The Old World
The Old World comprises several large continents, each harbouring its distinctive civilisations and creatures.
What follows is a more detailed examination of that part known as The Old World - an area roughly equivalent to Europe towards the end of the Middle Ages.
An extremely detailed interactive map of The Old World is available online using the link provided below.
The Super Huge, Detailed Map of the Warhammer Old World
The adventures which take place in WFRP Fragile Alliances are mainly based in an area of The Old World called The Empire.
Climate
The Old World climate ranges from cool temperate on the northern coasts, through continental over the vast majority of the inland regions, to warm and temperate on the southern and western coasts. This means that, in the north, day-to-day weather is largely unpredictable. Rainfall peaks in mid-summer and mid-winter, when it is often cold enough for snow, but precipitation is fairly common all year round. Humidity is generally high, which makes for damp autumns and springs, with coastal fog being a major problem in late winter. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 25°C (77°F), while those of winter rarely fall below -15°C (5°F). Prevailing winds are from the northwest. The inland regions of the Old World have a much more stable and predictable climate. Spring and autumn are the wettest seasons, but the average rainfall is much lower and the air is generally dry. Winter temperatures can fall to as low as -40°C (-40°F) in the north and snow, once it has fallen, rarely melts before the spring. Then, the spring thaw usually produces sudden increases in river levels and flooding is a great hazard. In summer, as the temperatures climb to over 30°C (86°F), there are occasional spectacular thunderstorms over the mountain ranges. The winds tend to rotate from northeast to southwest. The southern and western coastlines have as unpredictable a climate as those of the north, but the average temperature is about 10° higher and rainfall is common only during the winter months. Prevailing winds are from the southwest.Geography
The Old World is much larger than Europe and much is still unspoiled wilderness, devoid of Human Settlements.
Mountains And Rivers Of The Old World
The mountains shown on the map of the Old World are not by any means the only upland areas, but are the largest of such features and present almost insurmountable barriers to travellers, except via the passes shown.The Worlds Edge Mountains
The Worlds Edge Mountains are far taller than any European range and mark the easternmost edge of the Old World.The Grey Mountains
The Grey Mountains, divide Bretonnia and The EmpireThe Black Mountains
The Black Mountains separate The Empire from the Border Princes, are comparable in height to the Alps of our own world. Here too are many old Dwarven settlements and, although more of these remain in Dwarven hands than those in the Worlds Edge Mountains, the term 'Dwarven nation' can no longer be applied to the whole region.The Vaults
The other major ranges which lie beyond the control of any of the Old World nations include the Apuccinis and the Irranas. These ranges all meet in the massive upland area known as The Vaults.The Rivers of the Old World
From these rocky barriers issue most of the streams that gather to fill the waterways of the Old World. The rivers marked on the map are the largest and most important of the Old World. LIke the mountains, the rivers form natural boundaries and nearly all are vital communications and trade links. Most of those shown are huge, comparable only to the Rhine of contemporary Europe, while the largest are formidable bodies of water that cannot even be bridged. Not surprisingly, the rivers and their valleys mark the main areas of Human habitation, the valleys being the most fertile regions and the rivers providing the most reliable transport system in the Old World.Countries And Regions
Bretonnia The Estalian Kingdoms The Tilean City-States The Wasteland
Major Realms of The Old World
The Old World was first settled by Humanity over 3,000 years ago, as nomadic tribes migrated northwards and began to establish semi-permanent states. The basis of current political boundaries was not laid, however, until some 1,500 years later, by which time the Dwarf/Human alliance had successfully concluded the Goblin Wars and driven the invaders back into the Dark Lands. Given this common history, cultural differences tend to be relatively superficial and the vast majority of Old Worlders share a common tongue. Political and religious differences are more marked and reflect the degree to which Chaos is seen as an external threat.Kislev
Kislev is very much aware of this struggle, being almost constantly at war, and consequently, all differences are put aside as the populace unites behind its Tsar.The Empire
In the Empire, there is still peace enough for a more democratic set-up, where the Emperor is, at least in theory, elected by and from a small number of the most prestigious families, with the support of the religious heads.Bretonnia
Bretonnia has a system of absolutist monarchy, with a decadent aristocracy quite content to obey the King, while lining their pockets at the expense of his people.Estalia
The Kingdoms of Estalia are an introspective group of small states, to whom the encroachments of Chaos seem a far distant threat. The people here are more involved with warring between themselves.Tilea
Similarly, the Tilean City States - only a loose confederation - are primarily concerned with trade, but think nothing of attacking each other's fleets.The Border Princes
The Border Princes have no centralised government at all - the name applies to a wild, untamed area where all sorts of adventurers and exiles have carved out petty kingdoms for themselves,The Badlands
The Badlands have no Human settlements at all and are still plagued by hordes of goblinoids from the Worlds Edge Mountains.The Mortals of The Old World
The Old World is home to a number of different mortal races most of which live in a fragile alliance with each other for most of the time.Wood Elves
Elves are a relatively aloof race and their communities tend to be markedly distinct from those of the other races. Wood Elves in particular, apart from those of an adventurous disposition, keep themselves very much to themselves and the location of their communities is usually kept very quiet, if not actually fenced off by illusions and other magics. The largest Wood Elf settlement is that of Athel-Loren, deep within the Loren Forest in southeastern Bretonnia. Additional settlements are scattered around the other forests of the Old World.Sea Elves
By way of contrast, the Sea Elves have several communities actually within major Human ports, the largest of which is in Marienburg. Even so, these communities are usually regarded as "off limits" by the local populace and the militia and city authorities allow them to organise themselves.Dwarves
Ever since the collapse of the Dwarven realm in the Worlds Edge Mountains, the number of Dwarven communities has been on the decline. Those that have chosen to remain in their ancestral homes are largely under siege. For those whose mountain holds have been overrun, there has been no choice but to take refuge in human society. Most of these exiled dwarven communities can be found in The Empire as the dwarfs consider the Emperor to be a 'Dwarf-Freind' and thus trustworthy ally. However, integration of dwarven and human culture is far from easy to achieve and many dwarven communities have been forced to isolate themselves at least partially from human society in order to minimise inter-racial conflicts.Halflings
The links between Halflings and Humanity have always been very strong and nearly every Human settlement has a Halfling quarter. Within the boundaries of The Empire - between the rivers Stir and Aver - is an area called The Moot under Halfling administration, granted to them by the Imperial charter.Gnomes
It is difficult to determine the number of Gnomes living in The Old World as they tend to live in isolated and secret settlements which are deliberately hidden from human society. Indeed there are myths that Gnomes live in another magical land which can only be accessed through secret portals and no gnome has ever tried to discredit this idea. However, whilst they visit human settlements to trade and sometimes to cause mischief they rarely stay long and never disclose very much about where they have come from or to where they return.Fauna & Flora
Forests of coniferous and deciduous trees constitute the natural background flora, giving way to large areas of swamp and marsh in the lowlands and heath or moorland in the highlands. Over this basic flora, regional variations are formed by different soil types, the course of rivers, and, occasionally, by the work of Humanity and/or other humanoid races. The forests are largely tangled, dark, and gloomy places - the haunts of bandits, Chaos-serving humanoids, and other fearsome creatures.
Extracts copied from Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay First Edition Wiki
Type
Subcontinent
Location under
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