This history is based on the DayZ Map: Deer Island, using the general slavic lore based from Bohemia and mixed with actual history.
Ancient History
The ancient Greeks were the first to explore the Black Sea regions, originally naming the ocean Πόντος Ἄξεινος, "Unhospitable Sea". As people began to settle in the region the name became to be viewed as a bad omen, and was changed to Πόντος Εὔξεινος, "Hospitable Sea".
When the Greeks first discovered the island in the middle of the Black Sea, they found it filled with
resources and wildlife, but no human life. The Greeks named the island Εὔξεινος νήσος
(Eúxeinos nḗsos), “Hospitable Island”. Over the years as people of varying regions continued migrating and settling down, the island became a well-known trading hub for the countries around it. Common nicknames for the island were “Isle of Safe Harbor”, and “Island of Deer”.
The countries around the island developed into the now known countries of Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. On the eastern side, three small countries also share the border to the ocean: Adristan, Chernarus, and Takistan. Εὔξεινος νήσος served as a middle ground between the countries and supported travel from merchant seaports from the surrounding nations.
Traders were not the only people who took opportunity from the area. Across the Black Sea strategic areas were used as smuggling routes for the legal and illegal transport of counterfeit goods, drugs, radioactive materials, and other substances that can be used to finance terrorism. Piracy was another large problem until maritime militaries were able to advance in technology and patrol the regions.
History Continued
As the USSR took hold of the north, Turkey was the only nation that managed to escape either being forced into the USSR or be dominated by it.
Due to the location of the island, Russians named it середина, (Seredina) ‘middle-ground’. Seredina proved to have areas that would serve for the very popular health resorts and beaches to rival those along the Baltic and Mediterranean. The island was deemed useful as a military center (and a beneficial resort for the wives and children) of the military to continue its patrols of the Black Sea. Plans were drawn up and construction quickly began on multiple military bases spread throughout the island. The local airport was also taken over and turned into a military facility.
Industrialization happened on the island as it did across the USSR. People were moved from the country areas into cities while various factories were created. Ports were made larger for the processing and shipping of goods. In the 1980s, the Soviet Union began drilling offshore for petroleum along the island, creating three oil rigs of varying sizes. Fishing and mining were kept as two major lines of work for civilians as they were highly productive.
The 90s
As the USSR began to break apart in 1991, and finally completely in 1993; the Russian Federation
remained in control of the Black Sea, which included Seredina. They gave residents of the island the choice to remain in their ancestral homes, in return for paying a reasonable fee for basic resources such as running water, gas, electricity, taxes, and the understanding they would abide by any Russian military or government as the island was now Russian territory.
As time passed countries began to stabilize again, the Black Sea quickly began to draw a high amount of tourism for the many resorts, beaches, natural beauty, culture, and history of the nation’s surrounding it.
The countries wanted to use Seredina again as their own, to turn it back into a trade center. But being part of the lands of the Black Sea itself, it belonged to Russia.
In 1997 talks began between the countries surrounding the region and Russia. In 1999, they finally came to an agreement. They would allow the use of specific travel lanes for trade ships and ferries transporting vacationers [no warships of any kind], under the close watch and patrol of the Black Fleet.
Areas would be opened for business and vacation, and the inhabitants would pay a percentage of all profits to Russia. On top of that, the visitors would be paying for utilities, licenses, inspections, and anything else needed. They would also listen to any orders given by high commanding military figures or government officials to protect and evacuate them off the island. Which would only be given if the area was under a lethal threat.
In 2000 the oil wells dried up, but the island was opened for trade again. The Turkish were the first to arrive, and quickly went back to using the islands old name. As other traders and tourists began to appear, they began to call the island Adası. Short for the Turkish name Misafirperver Adası.
The Water Plant and Wind Turbine
In 2004 the island was booming. Permission to build and upgrade in some areas had been granted,
including a high interest in a water treatment plant, wind turbine, and use of solar energy to cut energy costs. Russia was making a large enough sum from the trading deals that it didn’t mind the solar energy. Plus, it would give them good publicity.
Russian officials even suggested an area to build the treatment plant, an old military instillation that had been build in solid stone. The pre-mined areas would allow for the easy dispersion and storage of the various underground implements. Including large areas to store energy the center would produce. Some rumors circulated that there was something more to the old base, hidden underground dungeons or a tunnel system leading to the mainland, but it only ever amounted to rumors.
A New Way of Living
After a few years of installation, the water treatment plant could continuously power itself simply by doing its job of filtering water. People also made use of resources given off during the process such as storing thermal energy and creating fertilizer. The treatment plant on its own could power half of the island using underground microgrids. The wind turbine was also successfully finished, and using the same methods, an underground network, transformer, and power grids that could power the opposite side of the island. People began to collect solar panels to outfit their homes with. Many were becoming self-sufficient in resources by growing their own food, caring for livestock, and paying all the needed fees.
Adası as it was now called by the native and foreign population was doing very well economically. It had its own clean water and could power itself. The factories were in high production and the ports were filled with ships and people.
By 2014 Adası was home to multiple tourist attractions such as historic castles, beaches, and spas. It was trading between 30 major ports in the Black Sea year-round. Thousands of goods of all kinds were coming and going through the island.
When the pathogen spread from China, the island like everywhere else was quickly infected. Thousands fled by personal boats. Spreading rapidly, most people didn’t have the chance to evacuate the island before they died or turned. In a last panicked resort, the military evacuated the island, leaving behind anyone not able to reach the destinated ports fast enough, or who was showing signs of illness. Still visible from the evacuation are the major trade ships that were left to rust at the port.
Resources and Exports:
Food and Drink
Beets, cheeses, citrus fruit, corn, fish roe, fruits, grains, grapes, livestock, milk, nut varieties, potatoes, salt, spirits, sugar, sunflower seeds, vegetables, wheat, and wine.
Livestock and Wild Animals
Bears, chickens, cows, deer, duck, fish, goats, pigs, seafood, sheep, shellfish, wild boar, and wolves.
Mining
Amber, coal, iron ore, marble, silver, steel, various ores
Other
Chemical products, cotton, gas, lumber, machinery and parts, oil, renewable energy, steel production, textiles, and tobacco.
The marine life and fishing industries are the biggest, the ocean around the island providing:
Crustaceans
Brown/common shrimp, clams, common cockle, crab – various, lagoon cockle, Mediterranean mussel, Mediterranean slipper lobster, mussels, Norway Lobster/langoustine/scampi, scallops, sea snails, spiny lobster/red lobster
Eel
European Eel, et.
Fish
Angler/monkfish, Atlantic bonito, beluga sturgeon, black sea bass, black sea salmon, black sea shark, black sea sprat, black sea turbot, brown trout, carp, European anchovy, European flounder, European pilchard, European sprat, goby, green-boned garfish, jack mackerel, john dory, Persian sturgeon, pontic shad, Russian sturgeon, spiny dogfish, sturgeon (various), et.
Marine Life
Beluga whales, common and bottlenose dolphins, grey seals, harbor porpoises, sea otters, thornback ray/stingrays, Ukrainian brook lamprey
Sharks
Basking sharks, common thresher sharks, great white sharks, smooth hammerhead sharks, etc.
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