It was a really fun and interesting play-through. Had lots of drama. After I kicked the secessionists to the curb, Orcs from Massif Orcal (in bretonnia) kept invading and attacking my mountain fort, trying to get into the Reikland for plunder! I took Karl with a full stack and a General of the Empire with half a stack (mostly archers as I didn't have powder units yet) to set up ambushes near the fort to intercept them. They started getting keen on this and went through the mountain passes controlled by Marienburg to the north and the Bad Moons clan to the south. After squashing their incursions, I was able to finally get some mortars. The Bretonnians just outside my fort, Parravon, were being a bit passive aggressive, not sanctioning military access through. So I decided to take Karl and friends illegally through Parravon (who didn't have any friends, so no worries ticking anyone else off). I marched straight to Massif Orcal and ended the orc faction there, taking it for myself. It was at this point I took notice of the rest of the empire.
The Vampire factions of Vlad and Mannfred has devastated the east. Averland was down to a nothing but their capital, Gelt was also pushed back to his last province in Solland, Stirland lost the Moot and his eastern settlements, Talabecland lost half of their territories including their capital, Ostermark lost their south, Middenland was mopping up his own orc problem, Hochland was sending armies to the south to help the other Elector Counts, Ostland was fighting clan Moulder and taking territories from Kislev that the rat-men rightly stole, and Marienburg expanded into the norther mountain pass and took the Bretonnian provinces of Artois and Bastonne. Wissenland largely just kept to themselves, but was fighting bad moon clan goblins in the mountains with some Dwarf allies. So long story short, the Empire is a mess, and they need their emperor.
I decided to declare on Pavarron and conquered them on my way back to Reikland so I could get some extra cash and fill my second stack with a decent army. All the while doing whatever political maneuvering I can with the EC to increase my Imperial Authority so I could get them in position to confederate. As I marched south to assist Gelt in Solland, Averland fell. I was able to ambush Isabella on the border of Solland and Averland, but as I encamped to replenish my men, my companion General scouted to the south where Vlad's armies had taken the mountain pass fort. He got in over his head and was ambushed by Vlad himself and destroyed. I ordered a new army formed in the Reikland to come and support me while I played cat and mouse with Vlad's armies in Solland. I confederated Gelt and what was left of Solland. Gelt took up the cat and mouse game so Karl could return to the Reikland. Karl then marched back to the Reikland to replenish, recruit a couple of units of Carroburg Greatswords, and link up with my new General and Volkmar who decided to tag along with no army, just to level up. The new General of the Empire, Schmid (forgot his first name) would end up being the greatest hero of the Empire by the end of all this.
Now that Karl has regroup, the Reiklanders started to push back Mannfred (Manny) out of Talabecland and return those settlements to their EC, Helmut Feuerbach. Meanwhile Gelt was able to demolish Vlad's armies in Solland and Averland, just keeping them busy so they couldn't help Manny. This Then a great thing happened! I confederated Middenland!
Toddy has entered the game! After reorganizing his army, Toddy marched to Talabheim where he would link up with Volkmar and Schmid. Karl split off to assist Gelt in Solland/Averland. Toddy and Schmid pushed out Manny out of Talabecland, Ostermarch and Stirland. These three Vampire crusaders would take them all the way to Waldenhof. Meanwhile Karl and Gelt took back Averland, and a wonderful thing happened. I had the ability to reinstate the Averland EC! So I did and Marius Leitdorf was back on the map with Averland. Sadly Hochland was also in the area and had conquered half of Averland himself, so it would not be returned to Marius until I could confederate both of them. Karl and Gelt pushed Vlad back to Sylvannia, freeing the Moot and conquering all of Sylvannia! Schmid led the final battle of Castle Drakenhof and won. The Vampires were no longer pestering the Empire! Volkmar was made into Sylvannia's EC and took up residence in Castle Drakenhof to slowly build an army of flagellants. Before the final stroke was struck, Dawfs in the Bretonnian mountains finished off Heinrich Kemmler and then declared war on me by siding with Manny. WTF! I raised a quick army in Reikland to repel their raids until Gelt could arrive and help destroy them.
I had Schmid and Karl move northwards with the intention of killing the skaven infesting Mordheim and claim it for the Empire, while Toddy, Gelt, and my new Western Army prepared to declare war on Marienburg. Since Marienburg are not party of the EC I cannot confederate them, so they'll be brought back into the Imperial Fold by force! Before I could declare war, A CHAOS INCURSION HAPPENED! Rising in the frozen east, the hordes of chaos has arrived! I left the Western Army to protect the west while Toddy, Gelt, and Volkmar hurried across the Empire to assist. I confederated Talabecland too, so Helmut Feuerbach tagged along too. The rally point was Zvastra (hope I'm spelling that right). Since ti would be some time before they could arrive, Karl and Schmid headed toward the eastern mountains. In order to claim Ghal Maraz, I needed to win 3 battles against greenskin so I could unlock the quest battle to get it for Karl. Azhag just so happened to be in the vicinity. I declared war and conquered his lands (h had one province left, thanks to Ungrim Ironfist), completed the quest battle and now Karl has
the Warhammer! Karl Linked up with the rest of the war host and marched toward Kislev. Kislev, Ostland, and Ostermarch were putting up a great defense, but we tipped the scales. Ouside the ruins of Praag we fought several battles and pushed back the Warriors of Chaos and the Warherds of Chaos. The Warheards escaped and went north into the tundra, the Warriors managed to kill Helmut and disappeared with a single lord back into the chaos wastes. Talabecland needed a new EC. I gave the honor to Schmid, and bestowed him the title of Elector Count of Talabecland and bearer of the runefang Stone Breaker.
Karl, Schmid, and Volkmar headed west of Kislev and with the help of a Witch Hunter, discovered the warrens of Clan Moulder. The rest of the war host (along with Stirland's newly confederated EC) headed west to prepare with a Marienburg war. Karl, Schmid, and Volkmar fought Moulder and purged them from the land, taking their capital of Hellpit and renaming it Rats-End. The Western coalition declared war on Marienburg and ambushed his armies outside of Marienburg, severely hamstringing them. They then steam rolled over their holdings in the Wasteland, Atrois, and the nearly mountains. Back east, the warherds appeared and were harassing some bretonnians that took up residence in the north mountains. Karl and the gang was able to trap them and finish them off for all of 2 minutes before "dark winds from the east began to blow again." Archaon has arrived! I confederated Hochland and everyone began hurrying east to rally at Kislev. Karl and the gang was able to ambush Sigvald but then the Everchosen came and destroyed the Kislevite and Ostland armies. The western Armies arrives and Karl, Volkmar, Gelt and Schmid crept forward to get a sense of where the great enemy lurked. The rest of the armies stayed in reserve around Kislev, to block any flanking maneuver they may try. Archaon charged his armies at us, and attacked Schmid, but was supported in battle by Karl, Gelt and Volkmar. the armies fought bravely, but Count Schmid came through and threw down the Everchosen himself! The 4 armies suffered great casualties, but Archaon was defeated. Volkmar's entire army was obliterated and Volkmar was down to a single hit point! The rest of the armies were cut in half and many heroes and imperial agents were wounded or killed. They moved to Rats-end to recuperate, while Toddy lead the charge after the rest of the chaos forces into the wastes. They did not have to wait long before Crom the Conqueror outflanked them and cut them off with 3 additional stacks of chaos warriors and warherds. Toddy lead the charge and ended the threat of chaos forever! While Karl and the gang licked their wounds, a rogue warherd of chaos invaded from the north but they encircled and destroyed him easily. The great storm of chaos was no more.
I had made allies of the High Elves, Dwarfs, Bretonnians, and was able to secure all of my objectives for campaign objectives by this point...except I still needed to confederate Nordland, Ostland, and Ostermarch. It would take 40 turns to finally do that and win the game. During this new "Pax Imperialis" all the Elector Counts went back to their home provinces to rebuild their armies and build up their cities/settlements. It got boring after awhile, but some witch hunters got to gain the spot light of hunting down skaven and chaos agents for fun. The bordedom was really grinding, so it was time to have some fun. The Dwarfs asked for assistance in fighting off Grimgor's armies to the south. Gelt lead the armies of Solland, Wissenland, and Stirland and conquered Akendorf and Karaz-a-karak. Norsca walked through my territory and took Kislev, so I declared war on them. Volkmar lead a few armies to take Kislev and raze the norscan settlements in the north, along with Nordland after they were confederated. Clan Skryre was giving Estalia and Tilea some hard problems and they requested assistance. Karl, Toddy, Schmid, and a redshirt general marched to Skavenblight. Estalia was destroyed by the time we arrived, but we were able to take Tobaro and avoid the Bretonnians that were suffering from skaven plagues. Ikkit Claw managed to separate and ambush the redshirt general's army. Schmid lead the charge again with Toddy and Karl in tow and took Skavenblight and put Ikkit to death, ending Clan Skryre and earning him his griffon mount! Then I lucked out and confederated Ostland and Ostermark, ending the Mortal Empires campaign!
MVP award goes to General Schmid, the Elector Count of Talabecland, wielder of Mother's Ruin, Vampire's Bane, trouncer of the Everchosen, Slayer of Skaven, Sigmar's Liberator!
Those are all the broad strokes from the campaign. There was tons of agent actions, small battles, themed armies, and lots of other things I honestly don't even remember any more. Just wish that last 40 turns wasn't such a slog.
