At the dawn of the Empire, the Dwarf Runesmith Alaric the Mad forged a dozen magical swords for Sigmar's twelve chieftains as payment Sigmar's help in reclaiming the Dwarven stronghold of Zhufbar from marauding Orcs. Each was a masterpiece, requiring all the skill and ancient knowledge of runecraft to create. The Runefangs are thus blades of unsurpassed power, able to carve through gromril plate and Dragon scale. The Runefangs are traditionally held by the ten Elector Counts of the Empire as treasured heirlooms, passed down from father to son. They are amongst the oldest and most treasured artefacts still surviving in the Old World, and today the Runefangs are synonymous with the status, power and authority of the Elector Counts. Each Runefang is the symbol of office of a particular province and as such, each has its own name and history. When the time comes for a new Emperor to be elected the assembled, the Elector Counts vote by placing their Runefangs at the base of their advocate's personal banner. Of the twelve Runefangs, only ten are currently in the hands of Elector Counts, for the provinces of Solland and Drakwald no longer exist. The Solland Runefang is currently entrusted to the Reiksmarshal of the Empire. The final blade is kept in the Imperial Armoury in Altdorf and occasionally presented by the Emperor to a heroic General who is fighting in the service of the Empire.