Hezikian Isles

Hezikian Islands

Heziqqiyah
Geography
Area	1,180 km2 (3,056 sq mi)
Fiannria
Capital and largest city	Viafre
Demographics
Population	1,218,476
Pop. density	1,033/km2 (399/sq mi)

The Hezikian Isles are a volcanic island archipelago located in the southern Levantine Ocean owned by the Commonwealth of Fiannria. The islands are named after Hezekiah, a biblical king of Judah. Historically the islands have been a crusader kingdom, a trading post to Audonia, a smuggling and pirate den, an island prison for exiles, a naval base, and more tourism hub. It has also been the inspiration for the fictional island location for IxCount of Monte Cristo. Consisting of 37 islands, 15 of which are settled, with the largest three being Perassa, Seko, and Malona. It has recently seen immense new development projects by the Fiannria government.

Demonym

Insulae Ezechiae, as the islands were first referred to, were the names given by sailing Crusaders heading south, first to Sarpedon, and later further east into Audonia. The islands were given their name in honor of the biblical king of Judah, Hezekiah. The archipelago historically was named by Punic settlers as Hizziqilhu to refer to the strength of the gods which gave them the lands to settle. This name was converted to the Istroyan Ezekele and later by the Adonerii Ezechiae which leads to the modern name, now associated with the Judean King rather than its polytheist origin. It would come to be known as the Principality of Ezechia prior to its incorporation into the modern Fiannan state.

History

Early History

Around 700 BC is the estimated time that Punic settlers first came to the islands from among the Semitic tribes, taking the settlement from the bronze age residents that lived among some of the islands prior. This colony would become a major site for early iron age trade through Audonia and would be an outpost for trade with Istroyan city-states. However, amidst political infighting prone to the trade empires of the Punics, Istroyan settlers invaded and founded their own colony in the peninsula. Leading to centuries of intermittent warfare between the settlements that would be key outposts for trade access to goods across Audonia and beyond. This persisted until the mid 200s AD, where the Istroyan’s amongst the islands became tributaries to the Adonerii. Interestingly, records seem to show mention of both the Caphiric Adoneric Empire and also the Great Levantia Adoneric Empire as the target of tribute. The influence of the Adonerics on the Istroyan colonies gave an edge to the Istroyan colonies that would lead to most of the Punic settlements captured or burned.

Caliphate and Crusades

However, with the rise of the Oduniyyads, the Punics sought their support that eventually led to the conquest of the islands completely by the Caliphate in the late 600s. Caliphate control over the islands was generally lax, maintaining Jizyah taxes over the isles large non-islamic populations as it promoted slow islamization and arabization of the islands. Control over the islands would be unopposed until 1084 when a contingent of Culfran and Deric crusaders, seeking resupply and a place to further fund their armies in its mission south to Istroya invaded the archipelago. Under the leadership of William Baran, a Culfran lord, led an invasion of the Hezikian islands in order to support the resupply and funding of the northern Levantine forces in its expedition to fight in the Crusade for Istroya.  The island-hopping and naval campaign seriously delayed and weakened the northern contingent in the Crusade in the south. Finally capturing the archipelago, William Baran and some allied lords declared rulership over the islands, Baran being named the Prince of Ezechia, those forces now tied up in control over the islands, only a portion of the remaining northern Crusaders arrived in the Istroyan islands in 1085 to support the first Crusade.

The Hezekiah Islands would become an outpost for Crusaders in the south and the frontlines for jihads and the alleged epicenter of muslim and christian piracy wars. As conflict intensified, holy orders would seize their own islands among the archipelago, still at least nominally under the leadership of the Prince of Ezechia. As Crusades shifted away from the south and towards Audonia proper, Ezechia would be the staging grounds for many of the invasions and conflicts into the region. Popularly, Ezechia would be a site of many Expeditions to find the Holy lands, largely associating the semitic ties and settlements on the islands to the ancient Kings of Israel and Judah.  

While control of Ezechia was solidified, the seas remained both a battleground and also among the golden seeds planted in Levantia for the future of global trade. Ezechia providing a port of call for Levantine and Audonian merchants as they made early journeys between the two.

Integration into Culfras

In 1529, the Prince-Elector of Bridhavn, having been among the most influential northern Princes of the Holy Levantine Empire, amongst the network of marriage and military alliances the family of O’Rourke had developed, the Princedom of Ezechia was inherited by the Prince-Elector. The O’Rourke’s would consolidate control of the islands and became a lifeline of needed funds, soldiers, and supplies to support the Northern Holy League’s war during the Reformation.

With the creation of the United Kingdom of the Culfras founded in 1571, the O’Rourke’s brought with them the title of Prince of Ezechia. Ezechia would become a rest point for Protestants seeking Pharisedoms in Audonia. Some remaining on the islands, but most sailing further away from Levantia. It would become a major port of call also for early colonial expeditions, especially towards the future state of Soirwind.

Amidst the Tumultous Century

As time went on however, and the winds of economic success under the kingdom eventually waned into stagnation, that alongside the outbreak of civil war for the throne of of the Culfras led ultimately to the collapse of the united kingdom. In its place was created a league of Culfran states. This new dynamic would leave a large amount of autonomy for the Islands to operate as its own state nominally under the league. The Islands would become a center of economic and naval proxy war for influence over oriental trade. At the same time, the islands conversely became a hub for smugglers and pirates along with privateers operating within the trade route passage. While mainland Culfras fell into Civil War which would lead to the founding of the modern state of Fiannria much of the Hezikian Islands remained the same, but eventually in the waning months of the war, noble exiles who did not escape for familial ties in southern Levantia would set off and many would settle in the islands taking up permanent residence in the summer manors across the islands.

Hezikian Islands in the new Commonwealth

The noble exiles would make use of their remaining wealth to become masters of the islands and create a noble oligarchy on the islands under the administration of the House of Lords which they claimed was the remnant of the legitimate government of Culfras. However, this adminstration lasted for only five years after the end of the Brothers War when a flotilla of Fiannan gunboats and a contigent of the Commonwealth's new marine corps arrived on the islands to reassert authority and control of the islands. The marines marched onto shore without a shot as the House of Lords provided terms of surrender promptly at their arrival.

Acknowledging the distance it had from the mainland and the lack of political support for further infringements on the remnant nobility, a provisional government was founded on the island, reestablishing a democratic Tyn, a governorship elected by the Fiannan citizens on the island, but also permitting the existence of the House of Lords, creating the only bicameral federal subdivision of the Commonwealth. After a period of governor-generalship, the first elections were held and the Islands were recognized in the Tyn as federal organized territory of the Commonwealth. Determining a larger degree of autonomy would be granted to the archipelago.

A Passage into the new Orient

As the Commonwealth recuperated and grew, many in Soirwind, Hezikiah, and mainland Fiannria watched with interest at the collapse of the Burgundic trade companies rule across Audonia and the rise of new nations taking their place. From businessmen and traders, missionaries, war veterans, to avid democratic revolutionaries all turned their eyes to the east and the independent states there. The Hezikian Islands would become the hub of transit between Fiannria in the east and the states Fiannria sought to build relationships with in the east. This remains true today and the islands continue to play a key economic role in transit between Fiannria and Audonia.

Thanks to this rise of wealth on the islands, businessmen, oligarchs, and even Levantine nobles from elsewhere in the Holy Levantine Empire would purchase manors and build resorts on the islands that would turn the archipelago into both a hub of commerce and also luxury and leisure.

Hezikian Islands in the 20th Century

Global tensions continued to build as the world entered the 20th century, Fiannan military strategists determined that the Hezikian Isles would be a key strategic point for sea lanes between Audonia and Levantia, and therefore could be a target. A series of fortifications and harbor were developed on the archipelago while at the same time the islands popularity as a resort and holiday spot dramatically increased alongside the innovation of aircraft allowing a new, faster method of travel to the islands.

With the outbreak of the Levantine Civil War, the islands played a key role for the movement of goods to and from Audonia and received rapid and increased military infrastructure improvements, including an airfield as Fiannan generals worked through potential scenarios that would leave the islands a target. Once the Kin War broke out following the invasion of mainland Fiannria by Faneria and an agreement made between Urcea, Burgundie, and Fiannria to provide military support to one another amidst the outbreak of the global conflict, the islands became a transit hub for forces redeploying between the east and west.

After the end of the Great War, much of the military investments in the island were closed down as the period of peace and explosion in commercial flight would dramatically increase the popularity of the islands as a tourist site, not to mention new global trade agreements allowed the islands to continue to prosper. Facing only an increase in military deployments but largely left to itself during Operation Kipling. Hezikian Islands necessity as a trade link between Levantia and Audonia led to it being cushioned from many economic downturns, but also led to much less regular investment through the rest of the century.

Recent Events

Largely insulated form earlier economic downturns, an economic outlook analysis in the mid 2010's led to a discussion about the lack of actual investment and attention recent Fiannan administrations have had on the islands. Under the direction of the Engel administration, Fiannria has established refurbished and expanded military infrastructure on the island, those being Rossa Naval Base and Gotz Air Base. There has also been a series of new economic projects on the islands to improve infrastructure and healthcare access along with promoting its position as a center for foreign businesses and trading.

Politics and Governance

The Hezikian Islands, while a territory of the Commonwealth share structure similar to Fiannan mainland states with a tripartite separation of powers in government with a Governor of the Territory, a Tyn, and a High Court under its constitution. However, one unique feature of the Hezikian Islands owing to the many noble-born exiles which settled on the islands is the existence of a House of Lords which serves as a bicameral legislative body unique to the archipelago which consists of a body of the leaders of the exiled noble families must vote to approve legislation passed by the Tyn prior to being sent to the Governor. Settled islands are divided into their own subdivisions, with nearby islands to settled ones tending to be under the settled island's jurisdiction, however some exceptions exist.

In the wake of the Red Bridhavn government and the establishment of the National Councils, an independent National Council system were created on the islands to represent the nations present on the islands.

Economy

Foreign trade has long been a vital aspect of the Hezikian Islands. However, the local economy also makes use of its fishing industry, wine and olive industry, as well as a biological sciences and research that complement the large tourism sector of the Hezikian economy.

Due to its historical cultural significance and continuing major archeological operations, as well as natural features and climate, the Hezikian islands are a major stop for tourists, with several resorts and many Levantine cruises to and stopping at the destination along with several direct flights to various Levantine states.

Many of the larger islands and those closer to the interior have been connected by bridges and even one notable underwater subway tube between two of the islands. However, further out islands have only boat and plane connections. The capital city of Viafe and several other major cities near the interior on the largest islands possess development comparable to mainland Fiannria, thanks to its trade connections and foreign business opportunities it provides. However, there continues to be health access and effective transit problems with some of the outlying islands which remain more underdeveloped.

Demographics

The long history of the Hezikian Islands and its eras under different political and cultural control have created a very unique demographic make-up. Those three periods, referred to as the Punic-Istroyan period, the Oduniyyad period, and the current Fiannan period have all contributed to the cultural, religious, and ethnic make up of the islands.

As of 2024, the Isles had a population of 1,218,476 people, this not including a frequent, large tourist population on the islands. Ethnically, the island make up is divided by their National Councils, which consist of Punic, which refers to the largely syncretized native population on the islands, which still make up 46% of the islands population. Followed by the Arab and the Persian populations, taking up 13% and 17% respectively, and followed by 9% Gothic and 7% Gaelic populations from Fiannria, leaving the remaining 8% for other Levantine, other Audonians, among others.

Religiously, centuries of Fiannan presence has protected a significant Christian minority on the islands despite its adjacency to many Islamic majority countries. This minority would develop into a significant majority on the islands, this including both Protestant and churches in Communion with the Catholic Church.

Climate and Geography

The climate of the Hezikian Isles is subtropical-dry climate with mild winters and hot summers, consisting of low hills, numerous bays and inlets, the geography of the Hezikian Isles features few major inland water features, however a dam and dike project from the 20th century has created a large inland lake on one of the islands.