The Shadow Marches

From DeadGoblins

[edit] History

The Shadow Marches are not a recognized nation. Rather, the Marches are an independent territory whose established relationships with its neighbors and the outside world comes largely from the presence of House Tharashk. The folk of the Shadow Marches have a reputation for xenophobia, and outsiders are rarely welcomed here.

Orcs make up more than half the population of the Marches. Humans, half-orcs, and members of other races aIso dwell here. The Shadow Marches feature two distinct cultures - the orc tribes that settled these lands, and the clans formed by later human migrants.

The orc tribes are an insular society, but humans and half-orcs are sometimes accepted into an orc tribe if they can prove themselves. The tribes are territorial, and typically attack trespassers on sight.

Closer to the outer edges of the Marches, mixed clans of humans and half-orcs are more accepting of the outside world, mostly through their association with House Tharashk. The clans have more in common with the folk of "civilized" Khorvaire than do their kin in the orc tribes, and they demonstrate a greater level of trust toward outsiders.

[edit] Nature

The Shadow Marches are a vast swampland teeming with insects, reptiles, and vermin. The territory contains little dry land and no trade routes. Settlements in the Marches are typically constructed on stilts and pilings to keep them above the shifting water levels of the swamp.

[edit] Streetwise

The Shadow Marches are the wildest corner of Khorvaire, and laws are an unknown concept here. Zarash'ak is the only exception, largely as the result of House Tharashk needing its business to run in a smooth and orderly fashion.