Magritta, formally the Kingdom of Magritta,[29a] is the largest and one of the most important settlements in Estalia. Built by natural deep-water harbours within the sheltered Bay of Quietude, its reputation as a friendly port with ready markets for all manner of cargoes draws traders from many ports across the globe. Its quays are usually crowded, and, among the assortment of Old Worlder merchantmen, one can occasionally catch a glimpse of a strangely rigged craft from Araby or even further afield. Magritta's reputation is well-deserved, for no pirates are tolerated here, and the Magrittans maintain a strong presence in the Southern Sea. They are fair, honest traders, and, over the years, have grown to be rich ones. The Bay of Quietude forms a natural fortress, and the Magrittans control all the land thereabouts, including the bay's twin headlands where two massive fortresses guard the approaches to the port, and serve as its beacons.[1a]
The merchants of Magritta trade goods from the north, as well as the natural produce of their lands, including silver from the Abasko Mountains to the east, while Couronne in Bretonnia is one of the larger markets for imported silks and spices. Their southern trade is deeply envied by the piratical Tilean states to the east, who fancy themselves as merchant adventurers, and there are frequent skirmishes between the rival cities. To protect their trade, the Magrittans maintain a strong navy, often hiring northern ships and crews to fight alongside their own tireless galleons. Hostile shipping is mercilessly sunk, whilst pirates are hounded and captured whenever possible and their crews brought back for public execution in the great market place. Ships from rival states may be boarded, their cargoes 'inspected' and frequently their captains obliged to sail into Magritta to trade their goods - thus swelling the city's trade and reducing that of its rivals.[1a]
Like all open ports and trading cities, Magritta has a polygot population. The natives are hard-working folk, largely ignorant of the dangers and temptations of Chaos, thanks to the city's position in the deep south of the Old World. Nonetheless, there are some who are only too willing to take advantage of the city's lax laws to practice their unspeakable rites and vile, Daemonic faiths, undisturbed by the vigilance that characterises the cities of the north. Even so, the worship of Chaos Gods is a matter that would shock and disgust the majority of easy-going Magrittans.[1a]
History[]
Great Crusades[]
Heraldry of Magritta as depicted in Man O' War: Corsair and Total War: Warhammer.
Even ten centuries after it began, the Great Crusades against Araby (1448 to 1451 IC), remain one of the defining events of the Old World, continuing to this day to have an impact on the nations that took part. The Crusades against Araby were one of the largest military expeditions ever mounted, and probably the largest such war fought against a foe other than the hordes of Chaos. The Crusades began in 1448 when the tyrannical ruler of Araby, Sultan Jaffar, sailed across the Great Ocean with a huge army to invade Estalia. The Estalians are a hardy and fierce folk, but despite putting up a hardy defence, were soon overrun. Countless numbers of Estalians were enslaved and sent back across the seas to the infamous slave markets of Lashiek. Worried about where the Sultan might turn his attention next, King Louis the Righteous of Bretonnia raised a great army, and sent emissaries to Emperor Frederik III and his Elector Counts to urge them to do likewise. A council was called in Altdorf, and although many of the provinces were embroiled in civil war at the time, hostilities were temporarily halted, and each count offered a small number of their own men to the cause.[4c]
Along with the Knights of Bretonnia and their feudal armies, the armies of the Elector Counts, and a considerable force raised by the knightly orders of the Old World, a great army was mustered at Brionne. Yet, what happened next was something that was rarely seen in the Old World. Instead of preparing to defend the borders and passes of Bretonnia and the Empire against the Sultan’s armies, the grand army marched south into Estalia to liberate its neighbour. The Sultan may have been greedy and cruel, but he was no fool, and realised he could not stand against the combined armies of Bretonnia and the Empire. He fled back to Araby. Only a rebellious sheikh named Emir Wazar, often called “Emir the Cruel”, was stubborn enough to remain behind and face the armies of the north. He is generally thought of as having been excessively greedy, cruel, and more than a bit foolish. He consolidated his position in the city of Magritta, forcing his slaves into backbreaking work to fortify the city against an advancing army supported by Tilean mercenaries which had liberated Tobaro.[21b] This small contingent of knights laid siege to Magritta, a siege that would eventually last eight years the Order of the Blazing Sun and their allies managed to break into the city and rout the armies of the sheikh. Elsewhere, the remaining armies marched across Estalia, discovering only ruin and destruction left in the wake of the Sultan’s retreating armies. Entire villages and towns were put to the torch by the vengeful Arabyans, their occupants either enslaved or murdered. The knights, upon seeing the fate that befell Estalia, vowed to take their crusade to the homeland of the Arabyans themselves, to liberate the slaves still living and avenge the deaths of those murdered by the occupiers. The Crusade stalled in the ports of Estalia as great fleets were mustered, ships sailing from all the ports of Estalia and Tilea and beyond to carry the Crusaders across the Great Ocean to Araby. By the time the fleet eventually set sail, the armies of Jaffar had arrived back in Araby and had begun to make preparations for the oncoming invasion, conscripting slaves and fortifying towns and cities.[4c]
The Crusaders landed at the port of Copher, famous for its spice trade. Although they had constructed defences, the denizens of the city were unprepared for the rage their Sultan had unwittingly unleashed, and the knights swept the port’s defenders aside and put all who opposed them to the sword. Much of the anger and hatred of the crusaders was vented on the hapless population, and the port’s tall walls and graceful spires were pulled to the ground. Of course, this was exactly as Jaffar had intended, and he withdrew to his citadel in the city of El-Haikk along with most of his armies. He hoped by the time the crusade had sacked Copher and endured months of fighting and marching in the sweltering Arabyan heat, that their taste for vengeance would be lost. It is true that the knights were unprepared for the realities of a desert campaign, or warfare in a hot climate, and the march from Copher to El-Haikk was long and arduous, and saw countless casualties en route. But Jaffar had not accounted for the honour at stake for the knights, or for the vows the crusaders had sworn in Estalia. If anything, the trials throughout the year en route to El-Haikk affirmed the righteousness of the expedition in the minds of the crusaders, and when finally they met the Sultan in battle they were more determined than ever before. Sultan Jaffar was a tyrannical despot, almost as hated by his own people as by those of the Old World, and during the crusade against Araby many of his subjects took the opportunity to rise up against the sultan. For the most part, these uprisings had little impact on the crusade, but as the crusaders descended upon the city of El-Haikk, many hundreds of tribesmen conscripted into the Sultan’s army decided to revolt, plunging the city into disarray and throwing Jaffar’s carefully planned defences into chaos. The sultan was forced to abandon his plans to hold firm against the attacking knights and waiting out their siege, instead marching out to meet them in open battle, confident that the desert sun and the fear he inspired in his men would ensure victory. But the invaders had by that time learned to use magic and common sense alike to ward off the sun, keeping their heavier metal armour cool and shaded until the just before a battle. Though the armies’ numbers were even, the crusaders boasted several thousand knights in plate, astride powerful horses similarly clad; they were as a wave of unstoppable metal, thousands of tons of it crushing the lightly-armoured pikebearers and swordsmen of the sultan. That charge, which has been immortalised in many a legend and ballad, scattered and crushed the sultan’s army utterly, staining the stony ground a blood-red shade that remains to this day. Jaffar himself was slain, his back pierced by a Bretonnian lance as he fled the field.[4c]
The Vampire Wars[]
"It may be three hundred years since we fought the War of Blood, but in Estalia, we have long memories. The Vampire Nourgul razed all of the land between the Irrana Mountains and the Southern Sea before he could be defeated. It was only with the aid of blessed Myrmidia that he was. We would never clamp the Vampires to our bosom as you do in Sylvania. That land is a blight on your Empire that should be burned out and staked."
- —Cristobal Mendez, Estalian diestro[4a]
Estalia was the chosen land of Nourgul, who had been with W'soran and Nagash in their earliest days. Even then, he dreamed of conquest and had observed Nagash's techniques and tactics closely. In 1750 he followed through on his plans, raised an army of the dead tens of thousands strong, and waged war on the petty kingdoms of Estalia, razing all the land between the Irrana Mountains and the Southern Sea in what the Estalians call the War of Blood. Wherever he conquered, he gathered grimoires and artifacts, from the pettiest trinkets to the most potent tomes. His ultimate aim was to possess the Tome of Wisdom, which was kept in the city of Magritta. Nourgul's army laid siege to the city for a month, at the end of which the defenders fell strangely silent. Victorious, Nourgul flew into the city on his steed, a gigantic Vampire Bat, and entered the temple of Myrmidia where the Tome of Wisdom was housed. It was in that temple, beside the book he so prized, that his burnt ashes were found. No one has ever explained this turn of events.[4a]
But this event is strangely similar to one that happened thousands of years before in -1017 IC, even then W'soran known in the south as Nourgul the Wamphyro was killed by Abhorash in the Temple of Myrmidia of Magritta disguised as a member of the long-forgotten order of the Myrmidons. How W'soran managed to survive, and why he attacked the south of the Old World and Araby under the name of one of his companions remain a mystery.[13a]
The Magrittan Blockade[]
Senduiuiel on The Rose of Aramam against Escribano's ships[16]
The fleets of Magritta effectively control the Southern Sea, patrolling against pirates and imposing an impromptu levy on trading ships of other nations.[31a]
Magritta has greatly enriched its treasury thanks to a blockade set on the traders who transit across the Southern Sea, going so far as to tax not only the ships of other Human nations but also the Elven ones, violating a years-old trade treaty.[11b][16]
Not only that but the elven district of Magritta itself, once an independent territory under the control of the crown of the Phoenix King has recently been re-annexed to the crown of Magritta. These tensions have also been recorded in other Estalian cities, such as Bilbali where the militia is not afraid to operate outside its jurisdiction.[16]
Making matters worse was the leadership of the navy by Admiral Escribano, rumored to be a cultist of the God of Blood, Khorne.[16]
Those rumors were revealed to be true, and a fleet of Sea Elves and Arabyans raided the harbor of the city, leaving nothing more than burning wrecks.[16]
During the furious battle the deep waters of the harbor were tinged with red when Rhug'guari'ihlulan, a greater daemon of Khorne, dueled with a Keeper of Secrets, summoned by, Senduiuiel Cortengren, an Elven wizard dedicated to the God of Pleasures.[16]
This was not the only episode of a direct attack on the heart of Estalia's most powerful city, the Tilean pirate, Redhand and his fleet also pillaged the city. Though that assault would prove to be the event that saw the end of the pirates' reign of terror.[24]
The king of Magritta took exception to the sack of his city, or so they say, and sent out all of his admirals. The pirate fleet was smashed at Bounty Bay. They say Redhand escaped with his treasure, and was never heard of again.[24]
Government[]
The flag of Magritta as depicted in Man O' War: Corsair.
"Men of Estalia, look around you and tell me what you see. Do you see a people united? Do you see champions of civilisation? Do you see one of the great nations of the Old World? No, you do not. In Bretonnia a king rules with a firm hand, but here we squabble amongst ourselves. In the Empire they are advancing the arts of science and engineering, but here we squander our gold on mercenaries. In Kislev they fight grimly against the Great Enemy, but here we pretend the power of Chaos is a myth. Estalia is the joke of the Old World and it makes me weep, my friends. But it did not have to turn out that way. Almost a thousand years ago we had our chance. The Arabyans invaded our land and conquered fair Magritta. We could have lost everything to the outlanders but we rallied as a people and, with the aid of our northern neighbours, we drove them out. We took back our land, followed their sultan back to Araby, and defeated him. This was our hour. This was our chance to unite and take our rightful place amongst the mighty nations of the Old World. We failed. Instead of becoming one people we fell right back into our squabbling. The famed Knights of Magritta, whose deeds in the struggle against Araby had inspired every Estalian, showed us the way. They urged us to unite and to launch further crusades to keep Estalia safe. Did we listen? Did we follow our heroes into a new age? No, we did not. We criticised them for interfering with trade, taxed them until they bled doubloons, and hounded them until they left Estalia forever. It has been almost 1000 years since the Knights of Magritta sailed away from Estalia, but still the parting words of their Grand Master are remembered. He said, "Estalia will never be united until the Knights of Magritta come home." Some say this was a curse, but I believe that Estalia remains divided because we choose to make it so. I say to you that those words were not a curse but a challenge. The Knights of Magritta may be long dead, but their spirit lives on in every Estalian. Find that spirit within you and let it grow. When we all are as bold and resolute as the Knights of Magritta, then and only then will Estalia unite. The time is now, my friends. Remember the Knights of Magritta and bring them home in your hearts. Up with Estalia! Unite and win!"
- —From an anonymous broadsheet distributed in Magritta, Estalia and linked to the Knights of Magritta[18a]
King Carlos IX is the de jure ruler of the kingdom of Magritta, though he has little real power. It is said that the shipowners are trying to ingratiate themselves with the puppet king, in order to undermine relations with the city of Marienburg whose trades seem to favor the Tilean merchants and disadvantage the Estalians.[2a]
The Lords of Magritta truly govern the city, and actively send spies to gather intelligence from the court of the Sultan of Araby, or at least, this is what the agents of the sultan are convinced of.[17b]
It would not be surprising given the common purpose of the Lords of Magritta with the secret society known as the Knights of Magritta if the two groups were somehow connected to each other.[18a]
Citizens[]
Magrittans are famed in Estalia as strong swimmers.[14]
Most Human nations have outlawed slavery. Despite this, slaves are sometimes traded in major port cities, like Sartosa, Marienburg,[22b] and Magritta. Foreign-born slaves are not an uncommon sight in the city.[16]
Noblemen here are exceedingly proud of their naval traditions, and made great heroes of their explorers and privateers. Mindful of the bad example set by the smaller neighbouring city-state of Almyria, whose royal family were perennially engaged in murdering one another, the Magrittan nobility had found it conducive to political stability to put their younger sons in charge of ships commissioned to undertake expeditions to distant and dangerous parts of the world. A few returned very rich, but a greater number never returned. An even greater number brought their vessels home in ignominious states of disrepair, with nothing to show for their adventures but tales of treasures almost captured and battles almost won. These tales are usually discounted, but sometimes they can hide a lucrative truth.[14]
Courtly gentlemen and ladies of Bilbali and Magritta are seen as the finest by outsiders and by the people of other Estalian principality.[17a]
Cult of Myrmidia[]
The Cult of Myrmidia is split. To the east, there are the Tileans. They believe Myrmidia was born in Remas, and was therefore a Tilean. Importantly, they believe that Myrmidia, as a Tilean, conquered Estalia. However, the Estalians to the west believe Myrmidia was born in Magritta, and was therefore an Estalian. Similarly, they believe Myrmidia, as an Estalian, conquered Tilea.[4e]
Both nations have their own versions of Myrmidia’s holy texts to support their beliefs, and both are convinced they are correct. This fundamental difference has been the cause of, or the excuse for, much of the hostility between the Estalian kingdoms and the Tilean city-states down through the centuries. Indeed, the cult has almost broken in two over the issue on more than one occasion.[4e]
Currently, Magritta is considered to be the heart of the Myrmidian religion, although the high temple in Remas undermines this at every turn. La Aguila Ultima (or, as Tileans prefer, Isabella Giovanna Luccelli, l’Ultima Aquila), the Order of the Eagle’s leader, is a Tilean woman; thus, the Tileans expected her to support Remas as the future centre of the cult. However, she controversially swore to accept the Estalian version of Myrmidia, and has moved to Magritta, where she is working hard to put this old division to rest.[4e]
It is a massive divide, and one that, it seems, will inevitably tear the cult in two, which could plunge almost half of the Old World into an acrimonious and bitter war.[4e]
Remeans Versus Magrittans[]
The debate over the site of Myrmidia’s birth as a mortal splits the whole cult along cultural lines. For most, it is merely a matter of honour and status. There are extremists on both sides, however, who take things much further.[4f]
These groups believe the Tileans or Estalians (as appropriate) actually opposed Myrmidia, and she led an invasion of their lands to bring the heretics under control. As a consequence, the conquered race should, even now, be the slaves of the conquerors. Each group manoeuvres to put natives of its own country into all positions of authority in the cult, and even in secular positions in the other country. They use politics, bribery, slander, treachery, and murder to achieve these aims, believing these tactics are justified by the circumstances. Each side tries to incite all-out war against the other.[4f]
Fortunately, both groups are rather small, and thus have not been able to do much more than fuel a rather chauvinistic climate. The expansion of Myrmidia into the Empire, however, provides them with an opportunity. Imperial citizens are not already committed to one side or the other, and thus could be recruited to support one side. As the cult grows in the Empire, this has the potential to finally tip the balance. As a result, these two sects have recently transferred much of their effort to the Empire, seeking to win over Imperial priests, and to disgrace and remove priests of the other faction. Thus far, the efforts of the two groups are cancelling one another out, and things remain balanced.[4f]
The City[]
Estalia is the major exporter of carenna but is in Magritta that the finest quality is produced.[16]
Archecclesiatium of Myrmidia[]
The smaller shrines of the Cult of Myrmidia answer to the temple in Margritta where the Archecclesiastium is held. This council of high priests governs and administers the cult, seeing its tenets are upheld. While the Archecclesiatium is technically the governing council of Myrmidia's cult, it has become the main temple's name by association.[3]
Magritta is also the place of the Pilgrimage of the Soldier. This pilgrimage is undertaken by ex-soldiers, who do so to cleanse their mind, body, and soul of bloodguilt from the atrocities they committed on the battlefield. Pilgrims undertake this journey in the name of Myrmidia, and travel to either Magritta in Estalia or Remas in Tilea, both of which claim to be the founding cities of that goddess's cult. These soldier-pilgrims believe that each step closer to these cities removes a tiny bit of the weight that hangs on their shoulders—only Myrmidia understands the pain each soldier carries in his heart. Most pilgrims make the journey alone, although some band together in small groups, especially after a particularly harrowing campaign. Pilgrims wear white robes stained with their own blood. Brigands avoid these pilgrims, knowing that they risk dealing with a battle-hardened ex-soldier instead of a mere dirt farmer.[4a][4b]
It was in this temple that the Knights of the Blazing Sun were reformed. At the time they were an order of templars not yet devoted to the Goddess of Strategy. During the Siege of Magritta during the Great Crusades they were pushed back into the grand temple of Myrmidia, hemmed in by the swords of the Black Scimitar Guard of Wazar the Cruel, and near death.[26a]
Then, like a literal bolt from the blue, the great bronze statue of Myrmidia had toppled and buried their attackers, during an earthquake, killing most of them and putting the rest to flight. At the time, the surviving knights had claimed it as a miracle and pledged themselves then and there to follow the path the goddess in her mercy had cleared for them.[25a]
Knights of the Inner Circle, however, are taught about a different story. In this one there was no earthquake during the battle, instead one of the knightly captains had thrown off his helmet in a moment of desperation and kissed the foot of the goddess. He beseeched her for aid, and she promptly toppled over and crushed his enemies.[26a]
Some elements of the Knights of the Blazing Sun claim that the great brass statue now has its spiritual home in Carroburg. Some members of the Myrmidian cult in Magritta actually agree, as they reason it would help spread the influence of the goddess in the north, but most swear that they would rather die than give up their statue. Diplomatic relations between the Empire and Estalia are not always cordial and Reikland nobles have caught wind of the tensions. They have been heard to mutter that relocating the statue would be just the thing to “show those ungrateful Estalians what’s what."
Today one of the order’s duties is the maintenance and guarding of the important pilgrimage routes between the Empire and the holy sites of Magritta. These duties have proven to be especially lucrative, as many upper-class would-be pilgrims are willing to pay handsomely for the guarantee that their Gods will, indeed, keep them safe as they travel (albeit using the Myrmidians as vessels to ensure that safety).[4d]
Estragon's Mansion[]
Throughout the early decades of the 24th century IC, Diego Estragon was an Estalian merchant and explorer, who worked to acquire a vast amount of wealth. He owned a fleet of ships that sailed the Known World and regularly traded with Arabyan and Cathayan merchants and occasionally even the Men and other peoples of Lustria. His mansion in Magritta rivaled that of the local Prince of the time. His fortunes ended with his last expedition from with he never came back.[28]
Curio House[]
Curio House is a musty old museum that collects various relics. In the last years, the sands of the desert of the Land of the Dead had revealed a lost forgotten city, Khareops the city of pillars. Among the finds of the tomb robbers, a shard of pot bearing the glyph of Khareops represented a fine addition to the museum collection.[27a]
Elf Quarter[]
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High Elf trade route with Magritta
Estalia is a ragged patchwork of rival city-states, but its best ports have long histories of trade with a rich variety of nations. Elves of the kingdoms of Ulthuan have been entertained in Magritta, as well as Elves of a darker kind, which are incline to gossip.[14]
The Magrittans had recently ignored an etiquette old for centuries. The elf quarter had been declared Magrittan territory, contrary to what happens in the cities of Marienburg, L'Anguille, Brionne, Luccini; Erengrad, and other major ports, there the High Elves govern their own enclaves. The local militia marches through it at will and demands a tithe of everything the Asur trade.[16]
Knights of the Corona Chapterhouse[]
The Knights of the Corona is a small crusading sub-order of the Order of the Blazing Sun. Their members are tasked with embodying the spirit of its parent order, but with certain alterations intended to make them more admirable in the eyes of the different cultures within which it operates.[10a]
Order of the Righteous Spear Chapterhouse[]
The Templar Knights of the Order of the Righteous Spear serve within the Cult of Myrmidia. This order has knights in lands across the Old World, oftentimes operating under different names, like the Knights of the Starry Shield or the Knights of the Merciless Titan. These smaller orders of knights, all of whom are devoted worshippers of Myrmidia, pay homage to the central Templar order and may be called to battle by the Glorious Leader, as they were when the Magrittan temple called for the war with Araby. In that war, the Order of the Righteous Spear led the charges and fought the most ferociously.[21a]
Temple of O Prospero[]
In Magritta there's one of the largest temple dedicated to O Prospero, the Lord of Commerce and Prosperity in the Old World.[2]
Great Library of Magritta[]
One of the largest Verenean Temple-Library. Such as every temple of Verena it contains a library, crammed with every important tome that the local priests can acquire.[4]
Vesille[]
Vesille is a Magrittan suburb, renowned as the place where the events of the Tilean opera The Barbarian of Vessille by Giacomo Verdini are carried out. The play tells of a resourceful Norseman, Figg Arroson, who helps a lovestruck young noble rescue his beloved from the clutches of her uncle, who plans to marry her himself and keep the dowry left to her by his dead brother, her father.[30a]
Under-Magritta[]
Under the streets of the city there is a Skaven settlement connected to the tunnel network of the Under-Empire. The date of the tunnel's excavation to Under-Magritta was around 0 to 1000 IC.[5a]
Foreign Relations[]
Araby[]
"Estalians think in term of territorial rights, but in Araby we have more than our fair share of useless land and we are born to a life of piracy. We’re not nomads because we seek grazing for our herds; we’re predators, who must live off the herds of others."
- —Memet Ashraf to Luis Quintal[14]
After more than 1000 years from the Great Crusades, Arabyans are still unwelcome in the city of Magritta, the fact that piracy is an intrinsic activity of Arabyan society does not help relations with the Estalians.[14]
Old World[]
Magritta does a lot of trading with northerners, selling the produce grown from their rich agricultural industry and the silver from vast veins in the nearby Abasko Mountains in the east.[15a]
Bretonnia and Bilbali[]
"Look down on their lack of technique if you must, but a lance of Bretonnian knights is still a formidable force on the field of battle. Their matters of honour do get out of hand, though."
- —Diego Cortez y Maranda, Diestro[7a]
Bretonnia’s border with the Estalian kingdom of Bilbali is a mere river. The consequence is that there is almost as much traffic with Estalia as with the Empire, despite the Empire’s far greater size. Relations with Bilbali are good, and Bretonnian nobles recognise Bilbalian nobles as peers. As a result, relations with Magritta are generally bad, and most Bretonnians regard the southern kingdom as composed entirely of peasants.[7a]
Marienburg[]
Magritta is more tolerant of its differences with Marienburg than other Estalian kingdoms, perhaps because it too is dominated by merchants who understand that business is business. Most of Magritta's trade comes from the Arabian caliphates and the Southlands routes to Ind and Cathay, so much of their business is complementary to that of Marienburg, and Magrittan ships frequently visit the city. But the Magrittans are unhappy with the Directorate's relations with the Doges and Counsellors of Tilea. Given their clashes with Tilean vessels over trading rights in the Southern Sea, the financial aid given to their enemies by the Houses of Marienburg rankles. Should the shipowners' faction gain control over the puppet King Carlos IX, then relations with Marienburg could take a turn for the worse.[2a]
Captain-Generals of the Archecclesiatium are well aware that among those called upon to protect the rulers of Marienburg, there are many devoted believers of Myrmidia, a fact they think they may one day exploit.[2b]
New World Colonies[]
People from Estalia have established a colony in Lustria, called Santa Magritta.[12a]
Notable Magrittans[]
- Asserano - The Asserano family of Magritta is the holder of Caluthas of Bertone's Chaos Unnaturalis, is the only surviving, and sadly incomplete, copy. The book collect many tales of the Chaos lands.[31b]
- Elisio Azevedo - An explore recently escaped from the Land of the Dead, even though he had found his way home to Magritta, he came back just with stories of ancient cities but with no actual treasures.[14]
- Leopold Riogillo - A Merchant Prince of Magritta who travelled to distant Cathay, and Ind.[22a]
Magritta in Blood Bowl[]
The city of Magritta is described with more detail in the alternate timeline of the humourous and non-canon Blood Bowl tabletop game. One of the four most important cup competitions in the Blood Bowl -- the Spike Magazine Trophy -- is held in Magritta every year. The Bad Bay Hackers conducted their selection training for new players in the run-up to the competition, and Dunkel Hope played his first Blood Bowl match against his brother Dirk's team, the Reikland Reavers. The following season, a game between the Hackers and the Chaos Allstars featured one of a Chaos wizard caused a devastating incident with a colossal crystal ball rolling through the stadium, crushing spectators and players from both teams.[6a]
The games are played in Magritta's Killer Stadium, for which the legendary Killer Genuine Draft beer brewing company has bought the naming rights.[19a]
Magrittan fans are fierce. One account tells of how they have skinned Sseth Skinshucker, a reptilian All- Stars player. His career ended after M'Grash tossed him into the stands. The fans there skinned the creature alive and made, from later accounts, five sets of quality boots from his scales. Sseth survived the incident and later claimed one of the pairs of boots for himself as a memento of his playing days.[19d]
Only the greatest Blood Bowl players are buried on the Hill of Fame in Magritta, which is hallowed by priests of a dozen denominations. Nobody can buy their way into it. A Blood Bowl player has to earn it.[6a]
Located on the worst side of Magritta is a wharf-side sports tavern known as Bad Water to the Rafters. It is run by a sun-worn Dwarf bartender with a long, damp beard. The establishment has a thick, wooden bar that bears the scars of countless fights.[6a][19b] Under the floor a tunnel leads through the seaside district, a maze of alleys and barely standing shacks where it is easy to hide or get lost.[19c][19c]
Beyond the port, secluded islands off the coast of Magritta are perfect for those Blood Bowl players who want to take a break or retire from the perils of their profession.[20a]
Trivia[]
Magritta is probably a reference to Madrid, the capital and most populous city of Spain. Its suburb of Vesille is instead a reference to the city of Seville.
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Core Ruleset (1st Edition)
- 1a: pg. 277
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Marienburg, Sold Down the River (RPG)
- 3: Total War: Warhammer
- 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Salvation (RPG)
- 5: Warhammer Armies: Skaven (4th Edition)
- 5a: pp. 34-35 (The Skaven Under-Empire Map)
- 6: Dead Ball (Blood Bowl Novel) by Matt Forbeck
- 6a: Ch. 5
- 7: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Knights of the Grail, A Guide to Bretonnia (RPG)
- 7a: pg. 29
- 8: Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War (5th Edition)
- 8a: pp. 87-89
- 9: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition: Signs of Fate (RPG)
- 9a: pg. 47
- 10: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Up in Arms (RPG)
- 10a: pg. 33
- 11: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Sea of Claws (RPG)
- 12: Town Cryer, Issue 15 (Magazine)
- 12a: pg. 17
- 13: Blood of Nagash (Part 2) - Master of Death (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
- 13a: Ch. 13
- 14: The Road to Damnation (Short Story) by Brian Craig
- 15: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Old World Armoury (RPG)
- 15a: pg. 13
- 16: The Voyage South (Short Story) by Nicola Griffith
- 17: Zaragoz (Novel) by Brian Craig
- 18: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Shades of The Empire (RPG)
- 18a: pg. 88
- 19: Death Match (Blood Bowl Novel) by Matt Forbeck
- 20: Blood Bowl: Rumble in the Jungle (Novel) by Matt Forbeck
- 20a: Ch. 29
- 21: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Core (RPG)
- 21a: pg. 182
- 22: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Corruption (RPG)
- 23: Knight of the Blazing Sun (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
- 23a: Ch. 2
- 24: Gotrek & Felix: The Third Omnibus (Omnibus Novel), "Redhand's Daughter" (Short Story) by William King
- 25: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition: Omens of War (RPG)
- 25a: pg. 29
- 26: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Career Compendium (RPG)
- 26a: pg. 124
- 27: Brunner the Bounty Hunter (Omnibus Novel) by C.L. Werner
- 27a: Deathmark
- 28: Games Workshop - Estragon's Island: A Warhammer Games mastered campaign - Background (Archived)
- 29: The Art of Man O'War Corsair (Art Book)
- 29a: pg. 80
- 30: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Power Behind the Throne (RPG)
- 30a: pg. 70
- 31: Warhammer Fantasy Battles (3rd Edition)