Daily Questions

[Mobius and the Biscay]

Daily Question #1: Etymology
Mobius is the anglicized form of Möbius which derived from the name Bartholomäus, the German form of Bartholomew, itself an anglicized form of the Greek name Βαρθολομαίος (Bartholomaios) that was derived from an Aramaic name meaning "son of Talmai" with Talmai either deriving from tellum "furrow" or the Hebrew name for "Ptolemy", meaning that the Aramaic name either means "son of furrows" (rich in soil) or "son of Ptolemy". Although the correct French translation of Möbius is Mœbius, which was the basis of the exonym Moebius, the French translation in Mobius wound up becoming Möbius due to its close proximity to Germanic-speaking peoples on the archipelago.

Daily Question #2: Vexillology or something
The flag is a tricolour that consists of, according to the flag's 1974 specifications, the colours yellow-yellow-orange, bright white, and red scarlet. In the middle of the white stripe is the coat of arms of the House of McCloud, the nation's royal family.

Daily Question #3: L-L-Leader?
King Myles, First of His Name (born 1940), is the King of the Mobians since 1976. He was unexpectedly elected into the position in 1975, and was expected to remain nothing more than a ceremonial figurehead. This changed with the Lavender Revolution in 1994, in which the King's cooperation with the rebels in the military had lead to said rebels giving him more power, effectively making him a semi-constitutional monarch. Despite being empowered, however, the King tends to leave day-to-day governance to the Prime Minister, instead focusing on foreign affairs as head-of-state.

As a monarch, Myles is obligated to not support a particular political ideology, though in his younger years before becoming a monarch he expressed left-wing sympathies. Religiously, the King is a devout Anglican (or rather, Anglo-Catholic) yet observes Jewish customs, being raised in a mixed-faith household does that to a person. He is held in high regard by the people.

The current Prime Minister is Geoffrey St. John (born 1953) since 1997. A member of the social democratic People's Democratic Party, St. John advocates for a "Biscayan Model" inspired by the social corporatism of the Nordic Model, but tailored to fit Mobian culture. Once a republican in his youth, the Prime Minister is one of the country's most ardent supporters of the monarchy, especially after the Lavender Revolution in 1994 and subsequent electoral victory in 1996. In his personal life, Geoffrey is a modest man, settling to live in his more modest home than the grand Tudor Palace (so-called due to it being in the Tudor style) that serves as the official residence of the Mobian Prime Minister.

[Lionsroar]

Daily Question #1: Etymology
The etymology of Grand Emilia is uncertain. The earliest record of the name is in a diary entry of English whaler Joseph Rivers-Chiper that states "This land, this Grande Emilia, is of a calibre of no other." It's unknown whether he used the term as a noun or an adjective, but when Rivers-Chiper later led a settlement expedition to the island in the late 18th century, the name would come to represent the community living on the island.

Daily Question #2: Vexillology or something
The flag uses two shades of purple, Eminence and Lavender. The Eminence Purple is said to represent the elegance and culture of the people of Grand Emilia. The Lavender Purple represents the natural beauty of the islands, taking from the abundance of heather found on the Mainland. The centrepiece of the flag, the Rose, pays homage to the man who discovered Grand Emilia, Captain Rivers-Chiper, and his homeland of Yorkshire, England.

Daily Question #3: L-L-Leader?
The leader of Grand Emilia is Madam Eleanor White, Caretaker of the Commonwealth. She was elected as such in 2019 after serving as the Economic Minister of her faction of the Commonwealth for 3 years. She's known for her eccentricity compared to past Caretakers, being one of the youngest Caretakers in the country's history. Her administration is heavily focused on welfare and public transportation, and is rather well received by the public.

Thanks for sharing your answers.

Tell me about your leader. How did he come to power? What are his character traits? Which ideology or political opinion does he support? How does he rule? Is he loved by the people or hated by everyone?

Emerstari is technically an elective monarchy. The electoral body, known as the Kronsþing, consists of the male descendants of Erik VIII Olof (1679-1744), who reigned from 1718 to 1744, and the peers of the realm. As such, it includes several hundred electors. In practice, however, Emerstari is a hereditary monarchy. The House of Erik, in their recent restoration, has been on the throne since 1718; and the throne has been in the current line of that house since 1872.

Erik XII Georg (1968-present) is the current king of the Emerstarians. He succeeded his father, Erik XI Thjoderik, upon his abdication in 1994. Before his accession, as prince, Erik was an important patron of sports and an active lifestyle in Emerstari, being one of the first members of the royal family to patronize sports other than golf, yachting, game hunting, and horse racing — traditional sports of the Emerstarian upper class. He was an avid hiker, soccer player, and swimmer, having trained as a frogman in the Royal Navy.

In 1992, he married Elsa Ljundmark, and together they have had three children: Frederik Johann (1993), Karl Olof (1995), and María Magdelena (1997). Frederik Johann is the current heir presumptive, expected to succeed his father as king.

Erik XII Georg doesn't support a particular political ideology as an elected politician might due to his being a king — a father of the people and husband of the nation in the Emerstarian mind. Nevertheless, as is expected of an Emerstarian monarch, he is a devout member of the Church. He aspires to be like his grandfather Erik X Gustaf, who reigned from 1916 to 1972 and whose rule defined modern Emerstari; he is placed among the greatest of the Emerstarian monarchs. A majority of the population holds him in high regard.

Thanks for participating again.

[Lionsroar]

The Daily Question Magazine Version #4 from the 06.10.2022
Prequel: You open your eyes. Your vision is blurry and fuzzy. You blink furiously, driving the sleep from your eyes. High stone walls and their ornaments surround you. Mystical monsters and mysterious faces stare into your soul. You turn away and go out of a small chamber. A gargantuan room rises before you. Huge pillars tower in the air and uphold the sky. At least that's how it seems, until you realize it's just painted on with some supernatural handiwork. You continue your way through a central aisle. Closer and closer you come to the opposite side, whose wall is dominated by a gigantic stone altar, surrounded by human-like statues without faces. A person in a purple robe stands in front of it, he turns around and approaches you. "So today, we the gods have another question prepared for you!" His voice changes significantly. "Have fun answering, if you have any questions or problems, just telegram Lionsroar or read the informational texts below. May the gods be with you, stranger"] Daily Question #4: Holy S**t!
Tell me about your nation's faith and religion. Does your nation have multiple religions? Or none at all? What makes your religion special? What is expected of worshippers? How is your religion structured? Who are the leaders or the servants
_{It is not about your real religion in the world. No position is taken in any way for any religion of our world.}
For more information: https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1772808
Or a short explanation:
How does it work? I plan to ask you a different question about your nation every day. You can answer (or not) and learn about other nations, or expand your own nation with the help of these questions (worldbuilding). It's just a little game to get some more variety and fun into the RMB.

[Grand Emilia]

Daily Question #4: Holy S**t!
From its beginning, Grand Emilia has always been very indifferent towards religion. Of course, there was always a preference towards the various denominations of Protestantism whether they admitted it or not, given most of the settlers to the island were of the English-speaking world.

In the modern day, freedom of religion and secularity is enshrined into the law. However, the government provides little in the way of religious subsidisation. As such, Grand Emilia has some of the highest rates of irreligiousness in the world.

[The Grand Western Empire]

Daily Question #4: Holy S**t
It is essentially an offspring of Christianity. Particularly Protestant Christianity, so there are no leaders of the church. However, there is a difference in that my nation's church believes that Death is a separate entity from God and Satan. Death works neither with nor for God or the Devil, Death works of its own accord.

[Lionsroar]

Daily Question #4: Holy S**t
It is essentially an offspring of Christianity. Particularly Protestant Christianity, so there are no leaders of the church. However, there is a difference in that my nation's church believes that Death is a separate entity from God and Satan. Death works neither with nor for God or the Devil, Death works of its own accord.

Daily Question #4: Holy S**t!
From its beginning, Grand Emilia has always been very indifferent towards religion. Of course, there was always a preference towards the various denominations of Protestantism whether they admitted it or not, given most of the settlers to the island were of the English-speaking world.

In the modern day, freedom of religion and secularity is enshrined into the law. However, the government provides little in the way of religious subsidisation. As such, Grand Emilia has some of the highest rates of irreligiousness in the world.

Thanks to both of you for sharing.

[Veraguas]

Daily Question #1: Etymology
Where does the name of your nation come from? What words does it consist of? What is its meaning? Tell me about your name.

Veraguas is the name of a real-life province in Panama. I just thought it sounded like a cool name for a Central America-inspired country.

[Laasmistan]

Daily Question #4: Holy S**t!
Tell me about your nation's faith and religion. Does your nation have multiple religions? Or none at all? What makes your religion special? What is expected of worshippers? How is your religion structured? Who are the leaders or the servants
In Laasmistan's case it's pretty straight forward as the nation's faith is Islam. However, what makes us unique is the pan-Islamic nature. Although we are majority Arab there are refugee communities, primarily Muslim ones, from all over the world. This means all branches and sects of Islam are represented and co-exist alongside each other. Although the government is majority made up of Sunnis, Shi'i and other minorities are not treated any differently. Additionally, secularism exists as a rule to ensure all religious minorities are treated equally and that the Sunni majority is not favoured.

Daily Question #1: Etymology
Where does the name of your nation come from? What words does it consist of? What is its meaning? Tell me about your name.
In its earliest days the majority of the land now making up the nation of Laasmistan was rather barren desert. There was not a lot there and it was essentially land that the local tribes passed through on the way to elsewhere, thus it gained the moniker "land of no name". Once the nation became more settled and gained independence the Persian suffix "-stan" was officially added.

[Hospe]

Daily Question #1: Etymology
Where does the name of your nation come from? What words does it consist of? What is its meaning? Tell me about your name?
The name of my nation was gotten from the term "hospeanism", which refers to a IC philosophical and nationalistic school of thought. The term itself is a play on the latin word for visitor: "hospes".
It was coined circa the 1400s and referred to the popular belief that ancestors of indigenous Hospeans travelled to the island from far away fleeing the collapse of a prior empire. The idea was: "Because It belongs to none of us, then it means it belongs to all of us." It faced heavy resistance from the powers that be at first but eventually
the concept came to be the foundation on which the modern country was built leading to the country being named similarly.


Daily Question #2: Vexillology or something
The Hospean flag has blue and green bands and a white cross. The blue and green represent the sky and fertile earth. While the white cross represents the four major rivers that flow through the land.

Daily Question #3: L-L-Leader?
Tell me about your leader. How did he come to power? What are his character traits? Which ideology or political opinion does he support? How does he rule? Is he loved by the people or hated by everyone
Hospe is a constitutional monarchy so the head of state is King Jeffrey. The monarch at any time serves as the embodiment of the land so they are awarded much respect and have the power to propose bills to parliament to be voted on. Jeffrey succeeded his mother on the throne after she suffered multiple health scares during which he had to act as regent. He is a calm and peaceful person but can be highly logical and ruthless. He is very energetic and has various hobbies such as: hiking, jogging , biking, baking, writing etc. He is also a big gear head due to forming a friendship from a young age with the palace chauffeurs.
Jeffrey has described his ideology as "aggressively live and let live". He believes every adult should have the freedom to do as they wish as long as they continue to obey the laws. As the monarch should, Jeffrey mostly sits back and let's the democratically elected Premier run the country save for the occasional bill proposal or involvement in an infrastructural project.
King Jeffrey and his family have attained superstar status in Hospe, he is easily the most famous person in the land and is loved by the majority of the population.


Daily Question #4: Holy S**t!
Tell me about your nation's faith and religion. Does your nation have multiple religions? Or none at all? What makes your religion special? What is expected of worshippers? How is your religion structured? Who are the leaders or the servants.
Modern day Hospe has christianity as the dominant religion. Most Hospeans while identifying as Christians aren't exactly poster-children for the religion though, churches are usually only filled up for special occasions like Easter or New Year's eve. Churches are usually independent protestant franchises with almost no catholic presence. The next largest demographic represents the atheists. There are also prominent Muslim and traditional pantheonistic populations.
Overall, Hospeans are taught to prioritize the objectives of the state over all else including religion.

[Teletubieland]

Daily Question #4: Holy S**t!
Tell me about your nation's faith and religion. Does your nation have multiple religions? Or none at all? What makes your religion special? What is expected of worshippers? How is your religion structured? Who are the leaders or the servants

In the People's Republic of Teletubieland, significant diversity of belief can be found. Most citizens adhere to one of three forms of Christianty: Anglicanism, Catholicism or Evangelicalism. However, there are a significant amount of Buddhists, mostly belonging to Zen and Pure Land schools, and a small but significant group of largely Orthodox Jews. I probably don't need to go into the requirements of each of these religions since they are well known, but just in case Anglican: prayer is best when sung, Catholic: its all about Communion, Evangelical: accept Jesus into your heart, Zen Buddhist: meditate on nothing, Pure Land Buddhist: Buddhist Evangelicalism, Orthodox Jews: there are I think 614 laws to obey. I won't go into the organisational structure of each, but we do have a Council of Spirituality in which the leaders of each come together in a spirit of unity and act as a collective advisor to the government on religion and spiritual matters, with the chair rotating around the different groups.

[Juansonia]

Daily Question #4: Holy S**t!
Tell me about your nation's faith and religion. Does your nation have multiple religions? Or none at all? What makes your religion special? What is expected of worshippers? How is your religion structured? Who are the leaders or the servants

Good question title.

It is estimated that 64% of the population is comprised of "nones", which includes self-described atheists at an estimated 56% of the total population. Of said total population, Christianity accounts for 21% (Including Catholics, which account for 13% of the total population), Islam accounts for 6%, Buddhism accounts for 3%, Hinduism accounts for 2%, Judaism accounts for 1%, and the remaining 3% covers other religious groups. I have yet to make up a religion for the purposes of demographics.

Juansonia is a secular country, with an official policy of, if asked about the existence of gods, refusing to answer. Religious interests tend to not have much political influence. In order to qualify for tax exemption, a religious organisation must apply for said exemption, a condition of which is a prohibition on political candidate/party/etc support. The Catholic Church has lost said tax exemption due to their donations to PACs which advertised for candidates against same-sex adoption (said support didn't do much).

The current national sales tax code was mostly enacted prior to the ban on lobbying. The Catholic Church, other Christian groups, Sunni muslims, Orthodox Jews, and others all campaigned in favor of increasing the proposed tax for miniskirts. Major clothing manufacturers and libertarians counter-campaigned against skirt taxation. The resulting compromise resulted in the Juansonia Tax Code defining the difference between miniskirts and microskirts, doubling the clothing-specific sales tax for miniskirts, and microskirts being exempted from all national sales tax in addition to subsidies. In recent times, religious interests have never reached a similar level of influence on the state.

[Emerstari]

Daily Question #4: Tell me about your nation's faith and religion. Does your nation have multiple religions? Or none at all? What makes your religion special? What is expected of worshippers? How is your religion structured? Who are the leaders or the servants?

The Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church of the North — known more commonly as the Church of the North, the Theodorite Church, or the Emerstarian Church — is both the majority and the state religion of Emerstari. It was founded in the second century by Sts. Theodoros and Panagiotis of Chione, brothers and disciples of St. Acacius of Pergamon, who was in turn a disciple of St. John the Apostle. Theodoros and Panagiotis arrived in Emerstari by sail in AD 154 and began preaching with varied degrees of success. Panagiotis was martyred in AD 161 by Froihilt of the Seven Spears, while Theodoros met his end at the hands of Sigifrith Smeoha in AD 184. However, the two were not without successors: some disciples set up monasteries in the lands of more sympathetic rulers; others journeyed into the lands of less sympathetic rulers and were similarly martyred. The ministry of St. Hrodpirin of Drammen and the baptism of Wote the Elder in AD 413 marks the end of the Christianization of Emerstari.

There are minority religions in Emerstari, including Honnok Buddhism and Phoenixian Orthodoxy, but the Emerstarian Church receives preferential status over these and is protected by law. More than ninety percent of Emerstarians are adherent to the Church. It is structured in a hierarchical fashion in which parishes serve as the foundation. Local chapels, churches, and other places of worship comprise one parish, headed by a parish priest in his church, which is often on the grounds of a monastery; and the priest is often the abbot of that monastery — though not always. Many parishes are organized into dioceses and archdioceses, and the dioceses and archdioceses of Emerstari are faithful to the Patriarchate of Upsal. The Virgin Mary, John the Apostle, Mary Magdalene, Theodoros and Panagiotis of Chione, Froihilda of Stege, Erik the Victorious, and Margaret of Ålbo are among the most revered saints in Emerstari. Today, the Church is in dialogue with both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Emerstarians are expected to attend liturgy on Sundays and receive the Eucharist, confess their sins to a priest, and partake in the feasts and fasts of the Church, among other things. The Church, particularly through her monasteries, provides for the poor, sick, and downtrodden of Emerstarian society. The nation's monasteries are distinguished by their almonries, gardens, breweries, vineyards, tanneries, and other enterprises. To achieve union with God and share in His life is the goal of the Emerstarian Church.

[Lionsroar]

Thanks to everyone for sharing.

Thanks for participating

Loved your detailed answers. Thanks for participating

Thanks for participating again. And I still love your nations name.

Your nation name is special. Not sure if it's intended or not, but I like a little pun. Thanks for participating

Thanks for participating again. And again a very beautiful answer to read <3

[Lionsroar]

The Daily Question Magazine Version #5 from the 07.10.2022
You wake up. You are lying in your bed, everything is as usual. A newspaper lies to your right. You turn to the side and stare at the headline. Silence follows for minutes as you try to understand it. "The leader is dead!". And now what?
Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what?
What happens in your nation after the death of your leader?
Does chaos break out in the nation? Or is a successor simply chosen? What are the rules of succession? What are the requirements for it? Tell me about succession after the leader's death in your nation.
For more information: https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1772808
Or a short explanation:
How does it work? I plan to ask you a different question about your nation every day. You can answer (or not) and learn about other nations, or expand your own nation with the help of these questions (worldbuilding). It's just a little game to get some more variety and fun into the RMB.

[Hospe]

Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what?
What happens in your nation after the death of your leader?
For the Premier, their deputy assumes the position immediately and sees out their term until the next election.
For the monarch, their heir apparent automatically inherits the position. If the heir is under 17 years old, they will be represented by a pre-determined regent. The dead monarch's funeral takes place within the next two weeks, followed by a period of mourning which usually takes about a week. The official end of the mourning period is signified by the new monarch's official coronation whether public or private.

[Lionsroar]

Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what?
What happens in your nation after the death of your leader?
For the Premier, their deputy assumes the position immediately and sees out their term until the next election.
For the monarch, their heir apparent automatically inherits the position. If the heir is under 17 years old, they will be represented by a pre-determined regent. The dead monarch's funeral takes place within the next two weeks, followed by a period of mourning which usually takes about a week. The official end of the mourning period is signified by the new monarch's official coronation whether public or private.

I, (as a monarchy) actually have similar traditions. Just makes perfect sense to have such traditions for a working monarchy. Thanks for sharing, Hospe.

[Islead Medenes]

Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what?
What happens in your nation after the death of your leader?
For the Premier, their deputy assumes the position immediately and sees out their term until the next election.
For the monarch, their heir apparent automatically inherits the position. If the heir is under 17 years old, they will be represented by a pre-determined regent. The dead monarch's funeral takes place within the next two weeks, followed by a period of mourning which usually takes about a week. The official end of the mourning period is signified by the new monarch's official coronation whether public or private.

The Dominion is run by a Cabinet of departmental Ministers and five Junior Ministers, all led by a Prime Minister. In the event of the Prime Minister's death, a vote is held by the Cabinet for an interim PM until the next formal elections.

At present, it's actually not known what happened to the prior PM- the current one gained power via a coup.

[Teletubieland]

Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what?
What happens in your nation after the death of your leader?

If the Emporer dies, his heir becomes Emporer on the acclamation of the Witan (our largely consultative Parliament). The Crown passes to the eldest son, or in the abscence of a son to the eldest daughter, or the Emporer. If an Emporer had no children, the Crown would pass to his nearest relative. The coronation occurs three months after the death of the Emporer.

[Grand Emilia]

Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what?
In the event that a Carretaker passes away during their tenure, a minute of silence at 12pm is performed exactly a week after the death of the former Caretaker. From that point on, the funeral is catered and paid for by the family of the Caretaker, with the exception of the venue. The Caretaker's funeral is always held at St. Cainnech's Cathedral, unless the family wants otherwise. If the family cannot afford the funeral, a small fund of £5,000 is set aside for them. to pay for catering and burial.

In selecting the next Caretaker, one of two things will occur:
I. Prior to their death, a Caretaker can select a "next-of-authority" to take over from them in the event that they're incapable.
II. If the Caretaker did not decide on a "next-of-authority," the next leader is selected among the current leading faction of the Commonwealth Council.

With the current premiership, if Madam Eleanor White was to pass away, the role of Caretaker would pass at her request to the Minister of Defence, Commodore Alexander Woolwich.

[Lionsroar]

Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what?
What happens in your nation after the death of your leader?

If the Emporer dies, his heir becomes Emporer on the acclamation of the Witan (our largely consultative Parliament). The Crown passes to the eldest son, or in the abscence of a son to the eldest daughter, or the Emporer. If an Emporer had no children, the Crown would pass to his nearest relative. The coronation occurs three months after the death of the Emporer.

Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what?
What happens in your nation after the death of your leader?
For the Premier, their deputy assumes the position immediately and sees out their term until the next election.
For the monarch, their heir apparent automatically inherits the position. If the heir is under 17 years old, they will be represented by a pre-determined regent. The dead monarch's funeral takes place within the next two weeks, followed by a period of mourning which usually takes about a week. The official end of the mourning period is signified by the new monarch's official coronation whether public or private.

The Dominion is run by a Cabinet of departmental Ministers and five Junior Ministers, all led by a Prime Minister. In the event of the Prime Minister's death, a vote is held by the Cabinet for an interim PM until the next formal elections.

At present, it's actually not known what happened to the prior PM- the current one gained power via a coup.

Thanks for sharing.

Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what?
In the event that a Carretaker passes away during their tenure, a minute of silence at 12pm is performed exactly a week after the death of the former Caretaker. From that point on, the funeral is catered and paid for by the family of the Caretaker, with the exception of the venue. The Caretaker's funeral is always held at St. Cainnech's Cathedral, unless the family wants otherwise. If the family cannot afford the funeral, a small fund of £5,000 is set aside for them. to pay for catering and burial.

In selecting the next Caretaker, one of two things will occur:
I. Prior to their death, a Caretaker can select a "next-of-authority" to take over from them in the event that they're incapable.
II. If the Caretaker did not decide on a "next-of-authority," the next leader is selected among the current leading faction of the Commonwealth Council.

With the current premiership, if Madam Eleanor White was to pass away, the role of Caretaker would pass at her request to the Minister of Defence, Commodore Alexander Woolwich.

Thanks for sharing, Emilia. And you have made beautiful factbooks.

[The Grand Western Empire]

Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what
He gets replaced by a President rather than a new Emperor. Anderson doesn't trust people with his level of power, so arranged the government so that once he died, it would become a republic.

[Imperial States of Duotona]

Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what?
What happens in your nation after the death of your leader?
If a head of state dies in office, their death will be reported to members of the parliament. Their Senior Officer (basically their vice president) will finish their term in their place. Parliament will be suspended until this change has happened, and a one minute silence will be held at the beginning and end of the next Parliamentary day after it opens again. The party then has until the next election to pick a new leader, unless there is no time in which case the Senior Officer will run instead. The HOS does not get a state funeral but can have a military funeral if they want to.

[Veraguas]

Daily Question #3: L-L-Leader?
Tell me about your leader. How did he come to power? What are his character traits? Which ideology or political opinion does he support? How does he rule? Is he loved by the people or hated by everyone?

President Josué Ubico Vaides came to power via a bloodless coup d'état on September 11, 2022. Initially, he shared power with two other individuals (one military, one civilian) as part of a "Revolutionary Government Junta," but one week later, the junta voluntarily disbanded and Ubico was formally named President.

Ubico's successor, President Policarpo Lucas Romero, was widely detested. Even by Veraguan standards, he was extremely corrupt. According to the Veraguan newspaper Novedades, "During the three turbulent years of Lucas's regime, an estimated 200 million to 3 billion USD left the country; nearly half of the national government's budget went unaccounted for; and Lucas himself became one of the wealthiest landowners in the country." International human rights bodies broadly concur that human rights reached their nadir during the unpopular Lucas regime. Thousands of real and imagined opponents of the government "disappeared," and the government's brutal counterinsurgency campaign in the predominantly indigenous regions of the country reached levels that have been described as "approaching genocide."

To be sure, it is much too soon to judge Ubico, but so far, the majority of the population is cautiously supportive, with reservations. Ubico himself has never been accused of malfeasance during his military career, and some of his early acts in office were widely lauded. He is the first Veraguan President to publicly declare his assets. He has reduced his own salary by 70% and enacted a sweeping Law on Probity which required all public officials to make a full declaration of their assets, their spouse's assets, their dependents' assets, any properties they own, their tax returns, and so on, on taking office, at regular intervals thereafter, and on leaving it. Civil servants' salaries, which were months in arrears, have finally been paid, and all employees are now paid on time. Thousands of "phantom workers" (bogus employees) have been purged from the payroll. Loopholes in the customs office have been closed.

Several military officials have been arrested for human rights abuses or corruption and will soon stand trial. Ubico has denounced the "medieval" conditions of indigenous Veraguans and pledged to end "peonage" in the countryside and improve standards of living. The President also acknowledged that "repression alone will not end the insurgency, since it feeds on the people's misery." He added: "If repression was sufficient to break the back of the insurgents, we would have accomplished that long ago."

Anti-government demonstrations and labor strikes, ruthlessly suppressed under Lucas, now take place more or less openly, and are allowed to run their course as long as they remain peaceful.

A freely elected National Constituent Assembly has drafted a new constitution, which has been approved in a referendum that, according to international observers, was for the most part free and fair.

President Ubico has offered amnesty to guerrillas who surrender peacefully and turn in their arms. Small numbers have done so, and true to his word, Ubico has seen to it that the now ex-guerrillas were not harmed. However, a majority of the guerrillas remain committed to armed struggle. Ubico's aims are two-fold: To improve the socioeconomic position of the country's inhabitants through massive investments in education, healthcare, and public works, and the creation of jobs by attracting foreign investment; and to destroy the insurgents by improved tactics and new military equipment (much of the Veraguan's military equipment is ancient and obsolescent).

Ubico has admitted that it may take "years" for his policies to bear fruit. As he glumly told an associate, "You cannot erase hundreds of years of feudalism overnight. You cannot undo decades of corruption with a snap of the fingers. Democracy has never really taken root in Veraguas. We have, God willing, planted the seed of democracy. But it will take time for it to grow.'"

Philosophically, Ubico is a staunch anticommunist and patriot, as befitting a member of the armed forces, but he is also very socially progressive by Veraguan standards. He supports a genuine land reform, a more equal distribution of wealth, an end to the marginalization and oppression of the Amerindians, an improved status for women, and a much greater role for the State in the economy to "harmonize relations between capital and labor, coordinate the functions of private enterprise, public enterprise, labor unions, and the informal economy, to stimulate maximum growth and the widest distribution of benefits as possible." Some of his far-right critics call him a socialist, which he rejects as absurd.

Overall, Ubico is seen as a well-meaning, mostly benevolent dictator who genuinely wants real, as opposed to cosmetic, political and economic reforms, but will have a hard time of achieving either, sandwiched as he is between the extreme left and the extreme right.

[Lisander]

Daily Question #4: Holy things! (The Primate of Lisander asked me to redact the expletive part.)

Lisander religion is the Aristotelian Church. It is similar to the catholic religion, but with a different myth of creation and a focus on different characters, among them Aristotle and Christ. The almighty figure is called "God" "Jah" or "The Only One". The evil figure is called "The Nameless One". A number of "Saints" are worshipped as "Archangels". The sun, warm and brightful, takes a major place in the Aristotelian Church, represented as the paradise, while the Moon, dark, cold and inhospitable, is the depiction of hell.

Regarding more feasible aspects: Women are accepted in the Clergy, that is voluntary and receive no salary. To act in proper ceremonies, a priest must have received lessons in the faith, given under the authority of the Primate of Lisander. The current Primate is Martim de Aviano, Archbishop of Azhaar. Most of the small cities only have one parish, while biggest cities have multiple. The capital city, Soria, have 6. Church is kept by donations from followers and is allowed to receive deductible donations, but is prohibited to receive donations of more than L$1830 per person each year. Money offered in masses doesn't count to this sum, but is frowned upon to give a lot of money in the masses, that usually happens at Wednesdays and Sundays.
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Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what?
The crown in Lisander can only be inherited by a "proven lineage", i.e. a couple that can generate an offspring (a married heterosexual couple), however, the regnant prince must never be a man born outside the regnant lineage of Harmin.

• If His Highness the (Actual) Prince of Lisander and Azhaar dies before his wife and already have married offspring, the Princess (Consort) of Lisander and Azhaar, is expected to relinquish the throne to their offspring;
• If His Highness the (Actual) Prince of Lisander and Azhaar dies before his wife but have no married offspring, the Princess (Consort) of Lisander and Azhar, will continue to reign until its son or daughter (styled Duke or Duchess of Grandeville) marries, when the Princess is expected to relinquish the throne to her offspring;
• If Her Highness the (Actual) Princess of Lisander and Azhaar dies before her husband and already have married offspring, The acession of the Duke and Duchess of Grandeville to the throne is immediate;
• If Her Highness the (Actual) Princess of Lisander and Azhaar dies before her husband and already but have no married offspring, a regency is instituted until the Duke or Duchess of Grandeville marries.

If the Prime Minister of Lisander dies, Parliament goes into a fortnight's recess so that a new Prime Minister can be chosen and his or her name name submitted and approved by the crown.

[Juansonia]

Daily Question #5: Dead, and now what?
What happens in your nation after the death of your leader?
Does chaos break out in the nation? Or is a successor simply chosen? What are the rules of succession? What are the requirements for it? Tell me about succession after the leader's death in your nation.

If the President of Juansonia dies while in office, news of the death is communicated internally to several government entities. Immediately, the Vice President is notified of the death by his/her/their security detail. News of the death is leaked to broadcasters within, at most, an hour or so. Either the same day or the next morning, the VP is affirmed into office and becomes the President of Juansonia. The deceased president recieves a state funeral unless he wishes otherwise.

Upon inauguration, the Presidential re-election campaign becomes the new president's Incumbent campaign, and a running VP is chosen. However, the running VP doesn't become a VP until after the new president is reelected. In the meantime, the existing order of death-in-office succession is used. Assuming that nobody else died, a VP that died between becoming president and reelection would be succeeded by the Legislative speaker. If you resort to enough assassinations, any and all national-level executive official or employee(s) would be in line to replace the President.