Luger
Republic of Luger
The Republic of Luger is a Presidential constitutional republic situated in the Southern half of the continent, its borders split between humid continental and subarctic continental climates. The Republic of Luger is ruled by a President elected by the people in a direct democratic process and its large government is in charge of running the day-to-day works of the entire country in order for smooth operations and comfortable lives for its citizens.
The Republic of Luger is, although a powerful democratic nation, a very fragile political entity. The Charters of 1684, which form the constitutional body of the Republic, is very liberal in terms of rebellion and revolt. The Republic of Luger’s Supreme Court is given the stipulations by the Charter that there will be a hierarchy of judges, but the final decider of the fate of criminals is the people, thus federally supporting Kangaroo Courts. Along with this, it is ingrained in the Charters and in the Lugerian culture that the best solution for oppression is revolution, thus when seemingly oppressive laws are set, revolts are prevalent. The government has gone through three major revolutions: the Rose Revolts (1811-1813), the Second Revolution (1890-1896), and the Lou-Vanderville War (1960-1964). Currently, the Republic of Luger is on its third republic.
History
See: History of Luger
Geography, climate, and environment
Geography and environment
Luger’s geography does not vary wildly. The Lytronian Plain, due to being a large U-shaped river valley, is a very flat area with two large river valleys. Due to the lack of civilization other than sparsely situated manors, the Lytronian Plain is a main source of agriculture for the country and is also home to many tallgrass prairies. In the winters, the Lytronian Plain is not as cold as the rest of Luger, but has dangerous windstorms, with the worst windstorm having speeds of up to 200 mph. The Yates Mountain Range is much like the Koryak Mountains and the Brearc Mountain Range is much like the Dinaric Alps. The Yates Mountain Range is small in size but has extremities in height, while the Brearc Mountain Range is large in size but has relatively smaller individual mountains. The Yates and Brearc Mountain Ranges form a large depression between them in which the Lytronian Plain sits. The Westland Forest is the largest forest in the country due to extensive environmental protection measures by the Jolaneki. Trees in this area are usually much thicker and shorter than those in Tallbark Forest and for centuries have been used as shelter for the Jolaneki. The Tallbark Forest holds some of the tallest trees in the world, though its size is much smaller due to deforestation. Barrow Forest, which covers contiguous Barrow and Barrow Island, has a mix of the two, though contiguous Barrow has almost no natural forest left due to deforestation of trees. The deforestation is due to the demand for Westland trees, which could not be taken from the Westland Forest, so the Barrow Forest was used.
The Great Taiga, which used to be the largest forest in the country (covering around a quarter of the country to around a sixth), is located in almost exclusively subarctic weather and is dominated by giant conifers. In the 1700s, the entire Great Taiga comprised of conifers with mana-infused sap and wood, these conifers being called “manafers,” though now about a tenth of the Taiga is manafers due to deforestation. Due to the non-reproductive nature of mana, when a manafer is chopped down, it’s a done and done deal, deeming the manafers endangered. However, Lugerian timber companies have allowed current manafers to stay rooted for the last sixty years, as as long as a manafer is planted, it will not stop growing, as the older the manafer the more mana it retains. The tallest manafer is 160 meters tall and 12 meters in diameter at breast height (dph). The Loyan Taiga in southern Catamount country is around 40% manafer. In 1898, the Catamount were given full land protection when not involving national development, therefore the manafers in the region were deemed immune from timber companies and they have been growing ever since.
Climate
Due to Luger’s location, about 48.8% of Luger is subarctic in the southeast and the other 51.2% is humid continental. Temperatures in the capitol of Union in the summers range from 60 - 80°F and winters range from -10 - 25°F. Though precipitation is rare inland, most coastal areas see a rise in precipitation in the autumn when the warmth of the sea is usually the greatest. In the humid continental areas, such as the city of Brearctronia, summers range from 67-88°F and winters range from -05 - 30°F. Precipitation is relatively well distributed year-round. The Lytronian Plain, though split almost 50/50 in subarctic and humid continental climates, is relatively warmer than other parts of Luger due to the Plain being a giant valley. However, winters in the Plain can become dangerously cold during windstorms.
Demographics
WIP
Government and politics
WIP
Economy
Approximately 84.5% of the economy is in the private sector, 9.9% is government, and 5.6% is black market. Luger, though postindustrialist, is still an industrial power. The Lugerian economy is dominated by the timber, automobile, retail, beverage sale, and insurance industries. The timber industry, the leading industrial sector, employs around 0.5% of the population (approx. 290,000). The automobile industry employs around 580,000 (1%), retail employs around 1,860,000 (3.2%), beverage/foodstuffs employs around 2,010,000 (3.46%), and insurance employs around 104,000 (.17%). Luger’s worker rights are extensive (due to the Lou Accords [15 May, 1964]), with paid vacation, paid family leave, and paid sick time. Luger’s largest companies are O’Mann Insurance Group, Chevral Cars, Big Pop Beverages, and Durmon-Faithwood Industrial.
Races
Jolaneki
The Jolaneki are a humanoid deer populace mainly located in the Territory of Jolanek. They are the oldest race in Luger, having resided around Jolanek since the 900s. The Jolaneki mirror the mule deer, being known for their black-tipped tails, their tight brown fur, and their large antlers. The Jolaneki usually stand between 6’-9’ tall and usually weight between 200-350 pounds. Their diet consists of plants and vegetation, as they are herbivores. The Jolaneki communicate through vocalization, body language and scent. They use their whole body — ears, eyes, nose, hair and tail. Whether used singly or in combination, they serve to warn other Jolaneki of potential danger, identify family members, convey family relationships, help find mates and express mood, status and intent. The Jolaneki natural hierarchy are determined by herds. Every herd has a buck who is identified as the top of the hierarchy due to size, wits, and strength. These herds are a natural occurrence and even now are prevalent in the politics of the Territory of Jolanek. The buck at the top of the hierarchy, known as the Regali, is usually the leader of a herd. Herds nowadays, rather than being nomadic groups, reside in cities, which are also known as Herds. Every city has a council of six, which are known as the Regali-Consal, who are close but not close enough to become Regali and thus serve him and the Jolaneki below them. Each herd is generally secluded from another. Though not violent towards one another, it is just customary to keep to themselves.
Catamount
The Catamount are a humanoid mountain lion populace located in the states of Lytron, Lonair, Lieen, and Lyons. The Catamount are known for their sleek fur, long faces, large paws, and large teeth. They reflect the mountain lion. A normal Catamount stands between 5’-6’, usually weighing between 100-220 pounds. Their diet, due to being carnivores, is mostly meat. The Catamount are elusive and solitary people, which is reflective in the sparsely populated states they reside in. The Catamounts are well-known farmers, as their territories are very large and usually farmland. The system in which Catamount territories are determined are based upon family. Each family, or house, controls a large area (which may be contended with by other Catamount house) which is controlled by the head of the house. The head of the house, who is only male, is usually the oldest Catamount in the family. His land (usually between 40 to 80 square miles [100 - 200 sq km]) is split up into tenants. These tenants are granted to his female family members in a gavelkind succession, whether they be aunts, sisters, daughters, or granddaughters. These tenants usually are 20 to 30 square miles (50 - 80 sq km). When a tenant dies, the land is immediately under the control of the head of the house, who grants it to a separate female family member. When the head of the house dies, his land is immediately given control to his oldest family member (usually an uncle or an oldest son). Due to this system, the states of Lytron, Lonair, Lieen, and Lyons are very sparsely populated and cities are almost nonexistent (besides Loyan and Port Lyons, which use the same system but in a much smaller scale). If there’s a succession crisis where there are no males, the oldest female inherits the head of the house (in which she controls the main territory and her tenantary). Once a male is born from any tenant then he becomes the head of the house. Because this system is around 1000 years old, it is custom, and is federally protected. If a Catamount defies it (that catamount usually being unlanded), they are socially shunned and usually leave the territory. Due to this system, the populations of the Catamount states are entirely catamount. However, other races may reside in these states but they are banned from participating in the territory system.
Lugerian
Lugerians are a human race, dominating the republic. Lugerians height ranges between 4’-7’ and weigh between 90-200 pounds. Lugerians are known for their pale skin and red hair, which is a dominant trait in the population. Other traits, such as darker skin or blonde or brown hair, is a recessive gene and these traits make up around 4% of the population. Lugerians span all across the country, but mostly in Darby, Wisco, Indiwa, Ontrio, Missera, Union, Kinmarch, and Arkanaba. These states are very urban and populations are mostly concentrated in cities. Lugerian culture has taken many shifts, but its main priority is the arts. Cities reflect this through architecture, which is deemed the most important aspect of their culture. Lugerian culture is expressed in architecture, sculpture, and painting. Another important aspect is logging. Logging is both culturally and politically important, as its main purpose is to write down daily occurrences. The purpose of logging is to keep a record of everything that happens in order to keep a history of a place, family, or area. These logs are found everywhere, from political institutions to individual homes. When a logbook is completed, it is kept for a minimum of 10 years. After the 10th year, logs are considered “sealed”, which means the events that occurred are politically protected and will not be used in lawsuits or as evidence in trials. In major cities, Log Libraries are private institutions that allow families, companies, or individuals to keep their logs in a storage unit. Some families or companies are able to get ahold of log manabooks, which are magically adapted logbooks which are essentially bottomless pages that run out on the 10th year.