Flags of Elivera: a historical and philosophy analysis
Written by Revi Toriuq Ganiutin, Siteakin fe Supki, Sunik Nation
Purpose
The purpose of the essay was to examine the history of each of the major nation's flags, and the history that influenced the creation of these flags and the creation of the Elivera Federation.
Document Structure
References
Numerous historical documents, journals of specific key figures in history, census documents, legal documents
Publication Status
The publication of the document made it widely available at all scientific institutions and public libraries.
Flags of Elivera: a historical and philosophy analysis
Note by Aidan, editor: Translated from original Elivan Trade Language. Kept the name of the places in their original dialects, and certain words, which could not be directly translated from Elivan will have its approximate meaning in parentheses and italics next to it.
Sunik Flag History
Written by Revi Toriuq Ganiutin, Siteakin fe Supki, Sunik Nation The nation-states of Elivera have a unique history, which many chose to capture in the design of their flags. The origins of humanity upon this planet is shrouded in mystery as the first detailed records were heavily degraded from the jungles and humid temperatures of the Raliok regions of the continent of Vera and volcanic regions of Kefutji, but there is evidence that the cultures that developed the original designs of the flags derive from an age where humanity was still new to this world. The tour starts in my own country of Sunik. Records date the city of Supki as one of the first on the continent of Kefutji, and its origins seem to be born out of the remnants of the alien structures at its ground zero. These alien structures are depicted in the art of the earliest human records as nak-zezotj'qokogin (harsh-alien-imprisoner), but their distinct disappearance from Supki is undoubtedly due to the Silence around 9 E. Most scholars note the Silence as the beginning of humanity's records on the planet and the moment where alien interference went silent. Before the Silence, it is unknown if humanity evolved upon Elivera or was brought to the planet by the nak zezotj'qokogin (harsh-alien-imprisoner). After the end of the Silence, ancient art and writings began to flourish, and much of the details depict a rebuilding period. Scholars throughout the ages have debated where the aliens went during the Silence event, but records are unclear due to several key pages in many of the remaining documents being lost to conflicts or poor preservation techniques. Most theories hinge on the Katekia legend, the first Qohani of Elivera that drove the aliens from the system and shut down their technology. Sunik's flag is reminiscent of that struggle. The three orbiting comets are embalmed with circular and wave-like etchings that have few corners; these are symbols of the alien architecture with keki'zuq (spatial-full) designs, much of which included spirals, curved helical structures, and few sharp corners. The three colors symbolize the three languages that melded into the Sunik dialect, all originating from the original survivors of the Supki Silence event. These three ethnic groups worked together to build the great city of Supki from ground zero to its Fourth tier. The culture of equality meant each group embodied the same respect and dignity, thus they all orbit a central sphere that symbolized the community as a whole. The red backdrop symbolized the volcanic regions from which this community grew. The flag was finalized in 378 E, but older iterations appeared in historical records dating back to 98 E. The orbiting bodies around the central circle has always existed to some degree in the older designs, but the colors used changed over the centuries. Red held out as a background color in most of the older designs, though the etchings on the three orbiting bodies did not always exist as part of the design. In 125 E, the design lacked color and no etchings existed. It was a black and red design. Very little records in this time period provide evidence as to why no etchings existed nor why the colors were chosen. In 239 E, the etchings returned to the flag design. Scholar Safi Hanaku, born in 202 E, wrote in 232 E: "An edifice of wall art located at ground zero of Supki. Etchings in orbiting bodies of the flag hold swirls and waves. Is it a symbol of the history of the community? Why include etchings from alien ruins?" (1). Scholar Hanaku was a robust writer of that time period and in later essays seemed to justify the addition as "commemorating the pain of the Silence, so we do not forget our origins" (1). The current color configuration was decided in 378 E based on the writing of the Vukasin of Sunik from that time period: "Red for the blood lost to the harshness of our land. Gold, Black, and White for the diversity of our heritage. All equal in one amalgamated whole" (2). Sunik has always been a more reclusive nation within the nation-states of the Elivera Planetary Union, the last to join mostly due to military and diplomatic pressure from the Eagrok, Isutobek, and Tomrak nations. The agreement to join the union and end all hostilities between neighboring states in 624 E required the newly minted Elivera Planetary Union to abide by two demands: 1. Supki must be the second host of the Qohani seat, and 2. the creation of the Tohanavi council, an independent force of peace-keepers that investigated war crimes and human rights abuses. The first Tohanavi was trained in Supki, and at the time, was considered a major achievement. Not long after their inauguration, the war crime trials began, where the abuses of the Eagrok and Isutobek military leaders were investigated and punished. The flag was brought out in 637 E and blessed again by the leaders of the Sunik nation after the successful trials by the Tohanavi councils, where the Eagrok and Isutobek leaders that engaged in human rights abuses were held accountable. In the century that followed, it became a tradition to bless the flag in Supki every 25 years in honor of that event. This is often followed by a week long celebration within the most populous areas of the Sunik Nation. Editor Note: In Part 2, this scholar will move on to the Eagrok flag and its origins. Footnotes for this essay was lost, as the script used when this essay was written involved abbreviations that proved difficult to translate into an readable version in English. However, it can be said that the records mentioned in (1) and (2) are both Supki in origin, having come from high-ranking officials and kept well preserved in the vaults of Supki Tier 3.Eagrok Flag History
The Eagrok flag has a long and varied history for its design. Numerous accounts contradict each other on the exact date the first iteration design was adopted. Most agree that the colors used stayed fairly standard throughout the many iterations of the Eagrok nation's flag. One of the primary reasons for the contradictions may lie in that Eagrok was always a fragmented union of minor nation-states that convened together, per records suggest, every 12 years, to legislate differences within the states to avoid cause for war. Eagrok also struggled with implementation of policies that other countries took for granted, for the individualism streak within the Eagrok population had been relatively strong during its infancy. This meant the states grew out of fragmentation and conflict, and only united under a single flag out of the necessity due to no one location had access to all necessary resources for independence from the other neighboring Eagrok nation-states. The languages of the Eagrok land is less varied than other parts of Elivera, and much of the trade language stems from a fusion of three separate languages, one heavily influenced by the nak-zezotj'qokogin (harsh-alien-imprisoner). This has lead some scholars to speculate if some of the founders of the Eagrok states had been fluent within their oppressor's language, but why incorporate bits of this speech into the trade language for the Eagrok nation-states is a conundrum that has yet to be solved. The records from the founding of the states is scarce, and most reference the Katekia legend and its impact on the liberation and society-full policies that the nation-states struggled to enforce. It may be helpful for the reader to note that society-full policies require a system in which the populace is given a basic living income, access to free healthcare and education, and local communes choose what is needed for that month's production cycle. This was to avoid over exploitation of regions, especially those most sensitive to human contact. There was a strong environmental streak to protect the native habitat as much as possible, which lead to quite a few experimental production and economic systems. These experimental upheavals in the infancy of the Eagrok nation-states may also be the root of the many inner conflicts the nation would endure during its progress to create a more global planetary union. Does this reflect in the flag designs and the contradictions within the ancient records of early Eagrok? The first recorded attempt of the Eagrok nation flag stems from approximately 80 E, though there is references to this design in drawings within ancient books that stem back to 20 E, the time of the Silence. The flag represents the four states that often clashed on what policies were best for society and their wavering economy. One faded document dated as 81 E, the author unknown, wrote: "black for the north and its rich mineral ores, gold for the east where the sun first touches the Raliok leaves, white for the desert touches the Raliok's south, and purple for the center of all life on Vera" (1). The blue circle that encircled all four circles could mean their first attempt at unification, although the evidence for this interpretation is scant. From the same anonymous source, it was written: "not all abide by the colors, but a union must be held for survival" (1), which leads some credence to the interpretation of blue being the unification symbol. The green background is an odd choice that fails to appear in any other iteration of the Eagrok flag. A well preserved journal unearthed recently show a flag that has no green background, but instead an almost translucent lavender, and the blue that encircles the other is a faded gray. These records note: "our lost heritage is best left to the Silence. We rise up as one to a new future" (2). These contradictory records to anonymous (1) are dated at 79 E, and the names ascribed to the (2) records are marked over with what seems to be erasures and etchings. It is possible more than one person compiled this contradictory record; the rest of the book contains poetry and philosophical musings on the state of human symbiosis with nature, where some sections hold radically different handwriting styles that give credence to the multi-author theory. This may be why this design preferred a lavender sheen as that matched the coloration of the Raliok leaves' translucent veins. In 178 E, there is records of a design change that eliminates the color green entirely, though records are unclear as to why this style change was made. A gray-blue dominates the background, and the circles stay in their same orientation and colors. This was also the time when the four states had combined resources to build a central city named Elikaelia within the ruins of a nak-zezotj'qokogin (harsh-alien-imprisoner) base high in the Raliok branches, nearly a half a kilometer from the sea level. In 189 E, the Cirtearian refugees arrive in system in what documents describe an old generation ship. The inhabitants of the starship land in desperation as their generational ship is nearly out of fuel. Their landing spot is in the Eon hills, near the small town of Esikan, which in 189 E was known as Essiken. Documents from that time period contradict the exact events, but the most reliable primary source document states: "Cirtearian refugees attempt to fell a Raliok. This put Essiken at risk for destruction if the 0.76 kilometer high tree fell. Forces sent from Elikaelia to stop the invaders and seek a cease of hostilities" (3). It is only a few qaesa (one revolution around Elivera's star) later that the flag was adjusted yet again, this time the circles became rings that were intertwined with each other. This design lasted for several centuries, while the Eagrok nation-states began to acclimate with the new Cirtearian refugees that came to inhabit their cities after the unknown confrontation in 189 E. The next big design change came in 481 E after the discovery of the Tokuniqohani (star of leadership). The Tokuniqohani revealed individuals that had stable concentrations of all seven Abilities within their blood. These individuals had often been known as the inert due to being unable to utilize any one Ability, but with this ancient tech, it was possible to detect which inert person had all seven aligned in a way that allowed them the ability to detect when Abilities are used in their presence, as long as a sliver of the Tokuniqohani remained in their possession. This discovery lead to the Eagrok splintering into rebel factions and the main government, both of which warred over what should be done with the discovery and how it should be used. The flag in 481 E was presented as a way to show that the goal was to reach to the stars in a union that spanned the globe. Stars were added inside the rings, and the rings were thinned by several millimeters. The design was not officially adopted until 510 E when the Tomrak and the Isutobek assisted the Eagrok government in quelling the rebels. The three then united into an alliance in hopes of creating a planetary union in which to solve global disputes to avoid wars between nations. The Qohani Aviliza at the time wrote: "Until we all come to see each other as one people, war will threaten to destroy and undermine all dreams of equality. Together as one people upon Elivera can we hope to quell our more disastrous impulses and craft a brilliant future that shines hope upon all people" (4). It was a bold vision at the time, but it left the planet in series of military blockages and invasions that forced other nations to eventually join the fledgling Planetary Union. As much as the Eagrok had hoped for a peaceful unification, their tactics did not live up to the hope they had designed within the flag of their nation. The Tohanavi created upon the inclusion of the nation of Sunik in 624 E spent nearly a decade in their investigations and rendered a judgement worthy of the peace and hope of a union where war crimes would not go unpunished. Perhaps the stars and unification hopes embedded in the finalized design of the Eagrok flag was realized afterall when the last of the war criminals were put into the rehabilitation centers, and the Qohani Saniti wrote a new chapter of peace: "War has ended, and peace will reign. Our union will not be free of struggles and conflict, but we have the means to cooperate and enforce our hopes and dreams of an equitable and equal future for all" (5). In our travels through the flags of Elivera, it is pertinent to now turn to the victims of Eagrok's war crimes. We shall begin with the Halik nation in the island chains south of Vera. Editor Note: the footnotes that document the primary sources for each of the quotes used in this section are not translatable for the English reader. It is noted that the Sunik academic style was to be quite thorough in dating the document, the location of when it was read, the title, author, pages used, and storage zone of the record.Halik Flag History
The Halik Nation's flag has a varied history with the colors used in its design. Part of this is due to internal conflict between the islands, where specific tribes quarreled over resources and how best to set up their fledgling government. Settlement of these islands is relatively recent in comparison to the other nations. The islands were first explored by scouts from Egoni in 105 E based on documents and evidence of dug-out shelters on the western islands, closest to the continent of Egoni. Documents were heavily weathered in the containers that kept them somewhat preserved, but water damage had made much of them illegible. Of the documents, one scout reported, the language an archaic dialect of modern Egoni, "Leviathans hunt the waters. Much of the vegetation is poisonous. Do not recommend settlement on Island 1" (1). The report had several more pages before this final assessment, but the water damage made much of the reconstruction efforts near impossible and the scout's script was shaky and mostly indecipherable. The first evidence of a permanent settlement is dated at 330 E, and based on the remnants of the pottery and building styles, the migrants seem to be a mixture of people from Egoni and southern Vera. This may explain the influence of the colors and designs from both continents on the Halik flag and the source of conflict between the islands as the government of Halik was first instituted in 344 E. In 344 E, is when the first flag design appeared. This design used a dark blue background with waves and the crude drawing of a leviathan. Sani Kvara wrote in 345 E, "To symbolize the harsh trials we endured to reach these islands, we commemorate this flag as a reminder of our past and a testament of our future" (2). However, the migrants from southern Vera protested the flag, the most prominent being Esi fe Quo, "to immortalize the leviathans that killed so many of us is blasphemy. Each look at that flag will bring sour memories and pain" (3). This lead to a different design: one with a golden triangle in the center to symbolize the three main islands, where each island is represented by the each corner of the triangle. Rays extend from below the triangle. The background color was white in 350 E, but this changed to a light blue in 378 E. Infighting between the two groups continued for nearly a century. Livoris became known as the Egoni government, which clung to their leviathan centered flag until 402 E. Delihim became the seat of the Vera migrants, and they pushed hard for their version of the flag with many a diplomatic contingent sent to the Egoni islands in an attempt to find common ground between two tense groups. Sontia fe Tanika writes in 398 E, "It is of grave concern that our lack of unity keeps us from progressing. We are weak. Rumors of threats to the north disrupt our trade routes. Sharing between islands is blocked by petty warfare over a flag. Is not our commonalities as humans more important than scraps of cloth?" (4). In 402 E, the current leader of the Egoni seat of Livoris wrote, "Edible food is scarce, much of the plants poisonous, the seas riddles with leviathans, and the food shared between our peoples is fraught with raids of discontents. I request we combine designs, and forge a new flag that implements ideas from both our constituents. Lead by example in hopes our people will follow" (5). This lead to a new alteration to the Vera version of the flag, where semi-circles were added above the golden triangle to symbolize waves. The leviathan was taken out of the design, and the triangle with its rays were kept intact. The color of blue was altered to align more toward a sea-color rather than the original faded sky blue. A celebration of unity was set up on all three islands that lasted a week in 405 E. Known as the Soul Unity Festival, it became a common holiday, held at the start of the Uigroti season. Although this decreased the tension between the two seats, it would take another twenty qaesa (Elivera year) for the terms of agreements needed to fully unite the two under one nation would be ironed out to the satisfaction of all parties. The flag of Halik has remained relatively unchanged for several centuries, where only in the most recent century of 870 E was the spacing of the lines and waves been adjusted for ease of manufacturing the flag. The Halik nation was one of the first invaded during Eagrok's war to unite all nations under one banner. The invading force of 510 E kept the ports of Halik under Eagrok control for nearly a century, and thus the Eagrok flag was flown at high staff with either absent from all port flagstaffs, or flown at lowest staff for that long period of occupation. Residents that attempted to flee the island nation were often caught and imprisoned; a significant portion would be released after a short period of imprisonment, where they were dealt heavy fines. However, estimates based on scattered evidence of this war-torn era, show at least 9 to 23 people a qaesa were heavily tortured for information, often dying in custody. The Halik Nation was well known for their sea-worthy vessels and exploration in the southern hemispheres, and the leaders of these vessels were the ones mostly likely to disappear into the imprisonment and torture of the Eagrok occupiers. During this time period, several new design of the Halik flag was presented, but all were heavily influenced by the Eagrok occupying force. The Halik seats of government shelved the designs quietly. No evidence exists of any of the new designs ever being used. In 581 E, Eagrok and Halik leaders come to an agreement that required all Eagrok military might to leave Halik islands as long as the Halik people participate in providing candidates for the Qohanitokun, the person who would lead the Planetary Union. In the last season, Uigroti day 45 of 581 E, the last of the Eagrok military vessels left the Halik Nation's borders. Sofu Valuipi, leader of the Halik nation in 581 E, proclaimed a week of celebration to mark this freedom from occupation, and the original Halik flag was restored to its high staff position. Her speech at the opening ceremonies, ended with this promise: "May this celebration be continued each qaesa in honor of our freedom as one people. Hold high our flag of unity, and remember that no occupation force can ever destroy our spirit and soul" (6). This marked the start of the Livar-uigan (To live-grow) Festival, annually held at the start of the Olruti season. Next in our travels, we will explore the Isutobek Nation, another island nation. Editor Note: the footnotes that document the primary sources for each of the quotes used in this section are not translatable for the English reader. It is noted that the Sunik academic style was to be quite thorough in dating the document, the location of when it was read, the title, author, pages used, and storage zone of the record.Isutobek Flag History
An examination of the Isutobek Nation's flag requires studious examination of their history, particularly their isolationist attitude and the unusual proliferation of the Avatjinentori ability in many of their citizens. The nation exists entirely on the Dolason Nevuin located in the Ivera Gilas at the thirty latitude above equator, between the continents of Vera and Ratomae. The eye symbol has been part of their symbology since the start of civilization on Dolason Nevuin in the 90 E decade. The old port of Biret completed it's construction over the remains of a Dragios lab in 97 E. Much of the pillars of the government buildings have eyes and flames etched into the stone. It is possible that these symbols were painted, but in current times, the paint has long since faded. Biret remained a prominent city within the isles, and over time, the Isutobek had a great fleet of ships that explored the Ivera Gilas - from Vera to Ratomae to even Egoni. Written inscriptions of the city center revealed some insight into the eye wreathed in flame: "Staring, lidless, swathed in flame. Hope and fury never tamed (1)." The city had been built around these alien ruins, the walls broken but curved in helical designs, and flushed with turquoise crystals that legends claim glowed at night. As the Isutobek grew, their ships also carried the same design etched into the bow even as the flag flew at their mast. Being a sea-faring nation, Isutobek gained fame for its swift ships, small but fierce in their weapon power and stealth. There is little evidence of trade between Isutobek and any other nation until approximately 398 E, where some of the designs of Isutobek ships began to proliferate through the Tomrak nation and its neighboring city-states. Art also began to appear between the nations and city-states of the Ratomae continent and the isolationist Dolason islands. Very little writings come from this isolationist period, mostly due to the reluctance of Isutobek officials to allow any researches into the great underground archives of Biret's city center, the home of the alien ruins and the walls that held no doors. During this isolationist period, the flag remained a golden hue with an eye in its center. Above the eye the elaborate design of red and blue flames served as the eyelid. The only variations in the flag was the color hue, which shifted to more bold hues in the late 400s. In 510 E, the Tomrak and Isutobek nation agreed to meet for a formal sharing of culture that lasted six months, an unusual request for the Isutobek nation to grant. Much of the writings of the Tomrak visitors revealed more into the hidden history of the Isutobek than any other historical artifact. The Isutobek had been a monarchy, often led by a Queen, and if one was not of age, a Head Minister led the nation till the Queen came of age. As written by Irial Kantaliu in 509 E, "Isutobek held in rigid ceremonies countless rules and strategies, like a web of spiders, but at its center lay a heart of compassion, one that rivaled my own (2)." Only six months after the daughter of the Tomrak president met Asuta fev Noritim, the Queen-to-be, the two declared their betrothal. "A great storm approached for which we must be united as one. Asuta tells me the fastest route to end the endless webs of formality was engagement and the opening of the eye (2)." Although Irial Kantaliu and her father Ipal were quite prolific in their rendition of the treaty talks, nothing more was said as to what 'opening of the eye' meant. It is reasonable to deduce that this hidden ceremony may be the heart of the Isutobek traditions and the reason the eye wreathed in flame has remained a central image for their people. Only a month after the alliance was formed in 510 E, unrest from Vera flooded the Dolason islands as rebel Eagrok forces invaded the outer most islands. Tomrak and Isutobek rallied their forces to hold off the surprise attack and imprison the rebels. As Irial writes, "Asuta would not stay behind. So together we met the storm of the Eagrok. I rose the sea in its fury to combat our enemy's fierce winds, and Asuta rode through the storm, her back straight, her head uplifted, and her mind focused like a beacon of light in the darkest of nights. Her skill honed in on location of the rebel leader, and we routed them that night (2)." This lead to the first official trade between Isutobek and the Eagrok nation, where they worked together for the exchange of the prisoners. It is in this trade that the words of Asuta was recorded, the only document from her rule to part the hidden archives of the Isutobek's underground library. "I, Queen Asuta fev Noritim of the Isutobek People, hearby give of these prisoners to the Eagrok Nation in good faith that the promise of freedom from dominion be upheld between our realms (3)." Despite the promise made in that trade, heavy pressure came from the Eagrok nation to adopt a unified approach to peace-keeping. From 511 E through 525 E, the Isutobek resisted negotiations until an Eagrok blockade kept Isutobek ships from completing trade routes to the Tomrak nation in 525 E. This lead to a minor clash, where ships from both nations sunk in battle. The Eagrok nation decried the skirmish as bloody and unnecessary. "Had the Isutobek agreed to the peace-keeping force, rebels would not have so easily slipped through our defenses and attacked innocent traders. It is with utmost urgency that we ask our allies to agree to a unified planet-wide republic (4)," wrote the Eagrok Qohan, Audin fe Oluok, only days after the bloody skirmish in the Ivera Gilas north-west of Dolason. Both Isutobek and Tomrak were smaller in size than the Eagrok Nation, and neither wished outright war. Thus in the following year of 526 E, they gave in to the pressure and signed a treaty for a planet-wide democratic republic. The centerpiece of this republic lay the Qohanitokun, a device of unknown origin, that detects the presence of Abilities within individuals. Despite the former isolationist strategy, Isutobek nation soon became a center of the Eagrok navy, and many a blockade was seen carrying the golden flag with the eye rimmed in flame. By 580 E, Isutobek Nation had provided candidates for the Qohanitokun. During this tumultuous time, waves were added to the bottom of the flag. The eye of flame was then shifted more toward the left. This new flag was finalized in 601 E and has remained relatively the same to present day. Our exploration into the Flags of Elivera does not end here, dear reader. May we head to the the Tomrak Nation next. Editor Note: the footnotes that document the primary sources for each of the quotes used in this section are not translatable for the English reader. It is noted that the Sunik academic style had been quite thorough in dating the document, the location of when it was read, the title, author, pages used, and storage zone of the record.Tomrak Flag History
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