Skira

Skira (Myrish: Skiira) (Salian: Ynys Sgiara) is an isolated located within the Northern Locufaric Ocean, and is also an overseas territory of the Unified Kingdoms of Gladomyr. The island is the most remote Myrish territory, and amongst the most isolated permanently inhabited islands in the world, located 2,350km from the closest landmass. The territory holds a seasonal population ranging from 25-75 personnel, with most if not all being members of the Royal Myrish Armed Forces. The island's most prominent feature is the Skira Base, which is Gladomyr's largest overseas army base. The base is composed of hangars, a decommissioned naval base, and two runways, with the largest being 4.24 km (2.63 mi) long. The island is also home to a bird sanctuary, several radar systems, and an abandoned Maqibo shrine founded by Riyatic sailors during the Third World War. Since 2017 and as of 2022, the island is undergoing massive renovations to both runways.

Discovery and early history
Skira's discovery dates back as far as the early 14th century in July of 1311 by the Salian Empire, but was not confirmed to be landed on until 1456 by Myr Kola Maatro. The island was officially claimed by the Myrish crown the next day by one Navin Skiira, though some historians state that the island was technically under the Salian crown since its initial documentation. Nonetheless, Gladomyr maintained its claim on the island for centuries to come. During the later Myrish Empire, the island was found massively important for passing ships, and was frequently used as a rest stop for long Locufaric crossings. The rocky coasts of the island proved troublesome for wooden ships however, and have spawned s on multiple occasions. For this reason, the island slowly fell out of favor as a rest stop as time went on, and was only used in case of emergencies and as a reference point for passing ships.

Castaways
Due to the immense amount of shipwrecked people finding refuge on the island, Skira was dubbed "Taaptmanöü", or "Lost Man Island", by Myrish sailors. Skira remained almost permanently uninhabited during this time, save for the spare or fisher. Between 1456 and 1900, more than 350 people have been stranded on Skira for more than one day. The amount of recorded shipwrecked people has made some consider the island to have, with some unknown force drawing sailors towards the island's dangerous coast. Some of the most notable events are recorded as following:


 * After the landing of Navin Skiira in 1456, it is reported that a ship cleaner fell off the edge of the ship upon Skiira's leaving, and was left stranded on the island. It is reported that the cleaner sustained injuries from the reefs and sharp rocks upon swimming back to shore. The cleaner would end up surviving for 6 months between the first and second landings by Skiira, and was picked up upon his return.


 * In 1560, a sailor was stranded on the island after he fell asleep whilst eating fruit, missing his ship's departure in the process. The sailor would ultimately survive the encounter when he flagged down a ship 29 days later.


 * Between 1640 and 1678, 23 different men became stranded on the island in completely separate incidents. At one point in time, it is recorded that 4 different castaways were on the island at the same time.


 * In 1701, the Myrish naval ship RMS Rumootin was lost in a storm, and wrecked on the exposed rocks surrounding Skira. The entire crew of 230 men and women ended up stranded on the island in the stormiest season, which made the chances of a passing ship low. According to records of the event, the crew of 230 became cannibalistic after running the island's supply of natural food dry. By the time the remaining individuals were rescued 7 months later, only 24 remained alive.


 * In 1727, Myrish royal Ikonan VI was banished to the island after embezzling taxes and royal funds. There, Ikonan reportedly found another castaway who arrived on the island at an unknown date, and the two become close friends. When a ship arrived to rescue Ikonan, Ikonan refused to come if he could not bring his castaway friend. The ship would not oblige, and Ikonan would therefore not board the ship. Ikonan and the castaway lived on the island for an unknown amount of time afterwards.


 * In 1784, a Lathadun named Felys Shimmin had illegally boarded a Myrish trade ship when docked in Ushteyghoo. Though not supposed to be on the ship, the Myrs aboard accepted his presence and put him to work on the deck. When the ship approached Skira, Shimmin was sent ashore as part of a foraging party. When he was picking fruits in the interior of the island, he suddenly saw his comrades departing in haste after having spotted a "ghost", leaving Shimmin behind to survive until he was picked up in 1788.


 * In 1812, the Eduran ship Godenhaven was shipwrecked off the northern coast of Skira following a tremendous storm. Most of the crew was rescued by the Myrish sealer Penti, commanded by Captain Iiveri Jäärvi. However, realising that they would require more provisions for the expanded number of passengers, Jäärvi and a few others went out in a party to retrieve more food. During his absence, the Penti was taken over by the Eduran crew, who left them on the island. Jäärvi and his party were finally rescued in November 1814. In 1829, Jäärvi wrote The Adventures of Captain Iiveri Jäärvi, which detailed the happenings.


 * In 1835, four fishermen became stranded on the island after an intense storm. The four fishermen lived on the island for up to two years before being forcibly removed by the Myrish armed forces.


 * In 1923, a small plane crashed off the coast of the island after the plane became severely off course in its navigation. The pilot, Pietari Nurmi, constructed a makeshift shack out of the remains of his airplane and lived on the island for 10 months before discovering that there was a military base located on the opposite side of the island, where he was then captured and interrogated before being released.

Military base and World Wars
Skira's strategic military location would not be realized until the late 1800s, when naval officer Raamo Leskin wrote a letter to the then Minister General requesting a naval base be constructed on the island for traveling military ships to stop and rest/regroup. The Minister General would oblige, and over the course of thirteen years, the beginnings of the Skira Base would be constructed on the western coast of the island in Aleksi Bay. The island would remain just a naval base until 1910, when Gladomyr would renovate the old and decaying naval base while tensions were rising with external powers. In the first Interwar Period, Gladomyr would significantly upgrade the Skira Base with rudimentary runways and dormitories. Additionally, more than 100 Myrish personnel were stationed on the island.

In 1941 during the Second World War, Salia invaded mainland Gladomyr one year following its lightning strike maneuver against Akerland. Troops stationed on Skira were at an all-time high, so when Salia attempted to take Skira on October 1, 1941, Myrish forces successfully repelled the invasion, sinking one Salian light cruiser in the process. Salia would attempt to take the island again the following week with increased forces, and would siege the island for one day before invading. The island was ultimately captured by Salia after Myrish forces took massive casualties. By the end of the island's siege, 28 Myrs were taken prisoner and 51 were killed. Skira was amalgamated into Salia afterwards, and Salian personnel were stationed on the island accordingly.

After the Salian evacuation of South Gladomyr and the beginning of the Third World War, Skira was forcibly taken back on December 18, 1954 by a combination of Ordrish and Myrish forces, and was incorporated back into Gladomyr subsequently. Later in the war, Gladomyr and Riyata signed a treaty which allowed Riyata to temporarily station its own respective military on Skira alongside Myrish forces. Skira would become the center of Riyatic Alutran operations, and would be where the Hiqano Y-7 Whale Hunter carrying [Scra Nuke] would take off and land during the nuking of Scra in 1958.

Paranormal events
In present day, between 25 and 75 Myrish personnel are stationed on the island at any given time, with a permanent population of 20. In 2017, the island began a massive remodeling of the airbase on the island, with both runways being completely removed to better ensure structural integrity. Additionally, many of those stationed on the island have reported "paranormal" encounters with apparitions of sailors, 1700s ships, and planes. The island is also host to numerous records of unusual and unexplainable weather phenomena, and multiple Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) have also been spotted by inhabitants. is among the most frequently reported phenomena spotted at the island. In 1997, a dorm of 10 Myrish soldiers all reported that at or around 03:00, an unidentifiable entity dressed as a 1940s navy officer opened the locked dorm room, hovered forward for about 5 seconds, before "falling over", resulting in a loud bang and an "earthquake" felt across the base. No remains of the entity were found, and no formal explanation has been confirmed. The paranormality of Skira is allegedly so severe that ~60 different soldiers over the course of a decade have claimed to have "gone insane" or otherwise psychologically break to the point of having to be sent home early.

Geography
Skira forms an emerged part of the submerged Skira Plateau. The plateau was built by volcanic eruptions associated with the Skira hotspot, which now lies on the Vorghys Plate.

Skira hosts a notably rocky and treacherous coastline, which is enunciated by the reefs which surround the island. The reefs are considered a protected environment by the Myrish Department of Wildlife and Conservation.

Environment
Skira forms part of the Locufaric Islands Important Bird Area (IBA), designated as such because of its seabirds and endemic landbirds. The island is a critical habitat in the central Locufaric Ocean, and includes breeding habitat for 17 seabird species. A number of native species rely on the island, which is now home to 67–70 percent of the world's population, and 34–39 percent of the global population of black-footed albatross. A very small number of the very rare short-tailed albatross also have been observed. Fewer than 2,200 individuals of this species are believed to exist due to excessive feather hunting in the late nineteenth century. In 2007–08, the Myrish Department of Wildlife and Conservation translocated 42 endangered Skira ducks to the atoll as part of their efforts to conserve the species.

Over 250 different species of marine life are found in the Skirsk lagoon and surrounding waters. The critically endangered monk seals raise their pups on the beaches, relying on the island's reef fish, squid, octopus and crustaceans. Green sea turtles, another threatened species, occasionally nest on the island. A resident pod of 300 dolphins live in the lagoons and nearshore waters.

The island of Skira haa been extensively altered as a result of human habitation. Starting in 1869 with the project to blast the reefs and create a port on the island, the environment of Skira has experienced profound changes.

Lead paint on the buildings posed an environmental hazard (avian lead poisoning) to the albatross population of the island. In 2018, a project to strip the paint was completed.

Skira receives substantial amounts of marine debris from pollution in the Locufaric. Consisting of 90 percent plastic, this debris accumulates on the beaches of Skira. This garbage represents a hazard to the bird population of the island. Every year 20 tons of plastic debris washes up on Skira, with 5 tons of that debris being fed to Albatross chicks. It is estimated that at least 100 lb (45 kg) of plastic washes up every week.

Climate
Skira has a (Cfa) according to the. At 30 degrees north, Skira is notably warm and wet, and is the territory receiving the most rainfall out of all of the modern Myrish realm.