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The Meckros were a seafaring people that lived on man-made island nations. It was implied that these floating cities travelled the seas of the world, doing trade with many inhabitants of many lands, and raiding their coastlines. They were known to raid the Isle of the Seguleh much to the entertainment of that island's warriors of the Lower Schools.[1]

The Meckros floating cities could provide a home for up to 20,000 people.[2] They appeared as normal cities with tall homes and narrow, crooked alleys. But they were surrounded by high walls of wicker and their understructures were a complex framework of balsa logs, ladders, and inflated bladders.[1] The cities had cobbled streets built on wooden frameworks, squat buildings, and some cities apparently had their own docks and landings attached. The wood used in their construction never became waterlogged or rotted.[3]

Meckros cities were often protected by armoured automaton guardians.[4][5]

The Meckros raided island villages for slaves.[6]

"Rud" meant "found" in the Meckros trade language.[7]

In Memories of Ice[]

Memories of ice by marcsimonetti

Lady Envy and her companions find a destroyed meckros city by Marc Simonetti (Official image)

Lanas Tog, last of the Kerluhm T'lan Imass, was found adrift in Coral Bay by Lady Envy amidst the wrecked fragment of a Meckros floating city.[1]

In Midnight Tides[]

The Third Meckros city was destroyed in 1159 BS by mountains of ice that surfaced unexpectedly from the sea below. All twenty thousand residents were killed but for Withal, who was rescued by the Crippled God.[8] Two years later, the Crippled God destroyed a second Meckros city, the adopted home of Rud Elalle, in the same manner. Menandore rescued Rud and brought the wreckage of the city to the Refugium. The Imass of the Refugium buried the city's inhabitants and Menandore placed Rud into their care. When Udinaas and Feather Witch later visited, they found bodies of K'ell Hunters defrosting amidst the unnatural ice still embedded in the city's remains.[9]

In The Bonehunters[]

According to Admiral Nok, there was said to be a Meckros city west of Sepik Sea, but the reports were a few years old. Nok said the Meckros were raiders and traders.[10]

In Reaper's Gale[]

Roughly eighty years before the fall of the Kingdom of Lether to the Tiste Edur, the violent waters of the Bluerose Sea near the Awl'dan coast pulled an entire Meckros floating city into the depths, drowning its twenty thousand inhabitants.[2]

One of the Edur Imperial Fleets searching for champions to face Emperor Rhulad Sengar and capturing natives they thought might provide valuable intelligence discovered a ruined Meckros City. Amidst its wreckage they found Gadalanak, who they brought back to Letheras.[11]

In Blood and Bone[]

The former Crimson Guardsman Skinner and a group of his Disavowed entered the wrecked Meckros city of Ambajenad in search of a fragment of the Crippled God. There they fought Veng, a corrupted automaton and former guardian of the city.[12]

In Deadhouse Landing[]

While crossing the ocean separating the continents of Genabackis and Quon Tali, Kallor ordered his corsair vessel Tempest to moor at the piers of an unnamed Meckros floating city for resupply. There, Kallor re-encountered Keng, the city's automaton and guardian. Keng well remembered Kallor's previous long ago and disastrous visit, and so warned Kallor that he was unwelcome aboard the floating city. Encountering a Meckros city elder, Kallor was reluctantly allowed the supplies of food and water he needed in exchange for not destroying the city.[13]

Notable Meckros[]

Notes and references[]

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