Flower Empire (Hub)

The Flower Empire, colloquially the Flowers, was an empire in the Hub-2 in the Winter of 17 VE. It was founded when IAmIllegal gathered people and declared a new group in the room beneath the powdered snow area of the ice island. Due to attacks by the powerful warrior Samuelle1411, the group was radicalized and it became an empire. At its peak, the Flower Empire had under its control the ice island ("the homeland"), the water sphere, the tower of the nether island, the castle and even its afferent islands.
== History ==
=== Foundation ===
Due to problems related to item duplication, Abexilas was closed for a good period of the Winter of 17 VE. As such, the hubs were full. Having nothing better to do, a group of players peacefully and uncoincidentally met up in the room below the powdered snow area of the ice island. There, player IAmIllegal suddenly told everyone present to wear flowers on top of their heads. This was taken well by everyone, and the peaceful group went on for another few minutes uninterrupted. However, player Samuelle1411 would break this peace by attacking the room two times.
=== The Early Empire and the Samuelite Wars Or (Winter Wars) ===
This would determine the foundation of military outposts all over the ice island by the Flower group in order to defeat Samuelle1411, in the case of their return. This is, arguably, the moment of the Empire's foundation, a military presence stronger than any other in the hub at that time being established. The cave below the spruce tree on the ice island was also established as a new capital, the previous base being far too small. Samuelle1411 would, nevertheless, not be deterred, and they would return many times, wreaking havoc among the Flower lines due to their personal fighting powers and friendly fire among the Flowers. In this period, XiphosS and another Flower whose name has been lost to time began distinguishing themselves as fighters.
This period would come to an end when Samuelle began using unconventional methods to get to the ice island. This also coincided with a rising fervor among the Flower population (which was around 9 at this point), culminating with the siege and takeover of the nether tower after Samuelle tried hiding in it.
=== Early Expansion ===
This expansion would not stop here, as the short end of Samuelle's attacks allowed the Flowers to take de facto control over the water sphere too. Seeing this, Samuelle returned to the fort and began using the pressure plate mechanism inside it to quickly get to the fort past the water sphere. The Flowers then, with IAmIllegal at their forefront, began a methodical attack on the castle, Many would perish in the fighting, with it even being possible that another player joined Samuelle. Nevertheless, the castle was eventually taken. This would mark the territorial zenith of the Early Empire. The population was possibly as high as 10.
The takeover of the castle would also forcefully introduce the Flowers to the Jungle People, also known as the "Junglers" and the "Jungle Conclave". This group of 3 core players and other who joined along the way would menacingly stare down from the jungle tree of the PVP-area jungle island.
=== The Jungle Wars and the First Anarchy ===
Either an unwanted exchange or a deliberate attack by the Flowers of Junglers led to a great brawl ensuing between the two groups. The Flowers, who had been losing cohesion ever since the foundation of the Empire, were taken by surprise, and basically all Flowers perished. As the leaders respawned, they regrouped to find less than a third of the peak population of the empire still loyal to the cause, with the rest scattering. 3 to 5 of the original Flowers and of the newer recruits met up in the capital to take stock of their dire situation. With more and more people leaving, XiphosS advocated for a restructuring of the government by a name change in order to raise morale. This more or less passed by (later reflection, perhaps for the best). IAmIllegal temporarily went inactive, leading to even more internal chaos. The Empire would basically disband, in the view of most, with XiphosS leading a resistance composed of just himself to the mountain island. 
=== The Mountain and the New Empire ===
XiphosS would, in spite of fire from the Junglers and from others too, not give up. He established a new base for the empire on the mountain island, colloquially just the Mountain. Here, he would rally the remaining Flowers, as a new hub order was being created.
Groups suddenly appeared all over the hub: the igloo people, the Jackolanterners, the new castle group, as well as the old Junglers and Samuelle, who was still wreaking havoc with a player he recruited. A summit was held in the igloo to discuss the splitting of the hub lands, following the collapse of the Flower Empire. XiphosS would claim, in absentia, the Mountain for the Flowers. He claimed that this was a direct continuation of the Flower Empire of old (around an hour or two ago), as he had never given up the fight or surrendered. Many would join his ranks. In this period, XiphosS also concluded a peace with the Junglers and announced his opposition to Samuelle. He also established good relations with the Jackolanterners, assuring immediate stability for the Mountain.
=== The Second Samuelite War ===
Samuelle would not rest, quickly attacking both the Junglers and the Mountain, especially while XiphosS was not paying attention. This would often catch the new leader on the wrong foot, though, as time progressed, he was able to better shoot Samuelle down from the air (as the levitation from the ice island was the only way of getting to the Mountain) and fight them on ground. This resulted in victories which XiphosS would turn into chat propaganda, revitalizing the Flowers, which even now were dwindling in numbers again. However, this would not deter XiphosS, who continued scoring victories against Samuelle, now in a more 'normal' playing field than at the beginning of the empire.
XiphosS' continued victories would not be without consequence for Samuelle, however.
=== The Great Jungle War and the Jungle Conclave's Collapse ===
Samuelle would join the Junglers in order to defeat the Mountain and, especially, XiphosS, who continued making every victory against Samuelle public. Also in this period, the Jackolanterners probably collapsed, as did the castle group, leaving a power vacuum in the entire hub. 
The conflict with the new Jungler entity was begun by IAmIllegal, who launched an attack unwanted by XiphosS after Flowers were attacked by Junglers, who took in Samuelle. The conflict would be quite brutal, and even guerilla, with people taking cover between the leaves of the jungle tree from incoming arrow fire. The Mountain itself was, perhaps for the first time, entirely abandoned, as the entire remaining group assaulted the Junglers from the south. Although it seemed unlikely initially, the Flowers quickly got the upper hand, with XiphosS eliminating Samuelle multiple times, at least twice, as IAmIllegal claimed victoriously atop of the jungle tree, the archers being finally dislodged. XiphosS would be killed by the player named 'Storm' in the hub due to running out of potions, although the campaign was a complete victory for the Flowers, now finally again ascendant. 
=== The Second Anarchy ===
As Samuelle returned either once or multiple times to the Mountain, XiphosS once again won the majority of the battles, in stark contrast to the Early Empire, when XiphosS was repeatedly killed by Samuelle. This would lead to Samuelle publicly retiring, joining the growing igloo community. This would also be when the majority of the remaining Flowers went inactive once more, leaving XiphosS almost alone. He negotiated an official peace with the remaining Junglers after briefly occupying the jungle island, visited the igloo and established friendly relations with the new rat group of ForgottenRat (?) to the left of the Mountain. Although XiphosS and the returning (now inactive again) IAmIllegal led the Flower Empire to victory, it came at a great cost, that of almost the entire population.
=== The Return and end of the Mountain period ===
Some Flowers, against the orders of XiphosS, remained atop the jungle tree and began firing down upon the igloo island. Either this way or another, Samuelle was killed by a Flower, leading him to announce that, in 20 minutes, he would return as a warrior due to this travesty. The minutes passed, with tensions dropping as players wandered off or joined the igloo. When the time was right, Samuelle attacked the island, being repulsed by XiphosS and another Flower (possibly the player called 'SSS', though they had more S letters in his name) from the Mountain. Samuelle returned, killing XiphosS while he was typing or catching him by surprise again. A battle then ensued in the Mountain cave where XiphosS was killed by Samuelle's recruit Luke, and then logging off of the hub after talking with everyone for a bit, leading this second and very short phase of the Second Samuelite War to a sudden end. XiphosS would, naturally, claim victory, though the otherwise insignificant final defeat(s) left a bitter taste, as did the many times he and the other Flowers were killed by Samuelle, even though the opposite was also something to be considered.
With SSS, XiphosS would, right after the battle, gather all the remaining Flowers who'd heed his call in the spruce cave once more. There, after gathering a large enough following, he announced his resignation, and that SSS and another of the original Flowers would become diarchs. He then consigned himself to a corner of the ice cave. This led to some degree of chaos, as nobody knew what to do with general hub populations lower than ever and IAmIllegal being AFK.
=== IAmIllegal's Return ===
IAmIllegal would, however, return. He would once again take leadership of the faction, this time, as in the beginning, alone, leading a series of military expeditions and raising the morale of the remaining Flowers, who ended up scattering once more, this time, seemingly definitively. This marks the de facto end of the Empire.
== Culture and Outposts ==
=== Culture ===
The Flowers were initially based on peace and, in one form or another, this commitment remained in the hearts of the Flowers till the Empire's end. XiphosS also tried to usher a new era of diplomacy, though this failed as tensions began rising in the Mountain period, with IAmIllegal's moralizing charges arguably being more effective.
=== Governments ===
The following are the accepted governments of the Flower Empire:
* The Early Empire - Leader of the Flowers: IAmIllegal
* The Mountain-Flower Empire - Leader of the Flowers and Military Deputy: XiphosS; Leader of the Flowers: IAmIllegal.
* "Returned" Phase of the Empire - Leader of the Flowers: XiphosS
* Final Phase of the Empire - Leader of the Flowers: IAmIllegal
=== Outposts ===
Below is a list of all outposts of the Flower Empire.
* The Powdered Snow Room ("the og cave"): The first of all settlements of the Flowers. Remained an important cultural site till the loss of the ice island and the end of the Empire.
* The Spruce Cave ("the capital" or "the ice cave"): The first proper settlement of the Flowers. It always was an important meeting place.
* The Nether Fort ("the fort"): Briefly occupied, though extensively used defensively.
* The Water Sphere: A generally disliked area due to its tedious nature and it being impossible to easily return to the ice island. Nevertheless, an important military outpost.
* The Castle: Area which saw intense fighting. However, it was barely ever actually used defensively, besides in the Jungle Wars.
* The Mountain: The later capital, also the sight of many battles with Samuelle. Much more easily defensible than the ice cave, however.
* The Jungle Island: Though only briefly occupied, it allowed a lot of ranger control over the (decreasing in population at that time) groups of the hub-2.
* The Afferent Islands (of the Jungle Island and Castle): Small islands mostly used as buffers or defensively, to push enemies off.
* The Igloo: Barely occupied during the Early Period, very scarcely used.