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Lyonesse [LEE-uh-NESS] is a small island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 390 km (240 miles) southeast of Cape Hatteras, its closest land neighbor. Its total land area is about 650 km2 (250 square miles); it is relatively low-lying, with some hills and cliffs in the westernmost portions, and enjoys a mild, subtropical climate (though most structures are reinforced against hurricane damage to some degree, by necessity). Roughly 325,000 people live in Lyonesse; about a third are in the capital and main city of Quichotte [key-SHOT], on the island's eastern shore. There are three provinces: Atlantia, Columbia, and Dalinetopia, plus the outlying and sparsely populated island of Sabledor, which is a distinct "District".

English is the most commonly spoken language. French, Dutch, and Caribbean Spanish are also spoken in some communities, and a pidgin has developed combining many of these languages in a unique style. Lyonesse's eclectic history provides natives with a distinct accent, regardless of their primary language -- as an example, English-speaking natives describe themselves as "Lyonessians", pronounced [lih-NEH-sh'nz]. The population's racial makeup is similar to some eastern U.S. states, with a slightly higher degree of multiracial residents. The country's currency, the Lyonessian ducat, is divided into ten piasters; it trades at roughly four ducats to the U.S. dollar.

The island has been a place of second chances since its very late discovery just before the 18th Century, after a prior century of being erroneously listed on maps anywhere from Africa to the icy north of "Hyperborea". It is thought that the first permanent settlers were French mutineers who settled at what is now Quichotte in 1707, naming the site after their ship. Over the next several decades, Dutch settlers bound for St. Maarten but lost in a squall instead found themselves here, as did royalist Englishmen seeking to escape the aftermath of the Cromwell Protectorate, and African slaves who commandeered a vessel to freedom. Contemporary tales place a "pirates' cove" on the south of the island in the 1700s as well. Even a small group of Protestant Germans bound for Pennsylvania settled instead in what is now Dalinetopia in that period. Fortunately, the island provided ample opportunities for growing seasons and enough room for communities to grow without serious conflict. England, France, the Netherlands, and the United States all claimed the island at various times during the 18th and 19th Centuries, but by 1935, Lyonesse had become an independent and diverse nation.

Baseball was well-established in the 20th Century on Lyonesse, with a number of small amateur and semi-pro leagues active; the Washington Senators once considered locating a minor league franchise in Quichotte in the early 20th Century. However, the chance to be drawn into the American baseball sphere ended in the 1940s. Nominally on the side of the Allies in World War I, Lyonesse chose neutrality in 1941 and was invaded and occupied by the Americans, causing serious national resentment towards all things American for decades. Post-war, Lyonesse drew from its mixed heritage and shrewd governance and navigated between the Cold War superpowers with delicacy. The result was an independent political course, but slowed growth, and some cultural isolation - including in sports.

Things began to look up with a shocking defeat of the United States in soccer in 1981, leading to a final game with Honduras for the last place in the 1982 World Cup - which Lyonesse lost in penalties. But the late 90s and the end of the Cold War brought an economic boom to the island, led mainly by technology development. Prudent investment and managed growth, both in economy and population, put Lyonesse on a successful course heading into the 21st Century.

In 2017, Lyonesse President Stephen Crowley and Sports Minister Richard Deventer announced long-delayed plans for a U.S.-style independent baseball league for the country. The National Baseball Stadium in Quichotte would be renovated and serve as the home of the two Quichotte-based teams, while four new minor-league style parks would house the other planned franchises. A junior league, competing in the same spaces, will provide development and competition for the reserve squads. While interested investor/owners from all over the world declared interest, subsidies from the Republic's government would allow the new league to compete for foreign talent. At the same time, citizenship rules would be in place to insure that Lyonessians would be prioritized.

Welcome to Lyonesse in 2019, and the start of the Lyonesse Baseball Federation!