The Warren

Originally, the Warren was nothing more than an illegal basement in the Lapin family home. Dug initially by Queen Sable Aradia long before the Word Wars, when she decided to settle down and have a family, its beginnings were much more humble: just a few holes in the ground.   However, even then it was built with future expansion in mind. Perhaps driven somewhat by Fiver's Insight, the future Bunny Queen chose the location because of the giant tree and the unique way in which its roots formed a living support structure. She envisioned a future community of Lapinite Literomancers coming together under one roof to share knowledge and stories, although surely, not even she could have anticipated the need for rapid expansion that was thrust upon them by the Word Wars.   Perhaps for this reason, the royal living quarters boast few of the fineries that other Major Houses usually display. While there is a luxurious public and reception area to entertain important guests in the style to which they are accustomed, the Royal Family's burrows are simple, and maintained at about a lower middle class standard.   Now, the Warren serves as a stronghold, armoury and bunker in times of war, and a castle and center of government in times of peace, as the Mother of Bunnies seeks to rule (hopefully with some degree of fairness and wisdom) the empire that has been thrust upon her.

The center of activity in the Warren is a large, common burrow supported by the roots of the great tree and columns of hard-packed earth reinforced by rebar and cement. Once called "the Honeycomb," named for the large common burrow in the Watership Down Warren, it was renamed "the Bunnycomb." This was due to a desire not to create confusion for House Apis, as they joined Lapin for the July 2022 Tourney. It was inspired by a joke from The King Dino RPGDinosaurBob that appealed to Sable's sense of humour.   The Bunnycomb is surrounded by "wings" of interconnected burrows. The area directly surrounding the Bunnycomb is given over to the business of the Warren; offices, armouries, consulates, security rooms, and other essential activities that make the Warren run.   The "wing" designated as the Chiroptera Consulate is deen withing the bowels of the Warren, off of the bottom floor of the Public Library. The "wing" dedicated to House Mollusca is accessed the same way, located down a long passage beneath the Warren that ends at an underground lake. Lapin has separated a reservoir so that they can salinate the lake to better suit Mollusca's needs.   The Avis Consulate is in the upper floor of the Warren, directly beneath Becker Park, so that that Birds have access to suitable nesting and flying areas.   Bomb shelters, food and water storage, "Work Rooms," and other secured areas are either located under the Bunnycomb or beneath the appropriate wings.   The famous underground farming facility of the Warren, El-Ahrairah's Garden, is also located deep within the Warren, although it may be viewed (but not accessed) by the public. It is under consideration before the UN as a new World Wonder.

The original construction of the Warren, once it was "completed," was limited to the the forward burrows, the Honeycomb, the libraries, a cave that was used for storage and emergency supplies that subsequently led to the underground lake, a magical temple area or "Work Room," the main entrances and a couple of secret escape tunnels, and a large network of chambers which were intended for guest bedrooms, offices, and future expansion.   Some significant rebuilding was required after the destruction of the First Word War, and House Lapin took the opportunity to bolster their defenses and expand to accommodate their new needs as the center of a world power. What began as a few holes in the side of a hill became an underground complex with bomb shelters, communications and command centers, governmental offices, and "Work Rooms" for literomantic practice, protected by extra warding.   During the Second Word War a massive and rapid restructuring took place, as House Lapin attempted to provide quarters that accommodated all the living Tome Knights of the Realm. Sections were specifically built according to the needs of each House, to the limits of the situation. Parts of it still remain unfinished, and the sounds of construction are always echoing somewhere in the Warren.   In the wake of the Second Word War, House Lapin engineered these rapid alterations to be more permanent and somewhat modular, able to be closed and accessed as needed. They have also spent an incredible amount of money and effort on their defenses, including a variety of Literomantic wards the Warren did not previously possess.   The burrows of the Chief Rabbit have also been subjected to additional security measures, especially following the two assassination attempts on the Mother of Bunnies that took place after the Second Word War and during the April Tourney 2022.   The Warren's exterior was surrounded by an old-fashioned, manned stone wall that separated the area around the hill from the rest of the city. However, this wall was breeched in The Third Word War by Lord GalaWight's military zombies, and in light of the Warren's considerable expansion, it was not rebuilt.   The Warren now interfaces with the surface of the city through the Lapin Royal Hospital and the World Literomantic Academy's Warren Campus, which incorporated the original Work Rooms into its structure, as well as its main entrance, which faces The Queen's Park and the Meles Embassy.   There are now five known major escape tunnels, instead of three. The fifth one was constructed prior to The Fourth Word War, when Lapin Librarian AttorraRu showed signs of potentially becoming the next Night Monarch, and Escape Tunnel 3 was deemed to exit too close to The Dragon Cave. Escape Tunnel 5 exits near the city morgue.

The Warren was originally dug out of a hillside. Initially, this digging was meant to accommodate a simple warren for a Wererabbit family. Over time, an entire complex of tunnels and burrow complexes have been added and expanded. Most of these have been dug into stone as well as earth, through blasting and other forms of mining and excavation. Despite this, the Warren is a modern structure, with no lack of modern conveniences.

After the experiences of the Tome Wars, the Chief Rabbit has spared no expense to protect the Warren with the best defenses that money and literomancy can buy. The structure is at least as well-protected as the Pentagon, even if one does not consider the extensive literomantic warding and shielding that is built right into to the Warren and regularly maintained.   However, hidden in the Warren's exterior are high-tech defenses, from the surveillance cameras concealed in the stonework, to the anti-aircraft artillery that can be assembled and manned in a matter of minutes.   The electrical system is internally maintained and hardened against EMPs. The water source is independent and protected by the stronghold itself. The tunnels and burrows are internally heated by central air, geothermal technology and magic, and strategically-placed fireplaces, although separate wings of the Warren can be sealed off by airlocks, limiting any tampering to the atmospheric conditions. These same sections can also be sealed off by blast doors in case of explosion or fire. The walls of the Bunnycomb, the Command & Communications Centre, and burrows intended for House Leaders are sealed in a foot of lead, just in case of nuclear catastrophe. Every square foot of the place is visible through a security camera somewhere.   There are five known escape tunnels, each able to serve as a bunker in times of need, with separate sections that can be sealed off. A sixth tunnel leads to and from a large underground lake, which is the primary water source. This lake can only be accessed through the Warren, as far as anyone knows.   The Warren now also contains a full armoury, the famous underground farming structure known as El-Ahrairah's Garden, and enough canned and dried provisions to feed a thousand people for up to a year. Where they are storing these supplies is anyone's guess. Some suspect interdimensional spaces may be involved.   The full extent of the Warren's magical defenses remains unknown, but one well-documented defense is that its tunnels and burrows have been warded against access through portals or teleportation of any kind, unless one is specifically given a magical key to bypass the wards — and those keys can be deactivated any time.   According to the Chief Rabbit, the Warren is also warded in such a way that anyone without a pulse is unable to access any of the entrances without assistance. This is intended to protect the Warren against undead, but has the side effect of limiting access for non-organic beings as well.   Since it is known that ICC DeadPeople arrived on the periphery of the Warren's grounds at the start of The Third Word War, and then promptly left, most suspect the grounds themselves also have some sort of wards against the undead.   There are known to be a number of secret passages connecting disparate areas of the Warren to each other, referred to as "boltholes." Their locations and access points are a strictly-guarded secret of the Royal Family and the Owsla.

In the grand scale of things, the Warren is still a relatively new structure, having only been around for about 30 years. In that time, a few major historical events have taken place here:  

The The Fall of House Lapin: House Lapin fell to the Undead Horde on November 25, 2020, after a five-day siege, and the survivors were forced to flee to The Zafforza Trench and shelter with House Mollusca.

The Battle of the Warren: To date, the largest, and most magically-charged, battle of the Tome Wars. In late November-early December 2021, the Grand Alliance of living Tome Knights successfully defended the Warren against the Undead Horde under House Lapin's leadership, and Sable Aradia claimed The Iron Tome.

The April Tourney 2022: As the House then holding the Iron Tome, by tradition, House Lapin played host to the April 2022 Tourney of Tales at the Warren, which is where the historic Treaty of the Great Houses was negotiated.

The July Tourney 2022 was also hosted at the Warren, when the Treaty of the Great Houses was officially ratified.

The Battle of the Book took place primarily at the Warren as a direct result of the July 2022 Tourney.

The Iron Tome was stolen from the Warren on GoToween (October 31st) by Lord Galakrond, launching the Third Word War.

About half of the Tome Knights who served as the vanguard in The 50K Offensive were based at the Warren during the action.

The Battle of Kin Beach also spilled over to the Warren's grounds, which were the primary target of the Undead Horde's assault on House Lapin in Word War 3.

The Battle vs the Nite Qing took place in the Lapin Secret Library, while it was connected only to the Warren in the physical Realm.

The Battle of the Tunnels (Word War 4) took place in and at the Warren

The final confrontation of Word War 5 was centered at the Warren as well.

After an extended period of closure to tourism following two assassination attempts on the Mother of Bunnies, the Warren has now been fully reopened to guided tours. Currently, the Iron Tome can be found on exhibit in the Lapin Public Library on a rotating schedule with Windy Willows and Penwall.  

Points of Note

The Bunnycomb - Central to diplomatic and public activities at the Warren is the Bunnycomb. Once merely a large dug-out room supported by tree roots, it has since been reinforced by concrete and steel, and transformed into a large open space with elaborate tile flooring, and white marble columns and arches. The main entrance to the Warren, which is an enormous blast door, leads through a passage carved directly out of the mountain, through two security checkpoints, to this massive open space. Public addresses are issued here in inclement weather, and this is where the Carrot Throne is located. From this point, one will find access to diplomatic facilities, embassies, conference rooms, and even places to stay. One may also access the Royal Living Quarters from this point, but access to that area by the public is strictly prohibited, and violators may be shot on sight.

The Cottontail Line - A high-speed train connects the Warren complex for public access. This line stops at "The Warren South Station," the closest entrance to the Public Library and the Courtyard Park, which is the nearest one can get to the main entrance of the Warren.

The Council of the Great Houses - hastily excavated from stone to accommodate The Great Houses in the Second Word War, the Council Chamber is a large, long room with an open vaulted ceiling. Dominated by a giant pink wooden table which is surrounded by House banners, it features seats for all of the House Leaders and their Bodyguards. While surrounding facilities, such as a resting area for the House Leaders, are quite luxurious, the chamber itself has never been fully finished, because it is almost always occupied for various diplomatic functions. When it is not otherwise being used, tours are open to the public.

Public Square - near to the train station is the public square where Queen Sable and other royals issue press conferences and public addresses in good weather. A large green space surrounds a balcony and podium at the top of a staircase, and there is also a plaza that has been shaped out of the stone, where one may access the Public Library. It remains open even when there are no events scheduled, and prior to his ascension as Archon, Barbarossa the Wayfinder maintained a food truck style restaurant there called "Everything Fried"

The Queen's Park - facing the front entrance of the Warren is a Japanese-styled park with a walkway, flowers, and benches nestled in bamboo and other green spaces. Sometimes the park is closed when Queen Sable chooses to spend personal time there, but otherwise, it is open to the public as long as it is respected.

Meles Embassy - over walking bridges from the Queen's Park, facing the Warren, is the Meles Embassy. This large late-period castle is the original Meles family home, brought over from Europe and meticulously restored as a personal project of the Prince Consort Erin Righ. This is officially Meles sovereign soil and a popular tourist attraction, but it also serves as backup Meles living quarters should the need arise.

The Enchanted Forest - surrounding the Meles Embassy is a small chunk of old-growth Canadian forest, replete with several species of mushroom, badgers, bears, and more. This is a protected wildlife and nature area, and while visitors are encouraged, messing with the sanctity of the forest by feeding or harassing the animals, littering, or picking the local flora, is punished by significant fines and penalties.

Mollusca Memorial Park - A number of unusual and freshwater squid and octopus species have recently become attracted to Kekuli Bay, where it is rumoured the underwater access to the Mollusca Consulate is located. Now designated Mollusca Memorial Park, a stone memorial has been constructed there to honour all the Molluscans who have died in the Word Wars, particularly The Cosmic Kraken Coffee Quills, who was a personal friend to the Lapin Queen. Visitors may enjoy picnic benches and soothing green and beach space, and interact with the friendly, unusually intelligent, octopods. There is also a large number of Rabbits in the park. Nobody seems to object to them, although they do attract a number of raptor species.

Lapin Public Library - Known to only represent a small fraction of the Lapin collection, the public library descends some six large stories deep into the depths of the Warren, and every wall is lined, floor to ceiling, with books. A railed walkway circumnavigates these walls, so the entire center of the structure is open. The bottom floor is structured more like a traditional library, with bookshelves and research tables, and this is how the Mollusca Consulate and the Chiroptera Consulate can be accessed, along with the Warren's Transcontinental Portal.

Lapin Royal Park - This public park complex provides green space with a public pool area, river-front access, picnic spots, a playground, and a second public library, the Lapin Royal Library, which is more geared to user access of all ages, and includes literomancy-focused Work Rooms that may be booked for use by the public.

World Literomantic Academy Warren Campus - A campus of the WLA is integrated into the Warren structure, and it opens to the public for daily tours. The famous "Work Rooms" where magical training is conducted are located here. It is also possible to access the Warren's large underground amphitheater from the WLA campus, and experts and the interested public come from all over the world to listen to famous Literomancers speak on the subject of Literomancy.

El-Ahrairah's Garden and the Lapin Lagomorph Trust - A public center for tourists, accessed on the other side of the WriterGreg Memorial Bridge and near to the Lapin Royal Park, offers information about the Warren, and tours of the famous, massive, underground farming structure beneath the Warren, as well as access to view a colony of Jackalopes that have moved in to the one of the Warren's external caves.

Becker Park - the park at the top of Turtle Mountain, which is the heart of the Warren. While it does afford an amazing view of downtown Okanagan City, its main attractions appear to be both the giant tree that crowns the Warren, and that Queen Sable often goes walking here and House Avis comes up to socialize when staying at the Warren.