The Merry Men
The Merry Men — also known as "The Drunkards" — were legendary within the Militia for their love of ale, their boisterous spirits, and their surprisingly deadly combat skills. Where the Marksmen sipped wine and the Waywatchers stayed sober on patrol, the Merry Men held court in the tavern.
Despite their reputation as the Militia's morale officers and chief consumers of ale, the Merry Men were known for dealing devastating damage in combat. As the Besiegers page noted: "A Besieger is a one-man-army. Maybe not being able to inflict as much damage as one of the Merry Men or the Marksmen, he is virtually impossible to kill."
The Waywatchers page also references them fondly: "When returning from the wilds, they often rumble as badly or worse than the Merry Men!"
Rank Structure
- Rookie Merry Man → First Merry Man → Merry Man → Veteran Merry Man
- Merry Man Crafter, Merry Man Dwarven Smith (specialist ranks)
- Merry Man Corporal → Merry Man Master (leadership)
Known Merry Men
Notable members included Dreamas Toewyn, Mithran and Svetlogor (all Merry Man Masters), Dashell Lewis and Joey Lanai (Corporals), Thorgrim (Dwarven Smith), Amelia Fairhart (Crafter), and Lex Darion himself who held the title of Merry Man Master before becoming First Corsair.
Legacy
The Merry Men were active from the guild's founding circa 1999 through approximately 2007. By 2008–2009, the division appears to have been disbanded or merged, with references in the Besiegers page changing from "Merry Men" to "Waywatchers." The combination of their name (evoking Robin Hood's band), their forest-dwelling nature, heavy drinking, high damage output, and the presence of crafters and smiths suggests they were a fighter/woodsman division — the rowdy heart and soul of the Militia.
Note: No dedicated Merry Men lore page was captured by the Wayback Machine. This description is reconstructed from the 1999–2007 member roster and cross-references in other division pages.