Meiyerditch

Meiyerditch (pronounced maɪɛrdɪtʃ; or "My-err-ditch"), formerly known as Hallowvale, is Morytania's largest city and part of the Sanguinesti Region. It is the home of Morytania's ruling family, making it the capital of Morytania. On the world map, Meiyerditch is currently RuneScape ' s largest city, especially in terms of the number of buildings in the city.

History
Meiyerditch was once known as Hallowvale, a prosperous city inhabited by humans and Icyene. However, for Lord Drakan's hand in the overthrow of Zaros, the now-god Zamorak permitted Drakan to attack Hallowvale. He ultimately won by kidnapping King Ascertes, the husband of Queen Efaritay. Lord Drakan then forced Efaritay to surrender. His power soon extended over all of Morytania until eventually the entire region belonged to him.

Taking Hallowvale as his own, the city became a ghetto. Ruling from Castle Drakan in Meiyerditch, his power over the area is nearly absolute. The renamed Meiyerditch soon became a storing area for captured humans, who today are farmed like cattle for blood. A lone rebel resistance group, The Myreque, continue to fight against Drakan from within the city itself. As they give hope to the city's people, eradicating them has become a high priority of the House of Drakan.

Despite the massive number of humans trapped within the ghetto, the vampyre overlords have begun to fear that blood is not being collected at a fast enough rate. Until recently, the vampyres were performing experimentation upon live humans in an underground laboratory, their goal being to further understand the human body. By doing this, more efficient harvesting methods may yet be devised.

The laboratory, however, has since been sealed off, apparently in response to the accidental discovery of either the blood altar or a number of aggressive beasts. Despite the experimentation having ended, evidence of its horrors still remains in the underground network. Many mutilated human corpses can still be found locked in restraining devices even today.



Description
Since its taking, Meiyerditch has been changed into an unrecognisable ghetto. The city is entirely isolated by massive walls on its north, east, and west side, and the South-eastern Sea at its southern end effectively boxes the city in. The Vyrewatch, who rule the city, are capable of flight, and as a result, there is no gateway into the ghetto. The Vyrewatch themselves serve to further control the masses, killing and feeding at will.

Conditions within Meiyerditch are terrible. The city is overcrowded, with humans crowded into small wooden apartments that have long since lost walls and roofs to rot. Food is rare, and many are forced to eat rats to survive. Clothing and other basic necessities are also in short supply. All throughout the city, dying citizens can be seen huddled against walls and in the dark confines of alleys.

The ghetto is divided into six sectors, each of which has a number of residents barricaded within. The inhabitants of these sectors pay forced blood tithes on a rotational basis, so as to prevent the large majority from dying of blood loss. While this does work to some extent, many citizens do not survive the tithes.

Beneath Meiyerditch is the massive Meiyerditch mine, where slave miners are made to work for days on end to mine Daeyalt ore. The vampyres ship the mined ore to a massive underground factory, where the daeyalt ore is being used for unknown purposes. One Morytanian legend says that even further beneath the city a massive inferno burns, from which Hellish creatures are spawned. However, there is, as of yet, no evidence to support this.

Coming to Meiyerditch
There are 3 ways to get to Meiyerditch:


 * 1) From Burgh de Rott by using the boat. Must have started the Darkness of Hallowvale quest. This is the slowest route.
 * 2) Using Abyss to teleport to Blood altar and then use portal to Teleport to Meiyerditch Dungeon. Take the eastern path and run to the end of the tunnel. This is quickest, but the most dangerous route and requires full completion of Legacy of Seergaze.
 * 3) Starting from Canifis, go down the trapdoor basement to enter Myreque Tunnels. From there, enter chamber of Ivandis Tomb (first cave to the east), but use the small cavern from the south of the tomb's entrance to enter Meiyerditch Dungeon. There, use jutting wall shortcut which connects the Myreque Tunnels to Meiyerditch Tunnels. Run to the end of the tunnels to emerge in Meiyerditch. A large part of Legacy of Seergaze quest and level 65 agility is required to use this route.

If a player plans to come to this city the player must begin the Darkness of Hallowvale quest. The first thing any adventurer will notice is that Meiyerditch is patrolled by the Vyrewatch. They are invincible unless attacked with an Ivandis flail, so it is not advised to attack them. If they ask for a blood tithe, it is possible to either choose to give the tithe or distract them. Failing to distract the Vyrewatch (or choosing to pay the blood tithe) will inflict 60 life points. After some time into the Darkness of Hallowvale quest the player will have another option of being sent to the mines to mine 15 Daeyalt ore instead of taking a blood tithe. When a large part of the Legacy of Seergaze quest is completed, players can then attack vyrewatches using the Ivandis flail. However, if the vyrewatch has "taken interest" in a player, that player cannot attack it. Another player, however, can attack the vyrewatch, allowing the first player to escape untithed.

Once into the main part of the city the player will encounter Meiyerditch's citizens, children, stray dogs, and cats. Also to greet the player are level 46 Vampyre juveniles, but they are non-aggressive. There are also Vampyre juvinates guarding the large building (so far inaccessible) on the eastern border of south Meiyerditch.

Travelling through Meiyerditch
Meiyerditch is one of the largest cities in RuneScape, and many players find it difficult to navigate through the city due to all the ruination and the barricades. Some things that will help players are:
 * Shortcut key - upon completion of the quest Darkness of Hallowvale, players receive this key to help them navigate through the city more quickly. Doors marked with a symbol of the key are scattered throughout Meiyerditch, and this key can open them, cutting down travel time. (See shortcut guide)
 * Vyrewatch - players can use the Vyrewatch to their advantage. If a player is stopped by a Vyrewatch, it is possible to choose the option to be sent to the mine. Once there, the player simply needs to mine 15 Daeyalt ores to be released in the northern section of the city. This method is effective for quickly reaching northern Meiyerditch.
 * Vyrewatch clothing - bought from Trader Sven, it allows the player to "blend in", making it less likely that the vyrewatch will spot the player.
 * Citizen clothing - serves the same purpose as vyrewatch clothing, but costs less. They allow the player to appear as a normal citizen, lessening the chances of being picked out for tithing.

Things to Do
The city is in ruin, which makes for good moderate level Agility and Strength training. Meiyerditch is essentially a highly populated Agility Course, if the player is doing Darkness of Hallowvale and is at the agility section of navigating through the city.

The Daeyalt ore mines may be accessed either through attracting a Vyrewatch's attention and ask to be sent to the mines, or going to the north-eastern-most part of the city. These ores may be mined giving 17 experience each. However, the ores cannot be sold, so this has more to do with training than moneymaking.

Meiyerditch has one lone shop down in the south-western part of the town. Trader Sven's General Store sells Vyrewatch clothing and Citizen clothing, costing 1950 coins or 18 coins, respectively. Both sets allow the player to blend in, and be spotted less by the vyrewatch.

After reaching a certain point in Legacy of Seergaze, a furnace becomes available north of the Myreque Hideout. It is almost never used, as it is far away from any ore deposits or banks

Meiyerditch is also where the player does a large part of Darkness of Hallowvale. The Myreque (Sanguinesti Order) base is located in the north section of the city. It can be reached fastest by being sent to the mines, and then running south.

After Legacy of Seergaze quest, Meiyerditch can be visited to kill Vyrewatches, as those in the woods east to Burgh de Rott are aggressive and mixed with Vampyre juveniles and Vampyre juvinates, making it harder to pick the Vyrewatch to kill.

Beneath Meiyerditch is Meiyerditch Dungeon, which was once a vampyre research laboratory. Upon completion of Legacy of Seergaze, players may access it in its entirety, including a small slayer dungeon, the Blood altar, and a destroyed laboratory. A shortcut to the original Myreque Hideout tunnels also exists. By travelling down a long tunnel, players can reach the tomb of Ivandis Seergaze, which in turn leads to the old Myreque tunnels. These lead out into either Canifis or The Hollows. The Dungeon contains Bloodvelds, Mutated bloodvelds, and Skeletal hands.

Darkmeyer
In the In Aid of the Myreque quest, the player finds three interesting books in the hidden library at Paterdomus. One of them (Modern day Morytania) tells you that there is in fact a second, and perhaps larger, city in the Sanguinesti region that is not in ruins. Darkmeyer may be where Drakan is lurking, because he is not mentioned by any important people of Meiyerditch. The large castle at the east of the city may be the gate to Darkmeyer.

Figures of town

 * Lord Lowerniel Vergidiyad Drakan - Merciless ruler of Morytania.
 * Vanescula Drakan - Member of the Drakan family.
 * Sarius Guile - Servant of Vanescula Draken.
 * Ranis Drakan - Member of the Drakan family.
 * Vanstrom Klause - Brutal vampire overlord who wishes to destroy the Myreque and player. Member of the Drakan house and possibly cousin of Lord Drakan.
 * Safalaan - Leader of the Sanguinesti order of the Myreque.
 * Vertida Sefalatis - Member of the Sanguinesti order of the Myreque.
 * Trader Sven - Runs the black market of Meiyerditch.
 * Meiyerditch citizens - the denizens of the ghetto, cattled for their blood.



Strange Castle
In the eastern portion of Meiyerditch, nearly off the world map, is a fortress of some sort. It has a yellow door that is unopenable, and when examined it says, "No way am I going in there!" The player cannot see inside this castle, even if they move the screen, similar to the building in the Barrows Town.

Trivia

 * Meiyerditch sounds very similar to "mayor-ditch" which might be a reference to the size and the condition of the city that is a huge slum.
 * Sanguinesti is a direct reference to the word sanguine (meaning the association of blood) which would explain the large connection with blood.
 * On June 30 2010, a bugged minimap revealed a glitchy section past the mysterious gates in the east of Meiyerditch. Although the picture provided by the player that witnessed this hass proven the photo to be faked.

Music
Music unlocked in this location:
 * The Last Shanty - Coastal sectors
 * Lament of Meiyerditch - Northern sectors
 * Night of the Vampyre - Castle Drakan surroundings

Quests

 * Darkness of Hallowvale is greatly involved in Meiyerditch.
 * Legacy of Seergaze