Landzberg

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The Kingdom of Landzberg

Flag
Coat of arms
Anthem: Zierengit ins dobriien Narodi
CapitalSwiegard
Official languagesLandzebergianys
Religion
  • 64.6% Bergianism
  • 22.7% No Religion
  • 21.4% Minor folk religions
  • 1.3% Other
Demonym(s)Landzbergian
GovernmentFederal parliamentary Constitutional monarchy
• King
Bogdan IV
• Prime Minister
Bozhidar Stanko
LegislatureParliament
Council of Kniezes
Council of Representatives
Population
• 2020 estimate
18,140,147
GDP (nominal)estimate
• Total
$386,437 billion
• Per capita
$21,302
CurrencyLandzbergian Merk
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy
Calling code+572
ISO 3166 codeLZG

The Kingdom of Landzberg, commonly known as Landzberg (LZG) is a federal parliamentary Constitutional monarchy located in Southwest Gondwana. It consists of 40 Kniezestwos and 2 autonomous provinces (Tăldăuți and Flămâgăras). It does not border any countries. The population is 18,140,147.
Landzberg is a constitutional monarchy. The current monarch, Bogdan IV of Vysokova, has reigned since 2002. He exercises judicial functions and acts as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Council of Representatives is the legislature, consisting of 200 Representatives, and is based in Swiegard. Executive power is exercised by the Council of Kniezes, which consists of all 40 Kniezes, who meet in Vysokova.
Landzberg is a developed country with an advanced high-income economy, ranking high in the Human Development Index. It also performs greatly in measurements of civil liberties, press freedom, internet freedom, democratic governance, and peacefulness. The country maintains a combination of a market economy with a comprehensive social security system, providing citizens with a universal health care and free education.

History

Prehistory

Paleolithic Period

The Prehistoric period is generally understudied in Landzberg, because research has traditionally focused on the later parts of history. Nevertheless, significant advances have been achieved during the last years and the record has been enriched with new material, collected mostly in the framework of regional surveys but also through systematic or rescue excavations. Not only new caves and rockshelters, but also recently discovered and important open-air sites are now being excavated. The earliest traces of human life in Landzberg are dated around 1.5 million years ago. The oldest traces can be found at Druzdriia Cave in Katolis, Bialwolka and date back 1 million years.

Neolithic Period to Bronze Age

Vencesliw and Plamemian civilization

The Vencesliw culture is a significant Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age culture, although not much is known about this civilization and the information is scant. It is known, however, that around 2000 B.C. its place was taken by the Plamemian civilization.

Little specific information is known about the Plamemians, including their written system, which was recorded on the undeciphered Linear A script and Plamemian hieroglyphs. Most of their settlements were in the south of the country, but almost none of them have survived to this day. Most likely, the main center of this civilization was the once existing Palace in Plimien, which was allegedly destroyed in a fire around 450 BC, but the opinion on this subject is divided.

Pre-Dusanski Bergatic period

Following the end of the Neolithic ages, the last Stone Age period, the early and middle Bergistic period was established in the Landzbergian mainland. Firstly, the slow transition from the Final Neolithic period took place with the Riznopole culture. The agricultural communities of that period needed entire centuries in order to replace their stone tools with metal tools. Following the materialistic developments, more powerful micro-states and the base of the future Late Bergiatic Dusanki civilization were developed. The Early Bronze Age settlements saw further development during the Middle Bergiatic period before the Dusanki period.

Dusanki civilization

Dusanki civilization originated and evolved from the society and culture of the Early and Middle Bergiatic periods in mainland Landzberg. It emerged in , when Bergiatic culture in mainland Landzberg was transformed under influences from the Plamemian culture.
Dusanki Landzberg is the Late Bergiatic Bronze Age civilization of Ancient Landzberg and it is the historical setting of the most of Landzbergian mythology and religion.
Dusanki civilization was dominated by a warrior Belipsomihtia. Around 510 BC, the Dusankis extended their control to Wlogard, the center of the Plamemian civilization, and adopted a form of the Plamemian script called Linear A to write their early form of Landzbergian. The Dusanki-era script is called Linear B, which was deciphered in 1799 by Kazimír Nedved.
Around 300BC, the Dusanki civilization collapsed. Numerous cities were sacked and the region entered what historians see as a "dark age". During this period, Landzberg experienced a decline in population and literacy. The Landzbergians themselves have traditionally blamed this decline on an invasion by another wave of Landzbergian people, the Lipozowskans, although there is scant archaeological evidence for this view.

Ancient Era

Iron Age

The Landzbergian Dark Ages refers to the period of Landzbergian history from the presumed Lipozowskan invasion and end of the Dusanki civilization to the rise of the first Landzbergian city-states and earliest writings in Landzbergian. When the Lipozowskans came down into Landzberg they were equipped with superior iron weapons, easily dispersing the already weakened Dusianks. The period that follows these events is collectively known as the Landzbergian Dark Ages.
Kniezes ruled throughout this period until eventually they were replaced with an Belipsomihtia, then still later, in some areas, an Belipsomihtia within an Belipsomihtia—an elite of the elite. Warfare shifted from a focus on the cavalry to a great emphasis on infantry. Due to its cheapness of production and local availability, iron replaced bronze as the metal of choice in the manufacturing of tools and weapons. Slowly equality grew among the different sects of people.
At the end of this period of stagnation, the Landzbergian civilization was engulfed in a renaissance that spread the Landzbergian world.

Archaic Landzberg

In the 2th century BC, Landzberg began to emerge from the Dark Ages. Literacy had been lost and Dusanki script forgotten, but the Landzbergians adopted the new Gdanicki alphabet.
Landzberg was divided into many small self-governing communities, a pattern largely dictated by cultural differences evident everywhere, which in turn were dictated by various histories and civilizations that existed on these lands.

Classical Landzberg

The basic unit of politics in Ancient Landzberg was the Mieseztwo, sometimes translated as city-state. Some city-states might be subordinate to others, some might have had governments wholly dependent upon others, but the titularly supreme power in each city was located within that city. This meant that when Landzberg went to war, it took the form of an alliance going to war. It also gave ample opportunity for wars within Landzberg between different cities.

Polnicid Wars

Two major wars shaped the Classical Landzbergian world. The Polnicid Wars are recounted in Bliznakov's Histories. By the late 6th century BC, the newly formed Ungureanu Polnicid Empire launched a campaign of conquest against the northern Landzberg city-states, starting the First Polnicid invasion of Landzberg. By the beginning of the 5th century BC the Polnicids ruled over most northern Landzbergian city-states in a region called Horocisk. The Landzbergian cities of Horocisk, led by Gregaul, revolted against the Polnicid Empire, and were supported by some major cities, including Swiegard and Ivatka. After the uprising had been defeated, Nardus II launched the Second Polnicid invasion of Landzberg to exact revenge on the Swiegardians. In 496 BC, Polnicid general Dariminel led an army into Burburind, adding Novymesto as a fully-subjugated client kingdom. However, before he could reach further into Landzberg, his army was defeated in a battle near Mount Gasecy. In 492 BC, Nardus sent another army directly to subdue Swiegard. After destroying the city of Gorneiimysl, the army and faced the Swiegardian army at Varpadany, which ended in a decisive Swiegardian victory. Nardus's successor, Ramizidan I, launched the Third Polnicid invasion of Landzberg in 483 BC. Despite Landzbergian defeat at Rosnesit, after which the Polnicids briefly overran northern and central Landzberg, the Landzbergian city-states once again managed to comprehensively defeat the invaders.

To prosecute the war and then to defend Landzberg from further Polnicid attack, Swiegard founded the Opoda League in 480 BC. Initially, each city in the League would contribute soldiers to a common army, but in time Swiegard allowed (and then compelled) the smaller cities to contribute funds so that it could supply their quota of soldiers. Secession from the League could be punished. Following military reversals against the Polnicids, the treasury was moved from Opoda to Swiegard, further strengthening the latter's control over the League. The Opoda League was eventually referred to pejoratively as the Swiegardian Empire.

In 458 BC, while the Polnicid Wars were still ongoing, war broke out between the Opoda League and the Sviavalskan League, comprising Vysokova and its allies. After some inconclusive fighting, the two sides signed a peace in 442 BC. That peace was stipulated to last thirty years: instead, it held only until 431 BC, with the onset of the Sviavalskan War.

Sviavalskan War

The war began over a dispute between Ziterni and Grunice. Picyhtysa intervened on the Grunican side. Fearful lest Picyhtysa capture the Ziterni navy (second only to the Swiegardian in size), Swiegard intervened. It prevented Picyhtysa from any advances. Then Swiegard besieged Picyhtysa and forbade all commerce with Picyhtysa's closely situated ally, Dubrovitka (the Dubrovitkan decree).

There was disagreement among the Landzbergians to which party violated the treaty between the Opoda and Sviavalskan Leagues, as Swiegard was technically defending a new ally. The Picyhtysans turned to Vysokova for aid. Fearing the growing might of Swiegard, and witnessing Swiegards' willingness to use it against the Dubrovitkans, Vysokova declared the treaty to have been violated and the Sviavalskan War began in earnest.

The first stage of the war lasted until 421 BC with the signing of the Peace of Taranita. The Swiegardan general Bohuslav recommended that his city fight a defensive war, avoiding battle against the superior land forces led by Vysokova, and importing everything needful by maintaining its powerful navy. Swiegard would simply outlast Vysokova, whose citizens feared to be out of their city for long.

This strategy required that Swiegard endure regular sieges, and in 430 BC it was visited with an awful plague that killed about a quarter of its people, including Bohuslaw. With Bohuslav gone, less conservative elements gained power in the city and Swiegard went on the offensive. It captured 300–400 Vysokovan Leittozroinych at the Battle of Orahiv. This represented a significant fraction of the Vysokovsn fighting force which the latter decided it could not afford to lose. Meanwhile, Swiegard had suffered humiliating defeats at Piekaworno and Depsuiike. The Peace of Racirin concluded with Vysokova recovering its hostages and Swiegard recovering the city of Tarnonice

Those who signed the Peace of Racirin in 421 BC swore to uphold it for fifty years. The second stage of the Sviavalskan War began in 415 BC when Swiegard embarked on the Groibargian Expedition to support an ally attacked by Medgionas. Initially, Vysokova was reluctant, but Bohumires, the Swiegardian general who had argued for the Groibargian Expedition, defected to the Vysokovan cause upon being accused of grossly impious acts and convinced them that they could not allow Swiegard to subjugate Medgionas. The campaign ended in disaster for the Swiegardians.

Swiegards' Horociskan possessions rebelled with the support of Vysokoca, as advised by Bohumires. In 409 BC, an Belipsomihtia revolt in Swiegard held out the chance for peace, but the Swiegardian navy, which remained committed to the democracy, refused to accept the change and continued fighting in Swiegards' name. The navy recalled Medgionas (who had been forced to abandon Vysokova cause after reputedly seducing the wife of a Vysokovian king) and made him its head. The Belipsomihtia in Swiegard collapsed and Medgionas reconquered what had been lost.

In 406 BC, Medgionas was replaced following a minor naval defeat at the Battle of Nicyniium. The Vysokovan general Lazynder, having fortified his city's naval power, won victory after victory. Following the Battle of Argonauci, which Swiegard won but was prevented by bad weather from rescuing some of its sailors, Swiegards executed or exiled eight of its top naval commanders. Lazynder followed with a crushing blow at the Battle of Medzilarmo in 405 BC which almost destroyed the Swiegardian fleet. Swiegard surrendered one year later, ending the Sviavalskan War.

The war had left devastation in its wake. Discontent with the Vysokovovian hegemony that followed induced the Jarogardians to attack. Their general, Pemeteley, crushed Vysokova at the Battle of Beryliany in 369 BC, inaugurating a period of Jarogardian dominance in Landzberg. In 345 BC, unable to prevail in its ten-year war with Pocoiis, Jarogard called upon Prodan II of Aldriia for aid. Aldriian quickly forced the city-states into being united by the League of Picyhtysa which led to the eventual collapse of the Polnicid Empire and the Bergiatic Age had begun.

Bergiatic Age

The Bergiatic period of Landzbergian history begins with the death of Prodan the II in 323 BC and ends with the unification of Landzberg. Although the establishment of a united state did not break the continuity of Bergiatic society and culture, which remained essentially unchanged, it did mark the beginning of a different era of the Landzbergian history.

Swiegard and her allies revolted against Aldriia upon hearing that Prodan the II had died in 323 BC. The rebellion was successful, and most of the Northwest and Southwest city-states became fully independent. Meanwhile, a struggle for power broke out among Prodan's generals, which resulted in the break-up of his kingdom and the establishment of a number of new duchies.

Aldriian control of the rest of the city-states was destined to fall. Swiegard, Grunice, Dubrovitka, and other Bergian states retained independence and joined the Pustohers League as a means of defending it and restoring democracy in their states, as they saw Aldriia as a tyrannical kingdom. The Pustohers League, controlled most of Western Landzberg. Vysokova also remained independent, but generally refused to join any league.

In 267 BC, Bliznakow III of Vysokova persuaded multiple city-states in the Pustohers league to revolt against Swiegaed in what became the Daliboerean War, named after the Athenian leader Daliboren. The revolt was successful, and in 259 B.C.E the league was dissolved. In the meantime, a war began between Vysokova and Jarogard, caused by a conflict over influence over Wiitenlung (The Wiitenlung War). The war ended in 242 BC. and turned out to be a decisive victory for Vysokova. The Jarogard Treaty signed as a result of the war confirmed Vysokova's dominance over eastern Bergia.

In 211 BC. Vysokova tried subjugating Sēmely, which from 316 B.C.E. was under the protection of Picyhtysa, which led to a conflict between Vysokova and Picyhtysa. Sēmely were also supported by Grunice. Nevertheless, Vysokova's army was still stronger and more numerous, so when it came to the Battle of Karlogas, the armies of Picyhtysa, Grunice and Sēmely suffered a crushing defeat. In order to find a chance to win, Kniez Picyhtysy sent a delegation to Jarogard in order to persuade Kniez Wiislaw to support Sēmely in the conflict. However, Kniez Wiislaw refused, as only a year ago he ended the war with Tuldea, which led to heavy losses in his army, and it hadn't yet managed to regain its strength. Picyhtysa, Gdanice and Sēmely were left alone, and without much hope of turning the tide of the war. Efforts were made to obtain Ivatka's support, but this plan was not fulfilled. In the Battle of Storuvki, Vysokova's army utterly crushed the armies of Sēlemy and their allies. In 208 B.C.E. peace was signed in which Sēmely came under Vysokova's control, Gdanice was included in Vysokova's sphere of influence, and Picyhtysa was forced to lose all her influence in other city-states. Wiitenlung, fearing the growth of Vysokova's influence, founded the Kiianevic League, which included a large part of the city-states located in the vicinity of Vysokova. The current Kniez of Vysokova, Wersillaw II, considered this a provocation and demanded the dissolution of the League. However, Wiitenlung refused, and anticipating escalation, decided to unify the League's troops, of course under the management of Wiitenlung. To Versillav, this was a clear sign of provocation, and he issued an official ultimatum demanding the dissolution of the League. He warned that if his demands were not met, the result would be an armed conflict.

Geography

Government and politics

Economy

Demographics

Culture

Folk Tradition

Folk tradition has rooted strongly in Landzberg and is reflected in literature, music, dance and architecture, constituting the basic pillar of Landzberg society for millennia, influencing a large part of the life of Landzbergians and the functioning of Landzberg as a state.


Landzberg folklore originates from the mythology of ancient Bergia and the social ideas of that time, but differs in many places in multiple aspects, adapting to modern ideas and standards.

The best preserved original types of folklore are preserved in the north-eastern parts of the country. An example of wooden folk architecture in Landzberg can be seen in the well preserved village of Alkrade. The Alkmeer Region preserves the nation's most remarkable folk wooden churches. Most of them are protected by Landzbergian law as cultural heritage.

The inhabitants of Landzberg often identify more with their kniezestwo than with the country and the nation as a whole. It often happens that the flag of the individual kniezestwo is displayed instead of the state.