The Sisters

The Sisters, (Arvorian: Сестры), are a pair of somewhat isolated islands at the far eastern end of the Abarsk Islands (Абарские острова), also known as the Southern Islands (Южные острова), which are the southernmost territory of the Arvorian Democratic Republic. They are located 98.17 kilometres (61 miles) east of the next nearest islands in the chain.

Geography

Kamenskoye

Kamenskoye Island (Каменское, lit. "Stony Island") is the larger of the Sisters, measuring 805.4 square kilometres (311 square miles) in area. It has an elevation of between 2.6 metres (7.87 feet) and 6.1 metres (20.01 feet). The island is differentiated between its rocky, irregular coast and its rolling, scrubby interior.

Obnovleniye

Obnovleniye Island (Обновления, lit. "Renewal Island") is the smaller of the Sisters, measuring 696.707 square kilometres (269 square miles) in area. It has an elevation of between 3.2 metres (10.49 feet) and 6.8 metres (22.3 feet). The northeastern coast of the island is particularly rocky, while the remainder of the island towards the southwestern coast is largely rolling and hilly.

History

The first Arvorian expedition to the Abarsks occurred in mid-7285 RH, when three survey ships led by Andrei Konstantinovich Kursanov. They made contact with the small community of Ir kan who called the western islands home, and traded with them, establishing a rapport that led to their becoming a part of the Arvorian nation-state. Over time, the Arvorians and Ir'kan developed a thriving fishing industry in the islands, which now provides some of the nation's best cold-water fish. Gradually, trade and social interactions saw improved education, healthcare, and infrastructure in the islands. The inauguration of the socialist state in 7567 RH eventually saw tourism become a prominent part of the islands, which provided a variety of activities for visitors, including day fishing trips, boating, and island nature hikes among other options.

During the original survey of the islands, Kursanov and his team were curious why the Ir'kan had not settled in the easternmost islands of the Abarsks. They explained the islands were known as "the Sisters", in reflection of an ancient tribal legend of two women who sacrificed themselves centuries earlier to defeat an evil spirit that had endangered the people of the islands for years. The Ir'kan expressed that they had no issue with the Arvorians using the islands, as they had no other practical use and could be repurposed for whatever needs may be deemed appropriate.

Seeing the value of a somewhat isolated location for military use, the Armed Forces established an outpost on Kamenskoye that is now the closed town of Kamenskoye-5 in 7576 RH. Initially a cluster of reinforced buildings for housing a small contingent of troops and storing ordnance and other materials, it was later expanded into a hardened settlement believed to have extensive subterranean spaces. The island's scrubby, otherwise lifeless interior was formally designated the Kamenskoye Proving Ground and saw its first weapons tests in 7580 RH and continues to serve that purpose to this day. It was here, in 7661 RH, that military personnel and scientists from the Central Institutes of Science and Technology (TsINK) conducted the test in which they detonated the Troika nuclear device which signaled the successful conclusion of Project COBALT (КОБАЛЬТ).

The first permanent Arvorian presence on Obnovleniye was established in 7583 RH in the form of a camp known as Obnovleniye-2. It has since been replaced by a heavily reinforced facility that sits near the centre of the island. No other information is known about activities herein.

Since 7576 RH, the Sisters have been classified as a Zone of Exceptional Military Importance (Зона исключительного военного значения) and all unauthorised access to the islands is forbidden.