Isborn-Bellumese Commonwealth

Demonym: Isborn or Bellumese, depending on heritage. Isellium is also occasionally heard.

Language: Isellium

While two languages were once spoken in the IBC, tracing back to Isberg and Bellum respectively, over time the two similar tongues have converged into one diverse one. Indeed, many dialects of Isellium can be found throughout the commonwealth, despite its population being relatively small on the galactic scale.

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Where once was two, now is one. The nature of the Isborn-Bellumese Commonwealth, an alliance built out of necessity during the final days of Earthland, can be seen even to this day. The nation is often referred to as two separate countries under one banner, and indeed its culture to a degree reflects this, although certainly the two nationalities found have less differences with every generation. In general, the people of the IBC are hardy and practical, well adapted to the cold climates their planets have. There is a certain element of warrior culture in the IBC's ways, with all citizens receiving basic combat training. This is not something strictly enforced by the government, rather a result of Isborn and Bellumese traditions, which promote a mentality that those not strong enough to survive will perish, with or without help.

Somewhat surprisingly, to this day many of IBC's citizens are religious, or at the very least spiritual. However, it is in such practices that the gap between two cultures is made apparent, while both believing in the mythical afterlife known as Valhalla, it is there that the two diverge. Bellum's understanding is that a lone goddess known as Etro selects Valkyries to stand guard over Bellum for the day the great titans of old may return. Meanwhile, the Isborn side of things worships instead a pantheon of lesser gods headed by Odin, who amasses warriors in his great hall for the day Ragnarok will strike the realm of the gods known as Asgard.

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Once, there were many warring tribes in the frigid north of Earthland, groups of people who made their livelihood off of plundering and destruction, yet also who sung great sagas of their achievements. However, over time two chieftains grew tired of the constant mutiny and betrayal, and they united their tribes under the banners of Bellum and the Iceborn. It was from here that the two countries parted in their cultures, and although they remained allies, it was a wary bond that only ever brought them together during times of great need, and then to separate again.

In Iceberg, one king eventually led to four, where the nation was divided into four great holds; in Bellum, the single ruling family struggled for power amidst those attempting to overthrow their rule. Their greatest united adversary, however, was the Kingdom of Pergrande, which sought to expand its borders to the west. Knowing they would not be able to combat the powerful nation, they instead constructed a massive wall across their borders, secluding themselves from the empire's threat.

Peril was adverted for some time, but Bosco and Fiore would soon take the stage, propelling the continent into the Great War. Iceberg waged a civil war, the result of which led to a small portion of the country breaking off with Bosco, to be known as Eisberg. However, the rest of the country - which fell on the side of Fiore, took up the mantle of Isberg instead to delineate from its once whole counterpart. They entered a pact with Bellum, which has bound the two countries together as one to this day. It was the Blight that joined the union, yet unlike what their faith had foretold the end was not upon them.

While Isberg and Bellum had married themselves, it was not until the Exodus that the Isborn-Bellumese Commonwealth as is known today came into existence. After three hundred years of anticipation, however, the country eventually settled in the Stjerne System, where the two cultures could continue to maintain their distinct natures despite their close proximity. The country continued to produce its valuable elementium, which led to it being respected by the other powers of Earthland, despite its size. However, for the most part the IBC has stayed out of galactic affairs, only intervening when threatened or called upon to help keep the peace by the Alliance of Unified Planets.

Indeed, one such occasion was during the Seveni Liberation Front, and it was during this time that the IBC asserted itself as a mostly neutral player in the three-way, although old ties bound them closer to Fiore and Bosco than Pergrande. However, the issue was eventually settled, although violently, and it was not until an Isborn engineer came to the forefront that the IBC would be noted again. While warp rings had existed for some time, they took large amounts of effort to properly build and had more fixed routes. The engineer developed a way to miniaturize these devices, inadvertently creating the first warp drive. However, soon after she published her findings she committed suicide, although her finished prototypes were later used to reverse engineer the engine, propelling the nations of Earthland into a new age.

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The Isborn-Bellumese Commonwealth is a constitutional oligarchy, with the five families once found ruling Isberg and Bellum representing the country by bloodline, however while the head of each family is referred to as a king or queen they have no actual say in the governing of the IBC. This falls to the country's parliament and prime minister, known as the Stortinget and the Statsminister respectively. While the Stortinget is elected by the people, the Statsminister is chosen by the parliament itself. However, it is stipulated that no generation - defined by the Domstol, the court, as twenty years - may pass by without both an Isborn and a Bellumese representative serving as the Statsminister.

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The biome of the Isborn-Bellumese Commonwealth is almost entirely frigid in nature, winter lasting for long months and when summer does strike it reveals long stretches of coniferous forests and mighty fjords. There are some areas of the commonwealth that are under extreme temperatures all year, and others who experience a more normal cycle of the seasons, however these are found in the extremes. The system inhabited by the IBC is known as the Stjerne System, quite literally the star system.

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1 system, 2 planets and 1 moon.

Ilysium Hold - Locked in position between the twin planets of Isberg and Bellum, the Ilysium Hold is the capital of the Isborn-Bellumese Commonwealth. Its name derived from what was once the capitals of the two great countries, the Ilysium Hold is in fact a small moon, and is considered neutral ground between the two worlds. It is one of the most industrialized areas of the IBC, with beautiful architecture and advanced technologies, yet despite this it still manages to capture the mysticism of the past, many temples for the gods on both sides of the divide being found.

Isberg - Isberg and Bellum are in a dual revolution of their sun together, however Isberg is known to have the colder climate of the two, glacial flats coating much of its surface. Many mining operations are found on the planet, which is divided into four sectors for the elements of fire, steel, wind, and ice - Brann, Stål, Vind, and Is. At the center of each of these sectors lies a monolith, or runestone as they are often around, and the four main cities of Isberg are built around it. Just like the days of old, they are referred to as holds, although only unofficially as to not take away from the sanctity of the Ilysium Hold.

Bellum - Bellum has been dealt the fairer climate of the two planets, as was also the case on Earthland, however it is by no means a kind, temperate place. Much of the planet is covered in wild forests, where beasts roam free and the winters are still long. However, dotted throughout the wilderness are many cities, usually located at a site that depicts one of the Valkyries, destined to save Bellum in its most dire hour. A small portion of the planet is also suitable for farming, and it is this region where most of the food of the IBC comes from, if it is not imported from elsewhere in the galaxy.

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Compared to the size of the IBC's population, the Isborn-Bellumese Armed Forces are quite a large military organization, and while conscription is not required within the nation it is theorized that the IBC's culture is a prime contributor to this factor. Utilizing the unique properties of elementium, the IBAF is renown for their unique methods of combat - mixing the old and the new - and along with their general flexibility. Whereas many other militaries scenarios and discipline is drilled into a soldiers head, the men and women of the IBAF are encouraged to come up with their own solutions to problems, leaving the force having a less formal style to it than many expect, although ranks do still exist.

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The Isborn-Bellumese Commonwealth's major export is both precious and industrial metals, along with producing high quality martial weapons through its more skilled laborers. Many people of the IBC are known for their skill in combat and are hired for such purposes as well. The highly valued metal elementium - known for its conductivity of magic - is also produced in the IBC, and its refinement methods are a closely guarded secret unknown to the rest of the galaxy. They are lesser known for their agriculture and lumbering.