The Empire

Sigmar's Heirs
The land that would become the Empire was a loose collection of barbarian tribes and kingdoms under constant siege from innumerable inhuman enemies until they were united by Sigmar of the Unberogen tribe. Sigmar, who became champion of the Unberogen tribe when he was just a boy, rescued the dwarf High King Kurgan Ironbeard from a camp of orcs, in return for his heroic efforts, the dwarf High King swore an oath of eternal friendship between Sigmar's people and the dwarfs.

The King gave Sigmar Ghal Maraz, the Warhammer, a rune encrusted hammer forged in the age of chaos in the deepest furnace beneath the mountains and cooled in blood. With this weapon and his new allies, Sigmar rode out with his tribe to defeat the countless terrors which blighted the land, earning the respect and allegiance of the tribes they liberated. Once he had united the tribes of men from the Grey Mountains in the west to the World's Edge Mountains in the east, they crowned him Emperor of this new nation.

A Nation of Men
Sigmar had been crowned emperor, and beneath the Emperor were his Counts. The 12 former Chieftains of each barbarian tribe and kingdom would govern their people under the rule of their Emperor. The Dwarfs forged for them the Runefangs, magic swords to serve as seals of their authority. Sigmar ruled this new nation of men for 40 years of prosperity, but he grew bored with the peace and one day left his throne and hammer behind, taking up sword and adventuring out into the Darklands. He would never be seen again.

Sigmar had no sons, and so, after much debate, they put it to a vote, and from among the Counts a new Emperor was elected. when he died, the process began again, and the Counts called themselves the Elector Counts of the Empire, electing a new Emperor whenever the old one died, a process that has continued to this very day, despite attempted secessions and civil wars throughout its history.

Sign of the Hammer
A generation after the disappearance of Sigmar passed, and one day a wild-eyed hermit named Johann Helstrum received a vision of Sigmar kneeling before the wolf-god Ulric, who placed a crown of gold on Sigmar's mighty brow and raised him to true godhood. Johann Helstrum began preaching this with a fervor like fire, and his word spread throughout the south of the Empire, despite the efforts of the Ulrican synagogue, and was soon the predominant faith in the Empire, Helstrum was ordained the Grand Theogonist, the leader of this new cult.