Hey guys,

Since I started playing Warhammer 3rd edition, I have sort of gotten into the whole history of the empire and how they got to this mess kind of thing. In support of that mess, I have started picking up the occasional Warhammer fiction (always used off of ebay...) for reading purposes/theme, back story and all that. The point is, something I don't understand is Karl Franz and the Chaos invasion with Archaeon. (That Chaos guy who almost but not quite sacked middenheim) With respect to where we are in the current setting of the Empire, how long ago was that, and what is the approximate year the empire is in, with respect to the product that FFG is putting out in relation?

Thanks

simpatikool said:

The Storm of Chaos began proper in the summer of 2522 IC. Warhammer Fantasy Battles 8th edition is largely set in 2521, during the lead-up to the Storm. WFRP 3rd seems to be set in 2521 by tone and most events, but there are a few references to 2522 in the core set - it appears that the intent is to match the 8th edition WFB timeline.

The newest releases dial back before Archaon's invasion, leaving Chaos as a looming threat, rather than a defeated (again) attacking army.

Personally, I like rolling back all the way to the 1st edition time frame of 2512. Karl-Franz is only a decade in to his reign, and generations of relative prosperity have led the Empire to grow soft and largely dismissive of Chaos' threat.

I smell a Chaos Wastes boxed set on the horizon to properly bring the Storm of Chaos to the Empire. I am so stoked at this possibility!

In terms of general timeline info, you can find it in two segments: Pre-2500 and Post-2500

I was curious about this myself and upon further research I've been led to believe that 2520-2522 is roughly the timeline that the Core Set is...... set in. One to many sets' there . I've been making a homebrew campaign and this information has been important for story development.

So 2520 IC is the date I'd suggest starting with for any games of WHFRP 3e.

GoblynKing said:

This would be AWESOME!!! Please FFG, put the Storm of Chaos Boxed Set in your plans...

Well, the passage of time in the Old World is difficult to track at best, and even the current year is in dispute.

Perhaps the story of Birgitta Tageslicht may be used to help bring the Old World's true date to the light of day. Birgitta made her first public appearance in 2009 (BC, Earth Calendar) at "The Emperor's Decree" in "A Day Late, a Shilling Short" as a roadwarden trying to prove herself a worthy successor to her father's legacy. She has since made an appearance in the Player's Guide, pg. 07, 71, 79, played by one Beth, as an example of how play might proceed. Her role in these two separate publications seems to be that of helping the player to acclimate to the Warhammer experience; an exhibition game (that offers a lead in to "An Eye for An Eye"), and a play example. Yet in the Player's Guide pg. 27 - A commendation of valor regarding Birgitta Tageslicht - dated 2499! The events in this commendation obviously take place after the events of "A Day Late, a Shilling Short" as Birgitta was far too green (and a starting character) to have already defeated a beastman herd, protected pilgrims, exposed a chaos cult, and to have brought a bandit leader to justice.

I therefore posit that the current date is sometime *after* the founding of the empire (IC.. uh 1) and *before* the events of the commendation in question (IC 2499).

The emperor's decree says NO to Karl Franz (IC 2503)! We're back in the heyday of imbecilic puppet emperors with weak chins and even weaker ancestry who ride horses rather than dragons or griffins. Now which emperor was it that preceeded Karl Franz, again?

Seriously, though, I don't think that it is ever explicitly stated in any of the products what the official date is for the 3rd edition line.

I like morskittar's idea of rolling the timeline back to 2512. Makes for more intrigue and less in-your-face chaos. A Storm of Chaos campaign would be pretty cool, though. I totally thought that what The Gathering Storm was going to be when they teased it before it was released.

-Thorvid

Well Gelt is the head wizard and Ubersreik is a free town. Those both happened in IC 2520 according to the timeline linked above.

But like the maps I think there's some variability in the true timeline of the Warhammer world.

Since WFRP2-rules timeline has been set to Storm of Chaos event. It is where "universal" Warhammer timeline is now. And that event, as said before, happens 2522. Now WFRP2 started right AFTER the Storm of Chaos, but in WFRP3 rules designers decided to back up little and start before.

So, I have been waiting that eventually there would some huge campaing, that will bring the Storm of Chaos to WFRP. There is "Omens of War" supplement coming, which will feature (if I understood right) warriors and also some mass combat rules maybe... Now when we have those, and rules for different Chaos Gods (Khorne will probably be there, so only Slaanesh is then missing) then we could be set for SoC...

jackdays said:

This definately sounds like a good path of action for the designers to follow!

For the record the tabletop battles game also reset the timeline to before the Storm of Chaos with 8th edition IIRC.

Rorschach Six said:

Yep. For the most part, all mentions have been removed from 8th edition (no Valten, Esmer, Archaon is still a rising warlord, and Volkmar is the Grand Theogonist) and Storm of Chaos is no more current or "real" than the Age of Reckoning timeline (or the forthcoming Throne of Tamurkhan timeline).