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Floralia has fallen.

—Ross Red's diary, Ballad of Rapunzel
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The Plaza of the abandoned kingdom of Floralia

Floralia is the main location of the seventh Dark Parables game, Ballad of Rapunzel, and its bonus game, The Thumbelina Curse.

Once a beautiful and thriving kingdom located on Mount Sněžka in Czechoslovakia, Floralia was abandoned by all of its people due to the spread of Deadly Nightbloom pollen.

History[]

In the beginning, Floralia was a piece of land inhabited by two warring clans. While one clan thrived under the partronage of the Goddess Flora, guardian of nature's balance, the other clan was nearing its time.

In a final attempt to save his people from extinction, the young Chief of the weaker clan underwent harsh trials to implore the Goddess for her help. Impressed by the man's sincerity and determination, Flora gave him Three Artifacts that would help him change the destiny of his clan, though she warned him that this would come at a great price. With the artifacts in hand, the Chief was victorious after a long and drawn-out battle; however, he also fulfiled the Goddess' warning by losing his family, his lover and too many of his people.

Realizing the price of disrupting the fates, the Chief joined the two clans together and crowned himself the first King of Floralia. He ruled wisely for many years, sealing away the Three Artifacts with a warning to his heir before he died that only one Artifact could be used at any time. Even without the use of the artifacts, Floralia grew in population, beauty, and wealth.

The throne of Floralia eventually passed to King Crisanto, whom reign was initially prosperous and happy. However, there came a time of great mourning when his beloved wife, Queen Violante, died after giving birth to a daughter named Rapunzel. Seeing the people's grief, Flora made the baby princess Guardian of the Lilac Bellflower and bestow on her the power of restoration.

In time, King Crisanto took a second wife, Lady Melanie. The new queen was more somber than her predecessor but wished for the people to love her. She eventually became pregnant and did all she could to ensure the child would be born healthy. Unbeknownst to all, Queen Melanie's trusted servant, Mother Gothel, began feeding her poison extracted from the Deadly Nightbloom flower. This caused the child, Belladonna, to be born with deadly powers that could kill a person with a single touch.

To prevent any more calamities, the young Princess was locked away in a tall tower for the safety of all. Her mother was driven mad by anger and guilt over her trust in Mother Gothel and passed away shortly after. Belladonna's father was also wracked with guilt. He hated seeing his daughter locked away, but could see no other solution. He searched tirelessly for a way to cure her of her powers but found nothing.

The young Princess grew up alone, isolated from everyone but her older sister, Rapunzel, who came to visit her often. It was through Mother Gothel's work and Rapunzel's own powers that Belladonna was able to begin releasing the deadly Nightbloom pollen throughout the Kingdom. With the flowers themselves, and the deadly pollen coming from them, the people of Floralia began to live in fear. It wasn't long before the population dwindled down to nothing.

However, the King of Floralia refused to leave his Kingdom. He died alone in his throne room, ruling over his empty Kingdom to his last breath.

In accordance with the Sword ending, Rapunzel is freed from Belladonna's control and they leave with Ross into exile to have Belladonna learn how to control her powers. With the absence of the last two Princesses, Goddess Flora's powers diminished to such a degree that she could no longer maintain an adult form. She changed into a young girl and was then cursed by Mother Gothel to make her small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand. The Goddess was rescued by Gerda, Gwyn, and Kai, but could only return to her native Rosaria to recuperate and attempt to rebuild her powers.

Floralia has evidently been restored and repopulated since the events of Ballad of Rapunzel as Flora is once again powerful enough to continue guarding over the delicate balance of nature and a gift was sent to celebrate the wedding of Prince Gwyn and Gerda.

Notable Former Residents[]

Places of Interest[]

  • Floralia Cemetery - where Queen Violante and many victims of the Nightbloom pollen are buried
  • Forgotten Garden - where Rapunzel and Belladonna played as children
  • Briar Rose Courtyard - a shrine to Briar Rose, Guardian of the Thorned Rose
  • Ivy Greenhouse - a shrine to Ivy Green, the former Guardian of the English Ivy
  • Molten Hall - a shrine to Ross Red, Guardian of the Fiery Rosa
  • Glacial Hall - a shrine to Snow White, Guardian of the Frost Edelweiss
  • Palace Treasury - where the wealth of Floralia was kept
  • Illuminated Chantry - a shrine to Rapunzel, Guardian of the Lilac Bellflower

Relevant Parables[]

The Three Artifacts of Floralia (from Ballad of Rapunzel)

Long ago, two rival clans inhabited a piece of land together. Under the Goddess Flora’s patronage, one clan thrived while the young Chief of the weaker clan saw the end of his people draw near. He decided to implore the Goddess, overcoming harsh trials in his quest. Touched by his sincerity and determination, the Goddess gave the man three artifacts: a sword, a mirror, and a jewel. The Goddess told him to use the artifacts if he was determined to change destiny of his clan. But she warned him that the price would be steep for disrupting the fates. After a long, drawn-out battle, with the artifacts in hand, the Chief was victorious. But in the midst of it all, he had lost his family, his lover, and too many of his people. He now understood the Goddess’ warning. Though their destiny had changed, the cost had been paid was too dear. With a solemn heart, he joined the two clans together, crowning himself King. The King lived on to become a wise ruler. He sealed the artifacts, turning over their guardianship and history to his heir before he died. So goes the tale of the first King of Floralia.

The Jewel of Repose (from The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree)

At the far outskirts of what once was the Kingdom of Floralia, there lived a very poor family. The father took pride in the one precious thing he had: a jewel he had found when he was a boy. One windy night, a strange visitor came to the poor family's home. The riches she had to offer in exchange for the father's jewel changed their circumstances forever. They never came to realize they'd conversed with a Princess, or that they'd parted with the Jewel of Repose. The Swan Princess had long coveted the jewel, one of the three legendary artifacts of Floralia. Now the Princess set her sights on the two artifacts that were owned by Ross Red and the Master Tailor. The Swan Princess still mourned her parents and the other victims of conflict. "What kind of a Goddess lets her people die in vain?" asked the Swan Princess. "I shall be a different kind of Goddess, the one that cares for her people!" But to become a Goddess, she had to destroy Flora. And to do that, she needed Flora's creation: the three Artifacts of Floralia.

Trivia[]

  • Floralia is named after the Roman holiday to celebrate the Goddess Flora.

Galleries[]

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