Kingdom of Rizia

The Kingdom of Rizia, colloquially known as Rizia, is a centralized constitutional monarchy led by King Romus Toras. It is positioned on the eastern coast of South Merkopa's peninsula. The Kingdom is neighbored by Wehlen, Morella, and the Grand Duchy of Pales and separated from Lespia by the Sudis Sea. Rizia's name finds its roots in the Rezenid Empire, a powerful ancient confederation that dominated much of Southern Merkopa at the beginning of the first millennium. The ruling Reznas family strategically established their stronghold, Drazon (later renamed Porte Drazon), at the Zpana river's mouth, taking advantage of the fertile soil. The region fell to the Markian Empire in the early 1100s, which built roads, bridges, and aqueducts, and mined small amounts of gold to support their expansion. This rule lasted until the 1600s when the Rubaz family led an independence movement, forming the Kingdom of Rizia comprising three semi-autonomous provinces – Brenas, Valenqiris, and Montaklar, governed from the central domain of Rizia Imperii. In the 1800s, a split in the Rubaz family led to the War of Rizan Succession, causing a five-year bloody conflict that involved several external powers. After the war, the Toras family took the crown, with the Sazon and Azaro families controlling Brenas and Montaklar. Rizia's Golden Age occurred in the late 1800s under Queen Lyza "The Great" Toras, driven by advancements in gold mining technology. However, this era ended with the reign of Lyza's son, Valero "The Frail," whose unsuccessful attempts to retake Pales led to rebellion. Despite initial struggles, Rizia regained its economic stability thanks to alliances and the discovery of natural gas fields. Today, Rizia boasts one of the highest GDPs on the continent, with citizens enjoying a high quality of life due to large salaries and well-funded social services. The government holds part-ownership of large corporations, with Rizian Royal Gold being the most significant. Despite commendations for its free healthcare, low tax rates, and progressive women's rights policies, Rizia's human rights record has been criticized for the unequal treatment of citizens and non-citizens and harsh punishments for protesters. Rizia is a member of the Organisation for Merkopan Economic Development (OMEC), the Guild of Royal Allies for Commercial Exchange (GRACE), and the Alliance of Nations.