The Limey Isles
The Most Limey Isles of Albion and the Asbestions Albion | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
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Motto: No cross, only lime | |
Anthem: Green and Pleasant Land | |
| Capital and largest city | Georgstead |
| Official languages |
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| Ethnic groups (1037) | |
| Religion (1037) |
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| Demonym(s) | Limey |
| Government | Absolute monarchy |
| George XLVII | |
| Area | |
• Total | 385,207 km2 (148,729 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 1037 estimate | 4,019,531 |
| GDP (nominal) | 1037 estimate |
• Total | $218 billion NSD |
| HDI (1037) |  0.569medium |
| Currency | Rind (LMR (ᚱ)) |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +63 |
| Internet TLD | .lmg |
The Limey Isles (more commonly referred to as Limey George), officially The Most Limey Isles of Albion and the Asbestions — formerly the Fiefdom of Limey George, encompassing the entirety of the Isle of Albion and the surrounding Limey Isles, and also known as the Isles of Albion — is an island nation in Esportiva, situated due south of Apox, with a population of approximately 4 million as of year 1037 of the Modern Limey Era. The capital and largest city in Limey George is Georgstead.
The Limey Isles have a total area of 385,207 square kilometres (148,729 sq mi), including all land throughout the Isles. As an absolute monarchy, all power lies with the ruler of the Isles — officially the "Most Esteemed Leader" — typically chosen from among the previous ruler's family and close associates. In addition, the Limey state has complete ownership of all land and natural resources falling within its claimed territory, which now also includes several smaller, offshore islands. Primary among these resources is a large amount of orchards, producing the nation's main export: limes.
The Isles have both administrative and political subdivisions on two levels: regions and districts. These subdivisions are typically appointed a Governor, who is entitled to run them as they see fit, providing they pay tribute to the Most Esteemed Leader.
History
The History of The Limey Isles is typically split into three broad eras: Ancient, Pre-Georgian, and Modern. For a brief overview of the Modern History of The Limey Isles, see here.
Modern Era
Pre-Modern Era =
While technically the "Middle Ages", many historical accounts start the Modern Era at the time of the birth of "Original George", George I of House Limjorgson. The thirty-four years between that date, and the beginning of the modern limey calendar are considered the "Pre-Modern Era", and encompass George I's rise to power.
Early Modern Era
The Modern Era officially begins on the day "original George" — formally George I of House Limjorgson, despite being a junior himself — completed the purchase of all lands in the Limey Isles. He would formally be inaugurated as Sire Paramount of the Isles three days later. That year is typically labelled as "1 ME" (1st year of the Modern Era). This arrangement was later codified by the establishment of the Limey calendar.
Geography
The total area of The Limey Isles is approximately 385,207 square kilometres (148,729 sq mi), with a total land area of approximately 381,354 square kilometres (147,242 sq mi). The country occupies the entirety of the Isle of Albion, as well as around forty tiny, surrounding islands. It lies directly south of Apox in the region of Esportiva.
As only three of the offshore islands are considered habitable, these are reserved for the Most Esteemed Leader's private use, and do not fall under the jurisdiction of any region or district, instead being classed as special districts, not appearing on any map. Four other islands are used by the military for either training or weapons testing, and do not appear on maps either. The remaining islands have varying functions ranging from storage to research outposts, and are all small enough that they are typically omitted from maps.
Climate
The climate of The Limey Isles is classified as hot summer mediterranean (Köppen: Csa), with temperatures typically ranging from 9-15 degrees Celsius in winter (48-59 degrees Fahrenheit), and 28-36 degrees Celsius (82-97 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer — though there is a lot of variation which exceeds those bounds. Some locations, particularly in the Ilddalen ("Valley of Fire") will be significantly warmer, potentially reaching 40 degrees Celsius (approximately 104 degrees Fahrenheit) and hotter, though it is rare to have temperatures below 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer anywhere on the Isles.
There are roughly 50-60 days of precipitation per year, largely falling in the winter months, often torrentially. Snow is essentially unheard of. There are records of heavy thunderstorms in the area around Bermont during summer, due to cold ocean currents and sometimes cooler winds blowing over the mountains to the west, but this is very rare. It is more common for heavy fog to occur instead.
Volcanoes
Several extinct volcanoes are present on the Isle of Albion, predominantly in the North and Central regions.
Biodiversity
The Limey Isles are home to several unique flora and fauna. Some are detailed below.
Citrus georgos
The soil composition in specific areas of the Isles is unique, due to a combination of minerals from volcanic activity in antiquity, which has given rise to a unique species of lime, Citrus georgos, found only on the Isle of Albion. This fruit has driven much of the economic development of the Isles in the Modern Era, and is the primary contributor to the wealth of the Most Esteemed Leader. The state company Georgeco was originally established to manage all aspects of the lime industry within the Isles, from research and cultivation to harvest and export.
Capra rupestris mineralis
Colloquially known as the "Crag Goat", a sure-footed goat that thrives in the high altitudes of the extinct volcanoes on the Isles. It has short, stocky horns and a thick woolly coat to provide both warmth in winter and protection from the intense sun in summer. Its digestive system has adapted to process the various mineral-heavy grasses and plants found in its habitat, which allows it to digest foods other animals would struggle with. Its milk is said to be incredibly rich and creamy due to this mineral-rich diet.
Ignifrons sulfurosus
Known locally as the "Cinnabar Fern", it is a unique plant that thrives in the high-sulfur, volcanic soil found in the foothills of the extinct volcanoes on the Isles. Its fronds are a vibrant, fiery red and orange, and have a pungent aroma when crushed. As a result, the plant is deliberately cultivated in or near lime orchards to protect the crops from most herbivores. Crushed cinnabar fronds are a common addition to other fields for similar reasons, and are often exported to other nations.
Quercus saxosus
A limey-native species of oak, known colloquially as "Stone Oak". It is a slow-growing tree which has adapted to the high concentrations of calcium and magnesium in the volcanic soil of the Isles. As a result, these minerals are absorbed and incorporated into the tree's wood, giving it an incredibly dense, stone-like hardness. The leaves are pale green, almost chalky, and the bark is rough. The difficulty in felling and processing these trees — combined with the slow growth limiting available supply — means the wood is extremely valuable, and is typically only used in specific construction projects deemed to be of national significance. The wood can be bought for private projects — most commonly for high quality tools — though at a very high premium.
Circus basalticus
Otherwise known as the "Stone Harrier", this bird of prey with dappled black and grey feathers has the unusual quality of having incredibly dense and hard talons and leg bones due to the mineral content of its diet. As a result, it can deliver powerful, bone-shattering strikes when hunting, meaning it is capable of hunting larger prey than a typical harrier, such as a crag goat. In some parts of the country, stone harriers are kept and trained for hunting purposes.
Demographics
Religion
The Fiefdom is ostensibly secular, with the majority of Limey people professing no adherence to a belief in a higher power. Sarcastically, Limeys often refer to their religious beliefs as "Limeism" — that is, the cultivation, harvest, processing, and export of limes is essentially their "religion". The collective rejection of religion is thought to be largely a continuation of George I's rejection of religion, though throughout history, various religions have garnered a reasonable following — and often been persecuted — within Albion. In recent times, active religious persecution is rare, and some new faiths have sprung up within the Fiefdom, but the people of Albion are still largely atheist, and many still look unfavourably on those who believe in a "higher power" of any description.
Georgeism
Perhaps the first religious belief system to be considered "mainstream" within Albion was Georgeism. The belief system grew out of reverence for the first Most Esteemed Leader, George I. The design of a national banner (later, a flag) incorporated this reverence, alongside the veneration of the lime — itself the vector for the nation's growth and prosperity.
The failure of other people on the Isle to successfully cultivate a lime tree not grown from a cutting of one of George's trees, provided by George himself had led to the veneration of the man as an "ubermensch" and "chosen by a higher power". Many began to signify this belief with the sign of a cross, the two bars representing this "higher power" and the people it affected. At the intersection lay George. Some also said that the four points of this cross represented the four attributes of the lime: taste, health, colour, and value. George I was not a fan. He openly denounced the idea of a higher power, and implored the people to not show reverence to this cross symbol with the infamous sentence that would later become the national motto: "no cross. only lime."
At various points in history, Georgeists have been persecuted under the "Discordance" laws, though in recent times, researchers have discovered that the cultivation of Citrus georgos depends on a specific mineral composition in the soil, leading to a dramatic decline in followers of Georgeism. Their numbers are now small enough that they are largely ignored by the authorities as a result.
Church of Lime
The Church of Lime believes that George I was chosen by a supernatural being known as the "Citrus Mother", and this is why nobody else was able to cultivate the lime on the Isle of Albion. The specifics around the Citrus Mother are few and far between, though it is implied that She controls all aspects of citrus plant life.
During the reign of George XIII, the Church was persecuted heavily after insinuating that the Citrus Mother did not approve of the Most Esteemed Leader following a relatively poor harvest. It is believed that the Church counted adherents in six figures at the time, but this had dwindled to approximately 9,000 by the time George XIV ascended.
In modern times, many consider the Church of Lime to be an amalgamation of various folk superstitions and pagan beliefs. As a result, they are not taken too seriously, though many of their phrases and aphorisms have entered common Limey vernacular.
Marauder paganism
Since the Age of Marauders, there has been a notable population of those following a form of paganism known as Marauder paganism. During the reign of George XI, these practices were prohibited, and practitioners were persecuted severely for the crime of "Discordance" (negatively affecting the collective output of the nation). In modern times, small remnants of the marauder beliefs survive, largely in the form of personal names, or referential names of locations. Modern interest in the old ways has led to a revival of pagan religious practices in the form of Aldweg, or "The Old Way". Notably, Marauder paganism has heavily influenced traditional Limey culture, and can be seen most prominently in the names of the days of the week, or the Limey months.
Education
Education in the Fiefdom is free of charge, and mandatory from age five until age fourteen. Primarily, education focuses on shaping the youth into "productive members of Limey society", and as a result, does not place much stock in literacy. Numeracy is considered reasonably important, however. The majority of classes focus on "concordance" (the opposite of discordance) and "Umbótsamfelldr" (continuous improvement), which encourages co-operative work, and seeks to foster a "drive to improve the nation". In addition, all students learn "citriculture", which covers the basics of lime cultivation and harvest. These subjects are supplemented with history, civics, and physical education. Critics of the Limey education system have stated that the curriculum is heavily biased to paint the Most Esteemed Leader, and the nation's intensely production-driven economy in a positive light, while restricting information on alternative systems of governance or economy.
Beyond age fourteen, there are four options for students: join the workforce as an apprentice for four years; join the military; specialise in citriculture studies for three years, with a chosen focus for two additional years; or specialise in history and civics for five years with a year in the military. In recent years, a "sportsmanship" path has opened up for gifted athletes, who can focus their development around their athletic ability, while taking supplementary citriculture classes. This path is extremely limited, however, and admittance is typically subject to the approval of Governors.
Students choosing to specialise in history and civics are typically the children of higher ranking members of Limey society, and typically go into politics, or become instructors at educational establishments. The profession of "teaching" does not exist in the Fiefdom, though the wealthy may hire experts or masters to tutor their children or wards.
Citriculture
Citriculture is a branch of agriculture geared completely toward the cultivation of citrus plants. While the majority of citriculture in the Fiefdom focuses on limes, other citrus cultivars are also covered in the final two years of schooling. After completing mandatory education, students can choose to continue into a specialised citriculture course, and upon completion, are almost guaranteed lucrative employment by the state.
Mastery of citriculture is one of the few vehicles for social progression in the Fiefdom, and offers a pathway out of serfdom and into the middle ranks of society. On very rare occasions, citriculture masters may even be granted lands.