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Messages - Markus

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1351
As King Akakios talked about how he met his most recent wife, Emperor Abbas noticed how the King gently gripped the hand of his new wife. It wasn't the first gesture like this, he noticed something similar when they met at the airport. For Tamorans such public displays of affection were inappropriate, spouses rarely even touched each other while in public. Not that it bothered Abbas, he just found it strange. He didn't have time to ponder on the issue because King Akakios started talking about the Iwi and their aggressive actions against the Royal Seleucid. Emperor Abbas listened closely as the subject was of much interest to him. He noticed that Queen Oksana seemed a bit uncomfortable when her husband was talking frank about the savage Iwi. He remembered how his friend, Akakios mentioned earlier that she was from Lodja. Abbas thought that Queen Oksana wasn't trustworthy since she was not seeing the enemies of her husband as her enemies, and that fueled his dislike of her.   

Abbas turned his attention to the King who was still describing the trouble the Iwi were causing him. Abbas was well aware about the long history between the two peoples. Unlike the Royal Seleucid, which always was a maritime power, Tamora didn't have access to the sea until 1958 when they annexed their latest kingdom. So Tamora didn't take part in the sea trade of slaves that the Seleucid Kingdom used to be so invested in. However, Tamora was a major buyer of those slaves and unlike the Seleucids, the Empire never liberated its slaves. So Abbas knew that the Iwi will sooner or later come for Tamora, too. When King Akakios took a short break from his speech about the Iwi, Abbas intervened:

"I couldn't agree more with what you said. However, I don't blame the Iwi so much. Sure, they are responsible for the reprehensible attacks against Royal Seleucid but I blame their allies, the CNN, more. They are the ones who encourage this behavior. Without their backing the Iwi would know their place. It's the EM, Lodja, UC and ES that prop them up. It is because of them that the Iwi had the audacity to bomb the fertilizer plant and send a sub in your territorial waters".

Abbas, took the newly gifted watch and passed the box to his wife. He examined it, tried it on and thanked the King for his gift. His wife did something similar but was careful to thank both of them for the gifts.
 
"Sorry I missed the festival. The internal politics of Tamora have eaten almost all my time. The corporate families and the nobility keep pressing me to expand the market of Tamora. The former want somewhere  to sell their goods since they are more and more uncompetitive on the world market and the later want to move up, the barons want to become counts, the count dukes etc. They are pleased with how the annexation of Attica, out latest addition to the empire, went and want to see the Empire grow again. What they don't realize is that this isn't 1958 anymore. Mundus is a much smaller place now, alliances like CNN and LISA make expansion hard if not impossible. If you also add in the reformists who what to level Tamora and turn it into a dysfunctional democracy, you get a sense of what I had to deal with. On the bright side, I have managed to contain the reformists for now so you'll get to see more of me in the future" Abbas smiles in a friendly manner before resuming:

"I almost forgot, I have a small favor to ask. I have arranged for a Circassian ballet show just for you. They had some shows in the Kingdom of Vojvodina but they cancelled everything to make it to Djerb for you. I believe you'll like it, it's a special mix of theater and ballet. And the piece you'll see is written especially for an occasion such as the one you are having. "

For the first time the entire evening, Alya talked without being spoken to and addressed the Queen:

"The Kingdom of Vojvodina is one of the five kingdoms of the Empire. And the Circassians are originally from another country but were forced to move in the late XIXth century. The great grandfather of the Emperor allowed them to stay here. I know how all this can be confusing, Tamora is complicated at first glance." she explained to the young Queen in a calm and polite manner, trying her best to make her feel more comfortable.

"Oh, yes. My great grandfather had a choice: to enslave them or to let them settle on Tamoran land. He made the right choice in allowing them to stay as free people. They turned out to be among the most loyal people in the Empire. So if that's okay with you, we'll leave in about an hour and half."

The Imperial family and their guests arrived quickly and the Djeb Theater and used the special access from the underground parking in order to avoid unnecessary attention. There they used the elevator which took them just a few feet from the central balcony. The huge concert hall was without any light expect from some dim lights on the floor that offered them the minimum of lighting required to get to their chairs. Once they were seated, an announcement was made trough out the hall:

"It is our great pleasure to have as guests HM the King of Seleucid and his Fourth wife, Queen Oksana." as the announcement was finished the lights were gradually turned on revealing packed hall. Anybody that was something in the Imperial Enclave was there and they were all standing, looking at the central balcony were the two royal couples were sitting and clapping their hands as a sign of respect for the Royal couple of Seleucid. The clapping continued for about a minute until the Emperor whispered to the Seleucid King:

"They will keep on clapping until you wave them to stop."

Once the King waved at the spectators to stop, they took their seats, the lights were dimmed again but this time the spots were turned on for the stage.

A new announcement was heard again:

"With the permission of the King, the final part of the show will now begin"

And just like that play started:

Looking at the play it was not hard to imagine why it was success in Tamora. It gad everything Tamorans liked: elegance, beauty, opulence but also formality, rigidity and most important the couples on stage never touched. Even the main couple, when they briefly touched, their skin never made contact.


Spoiler: show
 link to the clip in case the embeded youtube clip doesn't work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQkEL8umfBQ&


Once the play ended, the light shifted to the central balcony where the two couples watched. The Emperor rose and stated clapping. His wife followed him in an instant and with them all the spectators present. Every ten seconds or so that the Emperor kept clapping made the actors more relieved until they finally started smiling. After almost one and a half minute of constant clapping the actors where overwhelmed with the show of respect they got. To get to perform before the Emperor was a privilege, to get to perform for the Emperor and his foreign guests and to be publicly appreciated was a dream come true. Not just for them, but also for the small  Circassians nation in Tamora. After almost two minutes, the Emperor stopped and addressed the King" I hope you enjoyed the show, my friend. I got a little carried away but I really liked it".

Once back at the Imperial Palace, Emperor Abbas excused himself to his guests:

"Please forgive me my friend, but it's late and the family is waiting for me to lead the evening... in our case, late night prayer. Will you agree to see us again in the morning for breakfast maybe?"

The next morning, while the two couples were heading for the dining room to have breakfast, Alya guided the Queen in the dining with some pretext giving the two men a chance to be alone. Abbas quickly took advantage of the opportunity and said to the Seleucid King:

"I didn't get the chance to talk more yesterday. I know during the latest Iwi incidents I wasn't very vocal or active but that will change. I also want to thank you having the honeymoon here. It means a lot to us." 

1352
The Emperor was genuinely looking forward to the informal visit from the King of Seleucid. Tamora always had an isolationist streak when it came to world affairs and an expansionist policy towards its neighbors. That combination didn't leave room for many friends among foreign leaders. In fact, not counting the King of Seleucid, the Emperor would be hard pressed to find even one world leader with whom he had warm relations with, let alone a friend.

He had ordered his palace slaves to make arrangements so that the Imperial palace would have plenty of social events scheduled with the nobility of the Empire and entertainment so that King Soter and his new wife would not get bored on their honeymoon. Of course, he also arranged for his private retreat to be ready in case the newlyweds needed more privacy. Not that a mammoth complex like the Imperial palace didn't offer enough privacy but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Emperor Abbas instructed his first wife to get ready and had the Imperial limousine convoy travel to the airport. He wouldn't let his friend arrive at the airport only to be greeted by a lowly duke or worse, by some bureaucrat. He also made sure the red carpet was arranged and the military fanfare corps were ready to sing the Royal Seleucid national anthem when the King would arrive. Tamorans in general and the Emperor in particular tended to be formal people, so it was no surprise that Abbas cared about protocol. Not having a minimum of pomposity was seen as disrespectful as if you didn't care for your guests.


Once the King's plane had stopped and prepared the stairs, the Emperor and his wife got out of the car, and proceed to the stairs. He waited patiently until the plane opened the door and the royal couple went down the stairs. As the King reached Tamoran soil, the Emperor greeted him in a cordial manner and extended his hand:

"Akakios, my friend. Welcome to Tamora. Is good to see you again." Seleucid was the second most spoken language in the Empire and both Abbas and his wife spoke it fluently.

He then proceeded to greet the king's new wife and introduce his wife, Alya, to her. While not disrespectful, the Emperor obviously didn't care much for the new Queen and offered the minimum of courtesy and attention required by protocol. This wasn't just because of his views that women held a lower status than men, it was also the fact that he didn't know her and that added to his distrust.

He then proceed to invite his guests to one of the limousines of his convoy but not before saluting the fanfare corps for singing the anthems of both their countries. He always demanded respect and formality from those serving him but he also made sure to acknowledge their presence and return the courtesy. This was an informal visit but that was no reason to have the Seleucid couple share the same limousine, their status demanded a separate car so regardless of how close their relationship was, any private talk will have to wait until they reached the palace.

The drive to the Imperial palace did not take long, the police made sure of that by stopping the traffic for them. Also, a couple of Tamoran jet fights flew above the limousine convoy. They served no other purpose than show the people of the city and the media of the country that the Emperor was traveling with an important guest, a typical show Tamoran courtesy for the guests.

Upon reaching the palace a small army of palace slaves appeared, had the luggage carried and attended to the needs of the Seleucid guests. The Royal couple were invited to have a meal in the private dining room of the Emperor.

In the private dining room, it was just the four of them at the table plus four house slaves to assist each of them during the meal. In the Imperial palace that was as private and secluded as you can get. Emperor Abbas was glad to finally have the opportunity talk with the Seleucid King and to catch up on the latest developments:

"So Akakios, what have you been up to?" he then gave a glance at the Seleucid Queen before looking back at the King and resumed:

"I see you're doing good. You always had a fine taste in women and I see that hasn't changed".

1353
Character Guides / Alya Safavid
« on: June 03, 2018, 07:05:46 AM »
Alya Safavid (RL name: Leila Hatami)
 
RolesFirst Wife of Emperor of Tamora
Head of Foreign Affairs: 2018-present
Treasurer of the Imperial Enclave 2014-present
High commissioner for the Kingdoms of Tamora 2014-present
Supreme Judge of Tamora 2018-present
Mother of the Nation (religious honorific title) 2018-present
ReligionManism  (Orthodox branch)
Net family assetsDoes not apply, Fist Wife of the Emperor. See more details at the description of the Emperor.
EthnicityParthian
Year of Birth5/May/1974, Fao, Imperial Enclave, Empire of Tamora
Positions HeldFirst wife of Emperor of Tamora: 1989- present
Treasurer of the Imperial Enclave 2014-present   
 
EducationPrivately tutored: Manist teachings, languages of Tamora, cuisines of Tamora and finance.
Graduated from Girls' School
   
FamilyAbbas Safavid - husband
      
Children: 2 sons and 2 daughters

 
Links to Important events?
She took part along with her husband, Abbas, to hosting the King of RS and his fourth wife at the Imperial Palace.

Biography Daughter of the highest ranking duke in the Imperial Enclave, her marriage was arranged in advance by the father of the current Emperor as a reward for her father's extraordinary service. Until the age of sixteen her education was decided by the father of the Emperor and afterwards by her husband, the current Emperor.
   In accordance with Manist teachings, she spent most of her life at home, at the Imperial Palace in Djerb, taking care of the children and managing the palace. Now that her childbearing days are behind her, she was gradually allowed by her husband to assume more tasks in administrating the finances of the Imperial Enclave and was given the liberty of travelling alone , on official visits, in the kingdoms of Tamora.   
   Calm and reserved, she has stood in the shadow of her husband  for most of her life being a model wife according Manist standards.  However, once allowed by her husband, she has quickly and resolutely assumed positions in the administration of the Imperial enclave which seems to indicate she is a very ambitious person.

1354
Character Guides / The VIPs of Tamora
« on: June 02, 2018, 07:12:37 PM »
Abbas Safavid
 
RolesEmperor of Tamora
Shiekh of Deh Kord (noble title of Royal Seleucid) 
ReligionManism (conservative branch)
Net family assetsDoes not apply, he's the Emperor. There's no distinction between state government (federal) property and his private property.
EthnicityParthian
Year of Birth01/June/1968, Djerb, Empire of Tamora
Positions HeldEmperor of Tamora: 1998- present
 
EducationPrivately tutored, his education focused on:
- History, religions, customs and languages of the Empire
-The governance of the Empire according to Manism teachings
-Finance
-Military planning and strategy
FamilyFirst Wife: Alya Safavid (RL name: Leila Hatami)
      
Second Wife: wip
Third Wife: wip
Children: 6 sons and 8 daughters

 
Links to Important events?
He hosted the King of Royal Seleucid at the Tamoran Imperial Palace.
He met with King Lapu of Quintelia and signed a treaty with him.
He met with Empress Beatrice of Rokkenjima.   
He meet with the Pope of the Ecclesiastical State.
He met with a representative of the Heyran Conglomerate signing a contract for the Elysium project.
BiographyNamed by his father as heir to the throne of Tamora, Abbas Safavid become Emperor at the age of 30 following the death of his father. Despite his young age he proved to be much more conservative than his father. During his reign he has increased spending for the army, opposed any reforms of imperial institutions in Tamora, cracked down on women rights in the Imperial enclave and has developed a good personal relation with the King of Royal Seleucid. So far his reign coincided with the Great Stagnation, low economic growth for almost 18 continuous years, with no signs of improvement. 

Abbas is not exceptionally smart nor a very exciting personality to be around. Also, like most Tamorans, his views are overtly Tamoran focused, with a strong belief in the preeminence of Tamoran culture. He is also  patient and consistent, focusing on long term goals rather than short term gains. He values loyalty and stability above competence and risk taking. His main goal as Emperor is to have Tamora expand territorially adding a new kingdom to his Empire.       


1355
Factbooks and Maps / Re: The Empire of Tamora
« on: June 02, 2018, 08:27:21 AM »

The Manism religion


Prophet Mani of Tamora

Manism is a religious movement that was founded by Parthian philosopher, scholar and theologian Mani, in the Xth century AD, in the then Kingdom of Tamora. The movement is often described by its critics as a philosophy or extremist ideology rather than a religious movement. Critics argue that since Manism doctrines are not based on divine revelation and are focused mostly on how a society should be run and governed, Manism lacks the elements required to be a religion.  Regardless of the debate, Manism has spread across Tamora with around 48% of the population adhering to its precepts.

Manism and its teachings concentrate on how a society should be governed and what role each individual or class has to play. Manism considers that in order to preserve order, there should be only one ruler for people to follow, with various other nobles serving under him to help him run things. Manism considers that society should be divided into classes: nobles, free people, serfs and slaves with all following the guide of their ruler. Furthermore, Manism also claims that family should be run in a similar hierarchical manner with the husbands ruling over their wives, serfs and slaves.

Summary of the core doctrines:

-The noble class is destined to rule, with the underclasses having to serve.
-Serfdom and slavery are not only part of society but are required to exist in order for society to function properly. They are considered the underclasses of Manist society. 
 The free people (those that are neither nobles nor serfs or slaves) are to be left to their own devices. They shouldn't be forced to convert to Manism or burdened with taxes and should be free to pursue their goals in life.
-The nobles while destined to rule, must be servants or their higher nobles and all must be servants to the supreme ruler.
-Families should be run in a similar hierarchical way with husbands ruling over their wives, serfs and slaves.
-Polygamy is permitted but only encouraged for the noble class.
-Women should be subject to their fathers or husbands.

Manism does not claim that implementing the system in society creates an ideal one but instead that the nobles and free people will benefit from it and they are better off than in any other system. Furthermore, Manism considers that once the system in partially or fully implemented in society all talk of reforms must be shunned.



1356
Factbooks and Maps / Re: The Empire of Tamora
« on: June 01, 2018, 11:06:33 PM »
Imperial Armed Forces


The Empire did not have access to the seas until 1958 and as such does not have a long navy tradition and thus the navy remains a modest force. The Army and Air force are large in number, with equipment geared towards rapid deployment in neighboring countries and very limited ability to send troops beyond that range.
The military doctrine of the Tamoran Empire gives priority to the Air force and Army while providing a modest role for the Navy. The Empire's doctrine states that the Land and Air Forces of the Empire must be capable of overwhelming any of its neighboring countries ensuring a swift victory while simultaneously being able to defend against at least one other neighboring country or an invasion by sea from a coalition force.
The Empire maintains (and publicly acknowledges) a significant arsenal of chemical and biological weapons and its military doctrine states they are to be used only as a last resort and only in defense of the homeland. So far the Empire has never used these weapons and has never publicly threatened to do so.   
 
The coast guard is under the command of the Kingdom of Attica and has its own separate budget and rules.

Military budget as percent of GDP: 5%
Military budget: $138bn
Conscription: yes but numerous exemptions are given(mainly for religious reasons), less than 30% of eligible men join the army (after exemptions and medical screening are factored in).
Obs: the armed forces are male only, women are not allowed to serve. The exception to this the Royal Coast Guard that is under the command of the Kingdom of Attica.


Imperial Tamoran Air Force

Personnel: 250,000


AircraftRoleNumber
Sukhoi Su-35 air superiority fighter600
Sukhoi Su-27 air superiority fighter 300
Sukhoi Su-57 air superiority fighter 25
Yakovlev Yak-130 Attack/Trainer 300
Sukhoi Su-34 Attack 750
Kamov Ka-52 Rotorcraft -Attack 200
Mil Mi-28 Rotorcraft -Attack 200
Antonov An-124 RuslanTransport 50
Ilyushin Il-80 Command and control 10
Tupolev Tu-160 Bomber 50
Ilyushin Il-78 Tanker30
A-50EAEWACS10
Tu-142Maritime Patrol5
An-22Tactical Transport25
An-12Tactical Transport25
Mi-9Tactical Helicopter35



Imperial Ground Forces

Personnel: 700,000





VehicleRoleNo. In Service
T-14Main battle Tank900
T-90Main battle Tank2000
BMP-3 Infantry fighting vehicle 4500
9P157-2 Khrizantema-S Mobile anti-tank guided missile system 100
2S35 Koalitsiya-SV 152mm self-propelled howitzer 800
Kamaz Typhoon Mine-resistant ambush-protected truck 950
Tornado-G 122mm multiple rocket launcher 800
9K512 Uragan-1M Universal 220mm-300mm multiple rocket launcher 100
TOS-1 220mm thermobaric rocket launcher 100
S-400 missile system Long-range SAM 250
S-300 missile system Long-range SAM 250
9K37 Buk Medium range SAM 700
9K331M Tor-M1/Tor-M1-2U and M2 Short range SAM 700
2A36 Giatsint-BTowed Howitzer 350
BTR-80Armoured Personnel Carrier200
GAZ Tigr Mobility Vehicle1000
Forpost UAV70



Imperial Tamoran Navy

Personnel: 15,000

ClassShips in Service
RS designed Amphibious Class LPD2

RS designed Destroyer Class Destroyer4

Steregushchiy-class corvette6

Varshavyanka Submarine18

Sonya Minesweeper4


Deployments aboard (numbers are included in the inventory above):

24 x Sukhoi Su-35 are currently stationed in Zimalia. Tamora has no base there, they are deployed to help Zimalia guard against a potential attack.

Spoiler:  troop deployment in Clyperis • show

Navel Contingent
1 x Steregushchiy-class corvette
2 x Varshavyanka subs

Army Contingent
5,000 soldiers
20 x 9P157-2 Khrizantema-S
20 x BMP-3
20 x Tornado-G
10 x TOS-1
20 x Buk
10 x 2A36 Giatsint-B
50 x GAZ Tigr

Air Contingent
1 x A-50E
12 x Ka-50
12 x Su-34
12 x Su-35
1x  Il-78


Spoiler:  Tamoran contingent in Merina • show


Army Contingent



Air Contingent
1 x A-50E
12 x Ka-50
12 x Su-34
24 x Su-35
1x  Il-78



Thanks for Dave for helping me build my military. Initial military post.

1357
Diplomacy and Events / A honeymoon in the Empire of Tamora (closed)
« on: May 28, 2018, 09:10:06 PM »
Addressed to His Majesty Akakios Soter, King of Royal Seleucid

   Old friend, allow me to congratulate you on marring your forth wife. She is a very beautiful woman and I am sure she will make you very happy. I can't believe it's been so long since we got a chance to talk face to face in a less formal manner. Last time we had a private chat you never mentioned anything about a fourth wife. So please, come to Djerb for a short private visit, we have a lot to catch up. I won't take no for an answer. Not after the "international context" forced me to stay away from your wedding.   
   I look forward to seeing you as soon as possible.

Your dear friend,
Abbas Safavid
Emperor of Tamora

1358
Emigration on the rise in Tamora, top destination remains the Ecclesiastical State

     The latest figures from the Imperial Institute of Statistics(IIS) show a 10% increase in the number of citizens choosing to emigrate from Tamora. The total number for 2017 was 102,564 and marks the 12th consecutive year we see an increase in emigration. Just as we've seen the previous years, the Ecclesiastical  State remains the number one destination for Tamorans, with almost a third of those choosing to emigrate picking the theocracy as their new home. On the other hand, the IIS reports that 9,876 chose the Empire of Tamora as their new home, the number is almost the same with figures from previous years. As expected, over two thirds of our new citizens come from our neighbor, the Emirate of Royal Seleucid. We invited today the Imperial press officer to give us more details about this worrying trend and what can be done about it.

Imperial press officer

R: Thank you for being with us today. As we've already told our viewers the statistics do not look very good. Not only are people leaving in increasing numbers but those that do are among the highly educated and young. In fact, over 60% of those leaving the country are under the age of 35. What can you tell us about this.

IPO: We have been monitoring the situation for some time now. It is a phenomenon of concern for the Emperor. 

R: Can you tell us more about the reasons why people choose to emigrate.

IPO: According to a survey we have conducted, the main reasons Tamorans choose to emigrate are: work, study, family reunification and the "political climate" in the country. As the emigrant Tamoran communities aboard have become more established, family reunification is becoming more of a reason for Tamorans to emigrate as they start to bring their families in the new adoptive countries. That and the steady drop in remittances is a clear indication that more and more Tamorians are choosing to leave the Empire for good, with no intention of ever returning. 

R: That's a bleak prospect.

IPO: It's a fact.

R: That aside, while it has become an established fact that Tamorans choose the Ecclesiastical State as their main destination, it is not always clear why that's the case. Why do emigrating Tamorans choose the Pope over the Emperor?

IPO: There three main reasons. One is the permissive immigration laws that the Ecclesiastical State has, this allows easy access for Tamarans who want to work there. The second is a cultural affinity, or more specific the focus the Theocracy puts in promoting religion is something that appeals to many Tamarans. Poll of after poll shows that at least two thirds of Tamorans consider religion to be very important in their lives. So it makes sense for Tamorans, at least the Christian ones, to choose the Ecclesiastical State and not a secular society. The third reason is the very generous welfare state in the Ecclesiastical State, combined with very high salaries and extremely low unemployment. That alone has attracted many Tamorans.

R: Your analysis, although probably correct, seems rather detached as if there's nothing that can be done about it.

IPO: Let's address the elephant in the room. You want to suggest, and you are not alone in this, that the Emperor should do something about it?

R: Well, yes. That seems reasonable.

IPO: Not to me. That is a loaded question in my view.

R: How so?

IPO: The Tamorans who wish to emigrate are not choosing the Pope over the Emperor. They are not just leaving the land of Tamara. They are leaving behind their extended families, the places where they were born, where they first went to school and had their first friendships, the cemeteries where their ancestors are buried, their language and customs. They leave behind everything that makes them Tamorans and everything their forefathers have fought, and in some cases died, to defend and protect. What you, and many in the reformist camp, are suggesting is that the Emperor should somehow change the Tamora to be more like the Ecclesiastical State or any other country. The Emperor cannot make a man that is willing to leave all that behind change his mind regardless of the laws he passes.

R: What about economic reasons, don't those matter?

IPO: Again, you are phrasing it wrong. But no, they do not matter.

R: That seems hard to believe.

IPO: The Empire of Tamora does not enjoy the same level of prosperity as the Ecclesiastical State, that is true and obvious to anyone. The reasons for that are numerous and are not the subject of this discussion. But Tamora is not poor and the standard of living has been increasing, although at a somewhat slower rate. In the 1950s Tamarans were a lot poorer and people didn't emigrate in the numbers we see today. Now the reason I said you're phrasing the problem wrong is because just as Tamora is not the richest country in the world, neither are our parents the most well off in the world.  We don't choose where we are born or our parents. However, just as we do not abandon our parents or our family because there are other families out there that are richer or smarter or whatever, so we don't abandon our country because one or another happens to be better or richer. The question is what has changed that makes Tamorans look at their country and believe it is okay to abandon it.

R: Some would say were Tamora is turning its back on emigrant Tamarans.

IPO: Not at all. But while it pains us to see them go, our focus should be on the millions that day after day choose to stay. I am not a Christian but a phrase that I saw on the entrance of the Cathedral in Djerb stuck to me " be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found." I never really grasped what it meant it until a much later day when my second child was born. The Emperor and Tamora as a whole hopes and prays they will return but until that day comes our duty is to preserve Tamora just as our ancestors have given it to us, so when these Tamorans decide to come back they will still have a home. 
     
R: So what are you proposing we do?

IPO: It up to each of us to better teach our children why they should love their country just as it is, with its flaws and but also with its many strengths. It is up to ours priests and pastors to explain in their temples how grateful to God we should be for being born here. Our schools and especially our universities should focus more on explaining to students how can they better their country rather than leave. I mentioned universities especially since those who leave seem to be the young and educated. If each of us does his part, the emigration problem would return to normal.

R: Well dear views, he have to stop here now. I thank my guest for accepting the invitation and to you for watching. 

1359
International News Networks / Tamoran Imperial News Service (TINS)
« on: May 26, 2018, 09:17:13 PM »
The Emperor announces new powers for the Imperial Security Service


Djeb- Imperial capital

     The Emperor has announced today the details of the new powers given to the Imperial Security Service. The reforms are meant allow the Imperial agents the necessary room for actions in various undercover operations greatly increasing the chances of success of those operations as well as eliminating some of the risks involved for the agents in the field.
     The strengthening of the Imperial Security Service is seen as a measure taken by the Emperor to tackle what some have called a growing unrest in some elements of our society. The Imperial press officer was adamant that this is not a restriction of the long established rights of the citizens of the Empire and is instead a reform meant to adjust the Imperial Security Service to the rapid changing environment.
 
   "The Emperor remains committed to preserving the centuries old diversity of the Empire, whether is our customs, religions and languages. The Empire has expended and included many peoples and numerous faiths and will continue to allow for those traditions to flourish. Imperial citizens need not worry about these changes as they will not be felt but will instead benefit from them as they are meant to tackle the problem of various exclusionary ideologies. These ideologies have no place in our diverse empire, enjoy no local support and are merely the product of foreign meddling in our internal affairs." 

     The Imperial press officer chose not to answer questions about the source of these foreign involvement saying that now is that the time for such discussions and reiterating  willingness of the Tamoran Empire to engage in negotiations with any foreign governments so that the issues can be resolved peacefully.

1360
Factbooks and Maps / The Empire of Tamora
« on: May 26, 2018, 08:26:28 PM »


Motto:- God forgives, the Emperor does not(unofficial)

National Anthem:- Royal Salute


Maps



Spoiler: other maps • show

[center][/center]





BACKGROUND

The Empire of Tamora traces its origins in the XI century, when the then Kingdom of Tamora conquers the neighboring kingdom of Altai. In the following centuries, Tamora has expanded though conquest adding a total of five other kingdoms to its Empire. The most recent of them, in 1958, is the Kingdom of Attica.
The expansionist policy of Tamora is fueled by the Manist religion. A faith specific to Tamora that teaches the entire world must have one ruler and that all nations must bow to the Emperor of Tamora.
The Empire of Tamora is a federal absolute monarchy ruled the Emperor  (called King of Kings) which sits at the top of a feudal system. Just below him are the five kings of the historical kingdoms that were annexed while the bottom of the pyramid is reserved for the serfs and slaves. Tamora was a major buyer of slaves from Royal Seleucid.

With a population of almost a quarter of a billion people, present day Tamora is a large and diverse country having several religions (and many sects), nations and numerous jurisdictions with different laws and customs. Its institutions are largely unreformed and its political class seems unwilling to initiate even minor reforms despite the fact the country is going through a long period of economic stagnation and suffering an increasing brain drain. The Empire maintains an isolationist streak, avoiding membership in international government organizations and focuses its attention on its neighbors and the countries close to it. The expansionist tendencies of Tamora have not abated and it remains to be seen if in the interconnected Mundus of the XXI century, Tamora will be able to use its large military to expand further or the nations of Mundus will keep Tamora at bay.   

      


Population:-:- 249,962,635
Capital City:- Djerb (9,456,524)
Area: 3,245,965 sq km/1,253,274 sq miles.
Demonym:- Tamorans



ECONOMY

The economy of Tamora is driven almost exclusively by the private sector, the nobility are not allowed to own or operate companies. The country is rich in natural resources, has a strong but uncompetitive manufacturing sector and a somewhat underdeveloped service sector.

The main strengths of Tamora are its low taxation ( including no taxes on income or profits), few regulations, cheap slave labor and large deposits of natural resources (oil, gas, coal, ferrous and nonferrous metals and minerals). The most competitive industries and services in Tamora are: agribusiness(crop production, animal husbandry, farm machinery, agrichemicals, GMO etc),  pharmaceuticals, healhtcare and arms industry.

The kingdoms of Tamora are not allowed to impose restrictions on the movement of goods ( including slaves) and services between the kingdoms effectively creating a common internal market. The kingdoms can however impose restrictions on immigration from other kingdoms.
The main weaknesses of the Tamoran economy are its relative lack of innovation, high tariffs on imports, very low foreign investment, lack of legislation allowing limited liability for company shareholders (which cripples entrepreneurship).

Lagging behind

From 2000 onwards the Tamoran economy has experienced slow economic growth, averaging 2.1℅ per year, less than half of the growth experienced in the previous decades. Almost all of this growth is due to the increase in population.  Economic experts have yet to agree on the exact causes of the Empire's economic stagnation but have named the following as the most probable causes: a large slave population that hinders innovation, huge defense spending, high tariffs, low participation of women in the workforce, the lack of limited liability for companies which discourages entrepreneurship and foreign investments. Despite almost 20 years of low growth, the leadership of  the country has refused to engage in any reforms.

Welfare system

The Empire offers almost no government welfare: there are no public pensions, healthcare or education nor does the government pay for them. Instead religious institutions provide this services in Tamora. With huge differences in approach and style, religious institutions own and run the overwhelming majority of schools, universities, hospitals and welfare centers in the Empire. It is estimated that private welfare in Tamora accounts for 6-8% of GDP with over 80% coming from religious institutions and organizations.

Taxation

The Emperor does not directly levy taxes and instead demands from his kings a tribute of 10℅ of their kingdom's GDP. The kings are free to pay that tax from whatever mix of taxes they desire but income taxes or profit taxes are banned by imperial decree. As such most kingdoms levy a sales tax, property tax and excise tax.
When added together, the total taxation income reaches approx 20% of GDP.



Currency:- Dinar
GDP per Capita:- $10,965
Unemployment Rate:- 2.5%
GDP (nominal) $2.74 trillion
Budget (imperial, regional and local): 20% of GDP
Budget surplus : 1% of GDP
Public debt: 0%
Foreign-exchange reserves: 50% of GDP.
Tariffs: high taxes on all imports.
Foreign investment: foreign citizens are not allowed to invest or own any sort of property in Tamora.
Tourism: while visas are required, they are easily granted and at a very low cost. No other restrictions apply.
subsidies and government aid: there are no government subsidies of any kind. No Tamoran company (or individual for that matter) is given any sort of aid from the government (be it local, regional or federal).



Main exports: oil, gas, coal, minerals, metal, cash crops, farm machinery, agrichemicals, livestock, pharmaceuticals, clothing, footwear,vehicle parts.
Main imports: machinery, electronics, medical equipment, chemicals, plastics, vehicles.


PEOPLE

There are many ethnicities inhabiting the present day Empire, each with its own customs, languages and religions. This is the result of the constant expansion of Tamora into neighboring countries. While the Empire has no official nation language, Parthian is the lingua franca of the empire because of the large number of Parthians as well as their huge political influence as the original native people of Empire and having the Emperor as an ethnic Parthian.
The Empire has a large number of religions, with its native religion of Manism enjoying the status of majority minority in the Empire.
The Empire enjoys a high fertility rate of 3.01 per women. Analysts have yet to reach a definite conclusion as to the reasons why but it seems to be related with ultra conservative social norms of the Tamorans (abortion is banned in most of the Empire and remains highly taboo, sexual education while not forbidden is generally avoided and not having children is generally seen as a stigma) as well as lack of a government welfare system which forces parents to rely more on their children for help at old age.
Two underclass exist in Tamora: slaves and serfs.
 
Slaves represent the lowest social status in Tamora, enjoying no rights other than what their masters give them (chattel slavery). Any citizen can be enslaved once their net assets become negative (as a results of increasing debt , drastic decrease in value of their assets, incurring liabilities as a results of fraud etc). Prisoners of war in Tamora are also enslaved. In the past, Tamora was also a major buyer of slaves from the Royal Seleucid. Today, over 90 % of slaves belong to companies or private citizens with the rest being owned by the nobility (which in Tamora is the government). Slaves make up approx 15% of the Tamoran population. 
 
Serfs enjoy all rights and privileges of citizens except not being allowed to leave the kingdom (province) of their masters without their consent and have to pay 25% of their income to their master. If one of the parents is a serf, the children also become serfs. Just as with slavery, a citizen must incur negative net assets in order to be forced to become a serf. The debt holders can choose to have the debtor turned into a serf rather than a slave. The reasons for choosing serfdom over slavery varies but it is usually related to moral issues or the fact that in some cases debt holders consider serfdom to be more profitable than slavery in the long run. Around 10% of the Tamoran population are serfs.


Ethnicity:- Parthian (RL Persian) 35%, Arabs 16%, Seleucid (RL Greek) 14%, Turks 10%, Slavs 5%, Armenians 4%, others 14%
Languages:- Parthian is the language of the Emperor and is widely used as the lingua franca of the Empire. However, the is no Empire wide official language, each kingdom has its own national language and various regional recognized languages.   
Religions:- Manism 48%, Islam 16%, Anahitaism 14%, Druze 10%,  Catholic 4%, Orthodox 3%, Other 5%
Average Life Expectancy:- 72
TFR: 3.01
Serfs: 10% of population
Slaves: 15% of population




GOVERNMENT

The Emperor of Tamora, as sovereign of the empire, has supreme authority and it is not restricted by any laws or customs. The Empire has no legislative body or supreme court and the emperor can issue decrees which are the laws of the empire. The Emperor also disposes of the imperial budget as he sees fit, can overrule any other laws and is also the supreme commander of the armed forces.
The Emperor delegates his powers to his agents: the kings of the realm. The Kings are hereditary rulers of the five ex countries that were conquered by Tamora during its history. The kings are the servants of the Emperor and are required to swear an oath to him on the coronation. As their master, the Emperor can dispose of the Kings as he sees fit, including incarceration or enslavement. Kings also need his permission to marry, divorce or change religion. Kings, like all nobles in Tamora, are not allowed to hold any other noble titles (ex: duchies etc). This strict and total subordination of the kings is a direct result of the reforms issued by the Emperor after a rebellion. The Emperor has taken away their residual sovereignty and has instead made him his agents in the realms. However, the reforms did not take away their powers and the kings still yield tremendous powers in their realms having few restrictions. The system in practice has been described as a dual federalism where the Emperor is in charge of the army, intelligence agencies and foreign affairs with the kings being in charge of everything else.
The strict pyramid of the feudal system in Tamora, has the kings as masters of the dukes ( which rule the counties of the kingdoms). The dukes themselves are masters of both counts ( which over rule cities) and barons (which rule over villages or towns). Just as the kings, lesser noble cannot have two titles. Furthermore, any change in title has to be approved by the Emperor (which he rarely) to prevent a concentration of powers.


Head of State:- Emperor Abbas Safavid
Head of Government:- Emperor Abbas Safavid
Name of Legislative Body:- none, power resides in the Emperor.


Culture and religion in Tamora

"Forget what you're thought in political class, Tamora is not an Empire but a bottom up theocracy".
Bretonnian scholar

   Tamorans are among the most religions people in Mundis, with over two thirds claiming religion as very important in their lives. Religion influences everyday life in Tamorans and is a major part of Tamoran identity with 40% considering their religious identity as coming first before that of the empire or kingdom. The diversity of religious beliefs and the wide array of rituals and customs makes generalizations hard  but nevertheless some common aspects exist. Tamorans like to express their faith publicly and openly, one way they do it is through religious symbols on cloths, car stickers, public statues, festivals and public display of religious icons. Almost all stores, banks etc as well as private residences have religious icons on display. Praying in public is a common occurrence in Tamora especially during lunch breaks when people take a break for praying. Preachers are often sighted in crowded plazas or public transport stations.   
    Religious institutions dominate the education, healthcare and welfare services. They also have a large media presence (with many media trusts owned by the religious organizations) making religion ever present in the life of Tamorans. Concepts like separation of church and state or laicite are alien for Tamorans.
   Kingdoms have their own state religion, which is the religion of the reigning monarch, but are required by imperial decree to provide freedom of religion for the other faiths.  Nevertheless, the religion of the monarchs is given precedence over all the others. Priests of all religions are allowed almost complete freedom of speech when it comes to their sermons and are even allowed to incite to violence against other faiths. However, they are not allow to slander the Emperor, doing so usually results in the said priest disappearing.   

The kingdoms have their own holidays however there are three empire wide holidays where all Tamorans take part in.

Elders day: when Tamorans visit the elders of their families bringing them gifts and spending time with them.

Ancestors Day (or day of the Dead): when Tamorans go to the cemeteries to pray for their ancestors.

Thanksgiving day: when Tamorans thank the God(s) for being born in Tamora. It is the most important of holiday and can be considered the National holiday. Every year, during the evening, the Emperor and his family attend religious service where the entire Imperial family kneels and thanks God for blessing Tamora. According to protocol, it is the only occasion when the Emperor kneels. Since the advent of the radio and the television, a tradition has emerged that when the Emperor and his family are knelling, Tamorans do the same regardless of where they are: temples, at home, on ships, it the street or even abroad.

The religious diversity in Tamora does not necessary mean there is a cordial relation between religions. Most religious schools are segregated by religion or religious branch and inter faith marriage is rare. Religious violence while uncommon still happens and punishments for such acts are grave, generally resulting in the enslavement of the perpetrators.


1361
Map / Re: Claiming Your Spot on the Map
« on: May 26, 2018, 02:00:13 PM »
Nation Name: The Empire of Tamora

Nation Link: https://www.nationstates.net/nation=tamora

Provinces you wish to claim:
1: R84
2: P6
3: P18
4: P19
5: P27
6: P26

Proposed colour of your nation on the map: Anything dark.
I, Markus, have read the rules set down above, and agree to follow them.

1362
Introductions / Greetings!
« on: May 26, 2018, 08:39:54 AM »
Salutations from Tamora. I look forward to RPing with you guys.

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