The Commonwealth of Lyravis is a tiny, genial nation, notable for its state-planned economy, irreverence towards religion, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, democratic population of 7 million Lyravians are free to do what they want with their own bodies, and vote for whomever they like in elections; if they go into business, however, they are regulated to within an inch of their lives.

The enormous, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Welfare, and Administration. The average income tax rate is 71.9%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The basket case Lyravisian economy, worth 72.6 billion Sesterces a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Tourism, Book Publishing, and Door-to-door Insurance Sales. Average income is 10,373 Sesterces, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Would-be emigrants are told "abandon all hope all ye who would exit here", the nation has nearly as many history museums as Lyravians, bins outnumber trees in city parks, and lovesick people are told 'it's not them, it's you'. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Lyravis's national animal is the Swordfish, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans.

Lyravis is ranked 27,842^nd in the world and 106^th in The Frontier Sea for Most Compassionate Citizens, scoring 52.16 on the Kitten Softness Rating.