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"I've heard Vampires travel around so easily because those filthy gypsies, the Strigany, shelter them in their caravans. I wouldn't put it past 'em. They're horse thieves and adulterers, and they all reek of cabbage. It's a short walk from there to harbouring the Undead if you ask me."

—Azmus Pacher, horse trader[2a]
Strigani

A Strigany seer

The Strigany are groups of nomadic, tribal Human wanderers who are descended from the people of the ancient, Vampire-ruled empire of Strigos. They are always on the move and never settle down in one place, preferring to make their way across the Old World in caravan trains or by maintaining small fleets of river barges.

They are known for their mystical abilities, particularly at foreseeing the future, but also have dark a reputation among the common folk of the Old World as thieves, ne'er-do-wells, and con artists. They are viewed with suspicion as allies and worshippers of Vampires and other Undead.

History[]

"Why blame the fish for swimming or the well-made arrow for flying straight?"

—Strigany aphorism[4c]

The Human empire of Strigos worshipped Vampires as gods, but their Undead deities couldn't save them from the might of butchering Greenskins. When the few escapees staggered north into the Old World, the stricken people met a wall of hatred from the other Human tribes, but they had nowhere else to turn.[1a]

They wander there still, now calling themselves the "Strigany," and are hated no less, even though the centuries have erased the memories of their blood-soaked empire from the minds of their fellow Men. Mirroring the rootless land caravans of their people, the Strigany also meander up and down the River Reik in small boat communities, moving from one persecution to the next. Their dreary, poorly maintained vessels are often moored far from civilisation, where they prey on the superstitions of passing riverfolk by selling charms and wards for whatever coin they can.[1a]

They are a desperate people, often clinging to the half-forgotten legends that claim that their ancient Vampiric masters will someday return to lift them from their difficult lives. As rumours of these throwback beliefs ripple outward and are heard by outsiders, this continued Vampire worship doesn't help those Strigany who are trying to move on from their past. Rather, it ensures that their persecution at the hands of outsiders continues.[1a]

The nearby Strigany are quickly blamed for any local problem without a more obvious culprit, and over-zealous witch hunters are all too eager to accuse them of transporting diseased Undead in their rotten barges. By the time their innocence is proven in these cases, their boats are usually already burnt to the waterline.[1a]

Strigany in the Empire[]

"Only a fool calls a wind good or ill. The greatest fortune can be brought by the most terrible storm, and the most lethal thunderbolt can fall from the clearest of skies."

—Strigany aphorism[4b]

The people of Strigos were scattered to the winds when their lands were destroyed and they have since taken up a nomadic life. They roam the Empire in caravan trains or river barges primarily on the River Reik, making money where they can and stealing when they can't. Their history under the rule of Vampires ensures they maintain their travelling lifestyle, marking them not just as thieves and cutthroats but also necromancers and servants of darkness to most common inhabitants of the Empire.[2b]

In truth, most of them are simple woodsmen, entertainers, or vagabonds, but a few Strigany mystics do know something of witchcraft, a little of fortune telling, and a large amount of generally accurate Vampire lore.[2b]

These mystics were taught the true and complete history of their people, and they carry the secret knowledge from those ancient days, as well as the promise of their Strigos lords to one day return and lead them back to glory.[2b]

Strigany mystics in the Empire receive mixed reactions from the populace. Mostly, what little is known of the mystics by average commoners is a legacy of thievery and witchcraft. At best, a Strigany mystic entering a village in the Empire is greeted with suspicion, while at worst, with a knife. Some well-placed gold crowns with the local Thieves' Guild, though, may transform that distrust into curiosity...and opportunity.[3a]

Strigany In Other Realms[]

"We walk ragged amongst many peoples of many lands
So that their scorn will make us harder
We thrive on the speed of our wits and the sleight of our hands
And on skill and luck and murder
We face the depths and the darkness of the world alone
So that we may become ever brighter
We live hunted and hated by all but our own
So that the bonds that bind draw ever tighter
We wait for the time of the storm that will call us home
To the birthright of our once and future lands
We pray for our rebirth in that fresh crimson dawn
But until then we trust ourselves to Ushoran's hands.
"

—Strigany saying[4a]

In Norsca and parts of Kislev, it is not unusual for Strigany mystics to be warmly greeted by the common folk of small villages. To the villagers, the mystics are less enigmatic than the Ice Witches, and if the mystics' deeds benefit their own fortunes, the mystics are rewarded. However, should they draw attention to themselves -- particularly in a larger Kislevite city -- they may attract the wrath of the Ice Witches, who view the Strigany mystics as threats to their magical and therefore political power.[3a]

In the various dukedoms of Bretonnia, though, the Strigany mystic is poorly-regarded. To the people of Bretonnia, a Strigany mystic is no different than a witch. Should a mystic reveal any sort of perceived supernatural ability, such as fortune-telling, retribution is sure to be swift and absolute. Mystics in Bretonnia seeking survival should find a noble patron for protection.[3a]

Trivia[]

The Strigany bear many similarities to the Romani, a nomadic people that live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with significant concentrations in the Americas. In the English language, the Romani people are widely known by the exonym Gypsies or Gipsies, which many now consider a pejorative term.

Sources[]

  • 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: The WFRP Companion (RPG)
    • 1a: pg. 25
  • 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Night's Dark Masters (RPG)
    • 2a: pg. 10
    • 2b: pg. 100
  • 3: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Career Compendium (RPG)
    • 3a: pg. 203
  • 4: Ancient Blood (Novel) by Robert Earl
    • 4a: Prologue
    • 4b: Ch. 1
    • 4c: Ch. 2
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