Tales of the Empire: A Grim Collection of Old Stories from the Imperial Provinces.
I, Leopold Veinstammer, Historian at the University of Nuln, have been working on compiling a collection of folk tales from all around our dear Empire, to give us an insight into the minds and thoughts of the different provinces, their beliefs, and their traits.
I have compiled one from each province, and have chosen the one I believe is most valuable to our understanding. They all have a moral that is a meaningful now as it was when they were written.
I cannot take any responsibility for the accuracy of the events detailed in the stories, for they have been told to me by word of mouth, and may have become corrupted over time. Some are clearly fictitious, detailing superhuman activities, or unnatural occurences.
I have included foot notes with every story, penning my thoughts on the topics contained within.
Leopold Veinstammer.
A Hundred Doors: A Tale of Altdorf
Altdorf is a rich and prosperous place; many important and noble people live in its walls. However, many of these people are often too uptight and haughty for their own good, as this tale tells:
Once, tired with the bad morals in the city, and rife corruption, a priest set out to bring the spirit of Sigmar back to the people, testing their faith and rewarding it. Although the priest himself was rich, he devoted most of it to the poor, funding schemes for the underprivileged. He wanted others to do the same, and started his quest to do so.
He dressed as a beggar, clad in flea bitten garments and smelling as foul as he could think possible. He still kept his holy symbols though, so people would recognise him as a man of Sigmar. He roamed the streets, begging and eying the corrupt citizens. He saw how they ignored him, and avoided contact with him at any cost.
All day this continued, until the sun set and the watch cam out, lighting the lanterns around the city. This was the perfect time for his test. He travelled to an upmarket area of the city, and began knocking on the doors of the wealthy citizens within them.
He knocked dozens of doors that night, each time being rejected, or not even answered. He saw into the homes of those he asked for shelter from, each had ample space, and lavish decorations. The inhabitants, however, despite his claims he was a priest, would not let him in, telling him to go to one of the sanctuaries for the poor.
Tired, bored and aching he continued for a while longer, until he found one last house, his one hundredth house. Here lived an old couple, the husband a retired jeweller and they let the priest in, their faith in Sigmar being strong.
They offered him food, a chance to wash, and a bed to stay in. He thanked them greatly for their kindness, but each time they refused any favours from him, claiming they did it for Sigmar. However hard the priest tried, they would not accept.
This told him they were the right people. Before his quest he had spoken to Sigmar in a vision, for Sigmar did not approve of the corruption and unkindness in his city either, and he bestowed upon the priest the ability to pardon them from Sigmar’s wrath, and the blessing of being able to join him when they passed away.
For the other, ninety nine unfaithful houses, there was no such blessing. Sigmar called down lightning upon their luxurious homes, causing them to burn with holy fire, one by one. The town watch took a long time to put out the raging inferno, and in that time the precious, but frivolous material possessions of the wealthy families burnt.
The only house that was saved was that of the old pious couple, a rain cloud appeared above their house, keeping it safe from the flames that engulfed the area. They thanked the priest, and thanked Sigmar, vowing to preach his word and pass on this story of their safety, in order to teach all those who have turned from the Lord, to never abandon their faith in him.
Footnote: The moral in this tale is clear, belief in Sigmar will bring deliverance. It also teaches against greed and wealth, showing it souring effects on the people who have both. The events detailed are said to be accurate, but there so many records of fires in the cities history it is not known when this one exactly was. The story is also in a typical Altdorf fashion, and must have been told firstly amongst the poor, for it is scornful towards the rich, which most of the average Altdorfers are.
Hooch
