Estmarch

Estmarch is a Duchy in Bastonia. Its border is more or less entirely defined by the River Torres, with its northern border being the North Sea and its southern and eastern influence boredered by the Atlas Mountains. The duchy offers a mixed blessing - access to trade with the Clans of Magnus on the one hand, but frequent raiding by the Carcolie on the other, especially in its western frontier. Though seen as a hazardous land, the prestige that comes with taming it has lead to a traditional order of precedence wherein the Duke of Estmarch is second only to the Duke of Bastonia, and is often the junior heir to the reigning monarch. Many Bastonian wars for succession end in the victorious claim of the Duke of Estmarch, backed by their well-seasoned and well-armed men.

The Duke's principal holding, the city of Estburg, is considered a prestigious holding in its own right, as it is rare to see formal trade between the rest of Bastonia and any other city in the East. Dukes and Great Princes of Estburg often name their own heirs to positions of nobility only to get royal approval for the action later - the most noble of all such titles in their gift being that of Count of Skywatch, the closest full city in all Bastonia to the Atlas Mountains.