You might have also seen this post on Reddit (yes, it was I), but hey, ya'll here in nice pleasant Lustria are far more intellectual than some random Redditors! *** Thought Experiment: A New Faction Today, we have a thought experiment. I'll give my take, you can give your own ideas for the same basic premise, or just give commentary on my own take. Either or. For today's thought experiment, I pondered to myself, if I were tasked by GeeDubs to create a new faction, with the general theme being "the Warhammer version of the Byzantine Empire", how would I go about it? This was totally not at all a brain worm that came about from playing Medieval 2 Total War and getting into an argument with the Byzantine. So, first thought, if we're going for a Warhammer-ified Byzantine, that means that they are a surviving splinter of the old Reman Empire. And if we take out actual historical influence at heart, that means that where the Byzantine eventually fell to the Ottoman Empire, this faction would be in a constant feud with the Chaos Dwarfs, who are the closest analogue to the Otts. Hmm... I can work with this! *** 1. Faction Name and Identity Name: Known as the "Aurean Empire" or "Empire of Sun and Stone," referencing their rich heritage and resilience. Capital: A fortified city, perhaps Ourescia, known for its opulent architecture, domed temples, and intricate mosaics, reminiscent of Constantinople. Emperor/Autocrat: The faction is ruled by an Autokrator (a title similar to "Emperor"), considered a semi-divine guardian of order and faith against the encroaching forces of Chaos. 2. Culture and Society Martial and Religious Zeal: Like Kislev, this faction has developed a zealous culture around defending against the darkness of the Dark Lands. Their faith is central, possibly oriented around worship of a saint-like figure, derived from ancient Reman practices, who ascended to protect them. The Bulwark of the South: Furthering the Kislev comparison, where Kislev is the bulwark that holds back the tide of Chaos coming from the wastes, The Aurean Empire is the bulwark that stems the tide of Chaos Dwarfs and greenskins that try to enter from the south, from the Badlands and the Darklands. The Aurean Empire hold this title with a sense of pride, they have survived centuries of holding back the worst that could come from the south-east. Legacy of the Reman Empire: They view themselves as the last true inheritors of Reman culture, preserving knowledge, art, and martial traditions that have decayed elsewhere. Ecclesiastic Bureaucracy: A significant part of their administration involves the Divine Synod—a council of clergy-scholars who interpret ancient texts, shaping the law and morality of the realm. 3. Military and Strategy Heavily Armored Cataphracts: Their armies would emphasize heavily armored cavalry, akin to the cataphracts, with lance and mace, designed to withstand and counter the shock of Chaos Dwarfs and greenskin hordes. Pike and Archer Infantry: Their infantry would consist of disciplined pikemen and archers, trained in defensive tactics to create unyielding phalanxes. Magical Engineers: Their engineers, remnants of ancient Reman ingenuity, use blessed flame weapons and possibly even enchanted oil that burns in cursed black flames, a counter to the Dawi-Zharr’s own weapons of war. Bombards: While they are very firmly traditional, unlike the Bretonnians they do not consider gunpowder to be a taboo, but such weapons are extremely limited, to the point that most of their bombards are placed on their city and fortress walls for defence, with a small number of grand bombards being brought to the field on only the most dire of occasions. These bombards would be made of bronze. 4. Magic and Religion Faith-based Magic: The priest-mages, or Hieronoduli, channel their divine magic through relics and holy texts, creating powerful defensive and healing spells. Reliquaries and Icons: Their armies carry holy relics into battle, believed to be imbued with the spirits of saints or ancient heroes. These relics serve both as moral inspiration and magical protection, creating sanctified zones that repel Chaos. Prophetic Tradition: The Empire has soothsayers and oracles, who interpret dreams and visions as divine messages, guiding military campaigns or fortifying the populace’s faith in times of crisis. 5. Diplomacy and Allies Respected but Isolated: Although respected for their resilience, this faction’s geographical isolation makes alliances with the Empire or other Old World states difficult. They may have tentative relations with Tilea and border princes but are often self-reliant. The Struggle for Resources: As they are constantly under siege, they might lack the wealth of the northern nations, relying on old fortifications and centuries-old military tradition, with mercenaries filling gaps where needed. 6. Enemies Chaos Dwarfs (Dawi-Zharr): Their greatest and most enduring threat. The Aurean Empire would clash frequently with Chaos Dwarfs over territory, resources, and ideological hatred, viewing them as perversions of the natural world. Goblinoids and Beastmen: The Badlands teem with greenskins, beastmen, and other corrupted beings, ensuring constant skirmishes at the empire’s borders. Skaven Intrusions: A lurking threat under the capital’s catacombs, kept at bay by the vigilant, sewer-guard known as the Vigil Obscura. Despite the name, I actually picture the Aurean Empire to be an empire in name only, time and constant clashes with the Dawi-Zhaar have slowly worn them down to the point that they have only a handful of fortresses, their capital city and a few towns and farms left to their name. Geographically, I would envision that they are at the south-eastern edge of the Border Princes' borders, but since they are based on the Byzantine, their capital of Ourescia needs to be a harbour city, so I'm not fully certain of that placement. Somebody better learned of Warhammer Fantasy's geography can probably do a better job of giving a specific point where such a faction could be based. Heck, feel free to put a circle on an official map saying "the city of Ourescia would be perfect here!". *** So, what do ya'll think of this notion? Could it feasibly work? Is this all a waste of time? What would you do differently with the same task of creating a Warhammer Byzantine Empire? Let me know. Even if it is just to mock me for having too much time on my hands. Peace!
A nice selection of ideas... I've been working on a Roman-themed retcon for Tilea (because I can't stand the fractious, mercenary-oriented Renaissanc Italian-themed lore GW made up for them way back in 4th and 5th Edition)... perhaps we could marry these two ideas together somehow to create a 'Last Roman' (or in this case 'Last Reman') themed army? Also, I would have thought the Byzantines would have had more spearmen than pikemen (which are more of an Estalian thing with their Conquistadors and Tercios)... unless you're focusing on more Medieval Byzantines (up to the fall of Constantinople) rather than more Dark Age-themed eras prior to 1000?
Yup, I had the medieval Byzantine in mind, the Idea that they've been worn down to just their Constantinople and a few towns, farms and forts being the implication that they are only barely holding back their own end - no doubt it was at the beginning of the End Times that the Chaos Dwarfs finally broke them utterly. That, and the Reman Empire was a long time ago in Warhammer's history (between 1500 to 2000 years depending on the source), so it made more sense to me to go medieval era Byzantine, while also trying to avoid being too Bretonnian about the medieval-ness. If mine memory serves, there is actually a city in Tilea where they still have their standing army using Reman Empire and and armour, because it's being lead by a Reman fanboy By all means. I consider this thought experiment open source, if anybody wants to use anything about it they are welcome to.