Prydon (Pacifica)

Republic of Prydon Praydon Laséia (Prydonian) Прайдонь Республика (Karnetvorian)
Flag Coat of Arms
Anthem: Wondrous Future Fine Hünien Прекрасное далёко
Location of Prydon (dark green)
Capital	Lasvorn
Largest city	Aetrinun
Official languages	Prydonian
Recognised regional languages	Karnetvorian
Ethnic groups (2020 census)	78% Prydonian 18% Karnetvorian 4% Others
Religion (2020 census)	74% Western Orthodoxy 11% Irreligious 9% Catholicism 3% Islam 2% Protestantism
Demonym(s)	Prydonian
Government	Unitary Semi-Parliamentary Constitutional Republic
• Director	Alexander Hüviévich Finéyul
• Premier	Vasilly Masillevich Aequi
• Council Speaker	Maria Kostroyavich Finevié
Legislature	Lasornü (High Council)
Independent state
• Kingdom of Prydon	1342–1957
• Prydonian Socialist Federation	1957–2005
• Rosa Uprising	2005
Area
• Total	137,322 km2 (53,020 sq mi)
Population
• 2020 census	46,329,022
• Density	337/km2 (872.8/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
• Total	$566.19 billion
• Per capita	$12,221
Gini (2020)	38.7 medium
HDI (2020)	0.774 high
Currency	Prydonian Ruble (PRb) (PRB)
Time zone	UTC-2
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy CE
Driving side	left
Calling code	+47
World Forum Code	PY
Internet TLD	.py

Prydon, officially the Republic of Prydon (Prydonian: Praydon Laséia)(Karnetvorian: Прайдонь Республика) is a sovereign nation located in the southern cone of the Cordillian Continent, west of the Cordillian Mountain Ranges. Prydon shares borders with Mitallduk Confederation, Krauanagaz Federation, Zuhlgan, and shares the region with Karnetvor and Techganet. It borders the Cordillian Sea and the Marinkora Mountains to the west, and the Cordillian Mountains to its east. The nation straddles the vale of the Belaya River, and occupies an expansive flat terrain known as the Plodorodnyy Croplands. There are 46 million citizens of Prydon, spread across a territory of around 137 thousand kilometres square. Prydonian and Karnetvorian are the main ethnic groups residing in Prydon.

Prydon is a Unitary Semi-Parliamentary Republic, with its capital in Lasvorn, an ancient trade post deep in the heart of the country. The nation is fairly decentralized, and is separated into 17 Okrugs. Prydon’s largest cities included Aetrinun, Kostroya in the north, Solnevorn, and Setrivié in the south. Aetrinun, the largest city of Prydon, is a bustling metropolis, serving as the economic and cultural centre of Prydonians, as well as being one of the major urban centres of Southern Cordillia. The Plodorodnyy Plain is one of the centers of cotton production in the world that supplies massive amount of raw materials for Prydon's textile manufacturing.

Prydon went through a Communist dictatorship following the fall of the Kingdom of Prydon in 1957. The dictatorship was eventually replaced by an Ultravisionary regime led by Nikolai Andrezhnev, which made Prydon one of the leading scientific and engineering innovators in Pacifica. However, the people suffered under a police state, and the nation became isolated due to horrible human rights score. By the end of the 20th century, the Ultravisionary system was in shambles, and entering the 21st century, Prydon entered into a state of economic and societal crisis. The economy eventually plummeted, and a revolution brought down the Ultravisionaries, replacing it with a democratic semi-parliamentary government. Prydon is a member of the Cross-Pacific Space Cooperation.

Etymology

The word 'Prydon' has no clear exact sources. Some theorizes that it was a shortening of the name of its largest lowland region, the Plodorodnyy Plains, which is old-Karnetvorian for 'fertile'. Others pointed out that Prydon is close to the Prydonian word for wind or windy, 'plievon', which accurately describes the weather pattern of the area. Nonetheless, the earliest surviving document that uses the name came from a manuscript of the Church, written by one Abbess Soliviere dating back to the 8th century, telling of the progress of Christianization in the region. Abbess Solievre, believed to be a newcomer sent by the Church, began her proselytizing in 806 AD, and conversed regularly with the Church authority, always referring to the lands and the people as Prydon and Prydonians respectively. It was her successor, Mother Talia, that introduced the alphabet and the Prydonian writing system to the region.

History

Medieval Period

Orthodox Church in Prydon

Main Articles: Abbess Soliviere, and St. Talia of Prydon

Kingdom of Prydon

Main Articles: Kingdom of Prydon

The Kingdom was established in 1342 with the Proclamation of the Kingdom and the coronation of Ferdinand I as King of the Prydonians and Karnetvors. Ferdinand I's rise followed the Christianization of the region, predominantly brought by migrating and settling Karnetvors, but also thanks to the active proselytization of the Orthodox Church. By the end of the 11th century, Prydon was a group of feudal princes, vying for control over the region. Ferdinand I, the Prince of Kostroya and the descendant of Abbess Soliviere, began a slow campaign to incorporate the disparate princes, predominantly in facing more Cordillian tribal migrations. His Kingdom gradually expands and incorporated the disparate feudal states of the Belaya Valley, uniting the Prydonian people into a single nation-state. His authority was finally acknowledged by the Orthodox Church, and the Metropolitan of Aetrinun named him the first King of Prydon in 1342, signifying his superiority over the feudal princess.

Early Modern Period

Karnetvor Aristocracy

Main Articles : Karnetvor Aristocracy of Prydon

The Zemsky Sobor during the reign of Queen Vielie I, engraved by August Livierre, 1590.

The Soliviere Dynasty would rule Prydon for the next century, until the death of Michael II and his heirs during a military campaign. Prydon entered an interregnum, and Prydonian nobles began fighting amongst each other for the throne. The Karnetvorians of Prydon, whom at that time predominantly settles in Prydon's cities and towns, sent out representatives to Aetrinun, and formed the Zemsky Sobor, in an attempt to protect burghers and merchant interest during the interregnum. When civil war finally broke out between dynastic factions in 1446, the Zemsky Sobor decided to pool their wealth and hired foreign mercenaries, which fought the throne pretenders to a halt and forced them into the negotiating table.

With the Metropolitan of Aetrinun as witness, the Zemsky Sobor was separated into three estates representing the three main components of the kingdom; the Karnetvor Burghers, the Prydonian Landowners, and the Orthodox Church. Aetrinun is named the official meeting place of the estates, and the Zemsky Sobor was given the right to vote for Prydon's monarch. The first elected monarch of Prydon was Kirill I of the Ilnanen Dynasty. In truth, the Zemsky Sobor was dominated by the Karnetvor delegates, and remained the most powerful institution in Prydon all the way to the 17th century, an era known as the Karnetvor Aristocracy.

Luniere Dynasty

Alexei I Luniere, painted by Lemorie Lvov, 1612.

Main Article: Luniere Dynasty

The Luniere Dynasty took over in 1604, following the devastating mercantile conflict that the Karnetvors burghers fought against competitors in the Cordillian Sea. The empty treasury and constant revolt led to the downfall of the burghers, and the return of feudal primacy. Alexei Luniere, head of the noble families of the Vallie Region, south of Aetrinun, used the turmoil to seize the capital and proclaim themselves as the new royal dynasty. The Prydonian Succession War broke out, almost immediately, and the nation is gripped in a gruesome 56 years of near-constant state of war. Alexei established his new court in the newly built residence that would become the Blievie Palace.

Alexei I's grandson, Ferdinand IV, succeeded in pacifying the last noble houses in the south by 1662. Ferdinand IV and his successors ruled the kingdom with an iron-fist, following the doctrine of absolutism. The Zemsky Sobor was stripped of much of its authority, and the position of State Minister was established, being the de-facto head of government serving directly to the monarch. Dissidents, both from the cities losing their privileges to disgruntked serfs and peasants was dealt with haste and brutality, mostly under the watch of the Oprichnina. However, when enlightenment ideals entered Prydon, the Luniere monarchs of the 18th century took a more benevolent image.

Prydonian Troops during a Campaign in the Elbonian Wars, painted by Maesqui in 1813.

Alexei II, who ruled between 1734 to 1776 oversaw many reforms implemented to centralise and streamline bureaucracy, while surrendering much of decision-making process to the State Minister. Alexei built many hospitals, schools, several universities, and major public works, most importantly the North-South Road. On top of that, he promoted the use of inoculation against diseases, and patronised artists and writers alike. His son, Lvov II, continued much of his father's steps, and brought back the burgher estate into the Zemsky Sobor, and left much of the governing of state to his State Ministers, while spending time hunting and drilling soldiers. His successor, Leopold V, restored the Prydonian navy and merchant marines after their destruction during the last years of the Karnetvor Aristocracy.

The White Manor in Mikhailgrad, one of the new Royal residences built by Ferdinand VII, painted by Celvie Perushkin in 1822.

His brother, Ferdinand VII, sponsored the construction of new cities, and bought of the freedom of thousands of serfs to live in these cities. The largest of these cities is Ferdinandstadt, later renamed to Talianburg in the 1950s. Ferdinand VII also renovated the royal palaces of Prydon, especially the Blievie Palace where he built the Yellow Manor, the largest extension of the palace. He also held architectural competitions and gave out grants for new buildings that fits to his criteria. By the end of his life, he had funded more than ten thousands buildings throughout Prydon. Despite being literal despot with unchecked powers, Ferdinand VII's affinity for architecture left him estranged from the Zemsky Sobor whom once again grew powerful. The returning burgher estate began calling themselves citizen-representatives, claiming to be the only true representatives of the masses. Conflict brews between the noble estate and the citizen-representatives, however the Crown Prince, Prince Ferdinand, was an ardent supporter of progressive reforms and his backing was growing more powerful as the king aged.

19th Century

Ferdinand's Peace

Main Articles: King Ferdinand VIII

Ferdinand VIII photographed in 1896.

The ascension of King Ferdinand VIII in 1836 brought an end to the internal power struggle within the Zemsky Sobor between the landowner nobility and the citizen-representatives. Ferdinand VIII’s clear favouritism toward the citizen-representatives faction leader Boris Bokha led to his eventual ascension as the new State Minister of Prydon in 1839 following Nivaly Torivich’s death. Bokha would serve King Ferdinand for almost 40 years, and oversaw the slow but progressive reforms of Prydon’s old laws and customs. Ferdinand VIII himself left most of the business of state to Bokha, and went to pursue cultural and scientific pursuits, including the founding of the National Society for Science in Aetrinun in 1841, and the renovation of Aetrinun Grand Theatre in 1852. The King also sponsored naturalist and realist artists, such as Fyodor Vinelie and Kirill Livins, and gave patronage to opera and ballet productions.

When steam engines began to be introduced to Prydon in the 1840s, Bokha gained approval from the King to invest the Royal Treasury into building several furniture and vodka factories in Aetrinun. The Zemsky Sobor approved a government land-grab of almost 50 miles to build the first railway connection in Prydon, connecting Kostroya and Aetrinun in 1846. Under the direction of Louis Livielle, a longer railway connection was built between Aetrinun and Lasvorn, which included the building of the King Ferdinand Bridge, the longest iron beam bridge in Prydon to this day. Bokha era government investments slowly pushed Prydon to industrialisation, and the population of the state doubled from 12 million in 1830 to 27 million by 1860.

Prydonian workers building rail connection, 1899.

Throughout the years, landowners lost their power and prestige, and their lands were gradually sold-off to wealthy free-men. In 1861, under threat of yet another Serf uprising, King Ferdinand VIII made his infamous ‘Balcony Address’, announcing the freedom of all Serf in Prydon, and compensations for the landowners. Tension built up between the nobility and the free-citizen, especially within the military. In 1862, Bokha announced the creation of the Royal Guards, a new army branch loyal only to the King, and began redirecting recruitment of the army to this branch. A series of escalations led to the attempted coup of the ‘May Betrayal’ in 1862, where a group of junior noble officers kidnapped the King and the Royal Family, detaining him on a lodging near Setrivie. The Royal Guard managed to rescue the Royal Family, and apprehended most of the perpetrators.

Blievie Palace in Aetrinun, photographed in 1900.

Bokha died in 1863, and the King took personal charge of the day-to-day ruling, although still shares some responsibilities with Bokha’s successor, Antonie Juvienich. For most of his reign, Ferdinand VIII was known as a peaceful king, however, that image was shattered when bad harvest in 1887 led to two years of famines in the southern regions of Prydon. A massive peasant uprising in 1889, led by a deserter, Sergeant Milkhov besieged Lasvorn, but was eventually crushed by the Royal Guards, which then embarked on a punishing campaign against what’s left of Milkhov’s supporters. Ferdinand VIII took a more cautious view towards reform in his latter years following the uprising, and reasserted older authoritarian laws, such as the ban on gathering and curfews in the southern regions. However, by 1900, Prydon was quickly industrialising and developing thanks to his long and relatively peaceful reign. King Ferdinand VIII died in 1901 at the age of 91.

20th Century

The 20th century saw the powers of the aristocracy and the monarchs of Prydon contained with a new constitution, transitioning Prydon into a Constitutional Monarchy following a brief but bloody revolution in 1906. A brief period of prosperity and stability was disrupted by the breaking of the Great War, which prompted Prydon's largest economic depression. When the war ended, a full blown civil-war was fought between the Prydonian State and the Prydonian Communist Party between 1955 to 1959, which ended with the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the Prydonian Socialist Federation. In 1965, the Federation was transformed as the new Ultravisionary Regime replaced the communists and created the current form of Prydon's government.

1906 Revolution

Main Articles: 1906 Prydon Revolution

Revolutionaries protesting in Kostroya, 1906.

Although the late King's age was very advanced for the time, Ferdinand VIII's death was rumored to be the result of an assassination made by conspirators of the ‘May Betrayal’. This theory was not generally accepted contemporarily, but at the time, the conspirators was also believed to be behind Crown Prince Leopold's untimely death as well in 1881. His grandson and successor, King Michael III, ended his grandfather's attempt to reform Prydon's bureaucracy and abruptly dissolved the Zemsky Sobor in 1905, attempting to consolidate power to himself as an autocrat and ridding the landowners for good. The King decided not to fill the position of State Minister and became an absolute autocrat. Michael III's background as a military officer made him unsympathetic to his grandfather's enlightened aspirations, and he himself genuinely believed in the rumour of his grandfather’s assassination. His attempt at centralising control was proven to be unpopular, and massive protests soon broke out in 1905 after the King announced the appointment of General Mikhail Wielinovie as Inspector General and Minister of Security, a notoriously brutal and oppressive officer that gained his fame during the Peasant Uprising of 1889.

Mutineers aboard PRN Zialechi photographed by Pravinie, 1906.

Wielinovie went on a purge over the landowners and wealthy citizens in Aetrinun under pretence of finding the perpetrators of King Ferdinand VIII's death. Between 1905 to 1906, Wielinovie executed almost 200 people around Aetrinun, while the Prydonian Secret Police, the Oprichnina, apprehended more than a thousand people under allegation of conspiracy against the crown. On 27th October, 1906, a group of petitioners marched through the Boulevard of Alvranie, towards the Blievie Palace, intending on petitioning the King to sack Wielinovie and end the purges. The unarmed petitioners were met by a volley by the Royal Guards which killed 51 people. The next day, angry mobs stormed the Royal Naval Academy and took over PRN Zialechi. The ship's main batteries were aimed towards Blievie Palace and the Aetrinun Constable Office. Across the country, the news of the murder of the petitioners incited mass protests and strikes. Michael III sent a delegation to the harbour on the 30th of October to speak with the masses, and to negotiate an end of the purges by 2nd of November. Wielinovie fled the country, leaving Michael III to accept a new constitution and the formation of the Lasornü, the sole unicameral legislative body of Prydon, transforming the state into a constitutional monarchy.

The Great War and Prydonian Depression

Main Articles: Prydonian Depression of the 50s

Prydonian Civil War

Main Articles: Prydonian Civil War

Loyalist forces during the Siege of Lasvorn, 1957.

As economic depression continued, famine began to spread in rural Prydon. The government's austerity measures, though saved the nation from bankruptcy, eventually led to worsening living conditions. Strikes began to appear across the nation, which eventually transformed into insurrection. Between 1955 to 1957, Prydonian military under the command of King-Consort Albrecht-Friedrich conducted operations to subdue the insurrectionist. However, due budget cuts, the military wasn't able to defeat the rebels, which soon coalesce into a leftist coalition under the Prydonian Communist Party.

Led by a radicalized military officer, Pyotr Heflinovich Karadzhov, the Prydonian Communist Party declared an insurgency and led a rebellion against the Kingdom in 1955 that lasted for four years. The insurgency was primarily fought in the mountainous southern regions of the country for much of its extent, but eventually spread throughout Prydon’s territory as discontent grew within the populace, as the government tried to push for a decisive end of the conflict. The insurgency finally grew into a significant force, encouraged by Karadzhov’s famed victory at the Battle of Leatan in September of 1957.

Communist take over of Aetrinun, 1959.

Following this victory, the conflict was transformed into an all-out war, and the government issued a decree of mobilisation. Through the King-Consort's dynastic link to the ruling house of Weisserstein, loyalist forces received substantial financial support and weapon shipments. However, the damaged popularity of the crown caused the loyalist to suffer manpower issues. Karadzhov's rebellion found it easier to find thousands of volunteers, mostly farmers and rural workers, and managed to stabilise a frontline north of Setrivie, slowly advancing north towards Lasvorn during the Belaya Campaign. In 1959 Prydon's armed forces were eventually overwhelmed when Karadzhov trapped almost 60,000 loyalist troops in Fentrilie, forcing a general retreat of loyalist forces from the central plateau, effectively abandoning Lasvorn which became the new headquarter for the Communists.

On 17th of December, Aetrinun was finally captured, the Queen-Regnant Vielie II and the royal family was forced to flee the country into exile in Weisserstein, and a treaty was signed with the remainder of the loyalist forces led by the Royalist Commander Admiral Valery, paving the way for the establishment of the Prydonian Socialist Federation. The fighters under Karadzhov's leadership were transformed into the Revolutionary Guard, and became the main branch of the Prydonian armed forces, while escaped landowners and aristocrats were barred from returning to Prydon. The Queen-Regnant died of a heart attack in 1960, but Crown Prince Kirill and the house of Lichtenburg-Hohenzollern-Luniere never relinquished their claim over Prydon.

Karadzhov's Regime

Main Articles: Prydonian Socialist Federation

Ultravisionary Regime

Main Articles: Ultravisionary Prydon and Nikolai Andrezhnev

Lasvorn Television Tower, completed in 1985 with monument to the Cosmonauts in the forefront, 1987.

IIn 1965, Karadzhov’s death led to an internal power struggle which ended with Nikolai Kostrivich Andrezhnev’s Ultravisionary faction acceding the leadership. Andrezhnev’s Ultravisionary Socialism had been a fringe group within the larger Communist Party, but grew in size as Karadzhov’s health deteriorated, primarily helped by Andrezhnev’s attempt to ally his faction with the growing Syndicalist wing. After being confirmed by the Politburo in October, 1965, Andrezhnev was named the second Director of Prydon , while his Syndicalist ally, Josiah Tievenevich Laylie, became the second Premier of Prydon. The new Ultravisionary agenda forced massive modernization programs upon Prydon oriented to scientific and technological advancements.

The final half of the 50s saw basic improvements in people’s life, while dealing with the ongoing financial and monetary crises that had plagued Karadzhov’s regime. Laylie introduced a competitive form of Syndicalism where unions of different adherents of the same industry might compete under different brands and prices, although this was limited only for luxury goods and electronic manufacturers. Nevertheless, by 1971, Andrezhnev’s regime restored production efficiency to pre-civil war numbers, and government subsidies to maintain low prices began to be rolled back, giving the Ultravisionaries more financial capacity to pursue their so called ‘Utopian Goals’.

Progress-5 launching in 1989, sending a geostationary communication satellite to orbit.

The 70s and 80s saw Prydon achieve exemplary scientific and engineering achievements, including the launching of a dozen communication and scientific satellites, two missions to land equipment on the surface of the moon in 1983 and 1986, as well as the discovery of several highly radioactive substances that contribute to the periodic table. 1976 saw Prydon’s first citizen on orbit, Hunevil Lychakov, as well as Prydon’s first geostationary communication satellite. Nuclear fission technology was achieved in 1989, and the first Nuclear Power Plant was built to help supply the growing population of Aetrinun. Prydon also produced highly effective vaccines and exported them worldwide. Continuing Karadzhov's socialist ideals, Andrezhnev formed the Communes to serve as the most basic local political division of Prydon and as the basic bloc of Prydon's national government.  In 1996, Prydon announced the creation of high-speed maglev trains, as well as the utilisation of electric public transportation vehicles. The government provided social welfare programs to end poverty and malnutrition that was endemic before. However, Andrezhnev’s vision was imposed upon Prydonian society with repressive policies that sacrificed personal freedom and human rights in the name of progress.

Prydonian Space Exhibition, held in Lasvorn, 1990.

Throughout Andrezhnev’s chairmanship, Prydon became a closed and isolated country on the world stage. On top of this, scientific and astronomic projects cost more than half of Prydon's annual budget and caused severe stress on Prydon's energy grid. Throughout the 80s and 90s, several parts of Prydon could experience blackouts for more than three to five days. Basic welfare programs also suffered with delays and low-quality services, due to budgets being funneled into Prydon's space programs. Famines re-emerged in the second-half of the 90s, and public infrastructure deteriorated in passenger safety and service quality. Andrezhnev's 'utopian goals' became a source of illogical decisions, including the closing of Prydon's coal and gas-powered power plants in the 80s in lieu of sustainable energy production, despite the fact that the nation barely covered its own energy demands.

Lychakov Hydroelectric Dam construction, which cost 24 lives due to lack of safety measures, photographed in 1990.

Most of the achievements that the Ultravisionary produced were conducted in high secrecy, utilising forced labour with very limited safety regulations, which led to multiple horrible accidents covered up by the state, including the fateful ‘Maltra Incident’ which saw 3,000 people died of construction failure, and the now abhorred National Academy’s ‘Unit 6’ which conducted unethical and dangerous human testing. Ultravisionary Socialism gradually adopted the model of Prydonian Syndicalism, as Laylie’s successor, Premier Trevenie Uzhkov, promoted more devolution of power towards the local Communes and workers unions by the 1980s. However, economically, the central government remained the most powerful force in planning and price control.

The Lasornü became essentially a rubber-stamp organisation, approving everything that Andrezhnev's government proposed. To 'protect' the revolution, the National Security Bureau developed a massive all-spectrum domestic surveillance system that includes cameras, microphones, radio and telephone interceptors on more than half of the population, especially urban-dwelling citizens. With advancing age, Andrezhnev left more and more power and responsibility to his elected Premiers, and retreated to his small dacha near Kostroya. However, the Director still attended official state functions, and was still responsible for the appointment of Prydonian diplomats abroad, as well as receiving foreign dignitaries. Andrezhnev suffered a stroke in 1993, and was forced to use a wheelchair ever since. Ever since, the Lasornü regained most of its lost influence, and the Communist Party experienced internal disputes over Andrezhnev’s potential successor.

21st Century

Belaya River completely frozen in April, 2004.

The 21st century saw a drastic social and economic change in Prydon, brought forward by the downfall of the Ultravisionary regime, and bad climate conditions. In 2004, concurrent thunderstorms and blizzards caused harvest failures and a massive shortage of food across the state. In the attempt to rectify the situation, the government decided to import most of people’s necessities to keep prices stable. However, due to Prydon's limited interaction with the rest of Pacifica, the government quickly ran out of foreign reserves and began depreciating the Ruble to keep the imports flowing by early 2005, while Prydon’s domestic logistics were slow to recover.

Prices eventually soared and Prydon’s economy fell into an economic crisis that it had never seen before. The economic turbulence of the early 2000s was compounded with political infighting within the Party, and the rise of reformism and social activism amongst Prydonian intellectuals, especially after the leaking of the Maltra Incident’s true causes of government malfeasance. In 2005, the death of Director Andrezhnev sparked a political crisis within the Ultravisionaries that further deteriorated the situation. In April, 2005, military vehicles and several thousand troops of the Revolutionary Guard entered Lasvorn in support of the former Revolutionary General Lev Juvinevich Kifinelie. The Lasornü and the Politburo, under threat of a violent coup, decided to grant Kifinelie the position of Director.

Rosa Uprising

Protestors making barricades near the governmental complex, 2005.

Main Articles: Rosa Uprising and Rosa Reformation

Kifinelie's ascension was followed by the leaking of several state secrets, including the inhumane treatment of Prydonian workers, as well as the massive all-spectrum domestic intelligence that has been developed ever since the Ultravisionaries came to power, in what was known as the ‘Red Papers’ leaking. The leaks were part of the internal power struggle within the Communist Party following Kifinelie’s attempt to purge the dissidents right after his coup. A protest in Lasvorn, primarily composed of reformist student activists turned into a bloody stampede, involving the Revolutionary Guard and Lasvorn Police, that killed 112 people. The stampede sparked a nation-wide protest against government repression, and forced Kifinelie to announce an emergency decree to mobilise the Revolutionary Guard.

Aetrinun's Steel Union on protest against Kifinelie's power-coup, 2005.

A protest in Aetrinun ended with a skirmish with the Guards that killed 20 protestors, and a general curfew order throughout Prydon. Within the Party, document leaks continued throughout the rest of 2005, fueling further protest and general discontent. The Revolutionary Guard eventually closed down most newspaper publishers and ended all broadcasts from the national television, the Prydonian Central, and most radio networks. However, when documents of rampant corruption within the Ultravisionary's ranks eventually came out, including a list of names of high-ranking Politburo, Council Members, and officers within the Revolutionary Guards involved in profiteering, mass desertion within the Guards ensued, and several units dispersed and joined the protests. In December 2005, Kifinelie finally announced his resignation and called for a nation-wide election. The Ultravisionaries were ousted from power, and many of their convicted members fled the country.

Rosa Government

Director Rosa with students in Solnevorn during 2010 Women's Day, 2010.

Maria Tulienovna Rosa, who became a prominent leader of the protest after joining it following his son, Gavriil Rosa’s death during the Lasvorn stampede, was overwhelmingly elected as the new Director of Prydon in January 2006. Rosa founded the Reformist Party of Prydon, which became an umbrella party that unites all opposition figures of the Ultravisionary to end political upheaval in Prydon. Rosa’s new government initiated a series of reforms that democratised the nation and put an end to the oppressive government.

The primary achievements of these reforms included the formation of the 2006 Prydonian Constitution, which attempted to create a fairer power-balance within Prydon’s central government, giving the Premier position and the Lasornü more responsibility and scrutinising power over the Director, and only allowing any individual to hold the position once. On economic affairs, Rosa’s government founded the Prydonian Central Bank, and gave the national bank monetary control over the Ruble to prevent any kinds of similar mishandling that had happened in 2005.

Rosa’s government opened Prydon for international trade, securing access to crucial staple goods with other countries in exchange for technological transfers, gradually stabilising the soaring prices of food and essential goods. In local affairs, local Communes were grouped into bigger regional governments, the Okrugs, which was given more responsibility that once was held by several central government ministries to promote devolution of power. The Anti-Corruption Bureau was formed, and given an independent position to act without interference from any other parts of the government, while the National Security Bureau was purged, and their domestic surveillance capabilities were stripped. In reference to Gavriil Rosa, the Uprising was named after his surname. Rosa would lead Prydon until 2015, when Finéyul was elected.

Geography

Topographic map of Prydon.

Topography and Hydrology

Main Article: Geography of Prydon

Landscape of Southern Prydon, where the Cordillian Mountains meets with the Marinkora Mountains, 2018.

Prydon is located in a valley, in between the Cordillian Mountains to the east and the smaller Marinkora Mountains to the West. Altitude dropped steeply between the mountains and the valley which is mostly flat, gradually sloping towards the sea in the north. The Belaya River, literally means ‘white river’, is the longest river in Prydon, running from South to North as the main feeder for glacial water melting from most of Prydon's glaciers. The river is the main source for irrigation and freshwater fisheries in Prydon, and its flow is heavily regulated through a series of water gates within hydroelectric dams that form massive reservoir lakes. Throughout Prydon’s history, it has been the primary transportation link between the lowlands in the north and the highlands and the mountains in the south.

The Plodorodnyy cropland in the northern half of the country is an alluvial plain formed from enhanced river sedimentation caused by the sudden drop of altitude from the Cordillian Mountains. The cropland is straddled with smaller streams, and experienced seasonal flooding that left behind fertile mud that acts as natural fertiliser. The cropland is mostly flat and is fairly developed, dominated by agricultural uses. The Prydonian coasts are flat near the croplands, and harboured many estuaries that became a centerpoint of local faunas, in contrast to the western coasts of Prydon which are craggy due to the sudden drop of the Marinkora Mountains to the sea.

Climate

Köppen Climate Classification of Prydon.

Prydon experienced a warm summer, and a longer, much colder winter. Prydon has a temperate and arid climate, with arctic conditions found in mountain tops. The Plodorodnyy Plains in the northern half of Prydon received the biggest precipitation, due to its location facing the warm currents of the Cordillian Sea. This made the area suitable for agricultural uses as well as the building of wind farms which dominated the landscape here due to the strong northwesterly winds that the area experiences. The southern half of the country exhibits an arid climate, caused by the mountain-shadow effect that drastically reduces precipitation. The topography made the perfect condition for strong gusts of winds, especially in winter times, usually happening with blizzards that often became destructive during thunderstorm or blizzard seasons, causing damages to buildings and infrastructures. Most rivers in Prydon are fed by glaciers, running down from the snow-capped mountain ranges, before feeding into the Belaya watershed.

Administrative Divisions

Prydon is separated into seventeen administrative ‘Okrugs’, or regions. Each Okrug is further divided into ‘Communes’, each having between 20,000 to 50,000 citizens. Urban centres are administered as Autonomous Municipalities, which is at the same level of Okrugs in divisional hierarchy, which organise themselves into ‘Rayons’ instead of Communes.

Government and Politics

Central Government

Kostrinie Building, the Seat of the Council of Ministers and the Premier Office, 2008.

The central government of Prydon comprises the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary branches. The executive branch, consisting of the Council of Ministers, is headed by the Premier as Head of Government. The Premier forms the government by appointing ministers to positions within the Council. The Premier is elected by the High Council from amongst themselves, and each person can only hold the office once. In case of more than five candidates, the position is filled randomly using a lottery, ensuring that the two weeks window of Premier appointment is always met. Together with the Council of Ministers, the Premier may propose laws, or enact Executive Decrees. The Planning Ministry is one of the biggest institutions in Prydon, and is responsible for publishing annual production quotas and development focus for Prydon. It is the most autonomous of all Prydon's central government institutions, however since the end of the Ultravisionary regime, some of its responsibilities has been devolved into local governments.

Director Fineyul Council of Ministers, 2017.

The Director is the Head of State of Prydon, acting as the Chief of the Armed Forces, and also the first Inspector General of the National Police. The Director represents Prydon's national interests abroad, having the powers to appoint diplomatic positions, receiving foreign dignitaries, and the power to declare war on other sovereign states. As Head of State, the Director also has the powers to give official pardons, although this decision necessitates the counsel of the Premier. The Director also has veto powers to block the passage of legislations and executive decrees. The veto powers of the Director is limited to two vetoes for every year, however the vetoes can be compounded and accumulated if not used.  The Director is directly elected by citizens for every ten years, and can only hold the office once. Only former members of the High Council are eligible for the position. Candidacy process is long, sometimes lasting a whole year, where three to four rounds of voting is conducted to eliminate lowest-voted candidates. The election of Director Rosa was virtually uncontested, however the election of Director Finéyul involved sixteen different candidates, and four rounds of voting throughout 2014 and 2015.

Lasornü Proceedings, 2018.

The High Council is the sole unicameral legislature of Prydon’s central government. The Council consisted of members appointed by local Communal Councils to represent them for a year, with each individual only able to hold the position once every 30 years. The High Council meets seven times every year, where they approve government budget and yearly economic plans, as well as approving or preventing executive decrees into laws. The first meeting of the year is dedicated to the election of the Premier and The Council Speaker, both of whom are elected from amongst the members of the Council. There are currently 340 members of the High Council, including the Premier and the Speaker. Since members of the High Council are appointed by Communes from their own ranks, each communes usually rotates the position to other members of their Communal Council every year without the need for internal election.

The judiciary role of Prydon's central government consisted of the Supreme Court. The Court comprises seven judges, two of whom are appointed by the Premier, two by the High Council, and three by a random lottery. All Supreme Court candidates must've served in the judicial system of Prydon for at least 10 years. The Court handles constitutional and cassation matters, and its ruling is considered the highest precedent in Prydon.

Local Government

Aetrinun Municipal Council in session, 2009.

Each Okrug is led by a Local Council consisting of representatives appointed by the Communes in similar fashion with the High Council in Lasvorn. Leadership within the council rotated every year. The council operates numerous local government services, including emergency services and development planning.

The Communes is the only directly elected Council in Prydon, elected every five years with rotating leadership every year. Each Communal Council has five members, and leadership of the council rotates every year. The Communes sent a representative to the Okrug and the High Council every year to represent their interest. Communes have a bigger role in local planning, including road construction, agricultural expansion, and support for the informal sector.

Autonomous Municipalities are led by Mayors, elected for every five years. A Municipal Council acts as the municipality’s legislative body, also elected every five years. Municipalities combined Okrugs and Communes responsibilities, while the Rayons underneath it only serves as administrative designation to help with organisation. The Municipal Council also sent several of their members to the High Council, depending on the number of a municipality's population. As the Municipal Council has a much bigger population underneath its responsibility compared to local Communes, potential members to be sent to the High Council is determined through internal elections.

Economy

Main Article: Economy of Prydon

The Prydonian government maintained a devolved form of planned economy, where the government organises companies in the form of cooperatives. Private ownership, and small to medium businesses are legal, and play crucial roles within the economy. But labour intensive productions are organised into autonomous cooperatives, owned by the workers themselves. The government set quotas for local cooperatives to meet, and share export profits made from excess productions as incentive. Most prices are not controlled, and each cooperative is allowed to compete under their own brands in a regulated market. The prices of essential goods, however, are controlled by the state to maintain constant supply. These essential goods include grain and flour rations, cooking oil and gas, vehicular fuel, electricity and water.

Services

Lasvorn Business District in winter, 2011.

9% of Prydon's workforce are employed in the formal service sector. The service sector is dominated by the government, with healthcare and education comprise the majority of service employment. Banking and finance, IT and technology filled the second and third place by employment respectively. Since the fall of the Ultravisionaries, IT and telecommunication services have been privatised or organised into coops. One of the biggest IT companies in Prydon is FTK (Fedor Tekhnologicheskiy Kooperativ), which developed several e-commerce and social media platforms that are widely used in Prydon and several other countries, and has deep ties with the government. Banking companies such as Prydon Republic, Trinie Credit Union, and National Cooperative, have implemented e-banking and introduced ease-of-payment features on their services, supported by the IT companies. Most of these companies are mandated to offer internship programs and encouraged to have scholarship programs, working in tandem with government curriculum and national education projects.

Aetrinun Port, the largest docking infrastructure in Prydon, 2012.

Despite the rapid growth of the service sector, the informal sector is still the biggest provider of services in Prydon. Almost 15% of Prydon’s workforce are tied within the informal sector, which remained dominated by family-owned generational businesses and street vendors, centralised in urban centres. The informal sector remained one of the biggest contributors towards Prydon’s national GDP, but also remained its most vulnerable sector due to its informal nature. The government acknowledged the informal sector's role in Prydon's economy, which is shown by the introduction of several subsidy and low-interest loan programs to help the growth of the sector, improving ease of doing business and deliberately letting these enterprises run untaxed.

Manufacturing

Lyudmila-VNC Microchip Fabrication Plant near Setrivie, 2023.

31% of Prydon's workforce are employed in the manufacturing sector. Prydon's manufacturing sector mainly produces low-end consumer goods and textiles, with smaller output for household appliances and heavy machinery. Textiles remained Prydon's biggest manufactured export, and the biggest source of employment within the manufacturing sector. Apart from fabrics and dyes, Prydon produces low and high-end garments, shoes, and other accessories. Several cooperatives also produce sewing machines, although under foreign brands. Prydon also produces and exports canned and processed foods, household electric appliances, cutleries and kitchen wares. Manufacturing base of Prydon is scattered along the Belaya River, but mostly concentrated near larger cities and transportation centres. Several priority cooperatives are directly owned by the state, especially food processing plants that produce basic food products to help maintain price stability.

Amongst the emerging manufacturing sector of Prydon, semiconductor fabrication is the most valuable, and it is also where the government maintained a strong presence, through share ownership and regulations. Prydon became one of the centres of microchip manufacturing, LED and screen technology development. The biggest amongst these manufacturers are the Lyudmila-VNC, formerly the Central Lasvorn Development Bureau, privatised in 2009 and inheriting a lot of Prydon’s technological advancements reached throughout the Ultravisionary era. The cooperative is one of the biggest sources of micro-resistors and computer circuit-boards in Pacifica, and owns shares within other cooperatives in Prydon.

Agriculture

Grain Elevators in Leatan Okrug, 2016.

Prydon is still a heavily agrarian nation, with 45% of its population employed in this sector. The entire agriculture sector is based on farming communes established by the government, but a growing amount of home-grown agriculture began to enter local markets. Prydon produces grain, cotton, and staple fruits and vegetables. Prydon exported grain, which has been produced in excess almost every year since 2016, while cotton production was oriented to supply the large textile industry. Grain and cotton are cultivated around the Plodorodnyy plains where more harvest seasons can be achieved, while vegetables and fruits are grown inland in the south. Other agricultural products include soybeans, tea, and maple syrup, mainly cultivated in the highlands and the mountains. Most of Prydon’s agricultural products are sourced from cooperatives, although there are also homegrown produce sold in the market, part of the wider informal sector. Prydon has a substantial fishing industry, consisting mostly of farmed fish that is directly sold for domestic consumption, or sold for further processing into canned foods. Salmon and bass are some of the most popular fish farmed in Prydon.

Tourism

Blievie Palace Museum in Aetrinun, 2009.

Prydon's ancient ruins and preserved countryside attract worldwide tourism.  In 2016, as part of a wider scheme to attract foreign investments into Prydon, the government established the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, dedicated for developing Prydon’s untapped tourism potentials. Since then, national parks, museums, and many other potential destinations have been refurbished to accommodate visitors. In 2018, the Ministry worked together with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs in developing the Plodorodnyy coasts into an international vacation destination, attracting foreign hospitality brands to open new accommodations there. Although not a substantial employer compared to other sectors within Prydon's service industry, tourism is gaining traction amongst local communes, which still dominate hospitality service in Prydon. Most local hospitality accommodations and tourist attractions lie under the jurisdiction of local communes, and are run as cooperatives. In 2023, around 300,000 foreign tourists visited Prydon. Domestic tourism is still the main source of growth for Prydon's tourism sector, which contributes to almost 65% of tourism activities in Prydon in 2023.

Energy

Lasvorn Hydroelectric Plant, 2011.

Prydon supplies most of its electricity from hydroelectricity. The steep mountainous terrains allow for numerous hydroelectric dams to be constructed along the ravines. Bigger dams are constructed along the Belaya River, creating huge reservoirs for irrigation and fisheries. In total, according to the Ministry of Energy Infrastructure’s latest report from 2023, there are around 2,000 hydroelectric dams scattered across Prydon, ranging from small wattage that supply local communes, to 60 of the larger reservoirs along the Belaya River and other major tributaries. In addition to hydroelectric dams, nuclear power is the second biggest energy supplier for Prydon’s economy. 32 nuclear power plants are currently operational within Prydon, mostly built to accommodate the growing urban population.

Setrivie Nuclear Power Plant, 2020.

Following nuclear energy, wind farms provided the third main significant source for energy supply. Prydon also has a high potential for geothermal energy, however plans for utilising this haven't been concrete.

Prydon has abandoned coal and oil energy since the 1980s as prices soared and the state became isolated from the rest of the world. Following the fall of the Ultravisionary regime, plans for building oil and coal power plants were blocked by environmentalists, and received negative reaction from the local communes, prompting the government to abandon those, and instead embarked on building wind and solar power plants. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Prydonians, including urban populations, had to endure weekly blackouts due to energy shortages which sometimes cost lives. Prydon mines iron ores and refined them into steel, primarily for exports. Limestone mining is prevalent in the northwest part of the nation, fueling Prydon’s cement industry. There are predicted to be large uranium reserves in Prydon, although what Prydon mines presently is not even enough to supply its own domestic nuclear energy demands. Natural gas presence is miniscule in Prydon, and historically demands have been met through trade. Gold, silver, and precious minerals are also extracted in very miniscule scale.

Infrastructure

Setrivie Junction, part of the North-South Valley Highway Line, 2021.

Infrastructure responsibility is split between the Central Government, the Okrugs, and the Communes. The Central Government is responsible for providing healthcare and education services, as well as national transportations and energy infrastructure. Local Okrugs are responsible for emergency services, housing, and regional transportation. Communes are responsible for local transportation networks, public spaces and recreations, water access, and local garbage and sewage services. Outside of the urban centres, most rural Prydon still relied on infrastructures built during the Ultravisionary era.

However, in 2019, the government presented the 2030 Prydon Vision, emphasising connectivity and digitalisation of the economy, including rural development and integration. Most government infrastructure projects are built by the state-owned construction and contractor company, the NSK (National Construction Concerns), however more smaller privately-owned companies and co-ops are filling in the market in recent years. Foreign contractors also getting more involved in projects within Prydon.

Housing

Main Article: Prydonian Social Housing

State-Owned Residential Blocks in Solnevorn, 2009.

More than half of Prydonians live in social housing constructed by the government. Social Housing programs began under the Ultravisionaries to combat rampant homelessness that was not addressed following the end of the Civil War. These housing offered very low rents, and some even pegged their rents to the tenant's income. Initially, social housing was administered and managed by the central government, as part of the annual central planning scheme. Today, social housing fell under the jurisdiction of the Okrugs. Quality and rents vary between Okrugs, with urban housing usually providing better quality, although having smaller lots. Housing quality has deteriorated since the 2000s, however local Communes initiated rejuvenation programs on their own terms, trying to clean and maintain the already built houses. The remaining half of the population still own private properties, and thus pay taxes for their property ownership. These property owners are usually suburban or rural dwellers, and a good portion of privately-owned lands are inherited. This tax has been increased in 2020 as the current government tries to cut business and industrial taxes, and encourage property owners to utilise their properties more productively.

Mass Transit

Main Article: Mass Transit in Prydon

SMT Maglev Engine servicing Aetrinun, 2015.

There are two main transit choices available to Prydonians, through the National Highway network, or using the Railway. Railways are separated into national, inter-region, and commuter lines, each with different fares set by different authorities. Aetrinun also has a metro system, built in the 80s to accommodate the growing population. High-speed Maglev train has been developed since the 90s, and now connect the country North to South, passing through every major urban centres, but with a higher fare than national lines. River navigation is dominated by industrial and agricultural transport, carrying higher volume than railways, although with lower speed. Aerial transportation is miniscule in Prydon, with most air traffic coming from the military, or international flights. Pryflot is the state-owned airline, and it only serves domestic flights with cheaper fares.

Education

Main Article: Education in Prydon

Pritelie-Solchuk Technology Institute in Magrass, 2018.

Education in Prydon is completely free, up until secondary education. Education in Prydon is compulsory for 12 years. From 1st to 6th year, students attend primary schools, before going into junior secondary schools for their 7th to 9th years. For their 10th to 12th years, students can choose to attend high schools or vocational schools. 81% of Prydonian currently enrolled in the workforce came from vocational schools, while high school graduates move on to college to achieve specialty degrees. School construction and curriculum is under the jurisdiction of the central government. State colleges are subsidised, but private college is also a choice for Prydonian students. Prydon spent 7% of its GDP in education services in 2022.

Healthcare

Main Article: Healthcare in Prydon

State healthcare services in Prydon are free, but private healthcare providers are also operating, offering higher quality but with a much higher cost. Healthcare services fall under the jurisdiction of the central government, which also subsidise drug purchases. Prydon spent 5.24% of its GDP in healthcare in 2022, and employed almost 200,000 people in health services.

Demographics

Main Article: Demography of Prydon

Women wearing traditional Prydonian dancing dresses in Beizen Cosmodrome, 2017.

Historically, Prydon has a high ethnic diversity. However, policy of Prydonization, started by the Luniere Dynasty, and continued under the Federation and the Ultravisionaries left Prydonians to be the most dominant ethnic identity, comprising 78% of Prydon's total population. The Karnetvor population, which historically almost dominated the region, fell from 35% in 1870 to 18% today. The remaining 4% of the population consisted of the Alenian People, and immigrants.

Language

Main Article: Prydonian Language

Culture

National Holidays

Winter Sosltice Night Fair in Blievie Palace Square, 2018.

Prydonian celebrates several religious and secular holidays throughout the years, and several Okrugs has their own local holidays observed. The most celebrated national holidays in Prydon are the Orthodox Christmas, celebrated on 7th of January. This usually included national work holiday observed between the New Year on 31st of December to the day after the Christmas. Orthodox Easter is celebrated on 5th of May. Several Okrugs celebrate St. Talia Day or Mother's Day on November 24th as a work holiday. Other than religious holidays, the Rosa Remembrance Day is held on 1st of June, comprising of memorial services for the casualties during the Rosa Uprising. Several traditional holidays are also observed, including the Summer Solstice on 20th of June, Winter Solstice on 21st of December, Spring Gratitude (Velikie Foriuquia) on 17th of March, and Harvest Day (Huiviere Dast) on 8th of September.

Sports

Brotherhood League Semifinal, 2018.

Due to its harsh winter and numerous glaciers, Prydonians are excelled in winter sports, such as skying and figure-skating. There are more than 20 different mountain resorts and 40 skiing villages across Prydon, each giving different experiences and levels of difficulties. Ice hockey is the most well-played and popular sport in Prydon. The Brotherhood League and The Sisterhood League are the most prestigious tournaments held in Prydon, being watched almost religiously by the majority of the populace. Many Okrugs has their own local teams representing them in the national league. Schools invested heavily on their ice hockey teams, and ice hockey athletes sometimes has easier access to receive higher education through sponsorships and scholarships.

Apart from that, water sport is also popular in summer, especially in Lower Prydon and around Aetrinun. Every year, the city of Lasvorn held a city-wide Kayaking Competition, sometimes including teams from beyond the capital as well. In Aetrinun, the Ferdinand VIII Cup is held every year in summer, where there are different kinds of watersports to choose from. Football, basketball, tennis, badminton, and chess are also competitive in national level, although not as prestigious or popular as winter and water sports. The National Sport Week is held every year in different cities by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Ordinance, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Youth which includes all different kinds of sports.