"We are the first line of defence against the hordes of Chaos, much as the tzarina would like to forget it."
A swift Ungol Horse Archer prepares to let loose an arrow at the foe.
Ungol Horse Archers, or simply Horse Archers[3], are masters of the bow and saddle, celebrated as some of the finest ranged light cavalry within Kislev's military and perhaps in the entire Old World.
Role[]
"The roving vanguard of Kislev's armies are sworn to protect the Motherland's desolate borders from all who threaten her."
- —Description of the Ungol Horse Archers from Total War: Warhammer III.[3]
An Ungol Horse Archer patrolling the lands of the Northern Wastes.
The Ungols of Kislev's skills with scimitar, spear, and horsebow are expertly honed when they hunt the Northmen Kyazak marauders on the Eastern Steppes, a land they constantly patrol at the order of Tzarina Katarin Bokha.[1a]
Among the embattled Ungol of the Troll Country, all able-bodied individuals are required to fight, especially when Chaos Marauders attack. Thus, it is common to find women among rotas (units) of northern Horse Archers, a tradition southern Kislevites sometimes find difficult to accept.[1a]
Within the Kislevite military hierarchy, these mounted warriors are auxiliaries drafted in from the savage northern tribes of Kislev. They are fierce warriors, but lack the discipline of the regular army. They delight in running rings around their opponents, peppering them with arrows and dodging away before the enemy can retaliate. What they lack in proper wargear and numbers, they make up for greatly in speed and their mastery as archers.[1a]
Ungol Customs[]
"To ride into battle with the wind thundering around you - that is glory, that's what makes your heart sing! Soon you will know that feeling too, my friend. The battle-joy as steed and rider become one, a weapon to drive the invaders from our blessed Motherland!"
- —Vardek Rumi, Horse Archer[3]
An Ungol Horse Archer of the Eastern Steppes
Ungol women are prohibited from switching clans by way of marriage, which means that Ungol men must often leave their stanitsas (towns) to find eligible wives. Horse Archers are especially inclined to marry women from other clans because their patrols bring them into frequent contact with neighbours. When a Horse Archer marries into another Ungol clan, his original clan is paid a dowry for the loss of a valuable warrior.[2a]
Because Horse Archers hold such prominent status on the Eastern Steppes adjacent to Kislev, they are accustomed to receiving warm hospitality wherever they go. This sense of entitlement can make Horse Archers appear arrogant, but if welcomed they are genuinely helpful and appreciative guests. The Ungol codes of hospitality are taken very seriously, even in lands where they aren't enforced by law as they are in Kislev. Horse Archers often have difficulty adapting to non-Ungol cultures, so usually emigrants resettle in the Kislevite ghettos of foreign cities.[2a]
Horse Archers who emigrate south remain faithful to their traditional gods Ursun, Dazh and Tor. Those who fight alongside the Men of the Empire may also pay respects to Taal or Ulric. All Kislevites are generally wary of discussing their beliefs with superstitious foreigners, for the difference between the nature spirits of the Motherland and the Daemons of Chaos is often misunderstood. Ancestor spirits are revered openly, however. For a culture like that of the Ungols without a written tradition, oral history is the only means of preserving its greatest legends.[2a]
Oblast Moots[]
A formal gathering of the nomadic Ungol Horse Archers, such Oblast Moots are not a regular occurrence but happen often enough in the frigid lands of the Northern Oblast of Kislev for the tribe to break bread.[3a]
Miniatures[]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Realm of the Ice Queen (RPG)
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Career Compendium (RPG)
- 2a: pg. 106
- 3: Total War: Warhammer III (PC Game)
- 3a: Oblast Moot (building description)
Gallery[]
