Iringa

The **Free Territory of Iringa** is a country located in the northwest of Eldham. It is a piece of land which is (mostly) owned by The Church of The Wheel, but governed by its inhabitants via consensus democracy.

## History

The Free Territory of Iringa was started by a group of natives known as "Iringani" in the Iringani language. Though the Iringani language is mostly reserved for liturgical purposes. The common language is Irilani. After converting to the Church, which was founded by a legendary figure known as Angang (a native Iringani), they adopted an anarchistic method of governance for both for the administration of the church and the secular governance of their land. The Free Territory has had positive relations with nearly every group of people it has encountered, though due to its geography not many people have stopped by throughout history.

The Free Territory has allowed Rathnirian colonizers to settle on its land, thus effectively assimilating them into their country. Anyone who wishes to settle in the Free Territory does so on the condition that they do not impose their will on others, and as a result they usually end up governing their land and the Territory like the natives have done for centuries. This puts them on equal footing with the native inhabitants in terms of power. Though they might remain culturally distinct from the natives in terms of religion, food, architecture, music, language, etc..

The Free Territory has not been a part of any conflicts in its existence.

## Geography

The Free Territory is situated in a desert/savanna biome, with several rivers and mesas located within its borders. The de facto capitol, Ngibamma ("enlightenment", or "peace" in the Iringani language) is located in the south-central island. Due to the waters in and around the country, and due to the wide grasslands, agriculture and trade are vibrant here.

The Territory is surrounded by larger nations, yet maintains peaceful and friendly relations with them. It currently has non-aggression pacts with Varn Torum, Aristios, and several other nations. It trades with its neighbors extensively.

## Politics

The Free Territory has no standing army, and the Church itself is officially a pacifistic organization. Most native Irilani are staunchly opposed to killing even the smallest of animals. This generally puts Rathnirian settlers on edge, as most of them have experienced at least one war from their homeland. Knowing the ambitions of other colonizers, they generally form militias to protect themselves against any threats. They tend to arm themselves, at the very least. It is not forbidden to defend oneself, on someone else in the Free Territory, but it is forbidden to attack someone for any reason.

The Free Territory has always maintained a friendly attitude towards every country and people. Even if they disagree with certain things the countries in question do. They survive off of trade, and native Irilani people usually make a living off of agriculture. Sugarcane and cacti are usually grown in the sand dunes, while wheat and root vegetables are usually grown in the savanna. Mining as an industry is usually not as profitable here.

The Free Territory, being country which allows for colonists to exist within its borders peacefully and harmoniously with its native inhabitants, does not align itself fully with the interests of either natives seeking to reclaim colonized land, or colonizers seeking to take more land. The Church, and thus the overwhelming majority of native Irilani, advocate for peaceful relations between both sides, whishing that colonists do not take land which shouldn't belong to them, as well as wishing that those who have already established themselves can make amends with the peoples they have colonized.

Officially, the Church advocates for the peaceful abolition of all states, and as a result does not usually take sides in international conflicts.

The natives in the Territory and the Rathnirians (who are as a matter of fact considered to be Irilani by the Irilani) tend to disagree on some philosophical and moral points, but due to the cooperative and friendly nature of their way of life, this does not cause excess tension in most cases.