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<quote-right by="Marcher Traditional">Steel sprouts strong from fertile soil.</quote-right>
{{CaptionedImage|file=YeomenBreak.jpg|align=right|caption=Hard work wins wars.|title=War is not won in a moment|width=300}}
==Overview==
The rich Marcher soil gives rise to great military strength and, after the recent recruitment of The Tusks, four of the Empire's armies come from the Marches. Marcher generals have a reputation for being cautious, and for valuing victory more than personal glory. War is seen as work, hard dirty work, something to achieve over months of effort, not something to be won or lost in a moment. It is also seen as a shared responsibility, something that everyone who can must face together. On campaign, even Marcher generals who can't fight for whatever reason are expected to  share the same risks and privations as the common soldier, one yeoman amongst many.  


The rich Marcher soil gives rise to great military strength.
Powerful [[Marcher Household|households]] field ranks of heavily-armoured yeomen wearing their colours and fighting together. Neighbours well-used to working together fight shoulder to shoulder. The expectation of loyalty and sacrifice can make a Marcher household a fearsomely cohesive force. Traditional rivalries are put to one side when a Marcher army faces a force of outsiders, and folk who would go out of their way to avoid acknowledging each other will fight back to back against a band of invading orcs.


Each territory currently held by the Marches fields an army, led by its Warden. A Marcher Warden is expected to share the same risks and privations. Making the same sacrifices as the common soldier, is part and parcel of what it means to be a Marcher. Marcher Wardens have a reputation for being cautious, and for valuing victory more than personal glory. “''War is a thrice-ploughed field''” is a common saying in the Marches, where war is seen as hard dirty work.
The strength of the Marcher forces is derived from their long hours of toil. Arms hardened by days at the forge, cutting a forest, or threshing grain are strong enough for any fight. It is common for Marchers to wield weapons made from the tools of their labour; bills used for cutting hedges and great hammers used for driving piles are pressed into service of war. The wealthiest may march in a harness of plate but plenty have nothing more than a hard leather tunic or quilted jack they have made themselves. Their true strength is their loyalty and discipline; at their best a Marcher army is a great hedge of steel, moving inexorably forward like a harvest-gang through a field of wheat.
__TOC__
Service to the Empire in one of the Marcher armies is considered an excellent coming of age for the children of a yeoman. This offers them a chance to learn a little of the outside world and to earn enough to purchase their own farm and become yeomen themselves. For a nation that prides itself on its military prowess, it also ensures a steady stream of soldiers with practical experience of battle.
{{CaptionedImage|file=MarcherArcher.jpg|align=left|caption=Beaters watch for thieves, vagrants, and other ne'er-do-wells.|title="Green"Jack Woodruff of Upwold, yeoman of the Applewood Levy. Some say he shot sixteen orcs in the battle; some say he shot fifteen.|width=450}}


Arms hardened by days at the forge, keeping a forest, or threshing wheat are called to serve in a different harvest. In nothing more than a quilted jack, or leathers, Marchers from different households, different territories wield weapons made from the tools of their labour. Bills used for cutting hedges, great hammers used for driving piles, are pressed into service of war. This is the heart of an attack by a Marcher army. A great hedge of steel, moving inexorably forward, like a scythe through wheat.
== Beaters ==
Beaters roam through the Marches, learning every part of the land, watching for thieves, vagrants and other ne’er-do-wells. Beaters are often instrumental in settling land disputes between neighbours and they still play a vital role in the tradition of [[The Marches culture and customs#The beating of the bounds|beating the bounds]]. Beaters often live off the land and most are skilled rangers or hunters. They serve as an informal police force, investigating crimes and tracking criminals. While an individual beater often associates with one or more households, they make no secret of the fact that they maintain an informal network among themselves.
 
The beaters watch the boundaries and defend them against trespass until its forces can muster. They also remain vigilant for internal threats. In addition to the orcs that still occupy the more inaccessible hills and wild forests of the Marches, there are bands of Féni, the ancient people driven from the fertile lowlands centuries ago. These primitive humans cover their skin in green and yellow tattoos and launch raids against civilised Marchers to steal cattle or crops. If something or someone is raiding out of the forests or hills then the beaters are the ones who are called on to hunt it.
 
In time of war, beaters serve the Marches as scouts, ranging ahead of the main force. Their experience watching the boundaries of the nation makes them useful light troops, particularly in forested areas, an excellent complement to the heavily armoured yeomen.
 
==Imperial Armies==
The Marches field four [[imperial armies]]; the ''Drakes'', the ''Strong Reeds'', the ''Bounders'' and ''The Tusks''. There has been some upheaval in the nature of the Marcher armies in recent years, following a [[Bills_or_bows|careful examination of Marcher values]] in the wake of the liberation of the [[Mournwold]].
{{CaptionedImage|file=Drakes.jpg|align=left|width=100}}
===The Drakes===
First led by the legendary Tom Drake, this army is [[Army qualities#Resourceful|extremely well-supplied]] and has an excellent corps of quartermasters, allowing it to recover casualties much more swiftly than normal. Many of the soldiers in this army come from [[Mitwold]], and this has led to a reputation for dogged determination and occasional internal conflict away from the battlefield. Its ranks have been swelled in recent years with soldiers displaced from the [[Mournwold]], which has helped exacerbate the situation. As of the [[Enlargement_of_the_Drakes|Winter Solstice 382YE]], the [[Drakes]] have been [[Bills_or_bows#The_Drakes|relying on the support of their people]] to make the most of these raw recruits, and are in the process of being [[Imperial_army#Enlargement|enlarged]].
 
The first Marcher General leads the Drakes army, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Summer solstice each year.
{{CaptionedImage|file=StrongReeds.jpg|align=right|width=100}}
 
===The Strong Reeds===
Initially raised from the people of [[Bregasland]], there is still a strong territorial bias in the soldiers of this army. The [[Strong Reeds]] is notorious for the dour, stubborn nature of the soldiers who serve under its banner. The Strong Reeds have a long history of resisting [[Jotun]] aggression against the marshes, and have several times in their history fought alongside the [[Wintermark]] armies in [[Kallavesa]].  In recent years they have embraced much older, [[Army qualities#Secretive|secretive stratagems]], relying on skills honed by years in the fens to perfect the art of scattering into a territory and lay low in appropriate [[territory]].


The most powerful [[Marcher Household|Households]] also field ranks of more heavily-armoured yeoman wearing their colours, fighting together and dominating the battlefield. Neighbours well-used to working together fight shoulder to shoulder to defend their land and the pride of their Household. The expectation of loyalty and sacrifice breeds a ferocious solidity in their lines. This close camaraderie can make a Marcher Household a fearsomely cohesive force. Traditional rivalries are put to one side when a Marcher army faces a force of outsiders, and folk who would go out of their way to avoid acknowledging each other will fight back to back against a band of invading orcs.
The second Marcher General leads the Strong Reeds army, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Winter solstice each year.
{{CaptionedImage|file=TheBounders.jpg|align=left|width=100}}
===Bounders===
This adaptable army attracts many [[The Marches military concerns#Beaters|beaters]] who support a solid core of [[Upwold]] soldiers and a small cadre of dedicated battlefield magicians. They are skilled skirmish fighters, able to quickly learn the lay of the land and [[Army qualities#Relentless|relentless in their pursuit]] of their enemies. Some of the best military archers in the Empire are part of the [[Bounders]] adept at bringing down their opponents with a combination of clever placement and withering storms of arrows. They are also adept scouts and trackers - unsurprising perhaps given the number of [[#Beaters|beaters]] who serve or have served under their banner. Since the Spring of 383YE, they have focused their efforts on [[Army qualities#Watchful|guarding the borders]] of the Empire.


Young Marchers gladly volunteer their service to the Empire. Five years of service in the Imperial army is considered an excellent coming of age for the sons and daughters of a Yeoman, offering them a chance to learn a little of the outside world and to earn the stake to purchase their own farm and become Yeomen themselves. For a Nation that prides itself on its military prowess, it also ensures a steady stream of soldiers with practical experience of battle.
The third Marcher General leads the Bounders army, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Autumn equinox each year.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tusks.jpg|align=right|width=100}}


<quote>Not all boundaries are on the outside</quote>
===The Tusks===
== Beaters ==
The fourth Marcher Army was raised by [[Raise_Marcher_Army|Senate motion]] proposed by Henry Ward, then Senator for Upwold, during the Winter Solstice of 377YE. Mustering completed shortly before the Summer Solstice 378YE. The army of The [[Tusks]] was briefly named after [[Mournwold#Green_March|High Courage]], an ancient monument in Mournwold. This highly [[Army qualities#Disciplined|disciplined]] force saw its first major engagement when the Empire [[379YE_Winter_Solstice_winds_of_war#The_Mourning_Wind|launched its liberation of the Mourn]] in late Autumn 379YE.
Most Households include a few [[Beaters]] in their number. Beaters roam through the lands claimed by a Household, learning every part of the land, watching for poachers and other itinerants and ne’er-do-wells. In Marcher history, Beaters were often instrumental in settling land disputes between neighbours and they still play a vital role in the tradition of beating the bounds. Beaters have the right to take sufficient game to feed themselves from any part of a Household’s lands and so most are skilled woodsmen or hunters. Beaters also serve as an informal police force on Household land, , investigating crimes and tracking criminals. While an individual Beater owes allegiance to a Household, they make no secret of the fact that they maintain an informal network among themselves.


The Beaters watch the boundaries and defend them against trespass until its forces can muster. They also remain vigilant for internal threats. In addition to the orcs that still occupy the more inaccessible hills and wild forests of the Marches, there are bands of Féni, the ancient people driven from the fertile lowlands centuries ago. These primitive humans cover their skin in green and yellow tattoos and launch raids against civilised Marchers to steal cattle or crops. If something or someone is raiding out of the forests or hills then the Beaters are the ones who are called on to hunt it.
The fourth Marcher General leads the army of The Tusks, and was initially appointed at the Summer Solstice each year. starting in 384YE, however, the election will be shifted to the Spring Equinox following [[Bills_or_bows#Resolution|the consideration of the Civil Service]].
<div style="float:right; width: 450px; clear: right;"><quote by="Marcher Traditional">War is a thrice-ploughed field.</quote></div>


In time of war, Beaters serve their Households as scouts, ranging ahead of the main force. Their experience watching the boundaries of the nation makes them useful light troops, particularly in forested areas, an excellent complement to the heavily armoured yeomen.
==Army Orders==
Unlike other generals, the leaders of the Marcher armies are slightly restricted in the [[Army orders|orders]] they can give to their troops. Following the [[All_along_the_watchtower#Resolution|events of the Summer Solstice 381YE]], no Marcher general can issue an order to [[Army orders#Give Ground|give ground]]. If they try to do so, it will default to [[#Solid Defence|solid defence]].  


<ic>
However, as a result of a [[mandate]] enacted by Friar John of the Mourn during the Autumn Equinox 382YE, any Marcher army can now issue the defensive order to fight ''shoulder to shoulder''.
The rituals of pre-battle are always of great interest to me.  Each culture seems to have its own way of mentally and physically preparing their warriors; speeches, exercises, martial music and so on.  At the Battle of Mercurino I was able to see a Marcher officer rallying his troops as the prepared to support the flanks of a League Free Company attempting to repel an orcish host.


He walked out into the middle of his men, slow and casual, thumbs tucked into his belt.  He took a long look around.
<box>'''Shoulder to Shoulder'''
* '''The ability of this army to defend territory is increased by a fifth.'''
* '''For each additional Marcher army beyond the first that stands shoulder to shoulder to defend the territory, casualties suffered by all those armies and casualties inflicted by all those armies decreases by one tenth.'''
A general who gives the order to fight shoulder to shoulder relies on the legendary Marcher bill blocks to hold the enemy at bay, while units of archers loose arrows on any that come too close. The goal is not to spill blood, but simply to keep the enemy at bay for as long as possible. By fighting in disciplined ranks, the Marcher army can form an impregnable line that is difficult for any enemy to breach.</box>
{{CaptionedImage|align=centre|file=Entrenche.jpg|width=900}}
<ic>The Marcher officer walked out into the middle of the gathered mob, slow and casual, thumbs tucked into his belt.  He took a long look around.


“Who here’s got a neighbour they can’t stand?”  
“Who here’s got a neighbour they can’t stand?”  
Line 29: Line 59:
The circle of Marchers looked tentatively one to another, a few raised hands and chuckles.
The circle of Marchers looked tentatively one to another, a few raised hands and chuckles.


“Quite a few of you, I see.  So let me ask you this – raiders come to burn his farm, would you go help him?”  
“Quite a few of you, I see.  So let me ask you this – raiders come to burn their farm, would you go help them?”  


Nods, fist shaking, raised bills and bows.  
Nods, fist shaking, raised bills and bows.  


“Course you would, only common sense; they burn his farm this week, could be yours the week after, couldn’t it?”
“Course you would, only common sense; they burn that farm this week, could be yours the week after, couldn’t it?”


He pointed at the gaudily dressed Free Company officers swaggering about in the League lines.
He pointed at the gaudily dressed Free Company officers swaggering about in the League lines on their flank.


“See them?  I don’t like ‘em.  I don’t like their plumes, I don’t like them silly pantaloons, I don’t like perfumed piss they call wine, or the way they put on airs when they talk, or their grub what’s so full of spices it gives me the gallopin’ trots.  Nope, I don’t like ‘em, not one bit.  But, them?  They’re our neighbours.”
“See them?  I don’t like ‘em.  I don’t like their plumes, I don’t like them silly pantaloons, I don’t like the perfumed piss they call wine, or the way they put on airs when they talk, or their grub what’s so full of spices it gives me the gallopin’ trots.  Nope, I don’t like ‘em, not one bit.  But, them?  They’re our neighbours.”


He pointed to the other end of the valley, where thousands of grey-skinned orcs covered the ground like blades of grass on a pasture
He pointed to the other end of the valley, where thousands of grey-skinned orcs covered the ground like blades of grass on a pasture.


“And those motherless bastards?  They’re going to try and burn down our neighbour’s barn.”
“And those motherless bastards?  They’re going to try and burn down our neighbour’s barn.”
Line 51: Line 81:
“Right then, let’s go pull the idiot neighbour’s arse out of the fire, eh?”
“Right then, let’s go pull the idiot neighbour’s arse out of the fire, eh?”
   
   
</ic>


I later saw that same officer hauling an injured Catazarri soldier out of the fray on his back, even though he was himself bleeding quite heavily.  After leaving him with the surgeons, he went straight back into the battle with the same look of determination upon his face.  “Job’s not done yet.” was all he would say.
{{The Marches Links}}
</ic>


[[Category:The Marches]]
[[Category:The Marches]]
[[Category:Nations]]
[[Category:Archetype]]

Revision as of 14:22, 20 April 2024

War is not won in a moment
Hard work wins wars.

Overview

The rich Marcher soil gives rise to great military strength and, after the recent recruitment of The Tusks, four of the Empire's armies come from the Marches. Marcher generals have a reputation for being cautious, and for valuing victory more than personal glory. War is seen as work, hard dirty work, something to achieve over months of effort, not something to be won or lost in a moment. It is also seen as a shared responsibility, something that everyone who can must face together. On campaign, even Marcher generals who can't fight for whatever reason are expected to share the same risks and privations as the common soldier, one yeoman amongst many.

Powerful households field ranks of heavily-armoured yeomen wearing their colours and fighting together. Neighbours well-used to working together fight shoulder to shoulder. The expectation of loyalty and sacrifice can make a Marcher household a fearsomely cohesive force. Traditional rivalries are put to one side when a Marcher army faces a force of outsiders, and folk who would go out of their way to avoid acknowledging each other will fight back to back against a band of invading orcs.

The strength of the Marcher forces is derived from their long hours of toil. Arms hardened by days at the forge, cutting a forest, or threshing grain are strong enough for any fight. It is common for Marchers to wield weapons made from the tools of their labour; bills used for cutting hedges and great hammers used for driving piles are pressed into service of war. The wealthiest may march in a harness of plate but plenty have nothing more than a hard leather tunic or quilted jack they have made themselves. Their true strength is their loyalty and discipline; at their best a Marcher army is a great hedge of steel, moving inexorably forward like a harvest-gang through a field of wheat.

Service to the Empire in one of the Marcher armies is considered an excellent coming of age for the children of a yeoman. This offers them a chance to learn a little of the outside world and to earn enough to purchase their own farm and become yeomen themselves. For a nation that prides itself on its military prowess, it also ensures a steady stream of soldiers with practical experience of battle.

"Green"Jack Woodruff of Upwold, yeoman of the Applewood Levy. Some say he shot sixteen orcs in the battle; some say he shot fifteen.
Beaters watch for thieves, vagrants, and other ne'er-do-wells.

Beaters

Beaters roam through the Marches, learning every part of the land, watching for thieves, vagrants and other ne’er-do-wells. Beaters are often instrumental in settling land disputes between neighbours and they still play a vital role in the tradition of beating the bounds. Beaters often live off the land and most are skilled rangers or hunters. They serve as an informal police force, investigating crimes and tracking criminals. While an individual beater often associates with one or more households, they make no secret of the fact that they maintain an informal network among themselves.

The beaters watch the boundaries and defend them against trespass until its forces can muster. They also remain vigilant for internal threats. In addition to the orcs that still occupy the more inaccessible hills and wild forests of the Marches, there are bands of Féni, the ancient people driven from the fertile lowlands centuries ago. These primitive humans cover their skin in green and yellow tattoos and launch raids against civilised Marchers to steal cattle or crops. If something or someone is raiding out of the forests or hills then the beaters are the ones who are called on to hunt it.

In time of war, beaters serve the Marches as scouts, ranging ahead of the main force. Their experience watching the boundaries of the nation makes them useful light troops, particularly in forested areas, an excellent complement to the heavily armoured yeomen.

Imperial Armies

The Marches field four imperial armies; the Drakes, the Strong Reeds, the Bounders and The Tusks. There has been some upheaval in the nature of the Marcher armies in recent years, following a careful examination of Marcher values in the wake of the liberation of the Mournwold.

Drakes.jpg

The Drakes

First led by the legendary Tom Drake, this army is extremely well-supplied and has an excellent corps of quartermasters, allowing it to recover casualties much more swiftly than normal. Many of the soldiers in this army come from Mitwold, and this has led to a reputation for dogged determination and occasional internal conflict away from the battlefield. Its ranks have been swelled in recent years with soldiers displaced from the Mournwold, which has helped exacerbate the situation. As of the Winter Solstice 382YE, the Drakes have been relying on the support of their people to make the most of these raw recruits, and are in the process of being enlarged.

The first Marcher General leads the Drakes army, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Summer solstice each year.

StrongReeds.jpg

The Strong Reeds

Initially raised from the people of Bregasland, there is still a strong territorial bias in the soldiers of this army. The Strong Reeds is notorious for the dour, stubborn nature of the soldiers who serve under its banner. The Strong Reeds have a long history of resisting Jotun aggression against the marshes, and have several times in their history fought alongside the Wintermark armies in Kallavesa. In recent years they have embraced much older, secretive stratagems, relying on skills honed by years in the fens to perfect the art of scattering into a territory and lay low in appropriate territory.

The second Marcher General leads the Strong Reeds army, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Winter solstice each year.

TheBounders.jpg

Bounders

This adaptable army attracts many beaters who support a solid core of Upwold soldiers and a small cadre of dedicated battlefield magicians. They are skilled skirmish fighters, able to quickly learn the lay of the land and relentless in their pursuit of their enemies. Some of the best military archers in the Empire are part of the Bounders adept at bringing down their opponents with a combination of clever placement and withering storms of arrows. They are also adept scouts and trackers - unsurprising perhaps given the number of beaters who serve or have served under their banner. Since the Spring of 383YE, they have focused their efforts on guarding the borders of the Empire.

The third Marcher General leads the Bounders army, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Autumn equinox each year.

Tusks.jpg

The Tusks

The fourth Marcher Army was raised by Senate motion proposed by Henry Ward, then Senator for Upwold, during the Winter Solstice of 377YE. Mustering completed shortly before the Summer Solstice 378YE. The army of The Tusks was briefly named after High Courage, an ancient monument in Mournwold. This highly disciplined force saw its first major engagement when the Empire launched its liberation of the Mourn in late Autumn 379YE.

The fourth Marcher General leads the army of The Tusks, and was initially appointed at the Summer Solstice each year. starting in 384YE, however, the election will be shifted to the Spring Equinox following the consideration of the Civil Service.

War is a thrice-ploughed field.

Marcher Traditional

Army Orders

Unlike other generals, the leaders of the Marcher armies are slightly restricted in the orders they can give to their troops. Following the events of the Summer Solstice 381YE, no Marcher general can issue an order to give ground. If they try to do so, it will default to solid defence.

However, as a result of a mandate enacted by Friar John of the Mourn during the Autumn Equinox 382YE, any Marcher army can now issue the defensive order to fight shoulder to shoulder.

Shoulder to Shoulder
  • The ability of this army to defend territory is increased by a fifth.
  • For each additional Marcher army beyond the first that stands shoulder to shoulder to defend the territory, casualties suffered by all those armies and casualties inflicted by all those armies decreases by one tenth.
A general who gives the order to fight shoulder to shoulder relies on the legendary Marcher bill blocks to hold the enemy at bay, while units of archers loose arrows on any that come too close. The goal is not to spill blood, but simply to keep the enemy at bay for as long as possible. By fighting in disciplined ranks, the Marcher army can form an impregnable line that is difficult for any enemy to breach.
Entrenche.jpg
The Marcher officer walked out into the middle of the gathered mob, slow and casual, thumbs tucked into his belt. He took a long look around.

“Who here’s got a neighbour they can’t stand?”

The circle of Marchers looked tentatively one to another, a few raised hands and chuckles.

“Quite a few of you, I see. So let me ask you this – raiders come to burn their farm, would you go help them?”

Nods, fist shaking, raised bills and bows.

“Course you would, only common sense; they burn that farm this week, could be yours the week after, couldn’t it?”

He pointed at the gaudily dressed Free Company officers swaggering about in the League lines on their flank.

“See them? I don’t like ‘em. I don’t like their plumes, I don’t like them silly pantaloons, I don’t like the perfumed piss they call wine, or the way they put on airs when they talk, or their grub what’s so full of spices it gives me the gallopin’ trots. Nope, I don’t like ‘em, not one bit. But, them? They’re our neighbours.”

He pointed to the other end of the valley, where thousands of grey-skinned orcs covered the ground like blades of grass on a pasture.

“And those motherless bastards? They’re going to try and burn down our neighbour’s barn.”

Rumbling growl, stamping feet, billhooks banged on the ground.

“We proposin’ to let em?”

Full throated roar, weapons brandished, rising chant.

“Right then, let’s go pull the idiot neighbour’s arse out of the fire, eh?”

Further Reading

Core Brief

Additional Information