Rustmond

Rustmond is the oldest nation currently on Liberland Freebuild and is in fact the oldest surviving build on the server. Rustmond was largely built by DarkErminia, heavily using Worldedit commands, but has had many contributions from many other people. Rustmond is a militaristic theocratic democracy which frequently switches between having the Prime Minister and President being the head of state. Today, it is one of the most developed cities on the server, having been there for all of the server's history.

Early History (Pre-Exile)
See: Lore

Rustmond is said to be descended from the far descendants of the Hungarians and the Chinese, or more specifically the inhabitants of Hong Kong. Though the earliest records of Rustmondian history takes place on Rundia, there are references to an even earlier paradise named "Erdin", though it is unclear whether this was a location on Rundia, or another world entirely.

Rustmond's early history was that marked by oppression and tyranny, not only by outside powers, but themselves. Frequently the nation would be ruled by tyrannical dictators, and when they were not controlled by a tyrannical dictator, they had been subjugated by outside powers. But slowly, through a series of struggles, revolutions, and resistence, they would carve a place for themselves in the world. However, eventually Rundia was dominated by a new empire known as the "Cyberians", which prompted an alliance between Rustmond and various of the other nations. The specifics of the early alliance are not known, as most of those records have been lost to time.

What is known is that early Rustmond ended up losing said wars, and eventually constructed great Arkships to evacuate its population fearing persecution, and begin its long exile. The Rustmond of the Rundian days was said to be much more technologically advanced than modern Rustmond at its peak, having crafted deadly doomsday weapons in order to hold off the Cyberians.

The Long Exile
The Long Exile refers to the period of diaspora of the Rustmondian peoples between the Exodus of Rundia and the arrival onto Lapis. Few records survive from this time, though considerably more than that of the Pre-Exile period. Much of this information comes in the form of captain's logs, as well as computer log archives form the time released by the Rustmondian government.

According to the captain's logs, a computer was constructed for the purpose of guiding Rustmond to a new homeworld named BROADY shortly before the evacuation, who worked with Rustmondian religious prophets to find a new mythical homeland for their people. The Captain's log also lists short descriptions of the planets which they refueled on, and scientists have since attempted to use these logs to reconstruct the route from Rundia, so far without widespread consensus.

The Long Exile was marked by widespread technological regression, increasing hardship as the years wore on, and the slow degradation of the ship. As well, much of the nation's cultural database had corroded, leaving gaps in the nation's cultural tradition as hard drives slowly corroded as the decades wore on. Though scholarly consensus differs, it is estimated that technological progress regressed at least 500 years. Also of interest, the Captain's Log noted derelict ruins of colossal structures during the voyage, stating they were large even by the standards of the doomsday weapons they had possessed at the time.

The trip was frequently interrupted by stops on neighboring planets, where the ships were required to rest and refuel. And an entire civilization was built in the span of 50 years in order to gather the fuel, before the people made the journey back onto the ship to continue. Sometimes, due to extreme circumstances, they would be forced to settle on less than hospitable planets, with the infamous example of Pitstop 11, where the ship landed on a freezing cold planet with almost no sunlight and no vegetation. It is estimated nearly 90% of the inhabitants died before a proper insulated colony could be set up, and the refueling could begin. The severe genetic bottlenecking eventually created a new strain of Rustmondian with blonde streaks in their hair, as opposed to the uniform dark brown that was usual for the nation. To this day, the number 11 is still considered unlucky in Rustmondian culture, and people will avoid the number 11 as much as possible.

Eventually however, the ships arrived at their final destination, Messenger's Star, which had historically been an important religious symbol, and had been chosen as the location for Rustmond's new homeland. However, upon the discovery that the star hosted not one, but two inhabitable planets, one with normal terrain, and another perfectly smooth terraformed world. BROADY calculated both would be suitable for inhabitation, and a decision had to be made by the religious authorities.

As a last resort, the religious authorities decided to leave the decision to God. (Or in their own language, Rallah) They opened the box containing the bones of their last great prophet, and cast them in a ritual to contact the angels of heaven, which allegedly told them to settle upon the smooth terraformed world.

Religion
See: List of Religions

Following the settlement of Rustmond, and the destruction of most of their tyrannical leadership in the many years of exile, the Rustmondians eventually settled on something they had never truly been able to try before; democracy. Today, the nation is thriving on a new world, on land that they can call theirs. They now cooperate with other nation states to maintain the peace upon the binary worlds (now trinary, as another world was recently discovered).

The Church of the Burning Light, Rustmond's homegrown religion, while not as powerful was it was during the Long Exile, where in a power vacuum they filled the positions of the old dictators remains Rustmond's largest religion. With about 43% of the population participating in it. The majority of the remainder are that of new Christian sects (21%) and agnostics/atheists (32%).

Heywen Wars
During the alien invasion of the Heywen, Rustmond formed the bedrock of what would become the United Coalition with the Azap Meritocracy to resist the invasions of the Heywen. After a decisive battle at Fort Bloodrock, the Heywen retreated, never to be seen again. Rumor has it they're coming back with a superweapon to just glass this world and get it over with.

Theocratic Takeover
On January 9th, 2021, the nation of Rustmond was taken over by a party known as the "Children of Rallah", which are a party based on teachings from the Church of the Burning Light. Since then, Rustmond has devolved into a militaristic theocratic regime, with the military and the church holding power over the government, who has been reduced to a de-facto puppet. The Children of Rallah currently hold popular approval from those who practice the sect, but remains unpopular outside of it.

Rustmond remains a democracy, though it is now a rather authoritarian one. This has manifested itself by more theocratic design in their nation's military, as well as official titles. The Christian minority is currently under suppression and mostly exists in underground church movements.

Democratic Restoration
On August 3rd, 2021, a revolution overthrew the Rallahnomy, restoring constitutional democracy back to Rustmond, and undo many of the traditional reforms of old. Religion still has a huge role in society, but is kept in check. The movement was spearheaded by a coalition of religious minorities, specifically Christians, the irreligious, and the small Confucian minority.

Diplomacy
Rustmond, as one of the world's largest and most powerful nations has to maintain some form of relationship with most other nations.

Friendly Relations:


 * Azap Meritocracy, still cool from fighting off the Heywen together, though Rustmond nowadays sees them as a bunch of godless Kumbaya-chanting hippies, though they refrain from calling them weak because they know that Azap can kick ass if push comes to shove.
 * Blackrust, they like that they share the same aesthetic, and enjoy being neighbors. Though the more imperialist side of Rustmond may end up incorporating them by force one of these days.
 * Willion Kingdom, shares some cooperation on Inferno City, and are mostly cool through international cooperation.
 * Ancapistan, economic ties are ensured through buying of Ancapistani resources. Ancapistan also bought out most of Rustmond's government.
 * Champia, if they're not dead Rustmond considers them cool. Though still godless heathens.

Neutral:


 * Teufort/Timaeus, knows them as just that nation. Poses no real threat, so they leave them alone and Teufort replies likewise.
 * Kapayuh Confederation, wait who?
 * Crimson Court, no real opinion.
 * Pakuwon, somewhat wary relations, as they have fought, but seem to tolerate each other fine.
 * Brigandia, who?

Hostile Relations:


 * Oshea, the only other nation capable of matching Rustmond, currently terrified that they will just straight up run the city over with their tank. Also doesn't help driving a single kilometer on their city tank produces more CO2 than all of the other nations produce in a year. The global warming they cause would be a serious threat if Lapis had any ice caps.
 * The Simubline, GODLESS SWARM, PURGE THEM IN HOLY FIRE EVENTUALLY but for now they seem neutral and we're fine with them not spreading and killing everything. For now.
 * Bloodrock, still hasn't gotten over the time they kidnapped and murdered their president. Has been engaged in a staring contest but didn't realize that they blinked, collapsed and died. Nevertheless the memo still has yet to get to Rustmondian Congress so until then we're spending 22 billion dollars a year bombing a nation that doesn't even exist anymore.
 * Heywen, resisted their invasion and together with the Azaps, Willion and Champia, beat them back.

Districts
Rustmond is a city split into many districts, generally speaking the districts are named after the color or appearance of their roofs, or by their physical location.

-The Inner City, the inner sections of the city seperated from the outer city by a canal. The center for Rustmondian finance and businesses, and the central tourism hub of the city. Marked by Rustmond's iconic palette of bricks, stone bricks and acacia logs. This is the touristy area.

-The Middle Rim, the outer sections of the city which follow the same palette as the Inner City. Contains much of the native Rustmondian population, as well as its bank, stock exchange and schools. Though the Inner City often is depicted as the center, the true economic center of Rustmond lies in the Mid-City, away from the tourist attractions.

-The Violet District, a district positioned on the eastern coast of Rustmond, its industry centered around tourism, as they are right next to the border checkpoint between Rustmond and Yakutia.

-The Gateway, another tourism focused district, centered around Rustmond's blimp airport. Responsible for much of the iconic hot air balloons which float around Rustmond.

-The Stone District, a district mostly made up of residences of the upper class. Also contains the Rustmondian farmer's market.

-The Industrial South, located in the south of Rustmond, and marked by their roofs of red nether brick. Primarily focusing on manufacturing.

-The Industrial North, located in the north of Rustmond, it is much like its brother in the south. It also focuses on manufacturing, though it has a similar palette to the rest of Rustmond.

-The Orange District, a semi-distinct cultural district with orange acacia roofs. Mostly specializes in fishing, shipmaking and industry. Are self sustaining in a way, and occasionally rallies for its own independence. Claims to be descended from the Dutch, though this is unverified.

-The Spruce District, a suburbia like area where most things are made of spruce. Much of the population is employed by the power plant across the bay, right next to the Rustmondian Parliament.

-The Dark Oak District, a small district centered around its local fountain. Generally the center of the city's small English population.

-The Pisces District, an island inhabited by a race of mermen, they're refugees seeking asylum from a great underwater war, though where exactly an entire ocean has been hiding on a flat world remains a mystery. Large farms algae and keeps to themselves.

Notable Attractions
Rustmond has several tourist attractions, mostly clustered around the Inner City or "Old City", where tourists are so many they often outnumber the native population within the inner city. Most of it is given up to hotels or giant skyscraper offices, as only a select few would want to live there, though many do, and they live in what is often the most lively part of town.

Rustmond is a walker's paradise, its streets too narrow to effectively accommodate cars or even motorcycles. Most of its citizens get around on foot, or more recently, electric scooters, bikes, or hoverboards. It's an unspoken rule that the narrow sides of the road are reserved for pedestrians, while more mechanized means of transportation such as bikes are to stay to the center.

As such, Rustmond has had to invest in an extensive public transportation network, with both its Heartland Monorail, which connects much of the Middle Rim and the Inner City, as well as its Ice Highway, somewhat akin to a subway system, underground.

Demographics
The dominant Rustmondian majority appears to have olive, or tannish skin and dark brown hair, though occasionally with blonde streaks in their hair. The earliest records of the Church of Burning Light trace back Rustmondian ancestry to a mix of the nations of Hungary and China, though disproportionately people from Hong Kong, specifically, which eventually mixed together to form the dominant Rustmondian ethnicity.

The city now has several ethnic minorities, including the Orangeans, who claim to be descendants of the Dutch, while the Darkoakers claim to descend from the English. As well, Rustmond has taken in several rounds of refugees from Crosslake, Pakuwon, Champia and others during civil conflict. Despite this, the Rustmondian ethnicity remains a clear majority around 76%, and the Orangeans next at 12%.

Cuisine
The Rustmondian diet relies primarily on three staples: rice, wheat and potatoes. Fish from the harbor provides the city with its supply of protein, while other meats such as chicken, pork or beef are generally rarities reserved for the rich. Melons especially are considered a delicacy and originally a status symbol for the rich. Though the price has now dropped to the point where it can be purchased by the average person.

"Frosted melons", or "Bingua", are watermelon frozen into a form of popsicle coated in powdered sugar, and were traditionally only reserved for the rich. Usually eaten around Lunar New Year (based on the Lunar Cycle, as opposed to the Solar New Year, which is based on the planet's orbit around the sun), the fact that now everyday citizens can regularly afford what used to be a yearly delicacy for the rich is often used as a symbol for the country's progress.

Culture
Rustmond celebrates 3 main holidays; Cherishmas, Solar New Year, and Lunar New Year, all of which are related to the Church of the Burning Light, though the smaller Christian denominations also celebrate their own holidays.

Cherishmas is celebrated around November 19th, celebrating the coming of the Messenger to Earth, sent by the Heavenly Bureaucracy to guide mankind back to the moral path, and to redeem the souls of all sinners, so they may also join Rallah in his Jade Palace. A smaller holiday is also celebrated named Esher, celebrating the redemption of mankind. It is custom for all prison sentences to finish on the day of Esher, so a 5 year sentence would finish on the Esher 5 years after their imprisonment.

Solar New Year is defined as the beginning of the Rustmondian calender, or January 1st. It is the traditional swearing in day of the new government, if applicable, and if so, the new sworn in President and Prime Minister give great speeches on their agenda for the coming 4 years, as well as an annual state of the nation address. It is customary for the new national leaders to play a game of Bishop Chess with each other, and end on good terms, even if they were on different parties. The day is often celebrated by making pacts with the spirits of heaven, usually making some promise for self-betterment, and by igniting enough fireworks to make the city glow.

Lunar New Year is defined by a year based on the Lunar Cycle, anywhere from late January to Mid-February. It's a time of great festivities, where people celebrate the good fortune of their nation and good fortune of their lives in general. This usually manifests itself in great feasts, enormous present giving, generous donations to charity, and great festivals and parades. Lunar New Year is also the peak of tourism in Rustmond due to their extravagant festivals.

Rustmond does not have a summer holiday, but instead has a 3-day weekend with Fridays off.

Traditionally, men and women were regarded as "separate but equal" in Rustmondian tradition, though they were legally equal, they still had separate social norms, and were socially ostracized for deviating from them. However, this began changing with the rise of the LGBT movement in Rustmond, which has begun trying to break down the social norms, to the resistance of the Church of the Burning light.

Trivia

 * The Church of the burning light is thought to be a corruption of Catholicism along with Chinese folklore. The Messenger's Star is thought to be a corruption of the star of Bethlehem, though this is unconfirmed.
 * The pre-Exile history of Rustmond on Rundia is largely based on Dark's experiences on another server called Syberia. Where he was banned for being a dick (said myself, viewing the situation in retrospect.) causing him to start his own server, thus the Long Exile.
 * Some speculate that the blonde streaks may be signs of possible German or other European heritage.
 * It is a widely believed conspiracy theory that Rustmond's government is controlled by Ancapistani interests.
 * There may or may not be other Rustmonds out there. As there was mentioning of others within the Captain's Log. However, this is pure speculation.