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Imperial Artisans ... The Painters, Crafters & Writers Guilds => The Imperial Office => Topic started by: S.O.F on July 09, 2010, 10:24:42 PM

Title: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on July 09, 2010, 10:24:42 PM
Last summer bored and unemployed I began as an odd off project a comprehensive guide to the Empire, I was unaware that 6 months later I would have 50 plus pages of stuff. Sadly I probably should be spending more time working on my masters thesis but this is somehow more enjoyable.

Update Info

3/8/14 Wissenland up


Coming Soon: Solland, The Moot, Sylvania (maybe)


Land of the Hammer
A Political and geographical Guide to the Empire




Complied and transcribed by jan von Aldium
Intrepid Scholar and Court Historian to his majesty
Prince Leopold Aulslander
Lord of Aulschweig

Introduction

In the late summer of 2521 IC, his majesty Prince Aulslander requested that I, Jan von Aldium, write a book detailing the nuances of the great nation to his Lordship’s north, The Empire. Prince Aulslander’s son was to be sent to University in Nuln and it was the Prince’s request that this tome be designed in order to garner a degree of familiarity to the land his son would soon set off for.   I spent days combing through his Lordship’s library as well as the library of those neighboring Princes friendly to his Lordship. When this proved incomplete, his Lordship most generously offered to pay for me to travel to the University of Streissen in Averland in order I may wholly round out my work. The six weeks spent there, provided me with an abundant amount of notes and without such this work would have been impossible. I would at this point like to extend my gratitude to faculty of the University of Streissen for their aid in allowing this foreigner, though of proud Imperial ancestry, such access to their archives.
Methodologically this work is a bit of a departure from most other scholarship on the Empire. While I have gone to great lengths in order to include as much relevant information from the great scholars of  our age such Hieronymus of Nuln and Frederick Weirde, this book is designed not only supply dry and dusty history but to allow for understanding of how Imperials feel about one another. To find this component, I have turned to what many of my colleagues would term the ‘Gutter Press’. Though the tales of such writers as Ehrhard Stoecker and Felix Jeager are utterly preposterous, I believe that one can garner a great deal of insight about how various portions of the Empire feel about one another. Certainly the portrayal of Stirland magistrate is done to some hyperbolic degree, as is the wont of such fiction writers, but there must be some underlying truth to the writer’s vision. Judge as you will for I shall be unrepentant in my method.     


Jan von Aldium
2522
Castle Aulsweig

Rough Outline
Chapter One -Brief History of the Empire
Most likely chapter to cut since it has almost nothing written other than a fleshed out blurb concerning the 1360 Ottillan Empire creation and really seems a bit unessential to the book overall.

Chapter Two - Government of the Empire
Covers the Office and Power of the Emperor, the Council of State, the Prime Estates, key figures of the Imperial Government, and a brief section on provincial government.

Chapter Three - The Imperial Heartland
Guides to Reikland, Talabecland, Altdorf, and Talabheim

Chapter Four - The Forested North
Guides to Middenland, Nordland, Hochland, and Middenheim

Chapter Five - The Agricultural South
Guides to Averland, Wissenland, Stirland, the Moot, and Nuln

Chapter Six - The Sparsely Populated East
Guides to Ostland and Ostermark

Chapter Seven - The Lost Provinces
Guides to Solland and Drakwald

Chapter Eight - The Imperial Fringe
Guides to Marienburg and Sylvania

Chapter Nine - The Imperial Cults
Cult of Sigmar, Cult of Ulric, and a brief section on the other cults since they are not as important political players

Chapter Ten - Imperial Institutions
Colleges of Magic and the Knightly Orders of the Empire (considering moving the Templar Orders from here into the Cult section but the Knights of the Blazing Sun are a far more important organization to the Empire than the Cult of Myrimidia is so not certain about separate sections. Also Detailing the Knights Panther would be boring as it is the lone Secular Order with plenty of background.)

Appendix A - Land of the Bear - Guide to Kislev
Done on the lines of the provincial guides though slightly longer.

Comments and questions as always appreciated.


Title: Re: Updating "A is for Altdorf"
Post by: Inarticulate on July 09, 2010, 11:24:04 PM
Some nice stuff here. You'll need to provide references though.
Title: Re: Updating "A is for Altdorf"
Post by: Wendersnaven on July 10, 2010, 06:55:44 AM
Thanks for the ifo on my Province.  I learned a lot, and it will make sense that my WP's will have Sisters of Sigmar- as Mordheim is on the borders and women are traditional leaders in Stirland.  Even my AL is a big old Brun-hilda and I use the Bret. female with the short rod as my Mage with the R.O.P.

You've added a lot to my background I'm building!
Title: Re: Updating "A is for Altdorf"
Post by: warhammerlord_soth on July 10, 2010, 07:00:13 AM
Great effort !
 
I'll bring it to the attention of the Master of the Library, Rufus Sparkfire. Perhaps you could coordinate with him on this ?
Title: Re: Updating "A is for Altdorf"
Post by: Midaski on July 10, 2010, 10:47:27 AM
Great effort !
 
I'll bring it to the attention of the Master of the Library, Rufus Sparkfire. Perhaps you could coordinate with him on this ?

... especially as he knows the author of the original "A is for Altdorf" very well ..............  :engel:
Title: Re: Updating "A is for Altdorf"
Post by: rufus sparkfire on July 10, 2010, 10:49:50 AM
Great work!

However, I don't want to update 'A is for Altdorf' in this way (it would be more like a replacement). I like it the way it is (and I don't think the novels count as proper fluff). But if you want to write your own guide to all the provinces, there is plenty of room in the Library for both.
Title: Re: Updating "A is for Altdorf"
Post by: S.O.F on July 10, 2010, 04:06:47 PM
Great work!

However, I don't want to update 'A is for Altdorf' in this way (it would be more like a replacement). I like it the way it is (and I don't think the novels count as proper fluff). But if you want to write your own guide to all the provinces, there is plenty of room in the Library for both.

Whatever works sir. On your point about novels I used to feel that way as well but I came to realize after reading enough of them it was really only the extremes of plot that ruined their position in proper fluff (if all were true there would not be much left of the Empire at this point). The little details no matter the author seem to blend into a pleasant non conflicting story.

Anyway I'm game for a separate guide. Currently my plans were to have a section on each province and city state along with sections on the semi provinces (Solland, Drakwald, Sylvania, and Marienburg). I've also considered a rough section on the main institutions of the Empire like the Colleges of Magic (I'm pretty certain with the Liber Chaotica we have the name of the head of every college of Magic), Templars of Sigmar, and the like.

Thoughts? Perhaps on sections of interest I may hove overlooked in the Stirland overview?
Title: Re: Updating "A is for Altdorf"
Post by: 132nd on July 10, 2010, 04:37:02 PM
  Thanks for some great info on my province of choice.  I really enjoyed it. 
Title: Re: Updating "A is for Altdorf"
Post by: S.O.F on July 10, 2010, 07:43:18 PM
Had this half done so I knocked out the rest of it for a rough guide to Ostland. Sources used Sigmar's Heirs, Empire Heraldry, Mordheim Ostlander Rules, Heldenhammer/Empire, and Riders of the Dead. Sadly not as many sources to go on as Stirland but still an interesting bit of information.

The Grand Principality of Ostland
Elector: Valmir von Raukov
State Livery: Black and White
Heraldic Devices: Bulls Head and Bulls Rampant

Geography
   The province of Ostland has two definite borders; the Sea of Claws to the north and the River Talabec in the south. Ostlands eastern and western borders are less well defined. To the west from the River Talabec to the Middle Mountains, Ostland is separated from Hochland by the River Wulfen but north of the mountains no similar feature offers distinction from Nordland. In the east, as the forest gives way to the steppe, Ostland’s border is set along a rough line from the Gulf of Kislev to the point at which the River Urskoy joins the Talabec. Ostland is dominated by the Forest of Shadows which stretches from eastern Nordland to the edges of western Kislev. It is a dark and foreboding wood and has a reputation only slightly less ill than the Drakwald.  Ostlanders are greatly dependent on the timber industry and other trades the forest can provide. The narrow slip of land that is not encompassed by forest is found along the coast of the Sea of Claws and the northern Kislev Ostland border. This coastal strip relies on fishing and salt mining for its economic survival.

The People
   The people of Ostland are descended from the Udose tribe who ruled the region in the time of Sigmar. Then as now, Ostlanders are very clannish and oriented toward large extended families. Many smaller villages in Ostland are made up of a single extended family group. Ostlanders are extremely loyal to their kinsmen and outlanders who pick a fight with a single Ostlander may often find themselves facing a dozen of his relatives in short order. Though initially cool toward outsiders, once a person has ingratiated themselves with a group of Ostlanders they can expect similar loyalty and near familial treatment.
   Ostlanders are famed for their stubbornness. It is very hard to make and Ostlander do something they do not wish to do without first entering into a long argument.  Ostland is a poor province and its people make do by being exceptionally thrifty. As long as an item still has use no Ostlander will discard it and will use even the smallest scraps of food to scrap together a meal. If Ostlanders are unsparing with anything it is alcohol. Beer and spirits (Kislevite vodka in particular) are imbibed in great quantity by Ostlanders, so much so that the common caricature of an Ostlander is a belligerent drunk.

The Ruling House
Von Raukov Coat of Arms: A red Bull’s Head on a bisected white and black field.
   Valmir von Raukov is the first of his dynasty to sit upon the Electoral throne of Ostland but his family has long been important figures in Ostland’s government. Originally the von Raukovs were merely the Barons of Ferlangen but their connections to the preceding von Tasseninck dynasty vaulted Valmir into the Electoral seat. Several generations of von Raukovs married into the ruling family and served as the Elector Count’s marshal. Though the last of the von Tassenincks were weak and poor military men, the von Raukovs honored their familial obligation to the ruling dynasty without question. When the last of the von Tassenincks died without an heir, Valmir inherited the electoral seat.
   Valmir is a career general and a skilled leader of men. He has fought many campaigns against marauding Greenskins, Beastmen, Norscans, and the odd band of bandits. Von Raukov has continued a tradition toward modernizing Ostland’s military which began during his father’s tenure as Marshal of Ostland. Under the von Raukovs, Ostland has drastically increased the size of its artillery train, number of handgun regiments, and vastly improved the fortification of its cities. This is not to suggest that Ostland has been put in financial strain because of these expenditures, as the von Raukovs are as thrifty as the next Ostlander. However the von Raukovs have been keenly aware that though the crossbow in the arsenal may still work it doesn’t hurt to import a large number of handguns to have issued as the primary weapon of state regiments instead.

Religion
While the worship of gods like Taal and Ulric are common in Ostland, the province is anomalous for its devotion to Sigmar when compared to its neighbors.
   Scholars often debate the reason for the strength of the Cult of Sigmar in Ostland and are torn between two great tales about the Man-Gods life. The first and least credible tale is that Sigmar smote a dragon at the behest of Wolfila thus earning the Udose King’s respect and sword oath. This interpretation is often discredited as an exaggeration of overly zealous preachers in the early days of the Sigmarite Cult. More learned scholars say that it was Sigmars campaigns against the Norsii that won the respect and loyalty of the Udose. The Udose lived far from the Uberogen heartlands and when Sigmar brought his armies to the aid of Wolfila unbidden, the Udose King felt indebted to a man who treated him as if he were his own kin. Whichever story is true, most Ostland villages have some sort of Sigmarite temple.
   As most Ostlanders depend on the woods for their livelihood, the Cult of Taal is the second most powerful force in Ostland. While Ostlanders may not be as skilled hunters as Hochlanders or as skilled in woodcraft as Talabeclanders, Ostland lumbermen know it is important to honor the god that protects them from the threats the forest offers.

Important Towns
   Though sparsely populated compared to other provinces Ostlands boast three major towns. These large concentrations of people are partially due to the inhospitableness of a great deal of Ostland’s woodland.
   The capital and largest town in Ostland is Wolfenburg. Located at the foot of the Middle Mountains and on the River Wolfen, Wolfenburg is the first major stopping point for land based trade between Kislev and the Empire. Trade income is supplemented by the local timber industry as well as pewter ware cast from ores extracted in the nearby mountains. Wolfenburg also sports the most modern fortifications in all of the eastern Empire. Under the constant threat from forest goblins, beastmen, and the random chaos warband, such modernization has been important to the provinces survival. Wolfenburg is also home to the largest Sigmarite Cathedral in the eastern Empire.
   Ferlangen is Ostland’s second city. Sitting astride the trade road that connects Wolfenburg to the Salzenmund-Erengrad road, Ferlangen is made wealthy from trade coming from the south destined for markets in Nordland. This wealth has allowed regiments raised in Ferlangen to be perhaps the best equipped outside of those of the major nobility’s own household troops. This may in part come from the initiative by the von Raukovs who have ruled Ferlangen for generations.
   Ostland’s port, Salkalten, is the last major town in the province. A century ago the town was nothing more but just another small fishing village on the Sea of Claws. With the secession of Marienburg, Imperial merchants contrived schemes to create port cities to rival that of Marienburg and increase their profits by reducing the number of duties paid to outside middlemen. While most of these schemes have been failures, Salkalten at least has grown to a moderately large town. Though nowhere near a successful as had been hoped, it provides Ostland with a point to ship its products from and a small base for the Imperial Navy to protect the coast from Norscan raiders.

Military
   Near constant conflict keeps Ostland's military sharp. Though it may not have as many toys as the armies of other provinces, they know how to get the most out of what they have. Junior officers and sergeants in Ostland are also renowned for their bland appearance, sergeants in particular. Ostlanders don’t need extra tassels or fancy plumes to show they of a higher rank merely the respect of the men they lead. Should an Ostland sergeant or junior officer come into some money they often spend it on a single item of extremely high quality made by a name of significant bearing. Many non-Ostlander officers are thrown off by the fact that their Ostland counter part may be wearing a well maintained armoury grade suit of armour but carry the finest Estalian rapier, Tilean pistol, or Hochland made double-barrel hunting rifle. Ostland regiments are also very tight knit units as they are often raised from a single area and the unit consists of a mix of cousins and other relatives. Even when this is not the case, Ostlanders tend to project their social norms onto their military life and look at their regiment as a ‘family’.

Famous Regiments
Ostland Ogres. Nowhere else in the Empire is there as large a congregation of ogre tribes as Ostland. Though opportunity may offer a chance to raid with forest goblin or beastmen tribes, Ogres in Ostland predominately find service under Imperial commanders (mainly since the food is much better). Ostlanders and ogres get along surprisingly well as both peoples enjoy drinking, brawling, and more often than not a combination of the two. Individual ogres may even find employment in lumber camps or as town guards. It is not uncommon for these ogres to be brought into the same familial bond Ostlanders have with their human kinsmen. Ogres may be flattered by this and it may even remind them of their own clannish nature but should food run short, Ogres will still eat their human kinsmen as readily as they would fellow ogres

Title: Re: A different Guide to the Empire (So far Stirland and Ostland)
Post by: osterknact on July 16, 2010, 04:17:22 PM
This is awesome stuff could you bump up the ostermark on your list... i cant wait to read it!
Title: Re: A different Guide to the Empire (So far Stirland and Ostland)
Post by: S.O.F on July 21, 2010, 01:41:15 AM
Alright Averland is most of the way done and partials on a lot of others. But I have finished this for the Drakwald. Sources used Beasts of Chaos, Sigmar's Heirs, Sigmar Heldenhammer, The Loathesome Ratmen, and "The Story of Bernhardt the Brave" from Inferno 6.

The Former Grand Province of the Drakwald
Last Elector: Boris Hohenbach (died 1115 as Emperor)
State Livery: Yellow
Heraldic Devices: Thistle Flowers and Thorns

Geography
   The former province is dominated by the feature that gives it its name, the Drakwald Forest. The western reaches of the Drakwald have always been a foreboding place. In ancient times a great dragon inhabited the forest for which the wood was give its name. When the tribes that formed the Empire entered the land, it was the ferocious Thuringian tribe that made its home in the depth of the forest. Though battles were constant with beasts and goblins of the forest, the formidable wood preserved the Thuringians from the neighboring Teutogens, Norsii, and Jutones. As an Imperial province, the Drakwald’s wealth was based on the lumber and wood crafts the forest provided.  Furniture made from Drakwald Oak is some of the finest and highly sought after in the entire Old World. As the grip of the Empire has slipped from the forest, it has grown darker and more twisted under the baleful influence of its bestial inhabitants. The few settlements still found in the region today are under the protection of the Count of Middenland. However the vast majority of these are only a few centuries old, often having been rebuilt on several occasions already in that short of time.

The People
   The few human souls that dwell within the borders of the old Drakwald are the descendents of the Thuringians of old, though these days their blood is more often a mix of Thuringian and that of neighboring tribes. In Sigmar’s day, the Thuringians were wild berserkers. During battle Thuringian warriors, male and female alike, would chew on various plants and herbs that sent them into a frenzy of destruction and made them able to sustain injuries that would cripple a normal warrior. The Thuringians did not initially submit to Sigmar’s dream of unifying the tribes of man. Only after a great battle, in which Sigmar bested the Thuringian King Otwin in single combat, did the tribe join into Sigmar’s confederation. To this day, many suggest that Thuringians are tenacious to the point of self-destruction often disregarding risks for initial gains.

The Fall of the Drakwald
   The first millennium saw general prosperity and expansion for much of the Empire. Woods were cleared for farming, the foothills of mountains made safe for mining, and canals constructed for commerce. The rulers of the Drakwald did not share in these advances. Unlike the other provinces that were capable of expansion in multiple directions, Drakwalders only had the Forest of Laurelorn. Rather than beasts or greenskins, the armies of the Drakwald Electors faced significant kingdom of Wood Elves that reside to this day under the eaves of Laurelorn. Despite constant reverses, the Drakwald Electors continued to throw themselves at problem with traditional Thuringian reckless abandon. Never a particularly a wealthy province, the Drakwald had all but been bankrupted of money and men by the eighth century. In a bid to reverse their fortunes, the Drakwald Electors bribed their way into the Imperial throne through payments of gold and promises of reduced Imperial authority. The resulting Drakwalder dynasty was not only disastrous for the Drakwald province but the Empire on a whole. Freed from the comparatively spartan life back in Drakwaldschloss, living in Carroburg, the Imperial capital, was one of ease and opulence. As the generations pasted the Drakwalders became more and more detached from their native lands as well as increasingly corrupt producing two of the most infamous Emperors in Imperial history, Ludwig the Fat and Boris the Incompetent.
   Despite the money following into the House of Hohenbach’s coffers, little was invested in their own province. The goblin and beastmen tribes of the forest grew increasingly bold raiding and destroying towns and villages throughout the Drakwald. The issue came to a head in the first decade of the twelfth century. The Empire had suffered for fifty years under the terrible and unfortunately long lived reign of Boris the Incompetent. Beginning in the year 1106, beastmen attacks in the Drakwald increased precipitously. The Drakwald defender were hard pressed and eventually defeated by the far greater beastmen force. This loss was compounded by the death of the Drakwald general, Count Vilner Hohenbach. Vilner was Boris’s great nephew and heir to the Electoral seat of the Drakwald as well as the title of Emperor. Furthermore, Count Vilner was a man not of the traditional late Drakwalder mold.  He was raised outside of the Carroburg palace and had not succumbed to any of his line’s vices. Vilner would most likely never have sat to inherit the throne if it was not for his Great Uncle’s longevity and the prospect of his ascendance to both the Electorship and the Imperial crown looked to be very positive signs for the Empire’s future. His death destroyed that hope and when the Empire and Emperor Boris were ravaged by the Black Death a few years later, the entire Empire was thrown into turmoil.
   The Empire was immersed in a deluge of beastmen scant days following the Emperor’s death. Some scholars, either brave or foolish, argue that these beastmen were the ‘ratmen’ or ‘skaven’ of folk legend and some even argue that it was through there machinations that Count Vilner had been slain, as this work attempts to provides only the most core of knowledge ink shall not be spilt to affirm or deny such accusations. ‘Ratmen’ or not the Drakwald was devastated. Emperor Mandred’s dissolution of the Drakwald as a province hastened the regions demise. Without a Count over the course of the century almost all the towns and villages of the Drakwald were overrun by beastmen or goblins.       

The Drakwald and the Wolf Emperors
   The death of Emperor Mandred plunged the Empire into a dark period the country would not emerge from until the time of Magnus the Pious. During the era of three Emperors, the Wolf Emperor of Middenheim created a ‘rump’ Electorate out of the portion of the Drakwald under Middenland’s control. The Drakwald Runefang had been placed in the care of the Cathedral of Ulric during the time of Mandred and it was easy for the Middenheim Emperors to create the position in order to build some sense of legitimacy for their Imperial claim.
   Little is recorded about these ‘Elector Counts’ as it was for the most part a sham position and offered little aid to the Wolf Emperor’s struggles with his rivals. Sole among the men to hold the position that garnered any place in history was the last, Count Bernhardt sobriquet the ‘Brave’. When the majority of the Empire proved initially apprehensive to Magnus’s call to arms during the Great War on Chaos, Bernhardt quickly gathered what forces he could muster to aid Kislev. Bernhardt’s force consisted of a mix of cavalry and light infantry who were subsequently attached to Ar-Ulric Kriestov’s vanguard.  Berhardt and his Drakwalders executed several successful ambushes of Asvar Kul forces and was personally at the head of the decisive cavalry charge that ended the Battle of Kislev. Sadly for the Drakwalders, many Drakwald towns were overrun and Middenheim besieged in their absence. With Magnus’s election to Emperor and the reorganization of the Electors, the Drakwald was in no position to regain a full grand provincial status. It had been almost a millennium since the province had been official absorbed into Nordland and Middenland with neither province willing to forego territory. Further as the Ar-Ulric was granted an Electoral seat, it was the fear of many that a new Drakwald would be unable to escape Middenland’s orbit and add an additional vote to go the Elector of Middenland’s way. Bernhardt was instead granted the title Protector of the Drakwald and the right to bear the Runefang of the Drakwald for the rest of his life. Since that time the title has been passed to several families but maintaining it is most difficult as the beastmen seem to grow more powerful each year. Currently the title of Protector of the Drakwald is borne by Count Todbringer of Middenland himself. 

Famous Regiments
Drakwald Forest Legion
The Forest Legion provided the bulk of the infantry Count Bernhardt brought to. While elements of the Drakwald muster were armed in similar fashion to other Imperial regiments, the Forest Legion was not. Recruited from the villagers of the Drakwald, these troops were instead armed with woodsmen’s axes. Lightly armored and highly maneuverable, the Forest Legion were renowned for their ability to hit hard and fast, often through broken or wooded terrain skills they had undoubtedly acquired fighting off beastmen raiders at home.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Stirland, Ostland, and Drakwald so far
Post by: Burgermeiser on July 22, 2010, 06:03:54 PM
Awesome fluff, almost makes me want to change my army to a Middenland theme.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Stirland, Ostland, and Drakwald so far
Post by: S.O.F on September 01, 2010, 04:40:17 AM
Finally Averland is done. Been busy with other projects. Sources: Sigmar's Heirs, Sword of Justice, Mordheim Averland Warband, Empire Herladry, and Heldenhammer.

The Grand County of Averland
Elector: Marius Lietdorf (deceased) succession disputed
State Livery: Yellow and Black
Heraldic Devices: Suns and Hammers of Sigmar
Runefang Title: The Sword of Ruin

Geography
Averland contrasts sharply with the other provinces of the Empire as it is not dominated by large tracts of woodland. The Upper Reik, the River Aver, and the junction of the Worlds Edge and Black Mountains create the roughly triangular shape that forms the borders of Averland. Between these borders, Averland is a mix of rolling hills and plains providing the richest agricultural land in the Empire outside the Moot. On the grassy plains, Averlanders raise vast herds of longhorn cattle and the finest horses in the Empire. Averland also enjoys a warmer climate than other Imperial provinces and with a longer growing season, Averland produces large quantities of cereal crops as well as being home to vast vineyards.  Black Fire Pass lies in the south and makes Averland an important commercial power dealing with goods coming from both the Dwarf Holds and Tilea. Wissenland may have more passes but they are far more dangerous compared to the ‘relative’ safety merchants can enjoy by travelling through Averland.

The People
   Averlanders are descended from the Brigundian tribe. Even in the time of Sigmar the Brigundians were rich from trade and were known more as merchants then warriors. Siggurd, King of Brigundians, was a shrewd diplomat who had assembled a rough confederation of his own from amongst the southern tribes of the Merogens and Menogoths. When Sigmar petitioned for Siggurd to join the fledgling Empire, he was initially cool towards the offer and only swore allegiance once Sigmar slew a great beast that troubled the lands of the southern Kings. Siggurd saw the Man-Gods merit and brought his own confederation into the Empire.
   Averlanders are considered flighty by many other Imperial subjects, though Averlanders defend themselves by describing it as a freedom of conscience. They seem never to make up their mind and are constantly willing to change their opinion. For most part this sentiment stems from interactions with Averland merchants who constantly alter their stances on deals in order to ensure they have received the greatest bargain possible. Imperial legal scholars do point out thought that Averland’s law is perhaps the most contrived, convoluted, and cumbersome in the Empire leaving a great deal open for interpretation with contractual exit clauses and other loop holes which allow litigants and judges to make sudden adjustments in their decision. Averlanders are also famed for their ostentatious tastes. Elsewhere in the Empire a style of clothing or art remain fashionable for a decade, in Averland it rarely lasts a year. Northerners scoff that it such is the result of erratic minds left with too much money on their hands, where the Averlander contends they are just trying and keep life interesting.   

The Ruling House
House of Lietdorf Coat of Arms: A Yellow Sun on a Black Field
   The current political situation in Averland is tense. Several years have passed since the death of Marius Lietdorf and there has been little movement by the Steward Tochfel to press for deciding the succession. The main bone of contention is that the Lietdorfs failed to solidify their hold over Averland. Marius came to power through the scandals of the previous Alptruam dynasty and with the support of the Sigmarite Cult. The good faith many burghers had about the change was quickly dampened by Marius’s bouts with madness. Now there are many who question the wisdom in appointing a successor from a mentally unstable line.
   This deadlock has been further insured with the lack of a suitable alternative candidate. Ferenc Alptruam is too old for the Electoral seat and though his family is still powerful, there are many merchants that are keen not to see his line return to power. If another candidate were to arise they could almost certainly count on the support of the Alptruams if only to spite the House of Lietdorf.

Religion
   The peasant farmers may look to the Cult of Taal and Rhya for the good of their crops, but it is the Cult of Sigmar that is of greatest importance in Averland.
   The Cult of Sigmar is so powerful since it appeals to the large urban merchant class in Averland particularly because Sigmar is good for business. Black Fire Pass attracts countless pilgrims a year who pay great sums of money for food, lodging, and the odd reliquary to remember their trip. Ulric demands warriors, Taal demands hunters, Verena demands justicars, things which merchants have little time for and are for the most part unprofitable. The Sigmarite Cult, on the other hand, is more than content to accept large sums of gold for the deliverance of the souls of those who donate. If a merchant is particularly generous perhaps they can count on the significant political muscle of Holy Sigmar’s Church to help them out in the future. All around it is a great deal for the clever businessman. Corruption is perhaps not as rife as agitator priests like Luthor Huss contend, but it is in Averland where they are perhaps the closest to true. One should look no farther than the significant amount of Cult resources which were invested wresting the Electoral seat from the Alptruams in favor of the more ‘pious’ Lietdorfs.

Important Towns
   Averland has a very large number of significant towns which dot the state’s important trade roads and ferry points. Wealth has made a great number of these towns rather slovenly when it comes to their town walls and town guard. A century has passed since the ravages of Grom the Paunch and town councils are more than willing to cut militia budgets for the sake of increased profits.
   Averland’s capital, Averheim, is built on a steep hill a critical bend in the River Aver. The site is rumored to have been picked by Sigmar himself to be used as a fortress to defend the upper reaches of the Aver. The truth of this claim cannot be completely verified but the scale of Averheim central keep, the Averburg, suggests a past that was far more warlike then the current city that surrounds it. The Averburg has held out in a number of key sieges and was even spared the ravages of Gorbad in 1707. The sprawl of Averheim has even extended into Stirland. The ‘New City’ on the north bank of the Aver, houses the poorest portion of Averheim’s populace. Counts of Stirland may not happy with this arrangement but the ‘New City’ is a necessity during the last month of summer when large numbers of migrant Stirland workers flock to Averheim during the peak of the cattle slaughtering season. Sacrificing a small portion Stirland’s sovereignty for the ability to garner better taxes off its peasants is a trade off the impoverished Counts of Stirland are forced to make.
Streissen is the second most populace city of Averland and home to the province’s largest University. The city is famed for its progressive often revolutionary attitude and more than once has required the intervention of Averland’s soldiers.
Grenzstadt is the last town in Averland before entering Black Fire Pass. The town derives the majority of its wealth from furs and ore gathered in the nearby mountains. It also enjoys a great deal of trade by supplying caravans and pilgrims traveling up through Black Fire Pass. The rotation of Mountainguard troops from the pass to the city garrison also garners tavern owners with a regular custom of men with several month’s wages and little else to do with it than drink it away.
Wuppertal would not be as significant a town if it were not for its very large Temple of Sigmar. It is from this region in which the Lietdorf family hails a fostered the good will of the Sigmarite Cult in order to propel them into Electoral office. It’s position along with it large Sigmarite Shrines make the city an ideal starting point for many pilgrims tours of Averland.

Military
As a general rule Averland soldiery are some of the finest dressed in the entire Empire. Some regiments perhaps wear more extravagant outfits than those worn by the lesser nobility of more impoverished provinces. Many ignorant toughs think Averland soldiers easy marks for robbery or ridicule. This usually ends with the offending party suffering several broken bones or missing teeth because of it. Averlanders have a taste for style and their military is no different.. Though for all their finery, Averland regiments are made up of bruisers, thugs, and various other sordid types whose sole qualification for their employment was the ability to hold a weapon and not be afraid to use it.
Many military men from more storied provinces, such as Reikland or Middenland, argue that Averland has no martial tradition. This is of course incorrect but non-Averlanders struggle to recognize the different set of traditions that govern Averland’s soldiers. The merchant class is far more sizeable and influential in Averland then any other Imperial province. Merchant Guilds and Town Councils hold a great deal of political sway and are loathe to allow recruiting sergeants to enlist elements of the population that contribute to the town’s wealth.  Recruiters go to great length to attract the suitable type of scum to fill out the ranks. Soldiers that would most likely have joined a free company elsewhere in the Empire, find themselves in regular liveried formations. A certain number of wanderlust filled farm boys do find their way into the army but not in the same number as in other provinces. Averland soldiers are professionals who have more in common with a Tilean Crossbowman then an Altdorf Halberdier. Averland militia and other town guard units have garnered a reputation as poor soldiers. This is not through any failing in the men that make up these units but the city fathers who reduce the number training days on order to cut city expenditures.
Averlanders treat their military with mercantile zeal. Regiments are just as much organs of the state are they are the private money making venture of their captain.  The state commissions and subsidizes the regiment and the commanding officer has total control over regimental finances. This does lead on occasion to corruption and negligence but a stiff punishment for such actions deters the most flagrant offences. Plunder and campaign bonuses also make Averland regiments far more well-travelled then those of other provinces. 

Famous Regiments
The Mountainguard
Charged with defending the fortresses of Black Fire Pass, the Mountainguard are drawn from the best of Averland’s regiments. The regiment has perhaps the most garish uniforms in the entire Averland army and while it contains a much larger percentage of native Averlanders then normal regiments, its ranks are filled with combat veterans who are more ill tempered over jibes at their appearance than other regiments. Mountainguards are very touchy about their uniforms, they may look like wealthy fops but they take it poorly when lesser regiments or merchants mimic the pattern of Mountainguard uniform. Even new members of the regiment must earn the right to wear the uniform as strict codes exist for the tailoring of Mountainguard kit. Therefore the greater sleeves or the more intricate the slashes denote the veteran members of the regiment. Drawn from across all state regiments, the Mountainguard strives to be capable with almost any weapon. When used in a regular field battle, men armed alike are brigaded together usually resulting in blocks of halberdiers supported by crossbowmen.

Bergjaeger
Averland is not a state renowned for its archery. Crossbows and Handgun require far training in order to use them proficiently on the battlefield and as Averland has the funds to afford them they are primary choice Averlands state regiments. The Bergjaegers of the Black Mountains represent the exception. Bergjaeger formations are not particularly well organized along traditional military terms. A detachment is officially mustered for the garrison of Black Fire Pass but when it sees real military service it is more likely draw from an ad hoc collection of trappers and rangers. Though some Bergjaegers are experienced military men, they have never enjoyed a good reputation as hand to hand fighters. Use of traps and cunning ambushes are the primary weapon of Averland’s Bergjaegers. Extremely stealthy, Bergjaegers know it is often more important to warn a Mountainguard garrison about an impending Greemskin raid rather then throw away their lives in a fight they cannot win.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Stirland, Ostland, Drakwald, Averland 8/31/10
Post by: S.O.F on September 03, 2010, 11:09:45 PM
Alright another entry this for the Cult of Sigmar and perhaps the one that required the most splicing from little bits of other works. Sources include Tome of Salvation (WHFRP 2ed), WD Sigmarite Article, Witchhunters Handbook, the Mathias Thulman Trilogy, Shamanslayer, Troll Slayer, and really a whole little bits from even as far back as the 3rd Edition Warhammer Armies book.

The Cult of Sigmar
Head of Cult: Grand Theogonist Volkmar von Hindenstern the Grim
Arch-Lectors: Kasmir XI and Thorgad IV
Holy Texts: The Unfinished Book, Deus Sigmar,
Common Symbols: Hammer, Twin-tailed Comet, and Griffons

Organization
The Cult is comprised of four primary orders and a myriad of lesser attached orders. The Largest of the primary orders is the Order of the Torch who provide the ecclesiastical structure to which all other orders are attached and maintains the bulk of cult’s temples and holy sites. Second in importance is the Order of the Silver Hammer. Its members are the travelling Warrior Priests who serve as chaplains in the Empire’s armies and wandering preachers in the more dangerous regions of the Empire. Third in significance is the Order of the Anvil, the monastic branch of the cult charged with the preservation and correct interpretation of the word of Sigmar. Last is the Order of the Cleansing Flame an order which is shrouded in mystery but in truth most likely holds more power than any other order.

The Order of the Torch.
The task of seeing to the spiritual needs of Sigmar’s faithful falls to the Order of the Torch, the largest of all the Cults Orders. The Priests of the Order are responsible for carrying out services as well as other ceremonially duties a town requires of its priest. Members of the order are not known to be particularly warlike but when their flock is threatened most priests can handle a weapon and some are even retired brothers from the Order of the Silver Hammer. The Order of the Torch is a very hierarchal structure with a myriad of ranks and positions.
This branch of the Cult has supreme control over the Cult’s business and its leader, the Grand Theogonist, is the head of the entire cult. Directly below the Grand Theogonist are the Arch-Lectors of Nuln and Talabheim. The three top officials in the Order are each responsible for one third of the Order’s hierarchy. Since the Grand Theogonist has more extensive powers, particularly as also being one of the Emperor’s councilors, the he has an Arch-Adjutant to oversee the more routine elements of his duties. Though the Arch-Adjutant may not have the prestige of the more independent Arch-Lectors he is still a very important figure within the Cult.
Beneath the Grand Theogonist, the two Arch-Lectors and the Arch-Adjutant are the eighteen Lectors. This College of Lectors is responsible for advising the Grand Theogonist in matters of cult policy. When a Grand Theogonist dies it is also the job of the College of Lectors to elect a new Grand Theogonist from among its members. In addition each Lector is responsible for a certain portion of the Empire which is their personal administrative district. Certain temples and pilgrimage sites are so important to the Cult they are given a special administrator who is answerable only to the Grand Theogonist. These Capitulars, which are twelve in number, are therefore freed from having to play inter-cult politics and can see to their charges with more devotion. However six of the Capitulars, denoted High Capitulars, do sit in the body called the Domain of Sigmar which is responsible for districting the dioceses of the Cult of Sigmar. 
The smaller districts are then headed by various levels of priests. Most larger towns have a High Priest who may have several lesser priests under his command that care for outlying villages. The Sigmarite Cult does carry out some missionary work abroad. These agents are at the same level as High Priests but are denoted as Theogonists to mark their position being outside the traditional cult structure.

The Order of the Silver Hammer.
Cult historians say that this Order is the most ancient of all the orders that make up the Cult of Sigmar. The earliest Cult documents suggest the Order was formed by Sigmar himself as a secret society to combat the forces of the ‘Old Night’ and had existed for over a century before the Cult of Sigmar had its first Grand Theogonist. Origins aside, the Order represents the militant arm of the Sigmarite Cult. The Order attracts many of the faith’s most zealous followers as well as a fair share of radicals. Influential members of this order can find their way into the upper echelons of the cult and several have been appointed Arch-Lectors or even Grand Theogonist. However, such advancements are incredibly rare.

The Order of the Anvil.
 To most outside observers, the monastic branch of the Sigmarite Cult, though numerous, appears the least important. The monks of the Order dedicate their time to preserving important texts, maintaining Sigmarite shires, and otherwise having little contact with the outside world. It is through this rather innocuous looking group that ultimate power and codification of Sigmarite law originates. In their capacity as scribes, the orders monks safeguard the laws of ancient texts both secular and religious. The Keeper of the Word, the head of the Order, is the Cults supreme authority on all of the cults religious doctrine and can only be overruled by the Grand Theogonist, though this almost never occurs. The order does not share the same degree of hierarchy as found in the other orders but works on a pseudo-democratic basis as each monastery elects its own Abbot from among its members.   

The Order of the Cleansing Flame
   This is the youngest of the primary Orders of the Sigmarite Cult having been created during Magnus the Pious’s Imperial Reforms. With the ‘secularization’ of the Witch Hunters, the Cult still required a branch to deal with protection from potential heretical coming from within the Cult itself. The Order of the Cleansing Flame was created to fill this need as well as act as liaison with the Templars of Sigmar. The Inquisitor Priests of the Order are rightly feared for their power is even greater than that of a Witch Hunter Captain.

The Templars of Sigmar
Grandmaster: Lord Protector Thaddeus Gamow
Headquarters: The Grand Temple in Altdorf adjacent to the Cathedral of Sigmar
During the time of the Three Emperors, the Grand Theogonist of Sigmar, Siebold II, created an order of templars tasked with hunting down and dealing justice to sorcerers, demonologists, and mutants. As the authority of the office of Emperor had weakened and the Empire’s provinces expended the bulk of the energies on their own internecine wars, the number of these destructive groups had greatly increased. The order was not entirely new but drawn from members of the Order of the Silver Hammer. In addition to curbing destructive elements of the population, the Sigmarite Cult soon found the Witch Hunters, as they were quickly dubbed, an ideal tool for enforcing their own political will. Writs issued by Witch Hunters were above those of civil authorities and particularly unscrupulous members used their position to extort money and all sorts of other favors. The position also attracted those who were often more zealous than competent, burning followers of other religions for failure to show proper piety as readily as they would true followers of the Dark Gods.
As part of the process of mending the Empire, Magnus the Pious detached the Witch Hunters as an organ of the Sigmarite Cult and added them as a part of the Empire’s secular government. A set line of jurisdictions between normal civil authorities and the Witch Hunters were established and more formal guidelines created for the initiation of new Witch Hunters. The divorce between the Sigmarite Cult and the Witch Hunters however was far from complete. They were now answerable to the Emperor but the Grand Theogonist still retained control over nominating the head of the order however now not in the capacity as head of the Sigmarite faith but his place as advisor to the Emperor. The Grandmaster of the Order, titled the Lord Protector, is appointed from among the most senior Witch Hunters in the organization. The new Lord Protector is usually drawn from the Order’s Inner Circle Knights who sit upon the Advisory Council which has twelve members. Each major city of the Empire has a Chapter House of the Order which is headed by a Witch Hunter Captain. The ‘Brother’ Witch Hunters below the Captain deal with the issues that warrant their attention the area adjoining the Chapter House to which they are stationed. Chapter Houses do not have strictly demarcated areas of operation and often larger houses overlap into the areas controlled by lesser ones.
The retinues that follow Witch Hunters about their work are not set in size or composition by the Order. They do however tend to be small consisting of the Witch Hunter and one or two henchmen.  While the armament and temperament of these henchmen is quite variable, it is almost certain that the Witch Hunter himself will be armed with a rapier and a brace of pistols. The Order spares little expense on equipment and the firearms used by Witch Hunters have locks of the most modern and exceptional quality.
The writs of Witch Hunters are still superior to that of local authorities but arguments of jurisdiction are still prevalent. An otherwise commonplace murder or smuggling ring all too often conceals darker more malign influence behind it. Power is almost always differed to the Witch Hunter in these cases as there are few in provincial government to stand up to an organization backed by both the Sigmarite Cult and the Imperial Governement. Since troubles suffered by the Light College of Magic some years back, and the perversion of many Light Acolytes to the worship of the Dark Powers, there are some in government who would like to see less power be placed in the singular figure of the Lord Protector.  Propositions include creating multiple lower level positions denoted Witch Hunter General to oversee a certain regions of the Empire but until the current system is found failing little real change should be expected.

Sigmar Outside the Empire
Of all Old World Religions, only Sigmarites are so bold and proselytizing. To these idealist Sigmarites, the importance of Sigmar is not in his creation of the Empire as a nation but his example as to the place of man in the world. These priests, or ‘theogonists’ as the Cult of Sigmar deems them, spread the word of Sigmar to the far flung corners of the world. In order to reach a wide array of people, Theogonists seek to convert foreign followers by illustrating Sigmar as a beacon in the fight against the powers of the ‘Old Night’. Many are beset by Greenskins, Undead, or the Ruinous Powers and the message can carry a considerable amount of weight. However, little money is actually expended on such efforts by the Cult. The extent of the spread of the Sigmarite faith is often limited to the lifetime of the Theogonist who preaches it. Outside of the Empire, Kislev has the largest population of Sigmarites having even developed a rudimentary ecclesiastical hierarchy headed by Theogonist Gregori Sorgher.

Women and the Cult of Sigmar
   The position and place of women in the Sigmarite faith has been a bone of contention for well over a millennium. One of the earliest and most famous female orders was the Sisters of Sigmar who were headquartered in Ostermark. Had it not been for the starfall that destroyed Mordheim in 1999, this relatively small branch of the Sigmarite faith would have been suppressed by Cult authorities and lost to history. Sigmarite Lectors have never completely excluded women from a place in the Cult but limited their position to one of purely monastic contemplation. The Cult has had no interest in seeing women take an active role in the preaching of the faith or the protecting of the faithful. From time to time exceptions have been made and the odd female Witch Hunter or Warrior Priest has worked their way into the Cults primary orders but faced incredible difficulties in reaching such positions. Though not as prone to burn these ‘heretics’ as the Cult would in the past there are still only a few all female orders which break with the Cult traditions, many of which owe a great deal to the current Grand Theogonist’s moderate position.

Sigmarites at War
   Other then the Hammer Bearers, the Holy Church of Sigmar does not maintain regular standing regiments but can rely on a number of privately raised regiments for support. In times of dire need the Cult appeals to its congregation and forms ad hoc regiments mainly consisting of peasant militias and flagellants. The Cult of Sigmar has called a number of crusades but few have been on a grand scale. At any point there a number of small crusades going on within the Empire which, while endorsed by the Cult on a whole, are not funded by it.

Famous Formations
Knights Griffon
Grandmaster: Tomas Bacham
The relatively young order, the Knights Griffon, was formed in the wake of the Great War on Chaos by Magnus the Pious. Drawing the most devout Sigmarites from the ranks of the Knights Panther, Emperor Magnus envisioned the Order as the great protectors of the Church of Sigmar and the office of Emperor. The Order was initial based in Nuln but moved their headquarters to Altdorf with the ascension of the Princes of Reikland to the Imperial throne. With the advent of the Reiksguard, the Knights Griffon no longer is charged with the protection of the Emperor but now solely serve to protect the Sigmarite Cult. This has caused friction between the Reiksguard and the Knights Griffon as well as displeasing the far older Order of the Fiery Heart which had protected the Sigmarite Cult for centuries.
   Numbering only a little over a hundred brother Knights, the Order is considered the most drilled and disciplined Knightly Order in the Empire. Many of the Order’s senior knights are charged with protecting important members of the Sigmarite Clergy and when the Grand Theogonist goes to war, a detail of Knights Griffon is always provided. The Order’s official livery is a yellow Griffon upon a dark green field. There has been some discussion among the senior members of the Order to add black into the livery colors so that the order may remember its foundation and first century of existence in Nuln.

Order of the Fiery Heart
Grandmaster: Baron Orenstihl
   The Order of the Fiery Heart is one the Empires older Knightly Orders having been founded during the first years of Talabeclands succession from the Imperial system. For much of its history the Order has been primarily dedicated to fighting Greenskins, deeming them the ancestral enemy of the Empire. This has led the Order to have strong links with the Dwarfs and the Order’s vaults hold a great number of Dwarf made relics in honor of their service. Over the centuries the Order has increasingly fallen behind the times. It has very little political clout in the Empire and with the relocation of the Knights Griffon lost a great deal even in Altdorf. The Orders leadership continues to stress importance of pilgrimages and questing. This makes it far more likely to see a band of Fiery Heart Knights defending a remote village rather than mustered alongside the forces of one of the Grand Electors. This quality means that the Order only attracts the most sincere and idealistic novices but many older knights do harbor resentment towards the better placed but less virtuous knights of other Orders.
   In appearance, the Order’s affection for the past becomes even more evident. Though as well armed and armored as other Knightly Orders, Fiery Heart Knights care little for the latest fashion and styles. Some Knights of the Inner Circle are so nostalgic they have even been known to wear surcoats over their modern armor, a style which faded from the Empire a millennium ago and only remains popular in Bretonnia today. The Order’s livery is a red heart wreathed in flame upon a white field.   

Hammer Bearers
Not every temple or High Priest can be constantly defended by noble templar knights. Traditionally the position of Hammer Bearer is given to the most devout and martial from a temple’s laity. During important religious ceremony, Hammer Bearers present the temple’s most holy relics and act as the priest’s champion. As the Empire and the Holy Church of Sigmar has vastly changed since the custom began, it is only in the smallest of communities which the tradition is maintained in its ancient sense. Larger temples rely instead on a body of professional bodyguards who still are designated Hammer Bearers but are organized along military lines.
   Hammer Bearers are recruited from veterans of the Empire’s armies, usually on recommendation by a Warrior Priest to attest to the man’s piety. Hammer Bearers are equipped in a similar manner to Greatsword regiments. They wear black uniforms and their armour is adorned with various sigils of the Sigmarite Cult. Many Bearers attach scrolls of parchment to themselves bearing verses from Sigmarite holy texts they find especially moving. Nominally, it is the duty of the Hammer Bearers to protect the Grand Theogonist and the Arch-Lectors in their capacity as Electors of the Empire but this role is superseded by more prestigious units. Still if need be, the Hammer Bearers are more than willing to fill this role on the battlefield much as the Greatsword regiments of state troops.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Averland 8/31/10, Added Cult of Sigmar 9/3/10
Post by: Ebola on September 15, 2010, 01:11:25 AM
Great reading and fluff.  Many thanks for the time you have spent researching and organising such writing.

Cheers!
Ebola
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Averland 8/31/10, Added Cult of Sigmar 9/3/10
Post by: Zygmund on October 03, 2010, 05:51:50 PM
Absolutely great stuff!  :eusa_clap:   Why haven't I found this earlier?

Thanks a lot. :icon_biggrin:

-Z
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Averland 8/31/10, Added Cult of Sigmar 9/3/10
Post by: osterknact on October 17, 2010, 04:19:37 PM
please keep it up SOF this is awesome!
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Averland 8/31/10, Added Cult of Sigmar 9/3/10
Post by: S.O.F on October 18, 2010, 03:49:07 AM
Well after sometime I think Nuln is done enough for the moment. Sources include: Sigmar's Heirs, Skavenslayer, Manslayer, Iron Company, Forges of Nuln, Empire Heraldry Book, Beasts in Velvet and the WHFRP Companion.

Part I
The City State of Nuln
Resident Electors: Emmanuelle von Liebwitz of Wissenland and Kasmir XI Arch-Lector of Sigmar
Livery: Black
Heraldic Devices:  Scales of Verena and Cannon Barrels

History:
In the days of Sigmar, the nascent city of Nuln sat on the borders of several great tribes of men. Its position, at the confluence of the River Aver and Reik, made it an important ferry point as well as a nexus for trade. However as it existed on periphery of each tribes’ land, it was far too isolated in times of war and did not have that large of population. Its continued existence at the time has been attributed to the influence of early Tilean traders who sought to purchase furs from the northern parts of the Empire.
Nuln’s growth and success was the product of Sigmar’s policies following the foundation of the Imperial State. In order to connect the more remote portions of the Empire to his capital in Reikdorf, Sigmar commissioned the construction of two great roads. The first of these was the of course the Alrdorf-Middenheim road which insured the capital’s contact with the Empire’s religious heart of the time. For his second project, Sigmar chose to connect Nuln as its position was not only ideal for trade but a convenient stop for the Counts of the southern tribes on their way to Reikdorf. With improved road and river commerce, the city quickly blossomed into a mercantile powerhouse.
The city’s place as one of the great in the Empire was sealed with the advent of the Sigmarite faith. Johann Helstrum, the Cult’s first Grand Theogonist, began his preaching career in the streets of Nuln and the city’s inhabitants were enthusiastic converts to the new religion. As the Sigmarite clergy played an increasingly large role in Imperial politics, Nuln became an attractive choice for Sigmarite Emperors. Coupled with the stubborn traditionalism Emperors faced in Altdorf, Nuln spent a great deal of the first millennium as the Empire’s capital. As home of the Emperor, the city reaped the benefits in the form of massive building projects and the endowment of the Empire’s oldest and most esteemed University. Skilled Dwarf craftsmen moved to the city in great numbers and aided, most notably, in constructing the city’s sewer system which are still more advanced than any other in the Empire. With the election of the Drakwald Emperors, the capital moved from Nuln to Carroburg. With the Emperor, went the highest echelons of the Sigmarite clergy as they sought to ensure the continued high political position.
The upheavals of the second millennium altered the economic and religious life of the city. Nuln’s advantageous position coupled with its large Dwarf population spawned a burgeoning arms industry. The constant strife between the provinces drastically increased the demand for arms and Nuln grew rapidly to accommodate the large workforce and wealth weapons manufacturing attracted. Having abandoned Nuln to pursue their own sycophantic ends, the Cult of Sigmar was unable to reassert its position of dominance. In the absence of the Sigmarites, Nuln’s University increasingly venerated Verena, the Goddess of Wisdom, whilst returning Crusaders imported yet another Classical Goddess, Myrimdia. When Gorbad Ironclaw sacked the city in 1701, the growing dissatisfaction of Nulners solidified. Nuln secured a position as an independent City-State and plied its own fortune during the dark years of civil war and the Wars of the Vampire Counts.
Nuln’s reintegration into the Empire came at the hands of its native son, Magnus von Bildhofen. The eldest son of a prominent Nulner family, Magnus was afforded the finest education available and excelled at Nuln’s University. In addition to be very learned man, Magnus possessed an inimitable spiritual fervor. In the dark years preceding the Great War on Chaos, Magnus’s skilled and unique oratory won a large following among the populace of Nuln appealing to nobles, burghers, and peasants alike. When the hordes of Asvar Kul crossed into Kislev, it was from Nuln where Magnus began his campaign against the Ruinous Powers.  Following the victory of Imperial arms, Magnus was elevated to the post of Emperor and established his capital in Nuln. Though the Bildhofen dynasty did not maintain the Imperial Crown after Magnus, the Unfahigers of Stirland continued to use Nuln as their capital until the twenty fifth century. In 2421, Nuln suffered the indignity of being again sacked by Greenskin invaders. Dieter IV managed to cling to power for eight more years but instead conducted business from Wurtbad. With Marienburg’s scandalous succession and Deiter’s ensuing deposition, the capital moved to Altdorf in the Reikland. Since those days Nuln has drifted back into the orbit of the Counts of Wissenland. This greatly due to the position of the ruling Liebwitz dynasty’s title as Counts of Nuln in addition to the Electoral County of Wissenland.

The People
Though attached to Wissenland, the people of Nuln cannot be traced back to the lines of any of the old tribes of the Empire, it is an entirely cosmopolitan city showing the influences from many of neighboring provinces. In addition, Nuln houses a large numbers of immigrants and has the largest population of Tileans in all the Empire. Nulners are proud of their city’s history and are often better educated, regardless of class, than any other people in the Empire. The beauty endowed on the city by Emperors past manifests itself in higher aesthetic tastes of Nulners. Nulners are not particularly religious and coupled with their ‘fancy’ tastes they get branded as libertines by many Wissenlanders. While this may be true of some Nulners, particularly the younger of the city’s nobility, Nulners are simply a people who enjoy life and are not ashamed to show it.

Ruling House:
Von Liebwitz Coat of Arms: Yellow Scales on a black field.
   Emmanuelle von Liebwitz is the beloved Countess of Nuln as well as the absentee Countess of Wissenland. The eldest of the Von Liebwitz line, Emmanuelle was set to inherit a vast demesne from birth. In addition, Emmanuelle is blessed by being one of the most beautiful women in all of the Empire. As fate dealt her both fabulous wealth and stunning appearance, she has been able to live a life in which her merest demands are answered instantly beginning with her doting father and servants to the vast array of lovers she has entertained since. There are few Elector Counts of the Empire who are not rumored to have, at one time or another, enjoyed the Countess’s charms. Though in her middle years now, the Countess is still a striking woman for her age and scandalous accusations continue to this day over her numerous affairs, most notably the recent suggestion of liaisons with the bachelor Elector Count Helmut Feuerbach of Talabecland. Completely disinterested with the dealings of state, Emmanuelle relies a great deal on advisors but has the sense to appoint competent ones at that. These advisors have seen to continuing many of her father’s directives particular towards improving Nuln’s wealth. Vast sums of money have been expended in order to open a Nuln Engineering College. Despite setbacks during the Mutant attack on Nuln early in her reign, the College has managed to attract a good deal of prospective Engineers. Proximity to the Imperial Gunnery School as well Nuln’s foundries, enables the Nuln College to siphon more and more students away from the more storied Altdorf Engineers College. Besides attending extravagant parties and purchasing the finest of things, Emmanuelle wants nothing more than make Nuln the wealthiest city in the Empire in order that she might divorce it from Wissenland. She of course wishes to retain her position as Elector of the Empire and is more than willing to remain as such through a very large donation to the Imperial treasury.
   The senior branch of the von Liebwitz line has no other members since the tragic death of Leos von Liebwitz at little over a decade ago. Leos, the younger brother of Emmanuelle, was perhaps the finest duelist in the Empire being hired by some of the most influential of the Empire’s families as tutor in swordsmanship. Leos ironically met his end in a duel with an otherwise unremarkable Altdorf guardsman. Whether it was hubris on Leos’s part or blind luck on the side of the guardsman, few are willing to speculate. The Countess is particularly defensive about rumors surrounding Leos’s death and few are as unwise as to mention any such talk within the palace halls.

Important City Locations
Like any other older city, Nuln is divided into a number of sections of various ages and purposes. The earliest part of the city lies in the Altestadt, which is constructed upon a great hilltop. Before the ancient war between the Dwarfs and Elves, the hill was a fortified outpost and the early humans most likely built the initial city upon old elven ruins. The area is now home to the Countess’s palace, the homes of the nobility, and the city’s great temples. Below the Aletstadt, encompassing the land between the old city walls and the River Reik, is the Nuestadt. This district houses the bulk of Nuln’s population, its major centers of learning, and most of its merchant offices. The youngest portion of the city lies on the western bank of the river. The Faulestadt, as the region is known, is home to the bulk of Nuln’s industry. As the city has expanded its industrial output, more and more of the upper and middle classes have complained about the fumes and grime such activity creates. Laws have slowly increased the regulation of were certain activities can take place and the strictest of these have come under Emmanuelle herself. Along with the many of the city’s smelting operations all other ‘unpleasant’ industry has been transferred to the far side of the river by decree of the Countess. The smallest portion of the city comprises the spur of land between the Aver and Upper Reik and is referred to by Nulners as Der Halbinsel. Here the majority of Nuln’s Dwarf population resides as well as housing the bulk of Nuln’s military barracks and infrastructure. 

The Imperial Gunnery School
High Chancellor: Lord Julianus Groot
   Modern artillery began working its way into the Imperial arsenals late in the second millennium. The constant civil wars offered a lucrative opportunity for Dwarf smiths to found mercenary artillery companies and ply their trade within the Empire’s borders. The demand for these new weapons soon outstripped the supply. As early as the sixteenth century Marienburg vessels were beginning to be outfitted with primitive guns. These guns were often based on Tilean designs as the Tileans were more than willing to share the information they had copied from the Dwarfs for a price. This competition inspired more and more spurned Dwarf Engineers to sell their services to wealthy Imperial lords and open their own foundries within the Empire’s borders. By the beginning of the Vampire Wars, most Elector Counts sported a moderate artillery train and a handful of Handgunner regiments.
   It was only in the twenty-second century in which the first combination of foundry and gunner school was opened in Nuln. The preexisting arms industry in Nuln along with its large Dwarf population made it the ideal site for such a venture. The arrangement was further solidified through a substantial donation to the Dwarven Engineers Guild, which up until this point had clamored for redress at the illegal Imperial ‘reproduction’ of Dwarven technology. The Count of Wissenland, at the time acting as the ‘Sigmarite’ Emperor, nearly bankrupted the state in order to pay for the enormous costs of expanding Nuln’s foundries, building the School’s facilities, and paying the hefty sum demanded by the Dwarfs but once paid for, the financiers of the venture reaped profits often in excess of three times they had invested in a little over a decade.
In the four hundred years since it opened, the Imperial Gunnery School has greatly expanded. Its buildings in Nuestadt are quite large and imposing compared with those of Nuln’s University. As the School and city have expanded, new parts of the town have been annexed for the School’s use. The most important of these acquisitions is Aver Island where the School conducts the bulk of its live fire testing. Though the foundries of Faulestadt have taken over a good deal of the work, the School still casts many cannon and mortar barrels on site. Most of the large caliber pieces are cast from brass or bronze but evolving technology has allowed the school to experiment with iron. Most of the carriage fittings for artillery are also made on school grounds along with a number of pieces for handguns and pistols. The School is also responsible for production of a great deal of powder and shot it uses. 
The curriculum for students is aimed at training master gunners. Math is a key component of this education along with the knowledge of how to keep a gun operating in the field. Each student is at least given rudimentary training in how to repair field pieces as well as producing powder and shot for their weapons. 

The Temple District
Though not as highly placed in the old city as even the homes of the nobility, the cities various temples hold great sway in the city’s affairs. Nuln’s Cathedral of Sigmar is the most ancient building of Sigmarite worship in world. Constructed over the area in which Johan Helstrum first preached the divinity of Sigmar, the Sigmarite Cathedral may no longer have the same clout as the Grand Cathedral in Altdorf but still attracts a great number of pilgrims and donations.  The city’s Temple of Myramidia is one of the grandest in the Empire taking up an entire city block. Though not the Orders Headquaters, many Knights of the Blazing Son are stationed in Nuln because of the large Myrimidian Temple. Arguably the most influential of Nuln’s temples is that of Verena. Strong patrons of the cities Universities, the Temple of Verena is a massive structure located at the edge of the Temple District. In addition to religious duties, the temple is also used as the city’s court house. Countess Emmanuelle does reserve her right to pardon cases and have final say in sentencing but most of the city’s judicial business is conducted by the cult. In addition Nuln boasts a large Garden of Morr and a small Temple of Ulric.

The Nuln College of Engineering
Headmaster: Waldred Teuber
   Nuln’s Engineering College is often overlooked by people as a separate entity. The Imperial Gunnery School’s age and size eclipses that of the Engineering College and that the Engineers have a close relation with the Gunnery School further blurs the distinction. Opening an Engineering College in Nuln was the brain child of Emmanuelle’s father, who began luring Engineers away from Altdorf in the 2490’s. Immense sums of money were expended in order to procure the services of these Engineers as well as to construct a campus on par with the older Imperial Gunnery School. Shortly into Emmanuelle’s reign the College was completed but was soon ravaged by fire set by unknown saboteurs. The College has never been completely rebuilt though construction continues to restore the facility to its former, if brief, glory.
   The College still garners a considerable endowment from the Countess but funds are directed at moving the College out from the shadows of both the Gunnery School and the Altdorf Engineers College. Many of the original faculty were the lesser professors from Altdorf and brought with them many of the tried and true designs of the great engineers such as Leonardo da Miragiliano and Ludwig von Meinkopt. Unfortunately this stifled the Nuln College’s originality and, to many Altdorf Engineers, the College looked more like a talentless parody. In order to remedy this problem, the College scoured the Empire for fresh and innovative minds. Initially the policy was a success but senior instructors began to grow concerned that the work of some students flirted too close to heresy. To curb the unrestrained imagination of some in the student body, the College offered positions to many exiled Dwarf Engineers. The fusion worked perfectly and now the Nuln College of Engineers produces nearly as many new and fantastic inventions as the much larger Altdorf College.

Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Averland 8/31/10, Added Cult of Sigmar 9/3/10
Post by: S.O.F on October 18, 2010, 03:49:48 AM
Part II

The University of Nuln
   Nuln’s University is one of the oldest in the Empire. Comprising four grandiose buildings located in Nuestadt, the University has a strong sense of tradition and culture. However, the University has struggled of late with its traditionalist position. The University’s curriculum is much the same as it was centuries ago and is losing out to more modern institutions, particularly the University in Altdorf. Nobility still receives preferences in admissions and housing further exacerbating the problem by pushing wealthy burghers into sending their sons off to Altdorf or enrolling them for training in the Imperial Gunnery School.

The Richthofen Foundries
   Controlling one third of Nuln’s artillery foundries, the Richthofen’s are one of the wealthiest families in Nuln. Karl Richthofen, the current owner, inherited the enterprise only a few years ago but in that time has put considerable work into making them Nuln’s finest. The Richthofen Foundries already provide half of the Gunnery Schools supplies and Karl has used his contacts to make the techniques and equipment employed in his foundries technological superior to his competitors, namely those owned by the Countess.

The Iron Tower
   Located on an island in the middle of the Reik, the Iron Tower is Nuln’s dreaded prison. Built only a half century ago, the Iron Tower already has a fearsome reputation amongst Nuln’s criminals. Unfortunately in its brief tenure many ‘innocents’ have also ended their days in one its cells or torture chambers. Most of these excesses occurred under Chief Magistrate Fritz von Halstadt, a particularly adept spymaster though some argue over zealous, some twenty years ago but many today cannot be certain it still contains a great number of guiltless souls.

Important Feastivals
The Feast of Verena
Not so much a city wide festival, the Feast of Verena is the annual banquet held to honor the faculty and students of Nuln’s Engineering College and the Imperial Gunnery School by the Countess herself. The day of the feast the both Colleges are affectively shut down. While the event is designed primarily for staff and the College’s senior students, many of the younger students manage to ‘sneak’ into the banquet hall and participate as well. Though the evening begins with a great deal of ceremony it quickly degenerates into a raucous drunken celebration.

Black Powder Week
Several weeks after Mittherbst in the autumn, the Imperial Gunnery School’s outdoor live fire exercises are called to a halt. Test firings of new guns continue throughout the year but winter weather is hard on the School’s permanent pieces as well as the older gunnery instructors. To celebrate the conclusion of the season, the younger charges of the school produce a vast assortment of small fireworks which are then distributed to townsfolk passing by the Gunnery School grounds. Nights are celebrated with increasingly grander fireworks displays culminating with the School’s graduation ceremonies which conclude the week.
   

Military
   For a city that houses the Imperial Gunnery School and a College of Engineering, it is not surprising that Nuln’s military forces are oriented toward artillery. While other Imperial armies attach their guns to specific regiments, Nuln regiments are built around the guns. Batteries or even individual field pieces are assigned personal regiments for protection. Imperial gun crews are very superstitious about their guns and none more so than Nulners. As all guns cast by the Gunnery School are christened with names, crews and the regiments that protect them attribute all sorts of anthropomorphic qualities to their field pieces.
   Nuln’s regiments are also more likely to be led by a non-nobleman than anywhere else in the Empire. There is little glory and prestige in commanding artillery or being an engineer so few of the high nobility bother and level of technical education required further disinterests noble sons from entering such services. Nobles that do enter are often from the lowest tiers of the Empire’s nobility who, without military careers, could not afford to maintain their station. The majority of Nuln’s officers tend to be drawn from the merchant classes and even the current High Chancellor of the Imperial Gunnery School is, himself, the son a Nuln burgher. Education extends even beyond the officer class as many of Nuln’s common soldiers have received some form of instruction as any male orphan in Nuln becomes ward of the Imperial Gunnery School. Termed ‘Sons of the Guns’, these orphans are tasked with a myriad of minor chores that keep the School operational while at the same time preparing them to have useful trades when they are adults. Beyond trade skills sons are also instructed in writing, reading, and basic mathematics. The service is not free and when they are old enough their debt must be paid back to the School. Many achieve this through enlisting in Nuln’s military and some of more gifted become master artillerists themselves.

Famous Regiments
The Siege Train of Nuln
Nuln is famous for its artillerists and only the best are attached to the city’s finest battery, the Nuln Siege Train. Composed of only the most storied guns cast in the city’s foundries, the Siege Train inspires pride in every Nulner. When the regiment departs for a war, great pomp and circumstance is put into the parade given to ensure a quick victory and the regiment’s safe return.  Cumbersome and unwieldy, the regiment is primarily reserved for defensive actions and sieges. Most recently, the regiment’s batteries were instrumental in destroying the Ogre army at the Battle of a Hundred Cannons.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Nuln 10/17
Post by: osterknact on October 30, 2010, 05:37:14 AM
Cant wait till this is finished and enshired in the library! Such a great resource
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Nuln 10/17
Post by: Zygmund on October 31, 2010, 10:07:34 PM
Cant wait till this is finished and enshired in the library! Such a great resource

Agreed.  :eusa_clap:

This goes nicely together with osterknact's project on bringing the nuances of the provinces on the battlefield. Great to see people doing something I'd like to do but have no time. Thanks!  :lol:

-Z
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Nuln 10/17
Post by: wissenlander on November 03, 2010, 01:33:19 PM
Really good work here.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Nuln 10/17
Post by: werekin on January 04, 2011, 01:47:51 AM
This is a pretty cool thread. Props to anyone producing campaign material based on cross-referencing a wide research of source books and novels.

I was a bit disappointed in two areas though;

1. You've referenced Sword of Justice by Chris Wraight, and not given any details on the outcome of Schwartzhelm's visit to Averheim. Without spoiling too much for anyone who hasn't read the story yet, a new Elector Count has been crowned in Averland!

2. How about including a bit more of the scandal surrounding the death of effete duellist Leos von Liebwitz. Most folks must have read Beasts in Velvet from the Genevieve Undead omnibus so surely it can't hurt to mention he was a cross-dressing bipolar dandy. ;)

Great effort all round man.

Regards,

Werekin.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Nuln 10/17
Post by: S.O.F on January 05, 2011, 12:36:11 AM

I was a bit disappointed in two areas though;

1. You've referenced Sword of Justice by Chris Wraight, and not given any details on the outcome of Schwartzhelm's visit to Averheim. Without spoiling too much for anyone who hasn't read the story yet, a new Elector Count has been crowned in Averland!

2. How about including a bit more of the scandal surrounding the death of effete duellist Leos von Liebwitz. Most folks must have read Beasts in Velvet from the Genevieve Undead omnibus so surely it can't hurt to mention he was a cross-dressing bipolar dandy. ;)


Well the main reason for going into such depth is that the goal of the guide is not to ruin the plot of such books but use the ancillary details that expand our knowledge of the Warhammer universe to compile a single guide. In addition the idea of this guide is that is written by some Tilean as a political guide for his patrons son that will be attending university in Nuln or some such. This precludes the outcome of Sword of Justice since it is set in the post-Storm of Chaos world which the 8th edition has now dropped and generally is rather boring when describing how crappy things are in the North Empire. For the second the events described in Beasts in Velvet would really not be something many people in the Warhammer World would learn of and by the bit at the start of the Ambassador series suggests that the Nuln Court keeps the events quite secret with the odd disappearance of those that bring up to many of the real details. 
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Nuln 10/17
Post by: werekin on January 05, 2011, 08:04:25 PM
Quote
Well the main reason for going into such depth is that the goal of the guide is not to ruin the plot of such books but use the ancillary details that expand our knowledge of the Warhammer universe to compile a single guide.

I can totally respect that line regarding anything which is current. And the Electoral struggle in Averland is hot topic right now! That being said current events panning out in the Black Library publications become the foundation of future campaigns & contests. It's all completely relevant. When I picked up a copy of the latest Warhammer rulebook upon release I seem to recall reading an excerpt about the Everqueen biting the dust, and thinking to myself when the heck did that happen!? It wasn't until reading an old copy of Defenders of Ulthuan (upon recommendation) that the penny dropped. The attention to detail in a lot of novels is pretty mind-blowing and vice versa regarding the source books!

Quote
In addition the idea of this guide is that is written by some Tilean as a political guide for his patrons son that will be attending university in Nuln or some such. This precludes the outcome of Sword of Justice since it is set in the post-Storm of Chaos world which the 8th edition has now dropped and generally is rather boring when describing how crappy things are in the North Empire.

The way in which point of view encourages mild confusion or ambiguity is rather thrilling. There must be a healthy amount of debate caused by perception at Black Library HQ!

Life in the Empire is always crap. Unless you're a  merchant things were looking grim before, during and after SoC! At any given time the future is only going to seem as bright at the talented quill of the scribe can suggest.

Quote
For the second the events described in Beasts in Velvet would really not be something many people in the Warhammer World would learn of and by the bit at the start of the Ambassador series suggests that the Nuln Court keeps the events quite secret with the odd disappearance of those that bring up to many of the real details.

Agreed S.O.F. The mysterious way you've reported on this should make a curious delve into the archives in order to find out more about the son of a gun who was fortunate enough to best a trained killer who moved in circles above his station. Curiously, I believe this event might have (triggered another author hence) inspired Felix Jaeger to cut down the corrupt official heading up the secret police in Nuln, during 'Skavenslayer'. ;)

Did you manage to sort out some work ok?

Regards,

Werekin.
Title: Stirland Revised
Post by: S.O.F on February 05, 2011, 01:53:05 AM
The Grand County of Stirland
Elector: Albrecht Haupt-Anderson
State Livery: Green and Yellow
Heraldric Devices: Skulls, Skeletons, and Hunting Horns
Motto: Victory or Death

Geography
Stirland is one of the Empire’s larger provinces. Its borders, like so many other provinces, are demarcated by the major rivers of the Empire. The Riek, Aver, and the province’s name sake Stir River bound the province to the west, south, and north. In the east the World’s Edge Mountains terminate the province but this is long after proper Stirland becomes the ill omened Sylvania. The northern portions of Stirland are encompassed by the most southern extensions of the Great Forest. The remainder of Stirland’s territory is a mix of plains and rolling hills. The majority of this land is arable and the bulk of Stirland’s commerce comes from what the land provides .

The People.
Stirlanders are descendents of the Asoborn tribe which joined Sigmar confederation. Unique among the tribes that would form the Empire, the Asoborns were ruled not by their men but their women. In battle the Asoborn warrior women were renowned charioteers. Queen Freya, the leader of the Asoborns at the time of Sigmar, is even rumored to have been the God-Kings consort for a time .
Modern Stirlanders have a reputation as a backwards and simple people. While this is not to the degree most citizens of more cosmopolitan provinces would contend, on a whole Stirlanders do have a larger number of local superstitions (natives would argue traditions) than any other Imperial province. This ‘traditionalism’ is often mixed with a touch xenophobic prejudice, strangers in Stirland are very unlikely to find a warm welcome. Despite its proximity to the Moot, relations between Stirlanders and Halfings are rather cool. Many Stirlanders still feel the creation of an independent Mootland Electorate was some sort of slight to the honor of Stirland .

The Ruling House
Haupt-Anderson Coat of Arms: A white Skull and a yellow Hunting Horn on a black field.
   Count Albrecht is one of the younger Elector counts in the Empire. Despite his relative youth, Albercht is a cool and collected man who doesn’t rush into important decisions. This immediately sets him apart from previous Stirland Electors who were famed for their rashness. The Elector is good judge of character and he places his trust in skilled advisors and agents.   Previous to the resurgence of the Von Carsteins in Sylvania, Albrecht conducted a great deal of state business from Waldenhof, leaving Wurtbad in the care of trusted cousins.  Albrecht hoped the presence of the Electoral court would expedite a revitalization of Sylvania and make it a profitable part of his realm. While this did increase the traffic to Waldenhof, recovery did not follow.
   Albrecht’s brother, Rudolf, figures prominently into the province’s government. Rudolf is perhaps a stereotypical archetype for Stirland noblemen. He is suspicious of outsiders and exceedingly impulsive. Unlike other provinces, where second sons are shipped off to the clergy or descend into a life of gambling and whoring, Stirlanders expect the younger brother to be a competent military man capable of acting as his elder brother’s marshal. Rudolf is no exception and this sentiment strengthens his already bellicose disposition towards almost all outsiders .   

Religion.
Stirlanders have been ardent supporters of the Cult of Sigmar since its inception as part of Imperial religious life. Many think Stirlanders believe themselves to be the true heirs of Sigmar, heretical tales of bastard Asoborn children aside, and such faith has lead a number of Stirland Counts to be viewed as little more than puppets of the Sigmarite Clergy. However, this has not precluded the province from retaining older deities as well. The Sigmarite Cult may be Stirland’s largest Cult, but the Cults of Morr as well as the Cult of Taal and Rhya both hold significant sway.
It is predominately the province’s dependence upon agriculture that gives the cult of Taal and Rhya particular importance. Unlike many other Cults, that of Taal and Rhya is not under any fixed hierarchy of priests, only a lose assortment nominally headed from Talabheim. Though both deities are still worshiped in unison, the practice in Stirland is not the same. Instead of Taal being the lead of the two, it is the female Rhya. This is perhaps a left over tradition from the matriarchal days of the early Asoborns or that Stirlanders see Rhya’s connection with growth, fertility, and cultivation of crops as more significant than Taal’s wild huntsmen oriented mantra . Even more likely is that is the doctrine is politically motivated to be at odds with the Cults titular leadership. Talabecland is Stirland’s longest and most bitter rival and no Stirlander is willing to submit to the authority of a Talabeclander much less a Cult hierarchy made up of Talabeclanders.
   While Priests of Morr are an important part of all communities in the Empire, Stirland’s history during the Wars of the Vampire Counts gives the cult an abnormally large place in Stirland. In Stirland there are a great number Knightly Orders dedicated to the service of Morr. As integration of Sylvania into Stirland has never been as complete as civil authorities would like, these orders are instrumental in attempts to drive out the legacy of necromancy in Sylvania and bring it into the Imperial fold. Vast estates in eastern Stirland are owned outright by the Cult or by one of its Templar Orders. To the extent that law and order exists in Sylvania, if such terms can even be used for the region, has more to do with the vigilance of Morrian Templars then with any of the province’s road wardens .

Important Cities
   Stirland boasts only a single major city; the capital Wurtbad.  Wurtbaders, particularly wealthy ones, view the city as the ‘third grandest’ in the Empire. While this is far from the case it harkens back to the days when the ruling Emperor was a Stirlander . It is unwise for an outsider to point out that a Stirlander no longer sits upon the thrown because the Emperor Dieter IVs failure in the face Grom the Paunch’s invasion and more importantly his scandalous sale of Marienburg’s independence which ousted the dynasty a century ago. The city is relatively cosmopolitan and draws it wealth from being the largest port on the River Stir. The wine trade is particularly important as Wurtbad merchants deal in more of it than any other city in the Empire .

Military
    Stirland is not a wealthy province and its military reflects these fiscal constraints. The household regiments of Stirland State army, as well as those of its prominent nobles, are equipped similarly as those of other provinces however Stirland styles tends to be slightly dated. Some Nobles spend extravagantly on these troops as they are constantly in service and give at least the appearance of wealth, compensating for the often shabby looking line troops the province is forced to call upon in wartime. The uniforms of regular regiments are often quite worn and patched because of infrequent replacement. When money is exceptionally tight, uniforms may be made from un-dyed cloth and it is not unheard of for militia regiments to denote their origins by a mere green sash . Weapons and armor similarly reflect a great deal of use and one would not be surprised that some equipment has been maintained in the state’s armouries since the Wars of the Vampire Counts. In particularly dire times, the rear ranks of Halberdier regiments may even be armed with modified farming implements. Provisioning and logistical considerations are also severely hampered but Stirland regiments are known for their resourcefulness in the field. When units from multiple states are mustered in a single army, this thriftiness often comes at the expense of more well provisioned regiments .

Famous Military Units.
Stir River Patrol. River Pirates a threat on all the great rivers of the Empire but Stirland bears a burden greater than most. Unlike other rivers which can be patrolled by units from multiple provinces, Stirland polices the Stir on its own. The Stir is the key to Stirland’s meager commerce and without it the province would be in far more impoverished states then is currently the case. The unit delegated with this task is the Stir River Patrol.  The Patrol maintains a small flotilla boats as well as a series of strategic forts which run all along the Stir. Members of the regiment are adept at both naval and land combat and trained to use either close combat or missile weapons. Much like other state regiments they also suffer from Stirland’s poverty. Generally detachments quartered where they are required to make more regular inspections of passing merchants, such as the Wurtbad docks, garner the best equipment. Conversely, the more remote the posting the more haphazard the regiments gear. No matter how ragged the Patrolmen are in appearance, they are all excellent soldiers. The regiment wears a green and white livery and bears the symbols of Manann’s five pointed crown and the angler fish. The combination and presentation of these depends on the post to which the detachment reports. The regiment’s motto is ‘Ware the Stir’ .

Stirland Archers: During the time of Three Emperors, the northern forested portion of Stirland was subject to repeated devastations by both invading armies from Talabecland and the Counts own careless troops. Much like the rest of Stirland, Stirland’s forests are not particularly wealthy and disruptions to the timbering industry and game drove many of the regions inhabitants into abject poverty. The region became increasingly lawless as those unable to feed their families by legal means turned brigand, robbing passing merchants and raiding supplies destined for the Count’s forces. The problem was compounded by the influx of deserters from both the Stirland’s and Talabecland’s armies who augmented the abilities of the native foresters with some sense of military discipline. Attempts by the Count of Stirland to curb the predation of these bandits by conventional means proved exceedingly costly for Stirland’s treasury and unorthodox measures were taken to bring the region to heel. Rather than execute capture bandits, the Count offered amnesty provided they serve a time in Stirland’s military. Generous wages were offered to new recruits and particularly successful outlaw chiefs were even offered commissions to command the newly formed archer regiments.
Though the Count’s program was successful the region has never been completely purged of brigands. A few bad seasons and many seemingly honest foresters won’t bat an eye about robbing a wealthy passerby. In order to minimize such mischief the region continues to be a rich recruiting ground for archers and the regiments drawn from these regions are renowned for being hardy and resourceful scouts. Regiments like the Stirland Free Foresters and Deathjacks have earned battle honors in multiple campaigns though their manners and ‘open-minded’ policy toward other regiments baggage often grates senior officers.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Nordland Guide 2/5/11
Post by: S.O.F on February 06, 2011, 04:32:43 AM
The Grand Barony of Nordland
Elector: Theodoric Gausser
State Livery: Blue and Yellow
Heraldic Devices: Galleons and Anchors

Geography
Much like the rest of the northern Empire, Nordland is dominated by forests. In the eastern half of the province, the Forest of Shadows covers the land from the Salzenmund-Middenheim Road to the Ostland border. This region is sparsely populated and home to a multitude of Forest Goblin and Beastmen tribes. The western portion of the province lies under the eaves of the fey Laurelorn Forest. Though much fairer than the neighboring Drakwald and Forest of Shadows, Laurelorn has its perils. The forest is home to the only known community of Wood Elves outside the borders of Loren and its borders are jealously guarded. All attempts conquer these Elves have failed and the Counts of Nordland are content to sit at uneasy peace with them. The Elves put a strict limit on the amount of lumbering that may go on in the Laurelorn, but timber from the region is prized for its beauty and durability. Nordland’s coastline is dotted with small fishing villages though only in the Drosselpule Bay are catches abundant. Competition with Marienburg has increased the hardship along the western portions of the coast and villages there sometimes turn to wrecking in order to supplement their income. Nordland is not rich in arable and what crops are grown are consumed locally. Besides a handful of specialty cheeses, salted fish is Nordland’s only food stuff export. Nordland has benefited from the creation of the Imperial Second Fleet, both the form of government and mercantile contracts which have been greatly expanded local boatbuilding and the timber industry in the last fifteen years. Though portions of the Middle Mountains are under the control of Nordland, there is little mineral wealth in that part of the range. The Silver Hills, which occupy the land from Salzenmund north to the Sea of Claws, do have some larger deposits of silver and Nordland produces some of the finest quality silver work in the Empire.

The People
   At the time of Sigmar, the land that now comprises the province of Nordland was not controlled by a single tribe. In the decades previous to Sigmar’s efforts at unification, the region was in constant turmoil. The Jutone tribe, which had called the coastline home since the migration into the Reik River basin, was driven from their lands by Norsii raiders and the belligerent Teutogens. After Sigmar brought the Teutogens to heel and drove the Norsii into the sea, the region was largely uninhabited. Faced with the great army of greenskins to the south, Sigmar called upon all the tribes of men to aid in the war to which the bitter Jutones refused to answer. After the victory at Black Fire Pass and his coronation as Emperor, Sigmar set about bringing the Jutones into the Imperial fold. This was only achieved through a costly siege of the Jutone capital, Jutonsryk. Though initially viewed with suspicion and contempt by his peers, the Jutone King Marius eventually won acceptance through his heroic efforts during the Norsii and Undead invasions. All final doubts were quelled when Marius wed the Endal Princess Mirska, uniting the Jutones and Endals under one line of Counts.
As the line of the Endals and Jutones were heavily tied with the city of Marburg, later Marienburg, and the Wasteland, those that reside within the current borders of Nordland enjoy little of the tribal heritage remembered in all of the other provinces of the Empire. Following the expulsion of the Norsii, the woodlands from the Wasteland marshes to the Udose settlements in the eastern Forest of Shadows were largely devoid of human inhabitants. In the years of prosperity that the early Empire enjoyed, many Jutones returned to these lands after the destruction of Jutonsryk. Marburg however attracted far more of these refugees and the depopulated territory drew settlers from among many of the tribes of the Empire seeking new lives in unsettled lands. A land of mixed Imperial ancestry was further confused thanks to heavy colonization by Norscan tribes in the years following the disintegration of Imperial authority in the aftermath of the Black Plague of 1115. 
   Nordlanders are accorded by most fellow Imperials as loud, blunt, pseudo-savages and as Nordlanders tend to be a larger physically than other Imperials, it only helps to further these notions. On a whole, Nordlanders are rather touchy about the subject of their ancestry and are often eager to prove they are just as Imperial, if not more so, than their peers of other provinces. Despite their best efforts, Norse influences are still readily detected in Nordland from some architectural styles to Nordland’s customary laws on trial by combat.

The Ruling House
House of Gausser Coat of Arms: A white galley on a red field.
   Though the Gausser line has been an eminent family in Nordland for generations, it is only recently that they have come to the Electoral throne. The previous dynasty, the House of Niske, alienated a great part of Nordland’s nobility through their close ties with the Todbringers of Middenland which many felt had reduced Nordland to more a vassal of the Counts of Middenland rather than a Grand Province in its own right. Scandal and disputed succession were all that was needed for Nordland’s nobles to look elsewhere and Theodoric Gausser was more than happy to take the mantle of Elector Count for himself and his family.
   Theodoric is a very proud man and suffers much like other Nordlanders from an inferiority complex. He is particularly obstinate when second guessed by those of lesser rank and particularly when they are not fellow Nordlanders. Even if Gausser is flawed in his planning helpful suggestions from advisors from more ‘civilized’ portions of the Empire, Nuln or Reikland in particular, are viewed as a slight on himself as well as all other Nordlanders. Theodoric is above all an ambitious man, it is how he maneuvered into his Electoral seat and it is how he plans to maintain it for his family line. Gausser is getting on in years and his son faces serious challenges in gaining the Electoral seat upon Theodoric’s death. He needs to prove that Nordland with a Gausser at the helm is a strong one and neutralize the House of Niske, who are undoubtedly moving to recover their position. Rumors abound that Theodoric plans nothing short of recovering Marienburg for the Empire and Nordland. If he were able to achieve such a coup he would not only solidify his place as one of the greatest Electors of Nordland but also show those southerners the worth of good Nordland warriors. In addition, securing Marienburg would also allow Gausser to return the Salzenmund to the House of Niske and hopefully turn his greatest opponents into staunch allies.   

Religion
   Nordlanders are reasonably pious people but attitudes of many cult hierarchies are quite problematic to the Nordland psyche. The Cult of Sigmar is influential but is seen as a condescending religious extension of Reikland policy. Regarded as such a back-water during the area of Three Emperors, Nordland still has not been properly integrated into the Sigmarite diocese system and the High Capitular of Nordland actually sits in Middenheim rather than Salzenmund. The Cult of Ulric has always been strong in Nordland but its priests and followers chaff at the often similarly patronizing outlook of the Cult leadership. The close ties between the Ar-Ulric and the Grafs of Middenheim lead many Nordlanders, even Salzenmund’s own High Priest of Ulric, to the conclusion that the Cult leadership would be perfectly content having Nordland made subservient to the interests of Middenheim and Middenland. Nordlander fishing communities are likewise on ill terms with the Cult of Manann, the Sea God. As Marienburg is the heart of Manann’s worship, the poor relations between Nordland and Marienburg has left most of the province’s shrines and temples dependent on their local congregations for maintenance rather than money from the coffers in Marienburg. A handful of Manannite Templars have their headquarters in Nordland but most have been reduced to near penury condition for the last century.  Cult leadership has reduced these Orders to almost excommunicatus status and created new more politically viable Orders to replace them. Only the Cult of Taal and Rhya is not tainted by political issues though there are concerns over the practices of folk adjacent to Laurelorn incorporating too many ‘elven’ influences into their worship.

Important Towns
Built on the site of the ancient meeting hall of the Jutones, Salzenmund is the oldest most revered city in a province that is otherwise devoid of ancestral links. A chartered town and provincial capital, Salzenmund enjoys the steady stream of commerce that flows along the Erengrad-Middenheim road. In addition Salzenmund is a hub for silver smithing based on ores drawn from the nearby Silver Hills. Salzenmund’s Silversmiths Guild is quite powerful and the work of it members is admired by merchants throughout the Empire and beyond. Salzenmund is also one of the few cities where one can find elven goods for sale. Few in number, some of the folk of Laurelorn do travel to the cities of men and their goods command high prices. The city’s most famous building is its imposing Temple of Ulric. Unlike the fortified chapel style indicative of most Ulrican temples, the Salzenmund Temple is constructed entirely of giant timbers in a manner more akin to southern Norsca than the Empire. The building is quite ancient, dating from the latter half of the first millennium, and mirrors the Great Temple of Ulric with its own eternal flame supposedly started with holy fire brought from Middenheim.
Up until only a decade ago, Dietershafen was an unremarkable small village on the coast of the Sea of Claws scrapping in a living from fishing and a very small boatbuilding industry. Faced with increased raids by the Norse and political tensions with Marienburg, the Emperor, in conjunction with Count Gausser and Dietershafen’s Baron Kohler, recommissioned the defunct Imperial Second Fleet stationing it in the town. Following significant grants from the Imperial treasury, Dietershafen has expanded rapidly to accommodate the new fleet along with the booming shipbuilding and timber industry. The Count’s constant rotation of State Troops through the navy has also brought the town a small industry focused on supply military stores for when regiments return to land based actions as well as the production of naval stores.
On the eastern end of Drosselpule Bay sits the city of Norden. After the secession of Marienburg, the town became the most important port for those looking to avoid the often exorbitant tolls and mooring fees charged to enter the Empire via the Reik. Though not officially associated with the Imperial Fleet, Norden became the home for any Imperial Naval vessels charged with transporting goods to the Empire’s few foreign colonies, such as the infamous Leopoldsheim prison. This in turn attracted many private entrepreneurs who wished to set out for Lustria and the Southlands without having to pay healthy commissions to the greedy burghers of Marienburg. The taverns of the Empire are filled with types that boast about their adventures in the new world but in Norden, there is at least a chance they might be true. 

Military
Militarily, Nordland is finally overcoming the shadows of its more prominent neighbors. Years as the lesser vassal of the Princes of Marienburg gave Nordland regiments a reputation as unkempt, undisciplined, but enthusiastic soldiers. During the years of the Imperial Civil Wars and Age of Three Emperors, Nordland was a rich recruiting ground for mercenaries which served throughout the Empire. After the Electorship passed from the Princes of Marienburg to the Princes of Salzenmund, Nordland’s military received more attention and prestige. Unfortunately for Nordland generals, no matter the number of imported drillmasters Nordland regiments have never been entirely broken of all their bad habits, chief among them impetuous advances. Nordland troops mustered in a multi-state force are often given special attention by commanding officers to keep them in line. 
Nordland’s ambitious Count has been improving his military through regular service within the Imperial Second Fleet as marines. In addition rather than combating the fiery spirit of Nordland troops, Gausser and his Marshalls have embraced it and have worked at implementing new aggressive infantry tactics on the battlefield.  Most other Imperial generals are shocked to see handgunners fire only a single volley before charging head long into the enemy or huntsmen closing with hand axes on enemy artillery but in Nordland these are quite common practices.

Famous Regiments
Nordland Marines
While it has been the Count’s policy to rotate as many of his state regiments through the Imperial Second Fleet with stints as marines, Nordland does have several regiments dedicated to such duty. In addition to serving with the fleet, marine detachments are garrisoned throughout a series of forts that guard Nordland’s coastline. The regularity of Norscan raids means that Nordland’s marines rarely have time to grow soft and complacent during these terra firma postings. Crossbows are their preferred weapon as they are more reliable at sea than handguns or bows though pistols are quite popular. For close combat, Nordland Marines favor cutlasses and falchions and are as eager get to grips with the enemy as all other Nordland regiments.

Attached from section on Knightly Orders
Sons of Manann
Religious Affiliation: Manann
Headquarters: Salzenmund
Grandmaster (Grand Admiral): Hrofil Halfdane
Livery: Light Blue and White
Heraldic Designs: Tridents and Manann’s Crown
   The Sons of Manann represent one of the Empire’s most unorthodox Knightly Orders. Originally drawn from the nobility of coastal Nordland and Ostland, the Order has for centuries operated a number of fortress monasteries along the coast of the northern Empire. Before the advent of the Nordland (Imperial) Second Fleet, the Order was responsible for protecting much of the Empire’s northern coast from pirates, wreckers, and Norscan raiders. With Marienburg’s secession from the Empire a century ago, the Order was put in the difficult position of either supporting their Cult leaders in Marienburg or remaining true to the Empire. Ultimately the Order chose to back the Empire and has been diminishing since. Angry at their disloyalty, the Cult of Manaan expelled the Order from Marienburg and supplanted their position as the preeminent Order of Manaan’s Templars with the Knights Mariner. Separated from the wealth and prestige of the Cult, the Order soon found it harder to maintain the Order’s estates and find new squires. Once the Imperial Navy commissioned a second fleet to be stationed in Nordland new initiate numbers dropped even further. Today advancement in the Order is easy when compared to other Orders even among those of low birth. Provided the initiate exhibits a sincere and deep held piety, even the highest echelons of the Order are within reach, case in point, the Order’s current Grand Admiral, Hrofil Halfdane.  A Norscan by birth, Hrofil joined the Order after a storied career as a mercenary. Shipwrecked in the midst of the Sea of Claws, Hrofil pledged himself to whatever deity would spare him the inglorious death of drowning. Days later, he washed up in front of one the Sons of Manaan’s Chapter Houses. Seeing it as a sign from his new patron, Hrofil promptly joined the Order.  In the twenty years since, Hrofil has proven, through both his considerable martial talent and ardent faith in Manaan, himself worthy of election to the Order’s highest rank.
   The Sons of Manann predominantly serve as marines aboard the vessels of the Order’s modest navy. In order to supplement their income, some Order ships have taken to attaching themselves to Imperial and take shares from any collected prize money or seized cargo. This concerns many of the older Knights in the order since such actions are at times more akin to piracy then the policing role to which the Order is dedicated. Close ties with the Count of Nordland also mean the Order is often called upon to aid the Count in various conflicts. When fighting on land, the Knights still carry cutlasses to represent their naval heritage and are mounted upon white horses in armor with strong sea motifs. The Knights strive to appear as the unbridled force of one of Manann’s great tidal waves an effect often not lost on opponents. In keeping with their Gods imagery, the Sons of Manann are known to alter their lances by adding trident heads in honor of Manann’s own mighty trident, Sea Reaper. 

Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Looking for aid....
Post by: S.O.F on December 18, 2012, 05:03:20 AM
Right so I have near on 78 pages typed on the subject of the Empire from various sources but if there are intrepid other fluff enthusiasts that want this to continue and help me out I am willing to give out sections and have other folks write them. I'd really like to have this done so I'm looking at you other fluff bunny folks please.....

Kislev is an annex so if you want that works too...

Love to hear from applicants.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Looking for aid....
Post by: Derek Contyre on December 19, 2012, 12:48:41 PM
If i ever finish my background I would be happy to help.... Just gained some more inspiration to start writing my stuff again :):)
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Nuln 10/17
Post by: commandant on December 19, 2012, 06:17:37 PM


2. How about including a bit more of the scandal surrounding the death of effete duellist Leos von Liebwitz. Most folks must have read Beasts in Velvet from the Genevieve Undead omnibus so surely it can't hurt to mention he was a cross-dressing bipolar dandy. ;)

Wasn't he a woman?
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:Added Nuln 10/17
Post by: S.O.F on December 19, 2012, 08:12:02 PM
Wasn't he a woman?

Yes
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Looking for aid....
Post by: commandant on December 20, 2012, 01:49:26 PM
Thought so, though how offical is that fluff?
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Looking for aid....
Post by: wissenlander on December 20, 2012, 02:09:24 PM
Not very official.  And it's a bit of a spoiler, too.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Looking for aid....
Post by: commandant on December 20, 2012, 02:23:00 PM
Did you not see it coming a mile away?
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Looking for aid....
Post by: warhammerlord_soth on December 20, 2012, 02:24:37 PM
Did you not see it coming a mile away?


No, because the plot, as in all BL books, was so intricately woven it was impossible to do so...
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Looking for aid....
Post by: wissenlander on December 20, 2012, 02:26:39 PM
Did you not see it coming a mile away?

More the principal of the matter than anything else.  Can't attest for the rest of BL's stuff, Soth, but that series was fairly unique and quite good I thought.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Looking for aid....
Post by: S.O.F on December 20, 2012, 08:52:03 PM
Not very official.  And it's a bit of a spoiler, too.

This is true but then little of the Black Library end is, and being that a good number of books are set post Storm of Chaos these days they fit rather poorly in the reset timeline.

A side note though is that this tale was given a nod in the Ambassador series being that the reason for the main characters posting to Kislev was in part due to knowing a bit too much about Leos and the Countess not being to pleased with said knowledge.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Looking for aid....
Post by: wissenlander on January 08, 2013, 05:30:29 PM
That's interesting.  Didn't know that.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Hochland
Post by: S.O.F on April 28, 2013, 05:26:39 AM
The Grand Barony of Hochland
Elector: Aldebrand Ludenhof
State Livery: Green and Red
Heraldic Devices: Imperial Cross and the Hunting Horn. Currently also bears the initials of Emperor Karl Franz in gratitude for the service of Hochland troops in saving his life.

Geography
Hemmed in from the north by the Middle Mountains, the south by the River Talabec, to the east and west by the provinces of Ostland and Middenland, Hochland is the smallest province of the Empire.  The majority of Hochland, like the rest of the northern Empire, is dominated by woodland but unlike the Drakwald further west, the eastern Drakwald is comparatively open and renowned for its abundant amount of game. Timber and woodcrafts dominate Hochland economic life but the province has a steady flow of merchant traffic thanks more in part to its geographical location than any inherent wealth. Though Middle Mountains are quite poor in mineral resources and dominated by beastmen and greenskins, the rivers feed by the mountain springs generate some of the richest farmland in the northern Empire. Hunting is a Hochland tradition and the province specializes in industries which contribute to this passion. Hochland hunting bows and crossbows have been in high demand throughout the Empire since its founding and with the advent of black powder, Hochlanders have quickly embraced gunsmithing. Today, Hochland produces some of the most exquisite and highly sought after firearms in all the Empire.

The People
Hochlanders are descendents of the ancient Cherusen tribe who were called ‘wildmen’ by the other ancient tribes of the Empire. The Cherusens were expert archers and woodsmen famed for their extravagant war paint and sudden ambushes. Along with their Taulten cousins to the south, the Cherusens had strong ties to the Unbergoegens and were among the first tribes to join Sigmars confederation.
Hochlanders are considered by many to be the friendliest people in the Empire in part because the province lies at a crossroads of several trade routes. As such, Hochlanders have a greater degree of experience with strangers than citizens in many other provinces. However scars from the civil war years heal no quicker in Hochland. Neighboring Middenlanders and Talabeclanders are considered patronizing but the as the province was never severely mistreated at the hands of either tensions rarely flare out of hand. Ostlanders do not enjoy the same degree of lenience from the traditionally composed Hochlanders. Of all of Hochland’s neighbors it has been Ostland that frequently struggled to respect her borders and the depredations of Ostland armies are well recounted along the western banks of the River Wolfen.
Hunting is the definitive pastime of Hochland and even when game is not in season Hochlanders hold shooting competitions to flaunt their marksmanship skills. The prizes are considerable and the fame that goes along with them is said to rival the Bretonnian jousters and Tilean Pit Fighters. Special care is taken to ensure bows and guns remain at the peak of performance so much so that crass outsiders often remark a Hochlander shows more affection for his hunting rifle than he does for his wife. 

The Ruling House
House of Ludenhof Coat of Arms: A White Imperial Cross on a Red Field
The Ludenhof family is one of the oldest most distinguished noble houses in all of the Empire. During most of the second millennium, the Barony of Hochland was under rule of the Ludenhofs who guided it under the rule of Emperor Mandred, through the dark years of the Ravages of Gorthor, to the disintegration of the Imperial state into three Empires. It was during this time that the family’s most famous member is Mikael Ludenhof was Prince of Hergig and Grand Baron of Hochland. A harsh and exacting lord he was loathed by many of his subjects during his reign, but for his actions during the Ravages of Gothor, his defense of Hergig and his personal combat the dreaded Beastlord, he is enshrined as one of the Barony’s greatest heroes.
   Despite the family history, the current Elector, Adelbrand Ludenhof, is the first of his line to occupy the Electoral throne in several generations. Perpetually trapped between the warring Wolf and Ottilian Emperors, the Grand Baronial title passed between whichever family suited Imperial Crown which currently held sway. Viewed as too independent, the Ludenhof’s were rarely entrusted the baronial throne. At the time of Emperor Magnus, Hochland was ruled by the Hoch-Tussens, cousins of the Counts of Talabecland. With reconstruction of the Imperial system, the Ludenhofs felt that they were most deserving of the Electoral seat as their house was not the appointed made by occupying Talabeclanders. As the Emperor was in no mind to alter that fragile peace that had been so costly won, the Hoch-Tussens retained their title and the aspirations of the Ludenhofs were for a time thwarted. The dynastic game is a long one and not a generation ago the Hoch-Tussens found themselves without male issue and their only daughter wed to Adelbrand Ludenhof. With the death of the last Hoch-Tussen baron, the Electorship and the Barony returned to the house of Ludenhof.
   Though a capable swordsmen and leader of men, Count Ludenhof is not a particularly martial count. His peers in Ostland and Middenland can content themselves chasing after beast herds and raiders, but to Ludenhof, such tasks are best delegated to lesser men. The greatest portion of the Baron’s time is dedicated to hunting and he is immensely fond of falconry so much so one of his estates is rumored to have a raptor for every room. This distance from government is not to be confused with disinterest in ruling for the Baron is very keen that Hochland be ruled in an efficient manner; however it is his firm belief, much as his hunting birds, that the best view as to where to strike is only seen from above.
   
Religion
A wooded land in which hunting is the prime sport it is little wonder why Taal and Rhya are the most widely worshiped deities in Hochland. Sigmar has a strong following as well though the bulk of His worship is in the towns and villages along the River Talbec. There is also a strong number of Ulricans in Hochland and they tend to dominate the religious activity of the north western corner of the province. Much like their affable demeanor, Hochlanders are considered the most religiously tolerant of all Imperial provinces and while sectarian struggles between Sigmarites and Ulricans do occur they are considered timid compared to elsewhere. 
Though the religious landscape of Hochland is generally free of controversy it is not entirely devoid of it. When the tribes of men crossed into the lands that are now the Empire all came with their own pantheon of deities to which most tribes looked to a single as their patron and that of the Cherusen was Lupos, the Great Wolf, Lord of Predators. Little of the old religion remains practiced by few remote villages and to a degree, antiquarians and other scholars argue, some local Ulrican and Taalite sacraments are altered slightly in homage to these old beliefs. These archaic customs rankled the hierarchy of the Cults of Ulric and Taal but as both cults are quite liberal when it comes to minor rituals as long as they are steeped in ancient tradition little was done to curb them. In recent times, especially as the conflict between Ulrican and Sigmarite clergy has left the battlefield for the seminary, Sigmarite clergy have taken to using it as an example of the weakness of the Ulrican Creed and calling into question the accuracy of many important Ulrican texts. While Hochlanders themselves have nothing to do with these struggles, they once again find themselves in the middle of two larger and more belligerent forces.   

Important Towns
Hochland’s capital is the heavily fortified city of Hergig. Much like the Ludenhof family that rules it, the city has a long and storied past. At the city’s heart is the imposing Kristalhof Keep, the seat of the Ludenhofs. While many Princes prefer beauty, the Kirstalhof has little aesthetic value and is designed entirely for war. In the past hundred years there have been several serious assaults on the walls by beastmen and Hochland’s treasury has not been able to keep up with the repairs as well as fund the other works projects the previous Hoch-Tussen dynasty embarked on. The return of the Ludenhofs to the Electoral seat has brought about extensive modernization programs for many of the ill kept and obsolete sections of Hergig’s curtain wall. Hergig is also the site of the Hochland College of Sorcery a fully accredited extension of the Colleges in Altdorf.  Though open for apprentices of all the Colleges, it mainly attracts those of the Jade and Amber Orders who come to study in a more ‘natural’ setting than the Imperial Capital can provide.
Krudenwald if located anywhere else in the Empire would be just another unremarkable market town. In sparsely populated Hochland however, Krudenwald is a bustling metropolis. Lying on the important Middenheim-Talabheim road as well as the Wolfenburg-Delberz road, the town is an important coaching point for merchants and travelers traversing the northern Empire. In addition the town’s outlying villages are known for their fine woodcrafts as well as a strong lumber industry in the area.  Krudenwald’s greatest claim to fame is not these mundane commercial dealings but the monster that haunts the winter woods. Wild speculation claims the beast to be anything from chaos spawn to daemon to a large incredibly intelligent wolf, but there are few that have ever seen the beast and lived. The bounty on the beast has risen to a princely sum and each winter a good number of hunters from all over the Empire and beyond come to Krudenwald in hopes of bagging this fabled creature. None have yet succeeded as attacks continue, though these hunts have bagged an incredible assortment of great monsters, many of which now adorn the walls of the town hall. Those few hunters who have seen the ‘real’ beast swear that the monster engages in these yearly rampages because it enjoys the thrill of the hunt as much as any sportsman and most fear that the beast is merely toying with its would be slayers much as cat plays with a mouse. Whatever the case, the monster oddly manages to draw the town a good deal of extra custom, from the town issued licenses to hunt the beast to the myriad of locals that hawk various charms, cure, and wards against the beasts attacks.

Military
Maintaining and protecting Hochland’s road network is the primary concern of Hochland’s army. Already an impoverished land, Hochland struggles to keep its roads clear of bandits, beastmen, and greenskins lest the custom of travelling merchants dries up. Castles and fortified inns serve as bases for operation from which Hochland troops patrol roadways and the adjoining countryside. Forces attached to these strong points are often of mixed arms with detachments from several regiments. Regular rotation means many Hochland regiments enjoy a closer relationship across separate formations than is common elsewhere in the Empire.
During the spring of each year the Hochland’s army takes part in an annual cull of beastmen. Beastmen make few if any preparations for the winter months and by the beginning of Pflugzeit most herds are near starvation levels. Throughout the wilder parts of the province, worn out livestock and all other sorts of bait are used to goad the ravenous beasts from their wooded strongholds and once they emerge they are dispatched by Hochland troops. These ventures do are not always one sided as unwary Hochlanders can become just as enticing a meal as a few exhausted horses but for the most part the enterprise allows Hochland to keep its beastmen numbers at a more manageable level than its neighbors.
Hochland is unique in the Empire for it more regularly resorts to calling up its feudal levy. In most other provinces, it has been hundreds of years since this ancient due of the peasants has been called upon mainly since troops raised in such a manner are of almost no military worth. Hochland’s levy however is made almost entirely of archers, drawn from a population already well versed in the use of the bow. Though still worthless in hand to hand combat, these troops are ideal for facing the poorly armored greenskin and beastmen incursions the province often suffers, darkening the sky with in an incredible volume of arrows.

Famous Regiments
The Grey and Scarlets (also known as the Hochland Third or simply the Scarlets)
Mustered during Hochland’s darkest hour, the Grey and Scarlets are the province’s most famed and adored regiment. Hastily formed in the midst of Gorthor’s siege of Hergig, the Scarlets where the third regiment placed on Hochland’s roles, directly after the Baronial and Electoral guard regiments. This has lead to many an extravagant tale the regiment was formed with the finest selection swordsmen, diestros, duelists, and no less than a dozen princes in exile but in truth as the Grand Baron Mikael Ludenhof had lost most of his regiments in the battles with Gorthor that lead up to the siege they happened to be lucky enough to have been entered onto Hochlands muster in the third spot and the even greater luck of having survived the siege and acquitted themselves well enough to continue to serve.
   In commemoration of that muster to this day the Scarlets do not wear the proper livery of Hochland but grey, to remember the largely undyed uniforms available during the siege, and scarlet, the few bits of Hochland red the regiment was able to acquire. The regiment is provided it own barracks in Hergig and is the most prestigious of Hochland’s line regiments. Admission to the regiment is controlled to veterans from other regiments or volunteers tested by the regiment’s sergeants and found proficient enough swordsmen to be allowed entry.

Hochland Longriflemen
While Hochland’s regular regiments are tasked with the patrolling and maintaining security along the Barony’s roads, keeping tabs on the beast herds that infest the  province’s woodland falls under the watchful eye of the Count’s Longrifle regiments. Recruited from the provinces licensed huntsmen and a fair number of impressed poachers, the Longrifles are perhaps the most savvy woodsmen in the Empire.
Members of the regiment wear muted tones in order to blend in with arboreal environment and armed with the finest longrifles produced by Hochland gunsmiths. Unlike the monstrosities produced by the College of Engineers, Hochland manufactured rifles are of a small manageable caliber and designed to be practical for regular field use. As smell of burning match cord is readily detected by the Longrifles quarry as well as being entirely too temperamental in adverse conditions, these arms are equipped with some of the most advanced lock mechanisms outside of those produced by the Dwarfs.  Engineers from the Altdorf College are at time attached to the regiment though generally those whose innovations are designed to arduous campaigning. Most famously the regiment was once subjected to the field test of Von Grunberg’s ‘Exceptionally Resilient Battlefield Sustenance’ a sausage like loaf of preserved foodstuff which, after surviving solely upon it for three weeks, nearly caused a mutiny.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Hochland 4/27/13
Post by: wissenlander on May 01, 2013, 12:59:41 PM
Good stuff.  Where's the Wissenland part? :wink:
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Hochland 4/27/13
Post by: S.O.F on May 03, 2013, 09:29:40 PM
Where's the Wissenland part? :wink:

A good deal of it is done though currently missing a Famous Regiment. The entry in the Empire Heraldry book is just of a rather common border guard regiment as Wissenland has spent a good deal of money on its frontier defenses thus more suited to the general Military blurb and not a single unit of particular note with any good stories.

Ostermark and Solland are what are farthest along with Sylvania not far behind. I really need to work on the cities more as they do have the greatest wealth of background though the Altdorf stuff is annoyingly contradictory.
Title: Ostermark Guide Draft
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2013, 10:49:39 PM
The League of Ostermark
Elector: Wolfram Hertwig
State Livery: Purple and Yellow or Purple and White
Heraldic Devices: Crowned Manitcore Rampant and the Crowned Griffon with a Star

Geography
Ostermark is small roughly square shaped province bounded by the Upper Talabec in the north, the World’s Edge Mountains to the East, the River Stir to the south, and line from the confluence of the of the River Urskoy and Talbec to the city of Krugenheim to the west. The southern portion of the Great Forest that extends into Ostermark is the desolate Dead Wood. This twisted forest has engulfed the remains of Ostermark’s former capital of Mordheim in the wake of the great comet of 1999. Few who enter this wood exit and those who do often suffer from madness or mutation.  The eastern half of Ostermark is dominated by bleak moors and rolling hills some of which hold barrows from the days before the ancient tribes of the Empire traveled into the land. Some of these tombs are those of great chaos chieftains of old who traversed the region to make war on the Dwarfs of Karak Ungor in antiquity and are an attraction to demonologists and worse. It is only in the northern reaches of Ostermark that the land is truly healthy. Here the Gryphon Wood, a northern offshoot of the Great Forest, provides for a lucrative timber industry both in raw lumber and the barges crafted to carry the timber and eventually other goods downriver. The Gryphon Wood eventually gives way to grassing plains similar to the steppes of Kislev. This region, called the Veldt, is an accomplished horse breeding region in which the native Ostermarkers and Kislevites to the north commonly intermarry, much to the chagrin of local tax collectors.
 
The People
Ostermark is peopled by the descendents to the Ostagoths, one of the smallest tribes to join Sigmar’s confederation.  Faced with annihilation at the hands of greenskin invaders, King Adelhard of the Ostagoths beseeched aid from Sigmar, offering the Unbergeon King his sword and the vassalage of his people. Sigmar assented to aid Adelhard and accepted the Ostagoths into the Confederation not as vassals but equal members of Sigmar’s fledgling nation. Since that day Ostermarkers have been staunch supporters of the Imperial system and the office of Emperor.
Much then as now, Ostermark is beset by constant invasion. From the east greenskin tribes make nearly yearly raids into Ostermark territory, Azhag the Slaughterer the last and most famous happened only several years ago. Though Kislev serves as a buffer, Marauder tribes and Khavag raiders cross into the land sometimes drawn to recover great artifacts from old barrows. The restless dead from Sylvania are not stopped by the River Stir and Ostermark was subject to repeated ravaging during the Wars of the Vampire Counts. Likewise the woodland border with Talabecland offers little solace. Herds of beastmen roam these woods and are prone to raiding the rather isolated villages of Ostermark. This makes Ostermarkers a rather fatalistic people with a morbid fixation on death. Simultaneously Ostermarkers, through acknowledging life is short, are a very passionate people who hope to get the most out of life whilst they still draw breath.

The Ruling House
House of Hertwig Coat of Arms: A Rampant Crowned Red Manticore on a White field
Ostermark is not a traditional feudal state like the other Grand Provinces. The province does not produce a Duke, Baron, or Prince in which rules by succession but is a represented by a Chancellor elected at the behest of province’s nobility. Generally this position is deemed hereditary but the confirmation of the nobles is always required. In the past this has lead to a great deal of meddling on the part of Ostermark’s neighbors sometimes bribing important magnates to delay the confirmation of the title of Chancellor to even attempting to install candidates of their own choosing. Generally however the system has worked and for the past five hundred years the title of Chancellor has been conferred on the House of Hertwig, Princes of Bechafen.
The current ruler of Ostermark is Wolfram Hertwig. Coming from a line praised for its level headed leadership; Wolfram’s reign began in disastrous fashion. Elected to the post of Chancellor in his early teens, Wolfram was ill prepared to lead his province, principally since at the time of his election Ostermark was beset by marauding greenskins. The arrogant youth refused the council of his officers, the Grandmaster of the Knight of Everlasting Light in particular, and ended up leading the Ostermark army to a costly and needlessly bloody victory at the Battle of Black Road. Casualties on the part of the state regiments had been so appalling that for several seasons afterward Ostermark borrowed regiments from neighboring provinces of Talabecland and Ostland in order to maintain its borders.  Humiliated, Wolfram realized he must learn from his mistakes and while Ostermark had not yet fully recovered by the time of Chaos attack on Ostland or the ravages of Azhag the Slautgherer, Wolfram and the Ostermark army acquitted themselves well.
Wolfram is now a man in the prime of his life and one who has taken the blunders of his past to heart.  His rash decision at Black Road is still popular talk among the nobles of neighboring provinces and Wolfram hopes to lead the Ostermark army to a glorious victory so that his past mistakes are forgotten. To this end, Wolfram styles himself after Count von Raukov, as the Ostland Count faced similar economic and military constraints when he first came to the Electoral seat. Wolfram hopes that his leadership can bring about a similar renaissance to Ostermarks fortunes.

Religion
Ostermarkers are a religious people and worship Taal, Ulric, and Sigmar. The Cult of Sigmar was once stronger in Ostermark but during the dark years of the civil wars many adherents returned to the worship of the older gods as many felt the Cult and the Imperial system to which they felt it should champion had abandoned them. Though the Cult has again made inroads since reunification, only Bechafen has a sizeable Sigmarite congregation.
The Ostagoths of old were well known for their acceptance of Morr the God of the Dead and the Cult’s influence is strong in the province. Priests of Morr find posting in Ostermark generally more pleasant than elsewhere in the Empire as the people are more knowledgeable that Priest of Morr are not ill-omened death bringers. Ostermarkers see Priests of Morr are just as other men but those who have answered the worthy call to aid those that have passed into Morr’s realm and as such as  they are held with a great deal of esteem in most communities. Throughout the Empire, Ostermarkers are well known for their strange and dramatic funerary rites. Ostermarkers spend vast sums in providing a lavishly sculpted coffin for deceased relatives as well as ensuring the funeral is heavily stocked with alcohol. Widows in Ostermark rarely find new husbands but instead spend the rest of their days in the black garb of mourners.   

Important Towns
Ostermark is the least populace of all the Imperial provinces. Though it once boasted a number of sizable towns, only the capital of Bechafen remains a city of substantial population. The old capital, Mordheim, was destroyed by a great comet in 1999 ic and for a time after remained an attraction to treasure hunters but was finally completely destroyed as the behest of Emperor Magnus the Pious. Most of the other towns in the League suffered greatly during the era of civil war and Wars of the Vampire Counts to which few have recovered to prewar population levels.
Bechafen was settled soon after the foundation of the Empire as the Ostagoths had been a nomadic people with no permanent settlements before joining Sigmar’s Empire. Bechafen began not as a city, but an important fort guarding the northern reaches of the mark from Ungol and Norscan raiders. Surrounded by low fens and moorland, the old fortress was built upon a rocky mound ideal for defending the province. By the end of the first millennium, Bechafen boasted the strongest fortifications east of Talabheim sporting both an outer, known as the Dragon Wall, and the inner, the Griffon Wall, curtain wall. Much like the rest of Ostermark, the civil war years were hard on Bechafen. Trade particularly that with the belligerent Ottila’s of Talabecland, dried up and the League’s coffers could no longer afford to keep the city’s fortifications up to modern standards. The destruction Mordheim saw a brief reversal in the city’s fortunes but after only a decade of recovery the province was plunged into war with Vlad von Carstein of Sylvania. Only after reunification under Magnus the Pious did the city begin to recover. Bechafen today is an important hub for Ostermark’s lumber and barge building industry. The Bechafen docks are even home to two great lumber mills built as a gift to the League by the Dwarfs of Karak Kadrin. Fortifications still dominate the town and most visitors describe it as a dark and claustrophobic city.

Military
Ostermark is not a wealthy province and its military reflects this disadvantage. The bulk of Ostermark’s forces are much as other provinces made up of blocks of halberdiers and spearmen but many of these go to war with significantly less armor than similar formations in other provinces, relying on sturdy leather jacks and brigandines as opposed to three-quarter and partial plate armor. Expensive regiments, such as swordsmen and handgunners, are reduced in number as well. Even equipping the regular livery of Ostermark proves expensive to the leagues coffers. Purple is the most expensive dye and beyond guard and elite regiments most wear locally produced fabric dyed a deep burgundy color instead. Yellow can also be troublesome so some of the lesser regiments wear buff to white undyed fabrics paired with the burgundy.
   Ostermark has long had to face the depredations of invaders alone as such its state regiments are renowned for their ability to hold a battle line unsupported longer than those of other provinces. Detachments in Ostermark are less likely to be employed as screens or forlorn hopes as is common doctrine elsewhere but to protect the regiment’s core from being flanked and assaulted on two sides. Like its neighbor Ostland, Ostermark employs a large number of Ogres in its state army though these tend to be recruited from tribes that have settled on the borders of the World’s Edge Mountains rather than living interspersed among the populace as they are in Ostland.

Famous Regiments
The Death’s Heads of Ostermark
During the era of the Imperial Civil Wars, Ostermark suffered greatly at the hands of its neighbors. Ardent supporters of the properly elected Emperor, Ostermark often drew the ire and invasion of the much closer Ottilian pretender. Despite its loyalty, Ostermark rarely enjoyed any aid from the Elected Emperor and after centuries of poor treatment by the hands of Talabecland armies there was great deal of discontentment among the League’s nobility. In order to find stability and protection for their fiefs, some lords withdrew from the league and pledged fealty to neighboring states, the largest of these defection being the city of Essen coming under the protection of the Von Carsteins of Sylvania. Initially Essen enjoyed renewed prosperity, the Von Carsteins were demanding lieges but they did at least protect the city from Ottillian armies and keep the roads clear of bandits, but by the beginning of the second millennium the Rothsmeyer Barons of Essen had had enough. The Von Carsteins imposed increasingly greater tax levies upon the town to the point that they could no longer be afforded.
In 2009 IC, Baron Heinz Rothsmeyer refused to continue his vassalage and was slain shortly afterward.  Vlad von Carstein revealed himself as a Vampire Count later that year set about the claiming the entire Empire as his own. The rebellious streak of Essen however did not die with its Baron. Ruled by Vampire noble and policed by Sylvanian troops loyal to Vlad, the town remained a constant hotbed of agitation. In the midst of Vlad’s drive on Altdorf the city rose in rebellion. Discarding their old liveries, a collection of desperate ex-soldiers and militiamen donned red and black uniforms with skeletal masks which obscured their faces and set about throwing off the Vampire Count’s rule. The Sylvanian garrison was unprepared for such a concerted effort and the band liberated Essen easily. Had Vlad proved victorious in the west, the group would have most likely suffered ghastly deaths at the hands of the Count but as Vlad was slain on the walls of Altdorf, the band expanded to regimental size, attracting many recruits from those that had suffered under the draconian rule of Vampire masters.
The Wars of the Vampire Counts continued for another eighty years after Vlad’s death and the Death’s Heads, as the regiment became known, served with distinction at almost all of the major engagements.  After the wars the regiment became an official part of Ostermark’s army and retained their unique uniforms. Today the regiment is recruited throughout the province, especially from veteran soldiers that have seen service against the undead. The regiment’s heraldry is a white laurel and skull upon a red field.   
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Hochland 4/27/13 Ostermark 5/7/13
Post by: S.O.F on February 07, 2014, 02:04:47 AM
Right so update news. So late Winter/Spring is the off season for my work and with extra time have been plugging away again (aside from edits and changes I'd been throwing in before). Wissenland, Solland, and The Moot should hopefully be out this month as I have the bulk of those at least noted to the points I want to address (Wissenland and Solland has been the most work as to put what information where and try and avoid being redundant).

Anyway there is much other stuff to do and I welcome anyone who may wish to aid. In particular I have lots of holes in sections of general Imperial History that need filling. Certain bits I fleshed out and at least have some notes on direction but others I don't know when I will get to: Sigmar and Unification, The Ravages of Gothor, The Vampire Wars, and the Great War on Chaos/Magnus the Pious. Also some general work on writing about the Colleges of Magic and how they fit in Imperial society are not well developed other than the Patriarch names from RoS2 and the intro blob. I'm not big on Wizardy things so it has been the hardest to get my interest to write. Anyway PM or respond if interested.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Soon Wissenland, Solland, The Moot
Post by: wissenlander on February 14, 2014, 05:19:18 PM
Looking forward to it.  Been waiting patiently for years.  Years...

;)
Title: Re: Historical interlude
Post by: S.O.F on March 06, 2014, 11:44:39 PM
Right so promised things are close but this had been niggling at me so...Historical interlude:

Men in the Old World in Antiquity
After the might of Dwarfs and Elves drove the hordes of chaos back into the wastes, the lands of the Old World were at relative peace. Both races were in the apogee of their civilizations and the greenskins were kept in check by their vigilance. Many elves crossed the seas from Ulthuan and built great cities on the shores of the old world. Trade flourished between the elder races and the Dwarfs aided the Elves in construction of many wondrous structures. So great was the appeal of the Old World more and more elves came to its shores and spread from their coastal cities inland found yet more settlements in which to trade with the Dwarfs.

Few men lived in the lands that would become the great kingdoms of the Old World. What modest information that was recorded by the Dwarves described them as a primitive and fearful people still using but stone implements and primitive farming techniques. Their villages where based around the ancient stone circles that have become holy places to the Cult of Taal though they did not worship any of the modern gods of the Empire. Called the Belthani by some modern scholars, little else is known of their culture. Some speculate the peoples of Albion retain similar forms of worship to this day, with Ogham stones been a central part of that cultures practices but much else is pure conjecture at least on the part of academics. The Colleges of Magic are far more interested in this era and have many theories of their own involving the fabled Old Ones of Eleven legend, the Hedge folk of today, and the significance of standing stones in the realm of magic. These studies however are almost entirely restricted to members of the colleges themselves and are most likely of little value to the scholar regardless.

The origins of the tribes of men that would eventually come to populate the lands west of the Worlds Edge Mountains are not fully known either but it is speculated they resided to the east in those days. The greatest concentration is suggested to have resided in the plains along the Dwarven Silver Road, a land now dominated by the greenskin. Others still were part of a great steppe culture, called Scythians, which inhabited the steppes that stretch across the northern portions of the world. These lands now are the home of the Kurgan and other marauder tribes but in this time it is greatly believed that the malevolence of Chaos had yet to completely infect these hardy people.

The Coming of Modern Men
Two millennia before the foundation of the Empire, life in these eastern lands seems to have become increasingly untenable. The Dwarfs of this era were consumed with their war with the Elves and began to neglect the dangers that grew in their absence. But these are not the only signals of a change, as when the Dwarfs returned to their homes and were beset by greenskins and their annals record that their foe was now better armed than before bearing weapons of iron which not even the mightiest civilization of men for that era had yet to achieve. How these tribes came to cross the mountains is unknown, some may have already begun to cross during the great Dwarf-Elf war but soon they were in possession of the lands that are now known as the Border Princes and the Badlands as well as some stragglers that may have remained in the Wolf Lands.

For some generations in these new lands they found some peace. The mountains were a great barrier to the greenskins and Dwarfs, though depleted, where obstaninte foes. The great human Kingdom of Nehekahara was in its height and some of its more intrepid rulers brought these humans to pay tribute and some are recorded as to surving as mercenaries in the armies of the ancient kings. Others pushed farther west perhaps finding these lands over crowded or unwilling to answer to foreign kings and moved the lands that became Tilea and Estalia, intermixing with the local humans there, remants of the fabled Kingdom of Tylos. The Dwarfs could not hold back the green tide forever and the southern holds of the Karak Ankor were slowly taken over by foul creatures. Nehekharan support became increasingly intermittent. In those years Nehekhara fell under the sway of the great necromancer Nagash and their empire’s northern frontiers were largely abandoned. Though during this time men learned to craft weapons and armor of bronze their foes grew ever larger in number. Alcadiazzar, the last great King of Nehekhara, restored these tribes as tributaries but he and his entire civilization were extinguished through the machinations of Nagash.
For some centuries after Nehekhara became the Lands of the Dead, men endured in the Badlands. Some records from the Dwarfs and the oral histories of the Strygani tell of the Lodringen tribe founding the Kingdom of Strygos. These men, with aid of refugees from the southern lands, built a realm that spanned all from the Marshes of Madness to the Black Gulf, driving back the greenskins to the mountains. From their capital at Mourkain, called Morgheim, Old Strygos, and a myriad of other names, the Kings of Strygos compelled tribute from the tibes that resided north of the Blood River. Strygani say that the northern tribes grew to resent their kingdom and took up arms against it. They were a weak confederation and were summarily defeated by the better organized forces of Strygos. However, as the Kings of Strygos wasted their time against their fellow men an orc Waaagh descended from Mad Dog Pass, saking Mourkain and destroying the kingdom in a few short years.
Nothing stood in the way of these greenskins and the divided tribes to the north which again faced annihilation. It is at this juncture that the first accurate recordings can be gleaned from the Dwarfs of the Black Mountains, for enmass these tribes of men crossed into the Reik basin. Dwarfs, ever miserly, exacted a high price for the crossing and it is speculated that not all had the wealth to cross over. The Zani people that inhabit the southern foothills of Black Mountains are regarded, by some, as the last surviviors of those too poor to pay. Many however did and, in addition to the fastidious accounting of Dwarfs, survive some of the first written records of these men. Black Fire Pass is dotted with the primitive runes script of these early men marking their passing as many rock walls bear the names of those great tribes which enter written history later: Unberogen, Teutogen, Norsii, Bretonni, Fennone, and many others.

It is believed, concurrent to worsen trends in the south, the Scythian peoples of the northern steppes were confronted with the growing power of Chaos. In these years, it is reckoned, that a greater and greater number of these tribes were seduced into the service of the dark gods. The timeframe in which these developments occurred is a mystery as those that could shed the most light on the subject, the histories of Karag Dum and Karak Vlag, are lost. Scythian peoples had been known to cross into the steppes of Kislev and the moors of Ostermark at quite an early era but it is uncertain if these were permanent. The Ungols, the first promeniant a well recorded tribe is not well known to the Dwarfs until the age in which the tribes that would found the Empire crossed into the Reik basin. Further as the extent of Ungol settlement into the region ended at the edge Kislev steppe with enclaves of southern men, Ropsmen and Firkings it seems highly probable that these events were nearly congruent.

The lands of the Reik basin were of course not uninhabitated, as the old men, the Belthani still lived much as they had centuries before. The newcomers were however a far more bellicose people and gradually all those that resided were subject to or slaughtered by the invaders. The terms of this subjugation is unknown but the new gods brought from the south came to dominate and the older methods of worship vanished.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Wissenland
Post by: S.O.F on March 08, 2014, 11:06:22 PM
Right Wissenland...still trying to settle the parts that may move to Solland but still

The Grand County of Wissenland
Elector: Emmanuelle von Liebwitz 
State Livery: Grey and White
Heraldic Devices: Lions and Suns
Runefang Title: Blood Bringer

Geography
   Wissenland’s current borders are defined by the Black Mountains in the south, the Grey Mountains in the west, the River Grissen to the north and the Upper Reik to the east. On the western side of the Soll the lands are rocky but near the river the farm land is quite good but tends to cater to the needs of the important local brewing community. Human and Dwarfs, the famous Bugman Clan of particular note, beer makers have been an important part of trade in the region for years. Closer to the mountains mining is the mainstay of most communities for foundries of Nuln have an insatiable appetite for fresh ore. Winters in this hill country is remarkably cold despite being so far to the south but this does little to dissuade prospectors. A good flow of goods from Tilea enter southern Wissenland though this trade is overshadowed by the more prominent Marienburg and Blackfire Pass points of entry. The eastern side of the Soll is the lands of ‘old Solland’. From the confluence of the Upper Reik and Soll to the beginnings of the Black Mountain foothills, the land is rich though less settled than it was when Solland was still a province of its own. Here wheat and cattle are grown and raised in abundance though they have long since been overshadowed by the more prosperous farms of Averland and Stirland. In the hilly country to the south the economy is entirely given over to the wool industry. Few have returned to settle these lands save for the shepherds and their flocks. ‘Sudenland’ wool, as it is increasingly known, is a well respected textile throughout the Empire famed for its warmth and durability.

The People
As Wissenland now encompasses the lands of Solland, Wissenlanders tend to be a mixed breed from the ancient Merogen and Menogoth peoples. This intermingling is not simply a result of the province’s unhappy recent past but one that has its roots in the years before the formation of the Empire. The southern lands of what would become the Empire were constantly beset by greenskin invaders and the chiefs of the Merogen and Menogoths confederated in order to better defend against these incursions. By the time of Sigmar, this tribal federation had expanded to include the Brigundians, to whom King Henroth of the Merogens and King Markus of the Menogoths had appealed for aid.
Wissenlanders are popularly considered a practical lot, often to the point of dullness. Some suggest the long association with Dwarf traders from the Black and Grey Mountains, who have never been fond of belabored points or long-winded speeches, has had this effect on the province’s culture. This practicality is then reflected in most aspects of everyday life. Clothing tends to be sensible and there is little interest in the latest fashions from the courts in Nuln or Altdorf. Wissenland cuisine is likewise regarded as hardy but uninspiring. Though Tilean merchants do pass through Wissenland in it is no wonder that far more travel through Averland instead where fine cloth and exotic spices are far more appreciated. Wissenlanders are also considered prone to fits of bitter nostalgia, to this end most other Imperials regard Wissenlanders as the worst drinking companions.

The Ruling House
De Jure: Countess Emmanuelle von Liebwitz
De Facto: Feudal Assembly of Wissenland

The Countess Emmanuelle is a largely absentee liege in Wissenland. Though she is the province’s Elector and owns many estates, particularly in the south, she has little interest in ruling Wissenland directly. This leaves the province in the hands of Wissenland’s Feudal Assembly, a collection of prominent nobles, burghers, and clergy. These ancient councils exist throughout the Empire though most are no longer convened as they tend to become a forum for petty parochial disputes. The Assembly of Wissenland is no less fractious but it has been the Liebwitz Counts goal to manipulate these quarrels to best suit their own political ends.   
Wissenland’s current political strife has its roots in Marienburg Crisis almost a century ago. The House of Pfiefraucher was stripped of its Electoral title as well as the County Wissenburg, as through the course of Waagh Grom and the Crisis itself the Pfiefrauchers had alienated most of the other Electors as well as garnered the enmity of the new Emperor Wilhelm III. House Liebwitz, Dukes of Meissen, had conversely been strong supporters of Reikland Count both during the war and in his candidacy for Emperor. They were rewarded for this loyalty with the restoration of their primacy as Counts of Nuln, as the capital and Imperial throne moved to Altdorf, as well as being granted the titles seized from the outgoing Pfiefrauchers. The aftermath fractured Wissenland’s political landscape into distinct regional interests: Northern Wissenland, Southern Wissenland, and Old Solland.
The Northern party is headed by Count Bruno von Pfiefraucher, the descendant of the previous line of Electors. Northern Wissenlanders have never been to keen on the Liebwitz Counts who have in general run Wissenland purely for the gain of Nuln. Much of the provinces commercial success has not reached these lands as their overland routes to Nuln are less viable then those that come along the river from the south. Further many are still sore about the removal of the Pfiefrauchers from the Electoral seat and it is this block that is the primary opposition to the Countess in the Assembly.
Southern Wissenlanders for their part are more than happy with the Countess as their liege. The markets of Nuln have helped expand trade coming down the Sol and many of these burghers and nobles are heavily involved in the metals trade. The Duchy of Meissen has been a demesne of the von Liebwitz family for some time and the Countess is well respected there. Meissen is in fact the only Wissenland town in which the Countess visits on a yearly basis, in the spring to inspect the newest and finest lots from the mountains or Tilean imports. This means at least the important peers and townsmen of the south can meet with their liege, albeit briefly, without making a journey to the court in Nuln.
   The last faction is that of the old Sollanders lead by Baroness Etelke von Toppenheimer of Pfieldorf. Though the southern extremes of the old province have yet to recover, the booming wool industry has greatly increased the coffers of many nobles and burghers. With the recovery of the Solland Runefang during the reign of Emperor Leopold, for nearly a century and a half prominent Sollanders have petitioned the Emperor for restoration of the blade along with restoration of Electoral and provincial status. These pleas have fallen on deaf ears and since the rise of the Reikland dynasty the blade has traditionally been a badge of office for the Reiksmarshal. As appeals to the Imperial government have found little traction the Sollanders have instead looked to exploit the schism between Wissenland’s nobles. This has been done by supporting the aims of the Liebwitz Counts, often securing important positions in the government and Baroness Etelke herself is a favorite of Countess Emmanuelle as she had been under her father Konstantin.
   The most popular court gossip in Nuln has been for some time that ultimately the Countess Emmanuelle will petition the Emperor for Nuln to be elevated to an Electoral seat and pass the Wissenland title and Electorate to Baroness von Toppenheimer. Whether in turn this position will then be negotiated into a reestablishment of Solland it is only speculation.

Religion
Regarded as a religious people, Wissenlanders revere Sigmar, Taal, and Rhya but are not as exclusive in their worship as is common place elsewhere in the Empire. Wissenland towns often have large and well appointed Sigmarite Temples, but most of these towns also have significant shrines to the other major Cults. Even smaller settlements maintain a shrine to each of the gods and on feast days Wissenlanders tend to visit each rather than sit through a service at a single temple. Wissenlanders hold that each god has their domain and it is wrong not to appreciate them all and all in their proper manner.  This is found disconcerting to Sigmarite neighbors, for the worship of the God-Emperor is mainly conducted towards Imperial unity and as the Empire’s protector. These concerns are felt doubly so when neighboring powers share joint actions with Wissenland troops as the traditional battle pennons of Wissenland bare the Claws of Ulric and the Spear of Myrimidia, often omitting any Sigmarite iconography altogether.
In the remotest parts of Wissenland, villages may even worship gods long since forgotten elsewhere in the Empire. Small shrines can be found in these villages to which only historians of the ancient tribes of the Empire would know the slightest bit about. These by no means are evil or outlawed gods but those long subsumed into the major cults or fallen out of favor for small or esoteric dominions. Occasionally these do draw the attention of dogmatic priests but other than berate the locals for observing rights to an obscure god of brewing little comes of these ventures. 

Important Towns
Wissenburg
Wissenburg is the much neglected capital of Wissenland. Countess Emanuelle finds Wissenland a dreary place and the capital of Wissenburg an affirmation of this prejudice. It is a capital without its ruler but still a strong government center. A certain protion of the ruling feudal assembly is in attendance year round with larger gatherings in the warmer months. Prominent members from around the provinces maintain homes in the city for these occasions and there a great number of inns which cater to those less wealthy members how attend only when the court is in full session. Wissenburg also is an important market town and the bulk of Wissenland’s agricultural goods first pass through the city before they are shipped on down the Reik. Ores from the Grey and Black Mountains are also heavily trafficked through the market in Wissenburg. It is common for factors from Imperial Gunnery School, the Nuln Engineering College, and those representing the multitude of Nuln’s foundries to purchase or inspect cargoes before they have made it all the way to Nuln. Wissenburg also has significant smelting operations that prepare ingots for these consignments.

Pfeildorf
Pfeildorf is the old capital of Solland and sits at the confluence of the River Soll and the Upper Reik. Not as grand as when it was home to an Imperial Elector, the city is still a sizeable one. Pfeildorf is the center of Wissenland’s wool trade as well as an important stop for all goods travelling downriver towards Nuln on the Upper Reik. The steady flow of ore, wool, and Tilean imports has attracted merchants from all over the Empire, a large number of merchant houses from neighboring Averland in particular. Pfeildorf was once an important hub for the production war bows and their accoutrements but the marginalization of bows Imperial service along with the deterioration of the woodlands required for their production has seen a steady decline. Outside of Hochland however, Pfeildorf bowyers are considered the finest in the Empire.

Grissenwald
Bastion of House Pfiefraucher, the market town of Grissenwald sits at the mouth the River Grissen where it enters the Reik. The city enjoys a steady stream of merchants plying their trade on the adjacent rivers and has a large number of inns to cater to these travelers. Economically, the town relies predominately on the building of barges which are indispensible in ferrying goods from Nuln to Altdorf. A half century ago the region briefly enjoyed a mining boom but the seams turned out to be entirely too paltry to sustain long term exploitation. This has left the city with a rather large slum and increasingly disgruntled population of Dwarfs that have had trouble finding other work.

Military
While the bulk of Wissenland’s military strength resembles the commissioned state regiments common throughout the Empire, its history as a site of regular invasion strongly influences its composition. Villages are still required to maintain an effective militia and towns must provide troops for their own defense far beyond a simple city watch. Wealthier merchant towns are even expected to be able to field cavalry, often outfitted in the style of pistoliers, though some provide light lancers or mounted crossbowmen.
Even with these considerations, during the Imperial Civil War and the Invasion of Gorbad Ironclaw such provisions proved woefully inadequate. In the Era of Three Emperors, the Counts of Wissenland began constructing a massive system of fortifications which ring the provinces borders.  The largest number of these keeps and their auxiliary signal towers are found watching the passes through the Black Mountains and along the crossings of the Upper Reik. Smaller forts also protect the passes from the Grey Mountains and lesser defenses run the interior lines protecting fords and bridges over the River Sol. Each of these outposts is garrisoned by a unit of Wissenland troops and expected to patrol the surrounding region and report the earliest signs of trouble.

Famous Regiments
Garrison Regiments
Fortifications without men to defend them are of little use and as such, a good deal of Wissenland’s military expenditures goes toward the state regiments which are tasked with maintaining the province’s borders. Each fortress houses a complement of state troops and each of these regiments is named for the fortress in which they are barracked. Most of these regiments are made up of light troops as most fortresses are in regions that require regular patrols to which more heavily armed troops are less fit to perform. The crossbow is by far the most common weapon in part thanks to Tilean influences as well as it is a weapon far more resilient to adverse conditions. Handgun armed troops are at the mercy of their supplies of powder and match cord which in foul weather or through poor storage can be rendered useless. Smaller portions of these regiments are reserved as dedicated melee troops predominately tasked with guarding the keep in which they are housed but also protecting the flanks of the regiment should it need to be employed in an open battle.     
   These regiments are traditionally drawn from towns and villages as close to their cantonments as possible. Men with a closer connection to the lands to which they are directly defending are seen as steadier than those drawn from farther afield. Kreutzhofen, Steingart, and Wusterburg are common recruiting centers but particularly across old Solland there is hardly enough population to keep the forts at full strength. Recruits from further north in Wissenland are used to supplement these shortfalls, along with foreigners and men from other provinces if needs maybe. As they are considered Wissenland’s first line of defense, they are accorded pay and privileges which keep morale even for those non-local recruits generally quite high.   
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Wissenland now up
Post by: wissenlander on March 19, 2014, 02:23:18 PM
Well done. :eusa_clap:
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Wissenland now up
Post by: Khalim on March 19, 2014, 11:07:52 PM
Keep up the good work S.O.F!
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Wissenland now up
Post by: Krudenwald on March 20, 2014, 04:41:34 AM
Your work is always appreciated, S.O.F.!
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Wissenland now up
Post by: S.O.F on March 21, 2014, 02:33:49 AM
Thanks gents...Solland is coming along...may even be an homage to something on this fine site...
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Wissenland now up
Post by: wissenlander on March 26, 2014, 11:30:36 AM
RP related?
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Wissenland now up
Post by: Derek Contyre on May 26, 2014, 12:45:07 AM
Oh I hope RP related... I still have to go back and re-read it all again.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Wissenland now up
Post by: S.O.F on June 01, 2014, 04:00:32 PM
Just an update work has picked up again so less writing time but Solland is mainly done the problem has become trying to flesh out the Imperial History of Gorbab's Waaagh to go with it or just leave that to do later. It has been a really annoying write that as since the tale first appeared in the 4th edition there have been 5-6 different versions of the events (progressively worse in how they are arranged as well). Anyone happen to have a preferred version of events of a convincing argument as to how they think it goes?

Also very tempted to make maps to the campaign route as well though that could cause even further delay....
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Wissenland now up
Post by: S.O.F on April 11, 2018, 12:17:16 AM
Does anyone want anymore of this stuff? So I have large partially finished portions of various Empire background I could post, no full provinces that don't need heavy editing sadly. If anyone wants stuff, or particular stuff, I'll post rather than it languish on my hard drive forever.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Gankom on April 11, 2018, 12:26:23 AM
I'm always happy to read more! I loved your previous writings on it. They were some of the best introductions to the various areas and fluff.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Artobans Ghost on April 11, 2018, 12:44:00 AM
I’m with Gankom. I realize this is a massive amount of work but it is awesome. Just read the entry on nordland. I don’t think I’ve seen an army from nordland yet.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Skarpretter on April 11, 2018, 10:36:48 AM
I would love to read more^^
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Xathrodox86 on April 11, 2018, 12:46:00 PM
That thread is pure gold. Some incredible stuff has presented here. :blush:
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Zygmund on April 12, 2018, 12:56:28 PM
Already the thread is impressive, but I'd always like to read some more.

However, don't have an idea of what, really, at this point. Some Empire expeditions out of Empire proper?

-Z
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Xathrodox86 on April 12, 2018, 01:10:56 PM
Maybe our involvement in the Crusades to Araby? Or the Empire's campaign to Albion?
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Gankom on April 12, 2018, 03:59:58 PM
The Albion campaign would be pretty rad. Or maybe some expeditions/colonies to Lustria?
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire: Wissenland now up
Post by: warhammerlord_soth on April 13, 2018, 08:18:18 AM
Does anyone want anymore of this stuff? So I have large partially finished portions of various Empire background I could post, no full provinces that don't need heavy editing sadly. If anyone wants stuff, or particular stuff, I'll post rather than it languish on my hard drive forever.


Yes, please.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Xathrodox86 on April 13, 2018, 10:48:27 AM
The Albion campaign would be pretty rad. Or maybe some expeditions/colonies to Lustria?

Oh yeah, I love Lustria. :blush:
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on April 13, 2018, 12:38:44 PM
Hmmm well Lustria or Albion are highly unlikely with the dearth of information on Imperial interactions with these regions. I mean when know there have been some and that a prison colony is still maintained in the Southlands but its founding and operation have never been fleshed out. Albion is perhaps worse as I'd argue the Dark Shadows campaign never happened, I've already thrown out the events of Storm of Chaos so as its loosely linked precursor Dark Shadows goes as well.

The Crusades are an interesting choice but we really only have good sources for the initial campaign which saw the defeat of Jaffar. Though Imperials continued to crusade for sometime after the raison d'etre of the whole event was over we have little information as to reason. I have always figured that after over a century of civil war in the Empire, Araby looked like a good place to raid and loot to improve the depleted coffers back in the Empire.

Looking at what I do have written down I think the best to perhaps scratch this foreign adventure itch is talk about the Knights of the Blazing Sun. I've posted bits from this section in other threads over the years asking about them, so perhaps it is time I finished writing it.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: wissenlander on April 13, 2018, 02:47:47 PM
Definitely would like to see more if you can provide it.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Xathrodox86 on April 25, 2018, 12:44:00 PM
Hmmm well Lustria or Albion are highly unlikely with the dearth of information on Imperial interactions with these regions. I mean when know there have been some and that a prison colony is still maintained in the Southlands but its founding and operation have never been fleshed out. Albion is perhaps worse as I'd argue the Dark Shadows campaign never happened, I've already thrown out the events of Storm of Chaos so as its loosely linked precursor Dark Shadows goes as well.

The Crusades are an interesting choice but we really only have good sources for the initial campaign which saw the defeat of Jaffar. Though Imperials continued to crusade for sometime after the raison d'etre of the whole event was over we have little information as to reason. I have always figured that after over a century of civil war in the Empire, Araby looked like a good place to raid and loot to improve the depleted coffers back in the Empire.

Looking at what I do have written down I think the best to perhaps scratch this foreign adventure itch is talk about the Knights of the Blazing Sun. I've posted bits from this section in other threads over the years asking about them, so perhaps it is time I finished writing it.

Well if we're going with the ET timeline, then sure, yeah. However I always considered SoC and DS canon. And DS has quite a lot of info about it.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on April 29, 2018, 05:25:09 PM
However I always considered SoC and DS canon. And DS has quite a lot of info about it.

Background elements sure some of them work, like say that Middenheim employs a giant for wall repairs and to man a collection of ultra heavy artillery in case of a siege but any of the plot points nope. Dark Shadows was almost entirely plot, sure it fleshed out Albion a bit, though Giantslayer arguably did a better job.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Xathrodox86 on May 04, 2018, 12:10:32 PM
However I always considered SoC and DS canon. And DS has quite a lot of info about it.

Background elements sure some of them work, like say that Middenheim employs a giant for wall repairs and to man a collection of ultra heavy artillery in case of a siege but any of the plot points nope. Dark Shadows was almost entirely plot, sure it fleshed out Albion a bit, though Giantslayer arguably did a better job.

Oh yeah, it did. It was a great story as well. Never before or after, has there been a better portrayal of Albion. :smile2:
Title: Re: info dump
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:21:59 PM
Chapter One
A Brief History of the Empire

Men in the Old World in Antiquity
   After the might of Dwarfs and Elves drove the hordes of chaos back into the wastes, the lands of the Old World were at relative peace. Both races were in the apogee of their civilizations and the greenskins were kept in check by their vigilance. Many elves crossed the seas from Ulthuan and built great cities on the shores of the old world. Trade flourished between the elder races and the Dwarfs aided the Elves in construction of many wondrous structures. So great was the appeal of the Old World more and more elves came to its shores and spread from their coastal cities inland found yet more settlements in which to trade with the Dwarfs.
Few men lived in the lands that would become the great kingdoms of the Old World. What modest information that was recorded by the Dwarves described them as a primitive and fearful people still using but stone implements and primitive farming techniques. Their villages where based around the ancient stone circles that have become holy places to the Cult of Taal though they did not worship any of the modern gods of the Empire. Called the Belthani by some modern scholars, little else is known of their culture. Some speculate the peoples of Albion retain similar forms of worship to this day, with Ogham stones been a central part of that cultures practices but much else is pure conjecture at least on the part of academics. The Colleges of Magic are far more interested in this era and have many theories of their own involving the fabled Old Ones of Eleven legend, the Hedge folk of today, and the significance of standing stones in the realm of magic. These studies however are almost entirely restricted to members of the colleges themselves and are most likely of little value to the scholar regardless.
   The origins of the tribes of men that would eventually come to populate the lands west of the Worlds Edge Mountains are not fully known either but it is speculated they resided to the east in those days. The greatest concentration is suggested to have resided in the plains along the Dwarven Silver Road, a land now dominated by the greenskin. Others still were part of a great steppe culture, called Scythians, which inhabited the steppes that stretch across the northern portions of the world. These lands now are the home of the Kurgan and other marauder tribes but in this time it is greatly believed that the malevolence of Chaos had yet to completely infect these hardy people.

The Coming of Modern Men
Two millennia before the foundation of the Empire, life in these eastern lands seems to have become increasingly untenable. The Dwarfs of this era were consumed with their war with the Elves and began to neglect the dangers that grew in their absence. But these are not the only signals of a change, as when the Dwarfs returned to their homes and were beset by greenskins and their annals record that their foe was now better armed than before bearing weapons of iron which not even the mightiest civilization of men for that era had yet to achieve. How these tribes came to cross the mountains is unknown, some may have already begun to cross during the great Dwarf-Elf war but soon they were in possession of the lands that are now known as the Border Princes and the Badlands as well as some stragglers that may have remained in the Wolf Lands.
For some generations in these new lands they found some peace. The mountains were a great barrier to the greenskins and Dwarfs, though depleted, where obstaninte foes. The great human Kingdom of Nehekahara was in its height and some of its more intrepid rulers brought these humans to pay tribute and some are recorded as to surving as mercenaries in the armies of the ancient kings. Others pushed farther west perhaps finding these lands over crowded or unwilling to answer to foreign kings and moved the lands that became Tilea and Estalia, intermixing with the local humans there, remants of the fabled Kingdom of Tylos. The Dwarfs could not hold back the green tide forever and the southern holds of the Karak Ankor were slowly taken over by foul creatures. Nehekharan support became increasingly intermittent. In those years Nehekhara fell under the sway of the great necromancer Nagash and their empire’s northern frontiers were largely abandoned. Though during this time men learned to craft weapons and armor of bronze their foes grew ever larger in number. Alcadiazzar, the last great King of Nehekhara, restored these tribes as tributaries but he and his entire civilization were extinguished through the machinations of Nagash.
For some centuries after Nehekhara became the Lands of the Dead, men endured in the Badlands. Some records from the Dwarfs and the oral histories of the Strygani tell of the Lodringen tribe founding the Kingdom of Strygos. These men, with aid of refugees from the southern lands, built a realm that spanned all from the Marshes of Madness to the Black Gulf, driving back the greenskins to the mountains. From their capital at Mourkain, called Morgheim, Old Strygos, and a myriad of other names, the Kings of Strygos compelled tribute from the tibes that resided north of the Blood River. Strygani say that the northern tribes grew to resent their kingdom and took up arms against it. They were a weak confederation and were summarily defeated by the better organized forces of Strygos. However, as the Kings of Strygos wasted their time against their fellow men an orc Waaagh descended from Mad Dog Pass, saking Mourkain and destroying the kingdom in a few short years.
Nothing stood in the way of these greenskins and the divided tribes to the north which again faced annihilation. It is at this juncture that the first accurate recordings can be gleaned from the Dwarfs of the Black Mountains, for enmass these tribes of men crossed into the Reik basin. Dwarfs, ever miserly, exacted a high price for the crossing and it is speculated that not all had the wealth to cross over. The Zani people that inhabit the southern foothills of Black Mountains are regarded, by some, as the last surviviors of those too poor to pay. Many however did and, in addition to the fastidious accounting of Dwarfs, survive some of the first written records of these men. Black Fire Pass is dotted with the primitive runes script of these early men marking their passing as many rock walls bear the names of those great tribes which enter written history later: Unberogen, Teutogen, Norsii, Bretonni, Fennone, and many others.
It is believed, concurrent to worsen trends in the south, the Scythian peoples of the northern steppes were confronted with the growing power of Chaos. In these years, it is reckoned, that a greater and greater number of these tribes were seduced into the service of the dark gods. The timeframe in which these developments occurred is a mystery as those that could shed the most light on the subject, the histories of Karag Dum and Karak Vlag, are lost. Scythian peoples had been known to cross into the steppes of Kislev and the moors of Ostermark at quite an early era but it is uncertain if these were permanent. The Ungols, the first promeniant a well recorded tribe is not well known to the Dwarfs until the age in which the tribes that would found the Empire crossed into the Reik basin. Further as the extent of Ungol settlement into the region ended at the edge Kislev steppe with enclaves of southern men, Ropsmen and Firkings it seems highly probable that these events were nearly congruent.
The lands of the Reik basin were of course not uninhabitated, as the old men, the Belthani still lived much as they had centuries before. The newcomers were however a far more bellicose people and gradually all those that resided were subject to or slaughtered by the invaders. The terms of this subjugation is unknown but the new gods brought from the south came to dominate and the older methods of worship vanished.

The Tribes of Men
   As there is no historical record of the conquests and defeats of these 

Sigmar and the Unification of

Expansion and Apogee


Corruption, Plague, and The ‘Skaven’ Wars
In the last centuries of the first millennium, the Empire was the most powerful nation in the old world.

The Interregnum and Civil War
   Following the death of Emperor Mandred, Imperial Elections became increasingly divisive.  With each election the Grand Theogonist of the Cult of Sigmar expended more and more energy in putting his candidate up for Imperial Election. While not always successful, the Cult of Sigmar enjoyed increasing political clout and as the landed Electors grew more unruly, the Cult preached a message of Imperial unity concealing its own machinations for power. For several centuries there were many Emperors and few of note. Each election brought the threats of civil war and during the reigns of these some of these Emperors a number of provinces were in the state of de facto rebellion, however no Elector was yet brazen enough to throw off the Imperial system entirely and enter into all out war with the Emperor.
   In the year 1360 the Imperial system suffered its first serious breach. The previous Emperor had died in late autumn of 1359 and fears of poor weather delayed the inception of the Electoral Council until after Mitterfurhl in 1360. Of the Electors convened, it was the Elector of Stirland and the Electress of Talabecland that stood the best chance at election. The Elector of Stirland enjoyed the support of many of the southern Electors and most importantly the favor of the Cult of Sigmar. When the Elections were held, the Grand Theogonist purposely held his vote until last and much as the Grand Theogonist had envisioned, the votes of the Provincial Electors had ended in a tie of six votes to each candidate. In dramatic fashion, hoping to further assert the powerful position of the Cult of Sigmar, the Grand Theogonist cast his vote for the Elector of Stirland. Rather than cow the other Electors into accepting the Cult’s place as ‘kingmaker’ of the Empire, the Talabecland candidate, the Countess Otilia, stormed out and proclaimed herself Empress without election.
   Many Electors were shocked at this brazen act by one of their peers but there was a great deal of sympathy from those lords growing weary of the increasing secular powers of the Sigmarite Cult. Most important of all was the support of the Ar-Ulric, who thanks to a row with the Graf’s of Middenheim had taken up residence in Talabheim. The Ulrican Cult was both concerned as well as jealous of the power the Sigmarite Church had garnered in the proceeding centuries and the declaration of a non-Sigmarite Empress offered them the perfect opportunity to strike back at their haughty rivals. Few expected the rebellion to come of anything, Otilia’s supporters were far flung and disorganized while the Elected Emperor could call upon the most seasoned troops and officers in the Empire. With the aid of the Ar-Ulric, the ‘Empress’ Otilia was able to assemble an army consisting of the Talabecland state troops, sympathetic neighbors, Ulrican fanatics, and mercenaries from all over known world. In a surprising display of daring and initiative, Otilia’s rag tag army engaged Stirland’s army to the south-west of Talabheim and though both outnumbered and outclassed by the Emperor’s veterans, won  a decisive victory at the Battle of the Talabec.
   Though the Empress Otillia was unable to assert control over the entire Empire, she had proved to the other Electors the fallibility of the Imperial Crown. The Emperor had not only lost the battle to the pretender but the faith of his vassals. For the next thousand years the Empire would have at least two Emperors and its great lords would gravitate to the service of one or another.   

The Crusades
   In the early centuries of the second millennium, the swarthy men from across the Southern Sea, grew in power. Arabian Corsairs came to suppliant even the Norse as the greatest pirates and raiders of the oceans, going so bold as to enslave some of the coastal villages of Nordland and in the south the Tileans and Estallians faired far worse. Arabian Dhows wreaked havoc on the merchant fleets of the south and unseated the Norse Kingdom of Sartosa in 1240 IC. As quarrelsome as Tileans are known to be they will suffer no foreign master and Arabian advances into the Tilean mainland were met with the combined arms of the Tilean cities. Estalia provided a more fertile ground for Arabian incursions for little unity has ever existed between those disparate Kingdoms. Minor Kingdoms were rendered client states of Arabian Sultans and their ports served as bases of operation for Coarsairs sailing into northern waters.
   As disturbing these events were to Old Worlders, there was little initiative to deal with it. The Kings of Bretonnia and the Emperors of the various Imperial factions felt it was little more than a regional discomfort. Merchant shipping suffered but Corsair attacks were sporadic and uncoordinated. The cities of Araby were just as disjointed as those of the southern Old World and as long as they posed no concerted threat, there was little interest in the courts of the great realms. In the middle years of the fifteenth century however Arabian politics were changing rapidly and when a new unified Arabian effort launched at conquering the whole of Estalia.
   History is uncertain of the origins of the Great Sultan called Jaffar; few books of the era survive particularly the records of the Arabians themselves. What is known is that from relative obscurity Jaffar had made himself Sultan of Al-Haikk and fought wars with the other cities of Araby for supremacy. A potent sorcerer and versed in the elemental magics of the Taureg nomads of the deserts, Jaffar united all of Araby under his rule in 1448 IC. A greedy and grasping ruler, Jaffar was not content to be but ruler of his own lands but turned his eyes toward the weak kingdoms of Estalia. Many historians, particularly those of Tilea, contend Jaffars plans were at the suggestion of the vile ratmen that plague those southern lands but no records from the Sultan’s court exist to verify these claims. No matter his motive, Jaffar organized an army like Araby had not seen since the days of the great Nehkarians; vast regiments of spearmen and bowmen drawn from the great cities of the that land, scores Arabian horsemen on swift steeds and in scale armor, throngs of the desert tribesmen mounted both on horse and the odd desert dwelling beasts, along with yet more exotic forces such as the dark skinned regiments of slave warriors drawn from the southern jungles, flying carpets carrying aloft pairs of bowmen, daemons of the desert, and the great tusked beasts. It was an army of conquest and one even the greatest of the Estalian state was powerless to oppose.
   As kingdom after kingdom fell to the invaders, those that held out sent increasingly desperate pleas to the courts of the King of Bretonnia, the Elected Emperor, and the Ottilian Emperor for aid. At first these envoys were dismissed, courteously, for few could believe the scale of invasion they described; surely a force could not have crossed from such a wasteland as Araby and if even the scale were true it could not possibly subdue all of Estalia. But as more envoys were received and word came even from the Princes of Tilea, the great courts of the Old World grew concerned, most of all King Louis, later sobriqued the Righteous, of Bretonnia. Should Estalia fall, his kingdom would be next in the path of Jaffar’s armies. His decision was further influenced by the bellicosity of his southern vassals. Barely a generation had passed since Bretonnian attempts to conquer the Tilean states had failed so humiliatingly in the lists at Rivola and many of these southern Lords saw an Estalian adventure the opportune way to refurbish their glory as well as expand their borders. Summarily, King Louis issued a call to war and thus the Crusades began.  In the courts of the Emperors, in Nuln and Talabheim, a similar conclusion was reached.  Nearly a century of civil war had taken its toll on the coffers of the Imperial magnates and war against a foreign and wealthy opponent seemed the obvious answer. Neither Emperor was in any mood to see the upstart Kingdom of Bretonnia, not even five hundred years old by that point, reap the sole rewards from expelling these southern invaders. A hasty truce was agreed upon and vast host drawn from across the Empire crossed the Grey Mountains into Bretonnia where it joined up with the forces the Bretonnian King. 
   By the time the Crusaders reached Estalia, all of the southern kingdoms had already fallen to the invader. Those forces the Estalian princes could still field had either withdrawn to the Irrana Mountains or were besieged by the Sultan’s army in the various garrisons of the north, particularly the Kingdom of Bilbali. So great was the Sultan’s ambition, that an immense Arabian army had even besieged Tobaro, the westernmost city of Tilea. In the hope that both beleaguered garrisons could be relieved the Crusader forces divided, a primarily Bretonnian force drove across northern Estalia to the aid of Bilbali while another army composed mainly of Imperial Knights would lift the siege of Tobaro. Unaccustomed either to the tactics of Old World heavy cavalry or perhaps merely over extended, both sieges were broken and the Arabian forces sent into full retreat. Each army slowly drove the invaders back across toward the southern sea liberating town and castles as they went. The Estalian invasion failing, Jaffar opted to withdraw across the Southern Sea, embarking the remains of his army from the port city of Magritta. 


Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:23:21 PM
The Ravages of Gorthor   
   With the Electors distracted by civil war and crusade, the beasts of the forest were allowed to multiply unchecked for generations. Each year the incursions of these monsters grew ever bolder, burning villages, slaughtering livestock, and attacking travelers but the Counts of the North had no men to spare for war with their neighbors and far off in Araby were far more profitable ventures. The Middle Mountains was the most fecund ground from which these creatures issued forth. Never wealthy in minerals, there was almost no human population to speak off in the region.


Three Emperors
   Though raiding and intermittent warfare between the Electoral and Ottilian Emperors continued through the Crusading era, Imperial politics were relatively calm. Elections continued to be held and while the Grand Theogonist continued to pick the new Emperor, his choices were generally agreeable to most parties. The Volkshale of 1546 however proved just as problematic as the Volkhale of 1360.
   Of the available candidates for the Imperial throne few were men of any ability save for the Elector of Middenland, Graf Siegfried of Middenheim. A crusader in his youth, Graf Siegfried was an energetic and charismatic figure. Beginning in the reign of Graf Siegfried’s father, Heinrich, the return of the Ulrican Cults hierarchy to Middenheim had been peaceably settled with the Ar-Ulric accepting celibacy as a tenant of the Cult. This restored the authority of the Ulrican Cult in the ‘Electoral’ Empire and the Ar-Ulric was again powerful political force. In addition Graf Siegfried had spent a great deal of time and money aiding damaged Hochland and Ostland and earning the good will of these province’s Electors in the wake of Gothor’s beastherds. The strong candidacy of Middenland’s Elector had deprived Talabecland of most of its vassals and even the strongly Sigmarite provinces of the south and west felt that, if elected, Siegfried stood the best chance of putting down the Ottillians and reuniting the Sigmar’s Empire. Siegfried was however an Ulrican and while not particularly devout, it was enough to earn the ire of the Grand Theogonist.
   When the Volkshale convened in Nuln, the Ottilian pretender, Frederick V, in Talabheim feared that soon he would stand alone against the combined might of a united Empire. The Grand Theogonist, himself fearful of the loss of the power, did everything within his substantial means in order to manipulate the course of events. Early efforts to coerce many of the marginal Electors to side with the Sigmarite Cult failed so instead the Sigmarite Cult barred the most ardent of the Graf’s supporters from the Diet. Those deemed more pliable were allowed entrance and then were strongly encouraged by Sigmarite Templars to vote for the Cult’s candidate. Graf Siegfried declared the election a sham and returned to Middenheim where, under the advisement of the Ar-Ulric, declared himself Emperor on Mondestille of 1547 ic taking many of the northern provinces with him.
   The new Wolf Emperor, as the position would come to be known, set about proving his rightful place as the true Emperor. After taking some years to prepare his treasury and forces, Wolf Emperor Siegfried declared war on the Otilla’s of Talabecland. Though able to defeat them in the field the Talabecland forces withdrew behind the great crater walls of Talabheim and for twenty years the army of Middenland sat impotent outside, for the great crater. Normally such an encirclment would have starved out the garrison but as Talabheim is not only a city but includes a number of villages and rich farmland. All this while the good will Emperor Siegfried had cultivated withered away. The contingents of his allies in Hochland, Ostland, and Nordland returned home and refused to further aid in the Emperor’s war. When finally the Emperor abandoned the siege and returned to Middenheim his own people had turned against him and he was banned from city and stripped of his title as Graf

Waaagh Gorbad
   On Hexennacht of 1707, the religious Cults of the Empire celebrated the New Year and all the omens and portents foretold that the year would be one of great importance to the lands of Sigmar. The Elected Emperor Sigismund of the Reikland was the most powerful and popular Emperor in generations and those around the court naïvely hoped that the augury of the Cults meant that once and for all the pretenders in Talabheim and Middenheim would be brought to heel and the Empire be reunited under a single elected Emperor. However,  not even Mitterfurhl would pass before all would be proven so gravely wrong.
   Out of the badlands to the south and the darklands to east came an army of greenskins of a scale greater in than ever seen even in the long histories of the Dwarfs. Its leader was massive nearly ogre-sized brute who called himself Gorbad Ironclaw. Unlike previous invasions of greenskins, which wasted much of their energy and impetus in the passes of the mountains and against the walls of Dwarven fortresses, Gorbad’s horde crossed the Black Fire Pass and swept aside the woefully under strength garrison only days after the snows in the pass began to melt.
   Following the Old Dwarf Road north, Ironclaw first invested the city of Averheim while its walls were thick, the sheer weight of greenskin numbers could not be withstood. The few remaining defenders withdrew to the city’s great keep the Averberg and could only watch with impotent rage as the greenskins sacked, looted and burned the city around them. At this juncture the Ironclaw acted in a manner uncharacteristic of orcish kind. Though he had destroyed the city, Averheim’s keep still stood and though it would have taken the greenskin forces only a matter of days to reduce it, the hordes withdrew as the Ironclaw had grander designs. Armies began to muster thoughout the Empire and the Ironclaw set about destroying them in turn rather than allow them to unite. First the bulk of the Orc and Goblin cavalry were dispatched to despoil the Moot and Stirland, while the Ironclaw and the bulk of the greenskin army turned on Nuln.

Vastly outnumbered the Sollanders were cut down as the attempted to withstand the greenskin horde, the capital of Pfieldorf sacked and the Elector and his family slain. From there the Ironclaw turned north on Wissenland and Nuln. Rather than face the same fate as his cousin in Solland, the Count of Wissenland, Erich Adolphus made the difficult decision to abandon Nuln in hopes that the Ironclaw would pursue Wissenland’s army rather than turning on the city.

The Rise of Marienburg and Dissolution of the Imperial System
   In the latter centuries of the second millennium, the Grand Province of Westerland and Nordland played an increasingly important part in the politics of the Electoral Empire. After the near collapse of the Empire during the ‘Skaven Wars’ and the early years of civil war, Westerland and Nordland were repeatedly raided and settled by Norscan from across the sea and even for a brief time made vassal of the Bretonnian Duke of L’Anguille. The Elector often petitioned his liege for aid but support was rarely forthcoming. Most Emperors were preoccupied with fighting their nearer rivals in Talabheim and Middenheim and Marienburg and the Westerland were largerly left to fend for themselves.
War in the Empire however did mean wealth for the province and Marienburg. As the merchant class increased in power, Marienburg and its Princes, garnered more and more affluence, fostered undoubtedly on the demands of war placed on imports that came through the city. Much of this money was put toward protecting the sea lanes and the lands of the Count from Norscan invaders. These battles were hard fought and Marienburg was sacked by the invaders a number of times but by the late nineteenth century, Marienburg had triumphed over its foreign aggressors.  Emboldened by wealth, Marienburg became an increasingly larger player in Imperial politics.
   During the middle decades of the twentieth century, the Counts of Westerland and their sometimes recalcitrant cousins the Counts of Nordland extended lines of credit to many of their peers in both the Electoral Empire and even the provinces held by the pretenders. When favorable credit was insufficient, the Marienburg Counts doled out lavish gifts to win the confidence of the other Electors. When the Volkshalle met in 1979 ic, the Marienburgers had full confidence that their candidate, the Princess Margritta who was not even yet in her majority, would prevail. The only significant opposition was the Grand Theogonist of Sigmar. Not since the candidacy of Siegfried of Middenland had the Cult of Sigmar’s choice faced serious opposition it was one of largest assembled since the beginning of the civil wars with only the Electors of Middenland and Talabecland failing to attend or send a vote by proxy.   

The Vampire Wars
   In the last centuries of the second millennium, the County of Sylvania grew in influence and power at the expense of its neighbors as well as its nominal vassal the Electors of Stirland. Under a seemingly brilliant line of Von Carstein counts, the province was an island of order in the other chaotic Empire.

The Great War and Magnus’s Reunification

The Marienburg Scandal and the Princes of Reikland
   In the years after the invasion of Grom, the power of Emperor Dieter IV was in serious crisis. His failure to respond to the calls for aid from his vassals had angered the majority of the Empire’s Electors. Ignoring the requests of the Dwarfs had cost the Empire diplomatically and the mountain folk were reluctant to offer anywhere near as beneficial trade terms to their erstwhile allies. Dieter only further enraged his subjects through continued lavish spending. Claiming that imperial revenues had been so severely damaged by the war, the Emperor offered no funds to cover the costs of reconstruction. Whilst alleging poverty, Dieter continued to spend lavishly on his own whims, from remodeling the palace in Altdorf, the new capital following the sack of Nuln, and embarking on a series of adventurist wars in Border Princes.


The Empire Today


Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:24:03 PM
Chapter Two
On the Structures of Governement

The Imperial Governement
Current Imperial Motto: Verbum Imperatris Lex Est

List of Emperors from 2306 to present
Emperor               Province      Reign
Magnus von Bildhofen “The Pious”       Nuln          2304 to 2369
Leopold Unfahiger-Kreiglitz         Stirland       2369 to 2401
Dieter IV Unfahiger-Kreiglitz         Stirland       2411 to 2429
Wilhelm III Holswig-Schliestien “The Wise”    Reikland       2429 to 2458
Mathias IV Holswig-Schliestien       Reikland       2458 to 2471
Matheus II Holswig-Schliestien       Reikland       2471 to 2477
Luitpold I Holswig-Schliestien          Reikland       2477 to 2502
Karl-Franz II Holswig-Schliestien       Reikland       2502 to Present
 

Though Sigmar was crowned Emperor, the title and the office as it exists today has little to do with the Man-God. When Sigmar left without an heir, the kings of the Empire’s tribes, already known as Counts, were without a method for deciding who would next hold the title of Emperor. As many felt Sigmar had thought of himself not as an overlord but first among brothers, the Counts decided that the new Emperor would be chosen by a vote amongst all present Counts and the Count receiving the most votes would be crowned Emperor. Even with the breakdown of Imperial authority during the dark years of the Imperial Civil War, most claimants to the Imperial throne modeled their own elevation and powers on tradition.

The Office of Emperor
The position of Emperor is central unifying figure of Imperial government. Among the most important duties of the Emperor is to ensure peace between his vassals and defend the Empire’s borders from invasion. It is the age of Three Emperors which illustrate best the pandemonium that occurs when the Emperor is incapable of providing either of these protections.
Theoretically, the Emperor wields absolute power over all his vassals. Taxation and laws are introduced in the form of Imperial Edicts issued by the Emperor himself. All the provinces of the Empire are then expected to follow said edict, though levels of enforcement vary. The Emperor is also reserved the right to grant town charters and issue friestadt status.  Amending the Imperial Electorate is also one of the Emperor’s prerogatives. Creation or dissolution of an Electorate can be put forward by the Emperor at anytime however the Emperor requires a great deal of political strength in order to expect such measures to pass. In addition the Emperor has final say in the succession of Elector Counts and may choose anyone they see fit for the position. While the office of Emperor is granted these powers many have not be exercised in centuries.
None of these powers are officially written down as the Empire does not have a constitution. Tradition and precedent, along with pragmatic understanding of what degree powers can be used to, plays a far greater role in defining Imperial Government than any other. This has caused many forward thinking politicians to believe that it is time for the drafting of an Imperial Constitution. This faction was strongest during the reign of Emperor Mattheus II, grandfather to the current Emperor Karl-Franz. Opposition and the disappearance of the Emperor destroyed what little momentum the movement had.

The Prime Estates
   Imperial feudal government has little defense against the overextension of Imperial authority. During the reign of the Drakwald Emperors, many dubious edicts were passed on the whim of the Imperial throne, from idiotic tax levies to the ennoblement of beloved family pets. In order to provide oversight on the actions of the Emperor, each of the Empire’s Electors began sending delegates to the Imperial capital. These representatives at times convened amongst themselves to better organize opposition to Imperial power.  The semi-official organ that developed out of these meetings is called the Prime Estates. Should a large number of provinces feel that an Imperial Edict is unlawful, it is the task of Prime Estates to convey political pressure on the Emperor to see the edict repealed. The Prime Estates doesn’t have any real power and if the Emperor is powerful enough there is little the Prime Estates can do to countermand him. The presence of the Prime Estates does allow the Emperor to better gauge the feelings of his vassals and should a proposed edict seem grossly unpopular, it often is enough to stay the Emperor’s hand.

The Council of State
   The bigger check on the Emperor’s power comes from his own administration. Since the first Emperors, there has always been some body of advisors to aid the Emperor in key matters of state. It is impossible to chart the development of this political organ as the needs of state and the personality of Emperors greatly altered its substance over time. The earliest Emperors had very small bodies of councilors whilst later Emperors, the corrupt Drakwalders for instance, had a pensioned staff so large even the most mundane of tasks had its own appointed advisor. Since the restoration of the Imperial Office by Emperor Magnus the Council of State has taken a more and more solid state. In the last hundred years under the Reikland Emperors the Council of State developed into a set number of offices with well defined jurisdictions. Overall, it is the duty of the Council of State to access the needs of the Empire and advise the Emperor to pass edicts which rectify these needs. Each member specializes in a single area of expertise but the Council discusses matters of great importance as a group and they offers advice to the Emperor.

Electoral Process
   As the Empire has no written constitution, the Election of the Emperor is entirely based on tradition. When
   Upon the death of a reigning Emperor the task of convening the Electoral Diet, sometimes referred to as the Electoral Council or Volkshalle, falls upon the most important of current ecclesiastic Electors. Since the beginning of the current Reikland dynasty it has been the task of the Grand Theogonist but when the Imperial Court was in Nuln it was done by the Arch-Lector of that city. A summons is sent to all the other Electors of the Empire to convene, usually in the current Imperial capital, and decide upon a new Emperor. Generally a period of several months is allowed to elapse before the Diet actually assembles to permit the Electors ample time to get their local affairs in order and deal with potential travel difficulties.
   When the council finally assembles there are number traditional formalities that must be observed. Many of the Electors hold ancient titles that give them a particular task in the   

Chancellor of the Reikland
Current Title Holder: Count Siegfried von Walfen
Nominally the duty to the Chancellor of the Reikland is to keep the Emperor apprised about the status of his province and how it relates to Imperial decisions. In reality the Chancellor is more the Emperor’s spymaster keeping tabs on any and all potential threats or challenges to Imperial authority.

The Reiksmarshall
Current Title Holder: Kurt Helborg
   The Reiksmarshall is a title that predates the creation of the Reiksguard. For centuries Princes of Reikland have appointed there most experienced military commander to the position of Reiksmarshall

Chancellor of the Imperial Fisc

Chancellor of the Imperial Household

Supreme Law Lord

Imperial Spiritual Advisor
Counselor on Matters Magical
Current Title Holder: Supreme Patriarch Balthazar Gelt
   The acceptance of magic is a relatively new concept in the Empire. Before the time of Magnus, only the most deranged of Emperors had a wizard on their staff and these untrained ‘Hedge Wizards’ were often more trouble than they were worth. Teclis, the fabled loremaster of the Elves, was the first to…….During the early years of the reign of Magnus, Teclis advised the Emperor and oversaw the construction of the great colleges of magic in Altdorf. When Teclis departed for distant Ulthuan, the position passed to his greatest human apprentice, Magister Volans of the White Order and then head of all the Colleges of Magic. Since then it has been traditional for the Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges to sit as advisor to the Emperor.

Law Enforcement
   Most peasants believe that Chaos Cults, Demonologists, and Necromancer are as real as

Key Imperial Officers
Reiksmarshall Kurt Helborg
   Kurt Helborg is a man deeply steeped in ancient ideals about class. Able to count family members to the days of Sigmar the Helborgs and Kurt in particular feel that there is an inherent place in society for people nad classes. Helborg is not a foolish enough man to discount the opinion of the lower classes but more views them with some paternal need to steer them in the right direction. Helborg is a master at bending the Altdorf mob to his will and knows full well how to present himself in order to earn the admiration of people who if he met on a personal level he would view as his inferiors

Ludwig Schwarzhelm the Emperor’s Champion
   Other than their proximity to the Emperor, there is little in common between the Reiksmarshal and the Emperor’s Champion. Ludwig, an Averlander by birth, hasn’t a drop of noble blood in him. Everything Ludwig has, he has earned through years of hard service in the Emperor’s armies. He is a dour and serious man that no man has ever known to smile. Ludwig is an interesting contrast with Helborg his rival and foil in the Imperial Court. As commoner it would be expected that Ludwug would be better able to relate to the average Imperial citizen but his aloof and distant nature keeps from taking Helborg’s place as the people champion even though Helborg could give a damn about the people.
   Ludwig is a politically ignorant man and only knows who to get things done in a blunt and open matter.  Issues of state may seem to require an increasingly more subtle hand however Karl Frabz will not jettison the man who has aided him since his youth so readily and is also particularly adept at picking assignments that require Ludwig’s frankness.


Provincial Government
Thought the Empire is a large and powerful country, it is more the case that it is a sum of it constituent parts rather than

Military
Each and every Imperial province maintains its own military forces which serve the provincial lord and the Emperor should he request their service. In ancient times each Elector was required to maintain a certain number of troops by mandate of the Imperial Government. Traditionally these consisted of a small force of professional foot, predominately Halberdiers and Crossbowmen, supported by the provinces Knights and levied City Militias during war time. Following the breakdown of the Imperial system and the near constant state of war, the size of the professional elements in each Elector’s army swelled in number.   

Law Enforcement
While the Imperial Government deals with tariffs, traitors

Minting of Currency
Though the Empire has large Imperial government it delegates much of its minting to its provinces. The official Imperial Mint, based in Nuln, has established standards for the production of coinage so all Imperial money is of the same weight of precious metal. Stylistically however there is great variance from the square silver schillings of the Moot to the octagonal gold crowns of Talabheim.   
Title: Re: The Reikland Incomplete
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:27:32 PM
The Grand Principality of Reikland
Elector: Karl-Franz
State Livery: White
Heraldic Devices:

Geography

The People

The Ruling House
Family Motto: Verum Mos Increbresco

Religion

Important Towns
Bogenhafen is Reiklands most prosperous city. Located at the highest navigable point of the River Bogen, the town controls most of the trade in northern Reikland.   

Eilhart is the largest town in northern Reikland. This more sparsely populated part of the Reikland is the heart of the provinces wine making industry.

Helmgart

Perhaps the oldest chartered free city in the entire Empire is the town of Kemperbad which sits the junction of the Stir and Reik rivers. Though technically located on the ‘wrong’ bank of the Reik, through some convoluted inheritance during the late first millennium, the city became part of the demesne of the Princes of Reikland.  Soon after, the city petitioned the Emperor for a charter, a petition which a greedy Drakwald Emperor was more than happy to grant. The city’s much diminished financial responsibility to their Reikland lieges allowed Kemperbad to develop into an extremely wealthy mercantile city.  Kemperbad’s trade guilds dominate much of the commercial traffic along the southern Stir as well as the towns of southern Reikland. Kemperbad is also famous for the production of large quantities of brandy as wine required for distillation is readily available from traders travelling south from Wurtbad. The Brandenburger distillery is one of the most esteemed makers of spirits in all the Empire and has for several generations been exclusive supplier of the Imperial household.

Auerswald

Commanding the Empire side of Grey Lady Pass, is the town of Ubersreik.
-Road and water junction merchant free town
-Imperial Mint Silver Mines
- Large Dwarf Population on town council and town built in Dwarf fashion
- Black Rock Keep the former Liege Lords Keep
-Magnus’ Tower sizable state/imperial garrison daemon horn alarm

Dunkelburg
Grunburg is an important market town marking the halfway point between Altdorf and the Wissenland border. Located in the Reikwald, Grunburg is the heart of Reikland’s timber industry. Though producing nowhere near the timber that is extracted from the forests in the north, the Grunburg Timber camps provide a sufficient supply of raw materials for the southern Reikland’s boatbuilding industry. Most famously the town was the site of the epic battle between the forces of Count Erik Adolphus, Elector of Wissenland, and the dreaded Orc Warlord Gorbad Ironclaw. An impressive battlefield memorial commands the town square and in ages past it was not unheard of for the Electors of Wissenland to visit the town shortly after their coronation. 

Military   
Since the time of Sigmar, the men of the Reikland have considered themselves the best soldiers of the Empire, not only because the first Emperor and later God was once one of them but that they are best at taking and following orders. The Teutogens may have been better axemen, the Chersuens better bowmen, and the Taulten’s better horsemen, but Uberogen were better all around warriors and were so thanks to drill and discipline. 
   In continuation of the centuries long tradition in turning military matters not only into a science but an art form, the Reikland boasts the most prestigious institution outside a Myrimidian seminary for the study of war, Diesdorf Millitary College.  Though such institutions have existed for longer in the Empire, Diesdorf is the currently the largest despite having only been built during the reign of Emperor Wilhelm III.  This has come to pass not only thanks to large grants on the part of the

Famous Regiments

The City State of Aldorf
Resident Electors:
Livery: Red and Blue
Heraldic Designs: Keys though as Imperial Capital Skulls, Griffons, and Imperial Crosses are very common

Ruling House:
See Reikland

Important City Locations
Empire House

Courts of Law Palace of Retribution

The Great Cathedral of Sigmar

   
College of Engineers
Civil Works –frowned upon

Military

Famous Regiments
Altdorf Honor Guard

Imperial War Wagons
From its beginning, the Imperial Engineers College has produced a wondrous amount of new and interesting weapons. Many have proved to be failures but some have been adopted on a large scale by the Imperial Military. In order to determine which ideas are worthy wider production, weapons undergo rigorous testing. While much of the early stages of this are completed within the grounds of the college itself, the conditions are too sterile to achieve a satisfactory assessment of the inventions military merit and full field testing must be conducted. This important task is conducted by crews of College’s War Wagons.
Though nowhere near as famous as the Imperial Steam Tanks, the War Wagons attract a far greater number of recruits as service with the regiment generally allows for more time to spend researching one’s own projects and carries a significantly longer life expectancy.
Title: Re: talbecland incomplete
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:32:02 PM
The Grand Duchy of Talabecland
Elector: Helmut Feurbach
State Livery: Red and Yellow
Heraldic Devices: Eagles, Trees of Taal, and Stag Heads

Geography

The People
   Talabeclanders are (in)famous for their love of the their home made spirits. Most Talabecland households have their own still and produce great quantities of liquor for their own consumption. This usually takes place in as an outdoor setting as possible. Talabeclanders enjoy nothing more than a roaring bonfire and copious amounts of alcohol.

The Ruling House
House of Kreiglitz Coat of Arms: A Crowned Red Eagle on a Yellow Field
   Of all the Imperial Electors, it is Count Helmut Feurbach that sits most precariously on his throne. Helmut was never born to be the Elector Count and in fact was never properly elevated to the title; his current possession is thanks in part to his skills as a leader of men and being in the right place at the right time.  A decade ago Talabecland’s Elector Count, Gustav von Kreiglitz, was mortally wounded in battle. Concerned for the safety of his two young sons, Gustav appointed Helmut regent until they reached their majority. Sadly the youths never even reached their teens and tragically died only a few years ago. Many expected the junior branch of the Kreiglitz line to jump at the chance to take the Electoral throne but oddly they seemed content to leave Feurbach as acting Elector. Scandal has plagued the Kreiglitz line of late with allegations as high as demonology and cavorting with chaos. Currently only a number of family’s staff have been interrogated by the Witch Hunters but the reluctance to 

Religion
   Much like their Taleuten ancestors, Talabeclanders worship Taal, god of the wilds and nature above all other gods. Covered almost entirely by the Great Forest, Talabeclanders require so much of the woodland in order to survive that is understandable that this attachment has formed. The Priest of Taal and the interlinked Cult of his wife Rhya, have never aspired for political power. In the wake of Magnus’s reforms many believe that an Electorship was even offered to the Cults head but was turned down.
   Other than Taal the province is heavily divided into Sigmarite and Ulrican camps. The more traditional Talabeclanders turn to Ulric in times of war, as he is brother of Taal and therefore the more legitimate choice. That for a time the Ar-Ulric lead the Ulrican Cult from Talabheim adds to the considerable power the Cult has in Talabecland. However, particularly since the time of Magnus and the repeal of many anti-Sigmarite laws, the Sigmarite church has grow significantly in power. The third most powerful figure in the Sigmarite church making his residence in Talabheim……

Important Towns

Kusel
As the Feurbach line does not rule Talabheim directly, the Elector’s ‘offical’ court is in his family’s demesne in the town of Kusel. Located up river from Talabheim, Count Feurbach tends only to hold court here during seasons in which outdoor sporting is the greatest

Krugenheim
The lands that border the river Stir are dotted with a number of small communities in Talabecland but the only one of significant size is Krugenheim. Surrounded by farmland the city is an important market town famed not only for its terrestrial food stuffs but some of the greatest fisheries of the Empire. So great is the significance of this aquatic bounty that there is even a Temple of Manaan, here recognized in the aspect of governing all waters, located just outside the city. The Temple is quite an oddity for the God of the sea but it has become an important site of pilgrimage for the Cult of Manaan’s adherents.  When a sailor or shore-man grows too old and infirm for his arduous duties or is driven by some other urge to give up their sea dependent livelihood, they journey from the Great Temple of Manann in Marienburg to Krugenheim where significant maritime items are left as offerings at Mananns shrine. Though the entire passage can be done by water, Pilgrims are encouraged to walk at least some of the journey, often times the entire return leg to Marienburg, so that when the Pilgrims are blistered and foot sore their gratitude toward the mercurial Manann and the relative comfort in life that he had provided

Military

Famous Regiments
Demilancers
Riding unbarded warhorses and wearing three-quarter armor, Demilancers are a Talabecland tradition dating back to the days of the Imperial Civil Wars. Like the Taleutens of old, Talabecland nobles have always pride themselves on their horsemanship and despite the forested nature of the province, have always fought as cavalrymen. The honor of being inducted into a Knightly Order is one that must be earned on the battlefield and young Talabecland nobles do so by serving in the ranks of the Demilancers.
For the most part, Demilancers appear much the same as Pistoliers and in fact many regiments of Demilancers no longer even carry their name sake lances. What separates the two similar units is their battlefield tactics. Pistoliers are trained to skirmish with the enemy, employing the caracole to its fullest and only engaging after the foe is broken or otherwise engaged. Demilancers on the other hand operate more in the manner of ersatz Knights. Rather than skirmishing, pistols are discharged as the regiment charges into the enemy. They then drive home their assault with boar spears, light lances, or heavy swords.

The City State of Talabahiem
Resident Electors:
Livery: Red and White
Heraldic Designs; Trees of Taal. Twin Tailed Comets, and Sword Armed Maidens
Motto: None Shall Pass

The Ruling House
Kreglitz-Untern

Religion

Important City Locations


Military

Famous Regiments
The Taalbaston Guard

Talabaheim Militia

Title: Re: middenland incomplete
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:33:10 PM
The Grand Duchy of Middenland
Elector: Boris Todbringer
State Livery: Blue
Heraldic Devices: White Wolf Heads and White Wolves Passant

Geography

The People
Middenlanders are descendents of the belligerent Teutogen tribe. In the days before the Empire, the Teutogens were the most aggressive of all the tribes of men. They constantly made war on their neighbors, pushing the Thrungians and Chreusens to the deepest parts of the forests and driving the Jutones into the western marshes. Their capital was built atop the great faulshtag rock, the last mountain at the edge of the Middle Mountains. Ruled by their King Artur, the Teutogens refused viewed themselves as the greatest of the tribes of men and when Sigmar sought to parley with Artur he was rebuffed. Undaunted, legends claim Sigmar scaled the side of the Faulshtag rock and met Artur in the shrine of Ulric, the patron god of the Teutogens. Artur was an arrogant King who would see no other but himself as Great King of all the tribes of men. He refused Sigmar’s offer of unity and instead fought a duel with the man-god. Ultimately Artur was slain and by right of conquest Sigmar was King of the Teutogens.

The Ruling House
House of the Todbringer Coat of Arms:A White Wolfs Head over a Yellow Fortress on a Blue Field
There are few noble houses in all the Empire which claim such a long and prestigious name as that of the House of Todbringer. As Grafs of Middenheim and Counts of Middenland, the Todbringer family has played a very important part in the politics of the northern Empire for centuries producing a great number of influential and powerful counts. Boris Todbringer, the current head of the Todbringer line, is perhaps the greatest of them all.

Religion
Middenland has always been the heart of the worship of Ulric and while other Imperial deities are tolerated the province is almost entirely Ulrican in confession.

Important Towns
Carroburg
In any other province, the size and wealth of Carroburg would be the capital city but as Middenheim and Middenland have been united under the House Todbringer such is not the case. Located on the River Reik Carroburg is a bussling and wealthy mercantile town as well as an important port for the Imperial Navy

About a week’s travel up the Talabec from Altdorf sits the trade city of Ahlenhof. The forests of southeast Middenland are relatively safe compared to elsewhere in the province and Ahlenhof reaps the rewards of a booming timber industry. Positioned at the mouth of the river Drakwasser, timber from as far upstream as Hochland travels to market in Ahlenhof 
Located on the Altdorf-Middenheim road, Delberz is an important stopping point for traders and merchants travelling between the two great Imperial cities. The town has a great number of coaching inns which accommodate all sorts of travelers with some even capable at housing an entire merchant caravan. The lands around Delberz also mark some of the most cleared for agriculture in all of Middenland. While staple grain crops predominate, the region is oddly enough renowned for its unique red wines, much of which is sold to parched travelers in Delberz many inns.
Grimminhagen sternhauer keep, famous unit of Halberdiers, strong walls, constant sight of beastmen activity
Delberz


Military

Famous Regiments
Carroburg Greatswords
Carroburg Greatswords
Born out of the conflicts in the era of Three Emperors, the Carroburg Greatswords are still torn on provincial lines. The Reikland regiment of Greatswords, which took part in famous siege that brought the regiment its uniform, maintains its right to bear the name ‘Carroburg Greatswords’ but generally the honor has fallen to regiments raised by the city of Carroburg itself. Carroburg and its adjacent villages don’t completely see eye to eye with the Ulrican Todbringers of Middenheim and are likewise not content to be the puppets of the Reikland princes either. The City pursues its own agenda as best it a can and boasts a powerful military of its own. A large portion of these regiments are Greatswordsmen due to the

Wolf-Kin
The world is far too often a terrible place and many times the prayers and comfort of the various cults can never heal those that have lost hearth and home. In the bulk of the Empire, where the Cult of Sigmar holds sway, these people are often drawn to charismatic fanatics and join a band of flagellants bent on redemption through pain, penance, and sacrifice. Ulric is however a god of action and more importantly self-reliance, He has little time or care for the wailings of his adherents if they would not help themselves. Northerners, Middenlanders in particular, turn their grief to rage and retribution which cannot be extracted through one’s own flesh but with the blade of an axe to those that perpetrated the destruction; these warriors are called Wolf-Kin.
Wolf-Kin are not the wretched masses similar to flagellants, but warriors bent on vengeance. Trophy taking is particularly popular among Wolf-Kin and those that have walked that path long often adorn themselves with grisly relics from necklaces of Orc ears to cloaks of Gor pelts. Most of the work of Wolf-Kin is done outside the realm of set piece battle, bands or even individuals wage a constant war with the Beasts and Greenskins of the forest. When the beasts or greenskins muster in larger numbers to attack settlements or the armies of the Graf mount punitive expeditions, Wolf-Kin often attach themselves
 There is no formal organization or real recognition of these groups by any secular or ecclesiastical authorities and they tend to exist in an ad hoc fashion with bands ranging from a handful of individuals to dozens. Northerners simply know Wolf-Kin by appearance and temperament and that is all the proof they need.

The City State of Middenheim
Resident Electors:
Livery: Blue and White
Heraldic Devices: A Tower and a white Wolf

History

Ruling House:
See Middenland

Important City Locations
-rich districts Grafsmund-Nordgarten Freiburg
-middle class Ulricsmund The Wynd Westgate-Sudgarten
-poor Altmarkt-Altquarter Southgate-Ostwald

The Grafs Palace
-Middenplatz- graf residence, all major town functions mint, cemetery Knight Panther quarters
-formal gardens
-square of martials training for Panthers and Wolves spectators

The Great Temple of Ulric
-part temple part fortress
-amazing construction

The Eastgate District
-citys cultural hub
-bars and social clubs
-Royal College of Music funded by graf

The Guild of Wizards and Alchemists
-Founded as Guilde of Alkemie 1200-1600
-Early only some elements of Wizardry
-Work for the Betterment of Middenheim
-College foundation ruins old traditions (all magical elements banned) alchemist find work
elsewhere guild closes
-old building becomes informal club for Wizards
-Guild chartered as part of the Colleges system
-headed by the Gold and Celestial Order, other orders may stay but no permanent staff



The Collegia Theologia
-built in 1762 for Ulrican teachings
-expanded to full curriculum
-chaffs from lack of official charter

The Dwarfen Engineers Guild
-small but high quality
-charged with maintaining the great viaducts
-all Dwarf work must pass through guild

The Temple of Sigmar
-second largest temple in all of the empire
-priest not a lector but Capitular of Nordland

The Undercity
-Grungi’s Tower to the dwarfs
-Middle Mts very poor holds mostly destroyed
-aided building original


Military

Famous Regiments
Ulrican Regiments
The Cult of Ulric is a very important part of Middenlander culture and upon death many wealthy Middenlanders leave a portion of their wealth to the Cult. As the decoration of Ulrican Temples is sparse at best, the sums collected are far in excess of those required to maintain the Cults station and Templars. Hoarding of such wealth is unbecoming to a church of a war god, much of the Cult’s budgetary surpluses are expended on raising and equipping regiments for Middenland.
Title: Re: marienburg incomplete
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:35:15 PM
The Directorate of Marienburg
Elector: None since 2429, formerly in Personal Union with Nordland
State Livery: Red, Blue, and Yellow.
Heraldic Devices: Mermaids and Manann’s Crown

History
The mouth of the Reik
Though Marius bent the knee to Sigmar and later married into the line of Marbad, the Jutones connection with the Empire remained precarious. The lands between the Reik estuary and the Forest of Laurelorn had never been subject to formal annexation nor proper integration into the Empire’s increasingly feudal structure. As the union between the lord of the Jutones and the lady of the Endals proved fruitful, related branches of the same dynasty sat in Marienburg, Jutonsryk, and Salzenmund. As these holdings dominated most of the Empires coast, the lords of these lands grew rich and powerful and when the policies of the Emperor interfered with trade the Jutone lords grew displeased.
   Resolution finally came during the reign of Emperor Sigismund ‘the Conqueror’ a most bellicose ruler that invaded and brought to tribute many of the Empire’s neighboring peoples, in the year 501 ic. There are no accurate accounts to the campaign or the reasons behind it, perhaps the Jutone Counts rebelled seeking independence or merely grew wearer of wars that cut into their mercantile aspirations. While the early historians of the Cult of Sigmar say that the Jutones were brought to the Imperial fold as ‘wayward children’ the disappearance of Jutonsryk as an important city and the addition of its lands to the Barony of Westerland and Marienburg suggest perhaps a darker outcome.

Geography
The ancient histories of the Dwarfs and Elves describe the estuary of the Reik as one of great beauty and verdant fields, today however much of the region has become a dark and brackish marshland. Scholars are uncertain what caused these changes; most commonly it is attributed to the malevolent star falls from Morrsleib that have brought ruin to many other regions of the world. A few cling to folklore traditions which speak of hideous cyclopotean swamp daemons that bend the land to suit their evil hearts. A single oft cited and poorly documented tale of Sigmar’s triumph over these beasts does exist but is of little use to the serious scholar. Whatever the reason, the Wasteland, as the region is now called, consists of predominately swamp land broken by the occasional stretch of moorland. A few coastal villages dot the shore but the interior is dominated by beasts and some even say gangs of mutants. The only habitable parts of the region are found on the western side of the Reik. Here the ground is less swampy as it inclines toward the Grey Mountains. Marienburg would otherwise be completely dependent on imported food stuffs if it were not for small collection of villages that reside in this area.

The People
In the time of Sigmar the lands that are now controlled by the Directorate were peopled by not a single tribe but two. The Endals dominated the area around the mouth of the Reik from their capital of Marburg while north where the Cursed Marshes breaks into blank Hills the Jutones built their great capital of Jutonsryk. The Endals, under King Marbad, had strong connections with Sigmar’s Unberogens farther up river and where the first tribe to join Sigmar’s confederation. The Jutones were not at all eager to join with Sigmar. They were a bitter people who had been driven from their lands to the north and west by the Norsii and Teutogens and their leader Marius the Fenwolf spurned Sigmar’s advances for unity.

The Ruling House

Religion
Marienburg is a city built upon the riches that the sea and commerce bring it. It is only fitting that Marienburgs religious life is dedicated to the deities that embody these pursuits: Manann God of the Sea and Handrich, Haendryk in the di

Important City Locations
The Wasteland Export-Import Exchange

Stevedores and Teamsters Guild House

Elftown

Cathedral of Manaan
Rijkers Isle

Military

Famous Regiments
The Black Caps
Marienburg has long been a city with a large middle class. Artisans and Merchants….In the opening years of the Civil Wars, Marienburg found itself beset 

The Red Talons
-Originally band from Tilea
-Official guard regiment of Rijkers Island Prison

Norscans
-Drawn from Tributary Norscan Tribes
-Best provide honor guard for Great Temple of Manann
Title: Re: Sylvannia incomplete
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:36:41 PM

The County of Sylvania
State Livery: Black, Red, and Purple
Heraldic Devices: Dragons and Skulls

History
Before the foundation of the Empire there is little record of the area that would become Sylvania. A poor and boggy land, the Dwarfs had little contact with Fennone tribe which inhabited the region and even the other human tribes regarded its people as an insular and suspicious lot. With the victory of Sigmar’s Confederation at Black Fire Pass, The conditions under which Sylvania became subject to the Asborns of Stirland is not entirely known but it appears to have been a peaceful accommodation. The lands were not divided into smaller fiefs subject but a large marcher fief subject only to the Count of Stirland. Growing population elsewhere in the Empire coupled with local encouragement brought Sylvania an influx of immigrants, peasants seeking lower rents and lesser sons seeking new fiefs. These newcomers largely intermarried with the native population and as the provinces population increased the greater amount of land was able to be reclaimed for farming slowly bring the region above subsistence levels of agriculture.
   As the first millennium was drawing to a close the Counts of Sylvania increasingly began to bicker with their lord the Elector of Stirland.  The Drakwald Emperors, ever greedy and grasping, were willing to entertain offers of independence or Electoral investure. Sylvania, though poor was no longer a complete backwater, as it’s agricultural gains were quite significant and large enough to be a substantial income compared to their liege.
At the time of the Empire’s founding, its meager soil supported a very small population. Incorporation into Stirland brought some improvements to the land but warpstone showers in the year 1111 destroyed any gains the previous millennium had made.  The malignant affects of the warpstone twisted the regions fens and woodlands into sinister and horrifying landscapes and reduced the region’s meager farmland into producing barely subsistence levels of agriculture. Infused with dark magic, the land also attracted warlocks, cultists, necromancers, and beastmen. Under the rule of Vlad von Carstein the province did enjoy a bit of a renaissance but the region itself was not improved. Many Vampire Counts constructed their great castles on site particularly strong in dark magical energies amplifying the flow of the winds of magic in the region. After the Wars of the Vampire Counts some attempt was made on the part of the Counts of Stirland to improve the region but truly cleansing the land is far beyond the resources of the Stirland Electors. Sylvania continues to be a land of harsh winters and sparse harvests. The truth of tales by travelling merchants which speak of a village in autumn and a den of ghouls in spring are far more correct than many would hope.   

The People
   In the days of Sigmar, the land of Sylvania was at the very edge of the domination of the Asborn tribe. The foothills of the World’s Edge Mountains were a very poor place to live in those days and those that resided there were of a particularly desperate sort. Scholars argue as to the origins of Sylvania’s original inhabitants with some attributing them to merely a sub-tribe of the greater Asborn tribe while others attach the title Fennone to the people who inhabited Sylvania. The Fennone tribe theory by far has the largest backing, perhaps in large part by the fact that Stirlanders do not care to have their bloodlines mixed with that of such an ill omened race.
   Sylvanians do not care for outsiders and are even less welcoming than their Stirland cousins. Sylvania’s dark history sees similar sentiments reflected back at Sylvanians by outsiders. The fact that the incident of mutation in Sylvania is many times higher than anywhere else in the Empire is extra incentive to steer clear. This insularity leaves many Sylvanians ignorant of the world outside their own village. Sylvanians take stoicism to a near masochistic level. Not only are many Sylvanians proud they are made of tougher stuff but relish in pointing out how well they are dealing with hardship particularly when said hardship is still occurring.

The Ruling House

Religion
Sylvannians are renowned for the large number of bizarre and strange superstitions. For the most part these replace in the daily life of a Sylvannian what another citizen of the Empire might get from one of the organized Cults. As Stirland’s vassal, Sylvannia was subject to a great deal proselytizing on the part of the ardent Sigmarite Stirlanders. While the religion did not catch on particularly well among the suspicious peasantry, Sylvannia’s town and cities were brought into the hierarchy of the Sigmarite Cult. Other than the Van Hal years, this situation remained much the same into the late second millennium with the ascension of Vlad von Carstein in 1797. 
Vlad pursued a harsh policy toward all the Imperial cults in Sylvannia. At first merely administrative pressures were put upon Cult Temples but this soon gave way to outright intimidation and expulsion. By 2000 IC, all but a handful of remote monasteries remained. Cultivated in part by Vlad but perhaps more so by his deranged and vain wife Isabella, a new Cult of the Risen began to grow among the provinces peasantry. In place of traditional Gods, the people worshipped their Vampire lords as living deities to which the rule death had been conquered. Though these lords demanded strict obedience, they protected their people and Sylvannia seemed a peaceful land when compared to the warring states elsewhere in the Empire. When Vlad revealed his ambitions in 2010, many Sylvannians were more than willing to march to war for his cause.
Following Vlad’s death during the siege of Altdorf in 2051, Sylvania’s peasantry quickly realized the error of their beliefs. The Counts that followed offered none of the s

Important Towns
Waldenhof

Military
During the last of the von Drak’s are great deal of effort was taken to modernize the largely feudal Sylvanian military establishment. Regular regiments were mustered but a large portion of Sylvania’s military was still drawn from militia and levies. During Vlad’s reign, all these units were rigorously drilled and generally well officered, the militia regiments being better than most of their counter parts in the more war torn regions of the Empire. Even after Vlad revealed his true nature these regiments stayed loyal and his personal regiment of greatswords, the Drakenhof Guard, served as a ‘living’ regiment to the siege of Altdorf and Vlad ultimate death. Little of the old military traditions of Sylvania remain today and though the Counts of Stirland retain the right to call up Sylvania’s militia and levies but such actions have not been taken for centuries.

Famous Regiments
Sylvanian Macemen/Flailmen
While many of regular regiments were armed much like their contemporaries elsewhere in the Empire, Sylvania’s militia and levies were famed for wielding modified agricultural tools often. Simple cudgels and agricultural flails could be readily converted to military needs by the addition of metal studs and the peasantry would at least have some proficiency with them. It is argued, with the cursed nature of Sylvania, that these blunt instruments are more useful at dispatching undead assailants than swords or spears but they have proved at times equally useful against knights from Stirland.
Title: Re: solland incomplete
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:38:05 PM
The Former Grand County of Solland
Last Elector: Count Eldred Heugenloewd (deceased since 1707), attached to the Wissenland
State Livery: Yellow and Buff
Heraldic Devices: Suns
Runfang Title: The Sun Tooth (before 1707 ic) now Grudge Settler. Currently carried by the Reiksmarshall, Kurt Helborg.

Geography
The old borders of Solland were defined by the River Soll in the west, the Upper Reik in the east, and the Black Mountains to the south. Those lands closest to the confluence of the Reik and Soll near were rolling plains of farmland of wheat and cattle very similar to neighboring Averland. As the countryside approached the Black Mountains, the hill country boasted vineyards, fields of barley both for consumption and brewing, as well flocks of sheep for meat and wool. Interspersed among these lands were light stands of forest which provided a wealth of yew and ash which were a source of raw materials for the bowyers and fletchers of Pfeildorf. After the ravages of the Ironclaw much of this land has never been completely reclaimed. The woods are still used for timber but many have grown wild without the foresters to keep them. In the south the recovery has been the worst. Only the shepherds returned in any number and almost all these lands are dedicated to the production of wool.

The People
Sollanders are the descendants of the Menogoth tribe, one of the smallest of the ancient tribes to join Sigmar’s confederation. As much of the old line of Menogoths has been absorbed into their sister people of Wissenland many attribute similar qualities to both peoples, however as Wissenlanders are accounted as simply dour, true Sollanders often border on morose. The loss destruction of the province still ways heavily on Sollanders. Many have taken to their new lords, the Counts of Wissenland, but there are bitter few that agitate for the full restoration of the province. 

Solland’s Lament   
   Throughout Wissenland and most of the rest of the southern Empire, it is impossible to find a person who has not heard in some form the tragic ballad titled ‘Solland’s Lament’. In the year 1707 ic a Waagh the size not seen since the days of Sigmar, descended upon the Empire. The ravages this horde were felt from Averland to Altdorf and Solland suffered the greatest blow at the hands of the greenskins and their great warlord Gorbad Ironclaw.
   In the centuries preceding the invasion Solland had begun to fall on increasingly difficult times. Located in the heart of the Electoral and Sigmarite lands, Solland’s Counts pursued policies that continually put the province at odds with the Emperor and more importantly the Grand Theogonist, most notably in attempting to arrange a marriage between the royal line of Solland and the Grafs of Middenheim. The Sigmarite faith had a great deal of strength in Solland but it was the opinion of province’s Electors that the message of Sigmar was one of unity and not the sectarian strife which dominated Imperial politics. When the hammer blow of the Ironclaw fell on Averland, Eldred Heugenloewd, Count of Solland, was quick to marshal his forces despite his marginalized position at the Imperial court.
   After the greenskins sacked Averheim, the Solland army was fully mustered. The Count felt, given the strategic position of Solland, the greenskin horde would press on first greater prizes, first Nuln and then up the Reik to Altdorf. This left the strong and intanct army of Solland a prime threat to attack the rear of the invasion and with proper coordination catch the invaders between two Imperial forces. Unfortunately for Solland, Gorbad Ironclaw was an orc of exceptional strategic mind. While he was correct in surmising the greenskins would first push on to Nuln, which was promptly sacked, they horde did not continue on to Altdorf. It rested briefly instead to collect the foragers which pillaged Stirland and the Moot and when again at full strength turned south on the isolated province of Solland.
   There was no hope for direct relief to Solland’s position. The nearest Imperial army was the scattered forces of Erich Adolphus, Elector Count of Wissenland which had withdrawn to the southern Reikland in order to gather strength.  Count Eldred’s only hope was to buy enough time for this force to come into play and hoped to prevent the Solland capital of being invested by the greenskin army for as long as possible. It is here that Imperial records argue as to the events that followed for there were so few survivors for the events to be properly be recounted. Almost all accounts, say that in order to buy time for Pfeildorf to prepare for lengthy siege, Count Eldred met the Ironclaw’s army south of the River Soll and contested the greenskin’s crossing. In a day long battle the greenskins were unable to bring their greater numbers to bear for the fords and bridges across the Soll were few and narrow. It looked as though the Solland army had won the day and would force the Ironclaw to seek passage either farther up the Soll where the waters were less deep and give Pfeildorf and the Solland army additional time to prepare for the assault. The Ironclaw had foreseen that, if his crossing were contested, he would have little chance of success and it was at that late hour of the day the orc unveiled his true cunning. Before he had given battle at the fords, Gorbad had sent a large portion of his mounted forces up the eastern bank of the Upper Reik in hopes of finding a crossing there. With the bulk of Count Eldred’s attention on the battle along the Soll, the garrisons on the Upper Reik bridges were weak and the greenskin forces quickly overpowered their foes. In the late afternoon a great force of wolf and boar riders appeared on the right flank of the Solland host. Tired from the long day’s battle and the attack from the unseen quarter, the fragile resolve of the Solland line was shattered. Count Eldred worked as fast as he could in order to form an orderly withdrawal on Pfieldorf but retreat turned into rout.
   It is at this point the story takes divergent paths. In the account common in the north, as Count Eldred and his bodyguard remained the last organized resistance on the field, the Ironclaw personally lead the attack to break the doughty Solland greatswords. In the midst of this melee, the Ironclaw challenged the Count to single combat and though the Elector was a capable swordsmen he was no match for the great orc. From the corpse of the Count, the Ironclaw took the Crown of the Solland and placed it upon his own brow to mock those that had stood against and for this act the battle is named. However the orc’s greatest prize was the Solland Runefang which he would wield in tandem with his own terrible axe, Morgor the Mangler, for the remainder of the campaign. Pfeildorf was then sacked and over the following weeks the greenskins laid waste to the rest of Solland and Wissenland.
   To Sollanders, as tragic a tale as it is, it comes nowhere near close to representing the actual events. Sollanders say that during the midst of the rout Count Eldred and his bodyguard remained on the field to buy time so that a greater number of Solland troops could fall back behind the walls of Pfeildorf. Knowing the prospects for his survival were minimal, Count Eldred ordered his Runefang borne back to Pfeildorf to be given to the Crown Prince Eldred the Younger for a crown could be remade but the Runefang was the legacy of Sigmar. The Count and the whole of his greatswords were slain by the orcs lead by the Ironclaw but in their sacrifice a good portion of the Solland army made back inside the gates of Pfeildorf. The walls of Pfeildorf were old and with its distance from the Imperial rivals in the north had seen no war for some centuries. The city should have fallen in a matter of days but for the spirited defense offered by the young Count. For three weeks Gorbad Ironclaw’s Waagh threw themselves at the walls of Pfeildorf to no avail. In those twenty-four days the garrison held out hope that perhaps from the north deliverance would come or that the great orc would grow weary of such a minor prize and turn that way instead. On the dawn of the twenty-fifth day however a concentrated barrage by the greenskin warmachines and siege engines broke the eastern gatehouse and so enraged that he had been so long delayed, the Ironclaw lead the final assault personally. The young Count Eldred waited for the Ironclaw with the few knights he could assemble as his guard. No exact account exists of the battle between the orc warlord and the late count save that the Ironclaw again proved victorious. The Runefang fell into the hands of the Ironclaw and though it was a hated piece of dwarf crafted steel and gromril, it was a reminder to the great warlord the strength of men. Possession of the mighty weapon was a far greater slight to heirs of Sigmar than the destruction of their cities and the utmost testament to the power of Gorbad Ironclaw.

The Union of Solland and Wissenland


Famous Regiments
Knights of the Shining Sword   
The Knights of the Shining Sword are the spiritual inheritors of a much older Knightly Order, The Order of the Southern Sword. In the wake of Gorbad’s devastations much of the martial tradition of Solland was lost. One of the few military units to escape this fate was the Order of the Southern Sword, Solland’s oldest Knightly Order. Since its founding in the first millennium the Order had been the champions of the province and protectors of the Menogoth line. Much of the Order was slain during Gorbad’s invasion including the Order’s chief officers and inner circle during the siege of Pfieldorf. Following Solland’s dissolution as a province, the Order’s remaining knights chose to stay on with the Counts of Wissenland and in the last centuries of the second millennium were the most prestigious formation in all of Wissenland’s armed forces. Despite their loyalty to their new lord, the Order dreamed of a day when once again the Runefang of Solland was in the hands of men, a new Elector crowned and Solland’s honor restored. Sadly the Order was annihilated by an incursion of undead in the late 20th century, leaving their visions of Solland’s rebirth unfulfilled.
   Ironically little more than a century would pass after the destruction of the Order until the Solland Runefang was indeed recovered. A party of treasure hunters, consisting to both dwarfs and men, pursued a rumor of the blade’s resting place in the Black Mountains. The blade had become part of a chimera’s hoard and after slaying the beast the party returned triumphantly to the Empire. The expedition’s leader, a disgraced knight from an unknown Order, used the sizeable reward and fame to found his own order of knights. It is unknown what motives inspired the knight but the Order he created drew heavily on the traditions of the old Order of the Southern Sword.

Solland Archers
Whilst most of the famed archer regiments hail from the more arboreal northern provinces of the Empire, Solland was one of the few southern province which retained an archery tradition. Pfeildorf was once an important hub for the production war bows and their accoutrements but the marginalization of bows Imperial service along with the deterioration of the woodlands required for their production has seen a steady decline. Outside of Hochland however, Pfeildorf bowyers are considered the finest in the Empire. To this end most regiments of archers and huntsmen raised for the service of the Count of Wissenland are entirely raised from bowmen found in old Solland. Though they are no longer independent these troops are still rightly respected and up until the construction of Wissenland’s network of border forts were solely responsible for the defense of southern borders.   
Title: Re: extras
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:39:47 PM
Cult of Ulric
Head of the Order: Ar-Ulric Emil Valgeir
Center of Worship: Middenheim
Holy Texts: The Book of the Wolf (Liber Lupus), Ulric Creed

The Cult of Ulric is one of the most ancient cults of the Empire. As God of War, the worship of Ulric and the blessings of his priests were of utmost importance to the warlike tribes that founded the Empire. Sigmar himself was a follower of Ulric and during his coronation as Emperor it was the Ar Ulric that placed the crown upon Sigmar’s head. The Ulrican faith has remained a major power in the political and religious life of the Empire since. However with the growth of the Sigmarite faith, the Cult of Ulric’s influence is much reduced, particularly in the southern and western provinces. Only in Middenheim does the Cult of Ulric still enjoy spiritual supremacy.

Organization.
The Cult of Ulric is made up of two heavily intertwined orders: The Holy Order of the Howling Wolf and The Order of Knights of the White Wolf.  A number of smaller, Templar Orders are also attached to the cult but are highly regional and play little part in overall Cult operation. As a warrior god, Ulric has little interest in

The Holy Order of the Howling Wolf
makes up the orders priesthood. The head of this Order and the entire Cult is the Ar-Ulric. From his seat in Middenheim, the Ar-Ulric administers primarily to the maintenance of the Cult’s position within the Empire. The great temples of Ulric are looked after by the Cult’s High Priests. When the incumbent Ar-Ulric dies it is the duty of the High Priest to elect a new Ar-Ulric from one of their members. Though there are a number of High-Priests who are not Middenlanders, none have ever been elected to the position of Ar-Ulric. Lesser priests oversee smaller shrines and temples and are sometimes referred to as Denfathers. The lowest level of priests are the initiates in the order.
    Denfathers political position

The Order of Knights of the White Wolf
Grandmaster: Rein Volkhard
No other cult enjoys the same level of integration with its templars as that of the Cult of Ulric. The Order’s Grandmaster is ranked directly below the Ar Ulric in the Cults hierarchy. Though he has no power over religious doctrine, the Grandmaster does vote with the High Priests to decide the new Ar-Ulric when the post is vacant. The primary duty of the Grandmaster is to manage the deployment of the Orders knights.
   Militarily, the Order is organized into a number of companies, captained by their own Seneschal. These vary drastically in size from being anywhere from a handful of Templars to several dozen. Each and every Ulrican holy site is protected by a compliment of Templars and those of particular importance may even be guarded by several companies. The most prestigious companies are the five Great Companies of Middenheim each of which bears the name of a color, Red, White, Grey, Gold and Silver.    
   In addition to be an integral part of the Ulrican Cult, the Knights of White Wolf are the oldest and largest Knightly Order in all of the Empire. Ancient texts refer to the bodyguards of the early Emperors, Sigmar included, as being known as the White Wolves.
   Membership in the Knights of White Wolf is not limited to only sons of the nobility much like most of the other Knightly Orders of the Empire. Ulric does not care about the class of the applicant merely whether the applicant is a skilled and faithful warrior. The Order is not however without its prejudices. Ulric was the patron god of the Teutogens and many in the Order feel that the order should be indicative of this fact. While non-Middenlanders are welcome to join the order very few ever earn the right to join the prestigious Wolf Companies of Middenheim and none can expect, baring saving the life of the Ar-Ulric, to be chosen to join the Teutogen Guard. As class may make little difference in joining the ranks of the order ascension to a position of leadership for those of common birth is extremely rare.

The Lesser Cults
By no means is it to say that the other Cults of the Empire are ‘truly’ lesser than the Cults of Sigmar and Ulric but more that those two Cults have tended to dominate the Imperial religious life. With this domination has come political power which in turn has fueled greater domination, so much so that in parts of the Reikland and Stirland it is not uncommon for a Priest of Sigmar to perform burials and adjudicate minor legal disputes.

Taal and Rhya
Despite being one of the largest Cults indigenous to the Empire, the dual Cult of Taal and Rhya has surprisingly little power. The Cult has never been very particular about strict rules of hierarchy or on official doctrine, Priests of each province larger follow customs past down for generations by the previous priest that instructed them as initiates. Nominally the heads of the Cult are based in Talabheim, Taal’s holiest place, but they have little power beyond Talabecland and the north Empire. Reikland, Wissenland, and particularly the Stirland Cult branches are particularly resistant from outside influence.
To a degree, the Cult limited influence is its own making. When Emperor Magnus reforged the Empire and established the current Electors, it is rumored overtures were extended toward the Hierarchs of the Cult of Taal to become a Spiritual Elector of the Empire. For whatever reason the Cult leaders declined and only the Arch-Lectors and the Ar-Ulric were added. 

Morr
The worship of Morr has been part of the Empire since its founding but it is in the Tilean city of Luccini that the Cult has its center of worship. Priest of Morr are not overly particular about organization and while all owe fealty to the High Temple in Luccini it meddles little in local affairs. Cult practices are generally similar and are kept to an orthodox by a ecumenical council which convenes every seven years.
The greatest influence by those that are adherents to the God of the Dead are the Knightly Orders which are common on the borders of Sylvania

Verena
Priests and Priestesses of Verena are considered the highest authority on law

Shallaya
Misery and suffering are everywhere and so too are the Priestess of Shallaya. Most Imperial towns have at least a small temple dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy which tend to the ill or as flop houses for the itinerant.

Myrimidia
Ever a popular God to Officers and General’s, Myrimidia has little presense in the Empire beyond various Knightly Orders dedicated to the Goddess. Major cities, those with large numbers of Tilean and Estalian expatriates in particular

Ranald
The trickster God of luck and thieves has little to no established shrines in the Empire, at least not those that are know


Chapter Ten
Institutions of the Empire

The Colleges of Magic

As a portion of their charter, all Orders are required to provide Imperial armies the service of a number of Magisters. These numbers are increased during times of war and crisis but during relative peace most Magisters are free to pursue their own personal interests or more often those of their order.

The Bright Order: Thyrus Gorman
Members of the Bright Order a masters of the wind

The Amber Order: Setenta Lobas
The Jade Order: Tochter Grunfeld
The Celestial Order: Raphael Julevno
The Light Order: Verspasian Kant
The Gold Order: Belthasar Gelt
The Grey Order: Reiner Starke
The Amenthyst Order: Viggo Hexensohn   

Title: Re: knightly orders
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:40:14 PM
The Knightly Orders
   It is the goal of most of the Empire’s warlike nobleman to become a member of one the great Knightly Orders of the Empire. Some are motivated out of religious conviction and are drawn to one of the many Templar Orders, serving their chosen god through both martial and spiritual means. The vast majority are drawn to the Empire’s many secular orders which often grants them prestige, glory, and a place in one of the most exclusive societies of the realm. There is no set size for a Knightly Order as some number a handful of knights while others boast hundreds. The majority of Knightly Orders are small and often recruited from a single province.

Major Empire Based Templar Orders
   Most of the large Knightly Orders of the Empire are Templar Orders. Religious convictions are less confining than political boundaries and suitable candidates for these Orders can be drawn from any part of the Empire and sometimes beyond. In addition most Templar Orders are in part bank rolled by the Cult of their patron deity or at least can rely on the generous donations from pious benefactors.
   Selection for Knights to join a Templar order is far more rigorous than that of a secular one. Young noblemen with some service in the Pistol Korps should have no expectation to ever being accepted directly as a brother knight in a Templar Order and in fact such service might often preclude an aspirant knight entry. Joining a Templar Order requires years of training both in martial and religious instruction and is for the most part started when the youth is in their early teens. Methods vary from order to order but many still require a long period of apprenticeship as a squire in order to be eligible for elevation to full Knighthood. Veteran Knights subject to some sort of religious experience are generally also not immediately accepted as brother knights either unless suitable religious education is conducted. Exceptions do happen however and particularly in cases for those that have been part of important holy miracles.

Knights of the Everlasting Light
Religious Affiliation: Verena
Headquarters: Essen (Ostermark)
Largest Chapter House: Altdorf
Grandmaster: Sigismund Drak
Livery: Dark Blue, Yellow, and White
Heraldic Designs: Candles

   Verena is not an indigenous deity to the Empire. Common folk in the remote regions of the Empire have little dealings with the Cult of Verena for they are in little need of scholarship and can often do without the meddling of judges and lawyers. Nobles and burghers have time for the abstract ideas to which Verena is a patron and the following of the cult has mainly been limited to the major cities of the Empire. Here Verenian Clergy endorse learning and culture as well as codify and moderate the sometimes esoteric laws of the Empire. It is the latter aspect, Goddess of Justice, that Verena attracted the more militant members of her Cult to form the Knights of the Everlasting Flame. The great ballads of the Old World are filled with tales virtuous knights who go about the world punishing those that would break or bend the law to their own gain and defending the righteous. Such idealism has little place in the real world but to youthful nobles it is a powerful force.
   The Knights of the Everlasting Light are the largest Order of Verenian Templars in the Empire. Every province of the Empire has some tale that involves the Order, often fighting at impossible odds, to preserve one community or another from the injustices the world is wont to lay upon them. These stories contribute to prestige and mystique of the Order and while a peasant may have little use for the Goddess herself, her Templars are thought of fondly. Their fame and idyllic cause attracts a large number of recruits eager to make a name and perhaps a ballad for themselves. Unfortunately for many of these aspirant Knights, the Order is cursed.
   

Knights of the Blazing Sun
Religious Affiliation: Myrimadia
Headquarters: Carroburg (Middenland)
Largest Chapter House: Talabheim
Grandmaster: Seigfried Trappenfeld
Livery: Black and Yellow
Heraldic Designs: Suns
   Not the largest organization of Myrimidian Templars, the Knights of the Blazing Sun are by far the most wealthy and famous. When the crusades began, the Order was just another secular order of knights among the multitude that answered the call to aid Estalia against the Arabian invasion. The knights played a key role in the siege of the city of Magritta and found divine inspiration when a great statue of Myrimadia crushed Arabian forces poised to overrun the Knights position.  Since that day the order has been fervent Myrimadians, offering praise to the southern war goddess above all northern gods. The wealth of the Order does not lie in their piety but their pledge to provide pilgrims free passage from the Empire to Estalia and Tilea.
   Most Myrimadian holy sites lie in the south of the old world and Merchants are more than willing to donate to the order for escort service to go on ‘pilgrimages’ to visit these sites. In addition to military escort, the Knights of the Blazing Sun offer letters of credit to pilgrims seeking to go to southern holy sites. For a minimal payment of tribute, the investment of the would be pilgrim is insured by the Order that upon reaching their destination they will receive in full the desired amount left safe with the Orders holdings.

Sons of Manann
Religious Affiliation: Manann
Headquarters: Salzenmund
Grandmaster (Grand Admiral): Hrofil Halfdane
Livery: Light Blue and White
Heraldic Designs: Tridents and Manann’s Crown
   The Sons of Manann represent one of the Empire’s most unorthodox Knightly Orders. Originally drawn from the nobility of coastal Nordland and Ostland, the Order has for centuries operated a number of fortress monasteries along the coast of the northern Empire. Before the advent of the Nordland (Imperial) Second Fleet, the Order was responsible for protecting much of the Empire’s northern coast from pirates, wreckers, and Norscan raiders. With Marienburg’s secession from the Empire a century ago, the Order was put in the difficult position of either supporting their Cult leaders in Marienburg or remaining true to the Empire. Ultimately the Order chose to back the Empire and has been diminishing since. Angry at their disloyalty, the Cult of Manaan expelled the Order from Marienburg and supplanted their position as the preeminent Order of Manaan’s Templars with the Knights Mariner. Separated from the wealth and prestige of the Cult, the Order soon found it harder to maintain the Order’s estates and find new squires. Once the Imperial Navy commissioned a second fleet to be stationed in Nordland new initiate numbers dropped even further. Today advancement in the Order is easy when compared to other Orders even among those of low birth. Provided the initiate exhibits a sincere and deep held piety, even the highest echelons of the Order are within reach, case in point, the Order’s current Grand Admiral, Hrofil Halfdane.  A Norscan by birth, Hrofil joined the Order after a storied career as a mercenary. Shipwrecked in the midst of the Sea of Claws, Hrofil pledged himself to whatever deity would spare him the inglorious death of drowning. Days later, he washed up in front of one the Sons of Manaan’s Chapter Houses. Seeing it as a sign from his new patron, Hrofil promptly joined the Order.  In the twenty years since, Hrofil has proven, through both his considerable martial talent and ardent faith in Manaan, himself worthy of election to the Order’s highest rank.
   The Sons of Manann predominantly serve as marines aboard the vessels of the Order’s modest navy. In order to supplement their income, some Order ships have taken to attaching themselves to Imperial and take shares from any collected prize money or seized cargo. This concerns many of the older Knights in the order since such actions are at times more akin to piracy then the policing role to which the Order is dedicated. Close ties with the Count of Nordland also mean the Order is often called upon to aid the Count in various conflicts. When fighting on land, the Knights still carry cutlasses to represent their naval heritage and are mounted upon white horses in armor with strong sea motifs. The Knights strive to appear as the unbridled force of one of Manann’s great tidal waves an effect often not lost on opponents. In keeping with their Gods imagery, the Sons of Manann are known to alter their lances by adding trident heads in honor of Manann’s own mighty trident, Sea Reaper. 


Other Notable Orders Present in the Empire by Faith
Taalite Templars
The Longshanks: More ranger than Knight, the members of this order are dedicated to preserving the wild places dedicated to Taal and are more adept with bows then they are with the lance.

Morrian Templars
 Black Guard: Headquartered out of Luccini, these Knights are the silent guardians of sites sacred to the Death god. The Black Guard are also entrusted by the cult with the duty of pursuing and destroying any Priest of Morr that falls to heresy or necromancy. While it is the primary order of Templars for the Morrian Cult, the Order is not particularly popular as it is more aimed at defense of Cult sites and clergy. In the Empire the more militant Orders tend to attract the majority of those Knights wishing to enter the service of Morr.
Knights of the Black Rose: Morrian Templars that play the political game far too much for the cults leaders. They have been found in the service of the Electors of Talabecland and Stirland and their ultimate fealty, beyond Morr of course, is unknown.
Order of Raven Knights: Owners of a number of estates in eastern Stirland, including the entire village of Sigfriedhof and its famous Abbey of St. Aethelbert the Vigiliant, the Raven Knights are dedicated to containing and hopefully one day destroying the undead that still menace Sylvania. The Order has very good relations with any other order espousing similar aims, particularly Sigmarite Orders.

Myrimidia


Sigmarite Templars
Knights of Sigmar’s Blood: Famous hunters of Beastmen and Mutants, the Order has perhaps the most strict monastic vows of all Sigmarite Templar Orders.
Knights of the Hammer: Armed with cavalry hammers, the order is often derided by Ulircans as ersatz White Wolves.
Knights of the Jade Griffon: The order seeks a great deal of redemption after the defection of one of its Seneschals, Alkelod Hellbrass, to the service of Chaos
Knights of the Twin Tailed Orb: The Order wields Flails shaped like the comet of Sigmar in combat over lances or hammers

Ulrican Templars
Ragnarites: Jaded and hardened northerners, these Ulrican Templars emphasize the uncompromising nature of the Winter God. The Order has some following in the northern Empire but is largely based on a number of southern Norcan converts who are used to such harsh demands by their gods.

Major Secular Orders
By sheer number, secular Orders are more prevalent than that of Templar Orders in the Empire. Secular Orders however do not garner the same political clout or prestige of the religious counterparts and are for the most part relegated to at best regional interests. The exceptions to this are the great Orders from the crusades, mainly the Knights Panther but to a lesser extent the Knights of the Golden Lion and the Knights Jaguar as well. Steeped in centuries of tradition and appealing to the spirit of adventure in some of the nobility, these orders have managed to survive whilst others have disappeared or been relegated to little more than honorable drinking societies.


The Knights Panther
Headquarters: Carroburg
Largest Chapter House: Talabheim   
Grandmaster: Baron Heinrich von Torlichhelm
Livery: Blue and Yellow
Heraldic Devices: Panthers of all sorts

Founded during the era of the Crusades, the Knights Panther are one of the most renowned Knightly Orders of the Empire and many Imperial youths dream of one day being a member. Having chapter houses spread throughout the Empire, the Knights Panther are most heavily concentrated in Middenland, Talabecland, and Reikland.
   Though a secular Order, the Knights Panther have not been able to avoid the political wrangling of the Sigmarite and Ulrican Cults. The Order has long sent that most Chapter Houses offer shrines to Sigmar, Ulric, and even Myrimidia but tensions between brother knights of rival confessions have at times grown high. Baron von Torlichhelm, the Order’s current Grandmaster, was elected to the position by his peers not only for his martial skills but that he was a man well versed in soothing squabbles not only between brothers of the order but as liaison to the White Wolves in Middenheim.
   The influence and political power of the Order have come at a price and in recent years the Knights have suffered a number of scandals. In truth only a handful of the scandals have ever been officially censured on the part of the Imperial government but there are rumblings as to what the Order manages to hide. The very public corruption scandal of the Light College of Magic has only added fuel to this fire what with the long standing relationship between the Knights Panther and the Hierophants of the White Order. Of late the Order has become increasingly active in aiding the militant branches of the various Imperial Cults in combating cultists, necromancers, mutants, and rogue magicians. In Middenheim additional squadrons of Knights Panther rotate through and serve alongside the White Wolves during purges of the beastmen of the Drakwald. It is even encourage by some Seneschals and Preceptors that these units, should they slay particularly fierce monsters to adorn their armor with these pelts as well as those of the more traditional panthers and other noble cats.

Title: Re: kislev
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:41:04 PM
Sons of Ursun The Czardom of Kislev
Current Ruler: Czarina Katarina Bohka “The Ice Queen”
Heraldic Devices:

While Kislev is not part of the Empire the connection between Imperials and Kislevites is greater than between any other human nations. Trips through any major city within the Empire will most likely include a run in with a Kislev expatriate.

The People
Unlike the people of the Empire, the horsemen of Kislev are not descended from the migration of peoples that crossed the lands of the Dwarfs in the millennium before the rise of Sigmar.  As there were few Dwarf holds in the northern reaches of the mountains, there is little recorded history for the era and all scholars have to go on is the folk tales and legends of the Kislevites themselves.
At some point in far antiquity there was a great and mighty steppe people called the Scythians. They were masters of all the northern steppes from western Kislev, across the northern plains of the Zorn Uzkul and even to the steppes where now reside the marauders known as the Krugan. A savage and bellicose people, the Scythians warred amongst themselves and their neighbors erecting great barrows to honor their greatest kings. The Scythians were also skilled metal workers crafting some of the finest swords made by men as well as exquisite jewelry which their great lords bore into the afterlife as part of their barrow hoards. Much like their environment, their religion was harsh. Nature spirits demanded appeasement and only through sacrifice, often human, could the world be soothed. What fate these ancients, none now know. However even the most terse survey of the traditions of the steppe tribes of the north suggests the continuation of many long lasting customs from Ungol to Kul or Gospodar to Dolgan.


The Ruling House
The House of Bohka which rules Kislev has overseen an era wjicj Kislev had corrected itself from years mismanagement following the Great War on Chaos. From the early 24th century on Kislev was either ruled directly or dominated by a Vampiric Queen. This “Katarin the Great” as her historians dubbed her was only overthrown in during the mid 25th century and the Bohka rulesrs have tried their best to remodel the Kislev state, The works of Alexi Bohka are overlooked compared to his far more extensive changes enacted by his energetic son Boris ‘the Red’ Bohka. Since the mid 25th century Kislev has been creating a standing army, facilities for manufacturing of fire arms and more modern administration modeled on Imperial lines. This modernization has not come at a cultural price either. Czar Boris recognized the importance of Imperial military innovations but was a very staunch supporter of Gospodar religious tradition. Since the Great War on Chaos the gods of the Old World had held increasingly greater sway among the populace of Kislev. Ulric in particular. Boris single handedly revived the Cult of Ursun, the bear god of the Gospodars.


Religion
Kislevites are relatively religious people though since the beginning of the reign of the Bohka Czars people that are increasingly so. Following the Great War in 2305, much like Kislevs political climate, following of the old Cult of Kislev fell into decline. The triumph of Magnus and his Sigmarite force brought over a large number of converts to the Sigmarite faith. Many other Imperial Cults, seeing the Sigmarites successes, followed suit.  Kislev cities and towns, predominately those of the south, saw new temples built dedicated to foreign gods a turn of events the Czars of the period had little interest in reversing.   

Important Towns
Kislev
Praag
Erengrad.
Erengrad is the most progressive city in Kislev, perhaps because it is the country’s only port city. Erengrad is above all famed for its large foundry that is second only to Nuln in the production of artillery pieces. Erengrad guns are nowhere near the scale of the Great Cannons and Culiverns produced by the Nuln foundries, but have a very good market amoung naval vessels that desire greater power to weight ratio. In addition Kislev’s entire stock of firearms are produced by the smiths of the Erengrad Foundry. Sterletsi formations may be a new wing of the Kislev military but Erengrad Engineers have long prepared for the greater implementation of the match lock and harquebus into the Kislev army

Military
Since the reign of the first Bohka Czar, Kislev’s military has been subject to a massive overhaul.
As a nation on the steppes, the bulk of Kislev’s military has always been and continues to be, predominately based on cavalry. These formations range from the unruly Ungol nomads from the farthest depths of the north steppe to the elite Palace Guard in Kislev itself. The core of this force however is comprised of two arms; the Winged Lancer rotas drawn from the Gospodar or Gospodarized stanitsa and the Horse Archers recruited from the Ungol stanitsa
Among the most unprecedented of Boris’s reforms was the expansion of the register of Kossars. When the Gospodars conquered the Ungols, the Kossars were a tribe of Ungol who fought for the invader over their hereditary king, preferring to fight on foot with axe and bow. As reward for their service, these tribesmen were granted special tax and settlement status within the Czardom of Kislev, a position made hereditary through continued military service. Early Kislevite rulers had little administrative ability and the position became used in designating slightly more professional foot troops over the traditional ad hoc levies.  Greatly admiring the professional regiments of the Empire, Czar Boris hoped to create similar formations but with a heavy dose of Kislev traditionalism.
War bears –eat criminals-military funerals

Famous Regiments
Erengrad Kossars Gun naming- Beardish and Gunne badge

Gryphon Legion

Palace Guard

Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 05:41:59 PM
I won't finish this stuff anytime soon so here is the random crap I had already written some years ago. My official posts need a lot of editing these will be even worse
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: GamesPoet on May 07, 2020, 06:08:22 PM
Thank you for posting your efforts.  I will read them in their entirety at some point. :icon_cool: :::cheers:::

Have read the bit on Solland already. Very well written. :icon_biggrin: :eusa_clap:
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on May 07, 2020, 06:38:30 PM
Solland lament is one of my better bits since it marries the much better local traditions of Black Library books with that of the boring and awful account in the official fluff.

My dream was also to include this boards Solland story bit but I only got to the history writing
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: GamesPoet on May 07, 2020, 07:15:45 PM
I once started writing a synopsis of the Solland Effort of 2524, and probably need to finish it at some point.  That story campaign was such a bunch of fun to create with the teamwork of the other folks involved.  It really deserves a synopsis, and perhaps even putting together all the story work into a single paper as well.

It takes place after 2522, the last year used by GW during the last few editions of WFB, and during what one timeline was calling the Dark Years, intended for after the Storm of Chaos fluff.  It story campaign also used information from Madalfred's site ... a map and list of the communities in Wissenland and the Border Princes.  And we also included Wissenlander's fluff town as well.  For my own personal fluff, it included actions taken by one of my characters prior to his involvement with the war in Araby told in the Animosity 3 campaign.

And it of course all takes place in along a line or alternative version of the Olde World where certain destruction of the Olde World doesn't really take place, and there is no such thing as Warhammer: AoS.  :icon_mrgreen: :icon_lol:
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Zygmund on May 08, 2020, 07:06:39 AM
Oh... Wow!  :icon_eek:  :eusa_clap: :eusa_clap: :eusa_clap:

That's some real effort!  :smile2:

Thanks for sharing.

-Z
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: wdv331 on June 19, 2020, 12:33:00 AM
you got the sons of manaan and knights mariner mixed up, the sons still serve and reside in marienburg while the mariners serve nordland, other than that awesome thread!
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on June 19, 2020, 01:53:27 AM
you got the sons of manaan and knights mariner mixed up, the sons still serve and reside in marienburg while the mariners serve nordland, other than that awesome thread!

Not per the WHFRP 2 Tome of Salvation.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: wdv331 on August 05, 2020, 04:06:32 AM
I'm referring to the number of books about the Sons of Manann and one Erkhart Dubnitz by Josh Reynolds for citing the Sons as being in Marienburg.

Additionally where is the lore for the The Red Talons from? Are they Tilean crossbowmen?

Also did you ever finish/continue working on your stuff from the winter is coming blog? You have some of if not the best ideas/conversions I've ever seen over there!

PS this guide is a great culmination of lore for each province
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Fidelis von Sigmaringen on August 05, 2020, 07:59:49 AM
What SOF says.

Tome of Salvation p. 33: "The Knights Mariner is an order of templar-marines based in Marienburg, where they both guard the high temple, and protect the city and its fleets. The knights are controlled by the matriarch, through the grand master. The Knights Mariner are highly trained marines and sailors, and maintain their own sizeable fleet of warships which they use to keep the surrounding seas free from pirates and other raiders."

Tome of Salvation p. 208: "The Sons of Manann are the most numerous of all of Manann’s knightly orders, although they lack the prestige and wealth of their great rivals, the Knights Mariner. The Sons of Manann are ill-thought of by the leadership of the cult of Manann in Marienburg, often derided as land-lubbers and viewed as lapdogs to the Emperor. Whilst most would disagree on principal, it is certainly true that the Sons of Manann look far more towards Altdorf than Marienburg, and their chapterhouses are almost exclusively found within the Empire."

Their Primary Chapter House is in Salkalten, Nordland.

But as remarked before, Warhammer fluff is often inconsistent and contradictory.

As far as I can tell, most if not all of the information on the Red Talons comes from Marienburg Sold Down the River, where their Captain is named as Jacopo d'Arrezzo.   

Marienburg Sold Down the River, p. 48: "Myrmidia is especially popular with the Tileans of the Company of the Red Talons, mercenaries first hired after the Directorate was established to provide the garrison of Rijker's Isle."

It is not specifically stated that they are crossbowmen, but one might deduce this from "As far as the prisoners are concerned, the mercenaries are distant figures high up on the walls, unless they happen to be pointing their crossbows down into the courtyard"  (o.c. p. 127).
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on August 07, 2020, 01:03:10 AM
Also did you ever finish/continue working on your stuff from the winter is coming blog? You have some of if not the best ideas/conversions I've ever seen over there!

Not me I'm afraid. I have some Westronians (Brets painted in Westros House colors) but never been to said Winter is Coming blog.

Also the Sons of Manann is just short stories right never a proper Josh Reynolds novel?
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: wdv331 on August 07, 2020, 01:28:57 AM
The Knights of Manann and Erkhart Dubnitz play a major role in the full length Josh Reynolds novel Knights of the Blazing Sun, and their isn't a long form novel about them but Bernheimer's gun around 75-80+ pages is a novella and four other short stories ranging in length from around 30-55 pages can be found in the Knights of the Empire omnibus all penned by Reynolds of course, I highly recommend them all!
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on August 07, 2020, 02:28:32 AM
The Knights of Manann and Erkhart Dubnitz play a major role in the full length Josh Reynolds novel Knights of the Blazing Sun, and their isn't a long form novel about them but Bernheimer's gun around 75-80+ pages is a novella and four other short stories ranging in length from around 30-55 pages can be found in the Knights of the Empire omnibus all penned by Reynolds of course, I highly recommend them all!

I read Knights of the Blazing Sun, enjoyed the homage that Knights of the Blazing Sun are both Templars (line of credit per WHFRP) and the Teutonic Knights (profitable land management).

So yes it is in Knights of the Empire then, I've considered picking that up save for my death of the Old World malaise.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: wdv331 on August 14, 2020, 01:18:35 AM
The Old World will forever live in our hearts and minds my friend!
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on August 16, 2020, 11:13:18 PM
Soon I will have the new edition "directors cut" of the start of the Enemy Within Campaign for the 4 edition of WHFRP so maybe I might work more on Reikland.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Tyvaldr on September 09, 2023, 07:48:10 PM
Hello!  I like your text and I want to make a pdf in the style of the wfrp2 books.
Any comments on the choice of cover?
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on September 09, 2023, 10:05:39 PM
Hello!  I like your text and I want to make a pdf in the style of the wfrp2 books.
Any comments on the choice of cover?

I would prefer it not, it needs a lot of editing before it could be thrown into anything that would warrant a cover.
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: Tyvaldr on September 09, 2023, 10:40:00 PM
maybe a draft of a book?  You've inspired me to try and draw a map of Drakwald and a coat of arms.
(https://i.ibb.co/9TQhqRK/Screenshot-2023-09-10-03-35-50-966-ru-yandex-disk-edit.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/CsYfkvH/Drakwald-map3b.png) (https://ibb.co/CsYfkvH)
Title: Re: WIP Guide to the Empire:
Post by: S.O.F on September 10, 2023, 10:25:45 PM
You might want to have a look at the  Inferno short story used as a source  (https://grognard.org.uk/WFRP2/Supplements/The%20Battle%20of%20Kislev.pdf). YOu would be looking for something more of the heraldric style thistles with some more modern Warhammerie style flurishes. Again my work was more to square the disparate scraps across many sources for what we knew of the Empire. This has grown even deeper now with the additional information WHFRP 4 has brought out, I will pick up another round of those source books this fall most likely Salzenmund looks intriguing.

But alas Land of the Hammer is best left as scraps here on this site rather than bundled up into a PDF.