Estalia

"Estalia? That hot, mysterious land topped in mountains, shrouded in mystery, and lying far to the west of the Empire. What wicked wind had blown this infidel into town?"

—Captain Heinrich Gogol about Captain Bernardo Rojas^[57]

Estalia
The heraldry of Estalia as depicted in Total War: Warhammer
Location	South-west Old World
Climate	Estalia is generally temperate, but arid in the northern mountain ranges, with equatorial and tropical climate around the southern coasts,[42b][62a] and some desertic areas.[15a]
GeographicalRegions	Abasko Mountains Irrana Mountains Red Vault Southern Sea
ConstituentStates	Major Kingdoms: Bilbali Magritta (former capital of the Reman Empire according to Estalian scriptures) Minor Kingdoms: Avila Cantonia Geulata Larhgoz Novareno Obregon
DominantRaces	Men
MinorRaces	Dwarfs High Elves Greenskins[64a] Skaven Beastmen

Estalia is a peninsula of the southwestern Old World that is home to a collection of petty kingdoms of Men, sometimes collectively referred to as the Estalian Kingdoms,^[6b] located south of Bretonnia and south-west of the Empire of Man.^[2a][5a][6a]

Estalia, according to its long and storied history, was the first land settled by Men in the Old World. From its dry and arid northern mountain ranges, to its fertile southern coasts, it is covered in a patchwork of ancient kingdoms and proud cities, the greatest of which are Bilbali in the north and Magritta in the south, few other cities are known beyond the confines of Estalia itself. The ruling families of these rival cities share a long and tangled history that stretches back over hundreds of years and involves a great many marriages, assassinations and betrayals of trust.^{[2a][3a][5a][62a]}

History

For a full chronology of Estalian history, see Estalian Timeline

One variation of the heraldry of the Estalian navy as depicted in Man O' War: Corsair. Note: The heraldry of Tilea and Estalia were switched in the final version of the game.

Sheltered as it is to the north by the lands of Bretonnia and to the east by Tilea, the Empire and Kislev, Estalia has enjoyed a relatively peaceful existence when compared to other nations of the Old World. Even so, Orcs, Beastmen and the Undead have all plagued Estalia throughout its history. The former emerge regularly from the untamed Irrana Mountains and the wide tracts of forest that cling to their foothills, seeking war and destruction. The latter often come by sea from the distant Land of the Dead to conquer in the name of long forgotten kings, or emerge by night from the many tombs and barrows that lie scattered throughout the wilderness.^[62a]

Several times in its history Estalia has come under attack from, and even been occupied by, human invaders from neighbouring lands. In particular, the Sultanates of Araby, an ancient and prosperous land that clings to the western edges of the great southern continent and stands among the southernmost outposts of humanity in the Old World. Several times has Araby turned its attention north across the sea toward the rich and fertile soil of Estalia, and warships have sailed from great coastal cities to raid the coasts of Estalia. On more than one occasion, conquering Arabyans have landed armies upon Estalian soil to besiege the castles of its kings and queens.^[62a]

Decaying Ruins of a Golden Age (ca. -4110 to -1780 IC)

The kingdoms of Estalia as depicted on a map of the Old World.

The High Elf reports that around -4110 IC, during the reign of the Phoenix King Bel Shanaar the Explorer, the Elves of Ulthuan were drawn to the shores of the Old World. Consequently, they also explored the Southern Sea, where they established several colonies to create trading networks with the Dwarfs of the Old World.^[75a][21c]

According to Dwarf accounts written after the threat to the mortal world from Chaos was ended by the Elves' establishment of the Great Vortex at the end of the wars of the Great Catastrophe, during ca. -3500 IC, the first primitive, nomadic tribes of Men migrated to the Old World from the Southlands. They were few in number, used tools and weapons made from wood and stone, and settled initially in the southern lands that would later become Tilea and Estalia, two hundred years before the first tribes of nomadic men crossed the Worlds Edge Mountains from the east. The Dwarfs largely ignored them, especially since the two races lived so far apart.^[74a]

Local legend has it that the Carvorna Arcipelago, located in the eastern coast of Estalia, was once inhabited by fell, bird-like creatures that made their nests in amongst the crags of the cliffs. Untold millennia of their scratching contributed to the erosion of natural sea caves, leading to the cliffs becoming maggot ridden with tunnels and caverns. With the arrival of Sea Elves seeking either wealth in the mountains or a defensible site for a trading post, the creatures were driven from their homes and the Elves made their home in the cave system, enlarging it and constructing an harbour. The city of Tolarie was inhabited for nigh on a thousand years until its abandonment at the end of the Dwarf Wars.^[11d]

When the War of the Beard broke out, these very colonies were either obliterated by the might of the Dwarf throngs or were abandoned by its inhabitants under the orders of their new Phoenix King.^[21cF]

Tolarie lay abandoned for centuries until its chance rediscovery by a group of Tilean shepherds seeking shelter from the worst of the Abaskan winters. Tobaro, as the city was renamed, was quickly settled by farmers who knew a good thing when they saw it, building on the Elven ruins found within the rock face.^[11d]

In the ancient legends of Estalia, retold so many times their origin is now forgotten, heroes would be gifted with shields which were so highly polished they blinded their foes and deflected the deadly gaze of the Basilisks and Cockatrices that were the scourge of the land in ancient days. Scintillating Shields, whether they be the items spoken of in legend or more recent creations wrought by wizard-craft, fetch a prince's ransom when rumours of a Basilisk or Cockatrice attack spread.^[18c]

Great Crusades Against Araby

Only one event had the chance of uniting Estalia and that was the invasion of the Sultan of Araby Jaffar over a thousand years ago. A huge army of Arabyans landed in Estalia and conquered much of the region, including the city Magritta. Responding to Estalia's call, armies of crusaders arrived from Bretonnia, the Empire, and the Tilean City-States.^[6b]

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 IC 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.^[7b]

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.^[7b]

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.^[7b]

With the sultan dead, the crusade ended. The Bretonnian knights who made up over half of the army declared that their honour had been satisfied, returned to Copher, and sailed for home. The Imperial knights had a very different view, having included in their vows at Estalia the promise of a more complete victory. At this point, the main crusade began to split up into many smaller crusades, as the various contingents of knights began to hunt down the remnants of Jaffar’s army and free every single slave taken in the Old World. The crusades lasted nearly 100 years as the armies of the Empire quested across the deserts and mountains of Araby in pursuit of vengeance. Although the most famous battles, the siege and sack of Copher and the Battle of El-Haikk, occurred during the first two years of the crusades, it is during the following ^[6b][7b] decades that some foreign kingdoms settled in southern Estalia were driven back into the sea by foreign mercenary armies in the pay of the Estalians. These invasions have left their mark, and even today many of the noble lords and ladies that rule in Estalia’s southern kingdoms are descended from those that once ruled as hostile invaders, albeit now under the colours of the Estalian kings.^[62a]

After the Arabyans were defeated and the land was reclaimed, no outstanding Estalian leader arose during the conflict to unify the small kingdoms. Without a charismatic figure like Sigmar or a Gilles le Breton to lead the way, Estalia fell back into familiar patterns. In less than a generation, the crusaders were gone and the Estalians were once again fighting amongst themselves.^[6b]

Wars With the Undead

"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^[8a]

Nourgul, the terrible Wamphyro of Estalia

Only very rarely do the Necrarchs openly march to war, but at such times they are perhaps more dangerous than any other lords of Undeath, for with their Necromantic lore the Necrarchs can raise huge armies of Undead. Such wars are most often fought not for earthly gain or temporal power, but rather for acquiring knowledge and magical lore. The folk of Estalia still shudder when they remember the^[76a] War of Blood,^[62a] also known as the Wars of Death, when Nourgul, the terrible Wamphyro^[62a] (or Wamphyri) of Estalia, marched against them^[76a] in 1750 IC.^[62a]

Nourgul was an ancient Vampire, so old that he has 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 IC 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.^[76a]

His undead armies, had marshalled over long millennia, increasing its numbers, and they crushed the proud condottieri of Estalia, leaving thousands dead. The whole war was fought for possession of a single book: the Tome of Wisdom, which was kept in the temple of Myrmidia.^[76a]

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 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 Archecclesiatium 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,^[8a] but some say the goddess Myrmidia appeared and personally destroyed the Vampire, reducing him to ash with her divine light.^[62a] The war was won but it took decades for Estalia to recover.^[76a]

A map of the kingdoms of Estalia during the Anarchy in ca. 2276 IC.^[87a]

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 old mates remains a mystery.^{[44a][Note 2]}

In recent times, between 2415 and 2419 IC, Estalia became again a battleground between the undead as Heinrich Kemmler and Brachnar the Damned waged war against themselves. The Estalian militias have done what they can to protect the citizens of the realm but is not until Kemmler pursued his enemies northward into Bretonnia that the land is truly safe.^[30]

Just in recent time, the vengeful Infanta Leanora Navrre, after being outcast and hunted by the nobles of Estalia for her terrible crimes, dared to bind herself within a Necrofex Colossus and ravaged her erstwhile domains for more than a century like a Daemon from the night.^[18b]

Magrittan Blockade

Many Estalian seamen have served in the Magrittan blockade of the seas around the Bay of Quietude and the trading port of Magritta. As a result of the blockade the city has greatly enriched its treasury, going so far as to tax not only the ships of the other nations of Men but also those of the High Elves, violating a years-old trade treaty with Ulthuan.^[51a][50]

Additionally, the Elven district of Magritta, 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.^[50]

The Knights Return

"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^[48a]

In the last few years, the banner of the Knights of Magritta, a formerly knightly order of Estalia, fell into disgrace after the Great Crusades, has been raised again in Estalia. The trouble is that it is not actually the doing of the Knights of Magritta. Students and teachers of the order have been sent to Estalia to discover the identity of these impostors and what their goals are. Some clues indicate that these efforts may be the work of a nobleman who wants to advance his own claim as the new King of Estalia, a rogue master of the order who wants to force it into action, or agents of the Arabyan sorcerer, Shihab Ibn Alim, trying to flush the Knights out.^[48c]

Whatever the motivation of the plotter, it could be that events take their own course. This could be the right time to unite Estalia. This could change the Knights of Magritta and indeed the Old World forever.^[48c]

War of Beasts (ca. 2500 IC)

After a great Storm of Magic caused monsters of all kinds to rise and terrorize the lands between the Tilean Sea and the Abasko Mountains, bringing famine and ruin in the southern kingdoms of Estalia, the petty kingdoms of Larhgoz and Geulata prepared to retake Vedenza, a Tilean city-state in the principality of Tobaro. The Estalians marshaled a large force consisting of free-lances, retainers of the kingdom, bandits, and mixed tercio regiments of glaive and crossbow-armed warriors. King Vidar VII of Lahrgoz, a wizard, took advantage of the agitated Winds of Magic to bind Skin Wolves to his army, thanks to an alliance with the Mortiara, a sect of Morrites shunned by the official cult, led by Strega of the Bone Hills.^[4b]

The Estalian armies were met by the Republican Guard of Vedenza and their artillery train, supported by Tobaran Peviser and Sartosan cutthroats. From the mountains came Tazadis of Araby, Court Alchemist of the Council of Tears, who rule Vedenza. Tazadis had bound a Manticore to his will. From the sea came Orsini Sardus, a Mage and agent of the council, on his flagship the Pride of Zora, with a magically-bound Merwyrm named Silak.^[4b]

The Estalians were defeated and forced to flee, abandoning their pretensions on the city-state of Vedenza.^[4b]

End Times

"Thirteen times thirteen passes of the Chaos moon I will give you. Thirteen times thirteen moons I will wait. Go to your legions and your workshops! Bring me victory. Bring me dominance over this mortal realm! You must be as one, work as one, as single-minded as a swarm pouring from a cracked sewer-pipe – all rats scurry-flood in same direction. Only then will you inherit the ruins of this world, only then will you rule. Thirteen times thirteen moons! Fail, and all will suffer the fate of the seer."

—Edict of the Horned Rat.^[9a]

Estalian soldiers facing the Skaven.^{[Needs Source]}

During 2522 IC, as the world was engulfed in a time of conflict, such an opportunity for great plunder and glory to be won was considered a far too tempting a prize to ignore for the vermin hordes of the great Under-Empire. Prior to their inevitable and destructive invasion of the surface world, the Order of the Grey Seers, under the leadership of Seerlord Kritislik, proposed to the Lords of Decay a masterful plan. It was theorised by the earliest generations of Warlock Engineers that the Chaos Moon Morrslieb is actually made entirely of pure Warpstone, proposing to the Council that he shall gather a coven of the most powerful Grey Seers and draw the Chaos moon closer to the world, allowing a greater influx of magical energies to the Under-Empires many spell-casters, and give the Skaven populace unnatural vitality. Approving the plan, the Grey Seers began their work, and within time the Moon slowly began to grow within the night sky, growing to such an extent that it has allowed the World's many spell-casters to conjure feats of magical possibilities that have never been seen since the Great Catastrophe.^[13a]

Deeming the time right, the mysterious Overlords of the Council of Thirteen instantly began the first phase of their Master Plan upon the human kingdoms of Tilea and Estalia, never knowing that from the Realm of Ruin, the Verminlords of the Shadow Council of Thirteen are toying with the threads of their fate, overseeing their motives and purpose and moving them one-step closer towards their ultimate victory.^[9a]

The people of Tilea and Estalia have ever been a rich people of a fractured nation, two kingdoms so similar to the ratmen's own society that it beggars the question of their origins. Yet no matter how many times they see these vile vermin, no matter how many attacks and raids were sent upon their cities, they still try their best to deny such existence, and this strong sense of disbelief have brought about the seeds of their doom.^[13a]

After the fall of Tilea, the Skaven struck Estalia and the Border Princes.^[9a] Beneath every sleeping city, beneath every town and mighty fortress, the Skaven hordes surged out of their tunnels in their tens of thousands and brought about a wave of sudden violence and destruction that eventually overwhelmed the rule of Mankind's kingdoms. Under-tunneled and overrun, every major city was now a blasted ruin over which a ragged clan banner openly flew. The Skaven lost a great many of their warriors, to such extent that none could ever count the ocean of half-eaten bodies that littered the filthy streets of each and every city, but such were their numbers and cruelty that none shed a single tear for their lost kin, for they have many more and the fruits of their victory have brought about a new cycle of violence that would threaten their race once more in open civil war.^[13a][9a]

Geography

An Estalian panorama.

The Estalian kingdoms lie in the southern Old World, a warmer and drier area than the north. The threat of Chaos seems very remote here, far away from the incursions and beyond the immediate threat of Chaos Marauder and Warriors of Chaos warbands from Norsca and the Chaos Wastes. Despite this, mutations are not unknown and Chaos ruts can sometimes spring up here as well. There is currently a powerful movement among members of the clergy of the Cult of Myrmidia, Estalia's patron goddess, called the Inquisition, which works to eradicate all forms of Chaotic taint present in the Estialian kingdoms and beyond.^{[1a][40a][46]}

Part of the hinterlands of Estalia is a desolate craggy grey mound of rocks, their summits crowned with clumps of brown brambles and thorny cacti. Where dried small patches of level ground are visible between the rocky hills.^[42b] So even their buildings reflect this rocky and rugged regional character.^[56a]

From its woods is obtained a kind of esteemed dark wood, exported in all the Old World.^[15d]

Estalia is also renown for its harsh deserts.^[15a]

Another Estalian landmark, the Valley of Windmills, is located high in the Abasko Mountains. Constructed long ago by the mad King Don Jurno Esparo in an attempt to feed his people, the valley was soon abandoned because of its location, and the hundreds of windmills in it left to rot. These days it is said that insidious Skaven inhabit the windmills, and are rebuilding them for some dark purpose.^[11a]

The seacaves of Estalia are renown for an exotic plant called Glowkelp.^[55a]

Notable Locations

Forests

[[File:Worldroots_Map.jpg|thumb|250px|A map of the southern realms of the Old World, including Estalia.^[56b]

• Piña Wood - Piña Wood is one of the two main forests of the peninsula, it is located in the realm of Obregon.^[87a]

• Sombra Wood - Sombra Wood is one of the two main forests of the peninsula, it is located in the realm of Cantonia.^[87a]

Maritime Locations

[[File:Map of the Northern Southern Sea Man O War Corsairs name edited .png|thumb|250px|A map of the northern regions of the Southern Sea as depicted in Man O' War: Corsair. Each location's name matches those used in the game. The symbols depicting which faction is patrolling each area represents their positions in 2517 IC but are subject to minor changes as the game's campaign progresses.^[20a]]]

A map of the central regions of the Southern Sea as depicted in Man O' War: Corsair.^[20a]

A map of the southern regions of the Southern Sea as depicted in Man O' War: Corsair.^[20a]

• Aguilas Bay - The Aguilas Bay is the bay surrounding the city of Aguilas in southern Estalia.^[20a]

• Bay of Bilbali - The Bay of Bilbali is the bay upon which the city of Bilbali was established.^[20a]

• Bay of Brionne - The Bay of Brionne is a bay that laps the southern Bretonnian domains of the Dukedom of Brionne.^[20a]

• Bay of Muros - The Bay of Muros is the bay that encompasses the domains surrounding the city of Muros.^[20a]
  • Northern Bay of Muros^[20a]
  • Southern Bay of Muros^[20a]

• Bay of Quietude - The Bay of Quietude is the bay that encompasses the domains surrounding the city of Magritta in southern Estalia.^[20a]

• Blazing Sea - The Blazing Sea is the stretch of the Southern Sea surrounded by the Sea of Eagles, and Isla Verde.^[20a]

• Cabo de la Diestros - The Cabo de la Diestros is the cape surrounding Los Cabos.^[20a]

• Golden Sea - The Golden Sea is the stretch of the Southern Sea surrounded by the Sea of Eagles, the Southern Great Western Ocean, the Isla D'Azure, the Bay of Quietude, and the Golfo Naranja.^[20a]

• Golfo Naranja - The Golfo Naranja is the gulf surrounding the cities of San Pedro del Sur, Belmoz, and Ubrique in southern Estalia.^[20a]

• Irranan Sea - The Irranan Sea is the stretch of the Southern Sea that encompasses north-western Estalia. It takes its name from the Irrana Mountains.^[20a]

• Isla D'Azure - Isla D'Azure is both the name of an island and that portion of the sea that surrounds it.^[20a]

• Isla Verde - Isla Verde is both the name of an island and that portion of the sea that surrounds it.^[20a]

• Orchid Coast - The Orchid Coast is a coast that touches the domains surrounding the city of Nerja in southern Estalia.^[20a]

• Royal Sea of Alquezaro - The Royal Sea of Alquezaro is the stretch of the Southern Sea that touches the shores of the city of Alquezaro.^[20a]

• Sea of Eagles - The Sea of Eagles is the stretch of the Southern Sea surrounded by the Blazing Sea, Isla Verde, and the Golden Sea.^[20a]

• Silver Sea - The Silver Sea is the stretch of the Southern Sea that encompasses the Céfiro Hills.^[20a]

• Abasko Coast - Estalian coast where is located the Tilean city-state of Vedenza.^[54a]

• Aquilas Bay - The bay that embrace Aguilas.^[20a]

• Bay of Quietude - A bay that leads to the city-port of Magritta, it is guarded by the Fortress of the Moon and the Fortress of the Sun.^[20a][87a]

• Estalian Coast - The portion of coast of Estalia not touched by the Tilean Sea. Recently Skaven Clanships have been sighted off around its borders.^[63a]

• Estalian Littoral - The western littoral of Estalia.^[17e]
  • Labyrinth - Dense maze of islands that buffered the Estalian Littoral, two days south-east from Santa Bernadette on the west side of Estalia. Two coves are known as Greenwater Sound, which bottoms out at two fathoms. No great barque can find harbour there, and Angel’s Bar, which waters are so deep that has no floor any man has ever managed to leadline.^[17e].

• Estragon's Island = Throughout the early decades of the 24th century (Imperial Calendar), Don Diego Estragon, Estalian merchant and explorer, have discovered a misterios Island that seems to shift its location from time to time. Pirates and explorers have occasionally reported sighting his island some 400 miles southwest of Estalia’s coast.^[22]

• Golfo de Bidouze - The Golfo de Bidouze, also known as Golfe de Bidouze,^[20b] is a gulf between Estalian realm of Novareno and Brionne.^[20a][87a]

• Great Ocean - The great ocean to the weast.^[1][20a]

• Horn of Estalia - Rounding the horn of Estalia, can be a dangerous voyage for a mercantile expedition, as some seamen tell to have witnessed a thick fog enshrouding their fleet in this area. When the fog eventually lifted, some of the ships began to sail back towards the west, and their decks were not manned by human shapes.^[15b]

• Isla d'Azure - An island known as a pirate-friendly harbor.^[17]

• Isla de Sangre - La Isla de Sangre is a barren scrap of volcanic rock jutting out of the ocean some two hundred miles off the coast of Estalia. It is an ill-regarded place, shunned by man and beast alike. Some say it was the lair of a Dragon. In primitive times, the crude ancestors of the Estalians had paddled their rafts to the island once a year to leave an offering upon its shore, hoping to placate the angry god of the mountain with their sacrifice. Even in more recent times, Estalian sailors would throw a small animal overboard when they passed within sight of the island. It was never wise to tempt daemons from their slumber.^[15c]

• Isla Verde - A verdant island.^[17]

• Savage Point - A place of battle north of Graus.^[59a] Here Tomb King Settra led a large raiding force against Bretonnia in 1175 IC. He was met at Savage Point by a Bretonnian fleet led by Admiral Henri Lamorte. Settra's fleet was heavily defeated. but he managed to escape vowing revenge.^[60a]

• Southern Littoral - The Southern Littoral of Estalia is dotted by heady and humid islands where jungle-draped cones trill with birdcalls and the racket of insects. Among the settlements along the island chain are boucaners’ enclaves, small Estalian port towns, and sovereign-less fishing villages. The littoral had been Luka Silvaro's particular hunting ground of old, when he had been a pirate lord. Amongst the last thickets of green islets before the bony reaches of the bare, dagger-like atolls that spiked out to the end of the Known Land and heralded, like a shattered archway, the great dark oceans of the mysterious west, tempting adventurers with promises of indescribable riches.^[17b]

• Southern Sea - The sea that divides the south of Estalia from Araby.^{[1][20a][87a]}

Mountains

• Abasko Mountains - One of the two mountain ranges on the Estalian peninsula.^{[1][20a][87a]}

• Irrana Mountains - One of the two mountain ranges of the peninsula.^{[1][20a][87a]}

Plains

• Bone Hills - The Bone Hills are infamous to be the lair of Skin Wolves clans of the morrite sect of Mortiara.^[18a]

• Céfiro Hills - The Céfiro Hills are a group of hills located in the realm of Obregon.^[87a]

• Estalian Plain - The Estalian Plain is a scorching plain where the mercenary general, Lietpold the Black proved his strategy intellect and innate skill-at-arm.^[53a]

• Feroz Hills - The Feroz Hills are a group of hills located in the realm of Bilbali.^[87a]

• Miramar Hills - The Miramar Hills are a group of hills in the realm of Avila.^[87a]

• Valley of Windmills - The Valley of Windmills is located high in the Abasko Mountains. Constructed long ago by the mad King Don Jurno Esparo in an attempt to feed his people.^[11a]

Rivers

• River Ebora - The River Ebora, also known as River Eboro, A river coming from the Irrana Mountains and flowing into the Tilean Sea through the territories under the control of the Principality of Tobaro.^[87a]

• River Guadariz - The River Guadariz flows in the realm of Magritta, not far from the realm of Avila.^{[87a][Note 1]}

• River Riaza - The River Riaza flows from the Abasko Mountains to the Southern Sea, in the realm of Cantonia.^[87a]

• River Tagos - The River Tagos is a river which flows from the Irrana Mountains to the Southern Sea, passing by the city of Magritta.^{[87a][Note 1]}

• River Tarmos - The River Tarmos sets the border between the realms of Bilbali and Obregon.^[87a]

Roads

• Alboran Road - The Alboran Road is a road between Belmoz and Ubrique.^[87a]

• Cantabrio Road - The Cantabrio Road is a road that links Bilbali to Barboza.^[87a]

• Cuerno Road - The Cuerno Road is a road between Jávea and Almagora.^{[87a][Note 1]}

• Gredos Road - The Gredos Road is a road between Verin and Jaraiz.^[87a]

• Tobaro Road - The Tobaro Road is a road that start from Jávea to the Tiean city of Tobaro.^[87a]

• Tramoto Pass - The Tramoto Pass is a pass between Estalia and the Tilean territory of the peninsula.^[87a]

Cities and Settlements

• Aguilas - Aguilas, also known as Aquilia, is a port city located in the realm of Cantonia.^[17][87a]

• Almyria - Almyria is a smaller, neighbouring city-state of Magritta, whose royal family are perennially engaged in murdering one another.

• Alquézaro - Alquézaro is a port city located in the realm of Bilbali.^[20a][87a]

• Almagora - Almagora is a great port city located in the realm of Cantonia.^[20a][87a]

• Astorias - Astorias is a town plagued by the infamous Chaos Spawn known as El Phantazi.^[45a]

• Avila - Avila is a petty kingdom in the south-west of Estalia,^[87a] somehow linked with the diAvila family who rule Zaragoz.

• Azuara - Azuara is an inland city located in the realm of Novareno.^[20a][87a]

• Barboza - Barboza is a great city-port located in the realm of Bilbali.^[20a][87a]

• Barsellon - Barsellon is a northern hill-side^[79a] city, its inhabitants have an impossibly thick accent called also Barsellon.^[68a][68b]

• Belmoz - Belmoz is a city-port in the south of the realm of Avila.^[20a][87a]

• Bilbali - Bilbali is the capital city-port of the queendom with the same name. Bilbali is ruled by Queen Juana la Roja. Produces the famed Bilbali wine.^{[20a][51d][87a]}

• Borgas - Borgas is an inland city located in the realm of Obregon.^[20a][87a]

• Cantonia - Cantonia is a petty kingdom in the south-east of Estalia.^[87a]

• Cebreros - Cebreros is an inland city located in the realm of Magritta.^[20a][87a]

• Chelvén - Chelvén is an inland city located in the realm of Cantonia.^[20a][87a]

• Diamanterra - Diamanterra is a great city-port located in the realm of Obregon.^[20a][87a]

• Durango - Durango is a settlement in the Irrana Mountains located in the realm of Novareno.^[87a]

• Fortress of the Moon - The Fortress of the Moon is located in the realm of Magritta, facing the Bay of Quietude.^[87a]

• Fortress of the Sun - The Fortress of the Sun is located in the realm of Cantonia, facing the Bay of Quietude.^[87a]

• Geulata - Geulata is a petty kingdom hostile to the Tilean principality of Tobaro.^[18a]

• Graus - Graus is a city-port located in the realm of Novareno.^[20a][87a]

• Gualeazar - Gualeazar, also known as Gualcazar, is an inland city located in the realm of Cantonia.^[20a][87a]

• Guaniar - Guaniar is a settlement not far from the Irrana Mountains located in the realm of Novareno.^[20a][87a]

• Jaraiz - Jaraiz is an inland city located in the realm of Obregon.^[20a][87a]

• Jávea - Jávea is a city-port located in the realm of Cantonia.^[20a][87a]

• Larhgoz - Larhgoz is a petty kingdom hostile to the Tilean principality of Tobaro.^[18a]

• Llaqueno - Llaqueno is a settlement near the Irrana Mountains located in the realm of Avila.^[20a][87a]

• Los Cabos - Los Cabos is a city-port located in the realm of Avila.^[20a][87a]

• Magritta - Capital city-port ruled by King Carlos IX, is a bustling port with a hatred of piracy.^{[20a][51d][87a]}

• Molena - Molena is an inland city located in the realm of Magritta on the border with the realm of Cantonia.^[20a][87a]

• Monteñas - Monteñas is an inland city located in the realm of Magritta.^{[20a][87a][41]}

• Muros - Muros is a port city located in the realm of Obregon.^[20a][87a]

• Nerja - Nerja, known also as Nuja, is a city-port in the south-west in the realm of Avila.^{[20a][41][87a]}

• Novareno - Novareno is a petty kingdom in the north-east of Estalia.^[87a]

• Obregon - Obregon is a petty kingdom in the south-west of Estalia.^[87a]

• Pajena - Pajena is a settlement close to the Irrana Mountains located in the realm of Novareno.^[20a][87a]

• Potes - Potes is an inland city located in the realm of Bilbali.^[20a][87a]

• Ragaños - Ragaños is a fortress on the Abasko Mountains located in the realm of Cantonia.^[20a][87a]

• Reas - Reas is a settlement on the Irrana Mountains located in the realm of Obregon.^[20a][87a]

• San Luis - San Luis is a city-port located in the realm of Obregon.^[20a][87a]

• San Pedro del Sur - San Pedro del Sur is a city-port of the realm of Avila.^[20a][87a]

• Santa Bernadette - Santa Bernadette is a freeport located in the Southern Littoral of Estalia.^[17b]

• Serpicio - Serpico,^[87a] also known as Serpicio,^[20a] is a settlement in the Irrana Mountains located in the realm of Novareno.^[87a]

• Sahagún - Sahagún,^[87a] also known as Shagún, is an inland city located in the realm of Obregon.^[20a][87a]

• Siernos - Siernos is an inland town located in the realm of Magritta.^[20a][87a], it was burned to the ground during the 26th century by Sienna Fuegonasus a Bright Wizard.^[20a][29]

• Sitges - Sitges is a city-port located in the realm of Cantonia.^[20a][87a]

• Solsona - Solsona is an inland city located in the realm of Cantonia.^[20a][87a]

• Torrosa - Torrosa is a city-port located in the realm of Magritta.^[20a][87a]

• Ubrique - Ubrique is a city-port located in the realm of Magritta.^[20a][87a]

• Verin - Verin is an inland city located in the realm of Obregon.^[20a][87a]

• Vizeaya - Vizeaya,^[20a] also known as Viveaya,^[87a] is a great city-port located in the realm of Novareno.^[20a][87a]

• Zaragoz - Zaragoz, also known as Zaraguz, is a duchy in the realm of Cantonia ruled by Duke Rodrigo Cordova after the demise of Marsilio diAvila, the former ruler.^[20a][87a]

West of the Abaskos

A map of the Old World; the number next to each realm's name indicates its density of population. According to this map, Estalia has one of the largest populations of Men in the Old World, second only to the Empire.^[69a]

Despite being part of the Estalian peninsula, the eastern Estalian territories beyond the Abasko Mountains are controlled by the Tileans of the Principality of Tobaro and the even more detested pirates.^[69a] The same can be said of many of the isles of the Isles of the Sirens, and Fool's Point, still there are some exemptions, like the Estalian colony of Porto Real.^[17a]

• Cap D'Orient - A cape in Tobaran territory near the bay of Porto Real.^[17c]

• Cera-Scuro - An island where a pirate stronghold is located, sieged by the Braganza's Besiegers.^[21]

• Fools Point - A cluster of islands in the southeast of the Estalian coast.^[20a]

• Golfo di Fodore - A Gulf in the Tilean Sea.^[21a][87a]

• Golfo Naranja - A Gulf in the Tilean Sea that embrace Porto Espejo.^[17d]

• Gorgon's Ola - Probably located in the Straits of the Gorgon,^[17a] is an island in the Tilean Sea near the Estalian coast.^[21a]
  • The Straits of the Gorgon - Straits near the Island of Gorgon's Ola.^[17a]

• Isle of Grief - Accursed island in the far south of the Carvorna archipelago.^[18]
  • Howling Abyss - A massive half-flooded sea cavern in the Isle of Grief. Inside is kept a mysterious temple more ancient of the Elves, and in the center of the cavern lies a monolith of warpstone now under the guard of She, a warpfire dragon.^[18]

• Island of Blood - An island protected by the High Elves.^[23]

• Isles of the Sirens - Also known as Carvorna archipelago, is located south of Tobaro and north-west of Sartosa, it was theatre of the War of Beasts.^[18][21]

• Porto Espejo - A town not far from Aguilas.^[17]

• Porto Real - Porto Real is an Estalian colony formerly governed by the Vampire, Emeric Gorge.^[17c]

• Red Vault - Buried deep beneath the drowned catacombs of Vedenza, lies the Red Vaults, probably designed by the original inhabitants, from more than a century is now where items of great power and valor as been gathered from all around the world by the republic, among which three Scrolls of Binding.^[18]

• Tobaro - A Tilean port city-state with his own principality.^[21a][87a]

• Tol Ista - Tol Ista was a High Elf treaty port on the west coast of Estalia until its destruction happened in 1214 IC, after a Greenskin siege.^[38b]

• Vedenza - A busting town and a small republic on the border with Estalia recently reconquered from Estalian overlordship. Despite attempts at social revolution, Vedenza is still under the rulership of Tobaro.

Elven Settlements

• Ocean's Gate - Ocean's Gate is an island enclave near the coastal town of Los Cabos, serving as a key trading hub where High Elves and Estalians interact, with Elven merchants bringing wealth to the town.^[91a]

• Kuliis - Kuliis was an Elven settlement in Estalia. After the sack of the settlement, some precious water-damaged tomes were saved and sold by merchants with little understanding of their true value.^[18d]

• Tor Karyndis - Tor Karyndis or the Shattered Tower as humans calls it, is an Elven structure located in Estalia, which the natives say is the lair of a Magma Dragon that sleeps inside, coming out to ravage the surrounding land every few decades.^[18d]

Colonies

Estalian mercenaries in the Border Princes.^[61a]

• Mangrove Port - Mangrove Port is an outpost and a beacon for adventurers, criminals, pirates and treasure hunters in the Southlands. Once an Estalian colony, it had changed hands numerous times from its foundation and now it is nominally under the jurisdiction of the Empire.^[71a]

• Santa Magritta - Estalians have established the colony of Santa Magritta on the New World in the continent of Lustria.^[10a]

• Soqotra - If records are true, this Orc corsair town in the Badlands might once have been a thriving port -- a Tilean or Estalian trading outpost maybe, or perhaps a hidden raider cove of some enterprising Sartosan captain -- but now it is entirely in ruins. Its buildings are burnt-out skeletons of fire-blackened timber, demolished in its conquest or by the rolling brawls of its new masters. Parts of it had been rebuilt, but by lunatic builders who cared nothing for rhyme nor reason and possessed a deep and abiding hatred of symmetry.^[72a][72b]

• Valhallaholic - Valhallaholic is a resort port town founded by the Estalians in the Sea of Claws, specifically catering to the Norscan raiders who roam the seas in search of treasure and conquest. Known for its vibrant, lively atmosphere and entertainment, Valhallaholic provides a place for Norscans to unwind after their raiding excursions. It’s a unique destination designed with the habits of these fierce warriors in mind, complete with alehouses, inns, and various forms of entertainment. Given its clientele, the town has a raucous, hard-partying environment, and it’s the kind of place where freed slaves can find a safe harbor and a fresh start.^{[83a][Note 3]}

Skaven Settlements

[[File:Skaven Under-Empire lairs.png|thumb|250px|Skaven lairs location.^[43a]

• Gnaw Pit - A Skaven lair inhabited by Clan Kreepus in the north of Estalia.^[43a]

• Spineport - A Skaven lair controlled by Clan Skurvy, located on the eastern coast of Estalia, south of Tobaro.^[43a]

• Under-Magritta - The date of the tunnel's excavation was around 0 to 1000 IC.^[28a]

Government

Unlike Bretonnia and the Empire, which are unified nations under a single ruler, the Estalian Kingdoms are many and of various sizes,^[1a] as there are more than a dozen of dukedoms and kingdoms.^[1a]

The Kingdoms are reassuringly feudal, with lords directing the pitiful lives of their subjects in the time honoured fashion.^[11a]

Still, Estalia manages to impose a national and regional tax more or less across all of its population.^[14d]

The kingdoms of the Irrana Mountains are home to fierce, tough hill-fighters, while those along the south coast are prosperous trading nations whose ships ply the Southern Sea to Araby. Most Estalian mercenaries come from these coastal cities, as foreigners visiting Estalia in search of mercenaries seldom venture far from the ports. The largest cities and towns war upon each other, as well as against the Arabyans to the south, the Bretonnians to the north and the particularly hated Tileans to the east.^{[1a][1a][40a]}

Today, the two most powerful kingdoms of Estalia are the city-states of Bilbali and Magritta. Both are strong because of trade and access to the sea, a fact that causes much jealousy amongst the poor kingdoms of the Irrana Mountains.^[6b]

Society

[[file:Bilbali banner Total War.png|thumb|250px|Crest of the Estalian Rebels as depicted in Total War: Warhammer and referenced in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Ubersreik Adventures II. It could be a reference to the famous Bell Tower of Bilbali.^[85a]]] The Estalian Kingdoms lie far to the south, where the threat of Chaos seems very remote and unlike their eastern neighbours they face no threat from Orcs and Goblins so they mostly fight amongst themselves.^[6b]

Only one event had the chance of uniting Estalia and that was the invasion of the Sultan of Araby over a thousand years ago. Responding to Estalia’s call, armies of crusaders arrived from Bretonnia, the Empire, and the Tilean city-states. The Arabyans were defeated and the land reclaimed but no outstanding Estalian leader arose in this conflict to unify the small kingdoms. Without a Sigmar or a Gilles to lead the way, Estalia fell back into familiar patterns. In less than a generation, the crusaders were gone and the Estalians were once again fighting amongst themselves.^[6b]

There is little evidence of the influence of Chaos in the Estalian Kingdoms, but it is there. Subtle perhaps, but no less deadly. It is not the brute power of the raging Beastman, but the hidden plotting of secret societies and cults which is eating away at Estalia. There are no Witch Hunters hunting Chaos in Estalia, but worship of Myrmidia is popular. She is patron Goddess of the art and science of war and the Estalians have learned her lessons well.^[6b]

"Memories of Estalia, The Merman’s Daughter" is a renown opera in seven acts.^[70b]

Estalians

"Aye. Come a long way, this one has. See here, this seal is the gold lion of Nuln, right? But this one here, the black tower on red, why that’s all the way from Estalia! That package has travelled further than most folk ever will."

—Fritz the Fleet - Courier^[85a]

Estalian buildings.^[56a]

Estalian buildings.^[56a]

Estalia has one of the largest populations of Men in the Old World, second only to the Empire.^[69a]

Their cities are solidly built and well fortified, and of a generally younger foundation than those of the north (although the Estalians claim to be the first humans to have settled in the Old World). There is a strong tradition of seamanship and seafighting among the coastal cities. For example, the fleets of Magritta effectively control the Southern Sea, patrolling against pirates and imposing an impromptu levy on trading ships of other nations.^[1a][1a]

Within its few fortified cities live people who make their living with fishing and trade. It is said Estalians are very hardy folk, who will slay a man for mistaking them for a Tilean or even greeting them in Tilean by mistake.^[4a] Once past the strange accents and odd tastes in facial hair of the Estalians, the lands of Estalia can be quite pleasant and many travelers have been know to stay for the warm weather and reasonably priced housing.^[11a][38a]

Estallans speak the Old Worlder tongue known as Estalian with a sing-song, nasal accent, and in some of the northern hill-side states outsiders have great difficulty understanding the locals, whose speech is often larded with strange idioms from a former age.^[79a]

The bonds of kinship mean a good deal to the men of Estalia, even when kinsmen learn to hate one another. It is a man’s duty to avenge his brother, if his brother be treacherously slain.^[77a]

Estalians are known to be talkative and vivacious people, both in love and quarrel. Between Diestros, engaging in dialogue during combat is expected. Non-Diestros, although not expected to reciprocate, aren’t spared the verbal assault that accompanies a Diestro’s rapier.^[35c]

Estalian guardsmen in full plate armour.

One thing Estalians dearly love is swordplay.^[6a] If Tilea is known for its mercenaries, Estalia is known for its duellists. Fencing schools can be found throughout the region, many with long histories and deadly rivalries. Estalian sword-and-buckler fighters are well known, and the Diestros are also now gaining recognition.^[6b]

The Roadwardens of Estalia are notoriously, even famously, corrupt, and are despised by most people who travel the roads between major cities.^[48b]

Fishing is difficult to regulate, in part because of its popularity among casual anglers, but also due to the inaccuracy of aquatic boundaries. The closest thing to a fisherman’s guild is a “fishing collective” found in many Estalian towns. Its chief purpose is to match crewmen with boats each morning, but sometimes the collective also mediates disputes over contested waters.^[35e]

Corrida

A practice adored by the Estalians and for which they are famous throughout the Old World is the Corrida, a show where raging bulls are faced, by a specialist of the trade called matador.^[33a][42a] In some of these bullfights more than one fighter would attack the bull in waves, each man not seeking to kill the powerful animal, but only to injure it and draw off more of its strength, until the time came when the matador would step forward to finish the animal.^[15e]

Clothes

A Diestro, clothed in the manners of Estalian people.

An Estalian conquistador helm, many Old Worlder mercenaries wear these in service overseas, during campaigns more noted for profit than conquest.^[29c]

The Estalia Kingdoms and Tilea mimic Western fashion trends. Many people, from wealthy citizens to peasants can afford clothing cut of decent cloth, as well as expensive dyes and patterns. Men typically shave, at most wearing large moustaches and sideburns. Women, on the other hand, are at the forefront of the Empire's fashion trends, setting the standard for the courts throughout the Old World. Their tastes are fickle, changing hems, necklines, colours, and accessories each year. Currently, though its changing even now, low-cut long dresses in bright colours along with colourful plumed hats are the current rage. As ever, the practice of slashing garments to reveal bright, sumptuous fabric beneath is still practices.^[14b]

The Estalian fez, is a typical hat of the region. Sashes, simple length of cloth dyed in a colour or expensive silk wrapped around the waist, are popular in Estalia, Tilea, and even in the eastern provinces of the Empire.^[14b]

Anklets are prevalent in Estalia territory once held by Araby, as the style originated from Araby courtesans.^[14m]

In Estalia, famed fencers use loose and billowing shirts, tight trousers, and fashionable shoes. Their cloaks are in fact short capes, and nearly all men sport a dashing hat.^[14b]

Estalian bandits dress in wide, feathered hats, which they wear over black bandanas.^[70a]

Magical Practices

As elsewhere in the Old World, the peasantry of the human realms of Tilea, Estalia, and the Border Princes are wary of magic users. Because these lands lack a centralised government, and do not have organisations similar to the Colleges of Magic or the intensive use of witch hunters to control the use of spellcraft, the wizards of these regions are in a similar state that those in the Empire were in before Teclis’s arrival.^[25a]

Before the Colleges of Magic were founded in 2304 IC, Altdorf University briefly housed a wizards’ college that taught classical southern arcana. Many of the old grimoires are now proscribed, but wizards from the eight colleges still use the great library and teach classes in theoretical magic. Visiting elven scholars receive almost religious reverence. According to rumour, a statue of Clio that stands outside the Chancellor’s office actually depicted an Elf long ago, before erosion rounded its features.^[90a]

Anyway practising magic without a licence is considered a case for the Criminal Court; arrest will be made by the Militia, and the trial will be conducted by a local noble or official. Daemonology, necromancy, Dark and Chaotic magic are considered to be religious crimes. In these cases, the arrest is made by clerics, templars or sanctioned witch-hunters (usually of Verena, Myrmidia or Morr.) and the trial is held in a temple court. Witch-hunters in nations like Estalia are widely thought to be out of control, using threats of investigations and inquisitions to wield power over the temples that are supposed to be monitoring and moderating their actions.^[34a][34b]

Many spellcasters are mere hedge-wizards, using their powers for the good or evil of the community they live in, but in mortal danger of corruption by Chaos. Wizards from rich backgrounds may be lucky enough to be sent to the Empire for magical tutelage by their parents, but because this is not mandatory many simply try to master their powers by themselves, perhaps acquiring grimoires proscribed in the Empire, and tempted by dark powers to succumb to daemonology or necromancy.^[25a]

In contrast to the ignorant peasants, who often persecute spellcasters (even those tutored in the Colleges of Magic), the merchant-princes of Tilea and the petty kings of Estalia consider the presence of a wizard in their entourage as a mark of prestige, and a useful protection against assassins sent by overambitious rivals. Wizards who have studied at one of the Colleges of Magic are favoured over local thaumaturgists, as they have less of a tendency to spontaneously combust while trying to read a courtier’s mind or incinerate a would-be usurper.^[25a]

These rulers pay well for this privilege, and members of the Gold Order are quickest to off er their services to them. However, the crafty Tilean Merchant-Princes prefer to employ wizards of the Celestial Order or adepts of the Lore of Shadow, whereas the fiery, flamboyant Estalian rulers seek out wizards of the Bright Order.^[25a] Imperial Astromancers are also a fashionable fixture of high noble courts.^[26a]

Some respected Imperial Magisters whose apprentices (old or current) have broken serious laws are fortunate enough to only be exiled by their Order from Altdorf or the Reikland, or at worst, the lands of the Empire. This is obviously far better than execution or Pacification, and it means the brothers of his Order will still regard him as one of their number, even if they cannot accept him as part of the College’s highly visible political body. Such exiles usually find their way to Marienburg, the city-states of Tilea or Estalia, or even Bretonnia (though it is quite risky). Because they are still on friendly terms with their Order, they are welcome to share in the resources and learning of their Order, a fact that irks many Witch Hunters but is beyond their ability to prevent. Loyal Magisters that have been banished due to the acts of former apprentices still serve their Order, and therefore the Empire, indirectly. They often send back reports on the nations they reside in, and their abilities generally assure that they can attain employment in positions near authority and so are often in perfect positions to spy on their new employers.^[58a]

Medicine

An ancient tome that studies Human anatomy.

Necromantic studies were the keepers of medical knowledge for over 500 years until another great tragedy sparked a new look at medicine. In 1786, the Red Pox appeared throughout Tilea, claiming men and animals alike. This more mundane disease, striking in a more enlightened age, prompted the rising population of academics to ponder disease more as a natural phenomenon than as the taint of Chaos. They began to look to animals to learn more about the human form; although any sort of human dissection was still taboo, animal carcasses were perfectly acceptable. The human body began to be appreciated anew as a great nexus of flesh, bone, organs and vessels, each of which could be examined and treated separately.^[11c]

Soon after came the Tilean renaissance, and the works of Leonardo of Miragliano brought a new appreciation for engineering. From this arose a new paradigm of thought, one in conflict with Gaelen’s theories and the practices that stemmed from them. Where Gaelen saw the body as sacred and inviolate, to be nurtured as a whole, never cut apart, the ‘Mechanicals’ saw the body as nothing more than a giant machine made of many cogs; to throw open such a machine was as natural as examining the workings of a clock or millwheel, and to cut and amputate as natural as tightening a screw. Of course, many doctors could see elements of truth in both sides, and today there are very few that will never perform amputations, or refuse to see the value in holistic theories. There remain some, however, for whom the question is one of morality and even faith, and every student inherits one or the other stance from his tutor or college. As a result, the Gaelenic/ Mechanical split continues to characterise modern medicine.^[11c]

In the recent centuries, the Mechanical outlook has become the default in Tilea and Estalia, not least thanks to the great artist Andreas Vesalius, whose book De Corporis Fabrica provides the most accurate paintings of the human body yet produced. Dissections, too, have become accepted the southern states. The Empire, however, still resists this practice, seeing it as a violation of the will of Morr.^[11c]

Food

The wines from the Estalian Kingdoms lean towards red vintages.^[14i] Many Estalians claim that the Sherry, a type of sweet dessert wine, was their invention and not a product originally made by the Halflings like is told in the Mootland.^[58b] Estalian are also producers of brandy.^[29b]

Sheep are widespread in the Old World; although the majority of them are found in Estalia and Bretonnia, they are not just farmed for their meat or milk, but also provide wool, one of the most common materials for clothing.^[14l]

Estalian cheddar cheese is sharp and famed throughout the Old World.^[14g]

A typical dish of the region is the Estalian duck basted in the hot chilli peppers favoured in that land.^[15c]

Currency

An Excelente

Estalian currency is similar to Imperial coins, being of the same weights and compositions. The face of the excelente, their gold piece, features a castle on a hillside, and the back of the coin bears the crest of the ruling family of the city-state where the coin was minted. Like much of the Old World, the silver real is the standard unit of currency, feature a fish on the front and the date of its minting on the back. Finally, the duro, the smallest denomination, is made of bronze or copper. These small coins feature a merchant's scale on the face and the banner of the Estalian Kingdoms on the back.^[14a]

• Excelente - A coin made of gold.

• Real - A coin made of silver.

• Duro - A coin made of copper or bronze.

Also bronze pennies displaying a crescent moon regularly appear in the Tilean city-states, Estalia, and the Border Princes.^[14a]

Inventions

Arrastra

An arrastra (or arastra) is a basic mill used for grinding and pulverizing gold or silver ore. In its simplest form, it consists of two or more flat-bottomed drag stones placed in a circular pit paved with flat stones and connected to a central post by a long arm. Power is provided by a horse, mule, or human at the other end of the arm, causing the stones to be dragged slowly around in a circle, crushing the ore. Some arrastras were powered by water wheels.^[80a]

This process, first developed in Estalia, has spread to other regions such as the Empire.^[80a]

Estalian Steel

"Here too is the sword I finished that day with. Took it from one of our dead. Always carry two weapons, lad, that's a lesson I learned the hard way. If I hadn't picked this up, I'd not be talking to you now. See the nice pommel and the gold work? Forget them and look at the blade. Finest Estalian steel. That's what matters. That's what'll bring you back home. That's also what I used to relieve one of their spell-casting witches of his head after he'd turned my hammer into a snake."

—Former captain of the Wolfenberg Halberdiers^[4b]

The Estalian steel is used by blacksmiths to forge some of the finest rapiers on the market, and are sometime imported in the Empire in direct contravention of the Elector Count’s order.^{[29d][Note 3]}

Sometimes, reputation appears to be everything, and this can be frustrating to practical men. A merchant-prince who trade swords crafted from strong Estalian steel by the hand of renowned artisans like Master Rudolpho could be picky about who is worthy of such refined weapons. In a fight, there is simply no deadlier weapon, but a good merchant does not want to sell these prized and distinctive blades to any wandering rapscallion who happens to have scraped together enough gold to afford it. Such blades must be placed in the hands of a gentleman of high breeding so that reputations are protected and future business is assured.^[93a]

Religion

"Anyway, the thing I really wanted to ask Sienna about was her newfound worship of Myrmidia. Well, I say worship, but all told I think Sienna sees it as more of a meeting of equals – you know, one incandescent ball of light to another. I’ll be honest, Estalians always seem a bit that way: happier to walk beside the gods than to kneel before them. What it all comes down to, apparently, is justice. Our Sienna’s never been one to stand by and watch while inequity turns to insult. Half the items on that docket of charges Saltzpyre insists on keeping around relate to her taking a stand on behalf of the wronged. Myrmidia’s a bit the same, at least in some stories – never afraid to side with a valiant but doomed cause."

—Franz Lohner about Sienna Fuegonasus, a member of the Ubersreik Five^[29a]

Centuries after the fall of Tylos the shattered remnants of the people of Tylos spread through the other, southern lands. After a great war with the Dwarfs, the Elves abandoned the Old World, and Humanity cautiously replaced them, slowly building new civilisations around the Elder Race's ruins.^[7a]

For reasons still hotly debated by her modern cult, Myrmidia then returned to the descendants of Tylos; however, she came not as a God, but as a mortal. Over the years, and many battles, she gathered great heroes to her side, and within a decade had bound all Estalia and Tilea under her rule, staving off all manner of invasions and rebellions.^[7a]

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.^[7a]

Currently, Magritta is considered to be the heart of the Myrmidian religion, although the high temple in Remas undermines this at every turn. 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.^[7a]

In Estalia, like in Tilea, nearly everything is influenced by beloved Myrmidia, for she is not only appealed to in times of war and injustice, but in all matters, especially those concerning revenge, honour, and art, three aspects of her mortal life that have many legends attached to them.^[7a]

There is a temple to Myrmidia in the citadel of every town and city of Estalia and in most cities of any substance there are multiple temples. Temples are also found in the southern parts of Bretonnia and the Empire, as well as in other places where southern mercenaries are commonly employed.^[32a]

Myrmidian temples reflect the cult’s southern origins, borrowing architectural designs that in turn came from elven styles, whose ancient ruins dot the Tilean landscape. Marble columns illuminate circular rooms with domed roofs and spired towers; most have weapon halls and training rooms as well as pulpits.^[31a]

Myrmidia’s main sacred day is called the Day of the Spear, a big event in Tilea and Estalia but a minor one in the Empire. Falling on 8th Jahrdrung, it commemorates Myrmidia’s greatest victory, when she vanquished a great army of daemons. Her followers mark this day with solemn prayers and recitals from her holy books. The event culminates with displays of martial prowess by Myrmidia’s most devout followers.^[16a]

In Estalia, cultists of Myrmidia may slap their necks when they feel betrayed.^[7]

Another deity that is still worshiped despite its antiquity is Solkan god of vengeance but his temples are forbidden in the duchy of Zaragoz.^[15]

The Pantheon

Gods of Law

• Solkan - God of vengeance and the Sun. An order of inquisitors known as the Order of Light and Law is influential in Estalia, even if not powerful as in the Tilean-city-state of Remas.^[81b][15]

Old Gods

• Manann - God of the sea and the son of Taal and Rhya.^[7] The Grand Chapel of Mathann, in the Tilean city-state of Miragliano claims supreme authority in the southern Old World, although the cult in Tilea and Estalia is scarcely unified. There are several monasteries of Manann on islands and cliffs around the coasts. Some are small hermitages for contemplative sons of the sea, while others in Estalia and Tilea maintain small fleets to see off enemies.^[51c] Estalian legend tells of how an act of cannibalism among the survivors of a shipwreck led to them being cursed by the Sea-God Manann and transformed them into rats. Johannes Krueger, in his Bestiarium, theorizes that this and other legends could refer to hybrids who served as the progenitors of the modern Skaven race.^[92a]

• Morr - Morr is the god of death and the husband of Verena, father of Myrmidia and Shallya.^[7]

• Rhya - Rhya is the goddess of agriculture and birth and the wife of Taal.^[7]

• Taal - Taal is the god of the wilds and the husband of Rhya. In the southern Old World, the god Taal receives little attention, likely due to the relatively mild and benevolent wilderness compared to the untamed north.^[86a]

• Ulric - Ulric is the god of the winter and primal spheres of war.^[7] In Estalia, he is not a widely worshipped god.^[82a]

Classical Gods

• Clio - Clio is the minor goddess of history.^[7]

• Fury - Fury was a shieldmaiden of Myrmidia, she has been venerated as a minor god after her death.^[7]

• Khaine - Khaine is the outlawed God of Murder, patron of the assassins, is the brother of Morr. Tilean have no equivalent for Ulric at all although some brave theists have dared to draw comparisons between him and Khaine.^[7]

• Margileo - Margileo the Guardian of Honour, is a minor Classical god. Despite being little known in the Empire, he is venerated in the southern province of Averland.^[7d] Grungi's Baldric the Star Signs dedicated to Dwarfs and soldiers is associated with Margileo.^[81a]

• Myrmidia - Myrmidia is the patron god in Estalia, she's the goddess of warfare, strategy, beauty and honour, the daughter of Morr and Verena.^[7]

• Ranald - Ranald is the god of trickery and thieves.^[7]

• Shallya - Shallya is the goddess of mercy and healing, the daughter of Morr and Verena and sister of Myrmidia.^[7]

• Scripsisti - Scripsisti is the minor goddess of scribes and calligraphers, she's worshipped as an aspect of Verena.^[7]

• Verena - Verena is the goddess of justice and learning, the wife of Morr and mother of Myrmidia and Shallya.^[7]

Provincial Gods

• O Prospero - O Prospero is the god of merchants and traders. Ranald's less brother, sometime considered a mortal man. (Known as Handrich in the Empire).^[7] Some scholars state he originates in Estalia and Tilea, making his way to the Old World alongside Myrmidia.^[81a]

• Strega of the Bone Hills - Strega of the Bone Hills is, by some people from Estalia and Tobaro, known as a mysterious figure linked to the sect of Mortiaga a banished cult of Morr.^[18a]

• El Bicho del Mar - El Bicho del Mar is the god of pirates in Estalia, he is the predatory god of the storms, the sworn enemy of the god of the sea Manann and his followers, venerated mainly by pirate and from individuals that take advantage from death in the sea. (Known as Stromfels in the Empire).^[7]

Mythical Figures

• Nahmud the Dark Maiden - Nahmud was a woman rescued by Myrmidia who, in thanks, warned the Goddess of an ambush that lay ahead, and the resulting battle, the Massacre of the Three Gorges, proved to be the turning point in Myrmidia’s campaign.^[7]

Foreign Relations

Though the people of Estalia seldom concern themselves with affairs beyond their own borders, the nation boasts an extensive coastline, many great ports and is well noted for the skill of its sailors. Though most kingdoms employ only a small fleet of war vessels, hundreds of merchant ships sail daily from its harbours. Ships bearing the colours of the Estalian kingdoms are a common sight in ports from Barak Varr to Marienburg and far beyond. As a result, Estalia enjoys an important position as a merchant nation with goods from far flung corners of the world flowing into, and out of, its many markets.^[62a]

Estalia is famed for its travellers and merchants, whose trade caravans can be encountered across the lands of the Old World.^[38a][1a]

Estalians and Tileans discovered black powder before the Empire thanks to their trading skills, and independently from the help of the Dwarfs; designs and knowledge flowed from distant lands in the east along the Ivory Road to the southern realms.^[62c]

Araby

Even after Bretonnia repelled the Araby invaders, merchants from that exotic land do much of their trading here, and Estalian merchants, in turn, trade these goods to their neighbours in Bretonnia and the Empire. Supplementing the transport of Araby merchandise is the power of their fishing fleets, who sell their catch in the Old World’s famous barrels of pickled fish.^[14c]

Bretonnia

"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^[19a]

Though the neighbouring nation of Bretonnia enjoys largely good relations with Estalia – the two kingdoms periodically fighting border skirmishes – it is the Beastmen, Orcs and Undead who often raid from this direction and must be seen off by knightly armies.^[62b]

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.^[19a]

Bretonnian knights and Estalian duellists have very little understanding of one another’s fighting styles, and this incomprehension is responsible for much of the tension between the nations.^[19a]

Couronne produces wheat, wines, and meats, and they enjoy heavy trading for luxurious silks and spices brought from Estalia to the south.^[14c]

The new dances, which had recently become fashionable in the best cities of Bretonnia, were unknown in the strongholds of Irrana. Still, they are popular in dozens of Estalian kingdoms and dukedoms, where the nobility are ever eager to display their gentility.^[67b]

Marienburg

On the theory that 'the friend of my enemy had better be watched', the Estalian Kingdoms are cool towards Marienburg, irritated with the Wasteland for its closeness to their Tilean rivals and its near monopoly of the lucrative New World trade. Bilbali in particular feels the pressure from its northern rival its ships have often been victims of Brionnese piracy, and its rulers are certain that many of the stolen goods are destined for Marienburg.^[1a]

In recent years the merchants and shipcaptains of Bilbali have placed great pressure on their ruler, Queen Juana la Roja, to do something anything about the danger they face. Rumour has it that the Queen is considering a strike against Brionne or licensing privateers to attack Marienburg's shipping, while Bilbali ships have become more active in the New World, smuggling and raiding, with the consequent risk of conflict with the Elves.^[1a]

Magritta otherwise is more tolerant of its difficulties with Marienburg, 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 South Lands 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.^[1a]

The Empire

"They have a holiday in the Empire. Wurstfest they call it. At harvest time, each town or village sits down to eat and toast their gods, their province, their Empire, and their ancestors. Even the poor serve dishes of sausages. All manner of foulness is ground up and put in these tubes—off-cut meats of all sorts, bread, offal, hooves, ash, and even clay makes its way into the mix. The fattier and stranger the flavour, the better. They gorge themselves all day, and quaff huge amounts of ale. By evening, if a fight has not broken out, one is started. They shriek and shout, beating one another with whatever comes to hand. Generally they are so drunk, their blows have no effect. When they are so stupefied that they pass out, the festival is over. They think this is normal, and even needful to ‘clear the air’ amongst neighbours. -- I believe this practice tells you everything you need to know about the Empire."

—Cortega Del Cristo, Estalian playwright^[16b]

The relations between Estalia and the Empire are mainly of a commercial nature. It is not unusual to find Estalian merchants in the north, and their mule caravans frequently tour the cities of the southern Empire.^[5a]

But a recent event risks to make things tense. Some elements of the Knights of the Blazing Sun claim that the great brass statue that fell upon the Black Guard of Wazar the Cruel 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.^[35b]

The Empire's refusal to acknowledge the Skaven as real frustrates the southern nations of Tilea and Estalia. Taverna gossip on the subject ranges from the grim to the absurd. For their part, the Skaven and their agents work to inflame tensions between nations so their stories are greeted with skepticism, and what they can’t discredit, they will embellish to such a degree that it becomes an amusing, outlandish children’s tale.^[52a]

Tilea

The kingdoms of Estalia have always been commercial rivals of the Tilean city-states, and trading with their neighbours is rare.^[14c]

The diatribe that takes place between the cultists of the goddess Myrmidia, the temple of Magritta declares to be the epicenter of the cult while the same is stated by the high temple of Remas.^[7c]

An exeption about avversion against Tilean city-states can be found in the principality of Tobaro, even if occupying the east coast of the Estalian Peninsula this domain is on good terms with the Estalian kingdoms, much to the jealousy of the other states, and of the few foreign vessels to be found within the harbour, at least half will be from Estalia.^[11b]

But recent conflicts are arose against the city-state of Vedenza during the War of Beasts. Cost to the Estalian petty-kingdoms of Larhgoz and Geulata heavy losses and a the transfer of Vedenza to the Principality of Tobaro.^[18a]

Kislev

To the east, Kislev is also an economic power, especially in the trading port city of Erengrad, whose influence and command is second only to Marienburg. There, goods from as far west as Bretonnia and Estalia find buyers from all over who come to do business in this rapidly growing city. In exchange, Erengrad sells commodities culled from the Norscan coast such as whale oil, ivory, timber, tar, and fish.^[14c]

Greenskins

In Estalia, Orcs and Goblins are more of a presence than in Bretonnia or the Empire, though mostly kept under control,^[64a] leaving the luxury to the petty kingdoms of fighting amongst themselves.^[6b]

High Elves

High Elf garrisons in the Old World, ca. 2276 IC.

High Elves regard Estalia and Tilea with condescending affability. The southern Old World is a popular destination for Asur travelling to explore the ruins of old Elven settlements. They enjoy the pleasant climate. Asur rumour has it that Elven princes in Magritta and Luccini are engaged in a friendly competition, using the princes of Estalia and Tilea as playing pieces manipulated into fighting petty battles for unclear purposes.^[39c]

A proliferation of outposts extends Ulthuan’s influence around the globe. These are naval ports, trade hubs, and mustering points for High Elf armies abroad. There are also enclaves in major cities from Estalia to Nippon, where trade and the secret exchange of intelligence sustain Asur influence.^[39a]

Free-spirited Elves of Lothern exploit loopholes to establish shipping lanes to Estalia, Kislev, the Empire, Bretonnia, and Tilea. After all, the Treaty of Amity and Commerce bears the names of the deceased King Bel-Hathor and a long-dead Matteus van Hoogmans, Baron of Westerland, a title which no longer exists.^[39b]

Lizardmen

Certain legends in the Empire, Estalia, and Border Princes represent folk memories of subterranean enclaves of Lizardmen cut off from Lustria after the Great Catastrophe. Fanciful tales of scaly daemons under Mount Zardéle in the Irrana Mountains are likely just superstition and only a credulous fool would believe them.^[89a]

Chaos

"First thing tomorrow, we'll pack everything into the boat and set sail. Find us a quiet little haven - maybe in the Estalian Kingdoms, on the Southern Sea. The winters are warm down there, and there's nary a creature of darkness to be seen."

—Brodie to Tomas Fenman^[78]

The southernmost nations of the Old World, live in constant fear that hordes of Beastmen will some day rise up and overwhelm them. Any human foolish enough to wander unarmed and alone into the forest would soon attract the unwelcome attentions of the creatures who live there. This fear is largely unwarranted, for Beastmen are less concerned with humanity than humanity is with them.^[51a][36a]

While far from the woods, the cult of Slaanesh is strongest in the cities, especially among some of the upper classes.^[37a]

Skaven

"The Imperials, they pretend the ratmen are a myth because they are in league with them! Look how hairy they are, why they’re halfway to being Skaven themselves!"

—Southern realms' taverna gossip about people of the Empire and their distrust of Skaven existence^[52a]

A map of the Skaven Under-Empire

From studies Imperial scholars have gathered, the Estalians have suffered little contact with the ratmen during their history.^[27a]

But in truth in 1448 IC the Skaven convinced Sultan Jaffar that Estalia intends to attack Araby. The Sultan invades Estalia and captures Magritta. This sets in motion the Araby crusades that eventually drive the Sultan’s armies back to Araby and shatter the Sultanate at the Battle of Al-Haikk.^[27b]

An then again in 2321 IC during the winter, Clan Eshin Gutter Runners made a number of raids on Imperial, Bretonnian, Tilean and Estalian warfleets at anchor in their respective ports. These vile creatures used firepots and naptha to burn the fleets with varying levels of success.^[27b]

The Skaven Clanfleets are not renowned for venturing much further than the Tilean Sea, but recently their Clanships have been sighted off the Estalian Coast, and tales are told of Skaven vessels striking as far north as Brionne.^[62a]

Military

Estalian pikemen forming a Phalanx formation.^{[Needs Source]}

There are many small realms in Estalia but none so powerful as the mighty kingdom of Bretonnia or the states of the Empire.^[5a] Contrasting with other regions of the Old World, the land of the Estalia knows little about warfare.^[14e]

Much like its fleet, the military might of Estalia is decentralised, comprising the personal retinues of its many kings, queens and lesser nobles, each of whom is responsible for recruiting and maintaining their own armies and, in many cases, small naval fleets. These armies exist to protect their homelands, and those of their neighbours from aggression and invasion. Alliances between neighbours are common, but rarely do armies come together in significant numbers, only doing so in times of great need.^[62a]

Even so, Estalian regiments are well equipped with crossbow and pike, and extensibly trained to fight in a style similar to that of the famed Tilean mercenary regiments.^[62a]

Where the Empire is famous for full plate armour and Bretonnia for their mail panoplies, Estalian warriors, deadly swordsmen all, prefer speed and agility. Adorned in flashy clothes, with colourful capes and large plumed hats, they are iconic dashing swashbucklers, fearless and courageous, armed with sharp steel and cutting wit.^[14e] The most common armours wore by Estalian soldiers are the breastplates and comb morion helmets.^[17c]

The Estalian Kingdoms were the birthplace of the fencing style of fighting. With these light and dangerous blades, a skilled fencer can slip the blade past an opponent’s defences, striking quickly and accurately. Though they lack the punch of great weapons, they are still deadly in the right hands. Most fencers also wield parrying weapons, like the main-gauche, in their offhand. The idea of the left-handed dagger originated from the fighting techniques developed in the Estalian Kingdoms.^[14f]

Few Estalians wear armour at all.^[14e] Still white horses are a common regional symbol, often depicted on shields.^[14h]

Even Estalian mercenaries are renown as skilled swordsmen with hot tempers. Because they don’t cooperate well with other mercenaries, Estalians are often hired in smaller groups and given special objectives to handle on their own. They perform well at this role.^[35f]

These regiments enjoy plentiful support from Estalia’s numerous cavalry formations, most of which consist of young nobles mounted upon the finest warhorses – the kingdoms of Estalia being famed for the quality of their steeds. Beside these ride Templar Knights of several famous holy orders, such as the Knights of the Blazing Sun, a sophisticated order whose members study the science of warfare and excel in all of its many aspects, from pitched battle, to lightning raids, to siege-craft.^[62a]

Devoted to their gods, Estalian folk and their armies are often accompanied by members of the various religious cult such as the Augurs of Morr and the Blessed Order of True Insight who help generals and their men with their divinations, and nearly every major noble has a prelate of Myrmidia accompanying his army.^[7a][35a]

Mercenary Generals from the south fight by "Myrmidia’s Rites of War", one of these consist on sending employees with white robes during a fight to control the bodies to count the casulties and in search of survivors to carry to Field Surgeons. It was noted that generals from other countries don't always know these kind of rules and accept them just for show before a battle.^[7a]

Another particularity is the use of Tercio formations, ranks of pikemen forming an impenetrable wall of sharp steel points, supported by swordsmen to the front and handgunners and crossbowmen to the sides.^[18a]

Notable Units

Estalian mercenaries as depicted in Warhammer Armies 3rd Edition

• Estalian Caballeros - The Estalian Caballeros are impoverished Estalian knights and freebooters who have left their decaying feudal estates to become soldiers of fortune. They wield lances and hand weapons.^[1a]

• Estalian Diestros - Estalian Diestros are skilled swordsmen, which travel around the world to show their skill with the rapier.^[6a]

• Estalian Hombres Villanos - Estalian Hombres Villanos are fierce, aggressive, sword and buckler men from Estalia, recruited from among the numerous cut-throats, bandits and renegades that inhabit that country.^[1a]

• Estalian Bandolleros Gringos - Estalian Bandolleros Gringos are a notorious mercenary company of arquebusiers recruited originally in Estalia from among the local banditry but including fugitives and freebooters from many lands.^[1a]

Navy

A member of the Estalian navy^[73a] wearing the typical breastplate and comb morion helmet.^[17a]

Estalian and particularly the Kingdom of Magritta are deadly rivals of the Tileans. Both nations are inclined to think of the others as pirates, and sea battles between them are very common.^[1a]

There is a strong tradition of seamanship and sea fighting amongst the coastal cities. For example, the fleets of Magritta effectively control the Southern Sea, patrolling against pirates and imposing an impromptu levy on trading ships of other nations.^[1a] Many Estalian seamen have served on the blockade of the seas around the Bay of Quietude and trading port of Magritta, and have fought against smuggling crews and buccaneers. They make consummate sailors and are often chosen to lead boarding parties. They command high prices to serve on foreign ships, for whilst the Estalian kingdoms are fractious and disorganised, the natives of the country are noted for having a great deal of loyalty to their land and neighbours.^[51a]

Estalian man-o-war are forty-gunned Estalian galleons, the backbone of the Estalian navy, and the scourge of pirates. Slow and fat, heavy on the turn, but packed full of spite and thunder with close gun decks, tight spaced. They can do a wonder of hurt once in range. That’s the reason why many pirates switched to smaller, faster crafts. As there's no need to fight what you can outrun.^[17a]

"Estalian Mariner" is a very popular song in the Old World.^[49a]

Notable Ships

La Giron - A day’s sail north of Lossol Bay in the Sea of Claws there lies a place where the sea remains unnaturally still. Few ships go there, unless forced by dire circumstance. Those sailors who do, come back with tales of finding themselves no longer sailing, but surrounded by lush, inviting grass, or seeing their loved ones beckoning beneath the waves. Despite the direst warnings, there will always be someone willing to step over the edge of the deck. However, they are not greeted by a peaceful meadow. Instead, as they sink, a wrecked ship peels free from the murk. All around, spilling from its broken belly like the guts of a great wounded creature, is a king’s ransom in gold. These are the remains of the cursed ship La Giron. La Giron was part of an Estalian treasure fleet, ferrying plunder from Lustria’s ruined temple cities back across the Great Ocean. On its final voyage, it carried an enormous burnished gold disc, taken from the top of a great ziggurat. This disc is ancient beyond reckoning. It had been placed atop the temple shortly after the coming of Chaos, a Greater Daemon of Slaanesh imprisoned within. Soon after setting sail, the Daemon’s whispers wormed their way into the crew’s dreams. There are no stories of how La Giron sank, or how it came to be so far from Estalia, but the Daemon remains trapped inside the rotting hulk. Now, all its power is turned to luring people to itself. One day, it is sure, it will snare someone capable of freeing it. Until then, it takes what pleasure it can in dooming the less worthy.^[51b]

Notable Characters

• Carlos IX - The current ruler of the kingdom of Magritta.^[12]

• El-dora - El-dora is a famed Estalian explorer, he has been the master of the current president of the League of Merchant-Adventurers in the Empire, Faustus Coperium.^[35d]

• Emeric Gorge - The former vampire governor of the Estalian colony of Porto Real.^[17]

• Juana la Roja - The current ruler of the kingdom of Bilbali.^[12]

• Vidar VII - The current ruler of the petty kingdom of Larhgoz.^[18a]

Miniatures

Estalian converted miniatures from White Dwarf magazine

Estalian converted miniatures from White Dwarf magazine

Estalian converted miniatures from White Dwarf magazine

Estalian converted miniatures from White Dwarf magazine

Notes

[[File:Estalia Map Man O' War.png|thumb|250px|Unofficial map made by Alfred Nuñez Jr. later used by Man O' War: Corsair, Warhammer: Vermintide II, Total War Warhammer, and Warhammer: The Old World teams.^[20a] [[File:Estalian_Mosaic.jpg|thumb|250px|Fan-made mosaic of Estalia, by Andy Law, never published.]]

• Note 1: Most of the settlements of Estalia were originally fan-made material created by the freelance writer Alfred Nuñez Jr. While the port cities were already mentioned in the computer game Man O' War: Corsair, the inland settlements and the names of the Estalian realms were officially added to Warhammer canon with the release of Warhammer: The Old World. Some of these locations have not been incorporated yet on any map of Warhammer, these are currently just a few geographical locations, such as rivers, hills, and roads, which sometimes are depicted but without a specified name.^[87a][88] Later Warhammer publications have depicted Estalian kingdom borders as split in two by the Irrana Mountains, dividing the realms under Magritta’s influence in the south from those under Bilbali’s influence in the north. This suggests—much like the representation in Man O' War: Corsair—that the minor realms of Estalia fall under the influence of the two most powerful kingdoms of Estalia.^[87b][87c]

• Note 2: Warhammer: The Old World Rulebook doesn't specify on which occasion Myrmidia was able to save the city of Magritta from Nourgul, but the events that happened in 1750 IC are the only ones without a proper explanation.

• Note 3: The way the Estalian steel is portrayed in Warhammer is a reference of the Toled steel, historically known for being unusually hard, is from Toledo, Spain, which has been a traditional sword-making, metal-working center since about the Roman period, and came to the attention of Rome when used by Hannibal in the Punic Wars. It soon became a standard source of weaponry for Roman legions. Toledo steel was also famed for its high quality alloy.

Trivia

Estalia's location, background, and culture correspond with that of late medieval and Renaissance era Spain and Portugal.

Josh Reynolds, author of part of the End Times pentalogy, responded to interested fans about the ultimate fate of the Estalian kingdoms. Having never been published, this information is, however, to be considered non-canon and can be consulted here in The Fall of Estalia.

Steve Darlington, Steve Dee and others who worked on Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition have created an unofficial source book for Estalia called Swords of the South. This manual reference the various locations and realms of Estalia created by the freelance writer Alfred Nuñez Jr..

See Also

• Estalian Calendar

• Estalian Language

• Classical Language

Sources

• 1: Warhammer Fantasy Battles (3rd Edition)
  • 1a: pg. 201
• 2: Warhammer: Battle Bestiary (4th Edition)
  • 2a: pg. 10
• 3: Warhammer Battle Book (5th Edition)
  • 3a: pg. 48
• 4: Warhammer Fantasy Battles (6th Edition)
  • 4a: pg. 166
  • 4b: pg. 140
• 5: Warhammer Fantasy Battles (7th Edition)
  • 5a: pg. 152
• 6: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
  • 6a: pg. 38
  • 6b: pp. 224-225
• 7: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Salvation (RPG)
  • 7a: pp. 40-44
  • 7b: pp. 198-200
  • 7c: pg. 105
  • 7d: pg. 11
• 8: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Night's Dark Masters (RPG)
  • 8a: pg. 12
• 9: The End Times Vol. II: Glottkin (8th Edition)
  • 9a: pg. 4
• 10: Town Cryer 15
  • 10a: pg. 17
• 11: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: The Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Companion (RPG)
  • 11a: pg. 6
  • 11b: pg. 79
  • 11c: pp. 53-54
  • 11d: pg. 80
• 12: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Marienburg - Sold Down The River (RPG)
  • 12a: pg. 24
• 13: The Rise of the Horned Rat (Novel) by Guy Haley
  • 13a: Ch. 0: "Prologue"
• 14: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Old World Armoury (RPG)
  • 14a: pg. 8
  • 14b: pp. 51-56
  • 14c: pg. 13
  • 14d: pg. 14
  • 14e: pg. 19
  • 14f: pg. 35
  • 14g: pg. 59
  • 14h: pg. 25
  • 14i: pg. 60
  • 14l: pg. 83
  • 14m: pg. 114
• 15: Brunner the Bounty Hunter - Omnibus C. L. Werner (Novel)
  • 15a: Blood and Steel
  • 15b: Beneath the Vaults
  • 15c: Where Walks the Mardagg Ch.3
  • 15d: Where Walks the Mardagg Ch.6
  • 15e: Blood of the Dragon Ch.9
• 16: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Sigmar's Heirs - A Guide to the Empire (RPG)
  • 16a: pp. 31-37
  • 16b: pg. 45
• 17: Fell Cargo (Novel) by Dan Abnett
  • 17a: Ch. 17
  • 17b: Ch. 13
  • 17c: Ch. 10
  • 17d: Ch. 29
  • 17e: Ch. 15
• 18: Monstrous Arcanum (8th Edition)
  • 18a: pg. 7
  • 18b: pg. 48
  • 18c: pg. 18
  • 18d: pg. 100
• 19: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Knights of the Grail - A Guide to Bretonnia (RPG)
  • 19a: pg. 29
• 20: Man O' War: Corsair (PC Game)
  • 20a: Campaign map
  • 20b: Quests
• 21: Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War (5th Edition)
  • 21a: pg. 86 (Tilea Map)
  • 21b: pp. 87-89
  • 21c: pg. 78
• 22: Games Workshop - Estragon's Island: A Warhammer Games mastered campaign - Background (Archived)
• 23: Island of Blood (8th Edition)
• 24: Omens of War - Advanced Combat and Warriors (3rd Ed)
  • 24a: pg. 22
• 25: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: The Winds of Magic - Advanced Magic & Wizardry (RPG)
  • 25a: pg. 25
• 26: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition: Tome of Mysteries - A Guide to Wizards & Magic (RPG)
  • 26a: pg. 21
• 27: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Children of the Horned Rat (RPG)
  • 27a: pg. 11
  • 27b: pp. 35-36
• 28: Warhammer Armies: Skaven (4th Edition)
  • 28a: pg. 34-35 (The Skaven Under-Empire Map)
• 29: Vermintide II (PC Game)
  • 29a: Franz Lohner's Chronicle - The Blazing Sun (Archived)
  • 29b: Dev blog: Markus Kruber
  • 29c: Markus Kruber Cosmetics
  • 29d: Saltzpyre's Rapier: Illusions
• 30: White Dwarf 310, Return of the Lichemaster
• 31: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Blessings - A Guide to Priests & Religion (RPG)
  • 31a: pg. 12
• 32: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Rulebook (RPG)
  • 32a: pg. 182
• 33: The Two Crowns of Ras Karim (Novel) by Nathan Long
  • 33a: Chapter 1
• 34: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Realms Of Sorcery (RPG)
  • 34a: pg. 24
  • 34b: pg. 139
• 35: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Career Compendium (RPG)
  • 35a: pg. 167
  • 35b: pg. 124
  • 35c: pg. 69
  • 35d: pg. 73
  • 35e: pg. 79
  • 35f: pg. 142
• 36: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Realm Of Chaos - The Lost & The Damned (RPG)
  • 36a: pp. 128
• 37: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Realm Of Chaos - Slaves To Darkness (RPG)
  • 37a: pp. 16
• 38: Warhammer Fantasy Battle: Rulebook (6th Edition)
  • 38a: pg. 168
  • 38b: pg. 205
• 39: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: High Elf Players Guide (RPG)
  • 39a: pg. 38
  • 39b: pg. 41
  • 39c: pg. 29
• 40: Town Cryer 9
  • 40a: pp. 6-9
• 41: Total War: Warhammer III (PC Game)
• 42: The Red Duke (Novel) by C.L. Werner
  • 42a: Ch. 16
  • 42b: Ch. 15
• 43: Warhammer Armies: Skaven (7th Edition)
  • 43a: pg 12
• 44: Master of Death (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
  • 44a: ch. 13
• 45:White Dwarf 117 (UK)
  • 45a: pg. 62
• 46: The Road to Damnation (Novel) by Brian Craig
• 47: The End Times Vol. I: Nagash (8th Edition)
  • 47a: pg. 93
• 48: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Shades of The Empire (RPG)
  • 48a: pg. 88
  • 48b: pg. 116
  • 48c: pg. 98
• 49: Drachenfels (Novel) by Jack Yeovil
  • 49a: Ch. Prologue
• 50: The Voyage South (Short Story) by Nicola Griffith
• 51: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Sea of Claws (RPG)
  • 51a: pg. 73
  • 51b: pg. 32
  • 51c: pg. 84
  • 51d: pg. 139
• 52: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: The Horned Rat Companion (RPG)
  • 52a: pg. 57
• 53: Tamurkhan: The Throne of Chaos (8th Edition)
  • 53a: pg. 158
• 54: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: The Imperial Zoo (RPG)
  • 54a: pp. 86-87
• 55: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Patrons of the Old World (RPG)
  • 55a: pg. 10
• 56: The Art of Man O War Corsair (Art Book)
  • 56a: pg. 73
  • 56b: pg. 80
• 57: Ill Met in Mordheim (Novel) by Robert Waters
• 58: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Realms Of Sorcery (RPG)
  • 58a: pp. 70-71
  • 58b: pg. 231
• 59: Warhammer Quest: Roleplay Book (RPG)
  • 59a: pg. 6 (Map)
• 60: Warhammer Armies: Undead (4th Edition)
  • 60a: pg. 5
• 61: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Renegade Crows (RPG)
  • 61a: pg. 107
• 62: Warhammer: The Old World Rulebook (Specialist Game)
  • 62a: pp. 54-55
  • 62b: pg. 49
  • 62c: pg. 138
• 63: Warhammer Man O' War: Rulebook (Specialist Game)
  • 63a: pg. 52
• 64: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Tribes and Tribulations (RPG)
  • 64a: pg. 6
• 67: Zaragoz (Novel) by Brian Craig
  • 67a: Ch. Prologue
  • 67b: Ch. 1
• 68: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: The Enemy Within - Vol. 5 (RPG)
  • 68a: pg. 123
  • 68b: pg. 46
• 69: Chaos in the Old World (Specialist Game)
  • 69a: Map
• 70: Bloodforged (Novel) by Nathan Long
  • 70a: Ch. 25
  • 70b: Ch. 22
• 71: Gotrek and Felix: The Serpent Queen (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
  • 71a: Ch. 1
• 72: Lords of the Lance (Novel) by Graham McNeill
  • 72a: Epilogue
  • 72b: Ch. 2
• 73: The Art of Man O War Corsair (Art Book)
  • 73a: pp. 73-75
• 74: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Dwarfs - Stone and Steel (RPG)
  • 74a: pg. 8
• 75: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (7th Edition)
  • 75a: pg 38
• 76:White Dwarf 235
  • 76a: pg. 22
• 77: Plague Daemon (Novel) by Brian Craig
  • 77a: Prologue
• 78: Cry of the Beast (Short Story) by Ralph T. Castle
• 79: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Rulebook (RPG)
  • 79a: pg. 277
• 80: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Salzenmund - City Of Salt & Silver (RPG)
  • 80a: pg. 121
• 81: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Archives of the Empire Vol. III (RPG)
  • 81a: pg. 40
  • 81b: pg. 53
• 82: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Apocrypha Now (RPG)
  • 82a: pg. 26
• 83: Death Match (Blood Bowl Novel) by Matt Forbeck
  • 83a: Ch. 18
• 84: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Ubersreik Adventures II (RPG)
  • 85: pg. 5
• 86: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Deft Steps Light Fingers (RPG)
  • 86a: pg. 85
• 87:www.theoldworld.com
  • 87a: Explore the Old World (interactive map)
  • 87b: The Old World website map (Wayback Machine, dated 16/01/2025)
  • 87c: The Old World website map (Wayback Machine, dated 15/02/2025)
• 88: Interview with MadAlfred: The Shaper from the Shadows
• 89: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Lustria (RPG)
  • 89a: pg. 133
• 90: Warhammer Fantasy RPG 4th Edition: Altdorf: Crown of the Empire (RPG)
  • 90a: pp. 159
• 91: Warhammer Arcane Journal: High Elf Realms (Specialist Game)
  • 91a: pg. 8
• 92: The Loathsome Ratmen and All Their Vile Kin (Lore Book)
  • 92a: pp. 12-13
• 93: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition: The Player's Guide (RPG)
  • 93a: pg. 95
• 81: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Archives of the Empire Vol. II (RPG)
  • 81a: pg. 42
• 62: Man O' War: Plague Fleet (Specialist Game)
  • 62a: pg. 52

pl:Estalia