Changes: Carta

Revision as of 13:46, 11 April 2020

“Blood or coin, the Carta always gets its cut.” ―Kalah

The Carta is a powerful and ancient^[1] dwarven crime syndicate headquartered in Dust Town in Orzammar. Once headed by Beraht, it has since passed through the hands of his lieutenants Jarvia and Karshol.

Background

The ranks of the Carta are composed of casteless dwarves who are forced to resort to crime to survive. Given no other alternatives in the grim world of Dust Town, and restricted from performing legitimate work, few casteless dwarves can resist joining with the Carta for their livelihood.

In recent years the Carta and its dealings have become a threat to even Orzammar itself as the "dusters" boldly walked the streets of Orzammar during the Fifth Blight, enacting an extortion and intimidation racket upon merchants in the Commons. Carta dwarves specialize in smuggling lyrium, weapons, and slaves, and they command a formidable racket in Dust Town, patronizing prostitutes, beggars, and businesses.

In the years following the end of the Blight the Carta expanded its influence into the human city of Kirkwall. Although they do not operate as openly as in Orzammar they are still one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the city.

Involvement

Dragon Age: Origins

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.

Beraht and Jarvia, former leaders of the Carta.

If playing with a Dwarf Commoner Origin, the Warden will be a member of the Carta, forced into working for Beraht. Their half-sister Rica Brosca also works for the Carta as a noble hunter. The Dwarf Commoner must carry out a series of tasks for Beraht, and is eventually forced to impersonate a drunken warrior in a Proving match. The Dwarf Commoner is consequently imprisoned, but escapes and kills Beraht, leader of the Carta, allowing Beraht's lieutenant and rumored lover Jarvia to rule the Carta in his place.

The Carta are once again encountered during the succession crisis in Orzammar after acquiring Entering Jarvia's Hideout quest. The Warden is asked by either Prince Bhelen or Lord Harrowmont to infiltrate the Carta's hidden base in Dust Town and wipe them out because little action can be taken on the Warden's treaty quest until the Carta situation that is crippling the city is dealt with. Jarvia is killed by the Warden at the end of the quest and the Carta is seemingly broken.

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening.

During Sigrun's personal quest Sigrun's Roguish Past it is revealed that the Carta had stolen a gold statuette of House Bemot depicting their Paragon. Beraht seeking to hide the stolen item forced Sigrun to hide the statuette in Mischa's shop where she worked and threatened to have Mischa killed if Sigrun refused to do his bidding. Sigrun acquiesced but the statuette was eventually discovered causing Mischa's exile to the surface. After losing her job, Sigrun started working for the Carta as a thief but was eventually caught and joined the Legion of the Dead.

Dragon Age II

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.

H entropyoa 0 — Alternate Carta heraldry

Darktown — The Carta began to operate in less reputable areas of Kirkwall.

After the crippling crackdown by the Warden, the Carta's power was greatly diminished and turned its attention "topside" to regain some of its prestige through intermediaries in the surface dwarves. Now under the command of Beraht's left-hand, Karshol, the Carta can be confronted several times in the Docks of Kirkwall.

If a save from Dragon Age: Origins is imported where Bhelen was crowned King of Orzammar, then Hawke is involved in the quest Last of His Line, where the last descendant of House Harrowmont, a house traditionally opposed to extending any rights to the casteless, is trying to escape assassination by the Carta, the assassination having been ordered by King Bhelen.

One branch of the Carta are also for unknown reasons, seeking to bring "the blood of the Hawke" to release an ancient evil in a Grey Warden prison in the Vimmark Mountains. Hawke checks with Varric Tethras, who states that his contacts in the Carta say that this particular group are acting strangely.

As Hawke later investigates, a rogue Grey Warden named Janeka had introduced the darkspawn taint to the Carta, enabling them to fall under Corypheus' Calling, thus making them determined to free him. Hawke manages to kill the Carta leader, Rhatigan, and recovers the Hawke's Key from his body.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.

The dwarven Inquisitor of the surfacer Cadash family is a member of the Carta. They were sent to sell lyrium and spy on the Chantry conclave at Haven, as it's outcome would have massive ramifications on the demand for lyrium. After the Carta learns that Cadash survived the Breach, they will believe that Cadash ran off with the lyrium and now hides behind the Inquisition for protection. During the war table operation The Carta Gets Its Cut the dwarven Inquisitor can remove this threat to their life.

The Inquisitor later raids Valammar, a thaig beneath the Hinterlands which was lost to the darkspawn and currently occupied by the Carta and used for mining and trafficking of red lyrium.

A former Carta member, Luka, also becomes an agent of the Inquisition.

Known members

Beraht
Cadash dwarf (conditionally The Inquisitor)
The Dwarf Commoner
Gerav
Jarvia
Karshol: Former left-hand of Beraht and current leader of the Carta.
Leske
Luka
Nadezda
Oskias
Rhatigan
Roggar
Sigrun

Notes

According to Darktown's Deal, Varric's fictional book, it states that surface dwarves who lack legitimate contacts in Orzammar resort to turning to the Carta for help. The Carta acts as a contact in Orzammar for surface businesses and sells their goods on the black market in exchange for a cut of the profits. Darktown's Deal even says that the Carta's black market is secretly tolerated and encouraged because the dwarven elites know that trade with the surface is the only thing sustaining Orzammar's economy and the Carta's black market is an essential factor in the surface trade.^[2] However, it is not known how much of this is fictional, exaggerated, or real.

Gallery

References

[1] Codex entry: First Legionnaire's Journal

[2] Codex entry: Darktown's Deal

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 |leaders      = [[Beraht]] † <br> [[Jarvia]] † <br> [[Rhatigan]] † <br> Karshol
 |location     = [[Dust Town]] <small>([[Orzammar]])</small> <br> [[Darktown]] <small>([[Kirkwall]])</small> <br> [[Carta Hideout (Legacy)|Carta Hideout]] <small>([[Vimmark Mountains]])</small> <br> [[Valammar]]
-|appearances  = [[Dragon Age: Origins]] <br> [[Dragon Age (tabletop RPG)]] <br> [[Dragon Age II]] <br> [[Heroes of Dragon Age]] <br> [[Dragon Age: Inquisition]]
+|appearances  = [[Dragon Age: Origins]] <br> [[Dragon Age (tabletop RPG)]] <br> [[Dragon Age II]] <br> [[Heroes of Dragon Age]] <br> [[Dragon Age: Inquisition]] <br> [[Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights]]
 }}</onlyinclude>
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 The Carta are once again encountered during the [[A Paragon of Her Kind|succession crisis]] in Orzammar after acquiring [[Entering Jarvia's Hideout]] quest. The Warden is asked by either Prince [[Bhelen Aeducan|Bhelen]] or [[Noble caste|Lord]] [[Pyral Harrowmont|Harrowmont]] to infiltrate the Carta's hidden base in [[Dust Town]] and wipe them out because little action can be taken on the Warden's treaty quest until the Carta situation that is crippling the city is dealt with. Jarvia is killed by the Warden at the end of the quest and the Carta is seemingly broken.}}
+=== ''Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening'' ===
+{{SpoilerDAOA|style=short|
+During [[Sigrun]]'s personal quest [[Sigrun's Roguish Past]] it is revealed that the Carta had stolen a gold statuette of [[House Bemot]] depicting their [[Paragon]]. Beraht seeking to hide the stolen item forced Sigrun to hide the statuette in [[Mischa]]'s [[Stores (locations)|shop]] where she worked and threatened to have Mischa killed if Sigrun refused to do his bidding. Sigrun acquiesced but the statuette was eventually discovered causing Mischa's exile to the surface. After losing her job, Sigrun started working for the Carta as a thief but was eventually caught and joined the [[Legion of the Dead]].}}
 === ''Dragon Age II'' ===
@@ Line 41: / Line 45: @@
 If a save from ''[[Dragon Age: Origins]]'' is imported where Bhelen was crowned [[Dwarven royalty|King]] of Orzammar, then [[Hawke]] is involved in the quest [[Last of His Line]], where the [[Renvil Harrowmont|last descendant]] of [[House Harrowmont]], a house traditionally opposed to extending any rights to the casteless, is trying to escape [[assassin]]ation by the Carta, the assassination having been ordered by King Bhelen.
-One branch of the Carta are also for unknown reasons, seeking to bring "the blood of the [[Malcolm Hawke|Hawke]]" to release an [[Corypheus|ancient evil]] in a [[Grey Wardens|Grey Warden]] prison in the [[Vimmark Mountains]]. [[Hawke]] checks with [[Varric Tethras|Varric]], who states that his contacts in the Carta say that this particular group are acting strangely.
+One branch of the Carta are also for unknown reasons, seeking to bring "the blood of the [[Malcolm Hawke|Hawke]]" to release an [[Corypheus|ancient evil]] in a [[Grey Wardens|Grey Warden]] prison in the [[Vimmark Mountains]]. [[Hawke]] checks with [[Varric Tethras]], who states that his contacts in the Carta say that this particular group are acting strangely.
 As Hawke later investigates, a rogue Grey Warden named [[Janeka]] had introduced the [[darkspawn]] [[taint]] to the Carta, enabling them to fall under Corypheus' Calling, thus making them determined to free him. Hawke manages to kill the Carta leader, [[Rhatigan]], and recovers [[the Hawke's Key]] from his body.}}
@@ Line 47: / Line 51: @@
 === ''Dragon Age: Inquisition'' ===
 {{SpoilerDAI|style=short|
-The dwarven [[The Inquisitor|Inquisitor]] of the surfacer [[House Cadash|Cadash family]] is a member of the Carta who was sent to sell lyrium and spy on the [[Chantry]] conclave at [[Haven]] attempting to bring an end to the [[Mage-Templar War]] if chosen by the player character. After the Carta learns that Cadash survived Haven they will believe that Cadash ran off with their lyrium and now hiding behind the [[Inquisition]]. During the [[war table]] operation [[The Carta Gets Its Cut]] the dwarven Inquisitor can remove this threat to their life.
+The dwarven [[The Inquisitor|Inquisitor]] of the surfacer [[House Cadash|Cadash family]] is a member of the Carta. They were sent to sell lyrium and spy on the [[Chantry]] [[conclave]] at [[Haven]], as it's outcome would have massive ramifications on the demand for lyrium. After the Carta learns that Cadash survived the [[Breach]], they will believe that Cadash ran off with the lyrium and now hides behind the [[Inquisition]] for protection. During the [[war table]] operation [[The Carta Gets Its Cut]] the dwarven Inquisitor can remove this threat to their life.
 The Inquisitor later [[Well, Shit|raids]] [[Valammar]], a [[thaig]] beneath the [[Hinterlands]] which was lost to the darkspawn and currently occupied by the Carta and used for mining and trafficking of [[red lyrium]].
@@ Line 55: / Line 59: @@
 == Known members ==
 * '''[[Beraht]]'''
-* '''[[The Inquisitor|Inquisitor Cadash]]''' <small>(conditional)</small>
+* '''[[House Cadash|Cadash dwarf]]''' <small>(conditionally [[The Inquisitor]])</small>
 * '''The [[Dwarf Commoner Origin|Dwarf Commoner]]'''
 * '''[[Gerav]]'''
@@ Line 66: / Line 70: @@
 * '''[[Rhatigan]]'''
 * '''[[Roggar]]'''
+* '''[[Sigrun]]'''
+== Notes ==
+*According to [[Darktown's Deal]], Varric's fictional book, it states that surface dwarves who lack legitimate contacts in Orzammar resort to turning to the Carta for help. The Carta acts as a contact in Orzammar for surface businesses and sells their goods on the black market in exchange for a cut of the profits. Darktown's Deal even says that the Carta's black market is secretly tolerated and encouraged because the dwarven elites know that trade with the surface is the only thing sustaining Orzammar's economy and the Carta's black market is an essential factor in the surface trade.<ref>[[Codex entry: Darktown's Deal]]</ref> However, it is not known how much of this is fictional, exaggerated, or real.
 == See also ==
-{{:Codex entry: The Carta|style=iconmini}}{{clrl}}
+{{:Codex entry: The Carta|style=iconmini}}<br>
-{{:Codex entry: Hands of the Carta|style=iconmini}}{{clrl}}
+{{:Codex entry: Hands of the Carta|style=iconmini}}<br>
-{{:Codex entry: Darktown's Deal|style=iconmini}}{{clr}}
+{{:Codex entry: Darktown's Deal|style=iconmini}}<br>
-{{:Codex entry: An Unsigned Letter in the Hinterlands|style=iconmini}}{{clr}}
+{{:Codex entry: An Unsigned Letter in the Hinterlands|style=iconmini}}<br>
+{{:Codex entry: Journal of Tog|style=iconmini}}<br>
 == Gallery ==