The Intercalary Emigration was a mass migration of the Upper Old Irynian population, taking place during the intercalary days directly following the 1020 gubernatorial election.
The early 900s saw the elite families of Iryna at their peak political power and influence. The Kor'onen sisters had been given broad authority to demolish and reconstruct the city to their liking, and the district of Upper Old Iryna was built as the exclusive home of the Kor'onen's wealthy connections. 30 households who had previously resided in Old Iryna relocated to newly-built grand estates on Iryna's upper platform. However, the economic downturn immediately following the platform's completion soured the Irynian public on the previously-uncontested power held by the city's de facto aristocracy. Over time, more lower-class Irynians were elected into positions of power, first in Parliament and ultimately in the Governor's Mansion. Reiner's election to the position of Governor in 1017 was widely seen as indicative of a decisive shift in Irynian culture away from oligarchic rule, although this shift was perceived as a negative change by his detractors and a positive change by his supporters.[1] In particular, the residents of Upper Old Iryna felt sidelined by politicians who they perceived as insufficiently experienced and lacking in proper reputation.
In the latter years of the 900s, some Upper Old Irynians began to leave the district for a variety of reasons. Of those who relocated, there were two main contingents. The first contingent were those who left their family residences in Upper Old Iryna but remained in the city, the most prominent of which were former Governor Vincere Rae and his daughter Viara. This contingent was dissatisfied with the stifling social conformity of Upper Old Irynian society, and wished to integrate themselves into broader Irynian culture. The second contingent were those who left the island entirely, relocating to Oxana or A'olona. In contrast, these émigrés wished to distance themselves from Irynian culture as much as possible, perceiving changing Irynian values as antithetical to their way of life. As the population of Iryna as a whole skyrocketed, the population of Upper Old Iryna slowly declined, bottoming out at a mere 64 residents by the beginning of 1020.
In the year 1020, several significant events occurred that greatly alarmed many Upper Old Irynians. Firstly, Champion Kesti Kor'onen was abruptly removed from office by Governor Reiner.[2] Contrary to Upper Old Irynian expectations, Reiner did not nominate one of their number to the position of Champion, instead holding a tournament to select the most qualified candidate from the entire population of Iryna. The winner of the tournament, Madeleine, was a homeless minor with no education or experience in government office.[3] Shortly afterwards, Reiner himself was removed from office, which initially was cause for celebration in Upper Old Iryna. Reiner was similarly viewed as unqualified, and the elite hoped that the general population would realize that they had been mistaken to elect him in the first place.[4] However, the 1020 election results were sobering for the Upper Old Irynians; Aemile Lux, their preferred candidate, won a mere 1.7% of the vote.[5] The other three candidates were all of insignificant heritage, and all ran on platforms that emphasized creating a more equal social order in Iryna.[6][7][8]
This section relies largely on information from a single anonymous source. Its neutrality and factual accuracy are dubiously verifiable.
On Day 30 of Month 12, 1020, several Upper Old Irynian families met at the Lux family estate to discuss the election, which at the time was still ongoing. As votes were counted and it became clear what the result would be, the informal gathering shifted tone. More families arrived to console Aemile Lux and discuss what their strategy should be going forward into 1021. Traditionally, the residents of Upper Old Iryna preferred to reach unanimous consensus on important issues, presenting a unified front to the rest of Iryna and countering any attempts to turn individual Upper Old Irynians against each other. However, discussions grew heated at the Lux residence as it became clear that consensus was far from guaranteed. Kalyna Kor'onen and Kellen Ridge, whose actions during the previous year had been viewed very negatively by the Irynian public[9][10], were convinced that the new government would arrest them at the earliest opportunity, and wished to leave the island as soon as possible. There were some who wished to join them, showing solidarity with their community members, who they believed to be unfairly persecuted. However, others believed that the community should actively oppose the recent shift in Irynian public opinion instead of allowing the city to fall further into degradation. There were also Upper Old Irynians who had established careers in the city and were reluctant to uproot their lives on such short notice. The night ended without an agreement of any kind.
The next morning, the residents of Upper Old Iryna reconvened at the District Court to hold an official strategy meeting. Kalyna Kor'onen and Kellen Ridge were persuaded to attend instead of leaving Iryna immediately, and those who had not been aware of the previous night's gathering were summoned to contribute their opinions. The debate was held in a more structured matter; most crucially, minutes were taken by an Upper Old Irynian who later relinquished the documents to The Inquirer, on the condition that their identity not be revealed to the general public.[11] Three options for how to proceed were presented to those in attendance: seek asylum in Oxana, establish a new community in A'olona, or remain in Iryna to contest the current political order. It was accepted by everyone that no one solution was ideal for every attendee, but their belief in district solidarity was too strong to allow for a disorganized dispersal of their community. Finally, a compromise was reached: those who wished to leave would do so as a cohesive unit, sailing to Oxana together, and those who wished to stay would relocate from Upper Old Iryna, leaving the district entirely uninhabited as a symbolic statement of denunciation. Family and social connections in Oxana were contacted with news of their impending arrival, many of whom had already been preparing for a potential influx of Upper Old Irynians since news of the election results had reached them. A ship was chartered to set sail on the final intercalary day of 1020.
This section will be expanded with more specific and current information as it becomes available.
Despite the insular nature of Upper Old Iryna and its inhabitants, the events taking place there did not go unnoticed by the rest of Iryna. Rumors circulated on the IrynaNet of workers transporting large pieces of furniture to the docks, domestic servants formerly employed in Upper Old Iryna suddenly seeking new jobs, and a group of teenage Upper Old Irynians sighted in front of Vincere Rae's food stall. The departure of the ship carrying the émigrés was attended by a raucous and cheerful crowd, who yelled out farewells such as "Good riddance!" and "It's about time!" as it weighed anchor. When asked for comment on how the newly-formed City Guard would respond, Director Fiona replied, "I should be thanking them, they're saving me a lot of work. I wouldn't want to be Neeka right now, though."[12] Sea voyages between Iryna and Oxana typically take 5 to 6 days; as of Day 1 of Month 1, 1021, the émigrés were still en route.