Written by Gunga Din of Merxmere.
Leader:
Magistrate (Aspen)
Location:
Chesapeake Shard : Southwest of Trinsic Moongate, Trammel (6o 14'S, 26o55'E)
Allegiance:
Neutral
*Member of Ethereal Void Imperium*
Information:
Established on August 8th, 2010
Master Merchants
Overseers of Antiquities and Artifacts
Sanctuary to Knights and Fishermen.
Guilds:
Merxmere [MERX]
Seafarmers Collegium of Merxmere [SCM]
Lore:
The story of how Merxmere was formed is a complicated one. A year ago, three master merchants came across a beggar in the streets of Skara Brae. This unkempt man was badly in need of some coin and approached the merchants with a proposition. The beggar went on to speak of a codex that contained information about an underwater treasure trove within the lands of Britannia. At first the three doubted this story and its validity; however, the beggar then revealed his true identity.
This beggar used to be the archivist during the reign of Lord British. When Lord Blackthorn usurped the throne from Lord British, he laid havoc to all those loyal to Lord British. Fearing for his life, this former archivist fled the castle. But before he left, he took this same codex, knowing it could aid Lord Blackthorn and his ambitions. Lord Blackthorn, having been a close friend of Lord British, knew the value of knowledge contained within the codex and sent out many men in search of the archivist and the codex. The archivist went into hiding, never to be heard from again.
Until now..
With Lord Blackthorn now vanquished from the lands, the archivist no longer had to fear revealing his whereabouts, but did fear starving to death. He offered the three merchants the codex in exchange for a home and a modest amount of coin.
The three merchants, Aspen, Gunga Din & Lineman were use to taking risks with regards to mercantile endeavors, so they accepted the archivist's proposal and honored the agreement. Soon after, the archivist relinquished the codex to the three merchants.
Within the codex, the merchants came across the story of this so-called treasure trove. Apparently, an evil mage, a follower of Mondain, had amassed a tremendous amount of wealth by pillaging the lands before Lord British came into power. When Mondain was defeated, his followers soon met their own demise. This evil mage was quickly quelled, but with his departure from these lands, so did depart the whereabouts of his treasure. Not one coin was ever recovered from his residence.
The codex spoke of a nebulous lake and clearing where the mage may have resided. One notation in particular suggests the treasure may lie within the confines of the lake itself. Having read this, the three men embarked on a quest to find this lake. They spent many months exploring the lakes of Britannia without any luck. Discouragement and doubt entered their minds. Perhaps they would never find this fabled lake of unimaginable riches?
Then one night at a tavern within the walls of Trinsic, the three merchants overheard a drunken fisherman boasting about how he caught a large fish the size of a heater shield from a nearby lake. The fisherman went on and on about his skill with a fishing pole and knowledge of the sea. The merchants approached the fisherman, and he introduced himself as Stoned Mariner, a fisherman of great renown. Gunga Din went on to ask the fisherman if he possessed any knowledge of lakes within Britannia. Mariner did in fact tour many of the lakes south and west of Trinsic recently looking for some rare fish.
Aspen, having consumed much ale himself that night, then decided to reveal their quest to find this lake of untold riches of which the codex spoke. Lineman asked Mariner if he thought any lakes he had come across in his travels fit the description laid out by the codex. Mariner read the words in the codex about the mage, the unfound treasure and lake. He then thought to himself for awhile, probably trying to sober up, and then offered his assistance in exchange for part of the treasure if and when they found it. The three merchants agreed. Mariner picked up his fishing pole and some supplies from his boat, and all four men set out to find this lake.
Mariner remembered coming across ruins of a tower near a particular lake deep within the southern forests. It was an ominous lake, and he sensed something threatening along its borders. He never dared disturb its waters. After many days, the party finally arrived at the lake and the ruins of a nearby tower. All four men were apprehensive about approaching the lake, so they decided to explore the ruined tower first and to consume ale they brought with them.
The tower was in decay but still had most of its support structure intact. As they made their way around the lower level of the tower, they noticed many runes etched into the stone floor and what appeared to be a former sacrificial chamber. Could this have been the evil mage's tower?
Suddenly they heard some rustling from behind them and turned to find a man in a worn suit of plate mail armor with his sword drawn. He asked the four men what their business was and why they encroached on his shameful excuse for a shelter. Not knowing his intentions, they were cautious at first to reveal any information, but were also keen enough to realize he was the one wielding the sword.
Gunga Din spoke first and described their reasons for having sought out this lake. Soon the man realized they were no threat, and he sheathed his sword. As they setup camp for the night, the man in worn armor revealed that his name was Elijah Cross, a fallen Knight.
Cross had joined an Order of Knights that he believed was on the path of virtue and honor. However, he later learned he joined the ranks of a Dread Lord. Cross came upon this revelation when he learned that a keep, in which he helped to conquer, was actually allied with Queen Dawn. Many innocents were slain and Cross never forgave himself for being misled by this Dread Lord. When Cross confronted his Lord and fellow Knights of the Order, he soon found he was alone. Even men he knew from before joining the order were now his enemies.
Fearing Cross would warn Queen Dawn of his plan to remove her from the throne, the Dread Lord ordered his Knights to hasten Cross' journey into the afterworld. Elijah fought bravely dispatching three of the knights and escaping with only a few minor wounds. Feeling ashamed, betrayed and lacking faith in the code of chivalry, Cross decided to live in isolation. This decaying tower and ominous lake were his new home.
The next day the three merchants with Mariner decided to examine the lake. Cross had a few too many cups of nectar that night and remained within the tower hunched over a table in the corner or the inner chamber. As the four approached the lake, they noticed a dark shadow emanating from the center of the lake. They didn't think much of it, so they continued their exploration. Mariner suggested stepping out into the lake from a rotted dock near the north end. He then pulled out his fishing pole with a modified hook and lowered it into the depths of the lake. After quite some time, Mariner suddenly paused and turned to the merchants. He had felt something on the end of his line. Judging from the movement of the modified hook, he believed it was running across an irregular surface, not a bottom or normal base, but something more complicated in structure.
Before he could describe his find further, a large head rose from the center of the lake. It was a serpent of massive proportions. Its teeth were the size of daggers, and it looked like it hadn't had a decent meal for sometime. Lineman quickly grabbed Mariner and led the retreat off the dock. However, the dock was rotted, and Aspen fell through part of it, trapping himself. As the serpent approached with its long neck and menacing teeth, the men desperately tried to free Aspen. It appeared hopeless, part of the wood had penetrated his leg, acting as a nail securing him to the dock.
Just then, from the west side of the lake, the four men saw Cross rushing to the lake's edge. He leaped straight for the serpent and thrust his blade into the belly of the beast. The serpent swung around erratically sending Cross into the depths of the lake. Meanwhile, Gunga, Lineman and Mariner began throwing whatever they could find at the beast, turning his attention towards them. As the serpent made its way back towards the three men, Cross then surfaced from the lake. He grabbed the hilt of his sword, still lodged in the beast, and used his weight to continue the wound dehiscing his foe. After recovering from their victorious encounter with the serpent of the lake, the men thanked Cross for his courage and for saving Aspen's life. Cross did not receive the praise well, as if it was just his duty, and he returned to the confines of the tower.
The men were now committed more than ever to search the depths of the lake. They constructed a device using pulleys and nets Mariner had brought from his boat. Mariner lowered himself deep into the lake and used bamboo stalks from the nearby jungle to aid in breathing under the water. Sometime later, Mariner surfaced with something in his hand..Gold coins !!! He went onto describe a cache of twenty chests he had found. One by one, the men raised one chest after the other. Each filled with gems, jewelry, rare objects and gold. They had finally found their treasure.
It took them a week to loot all the chests, but it was well worth it. With their newly found wealth, the men decided to erect a town around the lake. They constructed a Tavern with Smithy, a library, a museum and rebuilt the mage tower. Even Stoned Mariner decided to live at the lake, using his share to start a fishermen's guild.
The final occupant of the town would be Elijah Cross. The three merchants, feeling indebted to the Knight, convinced Cross to live at the lake by constructing a modest tower for him to start a new Order of Knights in the name of Queen Dawn. This offered him a chance to restore his faith in chivalry and regain his honor.
The village would be named Merxmere (Merchants of the Lake). Here, six structures would make up the village.
(1) Merxmere Tavern & Smithy: A tavern of exceptional quality.
(2) Mage Tower of Merxmere (Connected to other towns via a teleporter)
(3) Seafarmers Collegium of Merxmere [SCM]: Mariner's Fishing Guild
(4) Knights' Sanctum
(5) The Codex (Library)
(6) Keeper of the Ancients: A museum of antiquities and artifacts.
The village will continue to spread its good fortune onto others and welcome anyone within its borders.
One final noteThe story about the evil mage, lake and its hidden treasure was just one bit of knowledge contained in the codex. Perhaps it will one day guide Merxmere and the people of Britannia towards more fortune..or peril.
Written by Gunga Din of Merxmere.
Copyright 2010 Merxmere All rights Reserved
Any use of this story without consent from Merxmere will result in a harbinger being dropped on your head.
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