March of Tantorel

The **March of Tantorel** shortened to **The March** or **March**, is a border region situated at the left bank of the Zaab River. Twenty mile wide east to west, fifteen from the north to south it is a rugged flatland between the Ragod Foothills and the fall line which runs in the immediate vincinity of the sea at the form of towering rock walls. Minor waterflows, empty ditches denominate its eastern borders. To the west lie the wild woods, conquered once by Hadašham, but quickly abandoned after never to return. Most of the territory is covered by cold wooded savanna with spots of dense forest. Clearances and grasslands also do occur.

For a long time, the March was an informal name for the sparsely populated areas of western Tantorel, while the capital Ragod was a mere garrison at the end of the local road. Neither in imperial times, nor during the Pentarchy was it organised into a formal structure. As the same people lived on both sides of the river contact was frequent, violent relations rare. Only after the Great Migrations have happened arose the need for a buffer zone between the more settled, urbanising, assimilating eastern rulerships and their belligerent western counterparts who retained the largely pillaging traditions. In several sweeping campaigns the rulers of Karamrost and the outlying areas pacified the territory on the left bank either by expulsing the tribes or by breaking them up a settling them among the local folks.

This done, a border area around twenty miles deep was created with the sole task to defend the interior of the country from foreign assault. As such the March was always handled as a stepchild in Tantorel. The office of the marquis served in essence as a golden dead end for undesired individuals. Criminals from major cities were frequently deported to the Ragod-area, leaving them there at the mercy of the prior inhabitants. Most people were banished criminals under a dead sentence which was enforced were they encountered along the eastern border. From time to time one of the small tribes tried their luck and crossed the Zaab, but they were utterly crushed with the assistance of nobles from the east.

Until the capitancy of Meshuri Karamiš the March remained a lawless, largely desolate area with robber bands, highwaymen, refugees and fugitives sharing the land with the wildlife and some western tribesmen. After a campaign, at the helm of several hundred soldiers completely loyal to him he ooted out corruption, even fighting pitched battles against criminals both in-, and outside of his new capital. In a preliminary edict he forgave all crimes comitted prior if the individual swears fealty in a one-year period. Some penitents took the chance immediately, others started to conspire against him. After several mass-executions and three battle-like engagement between robber bands (at one occasion assisted by the border guard) and his troops most survivors took the oath. Inner peace was achieved with astounishing speed, letters in this regard were received with skepticism in Karamrost.

The inner enemies dealt with, Karamiš started to focus on the raiders from both the south and from the west. Westerners presented a larger challenge, as they were the larger, nearer, more immediate threath. Indeed his position itself was established to deal with them. Far-going riders created an early warning chain against the marauding bands who were lured into traps or run over in open areas. Captured tribesmen were enslaved and added to the manorial workforce. During this period the first group of old settlers moved in. Most of them were deported criminals, this time under much stronger surveillance or bondless freeman lured by the "an axe, two oxen, and hundred-sixty acres" policy. As every married couple was entitled to occupy a similar-sized area, given that they cultivate it in fact, the population increased tenfold during the first two years. Most new villages sprang up around Ragod to benefit from the protection of the lord. A relative freedom, low taxes around quarter the usual rate further to the east, and the popular entices unheard in the east lead to a steady, ever increasing stream of settlers into the March. In his twenty-two year of rule the population doubled in every three-to-four years peaking currently at around two hundred thousand in 1058. The city of Ragod flourished in the meantime, turning a barely self-sufficient, desolate place into a thriving township with industry, trade and culture within its walls. For the first time in over two centuries a functioning church was established in the settlement. Religious services kept pace with the people, soon after a second and a third temple was consecrated.

After two years, pillaging became nonexistent in the interior as the westerlings were afraid to cross the river. From the other side Karamiš still needed fresh slaves to toil his ever-growing fields and to assist in the clearing of the more densely wooded areas. During the spring when the Zaab was at the lowest mark slave raids were organisied into the wild territory devastating the right bank of the river. Given the internecine warfare among them this was an easy task. Every tribe settled in five to seven villages, surrounded by enemies. Were they to disappear the neighbours were more than happy to occupy the area. Overall the demographic situation over the water was volatile. Fresh, productive land became scarce, the overpopulation led to widespread malnourishment and conflicts. As wars were waged for more land and more food by extensions, wars of annihilation were the norm where not even the antediluvians, toddlers or young beauties were spared as they only increased the number of hungry mouths.

This led to new migrants continuously entering the border area from the west, either displacing others or occupying the vacated land for themselves. Most tribes saw themselves unlike or superior to others, their culture remained fixated on issues of both blood and land since a significant part of their population was expulsed back over the Zaab. Easterners were hated among them, but the insider-outsider lines were drawn along tribal blood relations. Somebody from another tribe was just as foreign, as the up-armored riders of Tantorel. Alliances in this context were unimaginable, allowing freedom of movement for most of time. Slaves turned by the time into a major export item, especially the young females who were sought after as concubines or prostitutes. Males were discarded as field workers because of many escapes and revolts, sent into mines or sold as oarsmen for the many river barges of Hadašham. They were replaced by enslaved criminals who were much less prone to disobedience and conspiracy due to the unknown land and lack of bonds between them.

Meshuri established several minor noble houses from his entourage. Apart from Ragod some major villages developed into boroughs what led to the establishment of intraregional trade networks. The Zaab was foritifed from 1039 orwards in its entire lenght with outposts while the seaboard was subjected to regular patrols. In the 1040s the economic and political integration of the March with other regions of Tantorel was well underway. It also traded with the northern territories over the Ragod foothills.

When Donul Bazaš visited his brother in 1050 he was reportedly baffled by the changes that happened in fourteen years. In the central seat even a bathhouse was constructed along an aquaduct, prison, town hall and three churches. Tamaron reportedly said, that he felt himself walking in an Imperial era description of the region, so surreal the changes have seemed.