The old realms

The Old Realms are a high-magic, low-technology world shaped by ancient powers, unstable magic, and clashing civilizations. Magic flows unpredictably through the winds of Chaos, influencing cultures, creating monsters, and empowering sorcerers. Most societies are feudal or medieval, with black powder weapons existing only in a few advanced nations like Nuln. The world is defined by the eternal struggle between the mortal races and the forces of Chaos, who seep into the world through the distant northern poles where reality is weak.

The primary regions of the Old Realms include: The Empire A vast human nation of provinces, each ruled by Elector Counts. Forested, dangerous, and held together by Sigmar’s faith and black powder. Bretonnia A feudal kingdom of chivalry, ruled by noble knights who serve the mystical Lady of the Lake. Kislev A harsh, frozen land acting as the bulwark against northern Chaos invasions. The Dwarfen Realms Mountain strongholds inside the Worlds Edge Mountains, famed for runes, engineering, and grudges. The High Elf Kingdom of Ulthuan A magical island continent that protects the world from magical collapse. The Dark Lands A wasteland ruled by Chaos Dwarfs, orc tribes, and monstrous creatures. The Badlands A savage region full of Greenskin warbands, roaming beasts, and ancient ruins. The Lands of the Dead The deserts of Nehekhara, where the Tomb Kings rule in eternal undeath. Many other realms exist — Border Princes, Norsca, Tilea, Estalia — each adding political texture and adventure potential.

The primary races include: Humans Diverse kingdoms with unique cultures — imperial engineers, Bretonnian knights, Tilean mercenaries, and more. Dwarfs Stoic, master craftsmen, bound by ancient traditions and grudges. Elves Divided between High Elves (orderly, magical), Wood Elves (mysterious forest guardians), and Dark Elves (cruel raiders). Orcs & Goblins Chaotic, war-hungry creatures constantly warring against everything — including each other. Skaven A hidden empire of rat-men beneath the world, driven by treachery, plague, and warpstone. Undead From noble Tomb Kings to necromantic Vampire Counts. Chaos Humans corrupted into marauders, daemons given form, and mutant beasts shaped by dark magic. These races feud, bargain, and fight constantly, creating endless opportunities for conflict.

The Old Realms are always on the brink of war. Major tensions include: Chaos Incursions Warbands gather in the north, threatening Kislev and The Empire. Political Intrigue in The Empire Elector Counts feud. Provinces distrust each other. Witch Hunters root out corruption. Bretonnian Peasant Unrest Nobles rule absolutely, and the common folk grow restless. Dwarfs vs Greenskins Ancient grudges ignite endless warfare in the mountains. Skaven Plots Plagues, assassinations, and sabotage threaten all surface nations. Undead Awakening Vampire Counts maneuver for power while the Tomb Kings defend their eternal kingdoms. This world is constantly shifting — perfect ground for adventures.

Magic in the Old World is ancient, volatile, and endlessly dangerous. It is not simply a tool — it is the raw energy of Chaos filtered into forms mortals try to control. The Winds of Magic: The Eight Lores Magic enters the world as eight distinct “winds.” Each wind is tied to an emotion, a color, a direction of the compass, and a school of magic. ⭐ Aqshy — The Red Wind (Lore of Fire) Hot-blooded, impulsive magic that creates flame and destruction. Used by: Bright Wizards. ⭐ Chamon — The Yellow Wind (Lore of Metal) Transmutation, metallurgy, alchemy, turning flesh to metal. Used by: Gold Wizards. ⭐ Ghyran — The Green Wind (Lore of Life) Healing, growth, plants, rejuvenation. Used by: Jade Wizards. ⭐ Ghur — The Brown Wind (Lore of Beasts) Animal spirits, primal instincts, shapeshifting. Used by: Amber Wizards. ⭐ Hyer — The Blue Wind (Lore of Heavens) Stars, lightning, fate, divination. Used by: Celestial Wizards. ⭐ Hysh — The White Wind (Lore of Light) Purity, illumination, banishment, anti-Chaos spells. Used by: White Wizards. ⭐ Ulgu — The Grey Wind (Lore of Shadows) Illusion, deception, stealth, manipulating perception. Used by: Grey Wizards. ⭐ Shyish — The Purple Wind (Lore of Death) Spirits, entropy, draining life, necromancy (barely controlled). Used by: Amethyst Wizards. ⸻ Why Magic Is Dangerous Even trained wizards risk death whenever they cast. 1. Miscasts A spell can “backfire,” unleashing uncontrolled magic — explosions, mutations, possession, daemonic manifestations. 2. Corruption All magic is ultimately Chaos. Too much exposure warps a wizard physically or spiritually. 3. Sanctioned vs. Unsanctioned Wizards In the Empire: • Licensed wizards (Colleges of Magic) study one wind only. • Hedge wizards, witches, wise women are hunted by Witch Hunters. 4. Racial Differences • Elves naturally understand magic — they guided humans in forming the colleges. • Dwarfs cannot use magic but capture it in runes. • Orcs & Goblins channel Waaagh! energy, a crude form of magic that grows with their numbers. • Skaven use warpstone-based sorcery, unpredictable and deadly. • Vampires & Necromancers rely on pure Shyish and forbidden arts. ⸻ Dark Magic & Forbidden Practices Three categories: 1. Dhar (Dark Magic) The blended corruption of all winds. Overwhelmingly powerful but corruptive. 2. Necromancy Manipulates Shyish unnaturally — raising dead, binding spirits. Highly illegal and extremely dangerous. 3. Daemonology Summoning daemons, creating pacts, opening rifts — even Chaos Sorcerers struggle to control it. Religion in the Old World is not symbolic — the gods are real and directly influence the land. Worship shapes culture, law, warfare, and politics. The Major Human Faiths ⭐ Sigmar God of The Empire, war, protection, and unification. Priests (Warrior Priests) wield divine magic: hammers glowing with light, smiting undead, blessing warriors. ⭐ Ulric God of winter, wolves, battle. His followers value strength, courage, and personal honor. ⭐ Taal & Rhya Nature gods — wilderness, seasons, fertility. ⭐ Morr God of death, dreams, and the afterlife. His priests protect graveyards and battle necromancy. ⭐ Verena Goddess of law, justice, wisdom. ⭐ Manaan God of the sea and storms — sailors pray to him to survive voyages. ⸻ Bretonnia: The Lady of the Lake A mysterious, powerful deity who grants visions and blessings to noble knights. She determines who is “worthy” and enforces Bretonnia’s strict social order. Her servants include: • Fay Enchantresses (her chosen sorceresses) • Grail Knights (holy champions) ⸻ Dwarfen Religion Dwarfs worship their Ancestor Gods: • Grungni — crafts, mining, engineering • Valaya — healing, protection, home • Grimnir — war, slaying monsters Their priests do not cast spells — instead, runesmiths trap magic into weapons, armor, and artifacts using ancient rituals. ⸻ Elven Religion High Elves and Dark Elves share a pantheon but interpret their gods differently. High Elves Revere order, magic, wisdom. • Asuryan — king of the gods • Isha — mother goddess • Kurnous — hunt • Hoeth — lore and magic • Vaul — forging Dark Elves Focus on cruelty, ambition, and strength. • Khaine — god of murder • Hekarti — dark magic • Atharti — pleasure and dominance ⸻ The Chaos Gods The most feared divine forces, embodiments of mortal extremes: • Khorne — blood, war, anger • Nurgle — decay, disease, endurance • Tzeentch — magic, fate, ambition • Slaanesh — excess, beauty, desire Their followers gain gifts and mutations in exchange for loyalty. ⸻ The Undead Religions Tomb Kings Revere the ancient Nehekharan gods — mostly passive now — but focus on eternal rule and ancestor worship. Vampire Counts Do not worship gods. They seek power through necromancy and bloodlines.

The Warhammer world does NOT use a D&D-style stacked cosmology. Instead, it has a single, all-encompassing metaphysical structure: The Material Realm The world of mortals — continents, oceans, forests, deserts, kingdoms. The Aethyr (the Realm of Chaos) A parallel dimension of raw magical energy, emotion, and daemonic entities. It lies beneath, above, and around the world, separated only by thin metaphysical boundaries. The Spirit World (the Grey Lands / Underworld) A transitional plane where souls pass after death, dream realms connect, and some spirits linger. These planes interact constantly, sometimes violently. ⸻ 1. THE REALM OF CHAOS — THE PRIMARY INFLUENCE The Realm of Chaos is a swirling dimension of primal magic and emotion. It is the source of: • All magic (the Winds) • Daemons • Chaos gods • Mutations • Warpstone • Dreams and nightmares Influence on the Mortal World A. Chaos Gates At the North and South poles lie ancient warp gates created by the Old Ones. When they collapsed, Chaos seeped into the world endlessly. B. The Aurora (the Northern Lights) The “Nordlicht” is literally the winds of magic bleeding into the sky. C. Magic Itself The Winds of Magic blowing across the world are Chaos made usable. D. Mutations Where the boundary thins, mortals mutate. Beastmen, Chaos Spawn, and other horrors are born from these touchpoints. E. Daemonic Incursions Daemons cannot exist long in the mortal world unless: • The veil is thinned (Chaos Wastes) • Magic is heavily concentrated (warpstone) • A powerful sorcerer opens a rift • Massive emotion (war, plague, death) tears a hole When the Winds surge, daemons walk. ⸻ 2. THE SPIRIT REALM — THE WORLD OF SOULS Not traditionally “heaven” or “hell,” but a shifting realm that connects to dreams, death, and psychic resonance. Influences on the Material Plane • Dreams: Wizards, seers, and priests receive visions from the Spirit World. • Ghosts & wraiths: Strong emotions bind souls to the mortal plane. • Necromancy: Forces open paths into the Spirit World and rips souls back. • Morr’s Gardens: A protected afterlife domain guarded by the god of death. Where mortals cross over • Haunted places • Mass graves • Battlefields • Ancient barrows • Temples of Morr • Elven waystones The Spirit Realm is calmer than the Aethyr, but still dangerous. ⸻ 3. ELVEN WAYSTONES — ENGINEERED PLANAR BARRIERS High Elves created vast geomantic structures to pin the Winds of Magic into balance and prevent Chaos from overwhelming the world. Effects • Calm magic flow • Stabilize the veil • Prevent daemonic breaches • Contain magical fallout If waystones fail: • Magic surges • Daemons manifest • The land warps • Spirits cannot rest ⸻ 4. THE UNDERWAYS & DHARMA VEINS Dwarfs build their empire through the Underways — tunnels under mountains. They intersect planar weak points where: • Dark magic pools • Ancient beings sleep • Skaven burrow with warpstone These nodes can influence entire mountain ranges. ⸻ 5. THE DREAMING PATHS (Elven Realm Interaction) Elves can walk dream roads crossing between: • Mortal world • Spirit World • Aethyr (rarely, dangerously) This is how their mages perform long-distance communication and prophecy. ⸻ 6. HOW DIFFERENT RACES EXPERIENCE THE PLANES Humans Struggle. Easily corrupted. Their dreams are especially vulnerable to daemonic whispers. Dwarfs Stubborn minds resist planar influence; cannot use magic, but are affected by warpstone. Elves Tune naturally to the Winds; feel planar shifts before they happen. Greenskins Waaagh! energy acts like a crude planar force — collective emotion bending reality. Skaven Use warpstone to punch holes into the veil, often catastrophically. Undead Vampires & Necromancers manipulate Shyish to anchor spirits, defying Morr. ⸻ 7. NATURAL PLANAR ANOMALIES Common “thin places” include: • Chaos Wastes • Drakwald Forest • Sylvania • The Marshes of Madness • Northern Chaos taint regions • Ancient ruins of the Old Ones At these points, the Material World warps: • Time flows strangely • Mutations occur • Daemons bleed through • Magic becomes dangerously strong

he history of the Old Realms is divided into several massive eras, each leaving important ruins, factions, and mysteries. ⸻ 1. The Age of the Old Ones (Earliest Age — Golden Age of Creation) The world was shaped, stabilized, and populated by the star-faring Old Ones. Signature events: • Creation of the geomantic web (leyline network) • Raising of continents and climates • Design of the Winds of Magic • Creation/uplifting of major races (Elves, Lizardmen, possibly Dwarfs) Ruins that remain: • Sunken temple-cities • Warpstone-tainted vaults • Obelisks that harness or dampen magic • Ruined portals connected to dead star-gates This age ended with the collapse of the polar gates, unleashing Chaos. ⸻ 2. The Age of Cataclysm (The First Great Chaos Incursion) The world nearly died as the Realm of Chaos bled into reality. Key events: • Daemons poured out of the poles • Creation of the Chaos Wastes • The Elves developed High Magic to stabilize reality • The Dwarfs sealed their holds and fought the deep horrors • Lizardmen waged war across entire continents Ruins that remain: • Daemon-scarred wastelands • Blackened forests • Collapsed elven wards and broken waystones • Abandoned mountain tunnels filled with ancient horrors ⸻ 3. The Age of Rebuilding Civilizations stabilize after the first daemon wars. Key events: • Rise of the Elven Empire • First Dwarf Golden Age • Human tribes prosper under nascent gods • Early Orc migrations erupt across the world Ruins that remain: • Abandoned elven colonies • Early human barrows • Dwarf outposts swallowed by mountains • Proto-cities beneath modern capitals ⸻ 4. The Age of Strife Catastrophes break the dominance of ancient powers. Key events: • Elven Civil War (Sundering) • Dwarf–Elf War • The “Time of Woes” collapses Dwarf mountain kingdoms • Beastmen proliferate in deep forests • Skaven burrow beneath every major continent Ruins that remain: • Sunken elven cities • Shattered dwarven holds • Abandoned under-empire tunnels • Corrupted forests thick with dark fey and beastmen ⸻ 5. The Age of Empire (Current Era) Humans rise as the world’s dominant political power amid constant threats. Key events: • Founding of the Old Realms’ largest Empire • Vampire Counts emerge • Chaos tribes unify under dark champions • Orc WAAAGHs scar the borders • Waystones begin to fail Ruins that remain: • Crumbling border fortresses • Ancient battlefields that poison the land • Ruined temples of forgotten gods • Old Ones’ megastructures malfunctioning beneath the soil

The world’s economy is fragile, decentralized, and heavily influenced by war, corruption, and magical fluctuation. ⸻ Currency Each realm uses its own coinage, but gold, silver, and copper standards are widely recognized. Examples: • Imperial Standard: Gold Crown, Silver Shilling, Brass Penny • Dwarfen Marks: Heavy stamped gold coins, accepted everywhere • Elven Moons: Lightweight, high-purity silver • Border Kingdom Talons: Bronze coins used for mercenary payments Chaos tribes and Orcs rarely use coin; they barter or plunder. ⸻ Trade Routes 1. Overland Roads • Dwarven trade tunnels • Imperial roads built over ancient geomantic lines • Caravans guarded by mercenaries and witch-hunters 2. River Trade Major rivers are arteries of civilization—travel is faster, cheaper, safer than land. 3. Sea Routes Dangerous but profitable: storms, sea monsters, and dark elf raiders make voyages perilous. 4. Under-Empire Tunnels Skaven routes connect continents beneath the earth—used for ambushes, plague spread, and secret invasions. ⸻ Economic Challenges • Chaos corruption ruins farmland • Orc migrations destroy trade posts • Beastmen harry caravans • Vampire lords drain entire regions of wealth and people • Magic surges shift climates, destroy crops Civilization survives, barely.

⭐ LAW & SOCIETY Law in the Old Realms is harsh, decentralized, and deeply influenced by religion. ⸻ Justice Systems 1. Imperial Law (most structured) • Local lords administer justice • Witch hunters roam freely • Priests of Sigmar, Ulric, and Verena act as judges or investigators • Trials are often swift; evidence optional Punishments include: • Fines • Stocks • Flogging • Exile • Execution (common) • Burning (very common) ⸻ 2. Dwarfen Law • Clan-based • Extremely strict • Grudges become legally binding • Oaths are sacred Punishments: • Compensation • Ritual duels • Clan exile • Honor-debt in service or labor ⸻ 3. Elven Law • Highly bureaucratic and mystical • Many crimes are judged by magical truth-seeing • Crimes against nature or magic are treated severely ⸻ 4. Border Kingdoms • Law varies by town • Might makes right • Magistrates often corrupt or mercenary ⸻ How Society Views Adventurers Adventurers are seen as: • Useful but dangerous • Often morally dubious • Carriers of corruption • Tools used by nobles when expendable assets are needed • Heroes only after they succeed Most commoners assume adventurers will bring: • Trouble • Beastmen • Plagues • Chaos • Undead • Tax collectors But they still need them.

A Warhammer-inspired world has no shortage of existential threats. Here’s the core list, organized by type. ⸻ 1. Chaos Forces Daemons: Manifestations of pure emotion and magic Beastmen: Born of corruption in deep forests Chaos Warriors: Armored champions of the Dark Gods Mutants: Once-human victims of warp-taint Chaos Sorcerers: Open rifts and spawn horrors Villains: • Chaos Lords • Daemon Princes • Cult Magisters • Corrupted nobles and priests ⸻ 2. Undead & Vampires Necromancers: Raise armies of the dead Vampire Counts: Rule cursed lands Wights & Barrow Kings: Ancient undead nobles Spirits: Dead that cannot rest Liches: Masters of forbidden magic Villains: • Vampire Lords seeking dominion • Liche-queens awakening from ages past • Necromancers exploiting ancient ruins ⸻ 3. Goblinoids & Orcs Orcs and Goblins form massive WAAAGHs that sweep across borders. Villains: • Warbosses • Night Goblin shamans • Black Orc generals • Troll-king mercenaries ⸻ 4. Skaven Ratmen of the Under-Empire—scheming, diseased, treacherous. Villains: • Grey Seers • Warlords • Globadier clans • Plague Priests Their plots reach everywhere. ⸻ 5. Beast of Legend Unique creatures tied to magic, Chaos, or ancient times. Examples: • Chimerae • Manticores • Giants • Dragons • Wyverns • Chaos-touched wildlife • Ancient constructs of the Old Ones ⸻ 6. Human Threats Mortals may be the most dangerous of all. • Corrupt nobles • Bandit kings • Rogue wizards • Cult leaders • Tyrants • Mercenary captains