Warhammer Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Warhammer Wiki

"In the Republic of Remas all citizens are equal - anyone who's too tall has his head chopped off, and anyone who's too short gets stretched."

—Popular Reman saying[1b]

Remas, officially the Republic of Remas and sometimes called the "Rebellious Republic of Remas," is a large, prosperous and ancient city-state located on the coast of Tilea. Remas was once the heart of the ancient Reman Empire.[4a]Now the mercantile elite from the capital of Remas rule over the collection of mostly independent and constantly quarreling city-states that comprises the present-day land of Tilea.[7a][12a] The huge circular harbour of Remas was built, it is said, by the High Elves for their trading ships. Now, even though it is ruined and colossal chunks of masonry lie half submerged in the sea, it still shelters the large and powerful fleet of Remas. The narrow entrance to the harbour is spanned by a mighty bridge resting on great stone piers. This bridge not only carries the road linking the two sides of the city, but bears the weight of many fine houses and palaces of the Merchant Princes on both sides of the street. These rise up in three, four and five stories with overhanging balconies.[1a]

There are towers at either end and in the middle of the bridge and, being Tilea, some of these are leaning at gravity-defying angles, supported by numerous colossal buttresses. The rest of Remas is laid out on a grand scale within a long circuit of defences. The city is very populous and is famous for its strong mercenary army, most of which fight as pikemen. These are supplied by the retinues of the many merchant houses. The city state of Remas has been a relatively stable republic for several centuries thanks to these troops, who have resisted tyrants and would-be conquerors on innumerable occasions.[1a]

History[]

Remas became a republic during the long period of famines which beset the whole of Tilea. These famines were caused by plagues of rats and mice which ate the corn in the fields and the grain in the storehouses. The situation became so bad that grain had to be imported from wherever there was a surplus, but thanks to Tilean mercantile expertise, and Tilean seafarers, deals were done and grain was shipped in from such places as Bretonnia and the Empire. Some Merchant Princes were tempted to hoard up the grain to sell at a high price. Needless to say there were popular reports and these Princes were overthrown, which is what happened in Remas and Verezzo.[1a]

But this was not the first attempt to establish a republic in the city, already at the time of the discovery of Albion by the “first citizen” Curious Geasar, and its subsequent assassination several centuries ago, the pro-republicans had attempted a putsch.[11a]

Battle of the Bridge[]

"At last! Remas is avenged!"

Marco Colombo watching the butchering of the Dark Elves at the city-temple of Tlax[1b]
Giants of Albion

The Giants of Albion fight the Reman troops of Geasar during the invasion of Albion.

The worst event to befall Remas was the Dark Elf raid in 1487 IC. The fleet of galleys that would usually defend the approaches to the harbor were all at sea, and the Dark Elves took advantage of an unseasonal mist to reach the harbor entrance. However, their ships were stopped at the terrible 'Battle of the Bridge' in which a large part of the bridge was sacked and burnt by the Dark Elves, who also took away many people as slaves. Remas' mercenary garrison was able to hold either end of the bridge until the enemy, satiated with destruction, decided to leave. This attack angered all of Tilea and the bridge was eventually restored to its former glory. The citizens cherish a deep dislike of the Naggarothi to this day and are very happy to provide mercenaries, artillery, and war galleys at a discount price to anyone who happens to be at war with them.[1a]

Remas heraldry as depicted in Man O'War Corsair

The heraldry of Remas as depicted in Man O' War: Corsair.

Following the Dark Elf raid there was much speculation as to where these raiders were from. The High Elves denounced the Dark Elves, but were not forthcoming with any answers. However, the merchants of Remas were eager for revenge and ready to finance expeditions of exploration into the West. Maps brought out of Araby after the crusades revealed little of what lay beyond the western ocean, only of the seas and coasts of the Southlands. Then in 1491 IC Marco Colombo, a merchant of Remas, acquired a map from a Norscan seafarer. This had the coast of Lustria marked on it revealing that there was a western continent beyond Ulthuan. It also had the approximate location of the Norse settlements established centuries before by Losteriksson. There were other interesting details on the map, such as tally marks indicating how many days sailing the voyage would last and runes to mark the prevailing winds and various hazards that had been encountered. Marco eventually persuaded Orlando, an exiled Prince of Trantio in the service of Remas, to spare him three of the most up-to-date ships and a mercenary crew. Five years later in 1492 IC, Marco set out on the long voyage to Lustria.[1b]

There he witnesses the defeat of the very same Dark Elf pirates who had plundered his city. Not only that, he managed to capture the leader of their remaining force and decided to send the Elf as a gift to the Lizardmen. That was just one of the many occasions when he was hired by those mysterious creatures. Then with a booty worthy of a prince he gets back to Tilea and uses the treasures to increase his family's influence in Remas and finally becomes Prince of Trantio.[31a]

The Remas-Luccini Wars[]

Reman mercenary against troops from Luccini

Reman mercenaries ambushing Luccinian troops.

Tilea has always been shaken by intestine conflicts and mercantile wars. One of the many was the Fifth Remas-Luccini War.[27]

This conflict ceased almost two hundred years ago, thanks to the neutral intervention of the famed Count di Argentisso of Scozzese, only man trusted by both sides, he succeeded in brokering a peace settlement, bringing to an end almost three centuries of unremitting hostility between the two great trading rivals.[27]

Sadly stories tend to repeat and merely twenty years ago Remas and Luccini were again at each other throats. The forces of the Princes of Luccini marched to siege the city of Remas, but they were betrayed by their paymaster, Enrico Cassari. He made a parley with the enemy and in exchange for the paychest he was supposed to guard, he sent them the route-to-advance of the Luccinian forces, sentencing them to death, Remas' forces awaited them in ambush from an advantage point, leaving no way out for the forces of the invaders.[26]

Just recently the Prince's spies discovered the betrayal, as Cassari was believed slaughtered with the rest of the Luccinian army. So the Prince has sent a warrant of extradition to the council of the republic that rules the city of Remas, where the traitor was hiding, but without any results.[26]

Determined to take revenge, the Prince placed the astronomical bounty of a thousand Ducats on Cassari's head. The reward was later collected by the assassin, Liliana Falcone, once his elimination was completed.[26]

Timeline[]

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


Classic Age (1 to 474 IC)[]

  • 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.
  • 20 to 60 IC - According to certain schools of Myrmidian thought, the warrior goddess manifests as a mortal woman. After suffering great hardships, she rises to the head of a force that sweeps across Tilea and Estalia and forges a great southern empire. Theologians and scholars of history vigorously debate the details and factuality of these claims.[31a] The vast and powerful Tilean empire centred on the ancient city of Remas spread across most of the present-day lands of Tilea, Estalia, the Border Princes and southern Bretonnia.[31d]

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

  • 1487 - Unseasonal mists descend on Remas and result in their fleet of galleys having to remain at sea. A Dark Elf raiding fleet penetrates the harbour. They are beaten back at the Battle of the Bridge, but not before they have inflicted great damage on the city and absconded with many captives.

Age of Exploration (1492 to 1999 IC)[]

  • 1492 IC - On the eve of the Day of the Spear, Marco Colombo becomes the first Tilean to visit Lustria and is enlisted by the Lizardmen. He witnesses the defeat of the same Dark Elf pirates who had plundered the city of Remas during the Battle of the Bridge.
  • 1722 IC - The plague fleet of the Chaos Champion Egarl Bloodhard besieges the Tilean town of Zorastra, but is kept at bay by the excellent sea defences protecting the port. Inspired by Nurgle, the fleet’s shamans feed plague-ridden meat to seabirds that nest in the city, and soon Zorastra suffers an outbreak of disease. Refugees fleeing the city undo the chain gates that kept the reavers at bay, and Zorastra is sacked by the followers of Chaos and their murderous fleet. Zorastra falls within the hour.

Era of Enlightenment (2000 IC to Present)[]

  • 2006 IC - The brilliant Leonardo da Miragliano directs the reconstruction of the Grand Coliseum. Leonardo builds dozens of innovative devices into the massive structure inspired by conversations with the legendary Ogre gladiator, Brognal Bullsmiter.
  • ca. 2000 IC - The Fifth Remas-Luccini War begins. A conflict that will involve the two city-states for almost three centuries.
  • ca. 2302 IC - After the defeat of the Witch King Malekith in Ulthuan at the Battle of Finuval Plain, Asarnil begin his self-exile with Deathfang in the city of Remas and is hired by the Prince of the city-state against Miragliano. In the naval battle of the Siren‘s Rocks, Asarnil and Deathfang destroyed Miragliano‘s entire fleet, and ended the city‘s supremacy at sea.
  • 2321-2399 IC - Tilea is gripped by recurrent famines caused by plagues of mice eating the grain. In Remas a group of merchants sponsor the raising of a regiment called the Republican Guard. They slay the tyrannical merchant prince Omilio Mondo and parade his decapitated head around the city on a pike. The merchant families of Remas form a council of fifty from whom a ruling triumvir is chosen to govern the city.
  • 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.
  • ca. 2485 IC - The Reman General Mandalari the Magnificent siege the city of Miragliano. Thanks to a stratagem plotted by Prince Borgio, the Miraglianese army manages to disrupt the attack, routed by the timely counter-assault the Reman host is forced to flee.
  • 2489 IC - At the battle of Villa Vennia, Borgio the Besieger defeats a mercenary army from the Republic of Remas.
  • Between 2497 and ca. 2503 IC - Bensario one of the most influential merchant princes of Pavona set a marriage of convenience between his daughter Juliana and one of the Triumvirs of Remas, Prince Umberto Gambini. In this way, he hoped to cement the alliance between the two cities against the Principality of Trantio, strongly weakened by the defeats suffered due to the war with Miragliano. Just some days later Remas suffers the second coming of the Mardagg, the Greater Daemon of Khorne vanishing the same day without leaving a trace, but not before creating panic and hysteria in the population, and a high death toll.

Government[]

Remas flag

The flag of Remas as depicted in Man O' War: Corsair.

"The Council of Fifty is always led by three merchant prince members who are picked, supposedly at random, each year to rule as a triumvirate. The Remas Republic’s interests for that year are then heavily influenced by the preferences of that year’s triumvirs."

—Rosella Vanvitelli to the Imperial beast scholar Theodosius Schreiber[18a]

Each of Remas' most powerful merchant families is represented on the Council of Fifty, an assembly that debates issues and drafts legislation. Three members of the council are randomly selected each year to preside over it as a triumvirate. Currently, the Triumvirs are the powerful Alfeo Romeo, the increasingly tyrannical Marco Telli, and Imelda Mondo, a descendant of Omilio Mondo sole prince of Remas before his violent deposition.[19d]

It is worth examining how the Republic of Remas is governed since it is one of the least corrupt and longest-lived republics. Each of the powerful merchant families is represented on the Council of Fifty. This assembly gathers in the Council Chamber to debate every issue and to make decisions and laws. The members of the council call themselves with the title of Citizens.[1a][1b]

Three members of the council are chosen randomly each year to preside over it as a triumvirate. The policy of the republic for that year becomes whatever the special interests of the triumvirs, or their families, may be. So if one of the triumvirs happens to be most concerned with merchant ventures, the republic will probably finance a trading venture in that year. If one of the triumvirs is a patron of the arts, the republic can expect to gain a new public edifice decorated by the finest artists in Tilea. If one or more of the triumvirs happens to be a noteworthy mercenary general then the neighboring states will become rather alarmed and start renovating their defenses.[1a]

In theory, any citizen could sit on that council, though in practice only the richest of the merchant princes ever do. But even so, they have to be very careful about just how much power they exhibit. Insurrection is probably the biggest thing the inhabitants of this city fear.[7a]

In fact, one weakness of the system of government in Remas is that the triumvirs sometimes fall out with each other. This results in occasional civil wars in which two triumvirs set upon the other with their mercenary forces. The sudden changing of sides and re-alignment between the contending triumvirs is not unknown, even leading to confusion in the ranks in the middle of a battle. Usually, the cause of the trouble is when one of the triumvirs tries to make himself the sole Prince and his colleagues resist his attempted coup in the interests of the republic. Often such an attempt to take over the state can be preempted by assassination or a brisk series of street battles leading to the proscription and exile of the would-be tyrant's supporters.[1a]

Inhabitants[]

Of the other Tilean States, only Remas recruits its own citizens,[19c] in what is generally called Free Companies of Remas,[32a] selling the right to recruit to contractor-captains called condottieri for a period of service, after which they’re free to seek work elsewhere.[19c] Short capes and broad-guarded shortswords are typical of these armies.[21a]

Reman officers are steadfast, and their years of training have offered them excellent leadership.[9a]

Progressive parties within Reman society have labeled the nobility as potentially violent elements, and even seek to have them exiled.[8a] This is one of the reasons the first printing of The Border Prince by Imaschiavelli Venedetto immediately sold out in Remas, where the merchant and patrician classes have always shared an insatiable appetite for any salacious material concerning their spirited eastern neighbours. The book is in fact a kind of guide for young border courtiers to the proper application of power (and guile) over a principality in the Border Princes.[8c]

Some nobles, like Marco di Tantivelli, have seen their prestige diminished with the passing of the generations. Tired of the constant political attacks on their families, these nobles decided to relocate to the Border Princes, hoping to carve out a little kingdom for themselves so that they could live as a Reman noble of old.[8a]

Geography and Economy[]

"Per pale, sable and or, two scorpions tergant, counterchanged... That’s registered to one of the great merchant houses of Remas. Odd that one of their mercenaries would be so far to the north. Hm. For all we know, he stole that shield in a raid, but if he didn’t... Well. This could get interesting."

—A Herald[1a]

A giant headland over 100 miles long and up to 40 miles broad juts out into the Tilean Sea, sealing off a large lagoon, into which flow numerous small rivers. This makes the lagoon extremely favourable for marine life, and the people of Remas exploit this to the full, and have gained a reputation as the world's greatest fishermen. The city was built at the tip of the peninsula, walled to all sides. To further strengthen its defences, there are two series of inner walls, following the contours of the headland and rising to a splendid citadel at its peak. Remans, also less commonly called Remasens,[9a] or Remeans,[2b] 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.[5a]

The high chalk cliffs that form a wall around the Bay of Remas are riddled with caves of different sizes, populated by small groups of Goblins. Given their small number, they do not represent a great danger to the nearby villages that live off the abundant fishing and sporadic raiding of the wrecks of shipwrecked vessels.[25]

Magic[]

Remas is one of the study voyage of the Master Wizards of the Colleges of Magic, eager to learn from the most refined minds in the classic grandeur of Tilea.[14a]

Remas is one of the nine cities around the Old World where cracks in the Aethyr hang in the sky. The others are: Bögenhafen, Ubersreik, Altdorf, Middenheim, Talabheim, Nuln, Bechafen, Averheim[13a] Maybe this has to do with the undoing of the tutor of the Purple Hand, Vatheck Fulci, of the Far Eye cult.[13a]

The City[]

Remas V.3

Unofficial Map of Remas City

Because of its central position, Remas is often in a state of hostilities with its great trading rivals Miragliano, Verezzo and Luccini. There have been many sea battles between the fleets of Remas and Luccini and also against the pirates of Sartosa. Tobaro, on the other hand, is often the ally of Remas and mercenaries from Remas have helped the Princes of Tobaro hold on to their city in several sieges and against numerous plots.[1a]

Tilean merchants from Remas and Verezzo have been known to pay a high price for exotic stone sphinxes and other statues made by the ancient inhabitants of Khemri, which they use to adorn their villas and plazas.[1c]

Grand Harbour of the Republic of Remas[]

Remas's Docks

One of the docks in Remas

Built upon the tip of a vast peninsula, nearly one hundred miles in length and almost half as broad, the city is completely surrounded by a giant lagoon, a body of water almost perfectly round in shape. Long had been the speculation that the lagoon was no natural formation, but some vast undertaking constructed by the long departed elves. Great blocks of masonry stabbing upward from the lagoon like fangs of stone and other ruins lying just beneath the water certainly gave evidence that the elves had exploited this place, even if they had not created it.[7a]

The Grand Harbour of the Republic of Remas was built by the High Elves long, long ago. It fell into ruin when they mostly withdrew from the Old World for distant Ulthuan.[18a] Where their outpost have stood, men had reared a still greater city. The tiled roofs and plastered walls of Remas spread across either side of the lagoon, surrounding it completely on its landward edges.[7a] While Titanic Elven pieces of broken masonry lie partially submerged throughout the bay and make navigation hazardous. Even now, the broken ruins the Tileans have as yet left untouched are a beautiful sight.[18a]

The Grand Harbour is vast enough to hold Remas entire fleet, one of the greatest of the Old World and the largest in Tilea.[18a][29a]

Il Ponte Eterno[]

The mouth of the lagoon has also been claimed by the city; being crossed by a colossal bridge, very high that rests on huge stone pillars to allow the fast and elegant warships of Remas to easily access the sea. It is nearly two miles long by nearly four hundred yards wide, and is entirely built of polished granite, a heavy gray rock supported by gigantic stone pillars below. It is built on a scale that would impress even a dwarf, although there seems to be no trace of the influence of the engineers of said race.[7a]

The bridge connects the two halves of the city, which lie on either side of the harbour.[18a]

This bridge not only supports the weight of the street that connects both sides of the city, but also that of numerous houses and palaces of great beauty that, located on both sides of the street and with large hanging balconies, gave so much to the interior of the lagoon like the sea. These are the houses of the richest Merchant Princes of Remas, those who made up the ruling council, made up of fifty men, and the triumvirate, which was chosen from among them to decide how the government would be directed and exercised.[7a]

Each of these opulent dwellings tries to outdo the others in its ornamentation and the majesty of its facades. The palaces rise up to three, four, and even five stories, and their structures protruded far beyond the bridge, supported by their own steel and wood pillars. Despite the ostentatious extravagance of the structure, each mansion is solidly built, like a small fortress in its own right. The windows on the lower floors are narrow, too small for even a goblin to slip through. Only the upper floors feature large stained glass windows and massive skylights, though less abundant than in the similarly affluent districts of Luccini and Miragliano.[7a]

Gigantic columns and statues dominate the façade of each palace, while the colorful banners and flags that display the heraldic coats of arms of Remas and those of each of the noble houses flutter in the fresh sea breeze over each tower and spire that rise above the luxurious abodes. In addition to the heraldic shields, the banners of numerous mercenary companies fly over the palaces, as a silent reminder to the enemies of a particular house, of which band of soldiers protected the family and their interests.[7a]

Between the palaces, at regular intervals, there is a wide and low fort, a small two-story structure. Each blockhouse has a battery of cannons. A measure of protection in the wake of the sacking the city suffered by a fleet of elven corsairs, an event that has never been forgotten or forgiven. If such a fleet ever dared to carry out such an attack, he would regret the decision.[7a]

Each end of the bridge is protected by a solid iron gate, guarded on both sides by a pair of towers. The doors are guarded by members of the republican guard, trained soldiers equipped with armor plates, helms, and halberds,[3] hired by the council of Remas for the protection of all the noble houses and, ostensibly, of all the inhabitants of the city. They carefully monitor the traffic coming onto the bridge and push back anyone who looks too shabby to have legitimate business to attend to there.[7a]

The towers at both ends of the bridge are huge; rising to twice the height of the tallest of the mansions and leaning out over the water at angles that defied gravity so insanely that it seemed impossible, even with the many colossal stone buttresses that arose from the water to give them support.[7a] There are leaning towers also in the middle of the bridge.[1a]

Palazzo Gambini[]

Owned by Umberto Gambini, a member of the Triumviri di Remas is a typical example of the opulence of the Merchant Princes palazzos present on the Bridge. The Gambini palazzo is located midway along the enormous Great Reman Bridge. Within the Gambini palazzo there is a room as bright as the white sands of Araby’s shore, as cool as the summer breeze across the plains of Bretonnia. Thick matting of soft pristine fabric cover the floors, vibrant murals depicting quiet pastures alive with wild flowers grace the walls. The furnishings are slender and graceful, crafted of some pale wood from the slopes of the Abasko Mountains, the legs of the dainty tables and chairs forming the downward curves of swan necks, the heads of the birds forming the feet. Upon the tables reposed slender-waisted vases, intricately painted vessels from far Cathay, each worth more than even a modest nobleman in the Empire could brag his fortune into amounting. Each of the vases are filled with fragrant bouquets of fresh white roses, seemingly chosen for their ability to match the trim of the walls, the hue of the furnishings and the dye of the rugs.[7a]

The huge structure even boasts a Chapel of Shallya and a stable which to adapt to the narrow available land was built on several floors allowing the horses to climb to the higher ones thanks to a ramp.[7a]

Great Coliseum of Remas[]

The Great (or Grand) Coliseum of Remas also kwown as the Proving Ground, Leonardo’s Triumph, the Crimson Zoo, the Tallest Pit, and The House of Glory, to name just a few of its names, is the largest gladiatorial and exhibition amphitheatre in all the Old World. Is a huge, squat building in the midst of the city, visible even from the harbour. No scholar can reliably say just how old it is, for Tilean records are notoriously ‘fanciful’. All reputable historians are in firm agreement that it was restored by the brilliant Leonardo da Miragliano. Leonardo builds dozens of innovative devices into the massive structure inspired by conversations with the legendary Ogre gladiator, Brognal Bullsmiter. Many of the cunning devices that the brilliant genious built into the Great Coliseum are still in use till this day, five centuries later.[18a]

Here Tileans can assist to bloody fight of Gladiators traded even in the ancient styles of old Tilea, even beast can be unleash in the arena but the most craved fights are those made by Ogre pit-fighters for their spectacular violence.[16a][17]

Casa di Ruggisce[]

The ‘House of Roars’ handles all ‘bestia’ for the Great Coliseum. Here the clerks and Rosella Vanvitelli, the House’s ‘Procuratore Extraordinari’ are widely considered as some of the most knowledgeable experts on every kind of monstrous creature to be found anywhere in Tilea.[18a]

Signorina Vanvitelli is a vibrant and striking woman, delighted to accept scholars from different institutions like the Imperial Zoo of Altdorf. It was Vanvitelli’s last expedition that brought back the mighty prizes that caught Chancellor Eberhardt von Festschrift of Altdorf University interest.[18a]

The Casa di Ruggisce is a mere stone’s throw from the Great Coliseum. Wide underground tunnels connect the cages of the House of Roars to the amphitheatre, allowing for the transport of various beasts directly to the arena floor. The House’s cages are among the strongest on the market, of course, the best are Dwarf work. After a short series of tunnels, there is a tremendous open space that the House had excavated, it stretch near sixty feet below ground in some places. From a reinforced balcony overlooking several large enclosures is possible to admire some of the greatest triumphs of the Casa, Carnosaurs, Stegadons and Horned Ones directly from the Southlands.[18a]

Vanvitelli took advantage of a year when two triumvirs fond of the Great Coliseum were in power and convinced them all of the potential glory in funding an expedition to the Southlands to bring back wondrous creatures for science, art, and some spectacular bloodshed. Anyway she's unwilling to talk much about the difficulties of the expedition, preferring to speak of how successful it had been and the huge sums the beasts are bringing to Remas.[18a]

In the Coliseum, spectators can assist in several feeding exhibitions of the Southlands creatures, which are always sold out events. Watching a Carnosaur hunt down and devour a bull running through an artificial jungle is a unique experience. And even Bestiarii gladiators can fight against those beasts, if somehow they manage to survive and even win against such monstruosities, due to the great valour of those creatures is not uncommon to deny them their execution.[18a]

Throughout Tilea, and certainly in the Casa di Ruggisce, cats are exceedingly well regarded, but it isn’t just simple farm cats that make the southerners’ hearts sing. Tileans prefer their deadly creatures to have grace and skill, for they see much of the ‘gladiatore’ in them. Correspondingly, the Casa is ever searching for new ‘Boia Silenzioso’ for exhibition in the arena. Some they intend merely for display at times. Others are brought in to hunt wild game across the arena floor for the amusement of spectators. Far rarer are the ‘Killer Exhibitions’ when one of the Great Cats of the Irrana Mountains, or an Arabyan Leopardus, is set against an equally dangerous predator, such as a Tilean Mur.[18a]

The Three City Walls[]

At both ends of the bridge is the vast expanse of the city. The rest of Remas is designed on a large scale within a long defense circuit. An inner wall of huge stone blocks encloses the oldest part of the city and embraces the coastline in some sections. This, in turn, joins a second wall, larger and thicker than its predecessor, which likewise follows the coastline before continuing inland to encircle an even larger portion of the peninsula. Along the coast, the second wall met and joined an enormous wall, of much later construction and even more impressive proportions. Twenty men standing one on top of the other would not make it to the top of the outer wall,[7a]

Towers and presidios rise from this wall every thirty meters or so, and crossbowmen watch carefully as they patrol the battlements. Like the older walls, these too hug the coast for a long way before penetrating inland and bisecting the peninsula forming an unbroken stone barrier that stretched from shore to shore, so that the lagoon and the surrounding city were completely enclosed.[7a]

Three massive gates provide access through the outer wall. The towers on the north gate of Remas lean over the moat beyond the walls. Some say far too much due to the terrible angle of fire. These towers were made by Leonardo da Miragliano himself by the account of Gossippa Lotta.[1a][7a]

Fortress of Remas[]

Between the first two walls, on a high elevation in the terrain, the skeletal remains of the mighty fortress of Remas still stand. It is a relic of older and darker times, when tyrannical despots ruled the city long before the enlightened administration of the Republic. The fortress had been extensively sacked by the citizens of Remas during the centuries after the founding of the Republic, and the stone blocks of its walls had been used to erect the palaces of the ruling families on the gigantic bridge of the mouth of the lagoon, because it was thought that the very presence of such a castle in the city would fuel the ambition of some future tyrant, and no man could be entrusted with the possession of that construction. The fortress had risen briefly from the ruins during the despotic rule of Omilio Mondo, when the self-proclaimed Prince of Remas had attempted to repair the castle and thus fortify his rule. However, with the death of Mondo, the reconstruction of the fortress was once again prohibited, which then languishes like an abandoned pile of rubble that dominated the inner city.[7a]

Council Chamber[]

The Council Chamber is were the Council of Fifty meets to vote and discuss matters regarding the republic of Remas.[1b]

Old Tower[]

The Leaning Tower of Remas, also called Old Tower is a leaning tower used as prison guarded by some Ogres. It was here that Ragged Ricco was saved by his men before he was chopped into tiny bits and impaled on the tower itself. The regiment promptly rescued Ricco from his dungeon, routing all troops sent against them (which outnumbered them ten to one) in the process.[1][7a]

Great Temple of Myrmidia[]

There is a colossal temple to the great goddess Myrmidia, as her worshipers affirm that this deity was born here. A constant conflict exists with his eternal enemies of Magritta, with the aim of claiming authorship over the divine provenance of the goddess. The power wielded by the clergy of Myrmidia is formidable, and very few in the city dare to conspire against the wishes of these priests, as they have great influence over the people.[7a]

This temple is also the last stage of the Pilgrimage of the Soldier. This pilgrimage is undertaken by ex-soldiers, who do so to cleanse their mind, body, and soul of bloodguilt from the atrocities they committed on the battlefield. Pilgrims undertake this journey in the name of Myrmidia, and travel to either Magritta in Estalia or to the High Temple in Remas, both of which claim to be the founding cities of that goddess’s cult. These soldier-pilgrims believe that each step closer to these cities removes a tiny bit of the weight that hangs on their shoulders—only Myrmidia understands the pain each soldier carries in his heart. Most pilgrims make the journey alone.[2a]

Remans stubbornly insist that the goddess’ place of birth was their city, and for proof point to the sacred Omphalos on display above the high altar of the colossal Reman temple — a huge egg-shaped stone, cleft in two, crystalline within its centre. It was from this stone that legend purports the infant Myrmidia crawled, to be found and adopted by a pair of humble goat herders.[19b]

Temple of Solkan[]

Much more impressive is a gargantuan structure located in the outer city and overlooking the sea. With a spire reaching nearly sixty meters into the sky, the Solkan temple had taken nearly three hundred years to complete. It is a massive megalithic edifice, with gigantic immaculately white columns of imported limestone from Araby, towering before the plastered walls that enclose the sanctuary of the stern God of Vengeance and Order. Even at a great distance from the distance, the gigantic golden fist that topped the temple spire can be seen, shining in the sun, as if it could rise and drag the star towards the earth in case the celestial body offended the ruthless deity.[7a]

Worship of Solkan, the Father of Vengeance and the Fist of Retribution, is especially predominant in Remas. In hopes of stopping the permanent risk of uprisings and civil wars the Council of Fifty welcomed the new temple of Solkan, one of the Gods of Law, who quickly rose to power in the republic of Remas. While the citizens didn't allow the council to keep a standing army, no one would oppose to the powerful temple guard of the Solkanites, who kept any civil unrest effectively at bay. The new religion, whose followers tended to see sinners and heretics everywhere, led to a climate of fear in the streets of Remas and even to the violent discrimination of the once popular Cult of Morr. Only the powerful merchant families, who resided on the high bridge - and the cosmopolitical quarter of the city's port - were out of the reach of the religious zeal of the Solkanites. But the Cult of Solkan lost much of the favour of the citizens when their inquisitors were unable to stop a marauding Khornate Daemon called the Mardagg.[7a]

The cult gives great efforts in repelling corruption wherever it found takes, like with the process of Necrodomo, an heretic arrested and tortured by the Inquisitors of Law and Light of the temple in IC 1586, for spreading falsehoods about The End Times.[3]

Great Library of Remas[]

One of the largest Verenean Temple-Library. Such as every temple dedicated to Verena contains a library, crammed with every important tome that the local priests can acquire.[4b][22a]

Temple of Mathann[]

The cult of Manann known in Tilea as Mathann plays a significant role in the public life of the republic of Remas.[23c]

In Remas they insist fish sacrificed to Mathann must be burned down to ash then scattered at sea, this ritual is indulged and conducted by the priests of Morr.[23c]

Sailors of Remas are together with those of Luccini and Magritta the sworn enemies of pirates and by extension of the worshipers of the god Stronfelo.[23b]

The priesthood in Miragliano is preoccupied with trade and countering the Stronfelo-worshipping pirates of Sartosa. They try to stay neutral on nautical matters in relation to the rival city of Remas, but local pride fosters some factionalism against the temple of Remas.[23c]

Temple of Morr[]

Morr’s pilgrims travel in solemn processions to the Tilean city of Remas.[8b] For many centuries the Temple of Morr had stood, just within the innermost wall of Remas, overlooking the cliffs and the sea below. The great Temple of Morr had served the funerary rites of the people of Remas for as long as the citizens could remember, consecrating the bodies of the deceased before dumping them over the wall and into the sea. It was said that the spirits of the dead would guide fish back towards the city, that it was by this custom that the fishing fleets of the city prospered, that their nets were always full. None considered that perhaps the fish were drawn by the free meals each funeral provided them.[7a]

There had been times in the past, often when Remas found itself at war with the southern city-state of Luccini, where the Great Mausoleum of Morr was located, when the priesthood of Morr had fallen out of favour in the city. But in the last decades, with the hold of the Temple of Solkan tightening about the city, the worship of the other gods, even of Morr, had become dangerous. Zealous militia in the white robes of Solkan had set fire to the temple, killing most of the priests. In the aftermath of the atrocity, which was publicly condemned by the priests of Solkan, the funeral rites of Remas had been taken over by the Solkanites, altering the rituals to include cremation before casting the ashes into the sea, thereby preventing any impurity in the flesh from tainting the waters which supported the life of the city. The Temple of Morr was never repaired, but was abandoned and forgotten, left to rot beside the wall. Those priests of Morr who escaped the purge sought sanctuary with the houses of the rich and powerful, men who would gladly continue the old traditions if only to flaunt their disdain before the inquisitors.[7a]

But if the priesthood of Morr no longer had any use for their temple, there were others who did. Over the course of long years of furtive excavation and laborious nocturnal construction, another temple had been built within the cellars of the first his new faithful, however, were devoted to another divinity, The Prince of Pleasure.[7a]

The cultists wear long white robes, their faces masked in parody of the servants of Solkan. But where the robes of the Solkanites covered them almost completely, those of the cultists were loose, slit down the front and sides to expose the sweating bodies beneath. The masks were not just of wood, but of leather and fur and paper, adorned with sequins and feathers and lace.[7a]

At the very centre of the chamber, upon a great altar of blackened, burned wood, stood a profane shrine. A great statue carved from the same light, white wood the Temple of Solkan constructed the masks of its devotees from. But this was no stern-faced god of vengeance: it was something else entirely. Standing nearly eight feet tall, is the lithe figure of a woman, her belly swollen with life, her hips tilted in sensuous suggestion, wooden breasts drooping about her chest. Yet the head of this vision of depraved lust is not that of a beautiful seductress, but the bovine face of a cow, pointed antelope horns arcing from its brow. It was the Mother of Mystery, a foul relic carved by a madman in Tobaro. Now it once more stood before those who gazed upon it with adoration, wantonness, and despair.[7a]

Temple of Shallya[]

"Ah, of course. The great da Venzio’s famous and magnificent ceiling paintings at that temple in Remas. A good copy, too, I imagine. Drawn in your own hand, I assume? I have never seen the original work myself, you understand - there are certain restrictions preventing me from entering a temple consecrated to the goddess of healing and mercy - but those that have seen it tell me that da Venzio skilfully captured much of my likeness for his portrait of the fair goddess. Of course, you can never know how much pleasure I still derive even now from the thought of all those pious fools gathering there every day in their temple, offering up their idiot prayers to the blessed and merciful Shallya, never realising whose face it truly is that gazes down at them from the gilded ceiling high above their heads!"

Lady Khemalla to Zavant Konniger[27]

The famous painter Da Venzio who lived three hundred years ago painted here his monumental frescoes which decorate the ceiling of the great Temple of Shallya and is still one of the great wonders of the Old World. He had been reputed to have lived to over a century in age - blessed by the mercy of the goddess, they said, in reward for the work he had done in her great temple. What people don't know is that there is another da Venzio’s portrait of a Lahmian vampire, Lady Khemalla depicted as a beguiling angel of darkness in a blasphemous reflection of the blessed goddess.[10][27]

Pink Rose[]

The Pink Rose is a large and tall building run by the charming Madame Rosa The opulence of the building is merely a facade; the white plaster covering its walls was chipped in places to expose the stonework beneath, the paint upon the wooden balcony that fronted the structure flaking away. Yet, for all its somewhat decayed exterior, the building certainly has a large amount of traffic passing through its front door. Much of the ground floor is filled with cushioned divans, large, potted ferns and palms from Araby.[7a]

Red Horse[]

Reman Tavern and alleys

One of the many taverns and alleys of the city

A tavern built on several floors full of patrons, many are traders and shopkeepers, others are sailors and dockers, simply trying to drown their bodies in a drink that makes them forget tired muscles and fatigued builds. Still others are hired mercenaries. The patrons of the Red Horse were no strangers to violence, many of them practiced mercenaries themselves. The current owner has a scarred face and is used to placing bets on the scuffles that occur in his tavern, always trying to estimate whether the damage can be covered by the belongings of the losers on the ground.[7a]

Erengrad Embassy[]

Some time ago the ambassador of Erengrad's daughter, Katrina Volkova, renowned as an ace duellist, trained by some of the finest swordsmen of Remas, and a devout follower of Myrmidia, was accused for the assassination of one of her pretender and decided to flee in the Empire, in the city of Altdorf.[4c]

Under-Remas[]

Under-Remas is a Skaven stronghold under the city-state of Remas. The date of the tunnel's excavation was around 1000 IC to present days.[15a]

Countryside[]

The road that leads to Pavona to the east of Remas misure nearly a hundred and fifty miles as the crow might fly. But it is a much longer distance on the ground, for the roads are few and progressively more ill-tended the further from Pavona they become, marks that the land itself is no longer firmly under the domination of man. Just two days’ ride from Pavona and the only traces of civilisation are the dirt road upon which people can travel and the occasional ruined traces of some villa or farm house lurking just off the path. The days of peace and tranquillity had deserted Tilea, forcing the wealthy merchants from their country villas and back into the overcrowded cities. The wilds are still not quite so hazardous as those of the Empire, but there are enough unnatural things prowling the countryside to make them not so devoid of danger as they had been in ages past.[7a]

In the last years, Chaos Marauders devoted to Nurgle have plagued the forest between Pavona and Remas, but they were dispersed by mercenary troops in the pay of Umberto Gambini, former triumvir of the city.[7a]

The so called, “Men With No Names”, are Roadwardens who patrol the highway between Remas and Scozzese, they keep their identities secret and they are revered in stories and songs by the locals.[28a]

Subsidiary Settlements[]

Remas is a regional centre of political power, wielding significant influence over the settlements listed below.[19a]

  • Alcatani - A poor hamlet. Due to a historical grievance Trantines are unwelcome.[19a]
  • Catrazza - A bustling town. Known for its old bent tower commanded by the tyrannical Castellan Dellecta[19a]
  • Rifraffa - Small city port under the Republic of Remas. Was also the place of the Route of Rifraffa.[20]

Notable Remaneses[]

  • Corvino - Under the identity of a court foul hides a skilled spy but also a powerful sorcerer determined to summon the Mardagg to accomplish a long time architected vendetta.[7a]
  • Curious Geasar - Also called The First Citizen of Remas was a Tilean explorer and conqueror.[11a]
  • Scurio - The unfortunate priest of Morr Scurio had a key role in Corvino's revenge, in fact the man was used as a means to guide the Mardagg in the material plan.[7a]

Trivia[]

The name Remas is a play on the story of Romulus and Remus, rivals twins that fought for the right of naming real-world Rome.

The Great Reman Bridge, theatre of the Dark Elves Raid in 1487 is an actual bridge of Florence in Italy, named Ponte Vecchio, both share houses built on the sides. This is not the only reference to Florence linked to the city, as two of its generals, Rienzi and Mandalari, share the title "The Magificent", epithet of Lorenzo the Magnificent, de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic.

Sources[]

  • 1: Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War (5th Edition)
    • 1a: pg. 81
    • 1b: pp. 56-57
    • 1c: pg. 89
  • 2: Tome of Salvation - Priests of the Old World (2nd Ed)
    • 2a: pg. 171
    • 2b: pg. 105
  • 3: Archaon: Everchosen (Novel) by Rob Sanders
  • 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition: Signs of Faith (RPG)
    • 4a: pg. 4
    • 4b: pg. 46-47
    • 4c: pg. 11
  • 5: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay - A Grim World of Perilous Adventure
    • 5a: pg. 280
  • 6: Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2nd ED - The Thousand Thrones
  • 7: Brunner the Bounty Hunter Omnibus (Novel) by CL Werner
    • 7a: "Blood and Steel"
  • 8: Career Compendium - The Ultimate Career Reference (2nd Edition)
    • 8a: pg. 10-12
    • 8b: pg. 163
    • 8c: pg. 34
  • 9: Town Cryer 14
    • 9a: pp. 20-26
  • 10: Inferno Magazine Issue 21 Portrait of my Undying Lady by Gordon Rennie
  • 11: White Dwarf #233 (UK)
  • 12: The WFRP Companion (2nd Edition)
  • 13: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Enemy Within Campaign Volume 5 Empire in Ruins (RPG)
  • 14: The Winds of Magic - Advanced Magic & Wizardry
  • 15: Warhammer Armies: Skaven (4th Edition)
    • 15a: pg. 34-35 (The Skaven Under-Empire Map)
  • 16: Archives of the Empire - Vol II (4th Edition)
  • 17: Mordheim: Hired Swords - Pit Fighters
  • 18: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: The Imperial Zoo (RPG)
  • 19: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Up in Arms (RPG)
  • 20: Man O' War: Corsair (PC Game)
  • 21: Enemy Within Campaign Volume 1 Shadows Over Bogenhafen, (1st Edition Fantasy Roleplay)
  • 22: Warhammer Fantasy RPG 3rd ED - Signs of Fate (RPG)
  • 23: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Sea of Claws (RPG)
  • 24: Vermintide (Novel) by Bruno Lee
  • 25: Cry of the Beast (Novel) by Ralph T. Castle
  • 26: Warhammer Monthly (Magazine)
    • 26a: Warhammer Monthly 76
  • 27: Zavant (Part 1) (Novel) by Gordon Rennies
  • 28: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Shades of the Empire (RPG)
    • 28a: pp. 116-117
  • 29: Warhammer Monthly Comic - Issue #19
    • 29a: Seas of the old World
  • 30: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Ubersreik Adventures III (RPG)
  • 31: Warhammer Armies: Lizardmen (5th Edition)
  • 32: Monstrous Arcanum (8th Edition)
Advertisement