History of the Empire

Attention, Scribe of the Lexicanum! This article needs some improvement on its citations. Please help us by finding, confirming, and inserting official sources at the proper places.

This is an article which is incomplete, but is too long to be a stub. Please include more information and details. You can help Lexicanum by fixing it.

The Empire was founded by Sigmar of the Unberogen tribe, a very charismatic and powerful barbarian warlord.

Sigmar was the son of the tribal leader of the Unberogen, King Björn. At a young age Sigmar saved the Dwarf High King Kurgan Ironbeard from a greenskin raiding party. The king gifted the tribe with Ghal-Maraz, or "skull splitter". This mighty warhammer was to become the symbol of all Sigmar and his Empire was to stand for, and the source of his power.

Previously, the land was inhabited by many primitive tribes such as the Unberogen, Teutogens, Jeutones, Ungols and Bretoni.

The tribes were often at war with one another, raiding for anything they needed or just to establish their power in the region. Sigmar's father Bjorn had already forged strong links with nearby tribes, but to unite the tribes under one banner was unprecedented and many feared it was an impossibility.

Establishing a powerful alliance with the Dwarfs, Sigmar began a quest to do exactly that. He travelled the Empire with his closest friends and his army, aiding tribal warlords in defense of their people and earning their trust. One by one, the leaders of the tribes pledged their support to Sigmar and the Unberogen.

Several tribes refused to join Sigmar, or were openly hostile and threatened open war with the Unberogen. The tribe of Bretoni decided to migrate to the west, eventually settling. These people, united in a similar way under the leader Gilles Le Breton, would eventually found the nation of Bretonnia. The Teutogens and their leader, Artur, and had terrorised neighbouring tribes, murdering and destroying. Artur believed in individual strength and the old ways of the tribes, and would not bow to any man.

Sigmar set out to challenge Artur. He climbed by hand to the top of the mighty rock Fauschlag, where the Teutogen camp lay, and fought Artur to the death. The Knights of the white wolf pledged from then on to serve Sigmar as his personal guard.

Having successfully earned the trust, respect and allegiance of the main tribes of the lands, Sigmar set out to Black Fire Pass, to await a massive greenskin horde that approached from the south. With aid from his allies the Dwarfs, and all of the tribes, Sigmar smashed the army, pushing the Greenskins back from the lands that would become the Empire ensuring security for many years to come.

Following the victory, Sigmar was crowned Emperor of the lands from the Worlds Edge mountains in the East, to Kislev in the north, The Black Mountains to the South and the Grey Mountains in the West. Alaric the Mad, a Dwarf Runesmith, began to forge 12 great Runefangs for each of the tribal leaders that would become the Elector Counts. At this point, the Imperial Calendar begins, at year 1.

Today, after 2500 years, the Empire is one the greatest and most powerful realm of the Old World.

Timeline of the Empire

Imperial Calendar	Event	Sources
-6500 to -4420	The Great Cataclysm The Polar Gates of the Old Ones collapse and Chaos arrives to the world. Warpstone rains from the skies in great chunks and Morrslieb the Chaos Moon is formed. The lands twists and mutates.	[1a]
-1997 to -1560	War of the Beard Gigantic war between the Dwarf Empire of Karak Ankor and the High Elves of Ulthuan. Many Elven colonies of Old World are razed. Elves leave the Old World, leaving many ruins behind.	[1a]
-500	Rise of Humanity in the Old World. Led by numerous petty kings, the scattered human tribes wage war among themselves and Goblins, Beastmen and other vile creatures.	[2a]
-250	Dwarfs intensify trading with the growing tribes of Men west of the Worlds Edge Mountains.	[1a]
-50	King Artur of Teutogens discovers the Fauschlag Rock and with aid of the Dwarfs begins building a fortress that will be known Middenheim.	[1a]
-30	A Twin-tailed Comet signals the birth of Sigmar, son of the chief Björn of the Unberogen tribe in Reikdorf.	[1a][2a][3a]
-15	High King Kurgan Ironbeard is rescued from the Orcs by Sigmar. A great alliance is forged. The High King gifts Sigmar his heirloom warhammer, Ghal Maraz the Skull-Splitter.	[1a][2a][3a]
-8	Sigmar becomes the king of Unberogens after his father has died.	[1a][2a][3a]
-7	Sigmar understands that his tribe cannot defeat the Greenskins alone, begins gathering other tribes under his rule.	[3a]
-2	After several years of warfare and diplomacy, Sigmar rules 12 tribes and has allied with additional ones.	[3a]
-1	Battle of Black Fire Pass A massive horde of Orcs and Goblins is annihilated by combined armies of Sigmar and Kurgan Ironbeard. The Greenskins are driven from lands west of the Worlds Edge Mountains.	[1a][2a][3a]
1	The Empire is founded. Sigmar is crowned Emperor by the High Priest of Ulric over the 12 tribes. Many Dwarfs settle in the Empire and help the humans build their first cities. Runesmith Alaric the Mad begins the creation of the Runefangs.	[1a][2a][3a]
1	The First War Against Chaos Everchosen Morkar the Uniter attacks the Empire. War is devastating but Sigmar kills Morkar.	[3a]
c. 2	Sigmar names the chiefs of his vassal chiefs his "counts".	[3a]
c. 7	Sigmar kills the Necromancer Morath and locks the Crown of Sorcery beneath Reikdorf.	[3a]
11	Battle of Drakenmoor The Great Enchanter Constant Drachenfels attacks Reikdorf with an army of Goblins and Daemons. He is defeated by Sigmar for the first time of his long existance.	[3a]
15	Battle of the River Reik Great Necromancer Nagash attacks the Empire with the Undead and attempts to claim the Crown of Sorcery from Sigmar. The new Empire and its dwarf allies are almost defeated but the tired Sigmar strikes Nagash down. His unliving army crumbles.	[1a][3a]
50	After five decades of prosperity, Sigmar relinquishes his throne and vanishes into the East. Tribal Chiefs agree to vote one of themselves as the next Emperor, creating the system of Elector Counts. Siegrich of the Asoborn is chosen as the second Emperor.	[1a][2a][3a]
69	Johann Helstrum arrives to Reikdorf and begins preaching about holy visions from Sigmar. He claims to have witnessed Sigmar's Ascension to Godhood.	[3a]
73	Johann Helstrum becomes the first Grand Theogonist of the rapidly spreading Cult of Sigmar. He builds its first Temple to Reikdorf. Sigmar becomes the patron god of the Empire.	[1a][2a][3a]
100-1000	Empire thrives Its cities grow large and armies become well equipped and well trained.	[2a]
100	Emperor Hedrich receives the twelve Runefangs from Alaric the Mad and passes them to the Elector Counts.	[2a][3a]
246	High Temple to Sigmar is completed in Reikdorf. Rapid expansion of the cult through the Empire leads to conflict with the cults of Taal and Ulric.	[3a]
501	Emperor Sigismund II conquers Marienburg into the Empire.	[1a]
977	Gilles le Breton begins to unite the Bretonnians into a single nation.	[2a]
990	Emperor Ludwig the Fat grants the Grand Theogonist a vote to select the next Emperor. This blantant favourism is heavily criticized, but the Emperor is more interested by the feasts provided by the Cult of Sigmar.	[3a]
1000	To celebrate the the first millenia since the crowning of Sigmar, the Cult of Sigmar completes a new High Temple in Reikdorf. Emperor Ludwig the Fat renames his city Altdorf, demonstrating the importance of the city to the whole Empire.	[3a]
1053-1115	Rule of Emperor Boris Goldgather, an exceptionally unpopular and corrupt ruler. Known for insane taxes and neglect of the military.	[3a]
1106-1110	Rise of the Drakwald Beastmen and other vile creatures of Drakwald swarm from the forests. Settlements are accross the province and the last heir to the Drakwald throne is slain by an enormous Bestigor. Emperor Boris I takes the Drakwald Runefang to Altdorf.	[3a]
1111-1115	The Black Plague Skaven unleash their plague and three quarters of the population of Empire dies to the disease. Then the Skaven erupt from their underground lairs. In Sylvania, Necromancer Frederick van Hal raises the Undead to fight the ratmen.	[1a][2a][3a]
1115-1124	The Skaven Wars Skaven move to systematically enslave the remaining Imperials. Elector Count of Middenland Mandred rallies the desperate defenders with Eonir allies from the Laurelorn Forest.	[3a]
1124	Battle of the Howling Hills Count Mandred defeats the Skaven and drives them back underground. He is elected as the Emperor by three surviving Elector Counts and becomes known as the 'Skavenslayer'. Rebuilding begins.	[1a][2a][3a]
1152	Emperor Mandred II is assassinated by the Skaven.	[1a][2a][3a]
1152-1359	The Age of Wars The Electors cannot agree on a successor to Mandred as they are too concerned about their rivals invading their devastated provinces. The Empire divides into feunding states.	[1a][2a][3a]
1359	Hoping to end the bloodshed, the Electors meet in Altdorf and eventually crown Grand Duke Wilhelm of Stirland as the Emperor in Nuln after a majority vote. Elector Countess Ottilia I of Talabecland is outraged and claims that the vote has been rigged.	[1a][2a][3a]
1360-1547	The Time of Two Emperors Elector Countess Ottilia I declares herself an Emperess without a vote. Supported by the Cult of Taal and Cult of Ulric, she outlaws the Cult of Sigmar. The civil wars escalate erupts between Stirland and Talabecland. Over the next centuries the Elected Emperors and Ottilian Emperors rule.	[1a][2a][3a]
c. 1450-1550	The Crusades Many of the disillusioned Imperial Knightly Orders ride south to oppose Sultan Jaffar of Araby and his invasion of Estalia. A bloody century century sees the founding of over a dozen new orders, Estalia is saved and the empire of the Sultan is destroyed. Returning rich Knights found many new chapter houses.	[2a][3a]
1489	The Prince of Reikland formally commissions a navy to guard the Reik River, worried about ships sailing from other cities.	[3a]
1524 IC	Tzarina Shoika, the daughter of Miska, begins to build the great Gospodar capital of Kislev north of the Empire.	[1a]
c. 1520	While Imperial Knights are away, Gorthor the Beastlord ravages northern Empire with a huge army of Beastmen. Provinces of Ostland and Hochland are almost destroyed.	[2a]
1547-1979	The Time of Three Emperors Sigmarites botch an assassination attempt when the Electors do not listen to their requests, Elector Count of Middenland declares himself an Emperor with the support of Cult of Ulric. There are now three Emperors: Elected Emperor, Ottilian Emperor and Wolf Emperor. Intense and bitter civil wars intensify although in effect each Emperor rules an independent state.	[1a][2a][3a]
1681	The Night of the Restless Dead Nagash returns to life 1666 years after Sigmar slew him. The dead rise accross the world. Many towns and villages are lost before dawn.	[1a][3a]
1707-1712	Waaagh! Gorbad Taking advantage of the divided Empire, Orc Warboss Gorbad Ironclaw invades through the Black Fire Pass. He destroys the Grand Province of Solland, sacks Nuln and ravages much of Wissenland. He then attacks Reikland but is wounded at Battle of Grunberg. Raising third of Reiklands' settlements, Gorbad lays siege to Altdorf. Although the elected emperor Sigismund IV is killed by a Wyvern, the Orc army breaks apart. Much of the eastern lands of Empire are left in ruins.	[1a][2a][3a]
1797	Vampire Vlad von Carstein marries Isabella von Drak and so becomes the first Vampire Count of Sylvania. Over the next two centuries remaining aristocrats of the Sylvania are turned into Vampires.	[1a][2a]
1850	The Skaven Under-Empire erupts into Second Skaven Civil War. For several centuries they vanish from the surface, leading into many scholars to question their existence.	[1a]
1940	The Poisoned Feast Great Enhanter Constant Drachenfels invites Elected Emperor Carolus II and his imperial court to a great feast. He feeds them paralyzing poison and starves them to death in front of the marvelous banquet. This wipes out several noble families, deeply destabilising the province of Reikland and the Electoral Emperors.	[3a]
1979-2303	The Anarchy or the Dark Ages Magritta of Marienburg is elected Emperor by those Electors that still care. But the Grand Theogonist refuses to crown her or anyone else. The Imperial election system collapses and soon most provinces fight only for themselves. As the former Empire becomes increasingly fragmented, Burgomeisters grow in power.	[1a][2a][3a]
c. 1988	Dark Elf Corsairs raid town of Debneitz. Elector Count of Nordland Alfrich Gausser arrives with a relief army only to find the coastal fortress town in ruins and its entire flayed population having been nailed to a nearby cliff.	[2a]
2000	Mordheim of Ostermark is destroyed by a Twin-Tailed Comet. Various pretenders fund mercenaries to the ruined city to search for warpstone.	[1b][2a]
2001	Phoenix King Finubar the Seafarer lands at L'Anguille in Bretonnia and travels accross the Old World on a diplomatic tour, meeting Imperials, Bretonnians and even Dwarfs.	[1a]
2010-2146	The Wars of the Vampire Counts Count Vlad von Carstein invades the fractured Empire with vast hordes of Undead. Three bloody major wars with each resulting in he and his descendants being driven back.	[1a][2a][3a]
2051	Second Siege of Altdorf Vampire Lord is slain and his wife Isabella commits suicide. Their armies splinter into opposing factions.	[3a]
2051	Battle of Four Armies Inconclusive battle against Konrad von Carstein ends with multiple assassinations on the Imperial side. An attempt to finally elect an unified emperor is made and Helmut of Marienburg almost is selected, but he is noticed to be a zombie. All plans for elections are abandoned.	[3a]
2092	Witch Hunter Helmut van Hal and a force of Stirlanders attack Sylvania, burning towns and slaying vampire lord Peter von Carstein.	[1a]
2134	Third Siege of Altdorf Vampire Count Mannfred von Carstein attacks Reikland with a surprice winter attack. He is only driven back after Grand Theogonist uses a forbidden spell of unbinding to counter the necromancy of the vampire.	[3a]
2145	Battle of Hel Fenn Empire unites to rid Sylvania of Vampires. Mannfred is defeated and his Undead army is destroyed.	[1a]
2203	At Castle Drachenfels, magic wards weaken and a Warp Rift into the Realm of Chaos, releasing Daemons. After a week of terror the rift closes, but almost every living soul from Bögenhafen to Ubersreik in Reikland has been annihilated.	[2a][3a]
2250	Chaos raids and incursions grow more frequent and Hidden Chaos Cults reveal themselves.	[1a]
2302-2304	The Great War against Chaos Everchosen Asavar Kul marches against Kislev and the Empire. He destroys Praag during the first winter. In response, Magnus von Bildhofen of Nuln claims to be inspired by Sigmar and rallies the fractured Empire warring states into a mighty army to save Kislev. He defeats Kul at the Battle at the Gates of Kislev with Dwarf and High Elf allies.	[2a][3a]
2304-2369	Reign of Magnus the Pious Magnus is elected Emperor, being the first to represent all of Sigmar's Grand Provinces in almost a millenium. He initiates sweeping reforms of the Empire, limiting nobles, cults guilds and many more with new laws. He additionally founds new institutions such as formal creation of State Armies, Imperial Navy and the controversial Colleges of Magic in Altdorf, legalising magic accross the Empire for the first time. During his reign Imperial Gunnery School and the Imperial Engineers School grow in power.	[2a][3a]
2308-2310	Third Parravon War Bretonnian dutchy of Parravon invades Grey Lady Pass, claiming the new State Armies breach an ancient treaty. After a year of skirmishes and many shouted insults Emperor Magnus handles the situation with the King of Bretonnia.	[2a][3a]
2370	Imperial armies and artillery attemt to retake Brass Keep from the forces of Chaos. No-one returns.	[2a]
c. 2410	The Elector Count of Ostermark commissions Fortress Kreighof from Dwarfs for twelve dozen wagonfuls of gold. But he underpaid by two and a half pennies so a Dwarf army from Karak Kadrin invads and destroyes the fortress.	[2a]
2412	Night of a Thousand Arcane Duels Violence erupts in the Colleges of Magic in Altdorf, resulting in the death of six of the eight patriarchs. Order is restored but large sections of the city are lost. Cult of Sigmar pressures Emperor Dieter IV to lock the Colleges down, stopping legal use of magic in the Empire.	[2a][3a]
2420-2424	Waaagh! Grom Goblin Warboss launches an campaign through the Empire, devastating numerous provinces before taking to the sea, still undefeated.	[2a][3a]
2429	Independence of Wasteland Burgomeisters of Marienburg bribe Emperor Dieter IV and buy their independence with enormous amounts of gold. Elector Counts dispose of Dieter IV and elect Wilhelm III of House Holswig-Schliestein of Reikland as the new emperor. He fails to retake Marienburg in the Battle for Grootscher Marsh where his State Armies were routed by Marienburg navy, mercenaries and allied High Elf magics. Wilhelm verbally recognises the independence of the "Wasteland".	[2a][3a]

Attention Adept of the LEXICANUM! This article is being created or revised. Please consider this before you edit this text!

Sources

• 1: Warhammer: The Old World Rulebook
  • 1a: Timeline of Legend, pgs. 22-29
  • 1b: Mordheim, pg. 306
• 2: Warhammer Armies: The Empire (8th Edition)
  • 2a: Timeline of the Empire, pgs. 16-17
• 3: WFRP Rulebook (4th Edition)
  • 3a: Timeline of the Reikland, pgs. 272-275

Uncited Sources

• Warhammer Armies: The Empire (4th edition) (1993), pgs. 4, 5, 17
• Warhammer Armies: The Empire (6th edition) (2000), pgs. 56, 57, 58
• Warhammer Armies: The Empire (7th edition) (2006), pgs. 6, 7