I'm reading a bit of Realm of the Ice Queen and there's quite a bit of interesting stuff here in the City of Kislev section. Overall, Kislev seems like a remarkably modern place, at least on par with the Empire.
Realm of the Ice Queen, page 78
Kislev's greatness is a shadow of what it once was, but its streets, known as prospekts, are always thronged with people from lands far away, and such is its bustle and energy that there is never a shortage of things to do and places to see.
Looks like a whole lot of foreigners go up to Kislev for various reasons. And this is all in the City of Kislev, not Erengrad, the actual merchant city directly adjacent to the sea. Kislev City is further inland, near the World's Edge Mountains and connected to the sea only by river. Kislev is a surprisingly lively place. Also, I should note, the whole "greatness is a shadow of what it was" is in the context of just coming out of Archaon's war. That hasn't happened in this timeline, so it should be even bustlier than it is in canon.
Since then, the city of Kislev has prospered like never before, its trade links with other nations growing ever stronger, even stretching over the Worlds Edge Mountains to distant Cathay. As its influence has grown, so too has its stature as a city, and engineers and architects from all over the known world have come to Kislev to raise its temples, bridges, and city walls
(Note: This extract came from before the one above it.) A lot of trade passes through the Kingdom of Kislev's capital city, a surprisingly large amount, and all the way to Cathay too! Plus it's a hotbed of engineering and architecture. Foreign, it seems, but Kislev very obviously has its own architects and quite probably has its own engineers too.
Page 79
Each of these gates is a vast, iron portcullis that is raised and lowered by means of a Dwarfen steam-powered windlass on the walls above.
The bridge is of Dwarfen construction and is solid and embellished with many fine carvings; although in recent years, a wooden hoarding has been added to make it a covered bridge, perhaps to spare the blushes of the furtive figures that can be seen crossing the bridge on their way to Madame Katya's den of iniquity.
Kislev seems to have some fairly decent ties with the dwarves to get them to build this stuff for them, even without a Sigmar to form an alliance with them.
Page 80
Constructed in 2411 IC in a joint venture between engineers from the Dwarfhold Karaz-aKarak and Humans from the Altdorf College of Engineers, the bridge has pneumatic pistons that allow its span to be raised and lowered from the northern bank.
Looks like
Karaz-a-Karak dwarves are willing to do a joint project with
human engineers! Who would've thought! (This isn't sarcasm, it's earnest surprise.) Never thought even Zhufbar dwarves would be down with that.
The Grackiziema (The Learned Quarter)
The section of the city to the north-west is known as the Learned Quarter due to the number of religious buildings, literary types, lawyers, and scribes found here. The streets of this district are heavily patrolled by the men of the city watch, and the buildings are fairly affluent, though no where close to the wealth of the Koztowny area of the city. A great many scribes, officers of the law, and functionaries of the Tzarina make their homes here, and the many taverns and food shops are a hotbed of intellectual banter and debate. Many of the greatest Kislevite writers, such as Kostoy and Verbosk learned their craft here, and it seems that every second shop runs a printing press, inking the latest pamphlet from hopeful writers. In times past, revolutions have fomented here, and the Tzarina's agents keep an ear to the ground to watch for any overly vocal agitators or demagogues that harangue the crowds from the platforms in Heckler's Market.
Kislev seems way more intellectually advanced and capable than Bretonnia, and the printing press seems to be massively used here. Like holy crap that's a lot of implied presses.
The Temple of Myrmidia
This building stands out in the streets of Kislev, for its architectural style is markedly different from the structures around it, more in keeping with the elaborate domes and spired roofs of Tilean and Estalian temples. The Temple of Myrmidia is a gathering place of warriors, and it echoes with tales of glory and the clash of weapons, for here a warrior may test his mettle before setting off to war. The building is crowned by a bronze statue of the Goddess Myrmidia, and her temple is hung with glittering swords of ice and carved eagles of bronze. Bas-reliefs of shields and spears adorn much of the exterior, as well as marble statues of great warriors from Kislev's past. Knights from the Order of the Winter Sun protect the temple, an order founded some years after the Crusades when a group of Knights of the Blazing Sun travelled northwards and paused in Kislev before riding to their doom in the Troll Country. A frieze of solid ice in the heart of the temple commemorates this noble sacrifice, and it has become customary for warriors setting off northwards to take a chip of ice from this frieze as a token of good luck. Thankfully, the ice grows back moments later, or there would be little left of the frieze!
I had no idea that Myrmidia had any sort of real presence in Kislev before now, much less a full on temple plus knightly order. And this temple was founded back during the time of the Crusades too. Another notable thing is the frieze made of solid ice in the temple, which gets pieces taken off it only for the ice to grow back. That looks like ice magic, which means Kislev's friendly enough to the Cult of Myrmidia to make a magic item for it. Yeah, Myrmidia's not a
massive deal in Kislev but a much bigger one than I thought.
Raskolnikov's
Known as a house of lively debate and intelligent conversation, Raskolnikov's is a place where the intellectual elite of Kislev come to meet and converse with like-minded individuals on matters of great import, such as news from around the world and their latest poetic offerings. Originally, this was just a residence where the intelligentsia would gather, but the owner quickly realised the commercial possibilities of such assemblies and began selling hot tisanes, wines, brandies, cigars, and sweetmeats. Now, Raskolnikov's is the equivalent of a tavern, though one of such highbrow sensibilities that the owner would not dream of selling ales or kvas. Those with new ideas to espouse or who fancy themselves writers come to Raskolnikov's to have their efforts read and critiqued by the great writers and poets who frequent this establishment. Evenings are always busy here, and on nights when the current favourites of Kislev read their works aloud, it's standing room only.
This is why earlier I said "like a remarkably modern place,
at least on par with the Empire" rather than merely "on par". The way this is described doesn't make me think Renaissance Europe, it makes me think
Age of Enlightenment Europe.
Pages 80-81
The Temple of Verena
In addition to serving as a holy building, the Temple of Verena serves as Kislev's official courts. Much of Kislev's justice is delivered here, and it is in the Temple of Verena that such official trials are held and argued. This massive building has a long, colonnaded front and is fashioned from white marble brought from the Apuccini Mountains of Tilea. A silver owl sits above the main entrance, which leads into an enormous hallway illuminated by hundreds of candles and tall, narrow windows. At the far end of the hallway sits a colossal statue of Verena, an owl perched on her shoulder and an open book in her lap. The many chambers that can be reached from this hallway house many of the temple's clerics, courtrooms, and also its library, which, with the exception of the library of the Bokha Palace, is one of the greatest collections of wisdom and learning in Kislev.
I didn't expect as small a Verenan presence in Kislev as a Myrmidian one, but the amount there is still surprises me. A temple outright described as massive, and not only that, it's the official courts of Kislev. That's even more centrally important to the government than in the Empire, where Verenans fight with Sigmarites over who gets to be in charge of law. Another noteworthy thing in this extract is the mention of what the building is made out of - marble sourced from the Apuccini Mountains in Tilea. Given how big it says the temple is, that sounds like an incredibly costly and time-consuming endeavour.
Page 81
The Writer's Rooms
A great many of Kislev's populace hail from the hundreds of villages that dot the Kislevite steppe, coming to find work in the city and earn enough to send back to their families. The Writer's Rooms initially began as a few educated men offering to pen letters for illiterate peasants to send word to their families on the steppe of their work, health, and daily lives. Of course, this communication relied on someone being able to read the letter in their home village, but often, merely receiving a letter was enough, even if the letter's recipient could not understand it. As the number of people coming from the steppe increased, so too did the need for a more permanent arrangement, and Tzar Alexandr offered a stipend to any man of letters who was willing to spend a period of time in the Writer's Rooms transcribing the peasants' news and reading them any replies. Over the years, the Writer's Room has grown in size and stature, acquiring neighbouring properties and knocking down walls. From the outside, it resembles a number of humble dwelling places, but inside, it is a warren of stacked papers, bookshelves, and writing booths. It also boasts an extensive library of correspondence that is second to none in its descriptions of the customs, history, superstitions, and legends of the steppe people.
The peasantry is a lot more literate - or rather, interested in writing - than...pretty much anywhere else in the Old World so far as I can tell. And it's not just sedentary peasant agriculturalists who engage with writing too, but also steppe peoples, which is a big shock to me given I've never thought them the type to engage with city stuff much. Another surprising thing here is how much Kislev seems interested in having such a deep level of academic knowledge on the steppe people. Would've thought they'd treat them with dismissal and disdain in this sense.
Pages 81-82
Shallyan Mission
After the Lubjanko (see The Lubjanko on page 85) fell into disuse as a place of healing, the disenfranchised Salyakarin Priests commissioned the Shallyan temple at Couronne for monies to construct a mission in Kislev. After much wrangling, their request was granted, and the "Shallyan" Mission was built. Where the Lubjanko is a place of dying, the Shallyan Mission is a place of life, and those who are brought within its white marble walls invariably walk out again. Once a visitor passes through the modest gates of the mission, they enter into a pleasant courtyard garden with a fountain at its centre, and the cooing of doves fills the air. Herbs and medicinal plants grow in this garden, which flourishes all year round, no matter how severe the winter. Images of hearts and the Goddess of Healing and Mercy cover the walls, and on the left is the temple, a nondescript white building with simple pews and a pale statue of Shallya. Several chapels line the other side of the courtyard, and at the end are the infirmaries where the sick and needy are cared for by the clerics of Shallya, most of whom are female. No one is ever turned away from the Shallyan Mission, but anyone healed of their wounds or sickness is expected to place a coin in every Temple of Shallya they pass from then on. No matter its official title, most Kislevites stubbornly refer to the Mission as "The Temple of Salyak", and there has been significant pressure from locals for the Shallyans to accept traditional, thus better, Salyakarin values.
Shallya has a presence in Kislev too, though she's called Salyak there. They're believed to be the same god by the people and clergies of both, no doubt about it, with Salyak worshippers even calling on Couronne for aid, though Kislevites ascribe a different set of values to Salyak than southerners do to Shallya. A rather interesting bit of religious stuff there.
Page 83
Unlike the rest of Kislev, Morr is well-regarded, and even worshipped, within the walls of the civilised capital. Regardless of oblast tradition, the dead of Kislev are taken to the Temple of Morr, a gloomy, solid structure with broad doorways and ponderous lintels embossed with the symbols of the grave, where the bodies are prepared for their journey into the next world and buried in the Garden of Morr beyond the wall. The heavy scent of incense fills the air, and loved ones of the dead that can afford it often ask for a traditional Kislevite burial. This practice involves the dead body being tied to the saddle of a horse (bought from the nearby Pulka's Livery), which is then driven into the wilderness of the steppe. But this tradition is frowned upon by most of Morr's priests because it delays the dead from arriving in Morr's kingdom and leaves the body prey to the spirits of the land that may seek to perform unnatural magic upon it. As a result, a number of the sinister Black Guard of Morr often ride out alongside the dead and ensure that the proper rites are carried out upon it once they're far enough away.
Looks like Morr has a decent presence in Kislev too, with Morrite knights to boot.
Page 86
Temple of Ulric
Standing opposite the Temple of Dazh in Geroyev Square, the Temple of Ulric is a massive edifice of white stone adorned with statues of fierce wolves flanking the black, wooden doors. The building is square and has a central dome, though there is little ornamentation on the outside. Within this massive structure are many priests' chambers and training rooms, for Ulric is a warrior God, and his clerics are expected to be able to fight. The temple was built on the site of a former Shrine of Ursun, something that almost brought the two cults to bloodshed (and there was plenty of friction beforehand) and resulted in the followers of Ursun declaring that they would not erect so much as a single cairn or standing stone within the city's walls. To the more devout followers of Ursun, the city of Kislev is a blasphemous place, and it is only a matter of time until the Father of Bears smites it with his wrath.
I knew that Ulric had a presence in the Kingdom of Kislev, but thought it was a minor one, distinctly inferior to Kislev's own gods. Did not imagine a massive temple dedicated to him in the capital city, much less that said temple supplanted one of Kislev's native war gods pretty much entirely.
Famed throughout the Old World, the exquisite works of the master artificer Murtok Fabor are much sought after, and it is in the chill shadow of the Winter Gardens and the Korotovsky Theatre that the master has his workshop. His clockwork contraptions, mechanical eggs, and lifelike automatons have delighted children and adults the length and breadth of the Old World. The secrets of their construction have baffled the most gifted members of the Altdorf College of Engineers as to their workings, some even going as far as to say that such things are impossible without the use of magic, which no selfrespecting engineer would ever countenance.
Looks like I was right to say Kislev probably has its own home-grown engineers. This guy looks pretty dang smart to outdo even Altdorf's best. Now, this guy is noted to be a tippy tip top engineer dude, but I think we can take it as a given that Kislev has other engineers of its own even if they're not at Fabor's level.
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