Players looking for information on new campaigns should find their campaign page in the Book of Mondevai
Marran Empire
Organization
The Marran Empire is ruled by the lord oligarch, a de facto CEO of the empire, who controls all government assets and signs off law for the empire. This is a life appointment made by the High Council (the heads of the nine richest houses) and only removable by death or unanimous vote. From the lord oligarch and council are derived the powers of the nobility, who are granted land or the potential rule of an area or army and total autonomy within those lands save for duty to liege lords (usually troops and tithe).
The major cities of the Empire are the capital and five county seats. The rulers of these lands are hereditary houses with enormous wealth and influence.
Politics
The nobility of the empire are separated into two dominant groups: the land owners (counts, barons, and baronets) and the tariff holders (excludés and excludéts). Additionally, many untitled children of nobles find station with the Tri-Cartel Blanche and Cosmic Church.
- The land owners are first divided into great counties. These five areas are essential autocratic and have full ability to promote barons within their lands. Any number of barons may fill the lands of a county, but currently the national average is around a dozen.
- Baronets, on the other hand, are titled imperially. Upon claim of an enclave, the lands surrounding it are given into the hands of the citizen. These new nobility remain subservient to their Counts in both arms and taxes but have heredity rights to the land for so long as that enclave remains within it.
- The Excludés are an archaic system of nobility that gives regulation of all commerce across a border to a certain position. These men and women form the lower house of nobles, but are still fabulously wealthy. Both overland and underdark routes are controlled by this faction, all directly appointed by the Lord Oligarch.
- There are 14 sitting Excludés, who distribute their power among five Excludéts apiece. They hold no official land save their estates on borders and within Vaumark itself. The 14th Excludé, officially responsible for commerce below Vaumark, also is charged with resolving disputes between the branches of nobility.
After the Desert Wars, Sirric and Urric clergy have fallen drastically out of favor in the Empire. To fill the Confederacy requirements, the priests of the relatively isolationist Hlynnites have become increasingly popular in the western cities.
Counties
Marran lands typically follow a basic suffix naming scheme. The capital, Vaumark, ends in '-rk'. County names are capped with '-rch'. Cities that have been incorporated (in a business sense) are suffixed '-rr'. Colonies, towns, or other establishments end in '-rl'. Most large cities are all located near to an Uplift or Downfall to facilitate trade.
- Vaumark
- The capital of the Marran Empire, seat of the oligarchy, port of the Verogods, Shipwright of Sigil, self-proclaimed New City of Portals, etc., etc.
- Albermarch
- The second largest city of the empire, as well as a massive naval port. Located in a massive natural pit, a huge fey cherry tree grows in the middle. Many underground cities surround an enormous underground lake. The over-county itself is largely untamed forests, foothills, rivers, and elven towns.
- Tamarch
- A county mostly in the mountains, Tamarch mines the majority of Fahrstone within the empire. The hub of the miners' guild is found within the city of Tamarr. The city has slowly grown to enormous size around (and in) a Fahrstone quarry.
- Isamarch
- The smallest county, but has the most prominent oversea ports in the empire. The commercial shipwright here provides most of the non-military ships to the empire.
- Arginmarch
- Wandering island archipelago that appeared in a shift. Large silver mines. Incorporated soon after when the island's position appeared stabilized. The last stop on the way to the unknown ocean.
- Souzamarch
- Southern lands good for grain and grove migration. The capital is a delta city. While Isamarr has structured brass orchestras, Souzamarr is famous for its street bands and revelrous atmosphere.
- Unclaimed Western Territory
- The Empire claims most of the mountains to its West, all the way to the Corrolt Desert. In reality, very little news travels beyond the borders of Isamarch and Tamarch. The few baronets such as Vegemarl in the west are free to exert their power however they see fit, with decade-long gaps in imperial attention.
Baronetcies
- Thundermarl
- U - Once a dwarven city in Tiban, it was captured for its fertile surrounding fields.
- Vegemarl
- D - Westernmost Marran colony of appreciable size. Significant dwarven presence and trade.
- Vestimarl
- U - A failed colony on the shores of a lake beneath Haelink. No word has been heard from the colony since soon after its founding.
- ...others...
Caffeine Prohibition
Caffeinated beverages are prohibited in the Marran Empire. Once popular and fashionable throughout the cities, they were labeled dangerous after the discovery of wizardry: caffeine is an explosive radical to arcane casters, and causes the most basic of spells to go drastically awry.
