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The March; basic concept
Tweet Topic Started: May 13 2011, 10:49 AM (127 Views)
Hawkeye May 13 2011, 10:49 AM Post #1
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New England Republic
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All-Colonies Empire
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The March

Land

The March itself is primarily composed of a large expanse of high plains, steppe, savannah and grasslands stretching from subtropical to temperate. The central region of this expanse are inhabited by the Ceffylgwer and referred to as the Ceffylmays (the Horsefields) or Ceffylveld. The land itself is inhabited by Northmen who are not native and migrated here either forcibly as a way to escape the ancient human imperial power and retain their freedom or as general relocation for more open lands but then came under an imperial colonial authority. I was to propose that Meteora's city-states border me on the coastal areas and be remnants of the imperial administration. Near the borders of with these Coastal Cities will be the Outlands, also known as Mirvinia, lands of marsh and dense subtropical forest inhabited my men of the March who live in outpost towns and trade posts with one noticibly large and important mercantile city-state, Krylev. Think of this land as being kind of a warm Livonia to my March Knights' Teutonic Order. To the more temperate areas are the High Mountains where Norse Men and March Order Knights of the High Keeps ward off barbarians, peoples sometimes rather chauvinistically viewed as unsuitable for entry into the March and foul beasts of the Mountains. They have also likely formed a bond with dwarves native to the Mountains for occasional access to minor technologies for the March (such as the flintlock pistol for Freemen of the March).

Society

The men of the March are predominantly Northmen but also incorporate various other Men within their fold, with migratory Wood Elf clans permitted to pass through the lands. Horses are viewed as pivotal to the March and a Man without a good steed under him/her is generally viewed as little more than an overgrown child. The March is primarily agrarian with livestock herding and ranching handled by the Freemen of the Ceffylmays and yeoman farmers living closer to settlements and citadels of the Order of the March Knights. They are generally protected locally by Wardens of the March Order and by the Order as a whole throughout the March. Whatever government which does exist centered around the citadels is a meritocracy revolving around an Order committed to the Code of Honor and Chivalry composed of knights and wisemen of the land.

The Order of Brothers of the March under the sign of the Lady, known simply as the Order of the March Knights, is the secular governmental body of the March wherein all titles are non-hereditary. While anyone may become a March Knight, it often involves abandoning all current worldly possessions to embark on a quest to live by respect for the Code of Honor and Chivalry, a strong sense of civic duty, meditate on selfless thoughts, exhibit selfless acts and complete tests of either physical or mental fortitude and bravery. It is only once a man or woman on quest is deemed suitable by a mysterious high sorceress and/or demigoddess known colloquially as The Lady, that they are visited by her and may drink of the Waters of Life from the Lady's Chalice, thus receiving the Blessing of the Lady and being marked by her for life. The Lady's Blessing also confers longevity as a reward for the time and possessions lost upon embarking on the quest, dramatically increased intelligence and fortitude as well as ascending their trusty horse to higher intelligence (though still lacking speech). It is only then that a Man may take on the duties and responsibilities, as well as the power, of a March Knight and begin as Warden of a particular county within the March. Despite even the lowliest peasant's son or daughter being able to attain the position of Warden and, later, the title of Brenin, not all Knights remain good forever and The Lady, far from being a goddess, can either not maintain a constant watchful presence or is generally apathetic to games of power in the land. As a result, corruption and power-dealings may sometimes become a factor when approaching closer to the point of Grandmaster.

While females are just as often knights and wisemen as males, they are nevertheless expected to bear children at some point in their lives and take on a maternal or nurturing tone. As a result, they are often prohibited from such positions as Grandmaster and suppressed from higher posts in general. There is much quarreling and debate at the moment as to whether or not this should be changed.

The current Grandmaster is Syr Robert Bran, Grandmaster of the Order of Brothers of the March under the sign of the Lady, Knight-Captain of the Knight-Brothers of the March, Savant-Captain of the Philosopher-Brothers of the March, Grand Warden of the Ceffylmays, the High Keeps and the Outlands, Admiral of the Fleet on the Morbihan, Brenin of Citadel Caerllion.

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Grandmaster Robert Bran, lord of the March's government, commander of her armies


Magic

Among the Marchmen, the gift of the magic arts only courses through the veins and in the fabric of the women amongst them. If the Philosopher-Brothers had access to knowledge centuries ahead of the Known World's present state, it could be hypothesized by them that it occurs within the genes of the Marchmen only through the bonding of two X-chromosomes. As it stands, the nearest the Philosophers of the March Order can tell is that it is yet another peculiarity unique only to the biology of women and is restricted to the female sex only in the race of Men known as the Marchmen. While the women-mages, known locally as Druidesses or Dryads (if they reside in the forests of the Outlands), in the March may develop their magic talents independently, they are generally legally only permitted to practice spellcasting of life magics and nature magics, though to what harshness the law is enforced depends on local sensibilities, with many jurisdictions either not enforcing the law or providing a slap on the wrist to others where the death penalty is sometimes used. Often a future Druidess is visited upon coming of age and first experiencing her magical abilities by the Lady herself, given the latter's supernatural abilities of existing in multiple places at the same time, to educate and guide the Druidess in her newfound art and talent and to school her in the ways of the Lores of Life and Nature. While the Lady always appears throughout a Druidess' life as a constant source of training and education, as well as to encourage her to use her magic powers for protection of the innocent and honor, the Lady nonetheless, like with the entire March itself, refuses to intervene in any matters which are the decisions of mortals or the conflicts of mortals. While the Lady confers her special abilities and blessings on Knights and Druidesses of the land alike, she is forbidden, either by herself or by a higher force, from further interfering in life.


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A common Ceffylmarcher Druidess casting a spell


Religion

The Marchmen primarily believe in a massive and varied pantheon of gods which I will base on combination of the Celtic gods and goddesses for the Ceffylgwer, the Norse gods and goddesses for the High Keeps and the Slavic gods and goddesses for the Outlanders, with many jurisdictions overlapping. Despite that, there is no priesthood or clergy nor are there temples as the Marchmen generally acknowledge the existence of their gods and goddesses as the truth of the universe at large but believe that the affairs of the world are beneath the care or interference of gods and goddesses with the exception of token blessings through affecting luck and chance in their respective jurisdictions. This is generally due to it being believed that they live in a physical parallel world of sorts. As a result of this belief in non-interference, the lack of belief in any deities is also common amongst the Marchmen and not persecuted by most believers. Due to past history, they are generally disdainful or confrontational with monotheist believers.

Weapons

While gunpowder weapons exist in moderate numbers in the March, largely in the form of matchlock and flintlock pistols and carbines, they are as dangerous as most gunpowder weapons are in the Known World and usually only used by Freemen of the March or outfitted in place of bows for Riders of the Ceffylmays and Outlander Reiters within the armies of the March Knights. March Knights themselves, and indeed, the typical Marchman, prefers the honor of swords of fine steel, a handaxe, hatchet or longbow to any dishonorable byproducts of industry. The Claymore, a staple of the March which has been refined over many generations, is wielded one-handed by the elite March Knights. For normal Men who have not been touched by the Lady, the bastard sword, cavalry sabre, falx or lance are typical weapons. Bows are preferred for the March's main long-range warriors - the horse-archer. Nevertheless, the elite for an Army of the Outlands is considered to be their famed Reiters armed with matchlock pistols. If blessed by the presence of a Druidess, March riders or Knights may also possess enchanted items or weapons.

Armor

Marcher armor is varied, with traditional armor for most Riders of the March and mounted yeomen, though some particularly lucky or favored Riders having armor of dragon-scale available to them, to a special armor often donned by the March Knights of the land. March Knight armor is often light or cloth-like in appearance and made of a woven fiber which betrays its true qualities as a heavy armor. Upon receiving the Blessing of the Lady and drinking of the Waters of Life, many March Knights continue living according to the Code of Chivalry and accomplishing noble deeds and quests.

One such popular quest involves the slaying of beasts of the High Mountains which frequently imperil and stalk villages as far out as the Ceffylveld, a quest made all the more popular due to its high rewards for high risk. This peculiarity was found to be the result of a common thread among the beasts of the High Mountains - Chimerathread and Dragonthread. Chimerathread is only woven from the hairs of the mane of the great Chimera and while the Chimerathread from young chimeras has the same effect as Dragonthread from the bowels of young dragons and wyverns - for protection comparable to the strongest metals in the lands, older, larger chimeras which are particularly difficult to slay, a feat accomplished by only the most determined Knights, produce a thread from their manes which offers protection which wards off all forms of dark magic. In addition, heavier, thicker armor, though generally weighing down a knight, can be worn in the form of a cloak made from the skin and fur of Chimeras. These chimera fur cloaks are heavier than their lighter woven cousins but can still confer more protection where needed.

Dragonthread is largely similar to its Chimerathread cousin except it's woven of a fiber secreted by Dragonworms, large worms living in a symbiotic relationship with dragons and wyverns of the High Mountains deep within their host's foul innards. While the Dragonthread of wyverns is, at best, equivalent in strength to medium armor, the much more deadly High Mountain dragons contain dragonworms which secrete a more potent fiber which, much like Chimerathread, can be woven into articles of clothing similar in strength to heavy armor. The slaying of a dragon or a chimera, however, are easier said than done, with many Knights of the March Order perishing in their quests to protect their kin and to acquire this lightweight heavy armor. Larger and older dragons, nigh impossible to slay except by the most elite of March Knights, contain more experienced dragonworms which weave a cloth also enchanted with wards against fire, fire magic and dark magic and are thus only a typical part of a collection of the highest and most worthy of March Knights. For reference, these Dragons of the High Mountains are impossible to tame and domesticate and considered wild and feral even amongst dragons themselves (if there are sentient dragons, of course). No dragon-riding here.

Miscellaneous Information

As the horses of the Marchmen are such an important component of a man or woman's identity in the March, they usually are longer lived and form a stronger bond with their rider than other steeds of the Known World. Marcher horses are supposedly bred from a race of sentient horses rumored to have existed long ago in the Old Times and still retain a high measure of intelligence and bonding though, however, do not retain their sentience. The Lady recognized the importance of horsemanship to the Marchmen and began to embue the steeds of newly-blessed March Knights with the ability to possess near-sentience in the assistance of their masters. While horses are the most important steeds to the Ceffylgwer, Master-Knights of the March Order have been known to tame and ride Giant Warhawks and Dire Wolves into battle after a long sojourn deep into the High Mountains. While the Ceffylmays uses the horse as a symbol, the High Keeps often use the Dire Wolf and the Outlands use the Double-headed Hawk.

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Banner of the Ceffylmays, one of the provinces of the March

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Heraldry of the High Keeps and the Veldt, another province of the March

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Totem used by Horsemen of the High Keeps and the Veldt


This summary is from my original post in the Fantasy RP planning thread with some minor updates and edits. The most notable addition is a divergence from an all-Celtic themed Ceffylmarch to the current lands of the March, featuring the Celtic themed Ceffylmays, the Nordic/Frankish themed High Keeps and Veldt and the Slavic themed Outlands of Mirvonia, with the March Knights being the unitary body keeping them together in a militant meritocracy. Philosophers and Savants along with Sorceresses will also feature high in the government and all apart from Sorceresses can advance to the position of Grandmaster.
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