Shadow Marches
Commonly, the region known as the Shadow Marches conjures images of a fetid backwater where illiterate humans mingle with orcs and other foul creatures, and practice strange rites by the light of the moons. These images are accurate—to a point. A desolate land of swamps and moors, the Shadow Marches have been orc territory for more than thirty thousand years. The region has suffered through a terrible war against the daelkyr that scarred the land, stranded horrible creatures in the shadows, and divided the orc tribes. The daelkyr were eventually defeated, but the schisms caused by the war remain.
Approximately fifteen hundred years ago, humans landed on the western shore of the Shadow Marches. These refugees fled Sarlona to escape the growing power of the Inspired and collided with the orcs. Despite periods of racial violence, over the millennia humans and orcs have formed close ties. Today, humans and orcs live alongside each other, in savage tribes and civilized communities. Almost all the half-orcs of Khorvaire can trace their ancestry back to the Marches. Set behind the monster-filled wilderness of Droaam, the isolated Shadow Marches missed most of the events that
occurred in central Khorvaire. The rise of the Kingdom of Galifar went unnoticed by the clans of the Marches, as did many of the defining moments in the kingdom’s history.
The Shadow Marches might have remained isolated to the present day if not for a House Sivis fact-finding expedition that discovered Eberron dragonshard deposits
in the region five hundred years ago. The gnomes of House Sivis planned to extract the
dragonshards, but the Marches clans had no intention of allowing outsiders to strip their land. The encounter brought another resource to light, however. The Sarlonan refugees who had come to the Shadow Marches had developed the Mark of Finding, and over the generations the mark had been spread across a number of clans. The encounter with House Sivis spurred the marked clans to action. Over the next few years, these clans joined together to form House Tharashk, developed the powers of the mark, and used it to locate the major dragonshard deposits
in their realm. In time, this new house established the port of Zarash’ak as a point of contact with the outside world and was eventually recognized by the other dragonmarked houses as a legitimate member of their elite fellowship.
Over the past three centuries House Tharashk has grown in size and influence; Tharashk prospectors, inquisitives, and bounty hunters can be found across Khorvaire. While House Tharashk has emerged into the light, however, the Shadow Marches as a whole remain one of the dark places of Khorvaire—a mysterious region hiding ancient secrets and deadly creatures.
Life and Society
There are two distinct cultures in the Shadow Marches: the original orc tribes and the clans formed by human settlers. The majority of the tribes are still entirely made up of orcs, though a few have drawn humans and half-orcs into their ranks. They hold to ancient traditions and a simple lifestyle, largely focused on religious rituals, hunting, and gathering. The Gatekeepers in particular believe that they must remain close to nature and thus shun the trappings of civilization. Gatekeepers tribes are generally friendly to travelers, while the tribes that revere the Dragon Below are usually hostile to strangers. The Gatekeepers follow druidic traditions, while clerics and sorcerers guide the tribes of the Dragon Below. Both kinds of tribes contain barbarian warriors. The barbarian is seen as an heroic ideal, submerging reason to draw on natural instinct or on the guidance of the Dragon Below. The clans are an even blend of orcs and humans and reflect the traditions and cultures of each race. This admixture has created unique forms of art, music, food, and religion. Clan life is less primitive than that of the tribes; the clans build large halls and work with iron and steel. Many clans revere the Dragon Below, which colors their attitude toward outsiders. Some are blatantly hostile to strangers. Others welcome guests with open arms, only to strike with poison or treachery and dispose of the unfortunate travelers in unpleasant rituals. However, for every murderous clan, there is a friendly clan happy to welcome strangers and provide shelter—in exchange for reasonable reimbursement. Over the last three centuries, House Tharashk has become a culture unto itself. Elements of both the Gatekeepers and the Cults of the Dragon Below have influenced Tharashk, but constant contact with the other houses and nations of Khorvaire has also played a role. The house has the same blending of human and orc culture found among the clans, but it has formed larger communities and deals with outsiders on a regular basis. Since only humans and half-orcs can bear the Mark of Finding, the leaders of the house are drawn from these races. The house includes a significant (and highly respected) population of orcs, who put their natural strength to work as miners, guards, and smiths. A number of goblin tribes scattered across the marshes are more primitive than their cousins in Droaam or Darguun and generally avoid all contact with other races, although they occasionally raid clan settlements or attack parties of explorers.Structure
The Shadow Marches are a geographic region, not a nation. More than two dozen clans and tribes are scattered throughout the Marches. Blood holds these groups together, blood and tradition. Blood and kin demand fierce loyalty, while blood spilled calls for vengeance and vendetta. Leadership traditions vary considerably among the different communities. The strongest warriors or the oldest druids lead the barbarian tribes, depending on whether the tribe has given its allegiance to the Dragon Below or the Gatekeepers. The clans are generally patriarchal, with the oldest male of clan blood leading the community.
Demography and Population
500,000 (55% orcs, 25% humans, 10% goblins, 7% half-orcs, 3% other)
Religion
Two religions dominate the Shadow Marches—the druidic path of the Gatekeepers and the Cults of the Dragon Below. The orc tribes are evenly split between these two beliefs, while the clans and the goblin tribes are largely allied with the Dragon Below. However, the adherents of the Dragon Below follow dozens of different paths; each tribe and clan has its own unique variation. Some are sinister and malevolent; others are merely disturbing.
Those clans that do not follow the Dragon Below have fused a variety of different religions to create new and unusual systems. Some have turned the astrological studies of the Gatekeepers into an entire religion; others have taken individual gods from the Sovereign Host and given them different names and forms. The deities most commonly invoked are Baalkan the Beastlord (Balinor), Baaldra the Protector (Boldrei), and Ollarasht the Gambler (Olladra).
Agriculture & Industry
The Eberron dragonshard fields of the Shadow Marches are among the richest in Khorvaire, and House Tharashk makes most of its profit shipping shards to the interior of Khorvaire.
This commerce has resulted in an alliance with House Lyrandar, since that house maintains the shipping lanes between Zarash’ak and other cities, much to House Orien's disappointment. In addition to Eberron dragonshards, a variety of rare herbs and plants grow in the depths of the marshes. Of interest to alchemists and wizards in Aundair and Zilargo, these resources have quickly become valuable as secondary exports. The most common of these, hathil root.
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