Lariana

The Kingdom of Talionia is a kingdom in Urlazio under a with Urcea. A densely populated country, Talionia has often been described as a cultural crossroads between Levantia and Sarpedon. Talionia's history as a semi-independent entity began in 1782 following the conclusion of the Veltorine Independence War with Caphiria, when it was seized by Urcea as compensation for its participation on the side of Veltorina. Since that period, the Kingdom has seen intermittent waves of migration, including Levantine settlers but also various outcasts and refugees from Caphiria, especially Levantine Catholics fleeing Caphiria due to the schism and formation of Caphiric Catholicism approximately a century earlier. Following the destruction of Veltorina during the Second Great War, Talionia became a major destination of Veltorine migration, and many political prisoners from Caphiria were deported to Talionia in the 20th century. Talionia housed the Veltorine government-in-exile from 1953 to 2014 and was home to a large community of Veltorine emigres.

During the Occidental Cold War and large-scale presence of the Urcean military, Talionia developed a thriving service economy surrounding the bases and urban centers of the Kingdom. Since the end of the Cold War, the economy has been undergoing rapid changes and partial decline as part of the gradual ending of hostilities between Urcea and Caphiria. As Talionia has been partly demilitarized as of the Assumption Accords, the economy has shifted more towards global trade by the merit of Talionia's geographic position. As part of the Accords, free trade with the Urlazian provinces of Caphiria has begun which has strengthened the changing economy.

Early History
Much of what consists of modern day Talionia was densely populated coastal cities which existed as part of Adonerii League with peripheral agricultural lands inhabited by communities of native Urlazic speakers and a few major Istroyan communities established in Antiquity. Consequently, most of the local Urlazic tribes fell under Latinic influence and began to speak the Latinic language. As with much of the island, Talionia as a whole was conquered by Marius Tempestas Natus in approximately 570 BC, ending the Adonerii league and beginning a lengthy period of united Urlazian governance. Earlier dynasties were replaced by the Kingdom of the Odonerones, a more stable and centrally controlled entity, around 110 AD. The Odonerones briefly contended with Great Levantia over dominance of the Sea of Canete beginning in the 350s and then entered a period of rapid decline. By approximately 400 AD it existed as a client state of Caphiria, and was integrated in XXX. During the integration period, many of the previously large cities and autonomous city-states of Talionia were largely depopulated due to the threats of Gothic raids, which began to plague the island in the 5th century.

During the initial period of Caphirian control most local customs were respected and the area operated with considerable autonomy. Within the context of Caphirian control, the Latin-speaking city of Larianum began to exert a major influence over the local cities in the 5th century and became a major center of trade for the next several centuries, and as a consequence the city spawned a major cultural exchange that resulted in a divergent and unique culture growing in Talionia, mixing Levantine, Gothic, Sarpedonian, Istroyan, and Adonerii influences into a unique Latinic subculture.

The first period of Caphirian rule came to an end with the arrival of the Oduniyyad Caliphate in the 7th Century. While the Caliphate did not directly threaten Caphiria in the north, groups of adventurers from Oduniyyad-controlled southern Sarpedon came north and conquered the largely autonomous region of eastern Urlazio in 690 AD. In the process, Larianum was sacked and largely destroyed as trade into the area ground to a halt. Caphirian forces finally overcame the invaders in 763 AD and reestablished control, albeit more directly as was the case elsewhere during Caphiria's Principate period. In the reorganized province of Talionum, the Caphirians rebuilt Larianum not far from the ruins of the old city, and trade resumed into the region, bringing goods from Audonia and Levantia into Sarpedon. Far overshadowed by the power of Venceia, Larianum and the surrounding eastern Urlazian provinces nonetheless managed to prosper during this period, and many traders going to Venceia would make a stop at Larianum.

Early Modern and Industrial Era
Centuries of trade and migration had reduced the former homeland of the Adonerum to a relatively culturally divergent area embracing its historic Latinic roots with a more Odoneru-centric outlook and traditions. Though a culturally divergent part of Caphiria, remained firmly in Venceia's hold until the middle of the 18th century, when it was invaded by Urcea as part of its intervention during the Veltorine War of Independence. Larianum was sacked by Caphirian forces in 1781 after being taken by the Urceans in 1780 and the province was largely pacified, but continued advanced of the Royal and Imperial Army in 1782 overcame Caphirian defenders in Talionum. As trade and aid filtered through Talionum's ports to the rebelling forces in Veltorina, control of the island ultimately proved essential to aiding the Veltorines secure their independence. Talionum was ceded to Urcea as compensation for their intervention. Controversially, it was not joined to the Holy Levantine Empire, but rather kept as a separate Kingdom in personal union with the Urcean Crown, a move which alienated the Collegial Electorate. Acquisition of the renamed-Talionia was a key part of Urcea's strategy to secure overall control of the Sea of Canete, and the so-called Canetian Cessions started the phenomenon of Levantine Creep among Caphirian intellectuals.

Talionia was governed and assumed to be, at its inception, another normal crownland of Urcea, similar to the Kingdom of Crotona. This status implied normal governance of the country by the apparatus of the Government of Urcea with the Apostolic King of Urcea nominally at its head as its King. However, several cultural and administrative changes implemented during the reign of Aedanicus VIII separated Talionia from the other crownlands. This included the actual creation of a physical crown of Talionia in 1852. Acts of the Concilium Daoni would confirm the status of Talionia as a separate entity from the rest of the Kingdom as part of an overall effort to prevent popular resistance to Urcean rule. This was also requested by the King, as the decision made the Kingdom of Talionia effectively under direct and total control of the Apostolic King, a move that Aedanicus argued was a military necessity in order to keep the area properly protected against Caphiria.

Talionia initially operated with some autonomous function. Local Veltorine nobility and several military commands of the Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea comprised the government of the Kingdom, though communal and county-based governance was viewed as the norm. As the 19th century continued, reforms to the Urcean government brought its periphery vassals into a tighter orbit of Urceopolis. In order to placate local concerns with the tightening grip, Aedanicus VIII issued a Constitution for Talionia in 1870, which remains in force. During the Regency, Talionia did not recognize the Regency of Gréagóir FitzRex and intended to remain neutral. Several local groups attempted to agitate for independence from Urcea, but with the beginning of the Red Interregnum, the Government declared its loyalty to the Legitimist faction. During the conflict and in part due to their perceived disloyalty, FitzRex promised to cede Talionia to Caphiria in exchange for its support during the Interregnum, bringing Urcea into the First Great War. Consequently, local groups decided remaining with House de Weluta was the better option to remain separate from Caphiria. The unfulfilled promise of a cession of Talionia to Caphiria was a major for the later Second Great War.

Second Great War and Today
During the Second Great War, Talionia was a primary battleground between the Levantia and Odoneru Treaty Association (LOTA) and Caphiria and its acquisition was the primary war goal of Caphiria. The early war period was largely inconclusive, but following the allied naval victory at the Battle of the Adonáire Strait Caphiria's ability to resupply Urlazio became significantly limited. The Royal and Imperial Army made significant gains against Caphiria, occupying most of the island along with Cartadanian offensives from the west. Talionia was the site of the first detonation in history, as Caphiria dropped a weapon at the end of the Second Great War on major military depot and transportation hub - the city of Malavia - that was occupied by Urcean forces but still within Caphirian nominal territory. The nuclear detonation precipiated peace talks which ended the war. Large parts of Urlazio were returned, but a major piece of territory was ceded to Talionia at the end of the war, including the destroyed city of Malavia and its environs. These ad-hoc military bases dotting Talioinia were later rebuilt for permanent LOTA use during the Occidental Cold War, as the military and military families from Levantia and Cartadania became an important part of life in Talionia, and a cornerstone of the economy. As bases began to dot the countryside, agricultural developments gave way to a service-based economy aimed at accommodating the millions of soldiers stationed in Talionia throughout the Cold War.

Upon the signing of the Assumption Accords in 2014, cession of the Ecinis peninsula and demilitarization of the southern half of Talionia and eastern portions of Caphirian Urlazio meant an end to the more than eighty years of military presence in Talionia, leading to dramatic changes in the economy. Despite this, many investors have expressed interest in the potential of the rapidly changing economy. Caphirian investors and visitors have become commonplace in Talionia since the time the Accords were signed, and analysts have speculated that Talionia may once again become a primary port of entry into Sarpedon and crossroads of the Occident. As part of the Accords, a free-trade area was created between Talionia and the Caphirian provinces of Urlazio.

Government
The Kingdom of Talionia is a constitutional monarchy employing an organic democratic Constitution similar to, but not the same as, the Government of Urcea. Talionia is bound to Urcea by its King, who is also the Apostolic King of Urcea. The executive authority within the Kingdom is wielded by the Governor-General of the Kingdom of Talionia, an official appointed by the Apostolic King of Urcea with the advice and consent of the Concilium Daoni of Urcea. This official is directly nominated by the King rather than by the binding advice of any officials in Urcea; by this method, Talionia's government retains a degree of independence from Urcea and is answerable - to an extent - to the King of Talionia alone. The Governor-General is typically a Talionian who has had political and administrative experience within the Government of Urcea, especially diplomatic experience. The Governor-Generals serve five year terms and by precedent are not reappointed by the King except during times of war. The Governor-General has the authority to, subject to the legislature, organize the government of the Kingdom, direct its ministers, veto legislation, and organize the Kingdom's armies. The Governor-General serves as Commander-in-Chief (rather than the Urcean title of Magister Militum) of the Kingdom's armed forces, though in practice the armed forces are typically used for local defense and emergency response due to the protection the nation receives from the Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea. The Governor-General is considered the head of government of the Kingdom, and he nominates ministers to be approved by the National Landsmeet; due to his non-partisan nature, he is bound by precedent to nominate members of the majority party in the legislature, although not always the members selected by the Majority Leader.

Legislative authority in Talionia is invested in the National Landsmeet, a 155-member legislature based on 150 equal population districts elected nationwide, referred to as the Electors Temporal and the designees of 5 Catholic bishops, referred to as the Electors Spiritual. Electors serve five year terms on the same schedule as elections for Urcea's Concilium Daoni, and its reapportionment system is extremely similar. The legislature is partisan, and the leader of the majority party of the National Landsmeet holds the title of "Elector-President of the Kingdom of Talionia". The Elector-President is exclusively a legislative and partisan leader, serving as Majority Leader, and does not have significant authority over the ministry or its members. The Elector-President chooses which legislation comes to the floor of the Landsmeet and is responsible for choosing committee chairs within the Landsmeet.

From the time of the implementation of the Constitution in 1870 to the Great War, the primary political divides in the Kingdom were between pro-de Weluta Crown Liberal parties ("Unionist") and pro-independence liberal and socialist political parties ("Nationalist"). The independence movement within the Kingdom was divided between those who viewed Talionia as a standalone country and those who sought union with Veltorina. These divides were sufficient to allow the Unionists to maintain power. Since the Great War, nationalism has significantly been on the decline due to solidarity with the Urcean people and the annexation of Veltorina by Caphiria. Since the Assumption Accords, there has been a significant interest in renewed ties with Caphiria and other nations in Sarpedon without a national independence component, a political point of view that has been increasingly embraced with the adoption of free trade and easy travel with the Caphirian province of Thessia.

Foreign relations
Talionia's foreign relations are largely the same as Urcea's, and Talionia's presence abroad mostly takes the form of in nations which have a specific Talionian interest. Much of the Kingdom's relationship with Caphiria is advised and overseen by the Urcean Department for Historic Continental Concerns, which ensures Urcea and its dependencies do not give offense to Caphiria within the context of Imperial Diplomacy.