Empire of Man

Of the human nations of the Old World, the most important by far is that of the Empire of Man, 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 held back by 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 of 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.

History
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 human tribes 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. Today, the Empire is led by Emperor Karl Franz, who rules from his court in the city-state 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 shared language of Reikspeil, a shared faith in Sigmar and a shared 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.

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.

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.
 * Nuln - The site of the Imperial Gunnery School and the Imperial College of Engineers. 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 of Altdorf in 2429 IC.
 * Middenheim - 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 te Grand County of Averland.
 * Mordheim - Mordheim was once a major Imperial city that was destroyed by a falling comet of Warpstone in the year 1999 IC, and it was the former capital city of the League of Ostermark.
 * 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 now a fief of the Grand County of Stirland.

Electoral Provinces
The Electoral Provinces of the Empire:
 * 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 Moot - the area where the Halflings of the Empire dwell, known officially as the Grand County of Mootland. The Moot's Elector (currently the 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 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 and became an independent city-state several centuries ago. The province is now known across the Old World as the Wasteland.
 * 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 - A founding province of the Empire located near the center of the Drakwald Forest, now divided up between Middenland and Nordland.
 * Sudenland

Other regions

 * The Great Forest - A large forest which encompasses much of the Empire's territory and keeps its cities and towns largely isolated from one another.