Mureth

The island of Mureth sinks below the waves by the whim of eight ruling mages, The Scion Council. Along with an unusual acceptance of spellcraft, Murethi are renowned for their techno-magical and alchemical wonders… flash powder rifles, galleons that sail the air, a city that seals itself against the sea’s cold embrace. Nothing seems beyond them, and they know it. They view themselves as the next great rising power in Scy’kadia.

### The Smiling Dragon

Human cultures are usually loathe to depict dragons as anything but cruel monsters. The Murethi however, emblazon their banners with a grinning silver dragon crowned by eight stars. Most think of this symbol as nothing more than Murethi irreverence… yet some whisper that "The Smiler" hints toward a dire secret from the island realm’s founding.

### The Sinking City

Mureth's sole sprawling city shares it's name. Built upon layers of arcane wards and clever mechanisms, when invasion looms the surrounding districts are emptied, their people kept safe within sealed halls and storage domes. This is always a last resort, however, for although Murethi crops are alchemically treated to withstand salt water, prolonged lack of sunlight can ruin whole harvests. Not only that... a single imperfect ward or faulty mechanism can spell disaster for the populace.

### Spellswords

To truly grasp Mureth’s cavalier attitude towards Magic, look no further than the spellswords. Swashbuckling mages who answer directly to The Scions, their duties range from peacekeeping to espionage, always for the furtherance of Murethi ambition. Filled with cocky bravado, they are considered a nuisance by neighboring realms, often embroiling themselves in magical affairs that have little to do with them.

### Sky Ships

The famed Murethi air galleons use a mixture of alchemy and magic to drift skyward. They are a source of national pride, but few in number. Invented at the height of The Pharidae War, the secret to their creation is guarded by Mureth's navy, and the ships themselves are sent out from the isle on Scion-approved business only.

### Notable History

Note: Records from before The Time Of Founding are notoriously scarce...

**1MR** – Mureth is settled by seafarers called The Mur. The settlers comprise eight factions, each led by a mage bearing the title of Scion.

**49MR** – **The Serpentine Siege:** Sea serpents encircle the island in great numbers for several years, turning even simple fishing voyages into life threatening affairs. The Murethi devise increasingly clever methods to avoid or hunt the monsters; arcane distractions, faster ships, and creative traps. Ingenuity becomes a highly valued cultural trait.

**96MR** – Gorgondin arises opposite Mureth on the edge of The Bay Of Fate. Initially, the two realms are cordial and engage in trade, yet it quickly comes to light that the folk of Gorgondin worship The Narga. Mureth cuts all ties to the ruinous city. Though it is never proven as either an act of retaliation or willing recruitment, scores of Murethi vanish at random soon after.

**139MR** – Raids from Vylkland increase, leading the naval-focused Murethi to create a standing army.

**225MR** – The eight Scions descend into The Blue Catacombs, a maze recently discovered beneath their isle. They return days later with seemingly amplified powers. Though the original Mur factions are largely interwoven by this point, the Scions formally call for the Murethi people to embrace a collective destiny. They then begin the slow process of transforming their capital into the submersible bastion it is today.

**258MR** – One of the Scions receives visions of a faraway land. Murethi explorers rally behind him, and despite the rest of the council warning against it, they set off into The Sword Sea. The expedition is never heard from again.

**302MR** – Murethi ambassadors, via much secrecy and hardship, make their way through the Thunder Peaks to several dwarf holds. Conclaves are held in which the two species exchange mechanical and alchemical knowledge. As a result, Mureth makes great progress in both sciences, and starts to integrate minor sorcery into their application.

**313MR** – Mureth sinks for the very first time, to avoid a massive fallen elf invasion fleet.

**374MR** – **The Hell Beneath:** Gorgondin, besieged by Arkhos years earlier, and stripped of mortal life, spews forth a horde of demons. A large swath of hellish entities surges across the waves, heading right for Mureth. The Isle sinks, but alas, not swiftly enough... the delay and multiple incomplete wards allow hundreds of demons to prowl the submerged city.

**400MR** – The spellsword courts are created.

**427MR** – Flashpowder is brought back from Lo'Quai. In 429 Mureth creates the first experimental firearms and cannons.

**432MR** – **The Wet Powder War:** A Murethi army armed with flashpowder rifles launches a punitive war against their Vylkish neighbors. Alas, the rifles prove ineffective and faulty in the frozen climate, forcing the Murethi to withdraw. Efforts are made to improve firearm design, keeping Murethi armaments functional wherever they might see use.

**445MR** – **The War Of Five And Three:** The S'ferador family bribe and coerce their way to political power, placing three of their own amongst the Scion council. They reveal a desire to make Mureth a mercenary state, loaning the isle's burgeoning might to the highest mainland bidder. Their opponents on the council oppose the notion, dubbing it a degradation of their cultural destiny. The S'feradors gather their heirarch allies and launch a coup, plunging Mureth into civil war. Horrified by the turn of events, the five loyal Scions employ spellswords to draw the bulk of dissenting forces outside the city... they then sink the isle, an act thought unconscionable. Those usurpers not drowned are forced to surrender. In the wake of this tragedy, and with the death of many heirarch families, a new form of nobility arises from the merchant class, calling themselves oligarchs.

**468MR** – A magical explosion in the Thaedian city of Hercanium almost leads to war with Mureth, when spellswords are captured at the scene. Crisis is averted however, when both realms agree to an exchange of arcane, philosophical, and scientific lore.

**474MR** – The Pharidae War begins.

**583MR** – The Pharidae War draws to a close.

**595MR** – Prophets across Scy’kadia receive visions of the Weftyril portals reawakening. Confusion meets these portents, but Murethi fortune-seekers and spellsword scouts start heading Weftward.

**617MR** – Four young dragons glide up the western coast of Scy'kadia, causing panic. To test their combat effectiveness, two Murethi air galleons are sent in pursuit of the monsters. They find them reaping havoc in Vylkland, and with the unlikely help of Jarl Svange Blackhand's raiders, the galleons blast the dragons apart.

**633MR** – **Brawl Of The Bards:** A public accusation of plagiarism by composer Iltargi To'darzza against his musical rival Margorett Frebello leads to violent scuffles between gangs of their admirers. Rather than decry the ludicrous street war, the pair continue to escalate their feud, all-the-while secretly working on a collaborative opera called "Brawl Of The Bards," depicting the events in motion.