No matter if 40,000 or fantasy: An empire of men from Warhammer is nothing without its emperor. In fantasy, this role falls to a man named Karl Franz, but who is he actually?
A major source of inspiration for the empire of men from Warhammer Fantasy was the Holy Roman Empire. For this reason, a small excursion into history:
- The Holy Roman Empire existed from the Late Middle Ages until 1806 and was a union of numerous territories in Central Europe.
- This empire was ruled by an emperor who was elected by the electors of the individual countries in the empire – the office was not directly hereditary.
The empire from Warhammer Fantasy is very similar: It is located in the center of the Old World and consists of many smaller provinces. The empire is constantly in turmoil – whether due to external threats like marauding orcs or electors vying for the emperor’s throne.
Not only politics but also the names of the provinces, cities, and figures of the empire are German-influenced. The full name of the current emperor Karl Franz is, and this is really no joke: Karl-Franz I of Holswig-Schliestein.
In the trailer for Immortal Empires for Total War: Warhammer 3 shows Karl Franz his skill as a diplomat:
Chosen of Sigmar, Warrior and Diplomat
And here we are again with the man of the hour: Karl Franz is the elector of Reikland, a province in the center of the empire. There lies also Altdorf, the largest and richest city of the empire and its capital. Karl Franz ascended the throne in the year 2502 of the imperial calendar, with year 0 marking the founding of the empire by Sigmar Heldenhammer.
Karl Franz is not only emperor but also Sigmar’s chosen one. The legendary founding father is currently worshipped as a god during Karl Franz’s time. His powerful warhammer Ghal Maraz, a gift from the Dwarves, has become the symbol of his cult (and over time also of Warhammer Fantasy).
By the way, Sigmar’s hammer is the same weapon with which Karl Franz goes into battle – a sign of his authority as ruler. His mount of choice is a mighty griffon named Deathclaw. He raised this creature himself when it was still a chick.
This may all sound as if Karl Franz rules the empire through sheer strength. And he is undoubtedly a powerful warrior who prefers to fight at the front with his troops. But in a world where there’s constantly only war, he also recognizes the value of diplomacy. Many say that Karl Franz is even the best statesman and diplomat in the entire Old World.
A Defender Until The End
The final days of Warhammer Fantasy were also spent by the emperor protecting his people from dangers from outside. First against the undead of Sylvanian in the east, then against the great hordes of chaos that came from the far north.
When Karl Franz later fell in battle against a powerful champion of Nurgle, he was revived by Sigmar himself. In the process, he eliminated any corruption from the chaos god of pestilence and drove off its champions. 6 crazy chaos champions can be found in our list.
Shortly before the end of the world, Karl Franz even received a power-up from Azyr, the blue wind of magic. This wind influences the weather and allows skilled wizards to summon storms and even comets. But even with the power of Azyr, Karl Franz couldn’t stop the downfall of the world.
The world of Warhammer Fantasy is ancient, thousands of years older than Karl Franz and Sigmar. Many powerful beings existed long before them. Which among them are the oldest, you can find out here: Mystical beings have created the world of Warhammer Fantasy, but there are 3 “people” that are even older.
