Privera

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(Based on Galician culture and Iranian government.)

**Privera**, officially the **Christian Republic of Privera**, is a country whose mainland is located on the south of Southwestern Frankia, also known as Limanne or Limania. **Orixia** is the capital, while the largest city by population is **Garonia**. Privera is the only Christian nation-state on European territory, and one of the youngest countries in Europe, its territory having been previously settled and inhabited by Pagan tribes of Kentric origins. The country is bordered by Jusseria at the north, Wuhrzer at the northeast, Kentris at the east, the Meridian Sea at the south, Syrea, Markez and Vizconte at the southwest, and the Atlas Ocean at the west.

The country was established during the XIXth century, in the year of 1814, when an army of Meridian Christians under the banner of the Order of Privera sailed from the North-African coast and invaded through the Mediterranean sea in what was the Priveran Crusade. More than 200 hundreds ships were employed on the invasion, on what was supposed the beginning of the XVIII Crusade. The Grand Forces of Jusseria managed to repeal effectively the Meridians once they entered in the continent, but found very hard resistance at the time of pushing the Christians back to the sea. After seven months, the Crusade was called off on the act of a temporal agreement and the Priverans were allowed to stay in the continent owning an enclave in the shore.

War broke again after four years, Priverans acquiring a larger portion of terrain. A long war of attrition had started, were Crusaders fought harshly, and by the mid of 1824, Privera had already managed to take away two provinces of the Jusserian Empire, which had to fight wars on other fronts, thus leaving it weak for bigger push against the Priveran Crusaders. One year later, on 1825, an agreement between the Empire of Jusseria and the Priverans was reached, allowing for the Jusserian recognition of a Christian state in Europe (something that was not expressed as valid in the first enclave agreement).

Both countries, Jusseria and Privera, have shared diplomatic tension for most of their history together.

## History

### Pagan Tribes

The southern region of Frankia, historically known as Limanne, was originally inhabited by the Kallecis, a group of Kentric tribes who was later partially assimilated by the northern tribes of Frankia. They spoke an ancient Kentric called Kaelo or *Southfrankish Ancient Kentric*. The region was annexed by the Cadets in the time of the Vizquetian Wars, a war which initiated the assimilation of the Kallecis into Protho culture.

The endonym of modern-day ethnic Kallecians, *Kalean*, derives directly from the name of this people. Through the Kallecian-Protho inscriptions, is known part of the great pantheon of Kallecian deities, sharing part not only by other Kentric or Kentricized peoples in the region, such as Astur — especially the more Western —, but also by Göls and Prydians among others.

### Meridian Background

Before the XVIth century, Priveran identity was almost inexistant. The Limanne region, known as Braegán by the Ancient Kallencians, was now territory of the Kingdom of Jusseria, and the modern-day inhabitants were the peoples of the northern coast of Meridia, who conformed basically two regional pillars in the realm: The Order of Privera, a religious-military knight association to protect the shores of Meridia, and the immigrants of Vandira, the main enclave of pilgrimage towards Europe and the Syrean Kingdom, held by christianity at that time.

#### Birth of Priveran Nationalism

In the XVIth century a group of writers and scholars in Jusseria led a Christian revival initially based on the historical testimonies of Secular pagan authors (Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder, Strabo and Ptolemy), who wrote about the Christianity among the Kentric peoples who inhabited Europe in the Limanne region. Hoewver, they also based this revival in linguistic and onomastic data, and in the similarity of some aspects of the culture and the geography of Southern Frankia with that of the Cristian kingdoms established at Alezia, Syrea, Markez y Vizconte, as well as in the Bronze and Iron Age archaeological cultures. These similarities included legends and traditions, and decorative and popular arts and music, and were seen as a form of syncretism.

During these times, this revival reached the Northern Meridian society: in 1516, *The Chant of* *Breogán* was chosen as the lyrics for the a local Kentric-Christian liturgic song which, within time, would become the hymn for the Order of Privera, a military seafaring institution issued one century before by the Pope and the King of Meridia. One of the strophes of that poem said: *Priverans, be strong / ready to great deeds / align your breast / for a glorious end / brethen of the noble Kents / strong and traveller / fight for the fate / of the homeland of Breogán*. The Christian-Kentric past became an integral part of the self-perceived *Kalean* identity: as a result an important number of cultural events received names related to the Kentrics, which worried a lot the Church of Meridia.

#### Order of Privera

It was in this century that the Order of Privera, a religious and military order founded in the 12th century, saw as a fundamental objective to protect the Christian pilgrims coming from Jusseria on their way to Meridia, to defend Christendom, and to remove the Pagan Influence coming from Europe, specially at Limanne, and the southern side of the continent. However, entrance was not estricted to Christian nobility of Meridia and Africa exclusively, and many members were prominent Catholic Europeans in general. The Order's insignia is particularly recognisable and abundant in Christian art.

After the death of the Grand Master Alonso de Cárdenas in 1493, the Catholic Monarchs incorporated the Order into the Syrean Crown. Pope Adrian VI forever united the office of grandmaster of Privera to the royalty of Meridia in 1523. In these times Priveran nationalism, associated with a Christian-imposed vision of Kentricism, started to arise in the inner circles of the Order. This, added to the new local costumes, worried the members of the Meridian nobility, who saw the new culture as a menace to the stability of the Meridian Church, and tensions between the Order and the Crown began.

The Meridian Church suppressed the Order in 1673 after a short-lived rebellion supporting Priveran's demand for autonomy in the northern coast, although it was re-established in the Restoration of the Priveran Council. The Order was then reduced to a nobiliary institute of honorable character within the borders of the realm of Meridia, ruled by a Superior Council dependent on the Ministry of War, which was also extinguished after the proclamation of the newly ascended Pope in 1731.

Between the XVIIIth century, possessions of the Order included 83 commanderies (of which 3 were reserved to the grand commanders), 2 cities, 178 boroughs and villages, 200 parishes, 5 hospitals, 5 convents, and 1 college at Zalmank. The number of knights was then 400 and they could muster more than 1000 lances. They had possessions in Gitera, Lergo and Alamor. Abranza, their first commandery in Meridia, which dates from the reign of Afonso I in 1172, soon became a distinct order which Pope Nicholas IV released from the jurisdiction in 1790, allowing for the first a hint of autonomy for the Priveran minority in Meridia.

As the military history of the Priverans was linked with that of the Christian states of Africa, they assisted in the eviction of the Pagans and doing battle with them, sometimes separately, sometimes with the royal armies. They also had a share in the fatal dissensions which disturbed the Christians of Europa and brought about more than one schism in the order. Finally, the Order and Meridia took part in the maritime expeditions against the Kentrisians during the beginning of the XIXth century. Thus arose the obligation imposed upon authority, which was exercised by a grand master assisted by a Council of Thirteen, which elected the grand master and had the right to depose him for due cause; they had supreme jurisdiction in all disputes between members of the order.

It didn't take long until the Council of War was ready to declare the XVIII Crusade, which had been the fundamental objective of the Order since the XIIIth century.

### The XVIII Crusade

A part of the larger War of the Meridian-Jusserian skirmishes, the crusade was declared by the Pope against King Virou I of Jusseria in 1814 and 1825. Because of the recent conquest of Seranz by Virou, the King of Meridia declared a crusade against him, allowing the Order of Privera to sail north and invade the Limanne region.

#### Priveran Enclave

Virou's eldest son, the future Alfenz III of Jusseria, was placed in charge of defending the coast from the Fort of Dealse (eventually, this fort would become the city of Orixia).

In the summer of 1814, the first Priveran armies assaulted the coast. They included 6,000 cavalry, 7,000 crossbowmen, and 10,000 infantry borrowed from Meridia, along with 100 ships of their own. Though they had the Kings' support, the local populace rose against them once they succesfully drove the Jusserians apart.

The fort was valiantly defended by the Jusserians, but eventually, Alfenz III was overcome and the most of the army was demoralized. He succeeded in negotiating his surrender and accompanied the advancing royal forces as a prisoner.

In 1817, Alfenz III entrenched himself in Geronn in an attempt of the Priverans Crusaders to besiege it. The resistance was strong, but the city was taken. Carlos I was crowned there as *Christian king*, but without an actual crown. Meridia had seized most of the Order's possesions in Meridia, but relations continued on a good stand. Jusseria, overwhelmed by their war on the East, wasn't on much will to continue the war, and diplomatic efforts began. On 28 April, Cardinal Jean Cholet placed his own hat on the Carlos I head. For this, the first King of Privera was derisively but not unaffectionately nicknamed *roi du chapeau* ("king of the hat").

#### Crusader Kingdom of Privera

It didn't took long for a truce to occur. The reign of Carlos I began and oversaw the consolidation of the kingdom in the face of enemies to the north. Alfenz III, anxious to recover the lands lost to the Priverans, initiated the First Battle of Geronne on 7 September 1821 in which his forces were narrowly defeated, by those of Carlos I. On 17 May 1822, the Crusaders were not so lucky, suffering a major defeat at the hands of the Jusserians. The kingdom was on the verge of collapse after the defeat, recovering after a successful battle on 27 May. In the north, the siege of Central Frankia was begun, not to be resolved for a whole year. Eventually, the Crusaders realized they couldn't conquer the region, and Jusserians realized they couldn't drive out to the sea to the Crusaders.

There was still some uncertainty about what to do with the new kingdom. The papal legate convinced Carlos I to hand over the enclave of Orixia, to him as Meridian Patriarch, with the intention to set up a theocratic state directly under papal control, but the offer was politely rejected, as Priverans at that poing wanted not only to establish a Christian kingdom, but also *a Priveran kingdom*.

The new Christian King set the foundations for the system of vassalage in the territories, but his reign was short, and he died of an illness in 1825. His brother Letardo de Vandira successfully outmanoeuvred the Meridian-Jusserian Peace Treaty (an attempt of the Christian Church and the Jusserians to get rid of the Priverans in exchange for royal agreements), and claimed Orixia for himself as "King of the Christians of Limanne and Europe".

The Pope compromised by crowning Letardo I in Vandira rather than Orixia, but the path for a Christian state had been laid. Within this framework, a Catholic church hierarchy was established, overtop of the local Secular Syncretic Temple and Syrean Christian authorities, who retained their own hierarchies (the Catholics considered them schismatics and thus illegitimate, and vice versa). Under the Priveran Patriarch, there were four suffragan archdioceses and numerous dioceses.

## Politics

Priveran politics takes place in the framework of a Christian theocracy which was formed following the overthrow of Privera's short-lived attempt of a secular-democratic Republic between 1952 and 1963. This revolution to establish a new theocratic regime was the 1963 Priveran Christian Revolution.

### Government

The December 1963 constitution of the Christian Republic of Privera, declares that Meridian christianity is Privera's state religion (around 90–95% of Priverans associate themselves with the Meridian branch of Christianity), and it also combines elements of theocracy (Guardianship of the Christian Jurist) with a presidential system. Like many Secular democracies, Privera has a president and a parliament (Assemblies). Unlike Secular governments, the government of the Christian Republic of Privera is supervised by a Patriarch and an appointed & unelected Guardian Council which is made up of Christian clerics, (in the case of the Guardian Council, half of its members are clerics).

The Patriarch is the head of state (above the president), and he either has direct or indirect control of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, as well as the military and the media. Privera's president, a parliament, an Assembly of Experts (which elects the Patriarch), and local councils are all elected, but all candidates who run for these positions must be vetted by the Guardian Council (which disqualifies the overwhelming majority of the candidates) for their loyalty to the Christian Republic's system of government. In addition, there are representatives elected from appointed organizations (usually under the Patriarch's control) to "protect the state's Christian character".

## Culture

Priveran folklore is similar to that of the rest of western Europe, especially to that of Jusseria, Kentris and the Vizquetian region. While Privera is traditionally a profoundly Catholic society, in its beliefs there are many remnants of previous religious systems, in particular the belief on a pantheon of gods, now saints; in the reincarnation in form of an animal, when there are unfinished business; the evil eye and the sickness caused by curses; the holiness of crossroads and fountains, etcetera. The first attestation of the beliefs of the Priverans in a Christian context is offered by the Pannonian Martin de Braga who in his letter *De Correctione Rusticorum* condemns, among others, the belief in the Ancient gods or in the lamias, nymphs and dianas, and also in practices as putting candles to trees, springs and crossroads.

Traditional Priveran costume, as understood today, got conformed fundamentally during the second half of the 18th century, once the nation was well established in the continent. Notwithstanding, some very characteristic elements, as the *monteira* (an embroidered felt hat), breeches and jacket are already present in 16th century depictions. Although there are some regional variance, males attire is generally composed of *monteira* and sometimes *pano* (headcloth), *camisa (shirt),* chaleco *(vest), chaqueta (jacket),* faixa *(sash),* calzón *(breeches),* cirolas *(underwear),* polainas *(gaiters, spats) and* zocas*,* zocos *(clogs or boots)*

The most characteristic instruments in traditional music is probably the gaita (bagpipe). The gaita have a conical double-reed chanter, and usually have one to four drones. The bag is usually inflated through a blowpipe, but in the *gaita de barquín* it is inflated by the operation of a bellows. In the past the gaita was usually accompanied just by *tamboril* (snare drum) and *bombo* or *caixa* (bass drum), but since the middle of the twentieth century the groups and bands have become very popular. Pieces which are usually interpreted with gaita are the muiñeira, often in time, similar to an Irish jig; the *alborada*, played during the early mornings of holydays; the *marcha* (march) which accompanies processions and retinues. Some renowned compositions are the 19th century *Muiñeira de Chantada* and the traditional *Aires de Pontevedra* (an alborada) and *Marcha do Antigo Reino de Galicia* (March of the Old Kingdom of Galicia).

Another very representative instrument is the *pandeireta* (tambourine), which along or together with other drums as the *pandeiro*, castanets, etc., usually accompanied the songs and celebrations of the working women and men during the *seráns* (evenings), *foliadas* or *fiadas*. Other genres include de *alalá*, which can be sung a cappella, or the *cancións de cego* (blindman's songs), interpreted with violin of zanfoña.

### Main Cities

#### Orixia

Also known as the first Christian Enclave in the continent after several centuries. Orixia was founded by the Meridians that assaulted the coast of southern Frankia. **Orixia** is a city in southern Frankia near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region, in 2018, 290,053 people lived in the city, while its metropolitan area had a population of 787,705. The inhabitants are called Orixians.

In the Middle Ages, known as Maguèl, was an important city of the Crown of Gerua (and was the birthplace of James I), and then of the Kingdom of Syrea, before its sale to Royal Familiy of Cadet in 1349. Established in 1220, the University of Orixia is one of the oldest universities in the world and oldest medical school still in operation, with notable alumni such as Petrarch, Nostradamus and François Rabelais. Above the medieval city, the ancient citadel of Orixia is a stronghold built in the seventeenth century by Gerard XIII of Jusseria.

Since the 1990s, Orixia has experienced one of the strongest economic and demographic growth in the country. Its urban area has experienced the highest population growth in Privera since the year 2000. Numbering 70,000, students comprise nearly one-fourth of its population, one of the highest such proportions in Europe. Its living environment with one of Europe's largest pedestrian area, along with its rich cultural life and Mediterranean climate, explain the enthusiasm for the city, which is nicknamed the "Gifted". Orixia was nominated for "Best Emerging Culture City of the Year 2017" by the think tank LCD. It is ranked as a Sufficiency city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.

#### Garonia

The biggest city the Priveran Crusaders took from the Empire of Jusseria. It was renamed from the name of *Geronn.* **Garonia** is the larger city in the region of Southern Frankia. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the Mediterranean Sea, 230 km (143 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean and 680 km (420 mi) from Senn. It is the largest city in Privera, with 493,465 inhabitants within its municipal boundaries; its metropolitan area has a population of 1,454,158 inhabitants. Garonia is the central city of the country with one of the three strongest demographic growth.

The University of Garonia is one of the oldest in Europe (founded in 1229). Garonia is also the home of prestigious higher education schools, notably in the field of aerospace engineering. Together with the university, they have turned Garonia into the largest student city in Privera, with a university population of nearly 140,000 students. Founded by the Prothosians, the city was the capital of the Sorbian Kingdom in the 5th century and the capital of the province of Geronn in the Late Middle Ages and early modern period, making it the unofficial capital of the cultural region of Southern Frankia.

Garonia counts three World Heritage Sites: the *Canal del Garón* (designated in 1996 and shared with other cities), and the Basilica of St. Sernin, the largest remaining Prothonesque building in Europe. The city's unique architecture made of pinkish terracotta bricks has earned Garonia the nickname *La Villa Rosa* ("The Pink city").