Altdorf (Warhammer)
Encyclopedia
Altdorf was the fictional capital city of the human nation called the Empire
in the Warhammer Fantasy
universe. It is the capital of the Reikland province of the Empire.
The city is constructed on seven large and many small islands in the River Reik, in the southwest of the Empire. In terms of its culture, architecture, layout, governance and populace, it is strongly reminiscent of several of the larger cities of Renaissance
Europe.
Altdorf is the seat of the government and a spiritual center of the Empire as well as being home to many important institutions, including the Altdorf University, the College of Engineers and the Colleges of Magic.
The name Altdorf in German
means old town, and is a common town name in Germany, as well as being appropriate for one of the oldest towns in the Empire. However, it is also very likely a reference to the Early Renaissance artist Albrecht Altdorfer
whose paintings, especially The Battle of Alexander at Issus
are cited as a seminal influence on the art of Warhammer by Games Workshop's art director John Blanche
.
rose to be a powerful leader who united the tribes and founded the Empire as "Sigmar Heldenhammer the First".
Altdorf has survived three sieges:
The Empire (Warhammer)
In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, The Empire is one of the human political factions and armies, and is featured in many games and novels. In terms of location, language, culture, and society, it bears a strong resemblance to the Holy Roman Empire...
in the Warhammer Fantasy
Warhammer Fantasy (setting)
Warhammer Fantasy is a fantasy setting, created by Games Workshop, which is used by many of the company's games. Some of the best-known games set in this world are: the table top wargame Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay pen-and-paper role-playing game, and the MMORPG...
universe. It is the capital of the Reikland province of the Empire.
The city is constructed on seven large and many small islands in the River Reik, in the southwest of the Empire. In terms of its culture, architecture, layout, governance and populace, it is strongly reminiscent of several of the larger cities of Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
Europe.
Altdorf is the seat of the government and a spiritual center of the Empire as well as being home to many important institutions, including the Altdorf University, the College of Engineers and the Colleges of Magic.
The name Altdorf in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
means old town, and is a common town name in Germany, as well as being appropriate for one of the oldest towns in the Empire. However, it is also very likely a reference to the Early Renaissance artist Albrecht Altdorfer
Albrecht Altdorfer
Albrecht Altdorfer was a German painter, printmaker and architect of the Renaissance era.-Biography:Altdorfer was born in Regensburg or Altdorf around 1480....
whose paintings, especially The Battle of Alexander at Issus
The Battle of Alexander at Issus
The Battle of Alexander at Issus is a 1529 oil painting by the German artist Albrecht Altdorfer , a pioneer of landscape art and a founding member of the Danube school...
are cited as a seminal influence on the art of Warhammer by Games Workshop's art director John Blanche
John Blanche
John Blanche is a British fantasy and science fiction illustrator and modeler known for his work for Games Workshop's White Dwarf magazine, Warhammer Fantasy Battle, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Warhammer 40,000 games and his role as art director for the company, including his work in the field...
.
History
Altdorf is built more or less on the site of Reikdorf, a walled village built by the "Unberogen" tribe. From this tribe SigmarSigmar
Sigmar Heldenhammer is a fictional deity in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. He is the patron deity of The Empire. Before he became a god, Sigmar was a man, albeit an exceptional, perhaps even superhuman one...
rose to be a powerful leader who united the tribes and founded the Empire as "Sigmar Heldenhammer the First".
Altdorf has survived three sieges:
- In 1707 the city is besieged by OrcOrcAn orc is one of a race of mythical human-like creatures, generally described as fierce and combative, with grotesque features and often black, grey or greenish skin. This mythology has its origins in the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien....
warlord Gorbad Ironclaw. Sigismund, Prince of Altdorf and one of the three claimants to the Imperial Throne, is killed by a Wyvern. The Orcs are unable to break through the city walls however, and soon the Orc army becomes demoralized and scatters. - In 2051 Altdorf came under siege by the Vampire Count Vlad von Carstein. His undead forces nearly succeeded in capturing the city. Vlad's plans were thwarted by the Grand Theogonist (the high priest of the Church of Sigmar), who sacrificed himself by charging Vlad head on and pushing him off the battlements to be impaled on the spikes of the city's moat. The Grand Theogonist landed on top of the vampire, driving him even deeper down on the spikes, and killing them both.
- In 2133 Mannfred von Carstein tried to succeed where his sire Vlad von Carstein had failed. He besieged Altdorf with a large force of undead. However, after Vlad's failed siege almost a century before, many necromanticNecromancyNecromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
books had been captured, and the Grand Theogonist of that time made good use of those. Standing on the battlements, he recited the Great Spell of Unbinding from one of the grimoireGrimoireA grimoire is a textbook of magic. Such books typically include instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination and also how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels, spirits, and demons...
s, causing large amounts of the undead army to collapse and forcing Mannfred to retreat.