j_dean80 wrote:Basically I’m looking for overviews, not reading through thousands of pages. I know I don’t have that kind of free time. For example: Who are the Britannians? Where are they from? Are they part of the Empire? Who is their enemy?
The Old World setting of Warhammer fantasy is loosely based on real world Europe populated with Tolkenesque fantasy races. The in-game history mostly follows later human kingdoms, with a Tolkenesque elves vs. the dwarfs war prehistory prior to human nations establishing to the ruinination of both elder races. The elves retreating from the Old World to their isle of Ulthan except for small pockets of Wood Elves, and the once vast dwarf kingdom weakened by the war shattered by volcanic activity and overrun by orcs, goblins and skaven ratmen with only a handful of holds withstanding.
The major threat is from Chaos, which enters the world from tears in reality at the North pole (and South pole athough rarely mentioned) occasionally spilling forth South to trouble the lands of the Old World.
The first two editions of Warhammer fantasy were largely game mechanics for tabletop battles with little background materials for the world or its inhabitants itself. 3rd edition Warhammer and 1st edition Fantasy roleplay is when the backstory of the Old World started to get fleshed out. 4th edition consolidated and delved deeper into the history expanded on most of the races or armies with their own books and became the base of all later editions.
The Empire is mostly based off of the renaissance era Germanic Holy Roman Empire, Bretonnia based on medieval crusader era France, Tilia based off of Italian city states, Estalia off of seafaring conquest era Spain, Norsica loosely based on Scandinavian countries and viking raiders mixed with Conan the Barbarian style influence, and Kislev based on early Russia.
The Brettonians were knight crusaders involved in the Crusades largely indistinguishable from Empire knights in the earliest editions of Warhammer fantasy, beyond their realms being seperated by a mountain range ruled by a king instead of the Emperor. They were completely ignored in Warhammer 4th edition beyond their territory shown on the map. They became the star of 5th edition being one of the two plastic armies included in the basic game box with the Lizardmen (based on earlier 3rd edition Slann army). Both armies were reimagined from the 3rd edition of Warhammer and recieved Army books in 5th edition, Bretonnia in 1996.
Bretonnia was now heavily infused with Arthurian grail lore, complete with equivalents of the Lady of the Lake and questing for the grail. They also included other elements of British legend such as a version of Robin Hood but retaining the French overlay (including french names) for the Bretonnian army. They exist in a ridgid medieval caste system with peasants as lowly serfs beholden to noble land owners, unlike the mechant oriented group of joined provinces governed by the Empire. They are sometimes allies with the Empire but often foes as well. As the wood elf community of Athel Loren is within their homeland they have complex ally/foe relationships with the elves as well. Bretonnia recieved an updated army book in 6th edition in 2004 but recieved no further updates until Warhammer Fantasy setting was ended during the 8th edition in 2015.
By Crom I'll split you crown to crotch to see if your guts are yellow as I think they are nithing BARBARIAN Ulrich
The last music you shall ever hear will be my bowstring as your forehead sprouts a feathered shaft, pity ELF Cael Darkhollow
Tomes grimoires manuals atlas formularies compendiums codexes bestiaries folios scrolls... Am I missing anything before we leave? WIZARD Eldritch Heironymous KigamMagister
Some quick axe work an' we can count the coins and gems DWARF Wulfram Magnussen
