Weekly Flag Challenge: New Challenges & Previous Winners

[HerrWasser]

And the winner of WFC #173 is @The Professor! Congratulations!

The Novist Khanate

Brief Timeline
A wider Civil War in the Russian Empire leads to defeat of the Bolsheviks but an unstable republican government.
Roman (von Ungern-)Sternberg founds the pan-national Nova or Novist Party in response to growing Russian Nationalism.
A Nationalist coup provokes a Novist countercoup and militarist government under President Roman Sternberg
Novist Party slowly gains control of all state apparatus.
President Sternberg adopts title of Khan originally a pejorative by his opponents.
Foundation Wars establish the Khanate.

Ideology
Originally a blend of Orthodox Christian and Buddhist ideals.
Primary goal is to establish a global Eden populated by "Angelic Man" and all other goals are subordinated to this. Angelic Man is held to be the original humanity before the fall of the first civilisation in Eden - purported to be near the Aral Sea.
It is held that the Fall split humanity into 4 Quarter Races:
* Aryans - who further split into ancestral Europeans and Indo-Persians
* Adomites - who split into Semites and Africans
* Altaics - who split into Native Americans and the Turko-Mongols
* Asiatics - who split into Orientals and Aborigines
Historical empires are said to owe their success to due to a mixing of subtypes that brought them close to 1 or more Quarter Racial types.
The State thus licenses and authorises all progeny to promote hybridisation in furtherance of Angelic Man, hybrids being favoured in all aspects of the State.
Only Novist Party members are allowed in governance and must undergo regular physical, mental, and spiritual testing to prove their fitness.

The Flag
The flag features the Novist Sun device in gold on black.
The symbol is a merger of various European and Asian sun symbols such as the Slavic Suncross and Indian Svastika.

 

[The Professor]

Wow that was close

Flag Challenge 174: Not a Single Lion
The present English Banner of Arms derives from the Arms of King John who used 2 lions passant (and usually regardant) when ruling Normandy for his brother Richard. Richard added a third lion apparently to represent his 3 realms of England, Normandy-Anjou, and Aquitaine.
Your challenge is to come up with a justifiable Banner of Arms for England (or State including it) that bears not a single lion in any heraldic aspect.

NB Due to the detail flags can be as big as 600x1200px.
"England" refers to any post Heptarchy state roughly corresponding to most of modern day England and named England.

Submissions Open: Now
Submissions Closed: End 2nd October
Voting Period: from 3rd October

 

[Xanthoc]

And it is a tie between @Xanthoc (me) and @Slartibartfast !

Please be gentle....first time posting on AH! Also apologies for the lateness in posting. If its too late then fair enough.

THE BRITANNIC FEDERATION OF ENGLAND

Rather than the seven kingdoms joining via conquest etc to form England, all kingdoms peacefully decided to join together in a federation whereby each kingdom remains fully autonomous and ruled by their respective King, but gather in the biggest city London, every year to make decisions that are important to all areas like the continued harrying by Norsemen, from all directions (Normandy in the South, Dublin in the West, Scotland and Man in the North and, of course, the from the Scandinavian homelands in the East) and how to deal with them. The Federation then agreed a non-aggression pact with the Norseman....in return for future peace, the Norsemen were given the Northumbrian sub-kingdom of Deira (present day Yorkshire) as their own nation - Danelaw (although smaller than OTL). Due the continued success of the Federation and growing threat from the continent (Holy Roman Empire etc) the Federation formalised their Union and agreed that the royal families of each kingdom would elect a supreme leader to rule the Fedration.

The flag combines the flags of the constituent kingdoms (Mercia - Blue background, Gold - Wessex & Essex, Red - Kent & Essex, Burgundy - Northumberland & Wessex, White for the peace in all kingdoms.) along with the Nordic cross for Danelaw and the Fleur de Lis was adapted from the Norman design to represent the elected Supreme leader.

(If the inclusion of the arms on a shield with supporters is against the rules I can reupload with just the banner alone. I kinda got carried away.)

The North Sea Empire
Imperium Mare Septentrio

The successful regency of Hakon in Norway for Canute the Great can be said to have been the true key to ensuring the strength of the North Sea Empire. With his loyal vassal deftly ensuring the loyalty of the local jarls and helping to create a steady chain of resources between the three dominions of England, Norway, and Denmark, the empire began to solidify, though many rebellions would occur throughout its history. Canute the Great would focus his reign in England, but through Hakon and later through the half-English Ulfred, his other kingdoms would fall in-line, and when Canute began to tour his territory in his later years, he found a kingdom that was "not united, but together," a phrase which would define the North Sea for many years to come. When Canute died, his sole surviving son Harthacanute would succeed all his titles, but uprisings in Denmark would require him to rally his vassals in both England and Norway to successfully pacify the unruly Danes. Truly, it was not until the crown was eventually placed on the brow of Hakon IV that the North Sea Empire was truly 'unified,' as he was the first to style himself as 'Emperor of the North Sea, King of England, of Denmark, of Norway,' dropping the traditional title 'King of some of the Swedes' used since Canute, and under him its borders reached and solidified those established by Canute the Great after many years of the Empire's gradual shrinkage; for the majority of its history, the North Sea Empire was focused in England, having to fight tooth and nail to keep its footholds in Norway and Denmark, ironic as that is. And the people within the Empire, though separated by sea, survived long and grueling wars, before finally achieving true supremacy with victory against the French and the North Swedes under Hakon. Now together, the maritime nation would then begin using its thalassocratic nature to its advantage, building many ports and encouraging enlistment of all in either civilian or military naval forces. Many a philosopher has remarked that often there are more citizens of the North Sea in its waters than on its lands, and though hyperbolic, they are nearly right, particularly in times of war or invasion."

- History in a Second by Reinaldo Cortez
​

"The arms of the North Sea Empire are derived from the ancient 'Raven Banner' of many Norse pagan lords. A black raven on white would serve to inspire images of Wodin, the most feared and powerful of their gods, king of their pantheon. Though the North Sea Empire would convert almost entirely to Christianity, the marching of its armies under the Raven became a part of its shared history, and such a disparate kingdom was constantly urged to embrace all common features by its government. Eventually, the House of Knýtlinga, without its own arms for over two centuries, despite the trends in Europe, would take a crowned black raven on white as theirs, later augmented with a border of red to represent the nature of the empire, being a united kingdom in a vast space of both earth and water. Today, the raven has become increasingly stylized, an action taken in response to the Teutonic Republic, the resulting counter-revolutionary movements emulating their obsession with simplified symbols as a means of uniting their peoples before a revolution hit them...

...While not supplanting the civil and state flag, the royal banner was and is flown in all three of the Federal Kingdoms that lie underneath the title of Emperor of the North Sea. The capital of London flies the royal banner exclusively, without the red and gold English saltire beneath it, alongside the state flag, as it wishes to be an embodiment of Imperial unity, despite remaining feeling in much of the country that England is the most dominant and influential kingdom, at the expense of the other two...

...Officially the arms are supported by a wild man, taken from the Danish, and a golden wyvern, taken from the English, with the Crown of St. Æthelwulf, created and housed in Norway, resting above it, acting a symbolic uniting of the three lands around the House of Knýtlinga. The official motto of the Knýtlingas is "Deus, Iusticia, Pax," meaning "God, Justice, Peace," a phrase taken from Canute IX as his reasons for fighting for the North Sea, despite the belief that the Glorious Coalition of the Teutonic Empire, Iberian Popular State, and the Federation of France and Italy would never be defeated. Given the North Sea Empire's miraculous victory (with aid from the Serfdom of Vinland and the Kingdom of New Lombardy) the phrase became a popular part of the Septentrian national consciousness, and the imperial family made it their official motto rather than continue to have new monarchs establish their own upon ascension."

- The Little Book of Flags, by Javier Moreno​

 

[Xanthoc]

FLAG CHALLENGE #175: Before & After

Create two flags for one nation: the first of the state that existed prior to a revolution, and the second of the state after the revolution. To keep things interesting, the ideology of the revolution cannot be OTL Marxism-Leninism(-Maoism, etc.) nor OTL Italian Fascism or National Socialism. To clarify an ATL ideology similar to, or an ATL variant of, OTL fascism or communism can be used, although less commonly used ideologies are heavily encouraged!

Submissions Open: Now
Submissions Close: 27th October 2017
Voting Period: 28th October - 3rd November 2017

 

[Xanthoc]

And the winner is @Jing_Jing !

Confederate States of America

In a world where the 'McClellan-Meade Doctrine' allows for the Confederacy to build its resources and train its army, the CSA became a regionally powerful nation in the aftermath of the American Brothers' War. With the French Empire backing them after the paranoid American blockade sunk a French vessel, the Confederacy would not expand southwards into Mexico as the leaders of its Golden Circle Party fantasized, but instead moved into the Caribbean, and backed revolts in the American West, eventually absorbing the Republic of Deseret in 1891, as well as purchasing Cuba, the Bahamas, and conquering several other Caribbean islands such as Jamaica during their hostilities with the British in the Anglo-French War of 1882. Slavery remained a hotly debated issue in the nation; however, given the nations founding on state autonomy on the matter, most newly taken territories were allowed to vote on slavery, both during their time as territories and upon admission of statehood. The original Confederacy, alongside Cuba, clung on to slavery while new additions either forbade it, or allowed it with a great deal of restriction (as was the case in Deseret, who generally wanted fewer whites in their borders, free or not). Two factors, however, moved against the CSA; economics, and demographics. As time went on, the free black and 'mestizo' populations were rising, generally at a rate that was surpassing whites, and influx of immigration from Europe during the North German Partition in 1899 also allowed for a greater number of abolitionist whites. In addition, many of these people, immigrant or 'colored' were generally poor, but so was a great number of proper 'Dixie' citizens. As industrialization chugged along, despite promises of an 'agrarian nation' by the Southern Democratic Party, there came a new institution: industrial slavery. Blacks worked in factories for free, whites sometimes hired as overseers, though more often slaves were left to fend for themselves amongst the dangerous machinery. With more and more land being bought up by slavers, young white men left the countryside to find work in the cities, only to find that there too, their jobs were being held by enslaved Africans.

The Solidarity Club rose into prominence at the turn of the century, a group of abolitionists that believed in the equality of races. Alongside them were the White Workers' Union, dedicated to betterment of white laborers, the Defiant Negro Front, an illegal organization of black supremacists, and, of course, the Proletariat Workers' Party of Dixieland. An Engelist group, they formulated what became their own brand of Engelist Socialism known today as Synergism. The PWP slowly crept into the three other factions. Soon enough, the WWU dissolved itself and its members joined either Solidarity or the PWP, and the DNF followed suit with the death of their founding members and leading 'generals'. Solidarity itself was gradually infiltrated by the Party, members radicalized and Party leaders slowly working their way into the movement's governing body, the Council for Equality. Soon enough, the Solidarity marches were synonymous with party marches, the image of rows of blacks, whites, and mestizos (and occasionally Asians) alternating in ethnicity from person to person, becoming common on PWP posters. Soon, the PWP was "the Party of Solidarity".

The Revolution of 1919 was bloody and chaotic, erupting during the beginning of the First Final War, which, despite mass opinion against involvement, the Confederate government agreed to join on the side of the French Empire, many of its slaver elite owing debts to the foreign banks. The horrific Battle of Amsterdam was soon heard about by the newspapers, which had remained relatively free and independent. The entirety of the Confederate Expeditionary Brigade had been killed, the first group of soldiers deployed to fight in 'Europe's War'. This, coupled with rising inflation from the brief but devastating Panic of 1917, allowed the PWP to ignite the flames of war. Blood filled the streets, and by 1923, the Confederate States of America was dead. And in its place was...

Workers' Commonwealth of Dixie

The radical Synergist state known as the Workers' Commonwealth of Dixie is a totalitarian nightmare in the eyes of the bourgeoisie powers, and a fabled haven for the radical proletariat. Following the concepts of Synergism, all things belong to the state, with all workers agreeing to work in 'synergy' and unison with their government, whom they trust entirely, as said government is 'of, for, and by the Working Class'. There are no elections; instead, following Engelist principles, the leadership is promoted from amongst differing state-monitored and approved unions. From the Dixie Teachers' Union is chosen the Overseer of Education, from the Commonwealth Doctors' Union the Overseer of Health, and so on. All must work some form of job, children educated early to pick a profession for 'the betterment of the Commonwealth', and families live in towns officially owned by the state, given tokens with which they may purchase goods produced by the state, creating an internal economy, the profits of which are used by the government for trade and negotiation with foreign entities. The Supreme Overseer is the head of the state, the 'embodiment' of the workers' will. Synergism does not seek a transition to any sort of stateless society, instead it seeks to creation of the perfect state, wherein all is provided for, wherein all work to their strengths and get back what they put in, earning by merit and strength of will. This perfect state will one day encompass the world, but only through the total devotion of the worker for synergy with their government, all citizens armed, trained in combat, and thoroughly indoctrinated with propaganda; children who turn in their parents are granted great boons as they age, and lifetime increased food tokens are given to those who successfully reveal an enemy spy. Many, of course, accuse the PWP of having created a corporate state in all but name, with company towns, specialized schools, and even security thugs to beat under-productive workers, also known as the Bureau of Law and Order, but such accusations are those given only by 'traitors to solidarity', who are normally quickly grabbed and flogged to death, as most slavers were during the Revolution. True to their doctrine of 'rotting the foundations' of the bourgeoisie world, the Commonwealth funds a variety of insurgent groups, and successfully created the Proletariat Republic of Brazil, the Commune of Greater Liberia, and the People's State of Iberia, all of whom have worked to follow the Dixie standard of 'synergism'. Counter-revolutions have been attempted over the years, but the government had intentionally infiltrated and then corrupted such movements to become racist in scope, turning its own ethnic groups against one another to ensure 'synergy', and those attempting to gain better rights' for workers are accused of laziness, corruption, and a lack of devotion to synergy. Though its constitution did guarantee the rights of workers, over time the government had increased working hours, lowered safety standards, and reduced regulations, claiming that advances in technology, the growth of the nation and its strength, and greater 'solidarity' between line-workers and supervisory-workers have reduced the need for such legislation, or even required its total regression. For the cause of synergy and solidarity, marriage has even become increasingly state-controlled, marriage licenses arising first to combat forced marriages by families following 'bourgeois' traditions, but now any marriage requires the consent of the government, and local judges make 'recommendations' for marriage, typically either for a the pursuit of a policy of purposeful miscegenation, of eugenics, or of the creation of blood ties between politically prominent families.

 

[Jing_Jing]

FLAG CHALLENGE #176: For the Overlord!

Make a flag for a country that's downright evil. Not darker in the grayness of human morals, or misguided, but proudly and openly evil (in the view of others). Fantasy or science fiction elements certainly allowed, but if you opt to go for a more realistic route, make sure the country you create a flag for isn't trying to justify itself as 'the good guys' or possessing a 'moral high ground', but vocal proponents of darkness (or at the least believers in acting for selfish gain)!

Submissions Open: Now
Submissions Close: 12th November 2017
Voting Period: 13th November - 19th November 2017

 

[Jing_Jing]

And the winner is.....
*drum roll*
@Xanthoc!

The Fylkirate of Midgard

In the late 10th Century, the consolidation of much of the Aesir-worshiping population across Scandinavia, northern Germania, and much of Britannia led to the establishment of the first Fylkirate. "Fylkir" derived from the term fylk, meaning "people", and just as fylke meant a kingdom in the sense of a united people, and fylking in the sense of a united unit of warriors as if they were a people, the Fylkir was the unifying figure for all of Ásatrú. Fylkir Erik I reformed their pagan religion, creating a codified text in the Trúóðr, and for a time the realm began to prosper, albeit through a great deal of war with the Christians to the south, who themselves, fearful of enemies on two fronts, began renewed efforts to vanquish and then convert the nations of Islam. Though the Fylkirate fell, it would be recreated by Fylkir Ragnarr II, and it would last for centuries longer. But in the Second Fylkirate grew the Followers of Loki. Initially, it was a collection of cults, chief among them being that of Hel, daughter of Loki, and the monstrous overseer of Helheim, a land of death. But worshipers of her fathers quickly outgrew and then subsumed them, and it was not long before the Followers established their own proper hierarchy and pantheon; the God of Mischief and Fire lorded over them, ruling from the shadows; his daughter Hel, the Goddess of Death, waited hungrily for their souls to punish and twist to her desires; his son Fenrir, the Dread Wolf, the God of Shadows and Destruction guided their warriors to battle; and his son Jormungandr, the World Serpent, God of the Seas, granted their vessels mercy on the waves, or did not. These fickle deities were worshipped, but not obeyed. To the Followers, obedience to dogma and morality was to confine oneself, not only boring Loki and earning his ire, but worthlessly wasting life before Hel tortured your soul. Hedonistic backstabbers, the Followers remained underground, but grew in power. Those exposed claimed that to favor one of the Aesir was no crime, even if he was not one of those deemed worthy of veneration by the Trúóðr.

When the Plague struck in the late 16th Century, the Fylkirate began to crumble once again. This time, the Followers would be those who rallied to recreate it. In slow, painful conquest that took a century, the Followers carved the Third Fylkirate, under their leadership. The starving and diseased masses followed them, for they brought food from their grainstores and medicine from the Christian south. It also required little motivation to tell the unhappy peasantry that their lords could be killed, for the House of Loki reveled in Chaos and debauchery, in those with ambition seizing power by any means. This anarchic beginning tapered away over time, as the hierarchy of the Followers asserted itself. But it did not vanish. A man that could not fight for his land could see it stolen, a women that could not defend herself could be raped to a cheering crowd, a lord that could not protect his position could be stabbed in broad daylight. Only the presence of the military, whose purpose was the ensurement that ultimately the stability of the Fylkirate (and thus of the Followers and their ways) was not endangered by recklessness and idiocy, as well as the general desire for content stability by communities ever kept the peace. As cunning was seen as perhaps the greatest of traits, those who could cleverly assassinate or simply outmaneuver and embarrass their superiors were valued in the Fylkirate's politics, while the strict obedience of a wolfpack was demanded from soldiers. Unhindered by honor or morality, and valuing knowledge, the Fylkirate quickly began to overtake Christendom, slave labor powering the empire as tactics of brutality prevailed on the battlefield. With the fall and destruction of Rome, Constantinople, Madrid, Tunis, and Jerusalem in the span of only a decade, by the dawn of the 18th Century, Midgard was established, spanning the continent of Europe. With this establishment came a new purpose; the conquest of the globe and the unification of humanity under the banner of the House of Loki, with the purpose of creating an army that will help break the chains of fate and bring about a New Ragnarok; one in which the world would be destroyed and recreated, where the Aesir would be slain, and Loki and his children would sit in the bloodied halls of Asgard, their frothing mass of followers given a lush new Earth to fight and fornicate upon.

Midgard revels against the idea of 'good'. War crimes are points of pride for soldiers, their leadership rise through murder most commonly, but on occasion opponents are left with nothing, being left financially and socially ruined. The government is powerful, holding the ability to do whatever it likes to its citizens, who in turn as constantly told that the system of the Followers grants them more opportunity for power and wealth than any other. That all rebellions in the past have failed also has served to neutralize descent. Humiliations and/or Executions (not always in that order) are public events, crime practically celebrated. The state-controlled industry is perhaps an irony in Midgard; seen as critical to the survival of the Fylkirate and to the successful execution of Ragnarok, sabotage of industry, endangerment of quotas and milestones, and the death or injury of necesarry personnel are seen as grievous offenses, the punishment usually involving the slow murder of one's family before being killed yourself.

The flag of Midgard represents their ambitions and dreams. Jormungandr is displayed as having let go of his tail, a sign of Rangarok, and the Wolfsangel rune, an increasingly common symbol of Fenrir, represents Midgardian military might. Being the two members of the House of Loki that dwell in Midgard (this barrier represented by the gold ring), they are seen as representations of Midgard and Humanity when presented together. The red of the banner is for the blood of humanity, which they will unite by any means, and which they happily spill, and few know if it was originally intended to be red, or if every first iteration of the flag, which was originally a war banner for the army, simply came back covered in blood.

 

[Xanthoc]

FLAG CHALLENGE #177: Gone Native

In honor of the approaching American holiday, create a flag for a nation in the Americas that possesses an ethnically and/or culturally Amerindian majority and founding. That means it can be a native tribe that adopted European customs but maintained autonomy, an atributed flag given to a sovereign Amerindian state, or a nation wherein all non-natives adopted their culture. Or anything else that fits the criteria really.

Submissions Open: Now
Submissions Close: 28th November 2017
Voting Period: 29th November - 6th December 2017

 

[Xanthoc]

And the winner is... @Mirror!

The Great Band
Pia Nʉmʉnahkahni
(Better known as the Comanche Empire)

The Great Band emerged from the unification of nomadic bands of the Comanche people (Nʉmʉnʉ) under the peace-chief Motsokupʉ (Old Bearded Man) and the war-chief Puhihwitʉhʉya (Iron Horse), who were proclaimed as the chiefs of all bands by the united council in 1790. Under their command, the formerly loosely allied war-bands were divided into a formidable army. They quickly pushed into the Northern provinces of New Spain, crushing the Spanish armies decisively in a series of engagements. By the time of peace-chief Motsokupʉ's death in 1805, the Great Band controlled the former provinces of Tejas and Nuevo México, allowing his successor peace-chief Ekarʉhkapʉ (Red Meat) to push further into the Viceroyalty, as the rule of Spain in the New World was disintegrating.

The Great Band was unparalleled in their use of light cavalry armed with guns and lances. Each warrior possessed three or four horses, allowing them to move with great speed and depend on foraging rather than supply lines. The conquest of the northern provinces allowed them to capture cannons and recruit the former soldiers skilled in artillery and engineering, which proved invaluable in the further expansion, as they could now successfully lay siege to forts and towns rather than rely on surprise attacks.

The banner of the Great Band featured the duality that permeated their entire philosophy. It shows the Day-Sun (also known as the Peace-Sun), yellow on red, and the Night-Sun (also known as the War-Sun) yellow on blue depicted on reversed stripes and framed by yellow. As a war-banner or when representing the war-chief, the banner was hoisted blue stripe up. During the times of peace or when representing the peace-chief, it was hoisted red stripe up.

 

[Mirror]

Flag Challenge #178: Hit the Road Jack

Create a flag for a country or territory that currently incorporates the Union Jack (other than the United Kingdom) with a new design that removes it.

Keep your POD as recent as possible, please.

For a list of possible candidates, see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lis...s_with_the_Union_Jack_displayed_on_their_flag

Submissions open: Now
Submissions close: 23.12
Voting period: 24.12-31.12

 

[Mirror]

Three cheers for the first winners of 2018!

Joint entry from I and @Krall.

Flag of Fiji

This flag is intended to be interpreted as a journey: The blue stripe provides continuity with the previous flag and thus the Fiji of old, as well as representing the ocean and the maritime origins and culture of Fiji. The white stripe shows modern Fiji, represented by the stars which are united upon the turtle, which represents the humility and perseverance that Fiji intends to display in order to move forward from the old to the new. The gold stripe represents the future of Fiji - the warm sunrise and prosperity that will come if Fijians respect and love one another, and move forward together. The three stars being the three different elements of Fiji in various areas (the geographical elements of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, and the other islands of Fiji; the ethnic elements of indigenous Fijians, Indo-Fijians, and other ethnic groups; the religious elements of Christians, Hindus, and other religions; and the linguistic elements of Fijian, English, and Hindustani). They are seven-pointed as a symbol of good luck.

 

[Transparent Blue]

Flag challenge #179: Topsy-turvy

In our timeline, Europe colonised the rest of the world. Design a flag for a place in Europe from a timeline where Europe was colonised by another continent.

We will leave the definitions of "Europe" and "colonised" as open as possible. It could be settler colonialism like in the Americas, exploitation colonialism like in the Congo, trading posts like Hong Kong, or anything else that you can think of.

Submissions Open: Now
Submissions Close: 7 January 2018, 22:00 UTC
Voting Period: 8 January 2018 - 11th January 2018

 

[The Professor]

Congratulations to Remitonov!

Danubye Khaganate

​

One of the many Mongol successor states that had emerged from the division of the Mongol Empire, the Danubye Khaganate, as the name suggest, was among the most unusual. Itself a splinter of the Golden Horde, the ancestors of the Danubye migrated to Bulgaria under the first Mongol Tsar, Chaka. Fleeing in defeat after he and his father, Nogai Khan, failed to unseat the Golden Horde's legitimate ruler, Toqta, Chaka took control of the Second Bulgarian Tsardom, crowning himself Tsar and reigning from its capital, Tarnovo. Its first years were marked by constant warfare against Bulgarian rebels under Prince Theodore Svetoslav, as well as punitive expeditions sent by Toqta. Whether by sheer fortune - the Golden Horde had been beset by conflict on all sides and within - or pure grit, Chaka cemented his control over the Tsardom, dubbing himself the Khagan, or Khan of Khans of the Danube. His followers, taking the name of the river they now inhabit, soon adapted to the ways of the native Bulgarians and Romanians, converting to the Bulgarian Orthodox Christian church following the baptism of Chaka's heir, Dmitrii.

Under the Danubye, the Khaganate controlled much of what remained of the Bulgaria Tsardom, including Wallachia. Its flag reflected the twin mountain ridges of the southern Carpathians and Balkan mountains that encased most of their realm, a thin grey line looping round the left end. The green and red represents the fields the Danubye inhabit, while the white and grey semicircles beneath the Soyombo represent the balance between yin and yang. Even after the collapse of the Khaganate, the Danubye continue to use the flag as the symbol of their people. Left behind in a faraway land, the Danubye now call the river and its plains home.

We look forward to your challenge!

 

[Remitonov]

Flag challenge #180: China Will Grow Larger

The Middle Kingdom... Center of the universe... Throughout human history, Chinese civilization has waxed and waned with the change of fortune, from empires commanding the fealty of vast kingdoms across the world, to abject turmoil and bloodletting. But what if a reign of a dynasty truly lasted ten thousand years? What if the world has found order and peace under the Mandate of Heaven?

Create a flag of a country that is greatly influenced by Chinese civilization, (adopting its script, language, government, etc.), or even a Chinese majority population outside the Sinosphere. For the sake of challenge:

• Only countries affected by PODs before 1911 (at the fall of the Qing dynasty) may be considered. Republics and People's Republics are but corruptions by insidious Western devils.
• Countries that belong in the Sinosphere (e.g. Japan, Korea, Vietnam) will also be rejected.
• Do not just remake a flag of a historical or current country with a Chinese majority without a POD. His Divine Majesty demands entertainment!

Now, go forth, and may fortune smile on you and your ancestors!

Submissions Open: Now
Submissions Close: 19 January 2018
Voting Period: 20 January 2018 - 25th January 2018

 

[Remitonov]

Congratulations @Green Painting, winner of the 180th Flag Challenge!

Imperial Flag of the the Mahakhitan State

View attachment 366282
The Southern Liao was the result of an ATL southward expansion of the Qara Khitai (Western Liao) state, which was in itself a rump state after the Jurchen conquest of the Liao.

In the year 1158, when Yelu Dashi crossed into India via Kyber Pass, he did not expect this new addition would become his Empire refuge when the bulk of it was to be yet again conquered, this time by the Mongols.

The Khitans settled down, stood firm, and established itself as the hegemon of southern Asia. It outlived the dreaded Mongols, and came into a competitive relationship with the Ming Empire. And, when the Ming foolishly dissolved its treasure fleet, the Liao did not hesitate to recruit the seamen and craftsmen from the "Song Empire" (how it chose to call southern China). It was when Chinese style flags, with its flaps and flames and dragons, were spread to South Asia.

The Southern Liao's (Mahakhitan) Navy, boasted by new crew and techniques, could be seen as far as Persia, Oman and Yemen.

But famed Empire of Rum (Rome, or Byzantium), with its legendary golden gates and rivers of olive oil, was still dreamed after by millions of Liao subjects. When an Imperial expedition was sent by Emperor Huizong (惠宗) in 1480, the emperor gave them the right to use an Imperial Flag, bearing the legend in Khitan script "Ten Thousand Years to the Heavenly Empire" featuring not a dragon, but a Hai Dong Qing eagle hunting a goose, a symbol of the Khitan Imperial House, and its proud nomadic roots. Its colour was in black, the Liao Dynasty's colour according to the theory of the five elements, and white, the Khitan national colour.

When it reached Sinai, it was dissuaded by the locals from going forward, the local Arabs told them that:

From here onward there would be a mountain of fire, and a great desert where Musa wondered for decades, a sea nobody could pass.

The Ambassador Xiao Aludun （蕭阿魯敦）was not dissuaded. He was well versed in Han history and knew how the Han ambassador Gan Ying was turned back by a similar story. He sent an explorer Krishna, with a interpreter, who asked the villagers about the way to Rum, who replied with his own question:

Are you a friend of the King of Mesir, or his foe?

The explorer, seeing in the outer wall a cut, so deep that's only possibly by a Mameluke, gave the correct answer:

We are his foe.

The villager poured water on Krishna's feet, and pointed to him him the route to the Mediterraneans.

With the rising sun on you right side, within a week you will see the sea, and Rum will be right over the sea.

When the full embassy showed up at Constantinople, the Byzantines faithfully noted down its Imperial Flag. This flag was going to be know in all of Rum, Frankia and the new Dvipas, to be used by the Piri the Turks' global expedition representing the Khitan Emperor, by the East Hollandia Company and West Hollandia Company, until the day of the revolution.

Now go, great victor, and proclaim our next challenge! And a guide how.

 

[Green Painting]

Flag challenge #181: Arabia Unbreakable

“Arabia, once scattered, defeated, and left behind, has now reclaimed its place in the sun, and is widely admired for the progress they’ve made and respected as a great power“

Design a flag for a successful sovereign state formed by the a permanent union of three or more OTL or TTL Arab nations (perhaps even a couple of non-Arab nation as long as they aren’t the majority) . The union can be by peaceful or military means, but the result must be a stable and prosperous country. (This precludes the suppression of minorities)

You are advised, though it’s not mandatory, to provide a story.

The use of OTL popular symbols, like the hawk of Quraish, the five-pointed star, the shahada, and the pan-Arab colours is discouraged.

Submissions Open: Now
Submissions Close: 1 February 2018, 23:59, GMT+8
Voting Period: 2 February 2018 - 5 th February 2018

 

[Green Painting]

BelfastBrawler Won, (winning post).

The Union of Democrat Arab People's Republics(1958-?)
In this timeline ,in 1952 a nuclear missile test by the USA fails and the 10 Megatons nuclear warhead detonates near Anchorage, Alaska. The resulting radiation and fallout force the US to evacuate the state, however this leads to a bigger problem, the oil industry of the USA collapses, as many oil extraction facilities are rendered unuseable. Further down the chain the western market crashes, and the NATO member nations decide to increase their influence within the Arab penisula. This results in a general instability between local authorities, civillians, and NATO forces. The USSR sees this as an opportunity, and stages a coup, using the "invasive NATO forces" as pretext to recruit insurgents, in Saudi Arabia in 1953 leading up to a revolution which turns the country communist. NATO realized that this would be just the start of a Soviet scheme to turn the arab states into communist sattelites. Because of that they decided to increase the troops stationed within their borders even further, which only worsens the relations. This culminates with a terrorist blowing up a fuel depot in March 1955. Soon after this event the Arab War begins between Iraq, Syria, UAE and Yemen and the Communist Arabia, which invades the aformentioned countries. While NATO forces do attempt to aid the non-communist arab states, they deny their help, leading to their full annexation and the forming of the Union of Democrat Arab People's Republics in 1958. However by the early '60s the interest in oil by the western bloc has diminished, as hybrid engines and much safer and efficient nuclear powerplants have been developed to create electric war machines for a war for the arab peninsula, using limited resources. This means the cold war doesn't end as in our timeline, and instead it continues long after the 2000s.
The red star, already a symbol of communism, has 5 rays, each depicting one of the 5 memebers of the UDAPR, Arabia, Iraq, Syria, UAE, and Yemen. The 3 swords represent the separation of the 3 powers of the state, legislative, executive and judiciary. The green color and the cresecent represent the common arab culture and the shield that it must be protected.

Now, It’s your turn to post a new question, here is a guide for you.

 

[BelfastBrawler]

Flag Challenge #182: I WUV U

Valentine's Day is comming, and with it a lot of cliche stuff like greeting cards and t-shirts, but thankfully no flags.
Your task is to make a Valentine's Day flag. Yes, that's right, a flag for a holiday.

Virtually anything that is associated with Valentine's Day is accepted.

However, you must still follow the guidelines of designing a good flag. You're making a flag not a greeting card!

Good Luck!
Submissions Close: 14th of Febuary 2018
Voting Period: 15th-22nd of Febuary 2018

 

[BelfastBrawler]

Congrats @Xanthoc

The Amorous Imperium

It was in the reign of Gaius Caesar, when he was of flesh, that the Imperium took shape. The failed plot on his life saw to the end of the last vestiges of a dying Republic. Surviving his wounds, Gaius would find his wife murdered, his daughter almost killed before he slew the madmen who tried to harm her. In an act of fury, he stood before the people of Rome and called on them to act, and with his mob, he had the Senators dragged from the Curia, the guards and soldiers only watching on in fear that they would join them. These men were torn to pieces, stabbed, strangled, burned, and violated as the Imperator watched with glee. With this act, the Cleansing of Rome, so were the foundations laid for the Amorous Imperium. Hedonism became the status quo as greater lavishness grew amongst the populace, emulating their great leader. With this boon to his prestige, Gaius had the army whipped into a fervor, conquering southern Britannia and pushing more into Germania.

Upon his death, he was recognized a god, Caligula, God of Glory and Pleasure, and his cult, which venerated his sister Drusilla, recognized him as being descended from Venus, and their power and size grew over the ages, first under Caligula's daughter, and then under subsequent imperators and imperatrixes, each adding to Rome's glory, furthering a culture of lust, love, and pleasure. Soon the old gods faded as Caligula's power grew, eclipsing even Sol Invictus. Strife would eventually strike the empire as it made its final attempts to conquer all of Europe proper, reaching from Hibernia to the Uralia, from Scania to Mauretania. In this period of internal struggle, the Empire saw itself divided between three factions; the Purists, who sought an end to centuries of hedonism; the Dolorists, who taught pleasure from pain; and the Amorists who taught the love and compassion could unite all. Eventually, the latter two factions came together with common bonds of creating more unified, hedonistic states, and crushed the Purists. Soon, all of Rome's resources, once used for war, turned fully and utterly to pleasure.

Sex and intimacy are ubiquitous, the line between platonic and romantic being a matter of context and mood. There is no such thing as 'single', there is only a matter of preference for individuals. There is no Valentine's Day or equivalent holiday, because every day is Valentine's Day, a celebration of love and lust, and closeness between someone and their desired partner as of that moment. As the nation has moved forward in technology, everything has focused around perpetuating a life of total indulgence. The Cult of Caligula reigns supreme, and the imperial family in the venerated standard of all beauty and fashion.

Their flag takes the color of the Imperium, as seen in the clothes of the imperator, and places on it a gold sigil. It displays laurels of prosperity, framing the silphium seed, which has become widely produced and selectively grown to become a near perfect natural contraceptive and shared in seed-shaped packages. The seed is a symbol of the Imperium and its way of life, and above it is the motto of the nation: Amor Vincit Omnia, Love Conquers All.

 

[Xanthoc]

Flag Challenge #183: So Last Season

The challenge is relatively simple: make a flag for a season.

Perhaps it is for a nation that lives perpetually, or nearly perpetually in one season. Maybe they venerate that season, or their climate means they experience mostly that season. Maybe they simply place value in symbols that happen to be closely associated with a season.

Whatever the justification, one of the four traditional seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter) must be the obvious inspiration for your design.

Submissions: 23rd February 2018 - 2nd March 2018
Voting Period: 3rd March 2018 - 10th of March 2018