The Akshina are the secret police of the crown of Kislev who directly serve the tzar or tzarina. Their task is to eliminate any internal or external threats to the crown that they identify in their investigations.
Whole units of Akshina, known as Akshina Ambushers, also serve in the Motherland's military as ranged light infantry skirmishers and roving, ranged assassins.
History[]
"The agents of the Tzarina cannot be everywhere at once. "
- —Description of Akshina Informant in Total War: Warhammer III.[3]
First created as a secretive military order in the reign of Tzar Alekus the Red, the Akshina became a force to be feared, rooting out conspirators against the Kislevite crown and eliminating them without trial or compunction. In times of war, these agents of the crown ensure utter loyalty from the boyars and generals of Kislev, often keeping them in line through fear alone.[3]
Yet the enemies of the Motherland are no safer from their machinations. Akshina Ambushers often haunt such foes with murderous intent, putting their unusual skills to use on the battlefield. As elite assassins, they stalk their enemies from afar, often making use of cover to lurk unseen, even in the heat of combat. Every quarrel from their crossbows finds its mark, piercing the heart or burrowing deep into an enemy's skull.[3]
Akshina Ambushers[]
"There's nothing to see but a tranquil treeline...and projectiles flying from it with pinpoint precision."
- —Description of Akshina Ambushers inTotal War: Warhammer III.[3]
Akshina Ambushers in the service of Mother Ostankya of Kislev confront the Daemons of Nurgle.
The Akshina Ambushers are the potent skirmisher troops of the Kislevite Akshina. With a name like Akshina Ambushers, it's no surprise that these agents of loyalty enforcement for Kislev's monarch have an affinity for operating in woodlands.[1]
Often responsible for unexplained deaths across the oblast, the Akshina Ambushers haunt their foes with murderous intent, hiding out of sight in wait for any messengers or travellers that happen to pass. They are also handy on the battlefield as ranged light infantry skirmishers.[1]
These stealthy killers can swiftly pass through forests, surprising enemies with volleys of high damage, armour-piercing arrows and crossbow bolts. Plus, they maintain a high degree of accuracy at even the longest of ranges, making them the perfect snipers.[1]
Notable Akshina[]
- The Wolfhearts - The Wolfhearts are an elite unit of Akshina Ambushers who carry white bear cloaks. It is said that no one could fail to tremble in fear once these wolves of winter descend upon them.[3]
- Watchmen in the Night - The existence of the current iteration of Tzarina Katarin Bokha's secret police is no secret, for the Akshina's ranks are composed not just of the spies who root out opposition to her rule, but also the toughest warriors of her retinue of Palace Guards. The Akshina are -- by decree of the tzarina -- infallible in their interpretation of the law. The penalties they select are thus always appropriate for the crimes in question. They are never seen to wrongly convict, and while they may arrest and extract confessions from those later proved to be innocent, it is no fault of theirs, for their actions are always justified. Yet Katarin does not intend to institute a reign of terror; she wants only to be able to deal with her enemies quickly and efficiently. Thus the most important qualification for becoming a member of the Akshina is absolute loyalty to her, closely followed by competence in their investigative and martial duties. Those who display excessive cruelty do not last long in the prestigious ranks of the Akshina, while the incompetent generally die in the course of their duty -- such is their vocation.[1]
Canon Conflict[]
In an interview regarding Total War: Warhammer III, former Games Workshop employee Andy Hall confirmed that the Chekists, the secret police of the Kislevite crown in prior Warhammer lore, had been rendered non-canon by Games Workshop, their role as Kislev's secret police taken by the Akshina first introduced for the faction in the game.[2]
However the spirit of the old Chekists seems to live on through the Watchmen in the Night (see above), a regiment of renown added to Warhammer III by Creative Assembly which shares some of the old Chekist lore from Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition. Whether they are part of the Akshina or their own distinct organisation is not entirely clear.