Ovania City

Ovania City was the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Ovania in Ravenguard.

Its ruins are located on the continent of Arsine in Eldham.

Foundation
Ovania was founded on November 17, 2021 by TheOneTheseus as a colony of Malucia. After a brief period of existence, Malucia effectively dissolved due to mismanagement, and Ovania became a free city. During this period, the city took in refugees from Malucia, as well as a few of Theseus' close friends to form the core citizenship.

Growth
During and shortly after the collapse of Malucia, Ovania peaked in membership, taking in many Malu refugees to bolster its numbers. This massive boost in population caused an acceleration in the growth of the city. Entire forests were chopped in days. Hundreds of diamonds, gold bars, and ores were mined, and houses were popping up left and right. The city entered a golden age. Behind the scenes, however, TheOneTheseus hosted diplomatic talks with Ravenguard, demanding independence, spreading false information, and inciting panic, all in service to his own interests.

Theseus' Era
During the middle history of Ovania, several noteworthy events occurred. There was a massive effort put forth to terraform a huge plot of land in what was then a thick dark oak forest. Eventually, plans were put forth by Theseus to construct a grand opulent palace in the newly acquired land. The land was flattened after some days, and construction began shortly after that, overseen chiefly by one builder commissioned by Theseus.

While the palace was in its early stages of construction, a string of burglaries occurred in quick succession across the city. It was barely noticed at first. A few logs here, a few diamonds there, and a feeling that something wasn't right. The thief eventually became complacent and began stealing enchanted items and hording community materials. An investigation was launched at the behest of several citizens, until eventually the burglar's stash was revealed. A secret bunker beneath the city, lined completely with quartz blocks. He had his own personal farm, decorative trees in every corner, an industrial distillery, and countless other luxuries financed by his treachery. His stolen assets were seized, and he was banished from the city forever. After this incident, new regulations and safeguards were put forth to prevent future acts of grand theft. Minor thefts occurred for some time after that, but never on this scale again.

Theseus also began negotiations with the Iron Freeholds during this time. The Freeholds were very receptive to his diplomacy, and offered Ovania alliances and even vassalage. Theseus used his position between three major nations to influence politics in his favor and play each side against each-other. He promised to become a vassal of the Iron Freeholds if they would support him in a war against Ravenguard. He told Ravenguard that their allies were plotting to invade them. He likely appealed to other large nations to support his independence against Ravenguard. Through all this, Theseus nearly willed a war into existence using nothing but lies, deception, and manipulation.

Crisis
Though Ovania was, for a time, stable and successful, it was ultimately a product of Malucia, and the apple never falls far from the tree. On December 21, 2021, Theseus announced his resignation as emperor. He appointed ThiccMidgett to ascend the throne, and then disappeared.

The days immediately following Theseus' resignation were rough. ThiccMidgett did his best to fill the role of emperor, but he had no prior leadership experience. He had been left in the dark about all political and diplomatic circumstances. He didn't know what was happening, or what to do next. Regardless, he addressed the citizens of Ovania, sending off Theseus and inspiring hope for the future. To make matters worse, a group of Goons attacked the city, terrorized one of its citizens for hours, and made off with several pieces of valuable equipment. The very next day, Theseus returned, absconded with the majority of Ovania's wealth, and disappeared again, not resurfacing for months. The city itself was built on lies. It was never about creating a powerful city, admired by all, as Theseus said it would be. it was a resource gathering operation made to fund his own schemes to acquire more power. Theseus told many lies to many people in the pursuit of his goals, and in the end, he never faced the consequences of his actions. He merely walked away from the problems he created and rode the wave to a more powerful position in the world.

Midgett's Era
ThiccMidgett began his reign as what was then the position of emperor reluctantly. He was unsure of himself, and discouraged by the sorry state that Theseus had left the City in. Theseus' close friends left the city with him, leaving holes in the government structure and the citizenry. Over time, Midgett slowly gained experience and confidence in his new role. He recruited new people, improved the government's policies, created new policies, expanded infrastructure, and generally did his best to improve the city. He made some mistakes too, of course. One of the new citizens took advantage of his hospitality, stealing from some people's homes and selling the goods to the highest bidder. He was dealt with, and an improved security policy prevented any future thefts from occurring.

Overall, the city had been slowly growing and improving under Midgett's rule, despite the hardships and challenges he had been faced with. The palace, long left stagnant and half-finished after Theseus' departure, had started construction again at a steady pace. New citizens continued to trickle into the population, and there was generally renewed interest to see where the country would go.

The Golden Lamb
Some time into ThiccMidgett's era of leadership, a mysterious capsule seemed to have fallen from the sky and landed behind the organ house. It had a single gold block inside and unreadable text on the four sides. After some offerings, one side was deciphered, it read: "Break and bend, he makes the men. Out of greed, they take the golden lamb". Obviously very confused, the citizens left a sign asking for who did this. To their surprise a sign came back with stating "your offerings are weak, but I shall tell you. The Golden Lamb". Some days earlier a citizen had left and stated "Beware the golden lamb". This mysterious occurrence prompted wonder and astonishment among the populace. Eventually, the capsule became dormant and was reduced to a mere curiosity for passers-by to gawk at. The incident is now believed to have been a hoax.

Decline
As Midgett's rule continued, the feeling of constant progress and growth waned with each passing month. There were fewer and fewer citizens walking the streets. The military was reduced to a handful of untrained, under-equipped militiamen in the absence of any commanders. Buried under a constant barrage of paperwork, extra-national obligations, and a general feeling of stagnancy, Midgett's will to rule crumbled. Some time in mid 2022 he quietly relinquished his title, leaving HowdyDooBro and TritonDev as his dual successors. Suddenly thrust into positions of power, the two new Dukes were under a mountain of pressure. Not wanting to upset the status quo, they simply presided over the realm, keeping order as it slowly slipped into disrepair and neglect.

The Sacking of Ovania City
Late in the night, some time in January 2023, an unknown number of attackers streamed into Ovania City. The primary entry point was thought to be through a derelict mining tunnel, but judging by the poor condition of the walls, it is likely there were many additional entry points. With no military to speak of and the two Dukes away on holiday, the city was powerless to defend itself. Homes and businesses were ransacked, structures were toppled, and chaos reigned in the streets. Nearly all of the townsfolk were killed. Those that survived did not return. It is believed that the attackers were a loose group of opportunists and bandits who came to take advantage of the city's dilapidated state. There was nothing to be done. The attackers made off with the city's wealth and no one was left to rebuild. In the end, the Duke's Palace was never finished.