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 3 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

A Lilladonian painting of Castle Mugg, along with several Faunite nobles, in the Fulfwotz Museum of Antiquity.

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 237-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

Now a legitmate Empire, the New Sammichian Empire began a campaign of consensual annexation (usually augmented by bribes or threats), and repairing relations with nations formerly aligned with the Liberators. The city itself experienced a massive amount of growth post-war; all boroughs aside from Fulfwotz Proper and Pinecone Village were not present until after 1929. Fulfwotz became a global economic powerhouse, but during this time entered the Decadence, a period which lasted from the early 1930's and arguably still continues today. During this time, the already unethical nature of the Empire was enhanced as crime skyrocketed in the city and the Fulfwotz Aristocracy began infiltrating the Chancellory to promote their policies. The era also saw the rise of the film industry, which until the late 1920's had only existed as silent films. Fulfwotz became a popular spot for the industry, because at the time, the camera technology used to film was patented in the Central Shire, but they could not reach the far-flung city. The weather was also optimal; warm and sunny, it compensated for the camera's inability to shoot in dark areas. It became the capital of the film industry, and the first film studio, Calpernia Pictures, was opened in 1932.

The 50's were spotted with the development of wide-scale organized crime within the city, most notably the Xan Clan, or the Cattivo family. An assortment of gangs began carving poorer areas of Fulfwotz into territory. Such activity was fueled by the almost nonexistent gun policies and an arguably ineffective police force. Scheming lasted until the late 1960's, when the Second Plague began spreading across the Shire.

Second Plague

The plague, which originated from Athitica, rampaged through the Shire, killing and infecting a vast amount of Shirefolk. Fulfwotz was relatively quick to act, shutting down its borders and imposed a quarantine on the entirety of the outside world. Researchers at DePrey Institute were compelled to remain inside the building and work on a vaccine utilizing their invaluable and advantageous resources. The city was successful in preventing its contamination for a while, but it soon fell after migratory birds carrying the ''Yersinia Pulex'' strain migrated to the Demmatrodine Region and infected Fulfwotz. Full-blown anarchy ravaged Fulfwotz after Emperor Sammich was evacuated, and an estimated 2 million were killed in Fulfwotz alone (about half of its population at the time). Scientists locked inside DePrey Institute worked tirelessly to develop the cure to Yersinia Pulex. The creation of the vaccine was a memorable instance of international cooperation and teamwork, as the participating scientists came from nations all over the Shire. The cure was successfully engineered and distributed across the Shire by airlifting them via specialized handling teams in 1970.

Fulflet Coup

In 1991, the New Imperial Communist Administration (NICA), an independent political faction under the leadership of Cedon Wexfield, covertly gained support amongst the lower class in Fulfton. On May 12th, in the poorer areas of the city, an uprising was orchestrated, assisted by an unidentified paramilitary group believed to be hired by NICA. Taken by surprise, and with most Fulfwotz Imperial Guard forces absent on exercises, NICA, the paramilitary group, and NICA-aligned citizens easily targeted and stormed various important government centers throughout the city, such as the Chancellory, the IIA Headquarters, DePrey Institute, and Castle Mugg. Many officials and citizens fled the city, but by sunrise Fulfwotz was placed under complete lockdown and communications with the Shire were severed.

In the two months that communications from Fulfwotz remained silent, it was revealed from Fulflet documents that government officials who remained in the city and members of the Fulfwotz Aristocracy were executed, and other dissenters were sent to secretly-constructed work camps deep within the Demmatrodine Region.

Geography

See also: Demmatrodine Region

Cityscape

Fulfwotz is divided into seven distinct boroughs, many of which were independent communities before being annexed into Fulfwotz. These boroughs are then further split into districts, usually based around one distinguishing feature (e.g. Foie Gras Opera House in the Theater District).

The city is split into the following boroughs: Fulfwotz Proper, Feverly Hills, Pinecone Village, Veneziana, Frentwood, Fulfton, and Sandy Springs.

Overview

Due to the age of the city, the roads are laid out in a winding and irregular pattern, which easily span the rugged and hilly terrain. Like almost all other cities in the Shire, Fulfwotz has never adapted to the use of automobiles and continues to be a pedestrian city, although many Fulfwotzians own scooters or mopeds to traverse the city; the intracity railway is also utilized to cross larger distances.

The city is probably best known for its established and homogenous half-timber structures, which have lasted since Lilladonian times and continue to exist as the preferred building style. Some buildings in the Oldetown district of Fulfwotz Proper date over 2,000 years old, being remarkably preserved and updated with modern amenities. Fulfwotz also lacks buildings of considerable height; it is rare to see one over 200 feet tall, though many fall between 100 and 200 feet tall. The tallest structure in the city would be Castle Mugg, which stands at 246 feet. While no height limit is enforced, many worry that the uniform motif of Fulfwotz wouldn't translate well to a skyscraper. Especially in Fulfwotz Proper, buildings are constructed with minimal amount of space in between, resulting in a congested and densely-populated center; there is little room for outward expansion within the Seraphina Valley.

Landmarks

Major landmarks within Fulfwotz include Castle Mugg, Saint Flafbenz Holy Cathedral, Abyssinia Hotel, Sammintology Headquarters, Merchants' Market, Peddler's Way, Foie Gras Opera House, the Follywood Sign, the High Chancellor's Mansion, The Colossus, Cabraxte Cinema, DePrey Institute, the Fulfspyre, and Watchtower Hill, among others.

Topography

Fulfwotz lies in the coastal basin of Seraphina Valley, which is surrounded on three sides by the Alturas-Santos mountains, and Enderfulf Bay on the last. Within the valley are two smaller hills; Watchtower Hill (124 feet), and Wormwood Hill (156 feet). Fulfwotz Proper is divided by the Fulfwotz River, while the conflux of the Ichor and Arriviste Rivers seperate Veneziana from Feverly Hills. The highest point in the city is Mount Seraphaho (10,340 feet).

Flora and Fauna

Fulfwotz is home to many different biomes and habitats, such as beaches, mountains, shrubland, and desert. A distinguishing feature of the city is the presence of towering Demma colerica, or Colerica Palms. Native to the Demmatrodine Region, the palms are protected by the SEA due to their susceptibility to the Seraphaho Whelsk, an invasive tree-boring insect. Fulfwotz Fan Palms are also a common sight, along with arid oak and coral trees. Due to microclimate phenomena, in the cooler areas of Pinecone Village and Frentwood, the Athitican Pine is common. At Laurelian Park in Veneziana, Laurelian Cherry Blossoms were imported from the city. Coastal sage scrub is also very prevalent in less dense areas of the city.

Geology

Due to the nearby Sravasti fault line, Fulfwotz experiences a large amount of seismic activity, averaging about 8,000 very minor earthquakes annually. Seismic activity is intensified with the presence of Mt. Wrath, the largest volcano in the Shire which sits at the opposite end of the Demmatrodine Region, but close enough to cause minor tremors. Most of the earthquakes are too small to be felt, but in 1944 a 6.7 magnitude quake shook the city, causing sizable damage to Fulfwotz Proper. Up until the installation of protective walls that allow the mouth of the harbor to be sealed, and the expansion of the Enderton Peninsula via land reclamation, tsunamis also posed a threat to the inner Enderfulf Bay.

Climate

Fulfwotz is known for the natural microclimate phenomena, meaning areas close in proximity to one another experience different weather and average different temperatures, leading to an altered climate. This is evident in Fulfwotz Proper, where the average temperature in the month of July is 83 degrees Fahrenheit, while over the Alturas-Santos mountains in Pinecone Village, it averages only 72 degrees. Frentwood also recieves a larger amount of annual rainfall than the rest of the city, in which rain is a rare occurrence. In general, however, Fulfwotz has a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate and experiences a large amount of annual sunshine, with only about 40 days a year with any measurable precipitation. In the summer months (roughly June to September), Fulfwotz is subject to a thin layer of fog in the early morning hours and overcast skies, which usually give way to sunshine by afternoon.

Due to the very little rain the city receives and salt content of Enderfulf Bay, freshwater is scarce and the construction of the Aguarica Aqueduct was necessary to sustain the city's needs. Originally, it was fed by natural underground springs under Sandy Springs, but when the salt content of the water increased, the aqueduct was modified and 200 miles were built on. It is now fed by Aphrodite's Lake, the largest body of freshwater in the Demmatrodine Region.

Environmental Issues

Fulfwotz is a victim of the problematic Demmatrodine Whelsk, a tree-boring invasive insect which eats Colerica palms from the inside, leaving a hollow tree that eventually dies. The palms can collapse afterwards, causing damage to structures in the vicinity. Since 2009, the city has been taking aggressive steps to eradicate the whelsks. In 2014, it was reported that the number of trees found hollowed out had decreased by 59%. Researchers project total whelsk eradication in the area by 2020.

Fulfwotz was also an area of poor air quality (which has improved drastically within the last 50 years). Throughout the 1800's and well into the 1900's, Fulfwotz was a global manufacturing hub, chosen for its few laws regarding regulation and its cheap labor, along with its substandard workers' rights policies. Mainly in Frentwood, factories emitted large amounts of CO2 into the air, but this was ended in 1954 with the ratification of the Fulfwotz Fresh Air Act (FFAA) by the Emperor, funded by both the city and the SEA. Now with heavy laws regarding environmental quality, the industrial sector began leaving Fulfwotz for other cities while other factories were driven out of business because Fulfwotz consumers refused to purchase non-eco-friendly products and services. Even Burton & Barclay Manufacturing, a textile-producer since 1889, was forced to close its doors in 1982 after such policies were imposed. Today, Fulfwotz is among the most environmentally-conscious cities in the Shire.

Demographics

According to the most recent 2015 census, Fulfwotz has a population of 2,819,359. 35% of those people are younger than 18, while 18% are older than 65. The median age in Fulfwotz is 32.8 years. For every 100 females, there are 98.7 males. The median household income of the city is $52,311, with 26% of the population living below the imperial poverty line. 58% of the population identified with a religion, while the remaining 42% did not, making Fulfwotz among the most areligious cities in the Shire. About 46% of Fulfwotzians are not in a committed relationship or practicing monogamy.

Race and ethnicity

Fulfwotz is a very diverse city with citizens from all over the Shire and speaking a multitude of different languages. The most spoken languages in the city are English (71%), Spanish (19%), German (11%), and a cluster of other languages which form the remainder. The city has been a long-time destination for immigrants, with the boroughs of Feverly Hills and Veneziana being first established by Caffan and Venezian immigrants, respectively. Immigrants flock to the city due to the abundance of jobs and the relatively simple immigration process into the city.

As of 2015, the racial makeup of Fulfwotz includes 46% Sammichian, 38% Human, 7% Laurelii, 5% Enderian, 3% Acadian, and 1% Enpeecee. The Sammichian race makes up the largest portion of the city due to it being colonized and under the control of the Old Sammichian Empire and then the predominantly-Sammichian Kingdom of Fulfwotz for centuries, along with most of the Empire's highest-ranking officials and prominent figures being of Sammichian descent. The Enpeecee race, which makes up the smallest part of the population, was involved in the 1990 Fulfwotz Race Riots, which followed the organized assassination of 12 Enpeecee Chancers. The Enpeecee race has a history of being discriminated against within the city, due to long-lasting animosity by various powerful gangs and after "goin' out and being a hooboi snitch out on big Baby Blue", said an anonymous letter mailed to Chancer Wanda Tourmalino with anthrax powder inside. Baby Blue is the de facto leader of the Frentwood Blues, a street gang. The context of the letter is still unknown.

Religion

Of the practiced faiths in Fulfwotz, the Orthodox Sammichian Trinity (commonly shortened to Ortho) is the most prevalent, followed by Christianity and various other Traditional Faiths. The city has the most dense Ortho following, and also features one of only three Ortho houses of worship in the Shire, Saint Flafbenz Holy Cathedral. The city is known for its surge in new-age religions and cults following the trail of the Second Plague, most of which went out of practice several years later. Among these religions was the controversial Church of Sammintology, which has a small following in the Shire but massive financial resources due to the very monetary-centric structure of the religion. The Church maintains its headquarters in Feverly Hills. Aside from Sammintology, other cults still function today, such as The Following of Tukmaihl, Zendimensions, Harbinger's Slaves, and the South Beach Diet.

With approximately 1,200,000 Fulfwotzians who do not practice any religion, Fulfwotz is considered the most areligious city in the Shire. This statistic lends the city one of its many nicknames, "City of Sin". The lack of religion also might explain the arguably immoral and corrupt nature of the city and its government. The rate of practicing Fulfwotzians has decreased from 78% in 1980, and continues to fall. Researchers predict that by 2030, only 20.7% of the city will identify with a religion.

The city has been known to emphasize and enforce secularism, the practice of keeping matters of church and state separate. The Ortho High Priest may not involve himself in any government affairs, and any member of the Chancellory caught preaching religious convictions in an attempt to promote policies in the interest of their faith is either barred from the Chancellory or demoted.

Economy

Fulwotz's economy is dominated by the entertainment industry, along with the fashion, tourism, research, medicine, tech, and regulated narcotic industries. Not only does the nonaddictive drug sector serve the Fulfwotz populace, but is imported to other cities that share the same non-prohibitive policies regarding the use and sale of drugs.

The city is home to some of the Shire's most famous film studios, including Follywood Studios (a subsidary of the Follywood Entertainment Company), Thoroughfare Productions, Cabraxte Pictures, Telleva Features, and Calpernia Pictures, the oldest movie company in the Shire.

While the city holds the second-largest port in its empire, the port is rather small for a city of its size; the coastline's natural geography and Enderfulf Bay do not allow expansion of the docks. Most commodities are imported/exported via the trans-Shire railway on cargo trains. Most sea cargo for the Empire instead enters Caffa. The city's imports include alcohol, freshwater, computers, aerospace technology, fur, and lumber; some of its exports include jewelry, clothing, medicine, film, music, sandstone, and narcotics. The city is a member of DFTA, the Demmatrodine Free Trade Agreement, which prohibits tariffs and protects trade across the Demmatrodine Region.

Like its parent empire, Fulfwotz is known for a very laissez-faire and capitalistic form of economy and general rule. Government involvement is very low, with established businesses only required to pay a business tax and to 'mind the environment'. This is the preferred system both for Sammichian sentiments and to promote business in the city. Because of this, Fulfwotz has altered from a global manufacturing center to a global business center, housing the headquarters of some of the Shire's largest companies. Manufacturing is still active, but through underground sweatshops notorious for labor abuses. The city is ranked as an Alpha global city.

Culture

Fulfwotz is known as the creative capital of the Shire, since every one in six residents works in some sort of creative industry, such as film or stand-up comedy, and there have been more artists, actors, writers, filmmakers, dancers, musicians, and comedians operating and living in the city than any other place in the Shire throughout history. It is commonly referred to as the city 'to be discovered in'. Pop culture is very important to the values and citizens of Fulfwotz, with the affairs of celebrities as major conversational points. Fulfwotz is scheduled for events and shows year-round, with the energetic Technostrasse music festival, the Bobbles Award Show, Empire Day, and Homage Week all recurring celebrations in the city, among many others.

Fulfwotz is often romanticized as the 'city of stars', and where many aspiring actors or musicians come to get discovered; but the reality is that the majority of the hopefuls remain obscure or undiscovered figures of Fulfwotz society. In 2011, a celebrity secret society was discovered that had been purposely tainting the careers of rising stars to maintain their notoriety.

The city is also infamous for its culture of crime, with areas such as Fulfton and Sandy Shores being divided into territory for feuding gangs who hold large amounts of influence. In general, Fulfwotz has an unwritten rule that if someone is not useful to you or cannot be used to advance your own position, they should be cut off.

Government

The city of Fulfwotz is under the jurisdiction of the New Sammichian Empire, and serves as its capital city and center of government. The Emperor resides in Castle Mugg, the oldest structure in the city, while the second branch of the government, the Sammichian Imperial Chancellory, is located in the large complex of the same name. The city is led by the High Chancellor, who presides over the Chancellory Council and is regarded as the second most powerful person in the Empire. The current one is High Chancellor Kiera C. Krugerrand, who began her term in 2012.

The different boroughs of the city are allotted a Borough Council compromised of 9 elected members, led by an alderman. The seven different councils also form the Chancellory Assembly, along with the councils of other imperial territories. The current aldermen for the boroughs include:

• Celine Chargaff, Fulfwotz Proper
• Desmond Ceppides, Feverly Hills
• Norman Windtuck, Pinecone Village
• Lois Duthram, Veneziana
• Octavia LeCommode, Frentwood
• Hal Perkins, Sandy Shores
• Vita Cattivo, Fulfton

Borough Council members are elected by those living within the area, while Aldermen are chosen from the councils by the High Chancellor. This power has been frequently used to promote self-interest within the Assembly. Borough Council members serve for life, along with the Aldermen, however every six years an event called the Grand Sextennial Inquisition, an inspection of the councils and the aldermen conducted by the High Chancellor and his deputies, is initiated. If that six years proved to be a productive, dynamic, and prosperous time for that council, they are kept until the next Inquisition, and so forth. If not, the entire council is dismissed and new members are reelected. Those dismissed are placed in a 12-year probationary period, not allowed to serve or hold any government position. There has not been a recurring term after an Inquisition since 1928. The next one is scheduled for 2018.

Crime

Fulfwotz is commonly called the crime capital of the Shire; it has the highest crime rate in the world, mainly driven by gang violence. A study conducted by DePrey Institute Department of Sociology in 2012 concluded that for every 10,000 people in Fulfwotz, approximately 1,982 have either been arrested, committed a crime, or aligned themselves with a criminal organization. Fulfwotz did not always have such a deplorable reputation; crime only experienced such a spike in the 1930's and onwards during the period known as the Decadence. During this time, corruption and misconduct spread through the city, fueled by the introduction of radically-autonomous policies by Emperor Sammich and a sense of long-suppressed thrill. Crime spiked a staggering 348%, which prompted the augmentation of the Fulfwotz Imperial Guard from a simple city-wide policing force to a well-equipped law enforcement agency. Since the 1930's, crime has not decreased and is only becoming a larger problem in the city.

Gang Violence

Some parts of Fulfwotz are controlled by feuding gangs who frequently attack and kill one another for more territory and clients. In areas like Fulfton, Frentwood, and Sandy Shores, life under gang authority has become the usual. Some of the city's largest gangs include:

• The Xan Clan, a Fulfton street gang that has transformed into the largest crime syndicate in the Shire, with over 5,600 members worldwide and massive financial resources.
• The Frentwood Blues, a violent anti-Enpeecee gang that is led by the radical and bizarre boss Baby Blue.
• The Dune Kings, who dominate Sandy Shores with a large arsenal and their trademark white humvees.
• The Davis Angels, known for nighttime raids on Fulfton homes and strongly connected to the Black Market.
• The Senora Brotherhood, rivals with the Dune Kings, and famous for running the largest prostitution ring in the city.
• The Hornets, sworn enemies to the Davis Angels and feared for their brutal devotion to revenge.

Gangs like the Frentwood Blues and Davis Angels speak in a language called Kamtam, a compound of English, Spanish, and Thrennexian, to maintain secrecy under FIG scrutiny and while in prison. Gang life is often glorified in the media, as a fair amount of Fulfwotz musicians and actors were involved in gangs during their upbringing, yet the truth can be far from that.

In 1984, Fulfton rapper Tang-E, a former Davis Angel, was recording a new album at his studio in Venezia Beach. His girlfriend at the time, BB Shaundi, had been in a relationship with Hornet Trey Vesper, unbeknownst to Tang-E. Trey Vesper knew of Tang-E's former affiliation and reportedly pressured BB to kill him, to prevent Tang-E's fame from being associated with their rival gang. Finally, on April 13th, BB and Trey entered the studio both wielding Uzi 9mm submachine guns. They opened fire on Tang-E and his producers, killing all eight people in the studio before FIG could arrive. Afterwards, Trey shot BB sixteen times in the abdomen, and stole the tape that had recorded both Tang-E's song and the entire altercation. It is rumored to be played during Hornet ceremonies.

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