A Primer on the Kingdom of Martel

Below is a primer on the Kingdom of Martel, one of the most prominent provinces in the Eracian Empire, divided by duchy and broken down by points of interest.

1. Nescaux-Loire: The most mountainous region of Martel, this duchy is a mountain pass away from Eracia and has long enjoyed not only trading with the empire’s homeland, but also in controlling trade to Eracia.

1. Mt. Nescaux - visible from many miles away, this southern terminus of the Capricus Mountains is famous around the world. The weather here is as unpredictable as the scenery is beautiful, and while many rich and famous people have built villas on and below the mountain, these chateaux are nearly castles, built to withstand the most violent of storms.
2. Sausanne - A hemmed-in port town of faded prominence, this once-great city is still impressive in its own right, and its people are linked culturally and socially to Eracia. The Martelan branch of the Bardic College is located here. The city was an ally of Phillip the Third’s during his succession crisis, and as a result he has favored them with many gifts and economic stimulation.
3. Loire - Ducal capital of Nescaux-Loire, though rarely home to its line of Dukes, who have long preferred the solitude of the countryside. Loire is an important wine, cheese, and crops hub, and is a stop along the road from Eracia to Marnes. The city itself is in a semi-arid valley that’s supplied water from the Sess and Altiru rivers via aqueducts that predate the establishment of Eracia by hundreds of years.
4. Monde Hills - a semi-arid wilderness, this area has been experiencing problems with monsters lately, which has posed a problem for the vineyards nearby.
5. Brittanwood - ancient site of folklore, limber, and of course conflict with the Hillfolk and later the Tintagelans. There is a famous battlefield deep in the woods where the Boar King of the southern Hillfolk once failed to invade Martel.

2. DuBlanc: The least populated and wildest duchy of Martel, this land has ties to Brecon that go back thousands of years.

1. Ft. Luna - established centuries ago on the site of an old lycanthrope settlement, Luna has seen a resurgence of werefolk over the last few months emerging from the Brittanwood, rather than their usual infestation of bandits.
2. DuBlanc Vineyards - new Fiannan clients have given DuBlanc, once the least prestigious vineyard in the province, a new lease on life, and have drawn a lot of strangers to the region - not all of them savory.
3. Chauvret - Small by Martelan standards, this old and slightly derelict city is on the rise again with the changes taking place in the Empire.
4. Vertrand Hills - A long, peaceful border with Brecon, but a good place for people to hide.
5. DuBlanc Highlands - Verdant but rugged, this region has many caverns and constantly struggles with monsters.
6. Durand Barrens - A mysterious, monster-infested region where archaeologists have begun uncovering remnants of a civilization of giants and their kin.

3. Laurent: This region is vast, profitable, and dull, though its capital is an important trade and cultural center.

1. River Loup - Laurent’s western border, it flows into the Seil d’Ronde and there are many fishing towns along it - there are also many bandits living around the river’s rocky shores.
2. Weirland Hills - Under the view of Ft. Luna, these hills have remained peaceful, but recently strange troubles with lycanthropes and extraplanar interlopers have become increasingly common.
3. River Durand - an important trade route for agricultural products. Most crops from Laurent’s interior are shipped to the coast via this river.
4. Laurent - Home to a prestigious university, Laurent lost clout recently but its school has been gaining students from families who don’t want to send their children for educations in “disloyal” provinces, such as Emilia.

4. Leque: This duchy’s odd shape speaks of its martial past, when the warlords of Leque conquered portions of Laurent and Mercoeur in order to control shipping and gain a border with Marnes. This province is the greatest source of skilled soldiers in the Martelan army, and its cavaliers are famous across the continent.

1. Martyrwood - This forest straddles 3 duchies, but the majority of the industry and hunting that takes place in it happens in the eastern quarter. A famous hunting ground favored by Philip the Third is located here, and it’s also the source of some of the continent’s best hardwood for the production of furniture.
2. Rondel River - This river flows past the Martyrwood after the Durand empties into it, and is used to ship numerous goods from Laurent and the farms of northern Leque. River pirates flourish here despite centuries of attempting to control them.
3. Leque - Architectural and culinary jewel of the eastern coast, but also a home for unsightly and rough shipping facilities, Leque is a place with a diversity of influences, and nearly every culture in the world can be found here.
4. Dunon - a large city in western Leque, it’s a place for the well-to-do from all around the province to come and play. There are many chateaux in and around its gentle hills. It overlooks the most beautiful part of the Martyrwood.
5. Ft. Matti - a border fort with Brecon, and a vital point for the distribution of military supplies and the movement of troops both by land and by sea.
6. Ambreaux - Thanks to the multitude of limestone caves in the Ambre Heights, Ambreaux has become one of the prime cheese producing cities in the world. Caravans ship the product to Ft. Matti, Laurent, and Marnes, but it has been consumed all over the world since before the fall of Aster Isle.

5. Mercoeur: This vast duchy was once its own kingdom and fought against Pezane for centuries to gain favor with Asterian traders before the destruction of that isle. Mercoeur has only been a part of Martel for 1100 years, and its leaders are still referred to as princes and princesses, rather than dukes. This land has an ancient culture of its own, but is an important part of Martel.

1. Mercouer - An ancient city founded on the basis of trade with Aster Isle, and an important ally of the Asterians on the continent. There is a gate outside this city showing a battle between Mercoeur and Pezane, halfling troops fighting alongside the Mercoueri to sack the city of canals long before Emilia was founded. This city’s people are connoisseurs of food and entertainment, and there are many theaters here, some of them featuring drama from across the sea.
2. Lake Lamoux and Lamoun - Lamoun is the gateway to the beautiful Lake Lamoux, a beautiful lake in Mercouer’s northern plateau. Though it’s a popular destination, there is a military presence in Lamoun due to the occasional uprising of aquatic monsters who live beneath the lake’s limpid surface.
3. Mont LaMere - a newly booming fishing town brought to prominence by the Elven War, this town is mired in corruption.
4. Cote-coteau - A vast strip of coastland south of Mercoeur, this area is full of hidden coves and dangerous cliffs. It’s a haven for pirates, and a graveyard for ships.
5. Lympia and the Golden Coast - An early colony of Eracia after its expansion began around 1050 years ago, Lympia was founded in territory that Mercouer and Marnes has fought over for centuries. To this day, the area’s culture is a mix of Martelan and Eracian. Now that wars between cities here are mostly a thing of the past, this has become a financial center and a home away from home for the rich and powerful.

6. Marnes: The center of Martel, and the center of Martelan life. What was once a tiny duchy forced to cleverness to defend itself from its larger neighbors, Marnes rose to prominence nearly 1500 years ago and conquered, by marriage, trade, and war, most of the rest of the peninsula, with Mercouer falling under its influence later.

1. Marnes - The capital and by far largest city of the province, and the fourth largest city on the continent. There are many ancient and beautiful buildings and monuments here. Recently, many of those afflicted with slavery to the Spire - an evil curse devised by the Cult of Neren who secretly instigated the Elven War - returned to the city, and are having a difficult time living normal lives. Though the city’s infrastructure is well-kept, and the slums here are much more well-organized than those in any of the other large cities in the Empire, there are still many poor living inside the walls of Marnes.
2. Sabele Vineyards - Perhaps the most famous vineyard in Martel, the lands here are owned and operated by the crown, and the revenue from their high-quality wines has filled the royal coffers for longer than anyone can remember.
3. Pt. Les - Two days’ ride from Marnes is the city’s primary seaport. Built to prevent Lympia from taxing all of Marnes’ exports, the city remains small but busy.

A Survey of Cities: Taurinum

The city of Taurinum, located in the western foothills of the Capricus Mountains, was established in -3 ER. Its founding represents a black mark on Eracian history.

Eracian expedition forces were searching for a place to build a fortress that was relatively unassuming, as they were nervous about the Martelli crossing the mountains into their territory. While looking for a place to build, they discovered silver and copper deposits, and set about building a fortress. They were confronted by a local tribe with a strong religious culture tied to totemic bull worship, who they called the Taurinii (Tor-in-ee-eye), per the usual Asterian tribal naming convention. The Eracian legion, rather than relocate their fort, exterminated the small tribe, and completed their fortifications.

The Martelii never attacked Eracia, and as a matter of fact it was only 7 years after that that a formal alliance was wrought between Eracia, Martel, the Hillfolk Tribes, and the coastal cities of what is now Cordon. At this time, the fortress at Taurinum was ceremonially dismantled, and although there are occasional monster threats (such as a black dragon attack in 192, and a devastating gnoll raid in 410), the city remains, like most in the area, without a wall or significant fortifications.

Since the city's establishment, silver and copper veins have been continually mined in the area. It also happens there was a very good reason the ancient tribe here worshiped bull totems--cattle thrive in this area, and it has become a center for raising premium meat and for curing it in various ways. Salami Taurini, for instance, is a moderately popular variety of meat as far away as Brecon and even the Capital.

Culturally, Taurinum has always been a home for the theater, and a large ampitheater named The Horns has been located near the city center since the year of its establishment. Troupes from all around make a point of stopping in Taurinum on their way between larger cities, and there is an annual drama competition here which has produced many famous actors and playwrights.
--From A Survey of the Outlying Cities of Eracia, by Estimia Laceva

x

To: Jacob Van Nuys From: Agent Lucien Regarding: The Martelan Succession

Greetings, Master VanNuys, from Agent Lucien of the Revenant Blades.

Our mutual friend Mr. Morrow has requested that I provide you with a report on the dynamic situation in Marnes. My partner Courvelle and I have spent the last two months in Martel, and most of that time in the capital gathering information, in some cases with the help of a well-connected noble who I will not name here.

Since the unexplained death of Philip the Younger late last year, a number of possible candidates for succession have emerged, and to date King Philip himself has not openly selected an heir. That said, due to his increasing infirmity, there is a sense that even if he were to select an heir it would not necessarily be legitimized by the Martelan nobility as a whole. In other words, if things go poorly, we could be facing another succession crisis, something I'm sure the Imperial Corps is keen to avoid given that such crises inordinately cause suffering to the populace.

Below is a list of the five members of the royal family with reasonable claims to the throne, and where they stand on various issues that might be of concern to the Empire. We have done our best to investigate all claims made by these candidates and determine if they are being truthful in their convictions, but this isn't always possible.

Jean--As the oldest living son of King Philip, Jean has an excellent claim to the throne. However, his ambition is limited and he's known more as a career soldier than as a politician of any kind. His positions are largely quite populist due to his time among the common soldiers as a colonel in the Martelan army and as someone closely aligned with the Church of Palenous and its views thanks to his time in paladin training. His marriage to a Tintagelan landowner makes him popular among many from the neighboring province. Like most in Martel, he's strongly opposed to seceding from the Empire or renegotiating treaties. He's not interested in increasing trade with any foreign nations including Fianna, but he does believe that the dwarves have been unfairly vilified and would like to seek improved relations with them. He is in favor of increased rights for rural and urban workers, something that's likely to make him less popular with shipping concerns and vineyard owners, and is highly in favor of providing aid to those unfortunate soldiers who became Spire slaves during the end stages of the war. In what is an unpopular position, he has spoken favorably of Martel sending troops to Talar in the Spring regardless of Imperial promises of intervention in the orcish incursions there, and prior to his older brother's death he had spoken of the possibility of leading a division of troops there. He has the unwavering support of the Church of Palenous, which is also to say that other churches in the pantheon may be less enthusiastic about the possibility of his reign.

Thibault--King Philip's younger brother is a controversial figure at court, but is highly regarded among court regulars. Thibault is often generous with loans, gifts, and favors, and is what you might call a power broker. He stayed out of the succession crisis between Philip and his older brother Bastien, which prevented him from being sullied by that conflict, but helped negotiate the following peace that kept Bastien's head attached to his shoulders. As a proponent of free trade, Thibault is very public about his favor for enhancing trade relations with all foreign nations, and has worked for years to introduce Isshan merchants to the king, with very little success (The Revenant Blades are aware that the Imperial Corps is not terribly keen on some of the things available in trade from Issha that have been unavailable in the Empire to date). He has also spoken openly about the possibility of leaving the Empire, touting the notion that Martel is strong enough to stand on its own and that by maintaining the connections of trade, Martel could "grasp further prosperity while achieving greater sovereignty". That's become a catch phrase of sorts for him. It's worth noting that he has a number of allies in Tintagel, largely from rivals of the families Jean's wife Corrine is affiliated with.

Clovis--Thirty-one year old Clovis is the oldest son of the recently deceased Philip the Younger, and is the spitting image of his father. While it would make more sense dynastically to deliver the kingdom to Jean, Clovis is perhaps a more well-rounded candidate. Unlike Jean, he grew up at court, which endears him to some and is a black mark to others. His positions are less adamant, which I believe leads some at court to think they could influence him. He has not spoken publicly about his interest in the Spire slaves or trade with Duvrain, but is not interested in increasing trade with Issha due to the contraband issues it might create. While Clovis is, like Jean, interested in intervening in Talar, he is not as sympathetic toward workers as his uncle.

Doucelina--King Philip's youngest daughter is an odd candidate for the throne, especially considering that she has wavered on whether or not she wants the mantle of Queen. However, after a series of personal disasters, the princess is a widow twice over and loves and believes in her children dearly. The opportunity to put them in the direct line of succession does not seem to have gone unnoticed, and she has begun quietly campaigning for consideration. Like her uncle Thibault, she favors increased trade but is unsure regarding Issha, and is somewhat less forgiving of the elves than most others at court due perhaps to the circumstances of her second widowing. She favors rights for workers with equal fervor to her older brother Jean, but does not see the sense in providing military aid to Talar when they have seceded from the Empire. As a side note, I have it on good authority that Imperial Ambassador Petromilla Pladius has voiced her support for Doucelina to become Martel's first queen in quite some time.

Rainfroy--of all the candidates currently under consideration, Rainfroy is likely to be the least popular to the Empire and perhaps the most popular to the young and effete of Martel, as well as those who enjoy great leisure. Rainfroy, who spent much of his youth at his uncle Thibault's side, is famous primarily for partying and for attracting a following of young nobles. Oddly, however, he's recently gained vocal support from the somewhat reclusive Duke Trauvere de Terre of the Nescaux-Loire region. As far as his political opinions go, he has not said a word about either the Elves or the Dwarves, but like his uncle favors trade with Issha and Duvrain, and seems to favor secession from or at least re-negotiation with, the Empire. As a patron of the court and little else of Martel or even Marnes, he's opposed to aid for workers and former Spire slaves alike.

Please contact myself or Courvelle if you're in need of more detailed information. I hope what I have provided will assist the Corps in its mission, and I know that Mr. Morrow hopes to see increased cooperation between our organizations. As a man who grew up in Rorstad, may I also say--I hope for your sake that Spring comes quickly.