"I'm sure you are not that same mercenary paymaster who disappeared along with his company's pay chest a few months ago.
Yes, a company of Tilean Pikemen, wasn't it? Nasty, there's no-one can hold a grudge worse than a Tilean who's been cheated out of money."
- —Ulli Leitpold and Marquand Volker chatting with a paymaster in search of a bodyguard.[6a]
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The heraldry of Tilea as depicted in Total War: Warhammer and Warhammer: The Old World.
Vendetta is the Tilean custom of seeking deadly revenge against any individual that a Tilean believes has slighted their honour or that of their family.[1a]
Dwarfs aren't the only folk who hold grudges. Tileans believe in the almost supernatural power of vendetta, whereby a blood oath is sworn to see an enemy slain for some past grievance. But unlike a Dwarf's grudge, a vendetta can't find an end, even after retribution has been achieved.[1a] Tilean feuds have been know to go on for generations.[8a]
Tilean families, from rich to poor, are famous for their numerous vendettas. Many resolve their feuds with the use of duellists. These fighters are armed with the dagger and the cloak, such as the infamous mercenaries of Vespero's Vendetta.[2a]
Tileans are fanatics for this maniac art of duelling. Many of them fancied themselves masters of the sword, true artists of the duel. But a Tilean did not like to leave anything to chance. They would plot and plan, laying schemes within schemes to ensure that events would transpire toward the end they sought.[3b]
It was the same with the duellists. Their skill with the blade might indeed be remarkable, but they always liked extra insurance. Some would coat their weapons in garlic or some other blood poison so that the merest scratch would finish their enemy. Others preferred to make certain that theirs would be the swifter blade. Such men were easily lured into the use of Crimson Shade, an exotic herb that would speed up their reflexes and reactions.[3b]
Razorbills Folklore[]
"It is not enough for a prince to simply destroy his enemies. If a prince would sleep soundly in his bed -- friends, allies and especially family -- must be crushed without mercy. Always remember: you have more to fear from the vengeance of the living, than the remorse of the dead."
- —Attributed to the Tilean statesmen and philosopher, Marciavelli[7a]
The people of Tilea see the large coastal birds called razorbills as accursed and hold them in such ill regard that they are actually a mark of hatred. Many merchant prince houses actually declare "vendetta" against their enemies by splashing razorbill blood, or an entire carcass, on their doorstep. This leads to a somewhat clandestine market in fresh razorbills, which are not easy to procure. This leads to high prices and, Tileans being Tileans, "counterfeit blood."[4a]
To further complicate matters, various mercenary and criminal groups seeking notoriety often actively use imagery incorporating or hinting at razorbills in some fashion, as do some covert sellers. Such groups are occasionally directly affiliated, but frequently have nothing to do with one another, which leads to dangerous (or hilarious) misunderstandings.[4a]
Many people understate how active the black market for razorbills is -- and just how nasty the penalties are for being caught. In addition to their use in vendettas, there are southern wizards who employ magical rituals that make use of razorbills. These practices can fail with exceedingly dangerous consequences if fakes are substituted and such wizards are rarely merciful to counterfeiters as a consequence.[4a]
Religion[]
The God of Law known as Solkan, the god of vengeance, embodies the sentiment that drives vendettas and is still worshipped in Tilea, especially in Remas.[3a] While Sconduino worshippers often pursue brutal feuds and vendettas over slights to their "honour"; other worshippers claim they need no excuse for violence, and look down somewhat on the Tileans. However, both groups do recognise they serve the same god.[5a]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War (5th Edition)
- 1a: pg. 73
- 2: Town Cryer 14
- 2a: pp. 20-26
- 3: Brunner the Bounty Hunter: Omnibus (Novel) by C.L. Werner
- 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: The Imperial Zoo (RPG)
- 4a: pg. 78
- 5: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Salvation (RPG)
- 5a: pg. 118
- 6: Warhammer Monthly Comic 32
- 6a: "Mordheim - City of the Damned Ch.5: Bodyguards" by Gordon Rennie
- 7: Warhammer Monthly Comic 58
- 7a: "The Remors of the Dead" by Mitchel Scanlon
- 8: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Death's Dark Shadow (RPG)
- 8a: pg. 56