Tilean Navy

"The Tileans claim they have sailed the world. They talk of trading with lands so distant that we folk of Sigmar's Empire could not even contemplate their existence."

—Record founded in Verena's Temple in Marienburg.^[2a]

Mon 256 (4) — The heraldry of Tilea as depicted in *Total War: Warhammer*.^[20a]

The Tilean Navy is itself just a term of convenience; in reality, each city-state of Tilea with access to the Tilean Sea maintains its own small navy to protect and extend its seaborne trade and commerce.^[7a]

Despite being such a fractious nation of Men, Tilea's city-states maintain a mighty collective navy to deal with common threats like the raids of the pirates that plague the Tilean Sea. One of the most renowned events in the history of the Tilean Navy was when the piratical Dreadfleet led by the Vampire Count Noctilus was intercepted and defeated in the Vigils near the coasts of Luccini.^[7a]

Usually, the Tilean Navy can be recognized by a two distinct range of colours. Blue and white heraldry is perhaps the most common on Tilean ships of every city,^[17a]^[20a] but Tilean ships of every origin also make use of the region's distinctive white and red striped sails.^[4b]

On maps, Tilea's ships are often represented as galleys to distinguish Tilean vessels from those of the Bretonnian and Imperial navies.^[1a]^[15a]

Most of the Tilean cities are wealthy trading ports backed by small but highly efficient navies. In this respect, they are deadly rivals of the Estalians and particularly of the Kingdom of Magritta. The people of both nations are inclined to think of the other as pirates, and sea battles between them are very common.^[12a]

History[]

Total War Naval Concept Art — A Tilean Man'O War sailing the Great Ocean.

Even from the earliest times the Tileans were sailing to and from across the Tilean Sea in primitive skin boats. After contact with the High Elves they developed swift, oared galleys, and soon became proficient sailors. Prior to the Great Crusade Against Araby, the Tilean Sea was plagued by corsairs and pirates, but afterwards the Tileans gained the upper hand and swept these troublemakers from their waters. From this time Tilean seafarers were able to venture further afield.^[1a]

Following the defeat of Sultan Jaffar by Old World crusaders, Tilean merchants gained access to the ports of Araby which in tum opened gateways to the west and south. Later still, Tilean ships were seen in the all the ports of the Old World, carrying exotic merchandise from Araby and the lands beyond.^[1a]

Estalia heraldry as depicted in Man O'War Corsair — The heraldry of Tilea as depicted in *Man O' War: Corsair*.^{[Note 1]}

Tilean merchants would not have got very far had there not been seaworthy ships in Tilea. For a long time the Tileans used galleys propelled by sails and oars, which were ideal for the calm Tilean Sea. The Tilean cities, especially Remas, had large fleets of war galleys which endeavoured to fight off the marauding Corsairs of Araby and Norse raiders. The experience of continuous naval warfare combined with the inventive genius of the Tileans meant that their war galleys became bigger and better over the centuries. The Tileans eventually possessed galleys capable of venturing beyond the Tilean Sea and into northern waters.^[1b]

Around the time when Tilean mercenaries were being hired in great numbers to fight in the civil wars within the Empire, Marienburg hired a flotilla of war galleys from Remas. Soon afterwards this city was building its own, even heavier war galleys for use in the Sea of Claws. Centuries later when the Tileans began to mount cannon on their galleys, they opted for much lighter guns than those preferred in the Empire, but then the Tilean crews include many expert crossbowmen and so do not have to rely on firepower to the same extent to defend the coasts and trade routes from corsairs from Araby, Norse raiders and the occasional attack by Dark Elves in their feared Black Arks.^[1b]^[14a]

Map Routes Tilea — Exploratory voyages and trade routes of the Tileans^[1]

Tilean merchant ships, unlike the war galleys, are purely sailing ships and better for riding stormy seas. Such ships are similar to those used by Bretonnia and the Empire, except that they are lighter and more like the ships of the Corsairs in the way that the masts and sails are arranged. This means that they are quite fast and not dependant on a tailing wind, making them very good for long voyages in uncharted oceans. This enables the Tileans to venture far from their home ports in pursuit of trade.^[1b]

In the past Tilean Navy was the most advanced in naval techniques in the Old World. Skilled with blackpowder -- a substance until then only known to the Empire through the Dwarfs, but that Elder Race guarded its secrets jealously. Plus they had ship-building skills far in advance of any equivalent in the northern regions.^[5a]

This primate began to fade in the 15th and the 16th century IC, Although the exact details are unrecorded, it seems evident that some, or all, Tilean secrets were secured by the Westerlanders, for in comparatively little time Marienburg ships changed, as they took the Tilean standards.^[5a]

Tilean Fleets[]

"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^[6b]

Sartosa's castle — A fierce battle on the Tilean Sea.

Like its city-states, the Tilean navy is not a unified force but generally works in concert to allow trade to flourish through the elimination of pirates and other maritime threats to the peninsula. Although it is not uncommon for the pirates of Sartosa to be hired to defend the Tilean merchantmen. A commonality in the navies deployed by all the city-states is the use of brass breastplates and crested helmets typical of the old Reman Empire soldiers by the officers of their ships.^[4]

Tilean sea captains are the best in the Known World, their only rivals being those of Marienburg and the Sea Elves from the island of Ulthuan.^[3a]

Tilean vessels are much like those of Bretonnia or the Empire, essentially wooden sailing ships good for long voyages into uncharted oceans. This allows the Tileans to venture far from their home ports in pursuit of trade and the establishmen of overseas colonies like Nuevo Luccini. These ships have carried explorers and merchants as far as the Southlands and the Dragon Isles, and helped the famous adventurer Marco Colombo to "discover" Lustria.^[14a]

Tobaro[]

As in every Tilean city-state, no sooner had a ruling family been founded than another family had sprung up as rivals. It was not long after the founding of Tobaro that the first dissidents sprang up, but in a city so short of space they had little opportunity to establish their own territory, except for deeper into the tunnels or out onto the rocky islets that dot the channels to the city. Those who delved deeper were never seen again. Those who took to the Fool’s Rocks became the first of the Navigator Families. The Navigators hold the monopoly on sea trade to and from Tobaro’s great harbour, for only they and they alone know the safe channels between the deadly rocks.^[9a]

Each family tightly controls its own routes—some more dangerous than others, but each just as deadly to anyone else—and their secrets are highly guarded, passed from father to son and never written on a chart. Many have died to protect their family secrets, for they are all that guarantees the Navigators their protected status and prevents them becoming a mere nuisance to be swatted by the Prince. There is a fierce rivalry between the families, each of them vying for the custom of passing ships and guarding their territorial waters ferociously. It is not unheard of for fighting to break out between pilots on the decks of ships as representatives from more than one family jump aboard to try and win the job, often by disparaging the reputation of the other pilots. Despite the hostility and rivalry, the families present a united front against their age-old enemies—the ruling family of Tobaro.^[9a]

The Navigators have not forgotten their origins, nor are they ignorant to the threats that still exist to their livelihoods. This is no idle suspicion or paranoia, for the Prince and the city’s merchants would dearly love to be rid of the Navigator Families and control the access to the city themselves; but so long as the families keep their secrets to themselves, there is little chance of that. Many families supplement the income from piloting ships to and from Tobaro by salvaging the remains of unlucky or foolish ships that are wrecked on the Fool’s Rocks. This often leads to accusations that the pilots take unnecessary risks with their charges, knowing that they can make a tidy profit either way. If asked, the pilots just shrug and smile, remarking that business is business.^[9a]

The most infamous of the Navigator Families is the de Naufragios family, a family with a notorious—if hard to prove—reputation for piracy and shipwrecking. The de Naufragios are led by their ancient matriarch, Nanna de Naufragios, and despite being one of the older and wealthier families, still live in relative squalor on their craggy outcropping. The de Naufragios’ territory is easily spotted, especially at night, for there are an extraordinarily large number of lanterns and torches burning around their islands—almost too many, one could say, and more than a few hapless captains have mistaken the bright lights for Tobaro itself, with disastrous consequences.^[9a]

Trantio[]

Many Tilean city-states make extensive use of mercenary armies to despatch them to Lustria across the Great Ocean to establish power bases there, from which gold and other riches can be shipped back to the Old World to further the ambitions of Tilean princes. Even other nations can support these expedition due to their superior knowledge of the routes and of the territory. For example, the mercenary warbands of Trantio, supported by that city-state's navy, are considered the most skilled in the task of overseas conquest.^[10a]^[11a]

Remas[]

The Remans are splendid sailors, their ships competing alongside those of Miragliano and Luccini for the southern trade. Their small nimble craft may often be seen scouring the seaways with less honest intention, for the Remans regard the vessels of other cities as fair game - especially those of the Magrittans who prevent them from fully exploiting the commercial potential of the south. Remas and Miragliano maintain a certain long-standing enmity, and the two cities frequently war against each other, often soliciting the aid of the various small Tilean states, and employing sell-swords and mercenaries from all over the Old World.^[8a]

Miragliano[]

Despite being nearly annihilated around the 24th century by the Reman navy with assistance from the Asur mercenary Asarnil the Dragonlord,^[1d] Miragliano still boasts the largest fleet in Tilea.^[16a]

Miragliano is a great trading city whose small, light ships are a scourge to the large trading nations. Ships from Miragliano regularly sail as far afield as the deep south, although running the blockade of Magrittan ships in the Southern Sea can prove difficult. The Miraglianians are a vigorous and ambitious people. Merchants from the city can be found all over the Old World - buying furs, sea ivory and amber in Erengrad, trading the goods of the New World in Marienburg and bartering with hard-faced Arabians in Magritta.^[8a]

Sartosa[]

Though the nobles of Tilea have no legal powers or authority over the pirate island of Sartosa, they do have significant sway over the business in Sartosa, and are, ironically, the island's largest trade partners. It's common knowledge that the nobles and merchants of the other Tilean 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 pirate captain and their ship for all manner of illegal and illicit business.^[9b] Many merchant princes consider the pirates their de facto navy.^[19a]

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.^[9b]

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.^[6d]

Sartosan ships have a reputation for multiple broadsides, cannon 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 in Tilea, still mount their cannon on field carriages, which makes them much more cumbersome to move on the deck and draw in.^[6a]

Luccini[]

Given its proximity to the island kingdom of Sartosa, the princes of Luccini, no matter their dynasty, have made it a firm policy of the city to have one of the strongest navies in the world to keep their shipping lanes free from piracy.^[1c]

Despite the famous enmity between Tileans and Estalians, the relations between the Principality of Luccini and the kingdoms of Estalia are as old as they are solid. Consolidated by blood relations and a mutual commitment to make the Tilean Sea free from the scourge of pirates. An example of this alliance was the support that the city of Aguilas and Porto Real provided to the punitive expedition organized by the Prince of Luccini against the Butcher Ship, a pirate ship guilty of innumerable atrocities.^[6c]

Verezzo[]

The city of Verezzo is not directly wet by the Tilean Sea, yet Portomaggiore is its major outlet to the sea.^[4] Just recently the Serena Republic has been disturbed by some mysterious events concerning the "Verezzo naval treaty", so as to attract the interest of the illustrious sage-investigator, Zavant Konniger.^[18]

Pavona[]

Pavona is the only major Tilean principality lacking an outlet to the Tilean Sea.^[4c]

Notable Admirals[]

Ludovico Dandola - Ludovico Dandola was a Reman admiral and brilliant sailor who sank a flotilla of the Tomb King Settra's warfleet in 1823 IC and defeated countless pirates around Sartosa.

Luigi Pavarotti - Luigi Pavarotti is a former admiral of the Tilean Navy renowned for his exploits against the pirates.

Ships[]

Tilean Caravel - A ship operable by a crew of twenty men, particularly adapt to exploring the seas.^[13a]

Tilean Galley - Vessels propelled by sails and oars, which are ideal for the calm seas.

Notable Tilean Ships[]

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.^[7]

Nightwatch - The warship of Captain Jaego Roth.^[5]

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.^[7a]

Miniatures[]

Canon Conflicts[]

Note 1: The Tilean and Estalian heraldries' colours were switched in the final version of the game.^[4a]^[4b] In the final product the Tilean Navy use the white-read striped bacground, while Estalia use the Red\Yellow. This has also generated an error in Dreadfleet by Phil Kelly, where the heraldry of Tilea is described as Red\Yellow.^[7a]

Sources[]

1: Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War (5th Edition)
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- 1b: pp. 90
- 1c: pp. 82
- 1d: pp. 42
2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Shades of Empire - Organisations of the Old World (RPG)
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3: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Rulebook (RPG)
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6: Fell Cargo (Novel) by Dan Abnett
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8: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - A Grim World of Perilous Adventure
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18: Zavant (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
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