Chapter X: The Empire
been a source of contention between the cults of Sigmar and Ulric ever since. The Franz family, Princes of the Reik, have been Emperors since Wilhelm II was elected to the throne after Dieter the IV was deposed for the secession of Marienburg. It is a position they have held strongly for the last century and the reign of Karl Franz is said by many to have been profitable not only for the ancient nobility but also the merchant classes. It is expected that when the current Emperor eventually dies his son will claim the title without opposition. By the terms of the ancient laws of the Empire, the Emperor can call upon the other Electors to supply troops for his campaigns and must T he world is a dangerous place, and the Empire is no different. Despite the power of its armies, the patrols of the river and road wardens and the constant prosecution of their duties by the Witch Hunters, the Empire is constantly beset by human and inhuman foes. Though the Empire is threatened on occasion by large invasions of Northmen, Orcs and other enemies, it is the constant, insidious perils that dwell in the hearts of its cities and the depths of its forests that plague the minds of men in power. Beneath the veneer of civilisation, sinister cults work to undermine the power of the Empire, while warbands of Orcs, Beastmen and Chaos followers lurk in the wilderness, ever ready to raid and pillage the farms, villages and towns of the Empire. Beneath the streets of the towns and in hidden caves and tunnels, the vile Skaven plot and scheme to overthrow those that dwell in the Over-Empire. T he d ark p ower of C haos The threat of Chaos is the greatest, for it comes in many forms. Of all the mortal races, mankind has proven to be the most susceptible to the lures of the Dark Gods and the most eager to tread the path towards damnation. Man brings all his short-lived vigour and lust for dominion and immortality to the service of Chaos. That service brings power to the Gods of Chaos, and in return they corrupt and twist their followers. Mankind hungers for change and this drive has allowed man to spread across the globe and build great nations, and yet this toil is ultimately in vain. Although few men are aware of this, it is this drive and ambition that feeds and makes the Gods of Chaos grow bloated with power. Since the fall of the legendary Old Ones many millennia in the past, Chaos has constantly endeavoured to destroy the mortal world, and bring about an eternal Realm of Chaos. Lives unnumbered have been lost, civilisations crushed and entire peoples destroyed in their resistance to the Dark Gods. When the gates of the north spew forth Chaos in great waves, dark armoured warriors and savage barbarians descend from the north with Daemonic warbands following in their wake. Horrific creatures, created by the mutating substance of Chaos, emerge from the shadowy forests and the dark places beneath the mountains to slay and burn. Each time the armies of Chaos have been turned back, but every war leaves the Empire lessened, more weakened, and more rife with doubt. The Dark Gods are eternal, so they wait to send their armies, sensing and sowing discord amongst the people of the Empire the better to divide and conquer. It may take months, years, or centuries before the hosts of Chaos come again. But what does time mean to Gods who are immortal and supernal, who will see the death of the world and the realms of man reduced to dust?
send him a portion of the taxes they raise to support the Imperial institutions that have grown up over the centuries. In return, the Emperor is beholden to send reinforcements in times of war or provide relief and aid when famine or plague strikes. In addition, states may sign their own pacts for mutual protection. In fact, many such treaties exist and some are even adhered to. In the troubling times that have recently beset the Empire, it is proof of Karl Franz’s statesmanship that despite the often conflicting interests of the other Electors he has managed to wield his power effectively to combat the threats of Chaos and religious division which seem to grow with every passing month. b easTmen It is not just the raids and onslaughts of the men of the north that imperil the Empire, for in the heart of the deep forests, the Beastmen gather in ever-greater numbers. Beastmen are the Children of Chaos itself, and their mutated forms and twisted minds are in the service of Chaos from birth. Beastmen are not natural creatures: they first came into existence when the gateway of the Old Ones collapsed, showering the world with mutating warpstone dust. It worked a dreadful change on many of the ancestors of humans and the animals of the world, causing severe mutations. Beastmen are the spawn of this horrid legacy, neither man nor beast, but a depraved hybrid of both. Their numbers can only be guessed at, but they are certainly the most widespread of all the creatures of Chaos. Those scholars prone to dark thoughts and forbidden research fear that Beastmen are more numerous than even mankind. Living in roaming warherds, Beastmen infest the forests and the wastelands of the Empire and beyond, being most numerous in the Drakwald and the Forests of Shadows. They pose an unavoidable threat to the travellers on forest roads and to
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