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Marrishland has a long and violent history. Several civilizations have risen and fallen, here, and the book tells about events during one of the most turbulant periods - a period whose events determine whether a civilization survives or dies.

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Why Magic Did not Matter (ca. 2700 - 2750 I.D.)

The first half of the Mar Civil War pitted the mundanes of the poorest rural areas against the wealthy cities of the magocracy. Granted, the wizards of the 28th century were not nearly as powerful as their decendants would be, but none could deny the magocrats still should have dominated every phase of these early decades. How is it possible that the rebellion survived long enough to pose a real threat to the urban magocrats? To answer that question, we must recognize that the rural towns had nothing of significant value to the urban wizards or the citizens of their cities.

Common wisdom holds that the rebels knew their lands well, and the same dangerous terrain that kept them poor also protected them from a large scale invasion. This is partially true but less relevant than the simple fact that controlling the interior communities and crushing any resistance to their rule was a matter of pride and principle for the wizards, not a tenable strategy. The mundanes of the magocracy saw no reason to involve themselves in a war over lands with little agriculture value and no mineral wealth.

The Battle of Bleakfurd and the Fraevyd Phase had forced the wizards to recognize that they could not fight these rebels effectively unless they had the support of mundane allies. Thus, the magocracy could not go to war against the rebels unless they could convince the mundanes the war was in their own interests. This was no mean feat, for though the rebels despised the magocracy with great fervor, the only time they had successfully invaded the urban areas was the Sack of Saxus Rubus - a relatively minor city.

Further, while the magocracy was wealthier than the rural communities where the rebellion flourished, it absolutely did not have the resources to maintain an extended campaign against them. Add to this the high turnover rate of Marduxes, which meant a change in rulers every few years. In addition, the Mar had never taken to forming bureaucracies or advanced infrastructure, so the only time the magocrats invaded the rebel areas was when a Mardux took the Chair who had a very strong drive to do so and happened to succeed a few Marduxes who had been more intent upon creating an effective tax code.

Until the Fygae Compact, the rebels were no more a threat to the magocracy than a pebble in a boot. After the Fygae Compact, however, the urban Mar could no longer ignore their enemies. To do so would have meant submitting to Kalkoraen rule again after several centuries of independence.

(Contributed by Weard Hakan Ebutor)