Laria

Laria (previously named Port Crelov) is a town within the United Socialist States of Eldham located in the State of Croscograd. It is notable for it's location on the sea, packed ice subway system, winding roads, 'Rustic' architecture, and lush flora. The city's banner is a blue orchid on a white field - the favorite flower of several of the city's original chief builders.

History
The town was founded on May 31st, 2021 by a player named Kato (KatoLeAsian) centered around the small Bay of Gabeli on the island of Téntalo. Kato originally built a small, temporary base into the side of the area's cliffs and the river-woven cave that ran between both sides of the island. It was during this period that the building that would become 'The Out' (a noteworthy inn and brewery) would begin construction. One day a small tower and castle was built overnight by a player named Pietri on the top of the island's peak (much to Kato's surprise). In the following days, a player by the name of _Sorray_ joined, which ignited the rapid growth and construction of of the town. The coastal seawalls were raised around most of the island, and residential housing was built around the low-lying coast.

It was eventually connected to the cities of Staroslav and Garkogorod through a system of packed ice bridges designed to be ridden on with boats in order to achieve incredibly high speeds and make travel across the Sea of Lélo'É easier and faster. Laria's iceway station was built in the hollow of the hill which used to be Kato's temporary base.

A wall with two spired towers was raised along the width of the island after several houses were built. However, the town continued to grow past this initial protective wall. The wall marked the line between what is now called the 'Old City' and the 'New City'.

In the area of the New City, large scale developmental projects were undertaken. This included the construction of two new residential districts, an open market square, the Great Library of Sorray, the Evergreen Cafe, the Bagel Inn, and Citizen Hall (a courthouse) - all built upon hand terraformed land.

The week of July 4-10, 2021 marked a devastating series of events that drastically affected the city and her citizens. Early in the week, the USSE's northern neighbors - colonies of Vanakunir - repeatedly showed aggression towards the nation, which eventually spiraled into the Kunir War. Over the course of this fateful week, a seemingly minor and accidental border misunderstanding erupted into a war in which the warmongering leader of Vanakunir decided to annex the majority of USSE territory simply because he could. In the hours before the official war was to begin, the battle location was changed from Kunir to Laria - which left virtually no time for the city to be prepared for a siege.

The Battle of Gabeli Bay was fought on July 8th, and ended in a Vanakunir victory. Vast swaths of USSE land were claimed and annexed in a spontaneous, last minute decision by the leader of Vanakunir, which included the city of Laria - which wasn't originally within contested land at all. This came as a great shock to the citizens of the USSE, and especially to the residents of Laria. The land was then purchased by Welpish. Many of the residents of Laria were disheartened and fatigued from the events of that fateful week. These events also happened to coincide with real life matters of several of the town's leaders, which forced their inactivity. Many residents moved out, and those that remained were relatively inactive.

In one last build project before the official transfer of ownership, Kato and Sorray built a monument just outside the icy cave which first attracted Kato to the location originally. On July 9th, they built two monolithic statues wielding pickaxes. This monument was named 'The Builders', and was built in dedication and gratitude to the original builders and citizens (i.e. those from before the Kunir War) that were responsible for the majority of the city's construction, growth, and culture.