Merian (city)
"The dancing ghostly lights of the Shadowflare academy reflected from the calm waters of Sea of Shadows. A blaze of dozens of interplanar gateways. A glow of continous magic cast around the city. A sparkle in the dead eyes of the skeleton brushing the street. Yes, my friend, you could say there is something magical in Merian."
Furan Quickfinger
Demographics
A large portion of the citizens are wizards and scholars. Adventurers are also quite common in the city. No race dominates the demographic scene.
Government
Merian is run by the Council, which is elected among the highranking citizens. Council has always twelve members, 6 of which are chosen from teachers and researchers of citys wizard academies, and other six are chosen among the guild leaders and wealthy traders of the city. Every five years a election is arranged to listen to peoples will on whom they want to be part of the Council, but most of the time the results are never announced to public.
Defences
Merian has a small garrison of guards providing law and order in the city. There are also thousands of wizards working for state in case on military conflict.
Industry & Trade
Merian is the center of education and arcane researh of Evernight. Many magical items, rare and mundane, are manufactured in the city and sold around the world. Almost any kind of spell-for-hire services can be found from the city.
Infrastructure
Merian is full of interplanar portals to different planes of existence. Countless teleportation circles to other places in Evernight are also found around the city.
Guilds and Factions
Merian is a home to various wizard guilds and brotherhood. Lately also crafters have started to form guilds of their own.
History
Before its renaming as Merian in 763 of 12th Millenia, the city was known as Shadowflare Keep. Shadowflare Keep was ruled by lich Faranach, chosen of Tarananh the Grasp of the Grave. During his long rule in Shadowflare Keep, Faranach plotted for world domination in the name of his goddess.
At 760 of 12th Millenia a group of adventurers was sent from Ganado to deal with threat posed by lich and his growing undead army. This group of adventurers was called Knights of Trueblade, a small group established a year earlier by their leader, Thomon Everwood. Knights of Trueblade were officially hired by rulers of Ganado who had realized that lich and his armies were great hinderance for their trade with other parts of the Marghuin. It is supposed, that Darksbane clan was not the only supporter for this expedition.
After two years of campaigning, The Knights of Trueblade were eventually victorious. They slew Faranach and most of his undead troops. Quite soon after this the true nature of area surrounding Shadowflare Keep was discovered. Many wizards ventured to area to research this very rare and intriguing phenomena, and very soon a new community was formed. At eve of the Darkening in 763 of 12th Millenia the Shadowflare Keep was renamed as a city-state of Merian, and a new age had begun.
Architecture
Architecture of Merian is a combination of gothic magnificency and elvish beauty. Most of the buildings are structured after the fashion of Shadowflare academy, from stone and metal so thin and elegant that it is hard to believe it could stand the rains, years or any use. Nevertheless the buildings are enhanced with magic that hardens them.
Type
Large city
Population
367 853
Included Locations
Owning Organization
Related Tradition (Primary)
Characters in Location
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