National History and Information

National Flag

The National Flag of Isis Rakael depicts five white stars on blue set amidst two black stripes and represents the union of the five major cities of Alon, Durmar, Kiral, Cosic, and Rin to form a single nation and stand united against invading forces. The white stars were set against a dark background to symbolize beacons of hope that never dimmed, even during the darkest of times.

The center and largest star represents the city of Cosic, the former capital of Isis Rakael and initiator of peace talks amongst the five cities. The last battle for independence from the former nation of Duhn occured at Cosic. From left to right, the stars represent Alon, Kiral, Cosic, Rin, and Durmar.

The center blue stripe represents the color of the original banners flown by the coalition of armed forces formed by the union.

The two outer black stripes represent the armies of Duhn, who during the last battle, besieged the city of Cosic from both the north and south.

Note: On the heels of the recent government change within the nation, the colors of the Rakaelian flag have been altered. The center stripe that which was previously blue, is now black, while the outer stripes are navy blue. The color change included the addition of two additional white stripes on other side of the center stripe. The change, while merely the opposite of what it once was, was designed to move away from the heavy darkness of the previous flag and promote a lighter and more good-natured side to new Rakaelian government. The dark colors remain in the IR War Flag and will remain unchanged.




The wartime flag of the Isis Rakael Security Council and Armed Forces of Isis Rakael depicts an image of a wolf, the national animal and official emblem of the IRSC, and is only flown during times of war.






It was the year 1128 HE, a short 53 years after the unification of the Five Cities that led to the creation of Isis Rakael as a single, unified nation. The enemy they had fought against had been defeated; the bulk of their strength crushed by the Coalition forces during the Siege of Cosic. The end of the war gained the Five Cities their freedom, but it also ushered in an era of peace, an era that John Kosvit, the first president of Isis Rakael, desired to take advantage of. He desired to rebuild his broken and battered nation, which had suffered mightily at the hands of their oppressors, but he also desired expansion and exploration. Sadly, he saw only one goal achieved in his lifetime. Restoration of the Five Cities took nearly a decade to complete, but once they were and the focus was shifted to the cultivation of the lands about, burned and ravaged as they were, things moved quickly and his nation began to flourish. But in 1104 HE, Kosvit, after naming his successor, passed away in his sleep. His second goal would be carried out by Mikael Sordström.

President Mikael Sordström, nearing the end of his life in 1128 HE, issued the order for exploration. Isis Rakael was finally healed of hurt and thriving under the unification. But though all was well, there remained fixed in the mind of Sordström the goals of his predecessor and his own curiosity about what remained beyond the borders of his nation. For so long he and the citizens of Isis Rakael had kept to their own affairs and rarely ventured outside of their territory. He was to change that. He sent out parties of volunteers, both regular citizens and military personnel to the east, west, and south. The north was still inhabited by the savage people of Duhn, who they had fought against for their freedom. Once the expiditions were on their way, there was little he could do but wait.

And wait he did. After three years, the first parties began to return. To the east the lands were empty, but there were few resources to be had. To the south, the lands were already inhabited and the parties were turned away. To the west, no word came for another year. But when it came, it was good. To the west of Isis Rakael lay an ocean, vast and wide, uncharted and deemed dangerous by the vast majority of the population. In fact, only six boats were originally found to attempt to explore it. Upon the return of the party - reduced in size by nearly two-thirds, to which Sordström was sad to see -, he was informed that their journey had taken them west only a little ways before storms and rough sees had forced them to turn south. They sailed for months, finding small islands along the way, but nothing of great value until one day they came upon a new land, named now Caspadius.

The small fleet came to the north of the lands and found them harsh and bitter cold. Grinding ice flowed outwards from a frozen and mountainous terrain and made a landing there impossible. They continued further south. As they continued, they left the grinding ice behind and found calmer seas. There they found what they sought. Upon their landing and exploration, they found the land to be rich and green and vast beyond their reckoning. The west coast was fenced against the ocean by tall mountains that stretched the length of the coast, save for one small vale, which would later be built upon. Further exploration led to the discovery that the land was uninhabited by man. They rejoiced, but then were faced with a hard decision. This land was rich and fertile and free from any enemy they knew, but someone must make the trip back to Isis Rakael. No one wanted the task. They all desired to remain there and start anew, but they couldn't do that without help. Ultimately, two ships and crews were chosen and sent back.

When Sordström had heard this news and learned that the other part of the expedition were still alive, but had remained behind, he was pleased, but ill-pleased at the decisions he now faced. The news seemed good and he trusted the men that he had sent, but could he possibly colonize a land so far south? Would any in Isis Rakael be willing to seek a new home, given all that they had fought to achieve? He could not find an answer, and finally, going from city to city to speak of the new land, he found that many were interested in seeing this new place. While the lands about Isis Rakael were recovering from the centuries of abuse and torment, the prospect of fertile land was enticing. But while many would go, many more would not. Isis Rakael was their home and they fought for their right to make it their own. The president understood this and felt the same, and as a result, never himself made the journey to the new land, but he supported those that did leave and he funded their journeys with tax money collected from the people. He wanted to colonize this new land in the name of Isis Rakael and he would do what he could to see it thrive. It was good for the people. There was a good life to be had.

Decades passed and presidents came and went, but all of whom continued to lend aid and support to the new land, which had been named Ornai, and any who chose to go there. It was prosperous for both Isis Rakael and Ornai, for trade occured between them, though due to the distance, it was slow. But despite the difficulties and distance, money and resources flowed between the two lands and both grew. The first city to be established in Ornai was Enköping, built near the Krystallglas River (named because the water was as clear as crystal) that divided Ornai into two halves. Enköping thrived due to trade and to the land about the city itself, which grew crops exceptionally well.

More decades passed and the city of Nyköping was founded south of Enköping. This city, though south of the Krystallglas River or any major body of water, still found itself reaping plentiful harvests and found it could sustain itself on that, though trade began to occur between the two cities, which helped to develop both. But despite the prosperity of Ornai, Isis Rakael was fairing even better, having opened up more trade routes with surrounding nations.

Time continued to pass and while the stream of people sailing to Ornai was steady, the population of Isis Rakael was becoming vast. People from the south were flocking to the cities of Cosic, Durmar, and Alon and in the north, the city of Rin grew ever larger as tensions between Isis Rakael and the savages northward began to ease and travel was open to both sides. All the while, money flowed ever outward toward Ornai, though as the years went by, the amount grew larger and larger. As Ornai grew, it required more and more funds to keep operational. While the cities of Ornai were self-sustaining to a point, its own growing population, bolstered by steady numbers coming Isis Rakael itself, was becoming burdensome. Most of those who traveled to Ornai had good intentions, but there were those who did not. Those who found a new place where they were unknown and could work their schemes unhindered. Local militias did their part, but as the numbers of the trouble makers grew, they called upon Isis Rakael to assist. They did. The president ordered the construction of a fortress, named Rendir, to be made amidst the towering mountains on the west side of Ornai. There, military personnel could give aid to the militias while protecting the only weak area on the western coast.

In the year 1368 HE, trouble struck the Isis Rakael mainland. The population was growing faster than the government could keep up. Resources were beginning to run out and the money being poured into Ornai was beginning to take its toll. Building up two separate nations was becoming too much. It was then that President Anders Längsson issued an order that would change the fate of Isis Rakael. He was moving... the nation? Ornai had long been funded and developed by taxpayer money. They had the space and the resources to deal with the population. He understood that such a move would take a vast amount of time, however. Already the population of Isis Rakael was in the hundreds of millions and not all of them would be willing to relocate. He began to offer incentives to those that would be willing and to his surprise (but due mostly to their own dislike of the overcrowding situation and the lack of work to be found), he found that a great part of the population was willing to go south. Ornai, who was still thriving, welcomed the newcomers and the established more cities. Toras Nym, Göetterping, Noräli, and Edstrom.

Alleviated by the departure of so many, Isis Rakael settled down once more and things returned to normal. Ornai was becoming self-sufficient, and though still under the rule of Isis Rakael, no longer required the amount of governmental assistance once necessary for its development.

For a time, things were calm, but in the year 1496 HE, disaster struck once more. For decades, Isis Rakael had remained closed off from the outside world, refusing to give any indication of the health of its nation or its people, weaving a web of lies that created a false image of a populous and growing nation. The government was intent on keeping both nations alive. But while those on the outside looked at Isis Rakael as a massively-populated nation, the truth of the matter was, nearly three-fourths of the population was living in Ornai. The IRSC did its best to conceal this fact, unwilling to make known the existence of Ornai to the world. To do so would be devastating to her development. The Rakaelian government weaved illusion after illusion and lie after lie to give the impression that all was well within the Rakaelian mainland. But the North Sea Conflict began the downfall of the mainland. Allied to the Nexians via the IR-NX401 Accords, the IRSC had to honor its treaty and defend the Nexians from the nation of Rasvidi. Unknown to the world, the bulk of the Rakaelian military was already in Ornai, watching over the nearly 750 million Rakaelians that resided there. Taking a terrible risk, but one aimed at the continued concealments of hidden truths, the IRSC deployed almost 90% of its entire remaining military force to the defense of the Nexian border and the liberation of the oil fields. This was done as an illusion - to show the world that Isis Rakael had numbers greater and stronger than they had ever seen before. And they did, but not on the mainland any longer.

The gamble nearly failed for the IRSC, as the Rasvidi resistance on the Nexian borders and the naval battles at the oil fields proved fiercer than expected. But while Isis Rakael had the advantage in numbers, they still could not afford to take such heavy losses. Should Rasvidi invade the Rakaelian mainland, it would fall. There were not now enough to defend it.

The destruction of cities of Cosic and Durmar was both a blessing and a curse to Isis Rakael. While it destroyed two of the more historic cities in the nation's history, it gave the IRSC the "out" they had sought. The nuclear warhead that destroyed Kazan was fired for the preservation of secrets by the ending of the war. It worked, for a time. The war ended shortly after the destruction of Kazan, but there was unrest in the Isis Rakael.

But the centuries of existence on the mainland had stripped it of resources and the stores found in annexed territories were quickly depleted. The Isis Rakael mainland had run out of resources and money. The vast part of its budget was funding Ornai. It was at this point that the IRSC issued a communications black-out. Isis Rakael went dark. It was time to finish the move. During the next two years, with as much stealth as possible, the remaining Rakaelian people began going south.

The world began to notice something was amiss, however. The IRSC, mute, but not deaf, began to hear reports about the collapse the Rakaelian government and the ensuing anarchy and riots. These were mostly lies spread about quietly by the IRSC itself, making sure that no one discovered that they were behind it.

1498 HE dawned, and the world was plunged into war again. The forces of the Elite Union were battling the GWA. Isis Rakael was not involved, however. In fact, what was once a great empire that the world had feared was now a shadow and ruins. Those few who refused to go south eventually went their own ways, north and east, but they said nothing of the final move, deeming it foolish and an abandonment of everything they had fought for during the first years of the Unification.

Isis Rakael was gone. The world recognized it no longer, seeing the mainland now as a barren and uninhabited wasteland, stripped of resources by an overzealous and greedy nation.

But the world was wrong. In the south, on the continent of Caspadius, Ornai (now renamed Isis Rakael) was thriving still. The city of Noräli was renamed Ornai in honor of the original name of the land, but the city of Edstrom was renamed Kiral, in honor of the great fortress that had served so pivotal a role throughout Rakaelian history. They had the land they needed to hold their population and an abundance of natural resources. They were safe... for now. They were hidden away from the continent of Hiborea, and free from their troubles and the wars between the factions. There they remained silent for a time...

Until a short time ago, when an Oscalantine UAV, during a test run, espied in international waters two vessels: One was a passenger boat, moving away southward. The other, shadowing the first as an escort and gliding slowly but smoothly through the sea, was a warship, sleek and gray, brimming with an arsenal of weaponry, and flying a forgotten, but once familiar flag. The operator piloting the UAV followed the boats at a distance. But when the UAV passed too closely, suddenly there was a flash of a cannon from the warship. The UAV went dead, but not before catching ever so briefly a glimpse of the flag it flew so proudly. The video feed was already working its way through the network. Five stars. There were five stars.

Isis Rakael had returned to the world.



Editing...
Much of the early history concerning Isis Rakael and the union of the five cities was lost during the war for independence from the nation of Duhn. As a result, most dates and names regarding the five cities and the nation of Duhn prior to 60 years before the Union are no longer remembered or recorded in history books.

Of Rin

• Population: est. 24 million (including surrounding territory)
  
• Governor: -----TBD-----
  

Rin was founded at the base of the Kunari Mountain Range only 50 years before the Union and was the smallest of the Five Cities. The primary function of the city was originally intended to be mining work to provide the military of Duhn with the necessary metals and ores to mass produce weapons and reinforce the walls of their strongholds. Rin rebels worked with soldiers from Cosic (who was, by far, the larger of the two cities) and pushed out the soldiers of the Duhn occupation and liberated the city. Rin became the last City to sign the Union Pact. Though the smallest of the Five, Rin proved instrumental in the struggle against Duhn, providing the Coalition forces with metal, stone, and various ore to rearm, resupply, and reinforce garrisons. Rin continued to serve a mining role for nearly a century after the liberation of Isis Rakael, but relinquished that role to neighboring towns as the city began to grow. Modernization reformed Rin quickly and it became, though isolated from trade routes due to its proximity to the mountain range, a vast metropolis. In 2009, the IRSC named Rin the capital city of Isis Rakael, citing that the geographical location would provide a better staging ground for defensive battles should enemy forces push their way in. This also freed the city of Cosic from administrative duties and allowed it to focus on trade and commerce.


Of Cosic

• Population: est. 8 million (including surrounding territory)
  
• City Destroyed
  

The city of Cosic was the second city to force out the Duhn occupation. Cosic was originally founded 120 years before the Union as a port city to deal in trade and commerce for Duhn citizens. After a century of harsh working conditions, the citizens of the city revolted and after a lengthy and bloody struggle, forced the Duhn soldiers out. Knowing retribution would be swift, the citizens reinforced the city with walls and began building ships to combat a naval force. A retaliatory strike did indeed come swiftly, in the early hours of the morning of the following week. A massive Duhn force began a siege of the city's walls. Valiant and brave though they were, the citizens of Cosic faltered and the walls would have broken were it not for intervention by a new force out of the west. It was a renegade faction of Duhn forces from the fortress of Kiral in the midwest of the nation. With the assistance of Kiral, the Cosic citizens repelled the Duhn attack. Talks between Cosic and Kiral resulted in an alliance of the two cities. With a combined force, Cosic and Kirali soldiers began driving out Duhn soldiers from every town and village they could reach. Ten years before the Union, their forces went south and descended upon the city of Durmar, another port city. That proved to be one of the longest and bloodiest battles of all. Heavy casualties plagued both sides, but Cosic and Kiral prevailed with the help of a tertiary force that came north from the city of Ornai. Durmar was taken and shipping lanes opened between Ornai and Durmar. The provided the Coalition with food stuffs to feed their own troops.

During the year of the Union, having liberated the major cities of Durmar and Alon with the help of Kiral and the people of Durmar, Cosic went to the far northeast to the mining city of Rin. There, working with rebels within Rin, they forced out the Duhn occupation and freed the city. Out of appreciation, the people of Rin began to work hard to provide raw materials to aid the Coalition soldiers. Cosic, at this time, approached the four other cities with what it called the Union Pact, a declaration of official alliance; a uniting of Five Cities beneath a single banner. At this time, though they were working together, the cities were left most to their own affairs. The Union was signed and a Cosic general named Jon Kovsit was named the President. In a public address, he officially named the newly formed nation Isis Rakael, after his two daughters.

With the newly formed nation beginning to grow in numbers due both to the liberation of cities and the fleeing of Duhn citizens into the nation out of fear of an increasingly hostile Duhn military, President Kosvit issued a demand to the Duhn to cease all attacks on Rakaelian cities. Duhn refused and on a cold winter night launched a surprise attack against Cosic from both the north and south. The siege lasted almost 20 days and nights, but forces from the north (Rin), south (Durmar), and west (Kiral and Alon) ultimately crushed the Duhn army and broke the siege of Cosic. The occupation ended. Duhn no longer had the ability to repel the Rakaelian military, but Kosvit, outraged by the siege, ordered the Rakaelian military to invade Duhn territory. There was no outcry by the people. For too long they had been oppressed by their own leaders and military. Isis Rakael annexed all but a handful of cities and villages.

Cosic was named the capital of Isis Rakael at that time, due to the fact that they initiated the Union that resulted in the liberation of Isis Rakael and the eradication of the Duhn. Cosic would remain the capital for 426 years, until the IRSC and President Glin Aeducan moved the capital to Rin for better defense. Cosic became a port city once more and focuses solely on trade and commerce now.

In 2008 (of the Rakaelian calendar), Cosic suffered a terrible tragedy. On November 4th, the T-205 nuclear facility suffered a core meltdown and detonated, taking the lives of nearly 70,000 citizens that could not be evacuated in time. This area, on the northwestern edge of the city, remains uninhabitable.

In 2010, the city was nearly destroyed by a biological attack by the nation of Rasvidi. Although rebuilding the city was a possibility and at one point considered, it was ultimately decided that rebuilding the city would not be beneficial to the nation as a whole. The government began construction of a new city, New Durmar, to serve as a major hub for commerce and trade, a role Cosic once played.

Of Kiral (Original)

• Capital City of Isis Rakael
  
• Population: est. 40 million (including surrounding territory)
  
• Governor: -----TBD-----
  

The city of Kiral is the newly appointed capital of Isis Rakael, and is where the President, Congress, and the IRSC reside. The city serves as the administration center for the entire nation. Kiral is the largest city in Isis Rakael and serves as the industrial and technological sector of the nation. It is here that most military R&D takes place. Kiral was founded 100 years before the Union to serve as a farming community to supply Duhn forces with a constant source of food. It was the first city to revolt and drive out the Duhn military, but it was not until the city of Cosic rebelled that it moved to liberate surrounding areas.

Kiral is the most heavily defended region in the nation, surpassing the defenses of even the capital city of Rin. Kiral is protected by an unspecified number of IRAF (Isis Rakael Air Force) fighter and bomber wings, as well as nearly two dozen armored brigades. Though the city is extremely large in size, nearly 10% of it is inaccessible to the public. The reason for these defenses is due largely in part to the military R&D that takes place within the city.

[Further information redacted by the IRSC for security reasons.]


Of Durmar

• Population: est. 7 million (including surrounding territory)
  
• City Destroyed
  

Durmar played a critical role during the war for independence, attacking and sinking supply ships that were en route to Duhn settlements further north. Had it not been for the people of Durmar and their naval knowledge, Duhn forces might have had enough supplies to break through the walls of Cosic during the final siege.

Durmar serves as a port city for Isis Rakael, as well as Central Command for the IRN (Isis Rakael Navy). It, like Cosic, serves as a hub for trade and commerce, though due to the proximity of several naval bases, vessels passing through Durmar are subject to an increased amount of searches by the Rakaelian military. The people of Durmar are heavily involved in marine activity, be it commercial fishing for food and trade or building naval vessels in the shipyards.

The city of Durmar suffered heavy damage during the North Sea Conflict and was not rebuilt, although the outlying areas, untroubled by the war, still remains inhabited.


Of Alon

• Population: est. 26 million (including surrounding territory)
  
• Governor: -----TBD-----
  

The city and surrounding territory of Alon serves as the major food production center for Isis Rakael. While the city itself is modern and contains all of the amenities of your typical heavily-populated hub, the surrounding areas are mostly farmland, cultivated and maintained by local farmers. Due to the importance of this city to the nation, the Rakaelian government pours hundreds of billions of Niflmarkes into the city to maintain the farming operations and ensure that the populace of the nation are fed.

Alon also serves as the home of the Isis Rakael Air Force Central Command and is home to the largest Air Force Base in the nation. Due to the vast amounts of flat, open land around the city, the IRAF performs training operations on a regular basis and keeps the territory free of airborne threats. As a result of the AFB, Alon is nearly as well defending as the city of Kiral.






(Continue to keep your pants on! I haven't forgotten about this! I've just been busy with other things. 1-8-2010)