Chapter II: Character Creation
victorious but their joy was short-lived. A series of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes decimated the World’s Edge Mountains. The Dwarfs, already weakened by the massive casualties of the War of Vengeance, were thrown into turmoil. Orcs, Goblins, Trolls, and other evil creatures emerged to attack what was left of the Dwarf empire. Since that time the Dwarfs have known little but war. They have won victories certainly, notably when they allied with Sigmar (the founder of the Empire) to crush the greenskins at the Battle of Black Fire Pass, but the Dwarfs of the World’s Edge Mountains live on a knife’s edge. It is thus not surprising that many Dwarfs now live within the borders of the Empire. They are valued as Imperial citizens because of their craft skills and trade contacts with their mountain kin. Roleplaying Hints Dwarfs are dour and very literal in all things, except when drunk. They use deep bass tones when talking, combined with a distinctive clipped accent. Dwarf language uses little metaphor or simile, thus Dwarfs are sometimes confused by the “flowery” talk of Humans and Elves. Dwarfs are direct, practical and definitive in their speech and actions. e lVes Elves are a lithe and graceful race easily recognized by their pointed ears and hawkish features. They have a glorious yet tragic history and are renowned for their archery, learning, and wizardry. Elves have an innate understanding of the ways and currents of nature, particularly the forest and the sea. They despise those that destroy the purity of nature, be they proud Humans, greedy Dwarfs, or evil Orcs. While they can be aloof, they have sacrificed more of themselves for the good of the world than the other races can ever know. Background At the end of the War of Vengeance, known by the Elves as the War of the Beard, the High Elves were recalled to Ulthuan, their island homeland across the sea, to fight the Dark Elf menace. There were those who refused to give up the Old World though. Some claimed independence from the High Elf Phoenix King and since then have run their own affairs. Others continued to ply the seas and eventually built up trade with the emerging nations of man. The Empire has many hidden Elf enclaves in its forests, the largest of which is in the Laurelorn Forest northwest of the great city of Middenheim. Although their lands fall within the boundaries of the Empire, the Elves do not recognize the Emperor as their ruler and do not consider themselves Imperial citizens. The men of the Empire have enough trouble with the darker denizens of the forests, such as Beastmen, that they largely ignore the Elves. This is easy enough, since most Humans couldn’t find an Elf village even if they were looking for it. Elves value their privacy and use fey enchantments to hide their woodland homes, but they have not forgotten about the rest of the world. Elves may be rarely seen, but they see much beyond their borders. Elves are most commonly seen in the big trading cities like Altdorf, Nuln, and Marienburg. Here powerful merchant houses represent the interests of distant Ulthuan. The scions of these mercantile families are expected to travel widely in their youth, for gaining worldliness will help them in the years ahead. While they tend to look down on their uncouth sylvan kin, they know they are far from the gleaming towers of Ulthuan and thus of lesser status to many of their High Elf cousins.
Roleplaying Hints Elves of all types tend to use moderated, even tones when talking. As Reikspiel is commonly their second tongue, they speak it with a studied formality and precision lacking in most folk. Elves also tend to gesticulate quite a lot, a fact that often causes merriment in the other races. h alflIngs Halflings are a small but dexterous race who look like Human children to the untrained eye. The fact that they cannot grow beards only reinforces this impression. Although they tend to be pot-bellied, since they eat twice as often as any other race, they are capable of great stealth. When combined with their well known skill with the sling, Halflings can prove to be surprisingly stubborn opponents. They are, however, largely a peaceful people, content to farm, eat, and smoke pipe weed. They are proud of their families and all Halflings can recite their family lineage back ten generations or more. Background The origins of the Halflings are obscure. When Human tribes settled the lands that later became the Empire, Halflings were apparently already amongst them. Their numbers, however, were small and they played little role in the wars that led to the establishment of the Empire. Indeed, Halflings are barely mentioned in history books until the year 1010. At that time the Emperor granted the Halflings a land of their own, as legend has it in recognition of their contributions to Imperial cuisine. Whatever the reason, the Halflings were given land near the upper reaches of the River Aver. This area has been known as the Moot ever since. The Halflings govern the Moot themselves, but it is still a part of the Empire. In fact, the Elder of the Moot is one of only fifteen Imperial Electors and thus wields some political power. Most Halflings are homebodies. The enjoy peace and quiet and want nothing more than to be left alone to enjoy good food and a good smoke. There are, however, a small number of Halflings who find the Moot intolerably boring. When the most exciting event of the day is finding out what kind of pie is for desert, some folks need a change. These Halflings develop a taste for adventure and leave the Moot behind, often for roguish pursuits. Since these Halflings are the ones most often encountered in the Empire, it is perhaps no coincidence that Halflings as a whole have gotten a reputation as light-fingered sneaks. Roleplaying Hints Halflings are enthusiastic in everything, from stealing to eating to running away. They speak fast, using lots of slang. They frequently slur words together, invent new terms and generally debase the Imperial tongue. Halflings have a habit of obsessively using catchphrases or new words they’ve discovered—at least, until the next one comes along. Halflings use hand gestures much as Elves do, but these are invariably too rude to discuss. h umans Humans are the most common race in the Old World and the founders of the Empire. While they are neither as tough as Dwarfs nor as wise as Elves, Humans are a vibrant and energetic race that has achieved much in a short time. They are tremendously adaptable, which is both a great strength and a serious weakness. Whilst many
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