West-march

The West-march is a land west of the White Mountains, bordered to the north and south by the Isen and Adorn rivers. It is nominally a part of the realm of Rohan, but its people have mixed with the neighboring Dunlendings and remain mostly independent.

Summary

The West-march has a population of roughly 60,000 (1,090 at our scale). There are five villages in the region, along with four smaller hamlets and eight homesteads. In addition, the old fortress of Frecasburg is being rebuilt, and houses about 50 men.

Climate and ecology

The West-march contains the following ecological zones:

• C22 - Pinus uncinata forests on carbonate rocks in the west Alps
• D29 - Spruce-fir forests in the Inner Alps, partly with fir forests, locally with spruce forests
• F4 - West Armorican oak forests
• F53 - South subatlantic thermophilous sessile oak-hornbeam forests
• F132 - (Spruce-)fir-beech forests with Cardamine heptaphylla in the west Alps and Jura
• G39 - Southwest Central European mixed downy oak forests
• U25 - Southwest French ash-alder forests
• U27- Submontane-montane grey alder forests in combination with alder-ash forests and sycamore-ash forests in Central Europe and the Alps

Government and military

The West-March is ruled by a Thegn (or Thane) who swears loyalty to the King of Rohan. He is responsible for defending the region; his subjects pay him fodder and dairy products as tribute. The current Thegn is Idelgeorn, an old man who has very little interest in governing. Most of the day-to-day ruling is given to the six Aldermen, powerful men who act as the Thegn's counsel.

• The most important of these is Ealdwulf, of the lineage of Freca. A shrewd and ruthless politician, he has amassed much wealth in recent years and betrothed himself to the Thegn's daughter Cwenthryth. Though his ancestral home is in (Hamlet 3), he is rebuilding his ancestor's fortress in the southeast of the region with the help of stonemasons from Saruman.
• Eoghan of (WMV1)
• Thingfrith of (WMV2)
• Merewald of (WMV3)
• Æthelred of Néahburg is a young man of Rohirric lineage, and Ealdwulf's chief rival. He was pursuing Cwenthryth's hand in marriage, and was devastated to learn of Ealdwulf's advances.
• Pybba of Macheldun is primarily a shepherd, with a deep and abiding love for the fields and for song.

Architecture

There are 3 main styles of housing in the West-march:

• Rohirric: based on Anglo-Saxon longhouses. Most of them have walls of wattle-and-daub panels, held together by timber framing. The most wealthy have walls made entirely of timber. In some cases, particularly among the lower class, the houses are divided into two parts, one for human dwelling and one for keeping animals.
  • This style is primarily seen in Néahburg and (WMV3), as these have the highest concentration of settlers from Rohan.
• Dunnish longhouses: based on Pictish longhouses. Distinct from Rohirric longhouses in that they are lower, occasionally with sunken floors, and generally made of stone. The short ends are often rounded.
  • This style is seen throughout the West-march, but is more common in the south and west of the region where the Dunlending tradition remains stronger. They should be restricted to flatter areas, however, as they cover more area than roundhouses.
• Roundhouses: based on Celtic roundhouses. Walls are made of stacked stones, sometimes covered with clay, or wattle-and-daub panels held together by wooden posts.
  • More commonly seen in the south and west of the West-march, especially where the terrain is rougher. They also serve as housing for servants, farmers and herdsmen throughout the region.