Cappedore

The official flag of Cappedore

**The United Republic of Cappedore**, (often shortened to **U.R.C**, **Cappedore**, or lengthened professionally to the **Unitary Federation of Cappedorite States**, or **U.F.C.S.**), is a semi-presidential federal parliamentary republic located on the subcontinent of Elysodus, and nearly surrounded in the west, south, and east by the Prysidarian Ocean. Cappedore shares its northwestern border along the Gelapenous Mountains with The Free Republic of Fidimouni, and disputes an ocean border to the east with The United Provinces of Sanaatria. Cappedore has a population of over 197 million within 30 constituent states, the most populous of these being **Kevonia**. Cappedore's capital city is Absolution, in Ivyland.

Various native Cappedorite tribes inhabited the lands around the Driftwood Harbour since antiquity, and tribal kingdoms sprung up in the southwestern region of Cappedore during the middle ages before the accidental arrival of English settlers in 1609. Before its establishment as a republic, Cappedore existed as a tributary Archduchy state to the British Empire, with 5 of its 30 present day states existing as sub-duchies within Cappedore. The nation would eventually gain its independence from the British in 1730, but for nearly a century failed to expand into the new lands, as native forces in the area were far too strong in numbers for the underdeveloped Archduchy of Cappedorite States to handle. It wasn't until 1812 when a revolution sprung up in Cappedore and with the help of other states managed to expand, leading to the creation of brand new states.

Cappedore celebrates a strong lumber-based production economy, with the timber industry producing over 500 billion Cappedorite Staters per annum. The economy relies heavily on that of the state of New Cumberland, Cappedore's largest state, which produces over ₴4,700 in timber exports per day. Cappedore also prospers from a large industry in Arms Manufacturing, especially in naval and aerospace matters - the industry makes over ₴5,250 per day, however this is substantial compared to its peak in January 2020, where it produced over ₴14k per day. A greater Cappedorite focus on tourism and trout fishing between the years 2021-22 helped stabilise the economy under President Austin Merrill.

## Etymology

The origins of the name 'Cappedore' are believed to stem from the ancient pirate word for 'Bumblebee', which were a common sight in cities such as Absolution and New Perigneaux, which were popular hubs for old Cappedorite piracy. The English colonists who settled in Wakafait Landing in 1609 used the word 'dumbledore' to describe native Cappedorite bees.

Later, Italian migrants known as the 'Hoods' ('Cappes' in Italia) would arrive in 1766 at Stargrove and would grow to be one of the more prominent pirate guilds, pillaging the English-owned city of Absolution, which was a well-used trading spot especially for the wood harvested from New Cumberland in the north. It is believed that the Split of the Bayou merged these two cultural names ('Cappe' for the Italian 'Hoods' guild and 'dumbledore' for the old English term for 'bumblebee') into 'Cappedore'.

The standard way to refer to a citizen of Cappedore is as a "Cappedorite."

### Indigenous peoples and prehistory

Before its discovery by advanced Europeans, Cappedore was inhabited majorly by its native populations, notably along the coastlines with various primitive civilizations known as the 'First Prime Federation' along the Driftwood Harbour, however it is thought that the federation dispersed into deeper land as they were constantly at odds and unending conflict with one another. Religious and societal differences arose between the Hukkunamatahn and Luhdukhanko people, with the former emigrating into New Cumberland and the latter escaping into Thomaria, as they faced constant battery and possible imprisonment.

The first inhabitants of South Elysodus are generally hypothesized to have migrated from Valirea by way of the Jersdorn land bridge and arrived at least 14,000 years ago. The Paleo-Valirean archeological sites at Ancient Rock Mountains and Red Cockroach Caves are two of the oldest sites of human habitation in Cappedore. The characteristics of Indigenous societies included permanent settlements, agriculture, complex societal hierarchies, and trading networks. Some of these cultures had collapsed by the time European explorers arrived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries and have only been discovered through archaeological investigations.

### The Old Kingdoms (1180 - 1605)

Before the dawn of European arrival, Cappedore was inhabited by various kingdoms that had advanced and developed from ancient tribes and federations. By 960, the First Prime Federation had already split apart as a result of widespread emigration. Unfortunately, the tribes who emigrated into the more Northwestern lands of the Cappedorite Peninsula found themselves struggling to battle the harsh conditions of the Gelapenous Mountains, or were merely mauled to death by bears in a matter of weeks.

It was the tribes whom emigrated to Southwestern land who sought the most prosperity for the years to come. By 1200, the tribes that inhabited most of modern-day Elizabeth and Vernalis had developed into advanced 'tribal kingdoms', the most notable and significant of these being the Jukhuna Kingdom. Constant warring and pain meant that the kingdoms wiped themselves out by the turn of the 17th century, and had de-evolved into underdeveloped tribes short before the arrival of European explorers.

### The Archduchy of Cappedore (1702 - 1777)

By the turn of the century, due to its distance from the mainland, the Cappedorite colony - which was indirectly controlled by the British monarchy - fell into famine, recession, and did not make any profit for the British Empire, even through slavery. Furthermore, noble families who lived on Cappedorite land were beginning to feel the awful effects of the recession, and started to take matters into their own hands and revolt against British governance, by stealing from banking institutes and assassinating local representatives.

As a result of these crises, the British were forced to give the colony 'protectorate' status. This meant that the country would become fundamentally self-governing, however would still remain subservient to the British crown. To facilitate this, Britain reformed Cappedore into a functioning archduchy, placing a British noble from the House of Lancaster on the Cappedorite throne in the archduchy's capital of Borbagne.

### Revolution and the New Republic (1778 - 1814)

By the late 1770s, two large noble families (the Dawsons and the Gadsbys) who held estates on the wetland area that would be modern-day Absolution would face a long political struggle for power over the incumbent Royal Council of Ivyland. Arthur Gadsby, with the help of his father Benedict Gadsby would eventually break down and destroy the Dawson family through economic hardship and brutal punishment, including burning down their entire estate and mercilessly slaughtering them and their kinsmen. The people of Ivyland, now unified under the Gadsby coup of the council and devoid of conflict, would eventually swell to larger and larger populations before the foundation of the City of Absolution.

The Gadsby clan were violent seperatists who had a history of militaristic uprisings against the British. They hated the British Empire and the archduchy, and them overcoming the opposing pro-British Dawsons frightened the empire. With this, the State of Ivyland would officially secede from the archduchy on 14 September 1789.

In 1790, Arthur would go on to discover that his father Benedict was part of a cult embedded deep in the Archduchy-owned dark forests of New Cumberland, which was heavily involved in both slavery and child abuse, two things which the Gadsby clan were heavily vocal in opposing. What Arthur didn't figure out however is that Benedict had brought key figures of this cult to power in the Parliament of Ivyland, which at the time was merely provisional as the clan sought to fight the British out of Cappedore. With this, Arthur faced his father at the Battle of Everwinter, backed by 17,000 of his own troops, whereas his father's army of 12,000 alongside 20,000 British reinforcements heavily demoralised Arthur's battalion. Days of fighting ensued, however "Arthur's Army" had a stroke of luck after a native raid on the British city of Gloomstown forced Benedict's reinforcements to retreat. The next day, Arthur defeated his father, with 29,764 casualties between both sides.

A victory at Everwinter gave Arthur the chance to redeem himself and his family to restore power over the now Gadsby-controlled Parliament of Ivyland. Rooting out his father from power helped Arthur establish Absolution as a moral beacon of truth and justice, and this establishment had shook the British wholly, with other European powers feeling swayed to condemn the British for condoning the actions of Benedict - who was secretly working with the British after a deal he made in 1788 which meant that if he defeated his son, he would be granted greater power in the British Court and could have potentially made him future King of Great Britain.

### End of the Archduchy (1810-1814)

With the monarchy now completely abolished from various areas of Ivyland and Absolution becoming the center and headquarters of the now proclaimed 'New Republic', native tribes that laid within areas such as New Cumberland and Northwestern / Northeastern Cappedore were told that a future of harmony and prosperity with new Cappedorites would bring them equality, and the right to live as they please even within Cappedorite land - and the natives faced constant harassment by the British. Cappedorites and Native Cappedorites worked together from then on to create impenetrable civilizations within the states of Ivyland, New Cumberland, Cydonia, Elysium, pushing the monarchy back to its capital in Borbagne, Elysium, as the New Republic began to capture states.

By 1800, the states of Ivyland, New Cumberland, and Cydonia would have been completely owned by the New Republic, with the Archduchy still having influence in areas such as Elysium, and Elizabeth. It would take another fourteen years for the New Republic Army along with help from the growing native numbers to push the Archduchy back into Borbagne and keep them surrounded. anybody who lived in New Republic states at this point, and spoke vocally in support of the Archduchy, would face imprisonment

By May 1814, the Archduke of Cappedore and his family would be executed, and a series of events known as the 'Driftwood Emigration' would take place, with the supporters of the monarchy fleeing to Elizabeth where they would live solitary and quiet lives, while secretly writing pro-Archduchy books and selling them on various black markets to try and root another uprising.

By June 1814, Borbagne had been overrun and the Archduchy abolished, meaning the remaining states now ceded into the New Republic, and with very little vocal oppostion, the Republic established itself in Absolution. The Cappedorites faced no further opposition from the British, however they would still continue to face harsh naval blockades by the Royal Navy for the next 40 years which meant that the government would have a slow and tricky start to establishing a flourishing Cappedorite economy, but luckily exports with other colonial powers through secret routes of timber from New Cumberland helped the republic massively.

Although Arthur Gadsby died in 1809, a new man had taken his place as the Leader of the Separatist Rebellion, and he was First President Franklin Fulton, who served from the establishment of the Presidential position on 17 December 1814 to the second election in 1819, where he refused to run for a second term.