Iskandariyye

Overview
Iskandar (Ish-khan-dar) is a snowy town located east of the southernmost continent in Alathra

Etymology
The word "Iskandar" originally came from what the native peoples called the river that the town runs through. The two rivers that Iskandar is between were originally called the "Isdar Flumeherinda," meaning "The two rivers." A settlement was eventually made there, and the name stuck, except to shorten it, they would just say "Isdar," and those living there called it "Nehir Arasinda" due to the native peoples language clashing with the more predominant northern languages. When Prince Sayyid reclaimed the town however, it was renamed to "Iskandar" which sounded more Lydoneian.

Pre-Iskandar
The town was originally a landmark that the native peoples in the area used for navigation as the two rivers close together was unique to the area. Eventually a village was established as more and more people went there in search of Food and Spruce Wood. It became a popular hub, and despite having a very low population in comparison to other villages at the time, the place was bustling with people. Eventually, the village was absorbed into the nearby town of Midnight Grove and was apart of it for most of it's early history. This age came to an end, however, when the Prensi royal family received the village as a gift for their service, and Iskandar was founded.

Founding
The town was first founded years ago under the Prenşı royal family as a gift from a northern ice kingdom, said to be the predecessor of Icesteel. It was founded by the name of Nehir Arasında, however those who did not live there called it Isdar. The city was founded for the purposes of mostly woodcutting and fishing, and eventually this expanded into trade. The earliest documented ruler is Neyf I, who wasn't the first leader, but he's as far back as the documents inside the city go. The main government that the city state had been found under was a Principality, as that was the title that the first leader was given when he was gifted the land. The Principality was originally a semi-independent Tributary to a (as of currently) unknown Empire that was based around the Southern Tundra region.

Ruin
The Southern Ice Empire eventually fell to internal conflict, and was replaced by Icesteel, who refused any tributary payment from the Prensi family, and was openly hostile toward the town. A declaration of war eventually came, followed by a lot of angry letters exchanged by both sides. The Icesteelan army eventually came, and the vastly outnumbered town was overrun and put into ruin, killing the current Prince, Neyf IV, and sending his two possible heirs, Sayyid and Beyza on the run and into hiding for two years. The two heirs eventually became solo survivalists, as Sayyid's townspeople who escaped with him eventually lost hope in ever returning to their home, and ran off to an unknown fate, and Beyza was alone from the start. Eventually, Sayyid met Estebandit, who inspired him to go back to retake his home, to his surprise, however, the town was completely abandoned, and he was left alone to rebuild it.

Re-Founding
As the town eventually grew back to size when Sayyid returned, instead of a principality, Sayyid chose to change the government to a Sifanate and adopted Arcadian and Kogongi tradition, as it had massive influence in the area. He also maintained his friendship with Estebandit, who was founding Kithe, and began rebuilding the town. He also began construction on a large fortress, so the town had better defenses if another attack like the Icesteelan one ever comes again.

Southern Union
After retaking his old home, Sayyid found himself in a difficult spot between two nations being The Southern Union (Modern day Lydoneia) and Icesteel, and he had to make a decision about where to align his loyalties so his town could thrive again. He decided to join The Southern Union as the Icesteelan's were obviously not so keen of his royal family being back in the ruling class of the city. Soon however, his town's representation within the nation would be stripped, and The Southern Union would fall to a peaceful coup, bringing the Republic of Lydoneia, and Sayyid was happy with the new republican government.

Geography
Iskandar is located on the river on the east side of the southernmost continent. North and East of the town is the Fluvius Silvio forest, a dense taiga that covers most of the east coast of Kogonon, South and West is the Icesteelan Tundra, which covers most of the southern parts of the continent of Kogonon, and houses other towns such as Kais Termina and Spadecrown.

Biosphere
There is not many native plants in or in the surrounding area of Iskandar, however the most common plant you will find in the area will be Spruce Trees and ferns. Which are native to the cold and unforgiving environment there. There are also many Dandelions in the city as well. Some animals also live there, most notably Polar Bears, which do not only live outside the town, but also in it. The townspeople in Iskandar are extremely apathetic toward these deadly creatures as they feed them, pet them, and even keep them as their own. Polar bears also are able to eat fish in the newly heated waters of the Iskandar river, so they do not have to eat any of the farm animals in the city. Iskandar is the only city in the world that does not kill these animals once they enter their town. Foxes also live in Iskandar, and are also taken in as pets, however they have been known to kill the farm animals, and lately have been being replaced by the much more easy to train wolf. All farm animals in the town are not native but imported from haven as it is too cold for them and they often have to be near a heat lamp or inside. In the water, there is much more wild plants. Since Sayyid put heat lanterns inside the waters to freeze the ice and make the water more navigable, the additional light and heat let new species of Kelp, Seagrass, and Sea Pickles thrive in the newly heated water. The plants also attracted more fish such as Salmon and Cod. Turtles even occasionally stop by the town during the summer to eat the newly grown Seagrass, and enjoy the heat from the lanterns.

Government
Prince Sayyid serves as the leader of the town. However other leadership roles are available to those who earn them.

Flag
The flag of Iskandar is a rectangle with a blue stripe on the top that signifies the town's vigilance and bravery, white in the center which stands for purity, and purple on the bottom which is wealth.

Town Culture
The people of Iskandar are very novel when it comes to their culture, and it is in stark contrast to those around them. What is normal in Iskandar might be abnormal everywhere else and vice versa. Polar Bears are seen akin to how other towns see dogs or cats, and the townspeople are very apathetic to them, making them their pets and such. However, visitors from Iskandar are often frightened whenever they see a pig, treating it as a dangerous animal. This confuses a lot of people. The diet of the people is very centered around seafood, as that is their main source of food. Crops don't grow well in Iskandar, however as of lately they have been able to get a few beetroot harvests and wheat harvests in varying their diet. They also drink a lot of red wine, and a common snacking item is berries, which are often pickable straight from the bush.

Religion
Prince Sayyid believes in the Havenian Pantheon however, the town happily houses those of all faiths.

Golden Statue
The golden statue in the center of the town is dedicated to all the warriors who have fallen in battle, and serves as a graceful centerpiece to the town square.

Wineries
The wineries of Iskandar are the only 2 buildings which contain indoor berry farms, and also are the only locations in the world where Soğuk Sarap wines are produced.