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Warhammer Fantasy (setting)
Encyclopedia
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
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
. Another game, Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes, was a free-to-play
release.
Warhammer is notable for its "dark and gritty" background world, which features a culture similar in appearance to Early Modern Germany
crossed with Tolkien's Middle-earth
. "Chaos"
is central to the setting, as the forces of Chaos are attempting unceasingly to tear the mortal world asunder. The world itself is populated with a variety of races such as human
s, high elves, dark elves
, wood elves
, dwarfs
, undead
, orcs
, lizardmen
, ogres, and other creatures familiar to many fantasy/role-playing settings.
The first edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battle
(WFB) was released by Games Workshop in early 1983. Prior to this release, the company dealt primarily with the importing of American role-playing game
s, as well as support and review of gaming products, either through their White Dwarf magazine periodical or as separate commercially available products. The game was a mix of a simple rule system with a background that was drawn from standard fantasy themes. The dedication was, in part, "to Michael Moorcock
… whose fault it all is". The game thrived, and subsequent supplements added the particular background to the game. Each "Army List" included a partial history and some related aspects such as notable figures or short illustrative stories. With the publication of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
in 1987, the setting had moved from background of the game to a full-fledged fantasy setting.
Besides Warhammer Fantasy Battle, now in its eight edition, and WFRP, there have been novels set in the same background. Material published in White Dwarf (some of it subsequently republished in the game itself), the Citadel Journal, and a number of other games using the same setting have all added to the background. Games-Workshop also announced an 8th edition set for release in July 2010.
Greyhawk
setting, Warhammer is among the oldest of commercial fantasy worlds, a direct descendant of both that game and Tolkien's Middle-earth
, though the 1st edition cited Robert E Howard (Conan the Barbarian
) alongside Michael Moorcock
and Tolkien as influencing fantasy table-top games. What is recognizable as the Warhammer World began with the first edition of the game, but it evolved as its own setting with the release of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
and the 3rd edition in 1987.
Warhammer has developed a very recognizable stylistic image set. Skulls feature prominently, as well as gothic architecture, absurdly large weapons and shoulder-armor, and bizarre imagery reminiscent of director Terry Gilliam
's work, as well as a strong dose of black comedy
. From its inspiration from Michael Moorcock
's novels, the Warhammer World is centred around the classic Man vs. Himself literary theme. The Chaos Gods
are the flaws of humankind personified; the inner literal daemons of living things come back through a magic medium to torment and kill. The ultimate victory of these forces is often hinted at, highlighting a strong assumption that sentient beings are fundamentally flawed and will eventually bring about their own destruction via the forces of Chaos. This is especially tragic in light of the outside, non-Chaotic forces that threaten civilized beings, including rampaging Orcs, political strife, and general warfare.
The forces of Chaos were introduced into the Warhammer World by the "Old Ones": star-travelling gods responsible for the creation of most of the setting's sentient races. These Old Ones were brought low by the daemonic forces inadvertently unleashed by the collapse of their Warp Gates (one at either pole), leaving their creations to fend for themselves. This backstory also provides an easy explanation for the variety of familiar fantasy races, and provides a logical framework for them to fit in. Ogres and Halflings, for example, are closely related. Both are resistant to the mutating effects of Chaos energies (fuelled by hearty appetites and efficient metabolisms), but have opposite physical templates.
The Warhammer world borrows considerably from historical events and other fantasy fiction settings. The Old World is recognisably Europe approximating to the Renaissance period - the Empire being set over what is modern Germany. Many events are lifted and modified directly from real-world history, including the Black Plague
and the Moorish
invasion of Spain, and others from original fantasy sources. Like Middle-earth
, Warhammer's Elves are declining in population, and a Great Necromancer is reborn after the defeats in his Southern stronghold.
Of the races that inhabit the world, Rick Priestley
identified their origins as being based on British themes, the dwarfs are like blunt-spoken Yorkshire
men, Elves having a touch of Southern England
and received pronunciation
about them, and the Orcs speaking with a working class London accent
.
There are numerous nations and races in the Warhammer World. Mankind, the most prominent, often proves to be the most susceptible to the corrupting influence of Chaos. Most of the featured human nations are based in the Old World (analogous to real world Europe
).
The Elves were the first truly civilised race to walk the world. Brought into creation by the Old Ones, the Elves showed a natural talent for magic and superlative skill at arms. The once glorious civilisation of the Elves was torn asunder many thousands of years ago by a bitter civil war, resulting in the sundering of the race into three distinct kindreds: the evil, twisted Dark Elves
, the proud, noble and magical High Elves who continue the ancient traditions from before the sundering, and a third group as the rustic, sylvan and mysterious Wood Elves
. The High Elves inhabit the magical island of Ulthuan (analogous to Atlantis), while the Dark Elves inhabit the continent of Naggaroth (correspondent to Canada and the north parts of North America in the real world), a desolate icy wilderness.
Dwarfs
are an ancient, grim, and determined race integral in the founding of the Empire. Dwarfs are the greatest craftsmen in the Warhammer World, a skill largely matched by the Chaos Dwarfs
who split from their brothers after being corrupted by Chaos.
In the jungles of Lustria
are the Lizardmen
who were created by the Old Ones to aid in their great works. The Slann now lead the Lizardmen blindly, via ancient prophesies containing almost-incomprehensible instructions from their fallen gods. The culture and aesthetic of the Lizardmen are heavily inspired by those of the Aztec
and Mayan
cultures, and the New World continent (Lustria) which they inhabit corresponds to Central and South America in the real world.
Orcs
and Goblins
, and their kin (also known as Greenskins), are relatively primitive and disorganized, but their instinctive belligerence threatens the various nations. Their violent nature can be noted to commonly cause all-out wars among their own kind. They are found predominantly in the forests and mountains of the Old World, in the jungles to the south and stretched across the steppes to the East, but their kin can be found all over the world, inhabiting almost all continents and adapting to their environments. Thus there are many sub-species of Orcs and Goblins such as Black Orcs and Night Goblins.
Many races have fallen to, or been engendered by Chaos. The barbaric Warriors of Chaos (formerly called "Hordes of Chaos
") invade the civilized nations from the far northern Chaos Wastes. Beastmen
, the half-man half-beast products of Chaos are found in the dark forests of the Old World. Also a product of Chaos are the shrewd and evil ratmen, the Skaven
, whose vast, subterranean and labyrinth
ine "Under-empire" riddles the earth.
Besides these, there are the Undead
, who are a result of the black sorceries devised by the first necromancer, Nagash in the long distant past. His legacy has left the Tomb Kings
in the hot desert lands of Nehekhara to the south of the Old World, the Vampire Counts
in the Old World itself and Nagash in his own city of undead.
novels by William King
. The Gotrek and Felix series was taken over by Nathan Long, starting with Orcslayer in 2006.
Early in his career, Kim Newman
wrote several Warhammer novels under the name 'Jack Yeovil'. Some elements from these books (in particular his heroine Genevieve Dieudonné
) later reappeared in the award-winning Anno Dracula series
.
Early novels were published as "GW Books" by Boxtree Ltd, but more recently novels have been under Games Workshop's publishing arm, the Black Library
.
Warhammer Monthly
was a comic book
, published by Black Library
, which ran for over 5 years. As well as the fantasy settings, it also included strips set in the other areas of the Warhammer Universe.
Generally running concurrently with Warhammer Monthly was Inferno!
— also published by Black Library — a magazine which compiled short stories and occasional unconnected illustrations set in the various fictional backgrounds of Games Workshop.
Recently Games Workshop licensed out the rights for comic books. Boom! Studios
are currently working on a series of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000
(40k) comics, written by Dan Abnett
and Ian Edginton
. The first was the Warhammer 40k strip Damnation Crusade
, but this was followed by one in the fantasy universe: Forge of War
. When this was finished, they again started with a new series located in the Warhammer Fantasy universe. Their newest project is called "Warhammer - Condemned by Fire". This series features a witch-hunter fighting the Chaos minions in the remote regions of the Empire.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
setting, created by Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
, 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
Warhammer Fantasy Battle
Warhammer: The Game of Fantasy Battles is a tabletop wargame created by Games Workshop. It is the origin of the Warhammer Fantasy setting....
, the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is a role-playing game set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. Over the years, it has been through a number of phases and different publishers, most of which were related in some way to Games Workshop...
pen-and-paper role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, and the MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy setting. It was developed by Mythic Entertainment and simultaneously released in North and South Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand on September 18, 2008...
. Another game, Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes, was a free-to-play
Free-to-play
Free-to-play refers to any video game that has the option of allowing its players to play without paying. The model was first popularly used in early massively multiplayer online games targeted towards casual gamers, before finding wider adoption among games released by major video game...
release.
Warhammer is notable for its "dark and gritty" background world, which features a culture similar in appearance to Early Modern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
crossed with Tolkien's Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
. "Chaos"
Chaos (Warhammer)
In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes, Chaos refers to the often stereotypically malevolent entities which live in a different timespace, known as the Warp in Warhammer 40,000 and as the Realm of Chaos in Warhammer Fantasy...
is central to the setting, as the forces of Chaos are attempting unceasingly to tear the mortal world asunder. The world itself is populated with a variety of races such as human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s, high elves, dark elves
Dark Elves (Warhammer)
In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, the Dark Elves are a race of harsh, warlike and vicious Elves. They are also known as the Druchii in most Warhammer fiction books. They cruel, sadistic raiders with much disdain for all other races, especially their lighter kindred the High...
, wood elves
Wood Elves (Warhammer)
In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, the Wood Elves are a variety of Elves who live in an enchanted forest in eastern Bretonnia, referred to as "Athel Loren"....
, dwarfs
Dwarf (Warhammer)
In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, The Dwarfs are a race of short, stout humanoids very similar to the dwarves of Middle-Earth and the roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons. Dwarfs in the Warhammer setting are proud warriors highly driven by honor.-Homeland:Dwarfs reside mainly...
, undead
Undead (Warhammer)
The Undead of the Warhammer Fantasy Tabletop Wargame , were introduced to the game in its very earliest editions. The term itself can refer either to the undivided and all-inclusive army—ranging from ghosts and vampires to skeletons and mummies—or to the separate components which make up the two:...
, orcs
Orc (Warhammer)
Orcs are one of the races in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy universe, and are related to goblins. The brutish orcs, though less intelligent, tend to dominate the meeker goblins...
, lizardmen
Lizardmen (Warhammer)
The Lizardmen are an army in Warhammer Fantasy Battle-Development history:In earlier versions of the setting there was a separate Slann army based in Lustria...
, ogres, and other creatures familiar to many fantasy/role-playing settings.
The first edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battle
Warhammer Fantasy Battle
Warhammer: The Game of Fantasy Battles is a tabletop wargame created by Games Workshop. It is the origin of the Warhammer Fantasy setting....
(WFB) was released by Games Workshop in early 1983. Prior to this release, the company dealt primarily with the importing of American role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s, as well as support and review of gaming products, either through their White Dwarf magazine periodical or as separate commercially available products. The game was a mix of a simple rule system with a background that was drawn from standard fantasy themes. The dedication was, in part, "to Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
… whose fault it all is". The game thrived, and subsequent supplements added the particular background to the game. Each "Army List" included a partial history and some related aspects such as notable figures or short illustrative stories. With the publication of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is a role-playing game set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. Over the years, it has been through a number of phases and different publishers, most of which were related in some way to Games Workshop...
in 1987, the setting had moved from background of the game to a full-fledged fantasy setting.
Besides Warhammer Fantasy Battle, now in its eight edition, and WFRP, there have been novels set in the same background. Material published in White Dwarf (some of it subsequently republished in the game itself), the Citadel Journal, and a number of other games using the same setting have all added to the background. Games-Workshop also announced an 8th edition set for release in July 2010.
Background
To many players, the story or background of Warhammer is just as important as games and miniatures. Alongside the Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
Greyhawk
Greyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
setting, Warhammer is among the oldest of commercial fantasy worlds, a direct descendant of both that game and Tolkien's Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, though the 1st edition cited Robert E Howard (Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
) alongside Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
and Tolkien as influencing fantasy table-top games. What is recognizable as the Warhammer World began with the first edition of the game, but it evolved as its own setting with the release of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is a role-playing game set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. Over the years, it has been through a number of phases and different publishers, most of which were related in some way to Games Workshop...
and the 3rd edition in 1987.
Warhammer has developed a very recognizable stylistic image set. Skulls feature prominently, as well as gothic architecture, absurdly large weapons and shoulder-armor, and bizarre imagery reminiscent of director Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
's work, as well as a strong dose of black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
. From its inspiration from Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
's novels, the Warhammer World is centred around the classic Man vs. Himself literary theme. The Chaos Gods
Chaos (Warhammer)
In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes, Chaos refers to the often stereotypically malevolent entities which live in a different timespace, known as the Warp in Warhammer 40,000 and as the Realm of Chaos in Warhammer Fantasy...
are the flaws of humankind personified; the inner literal daemons of living things come back through a magic medium to torment and kill. The ultimate victory of these forces is often hinted at, highlighting a strong assumption that sentient beings are fundamentally flawed and will eventually bring about their own destruction via the forces of Chaos. This is especially tragic in light of the outside, non-Chaotic forces that threaten civilized beings, including rampaging Orcs, political strife, and general warfare.
The forces of Chaos were introduced into the Warhammer World by the "Old Ones": star-travelling gods responsible for the creation of most of the setting's sentient races. These Old Ones were brought low by the daemonic forces inadvertently unleashed by the collapse of their Warp Gates (one at either pole), leaving their creations to fend for themselves. This backstory also provides an easy explanation for the variety of familiar fantasy races, and provides a logical framework for them to fit in. Ogres and Halflings, for example, are closely related. Both are resistant to the mutating effects of Chaos energies (fuelled by hearty appetites and efficient metabolisms), but have opposite physical templates.
The Warhammer world borrows considerably from historical events and other fantasy fiction settings. The Old World is recognisably Europe approximating to the Renaissance period - the Empire being set over what is modern Germany. Many events are lifted and modified directly from real-world history, including the Black Plague
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
and the Moorish
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
invasion of Spain, and others from original fantasy sources. Like Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, Warhammer's Elves are declining in population, and a Great Necromancer is reborn after the defeats in his Southern stronghold.
Of the races that inhabit the world, Rick Priestley
Rick Priestley
Rick Priestley is a miniature wargaming designer and author who lives near Nottingham, England.Priestley worked extensively for Games Workshop...
identified their origins as being based on British themes, the dwarfs are like blunt-spoken Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
men, Elves having a touch of Southern England
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
and received pronunciation
Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English, Oxford English or BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms...
about them, and the Orcs speaking with a working class London accent
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
.
Races and nations
The fictional Warhammer races and events are described, below, using in-universe tone.There are numerous nations and races in the Warhammer World. Mankind, the most prominent, often proves to be the most susceptible to the corrupting influence of Chaos. Most of the featured human nations are based in the Old World (analogous to real world Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
).
The Elves were the first truly civilised race to walk the world. Brought into creation by the Old Ones, the Elves showed a natural talent for magic and superlative skill at arms. The once glorious civilisation of the Elves was torn asunder many thousands of years ago by a bitter civil war, resulting in the sundering of the race into three distinct kindreds: the evil, twisted Dark Elves
Dark Elves (Warhammer)
In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, the Dark Elves are a race of harsh, warlike and vicious Elves. They are also known as the Druchii in most Warhammer fiction books. They cruel, sadistic raiders with much disdain for all other races, especially their lighter kindred the High...
, the proud, noble and magical High Elves who continue the ancient traditions from before the sundering, and a third group as the rustic, sylvan and mysterious Wood Elves
Wood Elves (Warhammer)
In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, the Wood Elves are a variety of Elves who live in an enchanted forest in eastern Bretonnia, referred to as "Athel Loren"....
. The High Elves inhabit the magical island of Ulthuan (analogous to Atlantis), while the Dark Elves inhabit the continent of Naggaroth (correspondent to Canada and the north parts of North America in the real world), a desolate icy wilderness.
Dwarfs
Dwarf (Warhammer)
In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, The Dwarfs are a race of short, stout humanoids very similar to the dwarves of Middle-Earth and the roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons. Dwarfs in the Warhammer setting are proud warriors highly driven by honor.-Homeland:Dwarfs reside mainly...
are an ancient, grim, and determined race integral in the founding of the Empire. Dwarfs are the greatest craftsmen in the Warhammer World, a skill largely matched by the Chaos Dwarfs
Chaos Dwarfs
Chaos Dwarfs are a fictional race in the Warhammer Fantasy universe in which they are described as being an off-shoot of the Dwarfs who have been corrupted by the forces of Chaos. They are represented within Warhammer Fantasy Battle, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Blood Bowl and other games produced...
who split from their brothers after being corrupted by Chaos.
In the jungles of Lustria
Lustria
In the Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, Lustria is a region located to the south of the Naggaroth, modelled in many ways on the pre-Columbian Americas.- Overview :...
are the Lizardmen
Lizardmen (Warhammer)
The Lizardmen are an army in Warhammer Fantasy Battle-Development history:In earlier versions of the setting there was a separate Slann army based in Lustria...
who were created by the Old Ones to aid in their great works. The Slann now lead the Lizardmen blindly, via ancient prophesies containing almost-incomprehensible instructions from their fallen gods. The culture and aesthetic of the Lizardmen are heavily inspired by those of the Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
and Mayan
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
cultures, and the New World continent (Lustria) which they inhabit corresponds to Central and South America in the real world.
Orcs
Orc (Warhammer)
Orcs are one of the races in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy universe, and are related to goblins. The brutish orcs, though less intelligent, tend to dominate the meeker goblins...
and Goblins
Goblin (Warhammer)
Goblins, also known as "Gobbos", are among the smallest of the goblinoid "greenskin" races in the Warhammer Fantasy setting.They are smaller than the Orcs and the Hobgoblins but larger than the Gnoblar race and Snotlings...
, and their kin (also known as Greenskins), are relatively primitive and disorganized, but their instinctive belligerence threatens the various nations. Their violent nature can be noted to commonly cause all-out wars among their own kind. They are found predominantly in the forests and mountains of the Old World, in the jungles to the south and stretched across the steppes to the East, but their kin can be found all over the world, inhabiting almost all continents and adapting to their environments. Thus there are many sub-species of Orcs and Goblins such as Black Orcs and Night Goblins.
Many races have fallen to, or been engendered by Chaos. The barbaric Warriors of Chaos (formerly called "Hordes of Chaos
Hordes of Chaos
Warriors of Chaos is a Warhammer "Army Book," a supplement to the Warhammer Fantasy Battle tabletop miniature wargame. The book gives rules for playing an army of the human Chaos-worshippers from the Chaos wastes of the north, as well as in-game background information on such individuals...
") invade the civilized nations from the far northern Chaos Wastes. Beastmen
Beastmen (Warhammer)
Beastmen in the fictional Warhammer Fantasy setting from Games Workshop are humanoid creatures with a variety of animal features, usually including cloven feet, horns, excessive body hair, and bestial faces. They are mutants formed from humans by the corrupting influences of Chaos such as warpstone...
, the half-man half-beast products of Chaos are found in the dark forests of the Old World. Also a product of Chaos are the shrewd and evil ratmen, the Skaven
Skaven
Skaven are a race of man-sized anthropomorphic rat-creatures in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy setting. They were officially introduced as a new Chaos race in 1986 by Jes Goodwin....
, whose vast, subterranean and labyrinth
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
ine "Under-empire" riddles the earth.
Besides these, there are the Undead
Undead (Warhammer)
The Undead of the Warhammer Fantasy Tabletop Wargame , were introduced to the game in its very earliest editions. The term itself can refer either to the undivided and all-inclusive army—ranging from ghosts and vampires to skeletons and mummies—or to the separate components which make up the two:...
, who are a result of the black sorceries devised by the first necromancer, Nagash in the long distant past. His legacy has left the Tomb Kings
Tomb Kings
In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, Tomb Kings is the name given to a series of kingdoms, and an army in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle game. Up until and including the fifth edition of Warhammer, there was an all-inclusive Undead army, with the skeletons and mummies being the...
in the hot desert lands of Nehekhara to the south of the Old World, the Vampire Counts
Vampire Counts
Vampire Counts are one of the two factions of the Undead playable in the tabletop wargame Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the other being the Tomb Kings, from the sixth edition onward when Games Workshop divided the old Undead forces...
in the Old World itself and Nagash in his own city of undead.
Fiction
Outside of games, there have also been numerous novels and short stories by various authors set in the Warhammer world, the most famous of which are the Gotrek and FelixGotrek and Felix
Gotrek and Felix are a pair of characters in the Warhammer Fantasy setting, appearing in a series of novels written primarily by William King, secondarily by Nathan Long....
novels by William King
William King (author)
William King also known as "Bill King" is the writer of a number of successful science-fiction and fantasy books, most notably in Games Workshop's Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 series, all published by GW's fiction arm, The Black Library...
. The Gotrek and Felix series was taken over by Nathan Long, starting with Orcslayer in 2006.
Early in his career, Kim Newman
Kim Newman
Kim Newman is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. Recurring interests visible in his work include film history and horror fiction—both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's Dracula at the age of eleven—and alternate fictional versions of history...
wrote several Warhammer novels under the name 'Jack Yeovil'. Some elements from these books (in particular his heroine Genevieve Dieudonné
Geneviève Dieudonné
Geneviève Dieudonné is a character appearing in a number of works by Kim Newman.-Overview:According to Newman, there are three versions of Geneviève for each series of his . Each has a different middle name but each is a "trans-continual cousin"...
) later reappeared in the award-winning Anno Dracula series
Anno Dracula series
The Anno Dracula series by Kim Newman—named after Anno Dracula , the series' first novel—is a work of fantasy depicting an alternate history in which the heroes of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula fail to stop Count Dracula's conquest of Great Britain, resulting in a world where vampires are common and...
.
Early novels were published as "GW Books" by Boxtree Ltd, but more recently novels have been under Games Workshop's publishing arm, the Black Library
Black Library
The Black Library is a division of Games Workshop which is devoted to publishing novels and audiobooks set in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes...
.
Warhammer Monthly
Warhammer Monthly
Warhammer Monthly was a comics anthology published by Games Workshop's publishing arm, Black Library, from March 1998 to December 2004, running to 86 issues in total. The final two issues were published bi-monthly under the name Warhammer Comic...
was a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, published by Black Library
Black Library
The Black Library is a division of Games Workshop which is devoted to publishing novels and audiobooks set in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes...
, which ran for over 5 years. As well as the fantasy settings, it also included strips set in the other areas of the Warhammer Universe.
Generally running concurrently with Warhammer Monthly was Inferno!
INFERNO!
Inferno! was a bi-monthly magazine published from 1997 to 2004 by Games Workshop's publishing division, Black Library, which was initially just the name of the team brought together to work on Inferno!....
— also published by Black Library — a magazine which compiled short stories and occasional unconnected illustrations set in the various fictional backgrounds of Games Workshop.
Recently Games Workshop licensed out the rights for comic books. Boom! Studios
Boom! Studios
BOOM! Studios is an American comic book company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. The "BOOM!" in BOOM! Studios is always capitalized by the company.-History:BOOM! was founded June 22, 2005 with Zombie Tales #1....
are currently working on a series of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
(40k) comics, written by Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
and Ian Edginton
Ian Edginton
Ian Edginton is a British comic book writer.He is one of the few British comic talents to follow the reverse trajectory to the one usually taken: becoming successful in American comics before returning to work for 2000 AD.-Biography:...
. The first was the Warhammer 40k strip Damnation Crusade
Damnation Crusade
Damnation Crusade is a six-issue comic book limited series from Boom! Studios, written by Dan Abnett and Ian Edginton.Set in the fictional world of Warhammer 40,000, it is a vision of never-ending war. Its storyline follows several different Space Marines of the Black Templars chapter.-Characters...
, but this was followed by one in the fantasy universe: Forge of War
Forge of War
Forge of War is a five-issue American comic book limited series from Boom! Studios, written by Dan Abnett and Ian Edginton.Set in the high-fantasy world of Warhammer Fantasy, it follows several characters of the Averland army, a county within the Empire, and their conflict against the forces of...
. When this was finished, they again started with a new series located in the Warhammer Fantasy universe. Their newest project is called "Warhammer - Condemned by Fire". This series features a witch-hunter fighting the Chaos minions in the remote regions of the Empire.
See also
- Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
- The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle GameThe Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle GameThe Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game , and often referred to by players as Lord of the Rings, is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop . It is based on The Lord of the Rings film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, and the book that inspired it, written by J. R. R...
- Armies of WarhammerArmies of WarhammerArmies of Warhammer are components of the table-top games Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000. The armies have been defined into a separate "army list," and they are described in more detail in the Army Book or "Codex". Players of either game, or their spin-offs, have a wide variety of...
- Warhammer: InvasionWarhammer: InvasionWarhammer: Invasion is a living card game designed by Eric M. Lang and produced by Fantasy Flight Games in 2009, set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe.-List of Battle Packs:The Corruption Cycle:...
External links
- Games Workshop
- Warhammer Archives
- Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Official Game Site
- The Black Library
- The Bad Dice Podcast - The UK's 1st Warhammer Podcast, a podcastPodcastA podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
from the UK dedicated to Warhammer Fantasy - BoLS: Warhammer Fantasy Daily Updates
- Games Workshop Gaming Community Warhammer - Martelli di Guerra