Server: NA-East
Biome: Steppes/Open Plains
The Mar
A tribe who are renown for both their horsemanship and their savagery. The Barony of Cai’Ral is lead by the blood sons and daughters of the Mar but any adopted into the fighting force may call themselves Mar.
Joining of the Iron Duke, A Short History
The Mar tribe existed in the north long before the arrival of the Iron Duke, the leader of the Dread Legion. They wandered the steppes and plains, their horses renowned for their speed and stamina, and the men and women who rode them renowned for their ferocity. Aggressive nomads, the Mar never settled for long. They were known to take in outcasts and raid nearby villages and cities. The Mar took what was needed to sustain the tribe, be it food or materials, armor or weapons, husbands or wives.
This way of life gave birth to many hero chiefs, horsemen and leaders of great caliber that brought the Mar through even their darkest times. Many of their names are lost on the wind, their stories passed by word of mouth for generations before dying. It was the blood of these legends that was invoked in times of need, their people following the chief to glory. Unfortunately, the downfall was that a poor chief could lead their tribe to ruin and only his descendants had any power to stop him.
It was in a time of strife for the Mar that they first found the Iron Duke, the Duke’s travel north bringing him into Mar hunting grounds. The Mar had been starving, their people struggling with a harsh year that had killed crops, livestock, and prey among the Mar and among those they raided for their livelihoods. Their first meeting was bloody, the Mar raiders trading the lives of the few away against the larger forces of the Iron Duke in order to steal food to share amongst the tribe. They were successful to a point, a few raiders escaping with supplies, but too much blood lay upon the ground for their prize. It was in the following days, however, that the tribe’s woes would reach their fever pitch. When, instead of sending a group of soldiers to fight against the Mar, the Iron Duke sent diplomats to try and bring the Mar into the fold, the Mar found themselves split in two with how to deal with them. The chief and others like him, old and unbending, wanted to cast the diplomats aside as the pride of their tribe was that they had never relied upon outsiders. Luckily the dissenters among the tribe, the starving and those with hungers food could not fulfill, managed to convince the chief’s own son, Nito, of the importance of this diplomatic meeting.
Leaders of the Mar are crowned following a duel to the death with their predecessor, both given spears and led deep into the forest to fight so that only one may return to the tribe. Nito invoked his right as blood of the Mar and walked with his father, spear in hand. It was said the sound of their spears echoed amongst the trees that day, both exceptional fighters and hunters within the tribe. However, only one could return, and it was Nito, caked in the blood of his father, who stumbled back to speak with the diplomats. As the new chief, Nito made the Mar the Iron Duke’s hunting dogs - the hounds that chased whatever quarry on which their master unleashed them - and in doing so he won for his people greater fame and prosperity than they had ever known.
Birth of Cai’Ral
Cai’Ral was born of an allegiance of fealty. When the now Baron Nito Mar bent the knee, his chest stained with the blood of the last chief, he and the tribe he now led was brought into the fold of Dread Legion. The Mar took their place as the scouts and light cavalry of the Dread Legion and the lands now known as Cai’Ral were gifted to them. With aid from farmers and breeders that followed the Iron Duke, the Mar quickly took to the land to cultivate life and give themselves stability.
Leadership
The barony of Cai’Ral will be run the way a tribe would. A singular Baron will be the sole decider of any large scale political dealings, however the tribe itself will have a voice. Instead of long term positions of power, the Baron will nominate other members of the Barony to perform specific tasks and duties. These tasks will be justly rewarded, just not with a title. As a result, all members of the barony are equal under the law.
Goals of Cai’Ral
Two primary goals drove me to the creation of Cai’Ral:
The first goal was the creation of a small highly organized fighting force that could be effective in its task without influence from a larger organization.
The second goal, however, was for this group to have no requirement other than efficiency. Meaning, it doesn’t matter how you get a task I assign to you done. Other than hacking, cheating, or exploiting you may use any method at your disposal in order to get a task done. This includes combat. Besides a few base things like “light cavalry should use horses” the way you fight will not be dictated to you. All that matters to me is the effectiveness of your fighting and that you communicate with me so that we can best find a place for you.
Location
Our location will be a product of what is available to us within our chosen duchy and county. My goal is to have large open areas for the production, maintenance, and training of horses and cavalry but beyond that there are no requirements.
Contacting Me
You may get in contact with me through the messaging system on this website, though it will be considerably faster to go the the duchy discord linked above (Cremoria) and contact either me or ask anyone else for me.
