Kingfisher — Roleplayer Guild

Name:Over-Tyrant Khalaevna, Tradequeen of Mourslev. 

Age: 23

Gender: Female

Appearance: Before becoming Tradequeen, Khalaevna was a relatively small girl, with a slightly stocky frame and messy tangles of chocolate brown hair. Having over-indulged on a life of wealth and splendour, the young woman has gained a softer, more broad form. She has a noticeable fleshiness to her, with wide hips and a large stomach. Hair dark tresses are intertwined with gold braids, and expensive jewelry coats her body. 

Personality: Fueled by rage, desire, hatred, and a temper without bounds, Khalaevna is a force to be reckoned with. She revokes the traditions and conventions of old, and has no care for out-dated principles. Her motivation is her own personal gain, and nothing else. takes priority over it.

History: 

Stretching out over the frozen plains which ran between Hyperborea and Lemuria, The Thalzamarian Empire extended across the north east provinces, and was wrought of some of the fiercest warriors and sorcerers to ever walk the realm. A broken Imperial kingdom, in its final years the Empire was ruled over by Tsar Viktar Ozlevskiy, the supposedly god-appointed emperor of all Thalzamaria.  

The Empire traced its roots back to the northernmost reaches of the Kingdom of Thule, when the long dead Prince Grigorian adopted the faith of Mortaroth, much to the chagrin of the other nobles. In order to prevent a potential civil war, Grigorian and his followers succeeded from Thule, heading northwards into the frozen wastes beyond. 

Thalzamaria developed a rich culture over the years, which suffered immensely at the hands of bloody wars and conflicts. The Empire endured, but in a much more weakened and barbarous state than its first incarnation. What little structure remained was but a poor imitation of the principles upon which the Empire was founded. 

 Religion 

The dominant faith was that of Mortaroth, the Bear of the Night. The order of the Cleritari payed homage to Mortaroth, in vast palace-like churches all across Thalzamaria, and was composed of several different chapters. 

The Red Cleritari- The High Priests and Priestesses of Mortaorth. 

The Blue Cleritari- Occult sorcerers, and the royal order of magic users. 

The Purple Cleritari- The lore masters, and keepers of ancient records. 

The Black Cleritari- The solemn tenders of the dead. 

 Military 

The Thalzamarian military was composed of three chapters, each serving a different purpose.

The Inperiskiy- The rank-and-file soldiers, the Inperiskiy are built of conscripts, peasants, and lower ranking nobles. 

The Voyagorodyen- Military-nobles, The Voyagorodyen are elite warriors who practice the ancient military code of Nytvoia, and value honour and loyalty above all else.The Voyagorodyen serve as  generals within the Thalzamarian military, and comprise the Tsar and Tsarina’s personal bodyguard. 

The Krovajhal- The covert branch of the Thalzamarian military, the Krovajhal are the elite spies and assassins who pledge their loyalty to the Tsar. A private mercenary order at the disposal of Thalzamarian nobility, these graceful killers are divided into several cults, each competing against one another.  

 The Konagu Horde 

Vicious barbarians from the desolate plains beneath Thalzamaria, the Konagu Horde was comprised of seasoned marauders from the inhospitable wastes of Olum. 

The Konagu united beneath a single Qagan (the bloodthirsty warchief of the Horde), after the chosen champion of each Konagu tribe underwent a shamanistic ritual to determine who would be appointed leader. After the ritual, the Qagan and his or her blood relatives were imbued with the blessings of the Konagu Pantheon, and gained mastery of the Four Warrior Graces; Rage, desire, valor, and passion.

The Thalzamarians and the Konagu waged war on each other for many generations, with the warriors of Olum constantly launching invasion after invasion upon Thalzamaria. The Konagu’s divided nature and lack of proper tactics proved to be their undoing every time, as the Thalzamarians ultimately drove them back into their wasteland home. 

It was when the Tsar Viktar came to power that the Konagu met its end, as the warrior emperor pressed the assault, and pursued the barbarian horde back into Olum itself, massacring man woman and child without the faintest hint of mercy. 

The Tsar’s army stormed the Konagu capital, taking Qagan Ghal and his family prisoner, at Viktar’s command. 

The public believed the Qagan and his kin to be dead, but Viktar had other plans, and kept them alive in secret. Having heard stories of the Four Warrior Graces, and the gifts that they imbued within their chosen, Viktar planned to breed with the Qagan’s wife, and create a Olevsky child with these blessings. He forced himself upon her, then, once she had bore him a daughter, had the whole family put to the sword. 

In doing so, Viktar had evoked the wrath of the Konagu Pantheon, who bestowed the Tsar’s daughter with powers beyond that which he had bargained for. 

The child princess Khalaevna was cursed with four malicious blights upon her soul. Her rage was wild and unruly, her desire uncontrollable. In valor’s stead was a zealous hatred, and in passions’ stead was a temper which knew no bounds. 

The royal family, and a whole cohort of guards and tutors tried to control Khalaevna as she grew up, but soon it became apparent that all was for naught. 

Abandoning her in the Shagora mountain range on her thirteenth birthday, the Tsar expected his daughter to perish in the snowy peaks. She survived, perhaps just to spite him. 

After years of scavenging and scrounging just to stay alive, Khalaevna stumbled, weak and malnourished, upon the lair of the Trogoikos. 

The Trogoikos were a species of gremlin-like cave-dwellers, exclusive to network of underground passages and tunnels inside the Shagora mountains. The rodents tried to swarm upon the weakened Khalaevna, but her rage and cruelty proved to be more deadly a weapon than their unmeasurable numbers.

Khalaevna carved through the Trogoikos nest, until she emerged out of the mountain, and wandered straight into a city-like camp which housed the remains of the Lemurian peoples, having settled in the northern peaks after their failed invasion of southern Borea. 

The clansman set upon Khalaevna, but their leader, a chieftain named Carthain, intervened. He questioned the young woman, wanting to know how she had managed to somehow sneak past his guards and make her way into the camp undetected. 

Khalaevna told Carthain about the Trogoikos tunnel network, and how it led out into the mountain passes beyond. Carthain explained to Khalaevna that the Trogoikos had been leading night-time raids on the Lumerian people since they migrated this far north, but that they had been unable to track them. 

The young woman led Carthain and his barbarians through the underground passages, where they wiped out the Trogoikos with ease. Impressed by the young woman’s skill and cunning, Carthain offered Khalaevna a deal; guide the marauders of Lumeria through the mountain passes, help them take Thalzamaria by surprise, and Carthain would take her as his queen. 

Khalaevna accepted. 

The barbarian host slunk through the mountains, making their way through long forgotten passages and tunnels, until they were ready and poised for a full on invasion. They spent months toiling away within the comfort of their mountain home, crafting weapons, training soldiers, and building machines of war. 

When the time was right, the Lumerians swept out right on top of Thalzamaria, and a bloody war broke out between the clansman of Lumeria and the Thalzamarian Empire. 

The Thalzamarian military was spread too thinly across Thalzamaria, and by the time enough troughs had been recalled, the Hyperboreians had already reached the Empire’s capital of Razigram. 

The Lumerians sacked the city, butchered the remaining royals, and pillaged the Imperial Palace. 

The remaining might of the Thalzamarian Empire arrived at the city's gates, and it seemed as though chaos would ensue. Without a ruler, The Voyagorodyen requested to meet with Khalaevna, who was the only remaining heir to the throne. 

With the fate of the empire up in the air, and the Lumerians destruction at the hands of the Thalzamarian military imminent, Khalaevna and the most prestigious members of the Voyagorodyen brokered an agreement. 

Out of the ashes of both Thalzamaria and Lumeria came the Kingdoms of Mourslev; a fractured commonwealth of raider tribes and pirate fraternities. A fragile bond holds the Mourslevians in check, united by their mutual hatred of the rest of the world, and their lust for conquest. Elements of Thalzamarian and Lumerian culture survived the dissolution, coming together to form a semi-organized host of savage clans. 

Once Khalaevna was wed to Carthain, she murdered him and proclaimed herself as the undisputed sovereign of her new people. Forsaking any kind of facade of nobility, Khalaevna name herself Over-Tyrant of all Mourslev, a title she still holds to this day, and has earned a hundred thousand times over with each wicked misdeed she commits. 

Journey: Khalaevna has her eyes set firmly on the south, planning to march her newly assembled hordes down into the lands below, seizing as much loot as she can. The Over-Tyrant wishes to smash the southern kingdoms, and reforge the world in an image of her design. If the Age of Dawn is upon us, then Khalaevna would see it followed by an age of moral perversion. 

Ideals: The young woman is motivated by wealth primarily, as well as the four curses which blacken her soul. Her desire knows no limits, and she’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants. The "blessings" bestowed upon her by the Pantheon imbue Khalaevna with an innate desire to spread hedonism and debauchery wherever she goes. She despises the values of polite society, and wants nothing more than to twist Borea into an image of decadent corruption.  

Holdings: Khalaevna rules over the warring tribes of Mourslev, and has control over all trade routes running through her land. As Trade Queen, she’s privy to a vast horde of wealth and riches, and has the combined armies of the North Eastern clans at her disposal. 

In battle, Khalaevna garbs herself in an imposing regalia of splendid metals, woven together with expensive furs. Her face is covered by a cold iron mask, carved in her own likeness, with sculpted steel hair cast over her shoulders, it's solid features firmly etched into the very helmet itself. 

She wields the magic sword Zalewylch, a one-handed saber of blessed stone and arcane charms. Light and extremely durable, Zalewylch was forged from the prized minerals given to Khalaevna by her tribes in tribute.

<Snipped quote by Kingfisher>

Alright, so we've discussed this a little bit already, so we aren't treading too much new ground here.

First, I think Khalaevna is a little young for what she's accomplished. I could more believably see her as being in her mid-twenties or so.

Secondly, about her appearance. Cough. The photograph (which I specifically advised against, mind) is a bit too modern for me. I recommend finding a new image if you still wish to use one. Also, while I acknowledge your preference for, eh, a particular aesthetic, and respect your dedication to it, here's a little food for thought. It was very difficult to gain weight in a premodern society like people do now. This is due to the lack of refined sugars and simple carbohydrates in the average person's diet. A nobleperson could conceivable have access to these luxuries, as well as to a large amount of red, fatty meat, which could fatten them up a bit. However, these amenities are scarce at best in the Age of Dawn, particularly to a queen of barbarians. Just think about it for me.

So, as I basically understand it, Thalzamaria was basically one of the balkanized states of Thule that set up soon after the Years of Dusk, and claimed swaths of land in northern Thule and Lemuria. Calling them an "empire" is a bit generous, as in such uncivilized times empires are a somewhat outdated concept. The Kongu were a reasonably-large Lemurian tribe that Thalzamaria came into frequent conflict with. This is how I've interpreted your descriptions, and if I'm getting them wrong in some way, this is the way that they would best fit into the setting. Other than that I have no issues.

Khalaevna's goal is to conquer the South with her barbarian horde. Sure, that's fine, but I'd put some thought into whether she just wants to pillage the land or actually rule it. Could be a plot point later.

Now, here's the thing with her ideals. Her current ones are fine, but I could see us adding in such concepts as excess, debauchery and corruption. Remember our good friend Slaanesh? Something like that. I'd happily bend on the issue of aesthetics if we did this, and I'll conspire with you a bit on some later plans for the plot.

Other than that, Khalaevna is fine. I like her sword. I hope that it's evil as hell, made by crazy-ass Northmen.@Dead Cruiser

I'll be honest, I was hoping if a slapped enough filters on the photo it would look like a painting and I'd get away with it xD 

I'll age her up a bit and find a more appropriate picture. In terms of Slaanesh as an influence I do love me some Chaos gods, even more so if it means I can keep her appearance more in line with what I had intended. 

Thalzamaria being called an empire is more of a grandiose title, than anything else. A bit like the Holy Roman Empire; "Neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire".

I shall go forth and revise my CS. Shouldn't take too long, and I'll let you know when its been updated. 

Many thanks for the feedback!

----EDIT----- 

Made the changes. Let me know what you think.

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