Daire Isle

Daire Isle (pronounced dare) is a small city state island, located far north of Freezeland. Daire Isle used to be an independent nation under a monarch-communist rule and endured through many devastating wars. However, it was soon taken over by the Confederacy of Independent Culldrome during the Culldrome Civil War. After the Confederacy's fall and defeat, Daire Isle was transferred to the Culldrome Isles. Today, it is a small, industrious island famous for being the country's production hub. However, Daire Isle has a sour relationship with Culldrome.

Early History


Daire Isle has been inhabited by penguins thousands of years ago. The penguins are believed to have come from Antarctica coastal regions, who then migrated north. The island was split up into five major tribes, who constantly fought one another. Eventually though, one of the tribes, named Daraia, grew in power and conquered the entire island. The tribe helped to grow the island civilization and expanded its population. Sometime in the mid 800s the island was colonized by High Penguins from the High Penguin Confederacy, located to the south. The island was seen as an excellent strategic point, located far enough into the ocean to offer a scouting point and launching point for naval ships in times of war. The island was also fertile and was a good source of food. The island was then named Daire Isle, derived from the tribe that conquered it, and was settled peacefully.

Colonial Era
Daire Isle was settled upon by hundreds of High Penguins. Many farms were set up on the flat terrain of the island. The High Penguins and the Daraia Tribe got on well at first, setting up a trading post and giving the island partial independence (as well as its own flag). The two factions continued to live peacefully for hundreds of years until in 1502. By now, Daire Isle had become largely influenced by external High Penguin culture and also very prosperous.

The Daraia Tribe revolted against the colonists in a revolution that was known as the Daire War, which resulted in many deaths on both sides. The end result was a decisive Daraia victory in 1506, resulting in many High Penguins being driven off the island, with only some remaining. The Daraia Tribe retained control of the island placing the High Penguin settlers under their control. At this point, the island was written off maps and eventually forgotten to time, forcing it to develop in isolation.

In 1524 the settlers revolted and engaged into a large war, called the Daire Colonial War. The war ended seven years later in 1530 and resulted in Daire Isle being split into two different, independent sections: Nothern Daire Isle and Southern Daire Isle. The Northern Portion consisted of the Daraia Tribe, while the Southern Portion consisted of the original settlers. The two new micronations were separated by the mountain range of the island, known as the Remran Mountains.

Unification


Daire Isle remained fragmented for more than 400 years. Since then, the two halves of the island developed their own cultures and ways of life. Northern Daire Isle focused on a more natural way of life, concentrating on taking care of the environment and living in harmony with it. Southern Daire Isle focused on a more modern way of life, having developed trade, money and industry. The two began to grow less and less aggressive and eventually wanted unification. In 1920, the two sides began to have talks about reunifying each other into one country.

About the same time, however, Daire Isle was becoming more and more influenced by the outside world. Trade ships from afar began to stumble upon the island, re-discovering it. All kinds of ships from different countries began to visit the island. As a result to all this exposure, Daire Isle began to lean towards Communism as a new form of government for their future united nation. Communism, having just sprung up in Rusca, inspired the local populace into having a common society. In 1927, Northern Daire Isle and Southern Daire Isle were both unified into a single country, the Communist State of Daire Isle, under a new communist regime.

Communism


With the introduction of the brand new communist government, Daire Isle underwent massive reforms. Despite being communist, the head of the country was a monarch. The first leader was Queen Miranda, a major figurehead in the island's transformation, who reigned from 1927 to 1959 (31 years). The new communist government turned Daire Isle from a small agricultural nation into a very highly industrialized one. Hundreds of factories sprouted up in Daire Isle. They produced a lot of goods, which was exported and made the country very wealthy. Despite this rapid industrialisation, the workers were treated badly and standards of living were low. Crime and corruption ran rampant throughout the island. Life for the general population was grim and poverty-stricken, despite the hopes of Communism.

In 1958, Queen Miranda II succeeded her mother and became leader of Daire Isle. Around this time, the new queen wished for Daire Isle to expand and take over new lands for their own. She issued in new reforms and gradually shifted production from goods to military vehicles and weapons (albeit poorly produced). Queen Miranda II also initiated a massive propaganda movement, convincing the citizens that Daire Isle was highly superior and possessed a large military. Daire Isle soon turned into a militaristic city-state. Despite the propaganda, many penguins were still disappointed with the government due to their poor standards of living. Riots and protests occurred, culminating in 1976 when the Daire Freedom War broke out.

The War pitted the militaristic communist nationalists against the rebelling faction of fighters, wanting freedom from the communist government. The freedom fighters seceded a portion of the island and formed the Penguin's Republic of Daire (PRD). The Freedom War was very destructive and both sides had many losses. Tensions eventually decreased gradually, leading to an armistice and the opening of borders between the PRD and Communist Daire in 1973. In 1975, the PRD was secretly infiltrated by communist officials, who then 'united' the two halves of Daire Isle back together, through the use of force.

Propaganda continued to make the locals believe that they had a massive army, but was ranked as one of the least powerful in all of Antarctica. The population soon started to believe that communism was superior to all and that it was their destiny to take over the world. Queen Miranda II ruled until 1996, lasting 36 years.

In 1997, Queen Miranda III became the new leader. By now Daire Isle had built up a fair military, but was still very weak. Miranda III continued to expand Daire Isle. Population grew from 50,000 to over 200,000 in ten years, as a result of a more solid agricultural industry. She also expanded her small nation economically, by opening up trade with some outside nations.

Confederate Culldrome
In 2014, during the Culldrome Civil War, the Confederacy of Independent Culldrome issued Operation Star. The Operation involved the invasion and annexation of small and weak nations, hoping to increase the Confederacy's sphere of influence. The first battle of the operation was the Battle of Daire Isle. The Confederacy made quick work of the small army of Daire Isle. As quickly as it started the invasion ended, with the CIC taking over the island.

Although the citizens initially disapproved of the Confederate rule, they eventually began to grow accustomed to it. The two shared ideas of taking over the world and they both began to work towards that goal. There were a few rebellious groups, still resisting Confederate rule, but were soon silenced by the army. After the fall of the Confederacy, Daire Isle was transferred over to Culldrome control.

Present Day
Today, Daire Isle is an industrious city-state and territory of the Culldrome Isles. Its diverse culture stems from its long history. Many High Penguins live in Daire Isle, especially due to its origins. Although everyone lives in harmony, there are a few rebellious groups who are against Culldrome and for the old communist regime. The territorial government is under Culldrome puppet rule, much the the dismay of its citizens. To keep production rates steady and general happiness high, the Daire government is provided with some autonomy and receives monthly payments towards the people. This approach has been criticized by many, citing it as bribery, but helped keep Daire Isle stable. Daire Isle is responsible for a lot of production of Culldrome, manufacturing goods and military equipment.

Map and Locations


Daire Isle is a small city-state island, located in the far northern Antarctic, far away from any other landmasses. Its closest neighbors are Maps Island and Freezeland/USA. Despite its remote location and heavy isolation, Daire Isle has grown to a large city. The entire island has a few prominent locations.


 * Daire City - The main city and capital of the island. The city occupies the whole southern portion of the island and spreads out to the south and west. It houses nearly 350,000 inhabitants and is the largest settlement of the island. The central part of the city is located on the coast at the aptly named Daire Point. The city is densely packed with narrow cobblestone roads and stone buildings lining them. The Daire Capitol is located here, where a puppet governor of the Culldrome Isles rules over the colony. The city is also home to countless factories and other heavy industrial buildings. The whole economy of the island is centered around manufacturing; the factories of the city play an important role in this economy.


 * Daire Bay - A large, shallow bay that pokes the the northern edge of the city. The Daire Bay settlement is located to the west of the Capitol and is a major commercial district. Daire Bay also has many ports and docks similar to another Culldrome city, Seacast. Many Culldrome cargo ships dock here, shipping the island's valuable produce back to the mainland or to other countries. The bay is very shallow and rocky, giving a hard time to those piloting large ships. Most of Daire Isle's shipyards are located here, despite the unsuitable location. There is also a marina located on the bay, where smaller, civilian yachts and boats can sail from.


 * Daraia - Located to the far north of the city is the small town of Daraia, where around 5000 inhabitants live. The former capital of Northern Daire Isle, Daraia is a famous local port which offers frequent ferry services to the Daraia Islands south of the town. The Daraia Islands are several small, rocky islands where only a hundred or so penguins live. The town and the islands have a traditional maritime culture and are well known for its tourism, fishing and other sea-related industries. The Daraia settlements are some of the oldest on the island, predating modern and Communist rule.


 * Stenagorod (стенагород)- Literally Wall City, Stenagorod is nestled between the Guard Mountains and the southern coast of Daire Isle. It is home to a self-sustaining small population, isolated from the big city. Throughout the state's history, the city acts as a guard post against any invaders from the southern coastline. As such, it has several historic, defensive cannons scattered around the coast and a large barracks located on the foot of the mountains.


 * Moguchiy (могучий)- Moguchiy roughly translates to powerful, and is located in the mountain range of its namesake. The town is built onto the rough terrain on the sides of the mountains and next to the Moguchiy River that sustains it. A small population lives here, with the occasional swell of tourists during the winter as it snows on the mountain. Moguchiy is very isolated from the main city; to get there, one must travel a poorly maintained and dangerous roadway.


 * Gorod-sad (город-сад)- Known in English as the Garden City, Goro-sad is located in the northern flatlands of Daire Isle and is dedicated to the agricultural industry. It sits on the Bogach River (богач), which cuts the city in two. The river provides it with plenty of fertile farmland for the growing of crops, which supplies the entire island. It is located near the foot of mountains to the south and the coast to the north, providing better conditions for growing crops.

Industry
Daire Isle, despite its small size, has a massive production sector, contributing to nearly 80% of its economy. A large portion of the population work at some sort of factory. Nearly all of the factories produce goods for heavy industries. The most notable and prominent goods produced are military equipment. The focus of military hardware stems back from Daire Isle's militaristic views, before its Culldrome takeover. Ranging from tanks and aircraft to guns and ammunition, Daire Isle produces a lot of Culldrome's military equipment. Other goods produced include furniture, clothing, chemicals, refined minerals and vehicles. Daire Isle, unlike the rest of Culldrome, has low wages which results in low manufacturing costs. Culldrome has been criticized many times for these practices, but insist that they are "for the Good of All."

Currency
During its time as an independent country, Daire Isle used its own exclusive currency, the Dranan (noted as DRN). After the establishment of the USA, Daire Isle fixed the worth of the Dranan. Since then, the value of the Dranan was always twice that of the USA pebble and fish. After its conquering by the Confederacy of Independent Culldrome, Daire Isle switched to using Confederate Credits. Shortly after, the CIC was disestablished and conquered by the Culldrome Isles. The currency changed again to using the Club Penguin Coin, which is still in use today.

Culture


Daire Isle, over the course of hundreds of years, has become a mixing pot of different cultures that infused into one. The country had a unique culture to begin with before becoming a Freezelandian colony. Daire became influenced heavily by Freezelandian and High Penguin culture. Its architecture styles, ways of life and cuisine were inspired by them. Penguins of the island spoke Penguinian and, later, Free Republic English. As Daire Isle transformed into a communist country, Russian culture influenced it. As the country expanded, new places and settlements were named in the new official language, Russian. Penguinian, Free Republic English and Russian were all spoken in conjunction with each other, with official documents using the three languages.

In 2014, after the CIC invasion, English became the only official language of Daire Isle. Penquinian and Russian were still spoken predominantly, although as secondary languages. Confederate Japanese culture was also infused into the island, though not as heavily as the previous cultures. With the fall of the Confederacy, Daire Isle came under Culldrome rule, which also contributed their own culture. Today, Daire Isle is a mix of Freezelandian and Russian cultures, with a light influence of Culldrome.

Demographics
Daire Isle is home to 400,000 citizens. Of that, 85% are Penguins, 13% are Puffles and the other 2% are other creatures. Of those penguins, a large portion (64%) are High Penguins, with 18% Adelie penguins, 14% Viking Penguins and the other 4% consist of other penguin species. Out of these penguins, 58% report their ancestry as being from Freezeland, 39% from the Ninja Archipelago (mainly Rusca, at 30%) and the remaining 3% from other locations.

Geography


Although relatively small, Daire Isle contains interesting geography. From above, the island resembles the letter 'C', with the indent in the middle being Daire Bay. Daire Bay is shallow, giving large ocean faring ships a hard time navigating its waters. To the north are the Daraia Islands, a large group of scattered islands and rocks. The area dangerous for large ships to traverse, due to its rough landscape and shallow waters. However, small boats are able to travel easily, which they frequently do.

The island is mostly flat, except for two large mountain ranges on the island. The larger, named the Remran Mountains cuts through the middle of the island, going east-west. The mountains are tall and dwarf the rest of the island. The tallest mountain, called Mount Moguchiy (meaning Mount Mighty in Russian) rises up 3829 meters above sea level. Due to the height of the mountain, ice covers the summit; meltwater flows down the mountain, forming the Moguchiy River. The river flows past the mountain town of the same name before flowing out southwest to sea.

The second mountain range are the Guard Mountains, which are situated on the southern coasts of the island. The mountains are named so because they surround the edges of Daire City, guarding them against any outsider attack. The tallest mountain of the range is called Mount Stena (Mount Wall in Russian). A road passes through the mountains and into a small clearing on the other side where the town of Stenagorod is located.