Republic of the Isles of Birillum

Flag of the Republic of the Isles of Birillum

Map of the Republic of the Isles of Birillum

The Republic of the Isles of Birillum was a civilization in Dimension S-2020 located east of the Wallaceian Empire and just south of the Duchy of Montecazzo. They were thought to be lost to time after the Great Collapse but were salvaged by the Library and transported to S-2012.

## History

The Republic of the Isles of Birillum was founded by Dale White (von\_Donnersmarck) as the Duchy of the Islands, a semi-autonomous dominion of the Wallaceian Empire in August of 40AUC. However quickly after its founding, a freedom movement began striving for independence of the Duchy from the Empire. That same month, Birillum independence was agreed upon in the Treaty of Birillum. In 43AUC, the Republic joined the International Community. In March of 43AUC, Birillum became involved in the 26 Minute War, even though it had stated it would remain neutral. Birillum sent mercenaries to the Wallaceian Empire and promised to provide various siege engineers and weapons of war. Eventually, the Republic took part as a full co-belligerent alongside the Empire and the Kingdom of Desonia.

The victory in the 26 Minute War set Birillum on a path of nationalistic foreign politics. In May of 43AUC, they claimed land in the Nether, sparking the Nether Conflict with the Pontificate of Neo Boreopolis. Birillum eventually backed down and relinquished their claims under international pressure from the IC, but it did not stop Governor General White to test the limits of how far Birillum could go without being punished. Following the Eastern Coalition War against Chiyesa, Chiyesa and Birillum signed an alliance.

In October of 43AUC, Birillum once again triggered an international crisis, this time with the Duchy of Montecazzo. Claiming a small strait between the Bay of Montecazzo and the Inner Sea, Birillum set of the Strait Crises. Birillum claimed that this strategically important position could not be held by a nation which was not part of the IC and thus claimed the Strait in the IC's name. However, Birillum's claim caused massive outrage within the IC and was rightly seen as an act of imperialism. The Pontificate and the Free Principality of Tomopolis both issued statements that they were worried by Birillum's actions. On the other hand, the Unified Tribes of Chiyesa supported their ally and recognized Birillum's claims. When Birillum threatened to go to war over the issue, the Kingdom of Desonia also decided to step in and recognized Montecazzo's historical claims to the area. A brief war broke out between Montecazzo and Birillum, but both nations eventually came to a diplomatic solution; Birillum was granted free passage through the Strait and in return they would recognize Montecazzo's claim.

Birillum triggered another crisis a year later, in October of 44AUC, when it settled an outpost too close to the State of Ardai, setting off the Ardai-Birillum Outpost Crisis. When Ardai denounced Birillum for settling so close to their borders, Birillum responded by issueing a trade embargo against Ardai. This in turn triggered an embargo from Tomopolis who in the Treaty of Ardai allied itself to Ardai. The Pontificate and Desonia both denounced Birillum's imperialist behaviour. The conflict eventually died down of its own, following the realisation by Birillum that a confrontation with the Nations of the East was not worth it. In June of 45AUC, Birillum and Ardai signed a non-aggression pact.

That same month, Birillum decided to try expanding its influence in another, more diplomatic way. Together with the Kingdom of Desonia and the Wallaceian Empire, Birillum founded the Western Union, an economic, military and free movement union based on the Nations of the East. Birillum also sent out invitations to the United Avian Kingdom and the Duchy of Montecazzo, the former of which eventually joined.

Following months of uneasy peace between the Nations of the East and the Western Union, a war finally broke out between Neo Boreopolis and Birillum, both imperialist nations set on expanding their influence around the world. Neo Boreopolis had used the Elinite Faith to establish control and form alliances around the world, while Birillum had used diplomacy and trade to establish its dominance over the west. The reasons for the final confrontation between the two are unclear, but the few sources that remain hint towards an incident involving a trade mission to Tomopolis gone wrong. Not much is known about the details of the Great War, but we do know that Neo Boreopolis, aided by Wineghem, Tomopolis and Montecazzo, faced off against Birillum, Chiyesa and the Wallaceian Empire. The war ended in a stalemate, but did result in the collapse of the Wallaceian Empire due to internal strife between religious and atheist groups. The Great War caused great destruction, but it also led to many scientific advancements, which ultimately would lead to the final collapse of the world.

After the Great Collapse, Birillum was thought to have been lost to time. However, remnants of S-2020 were eventually salvaged by the Library. When Birillum was transported to S-2012 in 1144 AA (S-2012 date), only a few minutes had passed in their minds, while the diaspora in S-2012 had already gone through several generations. This caused a minor temporal shock, but also new diplomatic opportunities. Despite Birillum's initial hostile attitude towards the Pontificate, they eventually participated in the Frozyland Accords of 1145 and subsequently became a member of the United Nations. New trade opportunities with nations such as Frozyland and USA, and these nations' superior military power, caused Birillum to re-evaluate its historical imperialist policies and instead take on the position of leading merchant nation in the far west of this new world they found themselves in.

## Government and culture

The government of the Republic of the Isles was led by the upper class merchants. However everyone had the right to vote for the next leader, called the Governour General, a relic from the day the Isles were still a Dominion under the Wallaceian Empire. Throughout its entire history, the Republic was led by Governour General Dale White (von\_Donnersmarck).

Birillum is a heavily trade based society, they do not take well to their nation being infringed upon by others and would prefer to have friendly trading relations, not alliances with most other nations. The nation is secular, there is guaranteed freedom of and from religion and the majority of the population is atheistic.

## Books

1/3 | *Contract of New Arcburg* was written by von\_Donnersmarck in 40AUC (*2020*) as a settlement agreement between the Wallaceian Empire and the Duchy of the Islands. The book is stored in the Borges Library under the History section.

1/4 | *Treaty Birillum* was written by Sjwallace500 in 40AUC (*2020*) as an agreement between Birillum and the Wallaceian Empire. The book is stored in the Borges Library under the History section.

1/7 | *Treaty of New Arcburg* was written by Sjwallace500 in 43AUC (*2020*) as a peace treaty between the Wallaceian Empire, Birillum, Desonia and Chiyesa. The book is stored in the Borges Library under the History section.