Kingdom of Liotain

The Kingdom of Liotain is a nation on the southern end of the Encircled Sea.

## History

Liotainian history is divided into several periods, beginning with the Reman and immediately post-Reman era, before transitioning into an independent kingdom.

* First Kingdom of Liotain: 540 to 708
* Canstori Kingdom: 708 to 918
* Revived Reman Empire / Second Kingdom of Liotain: 918 to 1230
* City-States Era: 1230 to 1479
* Third Kingdom of Liotain: 1479 to 1780
* Fourth Kingdom of Liotain: 1780 to present

   Liotain was first settled as part of the ancient Reman Empire, comprising the province of Liotania Major, Liotania Minor, and Borea Insula.  Reman settlers, often retired Legionnaires who had completed their term of service and gained citizenship, quickly outnumbered the scattered and disparate tribes in the sparsely-inhabited region.  By 60 BCE, Liotainia was considered one of the core provinces of the Reman Empire, with strong loyalty to the Imperial capital.

### Ancient Era (300 BCE to 700 CE)

During the Reman era, large construction projects were undertaken, including the city of Nerisium and numerous irrigation projects.  Many aqueducts built during the Reman period remain in use, being variously modified or repaired over the centuries.  A number of roads from the Reman era, although re-paved, also remain in use.

Upon the catastrophic fall of the Reman Empire, the governor of Liotainia Major declared himself king.  A series of monarchs held the throne between 540 and 708, but no stable line of succession formed. In 708 CE, a revolt by Pictish mercenaries belonging to the Canstori cult overthrew the last remnants of the Reman government.

The Canstori ruled Liotain between 708 and 918, terrorizing much of the populace.  The Canstori leaders declared fealty to a series of foreign kingdoms during this time, with the territory changing hands even as the rulers stayed the same.  The Canstori were ultimately overthrown and wiped out in the Revolt of Rekyva, by a combination of the Bishop of Rekyva and a small army led by general Titas Saulius.

### Medieval Era (700 CE to 1500 CE)

In 918, Titas Saulius declared himself *Cezaris ir Imperatorius* of a revived Reman Empire, initiating the short-lived Second Liotainian Kingdom.  In practice, the realm remained purely within the boundaries of Liotainia itself, and for much of its history paid fealty to the revived Reman Empire.  Titas Saulius's military activities expanded his personal realm to its largest geographic extent, but his death in 949 saw the loss of most border territories.  His descendants, ruling as the House of Saulius, maintained the throne until 1230, when it split apart due to factionalism among the five children of King Urbonas the Unwise.

During the city-states era, lasting from 1230 to 1479, the influence of the Liotainian Orthodox Church increased.  Rival factions, each loyal to their respective cities and their ruling families, warred for dominance.

### Liotainian National Renaissance (1500 CE to 1780 CE)

Liotainian history from the 1300s to 1800s was largely shaped by the regular Kabirite Wars.

In 1479, the Liotainian city-states of Neris and Eletrenai were united by the proclamation of the Third Kingdom; a period of slow reunification followed over the course of the next forty years.  Unification was driven by increased military pressure from Anitkabir to the east, where many border territories in Liotania Minor were lost.

Concerned with an invasion of eastern territories by Anitkabir in 1570, the Liotainians joined with Antargentina and Firocco to push back the advance.  In the battles of Rovereto and Innichenziai, the Liotainian tercios and the royal cavalry played a major part in the Allied victories, while at sea, sixty-eight Liotainian galleys formed the second-largest portion of the fleet at the Battle of Cape Sovata, one of the greatest naval battles of the Renaissance period.

At the three-day Battle of Rudeskna in 1629, the heavily-outnumbered Liotainian militia held together in their pike squares in order to prevent the invading Anitkabirian army from crossing the fords of the Rudeskna River.  The delay allowed Liotainian King Markas II to gather reinforcements, which harassed the retreating army.  The battle was seen as a nearly-miraculous triumph for the salvation of Liotain, and regularly makes the list as Liotain's single most important land battle, even though its importance has been questioned by more modern historians.

Between 1701 and 1708, Liotain fought a war against Firocco in order to recover Svyturys, the primary eastern port of Liotain.  The port had been lost to Firoccan control in the early 1600s.  The Battle of Zarasai and the Battle of Rietavas, both fought in 1707, sealed the fate of the Firoccan garrison.  The war resulted in the creation of the modern Royal Liotainian Navy as an organized body.

In the aftermath of the Pasha's War (1693-1703), the central Erisian territories formally became part of Liotain through the Grand Duchy of Pietu Erizjia.

### Modern Age (1780 CE to 1905 CE)

In 1780, Liotain transitioned between the Third and the Fourth Kingdom when King Settimo II of the House of Berankis died without male issue.  As a result, the crown was contested between several potential heirs, with none of the male candidates being viewed as fully acceptable by the various potential factions.  As a compromise, Maurizia Urmana, a daughter from a poor cadet branch of the family, declared herself a candidate.  Maurizia married one of the younger Celtican princes (Elouan), and possessed a great deal of international political clout.  The Teismas accepted Maurizia's claim, ushering in the House of Urmana. This transition also saw the adoption of the current constitution and balance of powers between the monarchy and the Teismas, as well as a shift away from male primogeniture to the crown instead going to the eldest child of the previous monarch.

### Climate

The vast majority of Liotain has a year-round Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and moderate winters.  Temperatures during winter rarely fall below freezing, while summer temperatures may soar to over 30.0 °C.  Winters are usually quite wet.

The southeastern portion of Liotain slowly transitions into a tropical climate.

### Biodiversity

*Main article: List of Flora and Fauna of Liotain*

Liotain is famous for its horses, with nearly a dozen famous and well-regarded breeds, many with cataloged genealogies dating back to the Middle Ages.  Horsemanship skills and knowledge are highly valued amongst Liotainians, and equestrian sports remain some of the most popular in the country.  This remains the case even as urbanization slowly brings more people into the cities.

Ancient Liotain was once fairly famous for its white-maned lions (Barbary lions).  Many etymologists believe the Reman name for the provinces of *Liotania* are a reference to the presence of lions.  This, however, is disputed.  Liotainian White Lions are now very rare, having been hunted quite extensively in recent centuries.  The House of Urmana maintains a lion preserve in the southern mountains, however, which still has a breeding population, and there is every hope that the species may be preserved for future generations.

The warm, shallow waters of the Breizhoned Gulf offer perfect conditions for pearl oysters, with two species, the Liotine Pink-Lip and Blue-Lip oysters, being especially renowned for the quality of their pearls.  Smaller pearl beds are also common on Liotain's eastern coast, although they are not as well-known for their variety or quality of pearls.  During the era of the Reman Empire, slaves were imported as pearl divers in order to recover the precious pearls.  A micro-culture developed within Liotainian society which remains to this day.

## Government and Politics

### Overview

The Kingdom of Liotain is governed as a constitutional monarchy, with a delineation of powers spelled out in the *Konstitucia*.  The monarch serves as head-of-state, while the elected Teismas (Assembly) nominates a Prime Minister to serve as the monarch's primary advisor and the head-of-government.

As of 1905, the Liotainian throne is technically in the possession of a three-person regency on behalf of the underage Queen Kotryna Urmana.  The previous monarch, King Aronn, died in 1895, leaving his two-year-old daughter Kotryna as the heir to the crown.  Prior to King Aronn's death, he named three regents for his daughter: Liotainian prime minister Mykolas Della Rovere, the patriarch of the Liotainian Orthodox Church Carolus Rimantas, and his younger brother Prince Edmundas Urmana.  However, Prince Edmundas requested that his place as regent instead be taken by the Queen Mother (Annachiara du Firocco), which was viewed favorably by the other regents and by the Teismas.

Regency Council (1905):

* Mykolas Della Rovere: Liotainian prime minister
* Annachiara Sabina Riedenburg du Firocco: Queen Mother
* Carolus Rimantas: patriarch of the Liotainian Orthodox Church

Per the rules established by the Regency, Kotryna has no duties until she turns fifteen, when she will start attending the Regents' council meetings as an observer.  She will have no decision-making capability until she turns eighteen, however.  Once she turns eighteen, Kotryna must appear before the Teismas and declare her fitness to rule; the members of the Teismas vote to recognize her as monarch on behalf of the country.

There is some discussion about the possibility that Kotryna will serve a year in the Army (or Navy) for mandatory national service.  By long-standing tradition, the members of the royal family serve their conscription period in the military in the same way as all other Liotainian youth.  However, there has never before been the case of a reigning monarch being in this situation.

There is some disagreement about whether Mykolas Della Rovere will cease to be a regent if he loses his status as Prime Minister; he was specifically named by King Aronn (prior to his death) as a regent, and there is evidence that the King's intention was for Della Rovere to be regent regardless of his position in the government.  So long as Della Rovere remains prime minister, however, this remains a minor contention.

#### Monarchy

*Main article: List of Liotainian Monarchs*

The kingdom is ruled by the House of Urmana.

Queen Kotryna Urmana (b.1895) is ten years old, the first (and only) daughter of King Aronn Urmana (1862-1897) and his Firoccan-born wife, Queen Dowager Annachiara Sabina Riedenburg du Firocco (b.1875).  King Aronn's grandfather, King Raimondas II, died in 1890 at advanced age, with the throne being passed to Aronn, who ruled for only seven years.  Aronn's mother, Princese Finnguala (b.1830), is still alive and remains a formidable maternal figure for the House of Urmana.

King Aronn had two younger siblings.  The older of the two is Prince Edmundas Urmana (b.1879), who was originally named as regent for his niece.  As Prince Edmundas is a high-ranked member of the Sovereign Military Order of Saint Mykolas, he felt it more appropriate to request that Queen Mother Annachiara take his place as regent.  He instead serves as both *Minister Without Portfolio* on the Cabinet, and *Special Emissary for the Crown*.  Prince Edmundas currently serves as Queen Kotryna's heir in the event that something happens to her.  Prince Edmundas and his wife Karolyn Dumorne have two children ages 7 and 4 who would accede behind him; he has stated that in such a case he would only rule until his oldest child came of age.

Princese Elze (Elzbieta) Urmana (b.1882), the younger sister of King Aronn and Prince Edmundas, is functionally fourth in line for the throne.

#### Grand Duchy of Pietu Erizjia

The Grand Duchy of Pietu Erizjia is ruled as an integral part of the Liotainian government, although the Grand Duke (lielhercog) of Pietu Erizjia signs provincial proclamations that require royal assent, acting on behalf of the monarch. Pietu Erizjia is composed of seven provinces, including the exclave of Ramla.

#### Colonies

*Main article: Colonies of Liotain*

Over the last two centuries, Liotain has acquired a number of colonies. Liotainian control of these territories is handled under the Maurizian Policy, which was established in 1795 by Queen Maurizia Urmana.

### Foreign Relations and Military

#### Diplomatic Relations

*Main article: Diplomatic Relations of Liotain*

#### Liotainian Army

*Main article: Liotainian Army.*

An overview of the ground forces.

#### Royal Liotainian Navy

*Main article: Royal Liotainian Navy*

Liotain fields a fairly large and well-equipped navy, being one of the largest found on the Encircled Sea. Due to its geographic position, it rarely makes large-scale deployments abroad, although it has maintained a consistent presence off the Astyrian coast and in the Motunuian archipelago. Amongst other developments, the RLN claims to have invented the self-propelled torpedo.

#### Sovereign Military Order of Saint Mykolas

See the specific article on the Sovereign Military Order of Saint Mykolas.

Since the 1400s, Liotain has held a very unique relationship with the Sovereign Military Order of Saint Mykolas (officially the *Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint Mykolas of Solymitana, of Liotain and of Breizh*), which is headquartered in the city of Kernave on the island of Breizh.  The Order was founded in 1270, and took on the task of safeguarding Orthodox pilgrims and travellers around the southern rim of the Encircled Sea.  Although always associated very closely with the Kingdom of Liotain and the Liotainian Orthodox Church, the Order has been a sovereign state since 1340, holding multiple watchtowers and fortified hostels around the Encircled Sea.  Liotain signed a formal treaty with the Order in 1550, whereby the Order was granted territory on the island of Breizh in perpetuity, and a monthly grant.  The Order sold or lost many of its overseas holdings between the 1550 and 1785, retaining only a few holdings outside Liotain itself.  In 1785, the Order negotiated a new treaty with Liotain, resulting in a full alliance.  The monarch of Liotain serves as the official protector and patron of the Order, while still remaining outside the Order itself.

As a result of this agreement, members of the Order serve as the naval infantry component of the Royal Liotainian Navy, continuing to fulfill their vow of protecting travelers against pirates and brigands.  Liotainians (and other foreigners) may enlist, in effect becoming soldier-citizens in the Order.  The Order is sometimes improperly dubbed "Liotainian Marines" due to their close association and primary duties, but the Order also serves as Liotain's shipboard doctors and corpsmen, operating shore-side hospitals, orphanages, and homes for invalids and veterans.  Liotainian ships carrying members of the Order, by standing tradition, also fly the Order's flag.

The Order is ruled by the *Prince and Grand Master*, who acts as a de facto monarch and commander-in-chief, elected by the knights of the commanderies, and exercising full authority over the operations of the Order.  The *Prince and Grand Master* additionally holds rank as a Patriarch of the Liotainian Orthodox Church.  Regular members of the order are known as *men-at-arms* or *woman-at-arms*, with officers raised to the rank of *knight sergeant* or *dame sergeant*.

### Agriculture

Much of Liotain is fairly warm and dry, with a Mediterranean climate; however, there is enough diversity in climate that a wide variety of crops may still be grown. Subtropical areas in southeastern Liotain produce bananas and dates.

The northwestern portion of the country produces citrus, mangoes, and grapes.  Pears, cherries, and pomegranates are also widely harvested.

Wheat and sorghum are widely harvested, but some areas are more suitable for this than others.

Papayas and pineapples are not native to Liotain, but have been introduced in recent decades with excellent success.  Ananasu (pineapple wine) is growing particularly popular in Liotain, leading to increased pineapple crops.

### Manufacturing

The Liotainian city of Rokantiskes, in north-central Liotain, was famous in the medieval and renaissance periods as possessing one of the best sources of steel for armour and particularly swords. In 1829, the first **hot blast** furnace was built in Rokantiskes, and in 1898, the **Bernotas Furnace** (a type of electrical arc furnace) would be the first of its kind in the world. Although the depletion of several bog iron reserves caused a downturn in Rokantiskes' fortunes on the international market in the latter half of the 1800s, a spate of new technological improvements and import of iron ore from abroad means it remains a prominent ironworking town.

### Tourism

Over the last three decades, a thriving tourist industry has risen within Liotain.  A number of resort towns have sprung up on the northern coastline along the Breizhoned Gulf, where calm shallow seas and numerous beaches prove inviting for vacationers.

### Transport

*Main article: Transport in Liotain*

Liotainian State Railways is the primary standard gauge (1,676 mm) railway in Liotain.  The first line was privately-financed during the 1830s, purchased by the government in 1863, and privatized again in 1895 (albeit with government oversight).  The Svyturys-Montagne Railway, which is privately owned, was constructed in metre-gauge; as a result, metre-gauge and 600mm narrow-gauge railways predominate in the southeastern portion of the country.  Altogether, about 63% of the Liotainian railway network is standard gauge, while the remaining 37% is narrow gauge.

Many of the most modern cities, including Neris and Rokantiskes, have built a tram network for city commuters.

Automobiles are starting to appear in Liotainian cities, with the majority being constructed by the Flavia Coachbuilding & Fabrication Company (*Flavia C&F*), which has thus far produced over a thousand automobiles for the domestic market.  Flavia still builds horse-drawn carriages, however, although this market is slowly contracting.

## Demographics

### Cities

1. Neris: capital city and minor port.  Neris was founded as the Reman city of Nerisium (date unknown).  It became one of the foremost cities of the Empire, and was noted for its sprawling construction projects, ranging from a massive colosseum, multiple amphitheatres, Reman bathhouses, and the Forum Liotanium.  Several aqueducts brought water to the city, with three aqueducts still in use (albeit heavily modified by subsequent generations).
2. Sventoji: a major port on the western portion of the coast.  Sventoji calls itself "the Queen of the Gulf" from its long maritime history and the beauty of the city's construction.  Sventoji is divided into New and Old Cities.  The Old City of Sventoji, built in the 900s, has regular roads, while the New City (started in the 1300s) is built out on the shallow lagoon, being crisscrossed with canals.
3. Svyturys: a major port on the eastern portion of the coast.  Svyturys was part of the Firoccan trade empire between 1460 and 1708, before being reincorporated into Liotainian control following the 1708 war.  It became a major port only during the Firoccan era, although the Liotainian government has substantially expanded it in the modern era.
4. Eletrenai: Located at the very end of the Gulf of Argent, and situated on the northern end of the Canal System, Eletrenai has grown into a major city for trading, transshipment, and shipbuilding.  It also serves as one of the main gateways for travel between Liotain and Celtica, with a modern railway bridge, one of the marvels of modern engineering, crossing the river to reach the Celtican city of Mena shortly down the coast.  Eletrinai's per-capita wealth is higher than any other Liotainian city, and it has a vibrant and diverse population
5. Rokantiskes: a growing industrial city, named for the famous castle that still stands on a hill over the city.  Rokantiskes is home to many of Liotain's most important factories, and the natives have a reputation for mechanical ingenuity.
6. Rietavas: a port city just across the gulf from the larger port of Svyturys.  Although now largely eclipsed in importance by its larger and more modern sister-city, Rietavas remains an important shipbuilding and transport hub.
7. Tvirtoves Kalnas: A major city located on Lake Tripartite.  With the opening of the Royal Canal, it has grown in importance as a minor shipbuilding center (primarily for small civilian ships) and trading port.  With the "lake effect" rains, Tvirtoves Kalnas has a reputation as Liotain's wettest city.
8. Eisiskes: a small inland city in southeastern Liotain, noteworthy for its mining.
9. Trakai: a small port city located on Lake Tripartite.  Trakai is the southern terminus of the meter-gauge Svyturys-Montagne Railway, which allows cargo to come overland for transshipment.
10. Telsai: a small port city in southeastern Liotain, located just across Pabreza Bay from Anitkabir.  One of Liotain's most ethnically-diverse cities, with a large minority population of Mardins (approximately thirty percent of the city's population).

### Ethnic Groups

*Main article: Ethnic Groups in Liotain*

The Liotines (sometimes Lioti) are the predominant ethnic group in the Kingdom of Liotain.  They have a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern complexion, with brown hair (medium brown and reddish or cinnamon brown) being strongly predominant.  They are descended from the ancient Remans, comprising approximately eighty percent of the national population.

The Breizhoned are the largest ethnic minority existing in Liotain, being a dominant ethnic group on the island of Breizh.  By certain measurements, up to twelve percent of Liotainians are either fully or partly Breizhoned.  The Breizhoned are generally held to originate from intermarriage between the Reman-Liotines and ethnic Picts; they speak a distinct patois of Liotainian which has been substantially influenced by Pictish languages.  They tend to have lighter skin tones and lighter hair colors (predominantly red and blond) compared to ethnic Liotines.

The Mardins are an ethnic group found predominantly in the southeast of Liotaine.  Although they are closely related to ethnic Anitkabirites, Mardins hate them for past religious persecutions.  Mardins have adopted the Liotanian language, but retain a polytheistic religion and continue to associate in tribal clans.

Ethnic Erisians are also present in the Grand Duchy of Pietu Erizjia.

### Religion

#### Liotainian Orthodox Church

The monotheistic Liotainian Orthodox Church is the predominant religion in Liotainian culture.  As of the 1900 Census, an estimated seventy percent of Liotainian citizens claimed membership in the Orthodox Church, with around forty percent claiming to be devout.  The Orthodox Church has a long history in Liotain, dating back to its adoption in the 9th Century, when it competed for survival against the ruling Canstori cult.

#### Mardinite Polytheism

The Mardins are a minority ethnic group which fled Anitkabir due to religious persecution.  The first Mardin refugees arrived in the 1600s, and settled in some of the more remote regions of Liotain.  Their polytheistic religion believes that the world is just a game controlled by imperfect but powerful higher beings who favor various nations or people groups, and must be appeased in order to prosper.  The Mardins maintain a number of small, relatively humble temples.

## Culture

*Main article: Culture of Liotain*

* Liotainians usually rise early (before dawn) to work in the cooler hours of the morning, and take a rest in the late afternoon, when the heat is at its peak.
* Most Liotainians have a simple pool for bathing.  Houses are U-shaped, with a small fenced courtyard between the arms of the house, and the pool usually located in this courtyard.  It is common even among poor families, although these pools are usually not large or deep.  Communal bathhouses are also common, and often serve as one of the major gathering-places for citizens in smaller towns.  Most bathhouses are not gender-segregated (although some in larger cities may offer this as an optional service).  Both men and women wear bathing clothes.  Bathhouses may even serve alcohol and meals.
* Houses and public buildings are usually decorated with painted tin-glazed ceramic tiles (called *azularie*), which serves both ornamental and insultative purposes.  Azularie represents a long artistic and manufacturing tradition within Liotainian history.  The oldest Liotainian business is an azularie factory, which has been owned and operated by the Duargilla family for almost six hundred years.
* Horses and horsemanship skills are particularly prized among Liotainians, although this is being slowly eroded among the increasingly-large city communities.  Native horse breeds, such as the Kerstas Black or the Eletrinian Trotter, are regarded as national or regional symbols.  The Mardins are particularly well-regarded as horsemen, and equestrian sports such as sritije are among the most popular in Liotain.
* Most Liotainians eat a light breakfast before dawn, and then have a large lunch in the mid-afternoon (usually around 3 PM), followed by a nap.  A small snack-like dinner late in the evening closes the day.
* There is no cultural stigma about drinking wine (which is usually of fairly low alcoholic content) even among youths or early in the morning, but the general community disapproves of drunkenness.  Conversely, there is very high public disapproval of smoking, which is seen as unhygienic and symptomatic of antisocial behavior.

### Literature

*Main article: Literature of Liotain*

* ***Kariska*** (1220): Sometimes also called *Battle Song*, this poem is one of the earliest extant literary works identifiable as Liotainian, rather than post-Reman.
* ***The Last White Sword*** (~1330): This epic poem is identified as part of the foundation myth of the Kingdom of Liotain.  The powerful and cursed Twelve White Swords are forged by the dark magician Aldoro in order to trick the angels of God, who instead turn them down and destroy eleven of the twelve blades.  The twelfth sword, named Solhynian, is passed through the hands of six heroes, destroying all in their turn, before coming to the hands of the humble farmer Vydas, who throws the sword into the sea, breaking the curse and being crowned the first king of Liotain.
* ***Solymitana Delivered*** (1575): An epic poem about five rich heiresses who decide to dress as men and ride off to war, in order to seek adventure and save the land from the invading Anitkabirians.  Its characters are a very popular subject for Liotainian operas, who often focus on one or the other of the five women.
* ***Lando, or Courtship on Reman Towers*** (1631): One of the first great plays in the Liotainian language, set in the besieged city of Damlis.  The mercenary soldier Lando attempts to woo the noble-born widow Imelda.
* ***Kestutis and Zydre*** (1722): A romantic tale set in medieval Liotain.
* ***Hanoch*** (1805): A novel set in the ancient era before the creation of the Reman Empire, in the region that will eventually become Liotain.  It features the Pictish princeling Hanoch in his quest to avenge his father and uncles.  Highly influential in its use of the Liotainian language, *Hanoch* sparked a wave of similar literature set in ancient times, which lasted for twenty years.
* ***Polyxena*** (1820): Following in the vein of *Hanoch* fifteen years earlier, *Polyxena* continued the genre of novels set in the ancient era.  The princess Polyxena is kidnapped by a barbarian tribe.  Rather than wait around for rescue, she leads a slave revolt.  Became the subject of a very popular opera.
* ***The Singular Mystery of Goncourt Castle*** (1822): A murder mystery which kicked off Liotainian interest in the genre.
* ***The Harem of Valduchac*** (1864): The first of a series of adventure novels for youth, starring brother-sister duo Rokas and Roze Carreleur.  The series would eventually swell to a total of eighteen canonical novels, with twelve 'pirate' novels published after the author's death.
* ***Justyna*** (1873): One of the most controversial novels of its day, *Justyna* chronicles the life of a innocent peasant girl who comes to the eponymous City, is corrupted by its vices, becomes the madam of the City's largest brothel, and is finally hanged after leading a lawless street revolt in order to murder a local judge who could not be bribed.  It's scathing rebuke of the anarchist movement was typical of Liotainian political satire during the late 1860s and early 1870s.
* ***The Golden Medal*** (1900): A biography of Frigatiekapitaine Stephane Mazeika, who captained the frigate *Vydas* on a circumnavigation of the globe, becoming the first Liotainian ship and crew to do this.  The story is fictionalized, but draws heavily off Mazeika's journals and own writings.

### Music and dance

*Main article: Music and dance in Liotain*

The vanollar, a stringed instrument bowed by a hand-cranked wheel, is the national instrument.

Liotainian high society has a particular interest in opera, with a high degree of interest in both foreign operas (either translated or in their original language), and native operas. Nearly every town of any size has an opera house, and opera singers can attract massive followings.

National marches, called Marzos, are regularly played by orchestras and symphonies.

There is a sizable body of religious music generated by the Orthodox Church which includes the Viespatie, Pietas, Antiphons, Carols, and Rondeaus.  The Liotainian composer Damiano Forestale (1749-1802) is one of the most prolific and well-known liturgical musicians.

Popular secular music includes ballads, romantic songs, and a rather large body of humorous or comedic songs, many of which share tunes with other well-known music.

### Sport

*Main Article: Sports of Liotain*

* The equestrian sport of *sritije* (pronounced 'sree-teesh'), which pits two teams of six horsemen each, is one of the most popular sports viewed by Liotainians.  It is played on horseback, with the objective being to move a stuffed goat-skin into the enemy's scoring zones.  Two players on each team are armed with blunt lances, while the other four are armed with short wooden clubs.  A variant with only three players per team is also played, although not at the same professional level.  Women's sritije is often just as popular and hotly-contested as the men's leagues.
* Equestrian jumping, racing, and presentation (called *schierarsi*) is also popular.
* In the 1850s, a Liotainian Army officer introduced the triathlon, where a contestant rides a horse through an obstacle course, fires a rifle from horseback and foot, and then swims a river.
* A sport called *corda* is fairly popular, where players throw a specially-weighted and coiled rope in an attempt to score.  It is most often played informally, and may occasionally be played while swimming.
* Imtynes (Liotainian Wrestling) is the most popular individual sport, followed by archery.
* The Royal Liotanian Navy still teaches their officers fencing, although it is unclear whether this is still meant to be a practical sport or merely for show.
* Winter sports are extremely uncommon, as there are very few easily-accessible places in Liotain which receive regular snowfall.

### Cuisine

*Main article: Cuisine of Liotain*

Liotainian cuisine is noted for its extensive use of the country's native grains, fruits and vegetables.
In general, Liotainians usually eat a light and early breakfast, often of cooked oats or sorghum, possibly accompanied by buttered flatbreads and fruits.  A midday meal is served between 1 to 2 PM, and is the largest meal of the day, with the widest potential variety of dishes.  An evening meal is served between 6 to 8 PM, often with leftovers from a previous day - or easily-prepared dishes - accompanied by boiled, smoked, or grilled vegetables.

Foreigners find Liotainian cuisine fairly spicy, and visitors are encouraged to be cautious about unwarily consuming food.