Laurelian

Built by: Hay - Arbiter

Laurelian is a major settlement located along the northeast of the Shire. It can be found at /warp Laurelian. Established in 1796CE, Laurelian rose from the discovery of the lush continent upon which the city was built - becoming the permanent home of the once-gypsy nation of the Laurelii.

Laurelian Temple at night.

City History

The Kindness of Strangers

The city of Laurelian was founded by the few surviving refugees of the war-torn city of Modaora. They came from a distant time and universe and survived in peace and prosperity for what seemed like an instant and a lifetime all at once.

The night of the MIEA crash landing that brought the Modaorans to The Shire was moonless and still. As the Modaoran ship tore through the Shire's atmosphere, thunderous booms echoed through valleys and blanketed over villages. The streak left in her wake was like a single brush stroke that painted over the stars. One would be challenged to call the landing a "crash" as the Modaoran MIEA ship padded down almost gracefully on the edge of a waterfall. The Modaorans scrambled to assess the damage they were sure the ship had sustained but were shocked to find only minor cosmetic damage in the form of fallen items and a some broken glass. Children were comforted by their parents as they all shuffled around, unsure of what to do next. The rest of the night was full of questions and confusion. Morning only brought more. Weeks went by as the Modaorans did their best to return life to some semblance of normalcy. None of them had ever seen a blue sky, land, birds flying. None of them had ever seen a lake or river flowing. Their lives had always been endless black skies that glittered with stars and planets. A reconnaissance team was assembled to suit up and asses the atmosphere and conditions of this strange planet that seemed almost too good to be true. Every day, for two weeks, the recon team went out at dawn and came back at sunset. Tests on local plant life, water and vegetation confirmed that the planet was atmospherically identical to their own. They were saved.

(crazy shit goes down. come back to find out what it is!)

A small band of brave Modaorans who pledged loyalty to the Modaoran code of "peace, love and prosperity" managed to rescue just 500 citizens of the 9,000 who called Modaora "home." The ice region now sits quietly, soulless and with the scars of its past winding through empty valleys and chilly mountain tops. Their beloved city was transported piece-by-piece to the middle of the ocean where it now sits eerily empty as a cautionary tale for those who doubt that what can be given in abundance can also be taken away in an instant. The Modaorans lived peacefully for almost 200 years in space but fell in just shy of 20 years on the Shire.

New Hope for a New Home

As the refugees set off on their sojourn to new lands, something very small caught the attention of a little girl no older than 8. She knelt down and moved a piece of debris to reveal the petals of a single flower. This flower, a Mountain Laurel, was the only surviving flower on a withering bush. There was a brief moment of understanding and collective hope as the group paused to watch the magic of this little girl carefully dig out the tiny part of the bush the flower lived on and replant it in a cup. They would not leave a single survivor behind, not even if that survivor was a flower. The flower and that moment would forever become the symbol of hope for the refugees.... a symbol of survival. Survival - a universally given right. A right that these survivors vowed not to die for, but to LIVE for. And not only would they survive, but they would thrive beyond any aspirations of the past.

These brave refugees traveled across great masses of water and through treacherous lands. As the gypsy band of travelers put miles between themselves and their old home, something magical happened. The pain of their past fell away and drew them closer to a past they had never known but were always tied to. Countless nights spent under clear skies, renewed their bond with the energy of the multiverse. Their alien bodies began to remember something that had been a part of their DNA and soul selves since the dawn of their own time in that distant universe 38 centuries into their own future. The older members of the gypsy refugees struggled to remember lessons learned of their alien traditions and together, as they walked with backs against the setting sun, they reincarnated traditions that were long dead. Somewhere along their 11 year journey, these hopeful refugees realized something very profound. They were no longer crash survivors. They were no longer refugees of war. They were no longer leaving home. Home was in every night they spent under moonlight. Home was in every old tradition made new. Home was in every step they took together and every tradition they made their own. They had become nameless but knew exactly who they were.

How a Single Flower Created a Nation

If anyone asked these moonlight travelers when their new lives began, no matter who it was, they would all have the same answer. Their new life began the moment one little survivor would not leave behind another little survivor - the tiny Mountain Laurel. The Laurel had become as much a part of them as any other member of the group. No longer, barely surviving on a dying bush, the Laurel thrived and had grown strong and resilient, a proper bush with brilliant bunches of deep red and pink flowers. As the nomadic gypsies grew stronger as a people and more resilient by the day, so did the Laurel bush that traveled with them.

"We are the Laurels," they would say as they all took turns caring for the bush. "We are Laurelii."

And so it was done.

The Laurelian Nation named for the single Mountain Laurel who stood strong as they did, found their new home after traveling 11 years and thousands of miles. And as their first order of business, built a great temple in its honor - in their honor. Plans for their great new nation soon followed and thus began the journey of prosperity for the Laurelii; a journey that would renew the bravery of their ancestors and utilize lessons learned from their troubled past.

Laurelian Today

Laurelian is a peaceful, neutral Nation that does not currently align with any other Empire or Nation on the Shire. Because of its status as a growing state, the Laurelian Nation's encompassing focus is achieving self-sustainability, consistent growth and a powerful economy. Out of the Capitol District of Annapolis, Laurelian carries out international goodwill with many Shire Nations - creating lasting relationships with Heads of States and granting citizenship to many Shirelings. The nation's economy has received a massive boost since the completion of the Laurelian Galleria which is open for trade among established Shirelings and shopping for Yeomen and Mavens. Exponential economic growth was achieved for Laurelian with the completion of her International port and trade district of Portsmouth and the farming district of West Gray. As the city's population grows, the need for housing has become apparent and several new housing districts will be added to the city to support her citizens.

The People of Laurelian

Ancestry

The Laurelii ancestry can be dated ~38 centuries into the Shire's future and an untold number of universes away. , The earliest generations of Laurelii were survivors of the Modaoran MIEA crash-landing from the planet Modaora in the 92nd century Betelgeuse solar system of an undetermined universal plane. Though alien, the Laurelii have many of the same physical characteristics and needs as their neighbors on the Shire with only few subtle differences. Among the most distinguishable characteristics of the Laurelii is their graceful, almost ethereal appearance which belies their surprising strength, determination and tolerance for great extremes of cold and heat. You can often find a Laureli casually enjoying sub-zero temperatures and conversely scorching heat.

Culture

The most significant part of Laurelian culture is their dedication to the power of the universe's energy. The Laurelii have a physiological relationship with this energy and their entire existence is shaped around this relationship. Because the Laurelii have an extreme physical sensitivity to the amount of solar energy on the Shire, they are nocturnal and build their nation to suit the needs of a nocturnal people. Children are taught at a very young age to meditate under the night sky and replenish and cleanse their energy source regularly. The architecture of Laurelian also reflects the connection the Laurelii wish to maintain with the night sky and heavenly bodies found in them. While they do not believe in the ideals of a named "one true God," they do follow a code of honor that can fall easily under simply being kind, fair and honest.

Adapting

The Laurelii have managed to maintain the technology brought with them from the MIEA ship and through relentless ingenuity, have been able to use their advanced technology to create sustainable power for their great nation while building with the resources and materials found locally. The Laurelii have learned to splice the few remaining crops from their MIEA stock with the crops found on the Shire. Through much trial and error, they've been able to grow crops which fits their unique needs. The Laurelii have made seafood a large part of their diet, having no taste for the meat of animals found on land. They learn more and more every day about the Shire weather patterns, seasons and climate. They've embraced oceanic travel with ships but continue to study the physics of air travel using local technology.

Census

As of January 2016, the number of Laurelian citizens was recorded to be 670,240.

Districts

Laurelian is a very young nation and grows every day. There are ten districts within Laurelian.

• Annapolis: Capitol district - /warp Laurelian
• Portsmouth: Port and International Trade district
• Blood Moon Bay: Laurelian Temple district
• Queen's Crown: Water district
• Riverbend: Mansion district
• Siren's Song: Range district
• Carpe Nocturne: Spirit Forest district
• Devil's Cane: Spirit Forest district
• Lake Sirena: Shopping and Trade district - /warp Galleria
• West Gray: Farming district

Build History

Laurelian City began as a single temple that was built in the Ice Region formerly known as Modaora. Upon completion of the Laurelian Temple, and several terraforming projects, Hay was awarded the rank of Archduchess. Upon realizing the finite amount of space Modaora had - being flanked on all sides by other regions, Hay made a bold and possibly server-breaking decision to move the massive Modaora city to the middle of the ocean and Laurelian Temple to a whole new region. It took the better part of a week to move the major builds and the infamous Hayfkave to their new homes. And the server survived without so much as a blip during the process. After the moves, massive terraforming took place to remove all traces of building footprints in Modaora and turn the Laurelian Temple's new home into a region fit for the city it would hold. A large bay was terraformed for the temple where it now sits, beautifully. Terraforming the massive land mass took a little over a week to complete. Two large rivers were carved into the East and South sides of the land to create a single continent for the city. The continent was then separated by roads into the city's districts and each district was terraformed to fit their particular needs. The first block was placed May 21 2015.

References

Hay