Ravenkraft History: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Ravenkraft_Pixel_Art_Logo.webp|right|300px|alt=Ravenkraft Pixel Art Logo]] | [[File:Ravenkraft_Pixel_Art_Logo.webp|right|300px|alt=Ravenkraft Pixel Art Logo]] | ||
Founded in 2012 by Wizardofire, Ravenkraft has been a thriving Minecraft community for a | Founded in 2012 by [[Wizardofire]], Ravenkraft has been a thriving Minecraft community for over a decade. Known for its aversion to core-game-changing plugins, Ravenkraft has maintained a close-to-vanilla experience throughout almost its entire history. See [[Worlds]] for a full breakdown of each server and its features. | ||
== Contents == | == Contents == | ||
| Line 13: | Line 13: | ||
== Early Days == | == Early Days == | ||
In 2011, [[Wizardofire]] launched an anarchy server called '' | |||
In 2011, [[Wizardofire]] launched an anarchy server called ''Apples of Discordia''. The freewheeling environment attracted a small but dedicated group of players, laying the social foundation for what would become Ravenkraft. | |||
''[Needs expanding and fact checking.]'' | ''[Needs expanding and fact checking.]'' | ||
== Alpha Centauri IV == | == Alpha Centauri IV == | ||
[[File:RavenKraft_First_Episode.webp|thumb|right|RavenKraft First Episode]] | [[File:RavenKraft_First_Episode.webp|thumb|right|RavenKraft First Episode]] | ||
In March | In March 2012, Alpha Centauri IV was created — Wizardofire's first attempt at an orderly vanilla world. It was the first Ravenkraft world for many veteran players, including justin1423, Mattfu, ParadigmPlague, Shammon, Stalin77, and theoubre. | ||
During this | During this era, RyanPhantom documented server life through livestreams, capturing hours of adventures and community shenanigans. | ||
''[Needs expanding and fact checking.]'' | ''[Needs expanding and fact checking.]'' | ||
== Zothique == | == Zothique == | ||
{{:Zothique}} | {{:Zothique}} | ||
== The Dark Ages == | == The Dark Ages == | ||
[[File:RVNK_Chronicles_Antnachos_Purpur_Line.webp|thumb|right|The Purpur Line, one of many infrastructure projects chronicled during this era.]] | |||
ComradeFeliks later set up a Bedrock Realm with friends, | By 2017, the player base had dwindled significantly. The server went offline in the fall of that year. [[ComradeFeliks]] later set up a Bedrock Realm with friends but, longing for the Java experience, launched a new server in November 2019 on version 1.14 — baptised ''Diaspora''. | ||
== Diaspora == | == Diaspora == | ||
[[File:New_Ravenport_Docks.webp|thumb|right|The docks at New Ravenport]] | [[File:New_Ravenport_Docks.webp|thumb|right|The docks at New Ravenport]] | ||
Diaspora became a spiritual successor to Ravenkraft. Feliks invited Wizardofire to join, and together they reached out to former players. Many returned, forming the core community of New Ravenport, the spawn capital. | Diaspora became a spiritual successor to Ravenkraft. Feliks invited Wizardofire to join, and together they reached out to former players. Many returned, forming the core community of New Ravenport, the spawn capital. | ||
Beyond New Ravenport, cities like New Feronia emerged and transportation networks — including the redesigned [[Nether Express]] — were built. When 1.18 approached, the community decided to start fresh to take advantage of the new terrain generation. | |||
== The Phoenix Rises == | |||
A new world temporarily called ''South Mesa'' was chosen for the rebirth. Using the Ravenkraft name again, the world launched in February 2022 on version 1.18. The addition of Towny provided build protection while preserving the semi-vanilla feel. Stunning new landscapes and climate zones inspired players to create spectacular settlements, many of which are documented in [[Cities]]. | |||
A new world | |||
== Bankrekka == | |||
[[File:RVNK_Quickie_Wiz_Milk.webp|thumb|right|Building together is never a dull moment!]] | [[File:RVNK_Quickie_Wiz_Milk.webp|thumb|right|Building together is never a dull moment!]] | ||
At launch, Ravenwood ( | At launch, Ravenwood (later renamed Ravenport) was established at spawn, complete with a main street for shops and a group-built port area. The train station and city portal sit at the main intersection, serving as the hub of the [[Nether Express]] network. | ||
Bankrekka welcomed new players | Bankrekka welcomed new players — Shawntificus, Malinir, CurlyBorly, SushiBaked, and many others — and staff intend to keep this world active for the long term, allowing players to create lasting projects and vast settlements. The current [[Cities|city count]] stands at 59 named settlements. | ||
--- | --- | ||
[[Category:History]] | |||
Revision as of 01:32, 8 May 2026
Founded in 2012 by Wizardofire, Ravenkraft has been a thriving Minecraft community for over a decade. Known for its aversion to core-game-changing plugins, Ravenkraft has maintained a close-to-vanilla experience throughout almost its entire history. See Worlds for a full breakdown of each server and its features.
Contents
Early Days
In 2011, Wizardofire launched an anarchy server called Apples of Discordia. The freewheeling environment attracted a small but dedicated group of players, laying the social foundation for what would become Ravenkraft.
[Needs expanding and fact checking.]
Alpha Centauri IV
In March 2012, Alpha Centauri IV was created — Wizardofire's first attempt at an orderly vanilla world. It was the first Ravenkraft world for many veteran players, including justin1423, Mattfu, ParadigmPlague, Shammon, Stalin77, and theoubre.
During this era, RyanPhantom documented server life through livestreams, capturing hours of adventures and community shenanigans.
[Needs expanding and fact checking.]
Zothique
Zothique was a Ravenkraft world active during 2015 – Fall 2017.
Overview
The server's Golden Age — the most active and celebrated era in Ravenkraft history. The spawn city of Desovar featured dozens of skyscrapers and the residential district of Twin Pines. An extensive rail network connected major cities across tens of thousands of blocks, foreshadowing the Nether Express.
| World Info | |
|---|---|
| Era | 2015–2017 |
| Active | 2015 – Fall 2017 |
| Type | Vanilla Survival |
| Server | RVNK Event (Arcology archive) |
| Directory | zothique
|
| Founded by | Wizardofire |
| Arcology | Arcology Dynmap |
Cities
Narita
Coords: ~155, 67, 155
Built by Wizardofire, Narita was one of zothique's primary player cities. The city featured:
- Narita Train Station (150, 71, 113) — rail hub connecting to Desovar and beyond
- Narita Warehouse — a large shared storage complex with labeled chests for every material category
- Narita Town Hall (125, 72, 149)
- Diner, Pub, and Enchanter's Decanter shop (140, 72, 126)
- Adjoining community farms and a cemetery
Direction signs at the city edge read: "TO DESOVAR <————"
Desovar
Coords: ~485, 75, 312 (Desovar Station)
Desovar was zothique's central railway hub and largest city. Its train station dispatched eight named lines:
| Line | Direction | Destinations |
|---|---|---|
| NORTH MAIN | North | Windfjord Keep · Emerald City |
| NE SECONDARY | Northeast | Vixiiim's Place · Llama Sama's Place |
| RVNK MINE | — | The Travelling Circus Mine |
| WEST MAIN | West | Narita · Archea Junction |
| SOUTH MAIN | South | Rainbow District · The Oasis · Cangrejos |
| PINES JUNCTION | West | Twin Pines |
Notable Desovar structures:
- Ravenkraft Auction House — Est. 10/19/14 by RyanPhantom; 4th floor auctions; elaborate booth system (Booths 1A–4B by category)
- Freedom Tower — built by Rottorz (blue beacon)
- Polychromatic Reserve — built by Rottorz (orange beacon)
- Rowsdower Library — originally built by Shimmy; later owned by RyanPhantom; operated a book donation program
- Ghostbusters HQ — Mago De Fuego Ghostbusters HQ at ~305, 72, 385; featured a high-voltage ghost containment unit with authentic warning signs ("Do not cross the streams")
- Ye Olde Wiz Road — a major named road running the length of Desovar (~X:380–540, Z:277–333)
- Bonez's Brewery (566, 99, 272) — public DIY brewing station with community rules posted; Bonez signed every rule himself
Emerald City
Coords: ~530, 80, 110
Located north of Narita, confirmed by direction signs ("Emerald City ←— —→ Windfjord Keep" at 517/80/99). The Woolen Gentleman II wool shop (est. 10/3/15 by Ryan) relocated here after closing in Twin Pines. A sign at the site read "All Hail King Bonez" — suggesting bonerus held a ceremonial or political role in the city.
Rainbow District
Coords: ~497, 83, 469 (district center)
A planned urban district managed by Rottorz with strict residency rules: no PVP, buildings must be mob-proofed, one build at a time, terrain changes require approval, and plots may be forfeited after one month of inactivity. A railroad map at the district center showed all compass directions.
Named towers:
| Tower | Builder | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom Tower | Rottorz | Blue beacon; 10+ floors with elevator chutes |
| Polychromatic Reserve | Rottorz | Orange beacon |
| Rainbow Tower | Rottorz | Contributors: Wizardofire, theoubre |
| Mattfu Tower | — | Named for MattFu |
| Omar Tower | TheWanderingFool | — |
| Auction House | RyanPhantom | Glass structure; ←— from district center |
| Biff's Pleasure Palace | RyanPhantom | — |
| Bonez Castle | bonerus | On a distant hilltop (sign: "<———") |
| Rot Tower | Rottorz | "———>" from Bonez Castle sign |
New Player Welcome Center at 509, 118, 430.
East Rainbow Avenue and North Rainbow Avenue are named streets in the district.
Other Notable Locations
Twin Pines
Coords: ~320, 65, 466
A residential area with a park, roundabout, and community farms. Twin Pines had its own rail junction with eight lines departing in all directions. Notable businesses:
- Bonerus' Summer Phishin' Shack (349, 64, 412)
- Rot's Rainbow Tavern (349, 64, 430)
- Shroom Room (underground)
- mySnacks Snack Bar — owned by mycroft53 (449–451, 68–70, 479)
- Woz' Wingdings Wachamacallits & Wacky Woods (449, 68, 488)
- The Woolen Gentleman II — wool shop in all 16 colors, later moved to Emerald City
Cangrejos
Coords: 100, 73, 156
Church settlement. The sign reads: "Church Erected March 23, 2017 | Cangrejos Trust." Cangrejos was also a named political faction (listed as "Cangrejos (SPQR)" on the Neo-Taconia political board).
Windfjord Keep
Coords: 471, 92, 141
A named castle or fortress. Listed as a NORTH MAIN train destination from Desovar Station.
Vixiiim's Lands
Coords: 940, 83, 207
Vixiiim claimed a massive territory in northeast zothique spanning roughly X:883–1002, Z:115–218, marked by over 15 perimeter signs reading "LAND CLAIMED BY VIXIIIM."
Fort Phantom
Coords: 634, 113, 316
Built by RyanPhantom on June 14, 2013 — one of zothique's earliest structures. The fort was imported to the server from version 1.5 on December 15, 2014. It had at least 8 floors (Ground: Crafting, 1st: Dining, 2nd: Bedroom, 4th: Dirt, 5th: Wood, 8th: Skypath access). Jeffrey_starwars signed the guestbook on June 16, 2013.
The Halloween Tomb
Coords: ~35, 55, 200
An underground dungeon with "FEAR HIM" signs covering the walls. Entry signs: "THE HALLOWEEN TOMB" and "Press a button to begin!" A note at the entrance read "DO NOT ENTER UNTIL HALLOWEEN — NOT DONE!!!!"
The Cemetery
Coords: ~90, 67, 115
A community cemetery near Narita containing R.I.P. signs for over 20 players. Select epitaphs:
- Mattfu — Derailment
- Stalin77 — Derailment
- Wizardofire — Banned himself. Choked on cheese toasty.
- FelixdePortu — Overwhelmed by colonialism.
- RawrSaysMeXD — Death by Ender Pearl 2K16.
- Dinoglitch — Crushed by a Decepticon.
- Rottorz — Slain by his aesthetic.
- Bonerus — Murdered by Florida man.
- MickyMack — Stabbed by Herobrine.
- RyanPhantom — Run over by a DeLorean.
- Antnachos — Drove his car into the ocean.
- Mycroft — Missing in action.
Political Factions
A faction noticeboard at Neo-Taconia (559, 91, 288) listed the political entities of zothique:
| Faction | Members / Notes |
|---|---|
| The Majestic City-State of Neo-Taconia | Major city-state |
| TechBro Union | mycroft53, Rottorz, Vixiiim, ShenangianSophie, Techsis Union, antnachos, Morius67, NightCloak27, LindseyPhantom |
| Cangrejos (SPQR) | Roman-themed faction |
| SPQR | Separate entry; Roman faction |
| Archean Empire | — |
| The Angry Owl Clan | — |
| The Oasis | — |
| Aradia | RyanPhantom (Independent) |
| Foxdale | Darkside_Dave |
| Various Independents | wizardofire, MickyMack, TheWanderingFool, ManoFok, bonerus, Jade1023, lgouda7 (Big Cheese), Koyuruhun (Zar) |
Rail Network
Zothique had one of Ravenkraft's most extensive rail networks. Known lines from the Desovar hub and Twin Pines junction connected: Narita, Emerald City, Windfjord Keep, Vixiiim's Place, Llama Sama's Place, The Travelling Circus Mine, Rainbow District, The Oasis, Cangrejos, Twin Pines, The Arena, and Archea.
Notable Players
RyanPhantom (built Aradia; Ravenkraft Auction House; Fort Phantom est. 2013; made retro VHS-style server advertisements), Rottorz (explored the entire Dynmap solo before Elytras existed; built Freedom Tower, Rainbow Tower, Polychromatic Reserve, Rot Tower; managed Rainbow District), bonerus (Bonez Castle; Bonez Brewery; Summer Phishin Shack; Rainbow Tavern), MickyMack (built boat launcher towers in 1.9 before rockets), antnachos (built the Purpur Line railway), Wizardofire (built Narita; co-founded the server; "All Hail King Bonez" — community recognition), Fox_Girl_Storm (founded Stormvale on a southeast Taiga island), ComradeFeliks (joined 2014; called it the server's most vibrant period), Vixiiim (largest single land claim in the world)
Notes
At its height, over 1000 players had been active across the world's two-plus years of play. The server went offline in fall 2017 due to a declining player base, beginning the Dark Ages.
Location data sourced from Anvil region file scan (region_scan.py, May 2026).
See Also
- Worlds — full world index
- Ravenkraft History — timeline of all eras
- Zothique on the Arcology — interactive historical map
Registry Pages
- Buildings (Zothique) — building registry
- Routes (Zothique) — rail network and roads
- Landmarks (Zothique) — monuments, memorials, community installations
- Industry (Zothique) — farms, grinders, breweries
The Dark Ages
By 2017, the player base had dwindled significantly. The server went offline in the fall of that year. ComradeFeliks later set up a Bedrock Realm with friends but, longing for the Java experience, launched a new server in November 2019 on version 1.14 — baptised Diaspora.
Diaspora
Diaspora became a spiritual successor to Ravenkraft. Feliks invited Wizardofire to join, and together they reached out to former players. Many returned, forming the core community of New Ravenport, the spawn capital.
Beyond New Ravenport, cities like New Feronia emerged and transportation networks — including the redesigned Nether Express — were built. When 1.18 approached, the community decided to start fresh to take advantage of the new terrain generation.
The Phoenix Rises
A new world temporarily called South Mesa was chosen for the rebirth. Using the Ravenkraft name again, the world launched in February 2022 on version 1.18. The addition of Towny provided build protection while preserving the semi-vanilla feel. Stunning new landscapes and climate zones inspired players to create spectacular settlements, many of which are documented in Cities.
Bankrekka
At launch, Ravenwood (later renamed Ravenport) was established at spawn, complete with a main street for shops and a group-built port area. The train station and city portal sit at the main intersection, serving as the hub of the Nether Express network.
Bankrekka welcomed new players — Shawntificus, Malinir, CurlyBorly, SushiBaked, and many others — and staff intend to keep this world active for the long term, allowing players to create lasting projects and vast settlements. The current city count stands at 59 named settlements.
---