During this time, the navies of Nordland, Ostland,
Middenland, Reikland, and Westerland rose to prominence,
especially those of Reikland and Westerland. Putting Norse
shipbuilding skills to good use, quality ships were soon
plying most of the rivers and coastlines, all brimful of
soldiers, all ready to outflank enemies and blockade ports.
Altdorf is said to have taken action by building several large
bridges across the Reik and Talabec to limit the influence
of the burgeoning fleets of Talabheim and Nuln, ensuring
they could never pass the Reikland capital. Illustrations
and tapestries from this time suggest simple catapults and
bolt throwers were common on these early ships, and
longbowmen were especially prized for their utility on the
rivers and coastlines.
Most navies of the fractured Empire changed little for
several hundred years. Ship design remained largely
unchanged, with most vessels using square-rigged sails and
oars, and clearly designed for river travel or short coastal
journeys. However, one port did make some advances:
Marienburg.
The Westerlander city-port was growing fast as merchants
from across the Old World gathered there to gain access
to the collected goods of the war-torn Empire. Of all the
foreign visitors, the most advanced were the Tileans.
Firstly, the Tileans were skilled with blackpowder—a
substance only known to the Empire through the Dwarfs,
but that Elder Race guarded its secrets jealously; secondly,
they had ship-building skills far in advance of any
equivalent in the north of the Old World. The Temple of
Verena in Marienburg recorded that:
"The Tileans claim they have sailed the world. They talk
of trading with lands so distant that we folk of Sigmar's
Empire could not even contemplate their existence."
Rather than be awed, it seems the Westerlanders took
action. Although the exact details are unrecorded, it seems
obvious some, or all, Tilean secrets were secured, for in
comparatively little time Marienburg ships changed.
Westerlander art from the middle of the 16th century
depicts ships sporting what appears to be small bowchaser
cannons rather than catapults or bolt-throwers. The
cannons do not look well made, or even that safe, but they
do look like cannons. Sigmarite chronicles in Altdorf show
the Dwarfs were displeased:
"The ambassador was wroth that the Emperor would
allow weapons of such poor quality to operate.
Recognising the importance of the Dwarfs to the
Empire, the Emperor wisely listened to our counsel and
condemned Westerland's use of their 'cannons'."
However, it appears Marienburg ignored the Electoral
Emperor, perhaps by allying with the Ottilan Emperor
or the Wolf Emperor, for the Baron of Westerland soon
had free rein along the coasts of the north of the Empire.
According to several angry entries in the Middenheim
Histories, Westerlanders were sinking all vessels on the
coast of Nordland and Ostland, and soon the trade routes
to Kislev and Norsca were entirely under the control of
Marienburg, furthering its influence.
