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 players Bagelinian Yale, Rosanto Yale, and Owen 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 and his friends, 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.

Origins of Istanboulder
Aggression from Aurora The region where Istanboulder is located today was in the old days underpopulated and rarely settled by anyone of prominence. This all changed with the Boulderov Exile. Having sided with Loic during his adventures in Haven, Boulderov was exposed to aggression and frequent raids from Aurora and Uldarash. Loic and his followers helped defend Pedregal, Boulderov's capital, and would occasionally counter-attack into Auroran territory. However, Loic abandoned peace negotiations with Uldarash and Aurora, and retreated back to Cymru, deciding that helping Boulderov was not worth the trouble. Feeling a morsel of pity, he invited Boulderov to come with him. Feeling isolated and in severe danger, with Aurora now having a personal vendetta against Boulderov after Signore_Ravioli and Lickenchittle robbed the Auroran treasury, Boulderov leadership decided that Haven was no longer safe for their people, and exiled themselves with Loic in search of a new home.

Great Migration to Cymru and Loic's Bargain

After a brief stint establishing an icy village in Plagos, The Boulderovians ended up on an expedition to Cymru lead by Zealious, with Signore_Ravioli representing Boulderov. Their destination was a refugee camp, which later became the city of Valentum. Because of these events, the High Council of Boulderov convened and decided that no matter their mistrust of Loic, they would move to Cymru in search of a brighter future.

Still severely distrustful of Loic and his intentions, the Wrens of Stone, a new secretive Boulderov spy organization, kept a close eye on Loic's movements and actions. Loic, realizing Boulderov was keeping tabs and were deeply distrustful of him, offered the High Council of Boulderov a deal; They would get high positions in Loic's government, a patch of land and a city to build up, high military positions for the military leaders, and resources if they wanted them. The High Council would come to accept these terms, instigating the Boulderovian Migration to Istanboulder.

Settling Istanboulder

On February 14th, the Boulderovians packing their bags and moved south until they hit an abandoned VIR Port, comprised of only 1 completed house and 5 assorted buildings. They dubbed it Istanboulder, which would become the foundations for the modern-day city of Istanboulder_City. Quickly, they began reconstruction efforts as they attempted to make the city their new home, lead by Boulderovian citizen NightSaber. He would expand the roads, spearhead the building of new walls, make more plots for building, and make new bridges over top of the canals that snake through the town.

City-State of Istanboulder
[WIP. notes: show map of land loic og granted us. just explain how we joined the iau. show agreement between valron/shaloma/ib of negotiated borders.]

Declaration of Independence from the IAU
IAU's Humiliation by Paradise

After the disastrous Paradise War, the Imperial Archonal Union, once proud and strong, entered a period of rapid decline and political instability. The 4 outermost provinces of Avertico, Regonia, Eisenland, and Aussay, having being long neglected and disrespected under the boots of the central government in Cymru, bubbling with separatist sentiment, and sensing the rapid decline the IAU was experiencing, declared their independence from the IAU. Paradise quickly capitalized on this opportunity, declaring their support for the newly independent nations and signing Mutual-Defense Pacts with all of them.

On July 20th, the IAU was forced to sign a humiliating peace treaty yielding vast tracts of their Tovarishian holdings in Sparwood to Paradise, Avertico, Regonia, and Borhammer, establishing new nations carved out of Tovarisha such as Grand Castell, Shizumor, and Certaria, as well as paying Paradise a sum of over 5 million which the empire could barely afford. Viodoxa, drowning in war debts, entering a period of instability, and the empire on the verge of total collapse simply conceded to all of Paradise's, and the seceding provinces's, demands.

The IAU's morale plummeted as people began to lose faith in the Archonate's ability to effectively govern, as chaos seemed to be the order of the day. Even the legendary founder of the IAU, Loic the Uniter, exclaimed in a vc, "Well, we had a good run!", and promptly left the server for good, only sending the low morale crashing through the floor.

Visible State of Confusion and Ainsel [WIP]

Weak Viodoxan New Leadership

The Old Archon, Havi "Goldbeard" Asagrim, tired in his old age and unwilling to deal with this new crisis (as he had been on vacation when the war against Paradise was declared and humiliatingly lost), announced his abdication, appointing Ryou Bakura, the Regent Archon from the Province of Silvay, in his stead. Ryou's ascendancy was met with a certain skepticism among the higher ranks of government, who tended to see Ryou as an ineffective leader (due to his supposed "egomania" and totalitarian legalist ideals), and thus incapable of pulling the IAU out of this crisis. Ryou Bakura would spend the only nine days of his reign making weak promises of reform and attempting to lure in the former provinces with images of autonomy and prominence, which were promptly denied as the former provinces formed the Bazinga Pact, a Mutual-Defense Pact between Avertico, Regonia, Eisenland, Aussay, with the country of Galadonn on the sub-continent of Aldvoir being included for good measure.

Faux Constitution

Seeking to reverse the rapid decline the IAU was experiencing by reconciling with domestic opposition, and attempting to prevent any farther provinces from declaring independence from the empire, newly appointed Archon Ryou introduced his version of a constitution for the IAU, claiming to be his vision for a constitutional monarchy where the Archon's power was restricted. Importantly, Ryou promised a system whereby the Provincial Leaders (Known as Etriarchs), would form a voting body to introduce laws and approve the Archon's decisions.

This completed constitution and Ryou's promises were a big deal, as up until this point the IAU had for its entire lifespan been running without one, while constantly making promises that a constitution would "come soon". The Etriarchs in particular had always been angered at their lack of voice or power in government. The lack of a constitution and the seven month delay in completing one was a big talking point for domestic opposition to the Archons, as without a constitution the Archon had no legal bindings or limit to their vast powers. All in all, things seemed to be on the up.

However, as the leader of Istanboulder, Bagelinian Yale, examined the document in farther depth, he was shocked to uncover severe issues with the constitution; There were various purposefully made loopholes which would have allowed the Archon to claim emergency powers and return to his status as an autocrat on command, extremely limited surrendering of powers on the Archon's part, and the Etriarch's council essentially being a useless rump parliament with no real powers. He promptly revealed his findings to the remaining members of government, and affirmed his belief that Istanboulder no longer had a prosperous future with union in Cymru.

Declaration of Independence and War on Istanboulder

Two days later, on July 22nd, Istanboulder delivered a note to the Viodoxan government notifying them of Istanboulder's declaration of independence, citing the lack of any voice in government, the tyrannical rule of the Archons, the IAU's inherent instability, the current Archon's incompetence, and the Boulderovians holding the inalienable right to self-determination, as their reasons for pursing independence from the Imperial Archonal Union. This note was delivered with the full support of the Boulderovian people, and celebrations erupted as it was assumed the IAU was too weak to do anything about it. Indeed, this philosophy was proved right, since the IAU's aggressive stance and warmongering towards Istanboulder proved to be the death rattle for the Viodoxan regime

This was followed up with an announcement in r-national on July 25th, with a farther announcement on the 28th clarifying the reasons for independence and responding to brutal defamation attempts by the IAU. The IAU, believing they still had a chance at maintaining some level of prestige, declared war with the intent to reconquer Istanboulder by force. Fortunately for Istanboulder, no battles were ever fought, as shortly after the situation seemed to resolve itself

IAU is Militarily Couped

The stress of the crisis combined with Istanbolder's independence declaration seemed simply too much for the IAU to handle, as the regime finally collapsed a day later on July 29th, due to a military coup

As the IAU drew its last breath, its complete fracturing was prevented by a military coup by Kogan, the Grand Marshall of the Union's Army, supported by several members of the higher government and prominent Viodoxan ministers. The remaining provinces on Cymru opted to throw their lot in with Kogan's promise of stability and prosperity under his junta. Shaloma, Valron, Adytum, Silvay, and Fortuna all opted to join, all except for Istanboulder. Istanboulder has suspicions about Kogan's grandiose promises so soon after the IAU had fallen, and in any case no longer trusted larger governments with their future. Istanboulder became determined to secure its independence.

Shortly after his coup of the IAU turned out successful, Kogan announced he would be forming a new nation out of the remnants of Viodoxa, birthing a new nation unshackled by the restraints of the system of Archons and Empires. He dubbed it, the Autokratoria of Sirradra, and appointed himself as its head.

Diplomatic Crisis between Istanboulder and Sirradra
After the collapse of the IAU and the birth of Sirradra, Istanboulder took a celebratory and triumphant stance. While Istanboulder had its regards about the Autokratoria of Sirradra, as many of the same prominent government officials who had pushed for the IAU to war Istanboulder were still present, it was willing to re-join later down the line after tensions cooled off. Until that time, in Istanboulder's mind, independence was the first priority. Cautiously, Istanboulder opened negotiations with Sirradra, seeking to secure their sovereignty. However, negotiations quickly broke down as Istanboulder realized that Sirradra was in-fact barely different from its predecessor, and despite supposed promises of reform from Kogan, the constitution of Sirradra seemed to be no different from Ryou's Faux Constitution.

Both sides repeatedly antagonized each other, as tensions reached a boiling point. In specific, Jericho, the general of Sirradra's army, entered Istanboulder City and killed 8 citizens with extreme prejudice, terrorizing the peaceful inhabitants of the city, and taunting the Boulderovians to come out of their homes and die by his sword. Enraged by this horrible act, Istanboulder swore revenge, just as Sirradra promised war and destruction if Istanboulder did not join them.

However, at the last moment, Spades of Valondor offered himself to the grueling task of mediating negotiations, which proved to be successful. Slowly and painfully, over the course of a month a new treaty was gradually constructed, with Istanboulder agreeing to enter as a protectorate of Sirradra, surrendering its control over external affairs, in exchange for non-interference in Istanboulder's internal affairs and Sirradra officially renouncing their claims of patrimony that they inherited from the IAU.

Sirradran Protectorate and the Election Crisis
[WIP. ''notes: explain how voodo rigged election. there were still standing tensions and deep mistrust despite the treaty. sirradra used fucked elections as excuse to invade'']

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.

Sirradra reacted brutishly, and after briefly examining the valid evidence the legitimate Government of Istanboulder presented, immediately announced a military intervention, with the stated goal of placing Voodliedood into power, and removing the "terrorist revolutionaries". Realizing their intentions of removing most of the loyal population, Istanboulder had no option but to meet war with open arms, as the conflict was affirmed to be one of Life or Death.

The Government of Sirradra mobilized without issuing any ultimatums or engaging in any Diplomacy, knowing Istanboulder would never accept a puppet ruler in their country. While not known at the time, it is now known that should the former leadership of Istanboulder have appeased Sirradra and allowed the illegitimate Voodlidood into power, he would have enacted a coup with the support of Sirradra to establish a dictatorial diarchy with Rickmerico, and purge the loyalists anyways. This lead to a farther breakdown in relations as Istanboulder scorned Sirradra's arrogance, renewing their desire to fight to the last.

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. The battered Sirradran forces regrouped on the Eastern side of the city outside of the tall walls, but in a dramatic move the Istanboulder Army, seeing Sirradra's disorganized troops, suddenly jumped down and attacked, causing the Sirradran forces to rout. After a successful defense, the troops of Istanboulder marched to the city of Fjörgyien, where they raided the city. The troops climbed the walls of the outer city and managed to successfully blow a hole into the walls of the Fjörgyien fort with TnT, setting a chaotic battle inside the small fort-city. Istanboulder 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. The final score was 43-10 with a siege point favoring Istanboulder, a stunning victory. 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, AmyPriism and many others

In conclusion, the battle was a dramatic failure for the underprepared and disorganized Sirradran forces. Sirradra had not expected such hardy resistance, and as such was taken completely unawares by Istanboulder's robust tactics and unexpectedly strong willpower. The battle was a huge blow to the morale and prestige of the Sirradrans, who, in a battle containing upwards of 40 people on both sides, blamed the 4 Hands volunteers for their loss, calling Istanboulder a "Hands puppet". Istanboulder was stunned at actually winning in such pronounced manner, and the battle raised the spirit of Istanboulder, with the battle being remembered today as a sign of Istanboulder's indomitable will in resisting any attacks against foreign invaders.

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 increased preparations for a second battle, determined not to make the same mistakes as last time. He contributed approximately 2 Million from his vast personal wealth to the war efforts, changing his attacking claim from Fjörgyien to Krigor, and even choose to end his war in the far-off continent of Aldovir through a white peace in exchange for Galadonian support against Istanboulder. He then 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.

In sum the battle can be considered another victory for Istanboulder, as despite being outnumbered by over 20 people (With 30 fighters on Istanboulder's side and over 50 on Sirradra's), they successfully repulsed Sirradra's attack on their capital. Istanboulder also caused a large resource drain on the Sirradran treasury, with the meme of "4 Mill for a Tie" being enshrined in Istanboulder culture, highlighting the defender's valor and spirit in resisting the invaders.

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.

Ceasefire

After the drama of the battles and attempted theft of items, the long war, which to this point had being on-going for two and a half months, began to take a toll on both sides. Fortunately, a server event known as No-War November popped up, which disabled the war feature for the month of November. This effectively meant that both sides entered a month long ceasefire. In a petty move, Sirradra refused to confirm Istanboulder's request for a cease-fire accommodating No-War-November, although this decision, other than symbolic, had no real impact as the two sides were forced to stop fighting anyway.

Annexation of the Gigantium Isles
Following the cease-fire, Istanboulder entered a period of reconstruction and repairs with great enthusiasm, with a newly re-invigorated national identity. On November 4th, 2022, the neighboring country known as the Empire of Gigantium Isles was formally annexed into Istanboulder. This came after their leader TheDanishGuy, a long-time friend of Bagelinan Yale, gave his permission to the annexation. He wanted for Istanboulder to protect and preserve his little artificial islands, and wanted to help grow the influence of Boulderism.

Shortly after its annexation, Rosanto Yale was appointed as the Town Mayor of Dakor, the largest city on the the isles. He constructed a Boulderist Church and a replica of Boulder, helping to fill the vast space the island contained.

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, driven, and talented 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 passed through the Low Council, after which should then be passed on to the Artigas.

The High Council is one of the main connections to Old Boulderov, where the High Councillors used to be responsible for running the nation on behalf of Bolton Yale, the then Pope of Boulderism. Their powers in Istanboulder remain much stripped down compared to Old Boulderov and they no longer work on behalf of the Pope, but they still hold immense prestige and cultural influence in Istanboulder.

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, usually being 3 or 5, 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).

(Add More)

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.