The Kingdom of Audria

The Duchy of Audria is a relatively new state situated northeast of Isra, and north of the Land-Tillers' Expanse. The Brotherhood founded the city on the westernmost border of the Eastern March, using it as a headquarters for their perpetual Eastern Crusade. The city and surrounding territory is ruled by Duke Konrad IV von Marschburg and Duchess Audrey von Hepburn, although it is the Knights of the Black Cross who truly reign supreme.

Lying to the east of Salem is a vast, uncharted frontier known as the Eastern March. Although inhabited by pagan warrior-tribes, the dark and forbidding expanse has been claimed by the ambitious Knights of the Brotherhood. They wage an unrelenting war on the native tribes and peoples of the land.

The Eastern March is rich in natural resources - more of which can be extracted for every victory the Brotherhood achieves. Salem has become a bustling trade center, as settlers flock to newly-conquered territories to take advantage of the lucrative opportunities that can be found in the Eastern March.

Locations
Salem (Capital City)

[/a][li]Rittherim (Fortress)[/li][/ul]
Active Characters
King Konrad I von Audria  - King of Audria, government leader
Queen Audrey I von Audria  - Queen of Audria, government leader and emissary
Prince Wilhelm I - Prince of Audria, son of Konrad and Audrey, government leader, military commander, and emissary
Marschall Henke  - Marschall of the Erstonian Order, leading the crusade in Erstonia, Helmfirth
Vidkun Wewelsberg  - Komtur of the Aridian Expeditionary Force
Inquisitor Ulrich Lachrimosan  - Inquistior of the Erstonian Order, assisting in the crusade in Erstonia, Helmfirth
Sibrand  - Vorutan Komtur, assisting Lord Jakub Gediminas - en route to Aridia
Father Wolfgang 'the Mace' - Priest of the Brotherhood, assisiting Vidkun in Aridia

Military
8 Characters = 6500 NPCs

As part of his reforms during the creation of the Kingdom of Audria, Konrad divided his army into three categories: Infantry, Cavalry, and Magery, drilled in the combination of arms.  The Audrian military relies on reliable, well-trained, well-equipped, and disciplined soldiers.  Although this has caused the Audrian military to be somewhat smaller than its contemporaries, their rigid discipline, experience, training, and expertise more than make up for it.

Units are often recruited from various towns and cities and organized into regiments, led by officers.  Officers are elected and promoted based on merit, experience, and education.  The majority of the standing army is composed of volunteer recruits - or those who chose to fight, as opposed to men forced to fight.

Infantry - The largest branch of the Audrian military.  Generally drawn from the lower or middle class, the infantry are equipped with state-provided medium armor, swords, halberds, shields, and hand crossbows.

• Jagers - The Jagers are a specialized unit of infantry.  These lightly-armored soldiers use guerrilla tactics and are often used for reconnaissance and screening.
• Grenadier - The largest and strongest men found in Audria are often organized into specialized units called Grenadiers.  These men are equipped with better armor, and often better weapons, used to punch through lines or exploit weak spots in the enemy army.

Cavalry - Some middle but most upper class citizens who join the army are organized into the cavalry.  These light and medium armored regiments often wield sabers and lances, and sometimes hand crossbows, and are called Cuirassiers.  Many of its members are asked to supply their own mounts, although the Kingdom of Audria is attempting to establish state-owned ranches to provide more of its men with warhorses.  Audrian cavalry carry with them the glory of the Brotherhood Charge, for which their predecessors were known for.

• Dragoons - These light cavalrymen are armed almost exclusively with hand crossbows, sometimes two or more.  They are intended for skirmishing, although some regiments are equipped well enough to dismount and fight as infantry.
• Freikorps - These unruly men are essentially mercenaries, although permanently in the service of the crown.  They are not beholden to the rules and regulations of the standard soldier and act on their own accord.  They supply their own mounts and equipment.
• Lancers - These heavy horsemen resemble the Knights of the Black Cross the most.  They are heavily armored and wield lances and swords, used to break through the enemy lines.

Magery - The Kingdom trains magically-apt citizens at its college.  The Magery is composed of these gifted students who direct powerful, explosive magic at the enemy.

Trade and Commerce
The Eastern March is rich in natural resources - resources which can be harvested and controlled by the Brotherhood.  The abundance of resources is one of the key factors that led to the Eastern Crusade in the first place; not only can they be used to further the Order's agenda, but they can be exploited and traded abroad to finance the Knights' operations throughout the Overworld.

Timber is the most obvious resource which can be harvested in the March.  Quality building materials are needed to construct buildings, siege engines, and fortifications necessary to occupy the lands conquered by the Knight-Brothers, and processed lumber is a popular resource worldwide.  The Order must rely on clay to mold red bricks, which is used to construct their Brick Gothic fortresses, walls, and settlements, as the March does not have many stone deposits.  The same clay and processed bricks are also valuable trade goods.  Amber, flax, hemp, tar, furs, potash, iron, copper, and salt are other notable trade goods which can be harvested in the March and transported to Salem or sold abroad.

Many resources are directly harvested by camps built and maintained by the Brotherhood, although the Order has been known to outsource the jobs to private companies.  The harvested goods are transported to Salem, where they can be sold to artisans and other skilled craftsmen, or sold to trading companies who trade them to the Duchy's allies.

Naturally, the amount of work to be found in the March has attracted many laborers who have settled in the conquered lands.  To support their armed forces, the Brotherhood installs state-funded farms which take advantage of the fertile farm land.  Salem itself attracts many merchants and wealthy citizens intent on plying their trade and benefiting from the opportunities.  Trade tariffs and taxes has filled the Order's coffers with a generous supply of coin.

While the Brothers of the Black Cross may swear an oath of poverty, full coffers are necessary to ensure their troops use only the best weapons, armor, and mounts, and are supported by the most reliable mercenaries to be found in the Overworld.