Nation/Ironcastle
| This page is a work in progress by its author(s) and should not be considered final. |
| The Federal Republic of Ironcastle | ||||||
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| Motto: Fortis in Unitate! | ||||||
| Capital | Aelcrest | |||||
| Largest | Empirica | |||||
| Official languages | English | |||||
| Demonym | Ironian | |||||
| Government | Federal Presidential Republic | |||||
| - | President | Bradley Lister | ||||
| - | Vice-President | Richard Lynn | ||||
| Legislature | Senate | |||||
| Formation | ||||||
| - | Act of Unity | 1431 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | 698,410 km2 269,658 sq mi |
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| Population | ||||||
| - | 2024 estimate | 117 million | ||||
| - | 2025 census | 117,200,874 | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2025 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $8.39 trillion | ||||
| Gini | 35.2 medium |
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| HDI (2025) | 0.935 very high |
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| Currency | Ironian Dollar (IRD) |
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| Time zone | IST (UTC+ 1) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | IDT (UTC+ 2) | ||||
| Only during summer months | ||||||
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy | |||||
| Drives on the | right | |||||
| Calling code | +68 | |||||
| ISO 3166 code | ICL | |||||
| Internet TLD | .iron | |||||
The Federal Republic of Ironcastle, commonly referred to as Ironcastle is a federal republic located in the center of Moneylania. It is comprised of five states and several disputed territories. It shares its land borders with five other nations, and borders the Moneylanian Sea. It is the largest nation in Moneylania, both in population and size. It has a population of 117,200,874 and a size of 698,410 square kilometers.
Ironcastle's government is a representative democracy, with a single-house system and its capital city is Aelcrest. The current Ironcastle President -since 1 January 2022- is Bradley Lister. Ironcastle is a developed nation with a large GDP, estimated at $8.395 trillion. The per capita GDP is $71,634. It was also one of the first industrialized nations and a major power since the early twentieth century. The economy is fueled by manufacturing and technology, with a highly developed infrastructure, high productivity, while its economy is post-industrial. It is a recognized nuclear state, and has large military expenditures. It is also a leader in scientific research and technological innovation.
Contents
History
Native History
The first inhabitants of Ironcastle migrated from modern-day Platacia by way of land over 15,000 years ago. However, due to inter-tribal warfare, disease and other factors, the nomadic natives were nearly wiped out multiple times before Ironcastle was permanently settled. Oftentimes, their ferocity kept outsiders from entering the region, preventing full colonisation until after the beginning of the Common Era.
Settlement
Earliest records of non-native settlement in Ironcastle date back to 322 CE, when Organieutish settlers established the first settlements. The fertile land lent itself well to agriculture, and soon multiple towns and cities had sprung up. The city-states began to wipe out the natives, either accidentally through disease, or deliberately through wars of extermination. Over time, these city-states began to export more to Organiuet than they imported. One by one, they declared independence, with the first, Aelcrest, declaring independence in 1077. With dozens of independent city-states in the region, they soon began to war with each other.
By the fifteenth century, there were only five city-states remaining, having conquered the rest. As they were evenly matched in power, each state was unable to attack any other. With the threat of a united Organiuet to the east, nomadic hordes to the south, and the Sibarian Empire eyeing the bountiful lands, in 1431 the states decided to unite. The Act of Unity was signed in Aelcrest's strongest hold, known as the Iron Castle. As such, the nation was named after the fort. Despite fears from Empirica and Contia that Aelcrest would dominate the politics of the new nation, being the capital, the Rights Bill signed at the same time as the Act of Unity enshrined the rights of both citizens and the states.
Expansion
With the mainland secured, the new nation began looking for its next conquest. Off the coast, the island kingdoms of Valedge and Wellok controlled significant natural resources, both on land and in the sea. With their powerful navies, they had resisted all attempts of conquest for over two thousand years. In 1434, Ironcastle began a significant shipbuilding drive, and began importing naval advisors from Platacia and Sibaria. While Ironcastle's army was battle-hardened from years of war, only Aelcrest and Empirica possessed navies at all, and were mostly for deterring pirates.
In 1444, Ironcastle launched a naval invasion of Valedge. The combined forces of the new Ironian Navy, mercenaries, and former pirates shocked the Vallians. With their enemies confused, the heavy Ironian carracks smashed through the centre of the Vallian fleet, killing their admiral within the first ten minutes. After only two hours, the Vallian fleet had routed, pursued by pirates and mercenaries. With the oceans safe, one of the largest pre-modern naval invasions took place. Over 15,000 soldiers participated in the first assault on the capital, suffering heavy casualties. After several days of heavy fighting, Ironian troops, supported by fire from ships in the harbour and artillery placed in hills above the capital, stormed the Royal Castle, capturing the King of Valedge. He was forced to surrender, and Valedge was incorporated into Ironcastle as a new state.
Twenty years later, however, the Ironian Navy was defeated by the Wellokian fleet at the Battle of Westersea. Over three quarters of the Ironian Navy was sunk, with only light losses to the Wellokians. This put an end to Ironian ambitions in Wellok for the time being. Instead, Ironcastle looked south, towards Organiuet. The former kingdom, which had elevated itself to an empire, had significantly expanded while Ironcastle was fighting in the north. The open fields heavily favoured the renowned Organiuetish heavy cavalry, which was feared across the grasslands and steppes. In comparison, Ironcastle's forces were mainly comprised of infantry and light cavalry. However, the planners in Aelcrest knew the Organiuetish generals were slow to adapt to both new technologies and fast changes on the battlefield. This was due to Organiuet's heavy use of timetables and planning, which would not see use by other nations until nearly fove hundred years later. However, Ironcastle had been rapidly modernising its military. By 1500, significant parts of the Army were utilising gunpowder weapons, and tactics were in place to utilise them effectively.
Five Years War
In 1501, the Ironian Army began occupying what is modern day Southern Ironcastle in the opening stages of the Five Years War. As the Ironains predicted, the Organiuetish deployed their heavy cavalry to attack the Ironian Army. They met at Freton Fields, in the shadow of Mount Herak. The Organiuetish needed to defeat the Ironians quickly, as a storm was rolling in, and the rain would turn the ground to mud, slowing their cavalry. The battle opened with archers exchanging fire, and Ironian light cavalry harassing the Organiuetish lines. At midday, the order was given for the heavy cavalry to charge straight at the Ironian lines. As they charged, the Ironian archers retreated, and the gunpoweder-equipped troops advanced. Using volley fire, they scattered the cavalry. As the cavalry retreated, the Ironian infantry charged, and the Organiuetish lines broke.
Over the course of the following five years, Ironcastle invaded most of the land Organiuet had colonised, and even swept in to Organiuet proper. After the fall of the capital of Organiuet, it was disarmed, and all of its colonised land was annexed. Following the Five Years War, Ironcastle remained at peace for some time, until the Reformation.
Ironian Civil War
In 1582, many Catholic priests began to protest the growing link between religion and state in many Catholic countries, Ironcastle included. They gained popular support from the commoners, who disliked the religious tithes they were forced to pay. This was especially true in the south, where thousands of Organiuetish settlers were still angry at Aelcrest for separating them from their families. In addition, Contia and Forestar felt that the government in Aelcrest was gaining too much power, and wished to decentralise it back to the states. Over the course of several years, the south began to arm its population, preparing for a war with the north.
In 1601, exactly one hundred years to the day since the invasion of Organiuet, the Kingdom of South Ironcastle declared independence. While there was a significant push in the north to let them leave, the Consul, Elise Porter, ordered the Army to restore order. With a significant number of generals defecting to the South, the initial Loyalist attacks were without leadership and easily repulsed. In December, the Southern forces began their advance. Northern troops were pushed back, until a young general by the name of Edwin Lynwood took command of the defense of Empirica. He defeated the previously unstoppable Southern army, and began pushing back. After reaching Contia, he ordered his army to raze the city. Two weeks later, Contia had been removed from the map. He continued this campaign of destruction through the south, eventually besieging the capital Forestar.
After two months, the city garrison surrendered, but the leadership fled. The war continued for two more years, until the last separatist stronghold, known aa the Black Fort, fell to Lynwood's cannons. The fort was demolished, and the town that was built in its place was named Lynwood. While the leadership of the Kingdom was either imprisoned or executed, their military leaders were granted clemency in exchange for military knowledge.
During the reconstruction period, Elise Porter oversaw a complete change in administration of the country. State borders were redrawn, their governments made to be completely loyal to the state above all, and non-Ironians were made to change their culture. In addition, an amendment was added to the Rights Bill, mandating the separation of church and state, in addition to protecting the rights of religious minorities.
For the next two centuries, Ironcastle mostly remained at peace, aside from the occasional border war.
Industrialisation
By 1800, the industrial revolution had arrived. The discovery of significant quantities of coal beneath the ruins of Contia, which had been left as a deterrence against future rebellion, sparked the government to rebuild the city, naming it New Contia.
