The Shadow Marches
When most people think of the Shadow Marches, they imagine a fetid backwater where illiterate humans mingle with ores and other foul creatures, practicing strange rites by the light of the moons. While flawed, this vision isn't entirely inaccurate. The Shadow Marches are a desolate land of swamps and moors. The homeland of the ores, the Marches were scarred in the ancient conflict with the daelkyr. The fiends left twisted creatures and aberrations in the swamps and sowed seeds of madness that linger to this day. There are indeed moonlit rituals in the Marches: some to honor the daelkyr, others to maintain the wards that keep them trapped in Khyber.
Humans came to the Marches long ago, refugees fleeing war in the distant land of Sarlona. Over time the two cultures merged, forming the Marches as they exist today.
The Marches had little contact with the Kingdom of Galifar or the east until a few hundred years ago when a House Sivis expedition made two discoveries: the region contained valuable dragonshards, and a number of clans had manifested the Dragonmark of Finding. This led to the foundation of House Tharashk, as these clans joined together to master the economic potential of their mark and leverage their mineral wealth.
The Shadow Marches aren't a nation. No one voice speaks for the clans and tribes, and most of the tribes have no interest in dealing with outsiders. House Tharashk is the largest faction in the region, and their city of Zarash'ak is the center for commerce. House Tharashk is the main point of contact between the Shadow Marches and the outside world. Tharashk aside, the region remains a collection of tribes and cultists following their ancient traditions in the shadows of the swamps.
Tribes and Clans
The orcs of the Shadow Marches do not have a central government. Unlike the halflings of the Talenta Plains, the orcs were not forced to confront armies marching across their lands. Without external pressure, the orcs never united to demand representation at Thronehold. While House Tharashk has developed and expanded the dragonshard trade over the past century, their influence is currently limited to the immediate area surrounding Zarash'ak and the dragonshard fields extending west of the stilted city. Outside that zone of influence, the multiracial clans and the traditional orc tribes hold sway. Most orcs in the Shadow Marches live in small villages. Each family in the village has a parcel of land they own and tend to, growing rice and tending to a small herd of water tribex and other large animals. House Vadalis has begun to send heirs into the Shadow Marches to explore business opportunities and build relationships, however, their success has been limited to clan villages as opposed to tribe villages.Clans
Long ago, after Lhazaar's famous expedition across the sea that now bears her name, a second set of humans left Sarlona. Fleeing the expanding empire of Riedra, they crossed the Barren Sea and landed on Khorvaire's west coast. While many unfortunate souls landed in the Demon Wastes and became part of the Carrion Tribes, others landed in the Shadow Marches. Many orc tribes welcomed the refugees with open arms, integrating their tribes to become the clans. From these clans came the Jhorgun'taal, the children of two bloods. The clans celebrate their half-orc as proof that humanity and orc kind are in fact one. This vaunted status means Jhorgun'taal hold a disproportionate number of diplomatic and advisory positions within their clans, bridging not only internal divides but building relationships with the outside world. While half-orcs, like half-elves, are a true-breeding race, unlike half-elves they prefer to remain integrated with their parent communities to forming their own. The clans of the Shadow Marches primarily live on the coast. Having accepted human immigrants millenia ago, the clans freely incorporate and adapt tools and teachings from the outside world. However, not every technology developed for the heartland of the Five Nations works well in the wetlands of the Shadow Marches, where storms can damage or destroy imported goods. Still, the clans tend to be welcoming and inclusive of outsiders. Few towns exist in the Shadow Marches, but those that do are almost always populated by multiple orcish clans. These towns function as regional hubs, trading supplies with the local farmers and prospectors. While most have some form of inn for travelers they're rarely Ghallanda-licensed. Despite the growing dragonshard trade few people from the Five Nations venture into the Shadow Marches, leaving little demand for hospitality services. Clans are governed by elected councils, with the exact rules and traditions varying from clan to clan. Councils appoint reeves to carry out the law on their behalf. A reeve's executive authority is extensive, although their power is limited. However, aggressive actions taken against a reeve are liable to draw the wrath of the whole clan.Tribes
Insular at the best of times and xenophobic at the worst, the orc tribes are predominantly found inland in the Shadow Marches. All prefer to follow older traditions, rejecting "advances" from the eastern nations in favor of known practices. Tribal traditions are untainted by Sarlonan human beliefs and rituals, meaning they have the most accurately preserved druidic and cult practices. Tribal councils consist solely of the eldest orcs of the tribe, their wisdom, and age presumed to provide the best governance. Orcs who contest the council are forced into exile, typically joining one of the clans in the region. When faced with external conflict a tribe has a number of options. When dealing with a known tribe or clan the council of elders may directly meet the opposing representatives to work out a solution. Unknown threats are confronted by an appointed reeve and a select group of warriors. While the tribes do not usually intend to escalate conflicts, the reality of the marches' lack of central governance means that tribes are ready to defend themselves.Territories
The wetlands of the Shadow Marches are defined by their resiliency, withstanding the tests of time and weather. While not as primeval as the jungles of Q'barra, the marshes of the Shadow Marches have avoided the transformative works of the empire, both from humans and goblinoids. The Dhakaani did take an interest in the region, but their outposts were few in number and isolated in impact.
The House Sivis map most members of the Five Nations are familiar with does a poor job of representing the nuance and details of the marshes, papering over the waterways with a simple swamp texture. The Shadow Marches are full of small lakes and rivers, with many of the latter flowing into the Glum River. House Sivis cartographers have only recently grown interested in the headwaters of the Glum and were surprised to discover that the region's rainfall wasn't able to account for the size and volume of the river. Rather, underwater springs provide a seemingly endless supply of water, causing some to question how deep the water goes and if it might link to an aquatic realm of Khyber.
The Seasons
The Shadow Marches are defined by two dominant seasons - the wet season from Dravago (May) through Rhaan (September), and the dry season from Sypheros (October) through Eyre (April). During the wet season, warm winds come in from the Barren Sea, saturating the region. Tropical cyclones blow in from the south, with fierce winds that demolish coastal trees. While severe winds can make fishing dangerous, the water provides for bountiful agriculture. During the dry season, cold air comes down from the Demon Wastes and blows over the Shadow Marches. Greatly diminished rains require the inhabitants of the Shadow Marches to stockpile food for the winter months for them and their livestock. Fortunately, colder and drier weather also suppresses vectors for diseases like insects.Terrain
More than any other biome, wetlands are full of treacherous terrain that can make for dynamic and risky combat. The general lack of solid ground makes boats the quickest and most reliable method of travel. Wealthy groups will hire experienced guides to paddle for them, while more novice parties may be forced to choose between keeping moving the boat and drawing their weapons. Amphibious ambush predators, whether a mundane crocodile or a rogue black dragon, are particularly frightening when they combine standing water with poor visibility. Not only can these creatures use the environment to get the drop on potential prey, but water provides excellent protection against attacks. Melee attackers find themselves completely out of reach unless they choose to brave the murky depths, while many ranged weapons are less accurate underwater. Even when there is ground, there's no guarantee it's an adventurer's friend. Thick mud can slow a veteran swordsman, while tall reeds and trees can provide cover and concealment against ranged attacks.Settlements
Despite the progress by House Tharashk to unite the Shadow Marches, the region still lacks basic infrastructure like trade roads to promote interconnectivity. House Orien Trailblazers have attempted to tame the marshes but have made little progress in finding or creating durable pathways. Boats remain the most reliable method of navigating the waterlogged marshes, but House Lyrandar has been slow to invest in the region, their seafaring vessels unsuited for shallow water. The orcs of the Shadow Marches live in elevated housing built to accommodate even the highest of tides. While the wooden construction may give the appearance of poverty or even savagery, druidic magic reinforces the stilted buildings to resist wind and water. Ceilings typically have two layers separated for ventilation, allowing an escape for high winds that blow through the structure while still providing cover from the rain. Most buildings consist of only a few large rooms, relying on posts and beams for internal support rather than load-bearing walls. Still, even with help of magic repair and reconstruction is a fact of life.The Inland Marches
Traveling north and east, the wetlands of the Shadow Marches give way to forests and plains. The intense storms that wrack the coast dry out and dissipate. The distance from Zarash'ak means few outlanders have ever stepped foot in the Deepwood, where orcs live in sturdy wooden housing. The southern peninsula nestled between Zarash Bay and Azure Bay holds Balinor's Sorrow, a dangerous wood filled with dire beasts. Morgrave scholars have speculated a Lammanian manifest zone here helped the Gatekeepers breed the first horrid animals, adding chitinous armor and acidic natural attacks. Along the northern coast bordering Crescent Bay, House Tharashk has established Yrlag as a safe backup from which to launch expeditions into the Demon Wastes, resupplying the exploratory village/forward base of Blood Crescent. Some tribes maintain the traditional nomadic lifestyle, while others have taken up agriculture to trade with Tharashk.Religion
Unlike the atheistic dhakaani, orcs have a strong predilection to faith. This faith should not be understood as the kind that builds grand churches and anoints cardinals, like the Church of the Silver Flame. Rather, orcish faith is a combination of deeply personal beliefs and long-held traditions and practices.
Regardless of the specifics of their practices, faith leaders in orcish communities act as servant leaders who lead by example rather than commanding from on high. Generally speaking, the orcs maintain strong oral traditions rather than greatly written books of dogma and doctrine. This means that any two tribes or clans, even if they follow the same general faith tradition, may have radically different interpretations or practices, shaped by millennia of development. Furthermore, it ultimately limits the size of any faith group - a servant leader's ability to spend personal time with each member of their faith group is fundamentally limited. By contrast, a minister in the Five Nations can preach to enormous crowds with the help of a wand of thaumaturgy to enhance the reach of their voice.
The two main faith traditions in the Shadow Marches are those devoted to the Gatekeeper druids and to Cults of the Dragon Below. The Gatekeepers maintain the ancient seals, while the cults have more varied goals. Even two cults dedicated to the same daelkyr can have radically different beliefs. Some work in direct opposition to the Gatekeepers to disrupt the seals, others foster aberrations that have already escaped, while others still have more unusual and specific forms of showing their devotion.
While the leaders of these organizations work in active opposition to each other, the bodies of faithful do not. Instead, most faithful follow practices they've known for a very long time, rooted in their conviction that participation in the rituals and traditions of their communities contributes to the common good. For a tribe devoted to the Gatekeepers, this may be an annual song and dance to refresh the power of a local seal. For a tribe devoted to an aberrant cult of the dragon below, an annual pilgrimage may trace a symbol that weakens the power of a local seal. The key to these traditions is they are sustainable over long periods of time - traditions that call for total war by their nature must be new, as older traditions calling for aggressive action have long since wiped themselves out.
Beyond the ancient traditions, the influx of humans two thousand years ago brought about a blending of Sarlonan faiths and local orc customs. These innumerable syncretisms predominantly manifested in the blending of druidic and Pyrinean faiths, mixing and adapting the deities of Sovereign Host with stories of orcish heroes. Baaldra the Protector combines features of Dol Arrah and Boldrei, protecting the home and caring for the weak. Garu-Umesh blends Dol Dorn's martial prowess with stories of a fierce one-eyed warrior. Refugees from Ohr Kaluun brought tales of power granted by deities similar to the Dark Six, some of which have blended with Cults of the Dragon Below to produce truly unique but dark forms of worship, such as mixing the Mockery's betrayal with Dyrrn's fleshwarping.
Type
Geopolitical, Tribe
Government System
Tribalism
Power Structure
Autonomous area
Economic System
Gift economy
Location
Neighboring Nations
