The Ukian Marches

Art by Ci-Annwn

When Vardessy and Kvesland came to one another's aid against the raids of Jahken Khan, they were not so foolish as to withdraw from the territory they claimed. The threat of a united Ukiah was one that called for strong defenses, and the two powers could not afford to leave their frontiers unguarded against another incursion. To that end, both Vardessy and Kvesland established their own Ukian March within Ukian territory, occupied by their armies for the purposes of maintaining a garrison and monitoring actions over the border.

Owing to Ukiah's harsh environment and paucity of resources, the main purpose of the Marches is defense, not economic prosperity. The occupied territories possess many robust fortresses and walls - many of them, especially deeper into the region, are wooden pallisades and motte-and-bailey constructions, though the largest and most prominent are of stone. So too, the roads are lined with watchtowers to keep watch for incursions by raiders and to set an alarm if necessary, and patrols are a common sight, with the few brave caravans that trade between the settlements often heavily guarded. All who live in the Marches are well aware that disaster may befall them at any moment - and if they're lucky, it will be in a glorious, interesting way at the hands of the fearsome Ukian riders, rather than merely succumbing to famine and the brutal winters.

Nevertheless, the Marches have their settlers nonetheless. The Queen of Kvesland and the Emperor of Vardessy wished to reward their generals for their service in the prolonged and bloody conflict, and carved out fiefs and baronies across the steppe for them to house their families and retainers, giving them a rare opportunity to advance their social standing in exchange for pledging their sword arm against raids. So too, there were many second sons of knightly lineages, with no hope of inheriting the family fief, who joined the war in the hopes of settling the land won, or who came to the Marches later to take up vacant plots under their protection. They are petty nobles, each perhaps ruling over a few scattered villages and maybe a monastery nestled amidst the steppes and forests, but land is land.

Then, there are the outlaws. By imperial decree, one who was declared an outlaw (and thus free to be killed without punishment) in Vardessy proper would not be prosecuted as such within the boundaries of the Ukian March. This served two purposes - for one, when a harsh life in the Marches seemed unpalatable to many, the Emperor needed to ensure there was incentive for people to migrate there and hold the line against the Ukians; furthermore, this would ensure these hardened criminals were at least far from civilization and at the mercy of Ukians, orcs, elves, and the elements, and that if anything happened, it was at least happening to them and not productive members of society. Many bandits and thieves were among the first few migrations to the Marches, if they could make it there without being recognized along the way. In the imperial core, those from the Marches thus have the reputation of being brutish, untrustworthy, and barely more than barbarians themselves - though in truth, many settlers have done quite well for themselves, with some bandit gangs having settled and formed villages of their own. As long as they're directing their raids against enemies of the crown, they can be left to their own devices.

There are few settlements in the Marches larger than a small village, and those that are are usually only so large due to the protection of a keep. The settlers live a hardscrabble life, subsisting off of tilling the fields when they aren't too frozen to work and cutting wood in the dense forests. They quickly realized there was little use for luxuries when wealth was hard to come by; often, barter dominates, given that goods are innately useful and valuables can only be counted on to arrive when the merchant caravans make it to town and hopefully haven't been picked clean by then. Raiding by Ukians is accepted as a part of life in the Marches, and many settlers train to at least be able to defend themselves.

Some clans can be counted upon to trade - some even in exchange for providing defenses against raids by other clans - but the prevailing view among the Ukians is that there is something unnatural about the settlers. They stay in one place, with houses that are simply unsuited to easily packing up and moving elsewhere when needed - what fool would do such a thing, when the weather itself can be a formidable foe? Their presence would be a source of amusement, were it not for the fact that several migration routes of Ukian herds pass through now-settled territories, which has sparked clashes and disputes. Since taking his father's place, Kostten Khan has vowed to drive the settlers away from Ukiah and restore balance - and many are sharpening their swords for the day such aims will be realized. At the same time, the first generation born in the Marches is just beginning to come of age, and no one knows what may come.

Art by Justin P. Feil

The Vardessian part of the Ukian March answers to Margrave Godebert Sturm, who carries out the Emperor's will from his post at Snowhall Keep. The second cousin to the Duchess of Halvardy, he was originally an unlanded knight before being granted the postion as a family favor. Though he has proven to be a canny ruler and his men have held the borders against incursions, he was abruptly placed on a pedestal perhaps too high for him on short notice, and he sometimes finds himself confronted with decisions he never could have prepared for. Often times, he has needed to rely on mercenaries to do the dirty work for him, since he doesn't need to worry about managing the competing interests of his knights and lieutenants that way. But perhaps he overspends the Keep's funds on such contracts...

The Kvessian part of the Ukian March answers to Margravine Alvilde Zima, who rules from Kalmanskiy Castle. Like many Kvessian nobles, she is a student of the mystic arts, and prefers to keep herself secluded in her tower, leaving day-to-day operations to her generals. She pursues her studies with the intent of securing dominance over her protectorate, and her spells have granted bountiful yields to nearby farmers and called down storms against invaders, which has made her popular among the peasantry. However, her distance from domestic affairs have led many of her high-ranking officials to grow impatient with her, and they are secretly planning a coup. None of them are prepared to take on such a sorceress, and their efforts have stalled without a means to level the playing field against her power. But should they find one, they may grow bolder...