Laeral

Allied Provinces of Laeral 絲綢共和國
Flag Seal
Motto: 通過智慧，平等和榮譽而繁榮
Anthem: The Laeralite's Song
Laeral (in light blue) in the Eastern portion of the IDU
Capital and	Laeralsford
Official languages	French, Min Chinese
Recognised national languages	English
Ethnic groups (2010)	38% Mixed-Race 25% Rén 23% Arrivée 14% Other
Demonym(s)	Laeralite
Government	Federal Semi-presidential Republic
• President	Nicholas Brennan
• Prime Minister	Tanvi Misra
Establishment
• First Allied Provinces of Laeral	1858
• Republic of Laeral	1922
• Second Allied Provinces of Laeral	1954
Area
• Total	490,499 km2 (189,383 sq mi)
Population
• 2017 estimate	79,200,000
• 2015 census	78,446,385
• Density	161.5/km2 (418.3/sq mi)
HDI (2016)	0.895 very high
Currency	Laeralian Mark (LRM)
Date format	mm-dd-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+118
Internet TLD	.lr

The Allied Provinces of Laeral, commonly called Laeral, is a federal semi-Presidential democracy in the continent of Hespia in the International Democratic Union. It is bordered by Bears Armed and Malabra to the west and by High Fells and Skoden to the north. Laeral covers 1.71 million square kilometers, and is composed of 33 Provinces. Laeral is best known internationally for it's liberal outlook and policies, as well as a beautiful and charming tourist destination. Laeral has a long history of social tolerance, having legalized numerous behaviors illegal in many foreign nations.

Laeral has only become an influential nation recently, being elected as World Assembly Delegate of the International Democratic Union in 2017. It is a major tourist destination, where both traditional industries such as fishing and tea production coexist with Laeral's information technology industry. The government and populace are known for their social tolerance, but tradition continues to play a major role in the lives of many Laeralites. Culturally, Laeral shows both it's French heritage as well as the culture of it's native Rén peoples.

Etymology

Laeral is pronounced Lay-ruhl, and likely comes from the Old Laeralian word laer, likely meaning 'silk'. It is combined with the suffix 'al', meaning 'land of' or 'territory of'. An alternate etymology posits that the term comes from "lehwal", or 'river-dweller'. The term is first recorded in the 1500s; previously, the term "Liuguo" was used. The former etymology is used for Laeral's name in Chinese, 絲綢之鄉, meaning 'silk country'.

The standard way to refer to a citizen of Laeral is as a "Laeralite." The term 'Laeralian' is archaic and now rarely used. Two terms often used to refer to people in Laeral are 'Rén' (Ren) and 'Arrivée' (Arrivay, or Arrivee). These are racial terms used in Laeral. The former refers to the native Laeralians, of Asian descent. The latter refers to those descended from the French who colonized the nation.

Classical Era

Humans likely arrived in modern-day Laeral in the paleolithic period, as evidence has been found of cave dwellings with artifacts dating back to that time. Laeral was inhabited by scattered nomadic tribes of Asian descent until around the 7th century BCE, when the first permanent agricultural settlements were developed. Cultivated grains have been found dating to that time. During this time, several coastal cities began to develop agriculture, as well as settlements along the Laer River, but the majority of the population could be classified as hunter-gatherers. These coastal cities were the places where writing and toolmaking first developed, and are the birthplaces of Laeralian civilization. It was around the year 400 BCE when Laeral was first unified, under the Nan Dynasty, which in fact only controlled the coastal areas of Laeral. They were succeeded by the Gan dynasty around 100 BCE. They were followed by several other dynasties, including the Liu Dynasty (100 BCE-300 CE), which was known for its highly developed civil service, the Gao Dynasty (300 CE-500 CE), known for its relative stability and promotion of culture, the Bei Dynasty (500-600 CE), which was unstable and chaotic, and others.

Gunpowder and paper were both discovered around the same time in the 10th century CE, ushering in a new era in both warfare and culture. At this time, the city of Enelwain, considered the birthplace of technology in Laeral, became a center of learning and knowledge, and home of many wonders such as the Great Library of Enelwain. Arts and culture were sponsored by the ruling Bei dynasty. Around 980, the city of Enelwain was devastated by a fire and never rebuilt.

Falling Leaves Period and the Sen Dynasty

During the Falling Leaves period, an increasing population meant that the city-states were forced to expand and take over weaker rivals. Many warlords created pocket empires during this time, only to see them fall apart within years. At this time, both gunpowder weapons and bladed weapons proliferated, resulting in a land in chaos as warlords and their followers battled for territory. Warriors wandered the countryside, looking for plunder and a lord to serve under. However, one warlord, the famous Seliun I, united Laeral through military might, diplomatic skill, and strategic marriages. The epic saga of his dynasty, the Sen Dynasty, is told in the classic Laeralian work of literature, The Cycle of Ascendancy. Those kings had many wars with the Guanyin Empire, in modern-day High Fells, who had become similarly unified around the same time. While Seliun and his descendants were not especially gifted with kingly qualities, they often were able to prop up their respective regimes by cultivating a body of trusted advisers. However, the Sen Dynasty fell apart sometime around 1430, when Sei II's incompetent leadership and backstabbing advisors led to a disastrous war with the Guanyin Empire, a militaristic kingdom ruling over modern-day High Fells. Another work of Laeralian classic literature, The Years of Woe, tells of loyal Sen military commander Han Guiying's attempt to resist the Guanyin invasion and defend Laeralian sovereignty. However, while he was able to repel the invaders successfully, Laeral enjoyed only a decade or so of freedom, as the Guanyin underwent a period of political turmoil, which eventually resulted in a new Guanyin dynasty establishing itself and taking over Laeral.

At one point, all of Laeral was under the control of the Fellsians. They ruled Laeral for several generations with an iron fist, while resistance groups were quietly formed and plans of revolution quietly made. The city of Anjian, the Sen capital, was razed. This period of time, known is Laeral as the 'Time of Sacrifice' still impacts the Laeralian national consciousness today. Dozens of resistance groups formed, plotting to overthrow Fellsian rule. Their leader was Shei Wu, a former warlord who assembled a group of secret societies to oppose the Fellsian occupation. This coalition consisted of many former enemies, who cooperated to defeat Fellsian forces. Laeral ultimately threw off the Fellsian rule, and enjoyed freedom for several centuries. Shei Wu established himself as an Emperor, and created the imperial capital at Lanxiu, in modern day Corday. He and his descendants embarked upon a series of reforms, ultimately establishing a powerful central government, a bureaucracy, and allowing many innovations to spread quickly throughout Laeral. The Shei Dynasty cracked down on the power of warlords, and brought stability to Laeral. This time is often thought of as the 'golden age' of Laeral, when Laeral's internal organization, stability, and technological advancement were far ahead of those of it's neighbors.

First Encounters With Colonialism

In 1689, Portuguese arrived in Laeral Bay, and quickly established a trading post where they traded muskets, beads, and advanced equipment such as spyglasses for textiles, beads, and pottery. This marked Laeral's first contact with Europeans. This trading post, however, run by a Portuguese corporation, was unprofitable, and the several hundred people residing at the trading post never really explored the interior of the nation. Following a malaria outbreak, they abandoned the trading post and departed. The muskets, in particular, that were provided were a curiosity, but proved ineffective during conflicts due to lack of ammunition and a long reload time. The English arrived around 1724, but their outposts never really had an impact on Laeral's interior. At this point, Laeral was under the rule of Emperor Tei, a member of the Peiguo Dynasty, originally high-ranking advisers to Shei Wu who had seized power during a civil war. In 1734, a fleet of the Dutch East India Company arrived off Laeral's southern coast, and drove off the English. Their settlement remained for decades, trading with the Laeralites.

Colonial Era

The modern nation of Laeral was founded in 1703 along with present-day High Fells as a French colony governed by French nobles. With around 5800 supporters, forces under the Duc d'Tesse conquered the area around the coast. The area was home to thousands of natives, who were largely forced to retreat away from the French due to military defeat and disease. Many died, and many abuses and massacres were committed. This was a time of great change in Laeral, as ruling elements of Laeralian society were violently forced into submission before foreign conquerors. The Duc d'Tesse set himself up as Duc Jean-Baptiste I and ruled the land as the Duchy of Haute Fells.

After razing the imperial capital, he ordered the creation of the city of Laeralsford to serve as the new capital, as well as establishing four immense palaces around the country, each of which his court would spend one season a year at. These remain major historical sites, although it is said that the construction of these palaces was only accomplished by slave labor and crippling taxation. He introduced European technology, but also treated the natives poorly, instituting forced agricultural labor and high tithes. Duc Jean-Baptiste I was a canny ruler, playing off his political opponents against one another. He was assassinated in 1732.

His successors ruled as Dukes, until the Revolution. Their reign was characterized by a tiny minority presiding over the subjugation of the Laeralian people and the theft of Laeralian heritage. During the French Revolution of 1789, Laeral experienced a population boost, as emigre nobles and monarchists fled to the Duchy, where they hoped to muster an army to retake France. However, the Duc d'Tesse at the time, Louis-Philippe, died in 1809. He left a son and three daughters. Upon hearing of the Duc's death, the eldest daughter, Marie-Therese, knowing that she would not have been allowed to take the throne, moved to consolidate power.

By winning the support of the military, she had her brother executed, and restructured the government. She would remain a forward-thinking ruler for 27 years. She created a legislature, known as the National Assembly, reduced the power of the individual nobles, and also supported equality between the European settlers and the Rén peoples. She also created the city of Queensgrace, in modern-day High Fells, to serve as the new capital. Her regime was also noted for the establishment of many grain storage facilities located around the country to guard against famine.