Editing Endhammer (section)

==Would You Like to Know More?==
There are some factions which have had considerably more contributed to their stories than others. As we get more information, this is likely to balance out. The above is shorthand. What you'll read below is for those who really want to get into the fluff.

===What's the Deal with the Empire?===
With the Everchosen dead and the Empire saved, Sigmar's spirit left Karl-Franz's body at Averheim. The Emperor seemed to age half a century in a day, his anatomy burned out by housing a god. The greatest Emperor since Magnus the Pious died bedridden and infirm in the moment of the Empire's triumph, leaving it leaderless and divided. Boris Todbringer, the next logical leader of the Empire and Karl-Franz's only rival during his election... died after completing his mad quest to kill [[Khazrak The One-Eye]]. His only acknowledged bastard, Heinrich Todbringer, was quickly legitimized by Ar-Ulric and (lest some weak, southern Sigmarite become the new Elector-Count of Middenland).

Who is Heinrich Todbringer? Champion rider. Warrior extraordinaire. Dark of hair and broad of shoulder, and already father to numerous bastards of his own. He is exactly the kind of leader Middeland needs in the anarchy of "Endhammer." He is also a cruelly efficient man, and all of his half-brothers have been assassinated since he took the throne of Middenland. Even now, he leads sortes out into the Drakwald to clear out what remains of Archaon's horde (and engage in the futile effort of recovering his father's remains). After promising Theoderic Gausser the ruined city of Marienburg, Nordland swore to support him in his bid for Emperor. Even now, Gausser capers madly in the ruined manors of Marienburg, wearing a mask filled with mint and other “protective herbs.” The Glottkin's plague made sure there are no more Marienburgers to make good on their promise to behead him. In addition, Heinrich has sent messengers to the Norscan of Salkalten, wondering if he can't win himself another supporter by offering him the Electorate of Ostland.

Todbringer's rival is Luitpold Holswig-Schliestein II (A.K.A. “Karl's Jr.”). He rules the remnants of Reikland with the support of Grand Theogonist Luthor Huss. The surviving Reiksguard have also sworn for Luitpold, and while Stirland is considering its options, they appear to be in the Sigmarite camp. Luitpold is not a ruthless warrior like Heinrich, having learned far more from his father's role as a statesman. The makeshift palace at Carroburg is abuzz with messengers and diplomats, looking for support in Wissenland, Averland, and even far-flung Bretonnia.

Balthasar Gelt thinks both of these young men are fools. He finds the entire Electoral system foolish. After all, if you wanted a bloody republic, why limit the candidates to a group of inbred, overly suspicious Elector-Counts? He hides in the court of Emmanuelle von Liebewitz, living by her good graces and his continues supply of zombie sentries for the vulnerable Nuln sewer system. Feelers are being sent out to his colleagues and former pupils in the magical community. Why let these noblemen decide who leads the Empire? A man like Karl-Franz or Magnus the Pious comes once every half-millenium. Far better if the Emperor was the best man for the job, and not just the man with the deepest pockets or biggest army. And who could claim to be more skilled or more intelligent than Balthasar Gelt?

Meanwhile, Stirland, Averland, and Wissenland are full to bursting with refugees from the east. Kislevites and Hochlanders mix with halflings of the Moot. Realizing they can never return home, some turn to the western horizon, looking for new opportunity.

The authorities of the Empire once tried to conceal the existence of Skaven from the public, but that is now impossible. The terrified survivors perceive Skaven schemes everywhere. Political agitators accuse their opponents of working with them. Peasants sometimes accuse people with buckteeth or large ears of being Skaven in disguise. Corrupt politicians blame all the shortcomings of their regimes on "Skaven saboteurs". Posters are pasted around cities by religious orders warning the public not to fall into vice, as this is "just what the corrupting ratmen want them to do". A paranoid "Rat Scare" has gripped the Empire.

===And What of Fair Bretonnia?===
Mallobaude's Civil War and the looming End Times took a heavy toll on the Kingdom of Bretonnia. Its king and the greatest of the kingdom's gallantry fell at Altdorf, but now a resurgent Bretonnia is led by its once and... present king, Gilles le Breton. Chilfroy of Artois, Adalhard of Lyonesse, and Huebald of Carcassone raised their banners for Mallobaude and were defeated by the forces of the Green Knight. It was revealed that Chilfroy had long been consorting with the beastmen of his province, finally explaining why the Duke seemed to enjoy such success against the followers of Chaos. He was promptly killed by Gilles le Breton. Adalhard, ashamed that he'd joined in the scheming and betrayal which he had long disdained, chose honorable death in combat and joined Louen's march to Altdorf. The Battle of Altdorf claimed the lives of most of Bretonnia's peerage and many of its Dukes, including mighty warriors like Adalhard. Duke Armand of Aquitaine's luck finally ran out. The bold (some might say reckless) paladin fell trying to recover his old charge, the Battle Standard of Bretonnia, as it collapsed amidst of mob of Plaguebearers. Duke Hagen of Gisoreaux refused to leave Leoncoeur's side and perished protecting the body of his closest friend. Adalhard regained his honor by taking a spear meant for Cassyon of Paravon, allowing the young Duke to be one of the few survivors of the End Times. Theodoric of Brionne and Folcard of Montfort were both wounded during the fight for the Empire. Theodoric, the warrior-poet, succumbed to infection and left his dukedom in a succession crisis among his many bastards.

''(There will be more, later. But I'd like input on the style)''

===Tilea During the End Times===
Of the fallen cities... Lucrezzia Belladona took poison as Pavona fell around her, and most of the city's nobility died, starving in their tall spires while listening to the screams of the peasantry in the streets below. Marco Colombo, Prince of Trantio, raided his hordes of Lustrian artifacts as Stormvermin battered down the doors of his palace, looking for something that would save him (and his city, of course). No one knows what he found, but the Prince's palace exploded in a flash of brilliant light that scattered Lizardman gold and jade across the ruined city. Positioned so close to Skavenblight, Tobaro's defenders were taken by surprise. The Birdmen of Catrazza were killed before they could leave the ground and Vespero's Vendetta was last seen retreating into the Temple of Morr. Verezzo's colorful political parties were unable to agree on the manner in which they would respond to the Skaven attack and died debating whether they should hire Braganza's Besiegers or flee the city.

And of the cities that survived... The Republic of Remas got its shit together and came up with a unique decision: abolishing itself. With “Ragged” Ricco elected as dictator, the Republican Guard and the Marksmen of Miragliano blunted the nose of the Skaven invasion. Realizing the city was too tough of a nut to crack, the ratmen put it to siege and moved on to Luccini. Lorenzo Lupo and the princes of southern Tilea, dressed in the best armor that money could buy, met the Skaven in the hills around Luccini. Having seen the Skaven's failure to take Remas, Lupo knew it was his time to shine and take the battle to the rats as the Champion of Tilea. He died, wishing he'd never fired Golgfag and his Maneaters. With Lupo dead, Leopold and the Leopard Company were invited back to the city. The Temple of the Leopard empties its treasury, fattened by years of donations, bought the services of Pirazzo's Lost Legion, Braganza's Besiegers, and Bronzino's Galloper Guns. Roderigo Delmonte and the Alcatani Fellowship volunteered to defend the last bastion of Tilea after shepherding the population of the countryside into the city walls. Even Asarnil the Dragonlord was in attendance, his pride not letting him ignore a battle joined by all of the most famous mercenaries of the Old World.

The Plain of Luccini had never been so colorful as mercenary companies and regiments of renown, paid at triple their going rates, prepared to die as heroes. Leopold, the newly elected Prince of Luccini, directed the battle from a hill behind the Tilean forces. Again and again, the Skaven hordes threw themselves against the pike walls, steadily battering down the Dogs of War and pushing them to the coast, making room for a column to strike for Luccini. Roderigo Delmonte and the Alcatani Fellowship led a fighting retreat towards the city, buying time for the population to board ships and flee into the sea while the Besiegers, the Leopard Company, and the Lost Legion died on the beach. Asarnil the Dragonlord was last seen fighting beside the body of his jezzail-riddled dragon with his broken lance. Ships came into view over the horizon, and explosive cannon fire surprised and shattered the Skaven horde. The pirates of Sartosa had come to the aid of their old rival. They still claim there is no truth to the rumors that Long Drong promised to skin them all alive if they didn't give them the opportunity for a proper doom. Leopold's gambit to steer the Skaven towards the coast had paid off. It was a pity he died in the process.

===Beastmen? Important? What?===
The Beastmen have come into their own in the broken world left by the End Times. Across the eastern half of the Empire, mighty herds roam over ruined cities and blighted countrysides, having finally conquered the civilization that scorned and hated them. Even now, as Heinrich, Luitpold, and Balthasar Gelt scheme for the Imperial throne and worry about the walking dead of Sylvania, the mighty herds remain on their mind. However, it is not in the Empire where the Beastmen are truly triumphant. In far-off Ind, a Kingdom of Beasts has arisen under the direction of the ruthless and mysterious Raj Bhagha. The tiger-headed king of the sub-continent took the throne of Ayodhya, the relic city, after God-King Darahma was killed by Arbaal the Undefeated. The great Khornite champion left Ind in ruins, letting the beasts of the jungle enjoy the spoils. Raj Bhagha has established a perverse hierarchy of classes into which all of his citizens fall. The untainted humans; the lowest of the low, work as servants and slaves, tilling fields and sweeping the streets before their bestial masters. Those Beastmen that resemble service creatures, such as goats and pigs and horses, are the bulk of the Raja's infantry and make up the land-owning class, overseeing their human slave labor. Twisted and feathered beastmen resembling birds and serpents make up the priestly class, devoted to divining the future and overseeing the proper sacrifices to the new gods of Ind. At the top of Bhagha's caste system are the mighty predators of Ind's jungles: panthers, leopards, and of course, tigers, making up the warrior class of the Indish Animal Kingdom.

Raj Bhagha is not stupid like many of his fellow Beastmen. Already, he has sent emissaries to faraway kingdoms, offering trade and access to the untouched resources of Ind. But the Beastman King is arrogant and prone to violence. It is well-known in Cathay that one should always send two dignitaries to Ind: one to parley with Bhagha, and the other to serve as his meal. The mighty Raj Bhagha of Ind looks down on humanity as little more than work-horses for his kingdom, possessing all of the failings of animals, but none of their talents and filling none of their niches. No claws or hooves or sharp teeth. Good for little other than slave-labor and the occasional snack. Those human babes which show signs of stigmata are taken from their families to be raised as mutants among their fellow beastmen.

Leaders in the Empire, Bretonnia, and Tilea are unsure what to do about the new King of Ind. On the one hand, his panther emissaries are clearly the spawn of Chaos. On the other, they offer access to enough gold and spices to make a man Emperor three times over. Witch Hunters, frothing at the mouth in fury, must be restrained lest they insult these foreign dignitaries with their accusations of demonic corruption.

===Ulthuan becomes Atlantis. The Elves aren't butchered.===
For starters, Teclis doesn't destroy Ulthuan because he wants his capeshit fan fiction to become a reality, and Malekith isn't Darth Vader because he has anxiety issues. That being said, Teclis still helps Malekith become the Phoenix King, if only because he is the only person who can unite the Asur and Druchii under one banner to survive the apocalypse, which then causes the apocalypse.

As per End Times, Aliathra gets kidnapped by Mannfred and sacrificed to resurrect Nagash, and is revealed to be the daughter of Alarielle and Tyrion. However, <s>Eltharion gives a good account of himself in his duel against Arkhan and lives to fight another day</s>Eltharion still dies, as neither side backs down but Eltharion puts up a better fight than the last time. Tyrion's spiral into rage begins when he learns of his daughter's death.

Meanwhile in the New World, Malekith abandons Naggaroth to the hordes of barbarians and once again begins his invasion of Ulthuan, while the armies of Finnubar prepare to meet him. Unfortunately for him, <s>Teclis murders him and makes it look like a suicide</s> Finnubar commits suicide, starting a leadership crisis. Korhil suspects foul play, but Tyrion is too busy organizing the defense of Ulthuan to give his suspicions the necessary attention.

Unfortunately for Tyrion, Prince Imrik accepts an offer of allegiance to Malekith. Tyrion had humiliated and browbeat him enough when he tried to organize a new election to the Phoenix Throne. And considering that Ulthuan was most likely going to lose the war, it was probably the right decision. The armies of Malekith march through the Eagle Gate and Malekith makes a bee-line for the Shrine of Asuryan, where <s>Teclis wards Malekith as he walks through the Flames to become the "Phoenix King"</s> Malekith walks unharmed through the Flame of Asuryan, and reveals that he was the rightful Phoenix King all along (guess he needed to grow up a bit before he was deemed worthy...) It is also revealed that those before him needed wards to keep themselves from being burned alive, and thus were cursed by Asuryan. This curse ultimately resulted in the despondency and ennui that led to Finubar's "suicide." Unwilling to serve the Witch King of Naggaroth, the Phoenix Guard abandon their King. Caradryan sails to the Old World, his goals unknown. Teclis becomes Malekith's favorite advisor, much to the jealousy and rage of Morathi.

The reaction to this is mixed, to say the least. Hellebron's loyalty begins to wane, and pretty much every High Elf in existence is enraged by this turn of events. This includes Alarielle, who soon confronts Teclis about his bullshit. Teclis is persistent, however, and convinces her that Malekith is needed to save Elvenkind. Reluctantly, she agrees to marry the new Phoenix King and soothe the tempers of some of the Princes, while igniting the anger of one: Tyrion.

Furious at these betrayals, Tyrion confronts his brother, calling him out on his bullshit. Tyrion claims that, together with Finubar, they could have defeated Malekith once and for all. Teclis replies that Malekith, despite being a dick, is the only real hope that the Elves have to save their race (Tyrion might have brought up Alarielle cucking him, and Teclis might have brought up Aliathra in response....). At the end of the conversation, Tyrion, believing that everyone he loved is either dead or has betrayed him/elfkind (especially his brother), storms away and gathers a group of loyal high elves (along with their leaders, like Korhil and Prince Althran) to travel northward in the direction of the Widowmaker.

In the final battle between the Avatar of Khaine, and Malekith's forces, Orion, the Witch King, and Alith Anar combine arms to defeat Tyrion. But before the final blow was struck, Teclis tore open a portal in time and flung him to safety. Despite Tyrion's vow to wreak vengeance on Malekith and his traitorous brother, Teclis still felt a fraternal duty to save his twin. Unfortunately, it was not enough to quench the fires of civil war, and even now, Tyrion and his followers plot the ruination of the new Phoenix King and establish new colonies on the remnants of Lustria, still wielding the Sword of Khaine.

===Grimgor the Barbarian===
Grimgor Ironhide's trek eastward first brought his Waaagh! to the fortress city of Zhar Naggrund. There, he broke the capital of the Chaos Dwarfs' cruel empire and brought the Greenskin slave legions into his horde. When he met the wolfriders of Hobgobla Khan, he quickly cowed the goblins into submission and servitude to his mighty, world-turning Waaagh! When he met the scattered ogres of the Mountains of Mourn, he absorbed their mightiest warriors and killed those of their chieftans who refused to serve him -- a mighty feat for any Orc, black or no, while his Immortulz watched and cheered. Wurzagh's words rung true. This was the "Once-And-Future-Git!" The largest Waaagh! to ever walk the Old World finally came to Cathay and Grimgor's wolf-rider vanguard witnessed the fall of the Great Bastion. Finally, the reason for Zhar Naggrund's easy conquest was discovered: the Chaos Dwarfs had committed their forces to cracking the most formidable holdfast humanity had ever created. To prove he was the biggest and the strongest, he waited for the Chaos Dwarf priest-engineers to secure the Great Bastion and settle in before he took it from them. The Dragon Emperor's Summer Palace was empty when the Immortulz rampaged through its golden halls. And now, Grimgor sits on the Dragon Emperor's throne, his great Waaagh! roiling across northern Cathay, killing waves upon waves of Cathayan soldiers each summer during the campaigning season. But Grimgor don't stay put for long... and now he wonders whether the west doesn't perhaps deserve a krumpin'.

===The Mist Shrouded Land===
Albion has been devastated by the End Times, suffering the same fate as many lands after the fall of the Morrslib. The highlands and mountains are the only true remnants of the mystic island. The druids foresaw the devastation and were able to save some of their savage people by bringing them to the high ground. Most were stubborn and remained in their villages to be overtaken by the sea. And now, the taint of Chaos has killed many of these survivors. In addition, the seas around Albion have become deadly and tainted with warpstone, attracting great and mutated sea beasts. Serpents and sharks are the least of these new monsters, making travel between the islands an ordeal.

Albion was once one of the focal points to tame the Winds of Magic. Now unbridled, Chaos and the essence of the arcane seep into the world. With many of the old ones ruins and Ogham Circles destroyed, it has become a task that is almost impossible to do with just the mystic knowledge of Albion soothsayers. It is rumored that Teclis has traveled among the druids, researching the ley-lines; visiting what few ruins of the Old Ones remain. A fury of work can be seen around the great Ogham as the druids begin their mystic undertaking to rebind the magic with what ancient mysteries they can still glean from the carved rock.

===What about the Undead?===

===A new threat arises===
Something stirs in the Underdark passageway, with Dark Elf raids suddenly coming to an abrupt halt on the Old World's shores.