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Iberia
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| Faction | Overview |
Kingdom of Iberia
Iberia's coat of arms
In Other Languages
Simplified Chinese
伊比利亚王国
Traditional Chinese
伊比利亞王國
Japanese
イベリア王 国
Korean
이베리아 왕국
General Information
Type
Capital
- Perdoni
Real-Iberia
Head of state
- King of Iberia (vacant)
- Saint Carmen y Iberia (de facto)
Head of government
- Iberian Inquisition
Royal Court of Iberia
Military strength
- Iberian Defensa
- Penal Battalion
Language
Iberian (based on Peninsular Spanish)
Status
Active
| “ | A coastal power that once rose to greatness using the boon of Ægir technology. Nearly destroyed by the Profound Silence, only the Inquisition remains to lead this shattered country. | ” |
| —Loading screen tip in Mizuki & Caerula Arbor |
Iberia, formally known as the Kingdom of Iberia (Reino de Iberia), is a Terran country bordering Laterano, Sargon, and Victoria, occupying the southern coastlines of the continent. It is a totalitarian theocracy that was once ruled by secular kings but is now under the ironclad rule of the Inquisition, a religious order enforcing strict isolationist policies on the nation. The population is predominantly of the Liberi race, as symbolized by the wings on its national emblem. Additionally, a minority of local Aegir inhabitants, referred to as the "Islanders," have settled in the country for generations but have faced severe religious persecution.
Historically, Iberia was a prosperous maritime empire that actively explored the southernmost oceans of Terra. It almost became a superpower in the Terran heartland through its advanced oceanic technologies and powerful naval fleets that could threaten its neighbors. However, a devastating tsunami dubbed the "Profound Silence" submerged much of the nation's land and abruptly ended its zenith through the destruction of its former royal capital and its once-glorious navy. In present times, although the Inquisition has replaced the leaderless royal court to maintain the country's order, Iberia continues to suffer from both sectarian conflicts sparked by the cultic Church of the Deep and the subsequent consequences of the Profound Silence, as the coastlines have become uninhabitable and heavily infested by the Seaborn.
History[edit]
Age of Exploration[edit]
At the dawn of civilization, human activities were already present on the once fertile Iberian peninsula. The nation's foundation can be traced back to a band of ardent Lateran believers of the Liberi race, who sought to build a second paradise next to Laterano on the shores after being amazed by its tranquility. From the earliest royal house of Iberia emerged the national religion, the Church of Iberia, whose clerics served as mediators between the palace and the commoners, as well as envoys to foreign nations. For centuries, Iberia was a nation of ardent religious faith maintaining close ties with Laterano under the teachings of the Lateran Church.[3]
Entering the classical era, Iberia slowly neglected its religious foundation and shifted towards secularism that valued conquests and wealth. Through its proxy in the seas, Iberia quickly developed its navy, which threatened neighboring nations along the Sea of Clariside. Around Terran year 500, Iberia sought to expand westward into Victoria but immediately encountered blockades by the Elder Dracos. As a result, the Iberian troops attempted to march eastward into the unexplored barren regions, now known as the barrenlands where Rim Billiton stands in present days, with the aim to invade Victoria from the east. However, it ended in demise a month later after encountering a devastating Catastrophe, a Catastrophe storm and an earthquake that annihilated three-fourth of the troop. The expedition was a heavy blow to the Iberian royal house due to the cost of casualties, which in turn aroused civil rebellions. But it ushered in the Iberian age of expedition, which saw the exploration of uncharted lands on the Terran continent through much safer ocean navigation.[4]
In Terran year 735, Iberia once again initiated a grand expedition into the unknown, later known as the “Francisco de León Geographical Expedition”. Under the leadership of Francisco de León, the Iberian royal troops marched westward to the northwestern corner of Terra, where they set up the Viceroyalty of Bolívar, the first colony in the region. Through political alliance with Padishah Bayad, a trading route on land between Iberia and Bolívar was secured, enabling Iberia to bypass Victorian blockades. But with the death of Francisco in 759 and Padishah Bayad in 767, Iberia was unable to sustain its northwestern colonies, as they continued to face threats from Gaul, Leithanien, and Victoria. The fracture of the Sargonian alliance forced Iberia to retreat south once again with the independence of Bolívar.[5]
Golden Age of Iberia[edit]
| "Those who Live in Tomorrow": An anecdote recompiled by E. E. Erikson[6] |
|---|
In 1032, in a tavern by the sea, worker Juan Gómez Costero described to me the "Golden Age" he envisioned: "When youngsters grow up to the age where they need to find a way out for themselves, their minds are filled with scientific research, creation and exploration. This is Iberia, and only by achieving new technological breakthroughs, creating new art forms, and discovering new rich treassures can one be considered successful. My father was born with a dream of making a name by himself, and spent the rest of his life atoning for it. When he was young, he went against his grandmother's wishes to learn the highest art, but in the end, he made no progress in swordsmanship except for twisting his wrist until it was red and swollen. On teh night my grandmother's died, he felt his first heartbeats, which would trouble him for many years. Until i was bron and grew up, he was still taking money from home to participate in the research projects thatmy grandmother originally wanted for him to take part of. My mother tried to make him accept mediocrity, but she herself wasn't a mediocre person either. In the end, she took away all of his experimental materials in a rage and nailed them together to make a paper sculpture. The paper sculture was well-received at the Port City Art Exhibit that year and was praised as a "breakthrough work"...I grew up watching those things, so when i stole my parents' savings for a decade to buy a boat and recruit people to go to the sea, i didn't think i did anything wrong." "To be honest, we didn't have a good time at the sea, but we never questioned the times. Although we could only catch some rotten scales shells every time we went to the sea, i always felt that the golden age didn't refer to what we currently have, but what we could actually achieve, discover, and create. There was a nice girl in the fleet at the time, named Fernanda, who always led us to sing the hopeful boat song, "The Golden Age is Tomorrow." But when tomorrow came, i couldn't take out any coin. I had to sell the boat and pay my crew. I was no longer the captain. Just an ordinary worker. This was the end of my life. Fernanda went to a good fleet. I've heard she did some good things on the sea that will be recorded in history...I was happy for her from the bottom of my heart. I didn't delay her because of my incompetence. Rather, i felt sorry for another thing. Why did she marry a cook with no ambitions." He then hummed the barcarolle "There is a golden glow on tomorrow's horizon. |
In Terran year 913, Breogan the Aegirian led the first Islanders to set foot on Iberian soil. The first Islanders were marveled by the Iberian golden palace, and the tributes they brought to the King aroused Iberian expansionism once again by shifting its focus into the oceans of the south. For the next century, Iberia enjoyed a period of prosperity later dubbed as the "Golden Age of Iberia." Under the supervision of Breogan the royal engineer, the Iberian naval capacity suddenly boomed through highly-advanced Aegirian machines, warships, and lighthouses, and the Grand Armada spearheaded by the marvelous Stultifera Navis sailed around the Sea of Clariside to both establish trading outposts along the coastlines and conquer new lands.[7] The concept of amphibious nomadic cities – cities that could operate both on land and in the ocean – began to take shape in the Iberians' mind during the Golden Age, as they sought to further exert their sphere of influence into the high seas.[8] The Iberian Golden Age also turned the nation into a regional superpower around the inland sea through various military campaigns such as the grand naval victory against Victoria that humiliated the Aslan dynasty and their Tercios' invasive campaigns on Leithanian soil.[9]
On the other hand, there were accumulating social fractures beneath the prosperous Golden Age that would later lead to Iberia's demise. Being refugees fleeing from the threats of the Seaborn in their homeland, the Islanders had been sternly warning the Iberian royal court of the "calamity" from the ocean and urging them to focus more on establishing communication between the land and the oceans, yet the King of Iberia only focused on expansion of his wealth through the might of the Grand Armada. Obsessions over the unknown prompted many wealthy Iberian houses to spend lavishly on banquets, saloons, and scientific research. Abuses against the working class became widespread as many mass construction projects were initiated.[7]
The Golden Age was also the period of the Iberians' increasing contact with the Seaborn even though they were unaware of their true nature. Even the King of Iberia who were marveled by the sea monsters were tempted to hunt the Seaborn as trophies for his palace. And among the arriving Islanders came cultists of the Church of the Deep who slowly infiltrated the Church of Iberia, distorted their religious texts, and spread them as gospels to both the suffering commoners and the haughty aristocrats despite warnings from the Islander sages in the palace.[10]
El Silencio Profundo[edit]
- Main article: Profound Silence
On June 28, 1038, the Profound Silence abruptly ended the Iberian Golden Age in a rapture. All of a sudden, the waves around the Iberian coasts turned silent; geological activity turned abnormal around the Iberian coastlines; communication signals between ports and cities were suddenly cut off. Alerted of the abnormal phenomenon, the ruling King Alejandro I of Iberia issued a nation-wide broadcast later known as the "Silenced Edict" to pacify the panicking public, declaring that the Armada of the Iberian Defensa were already dispatched to declare a war on the ocean after it finally tore off its docile hypocrisy.[11]
Within an hour after the edict, a giant tsunami occurred and washed upon the Iberian shores, destroying many ports and coastal settlements in the process. The once glorious Iberian Armada were suddenly sunk to the deep, vanishing into history forever; the "Eyes of Iberia" dotting along the coasts were shut down as their power supplies were destroyed by the aftershock. Being located right adjacent to the coastlines, Real-Iberia, the former capital of Iberia, was submerged by the tsunami, killing both King Alejandro I and ministers of the royal court. Many survivors of the disaster described the tsunami as a huge silence befallen upon Iberia as people struggled to yell out of desperation.[6]
The aftermath of the Profound Silence brought severe consequences to the country. Almost half of Iberian soil is forever submerged beneath the oceans. The tsunami drastically altered the Iberian topography, flooding many mountains into fractured islands and salinizing the once fertile flatlands into uninhabitable barrenlands. Within a short span of time, the coastlines were heavily infested by the Seaborn that turned hostile against humans. Many advanced infrastructure were destroyed by the tsunami which abruptly cut off Iberia's communication to the outside world. Most importantly, the sudden collapse of the Iberian regime in the disaster caused a widespread refugee crisis due to lootings and famines as many desperately fled from the southern coastlines to the northern heartland.[6]
The Inquisition Era[edit]
Amidst the chaotic recovery from the Profound Silence, there was a surge of religious fever as many desperately prayed for salvation in the wake of the disaster. The Church of Iberia, having miraculously survived the disaster, sought to establish social stability to the populace by providing charity care, civil order, and food rations to the victims. There was an increasing call among both the commoners and bishops of the church to erect a religious figurehead who could replace the long-deceased royal court and guide the Iberians out of misery. Despite concerns over the superstitious hope the people placed in them, the Church nevertheless initiated reformations that led to the establishment of the Inquisition led by Saint Carmen y Iberia and the other Eight Saints.[12]
The rule of the Inquisition, continuing to the present day, is marked by strict conservatism and isolationism from the outside world. To ensure social order, the Inquisitors maintain strict policies with severe punishments such as tight control over the citizenry and heavy restrictions on seafaring. Many Iberian coastal settlements have been left abandoned, and the Iberians have gradually forgotten their glorious maritime legacies. Attempts have been made by the Inquisitors to reclaim the sea and revitalize their nationalism, but they gave been thwarted by increasing conservatism from both the populace and within the order.
The Inquisition era is also marked by religious persecutions against the Aegirian Islanders. Once praised as symbols of wealth, the Islanders are now perceived as heretic bearers of disasters responsible for the Profound Silence, and the Inquisitors actively arrest and execute many innocent Aegirs based on their suspicions.[13] On the other hand, such persecutions have further fueled the following of the Church of the Deep, as many perceive their current suffering as a salvation to their everlasting goal — joining the eternal hivemind of the Seaborn. To further enhance their beliefs, many even practice grotesque rituals, such as feeding themselves to the Seaborn.[14]
Notable people[edit]
The characters below were born in Iberia but are living in or affiliated with factions outside their homeland.
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The characters below were born outside Iberia but are living in or affiliated with factions within the country.
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Other notable people[edit]
- Breogan
- Fernando Alejandro I†: Real name Fernando Alejandro Ruy-de-Castro-Torres Real iberia del Atlán I, he was the last King of Iberia who witnessed the marvelous work of Breogan and even stored up his manuscripts. He eventually died during the Profound Silence, but not before issuing the Silenced Edict, a last message to the Iberian citizen.
- Prince González: Fernando Alejandro I's son and the Crown Prince of Iberia.
- Indigo's teacher: A quiet, elderly Liberi who worked as Rocky Coast's Eye of Iberia lighthouse keeper, hoping it would shine bright again. Though reluctant at first, she accepted becoming her mentor, since she needed a successor to entrust the lighthouse.[15][16]
- Old José: A Liberi information broker and an acquaintance of Skadi. He had a son named Juan who was killed in an unknown incident and whose corpse was brought back to him by Skadi. He is also responsible for helping Skadi infiltrate Sal Viento.[17]
Old José
Enemies[edit]
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Places[edit]
Settlements[edit]
- Gran Faro
- Sal Viento
- Real-Iberia: Also known as "The City of Gold,", it was the former capital of Iberia, as well as its major sea port. Located in a southern peninsula, the city was transformed into a massive amphibious nomadic city under Breogan's planning, but it has since been sunken underwater after the Profound Silence.[18][19] Not to be confused with Shar-Agade, also nicknamed "City of Gold."
- Real-Iberia is likely based on Lisbon, capital of Portugal, which was destroyed during the 1755 earthquake that abruptly ended the Portuguese Empire's golden age. Although unlike Real-Iberia, the city was rebuilt afterwards.
- Perdoni: The current capital of Iberia. Originally a small city located in the Iberian heartland, it was renamed Perdonidora, meaning "Forgiveness has left us" in Iberian, due to the people's mourning after witnessing the destruction of their homeland. Most Iberians prefer to shorten the name to Perdoni, "Forgiveness."[18]
- Rocky Coast: A small town where Indigo is from.[16] One of the Eye of Iberia lighthouses is located there, with its keeper being Indigo's teacher.[15]
- Primavera: A city under the Church of the Deep's influence, and the place where Gladiia first met Kal'tsit.[20] The name means "Spring" in Spanish.
- Rocamarea: A neglected coastal city that was later devastated by both famine and the Seaborn's invasion.[21] The name means "Tidestone" in Spanish.
- Aarón: A remote town located on top of a mountain in the Iberian Mar Pálido. During the Profound Silence, most of the town was flooded except for the hill section, quickly falling into anarchy due to the failed harvest. By the time the seas retreated, the pirates promised to bring order to Aarón, but in truth they only took advantage of the chaos.[22]
- The town's name is taken from Aaron, Moses' older brother who, alongside Moses, led the exodus of Jewish people from Egypt.
- Orvieto: A city-state built on an dessert island in the Iberian coasts. In 1035, Juana once proposed Calixto de la Cruz and his crew to sail south and recruit a new alchemist there after the previous one was killed by the Defensa.[23]
- Orvieto is the name of a city in the province of Terni, Italy.
- Luarca: A town located close to Mar Pálido, which is where Carlito, a former member of Weedy's grandfather's institute, comes from.[24]
- Luarca is an Asturian parroquía/parish located in Valdés, Spain.
Landmarks[edit]
- Eye of Iberia
- Stultifera Navis
- Sanctilaminium Ambrosii: A monastery that was built as a joint project with Laterano. It went missing for over six decades.
- Bastión de Cánticos: The headquarters of the Inquisition, also known as the Bastion of Hallowed Saints. The name means "Bastion of Canticles" in Spanish.
Gallery[edit]
An Iberian town
Ditto, at night
An Iberian town surrounded by mountains
Ditto, at night
The streets of an Iberian settlement
The alleys of an Iberian settlement
An Iberian house
An Iberian bar
A Laterano house of prayer (i.e. church, chapel) in Iberia
The Iberian Mar Pálido
Ditto, at night
People[edit]
A male Iberian Liberi
Ditto, with a blue cloth on his head
Another male Iberian Liberi
Ditto, but with his eyes uncovered
A female Iberian Liberi
Ditto, but with her eyes uncovered
A male Iberian Aegir pirate
Ditto, as a Liberi with red hair and a hook hand
Ditto, but bald
A female Iberian Aegir pirate with a peg leg
Ditto, as a Liberi with grey hair
Trivia[edit]
- The "Golden Age of Iberia" alludes to both the Spanish Golden Age and the Portuguese Renaissance.
- Iberia's political activities are similar to those in Spanish history:
- The colonization of Bolívar is obviously based on the Spanish colonization of South America.
- The naval war against Victoria parallels the First Anglo-Spanish War. In Iberia's case, it is the opposite of the real-world event as Spain was the loser of the said war.
- The Lateran culture in Iberia alludes to the predominant Catholics in the Iberian Peninsula.
- The persecution of the "Islanders" is similar to the Holy Inquisition which was widely practiced in both Spain and Portugal.
References[edit]
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