Lapody

Lapody, officially the Kingdom of Lapody, is a country in Levantia. It is neighbored by Rhotia and Urcea to the west and Burgundie to the east. It also borders the League of Nations territory of Alba Concordia.

The Kingdom was established as a result of the unification of Verecundia, Loreseia, and Vorenia, three constituent members of the Deric States following the dissolution of that entity. The idea of a unified Lapodard-speaking nation found its origin in the 1990s, following the growth of internet interest in Lapodard culture in the previous decade. Lapody's emergent national identity finds its roots not only in its shared language, but the legacy of the Grand Duchy of Verecundia, an important power in the Kingdom of Dericania in the 17th and 18th centuries. Lapody retains many of the martial traditions and orientation of its predecessor state Vorenia, while being ruled by a branch of the House of Galen, which ruled the Grand Duchy of Verecundia at its height. As a nation, Lapody is still in the process of building a cohesive national culture and identity, but it retains the strong political culture present in its predecessors and throughout the Levantine Union.

Lapody is a member of the Levantine Union.

Etymology
"Lapody", derived from "Lapodia", has been in use since antiquity in wide application. The easternmost coastal province of Great Levantia was called "Lapodia Maritima". The province, which encompassed roughly far northern Burgundie and eastern Lapody, was likely named for a tribe of paleo-Levantines living in the region in the 2nd century BC. "Lapodard", the name of the language, is derived from Lapodia/Lapody. The term was also breifly use in some sources to refer to the Eastern Kingdom of the Levantines as a shorthand before "Dericania" entered common use. Lapody as a geographical term fell into sharp decline in the 13th century, being largely survived only by the derivative "Lapodard" name. It was revived in the 20th century as a shorthand to refer to the southern three Deric States.

History
In the aftermath of the Great Confessional War, some Catholic noble families benefitted greatly in the post-Dragonnades land redistribution. Among these to benefit were the House of Galen, the rulers of the prosperous Duchy of Verecundia in the center of the Kingdom of Dericania. The Galenite rulers were rewarded with significant lands directly adjacent to their Duchy, becoming a regional player in the Kingdom of Dericania by 1610. The Galens effectively leveraged their new lands to establish a powerful army which allowed them to further expand throughout central Dericania. In 1652, the Galens were given the title of Grand Duke of Verecundia, effectively legitimizing their new possessions and establishing them as one of the most powerful polities within the Holy Levantine Empire. By the dawn of the 18th century, Verecundia was the premier power in Dericania, and the Grand Dukes narrowly lost out to the Apostolic Kings of Urcea in the election for Emperor of the Levantines in 1701. The Galens spent the next forty years planning their next move, and the opportunity came with the War of the Caroline Succession, during which time Grand Duke Louis was elected Emperor. This moment, the zenith of Verecundian power, was not to last; by the end of the war, the Urcean House de Weluta seized full control of the Imperial throne and Verecundia was occupied by Urcean forces. The Grand Duchy was dissolved and its constituent parts were divided among different branches of the House of Galen. Nevertheless, the memory of a powerful Verecundia would not fade in the memories of the House or of the urban elite in central Dericania, forming the ideological basis for the later establishment of Lapody.

Loreseia
The Grand Duchy of Loreseia was established out of the largely intact Loreseian Duchies, whose ruling house (Alessi-Galen) survived the Second Great War and Third Fratricide still in control, albeit with many concessions to democratic reform factions. The Loreseian Duchies were, accordingly, consolidated at the conclusion of the Fratricide to form a coherent nation. It was one of the only monarchies in the Deric States and the only surviving monarchy in Lapody. The House of Alessi-Galen continued their reign as the new Grand Dukes of Loreseia.

Verecundia
The Verecundian Republic was established in the aftermath of the Third Fratricide.

The nucleus of its territory was the former Duchy of Upper Verecundia with additional mediatized Dericanian territories attached to it, forming the basis of modern northwest Lapody. The initial ruling party was an offshoot of the forces loyal to the Deric Republic called the Verecundian Unification Front. The VUF, a party to the Treaty of Corcra, were moderate republican nationalists who concluded the peace with Urcea and Burgundie before spending most of the 1940s fighting left-wing insurrectionists. At the conclusion of the Third Fratricide which saw the moderates victorious over the socialists, the new state - which had been the Provisional Republic of Upper Verecundia - provocatively took the name of Verecundian Republic, signaling irredentist vision for the territory of Lower Verecundia (then joined to Vorenia) as well as a claim for leadership among the new Deric States. These positions, however, were more suited to a pre-war than post-war world, and the leadership of the new Verecundian Republic soon turned from ambition to rebuilding their wartorn country and facilitating better relations with Burgundie and their fellow Deric States.

Vorenia
The Federal Margraviate of Vorenia, also known as the Marchiorespublica, was established out of several preexisting Derian polities after the Second Great War in an effort to contain Burgundie. It was the largest of the Deric States both by area and by population.

Vorenia was immediately preceded by the Margarviate of Vorenia, a relatively powerful southern Deric principality that at one time had held control over the Duchy of Lower Verecundia and the dignity of Grand Duchy. The Margrave was forced from the country in the very early stages of the Second Fratricide, but due to its position it was mostly occupied by forces of the Urceo-Burgundie alliance by the time of the conclusion of the Treaty of Corcra. The Margrave was briefly reinstalled with a liberal constitution in 1937, but was once again chased from the territory in 1939 by socialist insurrectionists in the Third Fratricide. The Syndicate of Southern Dericania was briefly established as a socialist government in its place in late 1939. Moderate republican forces with allied support destroyed the Syndicate by mid-1940 and established the Vorenian Republican Margravate (VRM) as a provisional government in its place. The VRM remained in place until the final post-Third Fratricide settlement, when several terrtiories and small former principalities were added to it to create the Federal Margraviate. The Federal Margraviate functionally embraced the entire border with Burgundie, acting as a shield between it and the other Deric States.

Government
Lapody is a   and is largely based on some similar constitutional monarchies of its predecessors in the Deric States. The head of state is the King. Upon formation of the Kingdom of Lapody, two of the three states which joined were s, and consequently the Grand Duke of Loreseia was elevated as King of the country following a period of negotiations; accordingly, Lapody is ruled by the royal House of Alessi-Galen, a of the House of Galen which ruled the Grand Duchy of Verecundia at its peak and parts of Loreseia since the Great Confessional War. The King of Lapody's role in government is relatively limited, both in part due to Loreseian traditions and due to the agreement which established the Kingdom. Analysts have called the Lapodian monarch the "weakest in the Levantine Union", serving primarily as a figurehead operating only on from the elected government. As a symbolic gesture, the first King of Lapody was crowned by Riordan, Emperor of the Levantines and Apostolic King of Urcea, to solidify the historic legitimacy of the Kingdom.

As a unitary state, Lapody's central government holds supreme authority, with very little power devolved to the Kingdom's three provinces or the municipalities. The central government is divided into three branches: the executive, the judiciary, and the legislative. The executive branch is led nominally led by the King, who enforces and enacts laws in the name of the legislature. The Legislature is a unicameral body called the Stat-Conferensa, led by a President who serves as. The 345 members of the Stat-Conferensa serve four year terms, with the first election having been held in 2030 for a term beginning 1 January 2031. Members of the judiciary are appointed by the King in the name of the Stat-Conferensa on the advice of the President of the Stat-Conferensa. Lapody's predecessors had a tradition for a great diversity of political parties and, as of 2032, eleven different parties occupy at least one seat of the 345 total in the Stat-Conferensa. The great number of political parties has often been attributed to the nation's instant-runoff voting system which allows many parties to maintain varying degrees of relevance in the public eye.

Lapody is also notable for its heavy inclination toward social welfare policies. Social services, healthcare, and most utilities are all functionally provided by the government under a single-payer system, though health care remains de jure in the hands of heavily privatized private providers who accept government voucher payments. Education, though not free at the post-secondary level, is heavily subsidized by the government which maintains controlling shares in each of the Kingdom's universities. Many of these policies are longstanding and stem from the post-Third Fratricide political settlement during which the labouring classes have often held a great deal of political power.

Culture
The culture of Lapody comprises the shared traditons, practices, and worldview of the people of Lapody. Lapodian identity emergence is a complex process which has embraced several antecedents - namely the culture and power of the 17th and 18th century state of Verecundia. Lapods generally do not see Lapody as a new entity or their nationality as a new one. Many scholars have observed what they refer to as the "Fusion Theory", namely that Lapodard-speaking areas were fused to the traditional lands of Verecundia to establish what is, ultimately, an enhanced Verecundian state. Accordingly, many Lapods not only now view the concept of a Derian identity as antiquated, but the most patriotic elements of Lapodian society view it as ultimately offensive and a historical distraction that prevented Lapodard-speakers from claiming from their nation's true heritage. Within this framework, the partition of Verecundia in the 1740s was the great catastrophic event, forever altering the trajectory of the Lapodard people and occurring commonly throughout Lapodard culture as a referenced motif. Most surveys find that a majority, but not all Lapods, are believers of the Fusion Theory and its associated Verecundian historiography. Support for the idea is weakest in former Vorenia which established its own unique history throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Regardless of one's view of Verecundian historiography, the shared Lapodard language is often cited as the critical unifying element of Lapodian culture, linking the three former constituent countries in addition to any long-term shared heritage. Prior to unification, scholars referred to Lapodard-speaking peoples as part of the "Middle Deric culture", a historiographical term emphasizing the shared traditions of these people as opposed to the Lower Deric (Burgoignesc) and Upper Deric (Rhotian) cultures. This historiography is disputed by some ultranationalist thinkers in Lapodian society, who instead point to a preexistent "Verecundian spirit".

Lapods are united by a strong martial tradition, with many Lapods viewing their country as the inheritor of the military legacies of Vorenia and Verecundia. Lapods have been observed to be culturally similar (besides the issue of language) in many ways to Burgoignesc uplanders, observing similar values such as the importance of work, community spirit, and a focus on honesty. These similarities have been noted by sociologists as demonstrating a possible common heritage between the uplanders and Lapods.

Lapodian culture is undergoing what many scholars refer to as "growing pains". As a new nation with efforts being made to forge a unified national identity, many cultural observers have noted the tension between the "Verecundian center" and the peripheral parts of the country. Additionally, latent national feelings towards Vorenia and Loreseia have led to problems related to mixed identity.

Cuisine
Lapodian cuisine is affected by the geomorphological characteristics of its territory. It makes use of ingredients coming from the sea as well as game and meat. Lapodian cuisine has transformed over the centuries in relation to the socio-economic situation of the region. The scarcity of cattle pastures forced the Lapods to develop dishes based on alternative ingredients such as fish and herbs, to which game was subsequently added. Lapods pair their meat condiments based on wild or cultivated herbs, among which stands out, which is used both as a sauce for pasta as well as being added to autumnal soups with a variety of fresh vegetables. Pesto is closely associated with Lapod cuisine abroad, and many brands of pesto internationally are sold in jars with the Lapodard language or otherwise claim an association with Lapody Also important are the many savoury pies with vegetables, the most famous of which are the pasqualina cake, the ripieni and focaccia traditionally filled with stracchino cheese known as focaccia col formaggio. There are dishes based on ingredients such as herbs or chestnuts traditionally eaten by farmers. The preservation of food and therefore the use of Mason jars is fundamental in Lapodian cuisine, traditionally filled with mushrooms in oil, jams, honey, salted anchovies, brined foods, and dips. Over time, the continued restrictions on sea access imposed on Lapods by Burgundie in the 19th and early 20th century forced Lapods to pursue other sources of protein, including imported as well as renewed attempts to rear cattle using new scientific research. After the Levantine Union was established, most of these efforts were abandoned in favor of traditional use of fish.

Music
Lapodian music is exceptionally varied, boasting some of the more notable composers, singers, producers and performers in Levantia and indeed the world. Much of Lapody's musical heritage descends from the Verecundian heritage, which experienced a cultural golden age in the early 18th century.

, largely based about piano solos and full orchestras, is characterized by the use of large amounts of string instruments, such as the, , and , employing them in vast, interlaying groups to achieve a sweeping sense, as well as being characterized by the use of choirs in a low and  voice as accompaniment to percussion instruments. Classical music was heavily patronized in the era of the Grand Duchy of Verecundia, and throughout the Lapodard-speaking lands, major orchestras became commonplace among the courts of the Lapodard counts and dukes. Such orchestras were often intertwined with a style, describing events in the country's history through the use of intense or less intense music depending on the actions at work, though some would employ conventional lyrics for the choirs. Lapodian orchestras in this form would be noted as exceptionally fast paced, to some contemporaries “violent in nature”, with a minority employing such things as rifle fire for use in place of the and even field artillery. Joannes Bisto, a Urcean immigrant, would be infamous for his first unveiling of this style to an unwitting audience in 1830. During the Second Great War, formats such as the, , and would also rise in popularity along front lines of conflict, with amateur soldiers playing for their fellows. Such music would naturally be of peace, home, and women. More modern, conventional arrays for orchestra have risen in popularity since the 1970s, though traditional Lapodian continues to be notable worldwide. within Lapody can trace its roots back to the Medieval period. These songs are rarely authentically tied to traditional folk music, being sunny and optimistic in nature. There is a small minority of songs with demonstrated antique vintage, most famously the song La fortuna a va e ven (The wheel of fortune is forever in motion), whose earliest attestation dates to around the time of the Great Plague in the 14th century. Notably, many of these earliest songs are shared in common with old songs remembered by the Burgoignesc uplanders, serving as a major piece of evidence for some kind of shared heritage between Lapods and uplanders.

Besides the few folk songs with provable medieval origins, most songs hold their roots in the 19th century and First Fratricide periods. These songs are full of language with political activism on both sides of the fence, as well as realistic joy, sadness and passion. Such songs may be in the format of with a varied chorus as well as a simple beat, having their roots in the coal and fishing industries. As a result, such songs often focused upon the hard work itself, some positive upon this with pride in that work while others were negative, portraying foremen as slave drivers and businessmen as peddlers of misery. Such songs were, by their nature, extremely inflammatory at the time and still are today, being associated with and the resulting riots. Democracy-oriented songs, as well as advocates for Catholic themes, also experienced a rise in popularity during the Second Great War period and as such are tied to it even today. Modern often distances itself from politically or historically sensitive topics, instead focusing on either common messages such as loved ones and quiet death or upon romanticizing earlier periods in Lapody's history, such as the periods prior to Marisia. Historical folk songs are, by that nature, rarely sung for public audience.

Today, modern popular music from Lapody experiences only limited success abroad, with most tours only moving about Levantia itself. Those with the greatest success are Lapodian heavy metal bands, a good portion of which may be characterized by the use of traditional musical instrumentation along with a rapid pacing and roaring lyrics. This type has been described by some as, with woodwind instruments, the , and being often times present. Synthesizers and computers are also used. The lyrics in this genre are well known for its morbid, provocative lyrical themes and dark humor often centering about homelessness, war, poverty, and drug use, as well as in its earliest years the potential for such as “Jedna Sekunda do Północy” (One Second to Midnight) by the band Rolling Thunder. Such bands have niche audiences in Fiannria and Urcea.

Architecture
Architecture in Lapody is varied by geography and due to the constantly shifting history of the nation and the many disparate rulers and courts who ruled within the modern territorial boundary. As a result of this, nearly the whole of Levantine architecture styles can be seen in the nation, though for the most part these are isolated in certain portions of the country.

In the east, due to the population densities present as well as the rapid expansion following the Second Great War, the vast majority of buildings are in the 1950s block format, with concrete being the primary building material. Buildings are on average more than ten floors tall with maximum height at 312 m (1023.62 ft). Buildings may extend down below the surface to a maximum of twelve stories, with underground ‘streets’ providing for a grid pattern. for these underground streets are common in order to provide support, as are large ventilation pillars to provide clean oxygen. Public transportation in the city is exceptionally common, with rail lines connected to vertical centralized stations enabling rapid movement. Some cities play host to older structures with churches in the being relatively common alongside. Early buildings can be seen in some cities, especially the most prominent cities in the old Verecundian heartland.

In the west areas of the country, most buildings are still constructed in the earlier styles with wood being the primary material. can be seen often in smaller towns as centralized places, doubling for many as businesses, restaurants, inns, or public community centers. Larger can be seen in the countryside. can be seen in various fortifications from the early Renaissance. Some few examples of construction can be seen in churches, though due to history these are less common.

Older styles can be seen in the mountainous parts of the country. Largely drawing inspiration from the older periods, these buildings were constructed mostly in the 1910s. They are largely communal, with three story buildings for multiple families being common. They are largely characterized by gently sloping roofs and wide and well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house. In addition to this, some churches exist since the earliest years of the country, built in. The earliest example of these would be St. Michael's Church in Ednus. Estimated to have been built originally in 527 AD and rebuilt in the 9th Century, is still in active operation due to its stone construction. Many other buildings are constructed partially or even totally into the ground in order to resist the constant winds.

Religious Demographics
The vast majority of Lapods are members of the Catholic Church. The area was predominantly a stronghold of Catholicism during the Great Confessional War, avoiding having a longterm heritage of Protestant influence unlike both of its neighbors, Rhotia and Burgundie. A small Protestant community of the Collegiate Church exists within the country.

Economy
Lapody follows an economic model which is for the most part a free-market liberal economy. With slightly over 83% share, Lapody's private economy is dominated by the tertiary sector which ranges from the dominant chemical industry over an innovative high-tech and robotics industry all the way to a rather young yet swiftly growing IT sector. The industrial sector makes up roughly 16% as actual production in the Kingdom has been decreased consistently over the past three decades. The agricultural sector employs roughly .5%, with most processes being fully automated. Unemployment rates have been between around 4.2 to 4.9% for the past two decades, accounting for both pre- and post-unification statistics.

In terms of business regulations, the Lapodian economy distinguishes between the distribution of basic human rights, basic human needs, and commercial products. As a result, basic human rights such as access to clean water, the energy grid, and telecommunication networks are 100% publicly owned on a national level. Basic human needs such as public transportation, general services, and healthcare are so severely regulated to extent that they must run on zero profit that, apart from two exceptions, they are effectively in the public's hands as well. Commercial products or services see little regulation other than having to fulfill the regularly updated of standards of the Lapodian Conformity Index (LCI).

The Lapodian economy is focused on the chemical and high-tech industry as well as general engineering services, pharmaceuticals, and robotics. The transportation sector in terms of transshipment has historically been a strong economic factor but has been dwindling for the past few decades. Rufus Concordia, currently the nation's only major deep-water port, has crystallized itself as the main transshipment hub in the Kingdom, acting not only as the Lapodian economy's gateway into the world, but also as a link between Levantia and Audonia.

The national agricultural sector is limited due to geographical and climatological constraints, with the only exports of note being citrus fruits and wine. Prior to industrialization, Lapody had a strong agricultural sector as reflected by the millstone appearing in the nation's flag and arms.

Lapody's access through the sea was traditionally through Southern Dericania in the lands which would become known as Burgundie. Following the First Fratricide, the unification of Burgundie posed significant problems for the Lapodard-speaking princes of the Empire, as no available port city was located outside of Burgundie. Accordingly, the Imperial Diet granted permission to the Loreseian Duchies to rebuild the ancient city of Rufus Concordia on the east coast of what is today Lapody. Rufus Concordia used modern dynamite techniques to create a viable port infrastructure, and today it remains the largest port in the former Dericania region not held by Burgundie. Many roads and rail connections run west-to-east across Lapody to Rufus Concordia.

In the region of former Verecundia, creative startups have begun to flourish in recent years, especially in the design and IT industry.

Military
The Royal Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Lapody was established in 2031 as a three-branch armed service including the Royal Army, Royal Air Force, and Royal Navy. The armed forces were created as a merger of the military forces of Verecundia, Vorenia and Loreseia. Based on a model suggested by Yonderian Defence Force General Adolf Nehring, the formations of the armies and airforces of Verecundia, Vorenia and Loreseia were all retained along with their equipment and tables of organization (where numbers permitted) prior to the final establishment of the unified army and airforce. Personnel of all ranks were offered twelve month contracts during which time the personnel could be individually evaluated. Commissions would be granted to the officers of Vorenia, Verecundia, and Loreseia at a 45/45/10 ratio respectively, with any surplus being transitioned to senior NCO or reserve officer roles. The enlisted who accepted the twelve month contracts were also individually evaluated and were offered either contract extentions with the Royal Army or Air Force or discharged from service.

The law that provided for this structure also provided that all extant units would be dissolved and recompiled using mixed personnel rather than by employing existing national unit formations by the end of the twelve month evaluation. This had the practical effect of fusing the army and air force together and avoiding potential rivalries between old national units and officers. The Royal Navy, meanwhile, was established by renaming the Grand Ducal Navy of Loreseia, the only state of Lapody's three predecessors to have a coastline.

The Royal Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Lapody are designed to be an independent fighting force, capable of projecting Lapodian power throughout eastern Levantia and into Audonia. The original charter legislation of the Royal Armed Forces provided that Lapody views itself as the "fifth tent pole" of the Levantine Union, envisioning Lapody as a peer of Burgundie, Yonderre and Fiannria in terms of military strength (the other tent pole being Urcea). Accordingly, the Royal Armed Forces are only tangentially designed with capability for integration within Levantine Union Defense Council forces, as Lapodian leaders envision being able to prosecute a war as a full partner rather than as subordinated forces.