New Haven - The Forgotten City

## **Overview**

To some a myth, to others, a clever conspiracy, for most, however, a symbol of unity and distrust to alien life as a whole. One of the first settled cities of New-Earth (Capital World of nowadays Eternal Empire), **New Haven** was a first attempt at contemporary planned cities on grounds of the new world after the Exodus of Earth, one which would inevitably fall into war and destruction. After settling down at the region where the city would be eventually constructed, a huge swarm of alien forces appeared and ravaged the place several times, the remnants of the army were called upon to the defence of the city, but by the time it would be too late for anything to be accomplished. The city was completely abandoned by 2041.

This event, amongst many others, showed to Imperial peoples that alien life was a threat to be dealt with, therefore setting a different tone to any kind of approaches dealt between humans and other intelligent species of the Galaxy. New Haven was preserved in New Earth as a reminder of unity, a sanctuary to those who had fallen by conflict during colonization of humanity's new home and spirit.

## **History**

### **A Peaceful Settlement**

First discovered mere months after the entrance of humanity through the portal, the **Malleus Sea River**, a huge streaming river that separated two of the largest continents of New Earth, linearly lead a path towards a small though rich plain uninhabited by any animals that presented harm for the colonizers, a perfect place for a city to be formed.

The architect and lead pusher for the colonisation of the region, Nathaniel Algernon, layed out large avenues and a complex system of metro, naval and even train transport to connect New Haven to other regions, a costly endeavour that could be completed in a decade with enough manpower and equipment to put the plan into motion. By 2034, a number of high-rise buildings were already being constructed, and, by then, most refugees of the Exodus had a house to live under, on the multiple housing districts that were planned, a miracle at the time, considering the circumstances and growing conflicts between the new-settled humans and the native aliens that other regions had to face.

New Haven became, like the name suggested, a safezone for those who wanted to escape the conflict, the city grew and grew, at a certain point reaching about 7 million residents on a high peak of refugees of other towns. But as all things, it too had a downfall, one more sudden than anyone hoped for.

### **First Incidents**

Although never close to an alien group capable of proving larger threats, some still gave a careful watch when moving into the city's districts. The Royal Army, gaining momentum in its struggle against the native population, was keen enough to push its enemies out of the war-torn continent completely; without anywhere to go but to another region, the aliens set themselves against one singular target: New Haven.

Ever so carefully, they maintained themselves in few, never alerting nearby inhabitants of the real estate of course. Throughout 2033 to 2038, attacks were kept minimum, with local police being the one to intervene and deal with the threat accordingly. As it seemed for Imperials, the dangers of foreign enemies and attacks was all but over; a dream too distant of ever reaching by then.

In 2039, however, the tide turned in favour for the natives. At first repelled by local authorities, more and more aliens began appearing and threatening the sovereignty of New Haven's outskirts. Farms close to the city were being ravaged, travelers murdered at the paths to the metropolis and greater than ever before the city faced a defensive crisis. Famine was turning into reality once more, with every day the xeno tribes reaching closer to the cut off settlement from other Imperial agglomerates. This reached a boiling point at February 19th 2040 though, and an emergency situation called for greater military forces to operate by orders of the Empress, from this point onwards, New Haven would become an all-out war zone, and would begin evacuating every civilian in sight with help from external forces.

### **The Lost City**

Dispatching whatever forces were available for fast-paced interventions, the remaining Imperial army took positions at all available perimeters and squares of the town, once beautiful natural gardens became bloodied warzones of the most feared warriors on the planet. The army, weakened by recent conflicts with other tribes and outnumbered by its lack of modern equipment, found itself quickly outnumbered by the native force, defending key strategic points at the very last bullet. The aliens too had been having their own problems, but with every inch of the city taken, they rallied forth without ever stopping to take breaks. It was time for the last evacuation, all forces of the Empress retreated inward towards a defensive line surrounding the town hall, where there the governor and the mayor were located, amongst with several other military commanders charged with the defence orders of New Haven.

The last fight was the most brutal one. Commanders and political leaders left the scene with aerial transports, whilst soldiers and police enforcement units held the line for more civilians to hide or also flee from the place. Many, however, were left behind to fend off for themselves. At the end, with the loss of New Haven, there also came the loss of 3 million civilians and half a million military personnel, a catastrophic event that turned the city into an open graveyard for the rest of humanity to see, something that left those still alive hungry for even more revenge and bloodshed.

In 2194, Lord Regent Thomas Ashbury proclaimed New Haven an official memorial of Humanity, preserving the ruins still standing after 150 years of negligence. Today, although prohibited to enter and still quite unknown, the Forgotten city is a great site to Imperial pride and history. A place of mourning, remembrance and peace for those who have fallen.

### **Rebirth**

In 2382, New Earth was still a barren waste due to the ecological damage caused by the Commonwealth invasion; now had come the time to reclaim the lost planet, however. New Haven was chosen as the first site of reclamation as a show of defiance against the universe and time for the Imperial peoples all across the galaxy.

The city was rebuilt to the letter of the original plans with the exception of the central park, which was replaced with a memorial of the lost city and the Regent who preserved it, within a year the city was the first habitable zone on New Earth. The city was proclaimed the capital of New Earth and went on to be seat of Imperial power for many generations after its reclamation, centuries forgotten in the shadows of the Imperial homeworld.