Marchers (concept)
The Marchers are the people of modern Chevalie. Not native to the Shattered Coast, records of their modern history only begin with their migration into The Marches and their conquests of the Gallicaders, with primary sources being written well over a hundred of years after the fact, or recovered from what little surviving Oejeycian government documents from the era remain.
While Marcher history before their conquest is largely shrouded by the thick veil of time, it is known that a figure known as the 'Good King' Bastione (it is unknown if Bastione was in fact the figure's actual name or a merging of folklore with history) led them over the Black Mountains to the east after a long period of slavery to a now dead empire, and over the following century his people would either subjugate, destroy, or merge with the native Gallicaders who called the region their home. Whether contemporary Marcher culture is wholly descended from this group, or the result of a merging with their erstwhile foes is unknown. Additionally, some modern scholars have (oft controversially) proposed that ancient Marchers bore many a striking similarity to the eastern clans now called the Sjalvolki.
The Chevalien are known as the creators of the modern Anti-Magic Arts, no doubt developed and honed to perfection throughout the thousand years of conflict with the Liches of the north, and a history of wars with the Aversarians to the east. They are also known as exceptionally shrewd businessmen, poor Marchers in many of the more war-torn portions of Chevalie often using the belief in the Lifepaths to study the mercantile arts and find their fortune overseas as merchants or mercenaries. In Chevalie itself, they are known for their general inability to achieve lasting unity - rarely does a dynasty hold the title of High King for more than a scant few generations, and always do they deal with frequent rebellion. In Chevalie, it is believed that only the strongest should be able to rule the throne, for if anyone less does, then how can they be trusted to hold a realm so constantly at threat from the north? Because of this, challenges to the throne are frequent, and rarely does the realm survive them intact.
Aliases: Chevalien, Chevaliens, Marcher