 The history of the
Fighter's Guild is also supposedly the history of Moorgate. It was the
settling of Moorgate that brought about the beginnings of our guild.
Here you may find the tale in its entirety:
The
ocean... wide, deep, mysterious, full of wondrous beasts; tho 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. Three 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 tho, 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 tho ... 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, smiling ferally, 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 err... shorter. Every
one of 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 of Moorgate.
Last modified Friday July 07 2006
|
