General Description: An alliance of several Barons that successfully seceded from the Kingdom some twenty years ago, their land tends to be mountainous or swampy. The hardship of daily life in the early years of settlement has imbued the people with steadfast determination as well as a pragmatic yet exuberant outlook.
Location/Boundaries: Located south of the Kingdom, they share a border with them at the Eisling and Vesder rivers. Their eastern border lies where the Dwarven territory begins (at about the central axis of the of the Vaalsberg/Eaisling mountains), and coastlines form the rest of their borders. Currently none of these borders are disputed.
Government: Each barony is ruled by the local lord. The Barons decide their own policies, though most are similar to each other. The Barons meet in council to decide policy that will affect the Marches as a whole. Though they actually meet only once every year or two, they also sponsor a council of their representatives that meets each season (four times a year), each time in a different location, to keep information flowing between the men they represent. These men are trusted representatives of the Barons, often their heirs or another kinsman. They are authorized to vote on day-to-day matters as well as to request that the Barons themselves be called into council to resolve an issue that they deem important enough. There is a document that all the Barons signed at the secession. It is a cross between a charter and a constitution, stating in general terms why the Marches chose to secede from the Kingdom and the way of life they are trying to establish for themselves and their people.
Laws/Legal System: The laws of the Marches tend to be in form and flavor very similar to those in the Kingdom. The main difference is that they tend to stay away from regulating morality or associating civil law with church belief. Aside from the actual doctrinal differences that exist between the Mithraic and the Reform Churches, the right to govern themselves freely without Church intervention was one of the main things that sparked the Barons' withdrawal from the Kingdom. Magick is still regarded suspiciously in the Marches, but neither mages nor others who defy custom or religious opinion are persecuted for that alone. The Reformers themselves suffered enough at the hands of the Vehemites and others to forbid anything like the institution of the inquisition. This does not mean that individual Barons won't react badly to a display of magick (especially if obviously harmful) and arrest the practitioners, it just means that the Marches as a whole tend to be more tolerant of those who are not Mithraists. Justices are appointed from the ranks of the nobility and the nouveau-riche merchants. These men are often assisted by a hired Achaean Scholar of Law. The Marches' legal system generally reflects the Achaean philosophy of innocence until guilt is proven. A trial by jury is made available in all cases where the accused faces death, exile, or similar punishment. Punishment tends to run more towards fines, public service, and exile rather than corporeal punishment or imprisonment.
Social Classes/Status: The order of peers is like that in the Kingdom, with the difference that there are no nobles ranking above the Barons. Though the social structure is fairly rigid, it is quite possible to improve one's lot within a class. Nobles may marry into a higher position, just as merchants may better themselves through canny business deals or a good marriage. Those of the peasantry may do the same through the acquisition of a trade (usually by becoming apprenticed to a successful merchant or guildsman). Skill and status are closely linked even for the nobility. Those who do not strive to achieve will not be respected by their peers. The nobility also tends to be less formal here than in the Kingdom. In crisis or even at other times it is not uncommon to see the local Baron out and about helping his bondsmen get the crops in, repair dikes, or the like.
Cities/People: The people of the Marches are of the same basic stock as those of the Kingdom, with the exception that they tend to have a bit more Searaider blood. They are quite proud of this heritage and accentuate it by choosing Searaider names for themselves and the countryside. They tend to be fairer haired and tanner than the people of the Kingdom, both by virtue of this blood and by the fact that they live in a more southern climate and tend to engage in trades that keep them out of doors a lot. The cities of the Marches are as varied as the landscape. In the hilly regions they tend to be built of stone with wood or tile roofs, winding dirt streets, and walls. In the marshy delta regions buildings are often built on stilts or stone platforms (depending on size). Even the driest marsh town will have wooden side walks and elevated streets. One or two have given up on streets completely and rely on canals to carry people around the town. These towns are not usually walled, as there is little solid ground to build such a thing on. They may have a wooden palisade, but far more common is the use of thorny hedges to ring the city or town. Like the hill towns, the swamp settlements grew up haphazardly, adding on streets and homes as needed. They are confusing to the new resident as the streets have little order and are often not even named. As in the Kingdom, each population center of reasonable size will have a church, round in shape with glass windows. Unlike Kingdom churches, the panes are often of colored glass rather than clear.
Military: Each Baron keeps a standing force (infantry and/or navy depending or his wealth and location) of as large a size as he can reasonably afford. This force polices his towns, protects the people against brigands and the like, and also serves to help the people in the case of a natural disaster, as well as training the civilian militia. All healthy adult male citizens train several days each year in case they are called upon to serve the Barony. The memories of the War of Secession twenty years in the past are still fresh in the people's minds and they tend to be proud and patriotic. The swamp- dwellers in particular have a reputation for canny guerilla tactics that can destroy a troop of regular soldiers. The one weakness of the Barons is in cavalry, which they employ minimally. They have close ties with Achaea, and use these ties to stay abreast of the most recent developments in weapons technology.
Education: The Marches are young and do not have the tradition of established Universities as found in Achaea and Gallacia. Several of the Barons are attempting to bring such scholarly traditions to their domains, however. These budding universities rely a lot on Achaean institutions for curricula and instructors. They are available to the children (more often male) of the nobles and middle-classes. The only mandatory education is given through the church. All citizens are required to send their children to the local priest's classes for two winters. Here they are taught Reform doctrine, the history of the Marches, some knowledge of their 'letters,' and the ability to do basic sums. Some children attend for four or five years and others go on to one of the universities or into Church service (where they continue their education as well as their religious training.) The priests of most towns, with the Baron's approval, often organize the children into athletic groups where acolytes and community volunteers teach them sports like archery, tennis, or in poorer regions running games or games played with a hide ball. This emphasis on education of both body and mind is a crucial part of Reform doctrine.
Technology: Though not yet centers for production or the newest technology, the Baronies are very open to becoming so. They have much commerce with Achaea and the Border states and encourage scholars and engineers to settle within their borders. Sometimes a scholar or engineer whose ideas are too radical even for Achaea may find himself welcomed by a Baron ready to take a chance on improbable or even dangerous technology. This tendency keeps some of the Achaean and Gallic scholars from taking the Barons too seriously, but on the other hand it is quite likely some of the next big innovations will come from their "think-tanks".
Production & Industry: See above. The Marches as a whole have little arable land. They do have a decent amount of mineral wealth (particularly coal) in those areas of the mountains not claimed by the dwarves. They also have peat and bog iron in the marshes. In addition, what farm lands they do have are some of the only ones not within the Empire that can support cotton and tobacco. This combined with some industry, several rare herbs not found elsewhere (including a Red Foxglove, popular herb used across the continent for birth control), and their strategic location for trade with Achaea, the Empire, the Kingdom, the Dwarves, and the Border states helps them stay quite economically active.
Foreign Relations: The Marches have excellent relations with Achaea, the southern Dwarven Nation, Sienova, and most of the other border states. They have good relations with Gallacia, though they are too distant for much real interaction to take place. Their relationship with the Empire is a bit cool (due to their friendliness with Achaea and competition with the Empire in the production of cotton and tobacco) but they do currently have a trade agreement. Likewise, in the past at least they have not been too friendly with the Kingdom. This is changing due to a new generation of Kingdom nobles (and to a lesser extent young March Barons who still tend to uphold their father's suspicions) who wish to let bygones be bygones.
Religion: Monotheistic. At first glance Reform Mithraism is little different from the Church of Light. They are more charismatic and more humanist, however. The Reform Church holds that Lugh was actually born of a woman and took on true human flesh to lead mankind. The Church of Light considers this a heresy and holds that the God only took on the appearance of humanity while remaining completely of divine matter. This difference leads the Reformers to focus more on the virtues of mankind rather than their flaws. After all if human flesh was good enough for Lugh then it can't be too bad, right? As Lugh was accomplished at all skills, they hold the ideal man (and, to a lesser extent, woman) should strive to be as skilled in as many things as possible. The Reformers still celebrate the Heliophany, but it tends to be a less formal, more mystical service that emphasizes an emotional inner connection with the God Incarnate.
Magick: Generally better accepted than in the Kingdom. The Barons' doctrine of religious tolerance means that foreign mages will not be persecuted or watched simply for not belonging to the Church. Magicks that have an obviously dark or evil source are still anathema, however. Someone caught casting dark channelling magick, for example, though they could not be held on religious charges, would be tried for threatening and endangering the populace, if not more. The elemental, technical, and bardic magicks of Achaea and Gallacia are acceptable in theory. Local officials are unlikely to have had much if any contact with such things, however, and might well react poorly to them at first. Church magick (with the exception of healing) is less common here than in the kingdom, though not disapproved of. Achaean technical magick especially medico-magickal healing. healing is also quite acceptable.