The Empire of Man
The Empire is the largest and most powerful nation of the Old World. It is located east of Bretonnia, south of Kislev and north of Tilea. The current Emperor is Karl Franz, who was elected and crowned in 2502 IC.
Structure
Although the Emperor is both head-of-state of the Empire and commander-in-chief of its armies, the real power within the Empire is held by the 10 Elector Counts, of which the Emperor is one.
Upon the death of an Emperor the throne does not automatically pass to his heir. An election is held by 15 Electors, 10 of which are Elector Counts. Each of them casts a vote, and the candidate with most votes becomes Emperor.
The Emperor is largely the leader of the Elector Counts, who are extremely powerful and independent. His power is severely limited by the inability to enforce his edicts within the semi-independent provinces, where the Elector Counts can effectively choose to largely ignore them.
A wise emperor realises that trying to subdue the Elector Counts through force and/or threats is a very dangerous errand, which all too easily ends with open rebellion and civil war. Gaining their respect and loyalty through example and fair leadership tends to be the best solution.
The Empire is not a centralised nation, but rather a feudal confederacy of 11 large and semi-independent provinces, bound together by common interests, history, language, religion, and culture.[1b]
Somewhat outside of the rule of the nobility are the semi-independent city-states. There the burghers choose their own Burgomeisters. It is likely that the richest and most influential merchants have the greatest influence over the whole process but precise details are currently unknown.
Provinces of the Empire
- Averland
- Hochland
- Middenland
- Nordland
- Ostermark
- Ostland
- Reikland
- Stirland
- Talabecland
- Wissenland
- The Moot (technically not an elector state)
City-states
- Altdorf - capital city of Reikland, and notional capital of the Empire
- Middenheim - capital of Middenland
- Nuln
- Talabheim - capital of Talabecland
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.
History
The Empire was founded by Sigmar of the Unberogen tribe, a very charismatic and powerful barbarian warlord.
Sigmar was the son of the tribal leader of the Unberogen, Bjorn. At a young age Sigmar saved the dwarfen king Kurgan from a greenskin raiding party. The king gifted the tribe with Ghal-Maraz, or "skull splitter". This mighty warhammer was to become the symbol of all Sigmar and his Empire was to stand for, and the source of his power.
Previously, the land was inhabited by many primitive tribes such as the Unberogen, Teutogens, Jeutones, Ungols and Bretoni. The tribes were often at war with one another, raiding for anything they needed or just to establish their power in the region. Sigmar's father Bjorn had already forged strong links with nearby tribes, but to unite the tribes under one banner was unprecedented and many feared it was an impossibility.
Establishing a powerful alliance with the Dwarfs, Sigmar began a quest to do exactly that. He travelled the Empire with his closest friends and his army, aiding tribal warlords in defense of their people and earning their trust. One by one, the leaders of the tribes pledged their support to Sigmar and the Unberogen.
Several tribes refused to join Sigmar, or were openly hostile and threatened open war with the Unberogen. The tribe of Bretoni decided to migrate to the west, eventually settling. These people, united in a similar way under the leader Gilles Le Breton, would eventually found the nation of Bretonnia. The Teutogens and their leader, Artur, and had terrorised neighbouring tribes, murdering and destroying. Artur believed in individual strength and the old ways of the tribes, and would not bow to any man.
Sigmar set out to challenge Artur. He climbed by hand to the top of the mighty rock Fauschlag, where the Teutogen camp lay, and fought Artur to the death. The Knights of the white wolf pledged from then on to serve Sigmar as his personal guard.
Having successfully earned the trust, respect and allegiance of the main tribes of the lands, Sigmar set out to Black Fire Pass, to await a massive greenskin horde that approached from the south. With aid from his allies the Dwarfs, and all of the tribes, Sigmar smashed the army, pushing the Greenskins back from the lands that would become the Empire ensuring security for many years to come.
Following the victory, Sigmar was crowned Emperor of the lands from the Worlds Edge mountains in the East, to Kislev in the north, The Black Mountains to the South and the Grey Mountains in the West. Alaric the Mad, a Dwarf runesmith, began to forge 12 great Runefangs for each of the tribal leaders that would become the Elector Counts. At this point, the Imperial Calendar begins, at year 1.
Today, after 2500 years, the Empire is one the greatest and most powerful realm of the Old World.
Demography and Population
The overwhelming majority of the citizens of The Empire are human but Halflings, Dwarfs, Elves, and Ogres are present.
Territories
The Empire of Man is a vast region that consist of a multitude of landscapes. The domains of the Imperial authority usually encompasses the lands inbetween the three large mountain ranges that occupy the Empire's eastern, southern and western borders. The northern border is usually defined along the shores of the Sea of Claws within Nordland, whilst the north-eastern borders is usually not as well defined. In theory, the borders between Kislev and the Empire is often defined by the edge of the Great Forest and the Forest of Shadows. However, this has not always been the case, and perhaps the best defining borders between the two nation is along the banks of the Upper Talabec River and the edge of the Forest of Shadows.
Within this large territory, the lands of the Empire are often further divided between several distinct regions with varying landscapes. The lands of the northern Empire usually consist almost entirely of large swaths of forest and wilderness, whilst the lands to the south usually consist of fertile plains fit for large-scale argriculture.
The Ramparts of Stone
The mountains that encompasses the southern borders of the Empire is the Black Mountains, a range of mountains that branches out from the greater Worlds Edge Mountains. This massive region of treacherous terrain is a natural border that divides the Empire of Man from the frontiers of the Border Princes. The most viable route through the mountains lies within a region known famously as Black Fire Pass. This pass serves as an important trade route for the Empire, as it follows the ancient road-system that connects the city of Averhiem with that of the Dwarfish capital of Karaz-a-Karak. The southern borders is also a frequent hotspot for marauding armies of Greenskin invaders hoping to plunder the lands of the Empire of Man, with Black Fire Pass being the most obvious route. As such, the Province of Averland is usually given the duty to protect the southern borders from enemy invasions. The mountains that encompasses the western borders of the Empire is perhaps the least treacherous of all the bordering mountain ranges. The Grey Mountains act as a buffer zone for the territories of the Kingdom of Bretonnia and that of the Empire of Man, although in the Bretonnians case, the entire Grey Mountain range belongs to the Dukedom of Montfort and Parravon respectively. However, such a claim is always disputed with the Dwarfs of the Grey Mountains, having built Holds such as Karak Norn, Karak Ziflin and Karak Azgaraz long before the founding of Bretonnia. There are about three passes that can be used to transfers these mountains, which usually consist of Gisoreux Gap to the north, Axe Bite Pass in the center, and the Grey Lady Pass to the south. Although these mountains are less dangerous than other mountain range, the Grey Mountains are known to have fewest mineral deposits within the whole of the Old World. Perhaps the greatest and largest of these Mountains lies to the east, within the towering peaks of the Worlds Edge Mountains. Considered by many to be the homeland of the Dwarfs, these mighty mountain ranges stand like a titanic wall that separates the civilized lands of the Old World from the horrors and warfare of the distant east. As such, it is undisputely one of the most dangerous mountains within the entire Old World.Military
The Empire boasts the most powerful military in the Old World, composed primarily of a standing army of professional infantry regiments. Each Grand Province and City-State of the Empire is responsible for the creation, training, and provision of its own army. These provincial armies are supplemented in wartime by the Empire's various independent military, religious, and magical organizations.
Provincial Armies
Every Grand Province and city-state of the Empire is expected to recruit and maintain its own standing army for the defense of its lands. These are highly trained professional soldiers trained to fight together in regiments. In times of war, Elector Counts may call for a conscription of able-bodied men to form militia units to bolster their armies.- Generals of the Empire: These officers are appointed by the Elector Counts and are expected to lead the province's armies in their place. Some are members of the nobility, while others may be promoted to a high position after climbing through the ranks of the soldiery.
- Captains of the Empire: Junior officers that come from various backgrounds, but are generally younger and less experienced than their superiors. Captains often carry the army's Battle Standard onto the field.
- State Troops: These regiments form the backbone of the Empire's armies. They are professional soldiers, but their training and equipment may vary among the provinces. State Troops are typically armed and organized into six types of regiments:
- Halberdiers are the most numerous state troops; each province is required to maintain a standing force of halberdiers.
- Spearmen can be easily equipped and thus are most numerous in places that demand a constant influx of troops.
- Swordsmen are typically the most highly trained of the state's regiments and as such are expert fencers.
- Handgunners sport black powder weapons that can pierce the heaviest of armor.
- Crossbowmen are easier to equip than handgunners and can fire from a longer distance.
- Archers are trained to fight as skirmishers, and are most common among the northern provinces.
- Greatswords: The most elite among the province's standing armies. Greatswords are armed with massive zweihanders and are protected by Dwarf-forged plate armor. They often form the personal bodyguard of their Elector Count.
- Free Company Milita: These militias are levied from local villagers, mercenaries, or brigands in times of dire need. They have little to no formal training and are pressed into service wielding only their own personal (and often makeshift) weapons.
- Huntsmen: The more rural provinces often levy peasants who are skilled in hunting and tracking. These men are at home in the forests and wild places of the Empire and thus make useful scouts for the Elector Count's armies.
Knightly Orders
The Knightly Orders are independent brotherhoods of warriors recruited from among the Empire's nobility. They adhere to strict codes of chivalry and rigorous martial training. Knightly Orders may be secular in nature, like the Knights Panther, or may devote themselves to a particular god. These orders, such as the Knights of the White Wolf and the Knights of the Blazing Sun, are often known as Templars. An Elector Count may petition a Knightly Order to join him in battle, but ultimately the decision rests with the Grand Master of the order.
- Imperial Knights: The knights of the Empire are an elite force of heavy cavalry to rival any in the Old World. They are equipped with the finest arms and armor in the Empire, and ride to war upon heavily barded warhorses.
- Knights of the Inner Circle: The most skilled and experienced members of a Knightly Order form the Inner Circle. Each of these knights is a paragon of his order and a hero of the Empire.
- Demigryph Knights: Some Knightly Orders maintain a collection of fearsome Demigryphs that carry their warriors into battle. Demigryphs are rare and as such only members of the Inner Circle are considered worthy of riding them.
- Grand Master: To be the Grand Master of a Knightly Order is to be a champion of peerless valor and skill-at-arms. Elector Counts who are less experienced in warfare are often expected to relinquish command of their army to a Grand Master.
- Reiksguard Knights: The personal army and bodyguard of the Emperor, the Reiksguard are templars of Sigmar charged with defending the mortal incarnation of their god. The Reiksguard recruit nobles from every province and are the finest knights in the Empire.
Pistolkorps
The Pistolkorps is funded by the Emperor and the Imperial College of Engineers, and is sponsored by several Knightly Orders. It recruits nobles too young or inexperienced to join a Knightly Order or command an Elector Count's regiments. Members of the Pistolkorps form units of light cavalry that are trained by their instructors to perform hit-and-run maneuvers on the enemy's flanks.- Pistoliers: These impetuous young nobles harass the enemy flanks with deadly fire from their pistols. Because of their inexperience and desire for glory, Pistoliers often recklessly throw themselves into harm's way.
- Outriders: Outriders are the commanders and drill instructors of the Pistolkorps. They lead units of Pistoliers into battle, but will occasionally form regiments of their own, wielding multi-barreled repeater handguns gifted to them by their patrons in the Imperial College of Engineers.
The Imperial Gunnery School
The Imperial Gunnery School of Nuln produces Graduates who are highly prized for their skills in maintaining the war machines and, in battle, training artillery on vulnerable targets with unerring accuracy.- Great Cannons: Great Cannons are the mainstay of the Empires artillery, firing massive iron balls that scythe through enemy regiments and monstrous creatures alike.
- Mortars: These stout guns fire explosive shells high into the air to rain down on the foe from above, ripping them apart with shrapnel.
- Helblaster Volley Guns: A creation of the Engineer von Meinkopt, these nine-barrelled contraptions unleash devastating torrents of shot into the enemy ranks. They are, however, notoriously prone to deadly misfires.
- Helstorm Rocket Batterys: Inspired by the fireworks of Cathay, the Imperial Engineers have transformed their technology into a terrifying weapon. Although wildly inaccurate, when a rocket does hit the enemy its explosive force pulverizes dozens of warriors at a time.
Imperial College of Engineers
A surprising fact is that the Imperial Gunnery School of Nuln does not create new weapons of war. Such tasks are executed by the College of Engineering, either the well-known one in Altdorf (where luminaries such as von Meinkopt, creator of the Hellblaster, and Pfielmann, inventor of the Grenade Launching Blunderbuss) were taught, or the Gunnery School’s neighbouring College in Nuln. Once the Colleges of Engineering create a war machine, the Imperial Gunnery School then start training gunners to use them.- Master Engineers: These eccentric inventors often accompany an Elector Count's army to field test their latest creations. In addition, Engineers will often use their knowledge to aid artillery crews in battle, adjusting firing arcs and ensuring the war machines function properly to maximize their lethal payloads.
- Steam Tanks: A technological marvel designed by the genius Leonardo of Miragliano, the Steam Tank is a lumbering monstrosity of armored steel plating and steam-powered guns. Only eight of these machines remain in service today, and each is a priceless artifact lovingly maintained by the Empire's Engineers.
Colleges of Magic
Since the founding of the Colleges of Magic by Magnus the Pious, the Elector Counts have called upon the aid of the eight Orders of wizards in times of war. The Empire's foes all too often employ the powers of fell sorcerers in their ranks, only the wizards of the Colleges have the ability to combat them. Although each Order varies greatly in the Lores of Magic they wield, all of them harness arcane powers that can alter the course of battle.- Battle Wizards: Each Battle Wizard has spent many years studying one of the eight Winds of Magic. Although they only have the ability to learn one of the eight Lores, every Battle Wizard has the knowledge and skill to employ their magic power with devastating effect.
- Battle Wizard Lords are the most powerful members of their College whose vast knowledge of the arcane makes them invaluable assets on the battlefield. Among these wizards are the Patriarchs of their respective orders.
- Celestial Hurricanum: This altar of the Celestial Order is mounted upon a carriage, and allows the Celestial Wizards to manipulate the Heavens. Powered by an Orb of Sorcery, the Celestial Hurricanum harnesses the Wind of Azyr, allowing the wizards to summon raging storms and call meteors crashing down from the skies.
- Luminark of Hysh: Created by the Light Order, the Luminark of Hysh is an enchanted array of mirrors and focusing lenses mounted upon a horse drawn platform. The Luminark draws upon the Wind of Hysh, focusing its power into a blinding bolt of light that sears through enemys with the power of a solar flare.
Religious Cults
The cults of Sigmar and Ulric are famed for maintaining a strong warrior tradition as befit their gods. Likewise, many of the other cults often contain a number of more militant priests. The devotees of these cults will often accompany the Empire's armies into battle, where their presence lifts the morale of the faithful.- Warrior Priests: Warriors of the priesthood of the Gods of the Empire who defend the souls of the Empire's citizens with both faith and steel. They are trained to both lead and inspire the soldiers in battle, in addition to tending to their spiritual needs.
- Witch Hunters: Members of the The Holy Order of the Templars of Sigmar, who are charged with rooting out and destroying the various unsanctioned wizards, Chaos Sorcerers, and Necromancers, as well as their unholy minions.
- Flagellants: Sigmarite zealots who believe that the world is ending. They carry flails and recklessly charge the enemy without regard for their own lives.
- Arch Lectors: The two lieutenants of the Grand Theogonist, the Arch Lectors are among the most devout of Cult of Sigmar and are inspirational leaders on the battlefield.
Religion
Gods of the Empire
In the Empire, the pantheon of gods is split into three broad categories: the Old Gods, the Classical Gods, and the Provincial Gods. Standing apart from these is Sigmar, the first Emperor, and patron deity of the Empire as a whole.The Old Gods
The Old Gods refer to the pantheon of deities worshipped when the Empire was unbroken forest populated by wandering tribes of barbarians. Many Old Gods stood as patrons to one of the tribes, and to this day some are still associated with the old geographical hunting grounds of those ancient peoples. Although few say so out loud, many citizens of the Empire regard the Old Gods as the true deities of the Empire, and the Classical Gods as relative newcomers. As time passed, five gods rose to prominence amongst the Old Gods, worshipped by dominant cults spread from one end of the Empire to the other: Ulric, Taal, Rhya, Manaan, and Morr, representing the primal spheres of war, nature, fertility, seas, and death.The Classical Gods
The Classical Gods spread from the southern lands of Tilea, Estalia, and the Border Princes through trade and diplomatic contact. Today, their worship is popular in the cosmopolitan towns and cities, and some nobles and townsfolk secretly regard them as more sophisticated than the Old Gods — though few would risk voicing such opinions aloud! The most widespread cults of Classical Gods in the Empire are dedicated to Verena, Myrmidia, Shallya, and Ranald, patrons of wisdom, strategy, mercy, and trickery. Hiding behind these, there is also Khaine, the God of Murder, though his cult is outlawed in most places.The Provincial Gods
The Empire hosts a wide variety of deities — patrons of provinces, towns, forests, lakes, rivers, crafts, and much more besides. Formed into complicated pantheons by local legends and myths, the Provincial Gods often have small cults dedicated to them, but few have much influence. However, there are exceptions: standing high above other Provincial Gods, worship of Handrich, the God of Trade, has spread significantly with commerce and now boasts a significant cult-presence amongst the Empire’s rising merchant class.The Cult of Sigmar
Sigmar founded the Empire over two-thousand years ago, and his legend recounts how he conquered unthinkable foes and overcame impossible odds. Reigning for fifty years, he eventually abdicated and turned east to return his magical warhammer, Ghal-Maraz, to its forgers: his old allies, the Dwarfs. He was never seen again. Not long after, oracles and prophets claimed Sigmar had ascended to godhood, invested by Ulric before the entire pantheon of old gods and new. Today, many centuries later, the cult of Sigmar, patron of the Empire, has spread to such an extent that its leader, the Grand Theogonist, is arguably more powerful than the emperor himself.Foreign Relations
The Empire's oldest and foremost allies are the Dwarfs and the Empire of Kislev, but over the centuries the High Elves and the Kingdom of Bretonnia have also fought at the side of The Empire in the eternal struggle against the forces of Chaos and the Greenskin hordes.
Founding Date
1 IC
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Demonym
Imperial
Leader
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Elective
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
The Empire’s coins are most commonly minted in 3 denominations: Brass Pennies, Silver Shillings, and Gold Crowns. Coins usually weigh around an ounce and, as their inherent value is determined by weight, even foreign coins can be easily valued with a set of scales, though will likely draw a suspicious eye.
The Nuln Standard
Altdorf may be the current capital of Reikland and the Empire, but coinage standards are established in the city-state of Nuln to the south. Historically, Nuln was the Empire’s capital until House Holswig-Schliestein restored the throne to Altdorf a century ago, and many imperial institutions still call that city home. The Nuln Standard only governs coin weight and metallurgy, not stamp imagery, which varies significantly across the provinces.
Altdorf may be the current capital of Reikland and the Empire, but coinage standards are established in the city-state of Nuln to the south. Historically, Nuln was the Empire’s capital until House Holswig-Schliestein restored the throne to Altdorf a century ago, and many imperial institutions still call that city home. The Nuln Standard only governs coin weight and metallurgy, not stamp imagery, which varies significantly across the provinces.
Parent Organization
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Official Languages
Notable Members
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