The Tidekeeper

A Display of Power

Many millennia ago, when the first Hearthkeepers of Myrengol ascended to authority, they commissioned the construction of a towering statue to demonstrate their power. Like their name was derived from the exalted flames that they were sworn to protect, the statue was given the moniker of Tidekeeper, for its purpose was to defend the Oathsworn Sea. Standing some 100ft tall, it resembles a colossal archer who wields a bow almost as tall as himself, and whose stony gaze never shifts from the water before him. His height is further emphasised by the lofty pedestal beneath his feet, and the cliff on which that pedestal stands. When the sun sinks low, the Tidekeeper's shadow stretches to the distant horizon.

Before the Hearthkeepers took power, Myrengol was a volatile city state plagued by corruption and unrest. Its position in Crownwater Bay should have seen it rise to become a powerful nation centuries before, but greedy oligarchs siphoned unfathomable wealth from every facet. As such, fewer and fewer merchants arrived, wary of the obscenely high tax rates in Myrengol. The general consensus amongst the city's denizens was one of distrust. It was this animosity that inspired the Hearthkeepers to create the Tidekeeper. By strictly monitoring every investment into its construction, and ensuring every worker was paid fairly, they could erect an iconic landmark to display Myrengol's newfound unity.

Dormant Defender

A fascinating legend surrounds the Tidekeeper. Some believe that it may not be as inanimate as it appears. Dubious sources allege that multiple accomplished mages were involved in its creation, and that they were tasked with imparting a facsimile of life into its monstrous frame. Whilst authors and playwrights have explored countless stories where this tale is true, there is no recorded instance of the statue moving.

The myth, however, has not yet been disproven. It is said that only one event could cajole the Tidekeeper to descend from its plinth and wade into the ocean: the awakening of a kraken. Another more prominent legend claims that the Oathsworn Sea was once endlessly harried by storms. No ship could traverse its water without being smashed against the coast or dragged into the depths, and seaside towns would vanish overnight beneath massive waves. The residents of the area would be offered salvation, though from a most unusual patron. A kraken of impossible size offered to quell the tempests in exchange for a grand tribute once every thousand years. It was a difficult offer to refuse.

Although the waters calmed and the winds relented, the natives had left a daunting burden behind for their descendants. For millennia, the many settlements on the Oathsworn Coast have co-operated to fulfil these great sacrifices, and so the authenticity of this lore has never been tested. Those who allege that the Tidekeeper is an ancient guardian state that his true purpose is as a final line of defence against the monster from the deep.