Nation/Ironcastle

The Federal Republic of Ironcastle
The Federal Republic of Ironcastle
	Motto: United We Stand
	Anthem: The Republic Forever; March: Up With the Stars
	The location of Ironcastle (green) within Moneylania.
	Ironcastle, Aelcrest, all state capitals, and several major cities.
Capital	Aelcrest
Official languages	English
Demonym	Ironian
Government	Federal Presidential Constitutional Republic
Legislature	Congress
Formation
Area
Population
GDP (nominal)	2030 estimate
Gini	35.2; medium
HDI (2025)	0.935; very high
Currency	Ironian Dollar (IRD)
Time zone	IST (UTC+ 1)
	Only during summer months
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Drives on the	right
Calling code	+68
ISO 3166 code	ICL
Internet TLD	.iron

This page is a work in progress by its author(s) and should not be considered final.

The Federal Republic of Ironcastle, commonly referred to as Ironcastle is a federal republic located in the centre of Moneylania. It is comprised of twenty states and several island posessions. It shares its land borders with four other nations, and borders the Moneylanian Sea. It is the largest nation in western Moneylania, both in population and size. It has a population of 171 million and a size of 1,397,750 square kilometres.

Ironcastle's government is a representative democracy, with a single-house system and its capital city is Aelcrest. The current Ironcastle President -since 14 January 2023- is Bradley Lister. Ironcastle is a developed nation with a large GDP, estimated at $12.46 trillion. The per capita GDP is $71,461. It was also one of the first industrialised nations and a major power since the early twentieth century. The economy is fuelled by manufacturing and technology, with a highly developed infrastructure, high productivity, while its economy is post-industrial. It is a recognised nuclear state, and has large military expenditures. It is also a leader in scientific research and technological innovation.

History

Native History

The first inhabitants of Ironcastle migrated from modern-day Platacia by way of land over fifteen thousand 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 by colonists from Organiuet. Prior to the common era, several attempts were made by various parties to colonise Ironcastle, but each failed for varying reasons.

Settlement

The earliest records of permanent non-native settlement in Ironcastle date back to 322 CE, when Organiuetish settlers established their 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 become less and less reliant on Organiuet. One by one, they declared independence, with the first, Aelcrest, declaring independence in 1077. Organiuet was experiencing a century-long civil war, and as such was unable to stop the city-states declaring independence. With dozens of independent city-states in the region, they soon began to war with each other.

By the fifteenth century, there were only eight 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 north and the Sibarian Empire eyeing the bountiful lands from the east, in 1431 the states voted to unite into a single nation. The Act of Unity was signed in Aelcrest's strongest hold, known as the Iron Castle on the third of August. 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 Bill of the Universal Rights of Man 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 north, towards Organiuet. The former kingdom, which had elevated itself to an empire, had significantly expanded while Ironcastle was fighting in the south. 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. In contrast, 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 Northern Ironcastle in the opening stages of the Five Years War. As the Ironians 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 before a major storm rolled in and rain turned the ground to mud, significantly hampering their famed heavy 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 gunpowder-equipped troops advanced. Using volley fire, they scattered the cavalry. As the cavalry retreated, the Ironian infantry charged, and the Organiuetish lines broke. The Battle of Freton Fields marked the first instance where a primarily gunpowder-equipped force defeated a traditional style army.

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. In addition, Contia and Lacrea 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 1613 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 defence 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 Lacrea.

After two months, the city garrison surrendered, but the leadership fled. The war continued for two more years, until the last separatist stronghold, known as 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, loyal state governments were installed, and non-Ironians were experienced a concerted effort by the government to change their cultural beliefs to those more in line with the rest of the nation. An amendment was added to the Bill of the Universal Rights of Man, mandating the separation of church and state, in addition to protecting the rights of religious minorities. As well, a formalised constitution was signed, cementing the role of government and the rights of citizens. In addition, the title of Consul was renamed President.

Following the Civil War and the centralisation of the nation, Ironcastle fought several conflicts with Organiuet and Lucklond until the late 17th century, which were a mix of failures and successes.

The Great Crusade

Further information: The Great Crusade

Ironcastle was one of the first nations to abolish slavery entirely, the Constitution of 1620 banning the practice entirely.

With the election of President William Sharp in 1805, a firm believer in abolitionism was leading Ironcastle. One of his first acts as President was to announce that slavery would be abolished across Moneylania. The Federal Navy was ordered to intercept and board ships suspected of carrying slaves wherever possible. This created significant tensions with Platacia, who was the main trader of slaves in Moneylania. Scuro, Ironcastle's western neighbour, abolished slavery in 1806 following significant abolitionist movements funded by Ironcastle. Organiuet too abolished slavery that same year. In 1807 Ironcastle, Scuro and Organiuet formed the Grand Alliance, which was dedicated to opposing slavery in Platacia. By 1809, tensions had reached a point where Platacian fleets began raiding Ironian and Scuroian ports. In response, the Grand Alliance declared war on Platacia. The President of Ironcastle, Emperor of Organiuet and Stadtholder of Scuro met together in Aelcrest to announce the Great Crusade Against Slavery, encouraging volunteers for their respective armies, and for the slaves in Platacia to rise up against their masters. A massive slave revolt in the Platacian colony of Mallowmooral coincided with the initial Organiuetish attacks. Former slaves were added to the Grand Alliance armies, bolstering their numbers to nearly match Platacia's. Despite the large increase in numbers, and a multitude of other revolts within Platacia, the balance of forces between the two sides remained even. After eight years of back-and-forth fighting between the main Platacian and Organiuetish forces, the war came to a close following a joint Ironian-Scuroian amphibious assault on Gravida, capturing both the city and Emperor Robert I Ostberg. Platacia was made to outlaw slavery and cede significant amounts of territory to the Grand Alliance, in addition to war reparations.

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. The coal fuelled the burgeoning factories,but didn't come without cost. In 1825, Aelcrest was significantly damaged by fire, destroying much of the medieval city. The government held a contest to rebuild the city. The winning submission was from a group of architects from Empirica, who envisioned 'a great, and modern city, ready for the future of man'. The streets were designed wide with large building lots and included dedicated zones for residents, businesses and industry.

In addition to a massive expansion in civilian life, the Ironian military began to expand. New weapons of war such as ironclads, gatling guns and railroads came in to use in the decisive Islands War of 1855, when Ironcastle invaded Wellok for the first time in centuries. Wellok was devoid of coal, and an Ironian blockade prevented the nation from importing any. This left their wooden, sail-powered ships at the mercy of Ironian gunboats, which destroyed the entire Wellokian fleet in a single battle. The Ironian Army landed soon after, making use of gatling guns and breech-loading rifles to quickly take over the main island. After the surrender of the government, the Army and Navy began to clear the islands surrounding Wellok. However, the two forces had difficulty working together, and led directly to the formation of the Ironian Marine Corps.

By 1900, Ironcastle was the centre of manufacturing in Greater Moneylania, and the hub from which technological advancements spread. Inventions such as the telephone, airplane, radio and automobile originated in Ironcastle. The military again began expanding, with the first dreadnoughts coming into service with the ICS Aelcrest.

The Great Wars

Despite being landlocked, Organiuet had significantly expanded its military to rival Ironcastle's. In September 1914, Organiuet attacked Ironcastle, pushing Ironian border garrisons back several kilometers from the border. Ironcastle, who had since aligned itself with Scuro and Banana Federation, called upon them to defend its territory. Despite much of the war spent in trenches, there were significant mobile segments. However, the combined might of the three nations forced Organiuet to surrender in 1916. Following many punitive measures forced on the defeated, Ironcastle and the BFSCM deployed an expeditionary force to the east to aid the struggling Sibarians.

After the end of the war, a period of economic prosperity fell across Moneylania, and Ironcastle was no exception. However, in 1928 the Great Depression struck, crippling the Ironian economy. Ironcastle, the centre for commerce in the region, was completely devastated by the Depression. Across the border, however, Organiuet began to rebuild its military against the Victor's Treaty. By 1936, Ironcastle's economy had returned to its pre-Depression state, but was still sluggish. In comparison, the highly nationalist Organiuet was thriving. In 1939, Organiuet, despite warnings from multiple nations, invaded Lucklond.

Ironcastle, Banana Federation and Scuro, collectively known as the Allies, declared war immediately, but failed to attack, instead mobilising troops and preparing defences. The first attack came on the 9th of June, 1940, when a combined Flazorian and Elensefian task force landed 50km north of Shorehold, Banana Federation. They were repelled after weeks of intense fighting, but the damage was significant. While the Ironian-Organiuetish border saw little fighting for much of the war, there was significant fighting on the Lucklondish front. Tank divisions fought each other in the deserts and steppes, and in 1942 the entire nation had been liberated. However, progress in Organiuet was slow and costly. It wasn't until the 8th of January, 1945, when Ironcastle deployed a nuclear weapon on the Organiuetish city of Dawnford that progress was made. Organiuetish troops, shocked by the power of the nuclear weapon, surrendered in droves as the Allies advanced on the capital. On the 15th of August, 1945, Organiuet officially surrendered to Ironcastle. The peace treaty was extremely harsh, completely disarming Organiuet, reducing the nation to a mere rump state.

Cold War

While the war had been won, the cost had been great. Three hundred thousand Ironians had died in the war, but the majority of Ironcastle's industry was undamaged. This led to another post-war consumer boom. With the newfound revenue, the Ironian government began supporting democratic governments across Moneylania, such as Banana Federation and Scuro. The fear of communism in Sibaria led to the creation of the Moneylania Alliance Treaty Organisation, also known as MATO, in Aelcrest. The detonation of a nuclear device by Sibaria in 1949 led to the commencement of a cold war between the two superpowers. A subset of this cold war was a space race, which ended when Ironcastle landed two astronauts on the moon in 1972. Despite an economic recession in the 1970s, the 1980s were a period of economic prosperity. With tensions growing around the region, and the emergence of terrorism, many people flocked to Ironcastle as a safe haven. The cold war ended in the 1990s, when the communist states in east Moneylania began to collapse.

Present Day

The dawn of the new millennium heralded in new technology, such as the internet and mass-market computers. In 2006, Ironcastle invaded the nation of Lothi following a major terrorist attack by a group called Banan Kebab against Ironcastle. Following the contentious presidential elections of 2014, Ironcastle was known as 'the most divided nation in Moneylania'. President Anthony Garret narrowly won re-election in 2018, but lost in 2022 to newcomer Bradley Lister. In 2025, Daminy launched a surprise invasion of Banana Federation, which was repelled following Ironian air support. A blockade and bombardment of Daminy led to the surrender of Damanian forces. Moodie Kelovik, the leader of Daminy, was arrested and put on trial for crimes of aggression. The landmark case Moodie Kelovik vs. the State of Banana Federation saw Kelovik found guilty, and the dictatorship in Daminy abolished, replaced with a republic. Following the war, Ironcastle stationed troops in Auxillary and Lucklond in search of weapons of mass destruction. While forces have since left, the occupations have caused widespread anti-Ironian sentiment across the region.

In 2026, the Northern Alliance was founded on Ironcastle's northern border. War soon broke out in the Seven-Day War, which was primarily fought between Platacia and Seaberisa in the north, and Ironcastle and Freivia in the south. Following the war, Ironcastle intervened in the Freivian Civil War, assisting the rebel forces in overthrowing the Ralston Regime. Ironcastle also intervened in Cassio following a coup by General Amus Humiston.

Geography and climate

Ironcastle has a moderately temperate climate, with forests in the north, grasslands in the central areas, and desert in the south. Its landmass spans 1,397,750 square kilometers, and has significant territorial waters.

Demographics

Population

Language

Religion

Government and Politics

Ironcastle is one of the oldest surviving federations in Moneylania. It is a constitutional republic and representative democracy. The government is regulated by a system of checks and balances, set forth in the nation's constitution, which is the supreme legal document. The nation has often ranked high in democracy indexes in Moneylania, and moderately high on corruption perception indexes.

In the Ironian federal system, citizens are subject to three layers of government: federal, state and local. Local government duties are split between municipal and county governments. In almost all cases, governments are elected in a proportionally representative system.

The federal government is comprised of the following three branches:

Legislative: the bicameral Congress, made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives, makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties, has the power of the purse, and has the power of impeachment, by which it can remove sitting members of the government.
Executive: the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the military, can veto legislation before it becomes law, can appoint cabinet and other governmental officers, and represents the nation diplomatically.
Judicial: the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the President with Senatorial approval, can interpret laws and overturn those they find unconstitutional.

Political Divisions

Main article: Political divisions of Ironcastle

Ironcastle is a federal republic of twenty states, several overseas territories and a number of uninhabited island possessions. The states are the principal administrative districts in the country. These are divided into subdivisions of counties and independent cities. The states and territories choose the President of Ironcastle through majority vote.

Congressional Districts are reapportioned among the states following each decennial Census of Population. Each state then draws single-member districts to conform with the census apportionment. The total number of voting Representatives is 300.

Parties and Elections

Ironcastle has operated under a multi-party system for most of its history. State elections are usually organised by the state's regulatory electoral officials, with individual parties having their own systems for selecting candidates. The two main parties in most states and the federal Congress are the Liberal Party and the Social Democrats. Other large parties include the Greens Party, the Ironcastle First Party and the Socialist Alliance. The President and Vice-President are elected through a first-past-the-post system.

Foreign Relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Ironcastle

Ironcastle has an established system of foreign relations. It is a member of the World Assembly the Moneyzone and the Moneylania Alliance Treaty Organisation (MATO). Most nations in Moneylania have embassies in Aelcrest, in the Embassy District, and there are multiple consulates around the country. Likewise, most nations host Ironian diplomatic missions.

Military

Main article: Ironcastle Armed Forces

The President holds the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Ironian Armed Forces, and appoints its leaders, the Secretary of Defence and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. All branches of the military are administered by the Department of Defence. As of 2029, there were approximately nine hundred thousand actively deployed personnel, and one million in reserve or Civil Defence. Service is completely voluntary, although Congress may enact conscription in the event of a foreign invasion of Ironian territory.

Ironian forces are capable of rapid deployment, either via the Air Force's large quantity of transport aircraft, the Navy's four supercarriers, or the Marine Corps' three expeditionary forces. In 2028, the military budget was $659 billion.

Crime and law enforcement

Law enforcement in Ironcastle is primarily the responsibility of local police departments and sheriff's departments, with state police providing broader services. The Aelcrest Police Department (APD) is the largest in the country. Federal agencies such as the Federal Crime Agency (FCA) have specialised duties, such as protecting civil rights, national security and enforcing federal courts rulings and federal laws. At the federal level and in every state, the legal system operates on common law. States conduct most criminal trials, federal courts handle certain designated crimes and appeals from state courts.

Economy

Ironcastle has a capitalist mixed economy which is fueled by abundant natural resources and high productivity. The nominal GDP of Ironcastle is estimated to be $12.04 trillion as of 2028. The country ranks first in Moneylania in nominal GDP per capita and first in GDP per capita at PPP. The Ironian dollar is Moneylania's primary reserve currency. The Ironian economy is also the fastest growing in Moneylania.

Ironcastle is the largest importer of goods and second-largest exporter in Moneylania. In 2025, the total Ironian trade deficit was $452 billion. Banana Federation, Scuro, Xianuan, and Sibaria are its top trading partners. In 2025, oil was the largest import commodity, while transportation equipment was the country's largest export. Banana Federation is the largest foreign holder of Ironian public debt. The largest holder of the Ironian debt are Ironian entities, including federal government accounts and the Federal Reserve, who hold the majority of the debt.

In 2024, the private sector was estimated to constitute 83.2% of the economy, with federal government activity accounting for 11.4% and state and local government activity (including federal transfers) the remaining 5.6%. The number of employees at all levels of government outnumber those in manufacturing by 1.7 to 1. While its economy has reached a postindustrial level of development and its service sector constitutes 67.8% of GDP, Ironcastle remains an industrial power. The leading business field by gross business receipts is wholesale and retail trade; by net income it is manufacturing. In the franchising business model, MacArthur's and Metro are the two most recognised brands in Moneylania. Bepis is the most recognised soft drink company in Moneylania.

Infrastructure

Science and technology

Education

Health

Culture