Dírmala

Dírmala Lára Map

**Dírmala** is an island nation located in Western Igleis and is part of the Western Igletic Isles. It is located off the West coast of Akadi in continental Igleis and East of Kunaratyyra. Dírmala in its modern form has a debatable origin as it can be traced to either a Post-Fall time or to the Imperial Age, depending on how the name is used. In the former, one is likely referring to Dírmala as it exists now, a confederate state of the cultural and ethnolinguistic people group the Dírmen, brought together after the Rebuilding Period, the time after The Fall in which Dírmala began modernising while simultaneously attempting to redefine itself, in this case the ideas of thinkers such as Gara Friabh became prominent in this redefinition. If one uses the term Dírmala in the latter sense, they are referring to Agépsa, the Dírmala empire and the militant imperialist structure used to force the islands together.

### Geography

#### Fauna

Due to Dírmala's temperate climate and forested areas, oro and ach are commonly found in its expansive flatland fields, species common in continental Igleis such as the canis do also reside in Dírmala though they are smaller than their continental counterparts and are not naturally occuring which has caused problems for native species such as the ólach and dabh. Issues with invasive species have subsided as farming has become increasingly industrialised but canis attacks are still known to happen, the course of action to be taken is still a controversial issue amongst the Dírmen. Species such as the ridlej do not appear natively in Dírmala either though some do live as pets, this is extremely rare. The majority of native species consists of various birds, fish, small predators and even smaller prey with some amphibious species being found along the shores, mainly of the minor islands.

### Demographics

#### Ethnicities

Dírmala is home to many nationalities and species but the overwhelming majority of the population are Dírmen descended, the second most common nationality is Kunaradi with non-human races not appearing until further down the list. Dírmen, Kunaradi, Iwuftje, Nimandrian and Akai are the most common lineages in descending order. Non-human species and non-Dírmen nationalities are most commonly found in the cities, most especially the capital cities of the major islands, Báil na Dhír being the most diverse in terms of nationalities and species.

#### Settlements

Dírmala is split into major and minor islands, the divisions though arbitrary were informed by numerous factors such as total land area and population. Due to the minor islands' sizes, they do not house large populations as the major islands such as Dír and Fís do. The capital of Dírmala is located in Báil na Dhír with this being the most advanced and largest city, the capitals of the other major islands are the largest settlements on their respective islands with many towns and villages around the rural regions being ubiquitous amongst the major islands though small but sizeable population centres do exist outside of the main capital cities.

#### Distribution

Most of the inhabitants of the Túr island chain are of Iłuftje ancestry due to its proximity to Iłuftimer. Mad is not considered part of the Túr island group due to its size, being quite large compared to the other minor islands, despite this it is still populated by mostly Iłuftje descended people. Dír is home to many nationalities and species but the main people group still remains the Dír themselves, however there is a large Kunaradi population in Dír, especially in the West due to its proximity to Kunaratyyra. Non human species such as the Mec are minority populations even in the capital cities where they are most concentrated, species such as Xō and Nara especially are such a rarity that they account for only around 1% of a population centre at most when combined. Notably, Pan is the most ethnically homogenous of all of Dírmala's islands both major and minor, the main reasons given for this are the rural nature of Pan and the general hostility of its people towards outsiders which manifests itself in controversial legislation.

## Culture

### Language

*Main article: Dírma Language*

Dírma is the official language of Dírmala though it still retains a degree of dialectical difference due in part to the nature of separation via bodies of water. Dírma has only been officially recognised as a national language since the creation of Dírmala's constitution, before that time it was recognised as the language of the Dírmen but there was no legislation stating this. Dírma spread to other countries through Agépsa but it had a declining level of effect the further the country was from Dírmala, notably Dírma is still spoken in Kunaratyyra, though the only concentrated pocket of Dírma use in Kunaratyyra is in the Zhlokitírva region to the East which is the point in Kunaratyyra that is closest to Dírmala, Dírma is also still used due to the high Dírmen population in the region.

### Notable Figures

#### Céibh Cór

*Main article: Céibh Cór*

Céibh Cór was a writer who is most well known for the *'ích na heil'* (the silence of blood) quote which has since entered common Dírmalan vernacular as a phrase denoting nepotism and or general favouritism due to familial connections.

#### Gara Friabh

*Main article: Gara Friabh*

Gara Friabh was an accountant whose philosophy of Unitarianism during the Rebuilding Period of Dírmala's history gained much prominence after his death with leftist groups though over time the application of his ideas became more liberal as they were considered less and less extreme. Friabh is now seen as an important figure in Dírmala's regaining of its dignity and national identity as well as its economic status.