Duchy of the Northmarches
For most of Reme’s history, the Northmarches constituted the effective frontier of the grand duchy. Though lands beyond have been claimed over the centuries, this March has always been the last line of defense, the farthest reach of homeland that must be protected at all costs. Those crossing the windblown plains occasionally stumble across bones or rusted weapons or armor half-buried in the thin soil, remains of ancient battlefields where the legions and Loreclans of Reme met humanoids and darker enemies from beyond the Crynnomar Gap or hobgoblin armies from the Deepfells. Fortunately, few such forces have threatened the lands of the grand duke for many centuries now, though a watchful eye is still maintained in Durgam’s Folly and in watchtowers on the Wizard’s Wall overlooking The Haunted Steppes.
The land here is lightly populated, with little agriculture possible. Horses and cattle graze on The Plains, however, and several of The Plains’ Loreclans range over the Northmarches on a seasonal basis. Iron and chalk are profitably mined from the High Downs.
On official maps, the Northmarches include The Frontier and the Haunted Wood, but the duchess ignores both, since any effort to civilize those lands would end up costing more in lives and treasure than it could ever conceivably be worth.
The few settlements, other than the capital of Ironhill, are largely trading posts for trappers, cattle drives, and prospectors, or are logging towns along the forest edges. The folk dwelling here are hardy, proud of their self-sufficiency, and often suspicious of those from the south. The duchess also maintains the military outposts along Wizard’s Wall, including the fortress of Durgam’s Folly, and fields a substantial standing army that patrols the outskirts of the Haunted Wood and the Gryphon Hills to protect against incursions of humanoids and other threats. The army is well supplied with light cavalry from the Loreclans, and very little gets past their watchful eyes.
Trade and Commerce
Northmarcher livestock, iron from the western slopes of the Stoneheart Mountains, and chalk from the High Downs all make their way along trade routes to the rest of the grand duchy and to places such as Waymarch, Ysser, the heartland of Foere, and Bard’s Gate, earning much-needed gold and silver. An equally small but vital trickle of trade returns, bringing textiles, grains, manufactured goods, and a variety of foodstuffs back to the Northmarches.
The nomadic Loreclans provide an especially vital link to the other duchies as well, for their yearly migration route takes them from the Northmarches in the summer to the ducal lands of the grand duke in the spring and fall, and their winter camps in the Waymarch, then back again. Skilled merchants, the semi-nomadic Loreclans trade as they go, obtaining goods that they need and items that they know will be needed in their upcoming destinations.
Government
Rhemish rule in the Northmarches is minimal out of necessity, for beyond the various military garrisons sparsely posted throughout the duchy, the vast distances and unpopulated lands provide little opportunity (or need) for the exercise of real authority. Fortunately for Grand Duke Iltobarus, Northmarchers maintain a strong sense of Rhemish identity, despite their isolation and distrust of outsiders.
A hereditary duchy, the Northmarches are currently ruled by Duchess Candrella, the fifth ruler in the Iskadar line. While she is ambitious and wishes to see the Northmarches become a fully-integrated part of the grand duchy, with new roads, palaces, fortresses and cities (she has familiarized herself with the region’s history and longs for the old days before the Deepfells invasion), Candrella is also realistic and knows that such changes cannot take place within her own lifetime. With little in the way of support from a grand duke who has numerous other priorities, Candrella must content herself with less ambitious projects such as building a paved, raised road through the High Downs and providing some much-needed repairs to the walls of Durgam’s Folly.
Military
The military forces of the Northmarches are charged with guarding the Wizard’s Wall, and thus garrison Durgam’s Folly as well as the watchtowers built atop the escarpment overlooking The Haunted Steppes. They also patrol the outskirts of the Haunted Wood and the Gryphon Hills, as well as the border with The Frontier and the foothills of the Stoneheart Mountains. As a result, the army of the Northmarches is comparable in size to that of many nations on Akados. Troops are regularly shifted among posts to avoid boredom and complacency. Command is held by the lord high commander of the Northmarches, who reports directly to the duchess.
Major Threats
There are many and varied threats to the Northmarches. Humanoids and worse live in the Haunted Wood and in the Gryphon Hills, and often find their way into the Northmarches from The Frontier. Just 30 years ago, a goblin raid from the Gryphon Hills claimed the life of the duke at the time. There is also the looming presence of The Haunted Steppes to the north. Though nothing has threatened to breach the Wizard’s Wall in generations, there is something unsettling about the lands beyond. No one who serves at Durgam’s Folly or at one of the watchtowers on the escarpment can ever forget the sight of those barren and haunted lands, or shake the feeling that something there is watching and waiting for some unknown event or portent to once more bring forth a darkness against the lands of Reme.
More immediately, both of the duchess’ sons are manifestly unqualified to succeed her on the ducal throne at Ironhill. In the absence of another obvious and legal heir, her passing may result in chaos and, potentially, civil war in the Northmarches.
Region
Northmarches, Duchy of the
Parent Organization
Controlled Territories
Comments