"My father was fond of saying that he would never trust a man who was afraid to lose his temper. As a result, his boyarin were an insufferable band of brutes, always brawling, always arguing and always fighting. But they were loyal, honest and true, and never did a greater band of warriors ever fight shoulder to shoulder. That saying stood my father in good stead, so I see no reason not to trust it also, ambassador."
Boris Bokha, also known as Radii Bokha (meaning the "Red Bokha" or "Bokha the Red" in Kislevarin), Boris Ursus and the "Red Tzar," was a great Tzar of Kislev who ruled in the late 25th and early 26th centuries IC, and was the father of the current reigning Tzarina Katarin.
He took the title of Radii Bokha after defeating a Beastmen army outside of Praag.[1a]
Quick Answers
What is the significance of Boris Bokha's father's saying about trust?
How did Boris Bokha's father's saying influence his leadership style?
What qualities did Boris Bokha value in his warriors?
Who is Tzarina Katarin and what is her relationship with Boris Bokha?
What is the connection between Boris Bokha and Boris Ursus?
History[]
Origins and Reign[]
"Come, my glorious sons, Mother Kislev needs you now. Rally, rally! Rise up and fight... I know you're tired. I know you're afraid... but victory is within our grasp. One last, great struggle and we will drive these dogs from our lands. Breath the winter air, let it fortify your souls. Ready? We charge now, and we will be back at the Gospoda for beer and kvas before nightfall, yes?!"
- —The Red Tzar[8]
The Red Tzar in battle atop his bear mount Urskin.
Boris Bokha was a fiery, passionate warrior, and it was said he was born with the sound of Ekil Bloodheart howling on the wind above him -- a good omen for a warrior -- and the hags predicted he would fight hard and die well. Rising to the throne of Kislev in 968 (2492 IC) after his father, Tzar Vladimir Bokha, died fighting Goblins east of Kislev, Boris inherited the rule of a nation that had done little to recover from the devastation caused during the Great War Against Chaos of 2302 IC.[1b][2b]
In a move resented by the old guard of the Kislevite court, Radii Bokha nearly emptied the treasuries to hire mercenaries to re-train the Kislevite army, rebuilding bridges, roads, and towns and importing blackpowder and engineers from the Empire. Though it almost bankrupted his family (and several other noble families in the bargain), Tzar Boris' reign will be forever remembered for his driving spirit and eagerness to reclaim the lands that had become infested with Goblins, Trolls, Beastmen, and other vile creatures.[1b][2b]
Boris Borkha as depicted in Total War: Warhammer III.
Tzar Boris was also instrumental in a revival of the Cult of Ursun, which had slowly been overtaken by worship of Ulric, Taal, and other foreign gods. To do so, he undertook the trial of initiation that priests of Ursun must overcome and went into the forests to tame a bear. He was not seen or heard of for eighteen days, and many feared he had met a gruesome fate in the depths of the icy forests. Preparations began for the coronation of his infant daughter Katarin Bokha (who was only four years old at the time) when the search parties came across his unconscious form on the nineteenth day.[1b][2a]
His still body was guarded by a bear of gigantic proportions that would not allow anyone near. The tzar was surrounded by the corpses of over two dozen wolves, and the snow was red with their blood. Nothing the searchers could do would entice the bear away from their ruler or convince it that they meant no harm. Finally, after another day had passed, Boris awoke, and the bear allowed the searchers to approach and tend to their ruler's wounds. Upon his return, he was named high priest of the Cult of Ursun, taking on the new name of "Boris Ursus."[1b][2a]
The tale Boris related upon his return to Kislev has since passed into folklore, though few doubt the truth of it. Four days before being found by the searchers and after much wandering, he came across the mightiest bear he had ever seen, with teeth and claws like sword blades. Taking this as a sign from Ursun, he had confronted the beast, and it charged him, the ground shaking with the fury of its charge and a bloodcurdling roar echoing through the forest. With his bare hands, Boris fended off the creature's attacks but could not overpower it. The struggle lasted a full day before a wolf pack, drawn by the scent of their combined blood, attacked.[1b]
The wolves immediately went for the bear, but Boris sprang to its aid, crushing their skulls with his fists and tearing them from its back. Boris was badly wounded, however, and fell beneath the attacks of the wolves. As the beasts closed in for the kill, the bear protected his erstwhile enemy from the common foe. It stood over the supine tzar, tearing the wolves apart with its claws and savaging them with its powerful jaws.[1b]
Boris had slipped into unconsciousness, yet each time he had drifted awake, the bear had been there, protecting him from the wolves. The bear returned to Kislev with the tzar, and from then on, whenever Boris took to the field of battle, it was atop the back of Urskin (which means "bear-brother"), both a symbol of Ursun's power and affection for Boris and an implacable enemy in battle.[1b]
Death[]
Boris Bokha leading Kislev's War Bear Riders to battle as depicted in Total War: Warhammer III.
Tzar Boris met his end in battle in 2517 IC whilst leading a pulk (army) north of the River Lynsk into the Troll Country. At an unnamed river crossing, the tzar charged deep into the Kurgan army of Hetzar Feydaj but was soon surrounded and cut off from the rest of his troops. He and Urskin fought with all the might and fury of the Bear God, but even Red Boris could not triumph against such odds.[1b]
Urskin was able to fight his way clear of the Kurgans and carry the Red Tzar back to the rest of the Kislevite army, but it was already too late; the tzar had taken a score of wounds, each enough to be mortal. Only when the battle was won did the tzar slide from the back of Urskin and die. His faithful mount roared in mourning for a full night before vanishing into the bleak northlands, and legend has it that to this day Urskin continues to hunt down the creatures of Chaos that slew his master.[1b]
His daughter Jekaterina (known elsewhere in the world as Katarin the Great) acceded to the throne.[5c]
Total War: Warhammer III[]
"Ursun woke me to keep this world safe. I intend to do so!"
- —Boris Ursus[8]
Boris Bokha awoken from his sleep.
Legend has it that after he fell from his faithful mount Urskin, the Motherland itself spirited Boris Bokha's body away via the current of the unnamed river where he fell. He was found years later, encased in ice, at the Frozen Falls north of Kislev and east of Hell Pit. This sacred site had been hidden and guarded by the servants of the Great Orthodoxy ever since. The tzar was thought dead, but with the Bear God Ursun's last, pained roar -- after being held hostage by the Daemon Prince Be'lakor and mortally wounded by the Ungol Prince Yuri Barkov -- Boris Bokha started to stir.[8]
The Chaos God of change and intrigue, Tzeentch, sensed this awakening and sent a horde including three Tzeentchian sorcerers to create an arcane spell that would wrest the tzar from the ice. Yet the Motherland has sent a message of the tzar's imperilled return by the rustle of branches and the chirps of birds to the Hag Witches of the forest, and from there word reached the city of Kislev, sometime after the spiritual conflict between Tzarina Katarin Bokha and Supreme Patriarch Kostaltyn of the Great Orthodoxy had come to an end and the political unity of Kislev had been restored.[8]
After the defeat of the three sorcerers by Kislevite forces, the freed Red Tzar gathered his followers and travelled east, far from the Motherland, into territory once claimed by Kislev centuries ago. After setting up camp in Fort Dorznye-Vort and retaking some ruins of ancient Kislevite forts nearby, he went north and marched deep into the Chaos Wastes on his own journey to find Ursun and save the Motherland.[8]
Wargear[]
The icon of the Ursun Revivalists, the Kislevite army commanded by Boris Bokha, as depicted in Total War: Warhammer III.
- Armour of Ursun - Forged on the Spring Equinox, one of the holiest days of the cult of Ursun, the powdered bones of a score of the mightiest bears were mixed with the steel of the armour before it was quenched in the finest mead. This suit of armour is imbued with the power and might of Ursun himself and those who wear it feel his power coursing through their veins. [2c]
- Shard Blade - Boris carries a mighty pole-arm with a blade crafted from ice hewn from the glaciers of Norsca, and magically bound by the ice wizards of Kislev to remain forever frozen. When Boris strikes a foe, shards of ice water enter their veins and freeze their blood.[2c]
Canon Conflict[]
Citadel Journal 14 indicates that Tzar Bokha died under mysterious circumstances in 2512 IC,[5c] instead of dying in battle in 2517 IC.[1b]
The Something Rotten in Kislev alternate timeline from 1st Edition Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay provided a different backstory for Boris Bokha. In that version, he rose to power after the murder of the last tzar of House Romanoff with the support of the Kislevite military and aristocracy, despite the opposition of the conservative priesthoods and the state bureaucracy.[7a]
As tzar, Boris dedicated the bulk of the state's tax revenue to largely unsuccessful campaigns against Chaos hordes, mountain Goblins and plains Hobgoblins. The Kislevite state bureaucracy saw these failures as an opportunity to undermine his power base and try to install someone more sympathetic to their aims on the throne of Kislev.[7b]
Miniatures[]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Realm of the Ice Queen (RPG)
- 2: Warhammer Armies: Kislev (6th Edition)
- 3: The Ambassador (Novel) by Graham McNeill
- 3a: Ch. 6
- 4: Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War (5th Edition)
- 4a: pp. 50-51
- 5: Citadel Journal 14 , "Kislev: The Claws of the Great Bear"
- 6: Citadel Journal 15
- 6a: pg. 30
- 7: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Something Rotten in Kislev (RPG)
- 8: Total War: Warhammer III (PC Game)
Gallery[]
