Older than any institution, transactional sex has appeared in every Nothern society since recorded history began. Only the attitudes towards sex work has changed throughout the cycles.

During the latter days of the fundamentalist Tributionary Body, sex work on the lower socioeconomic scale was an unregulated industry, rife with abuse and exploitation. Exclusive to the upper ministers of the Tributionaries however were the highly trained 'Morata'; workers of pleasure who were also versed in religious scripture, philosophy, and in 'Traumaturgy', the Augural ability to heal wounds and cure illnesses, to amuse and treat their honoured leaders.

Sensing the end of the Draconian government in 2196 2G.c, these Morata began using their skills in pleasure and psychology to manipulate one leader against another. Eventually the leadership destabilized so much riots began in the capital, Torrens, and the Tributionary Body rotted away from within as its remaining leadership was hunted down and executed.

Seizing their assets and estates, the Morata used the once glorious homes of the Body to house and comfort the poor in the name of SLMV; 'the first to listen'. Through the newly formed Theovocates Senate, they passed legislation to turn these estates into the first 'Houses of Mercy', places where all people could seek guidance, food, pleasure, or medical aid.

Formerly destitute sex workers were given the opportunity to become the first 'Consorts'; men and women given multi-disciplinary training in medicine, social guidance, and if they chose, to continue as pleasure workers in service.

With the discovery of the No-Box and the reestablishment of trade with the other city-states, so too did the Morata and their servants travel between cities as the primary distributors of humanitarian aid, auspiciously arriving during the collapse of Tributionary Remnants in the south and north. Recognizing the need for central governance and direction, the Morata elected their first Matron and became the more formalized 'Merse Collective'.

The Merse have continuously provided these services as an apolitical organisation, only advocating on behalf of communities unable to do so themselves; sometimes even ending up on the wrong side of the law for their advocacy.

Despite their constant friction with the governing bodies of Enaeth, they are often awarded with significant funding to maintain the Augural Registrar; the record of every born Augur in Enaeth, collected by tribal elders or town representatives. They also developed the 'Invocations against Rampancy', a psychological test used with other tools to identify Rampancy in an Augur.

As well as their Halls of Mercy, the Merse also maintain the 'Ramparts' palliative-care centres for ‘safe’ rampant Augurs in each major city, the largest of which is housed inside their headquarters, the 'Cylinder Ring Tower' of Torrens.

While little is known of their legacy in the downfall of the Tributionary Body, rumours of the Merse using their services to operate the 'largest spy network in Enaeth' is often ridiculed and denied by senior members of the Merse.