The Eleven Marches

The Mercantile Confederacy Eleven Marches

Predominant Races: Elves from tribes, Lizardfolk and sahuagin from the marshes and humans from the imperial cities.
Military: 0
Wealth: 0
Culture: 0

---

Covenant's Gate: Capital city of the Eleven Marches and an important trade center of the Empire. This double walled city grew from a small fortification to a complex network of narrow streets and large market square, where all sorts of merchandise can be found and traded.
Workforce: 1
- Precious metal
- Gemstones
- Mercenaries

Elven Wars: It is said that the Creator's victory over the Destroyer at the End of Ages changed the world. For the elves, that meant seeing their homeland destroyed into the barren land that is now the eastern desert. Some survivors stayed faithful to Avencia, knowing that with her teachings, their land would eventually heal. Many however, chose to leave and migrate west. And so, during the early days of the empire, 11 elven tribes moved into the Old Lands. Their settling into the human lands brought then into various conflicts and skirmishes that quickly degenerated into full blown wars, threatening the still weakened kingdoms and their fragile alliances. It is said that, in a twist of fate, one of the tribes decided that Avencia abandoned the elves because they continued to bring destruction to the land and disappeared. Seeing their internal division, the realms that would latter form the Covenant, joined forces to face the common invader and slowly managed to gain the upper hand. Surrounded and outnumbered, the tribes eventually lost their strength and retreated to poor and infertile lands. To prevent further invasions, the emerging Covenant built a borderland fortification. This fort was the gate to the covenant lands, and so it became known as the Cavenant's Gate, which became an important trade center of the Empire, under the protection of the Margrave (local governor).

Tribes in the empire: The new elven homeland, being unproductive marshes, forced the tribes to adapt. Claiming that Avencia was dead, killed by the Destroyer himself during the End of Ages, these elves turned to worship the nature spirits. Having little to give the Empire, trade was difficult, even though some minor routes would be used frequently. However, their great military and combat skills and their endurance gained from being raised on the harshest conditions, turned out to be a great asset for the expanding empire. And this was something they could export: mercenaries. These mercenaries were first hired as travel escorts for merchants using the dangerous trade roads between Covenant’s Gate and the tribes. Their loyalty to the contract owner and their magic and archery skills meant that they were noticed by the Margrave, who deployed as security and patrol in dangerous areas. As a reward, the now pacified tribes were integrated into the Covenant, their leaders being promoted as high as councilors to the Margrave himself. After that, their reputation grew so much as to make these mercenaries the most sought-after bodyguards and, even full army regiments were being exported to boost every lord's army at the time the Covenant recalled their men and the empire went silent. To this day, it is still possible to find their mounted archers, blade singers and druids serving under other noble houses.

The rise of the Marches: But change was coming to the tribes. With the weakening of the Covenant, for one reason or another, internal conflict within the marshlands was brewing, and the ambitious new leader chosen by the tribes, known by the title of The Lady of the Eleven, was quick to act. Raising the famous mercenaries regiments, the marshes were fully brought under her control, and she put an end to the trouble before it started. As the lizardfolk and sahuagin refugees moved from the conquered marshes, flooding the gates of the capital, some for the defeated forces formed brigand squads, disrupting the merchant routes. All this destabilised the region and damaged the Margrave position. Offering to help the imperial governor, the elven forces marched into the capital almost unchallenged, to pacify and stabilise the region. Controlling such a central place of the empire’s trade route, staple rights and tolls were immediately put in place, escort mercenaries became almost essential to anyone travelling in the region due to the rising number brigand’s attacks and, with the lack of an efficient imperial army, an extensive protection racket was established to enforce the tenuous claim to the newly formed Eleven Marches Confederation. The Confederation is now using its privileged assess to trade to gain enough wealth to stabilize the unproductive region where it established itself.

The tribal believes are very distinct from those of the Empire. Their world view is very focused on the nature spirits and the mortal’s interactions with them (fey creatures are sacred). Everyone knows that they are organised in strict a druidric hierarchy, each march rules by an archdruid (some of which have been part of the previous Margrave’s council). The Eleven Marches are a very loose democracy, where all druids (ultimately represented by the eleven archdruid) meet every year to solve internal problems and elect their leader, define laws and external policy guidelines. No druids have no voting rights. Not much is known about their practices: lycantrophy seems to be common, but it is not clear how widespread it is, mostly because these can easily be confused with the tribal shapeshifting abilities (which were some of the most appreciated magic skills the mercenaries used). There are rumours that ritual mixing of blood are common religious practices, suggesting that elves may use magical means to acquire various animal features.

The Margrave is still the Covenant Governor. It is an inheritable nobility title so it can only be legitimacy changed by the imperial council or the emperor himself, who don't seem to be too worried about these matters nowaday... However, the Lady of the Eleven by coming to the Margrave's rescue, has earned the title of Holder of the Key (to the Covenant's gate!), which is the head of local council. The council itself is make up by six councillors, responsible for different (yet slightly overlapping) issues:
* The Commander of the Guard who is more concerned with raising and maintaining an effective security force, both as internal police (see Overseer) and for the Covenant's arm in war.
* The Master of the Guilds who is the representative from the city businesses and industries (see Overseer), but is also responsible for collecting the taxes from their earnings.
* The Overseer of the Roads who is responsible for public works in general. Because most initiative is left to the guilds and roads are fundamental to the trading town, the main activities is to maintaining proper accesses and good flow of trade (see Commander) and mediate guild's investments (sort of a central bank, see Master)
* The Mouth of the Land is the representative of the Margrave on the Empire, responsible for the diplomacy with the other noble families and regions within the Covenant . He is also responsible for ensuring the nobles under the Margrave and kept happy, avoiding both internal and external conflict (see Commander), while identifying opportunities for promoting the March (see Guardian).
* The Guardian of the Library is the wizard of the court, responsible for generating knowledge, maintaining the archives and promoting acquisition of new information. This means that he is responsible for research, engineering and magic, as well as spying (see Mouth).
* The Appraiser of arts is a new councillor established by the Lady of the Eleven, whose function is to evaluate all the merchandise that is forcibly exposed in the capital's extensive markets (staple rights) and collect the merchant tolls. The most promising items identified are them bough to enhance the Marches' status or to be resold in specific trade routes ([i]see Master[i]), to improve the Marches' wealth. (basically responsible for raising culture and wealth :D )

The elven mercenaries from the tribes of the Old Lands are well know for:
* Mounted archers: The elven connection to the natural spirits allows them a supernatural ability to domesticate and command the beasts of the land. Allied with their natural dexterity and years of hunting experience, the elven warriors can easily find a mount from where to fire their deadly enchanted arrows. Equipped with longbow and spear, medium or light armour and always with an animal companion.
* Blade singers: The elven infantry is widely known for its particular mixture of magic and exquisite elven blades. This allows for an imposible variety of combat and stealth tactics, making them unpredictable. Equipped with spear and sword, light or heavy armour and frequently take animal shapes.
* Druids: The elven spell-casters are so proficient manipulating and controlling the natural elements that facing them is like surviving a sentient natural disaster. Equipped with wooden staffs and robes, casting elemental magic, controlling plants, animals and the weather alike and summoning the forces of nature (elementals)

---

Special soldier:
* Mounted archers: The elven connection to the natural spirits allows them a supernatural ability to domesticate and command the beasts of the land. Allied with their natural dexterity and years of hunting experience, the elven warriors can easily find a mount from where to fire their deadly enchanted arrows. Equipped with longbow and spear, medium or light armour and always with an animal companion.
* Blade singers: The elven infantry is widely known for its particular mixture of magic and exquisite elven blades. This allows for an imposible variety of combat and stealth tactics, making them unpredictable. Equipped with spear and sword, light or heavy armour and frequently take animal shapes.
* Druids: The elven spell-casters are so proficient manipulating and controlling the natural elements that facing them is like surviving a sentient natural disaster. Equipped with wooden staffs and robes, casting elemental magic, controlling plants, animals and the weather alike and summoning the forces of nature (elementals)

---

People:
* The Margrave (Human noble): the Imperial Governor, an inheritable nobility title that can only be changed by the Imperial Council or the Emperor Himself. Holds the Imperial authority and serves as the mediator and the executive part for Confederacy Council
* The Lady of the Eleven (elf archdruid): Archdruid of one of the elven tribes, she has been recently elected leader of the the 11 Marches at the tribes meeting. After the "tribal uprising" she gained the title of Holder of the Key to the Covenant's Gate and now serves the head of local council.

* The Commander of the Guard (elf veteran) : Local councillor responsible for raising and maintaining an effective security force, working both as internal police and army forces.
* The Master of the Guilds (human noble): Representative of the city businesses and industries in the Local Council who is responsible for collecting the the guilds' taxes.
* The Overseer of the Roads (elf archdruid): Local councillor responsible for maintaining proper accesses and good flow of trade and mediate guild's investments (sort of a central bank)
* The Mouth of the Land (human noble): Local councillor responsible for the Margrave's representation on the Empire, responsible for the diplomacy and avoiding both internal and external conflict.
* The Guardian of the Library The One Councillor (elf archdruid): Representative of the wizard schools on the Local Council is responsible for generating knowledge, maintaining the archives and promoting acquisition of new information (including control of the spy network)
* The Appraiser of arts (dwarf merchant): Local councillor responsible for the evaluation of merchandised in the extensive markets (staple rights) and collection the merchant tolls.

* The (other 8) archdruids: Rulers of each March form a very loose tribal democracy, where all druids meet every year to solve internal problems and elect their leader, define laws and external policy guidelines. Non druids have no voting rights:
- Archdruid of the Sea: Elementalist
- Archdruid of the Land: Elementalist -> Overseer of the Roads
- Archdruid of the Sky: Elementalist

- Archdruid of the Fishes: Naturalist
- Archdruid of the Animals: Naturalist
- Archdruid of the Birds: Naturalist

- Archdruid of Songs: Spiritualist
- Archdruid of Dances: Spiritualist
- Archdruid of Arcane: Spiritualist

- Archdruid of Sun: Dualist -> The Guardian of the Library
- Archdruid of Moon: Dualist -> The Lady of the Eleven

---

Companies:
* The Winter's Ballad: Sent to Foundation under The Wind's Whisper
* The Wind's Whisper: Sent to claim as much of Foundation as possible
* The Sun's Blade: Sent to Foundation under The Wind's Whisper
* The Earth's Spear: Southvale under the Lady's command
* The Moon's Grace: Southvale under the Lady's command
* The Lady's Dance: Lead by the Lady of the Eleven to meet Running's forces at the western border.