July 1892

**Čto go dælatǐ ponestǐ "kāry", Tærai. Slovy nov vroritǐ pravjantōje, i sæi, go bereš astǐ akh.** ("*Actions have 'consequences', Terran. Your own words have become real, and now you shall eat them up.*") - A warning issued on midnight, July 1, beginning the "July investigations" that instead led to Bujan's ruin.

"**Black July**" (Bujanski: **Černaja Lipenja**, Ēosomê: **Sōh Ratōhad**, **Lui Hiranol**) was the name given to the mass killings during the month of July in 1892 AT, just after the Kingdom of Bujan became independent from Wannaenid rule.

Within Bujan, it is officially known as the **July Massacres** or "**that July after Independence**", or simply "**that July**". Outside Bujan, it is known as the **Bujanski Civil War** or the **Civil War of 1892**.

## Terminology

Although the Bujanski hate Terrans and their practices, they also abhor the mobs who carried out Black July's killings as becoming more Terran and evil.

* July investigations - initial term
	+ The government of Bujan originally intended Black July to be a nationwide investigation of every person in the country, including the Prime Minister and the royal families. They thought that the purges and murders on Black July were nothing more than Denlotia-style killings of serious offenders, until the purges became large enough to wage war against the government.
* Bujanski Civil War, Civil War of 1892 - terms used outside Bujan
* Bloody July, Murder July, July of Murder
* Extermination of 1892
* July of the Mad
* Month-long Night
* The Great Night
* The Second Night
* Friday the First - Terran name, because the dark month of that July and its killings began on a Friday. Later a superstition practiced by Terrans in Bujan when they cannot throw any parties on the first day of July.
* New Hiranol, Lui Hiranol, Novij Khironol
	+ Although cannibalism was not practiced during the purges, the mass killings and brutality during that time led to later Bujanski comparing it to the Old Hiranol, the war that took place before Motakol unified Bujan.
	+ Opponents of the purge usually refer the mass killings as the "New Hiranol", condemning the fanatics as traitors to Bujan and evildoers who wage war against the Gods.
* Gula's Revenge
	+ Referring to a demonic warrior that Motakol killed during his unification of Bujan. It suggests that the demon Gula might has possessed the ATA fanatics in a desperate attempt to destroy everything in Bujan.
* War on Terra, War on Terrans - term used by ATA members when killing Terrans over a variety of trivial offenses
* The Last Lesson - term used by supporters of the July massacres, as they believed that Terrans were stupid and brutish, only knowing things by violence and pain.
* Counter-Consequences, The Consequence War - used by supporters to mock the Terrans
* Purge of Bujan
* Second Bujanski Purge - the first being the blackout that led to independence forces swiftly retaking the whole island, or the killings of Terrans by fanatical mobs.
* Wannaenid coup of 1892 - ironically named by comparing ATA members to Wannaenid soldiers for their cruelty, or for the possibility of the Wannaenids returning due to the country's weakness.
* July of Fear
* Long Night
* Cursed July
* The Corruption
* Downvote War, The Block War, Internet War
	+ Mocking the cruelty of the purges over absurdly small offenses, such as killing people in Bujan because they left a downvote, or blocked a person over a petty reason. Many of those executed or murdered were punished for online misconduct, and it was seen as indoctrinating people to commit worse acts in real life.
	+ The brutality of the purges led to a sharp decline in blocks and rude comments in Bujanski websites, due to most people refusing to do so and risk getting killed or publicly shamed. Even then, in modern Bujan, people arrested for recklessly blocking other users are treated as social outcasts, to shame them for their excessive behaviour.
	+ Marnosyn sports fans also mocked the absurd reasons in their songs, denouncing Bujanski for "not being Denlotian enough" in spite of their rage.
* July Massacres
* "That July"
* That July After Independence
* Dark Independence
* Dark Grief
* Horror Month
* Hell Month
* Month of Darkness
* First July
* Dark July
* Pettiness Taken Up To Eleven, War of Social Media - the term used by many Terrans, especially the Expression Rebellion. It was named because many of the victims murdered were punished and ostracised over online offences, such as blocking and bans against people who made simple errors.
* War on Growth, War on Newness, War on Doors, War on Moving On - mocking various slogans used by Bujanski against Maeranoi who kept talking about "growth, new opportunities, and open doors". To Bujanski, talking about new things after a loss is considered as making fun of the mourner's suffering.
* Month of Blue Trees, Month of Blue Forests - referring to the Wonao practice of tying blue ribbons on trees, representing sadness and grief. Entire towns had almost every tree wrapped in blue ribbons to reflect nationwide mourning.
* Month of Black Wrists - referring to most Bujanski wearing black ribbons on their wrists to represent sadness, anger, and (for some) hatred of Terran people.

## Overview

   It was infamous for mass killings of Terrans. The murderers were part of a nationwide militia known as the "Anti Terran Action", or "Protiv-Taerai Udar" (PTU).

### Terran fanaticism

Terrans used to behave in a hateful, angry manner because no one listened to them. They were from impossibly abusive environments, unable to escape or have justice against the people who hurt them.

Many Terrans developed this attitude due to poverty, violence, and discrimination carried over to the Wannaenid occupation. Their madness worsened when they realised that the Wannaenids left them as human weapons, to kill, be degraded, or die for the Wannaenids' amusement. The Bujanski were even more tormented by the Wannaenids and their lackeys, resulting in extremely cruel punishments to anyone who harmed a Bujanski. A Terran would yell back that even getting blocked online or scolded was nothing, compared to the violence and abuse they had been through. Yet such desperate statements would anger the Bujanski, leading to the brutal demise of the Terran as their final punishment.

Fear and hatred of anything related to the Terrans led to an aversion of various simple things, such as social media, video games, some television shows, and teenagers. There were also calls to ban all those and ostracise every adolescent in Bujanski territory as a collective punishment to all Terrans for every offense they committed against the natives.

It also led to some Bujanski developing a fear of poor people and poverty. While it resulted in almost every surviving free Terran also receiving a basic amount of savings, many Bujanski feared Terrans, seeing them as a violent, hateful people who deserved only death for every attack against the people.

### A Path to Death

Initially, they swore absolute loyalty to the King, and in their anger they swore to slaughter all Terrans from Bujan and the world for every war crime against their nation. They also were the enforcers of an oath all members and supporters of the rebellion must take, to totally erase any "Terran practice or behaviour" from themselves and their society. Some of the ATA's leaders were members of the death gangs who ruled central Bujan, having carried over their practice of mass executions in a nationwide scale.

Most of the people massacred by the mobs were either Terrans who expressed hatred against Bujanski society, harrassed Bujanski locals, or who simply posted threats and rude comments online. Even Bujanski who committed similar acts were also murdered. The mobs claimed that their decision to put Terran people to a brutal death was inspired by the mass killings in nearby Irajon, to give their tormentors the same pain they used on the Bujanski in the past.

The purges were originally an investigation on every citizen in Bujan over their motives, to eliminate anyone with a hostile view towards the country. It was called by a near-unanimous majority of Bujanski, sparked by *one* Terran man who shot at several guests who celebrated their accounts being unblocked. Then, when the investigation did not lead to mass killings of Terran people, the ATA's gangs were formed by very infuriated locals.

Comments made by certain Terran warlords about killing Bujanski people as "liberation" also led to widespread distrust and hatred towards Terrans. Yet the cruelty unleashed by the ATA towards the Terrans and even ordinary Bujanski who did a simple mistake eventually shocked the rest of the country, causing groups who protected Terrans to be more influential.

Eventually, because the ATA also killed Bujanski people and Terran loyalists out of rage, other groups and the military had to stop the mobs from exterminating the rest of Bujan. One of those groups was known as the "Black Roses", representing mourning over Bujan descending into murderous chaos.

The un-Terrans of northern Bujan, who joined the revolutionaries, began fighting among themselves. Some wanted to purge the targeted Terrans to punish them for oppressing and killing their loved ones; while others wanted to stop the angry mobs to allow penitents to live and redeem themselves.

## The Curse

See also: Curse of 400

Since the revolution, many Bujanski placed a curse on every single surviving Terran in Bujan and their descendants.

* Every Terran who lived, or was born, within the 1892 boundaries of Bujan, was cursed to forever remember *every* single offense they committed in life, for four hundred years, an approximate duration of Wannaenid misrule.
* Their descendants, especially those of pure Terran blood, are also born with the curse.
* Even if the Terran would be trusted by society, they will never forget anything wrong they had done.
* Even though the Terran can die or get killed, they cannot hurt themselves.

## Events

See also: Black July timeline, The Big Three

### Elsewhere

In nearby Irajon, massacres of Terrans broke out by angry mobs, while some towns decided to shelter Terran refugees. The fanatical hatred and abusive attitude of the Terrans were the reasons for the attempted extermination of Terrans in Irajon.

### "Orange regions"

The "orange lands" were the parts of Bujan that voted to protect Terrans instead of kill them. They rightly considered the massacres of July to be a war crime worthy of the Wannaenids, treason against their kingdom.

* Koscheigrad
* Mahapuri
* Chano Province
* Dēdogron Province
* Vaitos Province
* Razhno Province
* Buron Province
* Iunsaa Province
* Bimewjan Island, Nojenso Province
	+ Although it was the capital of the Khvostians, the locals voted to integrate the remaining Terrans and deradicalise them, instead of killing them for being Terrans.
* Starij Province
* Estagrad Province
	+ The heartland of the Free North, which immediately raised orange flags to welcome Loyalists fleeing persecution.
* Buron City
* southern Olan Province
	+ To reward hundreds of Terrans who used a massive reward by the government to rebuild the province and a tunnel to Arienai; and especially paying as much money as they could as compensation for their collective crimes against their victims.

### "Dark-flagged regions"

On the other hand, some provinces in Bujan raised black flags, banning even their own national flags to represent mourning and hatred of Terran people. Although much of Bujan was legally "anti-Terran", some parts of Bujan banned Terrans and Salvationists from entry, turning away, expelling, or even murdering anyone suspected of being Terran.

Five of them - Ruisan, Vlesto, Resok, Eshad, and Deritsa Provinces - formed a separate society without anything seen as "Terran".

* Ruisan Province
* Vlesto Province
* Esmero Province
* Jokin Province
* Resok Province - it, Eshad, and Deritsa Province were the former heartland of the death gangs.
	+ Their proposed "Restored Kingdom of Zvesta" (also known as "Dark Bujan" or "Red Bujan") would have killed any Terran on sight.
* Eshad Province
* Deritsa Province
* Selon Province
* Teimoi Province
* Zremandil City

## Society

"*Are you at war with Bujan? Ты воюете с Буяном?*"- the most common question directed at Terrans, if they did anything suspicious.

*"No, I do not hate the people. I will never harm a Bujanski at all. I'll repent and go through penance. Я сожалею обо всем, что сделал мой народ!*" - the answers that saved many Terran lives.

### Flags and cards

In the harsh month, Terrans in Bujan were ordered not to display any symbols of their religions. Only the Free North Terrans were allowed to only display orange crosses, symbols of their rebellion against Wannaenid rule and support for Bujan.

Terran households were mandated to put up certain flags to mark their citizenship. Yellow flags represent Terrans who were undergoing penance, or deradicalisation and reconstruction work. Green flags represent Terrans who finished their penance, achieving citizenship as equals in Bujanski society. Free North Terrans were also suggested to fly green flags to show that they were loyal to Bujan, not being a threat.

Bujanski citizens of Terran origin were given green citizenship cards instead of the usual blue ones, marking and shaming them for their background even after they completed their "penance". Later on, as more Bujanski understood about the remaining Terrans, all green cards were replaced by blue cards, allowing them to be integrated into society.

### Punishments

Several bizarre policies were passed mainly to punish the Terrans and expose them as threats to Bujan. For example, mandating the death penalty for petty and unusual offenses, such as spitting at people and downvoting on a website, because those were associated with Terran rule. They were enacted on the first day of July to provoke any extremists into exposing themselves, as announced by the Prime Minister.

Some websites were notorious for being exempt from the ban on downvotes, by using downvote buttons to arrest suspected Terrans. Very few people during that time would click on a downvote button, as they were being warned that whoever who did so would have their details exposed to the ATA mobs.

### Blocktowns

"*Somebody, help me! I can't escape! I'm scared!*"

Some of the prison camps where Terrans were tested were converted to "blocktowns", where Terran prisoners were kept in a dim but comfortable room. Like all prisons on Jerdiskar countries, the rooms also had their own bathrooms, with showers and toilets.

Robots gave them any food, drink, toiletries, clothes that they needed, but there was nothing else to do than to dream, scream, and go mad from total isolation. The only form of entertainment in some rooms was a single dome on a fixed chair, which a wearer was subjected to a virtual world. Eventually their virtual fantasies turn to nightmares, forcing them to apologise and feel sorry for everything wrong that landed them there. They were forced to see their own sins repeated again and again, even seeing their own being hurt by themselves.

The blocktowns were largely successful, as the virtual domes and projected visions forced their inmates to change the way they behaved. When their sentences were completed, they would want to find the people whom they had hurt before, and plead for forgiveness. When an inmate guaranteed that they will atone for their crimes, they were closer to freedom, to be allowed to complete their penance and be truly forgiven.

Blocking people for no valid reason was one of the offenses that led to imprisonment in a blocktown, along with rude behaviour, fanaticism, and a refusal to reconcile with people who did nothing wrong. This was part of the Bujanski desire to forcibly eliminate "Terran attitudes" from their country.

### Vulnerables

The "vulnerables" were five peoples that were protected by Bujanski law, due to the growing risk of Terran counter-attacks: Arnadjanai, Ontemazei, Heronoi, Sagolin, and Terran. The first four were aliens that were granted Bujanski citizenship. The fifth consisted of Terrans who underwent penance and integration into society, all those who did not join the Free North. All five of them were former slaves, while many Terrans were also defectors or who surrendered to the victors.

They were initially limited to fortified neighbourhoods, as communities for themselves to rebuild and learn the ways of Bujanski society. But with their homeland descending into murderous chaos again, the vulnerables formed armed groups to defend each other and any loyalist Terrans from the mobs. Some neighbourhoods decided to open up, permitted by neighbouring districts to allow Terran refugees to settle into rebuilt homes for protection.

### "Uoka"

"*Am I a 'uoka' because I do not worship your god, Terran?! Are you going to force me to be your and your god's slave? NEVER!*"

"*I am so sorry for saying that. I will never force you to convert. I swear on my God's name, I will be fair to youI What must I do to be forgiven for my comments?!*"

"*Go fix that wall over there. We'll teach you how to prepare bricks.*"

"Uoka" was a term used by Terrans during Wannaenid rule to denounce Bujanski people for refusing to follow their rules and beliefs. Among the many trivial things accused of "uoka" include anti-theocracy, anti-imperialism, rejection of Tyrska or the Church of Q's authority, helping the poor and not favouring Terrans, and practicing native cultures. The Terrans feared that should "uoka" go unpunished, their colony will descend into a savage land of debauchery and lust, without any children to continue their kind and opened to foreign enslavement.

Their solution to those included police repressions, forced conversions, militarism, and public executions, which may had influenced the Bujanski to do the same to the surviving Terrans to punish them collectively.

Other terms used included "awake", 'scorched", "seared", "blinded", and "burnt eyes".

### The "Terrible Young"

"*It is not that important that these kids do stupid things. Eventually, they will weep as we do, and heal by working together with whoever they hurt. But killing them over their reckless errors makes you just like a Terran, who kills their own children over a mispronounced prayer. Please, do not do that, for it will also kill Bujan.*"

"*I'm so sorry for harrassing Ambrose. Please, forgive me for my rudeness. I promise not to that again. I deserve everything for making his life a living hell."*

"*I'm scared of being thirteen. I don't want to be a monster! Being a teenager will make me more hateful and angry, but for the wrong reasons!*"

One notorious attitude among the Bujanski during that time was a fear of adolescents. Because of their association with Maeranoi teenagers being among the worst fanatics, anyone who reached their thirteenth birthday was shamed and sometimes avoided. The term "American" became a slur towards anyone who was between 13 to 18.

The thirteenth birthday was feared by many Bujanski youths during that time, regarded as a time of mourning and self-reflection to help a child learn to think carefully. There was a fear that the child will no longer be friendly, but would be "torn apart by their emotions into hatred of society". Terran children were sad that very few guests ever celebrated their birthdays, or that they were all alone for any birthday party due to the fear of teenagers.

During that July, every teenager in Bujan was forced to attend morbid field trips. Even children of royal families and national heroes were ordered by law to attend a field trip, to learn to think like their subjects and empathise with their concerns. They were ordered to see mass graves, execution grounds, live executions, and the remains of criminals in museums, with tour guides calmly explaining about the crimes of various offenders.

Among the many deaths witnessed were from people who bullied or harrassed others. Adults who committed such crimes during *their* teenage years were sentenced to death as terrorists; but youths who did the same during the July massacres were either jailed or beaten, and publicly shamed. These, along with the mass killings on that July, forced most teenagers to be more considerate of other people. As they grew older, they carried their attitude over to their descendants in the form of "properness".

## What is Bujanski penance?

"Penance" is what Bujanski call the process of naturalisation and deradicalisation, especially for Terrans and Salvationists who surrender and apologise for their crimes.

It involved being assigned to certain jobs of the person's choice, or paying taxes and fees for the reconstruction of Bujan. Those who fail to pay had to attend work as janitors, construction workers, engineers, and mechanics.

Starvation, self-harm, and mourning were not obligatory in Bujanski penance. In spite of this, angry mobs often placed people suspected of child abuse into cages, to be forced to starve and be publicly shamed.

Terrans and Salvationists who undergo penance were ordered to go to a government office, show their ID cards to the officials, and tell them their home or apartment address. Then they would be given a yellow flag, which represents their process of reconciliation with Bujanski society. This was also when the Terran or Salvationist received their basic savings to start their new lives to learn the ways of their homeland.

In most cases, Bujanski penance usually takes months or years. After that, the Terran must show the officials their progress and what they had completed. They were also ordered to show any changes in their behaviour, and if they were less rude and more friendly, their penance may end sooner. Those who passed penance were given a green flag, and turned over their yellow flags, to represent their successful integration into Bujanski society.

When all remaining Terrans were bestowed with full citizenship, all green and yellow penance flags were allowed to be taken down. Yet during that time, some Terrans wanted to show how Bujanski they were, from raising blue and orange flags, to wearing traditional robes and learning the state languages of Bujanski and Eosome.

Some Terrans even converted to Rodnovery, the state religion of Bujan. They were driven by guilt, seeking forgiveness from the people and their merciful Gods.

After the announcement of the first Terrans in Bujan who finished their penance, some stores ordered all Terrans to show their ID cards. A Terran who has finished their penance would have a "flash" when their ID card was read, so the shop can let them in as if they had become a fellow Bujanski.

On the other hand, committing certain crimes would cause the accused's card to flash red in scanners, resulting in immediate arrest and punishment. Hundreds of Terrans were killed when their cards turned red, alerting the bystanders to draw their weapons and murder the accused. The most notorious example was at Shanchazorra, when a 300-year old immortal, Johnny, was found out to be the one who locked and starved natives in cages centuries ago. He was dragged to an open square and hacked to death by several angry fanatics.

### Prohibitions on Bujanski Terrans

See also: Bujanski taboos, July 1892 taboos, for a full list

## Repentance

Sometimes, the mobs even spared Terrans, although they were supposed to kill every single Terran they saw.

In order for a Terran to avoid being killed, he must do the following:

* Bow down to a Bujanski, whether by bending the head, kneeling, or prostrating.
* Apologise for everything his people did.
* Confess that he did not commit any serious crime (including spitting, child abuse, or posting hateful comments).
* Promise to undergo penance and integration.

Apologies were the most common reason why some Terrans were not put to death. Another was simply conscience: the Terrans who begged the Bujanski for forgiveness and mercy were allowed to be spared.

As the two revolts were brutally crushed, and the purges claimed more and more lives, more Terrans were driven to surrender to society. Armed resistance and blood feuds became almost-impossible due to the advanced technology and surveillance of the entire nation, unless any Terran had to join those who opposed the ATA.

Because they were hated everywhere in the region for their collective crimes, every other way led to either imprisonment abroad or extinction. Driven by fear and a desire to survive, the remaining Terrans surrendered to local groups who supported them. Children and old people were more likely to be hated as "symbols" of the Terran warlords, many of those who sought forgiveness from the natives were usually young people and their families.

Some Terrans even brought their weapons and laid them down, as if they were enemy soldiers who surrendered and defected to Bujan.

### The end of penance

Terrans who surrendered and asked for forgiveness were later put under penance, allowing them to survive Black July and become true citizens. Their penance involved construction work, learning to repair machines, and even something as simple as paying a small tax to victims or drawing a picture for each day.

In order for a Terran to begin and end their penance, he must meet with the people he had hurt or offended. He would be lucky that no matter how angry the victims were, or if they were even allowed to beat him up, they were not allowed to put him to death if they wanted to. Online comments or actions were the most common offense they did.

The Terran who underwent penance was ordered to reconcile with their victims, and continually live in shame as he is reintegrated into society. ONLY when the victims declared they were satisfied enough to forgive the Terran, will the Terran's penance truly end.

When penance begins, a judge reads the Manusmriti's verses to the Terran. After the Terran finishes their penance and earns the mercy of their victims, they and their victims must see the judge, who reads the Manusmriti's verses again, and the penance officially ends. The Terran might become a full citizen of Bujan, ensuring their survival as someone trusted by society.

## Green August

It was a surprise that their pink-haired allies and members fought for the Bujanski during the independence struggle, but they also protected many Terrans from the angry mobs. The Ontemazei answered that they saw that the Terrans were very much like them: children of criminals who were driven mad by fear over their ancestors' crimes. Some of those Ontemazei were also among the soldiers sent to protect the Terrans, but most of them were volunteers who wanted to stop the mobs.

Gradually, more and more people in Bujan also chose to protect more Terran neighbourhoods from slaughter, as they felt that the mobs were violating the justice of the Gods. They turned over only those who committed crimes, but spared the rest, even if they did not beg. Touched by the mercy of those volunteers, the Terrans turned in the more extreme and hateful fanatics to be punished. Some Terrans even displayed Bujanski symbols and welcomed the volunteers, seeking to learn to be proper Bujanski!

The Ontemazei tried their best to convince the Bujanski to allow the Terrans to complete their penance, which involved reconstruction work and payment of reparations from their own income. Many years of resentment melted away into agreement, but the Terrans were safer under the protection of the strange pink treefolk. The pink Ontemazei were fanatical in their defence of Bujan, yet they pitied the Terrans for their miserable, frightened state.

The month after the end of the slaughters was known as Green August by the Terran loyalists to Bujan, to celebrate being saved from slaughter. To celebrate, they tend to wear or display green on August, observing its festivals like Shraavan, Nilachaun, and Purilli. The green is from the flags traditionally shown by households who had achieved citizenship and finished their penance, earning their forgiveness from Bujanski society.

### October 4th celebrations

October 4 is celebrated every year as the end of the July massacres and the restoration of Bujan as a real country. With the end of martial law and the ATA militants, other nations lifted their isolation of Bujan and restored diplomatic relations. Life began to return to normal, even with the surviving Terrans, as the *actual* reconstruction of Bujan officially began.

The blue albatross flag was raised alongside the kolovrat flag, symbolising the restoration of normal life in the kingdom. During that time, a glorious composition of the royal anthem was used.

Some Bujanski suggested that this day should replace Independence Day as the second Victory Day, the first being Motakol's unification of Bujan on May 28.

### Scars

Horrified by the massacres of Terrans, Bujan's allies sanctioned the country, and provided aid only to groups opposed to the massacres. In fact, news of the "orange towns", where Terrans were not allowed to be executed by the mobs, led to the allies reestablishing contact *only* to those towns, and then to growing opponents of the purges. They also agreed that the opponents "did not want to see Bujan become a Wannaenid monster".

Fights broke out between shrinking extremist groups and the rest of the people, targeted for attempting to follow Bujanski law by compensating Terran loyalists who had victims during the purge. The last extremists were killed on October 3, ending martial law. To celebrate (or mourn), the Terrans broadcasted themselves apologising to Bujan, weeping as they bowed to the ground. They swore loyalty to the King, to totally renounce their ties with their past worlds and begin their own penance and integration.

## Normalisation

### How to stop a lash-out?

Eventually, the Bujanski gradually learned that the harmful behaviours and insanity of the Terrans was mostly a product of their upbringing and pain, disturbingly similar to what the Bujanski suffered. It was exactly why they were sent to Bujan, treated like beasts to slaughter or be slaughtered, to poison the realm with their own suffering.

In their veneration of justice, some Bujanski decided to take the risk, and listen to the Terrans. The Terrans were given a choice - to tell everything, even lash out - or refuse to speak to any Bujanski, and be isolated until they decide to speak to just one local. Those who agreed took no weapons with them, and told everything about their pain, in isolated cells, and then nicely sent back.

With the petitions from the Terrans, that portion decided that a possible way to end the "privilege" would be to integrate the Terrans. Allowing them to enjoy the same comforts and safety as other Bujanski do, would perhaps be better than simply killing them over a rude comment.

Over time, these became the seeds of resistance against the ATA's extermination of Terrans.

### Understanding?

Films and exhibitions were held, with the patronage of the King, to show what the two communities were really like. The Bujanski wanted the right to remain independent and free from everything that traumatised them, and the Terrans among them wanted the right to live unharmed.

Until the middle of December, the people of Bujan lived in fear of the Terrans. Although the massacres of fanatics and criminals frightened the Terrans into being more compliant to Bujanski society, many places banned Terrans or followers of Terran religions from entry. Very often, the Terrans were asked whether they practiced a number of crimes, from hatred against Bujan to mistreatment of poorer people. Those who answered "no" were left alone, but they also placed green and blue flags to show their loyalty to Bujan.

Only the Free North, Terrans who defected to the Bujanski revolutionaries, were spared and immediately raised as full citizens of Bujan. While the mobs refused to kill them at first, they also punished and put to death residents suspected of Terran behaviour. They were even allowed to keep their other-wise banned faiths, known as the Free Northern Assembly, with their rebuilt "churches" known as "temples", on the condition that they do not use missionaries or express any hatred of native religions. The FNA's temples were among the few places Terrans in Bujan could live in as sanctuaries, where they worked to survive and were later sent home when the mobs subsided.

### End of the black flags

With the defeat of the ATA, eventually, "black flagged" provinces paid compensation to their victims. Terrans were still banned from entering those provinces. In 1905, all the remaining ban provinces retained the travel ban on Terrans punished for blocking online users, even after they were already forgiven by their victims.

Eventually, 1910 was the year when all "black flag" restrictions ended, allowing Terrans to visit. It was when the appointed "king" of the separatist provinces bowed before King Dostagir, and surrendered his authority, returning to his old life as a clerk. Although many of the advocates were still somewhat distrustful of Terrans in general, greater exposure to Terrans in Bujan led to more understanding.

The appointed "King" was killed by a Terran fanatic, who accused him of being an accomplice by overseeing executions of Terrans and "Terranised" offenders, and demanded that Bujanski society treat Terrans like himself more fairly as his condition to "avoid incidents like this". The Bujanski saw his demands as a threat to war against the Royal Government, so they killed him and arrested his supporters, sparking several days of violent clashes between loyalists and his remaining supporters that were put down.

Knowing that violent attacks like these would cause the Bujanski to wrongly assume that all Terrans were violent terrorists, risking another incident similar to the July massacres, some exhibitions were held to allow Terrans and Bujanski to understand each other.

## Legacy

The horrors of Black July were one of the reasons why the Bujanski adopted Ardeschen clothing and a culture of properness, to prevent their own people from repeating the same hatred that doomed their nation to chaos.

The adoption of "1950s" or "suburban Maeranoi" clothing, claimed to be appropriated further from Ardesch, was a symbol of rejection of the July massacres.

### Forgiveness

Back then, all citizenship cards were light blue, but Free Norths and Terrans used green cards. On the next day, teenagers from Terran households earned the usual blue cards of a typical citizen instead of the green cards, leading to celebrations in some neighbourhoods. One month later, all green cards used by Terrans had the same status as a blue card, allowing more members of the Terran minority to be treated like any other citizen. Some provinces held a holiday on the first day of December, representing Terrans who were pardoned from their sins as newly-proven citizens.

Some proposed a new holiday, Redemption Day, which celebrates the first time a Terran child has earned a blue card in 1903 AT. The date would be October 31, the same date as the bygone Terran holiday of Halloween. Its symbolism with monsters also made the festival more popular with Bujanski Terrans, who followed the Ontemazei (and the Bujanski before them) in using folklore monsters who serve and honour the Gods to represent their own path to redemption.

### Memorials

Not everyone was willing to forgive the Terrans for their four centuries of oppression, or their descendants who actively undo their crimes by service to the nation. Attempts to set memorials to the victims were repelled by angry mobs, even after Black July ended.

One sculpture set up where people placed flowers to mourn for innocents killed during Black July was torn down by several hooligans, who accused the mourners of glorifying Terran crimes. That sculpture was in the city of Arkjensan, where several memorials were built as shrines to Black July and cannibal victims. The mobs and the mourners were put in a court, who settled in favour of the mourners. All Black July memorials in the city were allowed to stand, consecrated to Perun, but later on, the architects who rebuilt them as shrines and gravesites also incorporated lesser halls to accomodate the remains of cannibals' victims.

One of these memorials is now a shrine to Perun, the god of justice. As the largest of all those shrines for the Terran souls, it became a temple that accommodated all the souls of every victim in the region, starting from Wannaenid rule. On a clear, star-filled night, eyewitnesses from all over the city claimed they saw a beam of light from the temple's main hall, which is interpreted by the priests as a sign that Perun has taken them to his celestial court. The victims' souls have joined the celestials among the stars.

The murderers in Black July, however, ended up in history and morality classes, right next to all the other evildoers of history, including wicked Terrans and Wannaenids. Likewise, folklore claimed that their souls were stained by murdering innocents with the wicked. For that, and their intent to exterminate a group of people who undertook repentance, they were cast into the seas of Hell after their deaths.

The ATA's members were forced to fight with the shades of evil Terrans and other war criminals, doomed to endlessly kill each other and be torn apart by savage demons. Among the wicked Terrans in Hell were also those killed by the cannibals, but who also took part in eating people and other cruel and deceitful acts. Instead of shrines, the people of Bujan put up many galleries and museums as reminders of everything they did, to help people learn to avoid their unforgivable deeds.

### Customs of the Dark Month

To Bujanski Terrans, the first day of July became an unlucky day, a cursed day where their collective punishments would visit any of them. Former customs to mourn the innocents who were killed on that bleak month evolved into superstitions, to avoid being punished or cursed by the shades of the dead.

Out of respect, some Terrans who fought under the revolution do not throw any celebrations on July 1st, and refuse to wear colourful clothes, especially blue and white mixed with ted. Terrans who were born on July 1st celebrate on the last day of June or on the second day of July.

They also tie blue ribbons on trees, a traditional Wonao symbol of mourning. In some parts of Bujan, Terrans wear white clothes to mourn for the dead, similar to Daizhou and Pinoguni. In others, green and yellow flags, or just yellow flags, are put up throughout July to commemorate those who underwent the curse of penance.

The Terran-majority town of Rongarik flies yellow and orange flags, and ties its trees in blue ribbons, to mourn for the dead for an entire month. Crosses, the symbol of a Terran god, were hidden by yellow cloth in that month.

Some Terrans also practice fasting and prayers. Others pray at graves and museums, seeking peace with the dead. Still others face west when they sleep, as a reminder of the horrific punishment their people went through, as one superstition warns that those who sleep facing west will be closer to death.

The fourth day of July was also unlucky to Bujanski Terrans. It was not because it was the birthday of America, the birthplace of the Qyuvian and Serpentian invaders; but because it was the day the Terrans' homeworld was destroyed by the Wannaenid Empire, out of pure, mocking spite.

The news of the bombardment of Earth 96 drove many Terrans to uncontrollable, shrieking grief, as they learned that many of their relatives had died in an instant. So on that day, Terrans cannot touch any ash, fireworks, or go to any parties. Temples across the country are full of Terrans praying for peace and forgiveness between themselves and the dead.

### Lessons

In morality classes for younger students, the events were simplified to:

"*After independence, some people were not happy that not every Terran had to die for the sins of their people. So they went out and started hunting for Terrans to kill. They were full of anger over every murder by the Terrans, that anyone who even behaved like a Terran was also put to death. To stop them from killing off everyone else in Bujan, we had to form new armies to fight against them.*"

Moral classes in Bujan have history lessons, and the killings on that murderous month are included as lessons on recklessness, paranoia, and extremism.

## Trivia

* While Hinduism is a major influence in the Bujanski belief of "penance", some Terrans, including Free North Terrans, noted that the requirement of offenders to "fix" the problem is similar to how justice and forgiveness works in some religions, like Islam, Asatru, and Zoroastrianism.
* Like various antagonists in the author's works, the Terran colonists in Bujan were largely influenced by the various extremists that he encountered online. They were also an influence on the Bujanski who were driven mad enough to behave like Terrans by exterminating Terran people.
* Originally, the government of Bujan planned to sentence all Terrans and Salvationists to "400 years of shame", where they were to live as second-class citizens until they decide to leave or undergo penance. It was influenced by the Terrans being immortal enough to live for centuries as adults, while they would watch their children leave them behind as totally assimilated to Bujanski society.
	+ Black July's massacres caused many government officials to change their minds and instead allow the last Terrans in Bujan to gradually achieve citizenship, while observing their improving and repentant behaviour.
	+ "400" was a slur directed at Terran people in Bujan, shaming them for historical war crimes their ancestors (not themselves) had committed.
* The Terrans putting up signs to prove their loyalty to Bujan was influenced by a photograph of a Japanese American showing a label "I am an American" during World War II.
* "492" is a Bujanski slang code either used to threaten to murder Terrans, or a slur towards Terrans in Bujan, especially relatives of offenders. It refers to July being the fourth month in the Bujanski calendar, and the year when the massacres took place (2692 in the calendar, or 1892).
* In World War II, Japanese people in America who were kept in prison camps were given several questions to test their loyalty. Those who successfully answered and proved their loyalty to the United States were sometimes called "no-no boys". Many of the Terrans who were also imprisoned were reminded of those loyalty tests when they were also asked about their loyalty and ideologies.

## See also

* Day of Resolution
* Terranisation