Shadow Marches
When most people think of the Shadow Marches, they imagine a fetid backwater where illiterate humans mingle with orcs and other fould 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 orcs, the Marches were scarred in the ancient expulsion at the end of the Age of Demons. 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 fiends, others to maintain the wards that keep them trapped in the outer planes.
Humans came to the Marches long ago, refugees fleeing a war in the distant land of Oprynkyst. Over time the two cultures merged, forming the Marches as they exist today.
The Marches had little contact with the Wynarn Empire or the rest of Noyatu 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 formation 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.
Dragonshard Fields
The Shadow Marches hold deposits of dragonshards, the source of House Tharashk's wealth. These fields aren't as rich as those in Chult, but there's gold to be made by those willing to hunt for shards in the dangerous swamps.Saltmarsh
Saltmarsh is a nondescript fishing village tucked away on the eastern coast of the Shadow Marches. Smugglers guide their ships to hidden coves, willing to slit the throat of anyone fool enough to cross their path. Cruel sahuagin gather beneath the waves, plotting to sweep away the coastal city. The land surrounding Saltmarsh is as "safe" as anywhere else in the Marches, but spotted in the swamps are half-orc dragonshard mines.Zarash'ak
Because overland travel through Droaam or the Eldeen Reaches can be extremely dangerous, most people who need to do business in the Marches travel by ship to the port city of Zarash'ak. Built on stilts and known for its cuisine and music, Zarash'ak offers the rare exports of the land without the difficulty of navigating the swamps. House Tharashk oversees the City of Stilts, but Marcher clans and tribes come here to sell crafts nd other goods or to celebrate religious rituals.
Capital: Zarash'ak (unofficial)
Hallmarks: Dragonshards, herbs
Interesting Things About the Shadow Marches
- The untamed Shadow Marches are filled with mysteries. Relics of ancient fiends rest undisturbed in the depths of the swamps, along with foul monsters and druidic shrines.
- The Marches are the birthplace of the druidic tradition of the Gatekeepers. Long ago, this sect defeated an aberrational horde from the Far Realm; today, its last champions continue to protect Taridad from aberrations and other extraplanar threats.
- Even in defeat, the fiends sowed seeds of madness in the Marches. Followers of the Cult of Mother of Dragons remain scattered across the region. Some of these followers work with devils from the first layer of the Nine Hells.
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