Empire

The Empire

Sigmar’s realms – for as long as we can hold them

Founding Foundedcirca −30 IC FounderSigmar Heldenhammer Current LeaderEmperor Karl Franz Geography CapitalAltdorf Major CitiesNuln, Middenheim, Talabheim, Marienburg (semi-independent) RegionsReikland, Stirland, Averland, Middenland, etc. Biology Lifespan35–50 years (70+ if you dodge arrows and plague) Height160–190 cm (5′3″ – 6′3″) Culture LanguageReikspiel ReligionSigmar (dominant), Ulric, Taal & Rhya, Verena, Shallya Government GovernmentElective feudal monarchy Relations AlliesDwarfs, High Elves, Halflings, Kislev (usually) EnemiesChaos, Greenskins, Skaven, Beastmen, Undead, Dark Elves

The Empire is the largest human realm in the Old World, a creaking patchwork of provinces hammered together by Sigmar a thousand years ago when the greenskins were busy trying to eat everyone. Picture the Holy Roman Empire after someone spiked its beer with gunpowder and grimdark: gothic spires, filthy streets, forests full of things that want you dead, and more religious lunatics per square mile than anywhere else. Nobles plot, priests preach, engineers blow themselves up for science, and Witch Hunters burn first and ask questions never. Yet somehow the whole mess keeps staggering on, held together by blackpowder, faith, and the stubborn refusal to just lie down and die.

Overview

If you want to play ordinary humans holding the line against the end of the world with nothing but courage and a halfway decent handgun, this is your lot.

Appearance

Ordinary humans in practical clothes, provincial uniforms, or fancy plate if they’re rich or lucky.
Average Lifespan: 35–50 years (longer if you avoid arrows, plague, and angry priests)
Height Range: 160 cm (5'3") to 190 cm (6'3")

Culture & Society

• Regions: Reikland, Averland, Stirland, Middenland – basically the whole middle of the Old World.
• Culture: Feudal, loud about Sigmar, obsessed with guns and not dying.
• Names: Good solid Reikland names – Karl, Liesl, Heinrich, Greta, Wolfgang.
• Religion: Sigmar first, Ulric for the hairy northerners, Taal and Rhya for country folk, Verena if you like books.

Relations with Other Races

Category	Faction	Relation
Humans	Bretonnia	Friendly
	Kislev	Friendly
	Sartosa	Neutral
	Araby	Neutral
	Cathay	Neutral
	Norsca	Hostile
Elves	Asur (High Elves)	Friendly
	Asrai (Wood Elves)	Neutral
	Druchii (Dark Elves)	Hostile
Dwarfs	Dwarfs	Friendly
	Chaos Dwarfs	Hostile
Greenskins	Orcs	Hostile
	Goblins	Hostile
Monstrous	Ogre	Neutral
	Beastmen	Hostile
Affliction	Chaos	Hostile
	Vampire	Hostile

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Strengths: Adaptable, inventive, numerous, and too thick-headed to know when they’re beaten.
• Weaknesses: Corruption, scheming nobles, witch-hunter paranoia, too many holidays dedicated to drinking and fighting.

Playing an Imperial

You’re not special. You’re not seven feet tall, you don’t live a thousand years, and you can’t rip a tree out of the ground with your bare hands. What you’ve got is a stubborn streak, a loaded handgun, and a talent for turning the tide by the skin of your teeth.

Pick a province and a job and run with it. Reiklander knight? Nuln gunner? Middenheimer wolf-pelt berserker? Stirlander who’s seen too many graves open at night? They’re all valid.

Talk like someone who’s grown up expecting the world to end next Tuesday: mutter prayers under your breath, curse the tax collector, brag about the time your regiment held the bridge at Bögenhafen with three handguns and a bad attitude. Be suspicious of strangers, proud of your province, and quietly convinced that tomorrow will probably be worse than today – but you’ll be damned if you let the beasts win without a fight.

Physical Appearance

Take one look at an Imperial and you’ll see a human who’s been through the mill. Reiklanders: fair hair, clean jaws (until the stubble). Northerners: broader, hairier, red-nosed from the cold. Stirlanders: look like they’ve never slept. Averlanders: Tilean tan and a cocky grin.

Clothes tell the story. Peasants: patched wool and woodsmoke. Townsfolk: slashed doublets and ridiculous hats. State troops: bright provincial colours and dented breastplates. Knights: full plate that costs more than a village. Engineers: oil, burns, and goggles. Wizards: dramatic robes that still look good half-burnt.

Everyone has the same wary squint – the look of folk who know something nasty is always hiding just past the treeline.

Gender Roles and Sexuality

Gender Roles

• The Empire is heavily patriarchal. Men dominate politics, military, and commerce. Nobility emphasizes male leadership, while women primarily manage households and estates. Exceptions exist: politically savvy or wealthy women (widows, merchant heiresses) can wield considerable influence.
• Peasant women handle domestic duties and farm labor, sometimes defending homes in times of war. Urban centers allow slightly more social mobility for women, but overall society favors men.

Sexuality

• Sexual norms are heteronormative and regulated by both custom and religion. Marriage is expected and often arranged for social or economic benefit. Adultery is frowned upon but frequent among the elite.
• Taboos: Sodomy are stigmatized; illicit sexual behavior can lead to public shame.
• Elite Behavior: Mistresses, secret liaisons, and discreet affairs are common among nobles.
• Clerical Influence: Cults like Sigmar and Ulric enforce sexual morality, emphasizing family honor and marital fidelity.

Attitudes toward Other Races (Sexualized)

• While outwardly cautious and xenophobic, many humans of the Empire have sexualized perceptions of non-humans, particularly elves and dwarfs:
• Elves: Considered exotic, beautiful, and alluring. Imperial men sometimes fetishize High Elf or Dark Elf women for their grace, skill, or perceived sophistication. Relationships are generally taboo or dangerous, but erotic fascination is common in private. Male elves may provoke curiosity or ridicule, often framed as "untouchable" or idealized.
• Dwarfs: Short and stocky, dwarfs are less sexualized in a traditional sense, but some Imperial fantasies depict dwarf women as exotic and mysterious. Male dwarfs are rarely sexualized, often seen as brutish or utilitarian.
• Greenskins: Orcs and goblins are primarily feared and reviled, but some Imperial pornography or whispered tales sensationalize the idea of orcish virility or the domination/submission of greenskins, often in grotesque or violent sexual imagery.
• Chaos/Witch Hunter Perspective: Chaos-tainted humans or daemons are simultaneously feared and eroticized; sexual corruption and debauchery are linked in folklore, moral warnings, and cult stories.

Notable Cultural Nuances

• Sexualized fantasies of other races are largely private, circulating in underground literature, taverns, or among elite circles.
• While taboo, these attitudes influence Imperial art, erotic literature, and some personal obsessions among nobles or scholars.
• The line between fascination, fear, and fetishization is thin; mixing sex and danger is a recurring theme in Imperial culture.

Notable Ranks & Careers

• Free Company rabble → State Trooper → Greatsword → Knightly Orders → Reiksguard → Demigryph Knight
• Apprentice Engineer → Master Engineer → Steam Tank commander
• Initiate Priest → Warrior Priest → Arch Lector