Benlodoro

Benlodoro is a small island nation located in central Elastra, in a body of water colloquially called the Sea of the Golden Sun. It is situated east of the Heliosan exclave of Pittrock, and near the nation of Aristios.

Government
The current ruler of Benlodoro is King MC_Dripmeister. His formal title is also Poobah, once an informal name given by his people and an inside joke amongst them. As a consequence of this, his Kingdom can also be labeled as the "Grand Poobahinate of Benlodoro". MC_Dripmeister has arranged a hierarchy in the government of Benlodoro to be between himself and a person second-most in authority called the Jurist, whose title is currently held by the player Piltio. Piltio, the Jurist, is also the Patriarch of the Benlodoran religion of the Church of the Golden Sun.

MC_Dripmeister selected Piltio to be Jurist because of his great wisdom. For this reason, along with being second-in-command, MC_Dripmeister refuses to overrule most of his decisions, leaving Piltio as a de-facto co-ruler in Benlodoro.

Etymology
The name of Benlodoro is derived from the Greek word "dóro"(δώρο) meaning gift, and the name of a mysterious man named Ben-Lo whose history is known only by Piltio. The name of the nation thus means "Gift of Ben-Lo".

Vexillology
The Flag of Benlodoro consists of two colors, blue and yellow, in the form of the sea, the sun and land respectively. The base of the flag is the island shore of Benlodoro which has a path extending toward the sun, which is rising above the sea around itself. The sea and sun have much esoteric, spiritual meaning in Benlodoro, that is attributed to Piltio's works.

Origins
The origins of the Benlodoran people lie far outside of Eldham, from a place MC_Dripmeister calls the "Old Kingdom". It is, of course, a previous kingdom that the Benlodoran people formed, but located in a seemingly infinite wilderness that exists far away from Eldham. It is unknown as to why the Benlodorans left their ancestral land and migrated to Eldham, or even how they discovered the land of Eldham, but it probably came out of the desire to leave their excessive isolation and to discover the riches that lie in Eldham's populous land.

Migration into Eldham
The Benlodorans, leaving their wilderness, knew well that with Eldham's great population there would also be little land left unclaimed. The Benlodoran nomads of this period were few in comparison to the innumerable people and nations of Eldham. The Benlodorans, knowing that continental land was valued and protected, scoured Eldham in search of unclaimed islands. They eventually stumbled upon the least populous region in Eldham, Elastra, where they found its severely sparse eastern frontiers, wherein lied the Sea of the Golden Sun and their destined island of Benlodoro. It was thanks to the man named Jacob, an explorer of the Benlodorans, that after searching for thousands of blocks, had helped discover the island of Benlodoro. When they arrived, the Benlodorans quickly deconstructed ruined buildings on the island and began settling by building a castle, for they immediately realized a power surrounding them that they obliviously provoked.

Growth from the Prospect of War
Soon after settling, the Benlodorans were confronted by the nation of Aristios, in, reportedly, a demand to "join or die". Hysteria erupted in Benlodoro, in walls around the island being constructed in a single day, and with the central stone castle keep being completed shortly thereafter. Hundreds of thousands of coins were harvested from it's people mining, industry and production was established, and everyone in Benlodoro had been equipped with necessary equipment for war. MC_Dripmeister knew that he and his people were outnumbered 12:1, so he quickly explored Elastra in search of allies. He first discovered the tribe of Aestivia, to which the two had found great mutual benefit and a sense of similarity. There was the giving of gifts and the sharing of techniques. The ruler of Aestivia even had so graciously given MC_Dripmeister 200,000 coins simply for his desire to protect people like himself. After allying with Aestivia, MC_Dripmeister had developed the desire to raise Elastra from a region of poverty and oppression into a place where the young, weaker nations, that were surrounded by their larger oppressors, could find respite, strength, and growth in alliance. He went on to discover Chimore, MrGaming1's Zerronic Empire, and Texi_Is_Here's I.T.S.U, all of which are young, emerging powers of their regions that were inclined and grateful to accept MC_Dripmeister's offer of alliance. After many significant advancements, Benlodoro continued to make efforts at appearing as a legitimate nation. Benlodoro, after preparing for war since birth, would eventually gain respite in independence.

Acquisition of Formal Independence
Following many long attempts to form communication with Aristios, Benlodoro, after paying 200,000 coins, would be granted independence and a spot on the map of Eldham in late April of 2021. Since its inception it had always been separate from Aristios, but with this it became officially so and Aristios would no longer be perceived a threat.

Current Status
Benlodoro continues to grow, with plans to build into the sea, upgrade its walls and castle keep, and finally finish the Cathedral of the Church of the Golden Sun. Benlodoro has recently formed a Mutual Defense Pact with the Almmorian Empire, and hopes to find more alliances with nations like itself.