Dessen

While little more than a well fortified town, Dessen serves as the largest city on the Arran side of the border March they share with the Routot. The seat of the region's Duke, Dessen has served as a centre for commerce and politics in the region, and is the ultimate goal of any campaign to conquer the region. As the beating heart of such a proud duchy, it boasts a remarkably resilient populace, everyone committed to the radical ideals of their own earned superiority over their neighbours and a fierce allegiance to the King in Werben. Dessen is situated on the banks of the Tintry, sharing its waters with their hated foes. Limited barge trade exists with the far shore, though not officially sanctioned by the Duke. Several large churches to Koraldur are the most notable landmarks in the town, hoarding whatever wealth the city manages to possess.

Politics

Dessen's politics, and indeed its entire culture, are consumed by warfare. Conflict has shaped its identity across the centuries, forging every class within it into a single unified and purposeful society. In this manner, the Duke and his nobles enjoy the widespread support of their subjects, provided they feed this warmongering. Luckily, this has been little problem for the radicalized Dukes of the March, who each have played their part in deteriorating relations between the Arrans and Routot. Originally a simple border skirmish, the conflict between them has become entrenched and systemic, encouraging a hatred passed down through the generations. Much to the chagrin of Dessen, however, the rest of the Kingdom doesn't share this same drive. Occasional bouts of peace with the Routot interrupt the unifying drive of the populace, allowing them space to breathe and evaluate their own shortcomings.

To avoid this, during such peacetime droughts, the Dukes seek out alternative means of conflict to unleash their peoples on. In the past, this meant warring with neighbouring Dukes, but in the modern day their bloodlust is largely sated in the Midlands. Dessen's nobles make up a large portion of the volunteers flocking to the crusader states, either as individuals or as part of larger Knightly Orders. Many of them, triggered by their own extremist views on culture and allegiance, are easily swept up into the radicalization and viewpoints of these orders regarding Orcs, carrying with them when they return home. Through this exchange, the Bright Hundreds and other groups have found a niche in Dessen, supported by the current Duke and enriched by his father before him. Duke Tylo has worked to grant them considerable influence in his fiefdom, seeking to harness their motivation to expand his own war against the Routot. In his haste to embrace them, Tylo has also fallen under their sway, and is more under the suggestion of its leaders than he imagines. This has caused some friction between him and some more conservative nobles, but little compares to the gulf it has created between him and King Berengar. A tense bond connects the two, and as Tylo amasses his own forces from across the himan realms, he seems as poised as ever to reject the King's authority.

Groups

Bright Hundreds

The warfare in Dessen and the March has bred a certain kind of hatred towards their rivals in the Routot, one that extends to every aspect of their culture and religion. Along with this comes a certain devout faith in their own, so sure they are of its superiority. Koraldur is the dominant faith in the city, his followers permitting none other to stand above him. Many take this a step further, radicalized by generations of warfare to believe no other gods are worthy of worship. All of this combines into a hotbed for the Bright Hundreds, that extremist offshoot of the Silver Hand, who actively recruit and indoctrinate volunteers in the city. They have found a place of honour alongside Duke Tylo, who encourages them and provides legitimacy to their beliefs. While their fervour is useful on the battlefield, it is beginning to cause unrest among the populace, the delicate balance between gods and followers upended.

Red Shirts

The war between the Arrans and Routot, while originally a simple territory war between Kings, has since evolved into something greater. It has swallowed up each level of Dessen's populace, from noble to peasant, with each gladly assisting in some way towards a final victory. It is from the latter that the Red Shirts are drawn, a cadre of warriors acting as a vanguard against Routot invasion. They had their roots in temporary village militias raised to combat their rivals, but as the wars grew long, the need for a more permanent force became obvious. The Red Shirts are considered a permanent levy in the service to the Duke, its numbers tithed from settlements across the region. They are largely posted along the Poses, serving as a garrison force in the blasted lands between the two nations. Here they have earned a reputation for graft and bribery, living as petty kings in the ruins of villages and towns, lording over the poor souls forced to resettle the region. Their members also make up a sort of city watch for Dessen itself. In battle, they are arrayed as line infantry, making up the core of Duke Tylo's forces.

Landmarks

Personalities

Duke Tylo

Ruling a warzone is not an easy task, and it has bred some of the strongest and most hardline leaders in the Kingdom’s history. Duke Tylo is no exception to this rule. Taking immense pride in his bloodline, he views the entire March as his personal domain, including that occupied by the Routot. They stole it from his ancestors, he claims, and seeks to return it to the Kingdom. His aggressions have been kept in check thus far by King Berengar, though Tylo seems emboldened with every skirmish he launches across the Poses. He is relatively young, having taken his title upon the death of his father. The pair were in the Midlands fighting Orcs when the former Duke fell, leaving his son behind to take up the mantle. Tylo, and his father as well, both swayed towards the Bright Hundreds’s interpretation of Koraldur’s gospels, and the young duke has surrounded himself with several of their crusaders upon his return from those lands. Tylo is in his late twenties, and is very assured about his place in the world. He sees conquering the Marches as his destiny, and is eager to get underway. His hair is cut short, and he is very strong for his shorter stature. He practices self-flagellation, and his back bears the scars of some more intense periods of repentance.

Rembrandt, Bright Hundreds Leader

The Bright Hundreds are a complicated offshoot of the main Koraldur church. While there are those among their number who have found solace in their extremism, there are others who have sought them out as an alternative means to power. Koraldur's cult is one of the major influences within the kingdom of Arran, having a direct line to the King and able to back up their actions with divine providence. As such, it has attracted various demagogues and sycophants, as well as some ambitious schemers. Rembrandt is among the latter of these, using the Bright Hundreds as a stepping stone to political power. While he does believe in the superiority of his faith, he is fsr more motivated by knowing the right words to say or buttons to push to achieve his agenda. He befriended Duke Tylo along the Bolgra as an initiate of the order, and has ridden his favour to become a major counsellor in Dessen. Given control of the Bright Hundreds soldiers in the city, he is using them along with his friendship with the Duke to pursue loftier titles. A dangerous man wielding tremendous power, Rembrandt seems well set along his course. He is young, similar to Duke Tylo, and looks the part. A baby face betrays his age, while his eyes are sharp and angry. Short blonde hair is cropped tight to his head, while the fuzz of a moustache seems reluctant to grow.

Voltrath, Elder of Koraldur

While the church of Koraldur is the dominant church in Arran, it also extends wide beyond its borders. Premyslid and the Midlands are home to plenty of worshippers, all of whom are united under the leadership of the Primate. As the head of the cult, he and his counsellors decide the nature of its policies and the direction it will take. Sitting in Werben, the Primate gives legitimacy to the King's rule while also supporting his own claim. Nonetheless, there are many in the cult who feel the Primate has grown decadent and weak, unable to enforce Koraldur's natural supremacy over other divinities. Voltrath is perhaps the loudest of these preachers, having found a stage to air his concerns in the Bright Hundreds. He is their most vocal religious leader, enticing would-be followers deeper into radicalization to serve the Bright Hundreds further. His followers shout that he is the true Primate, and should replace the one in Werben. While the cult of Koraldur remains overwhelmingly powerful, any such attempt would be foolish. And yet the Bright Hundreds grow more powerful by the day, chipping away at the church's main support base. Voltrath is the main religious advisor for Duke Tylo, and believes his Duke to be the man to lead Koraldur to true supremacy. Voltrath is a small man, filled to the brim with fervor and enthusiasm. He is unable to sit still, practically shaking at times as he recites his feverish sermons. His hair and face are shaved, and a tattoo of Koraldur's fist graces his forehead. He wears a hairshirt underneath his religious robes, which are worn from use.

Breis, Red Shirt Officer, 'Butcher of Gaus'

An ubiquitous sight across the March, the red shirted soldiers of Dessen form the bulk of its military arm. Professionals to a certain degree, they are garrisoned at strongpoints and fortifications the length of the March. For many, this means being the only form of defense for a small village or town. Rather than uphold their positions with honour, many instead sink to depravity, lording over their posts with violence and impunity. The worst of these offenders are closest to the Poses, where the authority of Duke and nobles disappears in favour of strongarm racketeering. One such example is Breis, captain of the garrison at Gaus, who has been entrenched in the region for some twenty years. Having long since done away with any rivals, he rules his decrepit town like a private fief. Little gets in or out of the region without his knowledge, and he takes the best of everything for himself. While the town nominally has a landed lord, he has been absent for years, living in his Dessen estate. Provided Breis holds the town in the Duke's name, there is little reason to end his bloody reign. A fat and cruel man, Breis has eyes that are too close together, and a patchy beard covering his swollen neck. A smile with missing teeth marks his rough past, as do several scars across his face and arms. A red tunic, similar to the rest of his corps, stretches over his stomach, belted down tightly to stop it from protruding. Brown hair is slicked back with oil, matting hid hair together.