Since Bögenhafen's interests have always been commercial, the mercantile elite have always run the town. For most of the town's history, this has meant the Merchants' Guild and the families that control it. For many generations the guild—and thus the town—was dominated by four merchant families: Haagen, Ruggbroder, Steinhäger, and Teugen. They were able to control the town council and make sure that the politics and trade of Bögenhafen were favourable to the Merchants' Guild in general and their families in particular.[1a]
The Fall of the Teugens
Things in Bögenhafen changed fourteen years ago when Johannes Teugen took over the family business. Its fortunes had been steadily declining for the previous twenty years but Johannes managed to turn things around in dramatic fashion in only two. The usual rumours circulated—Johannes was using dark magic, he was in league with the Ruinous Powers, and so forth—but in this case there was truth to the gossip. The details of Johannes' corruption and death never became public, but what is known is that his schemes were discovered and the Teugen family suppressed harshly by witch hunters. Their power in Bögenhafen was broken forever, the state seized their businesses and sold them off, and the remaining family members were carted away by the witch hunters and never seen again.[1a]
These events changed the politics of the town. The Teugen seat on the council was abolished and another seat given the Merchants' Guild. Although this caused some griping amongst the smaller guilds, there was little they could do about it. For the past twelve years, the Haagen, Ruggbroder, and Steinhäger families, having divided up the Teugen businesses amongst themselves and secured their continued domination of the council, have run Bögenhafen without a challenge to their power.[1a]
Government & Politics
Bögenhafen is a mercantile town; it owes its prosperity to the merchants. Thus, town politics are dominated by the great merchant families.[3a] It technically falls within the Barony of Saponatheim, but Bögenhafen is largely left to run itself as long as Baron Wilhelm receives his taxes on time. The Baron lives in Castle Grauenburg, some twenty-five miles north of Bögenhafen, and he rarely visits the town, though he keeps a house here. He lets his tax collectors look after his interests and occupies himself with the sports of nobility: hawking, hunting, and riding.[1b]
Town Council
Instead of direct rule by a lord, the town council runs Bögenhafen.[1b][3a] As is tradition, it has fifteen seats, broken down as follows:[1b]
- Five seats for the Merchants' Guild. One of these seats is reserved for the Guild Master and another for a representative of the Magirius family, the most influential of the minor merchants.[1b] The remaining a held by other, lesser merchant families.[3a]
- Three seats (one each) for the Haagen, Ruggbroder, and Steinhäger families.[1b] These seats are usually held by the head of the house, but sometimes are given to an appointed representative.[3b]
- One seat for the local church of Sigmar.[1b]
- Five seats for each head of the following guilds: Physicians', Tailors' and Weavers', Teamsters', Stevedores', and Mourners'.[1b]
- One seat to represent the various craft guilds, chosen from amongst the heads of the following: Cartwrights', Carpenters', Jewellers', Metalworkers', and Masons'.[1b]
In theory, the council votes on every important issue, and a simple majority is all that is required for a motion to pass. Oftentimes, however, votes are a mere formality because of the domination of the mercantile interests on the council. If the major merchant families vote along with the Merchants' Guild, they can muster eight votes and win any motion.[1b]
In addition, non-councilmembers are occasionally summoned to attend a council meeting. They seldom vote, but act as an advisor to the council to a particular order of business that is in their realm. The most common of these are:[3b]
- Bögenhafen's Priestess of Verena, considered to be an impartial and wise judge. On rare occasions, the council grants her a vote on a particular matter.[3b]
- The Captain of the Watch, an authority in matters of law and order.[3b]
- The Watch Sergeants, who may function as represenatitives of the neighborhood under their jurisdiction.[3b]
Voting Tendencies
The most important faction in Bögenhafen town politics are the merchants. The five votes of the Merchants' Guild and the three votes of the great merchant families comprise a majority of the votes on the council. Therefore, most issues voted on by the council go in favour of the merchants. Of course, there are always temporary alliances and opposition within the mercantile faction, but when united they are by far the most powerful force in town politics.[3b]
The heads of the Physicians' Guild and Tailors' and Weavers' Guild typically also vote with the Merchants' Guild.[3b]
The Cult of Sigmar and Mourners' Guild typically vote together, as the representative of the Cult is considered a representative of all the town's clergymen. Most often, these two seats vote in favour of the establishment.[3b]
The Teamsters' Guild usually votes with the craft guild on the council, but against the Stevedores' Guild.[3b]
Guilds
The guild situation in Bögenhafen is fairly typical for an Imperial town of its size. The guilds have a monopoly over their particular craft or trade. Any craftsman or tradesman in the town must be a member of their relevant guild. Traditionally, large projects, especially those commissioned by the council or another guild, must be brought to the guild itself rather than an individual tradesman or group of tradesmen. The guild itself then negotiates the fee and parcels out the labor amongst its members.[3b]
Taxes and Revenue
The many taxes levied in Bögenhafen are used to maintain such institutions as the town council and City Watch. The principal taxes are listed below:[3e]
- Frontage Tax: Every building owner in Bögenhafen is required to annually pay one crown for every foot of street frontage the building has. The Frontage Tax is used to pay for the upkeep of Bögenhafen's paved streets- Nulner Weg, Bergstrasse, Hafenstrasse, Kaufmannstrasse, Mauer Weg, Platz Weg, Adel Ring, Göttenplatz, and Dreieckeplatz. This tax is not levied on temples or guild buildings.[3e]
- Gate Tax: There is a tax of one crown per pack animal and two crowns per cart bearing merchandise and entering or leaving the town through the gates. The tax is used to maintain the city walls and to fund the watch. Members of the Bögenhafen Merchants' Guild are exempt from the Gate Tax.[3e]
- Ship Tax: Every ship-owning inhabitant of Bögenhafen is required to pay an annual tax of one crown per foot of the boat's length, plus one shilling for every foot of the mast's height. This is a general purpose tax, not set aside for a particular purpose.[3e]
- Trade Tax: One per cent is taken by the town government on all bulk goods sold within the town walls. This Trade Tax is used to maintain the Town Hall and cover the general expenses of the council. Members of the Merchants' Guild are exempt.[3e]
- Warehouse Tax: Warehouse owners are taxed one crown per year for every foot of street frontage. The Warehouse tax funds the Temples of Bögenauer and Handrich, and also goes towards the upkeep of the Osterdamm and Westendamm. Members of the Merchants' Guild do not have to pay this tax.[3e]
- Wharf Tax: Every wharf owner must pay a Wharf Tax. The tax is traditionally levied annually on the first day of spring, at a rate of one crown per yard of riverfront. Sometimes, halflings will be employed to collect the Wharf Tax, as their shorter stride can lead them to overestimate lengths. The tax is split between the Temple of Bögenauer, the Temple of Handrich, and the waterfront Watch precinct. Members of the Bögenhafen Merchants' Guild are exempt from the Wharf Tax.[3e]
The Watch
The Watch is responsible for upholding law and order in Bögenhafen. They have two barracks, one on either side of the river. From here, they conduct routine patrols both day and night. A typical patrol consists of four watchman, occasionally led by a watch sergeant. A watchman is equipped with a leather jerkin, a dagger, a helmet, and a yellow tabard bearing the town's coat of arms. Typically, two members of a four-man patrol are armed with halberds, and the other two with clubs. Sergeants equipped with chainmail shirts and swords.[3f]
Justice
Anyone arrested by the Watch is held a cell in one of the barracks, awaiting trial. Trials supposedly happen as soon as all the relevant witnesses are gathered, but this is not always the case, and the time spent awaiting trial can vary greatly.[3f]
Trials occur in the Town Courtroom. They are presided over by a magistrate, who is typically one of the town's councilmembers. The magistrate is usually advised by a lawyer and a member of the Cult of Verena. If the proceedings have reached this point, the defendant is likely to be found guilty, unless they are powerful or wealthy. Guilty verdicts may be appealed. However, this requires a petition to Baron Wilhelm von Saponatheim, who is very unlikely to care.[3f]
Punishments are usually a fine, ranging from 10 to 100 gold crowns. However, in the case of major crimes- horse-theft, aggravated burglary, assault of a watchman or other important citizen, and murder- punishments may be as severe as execution.[3f]
Gazetteer
Bögenhafen has seven neighbourhoods as shown on the Bögenhafen Map. Each neighbourhood has a general function and social class. What follows is a brief overview of the character of the town and the kinds of activities and locations found there.[1c]
A. Low Class Residential/Commercial
Most of the buildings in this area are little more than slums. The streets are unpaved and fouled with all sorts of filth and ordure. Taverns are of the cheap and nasty variety with low ceilings and smoky atmospheres. Strangers are regarded with universal suspicion at best and, unless they behave with the utmost circumspection, may well be set upon by groups of thieves or cut-throats.[1c]
The area north of the river is known as "The Pit," and makes the rest of the district look salubrious. Only the very brave or the very foolish would venture into this area after dark.[1c]
During the day, lower-class citizens, labourers, and the like will frequent these areas, with a fair number of thieves and footpads about. There may be a few beggars, but they will generally prefer to work the more lucrative areas of town.[1c]
At night, the number of thieves and footpads increases noticeably, and it may be possible to encounter a group of young rakes from the wealthier parts of town, out slumming in the company of two or more bodyguards.[1c]
Watch patrols are scarce, since the watch are regarded as "the enemy" in this part of town. When they do turn out, it is usually in strength (8–12 men).[1c]
North Barracks "Fort Blackfire"
This barracks houses the town Watch contingents responsible for keeping order in the notorious North Bank area, popularly known as "The Pit". The barracks' nickname of "Fort Blackfire" comes from the infamous Black Fire Pass in the Averland, and sums up the feeling, of the watchman posted there that they are in a frontier fort in hostile territory.[3c]
Water Gate
This is little more than a gap in the walls where the stream known as the Hafenbach flows into the town. A set of stone steps leads to the top of the wall at this point, and there is a movable iron portcullis which can be lowered to close the gate.[3c]
B. Docks
The buildings in this area are almost all warehouses or storage facilities in one form or another, but only the bulkiest and cheapest of cargoes are ever stored here, usually under the protection of a hired guard and a vicious dog or two. Nearly all the warehouses are wooden, and they are numbered 1-to-58, starting from the western end of the Ostendamm. There are no inns in this area, but a few filthy bars have opened to cater to the river-men and stevedores.[1c]
This area is packed with stevedores during the day, loading and unloading boats and moving goods in and out of warehouses. There will also be the captains and crews of any boats that have recently put in, and scribes and other lackeys of the various merchant families overseeing the transfer of goods, as well as the occasional exciseman assessing an incoming cargo for taxes.[1c]
At night, the dock areas are almost deserted. Even thieves are rare, since valuable cargoes are not generally stored in the warehouses. Watch patrols and night watchmen and their guard dogs are regular, if infrequent (once every 5–6 hours).[1c]
Ferry
A ferry service is run by Hannes Kringler, who rows passengers across the River Bögen for a fare if 1 shilling per trip. His boat is normally tied up at one of the piers, and can hold himself and four passengers at a time.[3d]
Haagen's Wharf
This will be where the most enter the town if they arrive by river. It is run by Jochen Haagen, a Wastelander who has merchantile contacts in Marienburg, and trades cloth and wine from the Reikland for exotic trade goods. As well as the wharf, Haagen owns five of the nearby warehouses, and has suite of offices on the Bergstrasse.[3d]
C. The Dreieckeplatz & Town Hall
The Dreieckeplatz is the administrative hub of the town. Many of the buildings have elaborate façades, with decorative columns and arches, and usually a statue or two of the town's patron deity, Bögenauer. There are several up-market inns and taverns, some of which may be restricted to members only, such as the Golden Trout. Prices are correspondingly high (counted as good, or 3 times the normal prices).[1c]
During the day, the Dreieckeplatz is filled with all manner of people. There are beggars and entertainers trying to male a few shillings from the passers-by, lawyers and councillors going about their business, agitators haranguing anyone who will listen about all kinds of grievances, vendors selling food and other items, and anyone else you feel might have business in the administrative quarter.[1c]
At night, the area is scarcely less bustling as the upper classes of the town visit the various eating and drinking establishments found around the square. Pickpockets are an ever-present danger, at all times of day or night.[1c]
Watch patrols are relatively common in this part of the town, passing through once every 2 hours.[1c]
Golden Trout Club
The Golden Trout Club consists of three buildings, connected by covered ways. It is a high-class eating and drinking house, frequented by many of the town's wealthier merchants. Prospective members must be recommended by two existing members and approved by the committee, and the club is open to members only. The sign, a fish with a coin in its mouth, is taken from the town's coat of arms.[3d]
Town Courts
Those miscreants who live long enough to be tried formally are sentenced here (verdicts of not guilty are rarely recorded as this makes the system look ineffective). The town council appoints a number of magistrates, chief among whom is Magistrate Richter. Herr Richter's chambers may also be found in the courthouse.[3d]
Town Hall
This impressive building with its many pillars and spires dominates the Dreieckeplatz. As well as the council chamber and various meeting rooms, it houses and town's official records and a heavily-guarded vault which holds the state's portion of tax revenue between the six-monthly visits of the Imperial excisemen from Altdorf.[3d]
D. The Artisan Quarter
The artisan quarter is bounded roughly by the Handwerker Bahn, the Eisden Bahn, and the Göttenplatz. The buildings in this area range from small, unpretentious workshops to the elaborate, ostentatious dwellings of the master craftsmen. The inns are of average quality, and most are patronised by one particular profession of artisan.[1c]
During the day, the Artisan Quarter is teeming with people visiting the various workshops, including ordinary townsfolk, servants, apprentices, and parents trying to apprentice their offspring. The area is a favourite haunt of beggars and thieves during the day, since this is where a great deal of money changes hands.[1c]
At night, the area quiets, frequented only by footpads with the occasional group of thugs and other criminals. Protection rackets are a thriving business in this part of town and the monies earned from the tradesmen is a big part of the Thieves' Guild's income. Watch patrols make their circuit once every 3 to 5 hours.[1c]
E. The Göttenplatz
The Square of the Gods houses most of the temples found in the town. The Temple of Sigmar is its most impressive structure and it dominates the entire neighborhood. The other temples stand around the edges of the square, are well maintained, and reflect the styles of the cults that built them. The temples include Sigmar, Ulric, Myrmidia, Verena, Taal, and Shallya. In addition, the town’s graveyard is run by priests of Morr who maintain a small chapel. Minor gods represented include Handrich, the patron of merchants and commercial matters, and Bögenauer. This minor deity embodies all that Bögenhafen stands for. The temple itself consists of a hall with two wings enclosing a three-sided court. In the centre of the court stands the statue of the god, depicting him in his guise of merchant-boatman. The town's coat of arms appears in several places on the walls. There is no full-time cleric at this Temple, though priests of Sigmar occasionally officiate here.[1c][1d]
During the day, the Göttenplatz is filled with the common types of people found in the city, from messengers to artisans. At night, people use this place as a thoroughfare, so it’s hardly ever deserted. Thieves work this place, day or night.[1d]
Temples
Anyone is welcomed to visit any of the many temples in the town, provided that their behaviour is suitably respectful. Obviously, Clerics and Initiates of the same cult receive or ritual is in progress, the duty Cleric or Initiate will be happy to discuss theology or any spiritual matters. In general, however, they will refuse to get involved in material and secular matters, explaining that what temporal power they have does not extend to "freebooting and adventuring". And, as visitors leave, they will invariably find a collecting plate being waved expectantly under their noses.[3c]
- Temple of Sigmar: Dominating the Göttenplatz, this temple resembles a great hall with aspire at either end. There are four semi-circular apses along the west wall containing private chapels maintained by the town's wealthiest families. The chief priest has a seat on the town's council, and is answerable only to the Grand Theogonist in Altdorf.[3c]
- Temple of Ulric: This is one of the smallest temples in Bögenhafen, and has one attendant Cleric and one Initiate. The temple is frequented by visiting followers of Ulric and by a few members of the Watch.[3c]
- Temple of Myrmidia: This is an elaborate building, with a tower at one end and a dome at the other. The walls are carved with low reliefs of shields and spears, seemingly hung on the walls as trophies. A semi-circular apse at one side serves as a regimental chapel for the town Watch. The temple is managed by one Cleric, but the Captain and Sergeants of the Watch take the place of Initiates and lay staff.[3c]
- Temple of Bögenauer: Bögenauer is the patron deity of the town, an embodiment of Bögenhafen's interests and all that it stands for. The temple consists of a hall with two wings enclosing a three-sided court, within which stands a statue depicting Bögenauer in his guise of merchant-boatman, and the town's coat of arms appears in several places on the walls. The two wings are colonnaded, and there are several chapels reflecting various aspects of the town's interests. Thus, there is a chapel where prayers are offered for the safety of the town's boatmen, another dedicated to the prosperity of its merchants, a third dedicated to the security of its walls, and so on. There is no full-time Cleric at the temple, but Clerics from the temple of Sigmar sometimes officiate here, and there are a number of townsfolk attached to the temple as lay staff. The temple is supported partly through taxes and partly by contributions from prominent citizens.[3c]
- Temple of Verena: Frequented by nearly all the more prominent members of the mercantile and administrative classes, the temple houses the town's most complete library, as well as a series of meeting rooms used for arranging mercantile deals and conducting other business. The temple has one full-time Cleric and a small number of Initiatives, mostly the younger sons of mercantile families who hope to go on to the Universities at Altdorf and Nuln.[3c]
- Temple of Handrich: Handrich is a minor deity, patron of merchants and lord of all matters commercial. His temple consists of a square, domed hall, with two semi-circular apses. One apse is used as a private chapel for the Merchants' Guild, while the other is used as an offering room and treasury. Over the main doorway hangs a large, gold-painted disc, the god's symbol. The temple has no full-time Cleric, but is maintained by the ruling Council of the Merchants' Guild on a rota basis. Clerics from the temples of Sigmar and Verena sometimes officiate here, and the Merchants' Guild provides lay staff.[3c]
- Temple of Shallya: The temple's west wing houses a small infirmary, and the east wing contains three small almshouses for homeless women and the terminally ill. There is a single full-time priestess at the temple, and many of the gentlewomen of the town attend there as voluntary helpers.[3c]
- Graveyard and Chapel of Morr: Outside the north-east corner of the town walls, the graveyard is a reflection in miniature of Bögenhafen's society. The great mausolea and family vaults of the wealthier citizens are on the west side along the town wall, while the eastern part of the burying-ground is crowded with the densely-packed and frequently reused graves of the lower classes. Along the north wall are the unmarked graves of criminals and paupers.[3c][3d]
The dark and brooding chapel to Morr stands almost in the centre of the graveyard. It is built of black stone, and there are no doors in the portal. Inside, the chapel is empty unless there is a funeral service in progress. The Cleric of Morr who serves the chapel is responsible for the surrounding area as well as the town itself, and there's a good chance at any time that he has been called away from Bögenhafen to conduct a funeral service in some outlying village, five to ten miles away. When he is in town, he is quartered in the guildhouse of the Mourners' Guild.[3d]
- Shrine of Taal: Just outside the town on the mountain road stands a small shrine to Taal, where travellers offer prayers as they set out for the mountains. The shrine consists of a small circular drystone hut with a conical thatched roof, and a deer-skull hangs over the lintel. It is maintained by the town our of taxes on incoming merchandise and is not attended by a cleric.[3d]
F. Mercantile/Commercial District
"F" covers two areas on the map, both of which serve the town as trade centres. Most offices of the town's mercantile concerns are here between the Bergstrasse and the Adel Ring, along with the Merchants' Guild house. The area between the East Gate and Postern Gate are both given over to higher-class shops. The buildings here are larger and better kept than those found elsewhere in the city, and the inns are above average with higher prices.[1d]
The daytime sees this quarter filled with people going about their business. Beggars work the street corners alongside street performers and the occasional thief working the crowd. At night, the place becomes somewhat more dangerous for thieves and burglars do a good deal of business here. Any one found by the Watch (which runs a circuit every 2 to 3 hours) is treated with suspicion and likely arrested just in case.[1d]
East & West Gates
These fortified gateways guard the entrances to the town from Altdorf and Helmgart respectively. They consist of two three-storey towers linked by an arch, with battlements covering the whole structure. The gate itself comprises two massive iron-bound wooden gates on the road side, with a stout wooden portcullis, operated by a winch in one of the towers, on the town side. The gates are manned by a detachment of ten watchman, housed in a small barracks on the ground floor of each tower, and a sergeant, whose office and accommodation is on the ground floor of the winch tower. Both Gates come under the command of the Guard Barracks.[3c]
Main Guard Barracks
This is the headquarters of the town Watch, and is manned by a minimal staff of four watchmen during the day. The rest of the town Watch is taken up with patrolling the fairground and other duties. The Captain of the Watch is permanently in residence at the Barracks, and there is accommodation for forty men, an armoury, and a cell block with ten cells.[3c]
Postern Gate
This is a minor entrance to the town, and consists of a single iron-bound wooden door flanked by a pair of arrowslits. A set of stone steps lead to the top of the wall inside the Postern Gate. The gate is open during the day for the duration of the fair, and is guarded by two watchmen at all times.[3c]
G. The Adel Ring
The Adel Ring is a stretch of road that circles a central and attractive park. This neighbourhood houses the wealthiest citizens including all three of the great families. The Baron even owns a house here, but he rarely stays in town. The mansions are set in walled gardens around the north, south, and west, while the east is held by smaller townhouses of the other wealthy citizens. Nearly all the houses have large stone posts at the gates, displaying the symbols of the owning families.[1d]
This place is usually quiet throughout the day or night, with only the occasional servant on an errand or passing carriage. The people here pay well to keep the riffraff out and as such, the watch patrols every hour or so.[1d]
Park
Set in the wealthiest area of the town, the park is surrounded by a high fence of wrought iron. There is a formal garden set out around a fountain in the middle of the park, and various tree-lined walkways are laid out around the outside. Trees and hedges block any view of the outside while in the park.[3c]
Gallery
Source
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2nd ED -- Sigmar's Heirs
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy RPG 4th ED -- Core Rulebook
- 2a: pg. 280
- 3: Warhammer Fantasy RPG 1st ED --Shadows Over Bögenhafen
