Iridian Isles

The Iridian Isles are a Governorate of the Unified Governorates of Benacia within the Benacian Union. From 1718 AN the Governorate has been a designated resettlement zone for persons of the Benacian Labour Reserve who had been retired to the islands as being incapable of completing their sentences but who were deemed ineligible for rehabilitation into the Harmonious Society on the Benacian mainland. The islands have also come to serve as the home of certain key industries, such as the All-Union Enterprise for Pesticide Production.

Government

Governor Heinz Holk assumed office on 24.XIII.1720 AN, following an extended period where the administration had been vested in the hands of the Benacian Maritime Forces.

Geography

The island group is located in the Istvanistani-Benacian island chain, and consists of four large islands and two minor ones.

All the Iridian Isles have white sandy beaches and an interior of rolling hills or mountains covered in jungle. The only exception is the southeastern island, which consists of a rocky plateau with grasslands and tropical forests, surrounded on all sides by sheer cliffs. On a few places there are stairs carved into the side of the cliffs, on other places there are climbing holds.

History

The Iridian Isles are a former county of Shireroth and were expected to form a governorate within the Unified Governorates of Benacia from 1679 and on, but the Treaty of Hareffa Lunti ceded the islands to the United Isles. After the collapse of the United Isles, the isles were used as a testing ground for various chemical and biological weapons. The islands, and their surviving native population, were declared a protectorate of the UGB in 1711 AN and closed to outsiders until 1718 AN.

The Iridian Isles did not have a single common government, instead each island governed itself according to custom and tradition. Each island was inhabited by one tribe, and each tribe was led by a Chief and a council of elders. The Chief was selected by the heads of the families of the tribe every time the position falls vacant, which was quite often. A traditional way of replacing a tribal chief was either a failure to prevent a violent accident, not seldom falling off the cliff outside The Village, or to accidentally release poisonous insects in his domicile. While a Chief was in office, he ruled his tribe and his island as he saw fit. He was usually required by custom to consult with the council of elders, but the advice it renders is only as binding as the Chief's desire to not have an accident. The island that the capital The Village is located on is held in communal ownership by all tribes, and is the only place where the tribes have contact with the outside world, including people from the other United Isles nations.

The Village was used as a meeting place for tribal leaders when common issues needed to be discussed, or there was a conflict between the tribes or members thereof. Since there was no common leadership, conflicts and issues were either resolved through discussion, or through fighting.

The indigenous people of the Iridian Isles were distinctly tribal, with strong and fierce loyalty to their families and their tribe. All property and all resources on the island were held in communal ownership within the tribe, and no one can claim any additional right to it other than their share. All the tribes are also violently opposed to outside influence, to such a degree that foreigners and even members of other tribes are strongly discouraged from landing on the islands. Disregarding these warnings was seen by some foreigners as a fun adventure, while others felt a pressing urge to spread the latest good word about deities and other such nonsense to the islanders. Such a visit typically ended in a long swim to Florencia or Naudia'Diva if one was lucky, and an invitation to dinner if one was unlucky.

After a long period where the primitives of the isles had come to fancy that they were to be left in savage isolation by the outside world, they were finally intruded upon by landing parties of the Maritime Forces of the Benacian Union Defence Force. For the first time in the lives of many, their villages and encampments concurrently came under bombardment from grey warships anchored offshore. The first blows fell during the twelfth month of 1707 AN, and as the tribesmen fled into the undergrowth there too they were assailed by the metal beasts overhead, as helicopters flew continuous sorties spraying a noxious yellow liquid which killed all forms of plant life and caused horrible blisters upon exposed skin. If swallowed or inhaled, the substance would cause convulsions, frothing of the mouth, and death within forty-eight hours. The natives were not to know that they had been selected by Benacia Command to serve as test subjects for a new chemical formulation acquired by the Raspur Pact from former Unit 666 scientists in the aftermath of the Treaty of Gaelen's Landing earlier in the year.

After a fortnight of this treatment, a forty-man exploratory troop, clad in onerous rubberised suits and respirator masks, was put ashore to conduct an analysis of one of the attack sites. They found a blasted wasteland where all forms of plant and animal life had miserably perished. Even the soil had begun to succumb to the malevolent effect of the chemical treatment, crumbling into a yellowing grey dust which was borne away in great clouds by even the lightest wind. The fine dust had worked its way under the protective clothing of at least some of the party, specifically those tasked with collecting soil samples as part of the toxicology analysis. By the time the eighth member of the team had been lost to the blistering and convulsion sickness it had been decided to withdraw the BUDF personnel from the island and to continue observations via remote monitoring systems. As the Iridian Isles were opened up to settlement by protected persons from the Benacian Union after 1718 AN, a profound cultural clash emerged between the indigenous Iridian Islanders and the newcomers. The Iridian Islanders, still reeling from the traumatic experiments inflicted upon them, were deeply wary and resentful of the outsiders entering their lands. They held deep-seated grievances against the Benacian colonial authorities, who seemed intent on clearing the dense jungle and establishing new industrial enterprises without regard for the native population's concerns.

The cultural divide between the Iridian Islanders and the Benacian settlers proved to be insurmountable, with both sides struggling to comprehend each other's perspectives. The Iridian Islanders, fiercely protective of their land and traditions, saw the arrival of the settlers as a direct threat to their way of life. Their traumatic past experiences made them resistant to any attempts at integration or cooperation with the newcomers.

On the other hand, the Benacian settlers, driven by their mission to develop the islands and establish a thriving industrial presence, viewed the Iridian Islanders as an obstacle to progress. They were impatient with the native population's resistance to the clearance of the jungle and the construction of new industries. The settlers saw themselves as bringing progress and modernity to the islands, with little regard for the unique cultural heritage of the Iridian Islanders.

This clash of cultures and competing interests created a tense and volatile atmosphere on the islands. The Iridian Islanders, feeling marginalized and disrespected, became increasingly resistant to the encroachment of the settlers. Their efforts to protect their land and resist the destruction of their traditional way of life often led to confrontations and conflicts with the colonial authorities.

The colonial authorities, in turn, responded with force and repression, further fueling the resentment and anger of the Iridian Islanders. The Benacian settlers, backed by the full weight of the colonial apparatus, used their superior resources and military power to assert control and suppress any dissent.

The Iridian Islanders, who had already endured immense suffering and trauma, now found themselves once again subjected to oppression and exploitation. The scars of their past experiences, coupled with the ongoing clashes with the settlers, deepened their distrust and animosity towards the Benacian Union and its representatives.

In this fraught and volatile environment, attempts at reconciliation or understanding seemed impossible. The Iridian Islanders, who had experienced immense pain and loss at the hands of the Benacian Union, had no interest in embracing or accommodating the newcomers. The Benacian settlers, driven by their agenda of progress and development, showed little respect or understanding for the cultural heritage and rights of the indigenous population.

Frequent and violent skirmishes became a defining feature of the conflict between the Iridian Islanders and the Benacian settlers in the Iridian Isles. These clashes were marked by a cycle of reciprocal violence, with both sides engaging in a series of ambushes, attacks, and reprisal raids.

The Iridian Islanders, driven by their deep-seated resentment and desire to protect their land and way of life, launched ambushes on working parties that were involved in clearing roads through the jungle. These attacks aimed to disrupt and impede the progress of the settlers' infrastructure development, making it clear that the Iridian Islanders were not willing to allow the destruction of their environment without a fight.

In response to these attacks, the Benacian settlers established barracks and fortified positions to protect themselves. However, even these locations were not safe from the determined Iridian Islanders. The settlers' barracks became targets of attacks, as the native population sought to undermine the settlers' sense of security and make their presence on the islands as uncomfortable as possible.

Reprisal raids upon native villages were a particularly brutal aspect of the conflict. In an attempt to suppress the resistance of the Iridian Islanders, the colonial authorities authorized raids on native villages, seeking to punish and instill fear in the indigenous population. These raids often resulted in loss of life, destruction of property, and further escalation of tensions.

The cycle of reciprocal violence perpetuated a state of constant fear, anger, and revenge. Each attack and reprisal only served to deepen the animosity between the two groups, pushing them further apart and making any possibility of reconciliation or understanding increasingly remote.

The violence on both sides had devastating consequences for the communities involved. Lives were lost, families were torn apart, and the social fabric of the islands was irreparably damaged. The Iridian Islanders, who had already endured immense suffering at the hands of the colonial authorities, now faced further violence and aggression. The settlers, too, were caught in a cycle of violence that perpetuated a hostile environment and prevented any meaningful dialogue or resolution.