Lorescale Covenant

The Lorescale Covenant is a political-religious faction which defines the very culture of the Alsashen, Radtyshen, and Hemashen Marches of the Absigar Sea. The covenant believes that mammin--dinosaur-like creatures with thick scaled skin--are sacred creatures and helps in the production of scalehide, and has its roots in an ancient tale:
The legendary origins of the covenant go back to a time before the marches were defined, and the tribes of the area lived in fear of the powerful wild mammin. One day, a colossal mammin with scales that shone like gold and silver and eyes like stars wandered down from the mountains. It was peaceful, and it sung a song, and tribes gathered to watch from a distance whenever it came near. Then a girl got lost during a storm and sought refuge inside a cave. Inside she found a vast cavern occupied by that same great mammin, but it was wounded. It saw her and sang, and she sang back. The unity of their voices brought vigour back to the mammin, and it shed gold and silver scales, and descended, never to be seen again. Alira brought the scales back to the chief and told of how she sang with the great mammin. Soon, the tribes learned to sing with the wild mammin, and the mammin sang back, and a sacred bond was formed.
The covenant consists of several unique ranks:

• High Scalewarden. The leader of the covenant, elected every decade. They guide the followers and help maintain diplomacy with the marquesses.
• Scalekeeper. Maintainers of traditions, they lead hymns and oversee the treatment of mammin.
• Scalesmith. Master artisans who sing with the mammin as it sheds, helping it to produce a scalehide pelt, which they then craft into other products.
• Scaleguard. Soldiers and trainers, skilled as both foot soldiers and mounted combatants. They also have a presence in festive rituals, where they showcase their bond with their mammin.

Because the mammin are sacred, scalehide is also sacred, and the process of harvesting it from shedding mammin is a spiritual and concise process; anyone without the required skill and bond with the mammin will likely get useless material. The methods used for raising mammin differ slightly between marches, so Hemasha has the cheapest scalehide, Radtysha has the most flexible scalehide, and Alsasha has the most robust scalehide. The prevalence of the covenant throughout the marches makes it hard for any outsiders to assimilate and culturally infiltrate, ensuring that the marches maintain a monopoly on the scalehide trade. Additionally, the marches have a mutual defence pact against outside enemies.