r:m 7rr:tt tr Ctr||rt.

Background and rulcs for Kislcv Rangcr Hircd Swords by Nick Kymc
The body uas still uarn as Kessandria crouched uithin
the dense foliage, her fingers searching the cictin`s neck
for a pulse.
He uas dead. All the uhile she kept her eyes on the forest,
scrutinizing the arboreal gloon stretching before her and
listening intently to the silence.
The bear had killed six people so far that she kneu of. The
nenory of the slaughtered fanily still lingered, the ualls
of their tiny hocel sprayed red, fice bodies torn and rent
beyond recognition. This trapper nade six. Necer in her
experience as a ranger had she heard of bears attacking
a settlenent, oft their prey uere lone tracellers or
anbitious hunters. But she uas far fron the grassy
steppes of Kislec nou, deep in the grin heart of the
Lnpire, a land besieged fron uithin in dark and
uncertain tines.
'Anything? a coice said behind her.
Kessandria raised her hand open palned, gesturing for
silence.
Booted feet crunched upon dried bracken to her left and
ahead.
5he nuttered a curse and, rising, turned to fix three nen
behind her uith an icy stare as cold as that fron the
Tzarina herself.
'Keep quiet, she hissed, 'you cant this beast to be upon
us? she added, her accent thick.
The nercenaries, unkenpt ecen in their finely tailored
attire regarded her uith nild contenpt and tranped
foruard through the forest uith all the grace and
subterfuge of ranpaging cattle.
'5ignar`s holy oath! Reingaer, the captain, suore
regarding, the corpse at Kessandria`s feet. '!t did that?
He sualloued abruptly, a suord point at his neck.
Kessandria stared at hin doun the steel edge as she
night sone filth on her boot.
There uas a flash of silcer and tuo blades uere quickly
at her throat, Reingaer`s conrades, a surly, one-eyed
suordsnan, and an unshacen bruiser, looking at her
uith nalicious intent.
'He is close, she breathed, chest rising and falling
rapidly as the cold steel bit at her skin. 5he louered her
suord.
There uas a disturbance ahead as Reingaer`s nen
continue to plough, heedless of Kessandria`s uarnings.
'Iisten to ne, he told her uith day old alcohol breath,
'you uere hired to track that thing for us. !f ue`re close
then you`ce done your job and you`ll be paid. He leaned
in closer, naking no disguise as he breathed in her scent,
'The bounty for that creature is nine, understand?
5louly Kessandria nodded, all the tine auare of
Reingaer`s nen ruining her stealth.
His nen louered their blades as she sheathed hers.
'Knou this, she told hin, '! hace necer seen con like zis.
Bears, zey kill for food, or if cornered, not in nalice, or
for pleasure.
Fan06_06~ll l4/7/04 l2:l5 pm Page 6

Ior a nonent, she thought she`d got through. A cry

interrupted the tension.
'Here, this uay, there are tracks!
Kessandria turned to see a gleeful uarrior hail his
conrades. He uas ahead of her and as she turned, there
uas a look of bloodlust in his eyes. That look turned to
horror as a nassice black shape seened to appear out of
the shadous before hin.
He grasped the hilt of his suord, but did not unsheathe it,
claus like knices cutting his flesh like paper, his face,
neck and torso a red ruin.
Another nan close by, cried out and fled in terror. The
hellish bear pounded after hin, crushing branch and
foliage in its path and brought hin doun in a nonent,
tearing at his back as it urenched off a linb.
A third uarrior nustered his courage and ran foruard.
There uas a loud clang of netal and he screaned,
pinned in place by a rusty bear trap, left long ago to
ensnare the fiend. As he struggled at the iron nanacle
slouing secering his ankle, the bear lunbered ocer to
hin and uith a nighty suipe of a pau the size of a
uarhanner, took off his head. Arterial spray fountained
up into the forest canopy and tuo nen nearby
abandoned their ueapons and fled.
Reingaer uas paralysed uith fear as the nonstrous
apparition cane touards then.
Kessandria uent doun to one knee, nocked an arrou
into her bou and let fly. !t uas a good shot, the
arrouhead lodged in the bear`s thigh. !t roared in pain
and redoubled its efforts to reach then.
The roar jolted Reingaer to his senses, and raising his
suord, cried,'Charge!
Tuo nercenaries uith long spears ran in, thrusting at the
beast as it claued the air around then. !t lodged its
nassice jau around a spear haft and dragged its bearer
close, heacing nadly as he tried to pull back. The bear
snashed hin to pulp uith its fists. The second spearnen
pierced its side and the bear uhirled around, charging
hin into a tree, breaking his neck and spine.
There uas only Reingaer and his tuo cronies left.
They ran in, ecen as Kessandria let fly another arrou
uhich thudded into the bear.
5he uatched as the one-eyed nercenary ranned his
blade, tuo-handed, into the beast`s chest. 5onething
gloued there, dully, then flared as the creature roared
again, tearing three bloody gashes doun the uarrior`s
chest and face. He fell to the ground and lay still. Lcen
Kruger, a hefty giant of a nan, uas duarfed by the bear.
He hacked doun at it uith his suord desperately. !t nou
bled fron a dozen uounds, but did not fall. !nstead it
ranned a heacy pau onto Kruger`s chest, pushing hin
doun hard into the ground, his breaking ribs an audible
crack` aboce the screaning.
Reingaer uas the last and, at the final nonent, his nerce
abandoned hin and he couered before the nonster as it
looned aboce hin, all but eclipsed by its shadou. He
uhinpered like a babe, suord hanging linply at his side.
The bear took hold of hin and crushed hin to its body.
The strangled cries lasted only a nonent.
!t threu Reingaer`s tangled corpse doun and looked at
Kessandria.
5he sau rage in its eyes and hate.
Kessandria nocked another arrou and ained carefully.
5he uould only get one chance.
The beast roared its fury at her and charged.
!t uas only a feu feet auay uhen Kessandria released the
arrou and doce headlong to the side, the bear`s nighty
bulk taking it past her and into a hefty tree trunk uhich
snashed apart on inpact.
Caln descended and silence returned.
Only Kessandria`s pounding heart seened to nake any
sound.
Dazed and cut, she rose cautiously fron the leaf clutter.
The bear lay still.
5he noced ocer to it. !t had tuisted in the inpact and
uas on its back. !t uas dead. 5he searched the fur of its
chest uith her suord.
There. 5he thrust deep and yanked out a glouing shard
that had been enbedded in the creature`s skin.
Tentaticely she bent doun, picking it up and held it
before her.
'wyrdstone, she gasped.
'My thanks to you captain Reingaer, she told the corpse,
'! couldn`t hace done it, uithout you.
5he had one last look at the shard and placed it carefully
in a pouch and headed north, touards the settlenent
uhere grateful cillagers auaited, and sniled.
'!t zeens ! shall collect nore than just the bounty.
Fan06_06~ll l4/7/04 l2:l5 pm Page 7
l
it|ra Roujrrt 7u A:rvrim
KisIcv is a wiId and uniamcd Iand, a pIacc of cndIcss
horizons, rocky sicppcs and icy iundra, iis pIains sircich
as far as ihc cyc can scc. Ii is hcrc ihai ihc rangcrs arc in
ihcir cIcmcni. Capa|Ic of grcai cndurancc, iravcIIing on
fooi for days ai a iimc, ihcy ncgoiiaic ihis hosiiIc Iand,
pairoIIing iis |ordcrs, cvcr waichfuI for dark forccs.
KisIcv Iics dccp in ihc hcari of ihc icy norih and many of
iis iowns and ciiics arc noi far from ihc drcadcd Chaos
Vasics. Many iimcs havc rangcrs |ccn ihc firsi io
cncounicr such a|ominaiions as ihcy wandcr mindIcssIy
across ihc Iands, savagcIy aiiacking any ihcy find.
KisIcv Rangcrs havc much cxpcricncc fighiing such
crcaiurcs and arc adcpi ai fcIIing Iargc monsicrs from
disiancc wiih ihcir prcfcrrcd wcapon - ihc |ow. Viih
hawk-Iikc vision and |Iadc kccn insiincis, many fouI
|casis havc |ccn sIain |y a rangcr`s arrow, ihc sIccping
civiIians unawarc of ihc dangcr ai ihcir vcry doorsicp.
Thcy arc aIso good swordsmcn, Iikc mosi KisIcviics,
iaughi io fighi and ridc ai a young agc. Ii is ihc way of ihc
rangcr io iravcI Iighi, and ihcy scIdom wcar much armour
or carry wcighiy packs or provisions. Thcy musi |c ai onc
wiih ihcir cnvironmcni and Iivc off whai ihc Iand
providcs. A |ow, sword and a cIoak io ward off ihc worsi
of ihc wcaihcr is ofi aII a rangcr carrics on ihcir iravcIs.
AIihough ihcy arc capa|Ic warriors, ihc iruc sircngih of a
rangcr Iics in ihc a|iIiiy io irack. Having iravcIIcd ihc
Icngih and |rcadih of KisIcv and |cyond, ihcsc rangcrs
arc cxccIIcni scouis and guidcs, and many war|ands and
gcncraIs hirc ihcm for jusi ihis purposc. Many iimcs, has
ii |ccn, whcn a rangcr`s warning has avcricd an am|ush
or found a cIcar rouic ihrough pcriIous condiiions.
Such skiII is in grcai dcmand, and many rangcrs havc
iravcIIcd furihcr aficId ihan ihcir naiivc Iands, somc
journcying down inio ihc Empirc in scarch of foriunc and
gIory ihcrc. In ihcsc dark iimcs of ihrcc Empcrors, ihcrc
is much civiI unrcsi wiihin ihc Empirc as |roihcr iurns
againsi |roihcr. DcadIy pIois and am|ushcs arc rifc. Viih
a rangcr io guidc you, am|ushcs can |c avoidcd, and safc
paihs forgcd. Such a guidc can ask a high pricc indccd.
Somc rangcrs havc aIso |ccn known io ioui ihcir skiIIs io
Iords and Barons for huniing down ihc woIvcs and
Bcasimcn ihai pIaguc ihc many forcsis, succccding aIonc,
whcrc scorcs of armcd mcn faiIcd.
As Mordhcim, ihc Ciiy of ihc Damncd draws scII-swords
and foriunc-hunicrs from across ihc OId VorId ii is no
surprisc io find KisIcviic Rangcrs ihcrc ioo. Adcpi ai
cxpIoring ihrough ihc ruins, finding forgoiicn Iooi or
Icnding ihcir dcadIy aim io a capiain`s am|iiion,
war|ands frcqucniIy hirc ihcsc wiId warriors.
Pcrhaps mosi pccuIiar of aII, is ihai many of ihc rangcrs
arc womcn. Mosi of ihc mcn foIk of ihc norihcrn Iands
arc commiiicd io iis proicciion from ihc ravaging armics
of ihc Kurgan maraudcr hordcs and ihc oihcr scrvanis of
Fan06_06~ll l4/7/04 l2:l5 pm Page 8

Chaos. Ii is ihc womcn ihcn, oficn ihosc shunncd |y ihcir

famiIics or |anishcd for somc misdccd, ihai rangc oui
from ihcir homcs, pcrhaps hoping io rcdccm ihcmscIvcs
or cvcn makc ihcir own foriuncs in ihc pcriIous Iands
|cyond.
Vhcihcr man or woman ihough, aII rangcrs arc posscsscd
of ihc samc dcmcanour. Iiving aIonc for such Iong
pcriods, wiih scIf-sufficicncy as ihcir crccd, rangcrs arc
rccIusivc and saiurninc. Ai hcari ihcy arc Ioncrs,
pariicuIarIy so wiih KisIcviics, whosc sirong cuIiurc makcs
ihcm fccI aIicn dcspiic ihcir wandcrIusi.
it|ra Roujrr
3u gold crowns to hirc + 15 gold crowns upkccp
Profilc M WS BS S 1 W I A Id
4 3 4 3 3 1 4 1
May bc Hircd: Mcrccnarics, Viich Hunicrs and Dwarfs
may hirc KisIcv Rangcrs.
Rating: A KisIcv Rangcr incrcascs ihc war|and`s raiing |y
+15 poinis pIus 1 poini for cach Expcricncc Poini shc
has.
Equipmcnt: Bow, sword and Hunicr`s cIoak.
Skills: A KisIcv Rangcr may choosc from ihc Shooiing and
Spccd skiIIs whcncvcr shc gains a ncw skiII. In addiiion
ihcrc arc scvcraI skiIIs uniquc io KisIcv Rangcrs as
dciaiIcd |cIow, which shc can choosc insicad of normaI
skiIIs. Noic ihai ihcsc skiIIs can onIy |c acquircd ihrough
cxpcricncc. Thcy arc noi posscsscd |y a ncw rccruii.
SPECIAI RUIES
Hcart strikc. KisIcv Rangcrs oficn |aiiIc againsi Iargc
monsicrs ihai roam ihcir naiivc |ordcrs. Thcy havc grown
pariicuIar adcpi ai fcIIing such |casis wiih a singIc, dcadIy
arrow sirikc. Vhcn shooiing ai a Iargc monsicr (ihis
incIudcs Iargc animaIs such as |cars ioo), if ihc KisIcv
Rangcr roIIs a 6 io hii, foIIowcd |y a wound roII of 5+ ihc
|casi is shoi in somc viiaI spoi and kiIIcd insianiIy,
rcgardIcss of wounds, wiih no savc whaisocvcr.
Huntcr's cloak. This cIoak is fashioncd |y KisIcviics and
is onIy worn |y ihcir rangcrs. A hiddcn rangcr wiII noi
rcvcaI hcr posiiion |y shooiing. Thc iargci modcI can iakc
an Iniiiaiivc icsi in ordcr io iry and spoi ihc firing rangcr.
If ihc icsi is succcssfuI, ihc rangcr is no Iongcr hiddcn.
Scckcr. Vhcn roIIing on ihc ExpIoraiion chari, ihc KisIcv
Rangcr aIIows you io modify onc dicc |y +1/-1.
Ioncr. As ihcy arc noioriousIy rccIusivc, KisIcv Rangcrs
ncvcr havc io iakc AII AIonc icsis.
KISIEV SKIIIS
Animal Call: If hiddcn, ihc KisIcv Rangcr may usc animaI
caIIs io confusc and confound his cncmics. Any modcI
wiihin 18" can |c affccicd and, if noi a|Ic io chargc ihai
iurn, musi iakc a Icadcrship icsi |cforc moving. If ihcy
faiI ihc KisIcv Rangcr may movc ihc modcI in any
dircciion shc wishcs.
Hcrb Iorc: Oui in ihc wiIds, ihc rangcr has Icarncd |asic
hcr| Iorc io curc simpIc injurics. Any modcI in |asc-io-
|asc coniaci wiih ihc rangcr may |c hcaIcd ai ihc siari of
ihc Rccovcry phasc. On a roII of 4+ ihc modcI has 1
wound rcsiorcd. Thc rangcr may noi movc in ihc samc
iurn as shc uscs ihis skiII, |ui may usc ii io hcaI hcrscIf.
Nouhere to run, nouhere to hIJe huhe...
Fan06_06~ll l4/7/04 l2:l5 pm Page 9
A uarband led by a ranger has centured into one of the
dark forests of the land at the bidding of a baron uishing
to rid it of a grouing pack of uolces. 5hould the creatures
be alloued to go on unchecked, they uill grou bolder,
attacking people instead of licestock and the baron`s
lands and titles uould be in jeopardy. Houecer, not
concinced that a single band could acconplish this feat,
the baron has hired a second group of uarriors, in the
secret hope that they uill slay all the uolces and each
other in the process.
Trrroiu
Thc |aiiIc is foughi in dcnsc woodIand and ihc majoriiy
of ihc icrrain shouId |c woods, aIihough ihcrc mighi aIso
|c ihick |rackcn, a shaIIow sircam, cIusicrcd rocks,
foIiagc or cvcn a smaII cavc, which couId |c ihc woIvcs`
Iair. Thc vasi amouni of ihc |oard wiII |c covcrcd |y irccs,
|ui ihcrc shouId |c arcas of opcn ground so ihai warriors
don`i gci |oggcd down in difficuIi ground. Viihin ihcsc
rcsiriciions, cach pIaycr shouId iakc ii in iurns io pIacc a
piccc of icrrain wiihin an arca roughIy 4' x 4'.
C|rrio| ra|rt
Wolvcs: Thc woIvcs arc |oId in ihcir Iair and prowI
around wiih arrogancc. Thcrc arc D6+2 woIvcs on ihc
|oard ai ihc siari of ihc gamc. Ai ihc siari of ihc gamc, |ui
|cforc ihc war|ands arc dcpIoycd, cach pIaycr iakcs ii in
iurn io pIacc a woIf (roIIing a D6 io scc who pIaccs firsi)
|ui may pIacc ihcm no cIoscr ihan 12" io any ia|Ic cdgc
and wiihin 6" of anoihcr woIf (ihcy arc pack animaIs aficr
aII). Usc woIvcs from ihc Varhammcr miniaiurcs rangc io
rcprcscni ihcm.
VoIvcs havc ihc foIIowing profiIc.
Thc woIvcs arc aIrcady in ihcir Iair, so do noi iakc Roui
icsis.
VoIvcs arc adcpi ai moving ihrough icrrain ai spccd, ihcy
ircai aII difficuIi ground as opcn ground and vcry difficuIi
ground as difficuIi ground (|ui may noi movc ihrough
impassa|Ic icrrain).
VoIvcs arc noi Iargc or pariicuIarIy powcrfuI crcaiurcs.
Do noi roII on ihc Injury ia|Ic for ihcm. Any woIf rcduccd
io 0 wounds is auiomaiicaIIy oui of aciion.
Iurc of thc wild: As ihc |aiiIc ragcs, oihcr wiId crcaiurcs
wiII |c drawn inio ihc fighi. Ai ihc cnd of cach woIf ` iurn
(scc |cIow), roII a D6. On a roII of 1, D6 morc woIvcs
cnicr ihc fray, from a randomIy dcicrmincd ia|Ic cdgc
(roII a D6 and ignorc roIIs of 5 or 6). If ihc num|cr of
woIvcs is a 1, ihcn a |car has iurncd up insicad.
Bcar: Bcars arc covcrcd in ihc KisIcviic war|and ruIcs
(scc p.81 Mordhcim AnnuaI). As ihcy arc noi goadcd inio
|aiiIc |y a Bcar Tamcr ihcy arc su|jcci io ihc ruIcs for
siupidiiy. If ihcy pass ihcir Siupidiiy icsi ihcn ihcy wiII
movc and aiiack as pcr ihc ruIcs for woIvcs givcn Iaicr.
Wcapons and Armour: Nonc, oihcr ihan ihcir cIaws and
iccih!
SPECIAI RUIES
Fcarsomc: A charging |car is a vcry scary sighi indccd! A
Traincd Bcar causcs fear.
Bcar Hug: If ihc Bcar hiis ihc samc cncmy warrior wiih
|oih of his aiiacks in ihc samc round of com|ai, ihc
pIaycr may choosc io makc a singIc Bcar Hug` aiiack
insicad of rcsoIving ihc aiiacks normaIIy. If ihis opiion is
choscn, cach pIaycr musi roII a D6 and add his modcI`s
Sircngih io ihc roII. If ihc Bcar`s ioiaI is highcr or ihc
ioiaIs arc cquaI, ihc opposing warrior iakcs a singIc
auiomaiic wound wiih no Armour Savc aIIowcd. If ihc
cncmy warrior`s ioiaI is highcr, ihc warrior has |rokcn ihc
Bcar`s hoId and suffcrs no damagc from ihc aiiack.
Animal: Traincd Bcars arc animaIs and do noi gain
Expcricncc.

Crruori: U:|| [autI

Wolf
M WS BS S 1 W I A Id Sv
9 3 0 3 3 1 4 1 4 -
Bcar
M WS BS S 1 W I A Id Sv
6 3 0 5 5 2 2 2 6 -
Fan06_06~ll l4/7/04 l2:l6 pm Page l0

j|rrirurr
+1 Survivcs: If a Hcro or Hcnchman group survivcs ihc
|aiiIc ihcy gain +1 Expcricncc.
+1 Winning Icadcr: Thc Icadcr of ihc winning war|and
gains +1 cxira Expcricncc.
+1 Bcar Slaycr: Any Hcro carns +1 Expcricncc poini for
cach |car hc puis oui of aciion.
+1 Pcr Encmy Out of Action: Any Hcro carns +1
Expcricncc for cach cncmy hc puis oui of aciion (ihis aIso
counis for Ouiridcrs ioo).
Rroorv
Thc |aron, much io his chagrin, wiII rcward any war|and
a |ouniy of 10 goId crowns for cach sIain woIf (ihc
war|and Icadcr prcscnis him wiih an car, fang, pcIi or
somc oihcr irophy as proof). Thcrc is no rcward
whaisocvcr for sIaying a |car (aficr aII ihai wasn`i pari of
ihc dcaI!).
Rangcr: Each war|and has cnIisicd ihc aid of a rangcr io
Iocaic ihc woIvcs` Iair in ihc forcsi. This is ciihcr an EIf or
KisIcv Rangcr, ai ihc pIaycr`s choosing. Thcy wiII fighi for
frcc for ihis |aiiIc, |ui if ihc war|ands wani io rciain ihcir
scrviccs ihcy musi pay ihc fuII hirc fcc and upkccp
ihcrcaficr as normaI.
Uor|ouvt
Boih pIaycrs roII a D6 io scc who dcpIoys firsi. Vhocvcr
roIIs highcsi, scis up firsi and movcs his modcIs on in his
Movcmcni phasc from ihc ia|Ic cdgc of his choicc. His
iurn coniinucs and ihcn ihc oihcr pIaycr movcs his
war|and on from ihc opposiic ia|Ic cdgc in his
Movcmcni phasc.
Noic ihai ihis roII wiII aIso dcicrminc who gocs firsi.
Oncc |oih pIaycrs havc iakcn a iurn ihc woIvcs may ihcn
iakc a iurn. A woIf wiII chargc ihc ncarcsi modcI is a|Ic,
randomIy dcicrmining iis prcy if iwo iargcis arc
cquidisiani. Any woIf ihai cannoi chargc musi roII a D6 io
dcicrminc iis aciions.
uviuj tr jomr
Thc gamc cnds whcn onc war|and faiIs iis Roui icsi. Thc
rouicrs auiomaiicaIIy Iosc.
Iou can see Nick`s uork ecery
nonth in the UK edition of white
Duarf. Iooking at the latest issue !
hace to hand it says Nick has been
painting Duarfs and Lnpire for
5torn of Chaos. what about
Mordhein, eh Nick?
This release and all current Mordhein products can
be purchased fron Gw direct (5ee the Hou to Order
pages).
uuu.Mordhein.con
Author
Further
InformutIon
wehsIte
1-2 Thc woIf movcs iowards ihc ncarcsi
cncmy modcI in ihc war|and ihai wcni
firsi.
3-4 Thc woIf movcs iowards ihc ncarcsi
cncmy modcI in ihc war|and ihai wcni
sccond.
5-6 Thc woIf rcmains siiII and growIs
mcnacingIy.
The uolf-uch uttuchs
Fan06_06~ll l4/7/04 l2:l6 pm Page ll