Laurelian
Laurelian is a major settlement located in the northeast corner of the Shire. It can be found at /warp Laurelian . Expected completion is December 2015. It can be categorized as a "Fantasy" build with its uncommon building design and material palette. Laurelian plans cover a stretch of continent with a variety of biomes and land formations.
City History
War and Famine
The city of Laurelian was founded by the few surviving refugees of the war-torn city of Modaora.
The Modaorans, who came from a distant time and galaxy, survived in peace and prosperity for what seemed like an instant and a lifetime all at once. The strength and resilience of the first generation of the Modaorans seemed to diminish in shocking speed over time. Once an entire race of brilliant scientists, the Modaorans were mere shadows of generations passed. No longer having the radical ingenuity they were once known for, the Modaorans began to suffer greatly and fall to familiar plagues of humanity; plagues of greed, power lust and apathy. Countless failed attempts to grow crops and raise animals in the barren ice region where their city stood resulted in famine and then civil war. One never knows how a people will turn when faced with certain death. The greedy and corrupt (undoubtedly influenced by their friends in Fulfwotz) first turned on the less fortunate citizens and then on each other - sealing a self-fulfilling prophecy of defeat. 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, had grown in a crack in the ice and refused to wither even during famine; even the war. This flower 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 found a new home across great masses of water and through treacherous lands. They took turns caring for the flower that they carefully picked and potted in an old boot. They vowed to leave Modaora behind in every way - even in name.
How a Single Flower Created a Nation
The Laurelian Nation named for the single Mountain Laurel who stood strong as they did, found their new home 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 Laurelians; 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. With recent completion of the Capitol District of Annapolis, Laurelian has begun 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. Further exponential economic growth is predicted for Laurelian as completion of the port and international trade district nears.
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. Their history on the Shire is less than a century young, with their earliest generations being survivors of the Modaoran MIEA crash-landing from the planet Modaora in the 92nd century Betelguise 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.
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: Lower 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.
Updates
- Annapolis - completed August 28 2015
- Laurelian Galleria in the Lake Sirena district - completed September 4 2015
References
Geographic Location
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| Midrule | 
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| Rosslyn | Emerald City |
