The Prince of Chaos

Welcome to the great city of Talabheim, on the banks of the mighty River Talabec, in the province of Talabecland, second-largest province in the Empire. The Empire itself is a vast, heavily-forested realm of rolling hills and lofty mountains - the Grey Mountains in the south, the Middle Mountains in the middle (appropriately enough), and the World-Edge Mountains in the east. To the north lie the frozen steppes of Kislev, and to the west is the powerful, if somewhat backward, kingdom of Bretonnia.

The Empire is watched over and protected by Sigmar, founder of the Empire, whose crowning over 2500 years ago helped usher in the Age of Man, and whose blessing now keeps the Empire in unprecedented prosperity. The current Emperor is Karl Franz, Prince of Reikland, who is a great statesman, but who also flies into battle on the back of his mighty griffon Deathclaw to defend his people whenever he is needed. Truly, this is the Golden Age of the Empire.

However, the priests of Sigmar, along with priests of less-revered gods such as Ulric, Taal, and Morr, have lately seen dire portents. The servants of the Ruinous Powers - the four Dark Gods of Chaos who hold sway over the blighted wastes far to the north - are gathering. The foul Beastmen, favored children of the Dark Gods, have become more and more brazen, raiding further and further out of their hiding-places in the forests. Even in the heart of the Empire, the Ruinous Powers have found more and more mortal souls to corrupt with promises of eternal life and immense power.

This is where you come in, brave soul.