Editing The Empire (Warhammer Fantasy) (section)

== Provinces and city states ==
===Provinces===
* '''Middenland''' - Home to the Cult of [[Ulric]] the provincial colors are blue with a red flag. Middenland and its Capital Middenheim are basically the most Viking and war loving you will get without worshiping Chaos making them like the <s>Danes</s> Prussians of the setting, considering their more militaristic society and arch rivalry with Reikland, who could be considered the equivalent of Austria. Wears Blue uniforms, with white bits.
* '''Averland'''- Rich as hell from cattle ranching and overland and river trade, on good terms with its neighboring provinces, and conveniently located with solid buffers between its lands and most of the dangers the Empire faces. This leads to a tendency towards foppish and lazy nobles and merchants, but also a very large and well-funded standing army. Had a batshit insane (but super-badass) elector-count named Marius Leitdorf who was nevertheless a military genius (and lives on in the hearts of the Empire for his noble sacrifice). Chief threat is from Orcs; Averland maintains the Empire's first line of defense against invasions coming through the Black Mountains and is home to a number of proud military units and knightly orders. Pretty scenery and based a lot on Bavaria. Black and yellow uniforms, often with a higher standard of tailoring even for enlisted men.
* '''Hochland''' - Nothing but Beastmen, illiterate peasants, and few bands of incredibly badass rangers wielding magic bows and the famous Hochland Long Rifle, the most effective firearm ever created by humans. Unfortunately, it's expensive and they only know how to make them in Hochland, which has precisely jack shit industry. Probably based on the Black Forest region of southern Germany. Red and green uniforms.
* '''Nordland''' - Northernmost province of the Empire and the most likely to get their faces rearranged on the regular thanks to living across the sea from those [[Warriors of Chaos| nice, spikey, Viking lads]]. putting it alongside Cadia as a home of badass gromril-balled state troops. Ulric is worshiped widely here, and their culture is a mix of wider Empire trends and northern traditions, as they are descended from the same peoples as their northern neighbors, just from the branch that didn't fall of Chaos. Their colors are blue and yellow, so they're probably <s> Swedes</s> Pomeranians of the setting. Swedes were vikings and were never part of the Holy Roman Empire. <s> but they did occupy Pomerania for some time during and after the Thirty Years' War so</s> Their soldiers wear blue and yellow uniforms, but in more subdued shades and of rougher cloth than those found in Marienburg.
* '''Ostermark''' - On the border with Kislev, and so is a close second to Nordland for getting fucked by Chaos, but more than makes up for this by also getting fucked by the Vampire Counts across the river, Orcs and Goblins invading from every direction, and from there being more beastmen in the forests than there are fucking trees. Despite having a shitload of potential (fertile lands, tremendous natural resources), its development has been stalled by weak and idiosyncratic leadership, Chaos obviously, Orc invasions (including [[Grimgor Ironhide]]), periodic conflict with Kislev, and vampire invasions from Sylvania. No cities or even really large towns (on account of the invasions), making its populace mostly backward and rural. Bash brothers with Kislev when they aren't trying to conquer each other. Also home to the dreaded city of [[Mordheim]]. Ultimately, kind of a sad old wreck. Basically Brandenburg without the clout. Geographically would also include parts of Silesia, but Silesia was too prosperous and urban to really be analogous. Wears super cool Purple and yellow uniforms.
* '''Ostland''' - Northern province, neighboring Kislev and Middenland. Their uniforms are black and white. Fiercely proud and has sway despite their impoverished nature; a lot like Ostermark, just less pathetic and more grim defiance of the bad hand they are dealt. Likely based on Saxony, with some Silesia thrown in, with the same caveats as for Ostermark.
* '''Reikland'''-The heartland of the Empire where the current Emperor lives. Their uniforms are generally white with some red on them. Chief threats are Beastmen, Orcs, the occasional Bretonnian, and, theoretically at least, [[Drachenfels]]. Obviously a prime target for Chaos and vampires, but usually they don't get close enough to disturb anyone's morning beer or witch-burning. Clearly and obviously based on Holy Roman Austria and the Rhineland. Also home of most iconic human Blood Bowl team the Reikland Reavers, who wear blue and white.
* '''Stirland''' - The poorest state of the union, it's considered a rural backwater full of superstitious bumpkins, but is still more stable and less prone to invasions than Nordland, Ostland, and Ostermark. Their chief concern in the latter respect is obviously the fact that they're right next door to Sylvania and that the eastern hill country is filled with ancient barrows, a combination that tends to attract trouble of a vampiric nature. Stirland nominally governs occupied Sylvania, but they avoid doing much other than patrolling for the same reason that nobody wants to press a claim to the von Drak line. Also has to deal with the occasional WAAAAAGH for flavor. It's colors are yellow and green. Likely based on eastern HRE lands like <strike>Slovakia and Hungary</strike> ''(Slovakia was a non-state part of the Hungarian Kingdom until the early 20th Century, while the latter was never integrated directly into the HRE)'' Posen or Slovenia. Like Stirland, they were large HR states but not the richest.
* '''Talabecland''' - Yellow and red uniforms. Highly elite armies with lots of greatswords and shit like that. However, due to being mostly forest, not many cannons or shit like that. Chief threats are Beastmen, Orcs, and undead. Represents a pretty broad band of central HRE territories east of the Rhine and north of the Danube, i.e. Hesse, Thuringia, Hanover, Bohemia, Moravia, etc. As the name suggests, the most popular god here is Taal; the name comes from the Talabec, which is his sacred river. Wears yellow and red uniforms, leading to a slight distaste for them amongst painters. It takes a lot of effort to paint a unit of Talabeclanders that don't look like Baron von Grimace's Mustardketchupenburg Militia.
* '''Wissenland'''- Technically Nuln is Wissenland turf being the provinces largest city, so they're ruled by Countess Emanuelle who <s>may or may not be a Slaaneshi whore</s> is a scandal-courting socialite and schemer famous for her lavish parties, extravagant clothing, and willingness to fuck, murder, bargain, or threaten her way into secure power. Though apparently she hates everthing outside Nuln even though its NOT the capital of the province. The province of Wissenland lack the military funding of other provinces and city-states (cause Emanuelle gives no fucks(no wait she gives all the fucks just not to Wissenland)) and its standing army makes heavy use of ambush and hit-and-run tactics. They field mounted archers and woodsmen above artillery and massed infantry. Slightly paradoxically, the province of Wissenland is also famous for their pikemen, probably cause Bretonnia's just over dem mountains. They wear Grey and White uniforms. Seems to be an odd mix of influences, such as Switzerland (mountainous and temperamentally obstinate from the rest of the Empire), Bavaria (culturally rich) and Nuln resembles the powerful Free Imperial City of Nuremburg. It also could be a reference to the Ruhr and the Rhineland (again) given the industralisation.
* '''The Moot''' (technically not a elector state even though they get a vote on the next Emperor) - Home of the Halflings and essentially a nasty, drunken, weirdly sexual and shitty-practical-joke-prone version of the Shire. Chief threats are overeating, rudeness, public masturbation, the Undead, and Averland. (Hunting halflings for sport was legal in Averland until roughly a century before the present day of 8th edition; the keen eye of Karl Franz on Marius Leitdorf was the only thing preventing the practice from returning.)

===City States===
* '''Altdorf''': A wretched hive of ritual and bureaucracy. The further you get from Karl Franz, the shittier it gets. This includes the inside of his house. Imagine Ankh-Morpork, but instead of being funny, it's just terrifying and German. Politics based on Vienna, but geographically it's Frankfurt. Gets turned into Stalingrad during the End-Times. Red and Blue uniforms, but with incredible [[Hat|extravagance.]]
* '''Middenheim''': Home of the Viking Pope, a fuckton of [[Space Wolves|wolf shit]] and tunnels packed to the gills with horrors. Nearly destroyed by Archaon. Geographically, Berlin or Dresden. Quartered Blue and white uniforms. The city is set atop a mountain called the Fauschlag and heavily walled; despite the priests of Ulric having a low opinion of firearms in general, they seem to approve of their use in sieges. Middenheim is home to an absurdly large cannon, used during the Storm of Chaos and loaded by a giant named Thunderball. (rip)
* '''Nuln''' [[/tg/ gets shit done|gets shit done.]] With more factories, guns, universities, Dwarfs, engineers, and Dwarf engineers than anywhere else in the human Old World, it's practically a 19th century city, with a higher standard of public health and city planning than much of the rest of the Empire. Just avoid the bat-fuck crazy countess and wear a helmet around the Guild of Engineers's outbuildings during exam week. Also home of the greatest Emperor since Sigmar, Magnus the Pious (though Karl Franz is probably actually greater post-Storm of Chaos, and definitely greater as Sigmar reborn when Storm of Chaos got retconned in favor of the End Times). Vienna by geography, economically a mashup of Nuremburg (trade) and Breslau (industry). Almost entirely black uniforms (as if they spilled Nuln Oil on the cloth), with some teeny tiny bits just being of whatever colour the wearer feels like.
* '''Talabheim''': Dirt/tree worshippers. Also the most defensible location on the planet, although that didn't stop Epidemius and the Maggoth Riders from taking it. It is also the single most militarized city in the Empire (Middenheim don't got shit on this), to the point that their entire economy, philosophy, religion and way of life is devoted almost solely to the army, which is why their troops are the most commonly seen Empire army on the tabletop. It sits in a massive and heavily fortified crater into which there is precisely one entrance. Geographically Prague-ish (no, not [[Kislev|that one]]) for lack of a better option. These are the dudes in Red and White that you see on the boxes of Empire models.

===Former Provinces===
* '''Solland''' - Solland was destroyed as an independent Imperial province <span style='color:green;font-size:115%'> BY DA GREAT WAAARGH Gorbad Ironclaw, ONE OUV DA GREETEST AND GREENEST WARBOSS</span>. Its territory was ultimately absorbed by Wissenland. The fate of Solland and its people is a sore point for a lot of Wissenlanders, so much that their banner has the white lion waving the flag of Solland, as a show of respect. Probably based on post-hussite Bohemia.
* '''Westerland''' - The province that was the seat of the great commercial city of Marienburg that seceded from the Empire. The province is now known as the Wasteland, though the Marienburgers prefer the free League of the West. Obviously based on the Low Countries. Was briefly known as 'Vesterland' when Norse Chaos Marauders conquered and ruled it for a brief time. Between Norscan, Brettonnian, and Imperial raids and the huge amount of marshland, very little of its territory is suitable for agriculture. Its people make their living by trade, mining, and fishing. Based on the Low Countries (Netherlands, Luxembourge and Belgium).
* '''Sylvania''' - Sylvania was formerly the County of Sylvania, an independent Imperial province, but after the events of the Vampire Wars is now officially a part of the Grand County of Stirland. No other province of the Empire wants the place. To tell the truth, Stirland doesn't much want it either. The province has long been the staging ground for vampiric attempts at the Imperial throne after the von Carsteins took control of its nobility. In an action disregarded by everyone after his death, Mannfred seceded Sylvania from the Empire. It's now Nagash's playground, inhabited by some of the world's most paranoid peasants and filled with more spooky shit than a ghost's outhouse. Obviously based on Transylvania.
* '''Drakwald''' - A founding province of the Empire located near the center of the Drakwald Forest, now divided up between Middenland and Nordland. Was known for its two incompetent Emperors. The first was Ludwig the Fat, who gave the elder of the Moot an electoral position after a halfing chef made the finest meal for his fat arse (while simultaneously getting revenge on the Elector Counts of Stirling and Averland, whose daughters refused to sleep with him). The other being his son Boris Goldgather (also known as Boris the Incompetent for obvious reasons), who was known for being greedy and got his arse shiv'd by a sneaky Eshin rat during the Skaven's plague invasion. The province was finally disbanded by Mandrad Skavenslayer after these two atrocities. Sigmar bless you.

At times, other parts of the Old World were under Imperial control, but were later lost and not recovered as other nations established themselves. Examples are the West Mark in what would later become Parravon, Lichtenberg in what would later become the Border Princes, and parts of what would later become Kislev. Few of these acquisitions lasted long.