Strange New World (2024 Alt-Hist Geopolitical RP) - OOC

[Reverend Norv]

My application has now been fully updated: it should contain no references to countries or events from previous iterations of this RP, and some references to all applications posted thus far in this thread. I will continue to update the app as new folks post their applications, so that it's clear how the FAR's history intersected with the histories of the other major players in this timeline. Looking forward to telling great stories together!

[The Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune]

APPLICATION
NS Name: The Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune
RP Name: Official: ᚾᚬᚱᚱᚬᚾᚾ ᚴᚢᚦᚱᛁᚴᛁ
Transliterated: Norrænn Guðriki
Translated: The Nordic Godsrealm
Unofficially: Nordica or Scandinavia
Flag:

Capital: ᚾᛁᚦᛅᚱÓᛋᛋ/Niðaróss (Modern day Trondheim)
Territory: Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, The Baltic States, The Faroe Islands
Population: 30 Million
Official Language(s): ᚾᚬᚱᚱᚬᚾᚾ/Norrænn/High Nordic, Recognized Dialects: ᚢᛁᚦᚱ ᚾᚬᚱᚱᚬᚾᚾ/Viðr Norrænn/Forest(Finnish) Nordic, ᛅᚢᛋᛏᛅᚾ ᚾᚬᚱᚱᚬᚾᚾ/Austan Norrænn/East(Baltic) Nordic

Type of Government: Authoritarian Theological Monarchy
Head of State: Fylkir-Konungr Magnus XII "Red-Braid" Haraldrsonr
Head of Government: Fylkir-Konungr Magnus XII "Red-Braid" Haraldrsonr

Legislature: Althingi. The Althingi serves primarily as an advisory body to the Fylkir-Konungr. Each house can vote on legislation to propose to the FK independently of each other, and the FK is not obliged to honor the suggestion should they do so. While the Althingi traditionally had more power, they were considerably relegated in the 20th century. Having had some semblance of restoration under Magnus XII, it now serves more as a litmus test for what the aristocracy and public may desire at any given time.
Legislative Houses: Jarlögretta (Upper House, 150 Seats) and Goðilögretta (Lower House, 300 seats). Jarlögretta seats are hereditary and attached to titles. A man or woman who earns a seat in the Jarlögretta is seen as having made it to the top tier of Nordic society, and their families will have to defend that title in the future. For example, if a successful general is raised to the Jarlögretta but his son merely sits on his father's laurels, that seat may be revoked and given to a new member of the body. Some manner of noble bloodline is also usually required for appointment but that standard has more relaxed since the 1800s. The Goðilögretta is constituted of holy men from the various temples and holy sites throughout the realm. These seats are fixed to the location. The manner of gaining a seat is dependent on the seat itself, with some being elected by the various Goði who work within the seat's jurisdiction, some being hereditary, and some being appointed by the FK.

Party in Power: While not technically a formal political party, the Yggdrasil faction of the Goðilögretta is known to currently hold Magnus XII's ear on a majority of issues. Nationalist, Environmentalist, and Anti-Capitalist, they seek to continue in Nordica's current direction it has adopted since the fall of the Soviet Union.
National Issues:

• Russian Bear
  Following the fall of the Soviet Union and the Redbraid Thaw in the early 90s, Nordica has relaxed it's military and pursued goals that had fallen to the wayside in the face of the constant state of high alert the country was in during the Cold War. With the Union State now rearing it's head, Nordica must navigate re-mobilizing it's military in the face of the Russian Threat once more, while also dealing with the continuing issue of Soviet era refugee populations on it's southern border and a population that does not always remember the darker days of the Haraldic Regime during the cold war as a good thing.
• Recovering Economy
  As a country beginning to once more open it's markets to the outside world and taking on large spending as part of it's green energy programs and other public projects, Nordica was in a uniquely vulnerable position when the 2008 Crash hit. Though the country was able to prevent a larger humanitarian crisis from breaking out, most notably for re-starting it's oil industry as a mostly export focused revenue stream, the Nordican economy took a decade to truly recover and is just now starting to reach pre-2008 levels, both in GDP and standard of living. Housing markets, one of the few free markets in the country, have likewise never truly recovered due to public distrust and as such many Nordicans are reluctant to invest in anything still, making economic growth in free market sectors difficult, which likewise has hampered foreign investment in the country.
• The Dark North
  From its outsider religion and culture, which more often than not has defined itself against Europe rather than with it, to its nuclear arsenal, to its more recent stint being aligned with no one in particular in the Cold War, Nordica has done little to engender good relations with other powers. Though diplomatic isolation has improved since the Redbraid Thaw, Nordica still finds itself on the outside of many countries diplomatic relations, seen more as an ally of convenience and a useful trade market by those that do choose to deal with it. With a southern neighbor that it dislikes and a Russian neighbor looking to expand, Nordica will need allies if they hope to stay the current course, or once more revert to a nuclear backed pariah state.

Public Goals: Continued economic growth, Become completely renewable powered, Improve international relations, Improve international environmentalism
Private Goals: Pan Nordic Unity including populations within Germany, Former Eastern European holdings, and Vinland, Hegemony over North Sea fishing and oil rights, restoration of place as a "great power."

GDP (nominal): 1 Trillion USD
Currency: Nordic Penningr
Economic System: Corporatism, each sector of the economy is organized into a greater state holding. Some sectors, notably agriculture, construction, and tourism, allow for privately owned smaller companies under the overall umbrella of the state holding, and one of the aristocratic privileges is being allowed to purchase shares in state holdings or various sub-corporations. The Energy sector remains the only one completely nationalized, both for internal green energy and for the export focused oil industry. Oil profits are used mainly on social programs, such as universal healthcare and public entertainment. Education is free for primary school while secondary education is a luxury usually only afforded by the Aristocracy, though many places that require such education will accept military certifications as well as degrees. Healthcare and engineering remain the exception as students interested in pursuing a career in it may take in-depth and notoriously difficult entrance exams to be granted a place in higher education programs for those careers.
Defense Budget (USD): 55 Billion USD
Alliance(s): N/A at the moment of writing.

Military: 150,000 active personnel (peacetime), 10,000 Vinlandic Legion, 1 million ready for activation on declaration of war, additional 1 million reservists. The Nordic Military has a long history as a state apparatus, reaching a climax during the Cold War Haraldic Regime where the military and military spending were put ahead over the detriment of large parts of the country, with large portions of the nations oil profits. This was mostly in preparation of a large scale defense of the country as fears were in place of invasion both from Western Europe and the Soviet Union. Known as the Fortress State for much of the period, the Nordic Military has prepared an extensive defensive doctrine focused on using the difficult terrain and climate of their country to hold off a numerically and industrially superior force. The military itself ensures primacy of its officer corps by ensuring that it is both the main method of social mobility into higher ranks while also maintaining stringent standards for its officers. The Nordican military is integrated and accepts man and woman alike, though the Special Operations forces are notably still gender split with male and female only units within each of the Military's three branchs, those being Army, Navy, and Air Force.

The country maintains a medium sized navy, mostly focused on force projection within the North and Baltic seas. It is primarily composed of cruisers, destroyers, and a large submarine corps, as well as a handful of amphibious assault vessels designed to rapidly insert the feared Nordic marine corps, the Vikingr. The Air Force is primarily based upon purchased cold war era fighters, Nordic made bombers, and a growing drone program. Nordica has also embarked on a hypersonic missile program but it has yet to bear fruit.

Nordica maintains a small-medium sized nuclear arsenal of 240 nuclear weapons, primarily as a deterrent against any encroachment by opportunistic powers. Though their program and testing over the North Sea made them pariahs during the Cold War, one would scarce find a Norseman who wasn't grateful for both the robust nuclear power program and subsequent greater oil profits provided by the nuclear weapons program, and the more relative safety that it provides. Nordican nuclear weapons are primarily focused mid range missiles and a few bombs, with general nuclear strategy to be to cripple any invading country's invasion routes, industrial base, and political machine before any invasion can be made.

Large portions of the active duty military are stationed on the Haraldr and Odin lines, large series of fortifications built along the Russian borderlands. The remaining portions are stationed throughout the country, as well as on the coastal fortifications built along the Scanian coast.

The Vinlandic Legion, named for one of the largest population of Nordic speakers not within Nordica's borders, are a "foreign" legion within the Nordican Military. Any man or woman who practice Norse religion and speaks Nordic can enlist at a Nordican embassy, and are rewarded with Nordic citizenship after 8 years of service.

History:
Fairhair's Althingi

Nordic history traces back first to the mythic uniting of Norway by Harald Fairhair in the late 870s A.D, or in Nordic reckoning the 50s B.L., or Before the Laws. Little is known for certain of Harald's reign due to it's presence in pre-recorded history, though much is attested to in outside European sources. Following his unification of the various chiefs and jarls within Norway, Harald then took advantage of dynastic struggles in nearby Sweden, which resulted in his conquest of the region by the late 40s B.L. Following his unification of the Scandinavian Mainland, the first commonly attested achievment of Harald was to call a meeting of the various jarls and kings of the greater Nordic world to the First Althingi, so that they could avoid bloody struggle against each other in the future. While representatives from the Scottish Isles, the Danelaw, and the Kievan Rus attended according to legend, notably absent was the King of Denmark, Sigfred, who had recently converted to the Christian religion, and representatives from the Icelandic settlers who had initially fled Harald during his conquests of Norway.

Though the Danes were untouchable due to Sigfred's now closer relation with the Holy Roman Empire, Harald did not tolerate such a snub from the Icelandic Jarls and conquered the island shortly after the convening of the Althingi. While the first Althingi was a gathering of equals to discuss mutual problems, it appears to have been generally accepted that Harald was the first among those equals, and when the King of the Danelaw died without a male heir, it was agreed that Harald's son Halfdan "The Black," would marry the King's eldest daughter and rule as the new King of the Danelaw. Harald would reign for another 10 years before dying sometime around 890 A.D/30 B.L.

The Brothers War

Attested to in the "Haraldrsen Saga," the national epic of Nordica composed in the decades following the war, the Brothers War was the succession conflict following Harald's death. When the Althingi, chosen to designate his successor by Harald, was unable to come to a consensus regarding the successor to the king, major conflict broke out between the various sons and those who claimed to be sons of Harald. Though at one point there seemed to be around 20 different men with armies claiming to be the true king of Harald's realm, or the Norse Lands as European histories from the time call it, four major combatants emerged in the struggle. Erik Bloodaxe claimed control of Norway, Guttorm Haraldrson ruled from Sweden, Halfdan the Black from the Danelaw, and Haakon Christlover led an adventuring force of Danes to try and establish Christian control of the Norselands.

In the intial days of the war, Halfdan spent much of his time in the Danelaw contesting against various pretenders and even his own sons that rose up in the initial chaos following Harald's death. While that occured, Guttorm raised his forces and began an invasion of Norway, meeting Erik in the Battles of Viken in early 892/28. Five battles between the brothers resulted in a bloody stalemate, when Haakon crossed from Danish Scania into Sweden, forcing Guttorm to retreat so that he could defend. Erik returned to his capital in Nidaros to lick his wounds when Halfdan sailed north, landing at the modern city of Anslo (Oslo), and declaring it to be a holy site where the war would be ended from. Raising a runestone at the site, Halfdan proceeded to entreat any chiefs and jarls in Norway who would come to see him, promising reward for joining him and death for defying him. At such an offer, many of the lords and their hosts swapped over to Halfdan, and with his new armies he marched north, facing Erik in the Battle of Nidaros in the summer of 893. The Sagas hold that Halfdan and Erik met in single combat on the field of battle. The duel was bloody and long, with neither king being able to get an upper hand over his brother. As the battle raged around them, Erik was able to gain the upper hand through a dirty blow, yet as he was about to strike down Halfdan, the shieldmaiden Gunnhild struck down Erik with her spear. Erik's forces were captured or fled.

Taking the crown of his brother, Halfdan crowned himself Konungr, king of all the Norselands, in Nidaros following the battle, designating the holy city his new capital. Gunnhild was named the Spear of the Konungr for her efforts, beginning the Nordic military myth of shieldmaidens, though female soldiers would not become a common occurrence until the 1800s during the Freezing Years. Meanwhile, Haakon had defeated Guttorm in Sweden, and though Guttorm had been able to flee across the Baltic Sea to Kiev, the Christlover now ruled, inviting in priests from the south. According to the Sagas, Halfdan knew of the danger his younger brother presented, and gathered his armies. First marching into Scania while Haakon rested his armies near Stockholm, Halfdan again used diplomacy to secure the loyalty of the Scanian lords, turning them against both Haakon and the Christian king Sigfred.

With the Danelaw, Norway, and Scania united behind him, Halfdan marched against Haakon at the Battle in Östergötland. The bloody battle was the largest seen in the war, with Halfdan's army of thanes, english levies, and vikings facing off against Haakon's converts, Danish adventurers, and German mercenaries. Throughout the day the balance was reported to shift, each gain made by one side matched or outplayed by a move from the other. Finally though, as the sun began to set, Halfdan himself led a charge through the line of Germans in Haakon's army, breaking their resolve and sending them fleeing. From there, Halfdan was able to rout the rest of the army, taking no prisoners among what he saw as Christian invaders, and sacrificing what leaders they captured over the following weeks. Haakon escaped and fled, making his way to Iceland.

There was peace for a time, before Haakon attempted to rally the various Icelandic jarls who had tried to use the war to regain independence to his banner. While he succeeded in gathering a small army, Halfdan had had enough of his brother's meddling, and rather than letting an open wound fester, gathered an army of his own, sailed north, and defeated Haakon with little difficulty outside of Reykjavik. This time there was no escape for Haakon, and he was executed by his brother. Modern historians mark this date, 5 July 895 A.D/25 B.L, as the end of the Brother's War and the founding date of what would become Nordica, as well as the founding of the Black Dynasty, its first set of rulers. Contemporary historians however did not consider the war over until news of Guttorm's death came from the east three years later.

The Lawgiver

Following the end of the war, Halfdan returned to Nidaros and called a new meeting of the Althingi. This time, Kiev which was siding with the still living Guttorm at the time refused to attend, ending Nordic involvement in Russia for the next 600 years. The Jarl of the Isles did return however, as did the various Jarls and chiefs under Halfdan's command. Halfdan here had them officially proclaim him Konungr, and swear loyalty to him, officially uniting the various realms into one "Nordic Kingdom." The new Althingi, fully subservient to Halfdan, is recognized as the second Althingi, separate from Harald's. Halfdan spent the rest of his reign solidifying his control over the realm, putting down christian encursions when they sprung up, and conquering the eastern coast of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands, erecting a great many runestones from which much of modern historical tellings surrounding Halfdan come from. He died while raiding into Anglo-Saxon lands from the Danelaw in late 918/2 B.L.

Recognizing the mistake of his father in letting the Althingi choose an heir, Halfdan declared his son, Magnus, his successor two years before his death, and co-ruled with his son for that period. Thus when Magnus succeeded to the throne, outside of isolated rebellions in Iceland and Ireland, he was able to ascend without issue, at least from his vassals. A much greater issue pressed the young Konungr however. Incursions, both peaceful and military, from the Christian realms, continue to press into the Nordic Kingdom with greater frequency, and worse, were beginning to make major ground with populations in the south of his kingdom. Magnus realized he had two options, act, or convert. A man with great faith in Odin and who saw himself as embodying Tyr, Magnus chose to act.

Recognizing that the organized nature of the Christian faith made it easier for them to coordinate, convert, and inspire men to invade, Magnus realized that for his faith to survive, even if he personally gutted every priest and christian in the realm, it needed to change. Keep what made it strong and take from the Christians to make it stronger. Calling a meeting of all of the goði, holy men and women, in the realm, Magnus began the Goðiting in Nidaros sixth months after taking the throne. The gathering debated, struggled, and compromised for a year and a half, until Magnus and the attendees emerged and revealed three Runestones to the Althingi. The first, the Wotanrettr, specified the rules and norms of the Norse faith. Ceremonies for coming of age, marraige, birth, and funerals, holy days and proper sacrifices, rules for marriage between social ranks and concubinage, and the specifications for a permanent Goðiting led by the Konungr under the title of Fylkir were written upon it. The second was the Aesirsaga, the collected myths of the gods and the faith, explaining the world as it is. Lastly, the Norrænnrettr, a unified code of laws in line with the new faith to govern the realm, including establishing a unified runic system for writing, specific punishments for common crimes, and enshrining a social caste system of thralls, freemen, lords, goði, and the King.

Magnus's reforms, though seen by modern Nordics as their revolutionary founding, denoted by the change over that year from Before the Laws to Law Years, it was highly controversial at the time. Magnus spent much of his remaining two decades on the throne fighting what modern historians call "The Legal Wars," draining the crown's respect and manpower, until he pacified the realm. Though the religious reforms would take decades to fully catch on, the whole realm now answered to the Konungr's laws.

The Fall of the Black Dynasty

When Magnus died in 943/23 L.Y, his firstborn son Halfdan II inherited a realm broken by the Legal Wars and low on respect for the crown. This poorly state would escalate when Aelfgar the Liberator, an Anglo-Saxon prince, raised an army to win back the Danelaw for his people. Trying to mass whatever forces he could, Halfdan II sailed for the Danelaw to try and stop the Anglo-Saxon conqueror, but was lost to sea after a storm consumed his rushing fleet.

With the childless Halfdan dead, and whatever men they could raise with him, Halfdan's younger brothers Bjorn and Sidgurd chose to abandon the Danelaw, and without the political support to truly defeat the other, chose to co-rule the Kingdom. While this was a shrewd pair of decisions that likely saved Nordica in the long run, it did not engender the brothers to their subservient lords, who began to plot for a king, a brave and powerful one, to challenge them for the throne. Ultimately the conspirators settled on Folk "Red-Bear" Magnussen, the bastard child of Magnus the Lawgiver and half brother to the Kings.

Sources differ on how exactly the coup took place. Nordic sources from the time record that Folk defeated the brothers in a 2v1 duel for the throne. Christian Sources from the Irish territories report that the Kings had been poisoned. A muslim traveler from the 100s L.Y. reports a legend of Folk and his lackeys catching the brothers unaware and slaughtering all in the palace. Whatever the story, Bjorn and Sidgurd died in 945/25 L.Y, and the Black Dynasty with them, leading to the rise of Folk's Red Dynasty.

An Accounting of Red Kings

Folk "Red-Bear"- 945/25-973/53: Folk's reign saw the recovery of the kingdom's finances and respect through some of the largest raids the Viking age saw in Europe, plundering the coast of the North Sea from the Netherlands to Brittany. Deciding that it was not worth reconquering the Danelaw from the Anglo-Saxons after most Nordics in the area were expelled or killed by Aelfgar, Folk instead sought new conquests in Scotland and Lappland, adding both to the Kingdom while securing the loyalty of the northern Jarls of Norway, uniting all true Nordics under the Crown. Folk began the policy of Nordification in Sapmi and Finnic areas, settling his warriors as lords in conquered areas, sanctioning the plunder of native populations and villages, and sending goði to suppress non-Nordic religion. Folk's reign marks the end of what Nordic historians call "The Age of Unification" and the start of "The Red Age."

Magnus II "The Sea-King"- 973/53-992/72: Magnus's reign saw the last major raiding parties of the Viking age before improvements in European fortifications made such excursions a loss to embark on as official ventures by the King. Most notable achievement was the second burning of Paris, sailing up the Seine like Ragnarr Lothbrok of legend and sacking the French city, bringing much wealth back to Nidaros and funding it's own expansion as the city. First iteration of the Raven Palace is constructed based on European motte and bailey designs during Magnus's reign. Magnus sees through the Conquest of Aland and the discovery and settling of Greenland.

Erik "World-Strider"- 992/72-1029/109: Erik's reign sees major territorial expansion, leading the Wars of Raven and Elk in Finland, conquering much of the region. Folk's Nordification strategies prove less than effective in the region, so Erik pursues strategies similar to that of Rome, syncretizing Nordic faith with local finnish ones and promoting local customs while also encouraging use of Nordic as a language. Erik likewise oversees the conquest of the remainder of Scotland, his border stopping at Hadrian's wall. In 1002/82, Vinland is discovered by Haakon the Navigator, linking Europe to the Americas for the first time. He establishes contact with Skraelings/Innu people and brings back many treasures from the new land. Erik, seeing the various goods and more importantly furs, a major economic good in Nordica at the time, funds the establishment of a trading post in Vinland, Eriksborg, the oldest European settlement in the Americas. (OTL St. Johns)

Erik II "Lack-Sword"- 1029/109-1030/110: Attempting to live up to his father's image of conquest, Lack-Sword embarked on the first Nordic expedition into the Baltics, before dying in battle in Estonia after little more than a year on the throne.

Folk II "Sun Slayer"- 1030/110-1054/134: Brother of Lack-Sword and a violent man by temperament, Folk II was enraged upon hearing about the death of his brother, and raises an army for what he calls the "Cleansing", a massive holy war in the Baltics where Folk II and several adventuring armies take it upon themselves to revenge themselves upon the Baltic tribes. Folk establishes Nordic control of Estonia while several adventurer kingdoms, nominally independent, are established along the Baltic coast, the most notable being Hrafngarda in OTL Lithuania and Nyr Kiev near OTL Riga. Baltic tribesmen flee inland where they utilize the terrain to force Folk's armies to stick to the coast. Folk declares victory, and conquers the Kola area for good measure before dying.

Harald II- 1054/134-1059/139: Third and final of the "Brethren King", the three sons of Erik "World-Strider." With his two older brothers dead without legitimate sons, Harald inherited the throne already an old man, and mostly saw to shoring up the Kingdom after Folk's wars left it losing money quickly, and bringing in captive European monks to record the Laws of Magnus in book form for the first time. He also saw to making minor religious reforms, such as uniting the titles of Fylkir and Konungr, and officially codifying Finnish syncretic elements. Though a short reign and mostly unnoted by contemporary historians, modern Nordic historians regard Harald II as one of the most important Konungr.

Halfdan III- 1059/139- Sickly eldest son of Harald II, Halfdan III outlived his father by a matter of months before dying, with his son mostly ruling in his name during the period. Rumors and some popular history hold that he was poisoned by his wife on behalf of his son.

Harald III "Jotun" 1059/139-1064/144: Harald III was a cruel king who sought to enrich himself and his mother at the expense of the Nordic aristocracy. Stripping away wealth under threat of force and generally reaping horrors on his subjects, he left the Baltic frontier exposed to a degree that a mass uprising threw out not just the Nordic Jarls in Estonia but also destroys the Kingdom of Nyr Kiev. A noble rebellion led by his cousin Magnus overthrows Harald.

Magnus III- 1064/144-1103/183: Magnus's long reign sees many steps forward and many steps back. Cleaning up his cousin's mess both in the homeland and in the Baltics, Magnus sees the total conquest of the Baltics and integrates the remaining adventurer kingdoms, opting to take a lighter hand with the baltic natives than Folk II by adopting a policy similar to that adopted in Finland. Much of Magnus's reign is spent at peace and developing the realm, including Vinland. Magnus becomes the first European monarch to set foot in the New World in 1094/174, visiting Greenland and Vinland. English forces, seizing on a Scottish frontier left undefended by Nordica after so many wars in the east, start the first Anglo-Nordic War. Magnus dies of an infection leading troops in his late 60s.

Magnus IV "Bulwark"- 1103/183-1165/245: Magnus IV ascends to the throne following the death of his father. The youngest but only surviving son of his father, Magnus energizes a losing Nordic army and holds the English to a halt, though he ultimately is forced to cede a quarter of Scotland. Recognizing that the Kingdom cannot hold two frontiers at the same time, Magnus abandons Irish holdings to shore up Scotland, conquers the area between Finland and Estonia to link Finland and the Baltic regions, and builds a series of fortifications in Scotland and Lithuania. Magnus lives for an exceptionally long time and dies in his 80s peacefully, passing the throne to his grandson.

Bjorn II "The Holy"- 1165/245-1181/261: Grandson of Magnus IV and a pious man, Bjorn's primary accomplishments are curtailing the goði to centralize his own control over the Nordic faith, and embarking on a large scale building project to establish temples in all major settlements. He additionally builds the Reydrlik, the massive central temple where the original Laws of Magnus are stored in Nidaros. Named because being inside reportedly looked like being in the stomach of a whale, the future modern Reydrlik was built on the same ground after the original burned down in 1687. Bjorn's reign also saw the beginning of settlement in Labrador as part of Vinland.

Bjorn III- 1181/261-1207/287: Bjorn III's reign marks the end of "The Red Age" and the beginning of "The Glacier Centuries" or "The Stall," particularly in histories compiled in the 20th century. Bjorn's death childless would lead to his nephew, the son of a bastard of his brother, being the only eligible heir, harkoning the beginning of the White Dynasty. The Whites would rule for 200 years, during which conquest for the Kingdom stopped, Wars were either fought defensively or on bribery by European Kings in need of allies, and progress in Vinland crawled to a halt as due to expenses and difficulty of extra food transport. The Legacy of the Whites would become that of stagnation in the face of a changing Europe, as well as eventually the devastation of the Black Death.

The Foundation

The White Dynasty came to an end following the death of Sidgurd IV in 1418/498. After being forced to sign away the remaining Nordic territories and the Shetlands at the end of the 4th Anglo-Nordic War, Sidgurd met his end a few days later in the Raven Palace. Debate remains whether he was assassinated, died of existing health complications attributed to cancer, or committed suicide. Regardless, the White line, much like the realm under their leadership, had faded, and with Sidgurd's death, left no direct male line heir to the throne. Though more direct heirs were available through the female line, the Althingi chose to preserve the male line of Harald Fairhair and invited Magnus "The Raven," a descendant of a cadet branch of the dynasty dating back to the Red dynasty to take the throne. The first Konungr of the subsequent Hrafn dynasty, Magnus VII signaled a new dawn in Nordic politics.

First, recognizing that an economy effectively based on using the army of the Konungr as a mercernary force and the ever dwindling trade with Vinland, Magnus massively reinvented the economy, investing in the city of Anslo to create a new trade capital much closer to European ports than directly to Nidaros, which lay far outside the ordinary shipping lanes of trade. Listening to Jewish merchants who had established themselves in the country due to generally favorable relationships with the Nordics compared to many of the Catholic nations, Magnus likewise recognized the importance of money supply to the growing trade economy in the North Sea, and established the Nordic Bank of Anslo, providing loans with interest that Catholic countries could not, while guaranteeing a favorable cut through floating large amounts of the starting finances from the state treasury.

Over the next years, Magnus used the profits from these new inventions to modernize the army, bringing it from orders of free warriors and levies pledged to a jarl with the Konungr's mercenary men-at-arms, to a proper standing army mixing Nordic traditions with the organization of newer armies like Italian Condotierri. He likewise invested in transforming the navy into a proper trade fleet, able to compete with that of burgeoning naval powers of Aragon and Portugal, as well as strong arm any competition in the North Sea.

The last years of Magnus's reign were in turn spent on political reform. Recognizing that having two seperate Tings for both the church and state had become unwieldy with an unknown interaction of rights and privileges between them, Magnus combined the aristocratic Althingi and the Goðiting into the first version of the modern incarnation of the Althingi, while stripping much of the outdated and contradictory powers from both bodies. Magnus's reign overall concluded as a period of recovery and reform from two centuries of decline.

Pivoting

Magnus VI was succeeded by Magnus VII in 1452/532, who inherited a Kingdom on the rise from his father. With his father's reforms in place and the Kingdom stabilized, Magnus VII decided to put the new resources at his hands to use. Comparing his options, he and his advisors that attempting to retake Scotland and England was an expensive endeavor for very little gain. Instead, Magnus pivoted the Kingdom's attention from the British Isles to retaking and expanding their eastern holdings, with Russia still reeling under Mongol yokes and the rest of the East in a relatively weaker position than their Western counterparts, the breadbaskets and mines south of their Baltic holdings would prove far more advantageous in the long run.

First was restablishing order over the former Baltic Holdings. While the White Dynasty had managed to hold of the Northern Crusade for the most part, the authority of Nidaros had been reduced to effectively zero over the stagnant centuries. Personally leading the newly reformed army into the territory, Magnus reasserted control with new guarantees of land grants and privileges for the local nobility, who in turn shared their cavalry regiments, inspired by developments in the region since the Mongol invasions and the rise of Poland. With his new army assembled at his back, Magnus then began to reassert Nordic control over the east by first driving out the remnants of the Teutonic Order.

With the conquest of Prussia completed, Magnus spent some years consolidating his conquest before embarking on the first Polish-Nordic War. Compared to the Baltic reintegration and the Prussian Conquest, the Poles put up a true war. With a powerful calvary arm and vassals from the souther Lithuanian lands where the remaining Baltic tribes had migrated after the Nordic conquest centuries before, the Kingdom of Poland tested Magnus's army to it's core. Ultimately however, the Hrafn king proved victorious and was able to seize large portions of Northern Poland. Still, with his armies depleted as well as his treasury, Magnus VII was forced to rest on his laurels, consolidating his new conquests and recovering from the war. He died in 1478/558, leaving the question of further conquest up to his successor, Harald V.

History from here is going to be briefer to get App done, will come back and flesh out as feeling.

The Golden Age

Harald V- 1478/558-1502/582: Oversaw the Second Polish-Nordic War, conquering Poland south to the Carpathians and the intial excursions into the Russian/Ukranian Planes. Began Nordization programs in Prussia and began the "Raven School", an architectural and artistic movement analogous to the Renaissance in Southern Europe. Saw the majority of temples in the land converted to stone structures, and subsequent religious reforms that saw the restructuring of the Goðilögretta to match new seats being constructed and old seats being rendered obsolete. Begins raising money to further Vinland colonization efforts.

Magnus VIII "The Elder"- 1502/582-1543/623: Saw through the conquest of Poland in the Third Polish-Nordic War, extending the borders of the Kingdom to the Black Sea. Changes the style of the royal title from "Fylkir and King of the Nordic Realm" to "High King and Fylkir from the Snows to the Plains." Historians denote the period of this title as the "Nordic" or "Magnic" Empire. Oversees the bulk of colonization projects in Vinland, developing a wide ranging settlement controlling the mouth of the Fenris/St. Lawrence River from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland.

Magnus IX "The Younger"- 1543/623-1567/647: Consolidated Polish conquests and built the "Nord Roads," a combined system of river and land routes to better facilitate travel across the often rebellious provinces. The Great Polish Revolt breaks out under his rule, as a response to stronger religious pressure under his regime. Spends most of his reign in former Polish lands effectively playing whack-a-mole with rebellious armies, but more or less pacifies them. Pulls back New World colonization in order to facilitate settlement in now war torn and de-populated Polish lands, particularly close to the Baltic and Prussia, though this never finds much success.

Magnus X "Fire-Beard"- 1567/647-1635/715: Considered the greatest of the Nordic rulers and the King to which all successors compare themselves, Magnus X ushers in a period of military and social reform to try and stabilize Nordica's presence in an increasingly hostile Europe. Much of his early reign is spent modernizing the navy and on political and social reforms, ending Viking as a private enterprise, standardizing the Runic alphabet from the many variations extant in the Empire at the start of his reign, adopting the printing press and issuing the first print version of the Laws of Magnus.

The next part of Magnus's reign was spent modernizing the navy further, the so called "Steel Fleet" meant to enguard North Sea holdings against an ascendant England. This was matched with reforms to the Army, seeing the creation of the first "modern" military focusing on incorporating field artillery and better adoption of the Musket as a weapon. With his new army, Magnus marched on the "Great Campaigns," the high point of Nordic power on the continent. The First Russian and Imperial Wars as they were called saw the acquisition of the Ukraine, White Russia, and Bohemia into the Empire, and the lesser written about Roman War saw the acquisition of Besserabia. Magnus began constructions of a series of fortifications called the "Raven's Wall" before dying without a clear heir in Bohemia in 1635.

The Night Years

Interregnum- 1635/715-1665/745: Following the death of Magnus X, the Empire collapsed into what became known as the "Night Years," beginning Nordica's long period of decline into the latter parts of the modern age. With no clear heir to the throne once again, the Althingi convened a regency council to try and decide on a new ruler for the country. In 1640, after years of deadlocked debate, the Austrian and Russian enemies of Nordica convened the "Holy Alliance" to unseat the Nordic Empire and reclaim their lost territories, while the English were drawn in with the promise of Nordic colonial holdings in North America, uniting Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians against their northern enemies.

The First Great Northern War raged from 1640-1664, and saw the still strong Magnic Armies of Fire Beard contesting with the combined might of the Holy Alliance. While the still incomplete Raven's Wall bought time for the Nords, it was a long, bloody, and ultimately futile struggle that saw massive losses for the Nords and the first invasions of "core" Nordic territory in centuries with Russian excursions into Finland. After a generation of fighting the Althingi was forced to sue for peace to try and stabilize a rapidly deteriorating home front, in the process losing Vinland, Greenland, their acquired Russian and Holy Roman holdings, and their plains holdings from the Carpathians eastward.

The Althingi, now with risk of a civil war with no major threat baring down on the homelands, rapidly decided upon a new Fylkir-Konungr, reverting back to the pre-imperial titles, selecting the grandson of Magnus X's half brother to rule as Halfdan IV.

Halfdan IV "The Coward"- 1665/745-1674/754: Halfdan's reign was short, and much of it was spent letting his advisors handle his state while the young man, a hedonistic noble by nature, used what remained of the crowns budget following the War to please his many friends and followers among the nation's younger aristocracy. Halfdan's ruinously expensive hedonism became intolerable tyranny when he began to take many of his peers among more independent noble families as thralls and concubines by gun-point if the family did not acquiesce. Displeasure at Halfdan's reign was reaching a fever pitch when the Austrians and Russians reared their heads once more, declaring the Second Great Northern War in 1673. Halfdan was caught trying to flee with his court to Iceland to hide out the war. This cowardice lost him the loyalty of even his lavishly paid personal guard, and Halfdan was marched by gunpoint to the head of a small army that would try and delay Russian advances into Poland. Magnus was forced to march with his men as they charged to their death against a Russian attack in late 1674.

Interregnum II- 1674/754-1680/760: With Halfdan dead by enforced combat, the country was left once more without a clear heir and a massive war to fight. The Second Great Northern War was more of a stalemate than the rout the end of the first one had been, with Russia and Austria being able to dislodge Nordic presence in Poland and Prussia but without much headway in a better prepared Finland and the Baltics. The Steel Fleet was also able to hold the seas without fear of the English Navy, making invasion of the homeland impossible without marching up into the far north around Finland. The Althingi was able to once again sue for peace as new political situations in Europe opened up, losing Poland and Prussia but ensuring a longer lasting treaty.

The Blue Age

The Althingi ultimately chose the bastard son of Halfdan IV, Harald "Ice-Glare" as successor to the throne in order to once again avoid passing it out of the direct male line of Harald Fairhair. Harald VI as he was crowned was chosen for having proved himself as an officer in the later parts of the Second Great Nordic War, and ushered in the Blue Dynasty, who ruled from his coronation uninterrupted through to the 1810s. Harald and his successors defined themselves in a far more defensive stance against Europe, choosing to play the Stately Quadrill by maintaining alliances with whoever the more pressing threat to their nation was at any given time.

WIP

RP Example(s): If you are new and do not have an example, you can write a short (two paragraphs long) RP in your app for me to evaluate.

Do not remove - 2024RP

[Sao Nova Europa]

Map and nation roster updated.

[Sao Nova Europa]

APPLICATION
NS Name: Shohun
RP Name: Empire of Japan

ACCEPTED

[Deblar]

RESERVATION
NS Name: Deblar
RP Name: United Republic of Ireland
Territory: all of Ireland (assuming Albion isn't claiming any of it)

Do not remove - 2024RP

seeing as the Levant has already been taken (which is too bad; I really liked the concept), I suppose this is a good fallback option

[Sao Nova Europa]

RESERVATION
NS Name: Deblar
RP Name: United Republic of Ireland
Territory: all of Ireland (assuming Albion isn't claiming any of it)

Do not remove - 2024RP

seeing as the Levant has already been taken (which is too bad; I really liked the concept), I suppose this is a good fallback option

Reservation noted

[Republics of the Solar Union]

Can I do Australia resisting colonialism?

[Sao Nova Europa]

Can I do Australia resisting colonialism?

I honestly don't see a realistic scenario in which Australia wouldn't have been colonized. Perhaps you can elaborate a bit more on your proposed history?

You do have flexibility as to who may have colonized Australia, however. Perhaps it was the French who colonized it instead of the British.

[Republics of the Solar Union]

Can I do Australia resisting colonialism?

I honestly don't see a realistic scenario in which Australia wouldn't have been colonized. Perhaps you can elaborate a bit more on your proposed history?

You do have flexibility as to who may have colonized Australia, however. Perhaps it was the French who colonized it instead of the British.

Okay so basically it's more modern imperialism, like instead of invading Australia, they just trade with them, and think of how the British took over India. But they keep trading with them and ally with the tribes that trade with them and keep them resources to conquer other land and harvest Australia's resources and more trade and you get it. And in the process, Australia also gets really advanced. So this mainly happens because like colonizing Australia is a big challenge and instead the existing empires And it breaks out of this slowly. And Australia becomes relatively "independent" much faster, so following our current timeline. The British East India Company was founded in 1600, Australia discovered 1606, let's say it takes a while for the colonial powers to notice and care, the Netherlands spreads the news and charts some stuff but loses interest, the French and British notice, and they are interested in what this continent could offer, now the French cannot really do anything due to the East India company, so the British let's say in 1630-1640 decide to set up seaports and other powers follow, now Australia gets advanced and starts to break out, this is a long process and takes until 1700 to complete fully. So by 1700 we have an independent Australia. Some parts of this are probably a stretch or unrealistic, but I really want to do this, what do you think?

[Sao Nova Europa]

Australia avoiding colonization is, to be honest, too much of a stretch. I am willing to let you app as an Australia state, however, whether colonized by French, Burgundians, British, or Spanish. Otherwise, you can always app as some state in Southeast Asia, like the Philippines or Indonesia or Thailand.

[Republics of the Solar Union]

Australia avoiding colonization is, to be honest, too much of a stretch. I am willing to let you app as an Australia state, however, whether colonized by French, Burgundians, British, or Spanish. Otherwise, you can always app as some state in Southeast Asia, like the Philippines or Indonesia or Thailand.

I just thought that would be interesting but I am fine with it. Before that I was actually thinking of like an Indochinese empire, based in Thailand.

[Sao Nova Europa]

Australia avoiding colonization is, to be honest, too much of a stretch. I am willing to let you app as an Australia state, however, whether colonized by French, Burgundians, British, or Spanish. Otherwise, you can always app as some state in Southeast Asia, like the Philippines or Indonesia or Thailand.

I just thought that would be interesting but I am fine with it. Before that I was actually thinking of like an Indochinese empire, based in Thailand. (fun fact, I actually live in Thailand), I think Thailand is probably the most likely choice. Siam was very powerful in the past, they conquered a lot of land.

That could work.

Make a formal reservation (the format is on the first post), so I can add you to the nations roster and to the map.

[Republics of the Solar Union]

RESERVATION
NS Name: (Federation of Republics of the) Solar Union
RP Name: Kingdom of Indochinese States (commonly Indochina)
Territory: Thailand, some or all of Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia

Do not remove - 2024RP

[Sao Nova Europa]

RESERVATION
NS Name: (Federation of Republics of the) Solar Union
RP Name: Kingdom of Indochinese States (commonly Indochina)
Territory: Thailand, some or all of Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia

Do not remove - 2024RP

Reservation noted

[Pla Bel]

RESERVATION
NS Name: Pla Bel
RP Name: Mali Empire
Territory: Unoccupied parts of Africa

Do not remove - 2024RP

[Newne Carriebean7]

(Part I lol)
[box]APPLICATION
NS Name: Newne Carriebean7

---

RP Name:

The Heavenly Republic of Tianzhu
(Greek: I Ouránia Dimokratía tou Tianzhu)
(Arabic: Jumhuriat Tianitshu Alsamawia)

---

Flag: Mughal Flag from ETW lol

Capital: Suriapet
Territory: A significant portion of Modern Day India
Population: 1,602,125,745
Official Language(s):
Owing to the unique blend of Greek cultures that neighboring Macedonia forced upon Tianzhu , taking many of their now heretical polytheistic gods with them; The overzealous Christianization missions that brought millions of citizens to accept Jesus Christ as their one true savior also brought with them the English language for millions to accept as their one true tongue, and the once dominant Muslim faith in the area that now doubles down on their admission that there is no god but god in an ever changing demographic bag of whimsy and drive by car bombings (mostly car bombings). There are three primary languages that the Emperor of Heaven decrees are the “Mother Tongues” of Tianzhu:
Indus Valley Greek; English and Arabic.

Type of Government:
Tianzhu operates on a system of “Theocratic Democracy”. Such ideals are basic such as the establishment of a vague “State of Religion” while also balancing out the needs and demands of the state’s various ethnic minorities and groups, with mixed results at best. This “State of Religion” is as all encompassing as it is lacking in overall concrete policies or fundamentalist religious principles. Just a vague set of guidelines for “A morally upright life” such as the abstention of alcohol and tobacco usage, the prohibition of women to pursue higher education, and the importance of the Tianzhu nuclear family, subsidizing large family sizes in the country with state support to the wives and husbands per child. This is alongside a substantial tax credit/deduction that the families get for every two children they have. It encourages Christians to contemplate the idea of the “Highland Dynasty”, the series of “Emperors of the Heavens” that have continuously served as both the head of the “State of Religion” while also serving as the nation’s head of state in the “mortal realm.”

Using his spiritual authority as the “Emperor of the Heavens”, the General Manager of Tianzhu devolves his overall authority from this “State of Religion”. Conversely, he also exercises his mortal authority using his political office of General Manager, which he can veto or work with the House of the Ancients to squash far-left reforms that would radically alter the nation, ensuring the continuation of the very comfortable status quo that has persisted since the 1930s.

The major elected public offices in Tianzhu are those belonging to the Assistant Manager of the Tianzhu State and those of the lower House of the Mortal Coils. The Assistant Manager serves a one-year, renewable fourteen additional times for up to a fifteen year maximum (although they may also be non-contiguous) term of office. The Entire lower house is elected twice every single year, with two elections, one in the winter and one in the summer being scheduled since 1957.

On a federal level, the country is divided into forty-seven individual States and Two special administrative zones (S.A.Z.). Each state is managed jointly by an Imam (for representation for the Muslim faith) , a Hiereia (representation for Ancient Greek/Polytheistic worshipers) and a Mission-President (representation for Tianzhu Christianity). These Triumvirates of the three religions form what are known as “Spiritual Councils” and act as the religious court for minor disputes. The Councils also are in charge of local tax collection, public health, sanitation, religious education, general welfare, construction/development, and internal policing. In order to somewhat isolate the Councils from bitter partisanship and patronage systems, they are appointed by the local Presidency of the State.

The Presidency of the State’s role is one of a technocratic council. This technocratic grouping hails from the state’s educational and school system, with 4 grade school teachers, 4 Professors and 4 Principals. Their primary purpose of the “conveniently jury sized” 12 members are to administer the local school system in each state, and hold the power over the education system per state, applying for state loans, which is then approved by the Tianzhu Central Banking Congress. They also must come to unanimous consensus when appointing or filling a vacant spot on the Spiritual Councils. There must always be a representative from one of the three big religions in Tianzhu to ensure equal representation, regardless of the overall demographics of one such state or the lack thereof in either Muslims, Greeks, or Christians in that state. Should one member object, then the Council cannot meet until the Presidency of the State has come to an agreement and filled that vacancy among the 3 members.

While Citizens in each state cannot elect their local Spiritual Councils, they can however, elect each state’s Board of Directors every two years, which serve as the local legislature, which brings matters to the attention of the Spiritual Council, who then deliberates and announce plans, which is then the responsibility of the Director Board to execute in conjunction with the Council. An Important caveat is that while the Board cannot dismiss the Council, the inverse is true. The Council, with a two-third’s majority (2 out of the 3 members), can order the dissolution of the State Board of Directors “for fresh elections”.

The Two Special Administrative Zones are instead managed under a “State of Siege” since 2011 and 2021 respectively. These S.A.Z. hold limited civil authority and are directly governed by the “Emperor of the Heavens”. Certain civil liberties of the people in these areas such as the right to vote have been curtailed and local government has been ousted due to their “Loss of the Mandate of Good Governance”. A State of Siege may be initiated in two ways: by the Spiritual Council of any given state, or via a referendum undertaken in the afflicted state. The order to execute the State of Siege can only be made by the House of the Ancients and blessed with The President of the Fiftieth Incarnation of the Spirits’ Signature, Birth-Mark, Saliva Swab, Urine Analysis and Hair Follicle. Consequently, the Siege can also only be lifted by a 70% vote in the House of the Ancients and by the approval by The Emperor of the Heavens. As the situation in these regions has not stabilized in the slightest, the States of Siege remain in effect.



Head of State:
(Looks like King consort Philp of UK
(Spiritual Title)
His Excellency, Thirtieth Emperor of the Heavens; Watchman of the Fires of Hell; Grand Quartermaster, Keeper At-Arms, Guardian of the Tomb of the Ten Disciples; Benevolent Grandfather and President of the Fiftieth Incarnation of The Spirits, The Beloved
(Title of the Mortal Plain)
General Manager of the Tianzhu State and her People
Joseph Fletcher Smith (Born June 15, 1935 aged 90)
(Since June 15, 1945)
Head of Government:
Assistant Manager of the Tianzhu State and her People
Minister of Provisions and the Parliament
(Looks like Elisabeth Borne)
Sharp Delacroix Saint-Yves Christian Democratic Party
(Since December 25, 2022) (elected in 2022, 2023)

Legislature (the name of your national legislature):
Grand Chamber of the Ashened Apostles

Legislative Houses (if your legislature is bicameral):
House of the Ancients
This House, composed of 300 perfect beings, each shaped by God in his image, assuredly immortal and without chance of error or mistake. The upper chamber wields significant political and spiritual influence with respect to policy making, gradually influencing The Beloved into a more conservative worldview. Its meetings, in deference to tradition, have never been televised. Instead, a series of note runners dictate and control the flow of information from between the Ancients and the Emperor of the Heavens, (and by proxy, the state media of Tianzhu). Moreover, members must renounce upon appointment any “worldly pleasures” or “political allegiances” and instead devote themselves solely to matters both spiritual and political “for the greater good of governance and spiritual enlightenment” There is no way for average Scots to either vote or interact with such members, apart from penning “Recommendations to The Ancient Member of (Type)”.
Bills passed by the lower House of Mortals must get at least 235 affirmations from the upper assembly (a 3/4ths majority) in order for legislation to pass and become eligible for “Royal Assent”. The Emperor may decline for Assent or outright Veto legislation, which he must attach conditions under which he would consider the legislation. Once a bill is Vetoed, it may be brought before the House of the Ancients to rework the bill in order for it to be acceptable to the Emperor to sign.
If the Emperor merely declines Assent for a piece of legislation, the House of Ancients may pass the bill again, and if there is no Assent this time, it goes into effect immediately.

House of the Mortal Coils and Earthen Bodies

The Body of the House that had become mortal, thanks in no small part to the important follies of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Lower chamber of the State Parliament is subject to the normal vices of everyday life on this mortal plain. From sexual scandals to blatant corruption, members may be removed via a vote of no confidence in the upper chamber. The Emperor may then appoint a temporary member over the objection of the lower house. This member may either resign early or serve until the next opening of Parliament. Bills affecting the following issues may be proposed in the Body of Mortal Coils:

Foreign Policy
Setting the Treasury levels and Allocating the State’s Fiscal Budget for the remainder of the Lower House’s session.
Approving or Vetoing members of the Assistant Manager’s “Working Council”.

The Nation is divided into 1,012,895 voting precincts. These are organized into 21,456 precincts per State for a total of 47 States. Using a Top-Seven jungle primary system come election day, the top seven victors of the primary in each state, regardless of party, are elected to the House of Mortals. This means that the lower House is slightly in parity with its larger chambered cousin with 329 seats. Members serve six month terms, eligible for re-election up to twenty four terms (or 12 years at a maximum). Elections take place per year both on January 1st and July 2nd (or 3rd if it is a leap year) at 1.00 PM.

BB-38 ‘NAM
Party in Power:
Christian Democratic Party :
160/329 seats in the House of Mortals

The CDP, from its name, is both a party devoted to both the religious ceremonies and the day-to-day role it plays in the lives of the Tianzhu and a party dedicated to the ideals of consensus building among a group of individuals. Vaguely defined as the country’s primary center-left party, it supports general sounding left-wing policies such as charitable welfare, a friendlier attitude towards labor movements in the country, higher taxes on wealthier earners, protecting the environment of Tianzhu from harmful pollution and over-development, and is more welcoming of Immigrants to Tianzhu (whenever they do show up).

Islamic Republican Party:
137/329 seats in the House of Mortals
Increasingly concerned over the domination of Christian/ Greek Republican aligned political movements in the early 1900s, Abu Bakir Al-Safir met with 89 other prominent Islamic scholars, Imams, political aristocracy and the rural poor to pen a notice to the Lord-Lieutenant of Tianzhu Achní Kefalída. This letter would spur the beginnings of what is commonly understood as modern day Islamic Republicanism and Islamic Democracy in Tianzhu. Although initially a party of wide spanning believes from the left-wing labor agitators/civil rights protestors, the party gradually shedded it’s more left wing beliefs in the “Restructuring of the 1950 General Election.”

Disaffected liberals migrated initaly to the Populist and former Socialist-Labor Front, finding new home among the disillusioned farming communities and now shuddering factories. In the vacuum, more conservative members took the leadership ranks, filling out the marching soldiers that advanced into the political battlefields of the House of the Mortals. They found themselves aggressively courting every voter in every election cycle, hoping to muster enough votes, talk to conservative farmers about voting strategically for the IRP at the expense of the minority Populists.

Soon enough, throughout the 1970s and 1980s, this strategy paid off. Although they were never able to attain the position of Assistant-Manager, they instead blocked off a then 3/5ths rule on legislation in the lower house, able to effectively stymize the political agenda of several conservative heads of government. Following numerous of these in the mid 1980s, the IRP lost power in what is known as the “Gold-Blue Revolution” in 1984, which saw the government change hands decisively for the Christian Democrats. Although the IRP attempted nearly every legal (and illegal) tactic to regain the office of Assistant-Manager, they were unable to. The revolution was so damaging to their legislative numbers that they even lost the ability to crush liberal (for Tianzhu at the time, that is) reforms to the nation’s foreign policy.

In the early 2000s, however, new life was sprung into the party by Al-Din Jabin Cressy (2000-2013); a middle aged former war veteran turned financial expert and leader of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, one of the largest shipbuilding and breaking companies in all of Tianzhu. Worth a handful of billions of Imperial Kroner, he enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with The Heavenly Emperor and was able to effectively rile up crowds of supporters by “This Government is run by very stupid people. I am not a stupid person. I took a small loan of 3 million Kroner from my grandpappy. We’re being taken advantage of by the Macedonians, by the Chinese. On day one I would love the Chinese, but they would treat us so fairly. I am going to make Islam Great again. I am going to make Tianzhu Great Again! No one will ever f*** with us again! Yuuge.” Returning to office in a massive landslide after nearly 16 years of Christian mismanagement, Cressy sought to re-emphasis the nation’s Islamic roots, holding public celebrations for Ramadan for the first time ever.

Government of Chriztian Papadapolous

Populist Party
32/329 seats in the House of Mortals
A merger of the Farmer’s Agricultural Union and the All-Labor Machinists and Tradeskillsmen Worker’s Faction, from its roots as the party of the humble greek farmer, the Populists have remained a force in Tianzhu politics, even going so far as to hold multiple Assistant-Managers in coalition governments with both the CHP and the IRP. Formerly the kingmakers that could bring to power sensible gentlemen with a key eye on the plight of the Tianzhu farmer, the party has been “hijacked” by culture-war spewing radicals, forcing many sensible, deal-wheeling moderates either out of the party or into the arms of the more moderate CDP. This has, in turn, weakened the influence of the Populists.

National Issues: Mention three (3) issues - domestic and foreign - that plague your nation and which you need to tackle in order to prosper.

The Asian Tigers Clash!- “No Chinese expansionism” has been the penultimate goal against her largest geo-political rival. Tianzhu’s history is fraught with conflict against both China and Macedonia, and views her largest neighbors with increasing skepticism and alarm. Relations between Nanjing and Suriapet have had a tumultuous history. Tianzhu politicians and diplomats accuse Nanjing of destabilizing the nation, interfering in her domestic elections and affairs, and outwardly pushing its own policies indirectly onto the Subcontinent State. Nanjing, meanwhile, argues Suriapet has backed militant groups linked with Tibetan and Mongolian separatist groups, air-lifted anti-Chinese propaganda and insists that The Empire of Japan is a close “Blood Partner of Tianzhu”.

A Third World Country Still - In spite of everything, Tianzhu still remains a land fraught with violence, abject poverty, and deep neglect. Access to clean drinking water and even long spats of electricity outside of the nation’s most populated cities is hard to come by. Cholera and Polio, diseases once thought thoroughly eradicated throughout the civilized world, have alarming habits of appearing throughout the country, claiming many people’s lives…

And how many people there are in the nation! Tianzhu is one of, if not the largest nation by population in the world. Its borders contain nearly 1.7 billion, and her largest cities are among the most densely populated masses of humanity anywhere on the globe. Thanks to the construction and development being handled by local authorities, there remains rampant corruption, hounding and throwing out of entire families just because of cronyism and blatant robbery.

Three Great Faiths under the Same Small Roof.. - On the surface, Tianzhu is praised for its commitment to having three of the largest religions in the world all sharing roughly the same percentage living side by side in blissful harmony, an idyllic look at what a world, oh as an example… without lawyers would be like. (could you imagine? shudders…).

Lionel Hutz impersonations aside, the reality that the most abject, idealistic, rose colored hippies wish for is not a reality. There still exists a great notion of people of the same faith keeping to those that pray to the same god as the rest of them do. People value community, and having a common code of ideals and ethics goes a long way in pacifying (or militarizing) a society. After all, centuries old wounds merely turn to scars between all men…

Public Goals:

[Newne Carriebean7]

Public Goals:

“We Will Lift 60 million citizens out of poverty every two years!” One of the more ambitious goals set up by the Sharp Governorship is to lift millions of people out of abject poverty. So far, the overall road to attain this goal has been the utilization of millions of people in seemingly never-ending construction projects all throughout Tianzhu, intent on internally developing and modernizing its aging railway, bridge and highway infrastructure. However, due to the way this government is set up, most of these are under the purview of the governing Spiritual Councils, and as such, are subject to partisan whims, logrolling and blatant corruption. It remains to be seen if these can truly bring a nation out of the massive hole of its Industrial weight, or if the top 1% of Tianzhu society continue to garner more and more Imperial Kroner off the backs of the poorest 99%...

Private Goals:
GDP (nominal): $7.128 trillion
Currency: Imperial Kroner
Economic System: The economic destiny of Tianzhu has been mixed at best. Beset with aging Infrastructure, railyards and crumbling buildings, the responsibility for the repair has rested not with the central government, but with the responsibility of each State’s Spiritual Councils and their respective and duly-elected Boards of Directors. This hands off approach to the general economic plans has enabled certain efficient sectors of the economy, such as the Arms Industry, Textiles and Pharmaceuticals to really shine in terms of economic output and prowess for Tianzhu and her people. Consequently, this has meant that other areas of the economy such as Agriculture and Industrial Waste have really fallen by the way-side in favor of more “profitable” areas of the economy.

One of the most controversial areas of the economy are the ones that are in the lowest poverty levels in the nation. These involve the jobs that are ostensibly outlawed by a decree from the General Manager, and are in effect supposedly illegal. That being said, the overall enforcement of such laws has been left to each state to, with predictable results. The poorest citizens are forced to borrow money from wealthy landowners/businessmen to pay for an emergency and garner a debt. They work on the landowner’s land, being housed and fed “adequate” in exchange for paying off the debt by helping the landowner with his multiple businesses in the State.

This “debt-slavery” is estimated by the Tianzhu Imam-At-Bank (Economic minister, named for the religious group that currently controls the position, in this case, a Muslim member is the economic minister) at around 75 million Tianzhu citizens.
Defense Budget (USD): $603.25 billion
Alliance(s):
Military:
The Defense Forces of Tianzhu are divided into five main branches:

The Mónimos Stratós, or Standing Army, is the primary land defense force of Tianzhu.
Consisting of 1,750,000 Standing (Or “Active Duty) and another 900,000 Sitting (or Reserve) military personnel. While conscription is mandatory for all adult males aged 16-36, the Heavenly Republic’s military does allocate certain levels of exemptions, such as those for humanitarian workers, college professors, educators, and high-ranking religious scholars. Following a completion of Two “dekaetía”, or decades of service , men are then placed on the Peristrofikós (Rotating) List, which while they can return to their civilian lives, they can be called up at any time for any reason and for any purpose by their superior officer or by the General Manager personally. . This has been useful in the event of large scale natural disasters or in times of war or national crisis. Controversially, this has also been levied as a massive source of cheap labor, being sent on “Deployments” to build Macedonian Casinos, Russian Hotels and German Bars, all for significantly cheaper costs than are available nearly anywhere else.


Garnering the largest portion of the treasure, this is reflected in its sprawling enormity, as a colossus guarding Tianzhu against both Chinese and Macedonian threats to her borders. Based on the overall layout of Tianzhu’s territory and the unpredictability of both their governments against the “reasonable people of the Heavenly Republic”, military bases dot the border of both nations, all armed to the teeth with large quantities of armored vehicles, equipment and rockets aimed directly at both Babylon and Nanjing respectively. The Mónimos Stratós’s primary source of manpower is the nation’s extensive population, with the oft depicted “Tianzhu wave of bravery, tenacity and brilliance” crashing against the shores of both fictionalized (although very chinese and macedonian in features) countries in propaganda videos shot and produced by the Mónimos Stratós, often with the covert approval of the Emperor of Heaven himself.

In each of the nation’s 47 states, there exists the position of “Master-of-the-Blade”. These “Masters” are tasked with the supervision/training of new recruits within their respective states, the procurement of new supplies, the technological development of military technology and aggressively enforce recruitment efforts for new soldiers for the Army. They report directly to the next level of command, the Pastor-At-Arms.

The Pastor-At-Arms serves as the nation’s second highest ranking military official, only subordinate to the Emperor of Heaven, to whom he must report daily to. He is tasked with organizing military proposals, including working with the lower legislative house to pass his own paychecks in the form of the Yearly Budget. He actively wargames out potential scenarios with the assistance of the General Training Congress, which meets every six months to one year in order to properly plan out various contingency plans and respond to political developments both foreign and domestic. The General Training Congress serves as the penultimate authority on military matters for the Mónimos Stratós, and can dictate tactics, logistics and military strategy. The GTC is overseen both by the Pastor-At-Arms and the Emperor of Heaven, although in instances that the Emperor is too ill or over encumbered by “earthly desires” to attend in person, the Pastor-At-Arms assumes full responsibility for the GTC, provided the Emperor of Heaven grants his personal signature and war banner is still present at the GTC’s General Council Administration Building.

Equipment of the Mónimos Stratós
Main Battle Tanks
838 x Astrapí Type 41 Tanks (sort of like the T-90)
2,723 x Vrontí Type 30 Tanks (sort of like the T-72)
3,109 x Geráki Type 19 Tanks (sort of like the T-62)
3,758 x Alpikós Type 7 Tanks (sort of like the T-55)

Astrapí means Lightning in Greek
Vrontí means Thunder in Greek
Geráki means Falcon in Greek
Alpikós mean Pine in Greek

Armored Personnel Carriers
1,985 x Kladáki Armored Personnel Carriers (resembles BMP-1)
Kladáki means Twig in Greek
Self Propelled Artillery
154 x Ulysses Self Propelled Howitzers
3,089 Pieces of Towed Artillery

The Plotó Naftikó, or Floating Navy, is the primary sea based naval force of Tianzhu, tasked with the defense of her substantial series of coastlines, the prevention of smuggling drugs and other illicit activities along her shores, and the guarding of Ceylon from a potential enemy strike.
Like with the Mónimos Stratós, all men are expected to serve Two dekaetias of service for the Naval Branch. One important distinction, however, is that signatures of men in the Peristrofikós list expire after two years and six months unless there is a renewal by either the Juries of Tianzhu’s legal system or by a written Missive on behalf of the Admiral-At-Law for the Plotó Naftikó. Upon the expiration of that signature, that man is legally freed from Conscription. This has made the Naval branch far more appealing to the low lives of Tianzhu’s seedy underbelly and poverty stricken coastal villages and rural countryside.

[spoiler=Equipment of the Plotó Naftikó]

Capital Ships
1 x HAM Salamis (His Angelic Majesty)
Ultimately the responsibility of the Pastor-At-Arms, the history of the HAM Salamis starts with the increasing corruption of the weak-willed Lord-Lieutenant of Tianzhu Achní Kefalída (1905-1911), who was bullied by influential naval ministers and military officers into believing a rampant Arabic and Babylonian naval threat in the Tianzhu Sea. This resulted in the construction of the HAM Salamis from Japanese shipyards from the far east.

Bitterly argued to be nothing more than a colossal waste of local funds by opposition Spiritual Councils (who, mind you are not permitted to interfere or hold any political influence with what is seen, rightly as national efforts for defense and security) and defended by the most Fanatical, if anti-social, branches of the Plotó Naftikó, the vessel sits in port for most of its current tenure. Even more egregious, the vessel has been updated with Anti-Ship Missile systems, its engines converted to nuclear power, giving a 20 knot vessel unlimited range to..flounder around and yell greek twinged obscenities with her powerful… 12 inch main battery of cannon.

Combat effectiveness is dubious at best, but can be utilized to great effect at shore bombardment of dissidents and protestors on Tianzhu’s beaches.


Looks like the Russian Battleship Moscova
Battlecruisers
Toxótis Class, ( Toxótis (BC-4); Ápsogos (BC-5); Kapélo (BC-6); Skouriasménos (BC-7) )

Commissioned in 1980 ,1983, 1986 and 1989 respectively, the Toxótis (meaning Archer),
Ápsogos (Impeccable), Kapélo (Hat) and Skouriasménos (Rusty) hold a displacement of 54,000 tons, and are among the largest capital ships currently in service with the Plotó Naftikó. Updated every eleven years since a massive 2001 refurbishment and refit, these vessels serve as a point of pride for every Tianzhu citizen in the nation. Their large, sweeping hulls and ubiquitous missile racks on both sides make them a crowd pleaser whenever they are spotted by locals along the coast. Their stated roles in a conventional war are to lob multiple Anti-Ship Missiles towards a hypothetical Babylonian, FAR carrier group and overwhelm their defenses, sinking the large, horizontal, plane-laden targets and capital vessels alongside their support ships. Thus, these ships have been given the moniker, “The Carrier-Killers”, although neither of these vessels has actually sunk any surface vessels.
2001, 2012,2021

Archer, Impeccable; Hat , Rusty
Cruisers - 6
Destroyers - 18
Corvettes -20
Nuclear Attack Submarines - 8
Ballistic Attack Submarines - 5
Submarine chasers - 30
Gunboats - 11
Minelayers - 38
Replenishment oilers - 22
Auxiliaries (Numerous support vessels) - 195

Missile Patrol Boats[/spoiler]

Iptámeni Aeroporía (Flying Air Force)
Finally, we get to the Iptámeni Aeroporía (Flying Air Force), whose primary mission statement is to “Protect, Defend and Secure the Airs above Tianzhu.” It does this with a variety of Ground to Air Missile systems, Air bases dotted around the nation, and a very stringent No-Fly Policy when it is activated. To accomplish this goal with more equipment rather than very strenuous “can you please stop flying over us pretty please with Golden Robes on top?” screams into state sponsored megaphones aimed at passing jet-liners and passenger aircraft, the Iptámeni Aeroporía utilizes Surface to Air Missile Systems, Anti-Air Cannons and their own brand of Jet Interceptors armed to the teeth with weaponry that would level numerous suburban homes in America should they feel so inclined. As they haven’t felt inclined nor have the operational range for any such mission, American suburbanites sleep well not worrying about Tianzhu bombs falling through their living rooms and ruining the feng-shui of their (dare I say) tacky interior design.

2,045 x Ground Attack Aircraft
2,089 x Fighters/Interceptors
791 x Strategic Bombers
195 x Transport Aircraft
385 x Attack Helicopters

Mystikós Stratós
The Mystikós Stratós (Secret Army) acts as both a clandestine private army taking orders directly from the Watchman of the Fires of Hell himself and as a branch of the nation’s intelligence apparatus. This force does the foulest and dirtiest deeds that the normal branches would either be compromised in or have refused to do for moral reasons. Whatever it is, they are relentless. Rumored to be under the influence of mystics and frauds for centuries, they are efficient in their line of work, acting as covert assassins, suicide bombers, smooth criminals and posing as inoffensive government employees of foreign governments to garner intelligence. When the Mystikós Stratós have a dissident to the regime they want gone, they get him gone.

On top of dismembering shadowy threats to the state’s existence, a portion of her funding also funnels into religious extremist organizations all over the globe. Ignoring the disjointed and often-time contradictory messages, ideologies and goals of these terrorist groups, the only shared goal of the Mystikós Stratós is the destabilization of her global rivals and the strengthening of her own position in comparison.

Stratigikí Ypiresía Pyrávlon

The Stratigikí Ypiresía Pyrávlon (Strategic Rocket Service) is tasked with the overall maintenance, strategic deployment and deployment of Tianzhu’s Long to Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile program. This force also acts as the nation’s Space Agency, and has a minority of it’s budget dedicated to a rocket and satellite launching program. By-in-large however, underneath the facade of civilian rocket engineers and degree wearing smart alecs are the sinister whirrs of centrifuges in antiseptic gleaming laboratories deep within the earth’s crust, intent on the procurement and development of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Accordingly, the Stratigikí Ypiresía Pyrávlon is spearheaded by A Chancellor on Nuclear Options, who reports directly to both the Pastor-At-Arms and the Emperor of Heaven himself. This position is appointed and filled by the House of the Ancients, needing just a 50% threshold, unlike the 3/4ths threshold that many other positions within Tianzhu’s government and bureaucracy require.

History:

1739: Using the brutal execution and dismembering of Macedonian diplomats in Dehli as justification, Macedonia’s Strategos-Autokrator Nader Afshar launches an invasion of India. At this time, India was ruled by the Mughal Empire, under the weak leadership of Muhamad Shah. He, along with his second in command Nir Tawib, managed to assemble an army of 40,000 warriors and met Afshar outside of Dehli. Managing to convince Nir Tawib’s right flank to desert en mass from Shah’s army, a steamrolling of that flank caused the Shah’s army to panic and break, forcing Shah to withdraw further into the countryside, looting and burning anything from his now demoralized and undisciplined troops. Muhamad Shah would later be found face down in a pool of his own blood by the advancing Macedonian armies, murdered by his own generals.

1740-1750: Following the death of Muhamad Shah, a power vacuum immediately became evident in the Mughal Empire. Generals Amir Kin Talal and Konstantine Katakáthisma (Meaning Dredge in Greek) consolidated control over the south and northern parts of the subcontinent respectively. Talal formed what is known as the Opiana Dynasty (1740-1800). Katakáthisma marshaled his forces south to the city of Akola and declared a rival dynasty, known in Tianzhu history as the Ashoka Dynasty (1740 - 1780)
Although attempts were made by both rival leaders to reassert their control over the Indian subcontinent, neither proved successful, and so both dynasties remained with influence over their respective portions of India.

By 1777, however, the Ashoka Dynasty increasingly was afflicted by massive famines and plauges, resulting in the extermination of their ruling house of Saar. Upon news of this reaching the ears of Opiana leader Amir Kin Talal, he and his War Chiefs swept south on horseback, bringing almost 200,000 warriors with them. Sweeping all before them, they captured Akola and ending the Ashoka Dynasty in three short years of brutal genocide and violence. Now with a re-united Tianzhu, the Opiana Dynasty refused to both modernize and remained “That land of barbarians”.

1783-1785: In 1783, Amir Kin Talal heard the call to morning prayer while going up the stairs, immediately turning on the spot and kneeling, his fragile balance failed him, falling down the flight of steps and breaking his head on the first step. Upon the death of Talal, reign passed to his son, Ali Kin Talal, who was loathed for his supposed homosexuality.

Ali’s short reign involved alienating almost all of his father’s supporters, from Islamic clergy by issuing in a slew of reforms that would constrain the power of Imams. Furthermore, he took numerous male lovers as his personal concubines to live with him in the Palace. He massively upset the common people by issuing the first “ Five dekaetias” (50 year term of military service) and added exemptions only for his personal family and a few close personal friends. When a burning fire broke out in much of the countryside, it was rumored that the Shah was playing chess and inhaling Opium, enraging the common people who began to rise up in revolt.

Shah Ali’s Palace was stormed on October 30, 1785, with the Shah himself committing ritual suicide along with almost one hundred of his lovers and concubines. Following the collapse of the Talal bloodline, Islamic Imam Obi Wagi Khani declared himself the next Shah, with much applause.

1785-1800: In contrast to Ali’s reign, Obi’s governance was one of genuine stability, at least in the beginning. Repealing the Five dekaetias law that had earned much of the ire from the common man, he became popular with the masses in Tianzhu with this action. He formally passed a decree outlawing homosexual behavior, declaring such behavior to be forbidden. This appeased the conservative Islamists and Imams in the nation. He also managed to pacify the most disheveled and poor peasants by ordering the first payment directly to farmers in the nation for them to grow additional wheat in the form of subsidies. However, in the face of a more reformist agricultural and urbanized elite, Obi remained steadfastly aligned with the conservative old guard and the Imams, frustrating the liberals and moderates, recently awakened with an enlightenment spirit that spread. Alternate ideas about religion and challenges to well-hewn social norms and traditions began to sprout up in local bazaars and under hushed tones and dim candle light in the black of night. Public dis-satisfaction with the still evident economic imbalance between the poorest of Tianzhu and her wealthiest. At this time, local elites in the Opiana dynasty began to increasingly assert more and more autonomy, in open defiance of the Imperial Government.

Shah Obi heard great things from his advisors about Macedonian dictator Anastasidos and his co opting of local provincial elites before stripping them of their autonomy and power. Reading the cover of his tactical genius in this move, Obi clumsily embarked on his own disastrous, uneven, reign of terror from 1796 to 1800. During these four years, the government acted erratically, punishing local Imams while leaving others alone for seemingly little reason. When taxes were ordered to be placed upon local Tailors and Coopers, for example, Obi ordered the execution of all those regardless of if they had paid the tax or not, stating simply “This nation has no need for Barrel Makers or your like!” By 1800, the government was deep in debt, owing to a combination of lackluster taxation efforts, the forced execution of all economists for “conspiring with currency to crash the country!”. Eventually, even the elite of Tianzhu society began to have their homes forcibly seized by disheveled and diseased soldiers. This proved to be the spark that led to the Revolution of 1800.
Fear, Self-Sabatoge, and the Incremental Years of Hot Steel (1800-1806)
On the morning of August 30, 1800, Shah Obi was met by a massive delegation of the country’s governors, noble elite and several generals of the Royal Army. In a meeting that took less than two hours, Shah Obi agreed to share power with an elected assembly called the Vasilikí Katoikía (Royal Homestate). “Elected” is putting it lightly. Nothing at all like organizing hundreds of thousands of unwashed peasants, goodness no, instead, those that held a significant amount of land were granted the right to vote. The overall absolute powers of the monarchy was constrained in the “Constitution of 1800”. The Shah would gradually be muzzled in his control over the local Governors, (which he had found hard to control anyways) and have to answer to a duly elected assembly that he would be forced to delegate certain responsibilities towards.

However, in spite of the guardrails and restraints now set upon the monarchy, Shah Obi proved to be a daft listener. He remained defiant in the head of the elected assembly. Retaining the power to dissolve the assembly for new elections, he did just that on a basis of twice each year (once for the spring and once for the fall) from 1801 to 1804. Eventually the vasilikí katoikía declared that they were not dissolved for elections and continued to meet anyways, regardless of what the Shah decreed. In response, the Shah closed the central meeting hall and demanded that they disperse back to their homes. The elected representatives refused to move and instead met in secret at an old Greek Temple, declaring that they would remain in session until the Shah would listen to them.

When the military was ordered to arrest all in the Temple, the commanding General Konstanko Ayldranious, refused the order and instead marched on the Shah’s Palace. Shah Obi quickly met the armed soldiers and thought they would assist him in dispersing the “snakes known as the Homestate Treasoners”. What happened instead was that the Shah was placed in a small stockade and marched to the Agabash Prisoner Castle, where he would be placed on trial while representatives for both the elected assembly and the Shah met in private to hash out some sort of constitutional agreement that would appease both sides. Rumors of both the Shah’s escape and his execution abound in the room, adding to an atmosphere of general paranoia between both the Shah’s surrogates and the republican legislatures. Eventually, a tentative agreement was reached that formed the Constitution of 1804.

Among other things, the Constitution would limit the Shah’s power by forcing his Privy Council to be subject to confirmation by the vasilikí katoikía. Furthermore, the legislature held the sole power to impeach members of the Council. Although the 1804 Constitution was widely hailed at the time as liberal progress for Tianzhu, it left many of the institutions and traditional policies still in place. Owing to the fierce opposition from conservatives, the power of the Shah was retained, with only the few mentioned restrictions ultimately being added in the bill. The economy would be set up with the assistance of The Tianzhu Trading Bazar, which would help facilitate trade with Mythical creatures such as the Chinese and the…Japanese…

More importantly, it set up the head of government’s office, establishing the position of “Lord-Lieutenant”. While this office was not to be the successor to the Shah, it would instead be appointed by the Shah, at least ostensibly owing to elections that were to occur “every nine years, so that the decades shivven procure and produce excellent minds every-on-ca-genn’er-ation”, at least according to Obi.

Speaking of Obi, following the transformation of the country from a near Absolute monarchy to the beginnings of a semi-Absolute Monarchy, the Shah announced his abdication, instead leaving the decision in the hands of the vasilikí katoikía. In the nation’s first ever parliamentary elections of 1805, Reformer Fytó Kólo was elected as Tianzhu’s Lord-Lieutenant.

Following the abdication of Obi, the Throne was passed to his seventieth child’s cousin, named Jahid Zulfiqar(1805-1806), who became the first Shah to assume the throne under the new government. This distant relative to the previous king was seen to have been a mistake. During Jahid’s short tenure as ruler, he forcibly attempted to bring back an absolute monarchy and promised to “execute every man, woman and child that stood in the way of the good old days”. Unsurprisingly, following the brutal Massacre of the Twenty-Thousand in 1806, Shah Jahid would be brought before the people and torn limb from limb by a furious mob, who demanded another Shah to rule over them, hopefully one with less… “murdery” tendencies.

Following the loss of his uncle, Shah Hermisticles Zulfiqar (1806-1841) took the throne, vowing to protect the Constitution. To the surprise of many, he actually kept his word. He largely withdrew himself from the political machinations of court life and concentrated on being a patron to the arts and cultures, helping expand both Ancient Greek inspired Temples from the floods of Polytheistic worshippers that were welcomed with open arms into the Empire’s borders. In his absence as a strong political leader, however, the local governorships began to assert themselves once more, although never really leaving the beneficial relationship that the Royal Palace granted them.

It was also during Zulfiqar’s reign that the borders of the Empire expanded, stretching into Tibet briefly before returning to form a general wall along the Border. In 1813 the Treaty of Friendship and Streets was signed in Peking, being ratified by the Shah of Heaven nine months later in Suriapet.

Shah Narkissos Iapetos (1841-1877)
Throughout the 1840s and 1850s, the Shah had to deal with a massed wave of immigration, primarily from English speaking countries that brought along missionaries. One such group was Jochaim Von Schmift, who began to popularize the ideas of the holy trinity; Baptisms for the dead; and that Jochaim was sent by God himself in the event of the final days. These ideas became known as the Prussian Reformed Church.

Almost immediately such beliefs ran contrary to not only Greek Polytheistic religions and their elaborate and massed temples, but was declared Blasphemous by the Imams of the Sharia Faith. The already very conservative Imams declared Sharia Law in numerous states where they held a majority, repressing the local Christian minorities in such states. In retaliation, both Greek polytheists and Prussian Reformationist Christians both began to harass not only each other, but also fellow muslims in their respective regions.

This sparked what is known as the Tianzhu “War of Religions'' which lasted intermittently from 1840 until 1900. In spite of a centralization and concentration of power campaign by Shah Iapetos occurring at this same time, he was unable to fully separate both religious identity from an ethnic one. The individual states still refused to obey, often clashing with one another over border disputes and religious differences. During the American Civil War in 1853, the liberal management of Lord-Lieutenant Cornwallis Flint Lockwood (1850-1851;1852-1854; 1855-1857; 1860-1866; 1870-1872; 1874-1876) actively encouraged Cotton Hungry European factories to feast upon the massive Cotton plantations in Tianzhu. Thanks to the American south’s weird preoccupation with being burnt down and or used as a battleground, competition really only came from Macedonia and Egypt, which proved to be fierce. What occurred was an explosion in wealth for the wealthiest, while the poorest Tianzhu citizen’s living conditions only improved marginally, from sleeping in a cement shack to sleeping in a cement shack with a gas lamp perched precariously above their sleeping arrangements.

In 1875, when the British declared that they would no longer purchase goods, raw material or supplies that was made with slave labor, Shah Iapetos called the vasilikí katoikía for a special session. The result of this session was the Outlawing of Slavery in all “Christian and Greek Areas of the Kingdom.” While local Islamic areas were mostly left alone, these areas at the time only accounted for around 10% of all slave labor in the Kingdom at the time, and so had a negligible effect on the Islamic Plantation Class. One important caveat to this was the (to this day) practice of ‘debt-slavery’, which was left alone as a way to assist the factory and members of nobility into keeping their labor. Still, the preening from the Liberal elite at the time crowed that Tianzhu had “Entered the Ranks of the Modern Nations”.

Shah Konstanine I’Timad (1877-1904)
Following the death of Shah Iapetos of kidney failure from drinking the blood of a baby goat, General of the Army Konstanine I’Timad quietly marshaled his forces and Arrested the vasilikí katoikía. Declaring Martial Law, he quickly moved to execute various bureaucrats, lawyers, members of the nobility and Christian ministers and bishops. Being crowned in the Hall of the Thousand Swords as “Shah Konstantine”, he had all surviving ministers swear a blood oath to him. He immediately got to work mostly restoring the previous government’s institutions following a year of instability that he argued “required a heavy hand, but we don’t need that anymore”.

The Konstantine Era would be renowned as a ‘second golden age’ of art, Tianzhu sports and culture as progress gradually increased. The first widespread adoption of the telephone was used in Suriapet, the first sewer system was implemented, along with the country’s first general education system, which was allocated per individual state. Consequently, the military was also built up with small arms factories being developed alongside her tremendous capacity for Cotton and Industrial Material.

During this time the military was expanded from 185,000 members to over 600,000 members, greatly increasing their overall influence in general politics within Tianzhu. In being able to balance out the request from military, Islamist and conservative hardliners and liberal, Christian socialist laborers, Konstantine would retain his position. He used this to great effect when he called upon the military’s Islamist General Staff to stifle an aborted extremist military coup by a group of disgruntled middle-ranking officers in 1883. He also rallied the ability of the popular masses to bring the day-to-day-life of Suriapet to a grinding halt during the 1890 Conspiracy of the Thirteen Families, preventing soldiers loyal to populist extremists from reaching the Imperial Palace and overthrowing the Shah.

However, by the turn of the 20th century, Konstantine had become less adept and agile at balancing the needs of the people and the needs of the armed forces. When the Shah allowed a sweeping military reformation bill to become law without his signature, he was openly condemned by Generals such as Konstantine I’ Iliad and Saddam Humas Al-Dagar. Openly threatened with a military coup, Konstantine I’ Timad ordered the arrest of both generals. This openly sparked revolt by the military, which led to over 15,000 soldiers arranging for a “Parade” along the route that led into Suriapet and the Imperial Capital. Moving with such swiftness that I’Timad hadn’t even realized what they were doing until it was too late, the Shah of Tianzhu would be overthrown and given the state’s first public defenestration (execution from falling from a window).

Shah Safaa (1904-1919)

Defiantly declaring the “Creation of a New Idea”, Shah Safaa promoted the “Three Concurrences” in Tianzhu politics. “A Concurrence to the adoption of technology; A Concurrence to the expansion of military power; A Concurrence to the expansion of popular sovereignty and rights.” The First meant the widespread unlocking of Tianzhu’s massive population to be put to work for the betterment of the state, with the expectation that the state would grant rights following a requirement of services rendered by her people.

With the third Concurrence, this was executed in a tripartite approach. Firstly, the local Imams, long conservative hot-beds of activity that would be oppressed by more liberal regimes, would be awarded more local autonomy. This became known as the start of Tianzhu’s modern day State Spiritual Council System, which replaced the Shah appointed (and widely loathed) Tax-Administrators which often abused their powers immensely, often at the expense of the common people. Under this new system, local States and their surrounding communities would be responsible for their own well-being, provided they remained in line with the Government.

Lord-Lieutenant of Tianzhu Achní Kefalída was brought in under the widely loathed “Compromise of 1907”. In this compromise, the Tianzhu High Heavens Battle-Fleet’s General-Admiralty would wield a shadow veto over all legislation regarding military matters. Controlled by a group of Islamist Imams and archconservative Greek Polytheists, this group held a de-facto veto power over military reforms, keeping the nation in the 1900 to 1880s in terms of naval, military and political policy.

Always mindful of the fate of his predecessor, he made sure to keep the Armed forces satisfied, lest he end up like another one of Tianzhu’s failed monarchies. When the Armed forces pressured the Shah to get involved in World War I, he reluctantly allowed for a small volunteer force to be organized, so as to appease the military. This volunteer force would be known as the “Tianzhu Raiders” and was sent to help bolster the Russian Tsar against the German Empire on the eastern front. This force, while highly motivated, was poorly organized and fared disastrously in its first engagement outside of Bragadino. By March of 1917, losses in combat, combined with the Russian withdrawal from the Frontlines prompted the Tianzhu Raiders to be formally withdrawn, although humanitarian and social service armed militias from Tianzhu remained in both Moscow and Saint Petersburg during the Russian Revolution.

Foreign adventures aside, Shah Safaa still had to answer to the General-Admiralty, and was stymied in his attempts to bring mass food relief to the poorest citizens, increase the education system or even just lay down mass pipes and infrastructure in building a modern nation-state. Still, the Shah persisted, working with a group of reformist-minded Spiritual Councils while bypassing the archconservative Imams in their reactionary mosques. One of the last acts before he died was the secret formation of the “League of Assassins”. This group would be the nation’s secret police, intent on enforcing his rulings and dictating policy from the blade of a sword or the barrel of a crusty wine bottle. In 1919, Shah Safaa would be brutally assassinated by members of his own bodyguard, who quickly declared that one of them, Hizballah Hijab Aud Papadopoulos to be the next Shah. Declaring the extermination of “all those who oppose Jesus and his Teachings” This did not sit well with many reformists, conservatives, socialists, marxists and Greek polytheists, who rallied a massive force, led by General Konstantine I’Suzar. Following a week of bloody street-by-street fighting in Suriapet, H.H A..Papadopoulos would be crucified for his crimes against the state, and Konstantine I’Suzar would be declared Shah by the vasilikí katoikía.

Shah Konstantine I’Suzar (1919-1944)

Upon sitting on his throne in Suriapet, Shah Konstantine I’Suzar would personally see to it that anyone caught in the acts or teachings of “H.H.A.. Papadopopulous would be crucified, or left to hang by the neck until death..” As a consequence, over 15,000 of Papadopoulous’s followers would be crucified or lynched by furious mobs that began to roam the streets. Quickly marshaling the soldiers of the Royal Tianzhu Army into every major city and provincial state to restore order, he was hailed for this action in finally bringing some semblance of stability to the unstable Empire. Shah I’Suzar watched with a combination of nervousness and alarm as the Macedonian Empire have a spread of far-right ideologies. Tianzhu, for what it’s worth, was not absent these extremist groups either, however they loosely looked to Shah Safaa’s “Three Concurances”. It was during this time that additional changes to the working man, including the nation’s first ever Labor Union, began to grow in popularity. The start of the worker’s rights movement in Tianzhu has considered to have begun under Sha I’Suzar’s reign, with rampant industrialization either convincing many farmers to back up and move into the cities, huge numbers of urbanization also occurred, beginning to depopulate the once thickly heavy with folks countryside.

These most extreme of these groups, wished for a more theocratic style of governance, with a “King of the Afterlife” being pronounced as his spiritual titles, while a far more humble “Deputy of the State'' title would be bestowed as his de-facto political office of power and control. They eyed the divides between the Islamic, Christian and Greek Polytheistic factions and truly (or naively) wished to bridge the divide between all three, to formulate a society that would earnestly and honestly work for the overall betterment of all those that partook in her food or gave to her earth…

Tianzhu Involvement in the “Second War of Armageddon” as it is known in Tianzhu historical texts and scrolls starts with the Tianzhu formation of the “League of Armed Patriots”. With coordination from the League of Assassins (who, by this point had morphed more into a secret service/clandestine operations force). In 1942, when the Republic of China occupied Tibet, this news was brought straight to Shah Safaa’s attention. While many of his advisors urged caution, he nevertheless decided to declare that a state of war existed between China and Tianzhu on August 22, 1942.

In the winter of 1942, The Tianzhu Royal Army began to make slow progress over the vast Himalayan Mountain Ranges, stymied by Chinese resistance in the area. This tentative offensive forces Safaa to call off the Offensive on account of high casualties and limited tactical gains. Nevertheless, additional forces are marshaled into the Chinese-Tianzhu border within the Himalayan Mountains. Heavy field Artillery was used daily to pound Chinese positions with massive shells, but dashing saber drawn calvary and mule charges by Tianzhu soldiers and their officers became nothing more than slaughtered formations of animals and their twitching riders.

Emboldened by the powers of “The Afterlife Leader”, the occult and extremist theories infected the regular soldier, who was promised a shiny after-life, especially being rewarded should they take as many Chinese bastards down along with them. Charging head-first during the Nipale Offensive of April 1943, Tianzhu soldiers saw their first wide-spread success at all during this war, providing a much needed morale boost for the men fighting the “Chinese Devils”. That being said, the Nipale Offensive from a greater campaign standpoint held a negligible impact on the number of KMT forces already stationed from the occupation of Tibet.

However, by 1944, with the overall thrust of the war turning against the Japanese, Tianzhu shipping being blown up by submarines or sunk by commerce raiders, and daily reports from the front-lines on the overall ‘futility’ of further combat offensives, there needed to be action taken. It was an action to save the country from its darkest days. On October 30, 1944, a group of low-ranking officers assaulted the Royal Palace while the Shah was sleeping; they overpowered the Imperial Guards with little difficulty before barging into the Royal BedChamber, forcing Shah Safaa to get dressed and follow him outside. He was taken to a wooded area along with his three wives and nine children, and was gunned down with brutal violence by a Machine Gun mounted truck. Their bodies were thrown into a shallow, unmarked grave and buried with quick acting cement.

Following the execution of the Royal Family, the conspirators drove into the town square, where they declared that they would manage the country as the seven-member “Transitional Authority Council”. This would be a provisional government to manage the day-to-day machinations of a nation state, until such time as “the Emperor of Heaven” ' had been located and found. Although the Council is largely forgotten by today’s historians, it is nevertheless important to understand the transition from an absolute monarchy to a federalist two-party state loosely managed by a monarchy.

1942, a KMT reserve was used to occupy Tibet and to liberate Xinjiang from its pro-Soviet warlord, which allowed them to receive limited support from Macedonia.

Emperor of Heaven Joseph Fletcher Smith (1945-present)

On June 17, 1945, The Council’s de-facto chairman and Transitional leader Konstantine Gregori appeared before a somewhat good looking ten year old boy, who was then proclaimed the “Emperor of Heaven” as his spiritual title. They announced an abolition of the monarchy and instead declared that a “Heavenly Republic” was to be created, with a constitutional assembly, a bicameral legislature, and a duly elected head of government.

At least on paper it sounded like Tianzhu was undergoing one of the most radical transformations in recent memory. In practice however, the Gregori really took inspiration from the long line of Shahs (minus all the military coups and attempts to overthrow the Shah) and simply attached some “corporate lingo” to the front of his political office. According to the Constitution, Joseph Fletcher Smith was to only be formally declared “Fully-Independent” upon his 16th birthday, having the same legal rights and holding all authority under his political and spiritual offices.

However, Joseph F. Smith’s eyes started to wander to the luxurious eyes of Madeline “Doll” Christanoulpoulous. One thing led to another and Smith wished to marry the woman. When Gregori refused his wishes under the auspices that It would be far too scandalous for a “Man of Heaven” to marry a “Woman of Hell”, Smith was adamant about this change. When his mother, one Diana Fielding Smith (b.1909 d. 1995) organized a pressure campaign to remove Gregori from his role as Transitional leader, Smith followed suit, sacking Gregori of all special status and privileges in July of 1951, shortly after his sixteenth birthday.

Following the Gregori affair, he sat upon a still heated meeting about the drafting of constitutional protections and privileges. When a disgruntled tax collector and member of the Shah’s nobility began to berate the process, calling it a: “sham to destroy the wise and powerful and give rise to the meek and foolish.” Smith intervened and openly shamed the man for his words. He blasted the former tax collector for having a “rampant role in corruption. I may be young, but I will not stand for crooks in charge! You are dismissed!”

In the end, the Emperor of Heaven would retain power in the spiritual realm with his “Spiritual Offices”. He also managed his “Physical Mandate of Tianzhu” in his role as the nation’s first General-Manager of Tianzhu. To assist him, he organized an elected position lower down called the “Assistant-Manager of Tianzhu.” This position would serve “so long as he retains confidence in either the General-Manager or either house of the Grand Chamber of the Ashened Apostles (the name of the bicameral legislature).”

The First elections under the new government saw the center-left Christian Democrats take power in January of 1947. The Management of Crawford Neville Juniper (1947-1949) saw the country’s foreign policy remain firmly neutral, refusing to acknowledge either the communists or the anti-communist blocks throughout the world. “Tianzhu will follow her own path.” Juniper defiantly declared to a cheering crowd of 60,000 in his inaugural address. One thing that was evident was a vehement anti-Chinese sentiment, although he remained reticent at reapproaching the Empire of Japan. To that end, he was undermined by both Emperor Smith and the Chair of the Mystikós Stratós, who were of the opinion that the Empire of Japan would make a key ally in the fight against Chinese “Republicanist Sentiments”.

A stagnating economy in this area lent credibility to the center-right faction within the Christian Democrats. They argued that Liberal reforms to the economy were needed, and massive foreign investment would be greatly warranted to help rebuild the country following the conclusion of the War of Armageddon. Following a lackluster economic report in the fall, Juniper faced a furious voter base of unemployed veterans, who furiously threw his party out of office and replace them with the center-right Islamic Republican Party, under Jinna Al-Suiz (1949-1959).

The Al-Suiz “Assistance in Managing” refrained from casting their opponents as either the Christians and the Greeks, but rather assailed both Macedonia and the Republic of China as “perpetual threats to world stability.” In spite of this, Tianzhu remained a country with chronic poverty, anemic public infrastructure, a weak government and filled to the brim with Christian and Islamic groups clashing in the streets. In order to begin to address these issues one at a time, throughout his tenure, Al-Suiz ordered massive public works projects to be undertaken in an attempt to jumpstart the ailing economy and to drop the unemployment figures down. For a fleeting moment from 1953 to 1958, it looked as though Chinese-Tianzhu relations would at least be reset to normal. Al-Suiz and the Emperor of Heaven both decided to lessen the Anti-Chinese protests and racial segregation that had been common-place since the late 1940s. To complement this Pro-Chinese new leaf with a bit of Anti-Japanese matchmaking, they would greatly marginalize the Japanese Empire’s diplomatic delegations (going so far as to post the Japanese Embassy in a walk-in closet in downtown Suriapet). While these actions were the start of an improvement in Chinese-Tianzhu relations, they also enraged far-right members of the government, who cooperated with the Mystikós Stratós to assassinate Al-Suiz in 1959, being caught by a sniper’s bullet as he returned from a late cabinet meeting on September 18, 1959.

In the subsequent elections, the Center-left Christian-Democratic Party and their anti-chinese foreign policy returned under Alexander Chamberlain (1959-1966; 1970-1972; 1973-1980).

Defiantly declaring that “The Blood of those that perished under Chinese Flame, shall not have died in Vain!”.

With that, Chamberlain embarked on a foreign policy of attempting to surround and encircle the Republic of China, becoming very intimate with Japan and their culture, going so far as to learn and eventually becoming fluent in Japanese. He signed several trade agreements with the Empire of Japan that would see Japanese products enter the Heavenly Republic, with the approval of the General-Manager of course. Tianzhu raw materials such as steel fuel Japan’s growing industries in technology and manufacturing. With Japanese assistance, Tianzhu began to organize her own heavy industries with respect to Coal, Iron and Cotton. Vast Tianzhu cotton plantations (managed by slave labor of course) become a common sight in Tianzhu’s interior regions of the nation.

Former Cotton Magnate and Admiral Zamir State Price became one of the nation’s wealthiest individuals. Using his personal fortune off of the back of someone else’s hard labor, Price joined the Christian Democrats and actively campaigned on another Anti-Chinese foreign policy and a Pro-Environmentalist and Pro-Worker’s Rights campaign, narrowly securing a coalition government with the then right-leaning Populist Party, utilizing them in a supply and demand situation in the House of Mortals following the conclusion of both the January and July 1981 elections.

His lengthy tenure in office (1981-1999) was marred by foreign policy mis-steps, such as the invasion of Ceylon, and the arming and sheltering of Pirate groups that would raid the Red Sea and around the Horn of Africa, earning the ire of both Macedonia and Babylon, who would conduct frequent “Freedom of the Seas” and Anti-Piracy Campaigns in the area. Tianzhu Naval forces, already a pet project of Price, were bolstered by massive increases in the budget, wanting to “stand up against want-on Chinese and Macedonian Aggression.” During this time, the navy’s large Battlecruisers were laid down and commissioned during his tenure.

Skirmishes, both on the land border with both Macedonia and China, only added to the tensions. Breaking with his China-Friendly Foreign Minister, the Assistant Manager would order the General Training Congress of the Mónimos Stratós to plan aggressive actions against the Republic of China and Macedonia. More and more Imperial Kroner was poured into the military budget, culminating in the secret creation of Tianzhu’s Rocket Force. At least on paper, it was Tianzhu’s Space Program, in reality though, it was and has continued to be Tianzhu’s method to develop a weapon of mass destruction, although the institution has had more of it’s spending diverge from the development of a nuclear device to pouring resources into the construction of conventional ballistic missiles. Instead, it has been decided that tactical level nuclear weapons, ones capable of wiping out entire assembled field armies with a single shell, would be more feasible than strategic nuclear weapons.

However, for all of Price’s focus on tactical military applications and a ferocious foreign policy, he did have one Achille's heel. That was the internal affairs of the state governments. Mostly leaving them to their own devices, Price made a mis-step when he handed out government contracts to develop pipe-lines for sewage in Suryapet. The resulting pipe-lines, while finished ahead of schedule, were shoddily built and ended up bursting following a massive rainstorm on March 1, 1999. The resulting brown flood ruined the capital city, forcing hundreds of thousands out of the city while their homes were destroyed by human waste and rainwater. Scenes from helicopters of three story buildings being surrounded by a sea of tinnish looking mud colored water were broadcast all over the nation, sparking outrage at Price’s governance. Anger was directed to the ruling Christian Democrats, who were voted out in droves at the next election of the new millennia.

In place of the Orange and Blue was a sea of Red, White and Green of the IRP. Managing to win over a great number of disaffected and alienated moderate Christian Democrats, the center-right party’s slogan “for Muslims, by Muslims, for all of Tianzhu” hurled themselves into first place with nearly 57% of the popular vote and 228 seats in the House of Mortals.

The Islamic Republican Party was swept into power following the “Election of Shit” as it became crudely known.

Al-Din Jabin Cressy (2000-2013); a middle aged former war veteran turned financial expert and leader of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, one of the largest shipbuilding and breaking companies in all of Tianzhu. With this vested conflict-of-interest, the upper legislative chamber, known as the Council of Ancients, was granted permission by the General Manager to launch a wide-ranging investigation into the Assistant Manager. By mid 2006 their investigation concluded, filing a report known as the “Smirnov Report”. Uncovering swaves of uncanny and unsavory personal details into his life, including the fact that he had swindled and screwed over hundreds of his business partners, spouses and even a local Spiritual Council out of port development opportunities, this badly hurt his credibility with the voters of Tianzhu.

Nevertheless, he fought back like a lion. Hurling allegations that this was all “planned from the start to harass him” he decried such tactics as “Council Warfare!” and called on massive protests by IRP partisans throughout the nation to show their support for their businessman turned second most powerful man in all of Tianzhu. The result was a very, very polarized environment. Proponents on the right argued it was all a “Witch-hunt by Macedonian and Chinese backed spies and partisans.” Opponents on the left said it was “The evidence that we not only have a crook in office, but a liar, a cheat and a scallywag to boot!”

Bogged down in absolute partisan trench warfare for the remainder of his tenure as General Manager, he retained either a majority in the House of Mortals or was able to work with the Populists and Nationalist Alliance (another small, far-right party) to keep a functioning, governing coalition in the lower house. By the 2013 general elections however, the voting blocks that had enabled right-wing, Islamic control of the government were starting to be challenged by a wave of progressive (for Tianzhu, at least) thinking. Moderate voters, disgusted by the scandals, the partisanship and the abrasive personality of Cressy found comfort in Christian-Democat Zion Leonidas Akilpos (2013-2020), who was a genial, kind looking old man that had served as a long-time Spiritual Council member for Al-Hind, the fourth largest state in the Heavenly Republic. Under his tenure, the first rudimentary health care system for the poorest citizens was rolled out. This system would have everyone pay into a Government Health Account with their personal details in it. For those making less than 15,000 Imperial Krone, the Government would grant the person a lump sum not exceeding 35,000 Imperial Krone to only be utilized in medical emergencies. The program would be paid not only with a 2 Krone tax on all road and bridge crossings, but also an additional “Administrative fee” for any bureaucratic transaction such as changing one’s address, filing a death certificate, serving on a jury, or registering a new business with the government.

Another change was the nation’s first ever environmental laws, which prohibited the operation of “polluting factories on the lord’s day (sunday)”. Although praised at the time, factory owners instead doubled the output of their factories on the preceding Saturday, working their employees to extreme lengths in order to squeeze out yet more pennies. Safety features in these factories were lackluster to nonexistent, with fierce corruption turning away badly needed safety inspections. This enabled ancient machines from the 60s and 50s to hum away well past their retirement age, increasing the likelihood of accidents in steel mills, textile factories and shipyards.

Another area of improvement Akilpos attempted was his 2017 attempt to outlaw the practice of “Honor Hangings” in Tianzhu. Many of these were carried out by overzealous Christians and Muslims on either each other or (more often than not) on marginalized groups in Tianzhu, such as individuals that, in public, identified as either another member of the opposite sex, were attracted to the same sex, or self identifying pro-KMT/ “Macedonian agitators” citizens of the Heavenly Republic. Fiercely opposed by civil rights groups for decades as a way to “legalize the brutal murder of anyone who disagrees with you”, the odd-hoveled traditionalists screeched on all the mainstream press papers that it would be “Leading to lawlessness and Degeneracy”. Although the Assistant Manager managed to pass a fairly liberal bill in the lower chamber that would make such killings illegal and punishable by a prison sentence, the conservative House of Ancients stopped the bill dead in its tracks, frustrating the reformist politicians and outside journalists that were welcome to cover the story in Tianzhu.

In terms of a Foreign Policy, Akilpos continued the bitter Tianzhu-Chinese rivalry since the end of the War of Armageddon. Secretly directing the Mystikós Stratós to continue their contact with Anti-Chinese resistance fighters in her foremost western provinces, The regular Army continued in their bolstering of fortifications along the Himalayan Border that Separated both Tianzhu and the Republic of China. Anti-Chinese propaganda was blared on loud-speakers in several of the nation’s largest cities, whipping the public in a still groggy mood to “Revere the Emperor of Heaven, Expel the Chinese from our Territory!”. Keeping friends with the Empire of Japan only served to further enrage Nanjing, with which Suriapet was perfectly fine with. In the subsequent January and July 2020 elections, the Christian Democrats retained their majority control in the House of Mortals, although Akilpos decided to resign as the leader of the party. In the subsequent leadership elections, Vice-Admiral Sharp Delacroix Saint-Yves managed to win just under the 3/5ths majority of postal votes required and was immediately sworn in as the Assistant Manager of Tianzhu.

The nation’s first ever female Assistant Manager, Sharp has been faced with challenges unlike anything her male counterparts have been faced with.

RP Example(s): bitch you know me
Do not remove - 2024RP[/box]

[StMarisol]

Reserve the remaining bits of Central Asia

[Sao Nova Europa]

Reserve the remaining bits of Central Asia

Reservation noted

[Sao Nova Europa]

RESERVATION
NS Name: Pla Bel
RP Name: Mali Empire
Territory: Unoccupied parts of Africa

Do not remove - 2024RP

That's too large of an area. Perhaps you can change your reservation to just West Africa?

[Republics of the Solar Union]

APPLICATION
NS Name: (Federation of the Republics of the) Solar Union/Lemueria
RP Name: Kingdom of Indochinese States (KIS, commonly known as Indochina)
Flag: https://i.imgur.com/hRC7ft8.png (too big)
Capital: Bangkok and Vientiane (co-capitals)
Territory: Indochina (excluding Vietnam)
Population: 164 million
Official Language(s): Thai, Lao, Burmese, Khmer

Type of Government: Semi-constitutional monarchy
Head of State: Emperor Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua (Rama X)
Head of Government: Kulap Suchart Wattana
Legislature (the name of your national legislature): การชุมนุมของจักรพรรดิ (Emperor's Assembly)
Legislative Houses (if your legislature is bicameral): บ้านของขุนนาง (House of the Lords), บ้านของผู้คน (House of the People)
Party in Power: Democratic Devolution Party (DDP)
National Issues: Mention three (3) issues - domestic and foreign - that plague your nation and which you need to tackle in order to prosper.
Devolution: As long as the empire has existed there has been issues with representation for all the states within, over time representation for Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia has gotten better but there is still debate about the rights of the states. พรรคไทยจักรพรรดิ์ (Thai Emperor's Party) is known for Thai supremacists and has become unpopular in recent times, they have survived by staying in conservative coalitions.
Sino-Indochinese Relations: In the current cold war dynamic between the USA and China, Indochina has faced a crucial issue for it's destiny, while it maintains being a trade partner with Vietnam and China, this has damaged it's relations with the West. Currently Indochina and Vietnam are defense partners, and Indochina produces a major part of Vietnamese arms, this is seen as controversial by the international community. Recent opening up to the US has resulted in Vietnam sponsoring terrorist groups in Cambodia. There have been protests especially in Myanmar and Cambodia saying, "We do not want to be a Chinese puppet!", and the like.
Inflation: Indochina is shifting from a middle-income economy to a high-income economy, but rising inflation is preventing this from being possible, also reducing the international competitiveness of the Indochinese baht.
Public Goals: Make better relations with the West, achieve a high-income economy, give the states more devolution.
Private Goals: Reach a neutral point between the West and East, rest are same.

GDP (nominal): $1.61 trillion (46.24 trillion bahts)
Currency: Indochinese baht
Economic System: Semi-socialist capitalism
Defense Budget (USD): 10%
Alliance(s): Vietnamese-Indochinese defence pact

Military:
There are five branches, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Orbital Aerial Operative, and Marine & Air Rescue Operatives. The Army currently has 2,469,708 soldiers, about 45-50% of them on active duty, and most of them along the border with China and Vietnam. A conscription service is maintained called the Emperor's Selective System, every male from the age of 21-32 is registered, and the Emperor can authorize a การใช้งานจำนวนมาก (mass deployment) of new recruits, if it's approved 2/3rds by the House of Lords and House of People combined, which means it's pretty rare. The last mass deployment was in the Vietnam War. The Navy has 550,633 people, and has a fleet of 72 ships, this amount is expected to grow to 75 by the end of 2024 and 92 by the end of 2028. The Air Force has 394,042 people, and maintains 1,308 warcraft, a number that is proposed to reach 2,000 by 2028. Indochina is a recognized nuclear power, becoming one in WWII to stop Japanese aggression. Indochina maintains a nuclear arsenal of 216 weapons, and is a founding member and signer of the NPT, having reduced it's arsenal from 1980 to 2024 by 60.86%, from 552 to 216. The OAO and MARO take more of civilian duties, the OAO maintains Indochinese satellites in space, and the MARO is responsible for rescuing and finding people and artifacts.

History:
WIP

RP Example(s): Look at the RPing I have done in my post history and judge from there.

Do not remove - 2024RP

[Pla Bel]

RESERVATION
NS Name: Pla Bel
RP Name: Mali Empire
Territory: Unoccupied parts of Africa

Do not remove - 2024RP

That's too large of an area. Perhaps you can change your reservation to just West Africa?

it was my ideal to have the north so as to have the Suez and Gibraltar. I will relinquish the southern area bordering the Bantu. Everything south of Lake Chad minus the historical claims of the Kingdom of Mali

[Sao Nova Europa]

That's too large of an area. Perhaps you can change your reservation to just West Africa?

it was my ideal to have the north so as to have the Suez and Gibraltar. I will relinquish the southern area bordering the Bantu. Everything south of Lake Chad minus the historical claims of the Kingdom of Mali

That's somewhat too large of an area. I can reserve for you your claims with the exception of Libya, Egypt, and Sudan.

[Republics of the Solar Union]

I am going to finish the history part soon of my app but is what so far accepted?

[Sao Nova Europa]

I am going to finish the history part soon of my app but is what so far accepted?

I've been skimming your app (usually I wait for a complete app before making a judgement) but there are some issues I've noted: for a start, there is no cold war between "US" and China, especially since there is no United States in this RP (America is divided between the Free American Republic and the American Confederation). I would recommend reading the accepted applications (you can find links to them on second post) and probably joining the discord server as well so your history is in accord with those of the other players.

Other issues are that the army is way too large (you will have to scale it down considerably), Indochina should have become a nuclear power probably later (in the 1950s or 1960s), expanding on what you mean by semi-socialist capitalism, and that Vietnam is a Chinese-allied state.

There might be other changes that need to be made, but reserving judgment for that when I see the finalized app.