'The Black March' (English (UK): [mɑːtʃ])

"A seething horde of those lost to 'The Spurned'. A malevolent legion of horror that knows nothing of love, nor mercy. That's what they are. Forget all of who. or what, they once were, for it will not slow their blade when they stand before you."

Created by Tybris (Me)

Though the strength of 'The Spurned' is great, and the folly of mortals is forever present; neither of these alone has brought the world to the brink of ruin. Whilst each has their part to play in this sordid tale, it is 'The Black March' that stands responsible for the vast majority of this abhorrent cataclysm. This seething 'tide' of the twisted, the malformed, the mad, and 'The Lost' alike act as the fist of 'The Spurned'. Like a blight upon all things natural, this horde of malevolent entities propagate and fester behind 'The Shroud', consuming and tainting all that is lost behind it. When 'The Shroud' rumbles forth as a harbinger of ruin, so too does 'The Black March'. When the time comes for yet more of the world to be swallowed and damned, they will rush forth from the miasma like a swarm of locusts, leaving behind naught but a ravaged husk once 'The Shroud' envelops its latest prize. They are not that which they once were, nor will they ever be such again. Whatever shreds of identity they held are but fleeting, and forsaken in the face of loyalty to 'The Spurned', the deific horrors who preside over this harrowing legion. Led by these fallen divines, 'The Black March' ushers in doom and baleful torment wherever they are found. They cannot be bargained with, they will not be reasoned with, and they will offer no mercy to the mortals of this world. They, like their masters, will take, and take, and take until there is nothing of the world left but bones and ashes, drenched in blackened rain. Pity them, if you must, but do not open your heart to this evil; lest you, in time, become all too familiar with their machinations. This is the very foe that will bring ruin to us all if they are not stood against by a united front. Though some may attest that they have held 'The Black March' at bay, or even claim to have pushed them back thusfar; it is an exercise in futility. Eventually, even the largest armies will go undermanned, the most fortified of citadels will buckle beneath the weight of their siege. Alone, they will falter, and fall beneath the march of this malevolence. If there is to be any hope that 'The Spurned' may be put to rest, and this ruinous era brought to a close, 'The Black March' must face an army vast enough to withstand it, such that openings may arise for those 'Forsaken' to fulfill their solemn duty. But for such a thing to come to pass, the world would need a miracle or figures fit for fables to rise anew. 'The Black March', however, has no mind to wait for such things. Thus the future remains bleak. But it is in the darkest of times that hope's fleeting embers burn brightest...

Structure

'The Black March' exhibits little in the way of major organizational structure. What does exist is very rigid, however. 'The Spurned' rule and lead 'The Black March' and the loyalty of the horde is unshakeable towards them. Beneath 'The Spurned' are their 'Chosen'. These figureheads often act as extensions of their will, and whilst they retain the "favor" of their deific leaders, the horde will obey their will until they are replaced. Some 'Husks' are known to hold a small measure of authority over specific groups within 'The Black March' as appropriate, but they are little more than glorified pawns by comparison to those priorly mentioned. The rest are followers, destined to serve their purpose and those above them without question, something they achieve without issue. Mostly. It should be said, however, that particularly among groups led by more volatile 'Husks', there have been causes for conflict within 'The Black March', be it born from the torment of their own shattered psyche, or seeking favor from 'The Spurned'. Ultimately, however, these amount to little more than cadavers in the vast majority of cases. The few that do find triumph may sometimes be given control over their former foe's minions, or they will simply be removed for inconveniencing the great work of 'The Spurned'. It should also be noted that these internal conflicts are never out of disloyalty to 'The Spurned', outside of 'Husks' who are so splintered in their nature that they are a threat to all. These individuals are often culled swiftly. No creature of 'The Black March' will willingly turn against their masters, much less to aid mortals. To date, there has not been an occasion in which a member of 'The Chosen' has turned against their own. As an addendum; there are those among the mortal races who, through often dour circumstances, have become loyal to 'The Black March'. These agents of calamity will serve the cause in their own way, be it through information, subterfuge, sabotage, or demoralization, or a plethora of other means.

Culture

'The Black March' is not well known for its culture; for indeed most, if not all of it is a twisted reflection of former cultures since consumed by their ravenous advance. They do not partake in festivities nor other events of cultural significance unless one considers a 'Breach' to be such. What little remains of the cultures consumed by 'The Black March' are superficial at most, often appealing to the fears and laments present within said culture. Beyond that, their beliefs and ideologies extend only towards achieving their goal: Bringing about the end of this sordid, ungrateful world, and ruin to all that which lives upon it.

Public Agenda

To bring about the end of the world, and silence the song of the mortal races once and for all.

Assets

'The Black March' has dominion over a vast swathe of resources and assets, seized from territories and realms that have fallen behind 'The Shroud'. Boasting armies of terrible size and strength, astride wicked fortifications to cement their hold over the lands lost to their advance, they retain an ever-present and potent threat against the mortal races. In addition to their military might, 'The Black March' entreats a host of agents and supplicants among the mortal races to exercise their will. These further contribute to their assets and influence upon the world. Whilst they care little for wealth as the untainted would define it, the resources of the lands taken are swiftly put to use in the name of their advance. With much of the world already lost to 'The Shroud', and their resources devoted to the engines of war, the assets at their disposal are considerable. They are veritably calamitous and possess the assets required to maintain such a reputation.

History

The history of 'The Black March' is intrinsically tied to that of 'The Spurned'. Where those twisted entities roam, 'The Black March' will forever be at their side. Little is truly known of how they came to be, save that much of 'The Great Host' accompanied 'The Spurned' in harrowing, corrupted forms once they emerged from the deep. Their vengeful children were born anew, fit only to serve their former victims. Many consider this to be the birth of 'The Black March', an army of terror now heralded by the former champions of countless nations. Some theorize that it is the fate of all mortals to be susceptible to the influence of 'The Spurned' as they were born of their acts of creation; as it is often those already susceptible to influence that turn to serve 'The Spurned' as agents, and those left behind 'The Shroud' that come to be twisted into fitting members of 'The Black March'. The potential for all mortal races to be bent to their will, one way or another, is just as compelling an argument. 'The Forsaken' are immune to this effect whilst their 'Sigil' remains effective. Since the emergence of 'The Spurned', 'The Black March' has followed and brought ruin in their name. They have grown stronger with every victory, something which has continued until the present day. Whilst they have incurred losses, endured setbacks, and found themselves steeped in defeat, they have never been quelled. The present stalemate will not last forever. Their strength grows anew, and in time, they will finish what 'The Spurned' have started. What follows from this point will be defined either by the unity, or division of the mortal races; and 'The Forsaken' charged with their sacred duty. In success, there will be salvation. In failure, damnation.

Disbandment

'The Black March' is yet to be brought low and finished off. Until such a time comes to pass, they will remain an ever-present threat to all who roam the world.

Demography and Population

'The Black March' consists of numerous former societies, populations, and communities, all now enveloped and twisted into hollow echoes of their former selves. No matter one's creed, caste, or candor, they will come to serve 'The Spurned', or perish in futile resistance.

Territories

Thanks in no small part to 'The Shroud', 'The Black March' controls a vast portion of the world. Much of the territory occupied by 'The Black March' has either fallen into a 'Hollow' state or is in the process of such a descent. Much, if not all of their territory, stands as former nations, communities, and sacred sites, now lost to their unremitting advance. The lands which are firmly under the influence of 'The Black March' often sport great and terrible citadels and fortifications, fit to sap the very life from the world they are built upon. The lands lost to 'The Black March' are doomed to a sorry fate whilst they remain under their control, much like those left stranded within them.

Military

'The Black March' itself is one giant military. Very little of its constituents are non-combatants. Those that are remain so for very specific reasons, and can be compelled by their leaders into fits of violence against their foes. Led by 'The Spurned', their 'Chosen', and the 'Husks' beneath them; 'The Black March' is an imposing and dangerous power to reckon with. They promise ruin to those who oppose them, ushering it in with a rampaging horde of minions, monsters, and weapons of war; all tainted and sworn into the service of 'The Spurned'.

Technological Level

'The Black March' has a technological level, by and large, equivalent to many of the more advanced nations across the world. By virtue of the numerous cultures overtaken by their advance, they have a wide and varied insight into many technological marvels and scientific pursuits. Few of these, however, find practical use as far as 'The Black March' is concerned, for they do not serve the will of 'The Spurned'. To that end, they may appear lacking in certain areas and fields that hold no benefit towards bringing about the end of days. This is, of course, before we attribute the boons and wisdom of former, fallen deific figures, of course. 'The Spurned' and their individual wisdom, offers much to their cause; even if it is bestowed only in slivers born of fractured psyches. All of this naturally culminates in a dangerous and terrible foe for the mortals of this world to face, but to turn away from this reality is to embrace their own oblivion. A poor hand, if ever there was one.

Religion

'The Black March' reveres 'The Spurned' as their deific leaders. There is no other faith present within their ranks.

Foreign Relations

'The Black March' is overtly hostile with all other worldly powers. They are a danger to all.

Agriculture & Industry

'The Black March' are natural consumers. They have an industry built upon conquest, fueled by the resources held in conquered territories. A comparatively small measure of the forces present among 'The Black March' require sustenance in any meaningful capacity, so agriculture, however twisted, is a rare thing for them to partake in. For those among 'The Black March' that do require sustenance, they will be given only what is necessary. Thus the need for major agricultural enterprises is largely redundant. Industrially, however, 'The Black March' is a ravenous, but efficient machine; capable of churning out huge measures of war materials and the resources required to construct them in short order. Though, like any blighted thing, they will take, and take, and take until there is nothing left for the territory under their control to give. Thus in order to facilitate this scale of consumption, they must advance and drown more of the world beneath 'The Shroud'. In so doing, the engine is fueled, perpetuating the cycle of ruin.

Trade & Transport

'The Black March' does not trade in anything that is not blood, death, ruin, and damnation. What supplies they do need to move among their own borders will be transported under the guard of a caravan escort; be it by land, sea, or air. They will often utilize the paths crafted already by those whose lands were lost to them, repairing, crudely, only what is necessary to move supplies to and fro. When it becomes necessary to mobilize supplies beyond 'The Shroud', it will often be done as part of a 'Breach', such that the bulk of 'The Black March' will cover the advance of these supply caravans to their destinations.

Education

Education matters little in many regards according to 'The Black March'. Whilst those who fall into service of 'The Spurned' will retain much of their own skills and capacities prior to their fall, they will be twisted and repurposed to suit the will of their master. Few things are worthy of being taught unless they benefit the cause. War, construction, resource harvesting, and the destruction of the world. These are skills taught to all capable of facilitating their usage. With little-to-no will nor incentive to resist, 'The Black March' hones these talents to the very best of their abilities; and the results are evidenced in the calamity wrought upon the mortal realms. To exist as part of 'The Black March' is to exist to facilitate a simple purpose. The will of 'The Spurned'.

Infrastructure

In this regard, 'The Black March' is remarkably frugal. They will utilize and repair what is taken solely so that it benefits their purpose. Where new facilities or systems must be constructed, they will build only what is necessary to further their efforts. Needless delays are seldom a thing among 'The Black March', much less accepted within their ranks. When the need for new infrastructure is required, they will construct it with the most direct means from 'A to B' being utilized, sparing nothing for anything deemed unnecessary. That being said, much of that which is built by 'The Black March' is often twisted and malevolent in design. This is often attributed to being a form of psychological warfare against their foes.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

"Ruin, unto all."

Soon after the emergence of 'The Spurned'. - N/A

Type

Military, Other

Capital

'Hollow Lands'

Alternative Names

'The Shadow of Life', 'Servants of The Spurned', 'Doom bringers'.

Training Level

Trained

Veterancy Level

Veteran

Demonym

'Shroud-kin/Shroudspawn', 'Lost Souls', 'Hollow wretches', 'Monsters', 'Nightmares', 'Evil', among many other names more foul and/or colorful. None of them hold favorable meanings.

Government System

Theocracy

Power Structure

Feudal state

Economic System

Command/Planned economy

Currency

'The Black March' has no official currency. Transactions are solely handled via the exchange of resources needed by either side of the affair in order to complete their ordained tasks.

Major Exports

Blood, death, ruin, and damnation. These are the goods 'The Black March' offers.

Major Imports

If one considers the spoils of war imports, then they take whatever remains in the lands they conquer. Whilst some of these resources may be used to persecute their advance into enemy territory, much will wait to be utilized until occupied territories have been swallowed behind 'The Shroud'.

Legislative Body

'The Spurned' are the absolute authority among 'The Black March'.

Judicial Body

Both 'The Spurned' and their elected 'Chosen' will exact their will and the will of their masters respectively.

Executive Body

Whilst 'The Spurned' may sometimes directly involve themselves in the work of 'The Black March' it is more often their 'Chosen' and 'Husks' who micro-manage the seething horde and its various, malevolent activities.

Official State Religion

'The Black March'

Permeated Organizations