County of Perche
Structure
While Perche has few population centers or nobles, it is nominally a County of Gallia, administered by the Comptes de Perche. Few nobles, including the Comptes themselves, live in the County itself, instead holding Court in Per-Ys, Ar Mans or other nearby cities, though some hold estates in the Collines de Perche, the hilly region in the County's South.
Two noble houses, House Belleme and House Rotrou, are the power players of the region, and the County frequently shifts between the two factions, regulars at the King's Court in Per-Ys
The Talltree Troupe of Kornikaned is the de facto power in the region, exerting more direct control over the Korrigan population, which greatly outnumbers the Bediz in the the region.
Culture
Perche architecture is known for its unique decoration, borrowing heavily from Kornikaned aesthetics. Floors are typically laid out in red-ochre tommettes, hexagonal tiles. Homes are typically painted with white plaster. Burlap and Linen are the most common fabrics used in the region.
Homes are typically made from sandstone, tuffeau limestone and occasionally half-timbered construction.
Perche ha a distinctive "braiding" of live vines and hedges to make natural fences.
Public Agenda
The County of Perche is quite unlike its neighbors, existing less as an extant state and more as a space between them. Lacking any major population or religious centers, it plays little active role in regional politics, instead operating as neutral ground and protected royal forest within the space.
History
During the Misty Times, the Perch Forest was a forbidding, dark place, the unchallenged domain of the Kornikaned. Any foolish enough to enter their realm was dealt with harshly, and the gathering clans in what would become the Gallian Crownlands were keen to avoid it. Raids on surrounding households were common.
As Gallia grew in strength, Perche became a focal point of its attentions, seen as the key to controlling both The Armorican and the The Cotentin Peninsulas. However, despite success in the Collines de Perche, the hilly region to the South along the river, taking the plateau in any meaningful way proved impossible.
This same reality, however, also sheltered Gallia from the most aggressive raiding of the Lethan clans and Viking Fleets in La Manche, allowing the regions beyond to flourish.
In 723 SI, the The Battle of Brissarthe resulted in the creation of the modern states of Anjev and La Manche. The Treaty of Perche was signed between Anjev, Gallia, La Manche and the Kornikaned, establishing Perche as a permanent neutral ground between the realms, to be administered by the Kornikaned troupes. Sovereignty would be granted to the Gallian Crown, but settlement and exploitation would be limited to the Collines de Perche.
Territories
Perche is located in Northwest Gallia, bordering both the Duchy of La Manche and the Duchy of Anjev. The Manchais Counties of Alencon and Evreux form its Northern border, while the Gallian Counties of Dreux, Chartres and Dunois mark its Eastern side. The County of Cenomannie forms its Southwest border.
Perche largely sits on a high plateau and is heavily forested, filled with exceptionally tall and straight trees. The South of the region is irregular lowlands, the Perche Hills continuing its bumpy elevation in the Huisne River Valley.
Agriculture & Industry
Despite its largely untouched primordial forest, the region still manages to flourish in a number of agricultural pursuits in the Collines de Perche.. The most famous export of the region are Percheron draft horses, powerful creatures with grey or black coats that excel in agricultural labour and in the pulling of stage coaches.
The region also produces a great variety of apples and pears used for Cidre, Perry, compotes and vinegars.
Type
Geopolitical, County / March
Alternative Names
Silva Perche, the Forest-Between
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Major Exports
Percheron Draft Horses
Apples/Pears (Cidre, Vinegar, Compotes)
Official State Religion
Parent Organization
Neighboring Nations
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
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