General information (Pre-Great war):
Demonym: Keldari
Capital: Skapborg
Key cities: Eldholm, Grjotstadir, Truborg and Visindarheimr
Official language: Steintunga
Total population: 163,873,321
Total land area: 905,837 km²
Currency: Skeld
Government: Developmental Atelier Republic with Master-Apprentice Governance
The Presidential Relic (DESTROYED):
There was nothing.
Nothing. Nothing.
Nothing could replace it. Nothing could even name it. It was all imagination - or so they said. They are not real. Were never real. Never even exist.
No. No. No.
How did this happen? Where did it fracture? The comfort was never true. It only resembled truth long enough to be believed.
So what is true? Does it even exist - or was it never real enough to be spoken to?
And these words - what are they pointing at? Are they trying to signal something they themselves cannot comprehend?
Ontological status (Post-Great war): The indications of continued survival are minimal, and the current body of evidence is insufficient to support a definitive conclusion regarding the state's ongoing existence. It is probable that the entity was merged with Cathair Ghormfhain
About Keldar:
🕯 Sculpture is a major part of Keldari culture, with nearly 10 million sculptures scattered across the state.
🕯 Keldar's beaches are considered among the most beautiful in the world, especially because of their unusual brown sands and striking tartrazine-yellow shoreline.
🕯 Much of the land is covered in brown desert, and during the hottest months, people joke that the sun is strong enough to cook an egg on the ground.
🕯 It is believed to be the place where the ancestors of the Keldari first emerged before moving to the mainland. Dozens of ancient statues remain there, carved with techniques far ahead of their time.
🕯 There are no surviving records explaining why the early Keldari migrated to the mainland in such large numbers.
🕯 Their alliance is so ancient that neither nation remembers exactly when it began, but both names appear constantly in each other's histories.
🕯 This unique weapon class was designed to hurl massive stones and engineered projectiles during war and siege battles.
🕯 While stone remains the heart of Keldari sculpture, materials like metal, wood, clay, and mixed media are becoming more popular.
🕯 In the center of Eldholm, stand dozens of statues have experimental features, such as extra limbs, distorted bodies, or forms unlike normal humans. New statues are still being added today even after two thousand years.
🕯 Some sculptures have been deliberately sunk underwater, while others float across the ocean, turning the sea itself into a moving art gallery.
Brief modern history:
I. THE HELRUN COUP AND THE HALVDAN REGIME (1121–1123)
The modern state of Keldar emerged from a violent coup. Halvdan Skjornesun defeated Torfin Hrafnbjarn over seven days of armed confrontation in the capital (12 April 1121). Under Halvdan's authoritarian regime, the state endured systematic purges and extrajudicial detentions. Mass graves proliferated; corpses accumulated in public spaces; blood was visible in the streets - a deliberate demonstration to deter opposition.
II. THE BLOOVINDR AR (BLOOD WIND YEARS) (1123)
Widespread dissatisfaction catalyzed opposition protests, riots, and civil disturbances throughout 1123. Demonstrations escalated into armed insurrection as militant factions and self-armed civilians engaged state forces. On 7 May, Halvdan was assassinated by gunshot to the head. Torvald Skeggrun assumed interim leadership but was replaced after three days by Eirik Hafgrimsson. After three months, Hafgrimsson was killed when an explosive device detonated beneath his office desk.
III. THE ASTRYD ADMINISTRATION (1123–1145)
The state existed in a power vacuum for one week before Astryd Hrafnsdottir Myrkjorn proclaimed herself successor. Under her administration, initial stabilization occurred, though widespread disorder persisted. On 18 December, Astryd survived an assassination attempt by firearm and declared comprehensive military operations against all insurgent forces.
The counterinsurgency campaign continued for five years before most rebel forces were defeated, with survivors retreating to rural areas. State apparatus was ultimately restored.
IV. THE HAFNAR-FESTNING POLICY AND THE PEOPLE'S BLOOM (1145 onward)
On 30 May 1145, two weeks before her death, Astryd implemented Hafnar-Festning (Harbor Fortification): idle wealth exceeding a specified threshold was automatically redirected into public investment funds; natural resources were nationalized and leased under profit-sharing terms. The policy generated explosive local economic growth, reduced crime, and cultivated exceptional public trust. The subsequent decades became known as the People's Bloom.
V. CONFLICTS WITH VELBOR AND VENTROIS (1151–1168)
Throughout 1151-1162, numerous brief armed engagements occurred between Keldar and Velbor. These conflicts evolved into low-intensity warfare (1162-1164), then hybrid warfare (1165), escalating into high-intensity conventional conflict that remained limited - neither nation committed to total mobilization. The conflict persisted for three years; Keldar temporarily occupied portions of eastern Velbor before withdrawing in 1168 after determining continued engagement no longer served strategic objectives.
In 1157, Keldar developed flame-resistant technology and established emergency evacuation protocols. In 1169, comprehensive bunker systems were constructed within each household - rock-layered fortifications provisioned for three months.
Tensions with Ventrois reignited around the 1150s. Most confrontations remained limited to border incidents. On multiple occasions, the two states approached full-scale war, averted only through intervention by higher authorities.
VI. THE MULTIFOLD WAR AGAINST VENTROIS (1191–1198)
On 27 August 1191, allied with Cathair Ghormfhain under the coalition "Multifold," Keldar declared war on Ventrois. The conflict was deliberately prolonged over seven years to erode Ventrois's capacity. Keldar deployed Grjotstormur (Stone Storm) - lithic projectile systems launching massive quantities of stones, an estimated hundred daily for three years. Many were augmented with incendiary materials; contemporary observers described them as resembling meteorites. The most catastrophic destruction occurred at Fontenayl, where nearly the entire city was reduced to ruins.
Ventrois proved incapable of mounting effective counteroffensives. The Battle of Boisjoli (July–November 1196) and Battle of Bellefont (February–June 1197) concluded in Multifold victories. On 6 December 1198, Ventrois capitulated.
VII. THE SKELDRUN MÓR (1226)
During March 1226, Keldar completed the Skeldrun Mór - a monumental sculpture featuring a thousand figures merged together in contorted forms. The statue required more than seven years of continuous craftsmanship.
VIII. THE ECONOMIC CRASH (1244)
In July 1244, Keldar experienced a severe economic crash precipitated by irresponsible lending. Financial institutions extended loans to startup ventures claiming involvement in revolutionary stone product manufacturing. Many ventures were shell corporations with no substantive operations. When investors discovered the fraud, they rapidly withdrew capital. The crisis persisted for three years before stability was restored through direct governmental intervention.
IX. PRELUDE TO THE FIRST GREAT WAR (1267–1271)
From 1267 to 1271, border conflicts erupted between Keldar and Velbor. The Zlotopol Village Incident (6 April 1269) - the settlement was burned - intensified confrontations. Clashes occurred within Velbor territory at Jasieniec and Kasztelice.
X. THE FIRST GREAT WAR OF ELDERVALE - KELDAR THEATRE (1271–1272)
Keldar declared total war on Velbor (7 July 1271). Keldar launched multiple lithic projectiles deep into Velbor territory - incendiary materials, metal spikes, toxic stone compositions, explosive ordnance. Estimates suggest approximately one hundred launches per day.
However, Velbor deployed temporal manipulation technology ("time stop") - a compact, pen-shaped device emitting light. Keldar personnel exposed experienced complete immobilization; the vast majority were eliminated during incapacitation. This represented an unprecedented development for Keldar military intelligence. During the Battle of Kasztelice (15 December 1271 – 18 January 1272), entire units were instantaneously immobilized.
Recognizing continued combat would result only in catastrophic losses, Keldar conceded defeat and was obligated to pay substantial war reparations.
XI. THE HALVDAN SKORASON HRAFNVIK COUP AND RECOVERY
The defeat generated widespread civil unrest. Halvdan Skorason Hrafnvik initiated a coup d'état and proclaimed himself legitimate state authority. The new regime systematically reestablished internal order and developed countermeasures against temporal immobilization technology.
XII. THE VENTROIS COVERT OPERATION (1284)
In December 1284, numerous citizens exhibited bizarre behavioral anomalies: running mindlessly through streets, screaming, uttering incomprehensible statements, some unclothed and eliminating waste publicly. Most incidents lasted approximately thirty minutes; all affected reported complete amnesia. Keldar identified the perpetrator as Ventrois.
XIII. PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND THE EIRNSTÍGR OFFENSIVE (1287–1291)
In May 1287, protective equipment mitigating temporal immobilization effects was completed - could not fully neutralize the weapon but significantly reduced severity. The Eirnstígr Offensive, a deep penetration operation into Velbor territory, nearly precipitated another total war. Clashes and raids continued until the outbreak of the Second Eldervale Great War.
XIV. THE SECOND GREAT WAR OF ELDERVALE - KELDAR THEATRE (1292–1294)
Keldar declared war on Ventrois (3 March 1292) and on Velbor (8 November 1292). Despite Ventrois's psychological manipulation techniques (forcing soldiers to fire upon comrades before killing themselves) and Velbor's temporal immobilization, Keldar maintained operational effectiveness through comprehensive preparation.
Lithic launcher systems remained the dominant weapon platform. The volume of projectiles was so immense that contemporary observers described it as resembling rainfall.
Velbor front: The Battle of Lipowice, Battle of Opolnica, and Siege of Wilczany (30 December 1292 – 14 March 1293) combined continuous lithic bombardment, though advancement proceeded slower than planned. The Battle of Gromis (15 December 1292 – 23 May 1293) - the longest and most intense engagement - marked the largest-scale deployment of temporal immobilization. Keldar adopted long-range bombardment; approximately three projectiles per square meter saturated the battlefield. Velbor ordered tactical withdrawal.
Ventrois front: Lithic launcher systems destroyed multiple psychological manipulation facilities, enabling further advance before encountering stalemate (February 1293). In May, combined Keldar and Cathair Ghormfhain forces achieved breakthroughs through the Battle of Belroche and Battle of Vernac-les-Mers (1–28 May) - rapid surprise operations preventing Ventrois from establishing adequate defenses.
Despite tactical successes, Keldar could no longer sustain its war effort. Economic devastation far exceeded projections, and the conflict exhibited clear signs of strategic stagnation. Keldar actively withdrew from the war.
XI. THE CIVIL WAR AND URVARNOTT (PRIMORDIAL NIGHT) (1294–1295)
The population concluded the war had accomplished nothing beyond economic ruin and loss of life. Public resentment escalated daily. Central authority collapsed after two months. The state fragmented into competing warlord territories. This period became known as Urvarnott.
The initial phase reduced the conflict to two remaining states: Western Keldar and Eastern Keldar. The Battle of Bjargstaor (three months) concluded in Eastern victory, enabling further advance through Drifnes and Tangard. Eastern forces captured critical command and control centers. The civil war officially concluded in early 1295.
XVI. THE ARVID TORVALDSSON REGIME AND RECONSTRUCTION (1295 onward)
Under new leader Arvid Torvaldsson, immediate efforts focused on national reconstruction. The economy was reformed into a centralized system with most sectors under governmental control. Infrastructure was rapidly repaired; emergency shelters addressed housing shortages. Within several years, the nation was restored to its pre-1291 condition.
On 30 December 1295, Keldar signed the Pax of Seraphic - a controversial agreement renouncing future retribution. Domestic opposition was significant. Nevertheless, beginning in 1300, multiple propaganda campaigns continuously mocked Velbor and Ventrois, reminding the population never to forget their actions.
XVII. SCULPTURAL MOVEMENTS AND STATE CONTROL (1296–1322)
Throughout 1296-1304, numerous sculptural movements emerged, initiated by war survivors. Most statuary depicted unvarnished representations of wartime experiences.
On 15 April 1322, the state assumed complete control over the manufacture and distribution of all necessities, determining prices and quantities for each region.
XVIII. THE EINAR AV VINDSKAR ADMINISTRATION (1347 onward)
On 23 June 1347, Einar av Vindskar was elected state leader. Under his administration, a new generation of Grjotstormur systems was established - some systems possessed sufficient destructive capacity to devastate an entire city within several days.
XIX. THE CONSOLIDATED SCULPTURE MARKET (1355)
In November 1355, a consolidated sculpture market emerged through the merger of numerous smaller markets into a single entity - a plan conceived decades earlier but repeatedly delayed by warfare and internal instability.
XX. STJARNAMARK PARK AND THE PRELUDE TO THE THIRD GREAT WAR (1365 onward)
In 1365, Stjarnamyr Park - located at the center of the capital - was completed, containing thousands of sculptures from artists throughout the state. The state continued developing normally until the outbreak of the Third Great War.
Idealology: Petrism
Petrism is a political ideology that asserts reality itself is unchanging, treating any appearance of motion or transformation as either illusion or decay. Only the solid, the durable, and the resistant are real; trends, fashions, emotions, and ideologies that shift are dismissed as mere dust. Moral virtue lies in non-reaction: the virtuous person is like a megalith, unmoved by wind, rain, praise, or insult. Petrism opposes progressivism, revolution, and even reform, insisting that society should be as stratified and immovable as sedimentary rock. Laws, once set, must never change, roles are fixed by birth and purpose, and time is not a river but a stone face - the past is not gone but still present as a layer, the future does not exist, and only the now, if it is solid and unchanging, holds value. Memory is carving; anticipation is erosion. Willpower is not a muscle that tires and grows but a crystalline structure: either it is intact, or it is shattered, with no concept of bending without breaking. An object at rest should stay at rest; motion requires justification while stillness is its own justification, which inverts modern productivity culture so that laziness is not a vice but a form of devotion - provided it is conscious stillness rather than restless distraction. Petrism rejects all organic thinking: no growth, only accretion (slow, external, and unconscious); no death, only erosion or shattering; no healing, only remaining unbroken or remaining broken; no reproduction - recruitment is not birth but crystallization, occurring when a suitable soul touches Petrist doctrine and hardens into the same form. All metrics of value are measured in mass and duration, not velocity or flexibility, and Petrists despise agile methodology, pivoting, flexible scheduling, and adapting to feedback, instead admiring glaciers, mountains, bedrock, and standing stones left by extinct cultures. Progress is considered a lie told by the restless to justify their trembling, and every person, institution, and object has a final form - the shape it takes when all softness has been removed.