Serene Republic of Lemuria
Most Serene Republic of Lemuria | |
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Coat of arms
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| Motto: May the Lost be Found | |
| Anthem: Anthem of the Lemurian Republic | |
 Map of the Isle of Lemuria (Probable) | |
| Capital | Hetairapolis |
| Largest city | Wilsonville |
| Official languages | No offical language, English most common |
| Demonym(s) | Lemurian |
| Government | Crowned Republic |
• Doge | John I |
• Prime Mistress | M Dante |
| Legislature | Parliament of Lemuria |
| Establishment | 9 May 2018 |
| Population | |
• Census | 3 |
| Currency | various |
| Time zone | (LINT) |
The Most Serene Republic of Lemuria is a crowned republic. It claims the City of Irem, the Plateau of Leng, and the Isle of Lemuria as its territory.
Etymology
The word Lemuria is of Roman origin. Lemures were the restless, vengeful, or otherwise wandering spirits of the dead in Roman mythology. The festival of Lemuria, or Lemuralia, was the annual holy day for propitiating these ghosts so they wouldn't bother the living. The lemurs of Madagascar were so named due to their supposed resemblance to those ghosts. In the 19th century, a theoretical lost continent named Lemuria was proposed to explain certain biogeographical anomalies.
History
The truth is far stranger. The Island of Lemuria exists in an liminal ultraversal pocket of space, periodically connected to the Pacific Ocean. It was first discovered by humans by the Greek explorer Erisodouros, who established a small colony there. Since that time, Roman occultists, Daoist dissident, Japanese shamen, Muslim pirates, and more have all called the island home, at one time or another, when it is connected to our world.
Lemurian Historical Timeline
- 1 AL (After Landing)(325 BC)- Erisodourus, a soldier in the army of Alexander the Great, deserts Alexander’s army with a number of other soldiers and camp followers, and continues East when the main army heads South. He is led by vision from his patron goddess, Eris. After many adventurers and picking up a diverse number of followers, is party reached the Eastern coast of China, commandeered a number of ships, and set off into the Pacific Ocean. They come across a large island not on any map, filled with strange ruins, with indications the now-vanished original inhabitants (the “Ancients”) were larger than normal humans, and were of non-human origin. The found a new society.
- 106 AL(219 BC)- The Chinese Emperor sends 3000 dissident Daoist scholars and other criminals in a boat to the mythical land of Fu Sang, to be sacrificed to a volcano god. This boat encounters a flotilla of drunken ninja fisherman, who help the prisoners otherthrow their captors. The now-freed prisoners and fishermen wander the boundless Pacific until they run aground on Lemuria.
- 230 AL(95 BC)- Novius Quintus, a Roman occultist, has a series of dreams and visions of Erisodourus’s adventures to and in Lemuria. He realizes that he is in fact the reincarnation of Erisodourus. He sets off to find the land of his dreams. After years of adventures, he finally arrives, and writes the history of Lemuria, the Lemurikon. He institutes many Roman holidays and religious observances to Lemurian Culture.
- 1967 AL(1642 AD)- Fatima Al Irmem, Moorish lady pirate and mystic, uses Lemuria as a base of operations and safe harbor to ravage the empires of the Pacific.
- 2210 AL(1885 AD)- The "Children of Norton" a strange cult that venerated Joshua Norton, Emperor of America, lands on Lemuria. They introduce many strange practices, and maintain contact, albeit spotty, with the outside world.
- 2343 AL(2018 AD)- The Most Serene Republic of Lemuria is proclaimed to the outside world.
Government
Doge
The Lemurian Republic has a ceremonial Head of State, known as the Doge of Lemuria. The Doge of Lemuria is also the High Priest of Church of Mu, and Master of the College of Lemuria. This is a lifetime appointment, barring impeachment due to treason or dereliction of duty, and the current Doge picks their successor.
Parliament
The legislative body of the Lemurian Republic is the Parliament of Lemuria. The Parliament is made up of all members in good standing of the Order of the She-Wolves. The Order of the She-Wolves (also known as the Ordo Luparum) is open exclusively to current and former sex workers, making the Lemurian Republic technically a Pornocracy.
Prime Mistress
The head of government for the Republic of Lemuria is the Prime Mistress, drawn from the Mistresses of Parliament (as all members of the Order of the She-Wolf who actively serve in parliament are referred to.) Technically the Prime Mistress is selected by the Doge, who will virtually give approval to whichever Prime Mistress is chosen by the Parliament members themselves. Standard parliamentary rules, protocols, and traditions apply.
Cabinet
Assisting the Prime Mistress is the Cabinet, made up of other Mistresses of Parliament, known as Mistresses of the Republic when they have cabinet positions. Standard Parliamentary Cabinet rules, protocols, and traditions apply. The current Cabinet positions are:
- Mistress of Coin- Oversees the treasury of the Lemurian Republic, and all matter financial.
- Mistress of SUTEK (Search for Ultra-Terrestrial Experience & Knowledge)- Oversees all official exploration and study of ultra-terrestrial dimensions, as well as contact and communication with ultra-terrestrial entities (the "UFOs" and "elves" of popular culture.)
- Mistress of Space- Promotes the exploration and homesteading of outer space and surrounding planets by the Lemurian Republic.
- Mistress of Culture- Promotes the Lemurian Culture, and cross-cultural exchanges with other nations.
- Mistress of Sex & Happiness- Oversees and promotes the cultivation of erotic and hedonic practices and culture.
- Mistress of Technology & Orgonics- Oversees and promotes the cultivaton of high standards and innovation in the fields of technology, thaumaturgy, and orgonics.
- Mistress of Foreign Affairs- Oversees relations with other nations.
- Mistress of Legal Affairs- Acts as advocate for the Lemurian Republic.
- Mistress of Lemuria- Oversees local affairs on the Isle of Lemuria.
- Mistress of Irem- Oversees local affairs in the City of Irem.
- Mistress of Leng- Oversees local affairs on the Plateau of Leng.
- Mistress of Tribunals- Oversees the certification of Chartered Dispute Resolution Agencies, the principal mechanism of protection and arbitration in the Lemurian Republic.
- Mistress of Marques- Oversees the certification and issuance of Letters of Marque and Reprisal, the principal mechanism for military action in the Lemurian Republic.
- Mistress of the Revels- Oversees the promotion and orderly execution of the many Lemurian holy days, holidays, and festivals.
Constitution
The Lemurian Constitution is a parliamentary constitution that follows the Westminster System.
Law & Order
Dispute resolution and defense of person and property in the Lemurian Republic is primarily handled through Chartered Dispute Resolution Agencies, or CDRAs. CDRAs handle all aspects of of dispute resolution and defense as private firms, acting on behalf of their clients. A sophisticated market and culture has emerged to ensure the smooth interaction of these firms for the benefit of all concerned. Every citizen is assumed, by default to be their own CDRA, and able to interact with other CDRAs on an equal footing.
Parliament oversees these CDRAs, through the Ministry of Tribunals. The Ministry is responsible granting and revoking charters to the agencies, and Parliament is responsible for passing laws that supersede the rules of the CDRAs, and must be incorporated into those rules. Parliament has a tradition of keeping at "arms length" from the CDRA system, and will pass laws that affect them only as a last resort, and ministry will revoke an agency's charter only under the most dire circumstances.
Foreign Relations
The Lemurian Republic, as a matter of principle and tradition, maintains an attitude of friendly neutrality and non-entanglement with other nations.
Military
The Lemurian Republic, and the various political entities that existed on the Isle of Lemuria before the foundation of the Republic, and have a long and storied history of what might be charitably called "Popular Self-Financed Naval Militias". A less charitable way of saying that is that the Lemurian Republic has long been a haven for pirates and buccaneers. Currently, the Lemurian Republic has no active military, and relies exclusively on the issuing of Letters of Marque and Reprisal for all military matters.
The Lemurian Republic also has provisions for calling up the militia in the event of invasion, insurrection, or great national emergency. All citizens of the Lemurian Republic are expected to maintain an attitude of combat readiness, and to answer the call if the militia is raised.
Climate & Geography
Isle of Lemuria
The Isle of Lemuria manifests in the Pacific Oceans, in patterns of increasing and decreasing frequency. Those who study such things can predict these patterns somewhat, and write papers and almanacs on the subject. However, there is always the possibility of an anomaly, when an appearance or disappearance last far longer than predicted.
Its appearance and disappearance are often marked by intense, oddly localized typhoons. When the weather is calm, the island is pleasant and subtropical, with numerous natural harbors, sandy beaches, and green rolling hills. Many of these are terraced for farming. The local and fauna are diverse, and like many islands there are unique species found there and nowhere else.
Plateau of Leng
The Plateau of Leng is cold and arid, its barren plain home to some hearty scrub, and a variety of hardier insects. Some of these, like the spiders, are considerably larger than average. The Plateau of Leng has a tendency of becoming geographically unmoored, sometimes appearing in the wilds of central Asia, sometimes in Antarctica, and other places. It takes on the weather and climate of wherever its located; such extreme changes scours all but the most determined life off its rocky plain.
City of Irem
The City of Irem exists under the ground in the Arabian Peninsula. For security reasons, its exact location is kept a strict secret. As such, its temperature and climate is precisely controlled. It is described as a vast dome under the earth, its vault reinforced with hundreds of stone pillars. It has an artificial daylight and moonlight system.
Economy
The Lemurian Republic has a strong tradition of liberal, free market economics. There are multiple monetary systems in use, and many unique professions.
Monetary Systems
Mutual Credit
Most people use a mutual credit system in day to day transactions. While small local systems pop up here and there, the Bank of Leng, a mutual credit union, is the standard financial institution of the Lemurian Republic.
Commodity Currency
Many Lemurians use gold and silver for trading, especially when dealing with foreigners. While these gold and silver coins are privately minted and typically held in private depositories, their weight and purity is inspected and guaranteed by the Mistress of the Coin.
Sphinxcoin
Sphinxcoin, also known as "essies", is a cryptocurrency that has become quite popular in the Lemurian Republic.
Lemurian Republic Bonds
From time to time, the Mistress of the Coin will issue bonds to cover major operating expenses of the Lemurian Parliament, to be redeemed at a later date with interest.
Professions
Due to isolated yet open nature of Lemurian Society, many professions exist here that simply are seen in other countries. Here are some of the most iconic unique professions of the Lemurian Republic.
Pirate
The Isle of Lemuria has a long history of piracy. It's position in the ocean, as well as the difficulty of reaching it if you weren't already aware of its position, made it an ideal refuge and staging ground for pirates, corsairs, and buccaneers in the Pacific Ocean throughout the Middle Ages, the Golden Age of Piracy, and up to today. While the traditional "robbery on the high seas" aspect has become less prevalent, Lemuria's....forgiving policy on intellectual piracy and customs enforcement makes it a new haven for smugglers, black marketeers, and information pirates. There is also room for the traditional pirate, due to the Lemurian Republic's policy of relying on Letters of Marque for its national defense, literally giving license to privateers.
Sex Worker
There are no laws on sex work in the Lemurian Republic, aside from those that affect every other sort of person, and every other sort of profession. It is really a set of professions, all with a rich history in the Republic. Many companies and institutions will have sex workers as part of the organization, or contract with sex worker organizations, as a matter of course. And of course, given the nature of the Lemurian Parliament, becoming a sex worker is a prerequisite in having a political career.
Ultraterrestrial Computer Specialist
Lemurian scientists have made many strides in the study and use of branes, dimensions, subspace- what is generally known as "ultraterra." While this discipline is still in its infancy (spearheaded by SUTEK, the Lemurian Republic agency of ultraterrestrial research), one advance that has come out is the ultraterrestrial, or ubit, computer. Ubit computers, much like quantum computers, are much faster than more efficient computers, but whereas quantum computers merely use quantum entanglement and quantum supposition, ubit computers also use extradiminsional computing in its processes. This makes them not only faster and more efficient than even quantum computers, but also filters the processes of the computer through certain occult paths, rendering results that no normal computer could give. Ultraterrestrial Computer Specialists specialize in constructing, maintaining, using, and explaining the results of these ubit computers.
Grinder
Human modification and improvement, both through genetic engineering and elective cybernetics, are big business in the Lemurian Republic. Transhuamanism and biohacking are accepted and popular philosophies. Modificiation facilities, known as Grindhouses, are all over the place, staffed by Grinders.
Horse Race Astrologer
Horse Races have been a tradition in Lemuria for over a thousand years. For almost as long as horse racing has been a tradition, there have been people who have tried to get an edge on them, including with astrology and various other means of prognostication. These predictions and horoscopes have become increasingly elaborate over the centuries, and have become and art form in and of themselves. In face, the "racehorse horoscope" artistic genre can be used as a vehicle for a wide variety of messages and purposes, far beyond its original purpose.
Dispute Resolution Agent
The judicial system of the Lemurian Republic is a market, with protection and arbitration provided through private contractors, with the oversight of the Mistress of Tribunals. These contractors are known as Certified Dispute Resolution Agencies, or CDRAs. The people who work for those agencies are known as Dispute Resolution Agents.
Education
The Lemurian Republic has no formal state-run educational program, although there are a number of private academies and educational organizations in place. The College of Lemuria is the longest-existing institute of higher education in the Lemurian Repubic.
Culture
Lemurian Calendar & Festivals
Sport
Lemurians enjoy a wide variety of sports and games. The most popular include horse racing, competitive sailing, Three-Way Football, and the The Glass Bead Game.
Church of Mu
The established religion of the Lemurian Republic is the Church of Mu. While freedom of religion as a civil right is respected in the Republic, the Church of Mu is referenced on all officials document and pronouncements.
Influences
The Church of Mu is a syncretic religion, blending elements from Classical Greek and Roman religion, Esoteric Daoism, Esoteric Islam, American New Age and Neopagan beliefs, and various elements too numerous to list. These different elements are emphasized in different ways in different situations, sometimes in seemingly contradictory ways.
Dogma
The Church of Mu has no set, publicly available set of beliefs. Instead, is a collection of mystery religions and cults, with new ones created and old ones retired constantly. While the goals and details of these mystery religions are, well, secret, and differ from cult to cult, the common element seems to be learning how to marshal and manipulate internal energies such as orgone or qi for self-improvement and empowerment.
High Priest
The High Priest of the Church of Mu organizes creates the mystery religions within the Church, and initiates members into them. The position of High Priest is traditionally held by the Doge of Lemuria.