Empire of Man

"Despite their posturing and pompous claims, when faced with a common enemy, the soldiers of the Empire, no matter which province or city-state they call home, have stood shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield, shouting "Sigmar save the Emperor" and giving their all to claim victory."

- The Pride of the Empire

Of the Human nations of the Old World, the most important by far is that of the Empire of Man, more often called simply The Empire, forged by the warrior-king and ascended deity Sigmar from the primitive Human tribes of barbarians who inhabited what became the lands of the southern Empire more than 2500 years ago. Although not as skilled in craftsmanship as the Dwarfs or in magic as the High Elves, the people of the Empire are not beholden by the limits of tradition to the same extent as the Dwarfs or High Elves and continue to progress culturally, technologically and magically. Having yet to succumb to any threat, external or internal, it is the faith, the sense of righteousness, and the unconquerable spirit of its citizens which gives the Empire its strength, as well as the ruthless efficiency of its military and religious orders. The Empire is often represented in common iconography by a symbol known as the Imperial Cross, which is a long-standing symbol of Imperial unity. The top three arms of the cross stand for the northern, western, and eastern tribes that founded the ancient Empire, and the bottom refers to the Dwarfs, the Empire's oldest and staunchest allies. It has connotations of unity and oaths fulfilled. The greatest nation of the Old World, the Empire of Man is ruled by an Emperor and is composed of the descendants of the ancient tribes of Mankind united by the great Human warrior Sigmar Heldenhammer after the Battle of Black Fire Pass. Sigmar was deified after his death by his people and his promise of eternal aid from the Empire for the kingdoms of the Dwarfs still stands today. This action solidified the relationship between Men and Dwarfs and planted the seeds for the burgeoning Empire through trade between the two races. Today, the Empire is led by Emperor Karl Franz I, who rules from his court in the Imperial capital city of Altdorf.

There are ten provincial states in the Empire, each ultimately ruled by an Elector Count who owes his or her power to the unifying figurehead and ultimate authority of the Emperor. It should be noted that the Empire is not truly a single, centralized nation-state, but instead a confederation of individual, feudal states united only by the common tongue of Reikspeil, a shared faith in Sigmar and a mutual Imperial culture. The Imperial states correspond roughly to the ancient tribal territories brought together by Sigmar when he united the tribes of Man beneath one crown to defeat the Greenskins of the Old World.

The southern Imperial states - Averland, Reikland, Stirland, Talabecland and Wissenland - resemble a broad chalice, partially surrounded by near-impassable mountain ranges from which drain the mighty rivers which are the lifeblood of Imperial trade. To the west of these are the Grey Mountains, beyond which lies the Kingdom of Bretonnia and the Wood Elves' magical forest of Athel Loren. To the south are the inhospitable Black Mountains and to the east the World's Edge Mountains that mark the eastern extent of the Old World.

To the north, the rolling hills and rapid streams of the south and east are gradually transformed into the forested lowlands and deep waterways that define the heart of the Empire. The vast forests that comprise the central and northern Imperial lands stretch almost unbroken across the countless leagues from the state of Reikland to the northern border with Kislev and the shore of the Sea of Claws. The Great Forest, Drakwald Forest and the Forest of Shadows are all essentially part of the same dark, untamed wilderness, with the green blanket of trees punctured only by the abrupt mountain range known as the Middle Mountains. These lands are divided into the northern Imperial states - Hochland, Ostermark, Ostland, Middenland and Nordland. The inhabitants of these northern states generally have to deal with much greater hardships and military threats than those of the more civilized south, being that much closer to the daemons, Beastmen and other dangers of the northern Chaos Wastes.

The life of a citizen of the Empire of Man is a perilous one, for there are foes within every shadow and enemies around every corner. Secret Chaos Cults abound, or at the very least, there are rumours of them running rampant, as well as the legendary rat-men that some call the Skaven. No one is certain who is trustworthy, and fear and paranoia are omnipresent in the isolated settlements that dot the Empire's provinces outside of the major Imperial cities.

History
The Empire has a history that stretches across more than 2500 years, but much has been forgotten or lost in the intervening centuries. War, fire, flood and even conspiracy have helped to hide much of the historical record, whether it was recorded in books and scrolls or preserved in the form of artefacts. Present-day Imperial scholars dig and research to discover the hidden truths of the past, but the gaps are many and their conclusions are often simply wrong or skewed to match their preconceptions and political or religious ideology. Also, some truths are best kept secret from the people of the Empire, lest their revelation spread panic or doubt amongst a previously docile populace. And it is not just uncovering a horrible truth that must be feared, but also dealing with those who would rather keep that information to themselves. In the Empire, the dedicated student of History had best keep a blade ready--and be handy with its use.

Failed Promise: The Founding and the First Millennium (ca. -1500 to 1000 IC)
No one now knows when Humanity first entered the Old World or from whence they came, though the most ancient records of the Dwarfs record the steady movement of Humans over the World's Edge Mountains over a period of several centuries, sometimes fleeing more powerful tribes of Men, other times fleeing the rampaging hordes of Greenskins. The earliest known of these migrant peoples are mentioned in the Chronicles of Nurn Shieldbreaker, an ancient King of Karaz-a-Karak. The gold leaves of this folio, stamped with the most ancient Khazalid runes of the Dwarfs that no outsider is allowed to see, record a pastoral Human tribe who worshipped the Earth itself in the form of the Earth Mother, a religion now remembered as the druidic Old Faith. Timid around the highly martial Dwarfs and persecuted by other tribes in their home territory, they vanished into the forests of the central Old World and faded from view. Dwarf scholars who have lectured on early history estimate that this occurred around -1500 IC, some 1,500 years before the coronation of Sigmar as the first Emperor. Perhaps some five hundred years later, in -1000 IC, Dwarfen Khazalid inscriptions on the walls of Blackfire Pass mark the passing of a large confederation of tribal peoples from the future lands of the Border Princes and the steppes beyond the World's Edge Mountains. Dwarfen historical lays from this time also speak of the migration of the Humans: "Great danger there was in the East, in the lands of our enemies, and the clans of the Manlings fled west. Ignorant of the arts of steel and warcraft, they had no weapons that could stand before the Goblins and their allies. They gave us gold, cattle, and salt and we let them pass, protected by our shields." Scholars have noted that many of the tribes listed by the Dwarf lays bear names very similar to those who later founded the Empire: the Hunberokin, Tutokin, Merokin and Jutonik among them.

Unlike the peaceful agricultural tribes that had preceded them in migrating into the heart of the Old World, the newcomers were aggressive and the bearers of a culture based on raiding each other for cattle and women. While they could not stand up to the Greenskins' iron weapons, their bronze blades and chariots were more than a match for the obsidian and flint of the existing Old World Human tribes. Within a century of their arrival, the ancestors of the Teutogen, the Unberogen and the other founding Imperial tribes had displaced the older peoples and taken the best lands of the central Old World for themselves.

For centuries afterwards, the tribes alternately traded and made war on each other, uniting only to face an external threat, then squabbling and turning on each other when the threat had passed. The shield provided by the Dwarfholds of the World's Edge Mountains gave some protection, but as Dwarfen power declined, increasing numbers of Orc and Goblin warbands found their way through into Human lands. They made their hideouts deep in the forests or among the rugged hills and raided the nearby Human tribes. Even worse creatures would find their way through the high mountain passes from the south and east, including Chaos Warriors looking for glory for their Dark Gods and Mutants looking for food and slaughter.

These growing threats led to the development of the first true Human towns and villages in the lands of the central Old World that would become the Empire. In the west, the Unberogens founded a walled village at the confluence of the Reik and Talabec Rivers, naming it Reikdorf. In the south, Tilean merchants from the city of Miragliano built a fortified trading post on the ruins of an abandoned High Elf settlement that quickly became a rallying point for the local tribes in times of trouble. This settlement grew over time and became the city of Nuln. In the north, the Teutogens searched over long for a safe place, until a vision from their patron God Ulric, the Lord of Winter and Wolves, led them to a flat-topped mountain that stood like a fortified island among the surrounding dense forest lands. There they built their great settlement of Middenheim and named the mountain Fauschlag, though it is today more commonly known as the Ulricsberg. Similarly, the other tribes of Men built fortified villages to protect themselves, such as Carroburg, founded by the Merogens, who would become the rulers of Drakwald. This phase of early settlement continued for nearly a thousand years (-1000 to 1 IC), until the coming of Sigmar and the crisis of the Great Orc Invasion.

Unsurprisingly for a man who founded the greatest nation of the Old World and then topped off his accomplishment by becoming a God, the origins of Sigmar Heldenhammer are shrouded in myth and legends--although the Sigmarite Cult itself insists that all the stories are true and accepted as religious dogma, even those that outright contradict each other.

Imperial and Dwarf scholars agree that Sigmar was born to a family that belonged to the clans of the northern Unberogens, probably at Reikdorf. His birth came in a dangerous time, for there was frequent conflict with the Merogens and the Teutogens, as well as the ever-present threat presented by the Greenskins. Sigmarite Cult legends say that a twin-tailed comet races across the heavens on the night of Sigmar's birth, a sign of the Gods' blessings upon the infant and a herald of the great changes he would make. Young Sigmar grew to be a powerful warrior even as a youth and his kinsmen marvelled at his ferocity and sheer prowess.

In his fifteenth year, Sigmar was alone in the woods somewhere south of Reikdorf--the exact place has been lost, but some Sigmarites believe it is near Kemperbad--when he heard a band of Orcs stomping through the underbrush. The Orc warband, led by the Black Orc Warboss Vagraz Headstomper, had ambushed a Drawf trading convoy from Karaz-a-Karak and was returning to camp with the spoils and battered Dwarfen prisoners. Sigmar waylaid the Orcs and slew them all in an epic battle beneath the boughs of the forest.

Recovering after the battle, Sigmar learned that he had saved the life of none other than Kurgan Ironbeard, the King of Karaz-a-Karak, who had been captured by Vagraz Headstomper along with several of his kinsmen. The grateful Dwarf monarch rewarded the Unberogen warrior with an amazing magical item: the warhammer Ghal Maraz, whose name means 'Skull-splitter" in the Dwarfen tongue of Khazalid. The two soon became fast friends and Dwarf and Man often fought side-by-side against the growing tide of Orcs and Goblins.

When not fighting Greenskins, Sigmar was also busy building his own empire, for he had a vision that Mankind would only survive if it stood united against the many and growing dangers threatening it in the Old World. Through a combination of guile, diplomacy, bribery and war Sigmar brought the various Human tribes into his Unberogen-led confederation, with him as its acknowledged leader. He travelled the central Old World with his closest friends and his growing Unberogen army, aiding the other tribal warlords in defense of their people and slowly earning their trust. One by one, the leaders of the human tribes pledged their support to Sigmar and his Unberogen.

Yet several of the tribes still refused to join Sigmar's growing tribal confederation, or were openly hostile and threatened to make war upon the Unberogen and their allies. The tribe of the Bretoni, which had no desire to become a part of the growing tribal confederation, decided to migrate to the west, eventually settling in the region of the Old World that would become Bretonnia. These people, united in a similar way under their leader and first king, Gilles Le Breton, would eventually found the Kingdom of Bretonnia. The Teutogens and their chieftain, Artur, chose to terrorise the neighbouring tribes, murdering and pillaging as they chose, refusing to give up the old ways and join with Sigmar. Artur declared that he would not bow to any man, nor allow his people to give up their ancient heritage.

The Teutogens' defiance represented a major challenge to Sigmar's dreams of a united human front against the Greenskins. If the Teutogen chieftain was not defeated, then the other tribes in his confederacy would always have an alternative to unity and the confederacy would prove to be only a fleeting alliance that would break apart as soon as the overall threat of the Greenskins was defeated rather than becoming the foundation for a new and better human society as Sigmar wished. As a result, Sigmar set out to challenge Artur and defeat him publicly. He climbed by hand to the top of the mighty mountain Fauschlag, where the Teutogen settlement of Middenheim lay, and fought Artur to the death in his own throne room. The Knights of the White Wolf, the elite Teutogen warriors who venerated the god Ulric and had been Artur's personal warband, pledged from then on to serve Sigmar as his personal guard. Once the Knights of the White Wolf pledged to serve Sigmar as their king and chieftain, the rest of the Teutogen also pledged their allegiance. All the human tribes of the central Old World were at last united under Sigmar's leadership.

Sigmar then wasted no time. According to legend, in -1 IC he summoned the tribes to a great moot in the lands of the eastern Brigundians and laid his case before them. He recounted all the outrages committed against Humanity by the Greenskins: the burned steadings and murdered families, the stolen cattle and fouled wells. He told them of the danger looming in the mountains, of the huge Orc horde the Dwarfs were struggling to hold back. Sigmar implored the gathered tribes not to meet the Orcs and Goblins as they had in the past, standing apart from each other, refusing to lend aid and combine their forces when needed--that would only lead to their defeat and deaths. Hs voice rising with a terrible rage taht was felt throughout the gathering, Sigmar called on all the tribes of Man to unite and make their common stand with the Dwarfs, calling it the crucible of a new nation. As recorded in the Book of Origins, Sigmar's final shout of "To war!" was answered with a cheer so loud that the Dwarfs heard it as far away as Black Fire Pass.

History records that Sigmar's army arrived just in time, as the Orcs finally breached the wall King Kurgan had built across Black Fire Pass. Leading the charge from the chariot of Siggurd, the chieftain of the Brigundians, Sigmar fell upon the Greenskins as if he were the God Ulric himself. The force of the Human assault stopped the Orc and Goblin advance, then began pushing it back. The Dwarfs saw this as their opportunity and charged from their forts and towers and fell upon the Greenskins' flanks. Fear overcame the Greenskins and they began to break ranks and flee. Their leader, a powerful old Orc warlord nicknamed "Bloodstorm," tried to rally his troops and return to the attack. Charging, he and his warband came face to face with Sigmar.

Sigmar and the Orc warlord entered into single combat, whilst Siggurd and his elite Brigundian warriors battled Bloodstorm's Black Orc guards. Hammer clashed with cleaver as the two struggled for advantage. At last, Sigmar killed the Orc warlord with a mighty double blow, first breaking the hand that held the cleaver, then smashing Bloodstorm's skull on the return stroke. The death of their leader was also the death of the Orc army, which broke and ran in utter panic. The slaughter taht followed was terrible to behold as the armies of Man and Dwarf fell upon their most hated foes. It is said that there has never been a greater concentration of crows in the all the world that that which gathered to feat on the stinking and unburied corpses of the Greenskins at Black Fire Pass. So many died that day that it would be over a thousand years before the Orcs and Goblins could again raise such an army, even with their prodigious if unknown reproduction rates.

After the Battle of Blackfire Pass, the Humans returned to their lands, but not to their old ways. All the tribal chiefs recognised that Humanity was safer united than divided and they knew that only one among them could truly make that unity a reality. Thus, at Reikdorf one year after the Battle of Blackfire Pass, the Ar-Ulric, high priest of the Cult of Ulric, placed a crown of gld and ivory, a gift from the Dwarfs, upon Sigmar's head and proclaimed him the Emperor of Man before the assembled representatives of the Human tribes. Before him knelt the tribal chiefs, who swore brotherhood to each other and fealty to Emperor Sigmar and the newborn Empire of Man. This moment marks the start of the Imperial Calendar and occurred in the year 1 IC.

Yet for all the talk of Human unity, Sigmar knew his people and knew that their attachments to the old tribes were too strong to simply erase by fiat. he also acknowledged that the lands of the Empire, from the Grey Mountains in the west to the World's Edge Mountains in the east and from the Sea of Claws in the north to The Vaults in the south, were simply too big to govern as a centralised realm. He therefore made the best of the political situation and made the chieftains of the twelve tribes Counts of the Empire. Each Count would be sovereign in his own lands, subject only to the laws and edicts the Emperor made for the Empire as a whole. The tribal lands became the original twelve Great Provinces of the Empire. Alaric the Mad, a Dwarf runesmith, forged 12 great magical runeblades called Runefangs for each of the tribal chieftains who had sworn to follow Sigmar and who would become the first Counts of the Empire.

The years of Sigmar's reign were a time of peace and great interbal growth for the Empire. Sigmar decreed the building of two great roads, the first from Reikdorf, now called Altdorf, to Middenheim and the second from Altdorf to Nuln along the banks of the Reik River and thence to join the Old Dwarf Road in Averland. The Emperor hoped that the roads and rivers together wuld serve as tied to bind the tribes to each other and inhibit their natural centrifugal tendencies to come apart.

Peace and good weather brought regular harvests and,eventually, a booming population. The new Imperials cleared land and laid the foundations for new towns and cities, sometimes over the remains of their fortified tribal camps, other times on unspoiled new lands. The Taleutens discovered a vast crater in the midst of the Great Forest, within which they built their chief city, Talabheim. The Brigundians founded both Averheim and Streissen as fortified trading posts and eventually at Averheim the Counts of Averland built their great fortress, which has never fallen. Middenheim grew wealthy as the religious capital of the Empire, for, as Ulric was Sigmar's favoured deity, many Imperials tried to curry favour with the ruler by making donations to his preferred religion. In the south, Nuln propsered as trade along the rivers to and from the Dwarfholds of the World's Edge Mountains expanded after the coming of peace. The city grew so powerful and wealthy compared to the rest of the province (then known as "Uissenerland") that the Counts of Wissenland eventually moved their seat of government there from the town of Pfeildorf.

Fifty years after ascending the throne, Sigmar announced his abdication to the assembled Counts and the high priests of the various cults. "My work here is done," he told the shocked crowd. 'The Empire is prosperous and united, and in your good hands it will continue to be so. But I have work I must finish,a task left undone, and I must return Ghal Maraz to its maker." With that, the First Emperor placed his crown on a table, picked up a rucksack, shouldered Ghal Maraz, and walked out the door to an unknown final fate. A number of heresies have sprung up regarding the authenticity of the Ghal Maraz currently wielded by the Emperor, but the official Imperial and Sigmarite position is that the weapon wielded today by the Emperors is the true hammer of Sigmar himself.

The gathered Counts were faced with a major crisis: Sigmar had never married and, as far a anyone knows, had never produced an heir. Nor had he left a will designating who should succeed him on the Imperial throne. Never in the fifty years of his reign had anyone even considered the question of succession. Several among the Counts claimed the throne, some on the basis of being the most skilled in war or politics, while others claimed the favour of the Gods or even a secret promise from Sigmar that they were his heir. The arguments in the Reikhaus grew acrimonious and the threat of civil war loomed large, when a priestess of Rhya who was in the retinue of the Count of Stirland suggested an election. Let all the Counts renew their vows of brotherhood and then let each explain why he or she should take the Imperial Crown. The first to get a majority of the votes of his or her peers would become the new Emperor or Empress. Determined to avoid civil war, the Counts agreed and retired to the Great Hall of the Reikhaus to deliberate. After three days passed amidst promises, threats and a great many exchanges of gold, the Ar-Ulric came forth to announce the new Emperor: Fulk of Wissenland. As part of the agreement, the Counts determined that each new Emperor should be chosen from among them and that the person so chosen could move the Imperial capital to his state's chief city. They also eleveated a powerful noble of the Reikland to become the first Count of that province. In recognition of their role in choosing the Emperor, the Counts changed their titles to "Elector Counts" of the Empire.

Less than twenty-five years after Sigmar's disappearance, during the reign of Emperor Henest in Nuln, a mendicant friar named Johan Helstrum appeared in Altdorf telling of a new God--the Emperor Sigmar himself. With a wild gleam of enthusiasm in his eyes and the strength of utter conviction in his voice, he preached the world of Sigmar Divine to all who would listen, even gaining acolytes from among the priests of the already extant cults. Not all welcomed his words. Much of the clergy of the other Gods dismissed Helstrum as a madman, his visions a sign that he had been eating mouldy bread. What he claimed verged on blasphemy, for he claimed to have seen a vision that Ulric himself placed a crown upon Sigmar's head, anointing him as a God and making the chief of the divine pantheon of the Old World. Some wanted Helstrum killed, but others proved more tolerant. Helstrum's new cult preached the unity of the Empire and obedience to the Emperor and the Elector Counts and so this small cult gained permission to build a temple in Sigmar's home city of Altdorf, with Johan Helstrum as the first Grand Theogonist of the Cult of Sigmar. As the centuries passed, the Sigmarite Cult would grow wealthy and and politically powerful. Sigmar's worship became so popular in Reikland and Stirland that it practically supplanted the Cult of Ulric in those states, much to the latter Cult's irritation. Money from gifts and rents from donated lands flowed into the Sigmarite Cult's coffers, until the Grand Theogonists rivalled the wealth and power of the Elector Counts and the Cult began to clamour for their own electoral vote in Imperial elections.

Emperor Fulk moved his Imperial capital to his home city of Nuln, where it stayed for several centuries as his heirs succeeded in having themselves elected time after time. This was an era of growth and great vigour for the Empire, as its growing population looked for outlets for their energy. Not statisfied with merely filling in and developing the lands they already possessed, the Elector Counts looked to expand their provinces' territory--and their power relative to one another. From the fifth to the tenth centuries IC, a period Imperial historians call "the Drive to the Frontiers," the Counts and Emperors moved to extend the Empire to what they felt were its natural borders. The Counts of Ostland and Talabecland aggressively colonised and expanded into the northern lands of what is now Kislev, claiming all the land to the mountains and the River Lynsk, but their settlements were rarely successful. Most fortunate were Talabecland's efforts to expand into the land to its southeast. Originally ruled by the heirs of Adelhard of the Ostagoths, the towns of Ostermark became Talabecland's "East March," later regaining its independence when it became the League of Ostermark.

Stirland and Averland, meanwhile, aggressively expanded into the less fertile eastern regions of their provinces, pressing into the foothills of the World's Edge Mountains the Dwarfs claimed as their own, which lead to occasional violent clashes. In the process they incorporated the lesser tribes and small kingdoms of related Human peoples that had never joined Sigmar's confederation, particularly the Fennones, whose lands became the new Imperial province of Sylvania under the domination of Stirland.

The Emperor most associated with this period is the sixth century IC's Sigismund the Conqueror, who not only defeated the Juton King and added the Jutonsryk's land to the province of Westerland (now the Wasteland), but also crossed the Grey Mountains to create the West Mark on the Bretonnian side of the mountains and invaded the southern lands of the Border Princes (then a wild, tribal region) to found the province of Lichtenberg and build a series of castles to protect the Empire's southeastern flank.

One area eluded all attempts at conquest: the forested Wood Elf realm of Laurelorn. Claimed by the Elector Counts of Drakwald, Middenland and Westerland, the Wood Elves acknowledged no Human overlord and defeated all attempts to conquer them by force. They won their most spectacular victory in 897 IC, when they overwhelmed the army of the Drakwalder Count, whom history remembers only as "the Unlucky." The defeat was so crushing that it set the stage for Drakwald's own later degeneracy and eventual disappearance as an Imperial Great Province.

By the tenth century IC, the Empire had reached the pinnacle of its size and achievements. No power in the Old World could match it and there was talk amongst its rulers of one day governing the whole of the Old World. Blind with hubris, the people of the Empire could not see the growing cracks that would one day bring the whole Imperial structure crashing down around their heads.

The Second Millennium: Imperial Collapse (1000 to 2000 IC)
The beginning of the second millennium IC heralded a decay in the once grand fortunes of the Empire. It is now known in Imperial history as a time of hedonistic excess, poor leadership and civil strife. The Drakwald Elector Counts had become the Emperors not long before, bribing their way into the office to use its power to preserve their provinces' failing position. The defeat at the hands of the Wood Elves and a seres of disasters had weakened the province so much that there was fear that it would simply be absorbed by one of the others. The Drakwald Emperors moved the Imperial capital to Carroburg and began a reign so corrupt that "Drakwalder" to this day is a byword for a greedy, grasping person in the Empire. Under the Drakwalders' dubious leadership the Empire would begin to rot away from within.

For over a century, Emperor after Emperor continued the venal ways of the Drakwalder line, looking for any way to enrich themselves and caring more for their pleasures than the prosperity or well-being of the Empire they ruled. Fragmentary annals of this time give lurid hints of the debaucheries and orgies held at the Imperial Court in carroburg--and of other, even more obscene events.

Two events of notes took place in the 11th century IC, both during the reign of Emperor Ludwig II Hohenbach, known as "der Grosse" on his coins, but better remembered by history as "Ludwig the Fat." Both a gourmand and an avid hedonist, Ludwig was infamous for the torture and execution of chefs who offended his culinary tastes. Finally, he ordered his Halfling valet to create a "meal worthy of his greatness." The resulting butter-laden feast was so successful that Ludwig not only made his valet the Imperial Chef, but elevated him to the rank of Elector Count, tearing the fertile farmlands of the Halflings away from Stirland and Averland to create the new Great Province of the Mootland. This appealed to Ludwig II not only because he had enjoyed a fine meal, but it also gave him political vengeance against the Elector Counts of those two states, whose daughters had spurned his greasy attentions.

Seing the success of these tactics, the Cult of Sigmar began to slowly woo the grotesquely fat Emperor. Invited to a ceaseless round of feasts, banquets and "private suppers," the Emperor slowly began to see the cult in a positive light. Folk began to whisper that the Grand Theogonist of Sigmar would sit at Ludwig II's right hand, constantly filling his plate with fine food and his cup with wine. The Cult of Sigmar gifted the Emperor with a new palace in Altdorf, rumoured to be fitted out with extensive kitchens, dining halls and exceedingly luxurious privies. Eventually, the Emperor signed a charter granting the Grand Theogonist of the Cult of Sigmar an electoral vote in Imperial elections. The Grand Theogonist of the time is said to have died in bed a short while later -- smothered to death by his own neck fat.

With the rise of the Drakwald line of Emperors, the arts saw an explosion of noble patronage. In their quest for self-aggrandisement, the decadent Imperial rulers commissioned flattering portraiture, fawning literature and pompous, self-promoting musical scores. The Imperial nobility followed suit, and soon everyone of any note had artists of one kind or another in their service. Referred to by Imperial art historians as the "naturalistic" movement, the artwork of this period ceases to be a literal record of history as it was. Many noble families seized the chance to have their history recorded in huge tomes. Outrageous claims, tall battlefield tales and simpering portrayals of forefathers became the norm for such books, leading to some extraordinary and somewhat amusing cases of one upmanship. Similarly, may nobles chose to have "favourable" portraits created--thus, for example, the infamous drooling Duke of Leicheburg is depicted as a striking, mmartially-capable man, with not one trace of his hump-back and an entirely normal number of eyes. Some nobles went so far as to have their faces painted or woven int famous scenes from Imperial history, such as its founding Battle of Blackfire Pass.

Dismissed by the common folk as utter nonsense, this flowering of the arts saw some improvements for their lot in life as well. The Cult of Sigmar was one of the first to seize upon the idea of illuminated books, commissioning lavish tomes after the style of the nobles' histories. Focused around the Life of Sigmar, these works were frequently treated as objects of homage, with some Sigmarite temples dedicating thousands of gold crowns to their creation. The completion of the soaring Cathedral of Sigmar in Altdorf occassioned the commissioning of eight such illuminated books, each bound in beaten gold dug from the mountains by the descendants of King Kurgan Ironbeard himself. Completed in 1012 IC, these eight tomes were paraded with great ceremony throughout the Empire before being returned to a vault deep beneath the Cathedral.

Within the dye trade, the creation of so many works of art caused great leaps forward in colouring and dye fixatives. Not only were tinted inks in great demand, so too were fine shades of cloth and paint. Certain families began to specialise in the hugely expensive pigments required for noble portraiture, experimenting with all manner of ingredients in the quest to find the brightest blue and the most brilliant gold. This short-lived but highly lucrative trade reached its peak in 1023 IC when Baroness Auerbach of Hochland was reputed to have paid 120,000 crowns for a pearl-based paint that exactly matched the yellow-white of her teeth. This brief blossoming of the arts was not to survive for long. The disasters to come would end the decadence of the Drakwald line for good.

The year 1053 IC saw the accession of the last and worst of the Drakwald Emperors, Boris Hohenbach, known forever to posterity as "Boris Goldgather" and "Boris the Incompetent." Devoted solely to money and its acquisition, he let the Elector Counts rule as they wished as long as he received the appropriate "gifts." New titles and Imperial offices were invented and sold, so now Elector Counts vied with each other to acquire ever more grandiose titles, such as "Grand Prince" or "Grand Duchess Palatine." A quick bribe would see a troublesome freetown's charter revoked by the Emperor, the first news of which would come when the soldiers of the local nobleman would seize control and hang the burgomeister. Others joined the game as the cults began selling ecclesiastical offices to the highest bidders. The Emperor himself would even sell to commoners the right to spend the night in the Imperial Palace, renting out the chambers of the 9th century IC Emperor Jurgen the Opulent.

Judgment for these practices came in 1111 IC when plague erupted in several cities at once in the east, spreading inexorably westwards. The easternmost lands of Talabecland and Ostland, which would later become the Kingdom of Kislev, were denuded of even animal life by the virulent disease and had to be abadoned by the Empire. The crowded Imperial towns and cities were the hardest hit and desperate authorities would set fires to burn whole neighbourhoods at the first sign of the plague's emergence. Travellers even suspected of carrying the plague were hung and their corpses burned by desperate roadwardens. Prayers to the Gods went unanswered, with the priests dying at their altars, while the nobles and the wealthy commoners abandoned the urban areas for the relative safety of their rural manors and estates.

The Emperor could not have cared less. Boris secluded himself at a palace miles from Carroburg and allowed only the wealthiest and most beautiful of his subjects to join him there. Thoughts of plague and pustulated peasants were far away. They would laugh and drink and wait for the plague to finally extinguish itself. In the summer of 1115 IC, there was an especially virulent eruption of the plague. The Emperor, most of the Elector Counts and their immediate families and retainers had gathered at the Carroburg palace to hold court and wait for the disease to die down once more. One hot summer evening during a ball, they met their own deaths. As the Emperor gorged himself on roast goose and the courtiers danced under the stars, none noticed the figures in ragged robes gathering upwind of them. They were the censer carriers of Clan Pestilens and this marked the beginning of the Skaven's final assault upon the Empire that was completely ignorant of the mutant rat-men's existence. The winds carried the many alchemical plagues of the Skaven throughout the palace's grounds. Hundred of the Empire's leaders died that night, buboes sprouting from their bodies and pustules bursting. As he lay dying, Emperor Boris the Incompetent listened as the Skaven leader told him of the rat-men's grand plan, how armies of his kin were that very night marching all over the Empire, the heralds of Mankind's downfall.

Many Imperial towns and cities fell to the Skaven that night and for the many that followed as the Skaven Wars erupted. Even if they were not captured outright, the damage done to the Empire's infrastructure was tremendous as libraries, temples, universities and whole city districts burned. The Empire's defenders tried to put up resistance, but they were disorganised and possessed only a shadow of their once potent martial prowess. Great Imperial cities like Nuln and Mordheim became islands in a sea of Skaven-ruled territory. Eventually, they were all sure to fall. From behind their walls, the Empire's few remaining leaders were sure they were watching the terrible end of Sigmar's great dream of Human unity.

Yet hope came from the North. The Elector Count of Middenland and Middenheim, Graf Mandred von Zelt, broke the Skaven siege of Middenheim and, gathering what forces he could, fought them to a standstill along the lines of the Talabec and Reik Rivers. For the next nine years, Mandred rallied the Empire's people and, in battle after battle, pushed the rat-men back into their subterranean realm. Finally, in 1124 IC at the Battle of Averheim, Mandred broke the Skaven armies and sent them fleeing in terror. There on the battlefield strewn with Skaven corpses, the remaining Elector Counts declared him by acclamation Emperor Mandred I "Ratslayer."

Emperor Mandred faced a herculean task of reconstruction. Thanks to the plagues and other depredations caused by the Skaven, it is believed that only roughly three out of every ten souls once living in the Empire had survived the Skaven Wars. Vast tracts of land were laid to waste and much of the Empire's territory had reverted to wilderness. Mandred's first act upon coming to the throne was to enact punishment for all the foolishness that had led to the disaster. By Imperial decree, he stripped the House of Hohenbach of all of its honours and declared the Grand Province of Drakwald dissolved, its lands merged with Middenland and Nordland. Its Elector Count's Runefang sword was placed into the vaults of the Cathedral of Ulric in Middenheim. Emperor Mandred I ruled for over twenty-five years and in that time gained a reputation for strength and as a stern but just ruler. Reconstruction began on the Empire's cities and towns, but much knowledge was lost in the Skaven War that could never be recovered. Mandred ruled as a strong Emperor and the Elector Counts deferred to his wishes in all things. After a few years, the people of the Empire began to forget the horrors of the Skaven Wars of 1115-1124 IC, and event to forget that the Skaven were real, but the Skaven never forgot.

Taking their revenge, the Skaven's Clan Eshin assassinated Emperor Mandred in his bedchamber on the night of Geheimnisnacht, 1152 IC, leaving over a dozen daggers in his body and carving out his heart. Like Sigmar before him, Mandred Ratslayer had left no heirs. The Electoral Council chose a weakling as the next Emperor, Otto of Solland, a pattern that would hold for centuries; the office of the Emperor had become a toy to be traded amongst the Elector Counts. It did not matter to the Elector Counts, who wanted the freedom provided by a weak Emperor to engage in their internecine wars without restraint. So common were these that this era has become known in Imperial history as the "Age of Wars." Yet the Imperial throne remained an important symbol of Human unity, until finally one Elector Count decided she did not wish to see it in the hands of another.

In 1359 IC, the Grand Duke of Stirland was elected Emperor in Nuln, but Grand Duchess Ottilia of Talabecland felt that the Imperia Crown was hers by right. In 1360 IC she declared herself Empress without election and banned the Cult of Sigmar from Talabecland, in retaliation for the Stirlander Count's taxes on the Cult of Ulric. From this point forward, the private wars of the Empire took on a religious character, with Sigmarite-loyal provinces clashing with Ulrican ones as the two Imperial thrones contested for power, although it was not uncommon for other provinces to side with their ostensible religious enemies for short-term political or strategic gain. This growing religious militancy of the Empire became more clear with the start of the Crusades against Araby in 1450 IC. Though the majority of the Imperial Knightly Orders are sworn to the protection of the Empire's people, there are still times when they have found themselves called to war in foreign lands. When Sultan Jaffar of Araby invaded the lands of Estalia, King Louis the Righteous of Bretonnia raised a great army and pledged to free that land from the oppressing clutches of the Arabyans. The Bretonnia king issued a call to arm to all warriors of honour in the Old World and the Grand Masters of many Imperial Knightly Orders swore themselves and their knights to this noble cause, seeking to prove their valour in wars beyond the petty civil conflicts that afflicted the Empire during the Age of Wars. During the bloody Crusades that followed, not only was Estalia freed from the control of Araby, but the gathered knights took the conflict to Araby itself to destroy the Sultan's empire. The knights were filled with religious zeal and they destroyed the Sultan's decadent palaces, burned thousands of heathen tomes in his grand libraries of ancient lore and cast down the idols from his temples.

The political situation of the Empire grew worse in 1547 IC, when the Ulrican Elector Count of Middenland, Grand Duke Heinrich, felt that he had the votes to become Emperor by election and unify the Empire once again. The other Elector Counts disagreed, and made their feelings quite clear--by aiming the points of their crossbow quarrels at the Grand Duke's chest. Heinrich stormed off in a rage back to Middenheim and issued a proclamation declaring himself Emperor, minting coins and issuing edicts to that effect. Now the Empire had three Emperors--one elected and two self-chosen--and the political disintegration only accelerated. The Time of Three Emperors had begun.

Emperor Heinrich declared war on Frederik V, the "Ottilian Emperor" based in Talabheim. Meanwhile, Frederik made war on the Nuln Emperor, whose name has been lost to history but who was apprently a political tool of the Grand Theogonist of Sigmar. Even the lesser Imperial provinces asserted their autonomy in the general chaos: western Middenland in 1550 IC declared its independence from Middenheim under the leadership of the von Bildhofen family and received the Runefang of Drakwald in return for supporting the claim of the Nuln Emperor. Although no clear record exists of hos this magical runesword disappeared from the Ulrican vaults in Middenheim and appeared in Nuln, the religious lore of the Cult of Ranald refers to this theft as "The Great Caper." The County of Sylvania gained its independence from Stirland in the chaotic aftermath of the Night of the Restless Dead in 1681 IC, while the towns of Ostermark rebelled against Talabecland with the help of the Ostland Grand Princes, forming the League of Ostermark in 1905 IC.

Outside invasion played a role in the political reshaping of the Empire as well, with the destruction of Solland and its absorption by Wissenland in the wake of Gorbad Ironclaw's Orc invasion of the Empire in 1707 IC. Gorbad Ironclaw was one of the most feared Orc warlords of this era and he eventually commanded a huge horde of Orcs and Goblins and led this vast army of Greenskins through Black Fire Pass to devastate the Imperial provinces of Averland and Solland. Eldred, the Elector Count of Solland, amrche dhis forces to the Aver River where he commanded the crossing beyind Averheim. Gorbad's army plunged into the river and attacked the Imperial defenders on the opposite bank. Though the Greenskin horde lost thousands of warriors during the cross, the Orcs gained a foothold on the other side of the riverbank. This marked a grave turn of events for the defenders, whose only hope for victory had been to keep the Orcs on the far bank. The Imperial army was encircled and Eldred desperately sought to quit the field before his forces were slaughtered. But this decision came too late, for Orc cavalry had alreayd attacked the Halfling province of the Moot and had circled around behind the Imperial army. Eldred's personaly bodyguard tried to protect their lord, but Goblin wolf riders and Orcs on their powerful war boars flanked the Imperial amy and ultimately caused a rout. Throwing caution to the wind, Eldred led his Greatswords to face the leader of the Orcs. But Gorbad was a monstrously powerful Orc, and even armed with a magical Runefang, Eldred was brutally slain. The last Elector Count of Solland's body was dismembered and hung upon the Orc warlord's trophy racks. Gorbad took Eldred's Runefang and his comital crown as spoils of war. This battle became known as the Battle of Solland's Crown. Gorbad's invasion was only ultimately defeated at the Siege of Altdorf, though not before the Emperor Sigismund was torn apart bya wyvern, and his army was scattered as winter set in. The Greenskin threat to the Empire had ended, but the province of Solland was utterly destroyed and one of the Runefangs was lost. Solland was annexed in its entirety by Wissenland. Centuries later, the lost Runefang originally wielded by Alaric the Mad was rediscovered by a warrior band led by the Dwarf Thane Ergrim Stonehammer deep in the lair of a mutant beast in the World's Edge Mountains. Stonehammer returned the Runefang to the Prince of Altdorf, where the sword was placed in the Imperial Treasury, to be presented to the greatest of Imperial heroes and wielded in battle in the times of direst need.

Before the peers of the Empire would accede to the annexation of Solland by Wissenland, the other Elector Counts demanded the political separation of the city of Nuln from the Wissenland. Talabheim, too, gained a short-lived independence from Talabecland when the Talabeclander Emperor Horst the Cautious refused to attack an invading army in 1750 IC, leading the city to revolt and embrace its own Emperor, Helmut II. The political collapse of the Empire was complete with the election of Grand Countess Margraritha of Nuln in 1979 IC, via a "rump council" of Electors. None outside of Wissenland, Stirland and Averland recognised her rule and the Grand Theogonist declared the office of Emperor vacant. For almost 400 years, the Empire was nothing more than a fading idea of unity in Men's minds.

One other event heralded the dark times that were about to engulf the Empire, the destruction of the city of Mordheim, once the greatest city and capital of the League of Ostermark. Corruption and madness ran riot in within the walls of Mordheim as the Second Millennium IC drew to a close. A twin-tailed comet appeared in the sky above Mordheim on the first day of the year 1999 IC, growing ever closer as the final day of the millennium approached. A depraved festival atmosphere grew in the city, and it is said that daemons crept from the shadows, crying with joy and carousing with men and women alike. As the clocks struck midnight, the comet, a great mass of green Warpstone, smashed down on the city like a divine hammer. The people of the Empire came to believe that Sigmar had judged Mordheim lacking. Those unfortunate people who survived the impact were soon horribly mutated by exposure to such high concentrations of Warpstone and to make matters worse, the Skaven were drawn to the city in large numbers by such lmassiveconcetrations of the Chaotic substance. Mordheim had become the City of the Damned, cursed forever to be a place of ill fortune and misery until its eventual destruction at the hands of the Sigmarite forces of the Grand Theogonist and a combined force of the Imperial Knightly Orders. Yet even today, the Skaven-haunted ruins of Mordheim are a by-word for sin and moral corruption.

The Third Millennium: Forged Anew in Fire (2000 to 2521 IC)
As the Time of Three Emperors dragged on with none of the claimants achieving final superiority, a dreadful threat to Mankind was stirring in the frigid shadow of the World's Edge Mountains. The County of Sylvania, the most infamous region of the Empire, had long been shunned by most folk of any sense, but its wicked reputation truly began when Vlad von Carstein, a Vampire of ancient lineage, wrested control of the province from the previous ill-loved Count, Otto von Drak, by marrying the terminally ill von Drak's daughter, Isabella von Drak, in 1797 IC. Vlad and Isabella come to share a true, if unholy love and Vlad transforms her into a particularly vicious Vampire, the first of his new von Carstein lineage. Many of the other Sylvanian noble familes objected to the thought of having an outsider rule them, but these dissedents were quickly silenced by foul and unnatural means. Under Vlad's tyrannical grip, the province soon flourished for the first time in its history. The Elector Counts of the Empire looked on with indifference, too caught up in their own schemes for power to pay much attention to a poor and backwater province. For the next two hundred years, Count Vlad von Carstein ruled over Sylvania under the guise of different identities to prevent anyone from becoming aware of his Undead nature. In 2010 IC, judging the Empire to be at its weakest, Vlad launched his attempt to become a Vampire Emperor, beginning the first of the Wars of the Vampire Counts.

Marching at the head of the Sylvanian army and a massive host of Undead troops he had raised from the graves of Sylvania using a potent necromantic spell drawn from one of the Books of Nagash, Vlad invaded Stirland and laid waste to Ostermark before turning his attentions to the heart of the Empire. For the next forty years, Vlad's Undead armies ravaged the lands of the Empire until in 2051 IC he eventually fought his way to Altdorf, the seat of Prince Ludwig, one of the three claimants to the title of Emperor. The siege lasted for many months, but in the Empire's darkest hour the Grand Theogonist of Sigmar, Wilhelm III, seized Vlad in a desperate grip and bore him from the city's walls, impaling them both on the wooden stakes at the base of the wall. With Vlad dead, much of the Sylvanian army began to disintegrate as the necromantic magic maintaining its Undead troops unraveled and the surviving Vampires of the von Carstein line were forced to retreat. prince Ludwig rallied his forces to give puruit, but fearful that the victory would allow him to cement support for his bid for the Imperial throne, his rivals united against him and the pernicious Undead lords of Sylvania were allowed the time to regain their strength.years later, Count Konrad von Carstein emerged as Vlad's successor and launched another invasion of the Empire. Konrad was so vicious a Vampire that the three claimants to the Imperial throne were forced to ally against him and he too was ultimately defeated, the dust of his ashes floating on the wind, cut down by the Dwarf hero Grufbad and the soon to be Count of MArienbyrg Helmar at the Battle of Grim Moor in 2121 IC. The last and most dangerous of the Vampire Counts was Mannfred von Carstein, a subtle, devious and treacherous Vampire lord who was perhaps the most dangerous of the von Carstein line. He allowed the various contenders for the Imperial Crown to think that with Konrad's death the threat from Sylvania had ended and simply waited for the civil strife to begin anew. When the Empire was once more wracked by civil war Mannfred attacked, his Undead legions marching through the snow to Altdorf and defating all the armies that gathered to oppose him. Mannfred appeared triumphant until the Grand Theogonist of Sigmar, Kurt III, appeared on the battlements of the city and began to recite the Great Spell of Unbinding. Seeing many of his Undead troops crumbling to dust, Mannfred ordered a hasty retreat. After a failed attack on Marienburg, the Vampire Count was forced to return to Sylvania. The Imperial nobility finally put aside their self-interested scheming and invaded Sylvania in force to end the threat of the Undead once and for all. Eventually, Mannfred was brought to battle at Hel Fenn in 2145 IC where Prince Martin of Stirland cut him down. For his heroic feat the Count of Stirland claimed all of Sylvania as part of his province and thus ended the Vampire Wars, though the ever-present threat of the Vampire Counts' return ensures that none forget the dread of Sylvania, where the dead never fully rest. Though now officially a part of Stirland, Sylvania is now an abandoned rpovince where the dead are easily stirred and the dark forests are prowled by unknown terrors.

The dawn of the twenty-fourth century IC saw the development of an even graver threat to all the peoples of the Old World, this time in the north. The power of the Chaos Gods had waxed fat upon the myriad sacrifices of their faithful and the excesses of Humanity and other mortals over the previous centuries. The hand of the Ruinous Powers began to move with great strength across the face of the Warhammer World once more. Auroras were seen as far south as Nuln, omens in the temples of the Empire spoke of a coming time of great danger and Kislevan scouts reported a vast, horrible army composed of the Forces of Chaos gathering beyond the taiga in the Chaos Wastes under the command of the powerful Northman and Champion of Chaos Undivided named Asavar Kul, the Everchosen. The Great War Against Chaos was about to begin.

In 2302 IC, the Forces of Chaos, comprised of Chaos Warriors, Beastmen and even powerful daemonhosts, crossed the Lynsk River into Kislev, laying waste to the Kislevite cities of Erengrad and Praag and marching on to besiege the capital city of Kislev. The Siege of Praag had lasted throughout the spring and summer, with the coty's brave defenders hurling back their attackers tme and again with desperate heroics and stalwart bravery. But as winter set in and the year drew to a close, Praag fell and the hordes of Chaos ran through its tortured streets. The raw power of Chaos engulfed the city and Praag was changed forever, its survivors fused together into hellish and inhuman mutant shapes. Living bodies fused into the walls of the city itself, so that it became impossible to tell flesh from stone. Distorted Human faces peered out from walls, agonised limbs writhed from the streets and pillas of stone groaned with Human voices. Praag had become a living nightmare and stood as a grim warning of the suffering that lay ahead for the whole Warhammer World if the warriors of the Ruinous Powers proved victorious over the Forces of Order.

A Chaos Fleet sailed the Sea of Claws, laying waste to the coasts of the Old World and sinking any ships they could find. The Tsar of Kislev sent messages to each of the Elector Counts' courts, begging for help, but the response was confused and bordered on panic. No leader was chosen for the Empire's military efforts, for none of the Electors trusted the others enough to cede authority to him or her. The High Priests of Sigmar and Ulric squabbled with each other over who should take the overall command of Imperial forces, whilst many of the nobility refused to send help for fear their neighbours would attack their lands in their absence. Some even felt the cause was lost and openly began to worship the Dark Gods, hoping for mercy from the Forces of Chaos after the Empire's fall.

One man did not give up or give in to fear and apathy. Magnus von Bildhofen of Nuln, a young noble and priest of Sigmar, still believed in the dream of a united Empire strong enough to defeat the Forces of Chaos and the daemonic servants of the Dark Gods. He travelled across the southern and western reaches of the Empire, gathering through sheer force of will and deep conviction an army of like-minded warriors to come to the aid of Kislev. In 2302 IC he came to Middenheim, where the Ar-Ulric denounced him as a fraud, but a miracle appeared to give him Ulric's blessing, and Middenheim soon fell in line. Venturing south to Talabheim in 2303 IC, word came of Praag's fall to Chaos. The war had reached its crisis point as the Forces of Chaos prepared to cross the border into the Empire.

Taking his own now-vast Imperial army and marching into Kislev, Magnus first relieved the siege of the city of Kislev and then took the fight to the enemy, meeting their army head on at the Battle of Grovod Wood. For three days the fighting raged, until the Forces of Chaos broke and ran. Having seen how close they came to ruin and how popular Magnus was with the Imperial masses, the Empire's most powerful aristocrats realised the realm needed an Emperor, and a strong one at that. On his arrival at Wolfenburg in 2304 IC, the full Electoral Council convened for the first time in centuries and formally named Magnus of Nuln as Emperor.

Emperor Magnus reigned for sixty-five years and many regard his reign as among the happiest periods in the Empire's long history since Sigmar's own rule. A general peace reigned throughout the land, and the reunification of the Empire brought increased commerce and prosperity as trade flowed like water. Magnus took steps to increase the defences of the Empire against the Dark Powers of Chaos and their servants, removing the ancient Imperial ban on wizardry and even creating the Imperial Colleges of Magic under the tutelage of the High Elf Wizard Teclis, the most powerful mage of the Warhammer World, who had come to the Empire's aid from the High Elven Kingdom of Ulthuan during the Great War against Chaos. A new age of intellectual vigour and inquiry had begun for Humanity. Magnus also recognised the changing balance of Imperial power between city and country, granting Nuln the status of a city-state, whilst ratifying the political reintegration of Middenland and Middenheim under the Todbringer Grafs of Middenheim. His distant cousins, the Middenland von Bildhofens, had died during the war, but Magnus had no desire to claim the province for himself, and denied his brother's right to do so. Instead, its electoral vote was put into abeyance. Magnus also acceded to the formal reunification of Talabheim and Talabecland, which had already occurred for all practical purposes centuries before.

Magnus of Nuln died in his sleep in 2369 IC. For his great works, devotion to the Empire, and dedication to Sigmar and his dream, a conclave of the Electors voted to give Magnus the posthumous title "the Pious" and declared his birthday to be an Empire-wide day of thanks.

Yet the Empire could not long escape its own fractious nature. The Electors rejected Magnus' brother Gunther as his successor and instead chose Leopold Unfahiger, the Elector Count and Grand Count of Stirland as the new Emperor. As had happened before under the Imperial electoral system, the need to bargain led successful candidates to cede Imperial powers and privileges to the Electors, gradually weakening the Emperor's office once again. This problem led the Unfahiger Emperors to seek other sources of Imperial revenue to give them leverage against the other Electors. Emperor Dieter IV carried this tendency too far when he reputedly accepted large bribes from the burgomeisters of the great commercial city of Marienburg to acknowledge its independence from the Empire as a free city-state. The scandal of an entire Imperial province breaking away with the Emperor's permission was so shocking that an emergency meeting of the Electors was called in the Volkshalle in Altdorf. In 2429 IC the Electors deposed Dieter IV and put in his place Grand Prince William of Reikland, the direct ancestor of the current Emperor, Karl-Franz I. To avoid a civil war after the defeat of an Imperial Army outside of Marienburg, the new Emperor Wilhelm III recognised the Westerland's independence (it soon became known as the Wasteland in the Empire, perhaps out of a sense of pique) and made Dieter IV the Grand Duke and Elector Count of Talabecland, from which he detached Talabheim as a separate city-state in a manner similar to Nuln. Perhaps it was a fear of what disunity had almost cost them during the Great War Against Chaos, but the Imperial Electors, their vassals and the priests of the Imperial cults all made a serious effort to avoid another period of civil war. Clandestine aristocratic maneuvers and conspiracies were another thing, however.

The current Emperor, Karl Franz, acceded to the Imperial throne in 2502 IC as a young and vigorous man. Ruling from the Imperial capital of Altdorf like his predecessors, he showed more skill and character than all of his immediate ancestors and held out the promise of strong leadership for the Empire. The Electors felt pressured to toe the Imperial line and he skillfully played the Cults of Sigmar and Ulric against each other in their attempts to gain his favour. Pundits and scholars alike claim that Karl Franz is able to maintain order by forcing each Imperial faction into deals that are mutually acceptable. With an excellent understanding of leverage, many of the Emperor's political victories have been won by granting a person not what they want, but instead what they do not want any of their rivals to have. Using such tactics, for example, Karl Franz was able to convince the Guilds of Altdorf to sign the infamous "Stench Act" of 2506 IC, committing themselves to large fines and fees, not because they believed in a cleaner Altdorf, but because they thought the cost would destroy their rival Guilds. A powerful statesman, aided in no small way by the excellent advisors he has chosen, Emperor Karl Franz has managed to steer the Empire through many dangers. In time, Karl Franz will finally become the leader he was always destined to be, and upon the dreaded apocalypse known as the End Times, it will be Karl Franz who shall ascend to the throne of godhood and lead his people against the darkness that brews within the north.

The Ends Times (2521-??? IC)
By the cursed year of 2519 IC, to herald the beginning of the end of the World, the Twin-Tailed Comet soured through the night-sky like the birthing of a second sun. No mortal could deny its existence, for the comet's bright aura of light would illuminate the very night sky. Within the realm of Chaos, the Dark Gods gathered in the Court of Covenants, all Four Powers having agreed to put aside their differences for a time in order to bring the world to their rule. Soon, massive warpstorms broke out of the Chaos Waste in great numbers, and eventually swept their mutation down south into the mortal kingdoms of the Old World. With this sudden phenomenon, Warp rifts would suddenly open in random locations around the world, disgorging a host of daemons for mere moments before they once more disappear.

To the north, the Winds of Magic grows like a hurricane towards the lands of the south, and soon the whispers of the Dark Gods fell into every mortal ear. Very few could have resisted such urges, and soon thousands of Mankinds own people have committed atrocities unspeakable, following the whispers north where a great gathering was taking place. Within the walls of the Inevitable City, Archaon sat upon a throne of brass and bone and saw the chieftains and warlords of uncountable tribes lend their allegiance to the new Everchosen. Though these tribes crave bloodshed, Archaon was patient and bided his time. Soon some tribes left south or fought against each other to quench their battle-lust, but Archaon did not intervene, for he knew that those that stayed their hands were the strongest of will and strength, and would follow the Everchosen to the very end. The End Times is upon this world, and Archaons hour of triumph is nigh.

To the West, upon the lands of Naggaroth, the armies of Khorne are descending upon the gates of this icy kingdom bent on bringing nothing but ruin and destruction. The Dark Elves fought viciously for their petty kingdoms, but they will inevitably fail, for their King Malekith has abandoned them for one last assault upon the Isle of Ulthuan. Even in the Ten Kingdoms, the High Elves are besieged by the very powers of Chaos, as a mist of dreadful power sweeps across the land, summoning forth demons and other foul things, running amok and unchecked. With this time of strife, and the lost of their former Phoenix King, another Elf has arisen to watch over his kingdom in this dire time. Within the lands of Lustria, the massive jungle-realm of the Lizardmen Empire, a new and deadly conflict has once more been reignited after so many years, and soon the armies of Clan Pestilen and all the Temple-Cities of the Lizardmen race will fight a war that will end with the total annihilation of both nations.

To the East, the prospect of battle brought about by the end of the World has stirred the Greenskin race into a frenzy. The Greenskins have always thrived on war, always fighting each-other as any other foe. However a sudden urge soon captured the simple minds of their savage race as they felt something big brewing in the north. Soon, the infighting that has plagued their long history has vanished, and an overwhelming urge to unite upon one banner has made the Greenskin race united for the coming conflict. Even the Dwarves, staut allies of the Empire and Sigmar's people, have felt this encroaching doom as they saw volcanic fire spew out from the Mountains of Mourn, resulting in the call for massive military mobilization that has never been seen since the first Chaos Incursion. Soon, artifacts of Old are being found, and the Dwarves stood ready in their hopes of bring about a new Golden Age for their people as they seek to summon forth the Ancestor Gods themselves back to this world.

But it is upon the Human realms of the Old World where the fate of this world truly lies. Everywhere you see, the Nations of the Old World are beset by evil forces both Old and New. In the more southern lands of Tilea and Estalia, the mortals of those distant nations are beset by a nightmarish hordes from the depths of the World below. Soon entire cities are lost as the Skaven race have once more invaded in order to bring about their bid for supreme dominance over the surface world. In Bretonnia, the land and her people have been ravaged as a Civil War engulfs the once proud Knights of the realm, and two ancient secrets shall be revealed that would save this kingdom from utter destruction whilst the other shall bring about the last and greatest betrayal of humankind.

Soon refugees by the tens of thousands have begun to flow like a river towards the Empire, the last great defiance against the doom that seeks to destroy them all. To the north, upon the lost lands of Kislev, the Auric's Bastion, the greatest magical wall ever created, loomed higher then the Bastion in Eastern Cathay, so high that it would pierce the clouds themselves. This great wall is the only thing holding the darkness at bay, and should it fall, then the final battle for the entire world shall take place, and to the victor's shall inherit the ultimate prize; the dominion of the Warhammer World.

In the End however, this world is doomed, and from the ashes of the Old, a New World shall emerge out of the Darkness, following a cycle of creation and destruction that has been long in the making.

Religion
The spiritual health of the Empire is primarily tended to by the Cult of Sigmar, who is the most important deity of the Empire both culturally and politically, but many other Human deities of the Warhammer World are worshipped openly by Imperial citizens. The names of Morr, Shallya, Verena, Taal and Rhya are all invoked on a daily basis by the people of the Empire, and in the Grand Duchy of Middenland it is fair to say that the worship of Ulric comes before even that of Sigmar, while in the Grand Duchy of Talabecland, the worship of Taal and Rhya is certainly equal to that of Sigmar.

Military
"Three things make the Empire great: Faith, steel and gunpowder"

- Magnus the Pious, Emperor of the Empire

The State Troops, also known as the Provincial Army or the Imperial Army, are the professional standing armies of the Elector Counts and their respective provinces. Their functions are to protect and ensure the safety of their provinces, surrounding lands, and villages from a variety of threats against Imperial rule. As well as forming a standing army, State Troops often serve as the local law enforcer in many towns and villages, providing a small amount of civil order to ensure the total domination of Imperial authority. They are armed with a variety of weapons, the most common being the halberd, sword, and spear. Those more specialized units are often incorporated in a more support role for their armies.

Being a war-like nation, the Empire's military prefers to deploy troops relatively superior in terms of the quality of their equipment and experience compared to any other nation in the Old World. This superiority is such that most seasoned Imperial armies are composed of veterans of several campaigns; their professionalism and role as a standing army additionally means that they are led by competent and able-bodied generals and captains, who have themselves lead and won victory and glory through many battlefields for many years and are thus highly experienced. The Empire also has many incredible innovations and invention meant for the horrors of war, such as the use of large quantities of gunpowder as well as the deployment of technological marvels such as the much-feared Steam Tank.

The Imperial armies of the Empire of Man are renowned for having the only standing military force in the entirety of the Old World, trained, equipped, and maintained at the expense of the Imperial government. Enlistment in the state troops means enlistment in a full-time profession, where those with skill at arms enlist as soldiers. Depending on the province or city-state that the regiments hail from, the quality of their equipment can vary: regiments trained from the cities of Nuln and Altdorf would have armor and weaponry of very high quality, while regiments from the poorer northern regions would have comparatively inferior equipment.

Each regiment has a wide variety of weapons for certain types of engagements, with spears, halberds, and swords being the most common. Imperial regiments can also be armed with handguns, crossbows, and longbows, among others. Regular Imperial soldiers wear uniforms that often have the traditional colors of their respective provinces or cities on one or more parts of their outfits to identify their origins. When not in war, Imperial soldiers are required to drill and train on a regular basis in order to build their stamina and deepen their martial abilities, supervised by sergeants who instruct them in formation tactics in order for them to be able to fight as cohesive units capable of lending support to one another in the battlefield. Other Imperial soldiers serve as guards, acting as the local city watch, fire watch, and enforcers of the law, patrolling the streets or roads of the provinces for anything as small as minor criminal activities to as large as Beastmen raids.

State trooper regiments typically wear the color or colors associated with their provinces or city-states, although some exceptions are occasionally made. There are no overriding rules governing how, where, or in what proportions these colors are used: instead, colors differ based on individual regiments' own traditions, their preferred uniforms, the whim of their commanders, the demands of the nobility, or even just the availability of materials and dyes. One regiment might be outfitted entirely in its provincial colors, while another could only bear sleeves or leggings of their province's associated color hue. Many regiments, however, distinguish themselves by the use of minor details such as sleeves, cuffs, plumes, hats, or collars in a common uniform color.

Some regiments do follow strict uniform regulations, but most units leave individual soldiers to procure their own garbs, resulting in a variety of gear that are often in differing states of wear. As each province arranges to equip its soldiers from its own armories, some are more able than most other national armies to afford quality gear. Regardless, troops on the march, based in the wilderness, or campaigning are generally more ragtag in appearance as their equipment wears out and replacements must be found.

Each regiment would usually have supporting detachments, such as auxiliary units of handgunners, archers, and crossbowmen; other such units include artillery companies and cavalry squadrons. Each unit has a role to play in order to support one another, such as securing their flanks from enemy attacks, reinforcing the frontline with fresh troops, or providing missile fire from a long distance. Such organization and cooperation has made Imperial armies particularly dreaded in the Old World. Were it not for the endless wars, famines, and corruption that plagued the Empire's long history, no other nation could have hope to stop them should they be allowed to concentrate their entire military might into a single campaign.

Empire Infantry
"Where march you, men of Riekland, where carry you halberd and sword... We march to war for our Emperor, and Sigmar our saviour and lord... Tomorrow we go to war, to face the hordes of Chaos... Tomorrow we will be buried, in cold graves that await us... And when the fighting is done, and the sun goes down at night... Hear my prayers, save my soul, and take me to Sigmar's Light..."

- Old soldier's song from Riekland

The infantrymen of the Imperial army are the backbone of the Imperial Army, and is considered by many to be the most diverse and multi-cultural military in the entire Old World. The armies of the Empire sports a huge variety of infantry types, with each regiment fulfilling a crucial role in the army they are stationed in. Such infantrymen are also diverse in their weapons choice, with their weapon often signifying what role these men play in the greater part of the Imperial war-machine. Such weapons include the Spear, Sword, and Halberd.
 * Empire Swordsmen - are amongst the three most common infantry types fielded in the armies of the Empire. Swordsmen are expert fencers. They are regarded as romantic dashing figures, often bravely engaging the best enemy regiments. A skilled swordsman can strike at an opponent's weak spot while defending himself with his shield. This, along with their tremendous skill with the sword and their flexible formation makes them a tough challenge for even the most skilled opponents. They wear highly ornamental armour that bear the emblems of the Empire, their provinces, and other heraldries. The Empire is considered to have some of the finest swordsmen in the entire Old World, and some say even better than those from distant Estalia. As such they have also been credited for have many famous fencing schools that teach young nobles or talented warriors the art of sword and shield in order to smite down the Empire's foes.


 * Empire Halbedier - are amongst the three most common infantry types fielded by the Empire. A halberd is a long-hafted weapon with a heavy blade that is capable of smashing through heavy armor and the tough hides of creatures with relative ease. Halberdier regiments are amongst the most numerous infantry type due to the Emperor's requirement that each Elector Count maintain a standing force of halberdiers because of their strength and versatility in battle. Such troops are suited for both defense and offense, capable of holding ground in a narrow passage against numerically or physically superior opponents or being the spearhead of an Imperial assault. They are infamous for being able to slaughter their enemies with bone-crunching force.
 * Empire Spearmen - are amongst the three most common infantry types fielded by the Empire. A spear formation makes an excellent defensive unit: those who charge a well-formed unit of spears are faced with an impassable wall of sharp steel points. Spearmen are more common in the northern provinces due to the cheapness of the spear's manufacture and the lack of large-scale industries to field comparatively more expensive troops like halberdiers and handgunners. In the southern provinces, the longer and heavier pikes are preferred for being ideal in defensive and offensive situations. As such, northern provincial armies tend to field an abundance of spear regiments.
 * Free Company - are a polite catch-all phrase for a band of sell-swords, mercenaries, cut-throats, and bandits paid to fight for the Empire. They are roving bands of mercenaries and bandits returning from such wild and lawless places as the Border Princes' provinces or the Wastelands and are a plentiful source of irregular troops for Elector Counts. Battles in far-off lands have forged these men into hardened warriors. They are hardy fighters and are well-accustomed to the rigours of war, but are undisciplined and unruly, liable to cause more harm than good when roaming around in armed bands. An Elector Count might employ these men for military service, but must ensure such men are under close watch to prevent them from running amok in his lands.
 * Free Company Militia - Not to be confused with the usual band of cut-throats and mercenaries, these rag-tag groups of patriotic civilians take up arms alongside the Empire's armies not out of the need for gold or glory, but to protect the lands of their birth from the depredation of all those that seek to destroy it. Though less expirenced than even the mercenaries of Free Company, these Militia are nonetheless far more reliable, knowing that should they falter against the onslaught of their foes, their homes, their families shall suffer under their barbaric advance, and this dreadful thought has ensured that these band of farmers and commoners shall stand their ground alongside their brothers in arms.
 * Empire Hangunners - are one of the primary ranged units of the Imperial army. Utilizing gunpowder technology, they are typically used to dwindle down enemy numbers before they reach Imperial lines. The power of their handguns means that they can slaughter whole droves of troops with just a few volleys, even soldier wearing formidable armor and protection. In the northern provinces however, due to the prohibitive costs of creating, training, and maintaining even a single regiment of handgunners is almost unheard of. This issue stems from the fact that both recruits and supplies have to be transported from the city of Nuln's Artillery School in the south.
 * Empire Archers - are an often irregular group of hunters and trappers that usually band together to form their own regiment of scouts and support units. Archers are far more common in the northern provinces where the dense woods and harsh living breeds a hardened group of hunters. The more experienced and exceptional hunters and archers hail from the woodland province of Hochland, where hunting is a very popular sport amongst both the noblility and commonery alike. These men are often fielded when reigments of crossbowmen and handgunners are in short supply.
 * Empire Greatswords - are the elite infantry of the Imperial army. Operating as a crack fighting force, their main duty is the protection of their Elector Counts during the heat of battle, often the very men who promoted them to the ranks of the Greatswords in the first place. Though their duties are to their master alone, they can also act as an individual unit, often attacking the Empire's foes at their flanks, where their swordsmanship puts even the most battle-hardened of foes at their toes.
 * Flagellants - are an unorganized group of warriors and fanatics that unofficially serve the Church of Sigmar and many of the Empire's army's during the heat of battle. These men are of both fanatical devotion and mental insanity, as they run wild across the lands, preaching that the end is near, often flocking towards battles both small and large in hopes of killing the enemies of Man as an atonement for their damnation and the sins of their people. Though not considered a traditional infantry unit, they are nonetheless used by many Imperial Generals for their great ferocity and complete lack of fear in the heat of battle. However due to their insanity, they are often accompanied by a Warrior Priest from the clergy of Sigmar to ensure these men are put on a tight leash.

Empire Cavalry
The cavalrymen of the Empire are considered to be the strongest and most disciplined fighters in the Old World (with the possible exception of Bretonnia). The Imperial Cavalry usually recruits their members from the nobility, a tradition that is practiced by most institutions such as the Pistolier Korps and the majority of Knightly Orders. The most prominent Calvary type fielded by the Empire is their use of shock calvary in the form of Knights. The ultimate goal for a calvarymen of the Empire, especially if one is of noble birth, is to rise above their peers and be deemed worthy to join a Knightly Order in hopes of earning a title and honour for his household. Most Knights were formerly trained as Pistoliers before they were accepted into an Order, as the martial and mental requirements to be a Knight is often steep and hard to achieve without any prior knowledge of being a cavalrymen.


 * Empire Knights - are the most common cavalry troops deployed in battle. Many knights have a certain color scheme or heraldry that identifies them with either a knightly order or a noble household. They are considered heavy shock cavalry, wearing heavy plate armour and wielding lances and swords into battle. Knights tend to be born from the nobler families of the Empire, a tradition that is often kept and practiced by most Knightly Orders. Those of common birth who are exceptionally-skilled with a weapon often serves as sergeants and squires for their knights. Although not considered full brothers of their orders, sergeants and squires play vital roles in supporting the knights in battle, and are often equally respected for their prowess in battle.
 * Empire Pistoliers - are considered light cavalry and are equipped with light armour and a brace of pistols to support them in their role as Outriders. Their main duty is to harass the enemy with gunfire and retreat before they could suffer any reprisals. Most pistoliers have a certain amount of knowledge when it comes to gunpowerder technology and most talented pistoliers hail from the Nuln Artillery School where they are taught to handle a firearm in combat. The rank of a pistolier is mostly reserved for the noble families of the Empire, where young military-minded youths go if they aren't able to become a knight, or are being trained in the art of cavalry warfare.
 * Empire Outrider - are those veteran Pistoliers who have survived their time within the Pistolier Korps but have not been able to join any of the Knightly Orders afterwards. Instead, these veterans are promoted into the ranks of the Outriders, an elite core of calvary equiped with the deadly repeater handguns, and adorned with a greater degree of armor.
 * Demigryph Knight - are amongst the most powerful and heavily armored shock calvary within the Imperial arsenal. Not only are these horsemen excellent knights, but they also ride one of the most dangerous and fearsome creatures ever to live in the depths of the Reikwald Forest. A Demigryph is another variant of the Griffon, a creature similar in appearance but somewhat smaller, more numerous and often have no wings for flight. These beasts are often seen in the depths of the Reikwald Forest, which provides more safety for these prides of beast against creatures such as Beastmen or Greenskins living in the more hostile Forest of the North. Thought smaller and flightless, these beasts of war are no less fearsome in their attacks, as a single Demigryph knight can more than hold his own in any battle through the use of the Demigryph's claws and the knight's armored steel.

Empire Artillery
The Empire has an artillery school at Nuln which supplies the gunners and engineers necessary to operate their artillery. The majority of the artillery fielded by Imperial armies are cannons and mortars, whilst others use more experimental forms of artillery such as the Helblaster Volley Gun and the Helstorm Rocket Battery. When used in battle, the Helblaster Volley Gun and the Helstorm Rocket Battery are extremely unreliable, but are potentially devastating and capable of wiping out an entire enemy regiment. However, due to their unreliability, the Imperial Great Cannon is the most common piece used by the Imperial army.


 * Empire Great Cannon - are the most common pieces of Imperial artillery and can sometimes be used by several other kingdoms of men in the Old World, due to the Empire and their Dwarven allies being the largest producers of gunpowder and cannons. Great Cannons are among the largest of the mobile cannons built and utilised by the Empire. Imperial cannons are made primarily at the Gunnery School of Nuln and it is from here that both the cannons and the crews that operate them come from. Most provinces of the Empire maintain an artillery train and many cities have equipped cannons of varying sizes to defend their walls. Great Cannons are slightly larger than the cannons of the Dwarves or the famous Bronzino's Galloper Guns that hail from Tilea. Cannons can be somewhat unreliable and may misfire, wounding or even killing their crews, but their battlefield value is undeniable.
 * Empire Mortar - squat cannons that fire at a high angle, lobbing projectiles over troops or even tall walls. They fire an explosive shell which can cause severe damage to a tightly packed regiment of troops.


 * Helblaster Volley Cannon - are an experimental artillery piece, created in the factories of Nuln by the famous Von Meinkopt, a former engineer of the great School of Engineers. This infamous weapon has the ability to fire multiple cannon balls in a 3 round-burst. It has enough strength in it to be able to tear whole regiments of men or beasts into limbs and torsos. However, it is also known for its unreliablity since the weapon regularly malfunctions or even explodes.


 * Helstorm Rocket Battery - is another experimental artillery piece, created by the Master Engineer Herman Faulkstein. This eccentric piece of artillery is notoriously inaccurate yet when it does hit its intended target, the effects are devastating, with entire enemy regiments blown to smithereens by an earth-shaking cascade of shrieking explosive rockets.

War Machines
Many regard the Empire as having some of the most magnificent machines and automatons in the Old World. Along with this, the Empire has a reputation for being the first to develop and field war machines for use in the terrors of the battlefield. One such invention, and probably one of the best, would be the deadly Steam Tank, created and built by the great genius Leonardo of Miragliano. Other such inventions are also created by magical means, such as the Luminark of Hysh created and maintained by the College of Light. No matter what size or what purpose, many, if not all, of the machines made by men are bred for war.
 * Steam tank - are monstrous, smoke-belching creation that rumbles towards the enemy, firing deadly cannonballs to plow through the enemy ranks while charging headlong into battle, protected by extremely thick steel plating. Indeed, these wondrous inventions are powerful and extremely formidable, but they have weaknesses as well. The most glaring weakness is the rarity of these machines: when Leonardo mysteriously disappeared, no one has ever been able to create another one and the secrets for its creation was lost. Leonardo made 12 of the mighty tanks, but as the years went on, some steam tanks were inevitably lost and now only 8 remain. They are also becoming more and more unreliable and less potent than in their earlier years, as it proves difficult to properly repair the machine without Leonardo's guidance. Nevertheless, these machines are dreaded in the battlefield and it is a legendary day to have all 8 of these monstrous beasts in the field at the same time. Some have said that within the foundries of Nuln, ingenious Engineers have begun to learn from Leonardo's scimatics and are as we speak creating a newer generation of Steam-tank to be used in the later wars of the Empire.
 * War Altar of Sigmar - is a wonderous battle-altar that is known not for its mechanical power, but a spiritual one. This Altar is a wheeled chariot, decorated with many heraldries and talismans that help protect it and its user from harm, and to bestow those around it with awe and magical fervor. However, the greatest of the magical items imbued within the Altar is that of the giant golden Gryphon, a symbol of the Empire and the personal emblem used by the great Imperial hero, Emperor Magnus the Pious. This Altar is always ridden by a Sigmarite spiritual leader, such as the Arch Lector or even the Grand Theogonist himself.
 * Luminark of Hysh - is a chariot similar in ways to the War Altar of Sigmar, though it is not one of spiritual power but a magical one. This chariot is imbued with the strong energies of the Light Order, with a massive construct built within the roof of the chariot that emits powerful rays of pure light energy towards the foes from which the wizard controlling seeks to destroy, burning through flesh and metal with equal power. Such is the power and rarity of these constructs that the Light Order is extremely reluctant to send a single one to be used for the benefit of the Empire.
 * Celestial Hurricanum - Similar to the Luminark of Hysh Arcane Battle Altar, this construct is of similar design but hails from the Celestial Wizards of the Celestial College. This Altar emits powerful energies from the Winds of Azyr, giving the wizard controlling it with unrivalled power over the heavens, where lightning bolts and meteorites crash towards their foes below in a hurricane of violence. The Orb of Sorcery that sits at the centre of the construct gathers these energies around it, eventually growing from a steady breeze to a mighty whirling hurricane. Such power is obsessively kept within the Celestial College, and it is rare indeed for these Altars to be deployed in battle.

Commander
Every Imperial army no matter its size or strength needs strong men to lead them. Such men are varied amongst the glorious Empire, where a few are nothing more than sons of the high nobility, while others like von Raukov of Ostland are experienced warlords who love the clash of steel and the sounds of horn, but many of the more succesful ones are battle scarred veterans of dozens of battles, who know the grim reality of their world and fully understand the Empire's perils should they stray from their path. An Imperial army can be lead not only by generals and common commanders of the Empire, but also religious leaders, grand masters of knightly orders, and even a powerful wizard of one of the great Colleges of Magic; however, what is common in all of them is their magnificence as men and leaders.
 * Empire General - Empire Generals are amongst the highest commanding officers within a Imperial army, second only in command to an Elector Count or the Emperor himself. These officers vary greatly in rank, depending on the size of the force they lead, and are usually known within the Empire as captains, marshals, generals or sometimes simply commanders. Regardless of their social status, they will be tested veterans of many years of experience in soldiering, having spent most of their lives practicing the arts of war in defence of their besieged homelands.


 * Empire Wizard Lord - A Wizard Lord is a highly prestigious rank within the Imperial Colleges of Magic that are second only to the Matriarch or Patriach of the Wizard's original Magic Order. A being of immense but unstable power, these mighty Men of the Empire are amongst the strongest particioner's of magic within the realms of Man. Such is their great knowledge at their perfered Magic Lore that these Wizards are accompanied by a whole cadre of lesser Wizards and Adepts, using their magical abilities to further augment the Wizard Lords already formidable powers into ever grander strenght.


 * Arch Lector of Sigmar - An Arch Lector of Sigmar is one of the highest positions within the hierarchy of the Church of Sigmar, second only to the Grand Theogonist in terms of his political and religious authority. These men are the very embodiedment of both strenght and faith in their warrior diety Sigmar.  When war calls the High Priests of Sigmar to battle, it is an awe-inspiring sight to see them ride at the head of an army atop the mighty War Altar of Sigmar.


 * Templar Grand Master - The Grand Master is a warrior and leader of unparalleled valour, having fought in dozens of battles from atop his great warhorse and whose military prowess is beyond question. These mighty warriors are the leaders of one of the many prestigous Knightly Orders that populate many of the Empire's lands, a position of power suited for only the most wisest and martialed member of their Order.

Heroes
Though great generals and lords are the ones who command the vast armies of the world, it is more often than not that within these armies lay men who possess the strength, courage, and skill that surpass that of their own comrades. These men have fought many wars, won many battles, and have seen the horrors that this world has sheltered whether in the deep dark forests of the Old World or the frozen wastelands of the North, a time of death and misery, a time of wars and battles, a time of Chaos and the end of all things. In these troubled times, the world needs more than ever the men and women who would call themselves heroes.
 * Captain of the Empire - A Captain of the Empire is a veteran military commander possessed of a variety of different formal titles who leads a smaller regiment or other unit of troops within an Imperial army. These leaders take to the field of battle whenever they can. Most of the men appointed by an Elector Count to serve as officers in their province's armies will also be nobles of the Empire, educated in martial pursuits from an early age, whilst others are simply high-born cowards with no courage or leadership.


 * Warrior Priest of Sigmar - Warrior Priests are a war-like sect of the Church of Sigmar who not only lead and inspire Imperial troops in battle, but also minister to their spiritual needs. On many an occasion a rousing speech by a Warrior Priest of Sigmar has restored the troops' faith, brought hope to a seemingly lost cause, or prevented a mutiny when the words of even the most respected commanders had fallen on frightened and angry ears. Warrior Priests of Sigmar normally wear mail or full plate armour underneath their holy vestments, wield the mighty warhammers that are the favoured weapon of Sigmar, and ride into battle atop powerful Imperial warhorses. Among the most commonly employed divine powers of a Warrior Priest are prayers.


 * Witch Hunter - Witch Hunters are highly dreaded figures in the lands of the Empire, feared by both enemies and allies alike. These zealous warriors are part of the Church of Sigmar, also known as the Order of Sigmar, whose job is to eradicate and kill any if not all Chaos Worshippers that dare to defile the lands of the God-King Sigmar of Old.


 * Empire Master Engineer - An Empire Master Engineer are those select few individuals amongst many thousand that have the knowledge and skills to create, maintain and operate wonderous invenstions of war in the battle against the Empire's foes. These Engineers are highly schooled in mathematics and engineering, having the skills to direct artillery pieces into position and calibrating them to their full potential.


 * Empire Battle Wizard - Empire Battle Wizards are individuals with the knowledge and power of one of the great Winds of Magic, who has been schooled from one of the eight Colleges of Magic within the capital of Altdorf, and are now giving their services to the Empire.

Notable Regiments of the Empire

 * Altdorf Company of Honour  - A Riekland Regiment of highly-trained and highly-equipped troops dedicated to the service of the Emperor and the city of Altdorf.
 * Von Kragsburg Guard  - An Averland Regiment dedicated to the safeguarding of merchants and travelers along the Old Dwarf Road, in exchange for spoils and gold.
 * The Swords of Ulric  - A Middenland Regiment formed and funded by the Temple of Ulric in Middenhiem as a special fighting force meant to safeguard and patrol the Drakwald region of Middenland.
 * Grundel's Defenders  - A Wissenland Regiment formed for the sole purpose of protecting important and irreplacable cannons and mortar batteries from the claws of the Empire's enemy.
 * Sterntower Marksmen - A newly formed Wissenland Regiment created to guard the eastern foothills of Wissenland from any at all threats posed against the capital of Nuln.
 * Fireloques of Ferlangen  - An Ostland Regiment of highly skilled and accurate sharpshooters hailing from the distant province of Ostland.
 * Carroburg Greatswords  - A Reikland Regiment that was known highly for their participation in the Siege of Carroburg in 1865, which resulted in the utter destruction of a massive Middenland army intended to invade Reikland.
 * Stir River Patrol  - A Stirland Regiment formed and funded by the goverment for the purpose of protecting and patroling vital areas along the Stir River, in order to provide safe passage for merchant heading to Stirland.
 * Deathjacks  - A Stirland Regiment renowned by many for their achery and skills of tracking.
 * Helhunten's Redeemers  - A Stirland Regiment known far and wide for their dedication towards the finding and extermination of all Vampires within the lands of Sylvannia.
 * The Death's Heads  - An Ostermark Regiment who gained notoriety for their zealous persuit against all Vampire after the end of the first Vampire Wars.

Electoral Provinces
The Electoral Provinces of the Empire include:
 * The Grand Principality of the Reikland
 * The Grand County of Stirland
 * The Grand County of Averland
 * The Grand Barony of Wissenland
 * The Grand Duchy of Talabecland
 * The Grand Barony of Hochland
 * The League of Ostermark
 * The Grand Duchy of Nordland
 * The Grand Principality of Ostland
 * The Grand Duchy of Middenland
 * The Mootland - The Mootland, also called the Moot, is the region of the realm where the Halflings of the Empire dwell, known officially as the Grand County of Mootland. The Moot's Elector (currently the Halfling Elder Hisme Stoutheart) is the only non-Human Elector Count in the Empire, and like the Grand Theogonist and Arch-Lectors of Sigmar, and the Ar-Ulric, does not wield one of the Runefangs.

Former Provinces
The former provinces of the Empire and other Imperial regions of note:
 * Solland - Solland was destroyed as an independent Imperial province in the wake of Gorbad Ironclaw's Orc invasion of the Empire in 1707 IC and its territory was ultimately absorbed by the Grand Barony of Wissenland.
 * Westerland (The Wasteland) - The Westerland was the Imperial province that was the seat of the great commercial city of Marienburg that seceded from the Empire in 2429 IC and became an independent city-state. Emperor Wilhem III recognized the Westerland's independence after the forces of Marienburg forcefully defeated an Imperial army dispatched to return them to the Imperial fold. The province is now known across the Old World as the Wasteland, perhaps out of a fit of pique on the part of the people of the Empire.
 * Sylvania - Sylvania was formerly the County of Sylvania, an independent Imperial province, but it is now officially a fief of the Grand County of Stirland. It can be sure that no other province of the Empire would want the accursed place that was home to the von Carstein line of Vampires and their necromancer and Undead followers.
 * Drakwald - Drakwald was a founding Electoral Province of the Empire that was located near the center of the Drakwald Forest, now divided up between Middenland and Nordland.
 * Sudenland - The Grand Barony of Sudenland was an Electoral Province in earlier versions of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Warhammer Fantasy Battles. It was removed in later editions of the game after Games Workshop did an overhaul of the Empire's electoral system.

Twelve Original Provinces
The provinces that Sigmar created when he founded the Empire are not necessarily the same ones that exist at present. Some have been lost to disaster, others to invasion or civil war. Following is a list of the twelve original Great Provinces of the Empire, including their associated tribe and original ruler. The first Elector Counts were drawn from this "Great Confederacy;" as such, many Imperial nobles attempt to link their family line to one of these great leaders.

Cities of the Empire

 * Altdorf - Altdorf is the capital city of the Grand Principality of Reikland and the current capital city of the Empire itself, as well as the home of the Imperial Colleges of Magic and the Imperial College of Engineers.
 * Nuln - The city of Nuln, located between four provinces, Reikland, Wissenland, Averland and Stirland, and two great rivers, the Reik and the Aver, is the home of the famed Imperial Gunnery School and several of the oldest and most prestigious universities of the Empire. Nuln is the former capital city of the Empire under the Emperor Magnus the Pious, until it was moved back to the traditional Imperial capital at Altdorf in 2429 IC. There is no Elector Count of Nuln, although the Countess Emmanuelle von Liebewitz of the Grand Barony of Wissenland is based in the city. Von Liebwitz is the Chancellor of the University of Nuln and is known for her extravagant parties, desiring to surpass the Imperial Court in Altdorf through sheer decadence. Nuln is also the base of one of the two Arch-Lectors of the Cult of Sigmar. The temple to Sigmar is large and ornate, and attracts thousands of pilgrims due to its connections with Magnus the Pious. The second most important temple in Nuln is that of Verena.
 * Middenheim - the capital city of Middenland.
 * Marienburg - Marienburg was the largest commercial city in the Old World that seceded from the Empire in 2429 IC and took the former province of Westerland (now the Wasteland) with it. It is now an independent city-state ruled by its most powerful merchants.
 * Talabheim - Talabheim is the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Talabecland.
 * Averheim - Averheim is the capital city of the Grand County of Averland.
 * Mordheim - Mordheim was once a major Imperial city and the former capital of the League of Ostermark until it was destroyed by a falling comet of Warpstone in the year 1999 IC. The survivors mutated, and the entire city became a dangerous ruin whose monstrous inhabitants threatened the rest of the Empire until it was destroyed by the forces of the Grand Theogonist of Sigmar and the Knightly Orders of the Empire.
 * Wolfenburg - Wolfenburg is the large town that serves as the capital of the Grand Principality of Ostland.
 * Salzenmund - Salzenmund is the medium-sized town that serves as the capital of the rural Grand Duchy of Nordland.
 * Draken Hof - The Draken Hof was the dread castle that served as the capital of the County of Sylvania that was once ruled by the von Carstein line of Vampires and is now a fief of the Grand County of Stirland.

Other Regions

 * The Great Forest - The Great Forest is an immense woodland that encompasses much of the Empire's territory across its southern and western regions and keeps its cities and towns largely isolated from one another. The Great Forest, particularly in its northern and northeastern reaches, is home to dozens of groups of Greenskins, Beastmen, mutants, Chaos Cultists, Human bandits and other unsavoury folk left over from the Storm of Chaos' invasion of the Empire. Its dark, wooded precincts are extremely dangerous at present.
 * The Drakwald Forest
 * The Forest of Shadows
 * Reikwald Forest

List of Elector Counts

 * Averland - Disputed
 * Hochland - Aldebrand Ludenhof
 * Middenland - Graf Boris Todbringer
 * Nordland - Theoderic Gausser
 * Ostland - Valmir von Raukov
 * Reikland - Emperor and Count Karl Franz
 * Stirland - Graf Alberich Haupt-Anderssen
 * Talabecland - Helmut Feuerbach (currently missing)
 * Wissenland - Emmanuelle von Liebwitz
 * Solland - Eldred (last Count*)
 * Drakwald - Konrad Aldrech (last Count*)
 * The Mootland - Hisme Stoutheart
 * Grand Theogonist (of Sigmar) Volkmar
 * Arch Lector (of Sigmar) Kaslain
 * Arch Lector (of Sigmar) Aglim
 * Ar Ulric Emil Valgeir

Notable Characters

 * Emperor Karl Franz - Karl Franz, also sometimes styled Karl-Franz or Karl Franz I, Protector of the Empire, Defiler of the Dark, Emperor Himself and the Son of Emperors, Elector Count of Reikland, and Prince of Altdorf (formal titles) is the current Emperor of the Empire of Man, the Elector Count of Reikland, the Prince of Altdorf and the greatest statesman and general the Empire or perhaps the entire Old World has seen in many centuries. Karl Franz, who was elected to the Imperial title in 2502 IC and inherited it from his father, is acclaimed as a patron of the arts and science, as a military innovator, and as a valiant general. Thanks to his tireless efforts on the behalf of its people, the Empire has flourished during his reign like never before: the Imperial Engineers School in Altdorf has grown, the Colleges of Magic have thrived and his armies have marched from victory to victory, most recently during the terrible events of the Storm of Chaos. The Emperor frequently takes personal command of his troops, wielding Ghal Maraz, the fabled magical warhammer given to Sigmar himself by the Dwarf king Kurgan Ironbeard over two thousand years ago, or his Runefang sword, and riding atop Deathclaw, his Griffon mount of many years.
 * Kurt Helborg - Kurk Helborg, is Karl Franz's closest friend, and one of the grestest military minds in the entire Empire. He is known by most as the Reikmarshal, having full authority when it comes to military affairs, second only in command to the Emperor himself. Kurt is an exceptional warrior as well as a leader and tactican, and has been responsible for leading many battles against the Empire's foes from as far north as Kislev to the furthest south as Araby.
 * Ludwig Schwarzhelm - Lugwig, also known as the Emperor's Champion is another close friend of Emperor Karl Franz and bodyguard to his lord. Not only is he a very skillful swordsman, but he is also the envoy of Karl Franz himself, often acting as his emmisary towards several other provinces for political reasons, such as an edict the supposed lord has refused to accept or to uphold the Emperor's justice.
 * Markus Wulfhart - also known by most as the Huntsmarshal or Captain of Scouts, is the Emperor's most superb Monster Hunter, as well as an exceptional leader and scout. He and his band of Monster Hunters are the greatest in the Old World, hunting down the greatest and most terrible beasts from the dark dense woods of the Empire, not stopping until the day comes that no other beast shall ever be seen once again in the Great Forest.
 * Marius Leitdorf - also known as Elector Count Marius Lietdorf of Averland "the Mad", is both a Count of the Empire and also as an exceptional swordsman and leader, but having a known reputation of being mentally-ill, often screaming in rage one moment, then having a period of melancholy and laughter a moment later.
 * Volkmar the Grim - is the current Grand Theogonist of the Empire of Man, and the leading spiritual leader of the Church of Sigmar. This man has a great aura of influence wherever he goes: such is his reputation that if he wished, he could call an army of followers and zealots onto his banner, who are ready to die for their great leader and prophet. A pious and foreboding man, this man's entire life was bent on holding back the darkness assailing his homeland, never tiring nor resting in his vigil over his own people.
 * Luthor Huss - known by some as the Prophet of Sigmar, is one of the Empire's most devout and zealous Warrior Priests across the land. His desire to smite chaos and all its forms drove this Warrior Priest to scorch the land of Beastmen tribes, Chaos cults, and Imperial corruption wherever he goes. Though his deeds were just, his actions have unveiled the corruption from within the Church of Sigmar itself, and it came to pass that an Arch Lector has asked the Grand Theogonist himself to excommunicate this man. Yet the Theogonist was a just man himself, and knew something about Luthor Huss that no one else knows about, and with a smile upon hearing his deeds, he dismisses the ordeal.
 * Balthasar Gelt - Balthasar Gelt or with his full title, Supreme Patriarch Balthasar Gelt, is one of the Colleges of Magic's most powerful and skillful Wizards of the Gold College and some say, the entire city of Altdorf. Such is his skill in the art of magic that he managed to defeat the former Supreme Patriarch, Thyrus Gormann of the Bright Order, in single combat, replacing the long-standing prominence of Fire with that of Metal.