Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - Markus

Pages: 1 ... 33 34 [35] 36 37 ... 46
1021
Economics and Industry / Midaranye Commodity Exchange (MCE)
« on: April 08, 2019, 07:14:24 PM »

The HQ of the Midaranye Commodity Exchange (MCE), Ipsus, Royal Seleucid

The Midaranye Commodity Exchange was founded in 2018 after months of negotiations between investors form Tamora and Royal Seleucid. The aim of the MCE is to provide businesses in Midaranye and beyond a place where they can buy or sell their goods (oil, gas, agricultural products, minerals) and reduce the oligopoly present on FX markets by increasing the use of the RS Drachma as all transactions of MCE will be done in the Seleucid Drachma.

MCE at a glance:
Founded: 2018
HQ: Royal Seleucid
Shareholder structure: 50% private investors from RS, 40% private investors (Dabiri, Polakis and others) from Tamora, 5% private investors from Zimalia, 5% the Zimalian government.
Commodities traded: Oil, gas, agricultural products, minerals.


1022
Diplomacy and Events / Re: An opportunity for business and improving relations (Tamora and Quintelia)
« on: April 08, 2019, 05:56:17 PM »
“The fact that King Lapu remembered oghi pleases us greatly.  Leily, please be kind and bring these gentlemen some oghi.” Mekabiz didn’t drink alcohol since his religion shunned such drinks. Normally, imperial intuitions wouldn’t even allow alcohol on their premises but this institution was in Attica and here  drinking alcohol was common so Mekabiz grew accustomed to seeing people drink alcohol. Also, he knew Quintelians are not shy about alcohol and prefer it to non alcoholic drinks.
 
“Indeed your navy is a formidable force. Our navy serves a different purpose, it’s not meant to deploy troops anywhere in the world. “  Mekabiz had felt that the needed to defend the prestige of the Tamoran navy.

“The first step Djerb is taking is upgrading our shipyard in order to be able to build much larger ships.
We are interested in a cooperation, Quintelian expertise would help in this area since it would save us both time and money to not reinvent the wheel as they say and use some of your knowhow. Furthermore, Quintelia has proven to a reliable partner in a time of need so Djerb has no security concerns.  But I have to say that often the devil is the details. While as I said, we want to be able to build much larger ships our target is 20,000 tons at the maximum. I don’t know exactly if that is enough for you since you have  a navy that aims to deploy anywhere on the globe. So maybe you can clarify that for me.”

Just as he finished speaking, Leily and a colleague brought the Quintelian guests the oghi while offering a similar non alcoholic drink.

“Gentlemen, let us drink for King Lapu, Emperor Abbas and our two Empires” Mekabiz said as stood up as a sign of respect before proceeding to drink a bit and then resume his seat waiting for the guests’ input on the shipyard issue.

1023
International Organisations / Re: Oil (and Gas) Producing Exporting Nations (OPEN)
« on: April 07, 2019, 09:38:39 PM »
OOC: I don’t  have much experience with these international organizations so hope this is okay.

IC: Tamora would like to propose that OPEN have a formal Head and deputy Heads of the organization. They would be responsible for the daily running of the organization and not vote for our nations during the meeting. They would also meet with other representatives of other organization in order to set up meetings and further OPEN’s agenda.

Since Royal Seleucid is the HQ of our organization we propose that the Head by named by Royal Seleucid while other member countries have a deputy head of the organization. In practice the head and the deputy heads will have the same powers but for purposes of representation, precedence will be given to the Head above the deputies. 

Please let us know if the proposal is agreeable to the members of this organization.

1024
Press Offices / Re: The Empire of Tamora Press Office
« on: April 07, 2019, 09:21:55 PM »


  Statement on the Ardian Assembly Debate - Slavery & Sanctions

Since the next debate of the Ardian Assembly is about sanctioning our Empire among other things, we would like to offer clarifications to the statements made by HM Grand Duke Hugo Lascelles.

First, we would like to attest and confirm the best intentions of the HoS of China and Quintelia. In the case of Quintelia, the Emperor of Tamora can personally attest that the HM King Lapu’s only interest was to free the slave families and thus end their suffering as fast of possible. During the whole process, King Lapu was personally interested in the affairs of the freed slaves and made everything possible so that their release can be done as swiftly as possible. For their part the Chinese authorities have also been in constant contact with us urging us to free the slaves as fast as possible.

Second, we are not sure exactly why the ethnicity of some of Tamora’s slaves has been mentioned and we refer here to the Maori. Tamora has millions of ethnic Parthians in slavery, we do not believe that ethnicity matters. That aside we are disappointed that so far the Commonwealth of the Iwi has not approached us in order to find a solution of the millions of Maori now in slavery. The HoS of China and Quintelia have taken steps and helped people that were not of their ethnicity or even race yet the Maori seem content to largely ignore their brethren.

Third, we would like to address the statement that the transactions have hardly made a dent on the total number of slaves in Tamora. I believe HM Grand Duke Hugo Lascelles has been misinformed as to the purpose of these transactions. While both China and Quintelia have expressed their opposition to the institution of slavery numerous times during our talks at no point were we under the impression that these transactions were meant to end slavery in our nation but rather to free approx. 100 thousand souls from slavery. We believe that giving freedom now to such a great number of people cannot be underestimated or swept away by saying it “does not end mass suffering”. We believe that ending slavery for 100.000 people means ending “mass suffering” and has made an immense positive impact for the said individuals. Furthermore, we do not believe the recent freed slaves would see the act of paying for their release as unjust or immoral and we speculate that given the change they would personally thank the HoS of both China and Quintelia for their actions.   
 
Forth, we would like to thank HM Grand Duke Hugo Lascelles for the economic analysis presented to the nations of Mundus regarding our internal affairs. However, we would like to further expand on that analysis by thinking about the unfortunate soul in slavery on that Tamoran farm that HM had mentioned. The plan proposed by HM would lead to the price of slaves going down as slave work becomes less desirable and owners will sell their slaves gradually. A lower value for a slaves means poorer living conditions for slaves for an owner will not simply release his slaves if the values goes down. When a values of a slave goes down, he is worth less for his master and that is not a good thing for the person in bondage.   

Fifth, sanctions so far have increased the number of slaves as a result of further weakening our economy and bankrupting more and more of our citizens. I fail to see how the plan proposed by HM Grand Duke Hugo Lascelles will help end slavery if it produces more slaves by the month.

Six, we would like to remind HM that the Tamoran justice system specifically mandates retribution for the crime committed by the guilty parties and retribution includes slavery. No amount of sanctions would change our justice system. Take for example the parents whose daughter has been killed and the murderer is now their slave after being sentenced us such. How will sanctioning Tamora and worsening their living conditions convince the parents of the recently deceased that it’s not in their interest to own slaves? 

Seven, we would like to also address the premise that should Tamora give up the institution mandated by the Prophet Mani and taught by our Church since its beginnings, Tamora could become more prosperous and it could even bring in more taxes to the treasury. We strongly believe that many in Tamora would choose to be poorer and worse off but be faithful to the teaching of the Prophet and reap the benefits of their obedience in the afterlife than be more prosperous and rich now and spend an eternity in damnation. As for the government of Tamora, we would like to emphasize again that the institution of slavery is written in the Book of Mani and that no Emperor can abolish it even if it were to ever succumb to the pressures of foreign powers.

Eight, we would also like to further clarify the term “slave economy” that has been used in regards to Tamora’s economy. While I personally own slaves as have my parents and their parents as so do my children, there are millions in Tamora that do not. Some because they are too poor too afford them, others because just like HM or the HoS of China and Quintelia are morally appalled by the institution. While I do not agree with them as I do not agree with HM I cannot deny that these citizens exist in Tamora. Painting a broad picture over Tamora as a slave economy ignores the complexity of the preferences and conditions of each individual living in Tamora. After all, the people who have sold their slaves to China and Quintelia could just as well have used their money to replace the slave labor with machinery for example.

Lastly, I would like inform the Ardian Assembly that regardless of the economic sanctions taken against Tamora and the consequences of those sanctions against the people of Tamora, the Empire will not retaliate in kind. The citizens of your countries that reside in Tamora, though few in number, will continue to enjoy the same protections. Furthermore, on our part we will not prohibit our businesses to trade with your nations. We have not retaliated in the past and we will not do so in the future.

It is the hope of this government that despite the disagreements between the governments of our nations dialogue will be allowed to continue.

Respectfully yours,
Head of Foreign Affairs
Alya Safavid

OOC: I have by mistake addressed the Grand Duke as HM. It's an OOC mistake, if possible please assume the correct and formal title has been used.

1025
Press Offices / Re: The Empire of Tamora Press Office
« on: April 07, 2019, 09:19:37 PM »


Response to Rokkenjima’s concerns 

We would like to thank Rokkenjima for the information presented but we would like to remind its government that it is not us that it has to convince that it has not take aggressive action against China and New Derusmia or that it plans to do so in the near future. Those two nations that are on the same continent have entered a state of emergency because they have serious concerns over the intentions of Rokkenjima and Tamora has offered to provide help to them. It is them that it needs to convince rather than us.

We would also like to remind Rokkenjima that it has no authority to speak in the name or Ardia and all its nations. Furthermore, our help will pe provided only if the Ardian nations of China or  New Derusmia agree to receive it. Surely Rokkenjima cannot speak for all of Ardia if at least one of these nations decides or help is needed.

1026
Press Offices / Re: The Empire of Tamora Press Office
« on: April 07, 2019, 05:19:06 PM »


Statement on the recent Ardian crisis

The Empire of Tamora in concerned with the First Empire of Rokkenjima’s recent aggressive measures taken against the nations of New Derusmia and China. The speed with which these measures have been taken and the lack of prior consultation have led to the two previous mentioned nations to declare a state of emergency. This panic that has been created is a direct consequence of the Fist Empire’s recent actions and therefore in order to deescalate the situation the Empire of Tamora recommends that Rokkenjima suspend all actions or sanctions taken against the previously mentioned nations.

Not long ago the First Empire of Rokkenjima threatened the Republic of Zimalia with military action should Zimalia not agree to conform to the First Empire’s foreign policy demands. Thanks to an international effort that was initiated by Nya Aland of which Tamora played a role which saw fighters being deployed to the Republic of Zimalia to help defend its borders, Rokkenjima had no option but to give up its aggressive intentions against Zimalia.

It is for this reason that Tamora will offer to both New Derusmia and China a squadron of Su 35 fighters to help deter the First Empire from taking any aggressive action and also ease some of the concerns that the two countries have. Should the nations agree to our proposal, the squadrons will be sent to the respective countries as soon as possible.

We urge the First Empire of Rokkenjima to show restraint in this recent crisis.

1027
Factbooks and Maps / The (federated) Kingdom of Attica
« on: April 06, 2019, 10:51:56 PM »


Motto:- One Nation, One Culture

 
BACKGROUND


Background: the kingdom of Attica used to encompass a much larger area than that of today but subsequent wars has seen the kingdom diminish to the size it now has. Unlike landlocked kingdoms like Akkar, Altai, Tamora, Vojvodina and West Seleucid among others, Attica was fortune to have access to the sea of Kyne which brought it a sizable prosperity and technological advancement.
The kingdom had a troubled history being constantly threatened and sometimes even at war with West Seleucid, Altai and Royal Seleucid. Because it was threatened both by land and by sea, the kingdom did it best to preserve its independence by siding with one or other of its competitors when politically feasible and with non Midaranye powers when possible. Several times in its history the kingdom was saved thanks to the intervention of Christian nations (Krimeon and the Ecclesiastical State being the most notable) which provided troops, naval support or money to the kingdom.
While the Kingdom of Attica has never been an important power in the sea of Kyne and Royal Seleucid made sure to crush any attempt of Attica to develop a sizeable fleet, Attica nevertheless played a role in the trade that went through Kyne.
Attica increasingly bellicose stance against slavery which included raiding RS slave ships had irreversibly destroyed relations between the two countries. Tamora expansion and eventual inclusion of West Seleucid into the Tamoran Empire saw Attica neighboring slave holding Tamora and since the XVII century Attica was both threatened by its northern neighbor and Royal Seleucid. Forced into an impossible situation, Attica decided to ignore Tamora’s slavery in order to avoid worsening relations and focused on Royal Seleucid which it continued to criticize and from time to time raid its slave ships. Only foreign (non Aranye) support especially from Christian countries and a careful balance of diplomacy and “gifts” has kept Attica from being invaded by Tamora until 1958.         
In 1958 the Tamoran Empire finally invaded Attica as a response to an act of the Attican parliament which in Tamora’s opinion threated the Tamoran community in Attica. Despite notable support from outside forces including the Ecclesiastical State, the war was over quickly and Attica was annexed the same year. Notably Attica’s navy decided to ignore the surrender order and made its way to Xaeth. During the ten year military occupation that saw the institutional integration of Attica into the Tamoran Empire, around one million Atticans left their country, most of them fled to Slava Lavosk, Xaeth, Krimeon, Quintelia and Pardclinnia.
Most Tamorans see Attica’s annexation as one of the greatest achievements in Tamora’s history and the culmination of almost a thousand years of expansion that has finally lead Tamora to have access to the sea like the great empires of Mundus. 


Present day: more than sixty years after its annexation by the Tamoran Empire, in many ways Attica remains an outlier in the Tamoran Empire. Attica is the only kingdom in the Empire to expressly provide equal rights for women by law. It also leads in women participation in the workforce with no other kingdom of the Empire coming even close to Attica. The kingdom remains fairly open to foreign cultural influences and well connected to the cultural trends of Mundus. Whether it is music, fashion or architecture Attica remains more connected to the global trends of Mundus than to Tamora’s specific culture.
While slavery is legal in Attica like in the rest of the Empire as it is mandated by Imperial law it is only in Attica that the institution is controversial generating disputes among society with many Christian clergymen often speaking against the institution.
Attica’s different culture, its access to the sea and Djerb reluctance to engage foreigners has made Attica the prime gateway for foreigners seeking to do business with Tamora and has overtaken West Seleucid which traditionally had that position. However, the recent sanctions against Tamora has seen the amount of goods move through Atttica’s main port drastically decrease as the goods have been redirected through Royal Seleucid. That has weakened Attica’s position to the advantage of West Seleucid.


Economy: the kingdom has a GDP per capita of almost 45% above the national average and produces a little over 10% of the GDP of the whole Empire.It has the highest GDP per capita in the Empire overtaking even the Imperial Enclave and is considered one of the three economic engines of the Empire alongside the Imperial Enclave and West Seleucid. Rich in natural resources (mainly oil and gas) the kingdom has a diversified economy. Aside from natural resources, the kingdom is the only one with access to the sea and thus has a monopoly on the shipbuilding industry and trade over sea. Its universities are among the best of the empire rivaling Djerb and Volos. The service sector is very well developed and rivals that of the Imperial Enclave, it is home to some of the largest interest charging banks in the Empire and to most asset management companies, a legacy of the time when Attica was independent. Furthermore, it has a very strong presence in the R&D field. While the Imperial Enclave has a virtual monopoly on military R&D and dominates that of pharma and agricultural machineries, Attica is the leader of the Empire in most other areas often competing with West Seleucid for the number one spot. It is the IT sector that Attica truly dominates almost unchallenged in Tamora. Most of the underdeveloped IT sector of the Empire is based in Attica and so far there has been no change in Attica dominance of this sector.


Part of the Empire since: 1958 (annexed as a result of war)
Population:-:- 17.5 million (approx. 7% of the national population)
Slaves: 1 million (approx. 6% of the population of the kingdom)
Ethnicities: Arabs 1 million (6%), Parthians 3 million (17%), Turks 1 million (6%), Seleucid 0.5 million(3%), Slavs 1 million (6%), Armenians (57&) others 1 million (approx. 6%)
Official religion: Catholicism (Armenian Rite)
Official language: Armenian
Recognized minority language: Parthian, Arabic, Seleucid, Turkish, Slavic
Religious breakdown: Islam 2 million( 6%), Manism 9.5 million (28%), Anahitaism 1 million(3%), Druze 18 million (54) , others 3 mil (9%)
Capital City:- Alaverdi (5 million)
GDP: approx. 280 bln dinars (USD) approx. 10% of the Empire’s GDP
GDP per capita (nominal): 16,000 dinars (USD), almost 45% above the national average
Main economic sectors:  services(IT, banking, asset management, R&D, tourism), oil and gas, shipbuilding industry, agriculture.


Government

Head of State:- Queen Arpine Saroyan
Head of Government:- Queen Arpine Saroyan
Name of Legislative Body:- none, power resides in the Queen



The current sovereign of Attica is Queen Arpine Saroyan. She ascended to the throne because there were no other members of her dynasty. She’s the first woman monarch in Tamora’s history. Despite the fact that Attica has no longer been independent for more than sixty years, the Attican monarchy still maintains rather close relations with the monarchy of Quintelia, Krimeon, the Ecclesiastical State and other Christian monarchies in general.
While the Queen and generally her dynasty has never been popular in Djerb she is nevertheless respected for the well running of economic and financial affairs of the kingdom. While her covert opposition to slavery has displeased Djerb several times, the Emperor so far has seem content to ignore her transgressions probably because he has reasoned that her leadership is necessary in order to preserve the well running of the kingdom. Her lack of a spouse and heir are reasons for worry among the Attican nobility that fear the kingdom will switch upon her death to a Manist dynasty.



Alaverdi the capital and largest city in the kingdom

Alaverdi is the third most populous city in the Empire and by far the biggest in Attica. Almost three out of ten Atticans live in Alaverdi, such a concentration of population is unique in among the kingdoms of Tamora. The large population can be explained in part to migrants from other kingdoms. The population of the city has grown from less than a million in 1968 to five million today and most of that increase is from migration outside of the kingdom. The city’s high living standard the opportunities related  to the fact that it is the only port city that Tamora has have made millions of Tamorans to come to the city in search of a better life.
With such a large population it is of no surprise that the city dominates the cultural, political and economic life of the kingdom. Its wealth and prosperity has outpaced that of Volos (the capital of West Seleucid) and is second only to Djerb with some analysts claiming that if the current demographic trends continue Alaverdi could become the largest and richest of Tamora’s cities.
The city is home to some of the best universities in the Empire, it is the main rival of Volos (the capital of West Seleucid) for interest charging bank and is home to most Oil and Gas companies of Tamora.



Main highlights of Attica:   


Alaverdi, the capital of Attica.



Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Alaverdi. As the kingdom Vojvodina no longer has Christianity as the official religion, Attica is now the center of Tamora’s Christian population.


Alaverdi financial district is rapidly expanding however that is not without controversy. Many outside the kingdom have criticized the high-rise building as unTamoran and alien to the architecture of the Empire. Some critics have gone so far as to imply that the architecture is purposely chosen to set the city apart from the rest of Tamora.


The CEO of Catholic Credit Union, 3rd largest Bank in Attica. Nowhere in the Empire are women so present in senior leadership positions.


No Tamoran kingdom has more oil and gas reserves than Attica, most of them are offshore.


1028
Factbooks and Maps / The (federated) Kingdom of Akkar
« on: April 06, 2019, 10:50:47 PM »


Motto:- Unity is power.

 
BACKGROUND


Background: Akkar’s history like that of Tamora is defined by its religion. The people of the kingdom of Akkar were the first to adopt the Druze religion. The Druze, like Manism started as a Muslim sect but grew to become a separate religion. As the powerful kingdom of Altai eventually succumbed and was absorbed into Tamora creating the Empire of Tamora, it was almost inevitable that Tamora and Akkar went to war because of religious differences. The war lasted approx. 80 yeas, from 1120 until 1200 when it ended with Tamora absorbing the kingdom of Akkar. 
While the kingdom of Akkar ceased to exist as an independent political entity, thanks to the large autonomy given under the Tamoran Empire it did not stop to develop its separate culture under the influence of the Druze religion. Since Druze do not convert and do not accept converts to their faith, Akkar immediately became a haven for many in Tamora who were worried about religious violence or persecutions.
 

Present day: the kingdom has a wide gap between its rural areas that are almost exclusively Druze and its cities that are multicultural and where all ethnicities and religions of the Empire are present. While the Tamoran Empire has long left behind the time of religious violence between its different faiths, Akkar however is still a refuge for those that want to escape the ultraconservative features of their home kingdoms. While the Druze themselves are just as conservative as the Manists, they have never attempted to convert or oppose the non-traditional lifestyles of other faiths, preferring isolation to protests or boycotts. It is for this reason that many liberal Manists and liberal Muslims seek to move to Akkar. In time this has created a somewhat different culture for the native Manists and Muslims in that they often tend to be more liberal than their counterparts in the rest of Tamora.
In the rural areas that are dominated by the Druze religion there is a strong culture of isolation and self-sufficiency. In 2019 many rural households in Akkar lacked access to cable TV or internet, well below the average of other poor rural regions of Tamora which suggests the lack of access is due to cultural reasons rather than material ones. The high regard the Druze have for self-sufficiency also makes them see agriculture and rural life as the most desirable and purest form of living. So high is their respect and focus on agriculture that the kingdom mandates that no farm should have more than 150 ha of land with any larger farm being broken up. Such an invasive law goes against the traditions of Tamora as imperial courts have ruled numerous times over the course of centuries. However, the restriction was allowed to stand with the Emperors of Djerb overruling the courts and motivating their decisions by arguing the restriction is part of the Druze faith and traditions.
Furthermore, in line with the Druze respect for farming and rural life, the Akkar monarch is the only one in the Empire to have his main residence in a rural area. 


Economy: the kingdom has a GDP per capita of almost 45% below the national average and produces a little over 7% of the GDP of the whole Empire. It is the second poorest kingdom in the Empire and some argue it is by choice rather than circumstance.  The kingdom remains largely a rural one and that is because the monarchy, the nobles and the Druze faith all promote rural life above all. In the relative few cities the kingdom has, the level of prosperity reaches that of the national average. While in the urban centers services and industry are the main drivers of the economy those economic sectors are geared towards servicing the large agricultural sector of the kingdom and to a lesser extent the entire empire. The few banks that are based in Akkar are all rural banks that focus towards financing agricultural activity; the industry is mostly composed of building agricultural machinery and agricultural inputs. However, because the land is divided among numerous small 50-150 ha farms, the agriculture of Akkar is not as efficient as that in the Kingdom Tamora where farms can go as high as 500.000 ha or more. Nevertheless, the kingdom is the number one agricultural power of the Empire.   

Part of the Empire since: 1200 (annexed as a result of war)
Population:-:- 33.5 million (approx. 13.4% of the national population)
Slaves: 3 million (approx. 9% of the population of the kingdom)
Ethnicities: Arabs 2 million (6%), Parthians 7 million (21%), Turks 18 million (54%), Seleucid 1 million(3%), others 5 million (approx. 16%)
Official religion: Druze
Official language: Turkish
Recognized minority language: Parthian, Arabic, Seleucid
Religious breakdown: Islam 2 million( 6%), Manism 9.5 million (28%), Anahitaism 1 million(3%), Druze 18 million (54) , others 3 mil (9%)
Capital City:- Delfan (10 thousand)
GDP: approx. 201 bln dinars (USD) approx. 7.3% of the Empire’s GDP
GDP per capita (nominal): 6,000 dinars (USD), almost 45% below the national average
Main economic sectors:  agriculture, manufacturing (agricultural machines), tourism.


Government

Head of State:- Sultan  (king) Akdemir Yazici
Head of Government:- Sultan (king) Akdemir Yazici
Name of Legislative Body:- none, power resides in the Sultan



The current Sultan(king) of Akkar, Akdemir Yazici is as determined as his predecessor to keep the current status quote in place by having Akkar remain Tamora’s rural kingdom and agricultural powerhouse.



Delfan the capital

Delfan is a small isolated town in the heart of Akkar. Today it is famous for being the capital of the kingdom and the fact that the town is closed to most visitors. As far the inhabitants are concerned most work in either agriculture or are in the service of the government of Akkar. 



Main highlights of Akkar:   


Unlike other capitals of in the Empire, Delfan is a small rural town.



The Akkar rugs are famous not just throughout the Empire but even across the Midaranye region.


Just as in other Tamoran kingdoms, the people of Akkar are very proud of their traditions.


Traditional women’s attire in Akkar while similar with other parts of Tamora is nevertheless unique.


Self-reliance is a key value of rural Akkar.


1029
Factbooks and Maps / The (federated) kingdom of Vojvodina
« on: April 06, 2019, 10:50:29 PM »

The flag of Vojvodina is a legacy of when the kingdom was Christian and had a close cultural connections with the Slavs of Slava Lavosk.

Motto:- For king and country

 
BACKGROUND


Background: Vojvodina traces its origins in the XIV century to the Izhitsan Crusade which spread far into MidAranye  and created a series of crusader states which after the Izhitsan withdrew consolidated in the kingdom of Vojvodina. As Slava Lavosk(ooc: no longer on the map), the other Slavic state in MidAranye,  consolidated into a kingdom, the Kingdom of Vojvodina gravitated towards Slava Lavosk in an effort to preserve its independence from Tamora, Akkar, Royal Seleucid and other kingdoms of that time. As Slava Lavosk prospered and was engaged in a rivalry with Seaforth for control of entire regions of Mundus, Vojvodina remained a poor backwater place that hardly presented interest for Slava Lavosk and was too far away from the Rus crusader states (Izhitsa) to receive support.  When Slava Lavosk was eventually defeated by Seaforth and its power crushed, Vojvodina was in the unfortunate situation of being without a guarantor for its independence and bordering Tamora which was at the time had defeated its immediate adversaries. In 1898, after a series of diplomatic incidents with Vojvodina, the Empire of Tamora declares war and, after a brief struggle, annexes the Kingdom of Vojvodina the same year.     

Vojvodina first dacades in the Empire were plagued with violence and upheaval. While the annexation was easy, the local population was far more resilient to adopting the Tamoran values. Furthermore, the fact that Voljvodina had Slava Lavosk as a neighbor only emboldened the resistance as they looked at their eastern neighbor for guidance and inspiration. After almost 20 years of low level revolt against Djerb’s rule, the Emperor made the unprecedented move and removed the ruling dynasty of Vojvodina and replace it with a noble family from the Imperial Enclave. The new dynasty was Parthian speaking and Manist and had little connection with Vojvodina. They instituted a series of reforms that encouraged immigration to the kingdom in an attempt to change the demographics of the kingdom. As more than two million new residents came (mostly Parthians and Arabs from the Imperial Enclave and Altai) , the major cities of Vojvodina were no longer predominately Slavic. In less than ten years, Vojvodina was demographically radically changed and almost all of the armed resistance against imperial authority stopped.

Present day: while the kingdom now enjoys peace and stability, few other positive things can be said about it. Slavs now have a little over 40% of the population and do not get along with the other ethnicities whom they see as colonizers. The monarch and his dynasty are Parthian and do not even speak Slavic. That combined with the fact that they are of the Manist faith further alienates the Slavic population. On the other side, Parthians, Arabs and Turks do not have much respect for the ruling monarchy because they see it as lacking in history, prestige and authority. To all that, Slava’s influence and bellicosity towards Tamora further fuels the mistrust between the major ethnicities of the kingdom.
On top of the social tensions, the threat of conflict with Slava has seen the kingdom avoided by almost all investors. Furthermore, when Tamora sanctioned Slava it further affected the economy of the kingdom as the communities on the Eastern border were engaged in trade with Slava. Today it is by far the poorest kingdom in the Empire and its lack of prospects has earned it the unofficial title of the “failed kingdom”.

Economy: the kingdom has a GDP per capita of almost 65% below the average of the Empire and produces less than 2.5% of the GDP of the whole Empire. It is by far the poorest and the smallest kingdom in terms of GDP. The ethnic tensions and the threat of war from with Slava Lavosk (which Vojvodina borders) has left the kingdom’s economy in shambles. Millions of Slavs have either migrated throughout the Empire or left for Slava Lavosk. Today, agriculture and some manufacturing is all that keeps the kingdom’s economy floating.

Part of the Empire since: 1898 (annexed as a result of war)
Population:-:- 16.5 million (approx. 6.6% of the national population)
Slaves: 2 million (approx. 12% of the population of the kingdom)
Ethnicities: Arabs 2 million (12%), Parthians 3 million (18%), Turks 2 million (12%), Seleucid 0.5 million(3%), others 2 million (approx. 12%)
Official religion: Manism
Official language: Slavan
Recognized minority language: Parthian, Arabic, Turkisk, Seleucid
Religious breakdown: Islam 2 million( 12%), Manism 8 million (48%), Anahitaism 0.5 million(3%), Orthodoxism (Christian), others 2 mil (12%)
Capital City:- Novi Sad (1 million)
GDP: approx. 66 bln dinars (USD) approx. 2.5% of the Empire’s GDP
GDP per capita (nominal): 4,000 dinars (USD), almost 65% below the national average
Main economic sectors:  agriculture, manufacturing of cheap products.


Government

Head of State:- Padeshah  (king) Iraj Kaviani
Head of Government:- Emir (king) Iraj Kaviani
Name of Legislative Body:- none, power resides in the Padeshah



The current Padeshah  (king) of Vojvodina, Iraj Kaviani has made no attempt to lift the kingdom from the economic depression it has been experiencing for decades. He has chosen instead to keep the peace of the kingdom choosing security above all other concerns. While it seems he was successful in this regard, a potential war with Slava Lavosk of which Vojvodina will be the front line will be a major test for the Padeshah and the peace he has tried so hard to keep in his kingdom.
While focusing on security has placated the Djerb which was always unhappy with Vojvodina, it has done nothing to appease local interests. Padeshah Kaviani enjoys little respect among his subjects and commands even less among the kings of Tamora.



Novi Sad the capital and largest city in the kingdom

What little prosperity there is in Vojvodina it is mostly located in Novi Sad. The capital has managed to attract much of the businesses and most of the elite that still remains in the Kingdom. Aside from dominating the cultural, political and economic life of the kingdom not much can be said about the city. Compared to the national average, the city is considered poor and has little opportunities to offer its residents. Its universities rank well below the average and tourism is limited.   



Main highlights of Vojvodina:   


Novi Sad, the capital and largest city in the Kingdom of Vojvodina.



The Eastern part of the kingdom retains much of the Slavic traditions.


There are still large parts of Vojvodina that are relatively isolated. In some of these regions there are various Christian Orthodox monasteries where pilgrims flock year-round.


Agriculture in Vojvodina is done differently than in the huge farms of the Imperial Enclave were agricultural machinery is ever present.

1030
International News Networks / The Imperial Academy welcomes its first foreign member
« on: April 06, 2019, 10:22:39 AM »
The Imperial Academy welcomes its first foreign member
 

For over a quarter of a millennium, the Imperial Academy has gathered some of the brightest mind of the Empire


The Imperial Academy (IA) announced today that it will welcome its newest member into the prestigious institution. Professor Jahangir of Royal Seleucid, a historian renowned in the Mindaranye region and beyond will be the first foreign member in the institution’s 250 years history to be accepted. Professor Jahangir has written extensively about the history of Royal Seleucid and is an expert on the history of Midaranye.

The head of IA has also addressed the criticism raised against Professor Jahangir by noting that after him joining IA his critics can now finally rest.


The Imperial navy to increase its numbers by three thousand men 

The Imperial press officer has announced today that the Imperial navy will see the largest increase in personal in its history. Three thousand men will be added to the ranks of the Imperial navy, a huge increase of 20%. The announcement came just weeks after Ministry of War has announced an investment of 150 million dinars (USD) to increase the shipbuilding capability of Tamora’s main shipyard. The Imperial Press officer has not answered any questions on whether Tamora’s military doctrine will change in the future further fueling speculation about Djerb's plans for the Imperial Navy.   


Fairuza Kuto has applied for a position in Rokkenjima

As stated earlier on TINS, Fairuza Kuto has agreed to an exclusive interview with TINS. TINS, through our local branch in Zimalia, has visited Ms. Kuto and she gave us an interview as promised. During the interview Fairuza Kuto has touched a series of subjects including the great emotional impact Dilara’s execution had on her, how she feels now that she’s a “star” in Tamora and Zimalia and has praised the excellent way she was treated by her colleagues in Rokkenjima.  Ms. Kuto also revealed she has applied for a position at the ISEA, the Rokkenjiman Space Agency. She has stated that she has been encouraged by the Rokkenjimans she had work with to apply and that it is an opportunity she could not afford to miss. Zimalia, her home country, lacks a space program entirely while Tamora, the country that adopted her, has a space programme but it has no human spaceflight programme and has no intention to develop one. Ms. Kuto did not wish to comment on the current political relations between Tamora and Rokkejima and how these relations might affect her application and has instead stated that she prays for peace.


Jalal Deer Agricultural Conglomerate (JDAC) calls the investment in RS a "great success" announces new R&D center


Last year JDAC had announced the opening of a meat packing factory in RS. Today the owner of JDAC, Mr. Gholam Dabiri, announced that the investment is a success and has achieved all profitability goals. Frutermore, Mr. Dabiri has announced that JDAC will open an R&D center in Royal Seleucid. This will be the first time a Tamoran business opens a R&D center outside of Tamora as research tends to be closely guarded by Tamoran businesses. The JDAC R&D center in Royal Seleucid will seek to attract talent from the Ipsus’ great academic centers and will help develop the most advanced tractors and harvesters the company has to offer.
 
Some have criticized the JDAC decision to “export” high skilled jobs to Royal Seleucid especially when the Empire is going through a recession. Mr. Dabiri however has defended the decision by saying that” JDAC is doing its part to help Tamoran society prosper. I hope people will forgive my lack of modesty when I say that if every Tamoran business were to manufacture products as competitive as JDAC’s products then Tamora technological prowess would be the envy of Mundus. JDAC has invested billions in Tamora and will continue to do so in the future. Tamora is my home, it is where I was born, where I live and it is where I will be buried alongside previous generations of the Dabiris. If JDAC is to remain competitive on the world stage is has to attract the best minds of Midranye and beyond. This is what this investment is all about”.     


Albion’s nefarious colonialism of Midranye goes largely unnoticed

The Head of Foreign Affairs, Alya Safavid has stated during a press interview that Albion’s colonialism still continues to this day and needs to be reconsidered. Lady Safavid went further by saying that she sees no reason why “Socram Island cannot go its own way and become part of Midaranye’s life and prosperity and has to stick to following commands from Sarandib which is on the other side of the Sea of Kyne.” The criticism did not stop there with Lady Safavid stating that “Socram and Sarandib as a whole have about 30% of the population following Manism. A further 5% of the population follows Anahita, another of our official religions.  That’s more than eight million people and most of them are on Socram Island. We have a responsibility to those people. It pains me greatly to see millions of our faith living in squalor right on our doorstep. Their republican government that still has martial law has managed to completely cripple the country’s economy to such a degree that it’s almost hard to comprehend how a country so poor could be basically our neighbor. This cannot go on any longer.” When asked about what measures Tamora plans to take regarding the situation in Socram and Sarandib, Lady Safavid said” we will first consult with our friends the Seleucid since I believe they are just as concerned about the Socram us we are. We hope to agree on a series of proposals that we will put forward to the leadership in Sarandib in order to free the people of Socram from the hold that Sarandib has on them and allow people of Socram to enjoy the prosperity of Midaranye. “ When asked what will Tamora do if RS does not subscribe to Tamoran concerns, Lady Safavid was categorical in saying that “Tamora is ready to proceed to solve this issue alone if it has to”. 


Until next time: God bless the Emperor! God bless Tamora!

1031
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Between the Firing Squad and Tamoran Aims
« on: April 04, 2019, 04:12:41 PM »
“Excellent then, public it will be then. As for the price of the transaction that will be communicated to the public, I think it’s best if that will be described as an “undisclosed” amount or if not possible at least increased to around twice of what has been agreed here today."
   
Parviz then moved his hand to his pocket took out him mobile phone and then touched the screen a couple of times.

“I have authorized the transfer of the two individual to your custody. They are now in Zimalian airspace and the pilots were waiting for my confirmation. They should land soon at one of the Zimalian bases at the outskirts of the city. Thanks to the excellent cooperation between my benefactors and the Zimalians they can have the privacy needed for such a transport. I am forwarding the coordinates to you so you can go pick them up.”

“If there’s not anything else, I believe we can shake hands and call it a deal” said Parviz initiating a handshake.

1032
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Between the Firing Squad and Tamoran Aims
« on: April 03, 2019, 08:19:57 PM »
“Excellent then” said Parviz glad to have sorted things out to a satisfactory level.

“2-6 weeks is my estimate. They would be arriving in waves depending on logistics and other various issues.”

“There is one more issue. How do you want to handle the matter? I doubt we can keep the deal a secret, we are talking about 50 thousand people, and word will break out eventually. However, we can make this public , with press statements, publicity etc or discrete without making any noise and trying to keep things as low as possible. "

"We are fine either way but it’s usually the clients that have certain needs and prefer one way or the other. Or if you want to handle things another way, I am willing to listen.” 

1033
Diplomacy and Events / Re: The Iron Masquerade: Rokkenjima and Slava Lavosk CLOSED
« on: April 03, 2019, 05:59:01 PM »


Encrypted Communication

To: Mr. Mark Sharpe, National Security Advisor

After reviewing your request for extradition of the man known as Leonard Clerisseau, we would like to inform you that the Imperial government has approved your request. You are given permission to pick him up. Furthermore, we have informed the local and imperial police of your operation and you will be given full support on the matter including but not limited to intelligence sharing and logistical support.

Respectfully yours,
Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs,
Vahid Shahi
Empire of Tamora

1034
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Between the Firing Squad and Tamoran Aims
« on: April 03, 2019, 05:43:29 PM »
“If we are talking about His Imperial Highness himself and the purpose is to free the slaves that changes things a lot. Also, 10 thousand regular slave families means fifty thousand souls (twenty thousand adults and thirty thousand children), that’ more than even King Lapu bought. “Parviz stopped to think for a few more seconds:

“For His Imperial Highness  and only for him the price would be 1.5 billion dinars (USD). That is a very special price that includes a discount for the “incident” with the two individuals that are now in custody. “

1035
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Between the Firing Squad and Tamoran Aims
« on: April 03, 2019, 04:19:03 PM »
“As I said, my benefactors admit they have made a mistake. While the mistake was most likely due to foreign machinations, it remains a wrong that has been done towards the Imperial Republic. Other than consider the message I have asked you to forward to your leadership, they ask for nothing. It benefactors’ hope that despite starting on the wrong foot, there can still be cooperation between the two sides.”

After saying that Parviz took in a deep breath and started what seemed like rehearsed speech:

“I would like to note that Tamoran activity in Zimalia is not in any way connected to slavery. While Tamora fully recognizes the institution within its border, its citizens respect the laws of the country they currently reside. In our case ZImalia does not allow slavery of any king.”

Without giving his counterpart a chance to say anything he resumed in a more natural manner:

“With that out of the way, the answer is more complicated. Despite what others might think of us, we are fully aware of what slavery means and that’s why we are extremely reluctant to ever break apart slave families. So finding ten thousand orphan slave children is no easy task and drives up prices. You will forgive me if I don’t have the exact numbers with me, I wasn’t prepared for such a question but 200 million dinars (USD) will likely be the price. Also, please take into consideration that it also matters who the buyer is. Perhaps you are aware that king Lapu of Quintelia bought 20 thousands slaves and their children. He is a trustworthy individual and selling to him was no issue. While we don’t expect all potential buyers to be public figures or have the reputation of King Lapu we do however expect to have some info about the buyer otherwise a deal might not work out. Buying adults slaves is one thing, buying slave children is a whole different affair.

I do apologize for providing that much info but these types of transactions are sensitive and it’s best if there are no misunderstandings.”

1036
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Between the Firing Squad and Tamoran Aims
« on: April 02, 2019, 08:55:38 PM »
“Excellent! Now on the issue of the detained individuals, I can confirm that two are in custody and that these two were the only individuals of their group that our benefactors have detained. While they are unharmed I can’t exactly say the same of their minds. Not our benefactors doing, they seemed to be missing a thing or two in their heads way before our benefactors reached them. They are some weird individuals from what I hear but I guess you have to be to be doing what they did and planned to do.

If you have any questions, I am happy to answer them, Mr. Marckster.”

1037
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Between the Firing Squad and Tamoran Aims
« on: April 02, 2019, 05:23:24 PM »
“Mr. Marckster, I doubt you are qualified to talk in the name of the Imperial Republic. I am not interested to hear your opinion on whether the Imperial Republic is concerned about “foreign conspiracies”. The fact of the matter is that you are here precisely because of such “foreign conspiracies” that have led my benefactors to intervene, and considering just how dug in your country is I doubt your leadership would not be interested in hearing our reasoning. Your whole nation is a bunker; don’t tell me your leadership is not concerned and worried about all possible threats.  Not to mention that you’ve travelled half of Mundus to inquire about two insignificant individuals. So do your job and relay our concerns and explanations to your leadership. “

Just as Parviz had suspected, the meeting with the Chinese representative was not going to be a pleasant one. He had to admit that in the months he spent in Zimalia he had begun to like dealing with Zimalians, especially Zimalian officials.

However, Parviz didn’t linger on that more than a moment as he was engaged with his Chinese counterpart.     
 
“One more thing Mr. Marckster, also tell your leadership that despite this misunderstand, our benefactors are interested in having good relations with the Imperial Republic. “

“I hope that is clear enough Mr. Marckster because I also want to move the discussion to the topic of the detained individuals. “

1038
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Between the Firing Squad and Tamoran Aims
« on: April 01, 2019, 09:39:42 PM »
“Well Mr. Marckster, I see you like to get straight to the point.“ Parviz sensed a certain determination in his Chinese “partner”.

 “I think we should take the time to talk a bit first” as he said that he casually took a sit.

“First of all, I can confirm that the two individuals are indeed in the custody of my …” benefactors”. No “benefactor” likes to admit they made a mistake but sadly that is the case this time. At the time we had credible circumstantial evidence that the individuals were part of a cover-up for the Chinese government which was using them as an excuse to develop and potentially use biological weapons. We are now confident to say that there was no connection between your government and these individuals. We are working on finding out who has feed us the wrong info. We have so far managed to narrow it down to East Moreland and the Communist government of Kaitaine. While we do not know the purpose of the diversion, we believe it was meant as a way to get the two nations, China and the benefactors, on a path that would lead to … nothing good. “

Parviz then waited to see the reaction of Marckster before saying anything more about returning the two cultists.

1039
Diplomacy and Events / An opportunity for business and improving relations (Tamora and Quintelia)
« on: April 01, 2019, 06:34:02 PM »
Alaverdi, Kingdom Attica, Empire of Tamora.
Department of the Navy HQ


The last few days have been hectic for the Department. As was recently announced in the press, Djerb had decided that the shipbuilding capability of the empire was to be expanded. What did not reach the public was that Djerb wanted it done fast. Tamora was not a democracy, when the Emperor gave an order there was little room for discussion especially when it involved military affairs. Djerb’s decision surprised many in the Empire since the navy had been from the moment of its founding in 1968 a low priority. Before 1958 the Empire did not have access to the sea and it took another ten years before Djerb decided a navy was necessary and formed the Imperial Tamoran Navy.

However, it would seem that Tamora’s plan to expand its infrastructure did not go unnoticed by other Mundus powers. Shortly after TINS informed the public that Sarafian Shipyards would be expending thanks to a government contract, Quintelian sources contacted the Tamoran government to inquire about a potential collaboration on the matter. The normal response from Djerb to such an inquiry would be to inform the interested party of the Imperial law that explicitly states that foreign investments are not allowed in the Empire. However, this was Quintelia:  a member of OPEN and a country that not only did it not succumb to the pressure of sanctioning Tamora but actually provided assistance at the height of the tensions between Tamora and Slava Lavosk, and provided aid during the Royal Seleucid food crisis. Such actions earned the respect of many in the Imperial administration and the government agreed to a meeting to discuss the details of any future cooperation in this sector. 

Mekabiz Gilani, the Head of the Department of the Navy, was sitting at his desk waiting for the Quintelian delegate and his entourage to arrive. As soon as they entered the office, he got up and greeted them:

"As-salamu alaykum! My name is Mekabiz Gilani and I am the Head of the Department of the Navy. Please have a seat and tell me if there's any refreshments you might need. Ms. Bahrami here can bring them to you."

After waiting for the guests to take their seats, he did the same and resumed talking:

"First of all allow me to thank you in the name of the government for the help your nation has provided during the Seleucid food crisis. The Seleucid are friends of Tamora and the Tamoran people do not forget those who help our friends. " afterwards, he waited to see if the guests had any topics that wanted to approach first or preferred to get straight to business.

 

Spoiler:  Department of the Navy HQ • show



Like most Tamoran buildings, the HQ of the Department of Navy was not very impressive on the outside.



Imperial institutions did not adhere to the local customs (in this case Attica) when it came to the dress code and instead followed what is considered proper in Djerb. Because the Quintelian delegation were considered VIP guests, Leily Bahrami, the receptionist,  would personally lead the Quintelian guests to the office of the Head of the Department of the Navy.







1040
International News Networks / Jalal Deer Agricultural Conglomerate (JDAC) comes to Zimalia
« on: March 31, 2019, 08:36:49 PM »
Jalal Deer Agricultural Conglomerate (JDAC) comes to Zimalia
 

The popular 6175M -175 hp tractor will soon be manufactured in Zimalia
 


JDAC has announced it has signed the preliminary agreement with the local authorities to build a manufacturing plant.  If all goes according to plan in about six months the factory should be operational producing the popular 6175M -175 hp tractor. The factory will employ some 500 people and many of the components would be manufactured in Tamora and assembled in Zimalia. According to JDAC representatives the investment is worth 30 million dinars (USD) and is the largest investment JDAC has made outside the Mindaranye region. Furthermore, according to JDAC much of the production of the factory will go to export.


The Haghighi Dam project advances at a rapid place
 
Polakis Energy have announced that the hiring of construction workers is going as planned and that soon they could begin setting up the construction site. Furthermore, the company together with Zimalian authorities has begun tackling the problem of the three thousand Zimalins villagers that will have to be moved in order to make room for the project. The Zimalian authorities have sent notifications to the villagers informing them of the future plans and the planed expropriations. Polakis Energy has confirmed that generous compensation will be provided to the villagers. The spokesman for Polakis energy had this to say:

“We know the compensation issue is a sensitive one and there is perhaps some mistrust fluid by some critics of our company. In order to avoid any misunderstanding and not leave any room for interpretation we have asked Zimalian Union of Labour  (ZUL)to handle the payments to the villagers. They have an outstanding reputation in Zimalia and we believe that will alleviate any concerns the public might have regarding the payments. I would like to thank ZUL for agreeing to manage the complex task of handling the compensation and for agreeing to do it pro bono”.

At the time of this report, the Haghighi Dam project is funded at 60% and potential investors can still apply to buy shares in the company running the project.

Until next time: God bless the Eternal President! God bless Tamora!


1041
International News Networks / Tamora's open to Queen Chryssa’s idea but needs further details
« on: March 31, 2019, 03:25:25 PM »
Tamora open to Queen Chryssa’s idea but needs further details
 


TINS news anchor


Following the statement by Queen Chryssa of RS which alluded to the idea of creating a gathering of consorts of various HoS, many in the Tamoran press wanted to know if the Foreign Office had a position of the issue. While the foreign Office has stated that it will not comment of the statements made by Queen Chryssa and that concrete proposals are needed before formulating an opinion. The First Wife and Head of Foreign Affairs, Alya did touch the issue during one of the interviews where she stated that “so far we are not talking about a proposal but an idea that has yet to be agreed by the RS royal family as a whole. I am personally open to the idea but we would need to see more details”. Sources close to the Imperial family have said that there's some worry about the selection process of the members of such a gathering, with the Imperial family preferring one that is based on some connection between its members rather than an open to all membership.   



Fairuza Kuto safely returns to Mundus   

It has been confirmed that the first Tamoran to go into space, Fairuza Kuto, has safely returned to Mundus. Furthermore, in line with recent assurances from the Rokkenjiman government, she has not been detained by the authorities and has safely returned to her family in Zimalia.  Fairuza Kuto has not issued any major statements since her return but TINS can confirm for our viewers that she will be giving us an exclusive interview soon. Sources close to her family have said she has been deeply affected by the crucifixion of Dilara.



Midaranye Commodity Exchange to launch the first derivatives next weeks   

Representatives of Midaranye Commodity Exchange (MCE) have announced that the exchange based in Ipsus, Royal Seleucid, will be launching the first derivatives next week following their strategy to make MCE the go to commodity exchange in Mundus. The spokesperson of MCE had this to say:

“MCE is growing fast. Thanks to companies from Tamora, Royal Seleucid and Zimalia working together we have a large spot market for oil, gas, minerals and crops. However, in order to further grow we need to diversify and offer potential investors more sophisticated instruments if we are to truly compete with the large commodity exchange of the established financial centers of Mundus. I will not go into the boring details in explaining the technicalities of these products, suffice to say that starting tomorrow buyer or seller of commodities can agree on a price today with the delivery of the commodities at a later pre-established time. So buyers can agree on a price for oil now and have it delivered 6 months from now, that way buyers can make a business plan knowing they are protected against any price fluctuations. On the other side, sellers have certainty that they will be able to sell goods 6 months from now at a price that they already know today. “

When asked if MCE has further plans to expand, the spokesperson was confident that MCE will see other resource rich nations trade on the exchange soon.

Until next time: God bless the Emperor! God bless Tamora!

1042
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Between the Firing Squad and Tamoran Aims
« on: March 31, 2019, 02:11:28 PM »
Djerb, Empire of Tamora

It had been months since the two cultists extracted from China had been in the custody of Tamora. Despite the best efforts of the Imperial Secret Service(ISS) the two individuals seemed almost useless. Whatever knowledge the Cult as an organization had it seemed to have died when most of its members have been eradicated. As far as ISS was concerned the whole extraction of the cultists from China proved to be a waste of resources and a potential liability for the future.

So when the ISS was contacted unofficially through backdoor channels by BIS (China’s Bureau of Internal Security) agents they suspected that BIS has concluded that Tamora was somehow involved in this. The only question was just how much evidence they had and what level of involvement they suspected Tamora had in the operation.

After consulting Emperor Abbas, the ISS leadership decided to agree to the meeting and allowed one of its agents to set up the meeting.


1:20 P.M. Local Time
Mojebbe, Zimalia

The good part about Zimalia is that Tamora did not need to insert any agents for the operations as it had plenty on the ground already. Some of them like Parviz Radji, marketing director of Polakis Energy( the Zimalian branch) while always discrete in its affairs with ISS was suspected by many in Zimalia to be well connected if not on the payroll of ISS. He was one of the many Tamorans assigned to convince the Zimalian authorities to offer more mining licenses to Tamoran business. The convincing part meant not only offering bribes but establishing a network of contacts and favors with many Zimalian people of influence from the second or third tier of power. This often involved helping promote certain Zimalians to key positions, discrediting other less flexible people, using religion and even arranged marriages to form bonds etc. It wasn’t a glorious job and most of his work would not reach the public eye but it was an important job that Parviz nevertheless enjoyed.

So when was contacted by ISS and he received the latest briefing, he could hardly believe his eyes. However, after the initial shock he composed himself and remembered his place. He was to follow orders not think much about the implications of Tamoran operations aboard, that was something for others to do.

So that had brought him here, to one of the dozens of 3 stars hotels of Mojebbe where he was supposed to meet the Chinese agent.

As he entered the meeting room where the agent was waiting he started speaking:

- Salaam alaikum! Welcome to Zimalia. My name is Parviz Radji and I am the Marketing director at Polakis Energy. What can I do for you, Mr…?

As he talked he approached the Chinese agent and moved his hand for a handshake before taking a seat. 

1043
Diplomacy and Events / Re: The Empire of Tamora meets the Theocracy of Kaitaine
« on: March 31, 2019, 02:09:29 PM »
“About the bloggers if I may intervene” said Musaevna politely”We have heard of them and we have been impressed with their dedication. This might not be the perfect place to ask but some of the people working for TINS have been asking if you could supply them with pictures/clips about what is happening in Kataine: the brutality of the regime, the abuses etc. While without a doubt you are doing an excellent job on the Internet and not only, some of the people at TINS would like to help you out. They would appreciate if you would send them some pictures first so they are the first TV channel to break in the story. “ before being able to finish, Alya cut her off.

“TINS is the largest Tamoran media trust, it is owned by our Church and has a large presence aboard. While there are those who criticize it, many foreigners watch it. It is not my place to tell you how to manage your PR but I do believe TINS can help you. If you do consider working with them, please take into account that they are not Pravda, we do not tell them what to say and they have their own view of things that is not guided by the government but by their belief they are doing the work of the Prophet. This is not something that involves the Tamoran government. “

As Verspasian explained to Alya the Bene Gesserit view on proselyting and how they believed that Manist are already part of their faith and that just their interpretation was different, Musaevna couldn’t help but smile discreetly and gave Alya an “I told you” look. Musaevna had come in contract with the BG before and was familiar with their view. She had informed Alya of their rather unorthodox view of religion but she could tell that Alya was still shocked to hear them say it. As Verspasian finished explaining, Alya did her best to hide any signs of her bewilderment and simply said:

“That is an interesting perspective. I do believe that not many in Tamora or even Midaranye in general are familiar with it. I think the Missionara  that will come to Tamora will have a busy schedule ahead of them. “
Alya did not linger on the issue, as important as religion was for Tamorans, the meeting of today had a different purpose than theology.

“I perfectly understand your confusion to our expressed intention. After all, as you just said there is little to no economic activity in the Theocracy of Kaitaine. We know that and we are still interested in discussing an economic agreement with the Theocracy and acquiring land in the territories that are not under your control but are rightfully yours by sovereignty. We want to be the first to negotiate these things with you. Outsiders see the Theocracy, and I do apologize for saying this, as a hopeless cause that will never get back its country. That is not the case of the Tamoran government, we believe you will prevail and when you do and all other nations will flock to you to congratulate you and sign deals. When that comes we want to be in a much stronger position having long established ourselves in the Theocracy.
   
Of course, this is not something that we will agree on today. But as ambassador to our country we want you to know what our intentions are and what we would like to see our relationship go. Of course, should your leadership decide it has other priorities or approach, we will understand. As long as you know what our interests are, as time goes opportunities may arise that are not obvious right now. “ Alya hoped that it she had been more clear about the issue without pushing the ambassador into an uncomfortable position.
Alya then resumed:

“We are of course interested in also cooperating with the Theocracy outside of the Kaitaine area. One of the areas we are interested is R&D. It is not a secret that Tamora is lagging behind the most advanced nations of Mundus. While we are keeping up in the arms sector, agriculture and pharmaceuticals, we are unfortunately lagging behind in almost all other areas. The Bene Gesserit chapter schools are famous throughout Mundus for educating some of the brightest minds of Mundus. If there is any way that we can cooperate on this area it would be of great help. Whether that implies having some of them working for our large businesses or establishing a long distance network from the various Mundus countries where your ladies work in the R&D sector or some other form of arrangement we are willing to discuss all options. While it’s true that Tamora cannot compete with the large wages rich countries like UC can offer, there might be other ways to compensate your people or the Theocracy in general for their assistance.” Alya did her best to imply that by compensation she did not necessary mean money since the BG while not ultra-rich were not in dire need of money.   

1044
Convention Centre / Re: Mundus Press Photo-Nominations
« on: March 31, 2019, 09:34:04 AM »



Category: General News, Spot News
Place of Picture: Manist Temple, Djerb, Empire of Tamora
Photographer: Abbas Kiarostami
Newspaper: TINS (Tamoran Imperial News Service)
Backstory: Last year Djerb hosted its annual fashion show. The event is sponsored by the Manist Temple association and features creations by various Tamoran designers including Musaevna Kadyrov. The clothing on display (abayas and hijabs) is in accordance with Manist and Islamic tradition remaining conservative and promoting modesty. The women only event (men are not allowed to attend) is slowly growing in importance and becoming a regional event of Midaranye, the first sign of this is Princess Thekla of Royal Seleucid attending the event for the first time. 




Category: Mundus Press Photo Story of the Year, Contemporary Issues
Place of Picture: Rokkenjima’s Embassy in Djerb, Empire of Tamora
Photographer: Abbas Kiarostami
Newspaper: TINS (Tamoran Imperial News Service)
The picture features Mr. Karapetyan kissing the ground at the Rokkenjima embassy in Djerb following his release by the Tamoran authorities. The Karapetyan family made intentional headlines when they went bankrupt and were immediately enslaved following Rokkenjima sanctions that bankrupted their business. A husband of one and father of three, the family was bought by Rokkenjiman businessman, Patricius Bateson who bided 1.5 million for the family. He immediately set them free and Mr. Karapetyan together with his family now live in Rokkenjima. To this day insidious lobby groups within the Holy Empire of Achkaerin have not ceased to seek to punish Mr. Bateson for his crime of freeing a Tamoran family from slavery.   





Category: Mundus Press Photo Story of the Year, General News, Spot News
Place of Picture: The Church of Mani synod in Djerb, Empire of Tamora
Photographer: Abbas Kiarostami
Newspaper: TINS (Tamoran Imperial News Service)
During the last year’s annual Holy Synod of the Church of Mani, the suppression of the Bene Gesserit faith by the soviet government of Kaitaine dominated the agenda. In a rare exception the Supreme Ayatollah allowed a woman, Musaevna Kadyrov, to speak before the synod. Her testimony helped sway the council which eventually decided to give refuge to Bene Gesserit members because of their systematic persecution they were experiencing in Kaitaine. That started a chain of events that eventually lead to the Empire of Tamora recognizing the sovereignty of the Theocracy of Kaitaine and the First Empire of Rokkenjima breaking all ties with Tamora.





Category: Mundus Press Photo Story of the Year, General News, Spot News
Place of Picture: Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Empire of Tamora
Photographer: Widad Akrawi

Newspaper: TINS (Tamoran Imperial News Service) – Islamic Section
Dilara’s body wrapped in white as a symbol of her purity was presented to the public in each of the capitals of the kingdoms of Tamora. Dilara become a symbol of the persecutions the ethnic Tamorans living in Slava were subjected to. Her death made the Church of Mani to raise her to the status of Martyr and call for a Jihad against the Slavans. Furthermore, hear crucifixion made Tamorans no longer just seek to free those detained in Slava's detainment camps but also to seek retribution against the Slavan government and the Slavan people.





Category: Mundus Press Photo Story of the Year, General News, Spot News
Place of Picture: Ostlake Movie Awards, East Moreland
Photographer: Abbas Kiarostami

Newspaper: TINS (Tamoran Imperial News Service)
After winning the Ozzie for best International Movie, Samira Hanifnejad went on stage to give her acceptance speech. She stunned many in the audience by saying Jihad for Dilara and asked for retribution against the Slavan people.





Category: General News, Spot News
Place of Picture: Kingdom of West Selecuid, near the Royal Seleucid border, Empire of Tamora
Photographer: Abbas Kiarostami

Newspaper: TINS (Tamoran Imperial News Service)
The pictures shows Quintelian aid workers bringing relief to the Seleucid coming to Tamora in order to buy food because of the Royal Seleucid food crisis.  Aside from the importance of the aid itself, Quintelia’s help in the Royal Seleucid food crisis also carries a powerful political symbol. Quintelia, Tamora and RS are all OPEN(ooc: OPEC) members and although the charter of the organization makes no mention of aid in times of crisis, Quintelia has sent a naval fleet to Tamora at the height of the tensions between Tamora and Slava and has brought aid for Royal Seleucid. In a Mundus where the great powers often endlessly argue about who does more for each international organization, OPEN is quietly and unnoticed proving to Mundus that solidarity requires no speeches, no grandstanding before the world press just quiet and decisive action. 

1045
Factbooks and Maps / Tamoran Wealth Funds Association (TWFA)
« on: March 31, 2019, 07:50:44 AM »
Tamoran Wealth Funds Association (TWFA)

The Tamoran Wealth Funds Association(TWFA) is a collection of sovereign wealth funds from the various regions of Tamora. While the largest 6 funds are the ones corresponding to each of the kingdoms of Tamora, some regional governments also have their own wealth funds that are part of the association.

History: the beginning of the association goes back to the 1940s when the imperial (federal) government of Tamora started accumulating large reserves because of very prudent fiscal policy that made the government to almost always have a budgetary surplus. While fiscal surpluses in other Mundus countries are usually a consequence of what is seen as a responsible government, in Tamora, because the law allows for debt enslavement as a result of bankruptcy, deficits as not seen just as irresponsible but could have serious consequence for the government officials who took on the debt. It is for this reasons that governments (from local to imperial) in Tamora tend to avoid deficits and almost never take debt. 

While various funds were created to manage the money government set aside for rainy days, the system was still in its infancy and could hardly be described as a wealth fund by the end of the 1940s.
The Tamoran annexation of Attica 1958, perhaps unexpectedly, was the catalyst for a major restructuring and reform of Tamoran wealth funds. At the time of annexation, Attica already had its own wealth fund with investments both domestic and abroad. In the years following the annexation, the Tamoran government and many regional jurisdictions adopted legislation that tried to imitate the Attican model of wealth management.
 
Diversity of investment policies: While the association has a leader, each fund has its own agenda (set by its founding government) and its own priorities. The component members of the association vary greatly not only in size, from hundreds of million dinars(USD) in assets to hundreds of billion in case of the fund owned by the Imperial government but it also varies a lot in its mission and agenda which depend greatly on the official religion of the government that owns the fund. While some funds allow for interest to be charged and have no problem associating with banks that charge interest, others shun completely anything related with interest, some invest just in the region where its government operates while other invest all over Tamora. However, no fund invests aboard since the risk of assets seizures is too great.


TWFA at a glance:
Assets: 750 bln dinars (USD).
Member funds: 32
Average yield: 2% per year
Share of assets by member funds: 35% Imperial Fund, 17% Attican Fund, 16% West Seleucid Fund, 9% Altai Royal Fund, 7% Akkar Royal Fund, 3 % Djerb County Fund, 2% Vojvodina Royal Fund,11% - 25 other member funds.
Particularities: unlike most other sovereign funds, TWFA does not invest abroad and does not own any stock. It invests in infrastructure, energy production, mining, agriculture, forestry, shipbuilding, fishing etc.



The HQ of TWFA is in Djerb but each member fund has its own separate HQ.


Karun 3 dam, located in the kingdom of Altai,  was one of the many projects funded by TWFA.


Karun 3 bridge, also funded by TWFA, is one of the largest bridges in the Empire.


One of the many oil tankers funded by TWFA. The fund was instrumental building Tamora’s commercial fleet.


True to its mission, some of the spending made by TWFA is not meant to bring a return on investment. Last year TWFA funded the construction of the largest pedestrian bridge in the Empire. Located in Djerb it is meant to celebrate 60 years since the Kingdom of Attica was annexed by the Empire. 

1046
Factbooks and Maps / The (federated) Kingdom of West Seleucid
« on: March 31, 2019, 12:06:06 AM »

The blue and yellow colors are meant to represent the Seleucid culture and the common heritage with neighboring Royal Seleucid.

Motto:- Nothing without Anahita.

 
BACKGROUND


Background: West Seleucid of today is the continuation of the Seleucid petty kingdoms that did not join the 10 kingdoms to the East when they united under the Soter dynasty forming the Royal Seleucid of today. In the XIII till the XVI centuries, the loose confederation of over a dozen petty kingdoms has played a careful balance of using the major powers in the region against one another in an effort to preserve their independence. While most of the time they were tributary states to Royal Seleucid, in the brief periods that Royal Seleucid seemed to have troubles, they were always quick to change sides and provide tribute to the Kingdom of Attica, the Empire of Tamora and others. Their lack of allegiance to any of the regional powers and their willingness to pay tribute to whoever was stronger at the moment had allowed the loose confederation to continue its existence until the late XVI. Eventually, the West Seleucid League as it was called at a time had to choose between Tamora and Royal Seleucid as it was slowly sandwiched between the two powers. Despite sharing a common culture with Royal Seleucid, the West Seleucid League chose to join the Tamoran Empire rather than the Emirate of Royal Seleucid. Some historian have argued that joining the Tamoran Empire was a tactical move since Tamora’s feudal system allowed for huge autonomy of its component kingdoms and as part of Tamora, having a distinct language and a distinct polytheistic religion, would greatly help in preserving their identity while in the Emirate of Royal Seleucid they would have inevitably been assimilated in the culture of the Kingdom. During that time, RS was becoming more centralized absorbing all its competent kingdoms into a single entity.  Historians have never been able to agree as to why the events never lead to war between Royal Seleucid and Tamora as a consequence of RS losing a potential client state. Some historians have argued that the leader of the West Seleucid League, Adrian, a distant cousin of the ruling Soter king of RS, managed to use his connections to convince Royal Seleucid that war would not have been in the best interests of the two major powers of the region. Nevertheless, West Seleucid League joined the Tamoran Empire in 1599 and Adrian Soter, the leader of the West Seleucid League, was given the title of Emir (king) founding the cadet dynasty of Stratos. The West Seleucid League became the emirate of West Seleucid and joined the Tamoran Empire. To this day it is the only kingdom that has joined the Empire voluntarily.
After it joined the Empire, Adrian Stratos, the new Emir of West Seleucid used his relations with RS to greatly facility slave trade between RS and Tamora. While slave trade between the two empires was not something new, after West Seleucid joined Tamora it had skyrocketed and Tamora become a major buyer of slaves. 
In the centuries following West Seleucid joining the Tamoran Empire it has managed to play a vital role in Tamoran politics and economy as a bridge between Tamora and RS in particular and the rest of the world in general. The Tamoran Empire while expansionist had always had a strong isolationist streak, shunning relations (including commercial) with foreigners. West Seleucid and its ruling family become the gateway to Tamora, with foreign merchants doing business with West Seleucid if they wanted to trade in Tamora. Furthermore, Volos (the capital of West Seleucid) became the hub through which most of Tamoran exports went through. Since until 1958 Tamora lacked access to the sea, most of Tamoran export goods went through West Seleucid and from there they would go to Royal Seleucid which had traditionally been a major naval power. West Seleucid had also leveraged its different religion, Anahitaism, by allowing the emergent banking sector in the Tamoran Empire to charge interest. While the federated Kingdom of Altai was quick to ban the practice and not allow merchants from West Seleucid to charge interests within its borders, Tamora and Akkar did not outright ban West Selecuid merchants from charging interest within its borders as long as they did not reside within its borders. This had furthered helped West Seleucid with Volos becoming the main financial center for interest charging banks in the Tamoran Empire. 

Present day: today the kingdom is the third largest in the Tamoran Empire with a GDP per capita of almost 20% of the national average. The discovery of major oil and gas reserves had further boosted West Seleucid’s importance in the Tamoran Empire, however after 1958 when the kingdom of Attica was annexed, West Seleucid importance had started to wane. Attica had access to the sea and with it the Tamoran Empire after almost a thousand years of existence finally had its own access to the sea. Almost overnight, Tamoran exports stopped going through RS and instead used the Attican port of Alaverdi to ship its goods worldwide. Furthermore, Attica’s financial sector also allowed banks to charge interest and West Seleucid had a major competitor for the interest charging financial sector. If that wasn’t enough, after 1980s Royal Seleucid had started dismantling its empire and banned slavery which further reduced the importance of RS (and by tangent West Seleucid) to the Tamoran Empire.  However, the recent wave of sanctions against Tamora has restored some of the importance West Seleucid had as more Tamoran goods are now shipped though RS to various Mundus countries that embargo Tamora.
Despite its setbacks, West Seleucid remains a vital part of the economy of the Empire, it is the richest kingdom in minerals, one of two kingdoms with oil and gas (the other being Attica) and its language, Seleucid, thanks to its huge historical influence over commerce in the Empire is now the lingua franca of international business in the Tamoran Empire. Furthermore, West Seleucid remains alongside Attica a gateway to foreign business in the Tamoran Empire.   

Economy: West Seleucid is very rich in resources and its mining sector is second to none in the Empire, furthermore while Attica has more oil and gas reserves it is W. Seleucid businessmen that control most of the oil and gas companies of Tamora. Furthermore, West Seleucid has a robust banking sector and is home to some of the best universities in the Empire.

Part of the Empire since: 1599 (voluntarily joined)
Population:-:- 44 million (approx. 18% of the national population)
Slaves: 4 million (approx. 9% of the population of the kingdom)
Ethnicities: Arabs 2 million (5%), Parthians 9 million (11%), Turks 2 million (5%), Seleucid 30 million(68%), others 3 million (approx. 7%)
Official religion: Anahitaism
Official language: Seleucid
Recognized minority language: Parthian
Religious breakdown: Islam 2 million( 5%), Manism 9 million (20%), Anahitaism 30 million(68%), others 3 mil (7%)
Capital City:- Volos (6 million)
GDP: approx. 572 bln dinars (USD) approx. 20% of the Empire’s GDP
GDP per capita (nominal): 13,000 dinars (USD), almost 20% above the national average
Main economic sectors:  oil and gas, mining, services (banking, transportation), agriculture.


Government

Head of State:- Emir (king) Darious Stratos
Head of Government:- Emir (king) Darious Stratos
Name of Legislative Body:- none, power resides in the Emir



The current Emir (king) of West Seleucid, Darious Stratos is a major supporter of closer ties between Tamora and RS. He was instrumental in helping to aleviate the RS food crisis and was a strong supporter of the Midaranye Commodity Exchange that was launched in 2018. He is also known as a rival to the Queen of Attica and considers the growing influence of the Kingdom of Attica as a potential threat to the importance of West Seleucid within the Tamoran Empire.



Volos the capital and largest city in the kingdom

Volos is the second most populous city in the Empire and the largest city in the kingdom of West Seleucid. It has traditionally been the business hub of the empire, its wealth and prosperity rivaling that of Djerb. While in recent decades it has begun to experience average growth, the city nevertheless remains extremely influential in the Empire. The largest oil and gas companies are based here, as are some of the largest interest charging banks in the Empire. Its universities are among the best in the Empire with good connections to the universities in Royal Seleucid. While Volos lacks a major religious site, it is nevertheless one of the most visited Tamoran cities by foreign tourists because of its businesses community. In fact Volos has more connection to the international businesses community than Djerb has.   



Main highlights of West Selecuid:   


Volos, the capital and largest city in the Kingdom of West Seleucid.



West Seleucid mining sector is second to none in the Empire.


The oil and gas of West Seleucid powers much of the Tamoran Empire and is key competent of Tamoran exports.

1047
Factbooks and Maps / The Kingdom of Tamora (Imperial Enclave)
« on: March 30, 2019, 11:40:24 PM »


Motto:- God forgives, the Emperor does not(unofficial)
other names:- the First Kingdom, Tamora proper, the (Imperial) Enclave

 
BACKGROUND



Present day: today the kingdom of Tamora is the largest in terms of population in the entire empire. The influence it exerts over the other kingdoms of the empire is huge and touches all aspects of life from the economic and social to cultural and political. The Manist religion was founded in the Kingdom of Tamora now its influence and presence has spread throughout the Empire. Furthermore, thanks to the huge economic, cultural and political influence of the kingdom of Tamora, Parthian it is not only the most spoken native language in the Empire but also the lingua franca of the Empire.  Also, the kingdom has the largest slave population of all the kingdoms in the Empire. More than 57% of the entire slave population of 38 million the Empire holds resides in the kingdom of Tamora meaning that approximately one of every four residents in the kingdom is a slave. Also, kingdom is the political, religious and media center of the Empire with most domestic movies being produced here. It is also in the Kingdom of Tamora that the Mausoleum as Alya is located ( the most important religious site for Manists).     

Economy: the kingdom has a GDP per capita of 30% above the average of the Empire and produces almost 45% of the GDP of the whole Empire. If that wasn’t enough the kingdom is home to most of the huge arms industry of the Empire. Outside of the Arms industry, the kingdom is also home to most of the largest banks in the empire, is a national leader in the pharmaceutical industry and also has a powerful agricultural sector than is second only to the Kingdom of Akkar. The most striking aspect of the kingdom’s economy remains the wise use of slavery, with most low skilled jobs being done by slaves but also a good part of the jobs requiring (some) qualification. It is not usual to see slaves working as court clerks or banks clerks in the kingdom. Such prevalence of slave labor makes the kingdom unique in the Empire.

Population:-:- 89 million (approx. 36% of the national population)
Slaves: 22 million (approx. 25% of the kingdom’s population)
Ethnicities: Arabs 5 million (5%), Parthians 61 million (69%), Turks 2 million (2%), Seleucid 3 million(3%), Slavs 2 million (2%), Armenians 1 million (1%),  others 15 million (approx. 17%)
Official religion: Manism
Official language: Parthian
Recognized minority language:  Arabic, Seleucid.
Religious breakdown: Islam 5 million ( 5%), Manism 75 million (84%), Anahitaism 3 mil (3%), Druze 2 mil (2%) other 4 million( 4%)
Capital City:- Djerb (9.5 million)
GDP: approx. 1,240 bln dinars (USD) almost 45% of the Empire’s GDP
GDP per capita (nominal): 14,000 dinars (USD) almost 30% above the national average
Main economic sectors: services (banking, medical, media ), arms industry, manufacturing of cheap products, agriculture.


Government
Head of State:- Shah (emperor/king of kings) Abbas Safavid
Head of Government:- Shah (emperor/king of kings) Abbas Safavid
Name of Legislative Body:- none, power resides in the Emperor.



The kingdom of Tamora is in the unique position in the Empire’s kingdoms that its monarch is both its HoS and the HoS of the Empire. As the Empire grew, more and more of the responsibilities of the kingdom have been delegated to the dukedoms and countdoms of the kingdom. It is for this reason that the count of Djerb is now an extremely influential title to hold because the holder rules over almost 10 million people and arguably the richest region of Tamora. Pictured above is the Emperor of Tamora.



Djerb, the capital and largest city in the Empire

Djerb is both the largest city and the capital the Empire. Furthermore, it is here that the Church of Mani has its seat of power. The city has played a major role in the history of Tamora and Manism religion, and is seen by orthodox Manists as a special city, sometimes called ”Holy Djerb”. The city is the center of politics of the Tamoran Empire and is home to most of the large media trusts in the Empire. It is the religious center of Manism, and its universities are among the best in the Empire being rivaled only by those of Volos (kingdom of West Seleucid) and Alaverdi (Kingdom of Attica).
Aside from its political influence as the seat of imperial government, the city also boast an almost monopoly on military R&D and is the main hub in the empire for R&D in pharmaceuticals and agricultural machinery. While not so dominant in the financial sector, it is nevertheless host to more imperial wide banks than any other city. Its long history, huge heritage as well as Mausoleum of Alya (a major religious figure in the Manist religion) makes Djerb a prime destination for tourists from all the kingdoms of the Empire.
Unlike its major competitors within the Empire: Volos (kingdom of West Seleucid) and Alaverdi (Kingdom of Attica), Djerb is heavily reliant on slave labor, with almost 3 million slaves residing in the city. Nowhere among the major cities of the Empire is slave labor so widespread, not only are low skilled jobs almost exclusively slave labor but most middle income households and above have at least one slave to handle the domestic work of the household.   



Main highlights of the Kingdom of Tamora:   



Djerb- the capital of Tamora is also the heart of the Manist Church. It is the seat of the Supreme Ayatollah and it is here where the Prophet Mani has preached and wrote what later will be described as the Book of Mani.

Mausoleum of Alya Safavid, Mother of the Nation- The most important religious site for Manist believers (the burial site of the Prophet Mani is unknown). [i/]


The Slave quarter of Djerb. Since most slaves in Tamora are freed after they are over 60, most cities in the Empire have a designated place for them to live the remainder of their lives. What makes the Djerb Slave Quarter unique is its huge size that dominates the Eastern part of the city. It is the part of the city rarely visited by tourists both foreign and domestic.


One of the many huge manufacturing plants that can be found all over the outskirts of the major cities of the Kingdom of Tamora. The goods manufactured here are sold all over the Empire and aboard.  Most of them use almost exclusively slave labor.


Djerb is the center of the Tamoran military R&D and the SU-57, developed by the Kadyrov Industries, is one the most important successes in recent years.

1048
Factbooks and Maps / The (federated) Kingdom of Altai
« on: March 30, 2019, 11:21:35 PM »


Motto:- Allahu Akbar (Arabic: God is the Greatest)

 
BACKGROUND


Background: between the IX and XI century, the kingdom of Altai was the dominant political entity in the area of present day Tamora. By the XI century the kingdom had established a large network of vassal states including the then kingdom of Tamora. By the end of the XII century the kingdom is conquered by Tamora and remains part of the Empire of Tamora till this day. In accordance with Manist tradition of governance, following its conquest, the kingdom retained a lot of its autonomy and self-governance.   

Present day: today the kingdom is the second largest in the Empire and still retains considerable cultural influence over the rest of the Empire through its official religion (Islam). Its cultural influence over the entire Empire ranges from architecture, to social mores and to the traditions common in much of the Empire. Because Manism (the native and dominant religion of Tamora) started as a Muslim sect, a lot of the traditions and social mores of Manists are “imported” from Islam in general and the Kingdom of Altai in particular. The decisions of the courts in the kingdom are often referenced by imperial judges when making their decisions. The Kingdom of Altai is regarded by most Tamorans as the most conservative of kingdoms. Furthermore, the kingdom is famous for its total ban on alcohol and pork, for the wide use or burqa (though still in minority), public floggings, total ban on charging interest of any kind (usury) and anti-blasphemy laws. Subsequent decisions by imperial courts have upheld these bans as an expression of freedom of religion and the residual sovereignty of the kingdom. 

Economy: while culturally and religiously it can be said the kingdom has prospered while part of Tamora, economically it is lagging behind the rest of the Empire. Its GDP per capita is almost 30% lower than the national average. Altai has embraced slavery even before joining Tamora and continues to do, its economy remains centered around manufacturing cheap products using slave labor and tourism since many Tamorans visit the kingdom because of its huge importance in defining the history of Tamora. Furthermore, because the kingdom is home to the Imam Ali Mosque, it is also a tourist attraction for Muslims all over Mundus.   

Population:-:- 49.5 million (approx 20% of the national population)
Slaves: 6 million (approx. 12% of the population)
Ethnicities: Arabs 28 million (56%), Parthians 9 million (18%), Turks 1 million (2%), Seleucid (1%), others 10.5 million (approx. 20%)
Official religion: Islam
Official language: Arabic
Recognized minority language: Parthian
Religious breakdown: Islam 28 million( 56%), Manism 15 million (30%), other 6.5 million( 13%)
Capital City:- Piranshahr (4.5 million)
GDP: approx. 400 bln dinars (USD) almost 15 % of the Empire’s GDP.
GDP per capita (nominal): 8,000 dinars (USD) almost 30% below the national average
Main economic sectors: tourism (religious), manufacturing of cheap products, agriculture.


Government
Head of State:- Sheik (king) Ahmad al-Afifi
Head of Government:- Sheik Ahmad al-Afifi
Name of Legislative Body:- none, power resides in the Sheik



The current Sheik (king) of Altai has continued the long tradition of the al-Afifi monarchy of guarding the residual sovereignty of the kingdom and strongly promoting the most orthodox version of Islam all over the kingdom, the Empire and even aboard.



Piranshahr the capital and largest city in the kingdom

The heart of the kingdom of Altai, all major businesses of the kingdom are either based here or have a branch opened in this city. Piranshahr is also the seat of the al- Afifi monarchy of Altai. Furthermore, because of its history and cultural influence over the whole of the Empire, it is often nicknamed the cultural capital of the Empire. It is home to the largest Islamic media institutions in the Empire which rival in influence even the Manist media trusts based in Djerb. Also, its Islamic universities enroll students not just from all over the Empire but even from states with large Muslim presence like Phuebra, Krimeon, New Derusmia, Zimalia etc. While some international NGOs have criticized the Islamic universities of Piranshahr of promoting extremism, the kingdom authorities have always defended their freedom to preach the Quran as an inalienable right to practice their religion as they see fit. The city is a major tourist attraction because of its historic importance in the history of Tamora but also because Imam-Ali-Mosque, a major religious site for Muslims and Manists, is located at the outskirts of the city.



Main highlights of Altai:   


Piranshahr, the capital and largest city in the Kingdom of Altai



The White Minaret is a symbol of Altai and it’s featured on the kingdom flag. It symbolizes the eventual triumph of Islam over all other religions.


Located at the outskirts of Piranshahr,  Imam-Ali-Mosque is a major religious site for Islam drawing millions of pilgrims each year from all over the Islamic and Manist world.


While a minority of Altai women wear the burqa it has nevertheless become of symbol of Altai since outside the kingdom almost nobody wears it. Furthermore, the burqa is also seen as a symbol of Altai’s proud Islamic tradition and its reputation of arguably the most conservative kingdom in the Empire. 

1049
Economics and Industry / Re: International Sanctions and Embargo's Tracker
« on: March 24, 2019, 03:33:46 PM »
Sanction Name: OPEN’s sanctions against Slava Lavosk
Target: Slava Lavosk
Imposer: OPEN - Oil (and Gas) Producing Exporting Nations
Type: Trade (Passive): ban on oil and gas exports to Slava Lavosk
Motivation: At Tamora’s request, OPEN nations have issued an embargo to pressure Slava Lavosk to accept Tamora’s ultimatum.

Sanction Name: Tamora’s sanctions against Slava Lavosk
Target: Slava Lavosk
Imposer: Empire of Tamora
Type: Trade (active): total ban on trade, border closed. However, Tamora has not attempted or threatened to impose a naval blokade.
Type: Diplomatic: Removal of all diplomatic ties: Tamora has closed its embassy in Slava Lavosk and has given notice to Slava to close its embassy in Tamora.
Motivation: The human rights abuses of Slava Lavosk’s government against Slavans of Tamoran descent and retaliation for  crucifying one such individual.

Sanction Name: Tamora’s sanctions against the Commonwealth of the Iwi
Target: Commonwealth of the Iwi
Imposer: Empire of Tamora
Type: Arms/military: no military equipment or military assistance of any kind will be given to the Iwi.
Motivation: The executions of Seleucid citizines and the aggressive( military) actions of the Iwi against Royal Seleucid.

Sanction Name: Tamora recognizes the Free Theocracy of Kaitaine
Target: The Soviet Republic of Kaitaine
Imposer: Empire of Tamora
Type: Recognition: Tamora recognizes the Theocrachy of Kaitaine as the legitimate government. No trade is permitted with the Soviet Republic, no diplomatic ties exist with the Soviet Republic.
Motivation: The brutal suppression of religion in Kaitaine by the communist government and the alleged loss of control of the country by the communist regime.

1050
International News Networks / Sarafian Shipyards win major government contract to expand their infrastructure
« on: March 24, 2019, 08:48:41 AM »
Sarafian Shipyards win major government contract to expand their infrastructure
 


Proposed plans to expand Tamora's main shipyard


Sarafian Shipyards have announced that they won a contract from the Ministry of War to expand their infrastructure in order to build much larger ships. Sarafian Shipyards have said that information regarding future capabilities of the shipyard are confidential for now and did not provide further details. The Ministry of War has also declined to give specifics for the contract other than that the contract is for 150 million dinars (USD). Sources close to the Ministry have said that Djerb is taken measures following the recent Royal Seleucid food crisis when half a dozen nations had brought their fleets very close to the Tamoran and Royal Seleucid territorial waters. It is no secret that the Imperial Armed Forces have always given the navy a modest role in their military doctrine, relying almost exclusively on the Army and Air Force to defend the interests of the Empire. If our sources are correct, this could signal the first shift in military doctrine since the Empire annexed the Kingdom of Attica in 1958.

It would seem that the current recession has not in any way diminished the government’s determination to keep the people of the Empire safe from foreign aggression. 


OPEN Economic Forum took place in Lungsod City, Quintelia 


OPEN economic Forum took place in Lungsod City (Quintelia) where representatives of Oil and Gas companies from all OPEN member countries met to discuss the challenges and opportunities related to energy sector. Among the speakers was Mr. Thanasis Polakis, the owner of Polakis Energy, who talked about the Haghighi Dam project in Zimalia that was recently announced. In his speech, Mr. Polakis alluded to the idea that energy companies from OPEN countries should talk to their respective governments and interpret article 9 of the charter (“OPEN members agree to invest 0.1% of their profits into research for renewable energies”) as to count the investments in projects such as Haghighi Dam as “research for renewable energies”. Mr. Polakis has said that this would give energy companies more freedom to invest in a wider range of projects for the benefit of investors.

Until next time: God bless the Emperor! God bless Tamora!

Pages: 1 ... 33 34 [35] 36 37 ... 46