Pharisedom

Pharisedoms, also referred to as Lands of Refuge, are polities, territories, and regions settled by Levantine following their expulsion from the Holy Levantine Empire and adjoining territories in the decades following the Great Confessional War. Pharisedoms are home to the majority of the world's Protestant population. There are varying types of these entities, ranging from deliberately created lands abroad for Protestants to former penal colonies. While many Pharisedoms are independent states, many - like Medimeria - remained within the political orbit of Levantia and today enjoy degrees of autonomy.

Etymology
The term "Pharisedom" is derived from the word, a derogatory term used in Levantia referring to Protestants. It entered common usage in both Urcea and Dericania during the 17th century describing Protestant settlements in Crona, and over time the term became generalized describing all lands occupied by Levantine Protestants. Though it is widely used in both popular and scholarly circles, the term is considered derogatory and a slur by many Protestants and especially in Alstin, where the term "Lands of Refuge" was developed in the 1820s for scholarly use.

Settler stock
After the Great Confessional War, the interests of many Levantine states - both inside and outside of the Holy Levantine Empire - turned to potential colonial interests abroad. While many colonies were developed to be replacements of existing social hierarchies, many preferred to have settled groups of Levantines managing the colony, and a few states endeavored to create. To that end, Protestants were viewed as a viable population to use for settlement and colonial governance. Many Protestants eagerly signed up to participate in adventures abroad, though some were unwillingly taken by private trade companies for the purpose without recourse as Protestants were considered to be s in many jurisdictions during the Dragonnades. While many settler colonies became independent states, many of these would become autonomous parts of Levantine overseas territories, particularly those of the Burgoignesc Colonial Empire.

Refugee societies
Many Protestants began to flee the Holy Levantine Empire before their mandated expulsion, and for this purpose privately-operated "refugee societies" were organized to facilitate their departure and settlement abroad. Many of these societies were lead and funded by prominent Catholics for varying reasons, ranging from a desire to see the non-conformists deported or from a sense of social obligation and perceived altruism of helping their departure. These groups, many of them called "Society of the Friends of the Pharisees" received official sanction in many places, allowing their work to proceed largely unimpeded. With the restoration of Catholicism in Urcea in 1565, many such societies were founded with a special regard for Ænglish people.

Penal colonies
Somewhat rarely compared to the other two types, overseas territories were established for the detention of religious non-conformists and heretics, a group which predominantly meant Protestants. These colonies were founded typically long after the major era of persecution and instead were reserved for Protestants discovered during the 17th and 18th centuries to be practicing in secret. According to scholars, in some instances those deported were done so for their "perceived" non-conformity, and some historians believe upwards of 10% of those sent to penal colonies were practicing members of the Catholic Church.