Louvier

Kingdom of Louvier Royaume de Louvier (Lysian)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Le courage notre moteur, l'horizon notre but. Courage our driving force, the horizon our goal.
Royal anthem: C'est l'aviron
Location	Location of Louvier in Aurelia
Capital	Saint-Philippe
Largest	Port-du Roy
Official languages	Lysian
Recognised national languages	Louvian Lysian
Recognised regional languages	Louvian Lysian, Lysian
Ethnic groups (2021)	87% Louvian 4.6% Northern Native
Religion (2020)	66% Christian 13% Non religious 3.1% Native beliefs
Demonym(s)	Louvian Louvien/Louvienne (Lysian)
Government	Constitutional Monarchy
• Monarch	Antoine IX
• Prime Minister	Benoît Fourchet
Legislature	National Assembly
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	Chamber of deputies
Independant Colonies in 1761
• Formation of Lysian Louvier	1535
• Colony Gain Independence	1761
• Treaty of Saint-Philippe	1761
Area
•	244,900 km2 (94,600 sq mi)
Population
• 2017 estimate	17,683,306
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	16'000
Currency	Louvian Franc (LF)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+675

Louvier, officially the Kingdom of Louvier (Lysian: Royaume de Louvier), is a country located in Aurelia on Eurth. It is located between Ionio and Anatea. Made up of 17.6 million Louvians, it comprises both colonial and native people groups, from Lysian heritage as also with areas of and native majorities.

The colony first was founded in the late 16th century, by Lysian colons, the Lysian colonizers came into contact with the native tribes. They allied themselves with the tribes and traded, favoring cohabitation over aggression. Between 1534 and 1761, Louvier was called Lysian Louvier and was the most developed Lysian colony in North Aurelia. Following the Louvian Revolutionary War, Louvier became independent. Until the early 2000s, the Catholic Church played a large role in the social and cultural institutions in Louvier.

Louvier is a constitutional monarchy under the Varelle Dynasty. The executive branch consists of a Council of Ministers presided over by the Prime Minister, who is nominated as candidate by the monarch after holding consultations with representatives from the different parliamentary groups, voted in by the members of the lower house during an investiture session and then formally appointed by the monarch. The current ruler is King Antoine de Varelle IX, who has ruled Louvier since his father's retirement in the 1980s. The capital city of Louvier is the historical city of Saint-Philippe.

Louvier's official language is Lysian; Louvian Lysian is the regional variety. The economy of Louvier is mainly supported by its large service sector and varied industrial sector. For exports, it leans on these key industries: aeronautics, hydroelectricity, mining, pharmaceuticals, aluminum, wood and paper. Louvier is well known for producing maple syrup, for its comedy. It is also renowned for its culture; the province produces literature, music, films, TV shows, festivals, folklore, and more.

History

Stone Age

It is assumed that during the Great Glaciations, a large glacier covered the south of the country. Around 25,000 BC, with the retreat of the glacier to the South, nomadic tribes from the North of the West would have settled there, as evidenced by some tombs found during recent excavations in the South of Louvier. The cave paintings of the Cave of the Aurochs have shown us that the human presence had been in Louvier since around 40,000 years BC. They were probably hunter-gatherers who lived in communities. The skeletons of mammoths found at the Mammoth Cliff could suggest that the tribes hunted this species.

Ateenian presence

It is believed that the first civilization to have explored the territory of Louvier was Ateenia. Around 880 AD, Ateenian settlers built a small, short-lived encampment that was sporadically occupied on the northwestern tip near Saint-Etienne, before leaving after 20 years. Archaeological evidence at the Tomb of the Elders, where Ateenian artifacts were discovered, suggests that there was heavy fighting and looting between natives and Ateenian settlers. The North Stone, located at the presumed location of the Ateenian camp, relates these events.

Indigenous peoples and European expeditions (pre-1534)

Clément du Vent meeting the Indians, 1534

At the time of the Europan explorations of the 1500s, there were five indigenous peoples: the Mochacks, the Binsions, the Vekita, the Svako and the Alaminse. At the time, the tribes organized into seven political entities and lived nomadic lives based on hunting, gathering, and fishing. The Mochacks, on the other hand, fished and hunted whales and seals along the coasts.

In his first expedition ordered from the Kingdom of Lysia, Clément du Vent became the first Lysian explorer to discover and map Louvier when he landed on June 9, 1534. On his second voyage, Clément du Vent explored more of the lands and decided to name the territories Louvier. The first colony founded by Clément du Vent was the village of Saint-Philippe in May 19 1535 along the river named Saint-Pierre. The early years of the colony were disrupted by famine, disease, and Indian raids on the settlement's villages. The native tribes were not all aggressive towards the settlers. The settlers traded with them, especially the fur trade, and allied themselves with some of them (the Alaminse, the Binsions, the Vekita). The settlers cohabited with the natives, and the latter helped to survive the famines of the first years of the colony.

The settlers tried to civilize the natives while respecting their traditions. Despite the good will of the settlers towards certain tribes, the diseases brought by the Lysians decimated the indigenous populations, which decreased by half at the end of the 18th century.

Lysian Louvier (1535-1761)

Main article: Lysian Louvier

Though there was little immigration, the colony still grew because of the Habitants' high birth rates. In terms of territories, the settlers negotiated with the natives to acquire territories in the South. In 1625, the colony became a Viceroyalty headed by Jean Valette. In 1635, the Val-d'Oise regiment developed the string of fortifications known as the "Valley of Forts" to protect against native invasions and brought along with them 1,200 new men. To redress the severe gender imbalance and boost population growth, the Lysian King sponsored the passage of approximately 800 young Lysian women to the colony. In 1641, Valette also enacted policies to diversify agriculture and encourage births, which, in 1652, had increased the population to 100,700.

The viceroyalty continued to grow throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. The settlers were mainly trappers, hunters, and craftsmen. Whaling became famous in the region, and Port-du Roy acquired a certain notoriety for its whalers. But around 1722, intensive whaling almost made whales disappear from the coast of Louvier. The viceroy signed a decree stipulating that whales around Louvier must be protected, undermining the industry of Port-du-Roy.

Four Year's War (1688-1682)

Main article: Four Year's War

Mantellan raid on Saint-Etienne

Tensions with the neighbouring colony of Ionian Mantella over control of the Bay of Anjou, Sandremo, and the fur and fishing trade gradually escalated and led to an armed conflict between the two colonies. The Lysian settlers could count on their recent allies in the Vekita Confederacy and the natives attacked many Mantellan settlers resulting in many massacres during the conflict.

After the failure of the siege of Saint-Philippe in 1692, the two sides signed the Peace of Levent which made possible to better define the zones of influence of each colonies and prevented a new conflict.

Revolution

Main article: Louvian Revolutionary War

Battle of Neuilly

The financial crises that affected the Kingdom of Lysia led the king to tax Lysian Louvier in an unjustified manner. The discontent of the Louvians led the colony to declare its independence on September 5, 1758. Lysia wishing to keep the Viceroyalty under its control (the trade in fur, wood, whale fat were very profitable to the coffers of the kingdom), a war burst. Aided by the Wampanoag Empire and the Exarchate of Kirvina, the Louvians defeated the Lysian and Loyalist armies at the Battle of Neuilly on December 14, 1760. This led to the Lysians recognizing the independence of Louvier. Peace was signed with the Treaty of Saint-Philippe on 3 January 1761, bringing King Antoine de Varelle to the throne, thus beginning the dynasty of Varelle.

Grands Pics gold rush

Entrance to a mine, 1897

The Grands Pics Gold Rush was a gold rush that attracted approximately 100,000 prospectors to the Grands Pics region between 1879 and 1899. Gold was discovered there on April 21, 1879 and when the news reached Saint-Philippe the following year, it led to a stampede. The journey through the difficult terrain and cold climate with heavy loads proved too hard for many prospectors and only between 30,000 and 40,000 arrived on site. About 4,000 found gold. The rush ended in 1899 when gold ceased to be found and many prospectors left the Grands Pics.

Economic boom

At the beginning of the nineteenth century and for a century, the trade in square wood will give cities like Montvert, but also Saint-Philippe and Prévert, a basic article on which a large community can be erected. The consolidation of the major functions of the city (commercial, military and administrative), coupled with the economic situation and international politics of that time, will make Louvier live its golden age in the nineteenth century, particularly between 1839 and 1845.

Louvier's port activity and shipbuilding were experiencing considerable growth. The wood arrived at Louvier by the Saint-Pierre River from the great rivers of the South. Since the boats transporting the wood destined for the international market could not exceed the city downstream, the goods were necessarily shipped from Saint-Philippe.

Geography

With an area of 244.90 km2, Louvier has a population of 17 million (2010) and his capital is Saint-Philippe. This country is divided into two regions with distinct physical geography. To the south, wide valleys are dominated by the imposing peaks of the Grands Pics. In the northern part, the plains dominate. The country is crossed by the Saint-Pierre river which flows in two tributaries of the Grands Pics before joining at Lake Avalon near Saint-Philippe, then flows into the sea.

Rivers, lakes and reservoirs

Louvier has thousands of named rivers and creeks, which are known for trout fishing. Louvier's water resources provide for recreation, hydropower, crop and forage irrigation, mining, and water for human consumption.

Flora and fauna

Vegetation of the state includes lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, larch, spruce, aspen, birch, red cedar, hemlock, ash, alder, rocky mountain maple and cottonwood trees. Forests cover about 25% of the state. Flowers native to Louvier include asters, bitterroots, daisies, lupins, poppies, primroses, columbine, lilies, orchids, and dryads. Several species of sagebrush and cactus and many species of grasses are common.

Louvier is home to diverse fauna including 14 amphibians, 85 fish, 119 mammals, 17 reptiles, and 425 bird species. Louvier has the largest grizzly bear population in Aurelia. Louvier had a small population of Great Auks north of Port-du-Roy on the Islet of Bergerac, but the intensive hunting committed by the first settlers led the population to decrease until completely disappearing at the end of the 18th century.

Louvier hosts five endangered species–black-footed ferret, whooping crane, least tern, pallid sturgeon, and white sturgeon and seven threatened species including Louvian lynx, and bull trout. Since re-introduction the gray wolf population has stabilized, and they have been delisted as endangered. The Département Louvien de la Pêche, de la Faune et des Parcs manages fishing and hunting seasons for at least 16 species of game fish, including seven species of trout, walleye, and smallmouth bass and at least 39 species of game birds and animals including ring-neck pheasant, grey partridge, elk, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, whitetail deer, gray wolf, and bighorn sheep.

Protected lands

The National Parks Service of Louvier takes manages all Louvian national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properties with various title designations.

Louvier contains the Pointes-Blanches National Park. A park heavily guarded by the government that seeks to care for the country's rich but fragile wildlife. They are assisted by the associations of the local tribes of Louvier.

Areas managed by the National Park Service include:

• Pointes-Blanches National Park
• Mastodon Geothermal Park
• Neuilly Battlefield National Monument
• Rougeole National Park
• Mammoth Cliff National Park
• Hautes-Falaises National Park

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  Saint-Pierre river

• 

  Lake Avalon

• 

  Grizzli bear in Louvier

• 

  Monvert Landscape

• 

  View of Pointes-Blanches National Park

• 

  Beaurivage landscape

• 

  Louvian Bird the Roitelet

• 

  River lanscape in Southern Louvier

• 

  Louvian puma

• 

  Moose and calf reach the shore. Moose is the symbolic animal of Louvier.

• 

  Hautes-Falaises National Park

Politics

Government

King Antoine IX (left) and Prime Minister Benoît Fourchet (right)

Louvier is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and a bicameral parliament, the Assemblée Générale (English: General Assembly) The legislative branch is made up of the Congress of Deputies (Congrès des députés), a lower house with 350 members, elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms, and the Senate (Sénat), an upper house with 259 seats of which 208 are directly elected by popular vote, using a limited voting method, and the other 51 appointed by the regional legislatures to also serve four-year terms.

The executive branch consists of a Council of Ministers presided over by the Prime Minister, who is nominated as candidate by the monarch after holding consultations with representatives from the different parliamentary groups, voted in by the members of the lower house during an investiture session and then formally appointed by the monarch.

Head of State (King)

• Antoine de Varelle IX, since March 1985

Government

• Prime Minister (Head of government) : Benoît Fourchet
• Deputy prime ministers (designated by the Prime Minister): Gérard de Caunes, Léon Baillon and Marc Volé
• Ministers (designated by the Prime Minister): Michel Brozet

The Prime Minister, deputy prime ministers and the rest of ministers convene at the Council of Ministers

States

The Kingdom is made up of 15 statess. Every state is entitled to its own government, headed by a governor, judicial system, and legislature. The largest state by land area is Montvert, and the smallest is Nouveau-Dauphiné.

Flag	Name	Capital	Governor	Population
	Lysbourg	Saint-Etienne	Sébastien Levain	WIP
	Andalouse	Berthier	Monique Vesgeau	WIP
	Port-du-Roy	Port-du-Roy	Christian Bruyer	WIP
	Rimbaud	Fleur-de-Lys	David Lession	WIP
	Saint-Philippe	Saint-Philippe	Sylvain Duchesnes	2,300,000
	Tadoie	Clairenuit	Germaine de Fontenay	WIP
	Provincie	Lachaise	Nicole Fairu	WIP
	Katrelieu	Langevien	Stéphane Laôurt	WIP
	Montvert	Monvert	Lucie Chevaud	WIP
	Saint-Denis	Saint-Denis	Emmanuelle Petite	WIP
	Nouveau-Dauphiné	La Brise	Rémy Fourçet	WIP
	Haute-Mer	Saint-Pierriot	Antoine Lombret	WIP
	Grand-Ruisseau	Fleur-Bleue	Léa Cheuzoux	WIP
	Pieussaud	Malcouche	Jacques-Henri Cellien	WIP
	Verrier	Bas-Vallée	Cédric Fonchond	WIP

Foreign Relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Louvier

Louvier maintains strong diplomatic relations with its continental neighbors and overseas states. It has an extensive network of embassies and consulates, mainly in Aurelia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs personally deals with international relations. Ministry's mission is to promote and defend the interests of Louvier on the international level, by ensuring respect for its powers and the consistency of government action, and this, by virtue of its constitutive law and as coordinator of the government's international action and that of its departments and agencies.

Aurelian League

Aurelian League flag.

Louvier has been part of the Aurelian League since January 1, 2000. It is the dominant alliance made up of sovereign nations on the continent of Aurelia. The inception of the League came on the 23rd May 1938 as a response to the Second Aurelian War as a peacekeeping organization turned economic-military organization.

Culture

Louvier has developed its own unique culture from its historic Lysian roots. The culture has also been influenced by Natives Nations and some immigrants. A number of governmental and non-government organizations support cultural activity in Louvier. Le Conseil des arts et des lettres de Louvier (CALL) is an initiative of the Ministry of Culture. It promotes creation, innovation, production, and international exhibits for all cultural fields of Louvier.

La Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC) works to promote and fund individuals working in the cultural industry. Le Grand Prix de Louvier is an award given by the government to confer the highest distinction and honour to individuals demonstrating exceptional achievement in their respective cultural field. Other Louvian awards include the Tourelle Awards (Literature), Michel Awards (Music), Dontieux Awards (Television and film), Rostand Awards (Cinema), Lefoy Awards (Theatre), and the Symphonie Awards (Concert music).

Performing arts

Performance of an Opera at Saint-Philippe

Traditional music is imbued with many dances, such as the jig, the quadrille and the reel. Traditional instruments include harmonica, fiddle and accordion. The natives tribes of Louvier also have their own traditional music. Louvier's most popular artists of the last century include the singers Michel Gorget, Robert Laneuve and Bénédicte Sérioz. L'Association Louvienne de l'Industrie de la Musique (ALIM) was created in 1973 to promote the music industry in Louvier. L'Orchestre symphonique de Louvier are respectively associated with the Opéra de Louvier whose performance are presented at the Grand Théâtre de Louvier. Among the theatre troupes are the Compagnie Beauvoir, the Théâtre Le Trémas, and the Théâtre Le Tonneau.

Comedy is a vast cultural sector. Louvier has created and is home to several different comedy festivals, including the Aux Eclats festival in Port-du-Roy, as well as the Grand Sourire festivals of Saint-Philippe. L'Association Louvienne de L'Humour (ALH) is the main organization for the promotion and development of the cultural sector of humour in Louvier and La Grande Ecole de l'Humour trains future humorists in Louvier.

Many well-known artists, photographers and authors have documented the land, culture and people of Louvier over the past 150 years. Painter and sculptor Charles Tourelle, known as "Le Petit Artiste", created over 2,000 paintings of Natives and landscapes set in Louvier. The Tourelle Museum complex in Saint-Philippe, houses over 1,500 works of art, personal items and artifacts from Tourelle.

Valentin Legier, naturalist and photographer, documented early 20th century life in Louvier, taking startlingly clear photos of everything around him: shepherds, weddings, river crossings, freight wagons, people at work, badlands, eagles, coyotes and wolves.

Media

One of many paintings of Charles Tourelle

The Louvian Cinémathèque promotes the film and television heritage of Louvier. The Association de l'Industrie du Film et de la Télévision de Louvier (AIFTL) promotes independent production in film and television. Several movie theatres across Louvier ensure the dissemination of Louvier cinema. With its cinematic installations, such as le Fort du Cinéma and Michelin's studio, the city of Port-du-Roy is home to the filming of various productions. Les Réunions du Cinéma de Louvier is a festival surrounding the ceremony of the Rostand Awards that rewards work and personalities of Louvier cinema. The Donteiux Awards gala recognize the personalities of television and radio industry in Louvier.

• Many popular Louvian comedy shows exist, such as Retour au Bled, Mission Mojito, Chez les Zoulous, J'ai mangé Mamie, Le Jeu de la Biscotte, Va voir sur un sapin si j'y suis !, Rire ou Mourir.
• Several dramas also exist such as: Malcommode, Tu es loin, Novembre est déjà là, Reviens ne pars pas trop tard, J'ai fait des crêpes Avant de mourir, La Pitchoune.
• The most notable action films are : Ninja Hitler contre les Vikings de l'espace, L'Homme qui ne savait pas qu'en fait il savait voler, Dernier train pour Saint-Etienne.

Folklore

La chasse-galerie (1901) by Antoine Flaubert, showing a scene from a popular Louvier folk legend.

When the early settlers arrived from Lysia in the 17th century, they brought with them popular tales from their homeland, which were adapted to the local context. Many were passed on through generations by what Louvian Lysian speaking refer to as Les Conteurs, or storytellers. Almost all of the stories native to Louvian were influenced by Christian dogma and superstitions. The Devil, for instance, appears often as either a person, an animal or monster, or indirectly through Demonic acts. Various tales and stories are told through oral tradition, such as, among many more, the legends of the Croque-Mort , the Chasse-galerie, the beheaded white horse of Petit-Vallon, the Black Goat of Saint-Lou, the dancing devil of Beaurivage, the Giant Beaujeune, the Grands-Pied and the monsters of the lakes Avalon and Menghonok.

From Lysian Louvier, Louvier literature was first developed in the travel accounts of explorers. The Rivière de Paroles traces the great texts that have shaped the history of Louvier. The first to write the history of Louvier, since its discovery, was the historian François-Léon Cheseaux.

Cuisine

A classic Poutine from Louvier.

The traditional Louvian cuisine descends from 16th-century Lysian cuisine, the fur trade and a history of hunting. Louvier's cuisine has also been influenced by learning from natives nations cuisine. Louvier is most famous for its Tourtière, Pâté Chinois and famous Poutine. Louvier is the world's biggest maple syrup producer. The Kingdom has a long history of producing maple syrup, and creating new maple-derived products. Other major food products include beer, wine and cheese.

Sports

Hockey match with the Port-du-Roy Beavers

Sports in Louvier constitutes an essential dimension of Louvier culture. Ice hockey remains the national sport. This sport was played for the first time on April 15 1881, in Port-du-Roy and has been promoted over the years by numerous achievements. Other major sports include football with the Port-du-Roy Chamoix, soccer with Club de Foot Port-du-Roy.

Outdoor recreation

Louvier provides year-round outdoor recreation opportunities for residents and visitors. Hiking, fishing, hunting, watercraft recreation, camping, golf, cycling, horseback riding, and skiing are popular activities.

Fishing and hunting

Louvier has been a destination for its world-class trout fisheries since the 1920ss. Fly fishing for several species of native and introduced trout in rivers and lakes is popular for both residents and tourists throughout the state. Louvier is the home of the Fédération des Pêcheurs à la Mouche and hosts many of the organization's annual conclaves. The country has robust recreational lake trout, walleye can be found in many parts of the kingdom, while northern pike, smallmouth and largemouth bass fisheries as well as catfish and paddlefish can be found in the waters of western Louvier. Fishing makes up a sizeable component of Louvier's total tourism economic output.

There are fall bow and general hunting seasons for elk, pronghorn antelope, whitetail deer and mule deer. A random draw grants a limited number of permits for moose, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. There is a limited hunting of bison that Pointes-Blanches National Park has allowed. Current law allows both hunters and trappers specified numbers ("limits") of wolves and mountain lions. Trapping of assorted fur-bearing animals is allowed in certain seasons and many opportunities exist for migratory waterfowl and upland bird hunting.

Winter Sport

Chasset Moutain Resort

Guided snowmobile tours in Pointes-Blanches National Park

Both downhill skiing and cross-country skiing are popular in Louvier, and there are 12 developed downhill ski areas open to the public, including:

• Patte Rouge Ski Resort
• Grand Ciel Resort
• Bleuciel Mountain ski area
• Petit Bison ski area
• Queue Blanche ski area
• Ducommun Mountain Ski Area
• Blanche Boule Mountain Resort
• Grand Glacier ski area
• Gorges Rouges ski area
• Chasset Mountain Ski Resort
• Mammoth Mountain Resort
• Courpaille Ski Resort

Mammoth Moutain Resort and Chasset Mountain Resort are destination resorts, while the remaining areas do not have overnight lodging at the ski area, though several host restaurants and other amenities.

Louvier also has millions of acres open to cross-country skiing on nine of its national forests. In addition to cross-country trails at most of the downhill ski areas, there are also 13 private cross-country skiing resorts.

Snowmobiling is popular in Louvier, which boasts over 3,500 miles of trails and frozen lakes available in winter. Snow coach tours are offered at Mammoth, Chasset and into Blanche Boule. Equestrian skijoring has a niche in Louvier, which hosts the Eurth Skijoring Championships in Mammoth as part of the annual Mammoth Winter Carnival.

Major events

Louvier hosts many festivals and artistic and cultural events every year. Major events include: The Pumpkin Carnival, Moon Day, and Deer Weeks.

• To promote the Montvert region and celebrate its prosperity, local business owners launched a "Pumpkin Carnival" which included a parade and a competition for the biggest pumpkin. The first festival began on October 8, 1916 becoming a two weeks event which is one of the biggest festivals in Louvier.

• Moon Day is a festival of the Mochaks tribe and is celebrated every August 20 at sunset. Mochak members dance in traditional clothes in a circle to celebrate the moon and ask her for fertility. The village of Sepied organizes the biggest Moon Day.

• Deer Weeks: A day that is impossible to miss for Louvians. Every first of June, the Louvians hunters start two long months of hunting throughout the country under the supervision of the authorities in charge of wildlife surveillance. Barbecues are organized and we often drink alcohol together after a good day of hunting. This event attracts hunters from all over the world and despite protests from environmental associations, the tradition continues.