The south was settled long ago by noble families from The Middle Kingdom wanting to spread their influence and create their own houses to rule. The most powerful already had their lands, so these southern nobles were from smaller, less influential families who had little or no chance of climbing the ranks where they were.
In the deep south of Elland we see the battle lines in the war against the foulspawn drawn in the ongoing conflict with the Great Khan’s forces. The watchword in these lands is functionality and durability. They have little time for the pomp and heraldry of The Middle Kingdom and do not stand on ceremony like their sister region.
Southern settlements are fortified against raids by the River Clans and nomad raiders. House colours are worn but not with the same flourish as in the Middle Kingdoms. The clothing and armour in this land is as dour as its people and reflects the attitude of a nation ready at any time for war to descend upon them.
Eleanor of Wolfinesse, Healer in the armies of The Southern Marches.
The Duchy of Wolfnesse was the first land to be claimed by a noble from the Middle Kingdoms. The first duke, Brandon of house Dorwinion settled and founded the city of that name in the Southern Marches over two centuries ago. He named the region Wolfnesse and took the wolf as his banner and symbol. The current duke, Rodrick, has continued the tradition of fighting under the wolf and still resides in the city of Dorwinion as the ruling noble of the south.
Wolfnesse is a temperate and flat land with its border inscribed in the south by the flow of the river Styrix. The duchy’s territory used to extend beyond and across the river, but with the Days of Fire and the coming of the orcs these lands have been lost.
Now the imposing Haryn's Wall marks the line of defense against the invaders and the duchy coordinates the war effort from Dorwinion. Rodrick liaises with general Haryn to ensure that the general has what he needs to stave off full scale invasion from the foulspawn scum.
Dorwinion, like all cities and towns in the South, has become by necessity a fortress and major garrison for supplying and housing the troops that defend the southern borders of the Kingdom.
Whether it is soldiers of the Legio Canis on leave from the wall, or the forces of The Middle Kingdom and Northern Fifes sent to attack the southlands on a great crusade or tactical advance, the city of Dorwinion is the first staging point in their journey south.
Over the last decade the city has done away with what little luxury it had within its walls and is now a vast system of barracks and staging areas. From here, the King and his generals command the fates of those men and women sent to fight for the Northern Alliance.
As the War of grew in scale and sucked in more and more of the world there was a growth in those who followed the path of the Warrior. House Ferrous; Wardens of Iron, knew that it was once more time for the Knights of Iron to step to the field. Their knights were renowned for stern pragmatism, ferocious loyalty and resolve to match their namesake. A relic of ages past the orders traditions have survived with the current Lord or Lady of Iron. This tradition is a result of a solemn vow to fight for neither power nor glory, and a powerful rite which is enacted upon all members of the order upon their unburdening as knights. Its purpose is to render the members of the order ill at ease outside the field of war as they are kept from ease of mind till the war is ended. This creates soldiers whom are truly only at home upon the field of war, it helps un-cloud their vision and creates calm killers of unparalleled focus.
With the war in the Vale reaping the rewards the Lord of Iron has taken note, seeing the means to end this war he begins to grow the order anew, leaving his young wife and children, he goes to the front to bolster the line with the Knights of Iron
"We stand unbroken, blood of iron" is our battle cry.
The County of Styrmont is a smaller region in the west of the marches. It has historically been a place protected by the mountains in the south and Wolfnesse in the east. Count Gwylam of House Styrmont holds sway over the region and his armies patrol the edges of the Mountains of Fire, constantly watching for any incursion from that direction.
Count Gwylam resides in the city of Greymere in the centre of the region. The count has a particular fascination with magic and the avians of Cloud Peak. Due to this fact, the count encourages many of the avian wizards to live in the city and even has a pair of these beastkin as apprentices to his court wizard.
In the foothills of the Mountains of Fire in the county of Styrmont, a single crag of rock towers into the skies. It is here in this impressive landmark, the elegant and striking lofts of the Avian-kin are to be found. They have named the place Cloud Peak and it has become their home within human lands.
The avian beastkin aid their human allies wherever possible and Count Gwylams fascination with magic means that Cloud Peak has many visitors from his court. He in turn, has had his court wizard take a pair of avian apprentices.
In the east, the Deepmoor Barrens stand between the merchant states of Tyrras and Toleda and the rest of the Southern Marches.
This land on the edge of the Kingdom was caught on the edges of the Cataclysm. The Ashbriar Forest in the south west was reduced to a deep swampland and the rest of the land fared little better.
The fields and hills of Deepmoor were laid bare and it exists now as a dusty plain where little life can abide. The towns of this region are fortified bastions of defence against both the enemy and the elements. The ruler of this unfortunate land is the Countess Ingrid of House Deepmoor. She resides in Redmeer in the centre of the county.
Life in the county is hard. With the Days of Fire devastating the land, farming is hard. The countess imports food from the north and has been known to deal with Tyrras in the east for necessities. The majority of the Countess’ forces are used to bolster the defenses of Haryn's wall and also to keep a standing garrison on the eastern border to watch for mercenary and bandit incursions. The reptile kin in the Ashbriar Swamps look at the duchess as something of a savior however, and are fanatically loyal to her cause. There are at least a score of them at any given time acting as guards to her personal household, a fact that is frowned upon by other nobles. The countess has learned however that in her lands any help freely given must be accepted for the betterment and survival of house Deepmoor ...
The Phoenix Heraldic Crest of House Fenix
In the South East of Deepmoor, within the Ashbriar Swamps, lies the ill fated fife of Ashborn, ancestral home of House Fenix. To this day the defenders of Haryn's wall and neighbouring Redmoor keep a wary eye on the barren lands of the beleaguered house and trust in the reptilian beastkin of the swamps to keep watch from within their swamp home.
The lands of House Fenix were found deep within what was known before the Days of Fire as the Ashbriar Forest. The castle of Ashborn, standing proud above the forest canopy, watched sentinel over the trade routes between the Kingdom of Elland and the Republic, as well as the coastal routes to the ports that trade with The Sisters. As a minor house, Fenix ultimately owed their fealty to the Counts of Deepmoor and diligently did their duty protecting the caravans and merchants in the area for centuries.
Then came the Days of Fire. As change ravaged the lands of the Kingdom, waters began to rise in the Ashbriar Forest, turning them into a swollen and corpulent swamp. Enemies began to descend on the Southern Marches from all sides. The dread fleets of the Undead sailed from the east, refugees and rogues flooded in from the old republic and the orcish hordes crossed the great river and invaded from the south.
The kingdoms forces, attacked on all fronts, were barely able to hold back the tide. Spread thin, the forces of Haryns wall were unable to stop a large force of Undead infiltrating the Ashbriar Swamps and attacking the castle of Ashborn. That night a full half of House Fenix were destroyed in the attack, the invaders somehow managing to bypass the castles defenses and slaughtering those within, including the Lord Fenix, Antony Corvus Fenix the 'Old Pheonix' and his eldest three sons.
An ill-fated attempt was made to retake Ashborn by a small conjoined force of Fenix retainers and Canine Legion, under the fourth son Capus Quartus Fenix. This force disappeared into the Ashbriar Swamps and was never seen again. General Lupus of the last legion has so far not allowed any further attempts to recapture Ashborn with his forces, as the legion scouts that watch the area report the remains as lifeless and empty, although travelers passing there still occasionally disappear without a trace.
House Fenix remained another tragedy of the Days of Fire, until the call went out for volunteers to join the expeditionary force to the strange land of the Vale. The fifth son of the Old Pheonix, Marcus Quintus Fenix, answered the call with the surviving members of his dislocated house. Under Lord Marcus' leadership House Fenix soon became the back bone of the Kingdom forces in the Vale. As the fame of their exploits spread, so did their success. Soon the minor House and its leader Lord Marcus were being spoken of in the court of the King itself.
In the two years since the first expedition many glorious and dire events have befallen the House. The troops of House Fenix stood at the fore front of every major victory and defeat within the Vale, including the infamous Red Ritual, the attacks of Ambush Alley, the fights on Heckling Hill and the Battle of the Barrier. The favoured of the Father Lord Marcus was finally killed by the Khanate assassins on the eve of the anniversary of the night of blood. Under Lord Marcus' command, no other group collected more resources for the war effort then House Fenix. A feat accomplished with the blood and dedication of the warriors of House Fenix, rising the once austere minor House from its humble origins to a celebrated and famous organization.
The tradition of success was continued by Lord Marcus' successor, his cousin, Lord Tristan Secundus Quo-Fenix. Under the Quo-Fenix family the House was finally rewarded for its service with a position as steward over all of Caerlyn, a county located in the North West of the Kingdom. But not before Fenix ritualists preformed powerful magics on the swamps to counteract the corruptions of the Days of Fire, forcing the swamp to retreat and a new forest to begin to emerge.
Under Count Tristan and his brother Chaplain Antonios, the House experienced a time of unparrelled success. After routing out the heretics within the Duchess' camp, the forces of the Northern Alliance beat back the Khanate to their very camp. On the offensive now, House Fenix managed to score many key victories. Armed with the blessing of the Father, House Fenix routed a besieging host of Undead five times their number, almost unaided in the fight. The Undead resource scavengers were scoured from the paths of the vale in a series of ambushes and skirmishes, even managing to march on the gates of the Khan's camps itself. Finally, in a historical attack, House Fenix were able to permanently dismiss several Undead, destroying their corrupt souls for good.
The success of House Fenix has not just been limited to within the Vale. With the fame of Fenix increasing with every venture, so has their ranks, with all kinds of individuals being attracted by the fortunes of the once humble House. The armies of the House have stood alongside The Lion Guard and other notable Kingdom units in the majority of engagements with the Khanate hordes across the Kingdom, including the battles in and around the city of Greymere. As well as undertaking their own campaign to retake the town of Peppercorn in the Deepmoor Barrens.
This time of victory finally ended in an engagement that saw House Fenix and its allies engage the entire Khanate force alone. The fight would see to the deaths of most of House Fenix present in the Vale and its Lords. The deceased were mourned as heros and the new Lord and Lady Fenix, the twins Romulus and Rema, were summoned to take command.
Once again their war cry will be heard echoing around the valley of the Vale, bringing fear to the enemies of the Kingdom.
'From the fires we are born, from the ashes we rise.'
The Ashbriar Forest was destroyed during the Days of Fire, flooding with waters from the Stryic as well as the many smaller rivers that wound through it. The small towns and forts along its edge were flooded and abandoned as the Deepmoor Barrens felt the sting of the Cataclysm.
Now the Ashbriar Swamp is all that remains of this once towering and impressive forest. It is a place of treacherous deeps and sinkholes that are next to impossible to navigate. Its depths are unexplored by any human and it is said that terrifying creatures now inhabit the black pools and inlets of this new landmark ...
Only the reptilian beastkin that were given this place as a home can safely navigate its interior. They live and patrol within its borders ensuring that no incursion from the swamps will ever threaten the Kingdom.
Haryn's Wall is the name given to the defensive line of stockades and border forts that have been built on the southern edge of Elland's border with the Orclands. It is used to repel the forces of the Great Khan and make it difficult for him to use the River Clans to invade the human north without being presented with a hard fight. It also provides a number of staging points for Northern Alliance forces to send retaliatory raids and invading troops of their own across the Styric to attempt to reclaim what used to be the outer borderlands of the Kingdom.
General Haryn Thanys and the Legio Canis, man these defenses and have done so for the better part of a decade. However, reinforcements are often sent from the rest of the Kingdom and it is not uncommon to see Middle Kingdom and Northern Fife troops at the wall, doing their part.
The so called “dog soldiers” of the Legio Canis live in these forts, never leaving unless ordered, such is their dedication to the defense of their chosen home.
The deep south of Elland sees the most of the fighting in the ongoing conflict with the Great Khan's forces. As a result, fashion is less important than durability and substance in this area. Settlements are fortified against raid and assault by orc pirates and nomad raiders. House colours are worn but not with the same pomp and ceremony that is prevalent in The Middle Kingdom. The clothing and armour in this land is as dour as its people and reflects the attitude of a nation ready, at any time for war to descend upon them. The southern border is manned by the forces of General Haryn's Legio Canis and the old Qadaq military style is predominant in and around the fortress defenses that line the banks of the Great River Styric.
