The Kingdom of Houde is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by King Cedric Houde with an iron fist, and notable for its frequent executions, ban on automobiles, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless population of 46.168 billion Houdians are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government is primarily concerned with Defense, although Environment, Law & Order, and Education are also considered important, while Welfare and Spirituality are ignored. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of New Hope. The average income tax rate is 67.7%.

The frighteningly efficient Houdian economy, worth an astonishing 12,575 trillion Dollars a year, is mostly comprised of black market activity, especially in Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, Gambling, and Tourism. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an amazing 272,393 Dollars, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.1 times as much as the poorest.

Pranking is an art form, murderers frequently escape punishment by claiming they were protecting their honour, ignorance is considered a politically desirable quality, and the nation is proudly the least fertile in The Cursed Continent of Lodoss. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force. Houde's national animal is the Direwolf, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Druidic.

Houde is ranked 2,326^th in the world and 1^st in The Cursed Continent of Lodoss for Largest Manufacturing Sector, scoring 84,502.33 on the Gooback-Jerbs Productivity Index.