Aquae Aureae

Introduction
Aquae Aureae is cluster of artificial island in the Mercurian Sea south of the Kingdom of Aurea’s mainland shores. Aquae Aureae is an old settlement, whose secrets were revealed to Historian Sleeping Sparrow by the original founder- Quackmax27. The Island is a quaint yet lively fishing community that has been marked as a symbol of the growing influence of Aurea. It is governed by the Baroness Emli30384.

Foundation
When a group of travelers first came to Eldham in early January 2022, they wanted to start their own nation but struggled to find an unsettled area to call their own. Out of desperation, they built the artificial island in an empty part of the ocean. They named this island Insula. Quackmax27 led this initial settlement. All was going well, Insula was growing and wonderful architecture was built. Suddenly though, one of the most important figures of Insula named Smilii, vanished at sea, presumably dead. Unfortunately, after Smilii’s death the villagers were so consumed in grief, many others also died. The few remaining villagers scattered, abandoning the village completely. Quackmax27 started a new life in Valreach, the only surviving player who lived to tell the story of Insula. He left Insula island to the nation of Eldercrest. Many of the villagers now have marked graves in Azalea Memorial Cemetery.

Historic Aquae Aureae's Culture
The village built it up the island town and developed a religion, worshiping a god called Piscopte. Piscopte was a pufferfish god who had a wrath against those who antagonized him. In the town’s church alter, the following was inscribed:

“All praise be to the one who provideth thine water, they are everlasting in merciful love and justice, those who denounce thine name shall feel thine wrath”

The village's economy was mostly focused on fishing, but the village remained largely poor as the icy waters of the Mercurian Sea are mostly filled with Cod- with few other goods being brought into the island. Nonetheless, the fish made up for the lack of room for crops and the people of Insula were fed.

The Tree that shall not be cut down

It's origin is described to be somewhere in the early days of the Island. A sign was put up to protect the tree from being cut down and thus ensuring its survival into the current age. The tree's powers have not fully been discovered but it is known that it never loses its leaves despite the cold and harsh climate of the island. Maybe one day the true power of this tree shall be revealed.

Modern Aquae Aureae
Insula was purchased from Eldercrest in late February 2022, and it was renamed Aquae Aureae. The Queen and her council discussed what to do with the Island and how to protect it. Some newcomers to the Aurean Kingdom were granted the Island as their new home, and are working to restore it to its former glory and honor the Queen's graciousness. In Mid-March 2022, Banks Gennisi connected the artificial island to the seafloor in order to establish its status as a “true island”. In gratitude for Bag's help, the village erected a statue in his honor. In doing so, Aquae Aureae could be added to Eldham’s international map, marked as the Kingdom of Aurea’s territory.

The Royal Council appointed a citizen named Baskeval to become the new Duke of Aquae Aureae, who reinhabited the island. Baskeval brought his friend, Emli30384, to the island and she became the Baroness of Aquae Aureae. After Emli moved to the island, Baskeval fell ill. In the icy sea’s climate, his illness worsened. For many months Emli was the sole caretaker of Aquae while also tending to her friend’s needs while he was sick. Sadly, Baskeval eventually passed due to his illness and Emli was the sole leader of the island. Emli, brought with grief over the death of Baskeval threw herself into her work of building the island to distract herself. A series of historical maps found in the island’s archives reveal just how quickly she built the many structures that cover the island today. Most notably, she built the large castle known as Fortress Noire in May of 2022. The fortress proudly flies the Aurean flag. Additionally, she built the Inn, Harbor, Blacksmith shop, farmhouse, and marketplace. Building her island into a vibrant community lifted her spirits. The rustic yet classic architecture of the island is admired by even the best architects of Mainland Aurea. The old king Vita who built much of Old Aurea was thoroughly impressed by the Baroness’ dedication to architectural integrity. Emli30384 repaired and spruced up the Church of Aquae, pufferfish God to honor the founders of the island and protect the island from the feared wrath of Piscopte. Emli30384's spirit and building skills have breathed new life into this once-abandoned village. Emli herself has laid eyes on the pufferfish god during the flooding of Roddinbrok, that she wrote about in her book (missing link).

Over time, the island filled up, and there was little room to grow, and thus the second and third islands were added. The northern of the two isles is called Insula Piscis, which is where two beautiful fisherman's homes sit. The Southern of the two isles is much different, with a rocky spire that scrapes the sky. This spire holds a mythic sword and some of the rare books of Aquae's history. Donnerbear05 is a citizen of the town who owns the blacksmithing shop. A strong sailor, Donner owns one of the ships in the harbor that he uses to bring back many plentiful catches from the sea.

The regional flag of Aquae Aureae represents the history of Aquae's past. It takes inspiration from the time of Insula's flag, with Sword story

QuackMax, the original founder of the island, was largely disliked across Eldham. After many failed attempts at leading nations in the Drakeslands, he was weakened by war and old age. Quackmax was on his deathbed. Knowing his end was near, he reached out to Emli, requesting that he could be buried in the place where his journey on Eldham began. She complied, and upon his death donated a moderate sum of money to the island to ensure that the island would enjoy longevity with proper funding. He was buried underneath the island in a tomb where he was laid to rest. Due to the controversial nature of his life, the tomb has since been sealed off from the public.

Emli built a statue of Banks "Bag" Gennisi to thank him for aiding in the early construction of the Island, most notably his aid in connecting the island to the seafloor.