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"As soon as their jolly boat touched the sand they roared ashore, charging the waiting Goblins. It was a short fight. Within moments the Greenskins were running for their lives and the pirates were rewarding themselves with a swift tot of rum!"

—Von Mirrenburg, accounting the tale of the infamous Long Drong and his Slayer pirates.[1a]

The Decadent Pirate Principality of Sartosa, known more politely by its swashbuckling inhabitants as The Free City of Sartosa or simply the City of Pirates,[2a] is an anarchic pirate island-stronghold located within the southern reaches of war-torn Tilea, off the coast of the Tilean city-state of Luccini.[1b] This island is a notorious haven for criminals, harbouring all manner of pirates, brigands, lawless mercenaries and anyone wanting to avoid the various legitimate powers of the Old World.[2a]

It's a tremendously dangerous place, where drunken pirates press-gang unsuspecting individuals, brawls and duels are an hourly occurrence, and thieves ply the dirty, crowded docks looking for easy marks. Despite the risks, however, it is a place where someone with the toughness and willpower to survive can not only live but thrive, far from the yoke of unfair taxes, overbearing noblemen, and stringent laws. From Sartosa to Araby in the south, the Border Princes to the East, and the mainland past the Great Ocean, exotic lands await. In short, Sartosa is a perfect place for finding fame, plunder and endless adventure.[2a]

Although it is rumoured in the north that all Tileans are pirates, this is only literally true of Sartosans. The city lies behind solid walls, protected from sea-borne assault by huge engines of war sheltered within the city, and sunk inside heavy bunlcers carved into the surrounding cliffs. The sea itself offers the city its most potent defence, for the strait between Sartosa and the mainland is subject to a deadly current, the so-called Pirate's Current, which makes it impossible for any ship to land on the north side of the island. The island can only be approached from the south via the perilous Skull Sands - an ever-shifting sandbank where careless ships easily run aground. Only pirates are taught how to navigate the sands, and to reveal its secret is an act of treachery, punishable in the most heinous manner imaginable. Even pirate ships occasionally fall foul of the sands, in which case the Pirate Law maintains that the ship becomes salvage, and free for the taking before the wind and tide break it apart. Vicious fights break out between rivals, not to mention the crew of the wrecked ship who usually resent their hard-won cargo being snatched from them while within sight of home.[4a]

The city of Sartosa is a rambling mass of ruins and dwellings with Elf and Dwarf architecture mixed in with that of Tilea and Araby, all patched up in various ways by the inhabitants after the occasional cannonades from passing ships. Many of the pirate taverns are in caves hollowed out of the rock. There are rumoured to be vast stashes of treasure hidden in various places all over the island. However, it should be noted that maps bought in the streets of Sartosa are unlikely to be reliable![1c]

History[]

Origins of the City[]

Wh2 main emp pirates of sartosa crest

Sartosa insigna used for the Pirates of Sartosa faction before the introduction of Aranessa in Total War Warhammer II.[3a]

The island of Sartosa has a rocky coastline and a rugged interior. The Elves had a colony there which was later occupied by Tileans from the mainland. Unfortunately the city they built was destroyed by Dark Elves acting in concert with Settra's fleet. Almost the entire population perished or was carried off into slavery. The city of Sartosa remained in a ruinous state for a long time. Eventually Norse raiders landed on the island and easily overcame the scattered inhabitants and the small garrison of troops from Luccini. From this base, the Norse ravaged the coasts of Tilea until they were defeated in a sea battle off Cappo Cinno. The remaining Norsemen were hired by Luccini as mercenaries and allowed to stay on the island to guard it. However, their descendants were overwhelmed by an invasion fleet of Corsairs of Araby led by Nafal Muq in 1240 IC. The Corsairs held on to the island for roughly two hundred and fifty years, during which time they were a constant menace.[1c]

There were several naval battles fought in the seas around Sartosa between the Corsairs and the galleys of Luccini, Remas and Tobaro. Eventually, the island was wrested from the grip of the Corsairs by a mercenary army led by Luciano Catena. He was a Prince of Luccini and descendant, as his name suggests, of the divine twins Lucan and Luccina. The Emir, Abd al Wazaq, and his Corsairs were driven back into their stronghold in the city of Sartosa and forced to surrender after a long and extremely bloody siege. Luciano allowed Al Wazaq to escape to Araby in return for leaving behind his considerable stash of treasure, mostly art looted from Tilea. Al Wazaq also had to surrender of his enormous harem which in his desperation he had trained to defend him as his personal bodyguard. These were promptly recruited by the Tileans as a mercenary regiment! The rest of the surviving Corsairs were allowed to stay and were hired by Luciano to serve in his fleet. This was one of the earliest occasions on which mercenaries from Araby were hired by a Tilean general. Luciano and his heirs ruled Sartosa as a principality for a time.[1c]

Warhammer Sartosa

Sartosa, as seen in Warhammer II.[3a]

During this period the city was rebuilt and its defences made strong. It soon became a base for the mercenary fleet of the Princes of Luccini. However, this brief period of stability was not to last. There were now many mercenary contingents occupying strongholds on various parts of the island, and some in different fortress towers within the city itself. Rebellions against the Prince became more frequent and Sartosa became increasingly difficult to control. The Prince's rule over the island finally came to an end when the mercenary flotilla of galleys based on Sartosa mutinied. Then the island rapidly fell into anarchy as the mercenary bands set upon each other. Most of the mercenaries on the island took to piracy, pillaging Tilean shipping and anything else sailing the Tilean Sea. This proved much more lucrative than hiring themselves out to fight, since the chances of survival were greater as were the potential riches.[1c]

Lucas-staniec-settlement-lost-low

A Sartosan settlement under attack.[3a]

The various mercenary bands occupying the island stopped fighting each other with their usual intensity and began to cooperate in their piratical schemes. The raids on ships and shores around the Tilean sea brought in hordes of captives and hostages who were never ransomed. These augmented the swelling population of Sartosa until it became a notoriously rough and lively den of pirates. Eventually it became the custom to elect a 'Pirate Prince' of Sartosa. This is a rather grandiose title for one who does not really rule, but just settles disputes over loot with rough justice. Many such Princes have come and gone in the centuries up to the present time. Most have come to a very sticky end one way or another! The longest lasting has been the present notorious Pirate Princess of Sartosa, no doubt because her reputation for being ten times more cruel than any of her predecessors is no exaggeration![1c]

The Battle of Sartosa[]

Sartosa TWW2

Sartosa, as seen in Warhammer II battle map when under Undead control.[3a]

In 2522 IC Count Noctilus raids with his fleet the city of Sartosa on the 13th Day of Nachhexen. Supported by his Dreadfleet he besieged the Rusting Harbour, pushing himself to the Enlightenment of Indigio Roth, just to retreat under the blows of the citizen defensive artillery and the pirates present in the port such as Aranessa Saltspite.[5a]

Since the raid, Sartosa has become a blackened slum. The cobbled streets are dark and stinking, jagged spars of burnt wood jutting up from the vermin-infested remains of collapsed buildings.[5]

Timeline[]

See also Tilean Timeline for events concerning the whole territory of Tilea and sources.

Prehistory (c.-4419 to c.-701 IC)[]

  • -1146 IC - The port of Sartosa is set aflame as the druchii raiders ravage the city, looking for loot and slaves. They end up fighting against Neferata and her minions.
  • ca. -1050 to -1017 IC - W’soran on his bloody journey in search of new knowledge is thwarted by the Order of the Myrmidons in Araby and Tilea. He defeats the silent stranglers of the Black Oasis in Araby, and slaughtered the Elven corsair-witches of the Sartosan reefs to claim the secrets they guarded. Ultimately the Myrmidons managed to cut him down at the Temple of Myrmidia in Magritta.
  • -1020 IC - Abruzzi of Sartosa makes a deal with Neferata in the guise of a woman from Cathay, in exchange for a seat in the Senate for a protege of hers, Neferata would help the island of Sartosa break free from Dark Elf raids and consolidate her position against Araby, the second maritime power of the time, all without having to shed Sartosan blood. Shortly after Neferata, respecting the pact taken, raids a village on the coast of Tilea, ordering its ghouls to take the commoners as hostages without eating them. They should then have been used as a gift for the Druchii corsairs in exchange for respite and logistical support.
  • -850 IC - The Tomb-Fleets of Settra the Imperishable raid Sartosa, carrying the vengeance of Nehekhara against the Villa of Neferata, Khalida Neferher challenges her cousin in a duel. Neferata flees the fight leaving the city once and for all.}

Classic Age (1 to 474)[]

  • 1 IC - According to legend, Tilean twins Lucan and Luccina found Luccini among the ruins of an ancient Elven city. In the following centuries, Remas, Sartosa and Tobaro arise on the ruins of former Elf colonies.
  • 451 IC - The Black Ark Ultimate Oblivion and an Undead fleet under the command of Settra the Tomb King mount a combined raid on Tilea. The Tilean city of Sartosa is besieged and captured, and every single inhabitant, man, woman and child, is taken off by the attackers. This is the first in a long series of allied raids by Dark Elf and Undead fleets on the Tilean Sea and other human kingdoms of the Old World.
  • 1017 IC - Norse Raiders establish a stronghold on Sartosa. They ravage the Tilean coast until defeated at the battle of Cappo Cinno. The surviving Norse are employed by Luccini to guard the island.

Era of the Araby Wars (1240 to 1491)[]

  • 1240 IC - Sartosa is invaded by Corsairs of Araby.
  • 1448 IC - Tilean mercenaries from the mainland and Sartosa participate in the reconquest of Estalia and the subsequent Arabyan crusade, but for less altruistic reasons than most of the other participants, as a result a Tilean quarter is established in the Arabyan city of Copher, granting access to a great deal of exotic goods and establishing a permanent trade route to and from Araby.
  • 1501 IC - Sartosa is recaptured from corsairs of Araby by the mercenary army of Luciano Catena, Prince of Luccini. Surviving corsairs are allowed to stay and serve Luciano as mercenaries in his fleet. The island becomes a principality of Luccini and home of their fleet.
  • 1757 IC - In Sartosa, rebellions against the Prince of Luccini grow increasingly frequent. He finally loses control of the island when the crews of a flotilla of mercenary galleys mutiny. The island rapidly falls into anarchy and becomes a pirate lair.
  • 1801 IC - The ousted Pirate Prince of Sartosa, Lucciano Soprania, founds Port Reaver in Lustria. Despite numerous Lizardmen attacks, it manages to turn into a flourishing trading port, though it is notorious as a den of cutthroats and raiders as well as a haven for adventurers and treasure seekers.

Era of Enlightenment (2000 to Present)[]

  • 2379 IC - Corsairs from Karond Kar are shipwrecked close to the pirate isle of Sartosa. They steal several ships including the flagship of the pirate lord Ernezio Porcurio to escape. The Elves hire a crew of pirate sellswords and raid the coasts near Remas and Luccini. They are betrayed by the mercenaries and become the captives of the pirate captains from whom they stole the ships.
  • 2478 IC - The Pirate Wars. Sea reavers assault Westerland's enclaves and burn many of them down after looting them of every valuable. After this rampant destruction, the Cult of Manann in Marienburg declared a crusade against the piratical followers of Stromfels. Hundreds of devout Manannites sailed from ports around the Old World to engage with the enemy. An unsuccessful expedition even set sail to Sartosa to strike at the pirate lords themselves. The Pirate Wars did eliminate several notorious pirates, but there was no lasting effect on the levels of piracy afflicting the states of the Old World. The adversary was not a unified navy that could be defeated.
  • ca. 2510 - Grey Seer Thanquol plots one of his evil schemes. At the cost of a few hundred clan warriors, the seer had unleash a horde of the Orcs into Tilean territories from the Badlands, most Tileans of of an age to fight were sent out in the Badlands hoping to repel the supposed marauders. While Orcs and Tileans slaughtered each other in the fields for months, Lesskreep leader of the Skaven in Under-Sartosa leads the assault on the city of Sartosa putting it to fire and sword in search of a powerful talisman. After a bloody defense the Skaven are finally defeated and forced to flee without having set a hand on their objective, also thanks to the intervention of the two adventurers Gotrek and Felix.
  • 2522 IC - The Battle of Sartosa, Count Noctilus raids with his fleet the city of Sartosa on the 13th Day of Nachhexen.

End Times[]

  • 2518 IC - Archaon’s fleet after raiding the seaport of Barak Varr pivoted his attention on the pirate fleets of Sartosa and sacked Tilean cities, ransacking libraries and private collections of antiquities in search of answers to dread questions.

Government[]

"He cast his good eye over the weary regiments, their captains stood to the fore waiting for the order to advance. Blackheart noted them all, creatures of many races all driven to serve an insatiable lust for adventure, glory and... most of all Gold! He would give them Gold!..."

—Accounts of Captain Blackheart, and his Lustrian adventure[1k]
Sartosa's castle

A fierce battle between pirates and the Bretonnian Navy.[1]

No king, count, or mayor rules the city of Sartosa. Priests and wizards do not hold council to provide wisdom. There is no nobility worth speaking. Sartosa is a city ruled by only one force — pirates. In theory, each person within Sartosa enjoys the same freedoms as everyone else. But this is the freedom that comes from anarchy, with little to nothing in the way of rights, except for strength and the willingness to use it. In practice, all the people of Sartosa owe their allegiances and favours to people higher up in the social ladder. At the top are the Pirate Lords, “retired” captains of pirate vessels who have taken up the mantle of nobles and the idle rich.[2a]

For better or worse, Sartosa is almost completely free of much of the politics dominating the other city-states of Tilea. Not only is it a “free city”, implying independence from other political bodies, but individuals have tremendous free reign. Although the town is anarchic and mostly lawless, the “pirate's code” still holds sway over Sartosa's inhabitants. All the pirates of the seas consider Sartosa neutral ground. A captain can dock at its piers without fear of being arrested or shot on the spot by any officials, but may have to face his rivals if they happen to be docked at the same time.[2a]

Unlike Brionne, a city which openly welcomes pirates and turns a blind eye to their dealings, Sartosa is actually run by pirates. It is administered far more harshly and much more efficiently than any other city in the Old World. Within the bounds of the harbour, Pirate Law applies, forbidding theft and offering frequently terminal punishments for murderers, thieves, swindlers and traitors. Disputes between captains are settled by the Master of Sartosa - the King of the Pirates elected annually from and by the pirate captains then in port.[4a]

The actual ruler of the city is the so called Pirate Princess of Sartosa.[1c][13b]

The Pirate Lords[]

Sartosa Pirate

A terrifying Pirate Lord of Sartosa.

Almost all pirates dream of hitting the big score and retiring in Sartosa, where they can live like gilded noblemen. The most successful captains buy or build massive villas inside Sartosa proper or among the rocky hills along Mount Ertinia. Some give up the life entirely and sell off their ships, whilst others retain control, running their operations like a legitimate business. Either way, the Pirate Lords live as the idle rich do anywhere.[2b]

As the richest and most influential people on Sartosa, the Pirate Lords often act as the de facto leadership there, settling disputes and making “suggestions” that would be akin to law in other lands. Most of the time, the Pirate Lords are content in letting the inhabitants of Sartosa deal with their own affairs. Competition and rivalry among the Pirate Lords are fierce and some hold tremendous grudges towards their peers. However, in the effort of keeping things stable, overt actions against their enemies is avoided and “problems” are dealt with through proxies, quiet assassinations, and other skulduggery.[2b]

Piracy is the lifeblood of Sartosa and the city holds its arms open for anyone who adheres to the Pirate's Code. Although the city does have a modest economy producing seafood, ships, rope, and the like, most of the money and goods that come into Sartosa are the result of pirates sacking the merchant ships plying the Tilean Sea or small, unguarded towns along the coastline.[2b]

Uses and Beliefs[]

"And on the eighth day, a bark was espied... Full sheet, though the wind had no breath... A sea-devil carrack, fell cargo inside... Bound for the court of King Death."

—from a Tilean mariner's chantey[8a]
Sartosa piratebay

A ship entering Pirates Bay with the statue of Jack O' the Sea overlooking upon a cliff.[2d]

Codes and fashions common to professional, for want of a better word, pirates have their origins here, these customs are often shared by pirates from the rest of the Known World.[14a]

Above all things, even King Death himself, the pirates worship gold. In the acquisition of gold, no action is too low, too dirty, too despicable: murder, deception, fraud, betrayal. Above all else, a pirate is an amoral creature, liberated from civilised codes of conduct. No shame or crime could sully his soul more than it was already.[8e]

Nevertheless, the pirates believe in different deities such as Manann, Stromfalo and Ranald, usually under his aspect of Jack O' the Sea. The number of superstitions is truly incalculable.[8e][2d]

To ward off evil, pirates touch various materials with superstition: gold, bone and iron, rings, necklaces and buttons or piercings (popular with Sartosan Pirates).[8e][11a] Ivory brings good luck, while gold helps make the effects of other materials real, and when worn in the form of earrings improves aim.[8g]

Sartosian sailors are well aware of the dangers that lurk in the "Land of the Dead" and are particularly feared of the city of Zandri.[19a]

The Arise of the Island[]

Sartosa was mostly formed from a massive volcano, called Mount Ertinia, which spewed up from the sea floor untold thousands of years ago. A favourite Sartosan tale explains the island was created when a young sailor, cast adrift when his ship was destroyed, called out to all the Gods to save him in exchange for his eternal pledge of loyalty. None of them responded, except for Ranald the Trickster, who obliged him by forcing an island to rise up out of the water in a gout of fire and molten lava. However, this presumptuous action angered Manann the God of the Seas. In order to placate him, Ranald ordered the sailor to pay homage to both he and Manann, with offerings of gold and plunder.[2d]

The sailor, seeing no other choice, took up piracy to pay off his burden and became the most notorious pirate of all, Jack O' the Sea. There's no shortage of tales involving Jack O' The Sea and his exploits, and he has come to be seen as an aspect of Ranald himself. Mount Ertinia is now mostly dormant, though it occasionally releases great plumes of steam and ash that sometimes rain down on the city below. The inhabitants of Sartosa are particularly proud of the volcano that dominates the skyline and see it as a patron of sorts. Sailors approaching the Sartosan shore pour a portion of rum into the sea upon seeing the volcano on the horizon, accompanied with a cry of “Ertinia, Ho!”[2d]

The Cross[]

Pirate captains do not usually carry their riches with them but often bury them and keep a private and often coded chart. On that chart is a cross, an X, which marks the location of his buried trove. When a captain reaches the end of his career on the waves, he and his crew sail for that cross uncover the riches and share them out, a portion to every man as befits his duty, service and rank. But few are known to have retired in such a way.[8d]

Flags[]

  • Jolie Rouge or the Bloody Flag - A plain red flag and the sign of no quarter or mercy.[8d]
  • Pirate Marks or the Black - Designs on a black background that warned a victim ship to give over without a fight, or informed another pirate of a fellow. If a pirate displayed his black before an attack and you surrendered without a fight, he was obliged to show mercy.[8d]

Pirate's Code[]

Warhammer Sartosa Flag

The Flag of Sartosa.

The only law worth noting in Sartosa is the so-called “Pirate's Code”. It stresses both personal freedom and loyalty to your captain, crew, and ship (in that order). Not everyone in Sartosa adheres to this code, but its pervasiveness means all its inhabitants know how the code works, if only to keep their own hide safe.[2b]

A man is considered in his right to kill another if his honour is violated in some way, and in most cases “might equals right.” However, in a city ruled by pirates, killing a man in the streets usually brings retribution from his fellow shipmates and most people know that there are serious consequences for doing so. Described here are some of the unwritten rules of the Pirate's Code, but its values are espoused in the taverns and vice dens patronised by pirates. However, there are endless variations and interpretations, which can be twisted as needed (and as long as you can convince others that you are correct).[2b]

The Dance of Blades is a famous and deadly custom of the city, and Calard of Garamont, a knight from Bretonnia, managed to survive it.[15]

  • Everyone shall obey orders from the Captain and his officers.[2b][14c]
  • A crewman has the right to defend himself and his honour.[2b][14c]
  • A man can challenge another to a fair duel, but the challenged gets choice of weapons. No other person can interfere in this duel until one man is dead or relents.[2b][14c]
  • A pirate captain can claim the right to his ships if these have been stolen from him due to mutinies or the dismissal of the captain due to force majeure. The code provides that the previous captain challenges the new one, it is not possible to use one's own weapons, these must be provided by the public who also acts as a judge, it is forbidden to intervene in the fight but this rule is rarely respected. The fight ends with the death or surrender of one of the two participants, but it is the duty of the witnesses to choose the penalty for the loser.[8b]
  • Booty will be shared out as follows: 1 share to every ordinary seaman; 3 shares to the captain; 2 shares to the master carpenter, boatswain, and gunner.[2b] While sometime it may vary with 1 share to every sailor; 2 shares to the master carpenter, boatswain, and gunner; 10 shares to the captain.[14c]
  • Anyone caught attempting to desert will be marooned.[2b][14c] He may take only a weapon and a bottle of water.[2b]
  • Anyone being lazy or failing to clean his weapons will lose his share of the booty.[2b][14c]
  • The punishment for hitting a crewman is 10 to 40 lashes of the cat on the bare back.[2b][14c]
  • Everyone may vote on every important decision.[2b][14c]
  • Everyone may have a share of captured drink and fresh food.[2b][14c]
  • Anyone found stealing from another member of the crew will have his ears and nose slit open and be set ashore.[2b][14c]
  • The penalty for bringing a woman aboard in disguise is death.[2b]
  • Crews members are sworn to serve upon the ship until each of them has made 100 to 500 gc.[2b][14c]

Foreign Relations[]

Sartosa's Pirate

Willhelm the Explorer.[1]

Far from trying to stamp them out, many merchant princes consider the pirates their de facto navy, and will often pay for their services against their rivals, and the enemies of Tilea itself.[22a]

Though the nobles of Tilea have no legal powers or authority over Sartosa, they do have significant sway over the business in Sartosa, and are, ironically, the largest trade partners. It's common knowledge that nobles and merchants of other city-states often hire the pirates of Sartosa to haul cargo, guard their ships, and prey upon the ships of their competitors, although everyone denies it when it happens. Nobles, their proxies, and rich merchants often make journeys to Sartosa to employ a captain and his ship for all manner of illegal and illicit business.[2c]

However, there is no honour among thieves, and it's not all that uncommon for a pirate ship to prey upon the vessels of a Tilean nobleman they formerly were charged with protecting. For every trade route to Sartosa shut down by the Tilean fleet, another one pops up in its place, as the profits from this illegal trade are too tempting to resist. Those city-states fed up with the predations of the Sartosan pirates have attempted several times over the centuries to lay siege to the city, but failed every time, as the pirates of the city banded together to create an impregnable screen of galleons and cutters that decimated every fleet.[2c]

It may also happen that a city-state offers an official contract to a gang of pirates, hiring them as corsairs to hunt down other pirates considered more dangerous or less controllable. This recently happened when the Prince of Luccini proposed such a deal to the well-known pirate Luka Silvaro to shoot down the Butcher Ship, that was plundering the coasts of the Tilean Sea. Many Sartosans would consider such an act of loyalty as a betrayal, an insult against the red flag of the Death King to which they are all attached. But sometimes the promise of luck and amnesty is a sufficient incentive to forget about honour.[8e]

While Sartosan pirates plague the seas thereabouts. they are a fitting match for the cruel corsairs of Araby and both are much deserving of each other.[12a]

Sartosa is unique, serving as mercenary privateers — ‘Sea Dogs of War’ — in one season, then preying on those same clients the next year as pirates. Luccini hires Sartosan ships to protect their commerce and coasts from Arabyan corsairs, while Marienburg reportedly pays them to harry the shipping of Magritta and Bilbali. Though Sartosa seems anarchic, one firm rule holds true: never attack ships guarded by other Sartosan captains. That is bad for business. The last to break it, the Brettonian Captain Guillaume One-Eye, was eventually captured by his fellow captains. He is now known as Guillaume Blind Will.[13a]

Geography[]

Sartosa-full-chuck

The pirate-stronghold of Sartosa unofficial map

The Island of Sartosa is a craggy, rocky rise of land formed long ago by a now (mostly) dormant volcano, called Mount Ertinia. This island is constantly buffeted by trade winds that sweep in from the west, creating swift currents prized by the pirates calling the place home. There are few beaches and shoals to the island since most of the landmass is uplifted above the sea by limestone cliffs which rises from dozens to hundreds of feet into the air. These walls are riddled with untold numbers of caves, tunnels, and hollows, many of which are accessible from the water, making them particularly sought after by Pirates who wished to make a Pirate base outside the borders of the city itself. Only a few of the largest caves relatively close to the city of Sartosa have been explored with any thoroughness. Sailors tell of several caves that have yet to be explored and rumours and tall tales abound of what treasures, monsters, and forbidden things can be found inside.[2c]

Thanks to Mount Ertinia, the soil of Sartosa Island is very fertile, but the abundance of rocks and small stones makes farming an arduous process. Most farms are close to the city, with several more scattered about the island; they primarily grow grapes, olives, and wheat. The relatively small size of these farms and the insatiable appetite of the pirates mean that most food must be imported to support the Sartosan inhabitants. Farmers typically fall under the “protection” of one or more Pirate Lords, who take a hefty portion of the crops for themselves, but keep them from falling under the predations of brigands on the prowl to stock their ships' larders.[2c]

The waters around Sartosa overflow with seafood of all kinds—fish, squid, oysters, and clams are pulled from the water with little effort. This bounty from the sea is the primary food source for the inhabitants of Sartosa, as few legitimate businessmen sail to the island to do trade. The shallow waters around the city and to the northwest of the island also boast abundant pearl beds. Indeed, its fine-quality pearls are one of Sartosa's main exports. Pearl harvesting, already dangerous, is made doubly so by pirates looking for easy scores. For this reason, most of the pearl divers begrudgingly accept the protection of various pirates and criminal factions to keep their businesses alive—for a healthy portion of their earnings, of course.[2c]

Notable Geographical Areas[]

  • Cave of the Damned - A mysterious cavern in the south of Sartosa.[3a]
  • Pirate’s Channel - The canal that connects the city of Sartosa to the Estalian coast to the west.[8d]
  • Pirate's Current - Deadly current, which makes it impossible for any ship to land on the north side of the island.[4a][3a]
  • River of Sartosa - River that links The Volcanic Lake of Sartosa with the Tilean Sea.[3a]
  • Skull Sands - An ever-shifting sandbank located in the south, where careless ships easily run aground. Is the only "safe" passage to access the island.[4a][3a]
  • Volcanic Lake of Sartosa - Lake linked by the River of Sartosa with the Tilean Sea.[3a]

Notable Settlements[]

Dragon Tooth Castle's Lighthouse icon

Dragon Tooth Lighthouse, as depicted in Total War: Warhammer II.[3a]

  • Beffardo - Inland town.[3a]
  • Caprio - Inland town.[3a]
  • Caragio - Inland town.[3a]
  • Dragon Tooth Castle - A Castle with a lighthouse, known as the Dragon Tooth Lighthouse, fashioned from the tooth of a mighty Dragon. It affords it's owner a much better view of exactly what is out in the sea.[3a]
  • Dwarf Stronghold of Sartosa - Dwarf Fort.[3a]
  • Fortress of Capitano Sissico - The dwarf slayer, Long Drong captured the fortress from the Capitano Sisicco, the hold is located somewhere on Sartosa.[1]
  • Ossomunte - Inland town.[3a]
  • Senelite - Port village.[3a]
  • Ragil - Inland town.[3a]
  • Roba - Inland town.[3a]
  • Vercuso - Inland town.[3a]
  • Vermunte - Inland town.[3a]

The City[]

Sartosa map warhammer eng by planjanusza derkb9g-fullview

City of Sartosa unofficial map

The City of Sartosa sits on a rocky island just south of the Tilean peninsula. Since Sartosa is the most important thing on this island, most travellers refer to the island and the city by the same name. Given the distance from the rest of the Tilean city-states, Sartosa is free from most of the political posturing that happens on the mainland. Although distance is something of a boon, it, and the city's unsavoury character, makes the city less attractive to any kind of settler outside of the pirates that come to port.[2d]

Despite being a city, Sartosa actually has a small native population, only swelling to numbers in keeping with other cities when pirates stop for a month or so to spend their filthy lucre. It is a patchwork city, cobbled together from many different cultures and races over countless centuries. The houses that line the streets are a riot of different styles, colours, and shapes, from fine stucco villas with red tiled roofs to shanties cobbled together from driftwood and old sailcloth. In the oldest portion of the city, some buildings are ancient beyond compare, built from solid stone and seemingly designed by no human mind. No one knows who crafted these strange buildings or what was their original purpose.[2d]

The people of Sartosa are just as varied and mixed as the architecture. Tileans rub elbows with Norseman mercenaries and people of the Empire haggle and fight with Bretonnians. Even more exotic people with odd skin colours and bizarre accents from far away lands walk the streets as well.[2d]

Sartosa owes much of its culture to waves of colonisation and conquest, and among the varied seaborne raiders who settled here are the Norse, many of whom live among the Sartosans to this day.[14a]

Castilla Diablos[]

On the hilltops to the north, the cannon batteries ranged along the battlements of Castilla Diablos are armed to defend the city in times of need. The gunners of Sartosa’s hillside fortress are considered the best on the island.[5a]

The Cliff[]

Sartosa is a vertical city, built along the shore of a cliff wall that rises nearly a hundred feet into the air. In order to reach the top of the cliff, the citizens of Sartosa have built a bewildering maze of bridges and scaffolding directly into the rock. Several houses cling to the side of the Cliff on this mass of planks, poles, and timbers. Some Sartosans carve out their homes directly from the porous limestone of the cliff itself. Most of these residences are squalid hellholes, but a few, typically the oldest, are opulent and well-appointed.[2d]

The traffic on these scaffolds is thick during the day and potentially dangerous as drovers drive cows and horses up the narrow planks. The constant wind that blows from the sea sometimes whips up into a fierce gale, making travel even more hazardous. Despite these dangers, the people of Sartosa accept their plight and laugh at newcomers that must climb the dizzying height on the rickety planks. Over the centuries, a series of ropes, nets, and other safety measures have been added to the walkways. Once a person makes his way to the top of the Cliff, the rest of Sartosa sprawls out among the low, rocky hills. The city is much less crowded on top of the Cliff and the finer houses, villas, and mansions of the Pirate Lords can be found here.[2d]

Peg Street[]

Sartosa's main road is known as Peg Street and forms a “district” of sorts. It is a wandering, meandering avenue that follows the contours of the cliff face defining the lower portion of the city's edge. Peg Street is lined with ramshackle houses, tanners, fishmongers, weaponsmiths, and dozens of taverns and inns. Food vendors line the streets, hawking meals of a questionable nature, and jugglers and entertainers try to eke out a living whilst avoiding the blows from drunken pirates that may not care for their act.[2e]

The Hole In By The Hill[]

The Hole In By The Hill is the most notorious of Sartosa’s many taverns, a place frequented by only pirates and their ilk. No weak-kneed pearl-divers or gutless fishermen there.[16a] It is the place to go to hook up with a crew or to conduct illicit business of all kinds. The Hole In By The Hill sits inside a natural cave within the limestone cliff above Peg Street. During the day, there is little to differentiate it from any other residence or building, but at night, torches and lanterns line the catwalks and illuminate the tarps and awnings that adorn the front. A blind hurdy-gurdy man competes with drunken sea shanties to provide music, whilst bar wenches all of them well upholstered, for that is the way Grecco like them, dance to the delight of the customers. The owner, Grecco, cooks tasty pork, fowl, and fish for the masses as his red macaw bounces his head to the music. Grecco has a penchant for remembering the names and faces of everyone who comes to his inn and knows everything going on in the city.[2e][8a]

Pirates Bay[]

The Rock of Jack O' The Seas[]

A strange site awaits the ships that enter into Pirates Bay, Sartosa's port. A rough hewn statue of Jack O' The Seas sits on top of a tiny outcropping of rock in the middle of the bay, looking out towards the horizon to the north. The 20-foot-tall statue is of a man holding a large bag. No one is certain who created the statue and it's been there for as long as anyone can remember. The craftsmanship is crude and the features are difficult to discern up close. In addition, strange markings are carved on the front and back of the statue—no one has been able to determine what they mean. The statue is beloved by the pirates and inhabitants of the city and sailors are known to take a skiff to the rock and leave offerings at the base before embarking on a voyage.[2d]

Every few years, tales go about the taverns that the statue is more than it seems—a treasure is buried underneath, the strange writing is a map, or the statue comes to life on certain days. Because of this, some misguided fools sometimes head out to the rock and try to dig underneath the statue to reveal anything that might be there. So far, they haven't had any luck and anyone caught do so is usually beaten or worse, as the general populace considers the statue their city's mascot and protector.[2d]

Recently the statue has been used by a Skaven fleet of Clan Eshin as a hideout. The Skaven of Nightlord Sneek sacked the place before leaving, but found little of their interest as the ratmen give no importance to Human coins.[16e]

The Docks[]

Sartosa is riddled with numerous docks and ports which pirate ships, merchant vessels, and fishing boats call home. The docks are a constant buzz of activity all year round, day and night, as crews come and go, stevedores load supplies, and fishermen prepare for the next day of work or unload the bounty from the previous day. Though some docks are better than others, none are particularly safe for the unprepared or naïve. Only a fool would wander the docks without at least a knife and most people openly display their weapons to dissuade any trouble.[2e]

The docks are divided into several clusters, each with its own unique flavour, requirements, and owners. Ship captains who dock at Sartosa for the first time run the risk of landing at the “wrong” dock, subjecting themselves to unfair inspections, harassment, and steep docking fees from the thugs controlling that particular pier. Ownership of these docks is in constant flux and captains who are used to dealing with one brand of scum may find a new minder when they return the next time.[2e]

Deadman's Docks[]

Easily considered the worst of the worst, the Deadman's Docks are where captains of the lowest rank berth their ships. In addition to pirates and other scum, the Deadman's Docks are the home of the poorest fishermen, pearl divers, and other hardscrabble cases that have to work hard to get not very far in life. Only the hardest or most desperate walk the tattered planks of Deadman's Docks, but, ironically, it's one of the easiest places in the city to find work.[2f]

The Deadman's Docks have four large piers, each of questionable condition. These piers are of sufficient size to accommodate the largest of ships, although most captains that possess such vessels can afford to avoid the Deadman's Docks. These docks are under the protection of a brutal Tilean named Donato Buccina. Unless some sort of haggling or arrangement has been made, Buccina charges 1 gc per foot-length of any ship that docks here. He tends to ignore the poorest and most pathetic of fishermen and ferrymen, although his thugs occasionally rough them up to enforce his dominance of the piers.[2f]

The end of each pier serves as a sort of meeting ground where anyone can go to find work from the various ships, stevedore services, and other businesses that work here. The available work is terrible and backbreaking, but for the destitute, it's a way to get a few clanks for their next meal. In addition to legitimate work, pirate captains are on the prowl for new crewmembers and press gangs are an all too common sight. Although slavery is technically frowned up here (the people of Sartosa love their freedom and see slavery as the gravest affront), “indentured servants” bustle about on the Deadman's Docks, hurriedly performing chores and tasks for their masters, along with young crewmen and other servants.[2f]

Regina Bacini[]

Located on the far northern reach of the city, the Regina Bacini are the finest docks that Sartosa has to offer—which isn't saying all that much. The largest ships owned by the wealthiest pirate lords dock here, and several have their own private berths. The piers are in much better repair than most of those found throughout Sartosa. Only complete fools would attempt to try any trouble at these docks, as the crews of the most successful pirate ships wander these docks at all times of the day.[2f]

South Dock[]

Another dock of Sartosa full of taverns to cheer the throats of pirates and patrons.[5]

Smuggler’s Dock[]

Murderine’s Hilt[]

A monstrous set of lunar shark jaws serves as the tavern entrance, hung with an assortment of fish bones, broken blades and moldy driftwood.[5]

The Murderine’s Hilt remained mostly intact after the Battle of Sartosa, though its roof is covered in mold and curved and punctured in dozens of places. The windows are covered with rows of empty bottles and partially gnawed bones that hang dripping from the shattered side members. The heady smell of dragon root and black tobacco constantly permeates the place.[5]

Stacked coffins form the tavern bar. The bartender is a stocky, combative man with a gut that protruded nearly a foot from the sword belt. Recognizable by a dragon tattoo on the back and shoulders. Lucas Arcbright, former captain of the Rascals and, before that, Indigio Roth's crew member has now retired to a more peaceful life.[5]

Smithy's[]

Smithy's is the largest and most boisterous tavern on the Regina Bacini. Smithy prefers people from the Empire to come into his bar and gives a cold shoulder to Tileans, Estalians, and Bretonnians. This racism often turns to violence when some unsuspecting sailor comes in for a drink and finds nothing but hard stares and racial slurs. Smithy's is famous for its squid soup and powerful beer from Reikland. The place is filled day and night with drinking songs of the Empire and this revelry often spills out onto the docks where the inevitable brawl ensues. Smithy was a former sailor with the Imperial Navy who was tossed out for drunkenness and theft. After several years of wandering the southern seas, he eventually found his way to Sartosa and won the tavern in a dice game.[2f]

The Ox Head[]

The Ox Head is one of the nicest restaurants in Sartosa. It specializes in beef and pork, which are in great demand on the island. Pirate Lords consider it crucial to stop in and have an enormous meal here after a particularly large haul. The food is surprisingly good and often served with rare wines, beer, and vodka from all over the Old World. The pirates that come to eat there consider the Ox Head “neutral ground”—no weapons are allowed inside and the patrons take this very seriously. Violators are tossed out and beaten, sometimes to death. Repeat offenders are denied entrance and can expect a loaded pistol shoved in their face (the guards are the only ones allowed to carry them).[2f]

Noblemen from the city-states of Tilea come here to meet with pirate captains and discuss employing them as privateers. In order to avoid the possibility of being spotted by other nobles or potential enemies, it's a common practice for outsiders to wear masks while conducting business. If a person does not have a mask, the owner provides one.[2f]

The Blackfish Docks[]

Long ago, the piers of the Blackfish Docks were devastated by a freak tidal wave. During the reconstruction, there was great confusion and bickering about how they were to be rebuilt, resulting in a confusing, twisting mass of docks and buildings. These docks are used by the “middle class” of Sartosa—average pirate captains, fishing businesses, and the like. Many of the Blackfish's businesses are located directly on the piers, meaning a sailor doesn't even have to leave to get all the services he requires.[2g]

The Blackfish Docks have several inns, taverns, food shops, and houses of ill repute lining their cramped piers. These business teeter on tall pilings rising several stories into the air. Ropes are slung from building to building and numerous flags and banners wave in the wind. It's considered good luck to drape the flag or banner of a looted ship on these ropes—some banners are ancient beyond compare. The Blackfish Docks are famous for the hawkers that line the streets, selling all manner of baubles from all over the Old World. Most of these items are worthless, although there are times when a seller has something of true value. Buyers should beware, however, as thugs often target those who flaunt their wealth, robbing them and returning the item they purchased to the hawker.[2g]

Fitzmann's Firearms[]

Fitzmann's Firearms is the largest dealer in gunpowder weapons in Sartosa. Although Fitzmann does manufacture some weapons, he's primarily a broker and buys most of his weapons from pirates after successful campaigns. As a result, a buyer can find guns from all over the Old World, but the quality varies wildly. Fitzmann typically pays less than half for weapons, but full price for gunpowder, which is always in high demand in Sartosa. He often tests weapons by firing them out into the water—the locals are used to the occasional blast, though newcomers may be startled by the gunfire.[2g]

A year ago, to prove the accuracy of his pistol, a drunken sailor fired off a shot, which hit a barrel of powder. Half of the building blew up, although the fire was quickly extinguished and the business saved. Fitzmann hasn't completed the repairs and employs two Tilean bodyguards to ensure that no one breaks in during the evening. These thugs are armed to the teeth and often strut about with a half dozen of Fitzmann's pistols on their person to discourage larceny.[2g]

Wreckers Bounty[]

Wreckers Bounty

The Wreckers Bounty.[3a]

The Wreckers Bounty is a business started by an elderly and peculiar white-haired man who sell to anyone who can afford his services, exotic treasure maps, without caring too much about the nature of his patrons.[3a]

Casa Squallo[]

Casa Squallo is the greatest temple dedicated to Stromfalo, and the only one that operates openly. It's a converted temple of Myrmidia. While built in the Myrmidian style, it is decorated with trophies and treasure taken in centuries of pirate raids over the Southern Sea.[9a][14d]

Occhio dei Cacciatori is the High Priest of the Sartosan Temple, and Head of the Cult in the Old World, though his authority is limited.[14d]

Other Locations[]

  • Alchemist’s Fug - An Alchemy shop where eels act as energy inside sparkling globes.[5]
  • Crooked Billet.[5]
  • Gallows Square.[5]
  • Lantern Street.[5]
  • Maud Sully’s whorehouse.[5]
  • Piper’s Alley.[5]
  • Rottmettle Walk.[5]
  • Rusting Harbour.[5]
  • Shanties - A dense warren of alleyways that led toward Rusting Harbour.[5]
  • Skeeter Bay.[5]
  • Skeeter’s Jetty.[5]

Under-Sartosa[]

Sartosa is among the few Tilean major city-states not connected to the Skaven Under-Empire. Nevertheless, in the shadows of the port city, there is a warren of bolt holes and hiding places made by years of discreet Skaven exploration, some ratmen know every inch of it better than the scratches on their own claws. In its womb Sartosa hosts unaware densely shadowed alleys, filled with the detritus of a city awash with poverty and prosperity in equal measure.[7]

Ancient Sartosa[]

Tilean Countryside

The ancient remnants of a past long gone still dominate Tilean landscapes.

Sartosa was a republic in a time long past that no mortal can recall, just vampires like Neferata can have seen the splendours of that age.[10a][10b]

Structure and palazzos were in classical Tilean style, with white marbled columns and ingenious aqueducts that transported water to the city, making possible the flourishing of amenities like the bathhouses, already known and widespread in places such as Sartosa and Araby during the –750 IC.[10a][10b]

These structures have now been long lost and just some ruins remain, spared by centuries of incursions and conquests made by countless different peoples and civilizations.[1c]

Abruzzi Palazzo[]

The palazzo was where the influent Abruzzi of Sartosa lived long before Sartosa was known as a lair of pirates. It was a monument to the alliance of form and function in the rich district of the city. The walled garden was open to the sky and water burbled in the aqueducts that ran along the top of the walls. There were thick, fleshy plants and brightly coloured flowers everywhere, and caged song-birds sang sweetly, in contrast with the smelly effluvium of the dungeons beneath the garden.[10a] It is unknown if the structure has survived into the modern age in some form.

Military[]

The island-stronghold of Sartosa has weathered fierce invasions for many long centuries against many foreign invaders. Most of these invaders typically just integrate themselves to the island's society, while others are repulsed by the fierce raids of the island's many pirate fleets. Yet not all the inhabitants of Sartosa are pirates—the second largest population is composed of mercenaries. It is said that any man with at least a club and the willingness to use it can find work with the numerous Mercenary Houses in Sartosa. Ex-Imperial soldiers, disgraced Bretonnian knights, wandering Dwarf troll slayers, Tilean pikemen, and Estalian swordsmen can be found here looking for work. Most find employment as bodyguards for wealthy captains or as marines for pirate vessels.[2c]

In order to accommodate this need for men-at-arms, several Mercenary Houses have sprung up all over Sartosa, where a person can go to find work without much effort. A few have exclusive "contracts" with the various Tilean City-States, which hire entire armies for some campaign or another. These Houses are vicious and literally cutthroat when it comes to acquiring new talent, and semi-open warfare between Houses is not unheard of. Some mercenaries steer clear from the machinations of the Houses and go solo—there’s still plenty of work to be had, but a mercenary runs the risk of being “drafted” by one House or another, especially if he gains a reputation for effectiveness.[2c]

Sartosa makes extensive use of Pirate Free Companies, who will fight alongside any army, if the pay is right.[3a]

The sleek, low-running hulls of Sartosan reavers, are easy to distinguish from the crude Imperial warships,[23a] these ships have a reputation for multiple broadsides, and cannons are laid up on wheeled trucks that could be easily dragged back inboard for reloading. The warships of the Luccinian fleet, one of the most advanced still mount their cannon on field carriages, which means much more cumbersome to move and draw in.[8a]

Known Sartosan Vessels[]

Many infamous Sartosan vessels scourges the seas of the world here lies a list of some of them.[5a]

  • Beast o' Blades - A pirate warship that was destroyed by The Bloody Reaver in 2522.[5a]
  • Enlightenment - A warship permanently moored at the Rusting Harbour of Sartosa. Indigio Roth sailed the seas on this very ship until the attack of a Sea Giant who claimed both his legs.[5a]
  • Man o' War - The Man o' War, was leaded by Commodore Hamzik. The Man o’ War was a ninety-gun galleon that had more kills to its name than any other Sartosan vessel.[5a]
  • Swordfysh - Aranessa's ship, black as the void and twice as nasty, her ribbed sails are emblazoned with the skeletons of a strange sea monsters.[5a]
  • Velvet Coffyn - A pirate warship that was destroyed by The Bloody Reaver in 2522.[5a]

Notable Sartosans[]

  • Blacklegges the Giant - A notorious stevedore, Blacklegges the giant was killed in the Battle of Sartosa, decapitated by a cannon ball of the Dreadfleat.[5a]

Videos[]

Miniatures[]

The three miniatures were made for the Citadel Collectors Range, and available exclusively via mail order.[18a]

Trivia[]

Sartosa Crest

Aranessa insigna used for the Pirates of Sartosa faction in Total War Warhammer II.[3a]

Both terms Sartosan,[5a] and Sartosian are correct.[19a]

The articles published over the years concerning Sartosa often contradict the form of government of the city, this should not be surprising given the anarchic nature of the city and it could be intentional.[1c][2a]

Sartosa insigna in Total War: Warhammer II is inspired by the flag of the Swordfysh.[5a]

A Sartosan Pirates army for Warmaster was mentioned in an article published in the specialist game magazine, Fanatical Magazine, but no rules nor models were provided for the game.[21a]

Sources[]

  • 1: Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War (5th Edition)
    • 1a: pg. 34
    • 1b: pg. 75
    • 1c: pg. 84
    • 1d: pg. 85
    • 1e: pg. 86
    • 1f: pg. 88
    • 1g: pg. 89
    • 1h: pg. 90
    • 1i: pg. 91
    • 1j: pg. 92
    • 1k: pg. 93
    • 1l: pg. 94
    • 1m: pg. 95
  • 2: The WFRP Companion (2nd Edition Fantasy Roleplay)
    • 2a: pg. 72
    • 2b: pg. 73
    • 2c: pg. 74
    • 2d: pg. 75
    • 2e: pg. 76
    • 2f: pg. 77
    • 2g: pg. 78
  • 3: Total War: Warhammer II (PC Game)
    • 3a: Campaign map
  • 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - A Grim World of Perilous Adventure
    • 4a: pg. 280
  • 5: Dreadfleet (Novel) by Phil Kelly
  • 6: Man O' War: Corsair
    • 6a: Campaign map
  • 7: The Tilean's Talisman (Short Story) by David Guymer
  • 8: Fell Cargo (Novel)
    • 8a: Ch. 1
    • 8b: Ch. 2
    • 8c: Ch. 3
    • 8d: Ch. 4
    • 8e: Ch. 6
    • 8f: Ch. 27
    • 8g: Ch. 29
  • 9: Marienburg: Sold Down the River (Novel) by C. L. Werner
    • 9a: pg 142
  • 10: Neferata (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
  • 11: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Old World Armoury (RPG)
  • 12: Warhammer Fantasy Battle (6th Edition)
  • 13: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Up in Arms (RPG)
  • 14: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Sea of Claws (RPG)
  • 15: Questing Knight (Novel) by Anthony Reynolds
  • 16: Temple of the Serpent (Novel) by C. L. Werner
  • 17: Warhammer Armies: Skaven (4th Edition)
  • 18: White Dwarf 344
  • 19: The Serpent Queen (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
  • 20: Dead Man’s Party (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
  • 21: Fanatic Magazine 1
  • 22: Warhammer: The Old World Rulebook (Specialist Game)
  • 23: Lords of the Lance (Novel) by Graham McNeill
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