Newport (city)

Newport on July 17, 2020 (1:3)

Aerial view of Newport and vicinity (1 AK)

*For other uses, see Newport (disambiguation).*
"*Imagine his shock logging back in ... in a city of sprawling urban development and government bureaucracies.*"
—ratatoing8990.
**Newport** is the largest known city on the server and the capital of the Newportian Empire. The city is situated on the southern coast of the Sea of Quarantine about 1500 blocks northwest of Searcy. As of September 13, 2020 (Day 1, Year 13 AK), an estimated nineteen players claim permanent residence within the Newport city limits. Newport was founded by lostcity99 on April 9, 2020 (-20:4).

Newport was first governed by the Newport City Council as a libertarian direct democracy in a period known as the Democratic Age. In late June (4 BK), the Council voluntarily began a governmental transition to become a constitutional monarchy. The Imperial Age was ushered in on July 10 (-1:1), when lonellamaMV was coronated the first Emperor of Newport. During the reign of Empress crustyceans, the Newportian Empire expanded beyond the city limits.

The city of Newport boasts an impressive assortment of buildings and architecture styles, including skyscrapers, factories, residences, and decorative landmarks. Newport is composed of six incorporated districts: Oldtown, Downtown, the Industrial District, the Shopping District, Poundtown, and East Newport.

## History

### Early History

The city of Newport was founded by lostcity99 on April 9, 2020 (-20:4), when she constructed the First House, now located in Oldtown on the Coastal Highway at Temple Street. lostcity99 had traveled about 1500 blocks from Searcy and selected the area for its proximity to waterways and abundant forests.

On April 17 (-18:2), the server was opened to the public. Many players emigrated from Searcy to join lostcity99 in the development of Newport. New buildings emerged first in Oldtown, then development began to spread outward across the river delta.

In late April (c. 17 BK), a non-resident known as Rage6838 introduced Newportians to a sentient nautilus shell known as the Magic Conch. The Conch demonstrated its ability to answer any yes or no question posed by the townspeople, and many were convinced that the shell was omniscient. The Magic Conch appointed Rage6838 and ratatoing8990 as its High Priests, and construction of the Temple of the Magic Conch began in earnest. The completion of the Temple marked the beginning of the religion known as Conchism, which still dominates Newportian culture to this day.

   Soon after, the emergence of the Industrial District allowed critical goods such as food and increasingly sophisticated building materials to be mass produced. The industrialization of Newport allowed players to focus on building and development rather than hunting and foraging for survival.

The rapid development of Newport without regulation naturally brought with it many haphazardly-constructed buildings which many Newportians viewed with disapproval. On May 7, 2020 (-14:2), the Department of Urban Planning was established by ratatoing8990 to "encourage thoughtful building design and promote sustainable urban development practice". The DUP introduced standard city-wide building codes which regulated the design of structures within city limits. Other bureaucracies, such as the Department of Sustainability and the Department of Transportation, were also formed around this time.

On May 9 (-14:4), the citizens of Newport defeated the Ender Dragon, allowing free exploration and exploitation of The End dimension.

### Democratic Age

On May 12 (-13:2), the Newport City Council was established in response to an increasingly unwanted building in Oldtown owned by inactive player aarojp99. Many players saw aarojp99's house as a "blemish on their community". According to *The Newport Report*, "the Council was formed with a singular goal: to provide a legal framework to demolish the vacant house". On May 13 (-13:3), City Ordinance I became the first law passed by the Council, and gave the legislature the authority to legally reclaim private structures owned by any player who remains inactive for at least one month. The ordinance was first invoked on May 20 (-12:5), when the Council legally demolished aarojp99's house and auctioned off his property to the citizens.

Following the passage of City Ordinance I, the Council began enacting many more laws within the city limits. On May 14 (-13:4), City Ordinance II established iron as the official currency of Newport. On May 20 (-12:5), Council voting rules were reformed by City Ordinance III to allow for more efficient passage of legislation. Construction on the Council Building began in Downtown on May 12 (-13:2), and the structure was completed on May 30 (-10:5).

In mid-May (c. 14 BK), the accidental destruction of the only known blaze spawner resulted in a city-wide shortage of blaze rods. As a result, prices for blaze rods and other Nether-related resources skyrocketed, leading many to criticize the capitalist aspects of the Newport economy.

With the passage of City Ordinance XI, the first Founder's Day was celebrated on June 9 (-8:5), on the two-month anniversary of the founding of the city. The first Founder's Day was marked by a wither fight, the dedication of the Founder's Building, and the opening of the Newport History Museum on the site of lostcity99's First House.

During the first Founder's Day, anarchist duo Mstar009 and Mak Mini began constructing a massive floating tree southwest of the city, a project meant to mock "the Council's invasive abuse of power". The Council had previously banned floating trees with the passage of City Ordinance X on June 4 (-9:4), but The Floating Tree had been intentionally situated outside the Council's jurisdiction. Many Newportians denounced The Floating Tree, while others defended it as lawful. By June 17 (-6:3), the situation had escalated such that the Council issued an ultimatum demanding the deconstruction of the tree. The Floating Tree Crisis was defused by the *Treaty of Treedom*, which called for the peaceful relocation of The Floating Tree away from Newport. The Crisis is often considered the closest Newport ever came to declaring war.

On June 14 (-7:5), the Council designated a new city holiday to take place on the twentieth and twenty-first of every month. Purge Night was instituted as twelve continuous hours of legalized murder. The first Purge, which began on June 20 (-5:1) and ended on June 21 (-5:2), saw 109 deaths.

On June 28 (-4:4), Newport saw its first legal case under the judicial system of City Ordinance XXI. The case of *crista7777 v. IsaacRaymond20* considered the nature of contracts and the rights and responsibilities of buyers and sellers in private transactions. Ultimately, the case was settled out of court.

That same day, the Council unanimously voted to reorganize the democracy into a constitutional monarchy– the First Newportian Empire. Over the course of the week leading up to the Imperial election, nine players launched campaigns to become Emperor. Frontrunners Rage6838, lonellamaMV, and lostcity99 participated in a debate on July 2 (-3:3). Following the debate, lostcity99 and lonellamaMV emerged as the leading candidates. On July 7 (-2:3), lonellamaMV was elected to serve as Newport's first Emperor.

### Imperial Age

The First Newportian Empire was officially established on July 10 (-1:1), with the coronation of Emperor lonellamaMV. His coronation also marked the dissolution of the Newport City Council and the moment that the Imperial Constitution came into effect.

As the first Emperor of Newport, lonellamaMV's reign served as a transition period from the Democratic Age into the new Imperial Age. During his reign, lonellamaMV issued eight Imperial edicts. His most significant legislation standardized contract law and reaffirmed the importance of several city ordinances enacted by the democratic government which preceded him. Many of his edicts emphasize and protect llama rights within the Empire. Emperor lonellamaMV also launched Go Green Newport, an initiative promoting environmentalist policies such as renewable fuels.

Emperor lonellamaMV reigned for eleven days before he was legally assassinated by crustyceans on July 21 (2:2) during the second Purge Night. According to the Imperial Constitution, if the Emperor is killed during a Purge, Imperial power is transferred to the next in the line of succession. In this case, power transferred to lonellamaMV's wife, Empress Consort lostcity99. lostcity99 reigned for sixteen minutes, before being killed by crustyceans. With both players in the line of succession legally assassinated, crustyceans claimed the throne as Empress.

## Geography

Newport is situated on the Newport Delta on the south coast of the Sea of Quarantine, about 1500 blocks northwest of Searcy. The natural landscape of the city is predominantly plains and deciduous forests. Expansive roofed forests lie to the south. The city lies within the Province of Newport, inside the larger First Newportian Empire. Newport is bounded by unincorporated land to the north and east, the independent earldom of Blartsburg to the south, the Newportian Province of Petra to the west, and the Sea of Quarantine to the northwest.

## Government

### Democracy

"*Our democracy works well and promotes equality as it currently stands.*"
—crustyceans.
From May 12 to July 10 (-13:2 to -1:1), Newport was governed by the Newport City Council, a legislature composed of "all active players who are permanent residents of Newport". The Council claimed the authority to propose and enact legislation which, if passed, became law within city limits. Laws were known as city ordinances. Unless 25% of Council members objected to a proposal, proposals become law after a three-day delay.

The Newport City Council was supplemented by specialized departments which controlled and regulated within their specific fields, often predating the Council itself. These included the Department of Urban Planning, the Department of Sustainability, and the Department of Transportation.

### Monarchy

"*The instant the Imperial Crown was placed on [lonellamaMV]'s head was the death of Newportian democracy for the foreseeable future. Like it or not, Newport is now a constitutional monarchy– an Empire."
—The Newport Report*.
Today, the city of Newport is governed as a constitutional monarchy by the Emperor of the larger First Newportian Empire. The Emperor wields the power to unilaterally enact Imperial edicts within the constraints of the Imperial Constitution. Any player may rise to become Emperor by legally assassinating the reigning Monarch during a Purge Night, by being in the Imperial line of succession through marriage or adoption, or by election, in certain situations.

While the Emperor claims unilateral control over legislative matters, judicial matters are handled by the Court of Common Pleas, a jury of "all active and permanent subjects of the Empire, except any involved in the specific lawsuit". The Court is responsible for deciding verdicts in legal cases by plurality vote. Each Emperor appoints an Imperial Magistrate to initiate court proceedings and act as judge in all cases.

## Economy

"*Clearly our economy is capitalistic. Then again, a lot of the industrial district is free for the public to use— a distinct marker of socialism.*"
—crustyceans.
The economy of Newport exhibits characteristics of both socialism and capitalism, and has been described as a "mixed market economy". City Ordinance II established iron as the official city currency. According to the Imperial Constitution, the Emperor "may issue edicts declaring an official currency for government and public transactions, but shall not regulate the currency used in transactions between private citizens and corporations". Each player is free to work to produce and keep their own goods and structures as private property, which is also protected by the Constitution. However, approximately 50% of Newport's industrial facilities have been declared as public property, meaning all players have access to the goods and services provided therein.

Notable companies based in Newport include Toing Industries, Papaya, Goodmen Enterprises, and The Aquarius Commerce.

## Transportation

The city of Newport is served by two highways, as designated by the Department of Transportation: the Coastal Highway bisects the city before running south along the coast to its terminus in Algoa Canopy, and Harding Highway intersects with the Coastal Highway near the Shopping District before running 1500 blocks south to Searcy. While Harding Highway was constructed by the Newport DOT, the department denies responsibility for maintenance outside city limits. As a result, the only route connecting Newport to Searcy has severely deteriorated since its construction in late April 2020 (c. 17 BK). Multiple local roads provide access to the rest of the city. There are currently fifteen local bridges maintained by the DOT within city limits.

The city's proximity to the coast and several waterways is optimal for travel by boat.

Newport is also served by a single Nether portal, located in the Old Church in Oldtown.

## Notable Builds

    This is a list of some notable finished builds within Newport city limits.

* 1 Toing Lane
* Cathedral of Enchantments
* Council Building
* First House
* Founder's Building
* Newport Art Museum
* Old Church
* Old Watchtower
* Temple of the Magic Conch
* The Beehive
* undrcovravocado's Tree

## Residents

As of September 13, 2020 (13:1), there are nineteen players who claim permanent residence within Newport city limits, listed below. Fifteen of these players are currently considered active. Four players, jamweaver, UnDeadx\_Leapord, shawdylikea5525, and SoulxMadnessx, are considered inactive.

* aarojp99
* BantheAstronaut
* BDelpTV
* claytations
* crista7777
* crustyceans
* Elasthiccgirl305
* Ferrari2424
* IITheRecyclerII
* IsaacRaymond20
* jamweaver
* lonellamaMV
* lostcity99
* MalachiBrown523
* ratatoing8990
* shawdylikea5525
* SoulxMadnessx
* UnDeadx Leapord
* undrcovravocado