Letter From The Editor
The modern landscape of Gardenia is constantly changing. As we continue to learn and trade with our Northern neighbors, technology has been at the heart of every conversation. My trip to RTIC (Rindland Tech and Innovation Convention) last weekend was eye-opening to where we might be in just five or ten years. We have an amazing exclusive interview with one of these innovators. (pg. 97) I sincerely hope you enjoy the stories we have for you. Happy Reading!
- Orange Calendula
Table of Contents
What in Carnation?
Orangemallow shortage follows disappearances.
Thistle While You Work
Exclusive Interview with Thistle, founder of InnoAlbedo
So Thistle, I had a great time getting to see you present at RTIC last weekend.
Your company, InnoAlbedo has just skyrocketed in the past couple of months.
Compared to when you started, did you ever think you would get to
where you are today?
When I started? I honestly didn't think of it like that.
InnoAlbedo was just me trying to achieve my dream of
giving Gardenia the tools it needs to revolutionize trade with
other countries. Obviously, it's just fantastic that so many people
have taken an interest, it just shows how behind we are when it comes
to the use of technology in international trade.
How behind is Gardenia do you believe a whole when it comes to
the use of technology?
It's hard to find a place to begin, but when I was little, my
family would always spend the summer season somewhere new.
Sometimes it was Navaronne, Farr, we even stayed in the Eternal
Desert once. What amazed me even then was the hotels, restaurants,
and most attractions all used computers to track everything. To put
it into perspective, those computers are the same ones we are still
using today to track international trade. They are old, clanky, and
just filled with issues. On the flip side of that, most big cities still prefer
to track everything by paper. There are basements filled with loose
documents that could be turned into a simple database. Even high-end
restaurants don't have automated temperature control in their freezers!
Do you think Gardenians are ready for such a change?
Well they're going to have to be! Even Navarrone is tired of trading
with us because of how convoluted our systems are. When I worked in
Setting City, I was inspired to start InnoAlbedo because I didn't even work
there, not really. I was able to automate everything I did to a point where I
only came into the office for a couple hours a day if I even came in at all. To
be honest, your average Gardenia doesn't want to change because change is
hard. However, there are big cultural shifts when it comes to trading and if
my company can change that, then I think I can change the world.
Well said! Anything else you want people to know
about you or InnoAlbedo?
Yeah, if you want to support InnoAlbedo there's another conference
in Gerb-Town and I'd love to meet you all there!
Ancient Arts: Pottery
Flowerface Museum
13, Monday
Be Still, My Bleeding Hart
Hartistm Resurgence in Gardenia
Hartism is the worship of Bleeding Hart, the first emperor of Gardenia. Hisorically, Bleeding Hart is known for the rapid expansion of the Gardenian Empire over 100 years through the genocide of smaller kingdoms and communities throughout Southern Albedo.
In the thousand years since Bleeding Hart's rule, Hartism and support for the Hart Royal Family has decreased significantly. The Grassroots Revolution further decreased the interest in Hartism as well as the mass immigration of Succulent Flora. Today, the most popular religion in Gardenia is Ursosa, closely followed by Meritisism and Ursolana. However, Hartism is on the rise again.
With the popularity of the social media platform Flowerspace, users can connect like never before. With attention-grabbing takes and controversial posts, Hartists became the topic of interest for famous online forums, videos, and news sites. This not only reignited people's hatred towards the previous empire, but also introduced Hartism to those who never heard of it before. Temples all across Gardenia now have rooms dedicated to hartism as the practice has become increasingly popular. Influencial podcaster and avid Hartist, Rainbow Yarrow, explained his stance in his newest episode titled: New Hartism:
" The problem with a lot of people is that they don't give us the time of day to explain ourselves, they just get mad for no reason. I think the biggest stereotype is that they think we're just a bunch of crazy cultists worshipping a genocidal maniac which just isn't true. Actually, Hartism is the most historically backed up religion out of any of them. As we all know, the Great Fairies created the four Western Albedo Empires, including Gardenia. When Antlion created Gardenia, they ripped their heart out and Bleeding Hart was born. There are countless records of those fortunate enough to have witnessed this! Even geographically, the blood than ran from him has stained our soil red to this day! The evidence is all there, it just takes the courage of those brave enough to believe it."
Naturally, these modern Hartists have received massive backlash from historians and religious figures across the country. One such person is Zebrina Alocasia, descendent of Horsetail and Spider:
" These modern Hartists make me so... dissapointed I think is the word. The Great Fairies are a complicated part of all of Albedo's history. Even today we are not sure why they came or what they were here for. To say their mere existence excuses the actions of a terrible genocidal tyrant and the resulting empire is so stupid. Hartists don't remember what it was like before the revolution. Even more so than today the rich could do whatever they wanted and got away with it because "they were in favour of Hart". We were idolize them and hate the parts of ourselves that didn't match up. People died by the thousands because of the weak and unresponsible leadership. Of course people can worship whatever they want yes, but it's extremely dangerous to worship someone who advocated for the murder of innocent lives and a strict social class system to uphold centuries of oppression. By all means, let these Hartist do what they want, but they better not come crying when their cult hurts people they love."
Hartism is the controversial hot-topic issue keeping all theologists on their toes. Scholars from all circles can't seem to decide whether this is a fad or the resurgence of a centuries old religion. Only time will tell.
Thanks For Reading!
.png)
Grocery stores and local markets have suffered the wrath of orangemallow-eating customers all over the nation due to shortages. As retailers look for answers, all they get are more questions. In the past month, orangemallow stock has decreased 300%, an unprecedented amount, even in previous times of famine.
Local Flowerface Grocer, Rose, explains how the shortage has affected him personally:
" It's so difficult now! Orangemallow was my highest selling product so now people don't come into the store as much. Even if I can get my hands on some I have to sell them at insane prices just to keep the lights on. I think people are being dramatic. There are other foods people can eat than orangemallow!"
On 11 Saturday, the 4 large corporations that supply orangemallow internationally: W.M. Organics, Foods Supply Co, Happy Sun, and Quill Groves fell silent when they all downsized roughly 80% of their labor workers. A former employee from Happy Sun sheds light on this unexpected turn:
" It was out of the blue. In the middle of the workday as we were de-stemming what night shift brought in we were told to leave. A lot of us thought there was a fire or something and we had to evacuate but once we were out of the building, they told us through the intercoms that we were all fired and threw our stuff out on the parking lot. I am still so confused, its not like there is anyone replacing us you can go into any grocery store and see that clearly."
With still so many unanswered questions, angered shoppers, retailers, and former employees flocked to the headquarters of each of these corporations to demand answers. The ongoing protest shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. For now, smaller farms are overwhelmed with the demand. Right now, even if there are orangemallows for sale they can be anywhere from $400 to $1,000.
As the days pass, it's becoming clear that these corporations are going to continue to be unresponsive. Now, it's up to local farms to decide whether to meet the demand or somehow be the first to supply the orangemallow's replacement.
.png)
.png)