Carta

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

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.

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 rumoured 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 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 of the surface caste. 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 Origins is imported where Bhelen was crowned King of Orzammar, then they are 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, 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 who was sent to spy on the Chantry conclave at Haven attempting to bring an end to the Mage-Templar War if chosen by the player character.

The Inquisitor later raids Valammar, a Carta-controlled thaig in the Hinterlands, to interrupt their traffic of Red lyrium.

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