@Miragliano – The Serene @Tilean (Human)
Miragliano, officially the Mighty Principality of Miragliano and colloquially known as "Miragliano the Serene," is one of the most prominent city-states in northern Tilea. Founded over centuries as a port city, it has grown into a bustling urban center with a population of approximately 25,000 citizens, supported by 2,350 professional soldiers and 3,900 militia members. Its strategic location near the Blighted Marshes has both protected and imperiled it, offering access to trade routes while exposing the city to Skaven incursions and periodic plagues.
The city’s reputation is multifaceted: it is renowned for its crossbowmen, artistic and architectural achievements, and mercantile wealth, yet also infamous for rat infestations, political intrigue, and a history of outbreaks of deadly diseases.
Miragliano is a diverse city, reflecting both its mercantile heritage and strategic port location. The population consists primarily of humans, with a small but significant minority of dwarfs (5–10%), halflings (around 5%), and sea elves (approximately 1%). This mix contributes to the cultural vibrancy of the city, visible in its festivals, marketplaces, and artisan guilds.
Citizens of Miragliano, known as Miraglianese or Miraglean, enjoy significant freedoms under the city’s licensing laws, including the ability to carouse at any hour. Tilean customs, such as debt dueling, are common, with local laws allowing third parties to act on another's behalf in disputes. The city is also noted for its reputation as a haven for thieves and rumored for vampire infiltration within elite political circles. Public amusements include traveling circuses displaying exotic and dangerous creatures.
Situated in northwestern Tilea, Miragliano is bordered by the Blighted Marshes, a disease-ridden expanse that has historically caused numerous plague outbreaks. The Red Pox of 1812 IC, which wiped out approximately three-quarters of the population, exemplifies the dangers inherent to the city’s location. In response, the city employs professional rat-catchers, trained to patrol both canals and sewers to combat vermin and Skaven incursions.
The city’s architecture is a blend of medieval design and Renaissance-inspired planning. Large-scale urban planning began under Leonardo da Miragliano, commissioned by Prince Cosimo, and has been refined by subsequent rulers and merchant families. The city boasts palazzi, piazzas, bridges, and public sculptures, reflecting both the aesthetic ambitions and civic pride of its leaders.
Miragliano is a principality governed by a prince or, in the case of minority or interregnum, a dowager princess acting as regent. Currently, the city is overseen by Dowager Princess Dolchellata Belladonna with the assistance of a council composed of elders from prominent merchant families. The government combines aristocratic oversight with merchant influence, ensuring both tradition and commerce guide civic policy.
The city does not rely on a traditional militia force; instead, it maintains a large professional army of mercenaries under long-term contracts. These troops serve both as an active military and as a civic watch during peacetime. Specialized regiments, such as the Rat-Catchers, are dedicated to dealing with Skaven threats from the nearby marshes.
Miragliano’s economy is diverse, integrating agriculture, trade, artisanal production, and maritime activities.
Agriculture: Surrounding farmlands produce grain, grapes (notably the Fetore variety), olives, orchards, and pastures. Livestock includes cattle and sheep, providing dairy, meat, and wool.
Fishing: Saltfish, squid, and oysters are harvested from nearby coastal waters, supporting both local consumption and export.
Trade and Crafts: Miragliano’s trade extends throughout Tilea and beyond. The city is known for glass, mirrors, pearls, and frizzante wines. Shipyards build and repair vessels for trade and military purposes. Skilled smiths produce Miraglianese armor and cannons, while textile artisans craft the distinctive short capes worn by soldiers and citizens.
Imports: To sustain its economy, the city imports water, grain, metals, and arms.
Miragliano’s military is unique among Tilean city-states, relying almost entirely on professional mercenaries. These soldiers are highly disciplined, trained from youth in crossbow marksmanship and melee combat. The city’s well-known Rat-Catcher Regiment specializes in exterminating Skaven threats within the sewers and marshlands, combining stealth, specialized weaponry, and reconnaissance.
The city maintains a contentious relationship with neighboring Remas, often engaging in conflicts with the aid of allied city-states. Mercenary units from across the Old World are recruited, ensuring a variety of combat styles, though the distinctive short cape and broad-guarded shortsword are common across the city’s forces.
Miragliano’s proximity to the Blighted Marshes exposes it to the constant menace of Skaven and disease outbreaks. Rat infestations and Skaven incursions are a long-standing problem, with professional rat-catchers patrolling the sewers nightly. The Red Pox outbreak of 1812 IC, which decimated much of the population, prompted a permanent focus on sanitation, vermin control, and public health. Citizens place a high bounty on Skaven heads, dead or alive, reflecting both fear and civic duty.
Daily vigilance ensures that the city remains a bastion against the under-empire, though full-scale war with the Skaven has not yet erupted. The government maintains an intricate network of patrols, surveillance, and mercenary contracts to mitigate the ongoing risk.
Miragliano’s social fabric is shaped by commerce, martial tradition, and civic pride. Citizens are renowned for their proficiency with crossbows, honed through rigorous and frequent training. The city celebrates various festivals, including circuses featuring exotic beasts, public games, and religious observances tied to Tilean and Imperial calendars.
The city’s political culture is complex, with merchants wielding significant influence and aristocratic families guiding civic policy. Duels over debt, mercantile disputes, and personal honor are regulated by law, allowing representatives to act on behalf of debtors or litigants. The city is reputed for intrigue, with rumors of vampiric influence reaching the upper echelons of society, although such claims are difficult to substantiate.
Miragliano maintains diplomatic and economic connections across the Old World. High Elves from Ulthuan monitor the city closely, establishing trade links and intelligence networks. Prince Dalloran of Cothique, the so-called "Elven merchant king," engages with Miragliano as a key node in his commercial network, granting selective merchants access to Ulthuanite ports.
Human merchants from Miragliano also undertake risky voyages through the Shifting Isles to trade in Ulthuanian cities such as Tor Koruali, drawn by tax exemptions and commercial opportunity. The city’s maritime and mercantile expertise, combined with its professional army, ensures that it remains a major player in Tilea’s politics and trade.
Miragliano exemplifies the complexities of a Tilean city-state: a center of trade, martial skill, and cultural refinement, yet simultaneously challenged by disease, vermin, and external threats. Its professional mercenary army, rat-catcher regiments, and civic planning reflect centuries of adaptation and resilience. While the city has faced devastating plagues and constant incursions from the Skaven, it continues to thrive as a vital port, a hub of commerce, and a bastion of Tilean power in northern Tilea.