History of Margonem

It was a really hot afternoon. The wind blew the dirt from the road directly at the inn's windows, but the wooden building was pleasantly cool. Several people sat at the benches and a ham, lazily sipping beer from wooden mugs. In the very corner of the dark tavern, at the table, an old man was dozing against the wall. His skin was wrinkled and dry. A long gray beard ran down his thin chest. The furrowed forehead testified to many experiences and the resulting great experience. In the midst of a general atmosphere of lethargy and apathy, the door suddenly opened. A few people sitting by the ham put their hands over their eyes to protect them from glare and cursed under their noses at the same time. Hot air burst into the room and grains of sand rolled across the floor. A silhouette of a young man appeared in the doorway. He took off his hat, brushing the dust off it, then shaking off his coat.
- "Lock the door! You are not in the cave!" The innkeeper shouted, and the newcomer slammed the doors. The traveller looked around the room, walked over to the counter, his shoes tapping their heels on the wooden floor and clinking spurs.
- "What can i get you?" Asked the innkeeper, wiping his hands on his, not at all cleanliness, apron.
- "Beer, innkeeper! I am terribly tired, I hope that you are selling fine liquor here, and not as watered down as it used to be in the taverns that I passed so far" - shouted the traveller, hitting the table with his hand - "Have a drink and clean my horse, and do not regret his ride!" Have the groom clean any dust from his hair. The man straightened and looked around again, shook the invisible dust from his shoulder and took a few silver coins from the purse:
"Here's the payment," the innkeeper eagerly picked up the coins and put them in his apron pocket.
- "Nepfis smyku, go fast, lead this gentleman's horse to the stables, and briskly!" He commanded and showed the door to the twelve-year-old boy with his enormous, as a loaf, fist.

In the corner of the tavern, the gray-bearded old man coughed and opened his eyes, began to search for his staff with his hand, and when he found it, he took it tightly and set it in front of him. He rested his clasped hands and his chin on it.
- ”Oh no! Grefas is awake! He will nag again as usual. You can't find a moment of peace anywhere… At home, my wife will probably scream too, where I have been for so long, eh… ”A broad-shouldered man got up from the tavern, stretched and huffed, then moved towards the door. Harsh light flooded the room, the old man narrowed his eyes and noticed the newcomer:
"Hello, young man, I have never seen you in these parts, but you remind me of my old friend in his best years ..." the face of the old man took on a very gentle expression.
- ”After all, I meet someone interesting, Grandpa, would you like something to drink?” The young man pointed to the barrels visible at the back of the inn.
The old man's face lit up, and the stranger motioned to the innkeeper. After a while, the young man was already carrying two mugs of cool, golden drink with white foam. He sat down in front of Grefas, placing his beer in front of him:
- ”This is the first time I am in these parts, tell me something old about this land, because you look like quite a sage to me” - said the wanderer.
The old man put down his staff, looked at the man with his pale eyes and replied:
- ”First I will quench my thirst, because my throat is completely dry” - while saying this, he sank his lips in the beer and took a few sips greedily - ”Let me start my story and that you will not omit anything. I will call you the Newcomer ...” - The old man made a surprisingly firm movement with his hand, to which the wanderer fell silent and closed his open mouth - ”in Margonem you have to deserve your name, you are still young ... Probably more than once people will hear about you. You will find your own name, because everyone has it from birth and knows its sound, but he cannot name it” - Grefas cleared his throat and looked again with a smile - ”We are in no hurry, right?”

And it was like this:
“In the beginning, Margonem was a virgin land dotted with mighty oak forests, bare rocks tearing the ground, full of forest spirits and animals. For the first settlers, this land seemed to be flowing with milk and honey. In the forests, it was possible to hunt game without any problems, the summers were pleasantly warm, and the low, flat bottoms of the valleys allowed for the cultivation of cereals and vegetables. However, the winters were the worst. Even the lower areas were choked with frost, despite their specific microclimate, and all mountain passes were completely covered. Only a madman would then dare to cross them. In wooden huts, covered with heaps of snow, the first settlers led a completely isolated life, shaping their characteristic art, craft and way of thinking.

The first people built their homes north of Thuzal. They provided assistance to incoming travellers and were always very sympathetic to foreigners. They survived over a dozen winters, and then one frosty night their huts were covered with a huge avalanche. Apparently, you can still see places where there used to be huts, or maybe they are the remains of other buildings? We'll probably never know. Despite this tragedy, people kept pouring into Margonem from the warm south and settling in more and more places. Smaller communities were slowly emerging. Forests were cleared for fields and dredging began in the surrounding mountains. The necessary tools and products were still imported from the Southeast, from Elancia and Hironia, but slowly, simpler things were already being made on the spot. The first forges, craft workshops and mines were built. Tuzmer and Nithal developed the fastest. Their villages were the first to be surrounded by a wooden stockade to protect the inhabitants from wild animals and robbers. In these places, the first iron products were cast and two-story buildings were built. More settlements were created all the time, people kept breaking deeper into Margonem. Thuzal and Eder were founded. It was no longer necessary to bring expensive materials on carts from afar, most of the craftsmen and engineers were no more than two days' horse journey. The inhabitants cultivated the land and grazed their cattle in the mountain pastures. Merchants became interested in Margonem. At first, they were just travelling traders who brought goods from the south to the village, set up their stalls there, and after a week they returned to buy new things. They mainly sold glass beads, toys, coloured ribbons and dyed materials. Leather shoes were especially popular, the value of which people living in mountainous areas were able to appreciate.

After some time, Margonem was discovered by wealthy merchants as a new market. They began to establish their branches in cities that were able to ensure the safety of them and their goods. Next to the shops, warehouses were built, where you could find very exotic and very expensive things. Merchants, travelling further north, discovered a very convenient route for the transport of amber, silk and spices, which were shipped to the expanding port of Tuzmer. By Margonem, merchants could comfortably bypass the high icebergs of Terek-Hrabeth and flood the distant, richer north with their goods without exposing themselves to the warlike nomads of the Ramenor desert. The Merchants' Guild began to persuade people to build settlements further north, spreading a vision of profits before them, promising to build garrisons and support local newly formed societies. This is how Ithan and Torneg came into the world, and the existing Eder gained importance. In these cities, the vaults were quickly filled with gold by offering protection to merchants or by imposing low tariffs on them. There were barracks, an extensive network of warehouses and taverns where travellers could count on food and comfortable bedding. Ithan was the first settlement to erect stone walls, which is why it was called the city. Eder, on the other hand, fell out of favour, and not only because there were robbers on the pass leading from Thuzal to Eder. Additionally, the mayor imposed horrendous duties on the merchants. The settlement began to decline, although there was no shortage of gold in it. The fall of this city was marked in the moral sphere, more and more suspicious types began to show up in it. Some time later, the Thieves Guild opened its first unofficial branch in Eder. Some merchants preferred the eastern route through Nithal and Eder straight to Torneg. However, as Eder turned into an outlaw settlement, no major expedition dared to follow that route. Nowadays, individual merchants who travel by night pass by and hide for days so that they are not noticed among clearings and meadows covered only with clumps of trees. This road is dangerous in one more way: it is often encountered with large predators, the journey takes more than a week, and there is no human settlement on the way.

It was also quickly discovered that in the north-west it is possible to mine precious metals, semi-precious stones and very good quality iron ores and coal. The mining settlements of Verbin and Karka-han were quickly established there. Despite the many accidents in the mines, people were willing to go there because wages were high and the mines became more and more modern. It was there that many craftsmen began to source their supplies of raw materials, as it is known that the first-hand goods were the cheapest. Ithan, famous for the production of all kinds of weapons, and Torneg, producing the best armor and chain mail, quickly established very fruitful cooperation with mining villages, which contributed to the rapid development of both sides. However, the new deposits were the greatest revelation for any jewellers who could add new, more intricate and of course even more expensive products to their offer.

The strangest of all the villages and settlements was Mythar. However, only a few knew it under that name. More often, the villagers put tales of this place among fairy tales and legends. You must know that there were people all over the world who caught snakes. Thanks to their venom, they produced various potions and antidotes. The healers from this caste were among the best. They were able to neutralize the worst poisons, heal the diseases that digest the body and make the cut wounds heal cleanly and quickly. Unfortunately, their centuries-old tradition of catching snakes gave them partial immunity to their venom, which is why other people saw them as freaks and pushed to the margins of the community. For this reason, they highly valued their healing practices, mainly treating those who could afford it. Some of them were fed up with constant wandering, they wanted to find a place in the world that they would finally be able to call home. Led by the greatest healer of this people, Palmazaka, they set out in the caravan north and created the settlement of Mythar. The west of Margonem is relatively warm, and many different species of poisonous reptiles can be found there. In addition, Mythar is guarded from the north-west by high mountains with snow-covered peaks, and from the south and east there are impassable swamps and backwaters. Most of the inhabitants of Mythar know the way through them, and only a few of the trappers from other settlements. It is a very cohesive community, distrustful and respecting its tradition and otherness.

However, the peaceful existence, despite petty thefts and robberies, was interrupted by strange people who more and more often haunted Margonem's towns and villages. Hooded, they said little, but asked a lot of things. They appeared almost everywhere at the same time, some of them commissioned the construction of strange headquarters on the outskirts of cities. These people had far more ranging plans than anyone in Margonem would have imagined. After the construction works were completed, mysterious powerful lords who lived in them appeared in the cities. Usually, these buildings resembled a kind of rotunda or tower. In the evenings a strange light emanated from their windows. These gentlemen wore long coats, and a multitude of amulets and runes of various shapes hung around their necks, many of them of different skin color. After a long time it turned out that the mages had come to Margonem. No one knew about it, but because of the tightest laws in the south, mages could not legally work on genetic transmutations, create new species, and summon demons and the dead. So they chose Margonem to practice their evil practices. It started innocently - strange animals appeared in the forests that no one had seen in these lands before. However, the hunters avoided them from a distance and there were no accidents, as most of the freaks were non-aggressive. From time to time the magicians convened their entire chapter on the summit of one of the mountains to consult. At this meeting, they made plans for the destiny of the land. They finally made the intention to completely subordinate it to themselves in order to be able to make it one great experiment and further deepen the secret knowledge here. None of the inhabitants knew that they kept snakes on their chests. Strange things started to happen in the surrounding forests, people were dying more and more often. The beasts the hunters encountered were larger and more intelligent, and often humanoid. A shadow of fear fell on Margonem. The mages took advantage of this anxiety, and they finally revealed themselves by promising residents protection against evil and monsters. Magicians posed as community leaders, and hooded people were their assistants. These hooded wretches often made inquiries about someone in the city or departed in the late twilight to do business with their masters. Not everyone liked it. A resistance movement was starting to form. The wizards could not cope with him, because the strong and resilient highlanders among the peaks gave no chance to their spies. The insurgents incited the people and tried to open the eyes of the inhabitants of who the magicians really were and what they wanted to do with them. Meanwhile, the masters of magic continued to implement their plans: they began to use the spells of power over the mind and reading thoughts. They were preparing the ground for others to come. "

- Magicians you say ?! And that's your story! - the young man exclaimed with flushed face caused by the story of the old man or already the second jug of alcohol - Innkeeper! More beer, because in this jug you can already see the bottom! Please continue, old man.

“In Mythar, a lovely baby boy was born one night, but he had the eyes of a snake, and there were patches of scaly skin on his face and breasts. This child could communicate with snakes. It is unknown which mage caused this, but most of Mythar's growing children looked and had similar abilities. The parents were terrified at first, but later decided it was their destiny and the touch of the gods. Thanks to the children, the place of guards in Mythar was taken by powerful reptiles and snakes guarding access to their settlement and order in the city.

People began to rage against the magicians, more and more people began to attack their minions, even the sorcerers themselves were afraid to come out of their towers. Against the anger of the people and hateful minds, the spells of capture have also ceased to function. One day, all the mages disappeared, leaving behind empty towers. There was an atmosphere of euphoria among the people. However, after a few hours, messengers sent by the commander-in-chief of the resistance movement - Ezaph - burst into the main squares of the cities, announcing that the mages were approaching from the south, led by their army of beasts, monsters and undead. Panic seized the people, but the messengers called for arming themselves with available resources and for putting the army on standby. Soon after that, resistance units trained in guerrilla warfare left the mountains. The march of the mages' army was moving slowly but relentlessly towards the borders of Margonem. The troops from Thuzal were withdrawn into the country, the columns of soldiers were accompanied by carts of refugees from the cities. The exiles found refuge in Karka-han and Ithan. All the cities put up their best troops along with the mass drive. Even Tuzmer sent light infantrymen, even though they decided to dig in and defend the city and the port until they drop. On that day, the soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder with the pirates. Shipments of weapons came from Ithan and Torneg for people who did not have them. Even Eder put up a light ride and a mix of different highwaymen hoping for rich loot. Ezaph stood at the head of the army and marked the site of a major battle halfway between Tuzmer and the marshy areas further north that would provide an escape route and prevent pursuit. Small partisan units skillfully lured mages' troops into an ambush. They tormented them with constant attacks and quick retreats. They did not even allow for a frontal attack on Tuzmer and razing Thuzal to the ground, because the constant harassment of the supply and equipment carts behind the army caused such great losses that the mages did not want to stop their march. When a hail of arrows fell on the columns of the undead riding their beasts in the first ranks of the army of mages, from the archer positions hidden on the forested slopes of the mountains, the greatest battle in the history of Margonem began. The sky turned black with missiles, then turned orange-red as the mages responded with fire spells. Burning down great stretches of pine forests. Only one of them betrayed his brothers, moved to the rear of the human army and threw a mighty shield against magic on our troops, because without it, sooner or later, they would be left with only dust, but that is too long a story for today ... People conquered the mages. During the retreat, their troops were attacked by divisions of the southern states: Elancia and Hironia, who learned about the mages' plans and wanted to suppress the danger in the very bud. The war was over, but many did not return home. The greatest destruction was on the Thuzal that the mages went through, and Tuzmer, which was plagued both from the air and from the water. However, other settlements also suffered damage. Some mage towers have been converted into giant bombs. Elsewhere, troops of monsters emerged from the forests and raided the guards that remained. Elsewhere, huge beasts with membranous wings dropped hollow boulders with an incendiary substance on buildings. The war destruction was great, and an unforgettable trace remained in the psyche of the inhabitants.

Slowly, the people of Margonem rose from their wartime sacrifices, expenses and misfortunes. Agriculture and handicrafts returned to their pre-war state. Changes began - cities grew, improved their fortifications, and created better weapons. The remaining mage towers were bypassed from a distance, and the forests were still prowled by goblins and various monsters, but deprived of the mages' command, they could not create larger packs and oppose humans. There were even special groups that were involved in killing them. Unfortunately, it was not possible to kill all of them, and their population grew rapidly. Due to their magical ability to adjust the numbers of haploid chromosomes, beasts cross-breed with other species and mutate into various strange creatures. Most of them were more intelligent than ordinary animals and very strong at the same time. Such mutations arose throughout the land, and the number of monsters grew at an alarming rate. The creatures began to emerge from the forests, more and more boldly approaching human settlements, until their population finally threatened the cities.

In Ithan and Torneg the best blacksmiths and tinkers worked on new weapons and protection techniques, in Eder wine were drunk and wenches were solicited, devising plans to attack wealthy merchants. A complex of engineering training schools has been opened in Nithal. Many strange devices appeared in the city, and the stalls were filled with clever toys and tools. Various types of pumps and windmills beautified the landscape. Thuzal and Tuzmer rose from the devastation of war, drawing up plans to enclose the northern fringes of the land with a great wall. Tuzmer worked on enlarging its port and building smaller boats. In Thuzal you could hear clearly the singing of birds, the sound of the water and the music of the elves. The jewellery and goldsmith industry was recovering. In Mythar, the least hit by the war, life ran as before, though most of the inhabitants now bore the mark of serpent scales. They did not leave their village at all, as some thought they were monsters created by mages. Sometimes, however, individuals sneaked out of Mythar to buy something in other cities. However, their faces were always hidden in cavernous hoods. The people of Mythar, though they will never be able to forget the mages' experiment on their people, have rendered a great service to Margonem's united forces led by Ezaph, healing many of the wounded and giving them potions of poison immunity. In Karka-han and Verbin, mining work was started again with the great help of Nithal engineers, the mines were expanded and ore mining machines were introduced.

Yes, Margonem's story was turbulent in places, we had to fight with nature, with supernatural powers, but everything we survived made us stronger and wiser now. "
Grandfather's voice paused and soft snoring was heard. His lean body leaned against the wall again:
"Well, the beer has done its job," said the innkeeper.
- ”It does not matter, I already know everything I wanted to know” - said the young man, getting up from the table and heading towards the door as if the alcohol did not make the slightest impression on him.
- ”Dusk has already fallen, maybe you will spend the night with us, I also have guest rooms” - obligingly asked the innkeeper, flashing his eyes at the wanderer's purse.
- ”I can handle it” - he heard, and the purse jumped up and landed on the counter - ”This is for hospitality” - the young man smiled strangely, threw the hood over his head and, tapping again with his shod boots, he left. After a while, the sound of the steed's neighing and the throb of hooves was heard outside. That night the moon was red, as if someone had dipped it in blood, and the dogs continued barking all over the village until morning.