Mercia is a part of Fading Isles.
Realms that are a part of Mercia:The Atheling is the heir to the ducal title of Mercia. He or she is second only to the Duke in authority within Mercian lands.
Thane is the title accorded to a First One of Mercia who governs a settlement.
The Master of Blades is the war leader of the Mercians.
This is the rulership position for the realm.
This is the title accorded to a diplomatic representative of Mercia.
The Steward of the North is responsible for overseeing the northern lands of Mercia.
| Iuna | Ally | Ally | |
| Ascalon | Ally | Friend | |
| Sirilasala | Ally | Ally | |
| Iungard | Ally | Ally | |
| Magvel | Ally | Ally |
Mercia is a land of respect for tradition, the bonds of family, deep reverence for the Ancestors, and the values of hearth and home. By nature, the Mercians are warriors, scholars, diplomats, bards, and dreamers. For the vast majority of Mercians, life is focused around great halls that sit at the heart of their settlements. They are places of feasting, drinking, music, the telling of tales, and making merry. Mercians like nothing better than a feast day, and many celebrations are held throughout the year to honour both particularly important Ancestors and the many Mercian gods and goddesses. Musicians, bards, acrobats, poets, and storytellers are always popular and will normally find a bed for the night and good food in exchange for providing entertainment. The walls of the great hall are often hung with tapestries, banners, weapons and shields. In an often grim world, such comforts of hearth and home provided by the great halls are highly valued.
All Mercians quest to live a life worthy of their ancestors, so that after death they may gain their approval and be restored to life eternal on the fabled isle of Avallach.
The fundamental bedrock of Mercian life is the family. Reflecting this, the main political unit in Mercia is the noble family. In formal terms, a family is known as a House. Although all noble families in Mercia are accorded the title of House, they are sub-divided into Great and Minor Houses. The Minor Houses are those of First Ones who simply hold settlements or are comprised of landless knights. In contrast, the Great Houses are those that have been given the honour of ruling sub-realms in Mercia. It should be the aim of every House to gain Great House status - something that can only be earned through loyalty and service to Mercia, and granted at the pleasure of the Duke of Mercia. Furthermore, the Great Houses are ranked in prestige and renown in accordance with their service and achievements in the betterment of Mercia.
The currently recognized Great Houses and their standings are as follows:
Several long lost Mercian items of great value were recovered by Duke Aldric Fox during an underground expedition on the isle of Iuna guided by Duke Andrew Calinus of that isle. How the items came to be in the safekeeping of Duke Andrew has never been fully explained to the Mercian people.
The first, and greatest, treasure is the fabled God Slayer Sword. Said to have been forged by a Mercian god and given to an ancestor of Aldric Fox who fought in the God War. Legend tells that his ancestor used this broadsword of terrible power to slay a god. But, in doing so, the blade shattered and a shard also struck Aldric's ancestor in the heart, killing him outright. Whether fact or merely legend, the shards of the shattered sword were recovered during the Iuna expedition and reforged into an impressive blade. The reforged God Slayer Sword has become the symbol of authority of the ruler of Mercia.
The second treasure of Mercia is the bottomless Goblets of Avallach. These are two reasonably plain looking silver goblets that possess the extraordinary ability to never empty no matter how deeply you drink. It is said that such goblets are commonplace on the fabled paradise isle of Avallach and simply ensure that the blessed Ancestors never thirst. In the material world, however, they are regarded as priceless relics of Mercian faith. Sceptics might say that the constantly refilling goblets are just some trickery created by wily priests, but the Mercians truly believe them to be a physical manifestation of paradise. The goblets are sometimes used in important rituals, such as marriages between Great Houses.
The third of the treasures of Mercia is the Sigil Gauntlets. Although unremarkable in appearance, the plates that make up the gauntlets have the remarkable ability to shift positions to comfortably fit any wearer. Covered in etched sigils, they are said to be relics of the God War used by First Ones adept in the use of battle magic to help them in their incantations, back when magic was much more common in the world than today. Now, they are largely considered to be artifacts from a bygone age. But still considered to be priceless relics, given their tangible link to the Ancestors of a lost past.
When the world was new, there was an isle named Avallach that was surrounded by dense fogs. When the gods created the First Ones, there was a First among the First Ones. She who was made before all others. It was on Avallach that She took Her first breath; walked Her first step; spoke Her first word. And the word was "Mercia", and Her name was Mercia. As more First Ones were created on Avallach, they honoured Mercia and made Her their Queen. They became Mercians: Children of Mercia. The Mercians soon crafted ships and became skilled sailors. At first, they were content to sail within the boundary of the fogs that wreathed the isle. But, eventually, some decided to sail through the fogs into the unknown. They found the fogs stretched for miles and they were forced to sail for weeks until they emerged into clear water and found new land. Here they made their new home and named it Mercia. But, try as they might, they found they could never again find Avallach and return home.
Avallach is the paradise isle, home of the ever-living Queen Mercia, first born amongst the First Ones. It was here that the Mercian people began. When the Ancestors of modern Mercians set sail to explore new lands, the route back to Avallach became lost to them, so they could never return in life. However, the gods gave hope of a return to Avallach after death. So it is that the bodies of all Mercians are consigned to the outgoing tides of the oceans. If they lived a life worthy of praise by their Ancestors, Barinthus, god of seas and master of tides, will guide them to the shores of Avallach where they will be restored to life eternal amongst their forefathers. There they will find cauldrons that bring forth any meal they wish; goblets that never run dry; and trees that produce a new fruit as soon as one is picked. Ruling it all is Mercia, the eternal Queen, and her consort husband Arawn. Here it is that the worthy dead, restored to life and reunited with their Ancestors, live for happy eternity.
"There do I see my father. There do I see my mother. And my sisters and my brothers. There do I see the line of my people back to the beginning. They do call to me. They do bid me honour them." - Ancient Mercian Song of the Dead.
Veneration of Ancestors is the core of Mercian culture and permeates every aspect of life. On attaining the age of maturity and entering the world, every Mercian stands before kin folk and ceremonially recites the names of their direct ancestors. It is a ritual to honour the memory of those who came before and an acknowledgement that the individual is one link in a chain of Mercians that both reaches back to the beginning and into the unknowable future. Equally, upon the death of the individual the kin folk will stand before the body and recite the names of their ancestors, finally adding the name of the fallen to the end of the list to ensure that they take their place among the Ancestors. All Mercians strongly value artifacts that belonged to their ancestors, and they always prefer an object owned by an Ancestor to something freshly made. No where is this more obvious than in their weapons and armour. Their weapons are handed down from their forefathers and are often reforged over the generations. Should a blade break in battle, it is not unheard of for shards of the shattered weapon to be carefully collected for refiring by the blacksmiths. Their armours are noteable for being embelished with runes and sigils associated with Ancestors, with Mercians believing that they offer protection and bring good fortune.
For Mercians, all births are a time for great joy. The new life represents a fresh link in the chain of Ancestors that reaches back to the beginning of time. Soon after the birth, kin will assemble to recite the names of all of the newborn's Ancestors to reinforce the child's place in this chain and to attract the attention of the forefathers on Avallach. A ceremony is held in which the Ancestors are called upon to protect and guide the child. Praise and offerings are also made to Bel and Anu in thanks for the new life. Upon death, the kin of the fallen will assemble once more to recite the names of the Ancestors and add that of the dead Mercian to the list. The body will be washed and shrouded, and personal belongings, weapons, or armours, will be distributed to family to be used in the future in honour of the Ancestor. The corpse will then be taken to the seas and cast onto the outgoing tides in the hope that Barinthus will guide the dead to Avallach.
Greatest of the gods are Bel, god of light, and Anu, goddess of crops and fertility. Bel commands the sun to rise and fall, waking the world each day and putting it to rest each night. His wife, Anu, nurtures all life that is awoken by the light of Bel. Whether it be new born children, crops, sapplings, or any other living thing, Anu kindles the spark of light imparted by Bel until life springs forth. The third greatest of the gods is Barinthus, god of seas, waters, and storms. Fickle and swift to anger, he can bring forth gentle rain or torrential downpours depending on his moods, meaning that he can help or hinder in equal measure. As master of tides, he also has a role to play in guiding the dead to Avallach when they are entrusted to the waves. Last of the greatest gods is Andraste, goddess of death. Unseen, she moves amongst living things, and her lightest touch brings death. Only then is she visible to those she has touched and she is the last thing you will see in life.
An old tale says that a young human scholar made it his life's work to list all the minor Mercian deities and he died of old age before he could finish. It is certainly true that there are many such deities, some so obscure they are only worshipped by a few people. The following are some of the better known. Bracia is the goddess of hearth, home, and feasting. Brighid is the beloved of poets, bards, blacksmiths, and painters. It is her who brings inspiration. Herne is god of hunting and the wild woods. It is said that he can transform himself into a white stag to lead hunters on a merry - but futile - chase. Coventina is the goddess of springs and fast flowing rivers. Her waters are pure and good to drink. The goddess of healing is Dian. She guides the hands of the healers. Niwalen is goddess of roads and the journey. She can make your way easy or difficult. Last comes Goll, the trickster. A broken bow string; a lost key; a burned stew. Such are the works of Goll.