Debrecin

> *"I'm not saying that we're supposed to be heroes. I'm just saying that if we weren't cut out for it, we wouldn't be so good at it! Some people are good at farming, some people are good at fighting, and ours just happen to be good at saving the day, especially for the right price!" - Lord Luka II Đorđević, Marquess of Debrecin*
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**The March of Debrecin** is one of the nine states comprising the region known as the Placid Realms. It is bordered to the north by the County of Göle, the County of Hersek, and the County of Phraxos, to the west by the Verdant Realms, and to the south by the Mercurial Realms. The eastern edge of the province meets the Ocean of Annecto, connecting Debrecin to Carthage and the lands further beyond. A realm with a toe in all sorts of waters, Debrecin thrives as a state always at attention, looking for a project within or beyond their borders to tackle, usually of the monstrous variety.

## History

### On The Edge of Greatness

During the Suel era, the Castra of Dabriseros was the final subdivision of the Theme of Placitum, separating it from the southern lands that had yet to be settled. To the west, the Theme of Veritum had already been established at that point, and was a growing agricultural base for the Suel Empire. The area that would become Dabriseros was established as a final borderland, the southernmost reach of Suel civilization at the time. Soon, however, the Theme of Mercurio Fluxus would be established by private investment under imperial charter, and the defenders of civilization's periphery would instead help expand it, striking southward into the new frontiers. While they would always return from their southern excursions, the people of Dabriseros would develop a taste for adventure, and eagerly throw themselves far and wide, seeing their homeland as a base between their travels. Many valorous young Suel legionaries originated in Dabriseros.

### Hit-And-Run Heroes For Hire

After the Great Collapse, the final marqueo of the Castra of Dabriseros, Nemanja Đorđević, became Lord Nemanja I, 1st Marquess of Debrecin. While the end of the Suel Empire meant the end of their great mission, it did not mean the end of their adventurous spirit. The March of Debrecin soon became heavily militarily invested in the affairs of its immediate neighbors, especially the Mercurial Realms. The post-Suel mosaic of merchant princes, oligarchic republics, and aspiring thassalocracies all had the fiscal resources to prosecute their internecine wars, but not the manpower or materiel necessary to succeed. Here, the people of Debrecin stepped in, becoming the most common source of private mercenary companies for millennia to come. While some of these budding brigands would settle in the Mercurial Realms, the majority would spend their youth fighting wars for fun and profit, and those fortunate enough to earn enough to retire would enjoy their golden years back in Debrecin. Indeed, the Marquess of Debrecin would profit over the centuries through the granting of Margravial Letters of Marque or Patent to promising companies of adventurers and mercenaries in exchange for the right to tax such endeavors. In addition, the March Guard itself became actively involved in such affairs, often being hired out one company at a time to warring city-states and trade leagues.

During the Great War Against Tiamat, the manyfold warriors of the March of Debrecin traveled far and wide to fight the draconic scourge. Elements of the March Guard traveled south into the Mercurial Realms to assist select city-states that had paid in advance for additional protection. Bands of adventurers and companies of mercenaries traveled far and wide, some for profit and others for glory, across the Placid Realms, Mercurial Realms, Verdant Realms, and a select few even farther afield. By the end of the conflict, many of Debrecin's most valorous sons had perished, but those who survived returned as heroes. The march itself suffered little, save for the decline in income for a few generations thereafter as the population of adventurers slowly recovered.

The Great River War saw the March of Debrecin brought to war in a surprisingly noble way, out of obligation rather than lure of gallantry or gold. The whole of the March Guard was deployed, and the conscripted troops of the march were supplemented by hundreds of experienced mercenaries and adventurers. While peasants were conscripted as in all nine Placid Realms, the availability of these groups reduced the need to pull from the peasantry, and brought in a higher ratio of experienced and well-equipped, if irregular, troops. The final stages of the conflict saw Debrecin play host to subterfuge and trickery that may have ultimately cost the Placid Realms the whole war. Reports stated that the Kingdom of Fife's elite special forces unit, the Hellfire Company, was operating in Debrecin. In light of this report, the whole of the Second Army of The Placid Realms under the leadership of Lord Commander Wilhelm Straus was sent to the march in order to counter them, in the hopes of crushing Hellfire Company for both a minor strategic victory and to permanently eliminate what had been one of the most potent Fifian forces of the conflict. In truth, they had been misdirected, and the Hellfire Company was actually with the rest of the Fifian forces amassing for the Siege of Cybel to end the war, and Lord Commander Straus' forces had been led away to keep them from being able to support the upcoming siege. In the aftermath of the siege and the signing of peace, the truth came to light, to the horror and dismay of Straus, his forces, and the people of Debrecin.

## Religion

The March of Debrecin is overwhelmingly Kordian, with the faithful of the province embracing The Brawler as a patron of their heroics. A few people have been said to learn the worship of Olidammara in the Mercurial Realms, where His faith finds traction among soldiers of fortune, brigands, and adventurers of all stripes. He has not a single shrine in all the Placid Realms, but a few devotees may be found in Debrecin, and they themselves would hardly be the most pious type. Finally, a smattering of followers of Fharlanghn (for His protection on the road) and certain crusader gods (Heironeous, St. Cuthbert, and Pelor are patrons of a select few bearers of Margravial Letters of Marque or Patent) round out the religious landscape of the region. Debrecin is not known for being especially pious, but believers of any deity are known for their swiftness to utter a quick prayer before any endeavor, given their adventurous lifestyles.

## Culture

### Certified Heroes

The Marquess of Debrecin exercises the exclusive right to issue Margravial Letters of Marque or Patent. These letters grant individuals official recognition of exceptional service or prowess in a given field (Marque) or right to a particular heraldic banner for use (Patent). In the case of Marque, the bearer of such a letter has usually established a reputation through their deeds for exceptional talents or skills, which the letter itself will recognize. These can be against certain types of foes, in certain types of conflict, with the use of certain types of weapons, or in the employment of certain varieties of magic or other skills, for example. Once granted, after a period of vetting and with the written testimony of no less than twelve witnesses, the bearer, now known as a Marquee or Marqued Man or Woman, has an official documentation of their skill, and may adorn their personal effects a Margravial Sigil, with a small token of the symbol of the March, a falcon wearing a crown bearing a sword in one claw and an orb in the other; recipients of multiple Letters of Marque for different recognitions may bear as many Margravial Sigils as they have Letters of Marque. Letters of Marque are non-transferable, may not be inherited, and all Marquees may have their graves adorned with Margravial Sigils and brief descriptions of their Letters of Marque.

Letters of Patent are a valuable thing in the March of Debrecin. Traditionally, a Letter of Patent is only granted to a Marquee, and entitles one to a banner they may use and authorize for use by others; this person is referred to as a Patent-Holder. As a corollary to this, any profit made directly or indirectly through the use of a Patented Banner is taxable. Still, the Patented Banner is a sought after thing, as it is a symbol of quality, that those marching under it are led by a Marquee and perhaps have more within their ranks. When a Patent-Holder goes to assemble a private company for mercenary work, men are drawn to the Patented Banner as it usually is the sign of a hero, and when the same company goes to sell its services to the highest bidder, the possession of Letters of Marque and Patent show a level of talent and skill that is attractive, and which allows these companies to charge higher rates, enough to offset the tax loss. A Letter of Patent can be inherited or sold, usually done either by a retired adventurer looking to make one last sum before retirement, or an heir with no martial inclination; thus, it is possible, though uncommon, for a Patent-Holder to not be a Marquee. A Letter of Patent will be updated to show the entire chain of ownership, and may be revoked by the Marquess for serious reasons, such as tax evasion, brigandry, and treason. Many times, a Letter of Patent has gone extinct, usually when the holder and his comrades have all died in the line of duty. In such a case, the Marquess is free to grant the Letter of Patent and associated Patented Banner at his leisure when he next creates a Patent-Holder; occasionally Letters of Patent have been "resurrected" this way, and a few Letters of Patent have been permanently retired, as their previous owners died so heroically as to be enshrined eternally.

Overall, the Marquess of Debrecin has fostered a culture of valor and heroism, incentivized by noble recognition and economic potential. Virtue is codified and recounted in countless songs and sagas. Tradition perpetuates this culture of heroism, and brings prosperity to the realm. Debrecin is known for breeding heroes, and it has become both a point of pride and a national industry. The people consider this to be one of the crowning achievements of their society, to have found a way to socially encourage exceptional service.

## Politics

The March of Debrecin maintains amicable relations with the other Placid Realms, as well as the nearby Verdant and Mercurial Realms. The high tax revenue of the Marquess allows for the maintenance of almost nonexistent tariffs and import duties, which fosters healthy trade and good relations. Envoys of the Marquess typically are flamboyant, either flashing a bit of wealth on behalf of their sovereign or being accomplished Marquees wearing their panoply of war. In general, the populace is happy with how the realm is run, with the average peasant happily unburdened by taxes, and the bold adventurer happy to pay his due in exchange for certifications of glory and high pay abroad. House Đorđević has reigned over Debrecin since independence, and is usually viewed more as a house of judges and patrons than politicians. It is their responsibility to award Letters of Marque or Patent, to certify who is truly heroic, and record all manner of details regarding Marquees and Patent-Holders. Castle Đorđević hosts a large repository of official documents in an expansive basement area, employing a large staff to organize and chronicle letters and their bearers. Overall, the people find House Đorđević to be a benign benefactor, often unnoticeable and never obtrusive.

## Ecology

The March of Debrecin is slightly warmer than the rest of the Placid Realms, and features slightly more woodlands to the west and flatlands to the south. The northern reaches of the march tend towards the marshier. Wild boar are a common sight throughout the province, and falconry is a common pastime that enriches the soup pots of Debrecin with rabbits and squirrels. Grain and vegetables grow in decent quantity, supplemented by foraged herbs and berries, and gardened root vegetables. Gnolls tribes are far more common in Debrecin than kobolds, orcs, or goblinoids, though the latter three still exist; the combination of poorer mineral wealth (limiting mining), capable defenders (compensating for numerical imbalance in a fight) and a lack of giants to coerce (and thus lead into battle as part of the tribe) limits kobold, goblinoid, and orc activity, respectively. Debrecin is famous for turning boars into unique sausages known as Debrecinzurz, which are usually a bright red, finely ground, and loaded with herbs and spices. These are usually not smoked or cured, and are thus eaten as soon as possible, though lightly smoked versions good for several days do exist for travel. For any prolonged journey, however, they are more apt to smoke a whole small game animal, such as a rabbit, squirrel, or even more exotic fare such as a baby alligator, and hack of limbs throughout the journey to gnaw on. These grisly meals, usually called "roadfill", are traditionally tied with butcher's twine to one's pack, startling the unaccustomed. Indeed, some Debreciners working in the Mercurial or Verdant Realms have helped popularize a bizarre myth among the populace that it is in fact a sort of magical fetish holding a bound animal spirit, and that to touch it is to invite a dreaded curse. In reality, this prevents unwanted fingers prying into an unattended backpack with a piece of roadfill dangling from it.

## Economy

The March of Debrecin derives a large amount of wealth from the taxes levied upon those with Letters of Patent. This wealth flows into the realm and allows for comparatively low taxes on domestic affairs, typically a modest collection of agricultural products or mineral wealth to be traded or harnessed by the Marquess. Farming and mining are usually sufficient for local needs, though imports of grain and stone are not uncommon. Adventurous souls earn their keep alongside Marqued Men fighting as soldiers of fortune, while less daring sorts grow the food, mine the steel, and forge the swords. Those who retire from the adventuring life often either retire entirely, living off their savings, or go into an adventure-adjacent profession, such as arms sales, town guard, or innkeeping.

## Military

The Debrecin March Guard is a large standing force, funded by lucrative taxation practices and equipped with fine raiments and noble steeds. Of the sixteen companies, a full quarter of them are cavalry. The 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th Companies all maintain riders in banded mail armed with longswords and heavy steel shields to provide durable but quick support as needed. The regular March Guard regiments wear similar arms, and are considered to be both quite professional and worth their rate, as they are occasionally hired out to warring city-states in the Mercurial Realms. The Debrecin March Guard 1st Company, known as the Life Guard, are equipped with half-plate and bastard swords, all masterwork quality, and are never hired out; theirs is a duty to the Marquess alone, and they represent a living wall of steel that protects the state. During the Great River War, the whole of the March Guard were deployed against the Kingdom of Fife, though not immediately, as several companies were finishing contracts to the south. This prevented a full muster until a full year into the conflict, as the Marquess was not inclined to break existing contracts.