Murder
| Forest of the Eternal Mistress | |||
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| Motto: | |||
| Anthem: Handmade Heaven | |||
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| Map versions | |||
| Capital | The Eye | ||
| Official language(s) | Proto-Saxon | ||
| Official religion(s) | Siseranism | ||
| Demonym | |||
| - Adjective | |||
| Government | Coven | ||
| - High Priestess of the Coven of the Eternal Mistress | |||
| - Legislature | Council of the Witches | ||
| Establishment | XIV.1722 AN | ||
| Area | |||
| Population | 700 humans 23,000 magenta crows | ||
| Currency | various | ||
| Calendar | |||
| Time zone(s) | |||
| Mains electricity | |||
| Driving side | right | ||
| Track gauge | |||
| National website | |||
| National forum | |||
| National animal | Magenta crow | ||
| National food | |||
| National drink | |||
| National tree | Blackthorn | ||
| Abbreviation | FEM | ||
Murder is an island state that is located south of Corum. The nation was founded in late 1722 AN by refugees from Sankt Ludwigshafen, following that nation's collapse after the Slight Reform Party won the elections and defunded the state.
History
Awakening of the Eternal Mistress
First to arrive on the island was Razzie Waldfürcht, who had been forced into exile by the Slight Reform Party's government when it prohibited her from maintaining her militia. Without a home, she decided to investigate an old tale from the ancient Cibolan mythology, which suggested that there was a portal to the Underworld on an island south of Corum. On the South Sea Islands she met in secret with druids and witches, who were also investigating the myth. One of the witches, Merida Vala shared stories of fishermen of magenta clouds sometimes arising over the island of Murder, a sign she associated with the South Batavian Goddess of the Underworld, Germania. With her militia, Sisera's Angels, Razzie Waldfürcht escorted Merida Vala to the island, so they could find out if there was truth to the stories. On 2.XII.1722 the group landed on the northern shore of Murder, where they had trouble keeping out of the reach of the massive magenta scorpions that crawled all over the beach. When they had left the beach behind them, they decided to establish a small base from where they could plan their expeditions further land inward. This small base was called Schwarzdorn, after the many blackthorn shrubs in the area.
On 13.XIII.1722 Razzie Waldfürcht and her group discovered an abandoned tower in the centre of the island, which had markings in the ancient Ludwiggian script, suggesting a link to Cibolan mythology. As the markings were undecipherable to Razzie, she sent for Merida, so that the learned witch could take a look at them. On the next day Merida joined them, and she expressed the suspicion that this tower could be part of the portal to the Underworld that they had been looking for. With combined efforts the group cleared the forest surrounding the tower and found several pink quartz carvings shaped like eyes, which they collected and kept near the tower for safe keeping. When they were cleaning the inside of the tower, they noticed a pink marble altar that had seen better days, as it was cracked. A druid who had worked as a stonemason for a graveyard in Sankt Ludwigshafen was asked to restore the altar, and he noticed that it once would have been decorated with precious stones. As he mentioned this to Merida, she grabbed the pink quartz eyes and placed them into the altar. While nothing that could easily be observed happened at that moment, all who were present on the site reported the same dreadful feeling, and cold shivers running up their spines. The pink quartz eyes themselves, they fitted perfectly into the altar, and seemed to lighten up even in the full dark of the night when there was no source of light available.
That night, Razzie stayed in the tower, together with Rosa, one of the angels, to guard the altar. They were speaking about the misfortunes of Sankt Ludwigshafen as Rosa noticed that the pink quartz eyes started shining more and more brightly, until they were shining like torches and the room was lit, like it was illuminated by electric light. Razzie went out towards the camp to fetch Merida, to help investigate what was happening, as she noticed that from a geyser next to the tower, magenta clouds were spreading and a giant living eye had appeared at the top of the tower. She called Rosa, unwilling to leave her behind at the tower all alone, and they ran towards the camp to meet with Merida.
At the camp Merida was already waiting for them, greatly concerned. While Rosa and Razzie had been running away from the tower, the magenta clouds had grown and grown and the entire forest seemed to be engulfed in a magenta fog. Meanwhile, the eye seemed to be looking at them specifically, and despite the circumstances, it seemed to look friendly. Merida rummaged through her bag, and uncovered a pink quartz amulet that she had brought on the trip, she put it around her neck and walked towards the eye. Razzie and Rosa followed her, even though they were unsure what Merida was planning to do. Razzie and Rosa had their hands on the hilts of their swords, as they accompanied Merida, but Merida urged them to relax their grips and tread towards the eye with respect. When they were close to it, approximately thirty meters from the base of the tower, she and the other two ladies bowed down before the eye. Merida spoke, showing great respect towards the eye.
"Eternal Mistress, thank you for showing yourself to us. We have been on a long quest to find you, as we are followers of the old religion."
From the eye, a bolt of magenta lightning was emitted and it struck Merida, who fell backwards. Razzie and Rosa helped her stand up again and asked her if she was okay. Merida only smiled and showed them the pink quartz amulet, which was glowing now like the pink quartz eyes on the altar in the tower.
A meeting with the goblin king
It was 2.XIV.1722. Merida, Razzie and Rosa were crawling through the tunnels beneath Nebelstadt, a goblin city in Erlgau, in the Shirerithian province of Gong. They were looking for the Erlkönig, a mythological king of the goblins that had been living in Gong since before the days of the Apollonian Republic. The king was extremely fond of precious metals and rare gems, and it was a particular kind of gem that they required. The pink quartz, like that they had found in the tower of the Eternal Mistress, shaped like eyes, and like was used in Merida's amulet. Not just because it looked extremely pretty, but because of its ability to be inhabited with the magic of the Eternal Mistress. They were not sure if the Erlkönig had access to it, as it only naturally occurred in the Underworld, but the Erlkönig had caves that went deep into the crust of Micras, and was also rumoured to have come back from the dead after an unfortunate accident with a nuclear submarine, so he was their only hope. It was also incredibly risky, as the king was not known to have any scruples in murdering and eating those he didn't respect.
As they left the tunnels, and entered into the throne room of the goblin king, they were awaited by goblin soldiers carrying pikes, which they pointed towards the three women. The three women stopped as the pikemen approached them, and pleaded with the soldiers to allow them an audience with the Erlkönig. The soldiers shrugged, and led them through the throne room, that was adorned with lots of gold, silver, diamonds, jade and many other precious stones. On top of a throne made of platinum and diamonds sat the Erlkönig, and he seemed to be annoyed with their arrival. The goblin king, surveyed the three women that were standing in front of them, with the pikes of the soldiers still pointed at them, the soldiers waiting for the order to bring the lives of the uninvited visitors to a swift end. The king grinned, baring his sharp, jagged teeth and exposing a forked tongue.
"Welcome to my humble domain, what a curious surprise to see three foreign women trespass here. And how more curious do I find it that neither of you three have tried to put your paws on a golden coin, on a diamond, a piece of jade, or these fine fabrics that I collect. I would have you killed and feast on your bones if you did, but your lack of greed puzzles me. What do you seek that is greater than precious metals and gems, what do you think could possibly be greater? And do not say you are looking for wisdom, because my wisdom is that gold is forever, and diamonds are a king's best friends."
Merida bowed before the king, and the two other women followed her lead. Razzie was the first to speak, she addressed the king as the mighty emperor ancient stories tell he once was, and a quick smile on his face betrayed that he appreciated that. Razzie Waldfürcht explained to the Erlkönig that they had found the ancient tower of the Eternal Mistress, and that with the help of pink quartz gems they had been able to awaken the Eternal Mistress, but that they needed more of these gems to harness the magic of the Eternal Mistress. The Erlkönig shook his head when he heard of this, because it sounded like folly to him. He tried to explain that it was an impossible task that they had set for themselves. But before the king had finished his sentence, Merida put her hand in her shirt and lifted the shining pink quartz amulet she was carrying on her chest, and the eyes of the Erlkönig became so big, they almost popped out of their sockets.
