History 11: The Independence of Cat Kingdom

During the First age, when Mercia was nothing more than a training ground for the Heroes of the time, Cat Kingdom was the earliest settlement for what would become Mercians. When the world was created, those who weren't blessed by the Gods' sailed away from Mercia in search of a place free from their unpredictable powers. Once they beached upon the island just across from the Capital, they traveled deep into the jungles and started a town. Aptly named "Catelot" with the abundance of peaceful Ocelot in the area, they built numerous buildings with the Mercian style of the Second age. Their founder "The Wise Old Man" played a pivotal role in the coming independence and was generally considered the most intelligent leader in Catelots history.

They would continue to build in the area until news came that the Heroes had left the world, and took their place among the Gods following the Generation. This would cause a massive migration to present day Mercia, and would kick start the Second age. Mercia was far more suitable for building and expansion was limitless, unlike their previous home. However, despite this fact, some stayed behind. They attempted to start their own nation, but that was quickly put to rest by the newly formed Mercian Government who claimed it was a holy site, and that all players would have to move out. The Wise Old Man was given permission to stay and live among the Ocelot.

Now that we've set the context, we'll bring up the Independence. Jumping into the Third Age, when taxes were in their prime, one player who had recently joined decided that they weren't happy with the new economical state Mercia was in. Claire Darling requested a permit to stay and live among the Ocelots in the Cat Kingdom. While all previous requests were shut out, this player was curiously approved.They were not only approved, but were given the ability to oversee the area as a Warden. This was absolutely unprecedented and made the island the first commonwealth of Mercia, while also laying the foundation for its independence. Claire, who had begun work on the area, declared that any who chose to live there would pay no taxes and could build wherever they'd like with no restrictions.

As you'd expect, this opened a can of worms for the Government. They had, until this moment, ruled the area with no resistance or backlash. They were now losing popularity among players who were looking for something with more freedom and chances for creativity. To renew it's own allure, the government decided to run the first player voted election. This would result in Mercias first President, KelseyChloride, who won a decisive victory against Maclimara. KelseyChloride would go on to sign many new rules into place, the biggest of which was The Independence of Cat Kingdom. Having spent a good portion of her time previously in the Agility arena there, she had known the Wise Old Man, and Claire, whom she considered friends.

After seeing how well the system worked in Cat Kingdom, she began to reform the system of Mercia to mirror the former. While on paper, this sounded like a no brainer, but it would have dire consequences. The Third Age was built on the premise of economy and signing away the taxes would cause an inflation in the market. This would indirectly cause The Bomb to occur, ushering in the Fourth Age of Mercia.