Azilda

The Most Serene Democratic Republic of the Azili, Johannes, Samuels and Margatians, commonly known as Azilda, was a sovereign state bordering Sherby Hoodwounds from 1963 to 1968. It was a conglomerate of expanded clans that formerly hailed from the Water and Earth Kingdoms of Olde Antarctica. The state was made out of four states: the Azili Monarchy, the Republic of Johannes, the State of Samuels and the Autonomous Territory of Western Margate. The state collapsed in 1968 after an anti-Summit militia, Les Rogues, occupied Azilda and used it to launch attacks at Olde Antarctica. Les Rogues' occupation of the island ended when Sherby and Margate seized its territory.

As it occupied part of Sherby Hoodwounds land, there was much tension between the two, with Sherby rejecting Azilda's claim of independence and Azilda claiming it was the sovereign ruling party of the entirety of the island. Tensions reached a peak in 1964 when Sherbian militants began bombing various sites, the most notable being the Milton Hotel bombing and the Johannes Marketplace near-massacre. As a result, Margate separated from Azilda to form its own state.

Origins
During the 50s', many separatist groups who were not in favour of the absolute monarchies of Olde Antarctica sought to island nations in present-day Sub-Antarctic, Weddell and the Antarctic Sea in general. Tribes such as the small but prominent Azillian tribe moved to the seas, while supporters of ideologists and political scientists such as Maston Johanne and Samuel LeDevon protested in both mainland and maritime Antarctica.

The Azillian tribe established a colony at the tip of Sherby Hoodwounds without approval of the local government. After a series of negotiations, the Sherbian government agreed to let Azillians settle down on the island. In 1959, the Azillians created the Azili Monarchy, an autonomous region up in northwest Sherby. After being exiled from mainland Antarctica, Maston Johanne and his followers settled down in Margate Central Island, founding a nation. Samuel LeDevon occupied an archipelago north of MAI and also created a state of his own. The rapid creation of new states was commonly referred to as the "Sub-Antarctic boom", or the "Maritime Antarctica boom".

Creation
Prior to 1963, Margate Central Island, Margate Cross Island and the island of Sherby Hoodwounds were all occupied under the Republic of Sherby Hoodwounds. The Azillian tribe, who were forced to carry the Sherby Hoodwounds flag when trading with other areas, were furious at the arrangement. They sought independence, with protests beginning at the northern town of Pruzat, streaming down towards the western coast, occupying popular tourist hotspots like Massau and Onjave.

As more and more states were granted independence by their empires, the Republic of Johannes and the State of Samuelia both submitted requests for independence. They were both initially denied but Diana V, who was an anti-empire activist by nature, vetoed the decisions. The Republic of Johannes and the State of Samuelia were granted independence on April 5 and April 12 of 1963 respectively.

Meanwhile, the Azillian tribe went to [Margate]] for help, where they pleaded with Lee Kwan You, reigning chief minister, to support them in their independence. Passionate about decolonization and an avid supporter of merger, Lee Kwan You agreed and submitted a declaration of independence to Sherby Hoodwounds, who at the time agreed.

The Azillian tribe eventually tricked the government into creating a state through a political loophole, enabling them to officially separate from Sherby. After discussions with Samuelia and Johannes, the four nations agreed to merge on August 31, 1963, thus forming Azilda.

Internal conflict
There was much racial division among the Samuels and Azilians as well as political disagreements between the Penguins' Action Party of Margate and the Azillian government.

Azillians, who naturally thought of themselves as superior, argued that other political parties not originally from the Azilian Republic to be banned, or at least prevented from discussing sensitive topics in Parliament. This sparked an uprising in mid-1964 amid continuing tensions between the government and Sherby Hoodwounds.

The 12-Day Protest, held from July 1 to July 12, showed the full spectrum of the current conflict. More than fifteen penguins from both sides were injured and up to currently USP 100 million was needed to repair nearby buildings. Meanwhile, the Samuels launched a protest in their own territory, where they received backlash from the police forces and were bombarded with large pile of snow, driven by snow plowers. This would later capture the attention of several NGOs who accused the Azillians of corruption and bigotry.

In 1965, tensions worsened between the races as more Azillians and Margatians battled in the streets. Segregation was common, even in Margate, where Azillians are a minority. The burning of several MAI symbols and emblems was a turning point for everyone. Eventually, the Penguins' Action Party agreed with the Azillian government to separate on August 9, 1965.

"We are deeply saddened by this divided society in Azilda. Having always believed in merger, I never thought that our partnership would come to end in only twenty-four months."

- Lee Kwan You, August 8

On August the Ninth, 1965, at 8:12 PM, the Island of Margate officially separated from Azilda to form the Republic of Margate Antarctica Island. The announcement was made nationwide across radio and television, and a special "evening newspaper" was distributed to subscribers of the Straight Times, announcing the separation. Everyone is considered a citizen of Margate unless they leave by August 9, 1966 or apply for transition to Azilda. Those who wish to travel out of Margate under Margate citizenship must register with the Immigration Bureau, though.

By 1966, 96% of residents in Margate prior to separation stayed on as registered citizens of Margate. Meanwhile, the Johannes and Samuels protested for grant of autonomy and to be recognised as an autonomous region. The request was turned down, and violent protests erupted in the core of Azilda, lasting from August 13 to August 29. Eventually, a stalemate was reached and a ceasefire was issued by the Johannes and the Samuels' governments, who were in turn given more speaking power in Parliament.

Elections
With the exit of Margate from Azilda, its economy declined, its gross domestic product turning in 10% lower than the previous year by end 1965. Considering MAI only exited in August, this was a major concern to Parliament. At the same time, Azillians grew frustrated at the representation of minority groups in the Directorial Cabinet, saying that although they do need to have speaking power, they "shouldn't have too much". At the same time, Murdöç's popularity was decreasing.

The Executive-Monarchy, one of the four pillars of the government, issued a declaration to reshuffle the Cabinet in democratic and fair manner. Elections were scheduled for May, and the response was generally positive. More than 95% of eligible voters said they would turn up in the census that year. At the same time, General Elections for Parliament was scheduled in July. Both elections were combined to form a single election to decide the ultimate ruling party. Coincidentially, the Executive-Monarchy dissolved days after the announcement. The elections, however, were to proceed as usual.

Twelve political parties were running in 212 constituencies, each constituency being represented by a seat in Parliament. The one to get the most seats by the end of the day would become the ruling party of Azilda. The twelve political parties included Les Rogues under the guise of the "Azillians' Nationalist Party". Murdöç registered as a non-partisan candidate, while the Samuel family formed the Samuels Nationalist Party. The Johannes, on the other hand, were represented by three different political parties: the Johannes Nationalist Party, by the Johannes movement founder, the National Johannes Party, and the Justice Party of Johannes. New and rising contenders were the Azillian Workers' Union, a left-wing political movement, the Azilda Patriotic Party, the Democratic Union of Azilda, the Liberal Republicans and the South Wing of the Eastern State, a hippie movement aiming for liberal socialism.

The results were as follows:
 * Azillians' Patriotic Party (120)
 * Samuels Nationalist Party (52)
 * National Johannes Party (50)
 * Azillian Workers' Union (1)
 * Liberal Republicans (1)
 * Justice Party of Johannes (1)
 * Azillian Patriotic Front (1)
 * Democratic Union of Azilda (1)
 * Azillians' Nationalist Party (1)
 * James Murdöç
 * Other Independent Candidates

The election results for the new Directorial Cabinet, however, was concealed. Only in 1975, years after Azilda's collapse and subsequent annexation, were the penguins' identities known.


 * Sullivan van Couver of the Azillians' Patriotic Party and first Directorial Cabinet as the Man of Azillians, although she was technically a woman.
 * Sir Johannesburg of Snifeldale of the National Johannes Party as the Man of Johannes
 * James Murdöç, independent candidate known as the Man of Centuries for his family's ever lasting "dynasty".
 * Adrian Macintosh of the Azillian Workers' Union, known as the Man of Many
 * Samuel XIII of the Samuels Nationalist Party, who was the only person known to be in the Cabinet.

There were changes in the Directorial Cabinet in subsequent months. The first change came about when Samuel XIII was assassinated, eventually handing the throne over to Samuel IX, his brother. Samuel IX was later found guilty of murdering Samuel XIII and the throne was handed to their father, Samuel II. All three were in the same political party.

Downhill
At this point of time, Azilda had many problems. Racial conflict between the Samuels, Johannes and Azillians were still ongoing and there was much political division in Azillian society. Unemployment rate was at an all-time high and stock markets are declining rapidly as government debt soared. Although Sherby Hoodwounds no longer bothered Azilda, militias like Les Rogues were claiming some territories to be "autonomous" or "under sovereign rule of [them]".

Protests became common in the streets of Azilda. In the Wunderbar District, in which Parliament members resided, protests were held day in and day out, causing much disruption and even causing a Parliament meeting to be called off. Militias gained much support, which was crucial in their rise against Parliament. Racial conflict even seeped into Parliament, as members started "cliques" within their own party. This massive disruption caused the Directorial Cabinet to hold emergency elections for both the DC and Parliament.

The Directorial Cabinet was soon replaced with only two members: a member of the Murdoc family and a member of the Samuels family. The two were always at odds and never agreed at one decision. This stemmed any substantial decisions from being passed and led to even more trouble within the government.

The judiciary literally broke down on the 21st of February, 1968 as the number of cases soared and 11 of the 12 judges quit.

This chain of events would lead to the upheaval of government and the rise of fascist militant group, Les Rogues, to power.

Invasion
In the days leading up to the Les Rogues invasion of Azilda, Les Rogues claimed some territory for themselves. Part of Samuels and Johannes' regions were occupied and under Les Rogues control.

In the early hours of April 6, 1968, Les Rogues militants started invading the capital of Samuels, Johannes and the countryside of the main Azillian territory. Within three hours, these areas were captured and under their control. At 7:12 AM, major cities such as Tresh, Mogmun and Triatra were seized. Militants spread outwards and near the shore, where the towns of Tipa and Lefunda were captured.

Parliament was informed of the crisis and immediately set out the Azillian army to fight Les Rogues. However, misinformation caused the Azillian army to move eastwards, when the Roguesians were attacking from the west. At 12:03 PM, Les Rogues started entering Somumbao, the capital of Azilda. Fighting between police forces and Roguesians ensued before Roguesians entered Parliament at 2:01. All Parliament members fled to Eskacho, in the southwest, and Azilda was officially annexed by Les Rogues at 5:04 PM. The nation of Roguesia was formed as a result.

When Roguesia was dissolved, it was split between Sherby Hoodwounds and Margate, with the Sherbians recieving the Azilian lands on it's mainland and the Margatians recieving the Johan and Samuellian lands on the eastern coast of Margate Island.

Relations with Sherby Hoodwounds
Sherby Hoodwounds had unwillingly signed a contract with the Azilian tribes to allow for the creation of Azilda, without their knowledge or actual permission. As a result, Sherby retaliated by cutting off water, electricity and gas supplies as well as isolating them by forming a barrier around the island out of boats. Sherby Hoodwounds called for a cease-and-desist order, returning the land and settling elsewhere. However, the Azillians did not respond, setting off sparks between the two nations.

The Sherbians requested for Olde Antarctica's governments to intervene but to no avail. Similarly, Azilda asked for outside help, only to receive negative responses and calls for merger with Sherby. Later, internal fighting between Sherbians and Azillians occurred.

Sherbians and Azillians did not recognise each other's governments and all supplies had been cut off from both nations. Borders were closed, forming the notorious Isolation Wall, similar to the Iron Curtain of West and East Pengolia.

Meanwhile, Sherbian militia groups planned series of bombing and terrorist attacks on the nation. Attacks came on January 6th, 31st and August 9th in 1964, killing a total of seventeen penguins and injuring thousands. Structural damage as inflicted on nearby buildings, subsequently resulting in the demolition of many unstable infrastructure. These unsafe attacks led Margate to exit from Azilda, alongside racial conflicts and division of interests.

Relations with Olde Antarctica
Initial calls for intervention in the ongoing Sherbian-Azillian conflict were left untended to by Olde Antarctica's four governments. It maintained steady contact with the nation, with some trade agreements (in the form of unions), but never actually communicated directly.

The Water Kingdom, alone, was rumoured to have sided with the Sherbians. Supplies, funding and aid were allegedly given to the Sherbians via decoys. The rumours did not come to a surprise, as the Azillians, Johannes and Samuels all left Water Kingdom because of the slow modernisation in the country.

On August 9th, 1964, a senior Air Kingdom official was killed in a massacre by Sherbian militants at Johannes Market. This prompted immediate action to be taken from the Air Kingdom, as the official was allegedly the king's nephew. Sherby came under scrutiny and relations between the Water and Air Kingdoms strained following the attacks. Sherby agreed to pay the equivalent of 50 million Fish (in 2017 value) in cost to both Azilda and Air.

Terrorist attacks
After the construction of the Isolation Wall, a sleuth of terrorist attacks downed upon the cities. The attacks occured on January 6th (Milton Hotel bombing), January 31st (Power plant explosion) and August 9th (Black August). Following the August 9th attacks, the Azillian government executed all liable participants, sparking flames from Sherby Hoodwounds.

Milton Hotel bombing (January 6)
On January 6th, 1964, at about 12:10AM, an explosion occured on the fourth floor of the Milton Hotel in the capital of MAI, Margate City. The pipe bomb was detonated in Room 417, booked by J. Alex at the time. The explosion rocked the 4th floor and the floors above and below it. Nine penguins were reported dead, two died in hospital from severe injuries.

At the time, several politicans from the Johannes-occupied area, including some of the Leaders, were staying inside the hotel. Sullivan van Couver, who was preparing for the parliamentary meeting later that day, resided in room 613, four rooms and two floors away from the blast zone. She turned up for the meeting and addressed to the crowd the "cowardly actions" of the Sherbian militants.

J. Alex, whose actual name was literally Agent #1203, was part of the Sherbian milita group Ous Kev Chu (dialect for True Home Time), and was detained along with seven accomplices. As several vital columns of the building were impacted, the entire building was closed down for more than a year before reopening under the new name Sullivan Hotel, in honour of Sullivan van Couver.

One of the dead was musician Albert Lambert Sanders, who was staying at Room 316, directly below the impact zone. His daughter, Jane Sanders, went on to become an anti-terrorism activist.

Javita Plant explosion (January 31)
On January 31st, not more than three weeks after the Milton Hotel bombing, an explosion occured at the Javita Plant, causing a devastating fire to engulf the entirety of Complex A in flames. As it was a public holiday (five months after the founding of Azilda), no one was at work at the time. The repair cost up to the equivalent of seven billion pebbles today. It was a major supplier of electricity to Somumbao, the capital, thus more than two hundred thousand gallons of fuel had to be imported from the Fire Kingdom.

At the time, only three penguins and a crab were inside the complex. The crab and one of the three penguins were unidentified, and were not found until 1966, when they tried to rob a jewellery store in Eskacho. The crab and penguin were later identified to be part of the Ous Kev Chu group. The disaster prompted more vigorous action to be taken by the government, and security measures were imposed at major government buildings and infrastructure.

Black August attacks (August 9)
A series of coordinated attacks occured at various locations across Azilda. In total, 6 were killed and more than 500 injured. The attacks include: the Johannes Market near-massacre (9:05 AM), the Azillian National Park bombing (11:02 AM), and the Triumphant Chapel bombing (2:05 PM). Three were killed in the Johannes Market near-massacre, including an Air Kingdom official, prompting immediate action from the Air Kingdom

Johannes Market near-massacre
At approximately 9:05AM, a gunshot was fired from the far end of the market at Intersection A. Following the first gunshot, two more gunshots were fired and killed a 63-year-old Northern Rockhopper. From there, the crowd rushed out of the open-top market, prompting another gunshot to be fired, killing an Air Kingdom official at 35 Coroner Street. During the mayhem, a penguin was stampeded over and killed five hours later, after suffering internal bleeding. The assailant, who fled the site shortly after, was apprehended while trying to flee the country by boat at the nearby port.

News did not reach the Air Kingdom until two days after, prompting immediate government action from Air Kingdom, as the official was the ruling monarch's nephew. Three more suspects were apprehended and deported to the Air Kingdom, where they were later found guilty and executed on November 9. Meanwhile, Azillian special operatives were contacted of a "possible bombing" somewhere at "Intersect Ten, Left 4, Twelth District". This transcribed to Lavender, about 50km south of Azillian National Park.

The Johannes Market was closed following the attacks and was eventually demolished two weeks after, without ever reopening again to the public.

Azillian National Park bombing
At approximately 11:02 AM, a "loud, rumbling sound" was heard coming from the Azillian Park, about a mile from the warden's office. A "blast of fire" later erupted from the same area, eventually spreading to other trees, plunging the forest into flames. Azillian firefighters were called onto the scene, and arrived at approximately 11:18 AM. More than three hecatres of trees were eradicated and two-hundred odd birds & crab species killed during the incident.

The national park was closed for repairs and reopened eleven years later, renamed as the "Sherby Hoodwounds Northern Park".

Government
Azilda is a directorial parliamentary state, consisting of three branches: the Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary. A fourth one, the Executive-Monarchy, existed from 1963 to 1966.

Executive
The Executive consisted of the Directorial Cabinet, where all the directors presided over the nation, and the government agencies which carried out their orders directly. The Directorial Cabinet experienced three shuffles, the first in 1965 in the wake of Margate's independence from Azilda, the second in 1967 and the third in 1968.

The first Directors (1963-1965) were


 * Sir Henry Murdöç (distinguished aristocrat and head of a million-dollar empire, leader of the Azilis)
 * Lee Kuan You (prime minister of Margate, 1959-1990)
 * Samuel XIII (leader of the Samuel fellowship)
 * Maston Johanne (leader of the Johannes)

with their accompanying Minority Directors:


 * Eksjvbön
 * Nouake Yiprezans Sans-öu
 * Mövcudluğu xoş Gəlmisiniz
 * మేము కంపెనీ ఆనందించండి
 * אנחנו נהנים החברה
 * Enpresa Gozatu
 * Атрымлівайце асалоду
 * Gajfvvjodsnńb
 * ನಾವು ಕಂಪನಿ ಆನಂದಿಸಿ
 * 容移嚣
 * Jafvjavs
 * Ben-epit
 * Sullivan van Couver

After tensions between Sir Henry Murdoc, Maston Johanne, Samuel XII and Harry Lee ensued, the directorial cabinet was suspended from July 1965 onwards, until the Margate left the union.

The second Directors and were voted in through elections in late 1965 and the postion of Minority Director was abolished, with only five Major Directors holding power. The new Directors also went by false names to hide their identity.


 * Man of Azilians
 * Man of Johannes
 * Man of Centuries
 * Man of Many
 * Man of Samuels

During the course of the third Directorial Cabinet, three Samuels served in it in rotation. First came Samuel XIII from the First cabinet, who resigned and gave the throne to his brother, Samuel IX, under Article 3, Section A, Subsection 25, Head of State Resignation policy. Samuel IX later gave the throne to his father, Samuel II, under the same law.

Emergency elections were held in 1968 after Azilda entered an economical crisis. Only Samuel XIII and Rubert Murdoöç were elected as the Third Directors of the Directorial Cabinet, and both often argued with each other on policies due to their very diverse backgrounds. This eventually lead to the disorganization during Les Rogues' invasion of Azilda.

Legislature and Judiciary
The legislature of Azilda, which passed all the laws and policies, was known as the Wunderbar Class. They were a group of elite, elected officials serving in parliament that proposed and passed bills. The Wunderbar Class only had one shuffling: during the 1966 election. Pre-1965 Parliament seating included 35% Azillians, 20% Samuels, 20% Johannes, 20% MAI and 5% minority. The entirety of the 20% MAI members of parliament eventually resigned upon independence of MAI. After 1966, Parliament was occupied by the following parties and individuals:


 * Azillians' Patriotic Party (120)
 * Samuels Nationalist Party (52)
 * National Johannes Party (50)
 * Azillian Workers' Union (1)
 * Liberal Republicans (1)
 * Justice Party of Johannes (1)
 * Azillian Patriotic Front (1)
 * Democratic Union of Azilda (1)
 * Azillians' Nationalist Party (1)
 * James Murdöç
 * Other Independent Candidates

The judiciary was headed by Supreme Judge An Lao from Johannes. He served until 1968, when Roguesia seceded Azilda. There were, in all, eleven Judges heading the panel.