Turodaron

**Turodaron**, officially the **Republic of Turodaron** (Turodarian: **Roizolaš Tūrodarondoi**), is a coastal nation located at the south-central parts of the continent of Palkyras. It is bordered by the Milotar/Candle Straits and Ioratin to the east, Vozolaz to the north, Ajoltar and Porashon beyond the mountains to the west, Sevestrana to the southwest, and Aujarsax to the southeast.

## Flag

The National Flag of the Republic of Turodaron (**Vōl Roizolaš Tūrodarondoi**) is a rectangular banner of two white and red stripes around a yellow central stripe, with a blue and white square at the centre of the flag. The red stripes symbolise courage, the white stripes for righteousness, the yellow central band for wealth and freedom, and the blue square for victory (or their capital city Tūrodaron, which means "City of Victory").

## History

### Ancient history

What are now the lands of Turodaron were once settled by primitive aborigines. Various tan and peach-skinned colonists from Aute, Jurumit (aboriginal), and the Pelgir kingdoms of the south, and the then-burgeoning Kingdom of Assuwas to the north later founded cities along its coast, avoiding the Paharal Jungle in the west. Regardless of which culture or civilisation they came from, those same cities were autonomous, trading or feuding against each other and the natives as their rulers saw fit. Among those cities was the prosperous duchy of Walkorudur, a Pelgir city built into the black caverns of a mountain that was the first location to be plagued by the Ente-Rûri extraterrestrials.

While much of Turodaron's land was under the territory of New Assuwas within the Paharal Jungle, the southerly port of Meritas became a condominium between New Assuwas and the native civilisation of Prumthesan.

During the Sixteenth Age, its southern part became the Duchy of Irhavas, founded by a dark-skinned noble from a kingdom in Rifandi and his followers who were rewarded with their own realm for saving the Gauvajut emperor from being killed in a battle and helping his navies stop an Ardeschen invasion of its ally Redjetesh. During that time, the Gauvajuts were helping several kingdoms in western Rifandi to defend their independence from Ardeschen slavers and the empires of the south. The attack by Red Ardesch against it pulled the Gauvajut Empire into its notorious war against that belligerent socialist empire. The Ir'havalli became the ancestors of Aujarsax.

### Founding

The Republic of Turodaron was established when several colonies revolted against the Thandizo Dynasty of Vozolaz before it broke up into four republics. Various refugees from the Vozonid attacks on their nearby countries migrated to Turodaron, adding to its workforce and military and helping it fend off Vozonid attacks to the north. The Slavs became Sarmelonised, following a local revolt that attempted to create a Sarmelonid society against the Thandizo imperials.

It withstood the Tornarin Bombardment with its energy shields that were greatly damaged during the bombardment.

### Modern history

As the nation retained its prosperity and many civil freedoms through the ages (compared to its poorer, war-ridden neighbours excluding the powerful nation of Arantar to the west), it became a trading and business hub, causing other nations to look down on Turodarians as materialistic snobs.

In spite of various instabilities throughout its long history, Turodaron managed to withstand various conquerors: the Tornarin Empire from the west (who bombed many countries to the north), pirate navies, the Thralondian Empire from the east, the Rabydosian Empire to the south, the matriarchal Ioratins between them and Vozolaz, Trimallean Azgo, and East Zaqo in recent times to stop it from exterminating Porashon to the west. However, even it was not immune from other disasters, such as famines, disease outbreaks, corruption, coups, earthquakes, and the Wraithstorm of 1788 AT (years after the Tornarin Bombardment) -- Turodaron was not adequately prepared for King Burendil's Wraith slaughtering millions throughout the continent, and the loss of many lives allowed the Thralondians and the Porasonids to compete for dominance there for several decades.

The Turodarian government is more tolerant of "climate refugees" than many of its neighbours, having built more Burrow-Cities and artificial islands to house thousands of these potential additions to its workforce. However, a growing movement in the 1870s suggested that the poor should not be forced to work in camp-towns, but given the freedom to choose whatever job they want.

## Geography

* Turodaron City
* Voletei Graitsei - the Border Library
* Pink Wall - a barrier of cherry trees planted along the border to Vozolaz, to welcome Ontemazei slaves who flee there and reject Vozonid rule.

## Politics

Turodaron is a republic ruled by a President who is elected to up to two terms every six years.

## Military

Turodaron has the third-strongest military in the whole southern region, and it mostly relies on defensive tactics, fortifications, and streamlined aircraft.

Most of Turodaron's advanced technology is powered by distilled rytoryntar, with extra fuel in batteries generated by stored sunlight. They are also very efficient as they produce less toxic emissions and use less power.

## Economy

Turodaron practices a mixed economy: while private businesses are allowed to exist and grow big, the government intervenes in a lot of areas to forcibly keep poverty low. One way it did so is by rounding up homeless people and putting them into work camps, where they work and repair for society until they are considered capable of supporting their own income like middle-class people; it was abolished in 1895 AT, but people considered poor or homeless were still sent to the work-districts until they were able to buy their own apartment lots or homes. Another method is by forcing suspected "welfare wasters" and any rich criminals (who then have a portion of their money taken away and spent on social services) to manual labour.

This led to Turodaron being partly-reliant on manual and technical labour, as the government tried to force its own people out of joblessness by putting them to work. However, to ensure that its subjects do not revolt or die from malnutrition; the government tries to ensure that its healthcare, education, and amenities are affordable and effective. These policies led to Turodarian taxes being a bit higher than its neighbours.

The drink Ruldobboz is from Turodaron.

## Demographics

Most of Turodaron's people are fair-faced Slavonians just like in neighbouring Sevestrana, but they practice a Vozonised culture. This White ethnicity was descended mostly from Slavonians and other similar people who lived in Porashon and its neighbours, so they became more used to Vozonid norms than Slavonian norms. The Turodarian ethnicity also practices two other cultures, a Slavic culture and a Hindu culture, but all three Turodarian cultures coexist and support each other. Half of most Turodarians practice their native Slavic traditions, while a sixth practice the Hindu culture of their former homeland in Porashon. These three cultures are known as "Turodarin", "Pobegradski" and "Jayapuri/Zajopuri", after the translation of their country's name into their respective languages.

It also has communities of other Slavonian folk, Vozonids, aborigines, mixed ethnicities, and richer expatriates and skilled immigrants from other nations. One ethnic group, the Prumarin people, are the descendants of the Prumthesan civilisation of the Second Age, and they proudly showcase their literature.

Ontemazei are also granted fair treatment there, to honour Porashon's role in building and helping Turodaron fight back against the Thandizo Invasion.

Turodaron's education enjoys an adequate standard, due to a mixture of private libraries and government schooling. Its education system focuses on making more people skilled (rather than having choices like social studies) to keep its infrastructure up and running, and it has left many of its students inclined to work instead of laze around.

### Policy on refugees

Turodaron has the least restrictive laws for refugees, allowing them to immigrate to the country from anywhere in the world. However, as soon as they enter Turodaron, they were screened, recruited, given a job of their choice, and assigned to some location in the country as their work: those who chose instead to waste taxpayer money or commit crimes are sentenced to hard labour or menial work.

In the cases of extremists and terrorists (i.e. killers, bombers, mass stabbings or shootings, or anyone calling for violence against any community), the government sentences them to be mind-wiped, whipped in public, or executed, depending on the severity of the crime. Not even Turodarian citizens are exempt from such punishments.

## Attractions

Turodaron was notable for having a large library straddled along its northern border with Vozolaz/Zaqo. When Zaqo fell to communist rule in 1918 AT, its authorities and its entire district defected to the Turodarian government, at the behest of thousands of refugees who fled to its crossing.

## Languages

The three languages of Turodaron's White majority are some of the eight official languages of the country: Turodarian, Pobegradski, and Zajopuri. Turodarian is a Vozonid language; Pobegradski is a Slavic language, and Zajopuri (Jayapuri) was derived from Sanskrit.

The other five languages are all native languages: Prumarin, Tarandar, Imarikh, Tasroi, and Srovan. Prumarin, Tarandar, and Tasroi are related Kekhaulid languages. However, many signs in Turodaron are in Turodarian, Pobegradski, and Prumarin, with occasional Bujanski translations.

## Foreign relations

Turodaron enjoys good but inadequate relations with most countries in the world: some laud it as a land of freedom, luxury, and stability; while others condemn it as a materialistic, self-absorbed hive that forces its poor and idle to work and punishes its rich.

### Porashon

Turodaron not only has close relations with its western neighbour, but also regards it as "our brothers". Both countries practice Vozonid cultures.

### Ajoltar

Turodaron is one of two nations that recognise Ajoltar's autonomy and protect it from foreign attack. A portion of Turodaron's sons study technical skills, combat, and civics at Ajoltar.

### Sevestrana

Turodaron also regards Sevestrana as a "brother nation" for its similar racial descent, but not as closely as it does with Porashon.

## Terminology

* Turodarian: Tūrodaron
* Pobegradski: Pobedagrad
* Zajopuri: Jayapura

## Trivia

* Turodaron was possibly influenced by Brazil, Yugoslavia, and a bit of Mainland China.
* Although most Turodarians do not mind about such things (even dismissing that as "superstition"), the more traditional Slavonians comment with sadness that the Turodarians' practice of the Vozonid religion have cut off their souls from the spiritual protection of their ancestors.