¶ Timeline
0 AB - Bumpkin Beginnings
500 AB - Sunflorians
760 AB - Sunflower Land
780 AB - Goblins
960 AB - Moon seekers
¶ Bumpkin Beginnings
Timeline: 0 AB - 500 AB
¶ Saphiro
The earliest known recordings of Bumpkin blood traces back to the ancient Saphiro tribe, a group of brilliant Bumpkins that inhabited the Southern Sunflower Isles.
For centuries these Bumpkins mastered the arts of farming, crafting and gathering. Through trial and error they uncovered the secrets of advanced cultivating, discovered exotic minerals and danced with the dangers of alchemy.
Unfortunately there are few known records kept from this historic time as all tradition and advanced techniques were passed down only through storytelling. Saphiron Bumpkins were not boastful, which meant only rumors and folklore of the origins of these people remain today.
¶ Broadminded Bumpkins
For a long time, life was blissful in Saphiro - Bumpkins blossomed and innovations were discovered daily.
However, it wasn’t long before a new generation of curious Bumpkins emerged who were willing to push the boundaries. They grew discontent living in small communities and upholding the traditions of their people.
These bored Bumpkins began to build buoyant boats that could travel distances previously unheard of. They honed their sailing skills and over the years they spread throughout the Sunflower Isles, discovering warmer regions, foreign resources and eventually building the initial Kingdoms of the islands.
The most notorious of these Kingdoms was the Sunflorians.
¶ Sunflorians
500 AB - 760 AB
¶ The Sunflorian Dynasty
The Sunflorians were a brave race that bred bold Bumpkins, constantly looking to conquer and expand their reach throughout the Sunflower Isles. Over the centuries, these Bumpkins wrote their name into the history books with discoveries of Stone Haven, Treasure Island, The Retreat and even the far reaching Snow Kingdom.
These initial explorers eventually became the royal families that ruled the Sunflower Isles and the Sunflorian Dynasty was born. It was a prosperous time for all Bumpkins and the future looked bright. Technology was rapidly advancing and they were discovering new land & innovations daily. It was a symbol of pride to be a Sunflorian.
The centre of the Sunflorian sphere was discovery and expansion. As the royal family grew, so did mass mining and deforestation across the islands. The Sunflorians wanted to extract every resource and build as much as they could.
However, as the Sunflorian empire grew, grave rumours spread. It became clear that the discovery of new islands was slowing down. Bold Bumpkins would voyage vast distances on expeditions in search of bountiful land. For the Bumpkins that returned, all they brought was bad news and stories of endless seas and treacherous creatures.
Sunflorians were losing Bumpkins and ships everyday and were facing an existential crisis. If there was no more land to explore, what is a Bumpkin good for?
¶ Bumpkin Bans - 720 AB
To avoid more death and disappointment, Queen Bella (702 AB-758AB) of the Sunflorians instated an exploration ban on all Bumpkins. Bumpkins were always a peaceful community and begrudgingly accepted this decision.
With a ban on travel, the islands were becoming overcrowded and land was rapidly turning sterile. With no other choice, new measures were brought in to preserve resources and space that restricted Bumpkins from building new structures. As the population grew, the Sunflorians clamped down further on these restrictions to keep the peace in the Kingdom. No more crafting, no more planting and no unlicensed trading.
The Bumpkin Boomers who grew up in the bustling exploration period carried fond memories of their voyages and could find peace knowing that they lived a fulfilled life. However, the Bumpkin babies were being brought up in a backward kingdom and were quickly becoming bored and restless.
It wasn’t long before the new generation began experimenting with illegal home-grown parsnips, sneaking out at night to chop down trees, crafting boats and going on joy rides to the retreat.
The Sunflorians were not blind to the rising restlessness of their society. They were losing grip of control. To retain power, more bans were implemented and young Bumpkins were rounded up and jailed. It was evident that conditions were worsening everyday. Riots broke out and prisons overflowed. At risk of a revolution, the Sunflorians made a grave announcement.
All Bumpkins who opposed the Sunflorian Kingdom would be banished from the Sunflower Isles, in search of their own land.
The young buzzing Bumpkins thought their dreams had come true. However, the Bumpkin elders knew this was a death wish. There was nothing to discover but death and disappointment across the seas.
¶ Sunflower Land
760 AB
¶ The Banished Boat
A fleet of boats were arranged for the banished Bumpkins and convicts of the Sunflorian Kingdom. With rumours of treacherous winds to the East, endless water to the South, and dangerous monsters to the West, there was only one direction to go. North. The banished Bumpkins were given a barrel of local Sunflorian Parsnips, a handful of seeds and a wave goodbye.
The travelling Bumpkins faced perilous conditions, starvation and were on the brink of mutiny. Dark days, cold nights and endless Parsnip soup were beating the Bumpkin’s spirit. Luckily, amongst these banished Bumpkins, was Blake the Brainy. Blake had learnt ancient sailing skills passed down through his Saphiron heritage. Through his brilliance and perseverance, the fleet survived the toughest of conditions and held together.
On the 9th week of the journey a miracle appeared on the horizon - Land! As they grew closer they saw vibrant beaches and green pastures filled with Sunflowers. The Bumpkins were breath-taken, they had just discovered Sunflower Land 🌻
¶ The Pioneering Settlers
The Bumpkin pioneers were buzzing with excitement as they landed on the shores of Sunflower Land. The settlers cultivated Sunflowers, built houses and explored the surrounding fields. Villages were flourishing, farming was booming and the Bumpkins were blissful. They thought they had found paradise.
However, they soon discovered they were not alone.
¶ First Encounters
During a daily seed gathering routine, Brooke the Bumpkin decided to venture further into the forest to search for exotic seeds. The forest was foreign, puzzling and she quickly became lost. With no bearings, she wandered endlessly for days through the forest trying to find her way home.
One morning she heard strange noises coming from a nearby Blueberry bush. She was curious about the unusual noises but delighted to find breakfast. As she grew closer and reached out her hand to grab a blueberry she heard a loud noise - ACKK!!!
A small green creature popped out of the bush, timid and on high alert. The creature was roughly the same size as Brooke but had rough green skin, long pointy ears and was built like a buffalo.
The creature’s mouth was smeared in bright blue blueberries and Brooke realised she had interrupted a feast. It was not trying to attack Brooke, it was only trying to gobble as many Blueberries as possible.
In an act of peace, Brooke pulled out a Parsnip brought from the Sunflorian Kingdoms and offered it to the creature. The creature came forward slowly with eyes wide open. The smell of parsnip filled the creatures nostrils and in an instant it snatched the parsnip and swiftly gobbled it down, followed by a loud belch.
Brooke giggled and the tension between the two eased. She decided to call it Goblin.
Contributors to this page
iSPANK - initial creation / copying from official Docs