Leporidia

Leporidia Constituent Country
Flag of Leporidia
Capital	Harebourg Haven
Demonym	Leporid, Leporidian, Rabbit (informal)
Government
Monarchy
Monarch	Queen Alice
Preceded by	Duchy of Leverette
Background
Population	20
Languages	Common, Leporid

Leporidia is a constituent country of the Dawnspire Commonwealth. Its population comprises just over 30% of the total population of the Commonwealth, and holds much of its oceanic coastal area. Geographically, it comprises the southernmost area of the Commonwealth, bound by the Bay of Harebourg in the south, the central oceans in the south and the east, and Bridgetown in the north. As of July 2022, the population of Leporidia was just under 20.

Its capital city is Harebourg Haven, situated on the southern coast.

Since its unification following the états en guerre period, Leporidia has been run continuously by the House of Leverette.

Etymology

Leporidia comes from Leporid, the native name for the Rabbitfolk people in the region.

History

Prehistory

There is early evidence of beastfolk settlement within the region atop the Leverette Plateau, likely having migrated south in search of warmer climates. Eventually, the area would become populated primarily by early agricultural rabbitfolk tribes, that would eventually form early polities.

États en guerre

The early polities eventually coalesced into numerous small duchies. Eventually, the duchies would coalesce into four petty kingdoms, a period referred to by historians as the "états en guerre", Leporid for "warring states." The petty kingdoms took the names of their ruling families. The south was dominated by Sudille (Leverette), the central regions by Baillieu and Bonnette, and the sparse north by Dubuisson.

The early period was dominated mainly by Baillieu, but centuries of complacence and decadence in their court led to them falling from grace, eventually being eclipsed by Leverette towards the end of the period.

Leporid unification

By the end of the period, Sudille was able to being the remaining kingdoms under fealty, except for Baillieu, a move that would sew a thirty year rivalry between the queens of the two kingdoms, Hildegarde de Baillieu and Clovia de Sudille.

According to legend, Hildegarde would refer to her rival as "Lièvrette perfide" (Common: "Perfidious little hare"). Upon Hildegarde's eventual death, having been slain in battle by Clovia herself, Clovia would adopt "Leverette" as an epithet, an ironic trophy to mark a new age for her people. She declared the epithet to be handed down to her children as a trophy for the house. Historians often refer to the historical kingdom of Sudille as the kingdom of Leverette.

Shortly after the Sudillian conquest of Baillieu, Clovia would meet with the nobles of the four ancient kingdoms and secure their fealty, declaring the Kingdom of Leporidia. Following her death, the name Leverette would be used as a name for the house, rather than as an epithet, with Clovia being posthumously given the title of The Unifier.

Kingdom of Leporidia

For several centuries, Leporidia existed as an independent kingdom under the Leverette Dynasty, its capital city of Harebourg Haven becoming a prosperous port and market town on the southern coast of Almuren.

The kingdom remained a middling power in the region, finding itself occasionally in alliances with, and in conflict against, the city state of Bridgetown to the north.

(WIP from here)