Marsh

{{Template:Quote|There's a difference between a society and a community. People build a society, but the society depends on their support to stay standing. A community works the same way, but when the people are in need or in trouble, the community gives back. Marsh is a prime example of the difference: it's not much of a society, but you'll never find a stronger community.|Camo Vance

Marsh is a backwater village located some distance north and west of Mistral. It stands in the place of Ridgeline, a city that was demolished by the creatures of Grimm some time ago. Many of the homes in Marsh were simply dug out of ruined buildings, while the remainder are constructed of shoddy materials and offer lacking shelter. Despite this, the people living there refuse to relocate to the safety of the major kingdoms, and they show unusual resilience even in the presence of indigenous creatures of Grimm.

History
The original city of Ridgeline was constructed around 25 years prior to the beginning of RWBY Volume 1. It was meant to be a prospective expansion of the kingdom of Mistral, with plans to erect governing offices to ensure the stability of governing powers within city limits. Sadly, only three years after being founded, Ridgeline found itself under familiar threat by the creatures of Grimm. Those in power chose to cut their losses and abandon the place, removing their vital assets and withdrawing their defenses. Without proper protection, the city fell easily, its citizens helpless before the enemy horde.

Only a handful of residents survived the onslaught, and they were filled with hatred for the authorities that had left them to die. Party out of determination and partly out of spite, they remained in the ruins of Ridgeline and scavenged what little they could to rebuild their homes and make new lives for themselves. Renaming their town "Marsh", they developed makeshift defenses for the citizenry while constructing shelter, allowing them to mask their presence from the creatures of Grimm if the need ever arose again. That they have survived there since without the aid of their neighboring kingdom speaks volumes about their creativity and raw indignation in the face of daunting odds.

Points of Interest
There isn't much to see in Marsh, but there are a few locations that serve specific purposes.


 * Mistral Embassy Ruins: If there's ever a need for the community to come together in body, the remains of this unfinished parliament building provide plenty of space for public gatherings of any variety. It is, however, also the most prominent building, making it a likely target if Marsh were attacked, so it's only used as a shelter in times of dire crisis.
 * Forewarning: Commonly known simply as "Fore", this watchtower was established just above the empty pedestal where a monument once stood. Adults rotate through shifts, manning the tower in groups of three, to keep watch for incoming threats from any direction. Should a threat be spotted, the sentries are to quickly dismount their post and stealthily alert the citizenry to hide before seeking out shelter themselves.
 * Bunkers: Many of Ridgeline's buildings had cellars and basement floors installed during their initial construction. When their ruins were being excavated to build new homes, survivors stabilized these underground areas and converted them into bunkers, fortified again most small- to mid-size creatures of Grimm and capable of housing entire families for extended periods of time. The defunct sewer tunnels running beneath the town are used for transit in case people need to move around or communicate, and several vents leading to the exposed surface provide both ventilation and a means of reconnoitering the town to determine if the threat has passed.