Western March Territory

Western March Territory

The Western March is a hard border kingdom on the western edge of Oblivion Vale. It exists to hold passes, guard roads, and survive constant pressure. Land here does not feed people well, and safety is never stable. Towns exist because they can be defended, not because they are comfortable.

Scarcity shapes every law. Control comes before mercy. Survival is enforced, not shared.

Land and Use

The March is broken highland and cut valley. The ground is thin and unstable. Farming fails often, even in good years. Old quarries and mines scar the slopes, leaving slag piles and exposed stone.

Old roads still cross the region, built before the Drying. Many are cracked, narrow, or half-collapsed. These routes are dangerous and often used for ambush. Travel is slow and watched.

Bleedsap Timberland lies within March control, but outside their main territory to the East. Timber and resin are valuable and tightly guarded. Illegal cutting is punished without leniency. Camps exist only where force allows them.

Writgate, Capital of the March

Writgate stands at the main western pass. It is built in steep stone tiers behind high walls. The city exists to control movement. Who enters, who leaves, and what passes through are all decided here.

Refugees, raiders, and mass hunger are treated as threats first. Aid comes only when order holds. Writgate survives by closing doors fast and opening them slowly.

Rule of the March

Lord Edric Grael holds full crisis authority. He decides seizures, labor demands, and movement restrictions. He can shut districts, redirect supplies, and force work during emergencies.

He controls patrol routes, gate enforcement, and internal discipline. He decides who waits, who passes, and who is turned back. His duty is simple: keep the pass open and the March intact.

Order matters more than fairness. Delay is treated as danger.

Power and Scarcity

Water is power, but not mercy. Control of access decides who lives through the season. Theft is treated as an attack on the state, even when the law pretends otherwise.

Movement near supply points is restricted. Night access is rare. Panic is considered as dangerous as hunger.

Relief exists, but it is limited. In bad years, the state takes what it must to keep control. Stability is the stated reason. Fear is the real one.

Government and Force

The March is a frontier monarchy built for defense. Fort commanders hold wide authority. Border forces act fast and without debate.

Roads are treated as assets. Escorts, checkpoints, and watch posts are common. Safe routes are safe only because they are controlled.

Paperwork exists to limit movement and prevent supply loss. Control of travel is control of survival.

Economy and Leverage

The March exports stone, iron, timber, resin, and fuel goods. Other regions depend on these materials. This gives the March bargaining power.

It depends on outside food and medicine. This makes its borders harsh. Uncontrolled movement risks collapse.

Bleedsap resin is treated as strategic material. Routes are guarded. Disputes over it turn violent fast.

Roads, Forts, and Borders

Outer borders are lined with forts, towers, and patrol roads. These face raiders and moving camps. Signals warn of approach. Escorts protect what moves.

Inner borders are stricter. They stop theft and untracked travel. Crossings are narrow by design. Guards inspect everything.

The March is layered defense, inside and out.

Faith and Order

Temples to Life, Death, and Fate exist in all major settlements. The gods do not speak. Blessings are rare but real.

Faith supports law. Life tends the injured. Death enforces burial and containment. Fate judges oaths and trust.

Public life is controlled by curfew and inspection. Harsh punishment is expected. Order is measured by locked gates and controlled access, not comfort.

Magic and Control

Magic is rare and feared. In the March, sabotage is the greatest concern. Casters are watched closely and forced into service during crises.

Unlicensed magic is treated as a public threat. Rumors alone can lead to detention or exile. Near supply sites, suspicion is enough.

Current State

The Western March survives through force and fear. Border pressure never stops. Hunger never fully eases.

The state holds because roads still connect forts and supply points. When those links fail, the response is swift and brutal.

This keeps the March alive. It also keeps it hard, unforgiving, and feared by those who live beyond its walls.