When the High Elves left their great towers in the Old World, the land was abandoned to the Orcs, Goblins and savage Human tribes. In those distant times, the fathers of Men were nothing but fur-clad savages, barely distinguishable from Orcs in the eyes of the haughty Elves. It was the Dwarfs who recognised the potential of Humanity, first as trading partners, but eventually as allies against the Orcs that infested the land.
The Dwarfs taught the Human tribes the secrets of metallurgy and swordmaking and, as a result of trade and further Dwarf encouragement, primitive Men began to grow in strength and ambition.
SIGMAR
The many Human tribes remained divided until the time of Sigmar, the founder of the Empire and friend of the Dwarf king Kurgan Ironbeard. It was Sigmar who rescued Kurgan from the Orcs, and in honour of this valiant act the Dwarf king gave him the great warhammer Skull Splitter. For ever after the Emperor was known as Sigmar Heldenhammer and was accounted a true friend of the Dwarfs, the greatest honour a Dwarf can bestow. Sigmar united all the warring Human tribes under his rule and established the realm that is known today as the Empire.
TURBULENT TIMES
Sigmar's day was over two thousand years ago and since that time the Empire has survived many long and arduous wars. It has suffered Orc and Goblin invasions, the devastations of the Vampire Counts, and the dreaded incursions of Chaos armies. It has also endured periods of rebellion and anarchy within its own borders.
In all that time there have been many weak and disastrous Emperors, such as Boris Goldgather, and also many great conquerors, such as Magnus the Pious.
Despite times of changing fortune, even during its long periods of disunity and division, the Empire has always maintained its sense of identity as one land and one people, under the spiritual, if not actual, leadership of Sigmar, who is now accorded the status of patron god of his ancient realm.
REALM OF MAN
Today the Empire is the largest and most powerful of all the lands of Men. It stretches from the Grey Mountains and the borders of Bretonnia in the south to the Forest of Shadows and the land of Kislev in the north. Eastwards it is bounded by the Sea of Claws and the wilderness known as the Wasteland. Westwards the borderlands lie upon the foothills of the World's Edge Mountains.
Within the Empire's boundaries lie dark forests, mighty rivers and tall, forbidding mountains. For the most part these are wild and untamed, the refuge of evil creatures and brigands of all kinds. The real strength of the Empire lies in its sprawling cities and the lesser towns and farms that lie under their protection.
The Empire is a great commercial as well as military power, whose cities prosper in a new age of enlightenment and growth. In the busy markets, rich merchants jostle with scholars, and dour warriors rub shoulders with skilled artisans. In the deep harbours of Altdorf, ocean-going ships unload cargoes from all over the world. Altdorf is also the home of the Colleges of Magic, the foremost schools of sorcery in the Old World, and of the Imperial Zoo, which maintains a stable of many fantastic monstrous creatures.
THE EMPEROR'S ARMIES
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The Land of the Empire. |
THE AGE OF MANKIND
Mankind has grown and prospered greatly since the decline of the Dwarfs and Elves. From humble beginnings Men have raised mighty nations to equal the civilisations of the older races. The greatest of these nations is the Empire, a land which stands upon the dawn of a new age of exploration and discovery. However, the growth and even survival of the Empire is by no means certain, for there are many perils that threaten its future, not least of which is the growing shadow of Chaos in the north. Such perils must be faced and overcome if Mankind is to flourish. But the greatest danger lies within, for even inside the Empire there are those who seek the aid of the Dark Gods of Chaos, who would trade the freedom of Man for a brief taste of power. Indeed, the witch hunters of the Emperor are kept almost as busy as the soldiers of its armies.
Related Articles:
Empire Homepage
Next: The Lizardmen.
Previous: The Bretonnians.
