Stonehearth Marquisate

## Area Politics: *the Marquisate*

The "Big-M" Marquisate is the collection of jurisdictions that started with the Stonehearth marquisate and over time, expanded by 4 counties and 9 baronies. This group established a class of nobles based on responsibilities rather than privileges. This brought organization and defense to a contiguous geographic area, and created a higher level of government.

### Representation

The collective of a marquisate, four counties and nine baronies combines to create the *Parliament of Light*(PoL). This legislative body is based on the Charter of Light. The PoL meets in Marquisate Chambers, within *North Point Keep*.

The *Parliament of Light* is guided by the *Stonehearth Coronet*, effectively a royal sovereignty.

### Regional Politics

The Stonehearth Marquisate has become a premier player of the Sword Coast. While none of the Marquisate cities have the sheer size of Baldur's Gate or Waterdeep – *yet*– their magically-enhanced commerce, industry and agriculture have sparked incredible growth. Likewise, Stonehearth armies nearly blew *Shade* from the sky and have made whole mountains disappear under the relentless fire of their magical artillery.

Meanwhile, the encroachment of other forces against allies in the North, the Western Heartlands, Cormyr and beyond have inspired Stonehearth to build a corps of world-class diplomats, scouts and spies. This cadre works closely with the partners of the **Lords' Alliance****,** as well as tending relations with other **foreign polities**.

## Stonehearth's Extended Holdings

House Stonehearth started as a patriar (baronet) of Baldur's Gate, and owns significant land within the city, on the immediate perimeter and within a few days ride of the Baldurian municipal walls. The growth, especially nearby the city, marks Stonehearth as the largest Baldurian landowner outside the walls by some measure, and comparable to the dukes within the walls.

Beyond the self-made marquisate north of the Gate, Stonehearth holds several fiefdoms:

* To the south, the **Barony of Impresk**, vassal of the Kingdom of Tethyr. This land encompasses the entirety of the Snowflake Mountains, the highest range of Southern Faerûn. Impresk was classed as a barony by the few towns within, not the footprint of the territory (where it would weigh in somewhere between a large county or a small duchy).
* To the east, the **Barony of Esparia**, vassal of the Kingdom of Cormyr. Similar to Impresk, when Stonehearth assumed the area, there was only one "well-known" feature in the barony: the namesake village of Espar. Stonehearth has since expanded the once-remote barony to a controversially major position within Cormyr.
* To the north, **Stonehearth Manor** is famous within the city-state territory of Waterdeep. This included not just the city manor, but supporting lands in the surrounding region as well. They operate as high-level merchants and are commonly (and correctly) assumed to be masked lords.
* To the northeast, the **Principality of Aetheril**. These are the lands of former **Netheril** – and one-time wasteland of Anauroch – recently claimed by Stonehearth. The claims are not openly contested by any regional surface polity, though there are continued Underdark operations against the phaerimm.
* Additionally, as executive of the Commonwealth of the Charter of Light, Stonehearth has fortified federal facilities on the island of Lantan and near the southern coast of Halruaa.
	+ Finally, and variously as the House, the Marquisate and the Commonwealth, Stonehearth maintains diplomatic missions scattered around Faerûn, greater Toril and two in Abeir. The majority of Stonehearth's ambassadors (if not the embassy staff) are knighted Sergeants-at-Arms.

## The Arms of Stonehearth

The Stonehearth Arms have a two-century history, and brought martial momentum from the House Greathearth and Stone families before modern House itself was founded.

Once the House was chartered in Baldur's Gate, its immediate function was the security of the noble House in rough-and-tumble Baldur's Gate, as well as security for the merchant company. For a brief time, it even had limited mercenary duties.

Now, evoking "the Arms" commonly conjures pictures of the Stonehearth Army and their famous cannons. However, from the inside, it refers to a diverse group that fights over different kinds of battlefields, at different jurisdictional levels, and also includes select arms manufacture.

* The **Stonehearth Defense Industry**
* The **Stonehearth Army**
* The **Stonehearth Navy**
* The **Stonehearth Guard** (a defensively-focused branch of the Stonehearth Army)
* The **Stonehearth Sergeants-at-Arms** (Stonehearth's shining heroes and shadowy spymasters)