History Characters / TotalWarWarhammerTheEmpire

* BadassBureaucrat: As the Elector Count of Solland in ''II'', Gelt is privy in the immense bureaucratic work involving the province's restoration, and as the Supreme Patriarch of the Empire, he essentially runs a ''magic trading bloc''. All this while being one of the most powerful mages alive.

* BeastOfBattle: He rides a large and ferocious Demigryph named Reaper.

[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/middenland_3.jpg]]

[[quoteright:341:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_1rsz_1wh3_tod_dlc_elspeth_von_draken_web_homepage_3840x2160.png]]
[[caption-width-right:341:''"Bring darkness to our foes!"'']]

* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the ''Warhammer'' lore, the Empire currently has 8 working Steam Tanks and can't build more since the inventor of the Steam Tank died and took the secrets of building them to his grave. Yet in the game, the Empire can not only build Steam Tanks (suggesting they were able to get the building plans of the Steam Tank or figured out to make their own) but they can also build more tanks than the current number from the lore. As well, all the Steam Tanks in game have the same armament, whereas a good chunk of the ones in the lore have significantly different weaponry from each other, with at least two that ''are completely unarmed''[[note]]One has a platform on it for guys with guns and bows to stand on... without any cover for them. The other is basically an armoured, self-propelled battering ram[[/note]].

* SinisterScythe: She wields the '''Pale Scythe''', a weapon forged by her own hands and attuned to the Wind of Death. It provides Elspeth with bonuses to her spell mastery and resistance, and its melee power also improves as she casts spells.
* SomethingAboutARose: She's called "The Graveyard Rose" by many and generally has a rose motif going on about her, mainly because black roses are sacred to the Cult of Morr. On the campaign map, Empire settlements with a Garden of Morr are also denoted with a black rose. Her defeat trait is also called "A Rose by Any Other Name".

* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: Played straight when Theodore is on foot, but subverted when he is mounted in which case he wears an ornate winged helmet.
* TheExecutioner: Theodore is the Countess Emmanuelle's judicial champion, which means part of his dayjob involves cutting the heads of condemned criminals. The game reflects this through his "Execute Behaviour" ability, allowing him to instantly kill enemy characters on the battlefield once their health falls to a certain threshold.
* TakingYouWithMe: The '''Balefire Amulet''', which in the lore was a trinket made by Elspeth von Draken for Theodore to wear for his fight against Tamurkhan. In case anything manages to kill Theodore, the Amulet shatters and delivers a massive fiery explosion, taking out whoever managed to slay him and turning his own remains into ashes.

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[[caption-width-right:350:''"Summon the Elector Counts!"'']]

* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: Played straight when Theodore is on foot, but subverted when he is mounted.

* SomethingAboutARose: She's called "The Graveyard Rose" by many and generally has a rose motif going on about her, mainly because black roses are sacred to the Cult of Morr. On the campaign map, Empire settlements with a Garden of Morr are also denoted with a black rose.

* AntiHero: Aside for being a creepy and aloof LadyOfDarkMagic, Elspeth has no issues with doing morally questionable things to protect Nuln, such as [[spoiler: tricking Theodore Bruckner into pulling a TakingYouWithMe to destroy Tamurkhan]] in the tabletop version.

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And yet despite all the political and magical might she commands, Elspeth is a recluse who often shuns her public obligations in favor of her own intellectual pursuits, to which she devotes nearly all her time at her tower in the outskirts of Nuln. Rumors abound that she desecrates the Gardens of Morr for fresh subjects for her experiments, or that she is actually far older than she appears to be, having prologned her life by delving into the forbidden secrets of undeath. Of course, nobody would dare speak such slanders in the open, knowing how powerful and well-connected she is. And regardless of what her detractors say, even they acknowledge she knows better than anyone to deny the Empire her talents when they're needed the most. In times of great peril, Elspeth offers her services to her liege in Nuln, riding into battle atop her Carmine Dragon and bringing with her a terrifying repertoire of magical might the likes of which the Empire hasn't seen in decades.

* TheArchmage: She's the magestrix of the Amethyst Order, and quite possibly the most powerful wielder of the Wind of Death in the Old World.
* DarkIsNotEvil: She uses the Wind of Death, the selfsame one that is twisted and employed by the Vampire Counts and Nagash's other heirs, resides in a dark and twisted tower, shuns contact with the rest of society and generally gives off a very strong "evil necromancer" impression, but she's no more evil than the rest of the Empire's more, ah, eccentric wizard recluses, and has been a terrible foe to many of its enemies.

* FantasticFirearms: The Imperial Gunnery School menu has a tab for recruiting and upgrading an allotment of "amethyst" units, EliteMooks who wield black powder firearms augmented by Elspeth's death magic. These troops are dressed in plate armor despite being missile units, which the flavor text claims is to [[PhlebotinumHandlingEquipment protect them from the life-draining effects of their own weapons]]. The same tab also allows you to purchase ''shyish''-enhanced artillery barrages, providing army abilities that must be restocked after each use.

* MageTower: She spends the majority of her time secluded in a tall, black tower on the edges of Nuln, and according to rumor she keeps a second such tower in the Grey Mountains.

* SinisterScythe: She wields the Pale Scythe, a weapon forged by her own hands and attuned to the Wind of Death.

Renowned as the personal champion of Elector Countess Emmanuelle von Liebwitz of Wissenland, Theodore Bruckner is an imposing giant of a man who has earned the respect and ire of many within the Empire. Respect, in that he is regarded as one of the Empire's strongest warriors, and ire for he has also served as the Elector Countess's personal attack dog. Many a noble or a burgher was executed personally by the Titan Headsman of Nuln for daring to offend his liege, to say nothing of the many criminals he personally dispatched with his blade "Liarsbane", earning him a bloody reputation. And yet when Wissenland is assailed by threats beyond what its state troops can fend off, it is Theodore Bruckner whom the defenders look up to for victory.

* TakingYouWithMe: The Balefire Amulet, a trinket made by Von Draken for Theodore to wear. In case anything manages to kill him, it will deliver a massive fiery explosion, taking out whoever managed to slay him and turning his own remains into ashes.

* FantasticFirearms: The Imperial Gunnery School menu has a tab for recruiting and upgrading an allotment of "amethyst" units, EliteMooks who wield black powder firearms augmented by Elspeth's death magic. These units are dressed in plate armor despite being missile units, which the flavor text claims is to [[ToxicPhlebotinum protect them from the life-draining effects of their own weapons]]. The same tab also allows you to purchase stocks of amethyst-enhanced artillery barrages, providing limited-use army abilities.

!!Magisterix Elspeth von Draken, the Graveyard Rose of Nuln

* TheArchmage: As the Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic, Gelt is one of the most powerful mages in the Old World, and certainly the most powerful human one. In ''Total War: Warhammer III'', this trait is realized through the Colleges of Magic system, which allows Balthazar to spend arcane essays to briefly unlock cataclysm spells (extremely powerful spells normally only available within the Realm of Chaos environments, which aren't present in the combined campaign) for armies accompanied by the appropriate type of wizard.

* CoolSword: During his period as the leader of Solland. His symbol of electoral office is '''Grudge Settler''', one of the original twelve Runefangs given to The Empire by the Dwarfs, as a symbol of their alliance with Sigmar. In the lore, Grudge Settler had been wielded by the various Reikmarshals after Solland fell to Greenskin hordes, but the Runefang has seemingly been restored to whoever holds the office now that Solland has risen from the ashes. It gives decent melee buffs, but its true power is the sword's special ability, which lowers enemy leadership in a large AOE effect around Gelt.
* ExtraOreDinary: As a Gold Wizard, Balthasar studies the Lore of Metal, and is the only non-Chaos-aligned caster in the first game that uses it. Gelt uses his skill in transmutation to give the soldiers under him better protection by improving their armor, with his skill "Stronger Than Steel", effectively turning them into HeavilyArmoredMook, and "Metal to Gold" to further the coffers of the Empire by transmuting things into gold.

* TheMagocracy: His Golden Order faction in ''II'' and ''III'', ruled by Gelt and a council of Gold wizards.

Though having spent the first game and much of the second game as a Legendary Lord available for the main Empire faction, ''The Empire Undivided'' update granted him a sub-faction to lead in the rebuilt province of Solland (with Gelt becoming an Elector Count), The Golden Order for ''Mortal Empires'' and later ''Immortal Empires''. As of Patch 5.0 for ''III'', Gelt is no longer part of the Elector Count system, having relocated to Grand Cathay to look for arcane knowledge.

* AdaptationalBadass: In ''Total War: Warhammer II'', when he first received his own faction. Whilst the Supreme Patriarch of the College of Magic wields tremendous political power, Gelt in the original tabletop never ascended to be an outright ''Elector Count'', the head of essentially his own state and province.

* TheArchmage: As the Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic, Gelt is one of the most powerful mages in the Old World, and certainly the most powerful human one.
* AscendedExtra: He was always playable, but was subservient to Karl Franz in-game, being part of his faction, and always played second fiddle to him. As of ''Mortal Empire'' he's finally received his own faction, the Golden Order, with the intention to rebuild the fallen Province of Solland, alongside his own special faction bonuses and buffs. Not to mention becoming one of the Empire's Elector Counts, and one of the most powerful men within it.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Enforced by the College of Magic's policy. To become the Supreme Patriarch you must best the previous one in a nonlethal WizardDuel. Not to mention he's one of the most powerful mages in the Old World, and is the Elector Count of Solland In ''II''.

* BadassBureaucrat: As the Elector Count of Solland in Game ''II'' and ''III'' prior to Patch 5.0, Gelt is privy in the immense bureaucratic work involving the province's restoration, and as the Supreme Patriarch of the Empire, he essentially runs a ''magic trading bloc''. All this while being one of the most powerful mages alive.

* ChallengingTheChief: A non-lethal example. Gelt became Supreme Patriarch after defeating the previous one, Thyrus Gormann of the College of the Bright Order, in a ceremonial WizardDuel.

* GoYeHeroesGoAndDie: His speech for the battle at the Estalian Tomb quoted above, which is peppered with BrutalHonesty.
** The truly comedic part of that last part of the speech, in line with the CrapsackWorld part of the ''Warhammer'' setting, is the implication that Gelt's poor men probably aren't being paid much to fight in this bloody massacre.

* TheLancer: Where Franz is a mighty warrior and staunch idealist, Gelt is a cynical, rather self-serving but very powerful wizard.
* TheMagocracy: His Golden Order faction, ruled by him and a council of Gold wizards, which is currently overseeing the rebuilding of Solland.

** Finally, his unique skill tree added in the Foundation Update significantly increased his usefulness on the campaign. He was also given his own faction and bonuses at last, making him truly an alternate choice to choose for the campaign on ''Mortal Empires''.
* {{Pegasus}}: Rides '''Quicksilver''', his personal pegasus.
* StaffOfAuthority: Carries the '''Staff of Volans''', which is the Supreme Patriarch's symbol of office, and a personal item that belonged to Volans, the first Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic.

!!Balthasar Gelt, Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic and Elector Count of Solland

Though having spent the first game and much of the second game as a Legendary Lord available for the main Empire faction, ''The Empire Undivided'' update granted him a sub-faction to lead in the rebuilt province of Solland (with Gelt becoming an Elector Count), The Golden Order for ''Mortal Empires'' and later ''Immortal Empires.''

* AdaptationalBadass: Whilst the Supreme Patriarch of the College of Magic wields tremendous political power, Gelt in the original tabletop never ascended to be an outright ''Elector Count'', the head of essentially his own state and province.

* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Enforced by the College of Magic's policy. To become the Supreme Patriarch you must best the previous one in a nonlethal WizardDuel. Not to mention he's now in fact also the Elector Count of Solland, and one of the most powerful mages in the Old World.

* BadassBureaucrat: As the Elector Count of Solland, Gelt is privy in the immense bureaucratic work involving the province's restoration, and as the Supreme Patriarch of the Empire, he essentially runs a ''magic trading bloc''. All this while being one of the most powerful mages alive.

* CoolSword: His symbol of electoral office is '''Grudge Settler''', one of the original twelve Runefangs given to The Empire by the Dwarfs, as a symbol of their alliance with Sigmar. In the lore, Grudge Settler had been wielded by the various Reikmarshals after Solland fell to Greenskin hordes, but the Runefang has seemingly been restored to whoever holds the office now that Solland has risen from the ashes. It gives decent melee buffs, but its true power is the sword's special ability, which lowers enemy leadership in a large AOE effect around Gelt.
* ExtraOreDinary: As a Gold Wizard, Balthasar studies the Lore of Metal, and is the only non-Chaos-aligned caster in the game that uses it. Gelt uses his skill in transmutation to give the soldiers under him better protection by improving their armor, with his skill "Stronger Than Steel", effectively turning them into HeavilyArmoredMook, and "Metal to Gold" to further the coffers of the Empire by transmuting things into gold.

Introduced in ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammer'', the Empire is playable in the ''Old World'' campaign. In ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerII'', they are playable in the ''Mortal Empires'' combined campaign for owners of both ''I'' and ''II'', and also became playable in the ''Eye of the Vortex'' campaign with the ''The Hunter and the Beast'' DLC. In ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerIII'', they are playable in the ''Immortal Empires'' combined mega-campaign for owners of ''I'', ''II'' and ''III''.

** The '''Gold Order''' is dedicated to ''Chamon'', the yellow wind of [[ExtraOreDinary Metal]]. The Lore of Metal alters the chemical composition and matter states of metal objects, allowing the caster to strengthen or weaken metal objects or even transform one metal into another. Gold Wizards wear metal masks and incorporate metal objects and bright yellow colours into their design, with metal statuettes on the ends of their staffs. Balthasar Gelt is the Gold Order's sole representative in the game.