BÖGENHAFEN
Economy
Bogenhafen has a population of about 5,000, and sits at the highest point of the river Bogen which is navigable by large, river-going vessels. It acts as a local market centre: goods from Altdorf, Nuln and Marienburg come to Bogenhafen by river, and are traded for local wool and wine. Lead and silver, brought down from the mountains are trans-shipped here, for distribution to all parts of The Empire. Trade is the mainspring of the town’s economy, mercantile interests dominate the town’s political life, and the real power in Bogenhafen lies in the hands of just four wealthy families.Political Structure
The town lies within the boundaries of the Barony of Saponatheim and falls under the jurisdiction of Baron Wilhelm who holds court at Castle Grauenburg, some 25 miles to the North. He takes little interest in the town’s affairs, however, being content to hold irregular audiences in his castle when he has no more pressing engagements – like “huntin’, shootin’, and fishin'”.The Council
Bogenhafen is ruled by its council, and the few issues that get as far as a council debate are decided on by a straight majority vote. There are fifteen seats on the council. Council seats are held by the following dignitaries:- Four representatives of the Merchants’ Guild; one of these is Teugen, in his capacity as Master of the Merchants’ Guild (this position is invariably held by one of the four great families), and traditionally one seat is always held by a member of the Magirius family, the most influential of the lesser mercantile concerns. The remaining two seats are held by members of the lesser merchant families.
- One representative of each of the major merchant families (see below normally the head of the house, but sometimes an appointed representative.
- The local priest of Sigmar.
- The heads of the Physicians’, Tailors’ and Weavers’, teamsters’, Stevedores’, and Mourners’ Guilds (the holder of the latter seat is currently also the local priest of M6rr; he is normally consulted when an area of paupers’ graves has become full and another must be dug).
- One representative of the Craft Guilds, chosen from among the heads of Cartwright’s’, Carpenters’, Jewellers’, Metalworkers’ and Masons’ Guilds
- The local priestess of Verena who is respected as an impartial voice of wisdom and justice, and who is occasionally even given a vote by common consent;
- The Captain of the Watch who may be called upon where matters of law and order are concerned;
- The Watch Sergeants who serve as representatives of the various areas of town which come under their jurisdiction. This makes it difficult to pursue complaints against the Watch, although some of the Guilds are prepared to represent their members in such cases.
Guilds
As is common elsewhere in the Reikland, the Guilds of Bogenhafen have an almost total monopoly of the labour market in the trades with which they are concerned. Suffice it to say that Guild membership is compulsory in most cases for any person wishing to ply a trade in the town. When a large job needs to be undertaken, especially if it is one commissioned by the town council, by another Guild, or by one of the four great merchant families, tradition dictates that it is the relevant Guild which must be approached, rather than a craftsman or group of craftsmen. The Guild negotiates the fee for the Job and the cost of materials, and parcels the labour out among its members on a sub-contract basis. In addition to the usual guilds that you might expect to find in almost any Reikland settlement, there are three special cases worthy of somewhat closer examination:- The Merchants’ Guild is noteworthy in that it is by far the most powerful in the town, not least because it is the Merchants’ who have created (and still control) most of the town’s wealth. The Ruggbroder family (see below) are an exception to this, however, and their fortunes are currently on the decline. Not surprisingly, competition from outside is not tolerated, but members are more or less free to conduct their business as they see fit.
- The main functions of the Physicians’ Guild are to act as an adjudicator for complaints against its members (which are rare, since the Guild will only hear complaints from the patient in person) and to keep the town free of charlatans. From time to time it will also issue edicts recommending one course of treatment or proscribing another; the penalty for employing a proscribed course of treatment is dismissal from the Guild, even if the treatment is successful. Any person found practising medicine in Bogenhafen who is not a Guild member is liable to instant arrest on charges of assault and attempted murder; the patient is not permitted to speak on behalf of the accused, and the Guild has a standing reward of 10 Crowns for information leading to such an arrest. There are several surgeons in Bogenhafen, as an enquiry at the guild headquarters will discover. They may be consulted at the usual cost of 3GCs.
- The Mourners’ Guild is a religious’ organisation dedicated to the Cult of Morr, and is responsible for organising funerals and seeing to the upkeep of the graveyard. It is maintained, not out of membership fees, but from the money paid by those for whom it arranges funerals. It also supervises the construction of tombs and other monuments in the graveyard, splitting the income from such work with the Masons’ Guild. Any character who conducts a funeral or disposes of a body without the supervision of the Mourners’ Guild risks arrest on charges of body snatching and/or necromancy; as with the Physicians’ Guild, there is a standing reward of 10 Crowns for information leading to the arrest of such miscreants.
Merchant Families
There are four notable merchant families in Bogenhafen: Haagen, Teugen, Steinhager and Ruggbroder. In addition, there are several smaller mercantile concerns, but nearly all long-distance trade is conducted by the four great families. The Haagen family are Wastelanders, with several trading contacts in Marienburg, and are Bogenhafen’s main dealers in luxury goods. Since the bulk of their trade Is by river, the Haagens are closely allied to the Stevedores’ Guild, and they maintain their own small fleet of sailing barges. The family is headed by Jochen Haagen, and owns a wharf, five adjoining warehouses, and a suite of offices on the Bergstrasse. The Ruggbroder family deal mainly in grain and other farm produce, bringing it into Bogenhafen in exchange for cloth and metal goods produced in the town itself. They used to have a virtual monopoly of trade with Helmgart and Bretonnia, but are now in competition with the Teugens in that direction. They own several warehouses along the Ostendamm, but do not actively involve themselves in river shipping, using the boats and crews of their suppliers or small independent operators instead. The Ruggbroder family has close connections with the teamsters’ Guild, as it is Bogenhafen’s largest employer of carters and muleteers. They are the smallest of the four great merchant families, and have the closest connections with the lesser traders of the town. The family is headed by Heironymus Ruggbroder, who maintains a firm hold on the reins of the business despite being well into his seventies. The Steinhager family has a number of Dwarven and mining contacts, and concentrates mainly on the distribution of goods from Altdorf, Nuln and Marienburg to the communities along the edges of the Grey Mountains, in exchange for furs, metals and other produce. The family is headed by Franz Steinhager, assisted by his brother Heinrich. They own a wharf and several warehouses, and maintain offices near those of the Teugen family, behind the Merchants’ Guild. Like the other merchant families they live in ostentatious splendour on the Adel Ring. The Teugen family are one of the oldest families in Bogenhafen, and consider themselves to be the nobility of the town. They have never actually held any titles, but they are on friendly terms with many of the noble houses of the Reikland. They own wharves on both banks of the river, as well as a great many of the warehouses along the Ostendamm and the Westendamm and a suite of offices in a small square behind the Merchants’ Guild. The family suffered a decline in its fortunes over the last twenty years or so, which was drastically reversed by the arrival of Johannes Teugen from the university of Nuln. Johannes was the younger brother of Karl Teugen, the family head, and after returning to his home town two years ago for Karl’s funeral, he decided to stay on in Bogenhafen as the head of the family. The Teugen family conduct trade by road and river to all parts of The Empire. Johannes’ contacts in Nuln give him access to timber and other produce from Stirland and Averland, and he has also opened up trade in brandy and metals through Helmgart and the the Axebite Pass to Bretonnia. Moreover, he has also been steadily eroding the Haagen family’s trade with Marienburg.Taxes & Revenue
The town council, the Watch and the walls are all maintained out of taxes. There are many taxes levied in Bogenhafen; the principal sources of revenue are listed below: Gate Tax – There is a tax of one Crown per pack-animal or two Crowns per cart on all merchandise entering and leaving the town by road, levied at the gates. This tax is used to maintain the town walls and gates, and also goes towards the upkeep of the Watch. Members of the Merchants’ Guild are exempt from this tax. Wharf Tax – Each wharf is taxed at the rate of one Crown per yard of riverfront per year. The rateable value of each wharf is traditionally paced out by tax officials each year on the first day of Spring, and can vary considerably; it is not unknown for Halflings to be employed employed by the council for this job, since their shorter pace can lead to increased revenue. This tax is used to maintain the temples of Bogenauer and Handrich, and to offset the cost of Watch patrols on the waterfront. Members of the Merchants’ Guild are exempt from this tax. Trade Tax – A tax of one per cent is levied on all bulk goods sold within the town walls, and used to maintain the town hall and cover the expenses of the councillors. Members of the Merchants’ Guild are exempt from this tax. Warehouse Tax – Each warehouse is taxed at the rate of one Crown per foot of frontage per year. The tax is used in the same way as the Wharf Tux, and also pays for the upkeep of the Ostendamm and Westendamm. Members of the Merchants’ Guild are exempt from this tax. Frontage Tax – The owner of every building in Bogenhafen is taxed one Crown per year per foot of street frontage; this tax is used for the maintenance of the paved streets (Nulner Weg, Bergstrasse, Hafenstrasse, Kaufmannstrasse, Mauer Weg, Platz Weg, Adel Ring, Gottenplatz and Dreieckeplatz) and also goes towards the upkeep of the Watch. Temples and Guild buildings are exempt from this tax. Ship Tax – Every inhabitant who owns a ship or boat is taxed one Crown per year per foot of the vessel’s length, plus one Shilling per year for every foot of mast in the case of a sailing vessel. This tax is used for general purposes.Maps
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Bogenhafen
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Town
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