Marck

# Grand Duchy of Marck

The grand Duchy of Marck (colloquially known as Marck) is a nation in northern Fleurvia, bordering Tharavia, Hinkontomi and Vauchelia. It formed in 1873 under the leadership of its first Grand Duke, Vladimir I. One of the smallest nations in 404 by population, spread out over a surprisingly large space, thanks to its Agrarian society. Its principle exports are Timber, raw materials, and Refined Dusk Steel.

## History

Marck's history begins in ancient times of legend, with several dwarven city states forming by settlers chasing rumors of mineral wealth. In 1023, an influx of human migration to the region resulted in significant tension between the historically isolated city states. A brief war erupted, before the region unified under the leadership of the city of Veresad, forming the empire of Veresad. The resulting government was a highly centralized autocracy, ruled by a mixture of Dwarven 'nobility of the mine' and human 'nobility of the field,' with a dwarven emperor sitting in Veresad. Mixture between the two classes of nobility, and humans and dwarves on lower rungs of the social ladder, is believed to have been the cause of Marckers' unique adeptness for Magic.

Still isolated from much of the world, as the memories of civil strife grew into a distant memory, the security forces of Veresad slowly declined, and Veresadi opulence among the nobles grew. Following a series of bad Harvests, royal armies of the Kingdom of Tharavia invaded in 1557. Only the duchy of Marck, the wealthiest of the territories that made up Veresad, and the capital of the manufacture of ducal bronze and dusk steel, retained any degree of autonomy, protected by harsh terrain, and force of arms, led by the von Marck dukes. when the foreign conquerers withdrew, facing their own internal struggles that would lead to the abolition of their monarchy, and other enemies abroad, what had once been a glorius kingdom, was no more. Veresad was gone, and in its place, a loosely allied collection of principalities, which had risen up against the Tharav occupiers. The extensive civil structure of Veresad was, for all intents and purposes, no more.

This remained the status quo for the next 2 hundred years or so, until, facing external pressure from foreign powers slowly beginning to extend back towards them, and internal strife from the feuding former allies, the Duke of Marck, Vladimir von Marck, the scion of the only dynasty remaining from the empire, began a slow, but inexorable campaign of unification. He expanded his army significantly, and extended overtures to the other 13 nations of the former empire of Veresad, bringing some to his banner through diplomacy, others through bribery, more through compulsion, and several through bloody conquest. in 1873, he achieved his dream, reuniting the former empire into one nation: The Grand Duchy of Marck.

However, all was not as tranquil as it seemed. on the day of his coronation, mere hours after taking the throne, he was found by his guards, dead, in a dungeon beneath his fortress, with no explainable cause. The case quickly went cold. The new Grand Duchy was already on shaky ground; this threw it into turmoil.

The Current Grand Duke, Vasily I, ascended in the midst of this turmoil, quickly asserting his ducal authority to quell the unrest. Now, even 2 years later, the government is still unsteady, fighting to keep its grasp on the disparate territories of its empire, as it slowly comes into contact with other powers, establishing shaky relationships. A junior partner on the world stage, Marck has been forced to rely on other nations to prop up its ambitious agendas, and to maintain trade connections, often giving immense concessions in exchange for trade rights, particularly when dealing with the highly anti-magical Tharavs.

## Geography

Marck is located in northern Fleurvia, bordering the Gannican Tundra to the East, Vauchelia to the West, The Nord and Belshik Seas to the North, and Hinktontomi and Tharavia to the South.

### Climate

Marck is located in a temperate zone, however, its mountainous topography renders much of eastern Marck frozen for most of the year, only thawing during late spring and early summer, with some of its peaks remaining frozen all year long. Only the West of Marck is suitable for agriculture, concentrated in the cities of Rostov, Merin, and Veresad.

### Capital:

The Capital City of the Grand Duchy of Marck is Marcktenburg, the ancestral home of the Dukes. During the Veresadi empire, Veresad was the capital, and it is still the largest, and one of the wealthiest, cities in the Grand Duchy.

Major Cities

There are 6 major cities in Marck:

* Marcktenburg, the capital, and center of manufacturing.
* Veresad, the Old Capital, and the hub of domestic trade; the largest city in Marck.
* Merin, the agricultural center of Marck.
* Rostov, on the western border, the center for continental trade.
* Krelia, Marck's main port on the Nord Sea.
* Gensaxe, home to the largest mining operations in Marck.

### Overseas Territory

Marck has a small enclave at the mouth of the Nord Sea, where it passes through the Nordespont into the Belshik Sea. Straddling this strait is the aptly named settlement of Nordespont, primarily dedicated to lumber production. Additionally, sizable fortifications guard the area, in order to restrict access to the sea, protecting continental Marck from Piracy. Only those ships friendly to the Duchy may enter.

### Natural Resources

Marck industry is primarily devoted to mining, agriculture, and lumber. Its mineral resources include gold, bauxite, silver, platinum, iron, and the components for Dusk Steel and Ducal Bronze. Its timber is mainly spruce, pine, and to the south, oak and yew. Agricultural concerns are largely dedicated to wheat, barley, and rye, along with root vegetables. Marck also has a large dairy industry for its size, though this is largely in decentralized small holdings, generating little profit for the state.

## Flag

The two colors of the Flag of the Grand Duchy of Marck are purple and gold.

The purple signifies grandeur, power, and wealth, the exotic dye being hard to obtain, and nearly impossible to produce domestically, with the Howardonian purple trade barely reaching Marck in its day. The gold represents energy- it's the color of lightning, fire- and the most powerful magic known to the dukes of Marck. Radiating out from the eagle, a symbol of Marck's Duke, it represents the spread of their power in all directions.

Placed in the Flag's center is a crowned, double headed eagle. The Eagle, native to the Grand Duchy of Marck, is seen as a regal symbol of Majesty, and is a national bird in its own right. It also features prominently in the coat of arms of the Von Marck dynasty. Following Marck's unification, the second head was added to the eagle heraldry- one head for the dukes, the other for the nation, under the Ducal Crown.

## Government

The Grand Duchy of Marck is an absolute monarchy, led by the Grand Duke, Vasily I. Local administration is handled by a cohort of ministers and military officials, under the direct command of the Grand Duke's cabinet. There are four cabinet ministers in the administration, who form the Grand Duke's Council.

### Cabinet positions

* Tetrarch Major: the head of marck's ducal guard, and keeper of the purse.
* Grand Inquisitor: The leader of Marck's inquisition, responsible for intelligence gathering, and hunting down dangerous criminals.
* Imperator: The head of Marck's arbiter corps, responsible for security within the grand duchy, and military affairs.
* Prime Minister: The head of Civilian government, who leads the Marcker bureaucracy, and is responsible for civil and diplomatic affairs.

## Military

The Grand Duchy's military is decidedly the weakest in Fleurvia, with the primary army consisting of 16,000 Arbiters- plate armored soldiers more reminiscent of knights of old than modern soldiers.

### Branches:

**Arbiters:** Arbiters form the backbone of Marck’s military and police force. They act as town watchmen, responsible for patrolling and guarding critical areas within cities, as well as coordinated units within the army. In a time of War, they typically form the first line of defense, or the primary force of the Army. Typically, Arbiters are volunteers drawn from second sons of the higher echelons of society, or from enterprising citizens hoping for advancement. Their training specializes in harnessing air and water magic, though some prodigies learn to use other elemental disciplines as well, earning quick promotions through the ranks. They are equipped with a set of Dusk Steel plate armor, a sword, a shield, and handcuffs, along with personal gear. Ducal bronze flourishes in their armor mitigate about 20% of the force of magic against them- a useful aid when dealing with arcane opponents. In 1874-1875, Vasily I pursued a large scale military modernization project, leading to the arbiter corps training in rifles and grenades, under Tharavian advisors. Now, the average arbiter also adds a bolt action rifle, and 150 rounds of ammunition, to their standard kit, most of which is manufactured in either Vauchelia, Tharavia or the SSU.

**Inquisitors:** Signified by their red cloaks, Inquisitors are soldiers of a different stripe, skilled in battle, yes, but trained as spies and infiltrators as well. Inquisitors harness fire magic in their training, and use it with deadly efficiency. Usually working alone or in pairs, inquisitors are trained to infiltrate, to sabotage areas from within, to act as assassins, and to collect information without drawing attention. Drawn from the most loyal and adept volunteers of the Arbiters, inquisitors keep the peace quietly, hunting down and eliminating thieves guilds and smugglers from within, and seeking out heretical mages with deadly efficiency. They are the secret police, upon which Marck is built. Their armor reflects their superior status- built similar to that of Arbiters, but with purer dusk steel, and a higher amount of bronze, rendering magic about 45% less effective against it, though they often work without it, opting for disguises and subterfuge rather than direct combat. Many of them are skilled snipers, armed with modern imported guns, though some still favor older muzzle loaders.

**Royal guards:** The royal guard form a small cadre of elite warriors, trained extensively in the sword and shield above all else. Drawn from the most loyal, and bravest of the arbiters and inquisitors, these soldiers demonstrate unparalleled martial excellence, and train with a variety of weapons and magic. Their armor is the finest in all of Marck, save for that of the Duke himself. Indeed, such is its quality, that tales abound of the legendary plate stopping a bullet, or absorbing the full force of a fireball, though such have not been confirmed. Their swords are modelled on the ancient gladius, made from a core of dusk steel, with an edge of enchanted ducal bronze. On average, the high level of ducal bronze within their armor can negate 60% of the effects of magic on the wearer, and their swords can cut through or survive high levels of stress.

### Structure:

The Marck military follows a rigid chain of command, based around 4 unit squads for tactical maneuvers, which group into larger formations by groups of 4. In battle, different fronts are usually assigned to Battalions of 256 soldiers each, for flexibility in planning and tactics. Defense and security in individual regions is assigned to the 16 Marck Legions, which group into 4 larger armies for Administrative purposes, under the umbrella of the Themata, led by the Imperator. Currently, the Arbiter corps only holds 1 themata, but in times of war, more may be raised.

In addition, 1 battalion of the 7th legion functions as the naval services for Marck.

### The Marck Navy:

Marck's navy is one of the strongest in the world, consisting of 4 rowboats, capable of holding 4 people each, 2 triremes, and a whaling vessel from 1820. However, under Vasily, as part of its treaty with Tharavia, Marck has begun creating an additional shipyard, where the government intends to build more modern vessels.

## Diplomatic Relations

Marck has open relations with Tharavia, Vauchelia, and the SSU. All three nations have some degree of trade relations with Marck. Both Tharavia and the SSU have standing agreements to provide Marck with arms and equipment. In 1875, Marck and Vauchelia signed the Marcktenburg Cooperation.

### The Marcktenburg Cooperation

The Marcktenburg Cooperation is a trade deal approved upon by Grand Duke Vasily I and King Edgar Vauch. It details a lengthy trade agreement, and a proposition for resource transfers across the Flussebenen province of Vauchelia. Trades from the Vauch will include Vauch Limestone from quarries in Toire, Wines from the Viino province, and Vauch Scotch from . The Duchy has offered in return tonnes specified by the Vauch of Dusk Steel from mines in the Marck countryside. All trades will be done in the Vauch Vay, a substantial expansion of the vauch economy into other countries economies. this has led to a rise in the power of Marck banking houses, as the new trade under the cooperation flows through their exchanges, netting a tidy profit. The stone has seen the beginning of a large road building program between marck's towns, seeking to improve infrastructure, building new routes and repairing old ones, as part of Grand Duke Vasily's push towards greater trade and connectivity within Marck, as well as between Marck and the outside world.