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For the Empire from Star Wars, see the Galactic Empire.
The Empire is one of the political factions and armies of the Warhammer Fantasy world, heavily based upon the real world Holy Roman Empire, especially during the Renaissance; there is even a wealthy city-state which bears some similarity to Hamburg, and most of the place/character names are German- for example, the capital of the Empire is the city of Altdorf, which is an actual city in Switzerland.
The Empire is nominally ruled by the Emperor, who is named Karl Franz in the current setting. The Emperor is chosen by the various Elector Counts, who rule the states within the Empire; the Emperor is usually one of these Elector Counts. The religion of the Empire is polytheistic, with the god Sigmar being the most important- Sigmar having been the powerful warlord who unified various tribes to form the Empire, although some regions devote more or less worship to different gods as they see fit.
The armies of the Empire are amongst the most diverse in the Old World. Older forms of troops like spearmen, swordsmen, archers and crossbowmen fight alongside more 'modern' troops like cannons, handgunners and pistoleers (pistol armed warriors on horseback), or even a steam-powered tank. The Empire is also noted for having excellent cavalry in the form of its Knights. Lastly, the Empire also often fields state trained battle wizards and/or religious fanatics like warrior-priests and flagellants. The armies can be led by Elector Counts, Grand Masters of the various Knightly Orders, captains chosen by the Counts, or even the Emperor himself.
An interesting side note is that a realm near the Empire, named Sylvania (an obvious homage to Transylvania, the home of the Dracula of legend) has been ruled by a family of vampires for a many centuries. These vampires have on more than one occasion attempted to conquer the rest of the Empire, generally at the head of an undead army.
The equivalent of the Empire in the Warhammer 40,000 science fiction setting is the Imperium.
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