The Settlers: Rise of an Empire (original German title: Die Siedler - Aufstieg eines Königreichs), a real-time strategy game, is the sixth game in The Settlers series. It was developed by Blue Byte and published by UbiSoft, with a US release date of September 25, 2007, a European release date of September 28, and an Australian release date of September 30. A Limited Edition is also available, containing additional in-game content (including statues and a pavilion), an art book, bonus DVD, original soundtrack, technology tree sheet, and a demo CD.

The Settlers: Rise of an Empire is a real-time 4X game. The fundamentals of 4X are expansion, exploration, exploitation, and extermination. The player must manage a settlement using a resource model based on gathering, manufacturing, and currency. The settlers have various needs that have to be fulfilled to keep them happy. If they lack something, they will go on strike.

Rise of an Empire adds several new simulation elements to the series. Winter puts a stop to grain harvesting and fishing, and settlements that rely on these for food will need to plan for storage and production accordingly. Female settlers have been included for the first time. Unlike the peasants the player's leadership is essential to the common settlers. In addition to being a tough military unit, the Knight is central to undertaking quests, and the Knight's level of promotion marks the overall progress of the settlement. With each promotion, the player gains access to new buildings and military units, but the settlers' needs will also increase, reflecting a higher standard of living. There are six knights to choose from in the game. Each of the knights has unique gameplay traits that distinguish them from each other.

Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (born September 27, 1982), better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included rappers Juvenile, B.G., and Young Turk. Hot Boys debuted with Get It How U Live! that year. Lil Wayne gained most of his success with the group's major selling album Guerrilla Warfare, released in 1999. Also in 1999, Lil Wayne released his Platinum debut album Tha Block Is Hot, selling over one million copies in the U.S.

Although his next two albums Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2002) were not as successful (only reaching Gold status), Lil Wayne reached higher popularity in 2004 with Tha Carter, which included the single "Go D.J." Wayne also appeared on the Destiny's Child top ten single "Soldier" that year. In 2005, the sequel to Tha Carter, Tha Carter II, was released. In 2006 and 2007, Lil Wayne released several mixtapes and appeared on several popular rap and R&B singles. His most successful album, Tha Carter III, was released in 2008 and sold over 1 million copies in the U.S. its first week of release. It included the number-one single "Lollipop" featuring Static Major. It also includes the singles "A Milli" and "Got Money" featuring T-Pain and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.

Eva Gaëlle Green (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈgʁeːn]; born 5 July 1980) is a French actress and model. Green performed in theatre before making her film debut in The Dreamers (2003). She achieved greater fame for her parts in Kingdom of Heaven (2005) and the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006), for which she won the BAFTA Rising Star Award.

Eva Green was born in Paris, two minutes earlier than her sororal twin sister, Joy (Johanne). Green is the daughter of French actress Marlène Jobert and French-Swedish dentist Walter Green. Through her father, Green is the great-granddaughter of French composer Paul Le Flem. Her mother, a pied-noir, was born in Algeria. Green's mother is Jewish. Green was raised without religion; she has said "I feel like a citizen of the world. Life and cinema don't have borders." She grew up in the 17th arrondissement of Paris where she attended the American School of Paris.^{[citation needed]} Green has described her family as "bourgeois", and has said that her sister is very different from her. Green is a natural dark blonde; she has dyed her hair black since she was 15 years old. French-Swedish actress Marika Green is her aunt. The 1980s pop-star Elsa Lunghini is her first cousin, through their mothers.