Īrajon

The **Kingdom of Irajon** (Irajonian: **Ôndōrlau Īrajondō**, native Irajonian: **Raturen** **Irawan**) is an island nation located on Jerde's western hemisphere. It is bordered by Bujan in the northeast, Pinoguni to the far west, the archipelagoes of Lisjar to the east, and Baido to the east.

Between Pinoguni and Irajon is a large island divided into three nations: Waiposo in the north, Vipos in the west, and Vippoš in the east.

## Flag

The flag of the Kingdom of Irajon (Šáun Ôndōrlau Īrajondō) is a rectangular green banner with a black bear at the centre. The green on the flag represents its vegetation and natural wealth, and the bear represents its founder Nizojal.

### Other symbols

From the reign of Koschei onwards, two other symbols were also used in Irajon: three swirling dots, or four meteors. Both represent the main peoples of Irajon: Wonaos, Irajonian Vozonids, Slavs, and (for those using the four meteor flags) Pinogunians.

## History

During the First Age, the Wonao people were the first to settle on the island. They named it "The Land of Jade", now "Irawan" in the Wonao language of the country.

At some point before the Sixteenth Age, Irajon was settled by Pinogunian migrants, who arrived as wandering knights, merchants, craftsmen, and engineers. Some intermarried with the locals, while others introduced knightly orders, smithing, and engineering. When Pinoguni's empire attacked Irajon and its neighbours, many Pinogunians in Irajon joined the royal army against the imperial soldiers, having rejected nearly all offers to defect to the emperor.

The lands of Irajon were conquered and colonised by Vozonids thousands of years ago during the Sarmelonid era. With the arrival of Koschei and the Wonao kings' establishment of Bujan, the Vozonids of Irajon joined the Wonao rebellion against Sarmelonid rule, led by a pro-Wonao governor who styled himself as Emperor of Irajon. Many Slavs from Bujan migrated to Irajon, attracted by invitations by the Emperor of Irajon for his Sarmelonised society. Irajon's people stylised themselves as a threefold nation of princes.

During the latter Jauparturnid era, Irajon welcomed Nizojal and his family, who were banished there for defying Emperor Zemasor. They later crowned him as their own emperor in opposition to Zemasor, and Nizojal led his people to resist the Ontemazei Empire.

Spurred by the Wannaenid Empire's rise and the degradation of the Vozonid Empire under the Thokortars and the Thralondian-ruled Zaqovians, Irajon became a Sarmelonised society. Irajon was conquered and enslaved by the Wannaenids, who condemned them as traitors for supporting Nizojal, who opposed the exterminations of their god-emperor Zemasor. It was enslaved by Terran puppet rulers who sought to forcibly convert the whole nation to a nihilist cult.

In the 18th century, the Wannaenids deported thousands of Irajonians to Vozolaz to punish their revolts, but they were defeated by the growing rebellions formed by alliances of Vozonids and natives. Notably, the Irajonians slaughtered many Terrans during their war of independence as a collective punishment for their attempts to exterminate or enslave Irajon. The massacres inspired the Bujanski to do the same to the Terrans in the kingdom, killing hundreds for rude behaviour or hateful comments. The mass killings only lasted for three weeks before other militias stopped the massacres.

It took Irajon 14 years for the kingdom to accept the Terran minorities. Initially, the Terrans were condemned to be outcasts for supporting the Wannaenid tyrants, but as they chose to accept loyalty to the Irajonian monarchy, slowly the Irajonians began to allow them to be integrated. Some richer people even paid reparations, seeking to avoid any curse coming to their country.

The last day of October in 1903 AT accelerated the integration, when more people called for allowing Terrans to become citizens of Irajon. On New Year's Day, in April 1904 AT, all remaining Terrans in Irajon were granted citizenship similar to their counterparts in Bujan, allowing them to set up their own businesses or access more places without needing passes from security guards.

Eventually November 12 was chosen as the day every Terran citizen of Irajon was given full rights as equals, following the Bujanski example. Fittingly, it also fell under that year's Kali Puja, so Irajonian Terrans celebrate that day by reflecting on their own actions.

## Government

Irajon is ruled by a King, with a Prime Minister managing his government on his behalf.

Irajon is a constitutional monarchy: in fact, it prides itself as one of the last Vozonid monarchies in existence. With the rest of the world treating East Azgo and the Wannaenid Empire -- the other Vozonid nations still ruled by monarchs -- as rogue states, its government made its King a sort of "high priest" of all Vozonids, continuing the Sarmelonid emperors' ancient role.

## Military

Irajon has the sixth-most powerful military in the region, with enough troops, vehicles, and ships to fend off a possible invasion. They are currently utilising their own variants of advanced weaponry, mixed with or adapted from those imported by its allies.

## Economy

Its economy is a developing economy: though highly-skilled, it is not as skilled or advanced as its northern neighbours.

## Culture

It retains much of the Sarmelonid Empire's culture and norms, from fire towers to drumming and dancing to worship its gods.

Irajon is notable for its filming industry, being notorious for its directors' frequent usage of sappy romantic songs.

## Demographics

The majority of Irajon's people are of Vozonid descent. Three other peoples are the native Wonaos; the Kanjezirosso Slavs, who form two-thirds of the aristocracy; and the Pinogunians, who formed their own towns and clans at the western shores.

The native people of Irajon are related to the Wonao people to the north.

A few Terran communities, numbering around 13,000 people in total, still remain in Irajon. Most of them were defectors during Irajon's revolution, and they were among those who stopped the massacres of other Terrans to avoid losing Irajon's allies.

## Languages

Irajon has three official languages: Irajonian (the Vozonid language), Slavic, and Irawanese.

The native Wonao language of Irajon, taught in schools as a classical language for all races, is Irawanese, or Irawan Lutei.

## Trivia

* Irajon's name was inspired by "Iriy", an afterlife location in Slavic mythology. Culturally, it may be influenced by Thailand, Japan, Mexico, and India.
	+ However, it was derived from the Vozonid word for "sun".
	+ Irajon's name should be pronounced as "EE-rah-yon" (['irajon]).
	+ In 2023, the author added that Irajon's name was influenced by the Wonao people's native name for the island nation, "Irawan". It means "land of jade".
* Although one Russian stereotype is about bears everywhere, the northerly neighbour of Bujan (inspired by mediaeval and Tsarist Russia) did not use bears as its symbol, and bears are not very common in Bujan. Ironically, Bujanski people stereotype Irajon as a land full of bears due to the animal's appearance in the kingdom's green flag!
	+ Again, Bujanski people defy the Russian stereotype of vodka-obsessed drunks - they avoid alcohol as a waste of money, and they make fun of drunk people as examples of stupidity. Ironically, they mock Irajon's permissive attitude to alcohol by depicting Irajonians as drunks.

## See also

* Kalambour, another filming haven.
* Porashon and Vovtarla, two non-human countries that also claim to be the Sarmelonids' cultural successors.