History 17: Clans and their Significance

Clans can be roughly defined as a group of people with a strong common interest. Like many places, Clans have made an impact on Mercia in ways a single player could not. Some Clans were turned into Guilds, while others fell into obscurity. Let's run through the history of Clans.

Clans during the Second Age were vastly different than today. With rules in place protecting buildings, and land so scarce that only certain players couldn't afford them, it was not a great breeding ground. However, The Dark Cloaks and Mechas are two that did forge a brotherhood.

The Dark Cloaks being a group of assasins, were the first PVP clan. Their intention was to be a Murder-For-Hire organization and they were just that. So many were intrigued by the group that it was later turned into a Guild with it's own Quest Line. The Guild would fall on hard times during the Third Age, however, and was disbanded during the Fourth.

The Mechas were a building clan focused on buying shabby, run-down houses and fixing them up to turn a profit. While initially they found success, they were quickly overshadowed by Maclimara's Construction Business.

Third Aged business clans were created, but due to the cutthroat environment, they too would fall similar to the Mechas. The Third Age was about money, not loyalty, and anyone who got in the way found that out quickly.

The Fourth Age was the first real chance at Clans and there were a lot of them. Some were 1-man clans and others were fully fledged organizations. I won't list them all, but we'll go over some of the more powerful ones.

The Obsidian Shield was founded during the Fourth Age by Salmon. Widely considered the best Clan in history, its hard to argue with that. They had a full ranking system, multiple leaders, several clan bases, and highly active players. Towards the end of the Fourth Age, they were disbanded but would later be brought back by both Kriminal33 and Topy22 on seperate occasions, the latter of which is still operating.

The Dreadnoughts were a pirate clan. As any good Pirate clan would have, they were led by the fearless Captain Solo. Their mission was to claim the 14 seas, coined by the former Captain. Their Ship is one of the most iconic in the Realm and they were at the forefront of the War of 1000 Withers.

Lapis Nation was another great clan and the first big group of the Fourth Age. Led initially by Nike01x, their specialty was reforming Fortresses to their liking. During their height, they had over 10 Members and were one of the peaceful clans of the time.

The White Rose was another clan that focused on destruction. They were famous for their Banners, featuring a White Rose. They claimed many griefs over their time and it was later revealed that the King of the Rose was SquishyBoyo. While many are claimed to be apart of the group, they were primarily informants.

Finally, we have C.O.R.A.L industries, formed by Murbainer. Focusing on building, they are known for The Great Barrier Reef built by Jazzper and Murbainer. Following the Obsidian Shields downfall, many of the former Knights joined Coral.

The Fifth Age was finally ushered in on the 15th of February, bringing with it Kingdoms that you could choose to align with and make your home. While not clans, they functioned similarly by building and maintaining their Area. This was until they were abolished, shortly after the Presidency was reinstated. Clans were brought back to much success and popularity.

Clans like The Cult of Garfeld by Gruigi and The Obsidian Shield with Topy are examples of this.

The future looks to be bright with many clans working together to forge their own history in the world.