Carroburg is a small Imperial city that once served as the capital of the former Electoral Province of Drakwald before its desolation in 1414 IC. Carroburg's economy specializes in trade and the manufacture of glass, and pottery, with its present day ruler being Duke Leopold von Bildhofen.
During those periods in which Middenheim and Middenland were separate Imperial provinces, Carroburg served as the provincial capital of Middenland.
Geography[]
Heraldry of Carroburg
Once the seat of the kings of the ancient Teutogen tribe and later the capital of the Empire under the Drakwald Emperors, Carroburg is the chief town of western Middenland. Built on the steep slopes that rise from the River Reik's east bank, Carroburg is a maze of twisting streets and stairs. Since water and waste travel downhill, the more well-off the residents of a neighbourhood are, the higher up the hill they will be. This makes the businesses of the shoe and boot cleaners in the docks district very brisk, indeed.[1b] The cliff faces are carved with an impressive Dragon, a reminder of the time when Carroburg was Drakwald's provincial capital. It is also home to the Empire's finest school for oratory, another relic of its days as a royal city.[2a]
The city is dominated by two grand palaces. The larger is the residence of the Elector Count of Middenheim and Middenland, held ready for his occasional visits. It is an ancient mansion, tall with narrow windows and no entrances to the residence on the ground floor. Though this has been true since the house was built, Carroburgers think the graf likes it because it is harder for an angry mob to storm -- and the mob has been angry since the imposition of the "penny on the pound" tax, which takes an extra penny for each pound of cargo brought into the port. Ostensibly levied to raise money for the repair of distant Middenheim's defences, cynics among the public think it is going straight to the coffers of the Ar-Ulric. Currently the house is occupied by the current graf's heir, Baron Wulfram von Todbringer. The public has seen little of him since his arrival; word has it that his health is weak and the graf sent him here to keep him away from the fighting.[1b]
The other palace is that of Duke Leopold von Bildhofen, the ruler of Carroburg under the graf. The von Bildhofen family is an ancient one, tracing its roots back to the great families of Drakwald and even claiming the Emperor Magnus the Pious as a relative. Duke Leopold is popular in the region, as he is a regular donor to the temples and charities and openly supports the rights legally granted by the city's charter as "the wave of the future," an idea that appalls his noble cousins. Some see him as a defender of "western" interests in the court at Middenheim.[1b]
The Drakschloss is the now abandoned residence of the Drakwald Emperors. It is ancient and tall with many narrow windows, all sealed with chains. Once majestic and welcoming, it has been shunned since Emperor Boris Goldgather and his court died there in 1115 IC while the Black Death was raging. Any attempts to reopen it have ended in madness and death -- even thieves avoid it like the plague.[2a]
Notable Locations[]
The location of Carroburg in Middenland.
Temple of Clio the Scrivener[]
The Temple of Clio the Scrivener is surprisingly large and ornate for that of a minor deity. This is mainly because of the large fees (or "donations") that the cultists require in exchange for their services as premier scribes, illuminators, and documenters for the powerful and wealthy. The temple also receives regular and sizable contributions from patron temples of Verena, the goddess of knowledge.[3a]
Located in the heart of Carroburg, the temple is a simple square with an enormous front gate. The walls are adorned with gorgeous carvings, frescoes, and mosaics depicting Clio, Verena, and dedicated cultists hard at work. The temple's library is impressive and filled with original works on philosophy, history, and theology, along with copies of other famous tomes penned by the temple's professional scribes.[3a]
Knights of the Blazing Sun Chapter House[]
The Order of the Blazing Sun is rich from its foreign dealings and possesses great influence in Middenland, where the order's grand master commands his templars from the primary chapter house in Carroburg.[3b][3c]
Some elements of the Order 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 Cult of Myrmidia in Magritta actually agree, as they reason it would help spread the influence of their goddess in the north, but most swear that they would rather die than give up their statue.[4a]
Diplomatic relations between the Empire and Estalia are not always cordial and Reiklander 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."[4a]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Sigmar's Heirs (RPG)
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Archives of the Empire Vol I (RPG)
- 2a: pg. 10
- 3: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Salvation (RPG)
- 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Career Compendium (RPG)
- 4a: pg. 124
- 5: Total War: Warhammer (PC Game)