Ice Magic
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Ice Magic or the Lore of Ice is the magic practiced by the Ice Witches and in particular the Tzarina who rules the land of Kislev, and involves the manipulation of chill, frost and biting winds.
The power is drawn by the Ice Mages from the chill land of Kislev itself, and is a distillation of the magical energies that flow over the world and suffuses the rocks and soil.
The power of the Ice Mages is strongest when Kislev lies under the fierce winters whose cold freezes the rivers. When the spring returns, the power of the Ice Mages wanes. It is said that blood of the Ice Mages runs cold and that they can transmute the winds of magic into lethal ice storms with a single gesture.[1]
Of all the Ice Mages, the Tzarina Katarin the Ice Queen is the most powerful, and is so suffused with the force of Ice Magic that even her flesh is cold and pale.[2]
The icy magic is protected by the Ice Witches and the magic they work so hard to safeguard movs through a network of leylines throughout Kislev, gathering in nexus points, many of which are capped by standing stones, some of Elf heritage, others the sacred sites of long dead Human tribes such as the Belthani or the Scythians. Most sites now have an ice witch guarding them, often living in a nearby Gospodar settlement. [3a]
Men
The Sisterhood of Ice Witches guards a number of potent legends including one that claims a male witch will one day taint the pristine flows of Ice Magic, changing it forever and so ever since the days of Tzarina Shoika, men have been banned from becoming spellcasters in Kislev. Male hedge wizards are tracked down and killed by the state, although if they are noble, they may instead have their magical capabilities removed by the witches using a ritual similar to Pacification in the Empire. Some noble familes send boys with magical talent to the Empire to live and learn how to use their abilities, very few dare to return. [3a]
Spells
Ice Magic consists of six spells of increasing power:
- Shardstorm - Shards of diamond hard ice is emitted from the hands of the caster, striking the enemy viciously.
- Freezing Blast - This freezes any water based terrain, creating a sparkling, flat surface over which armies can walk. Otherwise it can freeze an enemy unit, encasing them in binding ice.
- Form of the Frostfiend - The caster changes into a beast of Kislev legend, coming closer to the Ice Magic than humanity. They will last like this until they die or cancel the invocation. Due to the magical nature of this form, most magical equipment becomes useless.
- Invocation of the Ice Storm - A harsh blizzard can be cast by the wizard chanting a few words which engulfs ranged weaponry. A blast of air blows many ranged objects off course or even stop a unit from firing at all.
- Midwinter's Kiss - The breath of the caster is turned into a raging torrent of ice, freezing all in its path. Icicles form a barrier around the affected, preventing them from moving.
- Glacial Barrier - This erects a vast ice wall that is impassable and cannot be seen through. It can be dispelled by the caster to aid movement and attacks.
Sources
- 1: Warhammer Armies: Kislev (6th edition), pg. 34
- 2: Warhammer Armies: The Empire (4th Edition), pg. 74
- 3: Realm of the Ice Queen
- 3a: Religion and Custom, pg. 45-46