Eretz Rakhāl

Flag of Eretz Rakhāl

Eretzet Yādprōkh, the central/capital island

Eretz Rakhāl's location on a map, shown in purple

**Rakhāl**, formally known as **Eretz Rakhāl** (Hebrew: אֶרֶץ רָחַל) is a nation bordering Anatidad. Its capital city is an island, Eretzet Yādprōkh. Its southern portion is Eretzet Tikva.

Its name is derived from the Hebrew אֶרֶץ, meaning land or country, and רָחֵל, meaning ewe or sheep. Its capital's name is derived from the Hebrew לִפְרוֹחַ, meaning [to] flower or flourish/thrive.

## Economy

Rakhāl has a developing economy, though has expanded into the textiles industry.

## Geography

Rakhāl is located on the continent of Estanqa. Its capital, Eretzet Yādprōkh, is a small island in the midst of large rivers and lakes. Eretzet Yādprōkh is a flower forest (known for its biodiversity) with a small cave system, which the capital is carved into.

To the south of the central island is a smaller island. This smaller island has no permanent residents, though, due to its location, is used as a stop for Eretz Rakhāl's transportation systems (i.e. feet). The flower forest continues further south, however the rest of the surrounding area consists of mountains and grasslands.

To the east is a small village, with which Eretz Rakhāl maintains friendly relations.

Southeast is the Mayimali Sea, a small body of water connected to the Caroline Ocean. Notably, it is the only known place connected to that ocean where the Kraken does not appear. Further investigations show that there's something wrong.

## History

### Creation

Before time itself, there was the ram goddess. The ram goddess was all that there was, and she wept in her loneliness. The only companionship she found was in her lilac garden, whose roots she would water with her tears. The bush fed her in return, letting her graze when hungry, and calm herself down by smelling it.

It was the thirteenth time the ram goddess wept that the bush became something else; now, the bush was a fellow being, and the goddesses were all that there was.

The lilac goddess embraced hir companion; she who had kept hir watered, she who loved her lilacs. Sie breathed out a name, sweet on the ram goddess' ears; "Rakhāl," and thus the ram goddess was no longer nameless.

Rakhāl braided a woolen shawl around the shoulders of the lilac goddess, for sie was bare and shivering in the breeze. There were golden strands within the shawl, giving the lilac goddess a name of hir own; "Liprōkh."

The goddesses slept in a bed of wool and flowers, and were nourished by their marital bliss. Eventually, they bore a child, Olākhmēnū. The child bore patches of green, like the leaves of Liprōkh, and patches of blue, like Rakhāl's tears of life.

The creation of Olākhmēnū began time itself, for he was the world. His parents watch over him; Liprōkh comforts him in the night as the moon, the lilacs. Rakhāl teaches him in the day, shining light and sharing warmth as the sun, the shining wool.

The spouses never let go of each other. Rakhāl holds her hand out as light, and Liprōkh places lilacs in Rakhāl's palm.

Every so often, they renew their vows; the shawl wrapping around both their shoulders as they give each other breathy smiles. Under the shawl, they hold each other close and kiss. In these fleeting moments, they are the eclipse.

### Searching

The ancient people of Olākhmēnū searched for a land of their own; the north and east were vast oceans, and there were rumours of a rapid shift in climate in the west. The south, though, lay unknown past a small mountain range, and it was this unknown that the people set their sights on. The southern mountains offered the promise of a vantage point, but its wind was not a threat the people could take lightly.

Rakhāl decided to aid the people, granting them warm wool for clothes and bedding.

Olākhmēnū, as any child would, knew curiosity all-too-well. If it was within his ability to satiate the travellers' curiosity (and indeed it was), he saw no reason not to aid them. Olākhmēnū moved his fog away from the people, thus assuring the exploration would be safe and fruitful.

It was night when the people reached the top of the mountain. The people were tired and afflicted with a disease for which they had no cure—homesickness. When the eldest of the group began to cry, a ray of moonlight shined down and the smell of lilacs wafted through the group. Lavan, the elder, felt someone grab eir hand, but no person had. Bewildered as any weary traveller would be, e glanced around, ahead, and down.

Illuminated by natural spotlight was an island, lush with flowers and honey as far as the eye could see. Lavan grabbed a fellow traveller's hand and pointed to the island, whispering "*Liprōkh*." Word spread among the group; the lilac goddess hirself had given them their home.

This island became the centre of the new nation, whose name was no debate. It was named for the ram goddess, who kept them warm in the day and night. The island itself was named for the hand of the lilac goddess—the hand that pointed home.

### Founding

To commemorate the world from which they had sprung forth, the founders of Eretz Rakhāl crafted the Yanshōk, a mechanism for calculating the next eclipse (“nashāk” amongst Rakhālis, plural “nashākīm”), as they wished to celebrate the marriage of Olākhmēnū’s parents

They created their government; a council of 13. One of those members, Dvāsh, maintains strong relations with Artekep.