaders of units. While capable fighters, their main support is in the divine magic they use, driving warriors they lead into a frenzy, bolstering their resolves, granting them strength or debilitating foes with the cold.

Most Ice Witches are either Ice Queens or Glacies but occasionally there are ones who are either human woman or other monster races (their skin and eyes turning ice blue as a side effect of their magic) such as the Lilim Tzarina Katarin and her mother, the Lilim Mishka the Slaughterer. An Ice Witches training is partly in magic and partly in wilderness survival. Much of their daily routine involves tasks geared towards survival like gathering firewood or setting snares to trap wild game with the rest devoted to the study and practice of ice magic. Some apprentices never progress beyond being an apprentice due to not possessing the proper mentality for such a lonely life or simply lacking enough talent in magic. These "Perpetual Apprentices" use their knowledge to help others without embracing the path as a Witch of the Ice. For those who do have the proper mentality and skill, the rewards can be significant, unlocking further mysteries and growing awareness and confidence in their own abilities. Upon completing their initial training they are released from their teacher to seek a deeper understanding of magic. They can be found in the most unlikely places as they quest for understanding but most commonly, they wander the frozen lands, facing warbands of the chief god, the spirit's of the land and ferocious beasts with equal resolve. The Ice Witches are feared and respected throughout the Realm of the Ice Queens, Norsca, the Empire and even among the Dwarves of Hashut. They are the darkest winter, the coldest ice and the cruelest blizzard. Few can bear their presence for long. Being an Ice Witch is more than simply practicing ice magic, the witches are part of an ancient sisterhood that has long influenced and often ruled the Gospodor tribe - and still does to this day.

Most Ungol communities are tended to by a Krug of wise woman, with the most prominent ones led by a Baphomet. These matriarchs guard uncounted generations of oral traditions and tribal secrets, which is put to good use tending the sick, aiding childbirth, advising local leaders and placating the spirits of the land. Wise women krugs gather in specially decorated kibitkas where they share lore and discuss matters of importance. Girls who demonstrate the ability to sense magic - called "The Sight" by the Ungols - are interviewed to determine their suitability to join the wise women. Few develop magical powers without first demonstrating "The Sight", thus, most Witches were once Wise Woman. Although these Hags as they are called can aid their local communities greatly, the spirits demand a high price for their compliance, their age. Even the oldest of these women appear to be a child and should they die of old age, their heart will simply stop rather than the typical myriad of ways the elderly can die. The legendary Hag Mothers are very powerful Hag Witches known for their powers of divination, healing and influence over spirits. Most eke out simple living in rustic huts far from the communities they watch over. They rarely leave their homes, forcing those seeking them to undertake arduous journeys. However a few wander the land following wherever the spirits lead them and sharing their knowledge. Although most possess a childlike stature, they display the wisdom of those 20 or more times their visual age as well as the strength and resilience of a grown adult.

The Realm of the Ice Queens are wild and untamed, places of endless horizons, rocky steppes and icy tundra, plains stretching as far as the eye can see. It is here that rangers are in their element. Capable of great endurance, travelling on foot for days at a time, they negotiate this hostile land, patrolling its borders, ever watchful for incursions. The preferred weapon of a Ranger is the bow, but they also use throwing axes or javelins. They are also good swordsmen, taught to fight and ride at a young age. It is the way of the ranger to travel light, and they seldom wear much armor or carry weighty packs or provisions. They must be one with the environment and live off what the land provides. A bow, axe and a cloak to ward off the worst of the weather is oft all a Ranger carries in their travels. Although they are capable warriors, their true strength lies in tracking and pathfinding. Many times their warning has averted an ambush or found a clear route through perilous conditions.

Droyaska (meaning "Blade Master") is an ancient Kossar term for the most powerful fighter in the tribe. The word has survived the generations, and today is an honorary title given by a chieftain to their personal champion, though is also used by Gospodor warriors as a familiar term to describe the most capable veteran fighters. Unlike titles like General or Grandmaster, this title is not bestowed by skill with commanding troops, but purely with skill at arms. When troops are mustered, Droyaska will answer the call, eager to prove themselves worthy of the title for what better way to prove themselves than to defeat the champions of other lands? When fighting, Droyaska fight with either two wondrously crafted blades or a single wondrously crafted great weapon, slashing at the foe before they can react. They wear no armor and use no shields to prove that they only need skill at arms to survive.

The infantry backbone of a pulk are the Kossars, a flexible and well-drilled unit of men and women who fight with both bow at range and at close range with great axes, changing between weapons without delay. The Kossars were once a tribe of Ungol mercenaries who sold their skills to the Gospodars and later taught their techniques to them. Today, Kossars are not a single tribe but the name to describe military units drawn from all over the Realm. Kossar regiments are a combined force of Ungol and Gospodar soldiers, trained and kept as a standing military force. When a warrior of either tribe joins the regiment, they are expected to renounce clan loyalties and fight solely for the Realm and the Tzarina.

The bulk of the armies are the militia, men and women from the cities and villages who have taken up arms when their lands are threatened. This is the way most people fulfill the mandatory military service required by the Tzarina. Though they lack proper military training, they are fierce opponents always ready to protect their homes from those who would seek to destroy them. In a land under constant threat of invasion, they are resigned to utilizing whatever means they can to turn back their foes. While peasants in other lands can rarely afford proper weapons, these militia are well-equipped wielding either polearms or spears and shields.

Since the Realm of the Ice Queens contains several demon realms, Imps and the more powerful Arch Imps are present in the land, as well as a few monsters from outside of these two races that choose to take on a childlike body. As mentioned earlier, military service is mandatory but people tend to be reluctant to put such childlike soldiers into combat (even if that soldier is actually older than the commander) and not without reason since implings are frail and skittish compared to someone who has the body of an adult. However, implings do have an advantage in that they're fast, stealthy and agile. As such, Impling Skirmishers advance before the main army in dispersed groups, harassing the advancing enemy with slings, bows and javelins since these missile weapons help neutralize the size advantage of the foe. Occasionally, a Boyar or Hetman is an Arch Imp and will join these raiding groups, being able to keep up on foot compared to an "adult" while not being as large and obvious a target.

The Winged Lancers are a Gospodar tradition and most settlements support a unit of them. These lancers are famed for their elaborately decorated armor, most especially the large feathered "wings" mounted on their back that make an eerie sound when they charge. The rest of the armor is decorated as richly as the settlement can manage as a matter of pride and the warriors only don their armor immediately before battle to avoid damaging it in everyday use. Their horses however wear no barding so that the Winged Lancers can maintain their speed. Unsurprisingly, their primary weapon is the lance but they also use swords for closer fighting. While not as maneuverable as horse archers, they are still highly mobile and the mainstay of an army. Induction into the Winged Lancers is a simple affair, a candidate armed with only a bow, five arrows and a knife must venture out into the wilderness and return with a slain eagle within five days. The eagles feathers will decorate the back banner of a successful candidate, marking them as worthy of riding with the Winged Lancers.

Ungol Horse Archers are auxiliaries drafted from the northern tribes. They are fierce warriors but lack the discipline of the regular army. Trained to loose arrows from the saddle at an early age, they are among the best fast cavalry in the world, delighting at running rings around their opponents, peppering them with arrows and dodging away before the opponent can retaliate. Their skills with scimitar, spear, bow and javelin are expertly honed hunting on the endless steppe. These horse archers wear little to no armor, making up in speed what they lack in equipment. As front line troops, they are hopeless but are extremely maneuverable and can shoot more accurately from horseback than anyone else, with the exception of elves. As a result, they make excellent backup for Winged Lancers, harrying the enemy and driving them towards the other troops. They also make excellent scouts, a role they greatly enjoy.

The Kreml Guard are the hand-picked elite of the infantry, guarding important individuals as required. The Bokha Palace in the capital city of Kislev is guarded by 300 of these impressive warriors. Wielding mighty axes, these axemen strike fear into the hearts of the enemy before striking into the hearts of the enemy. Kreml Guards receive plenty of training to wield their fearsome two-handed axes and are well armored with plate and cloth. Many Boyar use these warriors as shock troops to soften enemy formations.

The most famed regiment of Winged Lancers are the Griffon Legion, so named because a commander from a long time ago, Vladic Dostov slew a Griffon in a battle single-handedly and kept its body as a prize. In addition to the act bringing forth their name, it also started the practice of wearing back banners made from Griffon feathers (or that of the Opinicus, an artificial creature made in imitation of Griffons). In the previous age, Griffons would have to be slain to provide the feathers but now they trade them instead. Opinicus, however are still slain for their feathers, either taken from Empire Generals who might ride one or hunting ones that have escaped into the wild. The back banners made with Griffon feathers produce an eerie noise when the wearer is moving at a gallop which is capable of frightening enemies. The Griffon Legion are also trained to charge the enemy, swiftly disengage when the momentum is consumed and then charge again. Little can frighten or terrify them and it is impossible to make them panic.

The Streltsi were originally a rota of Kossars, changed forever when their leader, Boyar Boydinov witnessed the use of Empire black powder firearms. Now, many years after his death, the Streltsi are the foremost masters of firearms. They are proud soldiers, strong, loyal and disciplined in battle. Unless actively at war, the life of a Streltsi is one of practice. Though their firearms are well made, they are not entirely reliable and the Streltsi must constantly check, clean and maintain them, as well as each and every component of their uniform. They must also drill with berdysh, practicing both formation firing and one on one melee combat. The Streltsi can shift suddenly from a calm disciplined line of calm, almost machine like gunners to a raging horde of axe wielding berserkers in an instant, often terrifying those brave enough to cross the wall of gunfire they lay down.

The Ungols have their own knightly orders but rather than the heavy cavalry of other knights, they maintain their traditions and instead these Ranger Templars are expert horse archers, fighting much the same as their lessers. They specialize in skirmish actions in forests and rough terrain, and ensure that isolated settlements are safe from Norscan raids and some even venture into the taiga where they use their skills to destroy entire warbands using ingenious traps and fatal ambushes. This unusual knightly order was founded in the previous age by Tzarina Taira Pavlovna as an answer to pleas of people on the borderlands that were harassed by marauding beastmen and norscans. These masters of ambush and guerilla warfare and their superior equipment and careful training have guaranteed many great victories during the years.

Although peasants till much of the land, huge expanses are still covered in forests or are hostile to agriculture. These are lands where hunters and trappers thrive, using the same techniques as their ancestors to take down game, be it a trap or a well placed shot. It takes skill to stalk wild animals while avoiding the dark creatures of the wood. Hunters in their animal skin clothes and fur hats may seem uncouth to city folks but they don't care what others think of them. All citizens must serve in the military and these hunters are not exempt from conscription. Even the expert scouts of the elves have on occasion found themselves surrounded by these woodsmen. For their part, the rest of the military holds a grudging respect for them, having been saved more than once by their timely arrival. Many is the army that thought itself well deployed only to be undone by Hunters waiting in ambush with patience. The taiga is infamous for its harshness and the men and women who live there are a hardy breed, hunters of unsurpassed skill. They can wait their prey while covered in snow for hours in bitter cold.

Kvassnics are specialized impling troops who are named after the missiles they hurl. The Kvassnic they use are bottles of incredibly strong alcohol, deadly even to a centaur or oni. Alcohol this strong is used as a solvent, to sterilize surfaces or in the case of military purposes, lit on fire and thrown at the enemy. This use of alcohol dates back to the previous age, where an army fighting on the field had its camp raided by goblin wolf riders. The storage masters improvised a way to repel them, stuffing rags into bottles of alcohol, lighting the rags on fire and then throwing them. The goblins soon retreated in terror, their wolves tails on fire. Since then, Kvassnics are often included as auxiliary troops, throwing such fiery projectiles with devastating effect.

Nomadic tribes move across the steppe using huge wagons pulled by many horses. When attacked, the wagons form a defensive circle with the entire tribe inside. From this tradition a military wagon was developed, smaller and better armored than the original steppe wagon and crammed with warriors. On an open battlefield, these provide solid defensive barriers to enemy advances. The body of a War Wagon is a rectangle of stout planking to the height of a man. Fixed to the top of these sides with hinges are additional boards. These can be raised and fixed in place forming a tall shed like structure. The sides are split slightly to allows marksmen to fire on the enemy with maximum protection. War Wagons are usually modified with doors or a ramp on each side to allow the crew to bring their great axes to the defense of their cargo. Slung below the War Wagon is another hinged large plank pierced with firing slits. This plank can be lowered to close off the space under the War Wagon allowing the crew to fire from relative safety. The crew are equipped with bows or handguns and flails, halberds or great weapons. When they decide to commit to a position, they will release the horses, stuck in the safest place on the battlefield, the crew only have one choice, rout the enemy or die.

The Realm of the Ice Queens has a difficult time stockpiling and maintaining war machines. The Urugan Cannon or "Alexander's Organ" is a notable exception. Named for the sharp screeching sound it makes when firing, this lightweight cannon works on the same principle as the repeater weapons of The Empire. It consists of several light, small barrels and a two wheeled carriage that allows them to move it from place to place quickly and a protective screen for the crew. The Urugan Cannon shoots a hail of lead shot, filling the air with deadly projectiles. While much of the ammunition fired is wasted and its power is less than a regular cannon, it is almost impossible for the target to avoid being hit. Because the Urugan Cannon can accompany the main units as they advance upon the enemy, it is much favored by generals who are famous for their aggressive tactics.

The Realm of the Ice Queens regard bears to be sacred, a living embodiment of the land's enduring might and the struggles all of its peoples must endure. In war, bears serve a variety of purposes such as being the mascot of the army, sent into battle in large packs, ridden by the most elite of warriors or even pulling the War Sled ridden by Tzarina Katarin and her mother Mishka the Slaughterer. These bears are demon realm beasts, and while they are the same species that roam the rest of the lands, demonic energy has caused them to grow even more enormous. There are also the Ice Bears that are not the same species and are even larger and more dangerous. Bears are swathed in thick layers of fat and muscle, which protects them from the worst excesses of the harsh weather and the blows of his enemies. Bears that die in battle are given solemn military funerals. The most common unit of bears in the army are bear packs, large packs of trained bears driven to battle and set loose among the enemy ranks, where they cause mayhem. A well trained bear can subdue men without killing them, striking them unconscious with a well placed blow and forcing weapons from their arms.

Some of the most dangerous knights in the world are the bear cavalry of the Realm of the Ice Queens. They have a single fortress monastery atop a sacred ice mountain, which was founded by Boris Ursus. This temple is built over a labyrinthine enclosure leading to pits where many bears are kept. In times of trouble, it is believed these bears will protect the people, and indeed they do as the strongest knights in the Realm of the Ice Queens mount these mighty beasts and ride out to battle. Rarely do these Bear Cavalry ride to war but when they do, the people of the Realm take heart and their enemies flee before these mighty knights and their fearsome steeds. No other regiment typifies the Realm more than the Bear Cavalry and when they go to battle, they take their place at the front of the army as the most feared and respected warriors. As well as Warhorses, Boyar, Hetman and Priests of Ares can be mounted on Great Bears, an example of a bear nurtured on a combination of meat and magic to become even tougher, the better to protect their rider. Other than their breeding and resilience, there is not much different between these and a "common" bear.

The War Bears are truly a sight to behold, larger and more powerful than any other. It's possible to tame them but to be on the safe side, they are rarely taken anywhere without heavy chains, especially since they act erratically without their trainers present. For generations have tamed War Bears been brought to battle, they are a menacing sight, able to tear nearly anything limb from limb. It is no small task to be able to tame one of these mighty animals and individuals that can do so are highly respected.

The great blue hawks of the mountains once warned Miska of an ambush her enemies had planned for her and the grateful women cast an enchantment over these birds. Since those times, armies have been accompanied by great flights of these majestic birds. The hawks are swift fighters with sharp talons guided by the magic of Miska, they attack the enemy with great fury, screeching their terrifying screams as they descend upon the enemy.