Fulfwotz

Fulfwotz's energetic Commercial District at night.

Fulfwotz is the largest city and the cosmopolitan capital of the New Sammichian Empire. It is the most populated city in the Shire, and an international economic hub. Sitting in the middle of the Demmatrodine Region, the city acts as a major shipping center between the Demmatrodine and the rest of the Shire. Fulfwotz is known for its diversity and distinct media-centric culture, fueled by the presence of the Follywood Entertainment Company, which dominates the film, television, and music industries. Fulfwotz lies in Seraphina Valley, a major coastal basin bordered on three sides by the Alturas-Santos mountains.

Originally home to the indigenous Seraphaho Enpeecee tribe, the site was established as a colony of the ancient Lilladonian Empire around 200 PRY. The colony, named Fauna, flourished for years and became an important asset to the Empire because of the vast veins of gold underneath the valley floor. In the northwest, the Old Sammichian Empire grew jealous and sought to acquire the town from the Lilladonians. When diplomacy failed, the Sammichians annexed the city in a display of brutality and bloodiness which resulted in the deaths of over 2,000 Lilladonians and remains as one of the most infamous atrocities in Shire history. The mines were run dry soon after the occupation, so the Sammichians were forced to rely on other forms of trade. After the abandonment of Ceriumuse and the collapse of the Old Sammichian Empire, Fulfwotz became an independent kingdom until 1929, when it was incorporated into the capital of the New Sammichian Empire by Emperor Sammich the Magnificent.

The city is divided into seven distinct boroughs, which are further divided into numerous districts and neighborhoods. Fulfwotz sits in the center of the arid Demmatrodine Region and borders Demmatrodine Shrub Country. The city is a prime example of city planning and maintenance, being meticulously maintained through the detested Fulfwotz City Planning Office (FCPO). It is also a developing case of urban sprawl, housing roughly 11 million people in its metropolitan area and having one of the largest urban footprints in the Shire.

Commonly referred to as "Fulf", Fulfwotz is a global city with a diversified economy in entertainment, science, fashion, research, technology, medicine, and tourism. The city is home to a large number of institutions pertaining to research and culture, such as DePrey Institute, one of the Shire's most well-funded and skilled research facilities utilized by many other cities, Foie Gras Opera House, and Cabraxte Cinema, among others. It functions as one of the most substantial economic engines in the Shire and leads it in the production of films, television, and recorded music. In the nearby Colerica Desert, the music and arts festival known as Technostrasse attracts millions of tourists over the course of the first two weeks of June.

History

Seraphaho Era

Thousands of years before Lilladonian settlement, Seraphina Valley was populated by the Seraphaho tribe, a small offshoot of the greater Demmatrodine Enpeecees. Cave art discovered in caverns within the Alturas-Santos mountains suggest that the Seraphaho people ate a pescatarian diet, which is unusual and uncommon in people living in that time period. Scholars speculate that the Seraphaho tribe lived on the coast, not in the valley center, thus resorting to fish instead of other wildlife found in the area. It is unknown what happened to the tribe; it is a popular theory that the Seraphaho people were abducted by extraterrestrials, a belief somewhat supported by a conspicuous cave painting depicting several Seraphaho people being lifted into the stars. Others believe that it's more of a statement on the Seraphaho afterlife than their disappearance.

Lilladonian Era

Long after the disappearance of the Seraphaho people, the burgeoning Lilladonian Empire began exploring the uncharted southwestern lands of the Shire. Scouts discovered the Seraphina Valley, which scientists suspect was much more fertile during that time. Around 200 PRY, a small coastal colony was established, named Fauna, after the daughter of Lilldonian ruler Emperor Hommel. It wasn't soon after the establishment of Fauna that large ore veins rich in gold and iron were found directly underneath the colony. Generating huge profit from trading these precious commodities, Fauna grew exponentially and became known throughout the civilized Shire as the 'golden village' and a valuable trading partner. Meanwhile, in the Sammichian capital of Ceriumuse, the Old Sammichian Empire, brought to its knees from the inside by feuding and hostility within the aristocracy, became interested in acquiring Fauna. Numerous diplomatic offers were made in exchange for the town on part of the Sammichians, but they were all rebuked by the Lilladonians. Angry and desperate, the ruling Empress Flux resorted to extreme measures to acquire Fauna.

Night of Bones

In 122 PRY, in an attempt to capture Fauna from the Lilladonian Empire, Empress Flux deployed a fleet of 30 ships under the command of legendary Sammichian hero Ser Leif. The Sammichian fleet arrived in the bay in the middle of the night, launching an assault on the unguarded coastal town before they could react. Relentless and neutral in their killing, an estimated 2,000 Faunite men, women, and even children were slaughtered, mostly while they slept. Many others were enslaved and forced to repair their own town or work in the mines. Benedine, a famous Lilladonian philosopher who managed to escape Fauna, wrote: "...The [Sammichian] battalions tore into Fauna from the waterfront while we slept and smashed every door of every dwelling they came across. In the home across of mine, I spied Samichines [sic] rip a man from his family and bury an axe into his belly while his childs watched. The Samichines soon entered mine own dwelling, but I can only presume that the childs were then slain aswell." After all of the Faunites were either killed or enslaved, Empress Flux renamed the town Fulfwotz, after her deceased father, Emperor Fulfwotz VI. It is, to this day, considered one of the most condemned and bloody atrocities in recorded history.

Sammichian Era

With Fulfwotz in complete Sammichian control, trade revenue helped lift the Empire out of its social, economic, and political respite. However, public interest in Fulfwotz and better opportunities incited a mass exodus from Ceriumuse which lasted around two decades. In 110 PRY, the estimated population of Fulfwotz was 3,500; in 90 PRY, it was 16,000. By 80 PRY, Ceriumuse had a population less than that of Fauna post-occupation. The ancient city, among the first civilizations in the Shire and an extraordinary collection of Sammichian antiquity, was unofficially abandoned once Empress Flux and the Sammichian Imperial Chancellory took up permanent residence in Fulfwotz. Not soon after, the elderly Empress Flux realized the depth of her mistakes and not wanting her children to follow in her footsteps, decided that the exorbitant imperialism characteristic to the Old Sammichian Empire was wrong; after experiencing this epiphany, she invoked an Ultimatum with the Chancellory (one of five unconditional decrees a monarch can pass without Chancellory approval) and completely dissolved the Empire in 58 PRY. Sovereignty was returned to former Sammichian territories and Fulfwotz was established as an independent kingdom, known as the Kingdom of Fulfwotz.

Civil War

After about 2,000 years of relative peace and isolationism from the outside world, the Kingdom flourished and experienced a renaissance which saw the construction of great projects, such as Saint Flafbenz Holy Cathedral, the High Chancellor's Mansion, DePrey Institute, and Corrompere Grand Courthouse (also known as Sammichian Supercourt). However, under the rule of King Drefnex, Fulfwotz began revealing itself again to the Shire, annexing nearby villages and claiming territory, often in places that were given sovereignty by Empress Flux. This period of expansion began in the late 1800's, yet reached its height during the reign of King Sammich in the 1920's. Unrest in the southwestern Shire grew as the Kingdom asserted its presence in villages throughout the Demmatrodine Region. The expansion was halted after the considerable forces of Fulfwotz were driven from a minor fortified town, Fort Batmania. Believing the Kingdom to have been weakened, other nations began laying claim to Fulfwotzian villages under the impression that the Kingdom was not strong enough to defend them. Angry and humiliated, the vindictive Kingdom declared war on the town to reassert its power with full approval of both the Emperor and the Chancellory. The Declaration of War was signed in Castle Mugg on March 25th, 1927.

Many nations in the Shire condemned the Kingdom's actions, claiming that annihilating a town for refusing to be controlled by an outside force was unjust and wrong; they quickly rushed to the side of Fort Batmania, announcing their intentions to treat any attack on Fort Batmania as an attack on themselves. Dubbed "Liberators", they not only sought to protect the town, but also strip Fulfwotz of its power and end Shire imperialism. Meanwhile, other nations, mainly key trading partners and allies of Fulfwotz, realized that the consequences of Fulfwotz being disenfranchised would be devastating. Trading partners who relied on business with the Kingdom would see their economies ruined, and allies who depended on Fulfwotz protection would be severely limited in their ability to defend their nations. Others simply did not wish to see imperialism ended. They sided with Fulfwotz, and were referred to as "Overtakers" by the Liberators, a term which they embraced.

Fulfwotz made impressive victories with the Overtakers in the beginning of the war, but soon the Liberators outnumbered their forces and engaged them in battles throughout the Shire in order to lure defenses away from the city of Fulfwotz. After the Battle of Venezia, on Christmas Eve, 1928, Liberators under the command of the visionary General Tumerik of Knavobuki successfully occupied an unprotected Fulfwotz. King Sammich and members of the Chancellory Council were evacuated to Niflheim Palace, and Provisional King Maltese was granted full authority of the city. Life was altered drastically for the Fulfwotzians; loyalists incited riots and extreme unrest throughout the city, while Liberator sympathizers attempted to retain some semblance of a normal life under martial law, or helped Liberators perform duties across the city. Some Fulfwotzians claimed to have been terrorized by Liberator troops, although only few of the many accounts were proven to be true.

With a weakened army and the center of Overtaker command occupied, the Overtakers officially surrendered to the Liberators and drafted the Treaty of Niflheim on May 24th, 1929. The treaty outlined points such as:

• The Kingdom of Fulfwotz may not annex any town that refuses its rule
• All trade embargoes placed on opposing nations by Fulfwotz must be lifted unless they existed before the war
• Restitution must be given to Fulfwotzian families who had been truthfully terrorized by Liberator troops

The treaty also saw the creation of the Shire United Nations, an organization which aims to promote cooperation between nations and maintaining international peace. It is comprised of delegates from almost every nation in the Shire, and assigns a monitor to every member state in order to ensure that international law is not being breached and to prevent war from occurring again. The Fulfspyre, a 321-foot monument in the Theater District of Fulfwotz, was built to commemorate the loss of life during the Civil War. On the very day the treaty was signed, King Sammich consolidated all Fulfwotz territories into the New Sammichian Empire, and ennobled himself as Emperor.

Imperial Era

During the White Plague in 1968, DePrey Institute in Fulfwotz was the forefront of discovering a cure for the deadly lymphrosis strain. Fulfwotz itself was quarantined to prevent the spread of the illness, but was soon infected after the quarantine was compromised. Nearly 1/4 of the population was killed due to the large Sammichian population, whose immune systems are very susceptible to the virus. The infection of the city led to serious repercussions in the Shire economy, with the music, film, and television industries based largely in Fulfwotz inactive. Work inside DePrey Institute continued, until a vaccine was developed and distributed amongst the Shire.

Organization

The city of Fulfwotz is known for its six distinct boroughs which make up the shape of the city. Each borough is controlled by a council, headed by an appointed Subchancellor by the Sammichian Imperial Chancellery. The various boroughs are remarked for their diverse and varying subcultures despite being in close proximity to each other. Due to the size of Fulfwotz Proper, it is also divided into numerous districts or neighborhoods recognized by the government. Other boroughs are also divided into neighborhoods, but said neighborhoods are unofficial areas named by those living within them.

Boroughs

• Fulfwotz Proper
• Feverly Hills
• Fulfton
• Pinecone Village
• Veneziana
• Frentwood

Districts of Fulfwotz Proper

• Oldetown
• Harbor District
• Theater District
• Watchtower Hill
• Seaside Park
• Follywood
• Farside Park
• Edgewater
• Wyrmwood Hill
• Grand Flafbenz Plaza
• Commercial District
• Follywood Studios (Owned by Follywood Entertainment Corporation for corporate interests)

Culture

Because of the presence of major entertainment industries such as film, television, and music, Fulfwotz has evolved into a very media-centric and ambitious society. Many of its citizens wish to live the "Fulfwotz Dream', making it big in said industries, but the ambition and aspirations of its' citizens makes the city shallow and opportunistic.

Media

Being the hub of the entertainment industry in the Shire, media is very heavily focused on in the lives of Fulfwotzians. Those who work in the media, such as actors, musicians, and comedians, are held in very high esteem, and look to wealthy areas of Fulfwotz for their estates. not finish

Major Organizations

Fulfwotz is home to a number of organizations important to the Empire and the Shire.

• Shire Global News - A major news outlet covering all areas of the Shire. While the main offices are located inside the SGN Tower in Orikami, the Administrative Offices are in Grand Flafbenz Plaza.
• Shire Event Committee - The organization responsible for planning and organizing all the events in The Shire. Located in Follywood
• Fulfwotz City Planning Office - A commonly-criticized and bureaucratic committee in charge of everything from the locations of parks to taxes.
• Follywood Entertainment Company - A conglomerate at the forefront of media entertainment in the Shire, producing hundreds of movies, television shows, and music albums every year. Among the subsidaries of the conglomerate are Follywood Films, Vixen Records, and the Globul Theater Company.
• Biltbobble Pharmaceuticals - An organization controlled by the booming and affluent Biltbobble Family, and one of the leading manufacturers of medicinal drugs and equipment.
• The Xan Clan - One of the Shire's largest and most infamous crime syndicate, led by the enigmatic Thatiana Xanthippe. A former Fulfton street-gang, after the social upheaval of the White Plague, they were able to secure a higher position through claiming territory and assuming control of ravaged gangs. They are now a widely-feared (and respected) organization within the city.

Controversy

Despite its relatively clean and attractive outward appearance, the city of Fulfwotz is quite well-known for being a dangerous and crooked city, being rated the No. 1 Most Corrupt City by the respected travel magazine Iteria. It has among the highest rates of crime (primarily bribery, theft, murder, arson, and embezzlement) in the Shire, and travel to the city during Shire-wide social/political/economical upheaval (e.g. the Civil War and White Plague) is strongly discouraged as the city may become increasingly unsafe. Fulfwotz remains one of the most controversial cities around, mainly for the following:

Elitism

A natural outcome of its laissez-faire libertarian opinions, elitism is alive and well in Fulfwotz, and is hated by those at the bottom of the chain. Despite having a large middle-class population and a relatively wide gap between rich and poor, many claim the needs of the poorer citizens in Fulfton and Farside Park are buried under the more materialistic and frivolous needs of Follywood and Feverly Hills. The extensive amount of wealthy celebrities and moguls in the city look down on the poor, and have a considerably larger amount of opportunities. The rich are known for taking advantage of the poor, inciting the massive Labor Riots of 1938. The welfare system was only recently introduced after the Shire United Nations itself pushed for it to be established, even after the emotionally-confusing Sammichians angrily refused the financial aid several times.

Government Corruption

Over the years, countless government officials, the Imperial Family, and members of the Sammichian Imperial Chancellery have been accused of various accounts of corruption including bribery, money laundering, and embezzlement. The government is under near-constant investigation by the Fulfwotz Imperial Guard and corruption busts occur on a nearly biannual basis. It is unknown why such corruption is limited to the city alone within the massive Empire.

The Vetilla Trials

In 1958, a high-ranking Imperial Intelligence Agency official named Tac Vetilla, who held maximum IIA security clearance, was convicted of accepting bribes from the Fulfwotz Communist Collective (which later evolved into the NICA) in exchange for information on weapons research and the locations of strictly-confidential research bases and government-operated facilities. His secret was leaked by an anonymous IIA informant to the Fulfwotz Imperial Guard, and Vetilla was arrested and taken in for questioning.

During his trial, Vetilla revealed the names of over fifteen other FCC informants accepting bribes, prompting a massive investigation of the agency by FIG and SUN investigators. It was discovered that a whole sixteenth of the agency was engaged in some sort of illicit activity, resulting in a series of trials (dubbed Vetilla Trials) that lasted over a period of two years and the arrest of over 300 agents. It is believed that the confidential information that was passed to the FCC proved vital in their coup of 2001.

Crime

One thing Fulfwotz is known for is its excess amount of crime and unsafe areas. On average, over 200 people are convicted of or perform some sort of illegal activity every day. Poorer areas of the city are carved into territories for feuding gangs, but such crime is not limited to only the less wealthy areas; the Fulfwotz Mafia has an impressive foothold in Feverly Hills and Venezia Beach. Even despite the sale of legal drugs enhanced with Antinicotin to dilute the addictive effect, the drug trade thrives in poorer parts of the city since the regulated drugs come at a much higher price than the normal addictive street drugs.

Fulfwotz Banks

Due to the Empire's low level of interference in business and finance, it has become a haven for more sophisticated and wealthy criminals, most notably art thieves and corrupt businesspeople. In the late 70's, it had become popular for criminals across the Shire to store their money in Fulfwotz banks, since the Empire does not investigate large sums of money being deposited at once or keep tabs on account balances. The privacy made it possible for ill-gotten wealth to be stored safely. The Grummkin Financial Group is also suspected of knowingly valuing, purchasing, and storing stolen art, gems, and jewelry. The SUN Summit in 2000 attempted to rectify and bring reform to Fulfwotz Banks to prevent crime in their own nations, but said attempts were rebuked by the New Sammichian Empire.

Shire Black Market

Fulfwotz, along with most of the New Sammichian Empire, plays a major role in the happenings of the Shire Black Market, with a suspected Black Market facility in operation near the city. While such rumors have not been proven, many consider it factual that the government involves itself in nefarious and illicit activity, such as the sale of organs, Class III Weaponry, chemicals, information, and even indentured servants through the Black Market. Many suspect the Empire uses hundreds of fronts and fake businesses on the darknet to sell their goods as well. T

ASX-3

These rumors first rose in the 90's when the SUN Monitor Rita Xanada reported large amounts of the chemical ASX-3 disappearing monthly, and a large amount of income several days afterward. ASX-3 is a highly-dangerous Class III chemical weapon that when inhaled for several minutes can completely overload and annihilate the victim's nervous system, placing them in a persistent vegetative state or causing death. It is only classified as a Class III weapon because the gas is easily detectable and prolonged exposure is necessary to cause severe damage. Created during the Civil War, it was never used in battle and kept contained in DePrey Institute until it could be repurposed into a more discreet and lethal compound. The project was soon abandoned after the war, with large amounts of the chemical still in storage. Investigators believed that the Empire took to selling the chemical on the Black Market for huge amounts of profit. No legal action was taken since the Empire claimed it was merely disposing of the chemical at handling sites (it was discovered that it had, in fact, disposed of some of the chemical) and the profit was coming in the form on anonymous donations. There was no hard proof that it was being sold on the Black Market.

Bureaucracy

Despite the high level of personal freedom Fulfwotzians enjoy, it is commonly criticized for its bureaucratic government offices, most notably the Fulfwotz City Planning Office, compromised of 120 subcommittees and offices. Some offices include the Fulfwotz Sanitation Committee, Porcelain Bowl Protection Task Force, Department of Horse Whispering, Committee on Whispering Horses, Department of Possible but Unlikely Human Genocide, Bureau of Eugenics, Bureau Against Eugenics, Bureau of Resolving Eugenics Conflicts, and the Education of Dogs and not Children Commission.

Indentured Servitude

Fulfwotz is heavily scrutinized for its policies that allow indentured servitude, which is considered inhumane and degrading. Despite these accusations, the New Sammichian Empire defends its policies by claiming that a contract between the employer and the servant must be signed to enter servitude, so it becomes a consensual agreement instead of forcing one to work for another. It also says that it decreases crime and provides for the less-fortunate, since they will be provided with food and shelter upon becoming a servant. However, it was found that only 15% of those living below the poverty line actually entered servitude, and many consider the act of becoming a servant to be humiliating and lowly.

Notable Locations

• Abyssinia Hotel - The Abyssinia Hotel was an important location during the Liberator Occupation in 1928, being retrofitted into a command center for the Liberator army. The owner, Georges R. Abyssin, was pro-Overtaker and poisoned over 90 high-ranking Liberators with his wife, Norma. They managed to convince the Liberator force it was tainted drinking water because the water filtration system was no longer in operation since the occupation.
• Castle Mugg - The royal residence of Emperor Sammich the Magnificent, the castle has become a cultural icon and is easily recognized by many Shirefolk. Towering and imposing, just like the Fulfwotz ego, and opulently furnished, it is one of the oldest structures in Fulfwotz, even being inhabited by Lilladonian lords thousands of years ago.
• Church of Sammintology - Not to be confused with the religion in practice, this is the headquarters of the Church in Feverly Hills. Formally the Château de la Fièvre Hotel, it was purchased by the church in 1988. It serves as headquarters, a celebrity center, and hotel for Sammintologists exclusively.
• DePrey Institute - One of the most respected scientific institutions in the Shire, DePrey Institute is a leader in science, technology, sociology, and so on. Located in a massive castle larger than Castle Mugg itself, it has many departments dedicated to different fields of research. It is heavily guarded as most research that goes on inside are government-funded and classified, but tours are open to the public.
• Follywood Sign - Like Castle Mugg, the Follywood sign has become an international culture icon, used to denote Fulfwotz in all forms of media. It was built by the entertainment company of the same name in 1979, and
• Fulfspyre
• Grand Fulfwotz Terminal
• Hoppe Home
• Seaside Gardens
• St. Flafbenz Holy Cathedral
• Trinity Candle