RENASCENCE: THE ALLIANCE OF GRAY MARCHES
(MARATHAS - “CHARIOT OF MARA”)
“IN THE DEEPEST DARKNESS
YOU ARE WRAPPED,
SEEK FOR THE LIGHT:
ALL NIGHTS MUST END.”
The Alliance of Gray Marches is a military and economic alliance of southern nations situated in the shadow of the eponymous ‘Gray Marches’, the mountain range which splits the continent. The diverse members of the alliance are the scattered, warring provinces of old empires, sharing a history of conquest and an emphatic drive to crush the rising power of Tousav.
At the end of the Third Age, when the imperial heir of the declining Empire of Marathas was executed in a people’s revolt, the many territories under the Marathan banner fell into disarray. While the northern provinces reformed into Tousav and Evvel Aytzel, the southern thrones—home to many would-be successors—continued to divide, converge, and divide again. The kingdoms of the Alliance emerged from this chaos.
In response to the peace treaty signed between Tousav and Lagain half a decade ago, the feuding leaders set aside their differences to convene in a Summit of Gray Marches. Fearing that an alliance between the great powers could be the precursor to a joint invasion, it was decided during the summit that a Commander must be chosen from among their ranks to protect the nations and ensure their sovereignty.
A distant descendent of the first emperor of Marathas—a sultana by the name of Deiji Khatun—distinguished herself during these negotiations. Her fervent desire to return to the prelapsarian greatness of Marathas, and her savvy political dealings with the sultans of its fragmented heartland, swayed the other leaders. By nightfall she had been chosen as Supreme Commander of the Alliance. In the years that followed, Commander Deiji’s dream of a united Alliance gradually took shape. Trade and cooperation flourished under the auspices of the Marathan sultans. However, the political weather remains troubling: many believe the Alliance’s terms benefit only a select few nations; others doubt the longevity of the Alliance, and turn to illicit dealings with Tousav, Lagain, and Aardayn; and others still are suspicious of Deiji Khatun’s authority, believing her to be a puppet of Marathas’ old guard.
Among the many members, there are five nations which make up the Marathan heartland, the center of fallen empire: PURADI, VOTEN, KAHAMARA, EKI KAY, and the capital ANSIUM.
REMNANTS OF EMPIRE
MARATHAN CULTURES (Puradi, Voten, Kahamara, Ansium, Eki Kay)
Once, the Marathan Empire owned the world.
At the end of the Second Age, the Throne of Ensas—itself a grand world power, nigh-forgotten today—was razed in a battle against Krasna Khagan and the Hordes of Tand. It was the closing of a chaotic Age: no longer would giants roam the earth, laying with the daughters of mortal men and creating demi-humans and wicked things; no longer would the hemispheres fray and the skies choke with red smoke; no longer would men cry to their gods for denied salvation. So the myth goes.
Centuries after the decisive battle, in Ansium, the Marathan Kingdom would turn their eyes west. Led by the World-Turning King, Varashal the Great, the Kingdom united the scattered peoples of Ensas and set about conquering the world. From 3A 390 until 3A 850, his dynasty spread the black wing of Marathan conquest across the continent from their heartlands to Evvel Aytzel, then the proto-Tousavi, then further. Over time they came to trade with the Lagainians and the pre-unification tribes of Aardayn, sharing their gods and their image for a world undivided.
At the height of their power, the Marathan zeitgeist was captured by an intellectual movement known as the “Season of Binding”, which sought to discover the true names of the gods and ‘bind’ them together in the Mazzaroth, a circle of constellations they believed to be the Gate that transmuted all human souls. The significant developments during this age were championed by the polymaths of Ansium, who transformed the heartland cities—and many urban centers throughout the burgeoning empire—into academic havens for astrologists, mathematicians, and clergymen. The advancements of this theurgical golden age pioneered the widespread use of invocations, dramatically increasing the number of theurgic cults throughout the world.
Suddenly, every man could throw wide the gates of heaven. What ensued was a fresh age of chaos.
Theurgic cults, believing themselves the true visionaries of the gods’ will, allied with power-hungry viziers and made a claim to the throne of the Empire. Thaumaturgists, unaccountable to anyone, advanced their art through dramatic acts of sacrifice and ascension; mountains were leveled for reagents, rivers were drained as libations, and the earth’s bounty was despoiled for their dark science. When the secrets of their vassal-states had been stolen, poured over, and depleted, the Marathan sorcerers turned on one another.
From 3A 721, the War of the Schools began: a continent-spanning civil war playing out in the highest halls of the Marathan Empire while its bureaucrats feigned stability. Eventually, the imperial infrastructure had been hollowed: too many viziers slain, too many clergymen scattered, and too many recordkeepers fled. In 3A 850, Argal the Undaunted began his revolt in one of the Marathan Empire’s historic capitals, named for its first emperor Varashal, and the Marathan Emperor Anathara was slain. It was the long-awaited coup de grâce to a dying empire.
At the beginning of the Fourth Age, the Marathan empire collapsed. However, its culture survives in the practices exported to its vassals. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Marathan heartlands, where its capitals were built. The sun-baked bricks of ancient Marathan castles and temples stand in stark contrast to modern architectural works. Layers of crumbling imperial projects are repurposed and given life anew.
Today, the lost prestige of a once-great empire haunts the Marathan nations, whose noble families trace their lineages to the halls of crumbling palaces. What remains of Marathas is ruled by a council of sultans descended from the nobility of the empire, called the Marathan League, who work alongside Commander Deiji Khatun to manage the affairs of their realms and mediate disputes of the Alliance members.
MARATHAN HEARTLANDS (Ansium and Puradi)
Ansium and Puradi are situated along fertile riverbeds, and are renowned for their terraced agriculture that climbs from the water to the mountain peaks. Tiered gardens frame the stone domes of Ansium—called the Houses of Wisdom—which have been fashioned into grand libraries of works gathered from vassal territories during the expansion of the Marathan Empire. Scholars from across the region take apprenticeships under the magi of the Aprioric Succession who dwell in the Houses of Wisdom. Through closely-guarded magic manipulating dreams, these mystics have passed the memories of their founder across generations.
Suggested Trades: Agent, Astrologer, Bookseller, Clerk, Merchant, Monk, Noble, Savant, Scholar, Sorcerer, Witchhunter
Male Names: Darius, Cyrus, Bahram, Farid, Rustam, Kamran, Nizam, Tarlan, Ilyas, Tahir
Female Names: Shirin, Yasmin, Parisa, Nahid, Farideh, Soraya, Darya, Mayam, Layla, Zara
WESTERN MARCHES (Kahamara and Voten)
Kahamara and Voten are scarred by immense ravine networks which flood seasonally. Gondoliers ferry traders along the deep rivers during stormy months, and ford routes as far north as Evvel Aytzel. Many enterprising merchant families have settled along the underground rivers, and the flow of their capital has influenced the outcome of wars across the continent. To this day, there is a saying that anything can be fished from the depths of the Kahamaran waterways.
Suggested Trades: Caravaner, Enforcer, Gondolier, Guard, Guild Guide, Mercenary, Pilgrim, Rogue, Smuggler, Trader
Male Names: Tariq, Samir, Daoud, Khalil, Idris, Selim, Azariah, Rashid, Nabil, Farouk
Female Names: Safiya, Zuleika, Naomi, Hana, Leila, Yael, Seren, Adara, Miriam, Tova
ASHLAND ISLANDERS (Eki Kay)
Eki Kay is an island nation weathered by ash storms from the volcano at the island’s center. Countless nomadic tribes roam the blighted lowlands, tending to colonies of giant tortoises adapted to the inhospitable environment; a blessing they attribute to ancient Marathan gods. These nomads are typically hostile towards outsiders, but have an understanding with the rest of the Marathan nations due to their shared heritage. In exchange for respecting their autonomy, Eki Kay trades in highly sought after resources.
Suggested Trades: Apothecary, Diviner, Herder, Hunter, Master-at-Arms, Miner, Nomad, Scout, Warrior, Witch
Male Names: Temür, Bayar, Arslan, Toghrul, Chinbat, Gantulga, Batuhan, Oghuz, Yesügei, Kököchü
Female Names: Altun, Sarnai, Khulan, Aylin, Solongo, Delger, Naraa, Öngön, Bayan, Temüjin-e