Mushroomica

Mushroomica is an ancient city-state on a mushroom island in northeast Eldham, founded on June 31st, 2021. In recent years it's been built up into a thriving port city metropolis and capital for the Mushroomicanian Federation, under the rule of its Trade Prince, Misha (Stabbr8) Silvertongue.

Foundation and Conquest
Mushroomica was founded by Chrispytitan and DiggerO, on June 31st, 2021. Soon after, Mushroomica began construction of a island castle fort called Brauguard, headed by DiggerO.

To the east, the Grand Duchy of Rhineland declares war on the island micronation on August 11th, 2021. Their bureaucracy saw the fort was near their coast. They feared it could be used to invade the Rhineland capital. Despite the small country's odds, Chrispytitan refuses to back down, and commissions an engineer named Misha to construct a better fort. But the war, quick and brutal, ended in Rhineland's subjugation of the island. Chrispytitan, already half-mad from long-term exposure to corruptive Nether flora, locked himself in a tower of the infamous Blackstone Palace, never to be seen again.

Misha settled down in Mushroomica in the aftermath. Several days of post-war conferences happened between Mushroomica and Rhineland, giving Misha a chance to demonstrate his diplomatic prowess. By the end of the conferences, Mushroomica became a semiautonomous vassal state.

Mainland Vassals
The island started to use Rhineland’s resources to start several projects. The biggest of which was a land bridge connecting the two islands of Mushroomica into one. Later, Misha took over Mushroomican leadership due to being the most active member in government. His ascension ushered a period of development, progress, and activity.

On November 3rd, 2021, Rhineland reforms into the Scribe Dynasty of Zhon. But despite the changes made to its government, the mainland remained stagnant for a while. Mushroomica decided to fully integrate into Zhon around this time, and so Misha formally joined bureaucracy. Soon, Misha established the Mushroomican Whaling Company, bringing trade and activity to the region.

As the ages passed, and Zhon continued to stagnate, Mushroomica became its most active region. The ethnic minority, once vassals, started to dominate the economy. Unbeknownst to Zhon, Misha was also preparing weapons, armor, and fortifications for an eventual revolution, if ever the opportunity presented itself for his state to secede. But as things turned out, the coup succeeded without a single drop of blood either side.

After a series of unfortunate events surrounding the topmost of Zhon's bureaucracy, Misha was chosen to carry on the torch of leadership due to his sigma-male gamer grindset and proficiency with politics. Soon, Misha “Stabber” Silvertongue was crowned as the new Trade Prince, overlord of the nation that once subjugated him.

Culture
Mushroomica has a rich, proud cultural identity created from centuries of Zhonish occupation and foreign trade. Locals have a strong nationalist pride, championing their free market, knack for business, and love of shenanigans of all kinds. For instance, it is a Mushroomican custom, when receiving gifts or borrowing items, to give back an item of equal value.

Chaotic Lawful Lawmakers
The Trade Prince focuses only on laws and policies that would turn profits and strengthen the nation. Ergo, his government, becoming an inscrutable bureaucratic labyrinth, has created something of a stereotype of Mushroomicans being good lawyers as well as good merchants.

Contracts and deals are followed exactly to the letter. Some may actually be quite simple, but the wording of them is intentionally overcomplicated and riddled with loopholes so that those not wise to the legal system get “lost in the sauce”. Legal battles are more often wars of attrition in this manner, as both sides see how far they can slog through red tape and paper trail, and how many items they can exploit.

Architecture
Early Mushroomicans built their huts by simply putting walls around a giant mushroom's cap. Houses like these are still to be found in the district of the city called the Fungal Slums. One of the oldest structures on the island is the Blackstone Palace. Built by Chrispytitan, slowly overtaken by the Nether flora, and nowadays serving as a fortress, and a prison for some of Mushroomicania's worst.

Later, with the influx of trade, the island began a period of rapid urbanization. Buildings resemble European keeps and half-timber houses, stacked together ramshackle, Some have Oriental leanings, left over from the days of Zhonish occupation.

Structures made for and by the MWC resemble Industrial Revolution-era warehouses and factories, although most of Mushroomican industry lies underground.

Religion
In ancient times, the Cult of the Spore-Mother was the most prevalent religion on the island. This was the belief that the funguses of the island were all connected by a shared mind who must be fed and appeased, lest she spread further. It's rumored that shrines to her still exist, buried in the Backrooms.

With recent urban developments and commerce, there has been a surge of small gods that act as patrons or muses to various trades, arts, and crafts. Oldest of these is Phrog, patron of builders and merchants, revered by the Trade Prince himself. One can see shrines to him scattered across the city amidst quiet gardens.

Although not strictly a religion in its own right, many superstitions surround amethysts. Locals believe they hold magical properties.

The Basements
The funguses carpeting the island break down and consume structures as time goes on, and the Mushroomicans just build over the ruins. As a result, a labyrinthine undercity has formed of all the honeycombed rooms, basements, bunkers, and mines, forgotten and buried. Nicknamed the Basements, the Labyrinth, or the Mushroomican Backrooms, the locals are used to these areas. They reuse the shallower regions for various purposes, despite the monsters and ghosts said to roam its depths.