Airhaven
Airhaven is a town nestled in the tranquil Hollow Hills of the -,+. A stone's throw from the bustling metropolises of Falstadt and Yoahtl, the snow-dusted valleys provide a sanctuary for all players where violence is heavily discouraged and bounty hunting is illegal. The expansive hollow hills underneath provide opportunities for mob hunters, while small farms and abundant spruce growth allow for more passive farming to take place. Despite this, its primary export is its tourism.
| The Holy Tribunal of Airhaven | |
|---|---|
 Official Flag of Airhaven | |
 Map of Airhaven (green) | |
| Capital City | Airhaven |
| Government | Holy Tribunal |
| Shambali | RektTangle |
| Founded | Late 2017 |
| Religion | Buddhist roots |
| Motto | "Don't be a dick." |
| Population | ~3 |
| Location | -4500,+9000 |
Etymology
The name Airhaven comes from two sources; Firstly, the Mortal Engines series by Phillip Reeve contains a fictional town of the same name which is suspended in the air by large balloons, and serves as a refuge from the war-torn ground below for anyone who can fly there in airships. The second source of Airhaven's name is a play on a translation of the German word for Airport, Flughafen, which literally means Flighthaven. Thus, Airhaven can be seen as a portmanteau between Airport and Flughafen.
History
Airhaven has had a thankfully peaceful history, with close to no dramas or issues with neighbouring nations.
Foundation
Don't get me wrong, Frostrock is full of good people.
But my initial ideas from day 1 had been so drastically altered
I felt I had no choice but to leave.
I'm sorry it was so abrupt. — RekTangle, June 2017, on leaving Lotus
After the adoption of Lotus by Impasse, RektTangle left the -,- for Commonwealth. Soon finding the bustling city life to be to his distaste, he moved south to Vale, where he started a building project that had been on his mind for months. He founded Airhaven on the least valuable land he could find: firstly, hollow hills meant that no mining could occur under Airhaven. The biome was Extreme Hills fraught with peaks and ravines, such that farming was very limited. As such, the only value the land had was for buildings upon it- which was exactly what RektTangle aspired to do.
Secession of land to Resimare
In February of 2018, RektTangle gave the Eastern coast of Airhaven together with almost all of Eichenfeld to Resimare, a group from Devoted, for no price other than a request to take care of the land well. They continue to have good relations.
Independence
Initially, the land was first registered as a district of Vale, but as activity declined, RektTangle moved to Falstadt and placed the area under its protection. Now the land is in a limbo state; it is mostly independent but the lead Shambali is still a dual citizen with Falstadt and frequently travels there to help with projects. Despite this, Airhaven does not inherit several of Falstadt's laws, such as players barred from entering.
Geography
I chose that island because it's utterly worthless.
There's nothing there.
So I'm going to make it worth something. — RektTangle, November 2017, on settling Airhaven
The city of Airhaven rests on a hilly plateau approximately 25 blocks above sea level, with additional variations in terrain stretching up past y=150 in some places. The mountains and valleys alike are considered sacred, and terraforming more than 0.1 blocks per metre squared to build is illegal. As such, the roads in Airhaven closely follow the hills.
-
An example of a mountain rising above a valley near Ravinetown. -
An example of a road following the slope of the land near the Underhill.
Climate
Being on an extreme hill, everywhere below y=95 is snowless and experiences rainfall, and, starting in patches, blocks above have snowfall. This causes a curious effect where the road and objects at street level are dry but the roofs of houses are covered in snow.
Flora
Natural trees that generated on Airhaven include Oaks, Giant Birches, and the rare Giant Oaks. Introduced trees include Spruces, Giant Spruces, Sakura, and a custom-bred tree known as Dwarf Pine. At its foothills, in Eichenfeld, Canopy Oaks grow. Giant Oaks are protected and harvesting them is a serious offense in Airhaven.
Underground
Airhaven sits on a Hollow Hill, which, as the name suggests, has stone replaced by air between the y levels of 40 and 4. There is a layer of dirt on the floor up to 3 blocks thick, and flowers can be spotted growing in the dark. The underground is almost entirely unlit, is highly dangerous and it is not recommended to leave the safety of the paths without proper preparation.
Politics
Our politics are to remain neutral and only act defensively and charitably.
Airhaven is ruled by everyone equally, but if necessary, the elite Shambali monks can overrule any decision.
Violence is heavily discouraged, and bounty hunting is illegal on Airhaven land. — Airhaven recruitment post
Airhaven is a pacifist town. It encourages acting with sensibility and compassion, and aims to be friendly with all other civilisations.
Government
The ruling class of Airhaven are known as the Shambali Monks and are responsible for executive decisions such as approving builds and expansions, lawmaking and imposing sentences, and dealing with foreign parties. Currently, the only Shambali is RektTangle.
Law
| Activity | Legality | Punishment/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Petty Griefing1 | Illegal | Exile |
| Griefing1 | Illegal | Exile, Pearling |
| Murder | Illegal | Exile, Pearling |
| Bounty Hunting | Illegal | Exile |
| Building sans permission | Illegal | Dereliction, Relocation |
| Snitching sans permission | Illegal | Travel ban for party responsible |
| Terraforming | Restricted2 | Exile if exceeded |
| Manslaughter in self-defence | Legal | Counselling |
| Mob hunting | Legal | Tax-free |
[1] The line is drawn through the Tribunal of Shambali and is evaluated case-to-case.
[2] 10 blocks altered per 100 metres squared is the limit.
Foreign Relations
Airhaven currently enjoys friendly relations with all of its contacts. Tourism is prominent and most people enjoy visiting the small town.
Economy
The economy of Airhaven is not plentiful, nor is it self-sustaining. As it is mostly a one-man effort, it relies on a lot of goodwill, especially from Falstadt.
Exp Prospects
Being on a single biome bordering a river/ocean, Airhaven's exp production is practically nonexistent. This is further compounded by the fact that terraforming the natural landscape around the settlement is highly discouraged.
Mining
Airhaven has no mines. The hollow hills start at approximately y=40 and continue down to a dirt floor at y=4, with only one or two layers of stone above bedrock. This makes mining for valuable ores impossible. Airhaven imports ore, or more accurately exports mining work while keeping any ore found for themselves.
Tourism
Tourism is Airhaven's chief export and the focus of most of its investments. It is currently ranked as a 5/5 destination by Gjum, and an S rank civilization by Specificlanguage.
Culture
Great pagodas, great location, great use of everything. — SpecificLanguage, Tourism Guide, describing Airhaven
One of Civs best content creators. Love it. — Sempha, describing the Somber War animation
Architecture
Airhaven's architecture is a blend between Steampunk and Medieval Asian. Inspirations for its many builds include real Nepalese, Japanese and southern Chinese buildings. An aim of Airhaven is to have every build be unique while keeping the overall Neo-Medieval style consistent.
Media
Airhaven's founder, RektTangle, is responsible for many great works, such as the videos 'The Somber War' and 'If Titan was a Netflix original'. Also included in their repertoire include a recruitment poster, Civball comics, surveys, awards and memes.
The official language of Airhaven is British English.
Religion
Airhaven does not have a mandatory or state recognised religion. However, it draws heavily from Buddhism: Nature is seen as sacred, and pacifism is heavily encouraged.