Margraviate of Fenmark
The Margraviate of Fenmark is an independent holdout of the former imperial dynasty of the Blazennian Empire. Ruled for the last few years by Prince Valien, heir to the usurped emperor, the Fenmark has struggled to synthesize the traditions of the Fenmen and the Embrai refugees. Due to this, and its historical position as an imperial march, the Fenmark stands in a unique position.
Structure
Currently, the Margrave is organized as such:
- Prince Valien acts as nominal head of the Loyalists, who form a council of sorts, composed of former rulers as well as the Margrave. They manage the military and the resources of the loyalists, as well as unofficially administering much of Lastkeep province. The council also has input from Count Maximilian von Salenrath of Salenlönd.
- Margrave Alezar Bernstoff I runs the administration of the Margrave, as well as all non-military matters. Despite losing some of his own authority by hosting the exiles, he recognizes Valien as the rightful emperor, and therefore has sworn fealty alongside the rest of the council.
History
The history of the Fenmark starts in the mid-12th century, as Blazennian refugees fleeing from South Fraspika crossed the South Impir Mountains and began to live in small communities in the foothills. The Blazennians soon outnumbered the Erleting and began to push them out of the region, though they could never complete the job. This changed in 1294. Albubite the Great, Emperor of Blazennia, conquered the entirety of the region, partly by diplomacy, partly by force. Following his conquest, the nations conquered with force were consolidated into a new Margraviate, ruled over from Fort Lastkeep, in the eastern foothills of the fens. Over time the whole region came to be under control of the Fenmark Margraviate excluding the counts of Salenlönd
Besides the integration of the various Blazennian tribes within the region and the continuous pushing of Erleting peoples to the edge of the fens, the next 600 years would be relatively peaceful for the Fenmark. Due to their low population and defensible terrain, they never really had to deal with wars or invasions. With the low population and lack of a real high nobility class, the Fenmark developed its own unique culture, and serfdom is rare to this day. This meant that peasant rebellions were also rare, although there were always issues with bandits, especially in the western lands. While some goblins would flee to the area and become bandits themselves, the Fenmark was never a large importer of slaves even during the height of the slave trade during the colonization of Ifyrial. The peoples of the Fenmark, while poor, were relatively content to continue as they had for centuries, the only soldiers being those who served from the lands immediately surrounding Lastkeep, where military discipline was usually kept; as the fort was to be maintained at all times.
When civil war erupted in 1988, the Margrave of Fenmark, Albrecht Bernstoff IV, supported the rightful Emperor Alezar VIII. However, due to the poor state of the Margraviate's levies, he would be unable to raise a substantial army in support of Alezar until the latter stages of the war. Thus, he and his levies would join Alezar in Emberkeep city for the fateful sortie. The defeat of the loyalist forces in the Battle of Emberkeep broke the back of their armies, and they soon surrendered, except for Prince Valien and his loyal knights. Instead of surrendering, he sought to retreat to the defensible lands of Aldmarck. This plan failed when Csömbor of Mäzgyrazrfold himself led an invading army into Aldmarck, since Valien's forces had no effective mages remaining.
The well-maintained Lastkeep was a boon to Prince Valien when he was forced to flee Aldmarck. Built by Albubite the Great to withstand the most powerful magic, and standing in the only easy passage into Fenmarch, it was able to hold against the pursuing forces of Csömbor. The final battle of the civil war, the Battle of Lastkeep (1995 SC), saw Csömbor's troops fail to breach the walls and developed into a long stalemate. However, being bottled up in Lastkeep made it easy for Csömbor to mop up the rest of the resistance to his rule, leaving Fenmark as an island. Although some of the most notable names from the loyalists joined Valien in Lastkeep, by and large they had little to no troops beyond their personal guards.
In the ensuing five years, Lastkeep has grown into an unofficial city as locals are increasingly required to provide basic services. This has led to a small economic boom in the westernmost regions of Fenmark. However, this new village has seen serious conflicts between the loyalists, who are often fervant royalists and Embrai, and the Fenmen, who care little for the Empire and only seek to make a profit and retain their traditional autonomy. Many of the loyalists have had to make do with less than they are used to, and the large amount of single men has resulted in several issues. Still, Lastkeep remains poised to halt Csömbor in his tracks if he ever shows weakness. The loyalists are always ready.
Besides the integration of the various Blazennian tribes within the region and the continuous pushing of Erleting peoples to the edge of the fens, the next 600 years would be relatively peaceful for the Fenmark. Due to their low population and defensible terrain, they never really had to deal with wars or invasions. With the low population and lack of a real high nobility class, the Fenmark developed its own unique culture, and serfdom is rare to this day. This meant that peasant rebellions were also rare, although there were always issues with bandits, especially in the western lands. While some goblins would flee to the area and become bandits themselves, the Fenmark was never a large importer of slaves even during the height of the slave trade during the colonization of Ifyrial. The peoples of the Fenmark, while poor, were relatively content to continue as they had for centuries, the only soldiers being those who served from the lands immediately surrounding Lastkeep, where military discipline was usually kept; as the fort was to be maintained at all times.
When civil war erupted in 1988, the Margrave of Fenmark, Albrecht Bernstoff IV, supported the rightful Emperor Alezar VIII. However, due to the poor state of the Margraviate's levies, he would be unable to raise a substantial army in support of Alezar until the latter stages of the war. Thus, he and his levies would join Alezar in Emberkeep city for the fateful sortie. The defeat of the loyalist forces in the Battle of Emberkeep broke the back of their armies, and they soon surrendered, except for Prince Valien and his loyal knights. Instead of surrendering, he sought to retreat to the defensible lands of Aldmarck. This plan failed when Csömbor of Mäzgyrazrfold himself led an invading army into Aldmarck, since Valien's forces had no effective mages remaining.
The well-maintained Lastkeep was a boon to Prince Valien when he was forced to flee Aldmarck. Built by Albubite the Great to withstand the most powerful magic, and standing in the only easy passage into Fenmarch, it was able to hold against the pursuing forces of Csömbor. The final battle of the civil war, the Battle of Lastkeep (1995 SC), saw Csömbor's troops fail to breach the walls and developed into a long stalemate. However, being bottled up in Lastkeep made it easy for Csömbor to mop up the rest of the resistance to his rule, leaving Fenmark as an island. Although some of the most notable names from the loyalists joined Valien in Lastkeep, by and large they had little to no troops beyond their personal guards.
In the ensuing five years, Lastkeep has grown into an unofficial city as locals are increasingly required to provide basic services. This has led to a small economic boom in the westernmost regions of Fenmark. However, this new village has seen serious conflicts between the loyalists, who are often fervant royalists and Embrai, and the Fenmen, who care little for the Empire and only seek to make a profit and retain their traditional autonomy. Many of the loyalists have had to make do with less than they are used to, and the large amount of single men has resulted in several issues. Still, Lastkeep remains poised to halt Csömbor in his tracks if he ever shows weakness. The loyalists are always ready.
Founding Date
1302
Alternative Names
The Last Bastion, Margraviate of the Greatsfen
Demonym
Fenmen
Leader Title
Official State Religion
Parent Organization
Neighboring Nations
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
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