Istanboulder

The Boulderist Republic of Istanboulder, more commonly referred to as simply "Istanboulder", is a Schnozist Republic Nation-State found on central Cymru. It was originally founded by the Old Guard of Boulderov on February 14th, 2021 on an abandoned VIR port given to them by Loic the Uniter, after the Great Migration from Haven.

It was re-founded by player Bagelinian Yale on January 16th, 2022, following the Fall of Old Boulderov, where its current incarnation still stands. Ironically, the land was re-given to Bagelinian Yale, again, by Loic the Uniter.

The Republic is considered a continuation, and the last bastion, of the oldest form of Boulderovian Culture and Orthodox Boulderism. It prides itself on its deep, rich history, with its people having stretched three corners of the world, constantly being steadfast in their beliefs. It will stop at nothing to bring itself back to its Golden Age, and to reclaim its homeland in Haven.

Etymology
The name "Istanboulder", comes from the ancient Boulderov settlement of its time back when the Old Guard of Boulderov first established the city, shortly before departing back to Haven.

At a first glance the name seems quite odd, if not nonsensical, but its origins contains meaning that reveals the very character of the nation. The name is hypothesized to come from two places. The first theory, albeit more popular with the simple citizens rather than intellectuals, claims that the name of the Nation comes from the mythical fictional city of 'Istanbul', a popular setting for children's books and novels of the fantasy genre. The second, much more believable theory, is that the name itself is a play on words, roughly meaning "I-Stan-Boulder", the land where one "stans", or worships, the Holy Boulder.

This is by far the most popular theory, but thanks to the unfortunate lack of historical evidence regarding Istanboulder's earliest days, the birth of this name may forever remain a mystery. We can only theorize about what the name truly holds, although our imaginations may take us in wild directions

History
Most of Istanboulder's entire history covers the history of the Boulderovian people and the Boulderist religion. The Boulderovian people were present in Istanboulder for a short time, until their departure to Haven during the Great Migration. Until their return centuries later, Istanboulder was subjected to varying degrees of control from Viodoxa, The Imperial Archonal Union, Seratovia, and other forms of the Viodoxan Archonates and Empires.

The history of Istanboulder comprises seven distinct perspectives: Ancient Istanboulder, the Valdreach Era, the Old Boulderovian Era, Ferrymen rule, Seratova Rule, Archonal Union rule, and the Modern era.

Sirradra-Istanboulder War
Even after the first few months after independence, tensions between Istanboulder and its former overlord Sirradra were on the rise. Sirradra had dangled the threat of war over the heads of the citizens of Istanboulder for many months. However on the month of September, they finally got their reasoning for a war. The now outlaw Voodliedood had rigged the elections for Artigas of Istanboulder, and after electing himself to power, he was kicked out of his position by the Head of Church, Sneaky Yale. After this, with the help of Rickmerico, the person who gave him the necessary votes to win, he planned to retake power in Istanboulder by force with the help of Sirradra. Kogan now had the perfect opportunity for a war.

First Battle

On the 17 of September 2022, the first battle on the Sirradra-Istanboulder conflict was set. At the start, the Sirradran army had easily breached Istanboulder City. However, they quickly spread out due to bad communication, and ended being taken out one by one, by the Istanboulder Army. After a succesful defense, the troops of Istanboulder marched to the city of Fjörgyien, where they raided the city. The troops climbed the walls and managed to successfully breach the city, setting a chaotic battle inside the small fort-city. Istanboulder, however, managed to outnumber the Sirradrans and took full control of the city. Istanboulder had received a siege victory on Sirradra, on what was supposed to be a defensive battle. A reminder though, that this battle would not have been won without the help of the brave heroes of Kartek and Certaria. Notable fighters include BarendKramer, LilyPrism, wingsauce, KingOfHavoc, Thayff, oShotty, Prince_JD, MidoriGreen, mayynophobia, Fousas, and many others

Documentation of the Battle can be found here, through the perspective of war photographer KingOfHavoc

Realization

After the first failed battle, Kogan was enraged. He immediately planned for a second battle and started preparing himself, to face an enemy that he had realized that wasn't simply a small nation. He revealed his real intentions to everyone, that was that this war was nothing but a personal conquest of his. Upon hearing this, Rickmerico, who was the right hand of Voodliedood, gave up his support for Sirradra and Voodliedood. He went through redemption and reintegrated into Istanboulder, now at their side.

Second Battle

On the 22 of October 2022, the second battle in this war had been set. This time, Sirradra came with extra preparation and tactics. Istanboulder still had strong soldiers on their side, with this time hiring a mercenary group, the Piwates, to help them. Sympathetic to the war efforts, the Piwates provided a hefty discount to Istanboulder, slashing their usual price of 2.5 million to only 1 million in an unusual move by the normally money-minded mercenaries.

After the first 40 minutes of the battle consisting of Sirradra trying to take control of the walls of the city, they finally had breached it. They had little time left, so they had to act fast. The next 20 minutes would consist of a chaotic battle in the center of Istanboulder City, with urban warfare between small groups of the competing armies. Sirradra had successfully managed to obtain a point advantage, however as Istanboulder already had a Siege Point and they did not manage to take control of the center of the city, at the end of the battle it was considered a tie. Score 17-9 for Sirradra. Confirmed spendings were 3.5 million for Sirradra and 1 million for Istanboulder, although rumors state Sirradra spent as much as 5 million on the war efforts.

Documentation of the second battle can be found here, once again from the perspective of war photographer KingOfHavoc

Nara Rebels and Bouldergrad Stolen

After the second battle, the city of Nara, led by Voodliedood attempted to claim itself as independent and to join Sirradra. This however, was not taken seriously by members of the Cartography Guild, who refused to show his city as an independent nation. Disputes are still going for the city.

The claim of Bouldergrad, an island by the northeast of Istanboulder, was mysteriously deleted on the 31st of October. Valuable items such as armors and ores (worth 100k) had been stolen from the island. After some ticket pvp, it was discovered that moderator Max-Imal, one of the most important government figures of Sirradra, had taken all the items and deleted the claim. He claimed the island was a proxy claim (even though it had existed for approximately 3 months before the war). After some more ticket pvp, admins came to the conclusion that it would be a squatter claim, not a proxy one. Max gave almost all the items back, however the island was never given back, and is now occupied by Sirradrans.

Government
The government is composed of the following:

Artigas

The Prime-Minister of Istanboulder. Has the power to veto laws, accept citizens, elect Ministers and High Councilors, and is the second most important government figure. The Artigas is elected by the people, and must represent their demands. The Artigas is elected through 2-Turn elections. He is the most powerful but also has the most responsibilities. 1 month term.

*Un-elected, State of Emergency **Second Term

High Council

Composed only of the most prestiged citizens of Istanboulder. To be a High Councilor you must have shown your loyalty for the nation, and must have done great works for it. There are only 3 seats available in the Council, and terms are indefinite. The High Council cannot propose laws, but can ask the Grand Senator to do so. They have the ability to vote on a law that should then be passed on to the Artigas.

Low Council (Lemas)

The Low Council is the most important part of the government, as they are the ones who propose and make laws. The number of seats depends on the number of candidates, and their term lasts 2 weeks. It is the job of the Low Council to make new laws and oversee the ministries. The Grand Senator, who is chosen by the members of the Low Council, has the responsibility of taking care of all laws proposed, and to oversee the Low Council.

Ministries

Ministry of Human Resources: responsible for appointing members of the administration of immigration, keeping track of population demographics and managing court cases.

Ministry of Internal Affairs: responsible for managing land transactions, commissioning build projects, approving and planing the construction of new cities and responsible for appointing Politans (Mayors).

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Geography
Located in the bottom right of the map on the western coast of Cymru, Istanboulder has a wide variety of climates and biomes. These biomes can be broken down into three parts. The majority of development and population lies on the flat northern coastal plains. The coast, including Istanboulder City, Ferrymen Fort, and the former city of Harcos are located on these costal plains that stretch inwards towards Nara, while Xersium is located in the south-eastern heavily forested interior, and New Pedrera is located on the mountainy north-eastern and eastern coasts.



Istanboulder_City
Istanboulder City

Formerly a City-State in its own right, the Capital and largest city of the nation holds a special spot among the citizens of Istanboulder. Upon first joining the country, most citizens choose to join this city, owing to its cultural importance, various business and commercial opportunities, and it's central location.

Rockfort City
Rockfort City is a city west of Istanboulder City, currently under heavy development. It is led and owned by Rickmerico. The name of the city comes from the fort it had been built around, Rockfort. Current population is 7. The city is heavily concentrated on both economic and aesthetic aspects, the economic part under management of foughtspark37, and the building all done by Rickmerico himself. The city has a lot to expect and offer.

The city is replacing the old ruins of Harcos.

Ferrymen_Fort
A fort originally occupied by The Ferrymen during The Ferrymen War was stumbled upon by Owen Yale soon after Istanboulder City was re-founded by Bagelinian Yale. The fort was originally owned by a fierce group of bandits called The Ferrymen, notable members of The Ferrymen were Masouri, Orlanth, and Adderol. The fort was used as their home for the time they occupied part of Viodoxa, a conflict part of The Ferrymen Wars. The Ferrymen soon disappeared, and the fort was left partially destroyed, and completely abandoned for a long time. This is when Owen Yale rebuilt the tower to how it used to be, he patched all of the missing obsidian in the basement, and filled every hole in the wall. Owen Yale left for a very long period shortly after repairing the fort.

After Owen left, officer Xers Yale, an experienced warrior, took over the fort after being advised to by Bagelinian Yale. Xers owned the fort for a while and soon moved elsewhere, fighting in any war he could stick his nose into. After Xers moved, DanishGuy owned the fort and lived there for a short period of time. Danish soon founded Dakor and had The Ferrymen Fort transferred to Bagelinian Yale. One day, out of the blue, Owen Yale came back, after being gone for a very long time. Bagelinian welcomed Owen back and gave him back his passion project, The Ferrymen Fort.

Castrum
A mysterious and massive clock tower that extends all the way to build height, this imposing symbol of wealth also doubles as a colossal experience farm. It was originally constructed by wanderer Yldnelf, after being given permission by Founder Bagelinian Yale. Yldnelf, rich from his old age and numerous travels, sought to place his remaining massive wealth into one final passion project, creating Castrum over many years of difficult labour. Castrum's materials and appearance reflects this attitude, being built out of expensive Blackstone, found rarely in the nether regions.

Religion
Istanboulder is a majority Orthodox Boulderist religion, an ancient monotheistic form of Boulderism which firmly sticks to the core tenants of the religion and sees Bolton Yale as the messiah. Orthodox Boulderists believe that The Boulder, most gracious and most merciful, is the sole god, and that He created the world and its inhabitants to worship it. The Five Books of the Boulder are considered testimonies to the Boulder's power and are the main religious texts of Orthodox Boulderism.

It is commonly held that the Divine Books were sent down by the Holy Boulder, most gracious and most merciful, to Bolton Yale, for him to spread the Boulderist message worldwide. For this reason, the Books hold a prestigious footing in worship, with their divine rules being adhered to strictly, as religion is a main component of the Boulderovian identity. Istanboulder is far and away completely defined by its religion, being the reasoning for its original founding and an everyday fact of life. All Boulderovians are Boulderists, and all Boulderists are Boulderovians. It is impossible to have one without the other, just the way the Boulderovians like it.

Day of the Ninth
This day is not much of a holiday, but more of a day of remembrance, so no Boulderovian shall ever forget why this nation exists. The Day of the Ninth marks the historic day in which the constant mounting tensions in Old Boulderov finally exploded. This left both Bolton Yale the prophet and Tati the Scholar to resign from their positions as two of the three High Councillors of Boulderov, and to simply disappear into the wilderness. Culturally, it is marked as the date in which Old Boulderov died, and a shadow replaced it.

There are no celebrations on this day, no festivals, singing, dancing, or fun having. On this day, all citizens of Istanboulder are to simply go about their daily functions in utter silence, occasionally conversing with each other the melancholic nostalgia and old glory of Boulderov, and exchanging gifts of minor value.

When the sun sets and the moon rises to its peak, the people gather in a circle around an extinguished fire, with its embers cooled and the heat dying down. Each Boulderovian then throws a flammable item of personal value into the dying flame. The Artigas step forward and attends to the fire, slowly blowing on it and seeing that it progressively grows brighter, as the Boulderites watch in absolute silence. Only when the Artigas steps away from the flame, now a roaring bonfire, himself suddenly transformed into a joyous and ecstatic figure, may the tension of the day be relieved. The Boulderites all join in on the festivities and sing songs, dance, play games, exchange stories, and talk brightly and optimistically about the future all night long. Thus ends the Day of the Ninth.

Monthly Sumo Tournament
On the first day of each month, the Boulderovians gather for the most prestigious of their sporting events. A game comprising of a simple square ring platform raised above a pool of water, with two men placed inside at opposite ends. A Sumo match, designed to test an athletes physical ability to the extreme, and the ultimate expression of Boulderovian attitudes about combat. The goal of this game is simple, knock the other contestant off, and advance through the tournament bracket until only one remains. A best of 5 match, rounds are usually grueling slugfests, with breakneck back and forths between both contenders. The winner of a round advances in the tournament, while the loser attempts again in a losers bracket match, where they must fight their way to a second chance at victory. Tournament winners typically receive eternal fame, and a hefty paycheck to boot. The losers try their luck again next month, training all the time throughout.

These games are among the most popular of Istanboulder's events, even rivaling the celebrations on the Day of the Ninth. Sumo matches, while seemingly a fun exercise, also help young men and women train for combat. The same skills needed during a Sumo Match, athletic ability, aim in strikes, back and forth dodging, and combo'ing opponents, are all invaluable skills used during a battle. It is for this reason that Sumo matches tend to be such esteemed events, as those who succeed in the games, are likely to succeed on the battlefield.



Important Symbols
Some notable symbols of Istanboulder include;
 * Enchanted Turtle Helmet
 * A common symbol representing a great Boulderovian leader, hero, or warrior. This symbol originates from Founder Bagelinian Yale, who commonly wore nothing but a pair of diamond boots and a special Turtle Helmet, called the Helm of the Boulderite. It was enchanted with Protection 4, Unbreaking 3, and Aqua Affinity and inscribed with the following words: "There is no telling who is left and who's alive. Alone I stand on this hill of uncertainty". The meaning of this phrase is subject to much debate, but it is believed to be referencing the experiences of Bagelinian Yale himself, who upon the creation of Istanboulder and his friends sudden departure, believed he was the last true Boulderist left in the world. Regardless, the origins of this special Helmet and Bagelinian's habits are unknown, but his odd fashion choice quickly cemented itself to be a signal of prestige for Boulderovians.




 * Boulder Pendants
 * Boulder pendants have been a part of Boulderist culture since before Boulderism history started being documented. A Boulder pendant is a small part of The Boulder. Boulder pendants used to be found in dispensaries in Old Ziemia, and found in any holy site across Boulderov. It is believed that the only way to get a Boulder pendant now is in the chest in Istanboulder City next to The Boulder.

Symbolism of the Flag
The Flag of Istanboulder, while seemingly representing nothing much of importance besides a few colors here-and-there, it in itself actually contains significant meaning to the trained eye.

The Orthodox Boulderist Cross, highlights by far one of the most important aspects of the Boulderovian identity and the very foundation and pillar of them as a peoples. It is put smack dab in the middle, and rightfully so.

The Yellow, displays their relentless energy and optimism towards the future, and their mission to preserve and expand the stories they share.

The White, speaks plainly of how in Istanboulders long and storied history, even in the darkest of times, their people still went on as good men, close together as a band of brothers and generous to all.

And finally The Gray, shows their people's timeless devotion to the Culture and Religion present in the ancient place of Istanboulder. Their sturdiness and indomitable resilience weathers the storm of the world, the color on the flag intentionally being much like Stones they so revere.



Common Phrases
"Praise Thy Boulder"

Being both the motto of Old Boulderov as well as Istanboulder, this saying can be heard by most Boulderovians on a daily basis. It reflects the deep religious ties the Nation contains, as well as the citizens ardent dedication to it.