Marienburg (Warhammer)

Marienburg is a fictional city in the Warhammer Fantasy universe. It is a wealthy city that has broken apart from the rest of the Empire, and is roughly analogous to the 16th and 17th century Low Countries, although as with many of the Warhammer Background's Cities it also is heavy influenced by UK locations, in this case mainly Bristol. It is renowned for its flourishing sea trade and the flamboyant dress of its merchants. At the time of the setting of the Games Workshop game Mordheim, it had not yet broken away.

Recent history

In the history of the Warhammer World, Marienburg was once part of the Empire, but gained independence though a massive transfer of gold into the imperial coffers during the reign of the corrupt Emperor Dieter IV. Any subsequent attempts to subdue Marienburg and bring it back within rule of the Empire have failed, and today Marienburg remains a fiercely independent city-state where the Count of Nordland, nominally the ruler of Marienburg, is forbidden to return under pain of death.

Graf Paulus van der Maacht was the last Baron of Westerland. He was killed in 2302IC during the last Incursion of Chaos. He was 15 years old and unmarried, leaving no heir to the Barony. The van der Maachts were also a junior branch of the ruling house of Nordland who immediately put forward candidates upon Paulus' death. So did many other houses from right across the Empire. The decision of Magnus the Pious over whom to appoint looked ready to destabilise the Empire. It was at this point that the three envoys, Jan Koopmans, Pieter Winkler, and Thijs van Onderzoeker from Marienburg's merchant families entered the scene.

In 2305IC Magnus the Pious created the Province of the Westerland from the Barony of Westerland. The Province was to be governed by a Council made up of the heads of the merchant families of Marienburg. For over a hundred years this council operated successfully but they had insidiously extended their powers, allowing merchant princes to keep private fleets and militias (in order to protect the Province from pirates). In 2378–79 IC a successful campaign against the privateers was brought to a close but still the fleets and armies did not disband. The key point was when the Council approached Emperor Leopold and offered to relieve the Imperial Second Fleet (stationed at Marienburg) and conduct the defence of the city themselves. Leopold agreed as he was facing uprisings in other areas and the upkeep of the Second Fleet was a drain of the Imperial coffers he could do without. The council also relieved the Imperial Excise men of their duties and collected taxes themselves on behalf of the Emperor. In the spring of 2429 IC the Province of Westerland refused to provide any more troops for the Imperial armies and when Emperor Dieter IV was replaced by Prince Wilhelm of Altdorf, Westerland formally seceded from the Empire. The city is now ruled over by the High Council.

Current status

In the most recent incarnations of the Warhammer family of Games, Marienburg has long been the largest and most prosperous trading city in the Old World. Many call it the City of Gold which alone conveys a good idea of the wealth of this sprawling cosmopolitan city. Nowhere else can be found the vast array of shops selling goods from as far away as the Elven kingdoms of Ulthuan in the west and distant Cathay in the east. The city’s craftsmen represent every skill known to man, and a few others beside, so that it is said in Marienburg there is no activity that cannot be quickly turned to profit.

Many mercantile guilds have their headquarters in Marienburg, most important of all the secretive High Order of Honorable Freetraders which represents the elite amongst mercantile society. This large, rich and ambitious body of men feel themselves shackled by the old order and are eager to seize power for themselves.

Marienburg relies mainly on the sea and river for trade, and accordingly its patron god is the Warhammer setting's god of the sea, Manann. The Old World's largest temple to Manann is on the shores of the city, where the god is represented by a huge aquarium. The temple, or Great Cathedral, is highly influential in the city's politics and trade, offers priest-navigators to ships, and oversees much of the city's nautically-related guilds and unions. The Arch-Priest of the temple is a ranking, permanent member of the Executive Council of the Stadsraad. The cult has forbidden the cult of Stromfels, a violent aspect of Manann, and has largely absorbed the cult of Olovald (see below).

Marienburg is also home to a great temple to Handrich, or Haendryk, as the locals call him, the Warhammer setting's god of merchants, prosperity, and trade. Marienburg is completely reliant on trade, and this god is quite popular with the upper and middle classes. The god's temple is ornate and gilded, and also operates as a bank and financial center. The lower classes tend to look to Ranald, the god of traders and sharp dealers, for aid in their transactions.

An unusual and very small cult to Olovald, god of the delta, also remains in Marienburg and the Wasteland, worshipped by a small number of marsh-folk and river workers, financially supported by a few more prosperous cult members. The cult has a small church on the southside of the city.

Notable Citizens and Institutions

Brother Marijkus: A priest of Shallya. He has a brother called Bertholdt. He is of the Edelmoed Temple

Marius the Fen Wolf: A descendant of Gulderic, Marius was made the first Baron of Westerland. His name is spelled differently in various documents; Marjus, Marikjus, Ma.rus and Marjoos are all valid. He conducted a long- running and successful campaign against the Fimir and goblins who plagued the marshes and fens of the region. It was during this campaign that he discovered the ruins of Sith Rionnasc'namishathir and set up his capital there, calling it the City of Marius, or Marienburg. Cousin to Pieter Winkler

Marienburg Home For Foundlings is an institution that lies on Potion Square and is run by Sister Marianne Liefeder. It consists of three buildings that back onto Poultice Water. The Home is well run and organised. Its orphans don't wander the streets begging, they wander the streets in a smart blue uniform and shake a tin for people to donate money to the Home. Gunther and Anders Grimm act as servants.

Timeline of Marienburg

(notes: This Timeline is based on Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and as such there have been a few changes, most notably that Sea Elves are now considered High Elf traders. Also note that the abbreviation IC= imperial calendar)

• -4550 to -2000: Elves founded Sith Rionnasc'namishathir, "Fortress of the Star Gem on the Sandy Coast." They were joined by the dwarfs who provided much construction work in the city.
• -1997 to -1500: The 'War of the Beard' between the elves and dwarfs, which tore the Old World apart, causes the city's downfall. Although the dwarves won control of the city after a protracted siege, they left after several decades, razing the city to the ground.
• 0 to 100 IC: The date of the arrival of humans is unknown. A tribe called the 'Jutones' were operating in this area of the Old World, and it is likely that these were the source of Marienburg's founder. The Jutones were fiercely independent, being the last tribe to swear allegiance to Sigmar Heldenhammer. As the Empire established firmer control over its territory, the title of Baron of the Westerland was granted to Marieus, a Jutone descendent. Marieus founded Marienburg in his name.
• 765 IC: The 'Treaty of Traktatsey'. Concluded at Althing, it ended the long wars between the Norse and the Empire, and inspired trade. It is of particular interest to historians, the treaty is the earliest original documentation of Marienburg still present in the Old World today (held in the University Library).
• 936 IC: Marriage with Duke of Mousillon
• 1087 IC: 'Treaty of Pend' seals the relationship with eastern Albion. There were several, shorter lived, treaties in the preceding years with other countries, but the overall effect was to increase Marienburg's influence as an accessible trading port.
• 1152 IC: Marienburg, being removed from the centre of the Empire is unaffected by the 200 year Age of Wars.
• 1597 IC: Marienburg is seized by the Bretonnian army. After five years, the Empire forces the occupiers to retreat.
• 2150 IC: This marks the important date when the Sea Elves returned to the Old World, and Marienburg offered their original Land back in exchange for exclusive trading rights. Marienburg now plays host to the largest Sea Elf Enclave, with all the riches that entails.
• 2302 IC: The last of the Van der Maacht Lineage and Baron of the Westerland was killed in battle in the last incursion of Chaos. He was 15 and left no heirs. A power squabble immediately broke out amongst the other Imperial Nobility, all of whom tried to claim that they had rights to Westerland. But three powerful Marienburg merchants, Jan Koopmans, Pieter Winkler and Thijs van Onderzoeker approached Magnus (Emperor) and proposed that a council of merchants run Marienburg to save political favouritism.
• 2305 IC: The edict was signed that officially changed Westerland from a barony to a province, still remaining part of the Empire.
• 2378 IC: Successful campaigns against raiding pirates by the private Marienburg's Merchant Navy allows the council to persuade the Emperor to disband the Imperial Second Fleet in Marienburg. Marienburg also appointed its own excise officers, with the Imperial Tax men merely checking the books. The true power had shifted to the side of the Merchants.
• 2429 IC: Westerland formally seceded from the Empire, seeking to escape economic hardships resulting from Imperial war taxes. Prince Wilhelm attempts to regain the city three times, but a war-exhausted Army fails.

References

• A Murder in Marienburg by David Bishop, Black Library, 2007
• Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Black Industries, 2005;
• Marienburg: Sold Down the River, Hogshead Publishing, 1999

External links

• WFRP Marienburg page