Lavender Star

Lavender Star was a Statesman, Writer and Diplomat from the city of Manzig. An ardent Humanist, the Democratic Socialist ideology of "Lavenderism" was strongly associated with him and his time as the Left Opposition in the U.S.S.E. He also amassed and administered over one of the largest and most extensive collections of books and arts in Eldham in The Academy. He is widely viewed as having popularized Pan-Serronaism. He wrote the legal code and the constitution of Manzland.

On the Year 145 he left Eldham on a Rocket and returned, discovering the new planet dubbed "Liberty I". He also went a bit insane.

Becoming elected as Manz after Manzland voted to join the Vulperium as a puppet Duchy, he launched an ill thought out coup in an attempt to create an Independent Manzland after a popular referendum for freedom failed. Jailed and deposed, Lavender committed suicide during his trial, drinking a bottle of poisoned Absinthe.

Childhood
Born on a small farmstead in Batu to illiterate parents, Lavender was a sickly child who spent much of his childhood stuck in bed. He hated roughhousing and the "really dumb" games played by the other children. In hushed tones, his parents fretted over what they were to do with this deathly frail little child they were to give purpose.

Uncertainty bred anxiety, anxiety bred fear. With yet another bout of severe illness and a failing harvest, they had sealed his fate. At the age of 11, Lavender was sold to a wealthy Vulpinian estate and shipped off to Tildivul to be some nobleman's or noblewoman's servant.

He picked it up fast, he had to, with each burnt loaf or spot on the floor he was hit with a cane. Despite the odds, he thrived. By age 16 he'd become the assistant of the household's servant master. He'd miraculously learned how to read, curling up in bed burning the midnight oil while receiving lessons from a sympathetic Paige. Armed with this gift, he took to reading with a devote fanaticism.

In his reading, he discovered a book his mistresses had brought with her after she went with a delegation to visit Laria. She'd found the text repulsive and ordered Lavender to burn it. He kept it. It was a beautiful thing, with a crimson spine and bloody hard cover. It's golden letters shone. "Dei'Dakoroto: Xeroise Ronango'O". He was hypnotized by the practically holy words of the book. It spoke of failure and triumph, of death and kinship, of struggle and of revolution.

It spoke of Socialism.

The very next night, the young ideolog leapt out the window onto the neighboring thatch roof, then the next, then the next. Shouts. The steely trampling of slavery approaching. A dive into the canal. Hours. The 19 year old woke up awash on the shore of Manzig.

Manzig and the U.S.S.E
Shuddering and shaking, Lavender was mercifully taken into the small seaside town by its Mayor; Mandes (lovingly referred to as “Bone-Man”). The quaint cobbled paths and towering Guildhouse possessed an enchanting beauty and an aura of magnificence that was unrivaled by any other city he’d ever seen. Admittedly he’d only really ever seen one other city in his life, but that's besides the point! Manzig was special.

Being led through the city’s back alleys and winding paths, he was given lodgings in an abandoned underground mine turned apartment complex dubbed “The-Crap-Hole” by Manzig residents. After asking to speak to The-Crap-Hole’s home owner association (there wasn’t one) he settled down into his cold bed and thought of what he could possibly do to contribute to such an already great city. In his tour he noticed to his great sorrow that Manzig didn’t have a library. When Mandes met Lavender the next day, Bone-Man was handed a messily written stack of papers with a shoddily bound cover reading: “SONG AND STRUGGLE, VOLUME 1”

Books and Travels
With that, Lavender started his work with a fanaticism rarely seen in Serrona. Having built a small little library in Serrona, he began a journey of the entire continent, from Laria to Sparport. He saw everything from a cult devoted to crossing the barrier to abandoned imperial capitals, met kings and peasants, raiders and conquers. All the while, he made maps and kept a diary of his travels, both proudly displayed in the Manzig Library.

After these travels and the friends he made, he'd become a U.S.S.E diplomat for Nova Azcoria and Vulpinia. He struggled and toiled incredibly to try to create a Pan-Serronan Confederation which ultimately fell flat because of a striking combination of unflinching stubbornness and a War.

Until the annexation of Nova Azcoria, Lavender played a small role as a member of the Worker Party of Azcoria and developed a close friendship with its leader; Gunk. After a Military Dictatorship took power, Lavender participated in the failed WPA putsch to the parliament, watching Gunk die and losing sight in his left eye after surviving a attack from Korulein. Together with Fredrich Redinia, Lavender Buried Gunk in the Manzig Graveyard.

Lavender also rapidly became the foremost collector and archivist of books In Serrona, compiling collections from Serronans (as well as a generous donation from a A.W.E refugee) into the largest collection on Serrona, if not all of Eldham.

Career in politics.
After he finished his tour of Serrona, Lavender ran for the National Assembly, hungry to put all of that theory he learned in his youth to create a better world.

After a minor bribery scandal, Lavender skimmed his way into getting a seat. With the same fury he had in his writing, he dedicated himself into rapidly becoming the most active member in the National Assembly.

In his two terms he tackled a frankly absurd amount of issues through bills and referendums. One day he'd ban slavery in the country, the next he'd make food a right, the day after that he'd establish a national bank and budget all the while drafting a bill billing bill to ensure all of these bills were being discussed sufficiently. The fact that there weren't any slaves, starving citizen, economic criseses or administration to support a national bank was irrelevant.

During his tenure, he served as the catalyst for the left opposition in the National Assembly, creating a Democratic Socialist reformist movement known as "Lavenderism", advocating for a Pan-Serronan Confederation, greater political freedom and centralizing the economy around Consumer and Worker CO-OPs. A particular source of attack from him was the Xeroism; the dominant ideology of the U.S.S.E which advocated for a Vanguardist Authoritarian Communist Party to secure the U.S.S.E.

In a interview he gave to the Red Star; he justified his reasoning:

"Above theoretical models, above ideology and above vague notions of "Revolution", I am a staunch and irrevocable believer of Democracy; the Idea of a Res Publica, that organized Society (political and economic) should be run on the basis of mass participation. Every sentient being has an inalienable right to self determination, in Government or in the Workplace. THAT is why I am a Socialist. Democracy."

General Secretary Chelovek Serebra at the time called Lavender the person who single handedly gave him the greatest volume of headaches. He was quite proud of that fact.

Far less proud he was of his two failed election bids for General Secretary.

Lavenderism and the Executive Branch
The first time he was inexperienced, it was really his fault, he quit the race after only a week due to failing health and the sheer popularity of the incumbent Chelovek.

The second time he was far more upset about it. Running a competent campaign on the principles of Lavenderism he was undercut at every step. The opposing candidate Van'la had the endorsement of Chelovek because of their exceptionally similar policies. Same old same old. Supporters of Van'la started a leaflet campaign, mass printing shoddy and crude personal Jabs against him and Lavenderism.

When he started to print his own painstakingly designed posters, they were at first just plastered over but then torn down. To make things worse, the General Secretary "accidentally" poured gasoline on the Manzig printing press and dropped a lit match next to it, burning all of his campaign posters.

With his health failing once again, Lavender withdrew from the race and resigned from all political office despite pleas from both his allies and opponents.

Van'la threatened to withdraw from the race if her supporters didn't stop sliding campaign leaflets under Lavender's door at night.

The Academy
After his fall from grace, Lavender once again dedicated himself to the arts.

With the kind donations of friends from all over the U.S.S.E, he built what he hopes to become the catalysis of all culture and art in Eldham; a towering granite behemoth that he very humbly dubbed: "The Lavenderist Academy".

With time, the Academy rapidly grew. Scholars across Serrona, across Eldham flocked to its Library and its halls, some of whom decided to stick around to see where this whole thing was going. Scores of talented Artists, Brewers, Engineers and Writers made residence under the Academy's roof, working on commissions for foreign patrons or for the Academy itself.

Besides the scores of the talented hippie types, the Academy was also home to S.M.A.R.T.I; "The Semi Mechanical Automatic Redstone Tyrant Insulter" . While excavating an area under the Academy, Lavender and the chief Redstone engineer Maeve found a small colony of extraordinarily smart ants living in a crystal geode. In exchange for a frankly offensive amount of cake per day, the Engineer managed to coax the ants into performing basic computer operations; together forming the super computer S.M.A.R.T.I.

S.M.A.R.T.I Hosted a bi weekly radio show called "Free Serrona Radio", documenting the goings on of the continent with signature sarcastic wit. Unfortunately, tired of a diet of cake, the Ants have henceforth gone on strike for tiny plates and cutlery to eat the cake with, something Lavender never found a blacksmith willing to make.

Through tireless work, Lavender took an already strong collection of books and raised it into magnificence. Thanks to the kind generosity of some and shrewd cultural exchanges with others, Lavender managed to turn the Library into the second largest Library in Eldham and the Largest Library available to the general public. An unfortunate side effect of this success is that Lavender found himself devoting most of his days to the soul crushing tasks of organizing, cataloging and labeling books.

But the look on people's faces? That combination of curiosity and awe when they first enter and browse the Library? It made it all worth it.

The Second Great Humiliation
Lavender had read about The Kunir war and the great Humiliation in cankered scripture and dusty books. He'd never thought he'd have to live through something like it.

It was devastating. Barbossan pirates utterly defeated the U.S.S.E in the open field, leaving Manzig and the territory of Manzland at threat of invasion because of incompetent Foreign Policy.

What was to be done?

He'd be twice hired and twice fired as the commissioner of culture of the U.S.S.E, fired by one word telegraph message. Lavender tapped out replies to his charges of espionage and treason for a week at the telegraph office. The next week a message came through.

''MESSAGE. RECEIVED. SEND. TWO. CRATES. OF. HEALTH. POTIONS. AND. WILL. BE. REINSTATED.''

He managed to avoid paying the bribe.

What was to be done?

Lavender knew that the U.S.S.E was dying. The once vibrant National Assembly stagnated and died, commissioners bickered and insulted but only stood in the way of one another. Fatally, though Lavender did respect her personally, Van'la had plunged the nation and their people into misery and chaos.

If you asked two citizens where she went wrong you'd get 3 different answers. But everyone did in fact agree that something went demonstrably wrong. Lavender blamed communication, or rather the lack thereof.

It was to be done.

The Strike
After a night of mournful drinking in the Black Flag tavern, Lavender, Ursa, Bone Man and Fredrich (all admittedly quite inebriated) decided to start the long rocky road to a free independent Manzland. Though the province had lost a lot in wars and in National Donations, Manzland still stood as an industrial bastion of the U.S.S.E, with it’s EXP farm providing much of the Nation’s wartime economy.

The Daily worker commuters from Kazkaya were just as surprised as some of the workers of Manzig who weren’t in on the whole affair to find that the Manzig Pit was boarded up. Bright Lavender leaflets with the fateful bright white speckled letters on them. “THE MANZLAND GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES A STATE OF GENERAL STRIKE”

There of course was outrage, insults, vitriol. No other workers had worked for the oh so long 78 hours straight the Telegraph workers did during the crisis before or since then. It seemed for a moment that all was doomed, that armed conflict was inevitable between the two brotherly states.

Yet on that fateful day, the die of humanity rolled favorably.

Talks were held. Cooler heads prevailed. Manzland and the U.S.S.E stand proud.

A new dawn stood.

Liberty Day
A modest audience huddled around the podium in Liberty park. Piercing rays of sunshine broke through the dense leaves of the Oak trees dotted around the greenery.

The crowd was rowdy and giddy. Flushed faces dotted the treeline as people downed bottle after bottle. There would be no more good drink in Manzland for weeks after.

As dusk arrived, Lavender took the stage.

''“Two Score and 7 years ago our Klossenfell Brothers brought forth on this continent, an old nation. Now we stand here once again as a nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all Manz are created equal.”''

''“We were engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. The Manzig Graveyard has now been fitted to honor those who gave their lives so that this nation may live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.”''

''“But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate this ground. The brave Souls, Klossenfell and Manz, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.”''

“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under Tim, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Serrona!”

“Viva la Manzland!”

Manzland was free. It was liberated not by blood or steel, but with song and joy.

Life after Life
With the creation of a Manz State, Lavender regained some of the lost optimism that faded in his disillusionment with the U.S.S.E.

He picked up where he left off with his legislative work, seeking to correct what he saw wrong with the U.S.S.E in Manzland. He successfully petitioned for and in turn created a codified system of civil rights; "The Rights of Manz and the Citizen" which would carefully limit the power of the Manz and the House of Lords over the lives of common citizens. Afterwards, he wrote the "Lex Populi"; the federal law of Manzland in a fortnight, getting it approved with a popular referendum.

He tried to run for the Manz of Manzland. Twice. Lost both times. Suppose some things just aren't supposed to be.

Lavender also set to work trying to integrate Lavenderist Socialism into Manzland with limited success. Although he managed to Introduce a Nation Wide Consumer COOP in the Academy to provide essential building materials to all at a cheap price, he was unable to stretch Democratic Self Management into the Private Sector amidst a strong minority of the house of Lords who vehemently opposed the measure. The best he could manage was a system of worker directories whose membership was completely optional.

In this time he also wrote; "Cyan Hearted", the most comprehensive history of Manzland to date.

Journey to the Cosmos
But despite the promise of Manzland, Lavender once again, sulked into despair.

What was the point? Serrona was broken and fractured beyond fixing.

To the West, the Vulperium stood poised to annex all of Serrona under the supreme executive leadership of a couple of two faced, two bit tyrants with no regard for their own people.

To the North, the Imperium ravaged small and large nations alike, beating the sacred drums of war not for the defense of the motherland nor for righting wrongs; but for personal glory.

To the East the U.S.S.E was ... well ... pretty unchanged.

He was tired of it all. Tired of trying and failing in so much of what he tried to do. Tired of the insincerity, the lies, the lack of basic Solidarity between fellow human beings. Tired of greater than life dictators who carve out a bloody desert and call it "Empire".

He was tired of it all.

So once again.

What was to be done?

Lavender took a stroll one night around the Academy, eventually ending up inside the Library. The magenta speckled glass roof gave a rosy and spectacular view of the stars above.

If he couldn't change this world, he'd change the next.

Employing all of the Academy's Scholars and Engineers, in a matter of months Lavender built a device called a "Rocket". From his digging, he knew it was once used by Entropy Fanatics in Rathnir to try to destroy the world. He now took this great weapon of war and repurposed it for creation.

On Winter of the year of 141; the Third Liberty Day of Manzland; Lavender Star took flight. With a great and terrible roar of the Void engine, the craft shot into the great sky above. Spectators followed the craft with small periscopes he had handed out for this very purpose.

Although weather Lavender survived the launch or even made it out of the atmosphere is unknown; S.M.A.R.T.I broadcasted this the final pre recorded message after he launched:

"Friends, Brothers and Sisters, Countrymen.

''30 years ago, I came to a far different Serrona than the one which stands today. Some for the better, yet unfortunately now probably much more for the worse.''

''I have seen battles, betrayal, bloody brotherly strife, and yet despite it all, I cannot help but look to the future with gleaming optimism. Tyrants fall, love conquers, peace triumphs, it is the natural way of things.''

I therefore have elected to leave you all with this; a message of hope.

''Through the hard times to come, never forget to take a moment to step away from it all. Sanity and health shouldn’t be the cost of a place in history.''

As for my last words.

My last words?

Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough!

Viva la Manzland!

Long live Democracy!

Glory.

Glory to each and everyone of you.

Farewell."

Return and Death

Return and Death
Having miraculously survived the space flight, Lavender published his diaries of the expedition dubbed: "Objectif Vida", in which he claimed to have discovered and visited a new planet with limited photographic evidence.

In his absence, the government of Manzland decided to join the Vulperium as a puppet duchy, much to the ire of Lavender. He neither liked Beastly Brock (who all those years ago conned him out of a sword worth a vast sums of money) nor did he like the Vulp Ethonationalist and Imperialist order. In his view, Manzland had thought so hard to decouple themselves from one tyrant only to bind themselves to an other. After a couple of years in quiet frustration, Lavender was elected Manz of Manzland, where upon he created a national referendum on whether or not to secede from the Vulperium. After the referendum failed by a single vote, something in him snapped. The man who had dedicated his entire career to Democracy abandoned it, quickly and secretly re-wrote the constitution of Manzland to give himself supreme executive powers and ordered the dissolution of the House of Lords and declared in a radio broadcast that he was suspending the constitution.

Save for a few personally close to him, the coup was done without any real support and was rapidly crushed by all other members of the government, with Lavender being imprisoned and sent to Aleria. Charged with treason he was to be tried and executed. To add insult to industry, his old enemy Beastly Brock was invited to view the whole affair. Entirely unwilling to participate in the kangaroo court which he created, he delivered a speech condemning everything and everyone. Traitors. Fascists. Cowards. All of them.

"People of my country, I have faith in Manzland and its destiny. Other men will overcome this dark and bitter moment when treason seeks to prevail. Go forward knowing that, sooner rather than later, the great avenues will open again where free men will walk to build a better society. Viva la Manzland! Viva La Serrona! Viva Democracy! These are my last words, and I am certain that my sacrifice will not be in vain, I am certain that, at the very least, it will be a moral lesson that will punish felony, cowardice, and treason."

Before the Bailiff was able to stop him, Lavender pulled out a a bottle of poisoned Absinthe smuggled to him by a friend and drank it. He died almost instantly.