The Kingdom of the Blademarches (also known as the Kingdom of the Blade) was one of the countries destroyed long ago, but memories of the kingdom make it a title to which many of the adventurer lords currently in Escann aspire.
History[]
Dragonwake[]
The first kingdom, known as the Kingdom of the Blade, was founded by Elecast Dragonsbane during the Dragonwake. Elecast Dragonsbane was a tribal auxiliary fighting alongside the last of the Castanorian Legions against Alos the Copper in the War of a Thousand Arrows. It is said that in a final attempt to fell the dragon climbed up a hill and baited the dragon to swoop past him - with this he jumped off the hill and struck his blade into the dragon, bringing it down. The land would then be named Dragonfell, and many southern castanorian states would swear fealty to Elecast as a new king for his feat.
Loss of the Blade and Castanorian Blademarches[]
As the Kingdom of the Blade grew, Late Castan's Empire to its north weakened, and finally in 657 the War of the Blade occured to determine the true hegemon of Escann. By 660 Castonath and much of Inner Castanor was captured by the kingdom, but in an attempt to legitimize his rule over Castanor, the Bladechosen King Elecast decided to attempt the Trials of Castan in order to become the next emperor. Elecast failed and lost his life atop Trialmount, and with him the blade.
Without clear leadership and succession, the Kingdom of the Blade surrendered to Castanor and became known as its modern name: the Blademarches, serving as Castanor's southern borders.
Revival during War of the Sorcerer-King[]
In the final days of the War of the Sorcerer-King the heroes of the League of Free Realms sought to defeat the Sorcerer King who had retreat to Trialmount once and for all. During the Battle of Trialmount, Clarimonde of Oldhaven, squire of the legendary Castanorian general Caylen Longlance, found the lost blade and slew the Sorcerer King.
With popular appeal and Black Castanor defeated, Clarimonde resurrected the lost realm as the Kingdom of the Blademarches.
Chivalric Blademarches[]
The Blademarches saw great renown during the days of Chivalric Escann and grew to count itself as one of the major powers in the region. Of course, due to the Trial by Chivalry law, all-out-war was rare and a thing of the past for Escann, and the Blademarches found themselves gaining influence in duels, which the Gleaming Blade helped significantly in.
Greentide[]
The Blademarches was one of the last countries to fall during the Greentide. However despite the kingdom's loss the Order of the Blade Stewards managed to whisk away Calindal, the Gleaming Blade to safety.