Borgio of Miragliano (2452 IC to ca.2503 IC), Prince of Miragliano, nicknamed “The Besieger” because of his unsurpassed expertise in siege warfare, is the deceased ruler of Miragliano and was once one of the greatest Mercenary Generals of his age. It was said that no Tilean city, not even the ingenious ramparts of Miragliano itself, could defy him. Borgio was certainly an expert tactician and won most of his battles.[1a][4a][5a]
During his life he fought against every major principality in Tilea. Particulary with three decisive great victories he established Miragliano as the most powerful principality in Tilea. After these, his enemies usually avoided open battle and shut themselves up behind the walls of their cities, only to succumb to Borgio's siege techniques. He was equally astute as a politician, but rather tyrannical. Opponents and rivals did not last long.[1a]
The more prosperous districts of Miragliano located right in the heart of the old city are protected by the guard of Prince Borgio, hard-faced men, scarred veterans who their teeth were already cut like war dogs. Over their reinforced leather armor, each of them wears a tabard decorated with the scarlet field and black tower of the prince himself.[2b]
Borgio was strategist enough to understand that a hungry army would win none of Miragliano’s many wars, so the huge fields of grain and vegetable crops, orchards of fruit trees, labyrinthine vineyards and vast expanses of pasture for cows and sheep are protected by forts with garrisons of soldiers of the Prince himself.[2d]
History[]
During his career, Borgio fought against every other principality and republic in Tilea for one reason or another, from wars over trading rights to pure vendettas against rival Princes who had tried to have him assassinated. Indeed, there were so many failed attempts to assassinate Borgio, some of which came very close to success, that he gained a reputation as a man who had to be killed more than once to be sure. It is said that Borgio once defeated an Orc horde by splitting them into three parts. Opinion is divided as to whether this refers to the horde or the individual Orcs. It is also said that Borgio could ride a horse, go to sleep and read a book at the same time.[1a]
It is said that the mercenary captain Pirazzo became so wealthy during his voyage in Lustria that Borgio tried to assassinate him in order to steal his wealth.[5a]
Another apocryphal tale says that he was once taken prisoner by the Pirate Princess of Sartosa and escaped by diving into the sea from the dungeon tower, which was conveniently leaning over a high cliff and swam the Pirates' Current across to Tilea. Then he returned with a mercenary fleet, captured the princess and would not let her go until the pirates had paid him an enormous tribute gathered from their far-flung stashes of plunder. If this ever happened it must have been early in his career.[1a]
A student of Myrmidian tactics, Borgio implemented many strategic techniques, from employing cunning ruses in battle to inspiring his troops by leading by example and even mucking in with the construction of moats and earthworks. In 2489 IC, he defeated Remas at the Battle of Villa Vennia, where he famously goaded the Reman army over a freezing river and into an ambush. In 2495 IC, he defeated Verezzo in the Battle of Via Veddia where he is said to have hidden half his forces behind a small hill. In 2497 IC, he defeated Trantio in the Battle of Vittoria Viccia after luring them into an encirclement.[4a]
During this battle Borgio was aided by the intricate schemes of the princess of the city-state of Pavona, Lucrezzia Belladonna, she poisoned her husband Donato after his decision to make an alliance between Pavona and Trantio against Miragliano. With his death she managed to marry the mercenary captain Ranuccio who drove the troops of Pavona against those of their former allies from Trantio. After this unexpected turn of the events Borgio decided to richly reward the city of Pavona.[1a]
But Borgio excels even in defensive battles, during the besiege of Miragliano, he managed to repel the army of Remas led by the mercenary general, Mandalari the Magnificent, even if the latter proclaims that if it wasen't for the terrible wounds suffered during the battle, he could have farsee Borgio's strategy.[2c]
After the defeat the merchant Emiliano Tacca employed by Umberto Gambini, former Triumvir of Remas was sent to Miragliano to arrange a new trade agreement with Borgio’s chamberlain and to do so he was accompanied by Zelten's mercenary band.[2c]
The Case of The Mirror[]
When the rumors of a perfect mirror, an item seen with mystical reverence by Miragliano society, spread in the city, Prince Borgio himself inquired whether he might buy it. Acutis the Glassmaker, its creator, was reluctant, but the ruler insisted. When the prince saw how the mirror reflected his soul rather than his physical appearance, he ordered the death of the woman who fled to Altdorf in the Empire.[7a]
Death[]
It is said that he finally met his end, after a long and distinguished reign, when he was stabbed with a poisoned toasting fork in his bath. This was one of several deaths which he suffered, but it was the only one that he did not survive. The circumstances are mysterious, but this was probably the only occasion that a man such as Borgio could be taken by surprise. Many say that his marriage to Dolchellata, the rather bad-tempered older sister of Lucrezzia Belladonna, was his undoing.[1a]
Borgio's demise resulted in street fighting in Miragliano as various factions vied for power. Borgio's excellent army fragmented and many illustrious regiments went their own ways under their captains, to become notorious Regiments of Renown, available for hire to the highest bidder.[1a]
Another mercenary company was marked by his death, Vespero, master of the Vespero's Vendetta, was at the time in Miragliano, where Borgio gave him the opportunity to get even with his pursuers as part of the great Prince's political intrigues. After the assassination of his patron, he took advantage of the fighting in the streets of Miragliano which followed to disappeared. Although he was in no way implicated as being the person who killed him for he has been paid well and so was presumably as loyal as expected. His motives is more likely to seek out those behind Borgio's demise to get posthumous revenge as a final act of loyalty to his former protector.[1b]
Even today Borgio is renowned as a great leader and his statues can be admired alongside those of other Tilean heroes, even outside the Principality of Miragliano.[6a]
Timeline[]
- 2485 IC - Borgio makes himself Prince of Miragliano. He executes so many of his enemies by hanging them from Miragliano’s leaning towers that the buildings are said to lean more during his reign than at any other time.[1c][4b]
- ca. 2485 IC - The Reman General Mandalari the Magnificent siege the city of Miragliano. Thanks to a stratagem plotted by Prince Borgio, the Miraglianese army manages to disrupt the attack, routed by the timely counter-assault the Reman host is forced to flee.[2a]
- 2489 IC - At the battle of Villa Vennia, Borgio the Besieger defeats a mercenary army from the Republic of Remas.[1c][4b]
- 2495 IC - At the battle of Via Veddia, Borgio the Besieger defeats a mercenary army from the Republic of Verezzo.[1c][4b]
- 2497 IC - Prince Donato of Pavona brokers an alliance with Trantio but perishes after consuming a meal of poisonous mushrooms. His widow, Lucrezzia Belladonna, soon remarries, choosing the dashing captain Ranuccio for her husband. At the battle of Vittoria Viccia, Borgio the Besieger defeats a mercenary army from the Principality of Trantio, assisted by the last minute betrayal of the mercenaries from Pavona who attack their Trantine allies in the rear. Miragliano is established as the most powerful principality in Tilea.[1c][4b]
- 2503 IC - Borgio the Besieger is murdered in his bath with a toasting fork. Street fighting breaks out in Miragliano as various factions vie for power, and Borgio’s excellent mercenary army fragments as captains lead their regiments away from the city in the hope of new employment. Braganza’s Besiegers, Vespero’s Vendetta, and Bronzino’s Galloper Guns are just a few of these regiments of renown.[1c][4b]
Characteristics[]
Unlike many decadent Merchant Princes, Borgio was a man of many skills and traits. It is rumoured that Borgio wrote very good poetry, did all his own cooking (to avoid food poisoning) and wrestled with lions on occasions. Borgio is noted for devising unusual battle tactics and new troop types, which usually took his opponents by surprise. He certainly had access to Leonardo's manuscripts in the library of the princely palazzo in Miragliano. He was a very big and imposing man of robust stature. In a siege he always dismounted to lead the assault over the walls in person and would strip off his armour and jump down into a moat to dig with the common soldiers.[1a]
This endeared him to the troops and he commanded a loyalty among his mercenaries which has been the envy of every Prince since. However, Borgio could not always count on similar loyalty from courtiers, intriguers and spies in the pay of rivals, who knew they could not defeat him in battle and so resorted to underhand means. There were numerous assassination attempts and many occasions when he appeared to fall in battle. However, he strangely defied death time and time again, enhancing his awesome reputation.[1a]
Wargear[]
- Monstrous Mask Helm - Borgio wears a grotesque helmet of a fearful visage scultped on it. This, combined with Borgio's impossing stature causes fear to his enemies.[1a]
- Mace of Might - Borgio wields a hefty mace made from a cannonbal which failed to slay him at the Siege of Remas and ended up embedded in his breastplate. Borgio, regarding it as a lucky talisman, had the cannonball made into a mace.[1a]
- Armor of Brazen Bronze - This is the very armor which Borgio was wearing when struck by the cannonball at the Siege of Remas. The armour was forged in Miragliano from melted down statues dredged out of the Blighted Marshes. Whichever deities were represented or whatever magic was wrought into the metal, the armour certainly proved formidable.[1a]
Trivia[]
Borgio’s Brew is a potent poison, which takes its name from the famous Merchant Prince.[3]
Some sources calls him Borgio of Miragliano. a common surname in Tilea that can indicate simply the place of birth, this makes it difficult to understand if Borgio is a member of the "of Miragliano" family, rulers of the city in different centuries of the city's history.[2a][5a]
His name and personality resemble that of Cesare Borgia an Italian politician and mercenary leader.
His three victories in the battles of Vennia, Veddia, and Viccia are a pun about the celeb phrase, "Venni, vidi, vici", same can be said of his victory against the Orcs that is a play about the phrase "Divide et impera", both attributed to Julius Caesar.
Creative Assembly has added with an update two lines of code in the battle_entities table of Total War: Warhammer III: wh3_dlc22_dog_inf_borgio_blood and wh3_dlc22_dog_infantry_hero_lucrezzia, hinting that the two Dogs of War heroes will be implemented in their game.[7]
Miniatures[]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War (5th Edition)
- 2: Brunner the Bounty Hunter Omnibus (Novel) by C.L. Werner
- 3: Zavant (Part 1) (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
- 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Up in Arms (RPG)
- 5: Temple of the Serpent (Novel) by C. L. Werner
- 5a: ch. 4
- 6: Inferno! 40
- 6a: pp. 55-65 (Perfect Assassin)
- 7: Total War: Warhammer III (PC Game)