History of Moorgate

~this scroll smells of great age and carries dust that's over four hundred years old~

## History of Moorgate

The ocean...wide, deep, mysterious, full of wondrous beasts; though not all of the beasts are under the water. Some sail the mighty ocean in great wooden ships, white sails making a cracking sound in the wind as they seem to fly over the waves. And among these seafaring races, some did so for the sheer joy, some for hire to far ranging merchants, and some....for other less pleasant reasons. One such was a human by the name of Erasmus the Fell ..or so he was called. No one knew his real name nor would they ever consider asking him. (It was rumored however that he was the result of an unnatural alliance between a Dark Troll and a human woman.)

In any event, he was a cruel, vicious man who had a rapacious hunger for gold. And he was a slave trader. 3 huge ships did Erasmus own; The Sea Witch, The Flying Cloud and The Salli Anne. All were dedicated to but one purpose...the transport of slaves. Erasmus worked the slave routes and made a fortune off the buying and selling of all the races of the world. Erasmus wasn’t picking about who he bought and sold either. Human, beast, or any combination of the two. Town officials would sell him their thieves, brigands, pirates and troublemakers. From one island run by a fanatical religious group who did not allow the practice of magic he would get captured mages and sorcerers. In almost every region there were the various mystics, itinerant scholars and wandering mercenaries who somehow managed to get on someone’s bad side and would find themselves suddenly on an auction block and looking into Erasmus' cold dark eyes.

It was during one of his routine slave runs that he and all three of his ships were beset by a huge storm. For days it raged fiercely. The stout ships were nothing more than toys; tiny specks on an angry sea. Eventually, the sea won the battle and all the ships foundered on rocks hidden beneath the dark, frothing waves. As the ships began to fill with water, the slaves poured out of the holds while the crew jumped overboard, knowing that where there was rocks, there would be land not far away. Coughing and spluttering, Erasmus hauled himself to shore and beheld for the first time, a wide untamed land stretching as far as the eye could see.

Ever shrewd, he realized that he could claim this land for his own and set up his own market and port and increase his various "business" prospects. He also realized he would need all the manpower he could get and that it was currently running off in every direction trying to escape. He started barking orders to his bedraggled crew to catch his escaping merchandise and began to lay down plans in his mind. When all was said and done Erasmus had managed to retrieve most of his valuable "cargo". In the weeks and months that followed, Erasmus managed to erect a serviceable set of buildings, shelters and even a warehouse. The first building constructed though, was an auction house.

The wrecked ships were plundered for whatever could be salvaged and then sunk the rest of the way to form a reef of sorts. Erasmus was a man quite pleased with himself and with the good fortune that made him hit the rocks here on that stormy night. There was a storm of another kind brewing though....one that Erasmus knew nothing about and couldn’t have prevented even if he did know. Not all of the slaves had been recovered, but over time with no ensuing trouble from them, Erasmus had dismissed them from his mind as being either dead or too busy trying to keep themselves fed and clothed to make any fuss. But he was profoundly wrong., for they were neither dead nor going hungry. Under the guidance and leadership of a big half ogre mercenary named Karn, the refugees had pulled together and were prospering.

All their various talents were utilized for the good of the group. Mages and mercenaries, scholars and pirates, priests and brigands worked side by side, building a place in this new and open land. Not that there wasn’t problems...but Karn was more than able to deal with the small disputes that sometime erupted. They also knew that they wanted to get their fellow slaves out from under Erasmus' heel. So Karn sent spies to speak with the prisoners and a plan was conceived to get them all out of there. A series of tunnels were dug that led right to the heart of the fortress by the gnomes who were among the group. These would let the rescuers enter right into the midst of their enemies and catch them unprepared. All that was needed was the proper timing now, but they could wait. A couple more weeks wouldn’t matter if it meant the difference between success or failure.

Erasmus, unable to sleep one night was walking along the battlements of his fort and looking out at the ever moving sea. He was inordinately pleased with himself. Much had been accomplished in the 2 years since the shipwrecks. And tonight he had sent out his brand new ship, "The Venture", to pick up its first "load", a group of gnomes that were taken in one of the many race squabbles. Gnomes were renowned diggers and he had big plans for this group. Afterwards he could sell them as mine laborers. Yes...life was good.

Hearing a muffled sound, Erasmus turned to see what was going on, and found himself looking up into the angry face of a half ogre. Imperiously, Erasmus demanded to know what he thought he was doing entering this area and shouted for his personal guard. Karn, smile ferally, and grabbed Erasmus by the neck of his tunic and dragged him to look out over the courtyard below. Gathered together and stripped naked were all his guard and officers. Erasmus knew he was in trouble and didn't even bother trying to beg for the mercy he knew he wouldn't get. Karn dragged Erasmus down to the courtyard below to the cheers and catcalls of the freed slaves. What happened during that long night is a tale to chill the marrow of even the hardest of hearts, but suffice it to say that when the sun rose the next morning, Erasmus' career had been cut rather er... shorter.

Every one of the the officers and guards were slain as well. Blood flowed freely and the screams of the dead and dying echoed for miles in every direction. When it was over, the slaves gathered to meet and discuss their futures in this huge land. Having lived and worked together for the last 2 years they knew that it was possible to build a new world...one in which all could live and work together, each contributing their skills to the betterment of all. Four main leaders representing the 4 main disciplines were elected and guilds were formed to ensure that all was done fairly and on the up and up. The group dispersed and began their new lives as free citizens of the town of Moorgate. Karn led the soldiers and mercenaries and formed the first militia for the defense of the town against any who would threaten it. From this tough group was born the Fighter's Guild with Karn being the first Guild Master. Any who had skills in weapons or who wanted the training in the arts of war and defense were welcomed and trained. The Priests, Mystics and Scholars formed an alliance and founded the Monk's Guild.

Though many were fierce fighters, they felt that the spirit and the body needed to be trained together. They it was who developed the skills of fighting weaponless. The Thieves, Pirates and Brigands banded together to form a brotherhood of their own, the Thieve's Guild. They became renowned for their skills as assassins and many a battle was turned by daggers that seemed to flow in and out of the very shadows of their enemies. Moving to the far north of the city of Moorgate where their training and practices didn’t cause damage were the various Sorcerers, Shamans, and Wizards. They formed the Mage's Guild and often were the skies lit with the arcane powers that were loosed in that place. The Gnomes, though welcomed in the various guilds, were far more content deep in the dark places of the earth and tended to keep to themselves mostly. They began delving caverns and living areas in the East of Moorgate.

Over the years they made a huge network of interconnecting caverns and rooms that were named the Catacombs. They it was who, using the stones from their excavations, built a huge central meeting building where those new to the land and the city could rest and learn their way around as well as giving the original inhabitants a central place to meet and socialize with each other. It was named the Adventurer's Guild because all felt that they had embarked on a grand adventure in the building of a whole city and a whole new way of life. As for the Fortress that the Captain and his Officers had built...it sat empty for many years. No one much wanted to enter that place of death and heinous memories. Eventually it fell into ruins and was even set to the torch on several occasions. The Auction House alone remains in tact by the agreement of the citizens of Moorgate. It became a Memorial to their friends, comrades and family members that lost their lives there to the slaver's whip and club.

A large gold Plaque was hung, and translated into all the languages of the original Moorgatians were the words, "Honor, Freedom and Vigilance. We will remember."