Dracuncula
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| Flag of Dracuncula | |
| Motto: "You don't have to be crazy to live here, but it helps!" | |
| Region | the Pacific |
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| Capital | |
| Official Language(s) | |
| Government | |
| Population | |
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| NS Sunset XML | |
Full Name of Country: Dominion of Dracuncula
Short Name of Country: Dracuncula
Inhabitants: Dracunculans (formal); informal (Dracs)
Flag: The Two-Faced Eagle, sable, on a field, sang.
Motto (popular): You don't have to be crazy to live here, but it helps!
Motto (official): Don't mess with a country ruled by the Undead--they never give up, they never say "die"--unless they mean it!
Economy: Artisanal industry, mixed farming, multinational companies
Sports: Fishing, hunting, other blood sports with a permit.
Religions: Ancestor Worship: (94%); Roman Catholicism (42%); Protestants (20%); Atheists (15%) Paganism (13%); Eastern Orthodox (12%); Buddhist (6.5%); Hassidic Jews: (2%); Muslims (1%); Mormons (0%); Jehovah's Witnesses (0%) (Figures may not add to 100% due to some people being unable to make up their minds.)
National animal: The Flittermouse
National Flower: Belladonna
Précis of Dracuncula's Government and History:
The Dominion of Dracuncula existed for many centuries without any formal government. The villages of Dracuncula were governed by traditional village meetings. Executive and judicial powers resided in the Village Council of Elders. In times of need, a Great Council of Elders could be called to debate issues of import. Because this Great Council of Elders consisted of the oldest male and female member of each Village Council of Elders it was seldom convened because of the difficulty of transporting the members to the place selected for the Great Council.
So high was the mortality rate of Great Council members that eventually it became customary to carry the members to the Great Council Meeting in a coffin, so that they could be buried along the way in the event they did not make it to the assembly.
The crossroads of Dracuncula are full of the graves of former Great Council members. Consequently it is considered bad luck to build on a corner lot and traffic problems are greatly reduced.
Eventually the Reactionary Party which governs Dracuncula today decided that it was time to put an end to this foolishness. The mortality of Village Elders was just too high. It was depopulating the country of Wise Old Men and Wise Old Women. A Great Council was called in a particularly unreachable place and when most of the Great Council members failed to show up, control of the Great Council was seized by the Undead.
For more than 800 years, Dracuncula has been ruled by the Undead with a severe but even hand.
The Reactionary Party
The Reactionary Party is responsible for the reforms which eliminated all of the Corporations from the land. The Undead opposed the Corporations because they are in principle immortal. The Undead regarded this as an infringement of their ancient rights and priveleges.
The Reactionary Party also believes in keeping Merchants firmly in their place, which is under the heel of their feet.
Consequently, the Dominion of Dracuncula is one of the few nations in the world where Capitalism is strictly illegal, although there is a sophisticated system of barter run on a non-profit basis by the barter guilds. The barter guilds also serve as bankers, maintaining the records which permit the people of Dracuncula to exchange their goods, services and labour.
Because of their deep distrust of Capitalists, the Undead have created a tax haven for mulitnational companies so that they may keep an eye on them. Dracuncula is therefor a relatively prosperous nation with no commerce, no banking and no taxes. The Council of the Undead do, however, exact a considerable amount of tribute from the holding companies which reside in the financial section of the Dracunculan Central Post Office, which alleviates the need for any but purely local taxes.
There is no sales tax on any goods or services, but an income tax of about 32% is charged on all income above the level required to support an average peasant family in comfort.
Multinational Corporations wishing to move to Dracuncula for tax evasion purposes are requested to write to:
- The Department of Tribute
- The Palace
- Krankheit
- Post Office Box 13
- Dominion of Dracuncula
The Undead do not believe in facsimile machines or telephones, first because the never had such things when they were alive, and second because they believe in putting everything important in writing--and leaving everything unimportant to the servants.
