Kingdom of Prydania: A Helpful Guide to an Unhelpful Place

[Prydania]

Prydania! Just take in the sites! The overcast skies, the rocky beaches, and the peat. Ah, the peat! Let's take a journey, shall we? As we take a look at history, people, and organisations that make Prydana Taijitu's premier destination for nerds and the sexually repressed!

Kingdom of Prydania

-or-

Social Commonwealthism and You: A Guide to the New World Order Third Position Politics

(C) 1984

History
Prydania is a country deep with history, but you only need to learn a few things to avoid looking like the out of town rube you undoubtedly are.
The first king was some chap named Vortgyn who, all the way back in the year 1022, beat a bunch of other kings in a series of wars and established his dynasty. Which continues to this day in the form of King Andrew III. Long live the King and the glorious Prydanian nation!
Is Prydania's history free of bloodshed? Of course not, but whose is? Certainly not the Ozians, Myrorians, Eluvatarians, we can tell you that much! Have mistakes been made, colonies established on the backs of locals, and blood spilt in the name of empire? Yes, but Prydania is a nation that embraces the richness of its past while walking boldly towards the future! That unpleasantness is dealt with as it should be. Pushed to the back of the national subconscious. We're all better for it, thank you very much!

Now Eire is a unique case. The people of Eire and the people of Prydania have a special, if complicated relationship. They've existed alongside us and under our rule for centuries. Things culminated at the turn of the last century when a regrettable series of massacres left the population broken and desolate for decades to come. Thankfully there's been a push towards studying the events that lead up to the massacres, as well as the events themselves among the nation's higher centres of learning. It's our hope that this will lead to greater understanding and respect among our peoples to create a truly united and diverse nation that we can all call our home. 
    There was no slaughter in Eire. Attempts to claim that there were are the works of leftists and petty nationalists who look to undermine the character and moral fabric of our nation. 

Politics
King Andrew III reigns benevolently from Beaconsfield in concord with the Parliament of the Kingdom. This unicameral legislator is elected every five years or whenever His Majesty deems an election necessary.
The leader of the party with the most seats is declared Prime Minister and the leader of His Majesty's government. The leader of the party with the second largest number of seats is declared the leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition.
The current seat breakdown according to party is as follows.
Social Commonwealth (PM Stephen Crofts): 318
Syndicalist (James Michael "Mick" Rutherford): 130
Tory (Daniel St. Aubyn): 83
Whig (Alexander Hoffman): 74

Let's take a closer look at these, shall we?

Social Commonwealth Party

Truly the party of the modern age, poised to lead the nation into the new millennium! This party was formed from veterans of the recent colonial wars who recognized the ineptitude, moral cowardliness, and decay that was setting in during the twilight of the Whig/Tory monopolisation of political power. Together we will be bound in one victorious nation, with one future! One social commonwealth!

Syndicalist Party



The party of the working man. The Syndicalist Party emerged from the organized trade unions that sprung up across the nation in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The party can be volatile, with both moderate and radical factions within it, the latter sometimes being republican in nature. Their uncompromising stance on the issues facing the working man have left them with limited support compared to the Whigs and Tories, but headway has been made among the traditional Whiggish lower-middle class. Regardless, the party can be proud of the many achievements it's made to the modern Prydanian nation. Including universal healthcare, fully funded public schools up to the university level, electoral reform, and social security.

The party of the subversive. The Syndicalists are a party that has long since outlived its usefulness. It's tired, increasingly outdated ideology has led them to become radicalized over the past few decades. Today they are primarily known for supporting the mining and railway strikes that crippled this nation in a time of war. Fringe elements of the party are suspected in the assassination of King Robert VII and Prince Henry.

Tory Party

One of the two oldest parties in the nation, able to trace its lineage back to the aftermath of The Anarchy of the 14th century. The Tory Party is primarily the party of the upper class and the aristocracy, though they are were the party of choice among the nationalistic working class voting bloc. They are traditionally seen as the party able to steer the nation during a crisis, with a track record of stable government. They were, however, marginalised in favour of the SoComs during the last crisis.

Whig Party



The Whigs, like the Tories, can trace their lineage to the aftermath of The Anarchy. They're traditionally the party of the business class, though that voting bloc has become stratified in recent decades, with big business favouring the Tories and medium and small enterprise favouring the Whigs. They're the party of reform, and as such have had to fight off the Syndicalists.

A party run by starry-eyed ideologues and dull bureaucrats. This is the party whose complacency and good intentions led to the decay that allowed various local colonial populations to rebel, along with a minor's and railway strike that crippled the nation. They lacked the will to do what was needed to secure the well-being of the nation.

PBC

The Prydanian Broadcasting Corporation is a Crown Corporation entrusted with, among other things, informing the citizenry so that they be active and knowledgeable participants in our democracy!
Though government owned and funded the PBC has a strict policy of political neutrality. All allegations of a shift towards a SoCom bias are the result of agitators and subversives! Always be vigilant!

People

King Andrew III Cerdic
Status: Long may he reign over us!



King Andrew III ascended to the throne upon the assassination of his father King Richard VII and brother Prince Henry. Andrew III's stoic demeanour as he faced these national and personal tragedies have been an inspiration to the nation.

King Richard VII Cerdic
Status: Forever burning in the hearts of the nation!



King Richard VII reigned for many years, fostering good will abroad and providing a sensible, if slightly antiquated, example at home. His death, and the death of his eldest son Henry, came at the high point of the chaos that engulfed the nation following Syndicalist agitation and Whiggish incompetence. Though he is no longer with us we know he looks down on our great nation, proud of the course we've taken!

Prince Henry Cerdic
Status: Lost, but not forgotten

Charming, humble, well tempered, and a mainstay on the Prydanian track and field team. Prince Henry was taken from us too soon, but we will punish those who committed that heinous act through the guidance of his brother King Andrew III and Prime Minister Crofts.

Prime Minister Stephen Crofts
Status: A bit peckish, perhaps?



The son of farmer, the Prime Minister was educated at the Royal Military College and served with distinction in the Colonial Wars. He returned home in disgust to find his country following apart. His Social Commonwealth Party grew from a primarily veterans organisation into a mass movement of people from all walks of Prydanian life ready to take back their country from the edge of oblivion. Married to Bridgett Crofts, father to Melissa Crofts.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Erik Dessler
Status: Looking for a light



Erik Dessler left a tenured position at Queen's Park University as the head of the department of political science to stand with Stephen Crofts and the SoCom Party. His vision, foresight, and keen intellect will not only aid Prydania on the world stage but will help us all build on our victorious future!

Rowan Smith
Status: Disgraced



The former Prime Minister and Whig Party leader watched helplessly as his nation was rocked by the defection of the Minister of Defence, the Colonial Wars, and the Syndicalist-enabled strikes. No wonder he was thrown out, eh?

General Sir Pembroke Stewart
Status: He has a very tricky day ahead

Former General in the Royal Army, he now serves the nation as the head of Security and Special Intelligence, the nation's espionage and intelligence agency. Also served in Eire.

Commander Vince Ares, SSI Agent X-77
Status: At least he's alive to die another day



X-// Agent, highest level field operative. Former Royal Marine. CLASSIFIED

Eve Bliss
Status: Close, but no cigar

Personal secretary to General Stewart. Competent, intellegent, often spurned. Luckily she's a bad shot.

Kelman Winters
Status: Somewhere with a death beam?

Former Minister of Defence under Prime Minister Smith and CEO of WintersCorp, an arms manufacturer. He turned traitor, fleeing the country with a hidden fortune and plans to the Midas Canon. Currently at large.

Prince Tobias Cerdic
Status: First world problems



Third cousin to King Andrew III and current heir to the throne. Currently 16. At school abroad in al'Khem at the request of his father, the late Prince Warren.

[Prydania]

MORE PEEPS

King Ryon
Status: Giving historians fits

The only thing historians can agree on is that King Ryon may have existed in some form at some point. The earliest known references to his rule come from the Chronicles of Prydania, a massive text of old Prydanian legends collected by the pre-Catholic scribe known only as Owen of the Hightower. The stories within the Chronicles date from before the Great Winter, a massive climate shift that saw Prydania's climate transform from mild to what we know today, cool temperate in Lowland and parts of Midland to mild subarctic in northern Midland and Upland.
The history of this period is extremely hard to piece together, as dramatic climate change and massive migration resulted in scarce and scattered primary sources and artifacts. Owen of the Hightower's Chronicles, written about a century after the onset of current climate conditions, is the only comprehensive collection of the stories of this era, and only one known copy is known to exist today. How much of its contents are based on historical fact and how much is legend is up to interpretation.
King Ryon is described as a great warrior king who unified Prydania from his castle at Caliard. It's said that he died fighting Aiden the Usurper, a rival warlord who led an army of trolls against Caliard at the onset of the Great Winter. A legend states that Ryon will rise again when Prydania needs him most.
Most of these pre-Catholic legends have been dismissed as semi-historical pagan fairy tails by Catholic historians. Ryon's legend has not diminished though. His name was whispered once again by the populace during Vortgyn Angevis' campaign of conquest and unification. Many at the time considered Vortgyn the reincarnation of the ancient King and the fulfillment of the prophecy.

King Vortgyn I Angevis
Status: Chosen by Heaven



In the year 1014 King Vortgyn Angevis of the Islands launched his campaign to unify all of Prydania at the age of nineteen. By 1029 he had succeeded and was crowned King Vortgyn I of the newly unified Kingdom of Prydania. He reigned from 1029-1044.
Why yes, he was a dedicated believer in Social Commonwealthism over nine-hundred years before it was conceived. Why wouldn't he have been?

Dorian Harkon, Lord General of the Holy Order of the Knights of St. Tobias, Royal Executor
Status: He finds your lack of loyalty disturbing



The current Lord General of the Holy Order of the Knights of St. Tobias and Royal Executor. The Knights of St. Tobias were formed by King Vortgyn II in honour of his father King Tobias I, who was made a Saint by the Catholic Church. The Knights have been charged with many responsibilities throughout Prydanian history. They've served as he vanguard of the army, chief crusaders in the Great Myrorian Crusade, bodyguards of the monarch, and elite special forces.
The current benevolent SoCom government has charged them with an additional role. Ensuring the security and stability of the new society the Party is forging. They'll weed out enemies within so we shall not fall!