#but there is plenty of proof that the concept isn't unheard of in canon too

[maleficarlife]

A Call To Common Identity

The Free Marches need for a leader

As one of the main settings of Dragon Age, it shouldn't surprise anyone that I have personally always been a fan of the Free Marches. This collective of city-states posses a common cultural identity and a love for political autonomy, which made them swear they will never have a King, for no city-state has a claim on the others. Instead, they will always protect themselves from foreign aggressors, thanks to the political concept of "marcher solidariety". This is an excellent solution, for their combined force is nothing to joke on and their geography makes Tantervale, Starkheaven and Kirkwall among the richer and most powerful cities, making them important trade hubs.

However, that's a lie.

Across the serie (and the lore) we have seen the concept of marcher solidariety fail every time. There is no treaty that solidifies a duty to protect fellow marchers and this exposed many of them to foreign enslavement and occupation. Kirkwall has been under qunari occupation for years and it wasn't saved by anyone until the arrival of the orlesian army -which occupied them in turn- and then had to get rid of Orlais themselves.

Tantervale is, blatantly, violating the chantry "neutrality", for it's directly ruled by a Lord Chancellor (you know, the same title Roderick had in Inquisition) and there chantry law is the same as secular law, jailing kids and making Tantervale a theocratic nightmare even for the standards of Thedas.

When Meredith blocked the election of a Viscount in Kirkwall, no fellow city protested against that. Kaiten own Viscount is an ex Templar. The Inquisition can attack Wycome with their own troops during the Lavellan war table operation.

(Of couse, the Inquisitor interference saves the city and dalish elves, but the point isn't the morality of that action, but the fact that a foreign force like the Inquisition was so easily able to just command a free city, even if it's good that they did so)

The Free Marches are rich, politically divided and reluctant to aid each other. Many of them are puppets of foreign interests or are/have been occupied directly for a long time. To protect their own interest, they need to take a page from Ferelden book and unify into a single state like the divided alamarri tribes unified founding Ferelden.

But they swore to have no King right? And that's a valid sentiment. If a city tried to conquer another, that wouldn't hold. In fact one of Sebastian ancestors, "King" Fyruss of Starkheaven, tried and failed.

That is true but there is one simple solution. This solution is personally more prominent in my personal Red Schism AU, but there is proof of it in game-canon too.

If you complete the Lavellan wartable operations succesfuly, Wycome stops being ruled by a Duke and is instead ruled by a council of merchants and elves. The Free Marches refuse the title of King, but in Ferelden the crown is not hereditary. It has to be confirmed by the Landsmeet. Kirkwall nobles elect their own Viscount, and it can be anyone among them.

This are all examples, in-world, that Thedas is aware of the existance of democratic -or at least proto democratic- governments.

And so I do suggest that the Free Marchers should unify into a federal goverment (they probably wouldn't use this word, but it would basically be that) where every city state borders and autonomy are not touched, but one ruler is picked from one of the cities to determine matter of defence, stop infighting and protect the cities from coups. At the ruler end of term -or life, depending on how they decide- another one from a different city would be picked, granting their oath of freedom and allowing better political strenght.

Such a move would obviously need turmoil to be made, systems don't change in peace times and would be disliked by those foreign interests who don't want such an union the chantry and orlais especially .

The Mage-Templar war and Starkheaven vs Kirkwall (if you spared Anders, otherwise Starkheaven aid to Kirkwall), had Bioware bothered to develop it more, would have been perfect occasions for such an event to happen and in line with the Dragon Age being a time of political turmoil and change.

If this was an actual letter to the rulers of the Free Marchers, I would invite them to put aside petty rivalries and unify in conclusion, but I guess I'll just wish to find fics where this happens one day.