"Young man, one day you will succeed your father as Count of Hochland and it is therefore of primary importance that you learn about the military and political structure of our great land. From your court here in Hergig, you will reign over the Province of Hochland. You can see the borders on this map. Always remember, your first duty is to govern and protect your people. Futhermore, you are already aware that your full title will be that of Elector Count, a title which brings with it an even greater responsibility. You will sit in the Imperial Council, together with the other fourteen Electors. Do you remember who these important people are?"

"The Counts of Averland, Middenland, Nordland, Ostland, Ostermark, Reikland, Stirland, Talabecland and Wissenland," repeated the young noble in one breath. "Together with the Grand Theogonist of Sigmar, the two Arch-lectors of Sigmar, the High Priest of Ulric and..." the boy stopped, embarrassed.

"And the Elder of the Moot," concluded the old man. "Don`t you forget him again, his vote counts as much as yours and we don`t want to cause a diplomatic incident, do we!

The Council has the difficult task of electing a new Emperor when our ruler, Karl Franz of Reikland, departs this world and joins the almighty Sigmar.

This election is a delicate game of diplomacy, politics and intrigue. It can be as dangerous as any battlefield and you need years of experience before you can even think to take part in it. At present, though the power seems to be solidly in the hands of the Counts of Reikland, who can rely on the decisive support of the Sigmarite votes. It is no coincidence that the Temple of Sigmar in Altdorf grows richer and more splendid with every passing year. I am no seer, but my educated guess is that the next Emperor will still have his court in Altdorf. Always remember that the Emperor is your lord and you owe him allegiance. This means that if he calls for help during a military campaign, you must send a contingent of troops as requested. Failure to do so would be considered high treason and that would be the undoing of your family.

Since we are on the subject, let us examine the structure of the Army of Hochland which, if it is not fighting under the Emperor, will have you as its supreme commander."

"Sorry to interrupt you sir, but why would we need to fight if the Emperor does not call us?" asked the boy.

"Well, you are lucky because you grew up in an exceptionally peaceful period for our province. Can you remember when, eight years ago, your father led his army against a horde of foul Beastmen which emerged from the woods on the foothills of the Middle Mountains?" asked the preceptor.

"Hardly sir, I was only four at the time," smiled the heir.

"Mmh... I see... Anyway, our land has many enemies," continued the old man. "You may have to fight the tribes of greenskins and the creatures of Chaos that live hidden in the vast forests and high mountains of your domain, or even some more civilised opponent, if the Count of Ostland pretends once again to have a strange understanding of where our border should lie.

Now, as I was saying, you are the supreme commander of the army of Hochland, but you can delegate command of smaller forces to any officer who you consider to be a valid leader of men. You will always have at your disposal the regiments of our state army, what we call `regular troops`. These are the professional soldiers who you see training every day on the drill grounds. They are armed and equipped at your expense and are ready to fight at any time. Mostly they consist of infantry regiments, distinguished by the weapons they carry, such as halberdiers, spearmen, swordsmen and handgunners. the sons of the nobility form our most modern and deadly cavalry, the Pistolier Corps, where you too will serve for some time in order to gain some invaluable experience of warfare."

"With pride, sir. And what about the Greatswords?" asked the boy with enthusiasm, "And the cannons!"

"I was getting there," retorted the old man. "the Greatswords form your bodyguard and the garrison of your castle. They are your best solddiers, stern veterans who have sworn to give their lives to protect you. They are equipped with the best weapons and armour we can afford, specially commissioned from the Guild of Dwarf Smiths.

The Count`s artillery train, on the other hand, comes from my home town of Nuln and can field many cannons and quite a few of the new mortars that the Engineers have developed.

You can also rely on the Engineers` School to try their experimental weapons on the field. I`ve heard they are quite effective, if they don`t blow up the first time they`re fired.

If your state troops are seriously outnumbered, you can resort to militia or `irregular troops`. The bulk of these is normally made of the riff-raff regiments known as `Free Companies`: a collection of adventures, cut-throats and scum who lack discipline but have respectable fighting skills. Furthermore, trappers from the northern woods make splendid scouts and there are always Tilean crossbowmen looking for employment.

If you are looking for a more reliable force, you can summon the Knights for help. the closer Order, just a few days north of Hergig, are the Knights of the Silver Mountain, who have come to the aid of our House many times in the past. If the Knights join your forces, you can count on a formidable ally, but you must be prepared at times to share the command of your forces with their Grand Master.

A more esoteric kind of help can be had from wizards and priests of Sigmar. At your father`s court, old Hermann Feuer and his two apprentices represent the College of Fire and they can contact their brethren in Altdorf to recruit more magicians. It is more difficult to get the priests to come to your aid, as they respond only to their superiors in the clergy of Sigmar. The most zealous and radical ones tend to defy even the centralised control of the Temple of Sigmar and let the voice of their course of action. However, you can be sure of having them on your side every time you are fighting Chaos in any of its guises.

Finally, do not underestimate the bands of desperate religious fanatics who travel through the Empire chastising themselves and announcing the end of the world. People call them `flagellants` and they are a strange lot. Their presence is probably not too good for the morale of your troops, but in battle they fight with the strength and ferocity of madmen.

That is all for now, and I sincerely hope that you will not have to use the knowledge which I have taught you today too soon.

Now go. It is time for your fencing lesson."