Tyreseia

Workers' Federation of Tyreseia Foederatio Proletariae Tyreseiae (Latin)
Flag Great Seal
Anthem: "Hymnus Proletariae" "Hymn of the Proletariat"
Location of Tyreseia on the Periclean Basin in North Scipia
Capital	none specified
Largest city	New Tyria
Official languages	none at national level
Recognised national languages	Tyrian, Latin, Tamaziɣt, Hebrew
Ethnic groups (2020)	44% Tyrian 26% Latin 15% Jewish 4% Amaziɣ 2% Imuhaɣ 2% other
Religion	Secular state
Demonym(s)	Tyreseian, Tyrian (outdated)
Government	Syndicalist directorial federation
• President of the Supreme Workers' Council	Yoana Wechsler
Legislature	Supreme Workers' Council
Establishment
• Foundation of Tyrian city-state	c. 800s BCE
• Proclamation of Tyreseian Nation	1861
Area
•	527,552 km2 (203,689 sq mi)
• Water (%)	5.04
Population
• 2020 census	33,275,404
• Density	63.075/km2 (163.4/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	$714,373,343,528
• Per capita	$21,468.51
Currency	Tyreseian piaster (TYP)
Time zone	UTC+1 (Central Scipian Time)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy (CE)
Driving side	right
Internet TLD	.tyr

Tyreseia, formally known as the Workers' Federation of Tyreseia, is a sovereign state in northern Scipia, along the shores of the Periclean Sea. It borders that sea on the north, the Ninvite State on the south, and Aɣmatia on the west. Tyreseia is a decentralized, worker-led federation laid out along syndicalist principles. The nation is home to a diverse number of ethnicities, religions and languages, all reflecting the various empires, kingdoms, tribes and other civilizations that have inhabited the region over millennia. In Tyreseia's north, large, bustling cities like New Tyria hug the coast, sandwiched between vineyards, farms, and drydocks. In the south, The Axos Mountains dominate the skyline and halt the encroaching Ninva desert, itself dotted with river valleys, oases, trade posts, and numerous nomadic tribes who make the hinterlands their home.

In antiquity, the region now known as Tyreseia was ruled by the Tyrian civilization, a conglomerate of city-states led by the eponymous Tyria. The Tyrians were known for their extensive thalassocracy and distinctive purple dye, which remains a symbol of the Tyreseian people to this day. After a fall from grace and a decline in Periclean trading power, the entire region was subsumed by the Latin Empire in the 2nd century BCE. Tyreseia fluorished again under Latin control and cultural influence until the Empire shrank away from the area under both internal and external pressure in the 6th century CE. Following this, the region fractured into various petty kingdoms, chiefdoms, merchant republics, and pirate havens, with a united Tyreseia not to be seen until the mid-19th century.

Over the intervening centuries, the Tyreseian region was plagued by disease, banditry, and factionalism punctuated by repeat Ninvite invasions in a time known to Tyreseian historiographers as the Medieval Period or the Dark Ages. These times came to an end when intellectuals like Hanno of Tyria jumpstarted the Tyreseia Movement, a coffeehouse ideology that eventually formed the sociopolitical and philosophical basis for a modern-day Tyreseian state. In a period known as the Springtime of Tyreseia, a series of bloody wars and revolts of unification coincided with a mass resurgence in nearly-extinct Tyrian culture, culminating in the establishment of the Workers' Federation of Tyreseia at the National Proclamation of 1861.

Today, Tyreseia is a stable nation, weathering the transition to a post-industrial economy, fueled by an influx of tourism. Tyreseia is a member of the Forum of Nations, the Kiso Pact, and the Society of Latin Peoples and States, and engages regularly in international trade and diplomacy.

Etymology

Tyreseia, as a term, is wholly artifical and derives from the 19th century. The term was invented by the philosopher(s) Hanno of Tyria in order to create a name that would encompass the Tyreseian region, but be ethnically neutral and not serve to exclude the Latins, Jews, or other groups.

History

Dolmen of the Giant, Gebayl

The area known today as Tyreseia was likely first inhabited by nomadic tribes around 5000 BCE. Farming techniques originating from western Scipia likely came soon after, with more peoples then settling both along the Periclean and in fertile river valleys. Very little is known about these First Peoples of Tyreseia, as no writing system has ever been found predating the Aradian migration. Early sites at x and y contain both copper and ivory tools, indicating that these peoples engaged in trade with neighboring groups of people. Additional finds suggest a reliance on a diet of fish and cereals, supplemented by a meager supply of pastoral beef; this supply seems to have disappeared around the beginning of the Bronze Age.

The utter lack of solid evidence as to these early peoples' lives is likely compounded by their lifestyles. A site 50 kilometers southeast of Gebayl, is likely the remnants of a Middle Bronze Age city, and one of the best-preserved ruins from the period.

Ancient Tyria

Representation of Tyria at its height

Archaeologists debate the circumstances and exact year in which the city-state of Tyria was founded. 814 BCE, 842 BCE, and 812 BCE have all been floated as possible founding dates, based on varying corroborations of archaeological digs and the testimonies of Tyro-Latin historians writing on the period. According to Tyrian myth, the city was founded by Aradian settlers fleeing the eruption of a volcano in their homeland, generally believed by archaeologists to be the city of Gadir to the west. As the legend goes, the future site was revealed when Baʿal Ḥammon, the chief god of the Aradian mythos and controller of weather, parted the mists and raised the foundations of the gleaming city walls from the silt of the river delta. While the historicity of this creation myth is dubious, excavations around the walls of Tyria indicate that the lower layers were built much earlier than the 9th century BCE. X scholar of the National University of Tyreseia theorizes that a previous civilization may have colonized the TBD River Valley between the First Peoples and the Aradian migration, though this is disputed by others, who suggest that Tyria was built on the site of a yet-unknown First Peoples city.

Regardless of origin, Tyria would quickly prove a jewel in the Aradian crown, as its strategic location at the junction of the TBD River and Periclean Sea trade networks led to a rapid explosion in economic and political power in the following centuries. As the Aradian civilization fell to repeated assaults in XXX BCE, the Tyrian civilization filled the power vacuum and rose to become a Periclean power in its own right. At its territorial peak around 300 BCE, the confederation of Tyrian city-states spanned much of the southern Periclean basin, with a vast patchwork of satellites, colonies, and trading outposts asserting the civilization's mercantile power throughout the rest of the region. Tyreseians often cite this period as the origin of their strong maritime tradition, thanks to the commanding presence Tyria held in early antiquity.

While nominally under the command of the city of Tyria, city-states on the periphery of the polity would often function on a tribute system, sometimes with the autonomy to wage their own wars and hire their own mercenary armies. Generally, though, the inner cities would be governed by a shofeṭ (Tyrian: šūfeṭ), elected from the wealthy merchant families much like an ancient Latin consul. These shofeṭim would meet in Tyria and run the Tyrian mercantile empire through the Senate (Tyrian: Drm), similar to the contemporary Latin Senate, but without a figurehead monarch to rule them. Indeed, the power of the Tyrian merchant families was profound and deep-seated, with power conflicts between the two sometimes erupting into violence and full-blown civil wars. Outside of Tyria itself, these families often maintained extensive connections and properties throughout the Periclean both to express their wealth and secure their mercantile holdings. These families would often finance their own armies of citizens and mercenaries in times of both interstate and intrastate conflict, often far dwarfing the size of the Tyrians' standing army, the Sacred Band. The Tyrian navy, however, was almost always in state hands, and was one of the few standing navies in the ancient world. Historians have credited the navy and its capable commanders with singlehandedly bolstering ancient Tyria's military might and with ushering in a golden age of maritime trade that coincided with the peak of Tyria's territorial expansion around the end of the 4th century BCE.

Tyria's downfall came during the time of the XXXth Council (in XXX BCE). The mercantile Houses of Hiram and Eshmun had, by this time in history, become the most wealthy families in Tyria, with each patriarch being valued as among the richest men in world history and controlling the local politics of several cities. Their rivalry had lasted for centuries, and frequently boiled over into conflict that had crippled the state's treasury and nearly destroyed the once-mighty Tyrian navy. During that year's shofeṭ elections, an attempt by the Hiramites to finance a candidate in a typically Eshmunite-controlled city broke out into civil war. As families and their associated cities began taking sides, the Latin Empire, long jealous of the Tyrian power in the Periclean, began preparations to invade. The Eshmunites consolidated their position within the city of Tyria, while the Hiramites took over the western cities around Tsabratan and appealed to Latium for assistance.

Latin Tyria

The Latin period came to a close around the late 8th century CE, in the midst of a period of mass retreat across the empire. The first signs of trouble came as

Dark Ages

See also: Dictators of Tyria

Solidus, Tyrian Treasure Fleet and Mutulese Slaver Ships, 1674

The Tyreseian region produced numerous vessels and fleets throughout the early modern period. These ships were highly sought-after for their versatility and high cargo capacity, while the sailors were sought after both for their experience and linguistic ability, with most sailors speaking multiple languages in their homeland. The introduction of oceangoing ship technology from the Rezese in the 7th century CE via Latium led to the modernization of Tyreseia's shipyards while under Latin rule. As the Greater Tyrian region fell away from the Latin empire in the late 8th century CE, the ships similarly fell from central control. As the new breakway statelets could not afford to maintain all of these ships, many were hired out on contract or sold outright to other nations, often with crews included on retainer. This contract system was originally limited to deals with Latium, but gradually extended to other Belisarian and North Scipian nations, and eventually to states across the Oorupaqi and the Salacian Ocean. By the 1200s, Tyreseian ships were the primary ferries of Latin troops in the Belfrasian Crusades. Ships both owned by other nations crewed by Tyreseians and owned by Tyreseian states themselves dominated trans-Oorupaqi trade from the 900s onward.

These traders and transports could just as easily turn to piracy, and the line between trader and raider was often thin and always blurred. Numerous pirate havens have been recorded across the region, with many originating from Onigamyg raiders from modern-day Wazheganon in the 9th century CE. These havens were often transient and temporary, but some had the permanence and political capital to organize into full-fledged statelets. Tyreseian pirates were also seen across the Oorupaqi trade networks, either crewing their own vessels or working alongside with Latin, Mutulese, Kayahallpan, Rezese, and Zacapine sailors in multinational pirate crews. Tyreseians were also the targets of piracy, as well. Tyreseian sailors were highly sought-after by Mutulese and Rezese slavers for their experience and skills. Rezese slavery functioned on a ten-year contract system, but often left Tyreseian former slaves with no way to return home after their servitude ended. As many Tyreseian sailors, and subsequently Rezese slaves, were women, these communities of former slaves were uniquely equipped to self-perpetuate in Sante Reze, especially in the port city of Eporte Kiriz in the Nine Cousins. The Eporte Kiriz community of Tyreseians still exists to this day, while other, smaller communities have mixed into both the freeborn and slave creole groups in the intervening centuries. In the Mutul as well, communities of slaves and ex-slaves of Tyreseian extraction formed self-sustaining and insular communities that persisted for centuries following their establishment, though the practice of ritual human sacrifice initially thinned the numbers of prisoners captured through conflict by the Mutulese. Various communities formed by slaves, expatriates, pirates and immigrants existed in other realms across Norumbia and Oxidentale throughout the Fragmentary Period and beyond, with some persisting into the modern day but the rest assimilating into wider society or mixing with other immigrant groups to form mixed creole societies.

Reunification

Dennier's Final Stand of Hercules, 1848. A painting depicting the failed 1848 revolt in New Tyria City, one of seven in the city in the 19th century

By the time of the 1830s, satisfaction with the patchwork, laissez-faire system of mercantilism and capitalism across the various independent Transrubricine city-states had hit a new low. The failure of the disunited national polities to reflect a resurgence in nationalist loyalties drove dissatisfaction among the literate middle classes and intelligentsia. The growing acceleration of industrialization had disenfranchised numerous artisanal workers, and threatened the power of the traditional guild system. As a result, many industrial workers found themselves partial to socialist ideas, particularly those that had formerly belonged to guilds and other work-community organizations now rendered redundant, sometimes even illegal, by new governments. To make matters worse for the dissatisfied, political avenues remained extremely limited. A merchant-nobility class, one which derived its wealth from generational inheritance and ownership of industrial concerns and international shipping lines, dominated most city-state political spheres. Even in nominal republics (few and far between among the numerous kingdoms, principalities and even theocracies), this elite class effectively shut out social mobility through mass infusions of capital into political parties and their own political careers. For centuries, the traditional route to find freedom in Transrubicine societies was to go to sea, either as a merchant mariner, a sailor in the navy, or perhaps even crossing over to the pirate republics. These small pockets of libertarian anarchy were reviled in their time, frequently mobile and often fluctuating between patronage as privateers and severe government persecution. In first two decades of the 19th century, however, the Principality of New Tyria, the most powerful of the pre-unification city-states, united numerous tributaries and allies into a league that sought the destruction of pirate havens once and for all. For those that weren't killed or forced into prison labor, former pirates faced a difficult and treacherous road re-entering society. Many of those thus deprived of their previous freedom became the first radicals, performing the action encouraged by revolutionary intellectuals. In the years leading up to the 1830s, numerous authors penned a body on works constructing an umbrella ideology of unification, liberal democracy, and secularism that, for a time, became the dominant political force of both reform and revolution.

The 1830s saw Tyreseia's western neighbor, Talahara, collapse into revolution. An initial 1834 coup by the landed liberal classes failed, plunging the nation into civil war. This civil war saw numerous socialist armies take to the field for the first time, including numerous radical volunteers under the leadership of Valerius (also known by his revolutionary pseudonym "Gracchus") Papin. The legion was a motly crew of radicals, former pirates, and intellectuals. Upon the Talaharan Communard victory in 1838, the Gracchus legionnaries returned to almost-certain arrest at the hands of their local governments' law enforcement; nevertheless, the Papinists' radicalization and return brought socialism, a previously fringe ideology, to the fore as a viable rival to the previous liberal unification philosophy.

Geography

Climate

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  A Rubric Deer, common in the western foothills

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  A taxidermied Periclean Rat, the largest rodent in the region

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  A Rubric Lion resting

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  A rough-toothed dolphin, common in the Periclean Sea

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  An Adrasic Bear, once nearly extinct but now rebounding

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  Agabus scipii, a form of diving beetle, underwater

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  A scene typical of the eastern Axos foothills

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  A road in the western Adrasic mountains, typically more arid than the Axos range

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  A stretch of the Ninva desert in the south

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  A wetland, of the kind found near river deltas like the Heshek

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  A forest in the Gallaecia region

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  A stretch of the Axos range of the Adrasic mountains

Government

Legislature

As Tyreseia lacks an actual head of state or government, the Supreme Workers' Assembly serves many of the functions an executive branch would normally perform. The body is made up of 708 members, divided equally between communes and municipalities. Members are selected by local governments or, in rural communes, by local branches of the Magonic Society, then elected by the populace at large. Terms last for two years; Assemblymen are allowed one consecutive re-election before being forcibly barred from office. As of the 1970 National Reforms, Tyreseia is also one of the few nations to practice staggered elections for a national assembly, with half of the seats being elected on odd-numbered years and half on even-numbered years. Division between "odd" and "even" seats is as evenly distributed across the nation's constituencies as possible. Citizens in a representative's constituency are allowed to start petitions of recall at any time during that representative's term, which will trigger a snap election.

The Supreme Workers' Assembly is responsible for passing all federal laws in the nation. Laws may also be put before the Assembly for voting by petitions of initiative, which require 30,000 signatories from across at least two constituencies to pass.

Salons

Political parties were outlawed in 1880 under the transitional military rule of Tyreseian strongman Azmelqart Šidduni. The proscription was directly inspired by the entrenchment of parties and self-interest of political machines in pre-unification republics like Oyat and Adramut. Trade unions and federations, therefore, tend to fill many of the roles of a political party in the Tyreseian system. Their influence, however, is often limited to issues regarding their represented profession, and as such entities known as political salons have come into being. Much more loosely-organized and unofficial than political parties, the salons act as informal collections of intellectuals and elected Assembly members, brought together by either a single hot-button issue or a range of political ideals. Such collections may have full-time dedicated members and regular meetings, though Assemblymen and other politically-involved individuals are just as likely to frequent multiple salons, or even no salons at all.

For much of Tyreseia's history, political salons were an event more than a permanent group. The salons started out as ad hoc gatherings of like-minded politicians, debating current issues and topics within a certain ideological framework. By the mid-20th century, however, salons would elect as many permanent staff as they could without running afoul of the party ban. These staff would organize venues and campaigns for the salons, sometimes even fundraising and standardizing an ideological platform, though the last two options might run afoul of the law if that money or platform were to end up in candidates' pockets. Gradually, by skirting the laws and meeting more regularly, the salons became institutions and an integral part of Tyreseia's non-partisan democracy. Most were forced to lay off their permanent staff and curtail fundraising during the 1960s .

Today, the salons are regular meeting places for the political intelligentsia and elected officials of Tyreseia, with each salon serving as an open forum for candidates to debate the fine points of a broad perspective or a standpoint on a hot-button issue. Politically-minded citizens and regular Tyrians also frequent these events, thus forming an unofficial avenue through which the average citizen might influence government policy. These groups traditionally meet in New Tyria City, though some will organize meetings in other municipalities in order to allow for more citizens to have influence in the groups. Below is a list of modern-day salons in Tyreseia:

Name	Logo	Colors	Founded	Ideology	Notes
Green Salon Latin Name Tyrian Name		Green	December 18, 1970 (1970-12-18)	Agrarianism, communalism, green politics	The Green Salon was founded to encourage the de-industrialization of Tyreseia and conversion to subsistence agriculture, now mostly advocates for greater environmental protections and for sustainable practices in agriculture and resource management.
Kel Tenere Sovereignty Movement Latin Name Tyrian Name		Sky blue	January 22, 1965 (1965-01-22)	Regional autonomy, anarchism, cultural nationalism and preservation	The KTSM was largely inspired by the Kel Adrar National Union in the Messidor Union. The Movement is allowed more leeway with political action than other groups in order to avoid provoking conflict with the State of the Ninva.
Tyreseian Peace Pax Tyreseiana 𐤋'𐤔𐤋𐤌 𐤋'𐤕𐤓𐤎𐤀		White	August 4, 1935 (1935-08-04)	Socialism in one country, pacifism, anti-globalism, non-interventionism	Tyreseian Peace advocates eschewing Tyreseia's global foreign policy and membership in the Kiso Pact, believing instead that Tyreseia ought to tread a nonviolent path and détente in order to avoid provoking conflict with Ninva and the Western Monarchies.
Salon of World Revolution Latin Name Tyrian Name		Dark red	November 27, 1902 (1902-11-27)	World revolution, proletarian internationalism, Latin socialist irredentism	Founded originally to spread leftist revolution worldwide, the Salon of World Revolution lost numerous members following a schism after the Latin Social War in the 1940s. Those that remained in the Salon helped welcome refugees and political leaders from the collapsed Social Republic, and advocated Tyreseian government support for a government-in-exile and a theoretical socialist guerrilla warfare network in Latium. In modern times, the SWR advocates for increased integration with the Kiso Pact as a bulwark against conflict with the Western Monarchies.

Military

Main article: Tyreseian Workers' Navy

The Tyreseian armed forces are organized under the banner of the Tyreseian Workers' Navy. The subservient branches of the Navy include the Naval Fleet, the Naval Infantry Service, the Naval Air Service, the Republican Guard, and the Worker's Militias.

The Commissar of National Defense is required to be an active-duty military officer, the only such requirement for a Commissar and a reflection of the historical domination of the military over the civilian government.

The Navy hierarchy is primarily structured around an rank-election system.

Foreign Affairs

Tyreseia maintains embassies or other diplomatic nations in nearly every nation in the world. In addition, Tyreseia participates in numerous international organizations such as the Forum of Nations, the Kiso Pact, and the Society of Latin Peoples and States. The national government engages actively in foreign affairs through the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs.

Tyreseia is aligned geopolitically with other leftist and republican states, primarily through the Kiso Pact. Foremost among these allies is the Messidor Union, its western neighbor. Their ideological closeness and geographical proximity led to Tyreseian volunteers fighting alongside Messidorian troops in most of its conflicts, and vice versa. The two nations maintain a healthy friendship to this day, manifested through the Rubric Coast Partnership. The Partnership facilitates the numerous agreements made between the two states, including customs unions, monetary policies, free-movement agreements, and military agreements. Formed shortly after Tyreseia's unification, the organization has solidified the close relationship between the Union and the Workers' Federation and ensured that the two nations remain each others' closest allies. Another leftist friendship comes from Tyreseia's foreign military presence in the Ozeros Sea, an operation made possible through extensive cooperation with the nations of Pulau Keramat and Ankat. Even before the Kiso Pact, the three nations formed a strong defensive bond with each other, originally over anti-piracy measures but later extending to various other military and socialist economic measures. Tyreseia's strong connections to both the MU and the Ozeros nations were instrumental to the foundation of the Kiso Pact, which aimed to draw together the disparate socialist and leftist pacts and treaties under a single organization.

Tyreseia has had a much rockier historical relationship with its southern neighbor, the State of the Ninva. The Ninva's predecessor states have attempted perennial invasions of the Tyreseian region for centuries in the Latin and Fragmentary Periods, with varying amounts of success. Large communities of Amaziɣ and Imuhaɣ peoples also exist south of the Axos Mountains in Tyreseia, a product of trade and said invasions; these communities have long been a source of national security concerns under Tyreseian governments who feared that the Ninvite government might use them as justification for an invasion or annexation. Modern-day security concerns now stem more from the Ninva's internal instability resulting from environmental factors rather than any fears of a state-level invasion. Smuggling out of the Ninva Desert into Tyreseia, both as a destination point in itself and as a transit point through its ports to southern Belisaria, has been an issue for decades. The practice reached a crescendo during the Ninvite War, but was temporarily lessened following Operation Baggage, when elements of the Tyreseian Workers' Navy occupied parts of the northern Ninva desert until the end of the conflict to restore order. In the present day, the two nations are tied together by numerous road, rail, and other transport networks, which have fostered trade and tourism with both nations. Such commercial exchange has softened relations between the two nations, and the Tyreseian government now engages cordially with their Ninvite counterparts.

Tyreseia maintains a complex and nuanced relationship with the Latin Empire. In Late Antiquity, the Latins served as both a colonizer and occupying force, imbuing the region with much cultural and technological wealth in exchange for exploiting it for resources. Following the withdrawal of Latin legions, the region now known as Tyreseia fell into breakaway regimes, many governed by ethnic Latins or at least peopled with many descendants of the Empire. As a result, many statelets in the area felt an allegiance, or at least a kinship, to Latium and would make concerted attempts to preserve Latin cultural traditions and language. This gave Tyreseians a unique advantage in the new burgeoning space of overseas trade, which saw trade vessels crossing the open oceans instead of hugging the coastlines. Tyreseian sailors and vessels were prized throughout the Belisarian region, and both were frequently used, both in the service of their own nation and in the service of others, as traders, naval patrols, and privateers alike. This endeared the Tyreseian states to many Belisarian and even Oxidentalese nations, as well as directly exposing the region to much of the world. In the modern day, however, relations with Latium are much rockier. During the Social War in the mid-20th century, numerous armed socialist bands rose up in Latium in an attempt to form a workers' state. This caused an uproar in Tyreseia, as the political sphere was overwhelmed by the debate over the merits of sending volunteers to aid the rebels. In the end, the Tyreseians sent a substantial volunteer force, but not without opposition from home. Despite winning key victories, especially outside Ravenna, the force proved to be too little too late, and the rebellion was crushed. The Latin government was outraged at the Tyreseians, and relations were further worsened when asylum was granted to fleeing members of the former Latin Social Republic to become Tyreseian citizens. The move proved controversial in Tyreseia as well, with Tyrians accusing ethnic Latins of attempting to increase their voting bloc and pacifists worrying that such actions would cause Latium to invade in a retaliatory military action. Such an action failed to materialize, though, and over the decades, the wounds of war have healed, in part thanks to the two nation's mutual relations with Zacapican. The two nations now engage cordially, though warily, on the international stage. Many Latins, including students, flock to Tyreseia to visit or to study, and many Tyreseians do the same in Latium. Trade between the two nations is strong.

Unions

Meeting of Society of Vulcan members in Gadir, 2001

Trade unions, also known as Societies or Federations, serve as both the economic and political backbone of Tyreseia. The national headquarters of these federations will host Trade Union Congresses (TUCs) once or twice a year, made up of representatives from every municipality, to plan overarching goals for their set industry and to share new innovations and processes. Local industries, such as factories, are governed by local branches of unions. These branches are horizontally managed and are responsible for paying for members' transportation, recreation, childcare, and other needs and wants through profit-sharing agreements and financial management. Depending on the union, membership dues might also be required and passed up the chain to the national level. Local unions will also be required to equip certain numbers of personnel for the Workers' Militia, with the government reimbursing purchases of required firearms, ammunition, supplies, and vehicles. Union militias are typically consolidated in their local commune or municipality, and can be raised and/or merged into regular Naval Infantry units in times of crisis. As such, a minuteman-like network of small Militias exists across Tyreseia, cheaper to equip than a regular army but consequently less effective. The exception to this process is the Society of Neptune, which governs longshoremen, merchant mariners, shipbuilders, and other maritime personnel. The Society is required to furnish people for the Naval Fleet Reserve rather than the Workers' Militias. The Society will therefore maintain mothballed ships and Fleet facilities in peacetime, and man and repair ships in wartime.

On a local level, unions also play a crucial role in government. In municipalities, all unions within are required to put potential representatives up in a general election to serve on a Municipal Assembly, which serves as the region's self-government. These assemblies act as both the legislative and executive branch of local government, and wield a great amount of power in how the city is run, where new projects are built, allocating funds, and electing representatives for the Supreme Workers' Assembly. Given this power, both local unions and assorted petitioners can institute a recall election at any time. Supreme Workers' Assemblymen are subject to the same recall rules via their local constituents and Municipal Assembly. In rural communes, the plethora of unions are replaced by a local branch of the Magonic Society, which serves as the agricultural workers' union. Magonic branches are thus the direct local governance for these communes, and elect representatives directly to the Supreme Workers' Assembly.

Issues have arisen over the creation of new industries and municipalities in previously uninhabited areas, particularly during the 20th-century petrochemical boom. [Insert examples here.] [Then describe how the problem was/wasn't solved.] Similarly, though more rarely, municipalities have dropped in population and have reverted to communes. [Insert examples here.] [Then describe how the problem was/wasn't solved.] Another issue comes with industrial disaster areas or other places rendered uninhabitable.[Insert examples here.] [Then describe how the problem was/wasn't solved.]

Education

Hall of Engineering, National University of Tyreseia

Childcare and education is guaranteed as a right by the state, and so it serves as a perennial subject of review and reform. As a baseline, the national literacy rate is 99.6%, with nearly equal gender parity. National groups like the Tyreseian Congress of Educators and the Higher Education Federation often form baselines to ensure that children across the nation receive a similar education. The aforementioned unions staff all schools in Tyreseia, and the regular Trade Union Congresses ensure that new innovations in the field of education are shared uniformly across the nation. Schools are often funded by a mixture of payments from municipal unions and government subsidies, with the latter being the near-exclusive funding source for numerous major universities.

The basic structure of Tyreseian education closely follows the Latin model. Children are required to enter the first stage of school, nursery (seminarium), at the age of 3. From there, students will enroll in schola primaria, for ages 5 to 11 (Years 1 through 6). Students will receive elementary instruction in subjects such as their native language's grammar, history, the sciences, arithmetic, geography, the arts, music, and physical education. Many of these subjects will carry into the students' further studies at the level of the gymnasium inferiorum, or the Lower Gymnasium. The Lower Gymnasium, consisting of Grades 1 through 4 and ages 11 through 15, exposes students to elective courses like foreign languages and home economics to prepare them for the gymnasium superiorum, or the Upper Gymnasium. Students are required to learn at least one language at this level and beyond. The most common foreign languages studied by Tyreseian students are Audonian, Anglic, Tsurushimese, Hellenic, and Nahuatl. Following matriculation from Grade 4, students are required to take an aggregate exam based on international standards, designed to gauge both their progress and the efficacy of the Tyreseian education system. Finally, in the Upper Gymnasium (Grades 5 through 7, ages 15 through 18), students experiment with future career paths or potential college degrees, with schools offering numerous electives ranging from the social sciences to the industrial arts. From matriculation at age 18, the Tyreseian student has completed their compulsory education and may choose to either pursue college education after taking a General Education Exam. Departure from school before graduation is extremely uncommon, as even students who are ill, injured or incarcerated in some fashion are expected to finish their studies as soon as they are able.

Higher education is popular in Tyreseia, as tuition payments are subsidized by the national government. Traditionally, students sign on with a union of their choice before entering university, then will pursue degrees and career paths that local unions might need in exchange for their remaining tuition being paid off by the union. This practice, though still common, is growing less popular as parents have begun investing savings into their offspring's education to ensure they may pursue a career that they choose. Colleges and universities, even technical or other specialized schools, require numerous general education courses to create well-rounded students. Room and board costs are covered by the government for all Tyreseian citizens; international students must pay for these and for tuition, but may receive financial aid to cover these costs if they are of low means. Scholarship funds exist through the work of unions and private individuals to help pay for the education of traditionally marginalized groups in Tyreseian society.

International exchange students make up a large percentage of tertiary students in Tyreseia, especially at the National University of Tyreseia in New Tyria. Numerous left-wing educators and intelligentsia fled Latium in the aftermath of the Social War, with many flocking to the welcoming arms of Tyreseian higher education. There, they brought large amounts of knowledge from the cutting edge of Latin academia, and established attractive Latin-language curriculae at their new homes. In the following decades, tensions cooled and Tyreseia opened up its borders for more and more Latin exchange students. In the modern day, low consumer costs, tolerable climate, and widespread use of the Latin language have all made Tyreseia a favorite for Latin college students looking to study abroad. To a lesser extent, students from Yisrael and the Jewish diaspora find the widespread use of Hebrew, especially in the Jewish Quarter of New Tyria, attractive. The interplay bewtween numerous cultures over Tyreseia's history has also encouraged students of the social sciences from around the world to visit Tyreseian universities to study firsthand.

Economy

The economy of Tyreseia is structured primarily around the idea of workplace democracy, an idea held as sacrosanct. As such, all businesses function as localized collectives, with horizontal management structures and profit-sharing-based payout schemes. In practice, Tyreseia has a market socialist economy. Unlike other systems, such as in the Messidor Union, the Tyreseian economy possesses many regulations and strict quality controls. This discrepancy can be traced to the significant power of unions both within and without the government, which will often push for union bylaws and standards to become the mainstream through the government, or otherwise be pushed by other unions to develop new standards via legislation.

Grey Market

As most individual-based taxes are levelled on luxury commodities and high-income persons, most people only experience state taxation through production taxes on their union. As such, a grey market of freelancers, handymen and other itinerant workers has become pervasive in Tyreseia. As monetary payment through this system has been heavily discouraged or even outlawed throughout various points in the nation's history, mutual aid has become the driving force behind this secondary market. Ad hoc exchanges of goods or services between individuals

Energy

Tyreseia's energy grid is powered by a mix of fuel oil, liquified natural gas (LNG), thorium-salt and fission nuclear, and solar power plants. Originally totally reliant on coal and lumber to provide heating and fuel to early factories and homes, the turn of the 20th century brought refined petroleum, which became the dominant energy source by the middle of the 20th century. A multi-pronged push for decreased reliance on petroleum, increased exports of Tyreseian crude oil, and increased use of environmentally-friendly alternative energy sources led to a diversification of power starting in earnest in the 1970s. Currently, Tyreseia is pursuing an eventual net-zero usage of petrochemical energy in the near future, to be fully replaced by solar and nuclear power following international innovations in clean energy production.

Tyreseia possesses two nuclear power plants. The largest, Atomus Majorus, was constructed from 1965 to 1974 by a team of Tyreseian and Zacapine engineers. Stationed across the X River Delta from New Tyria City, the plant provides most of the capital region's electricity and adds 3,660 MWe to the Tyreseian power grid. The second nuclear power plant in Tyreseia is the Atomus Minorus plant outside the city of Balemun. The plant was a joint construction with Latin specialists through the 1990s; the facility began adding 2,259 MWe to the power grid following its official opening in 1999.

Transportation

Much like its neighbor, the Messidor Union, Tyreseia maintains an extensive rail network that serves as the primary means of both intercity and intracity transportation. Personal motor vehicles remain rare outside of where they are strictly necessary for work or commuting. Historically, Tyreseia's socialist economy and government structure encouraged the development of a communal culture which inspired both the structure of the workplace and urban planning, facilitating a public-transit-first philosophy. Highways are thus sparse and often poorly-maintained, with the best rural road access provided by coastal communities usually heavily reliant on tourism or truck-based shipping for their incomes. By far the most common personal vehicles in Tyreseia, outside of rural agricultural communities, are rental cars. This service is used by both foreign tourists and Tyreseian citizens, usually as a means to obtain a temporary means of transport for vacations and other leisure. Additionally, municipal governments often maintain fleets of taxis and ride share vehicles. Despite the lack of personal automobile use, driver education is very common in Tyreseia. All citizens must possess a note on their locally-issued identification cards denoting that they passed such a course in order to rent or purchase a vehicle. Such modified identification cards are the most widely-held versions in the nation, and passing a driver education course is seen as a rite of passage into adulthood in many communities.

Rail travel is by far the most ubiquitous form of transportation in Tyreseia. Over 90% of both passenger and freight traffic in Tyreseia is carried by rail. All railway operations fall under the state-owned enterprise, FerroTyr, and branch out from the capital city of New Tyria. Tyreseia's rail network carries regional importance through the binding of Periclean maritime trade with inner Scipian land-based trade at critical seaports like New Tyria and Oyat. New Tyria in particular serves an outsized role in Scipian shipping, with the West Scipian Railway's eastern terminus and the termini of several of the most-populated lines on the Awakar Route all meeting in the same city, within reach of extensive port facilities and the nation's single major civilian airport. All rail lines in Tyreseia follow a standard gauge of 1,500 mm (4 ft 11 in), matching the gauge followed by almost all other railways in Scipia. Many light rail and other urban commuter rail services in Tyreseia use a broader 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) gauge. All cities in Tyreseia boast extensive metro and commuter rail systems, with the New Tyria Metro serving as both the oldest and most extensive network. The first NTMetro line opened in 1897, and now boasts 313 stations on 15 lines on the subway network alone. Often, these systems will include trams and trolleybuses alongside subways, light rail, and commuter rail as well as municipal taxi and minibus companies.

Maritime transportation is the form most indisputably intertwined with Tyreseian cultural identity. Sailors from modern-day Tyreseia have dominated and guided commerce on the rivers, lakes, and seas of Belisaria, Scipia, and even Norumbria for millennia, representing either their home nations or others'. For centuries, Tyreseian shipbuilders used accumulated expertise and knowledge garnered from international trade to craft durable, nimble, and fast sailing vessels that were the envy of the maritime world. Many shipyards weathered industrialization and the introduction of metal ships, and a handful of large shipbuilding communities continue to produce world-class warships and commercial vessels to this day. In addition, many Tyreseian-flagged shipping vessels are hired by international shipping firms, extending the Tyreseian maritime presence to all corners of the globe. As a result, one of the prime prerogatives of the Tyreseian Workers' Navy in the modern day is to protect Tyreseian shipping from global piracy and conflict. Alongside open-water trade, shipping on stretches of the River Heshek continues to prosper as it did in antiquity. People and goods have been moved up and down the river, and other waterways, likely since before written records. Such trade fuelled the pre-Aradian civilization in the region during the Bronze Age, and the city of New Tyria grew wealthy in medieval times off of its strategic location in a natural harbor near the headwaters of the Heshek. Unlike all other shipping in the nation, Heshek trade is governed by the Heshek Shipman's Guild, an organization that traces an unbroken lineage to early medieval times. Riverine shipping in Tyreseia carries a high percentage of passengers and ferry cargo compared to other cargo. Ships on the Heshek are also much smaller than Tyreseia's maritime shipping fleet, and are often made of wood. Use of the "dumb barge" system to ferry freight is also common.

Air travel is most commonly used to access international destinations. Periclean Airways, the flag carrier of Tyreseia, is headquartered at New Tyria-Celiceten International Airport. The airline operates numerous flights to hub cities around the world, as well as filling the regional low-cost carrier niche in the Periclean Sea region via its PeriConnect service. Celiceten Airport remains the only major civilian airport in the nation; numerous airstrips exist across the nation, but most serve as auxiliary military fields, emergency landing points, or pilot training facilities rather than as actual regional civil airports. In addition, many are mined or otherwise rigged to be destroyed at a moment's notice should an enemy force invade the nation. As such, aside from international travel, air transportation is heavily associated with government and military operations in Tyreseia, as opposed to forms of maritime or land transportation available to the everyman.

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  A bridge on the M-1 highway in the Gallaecia region

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  A Periclean Airways liner at New Tyria-Celiceten Airport

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  A taxi outside a cafe in Leptis

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  Revolution Square Station on the New Tyria Metro system

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  A barge on the Heshek River near Hadrumetum

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  A passenger train on a viaduct near Utica

Culture

Ethnic Groups

Small but stable Onigamyg-descended communities exist throughout Tyreseia, but are traditionally centered around the city of Leptis. Their numbers are around XTHOUSAND now, and have remained stable in recent times thanks to government efforts to connect them with cultural resources in Wazheganon.

Religion

See also: Coptic Nazarism

Self-identified religion in Tyreseia, 2020 Census

  Irreligious (44%)

  Coptic Nazarism (30%)

  Judaism (all forms) (15%)

  Neo-Aradian Mythos (8%)

  Other (3%)

Religiosity in Tyreseia has been on a steady decline since the institution of state secularism in the 1900s, with a sharp acceleration towards the turn of the century. "Irreligious" overtook Coptic Nazarism as the largest religious self-identity in Tyreseia following the 2000 Census. As of 2021, it is estimated that a full 44% of Tyreseia's population does not follow an organized religion. Religion often plays a minimal part in the average citizen's life, even if they profess belief. A recent survey by a non-governmental organization identified that only 25% of people stated that their primary values in life were based on their faith, and only 22% stated they were "absolutely certain" that their religion was correct over all others. Historically, Tyreseians have also been known to mix and syncretize various religious celebrations and rituals into their lifestyles.

The plurality religion in Tyreseia is Coptic Nazarism, a wholly indigenous form of Gnosticism. Around 30% of Tyreseians are Coptic, according to the 2020 Census. The second religion in terms of adherents is Judaism, which 15% of the population adheres to according to the 2020 Census.

Cuisine

A garum manufactory in Gadam

The labulabus, a traditional soup made of chickpeas, meat, eggs, and tebel

Tyreseia's cuisine is heavily influenced by Latin cuisine, as well as by a high prevalence of seafood from the Periclean Sea and historical trade links across the world. Many of the simpler dishes in Tyreseian cooking derive from Aradian and Tyrian recipes. One dish of this caliber in Tyreseia is the pultem, which is a porridge consisting of farro, cheese, honey and egg. In contrast to many spice- and herb-imbued recipes deriving from Latin cuisine or elsewhere, this item offers a subdued flavor profile. With numerous items offering strong spicy, umami, savory, and other flavors, Tyreseian cooking is recognized both for its cosmopolitan nature and its presence of strong flavors.

Spices, brought from regions like the Ozeros Sea by Tyreseian sailors during the Fragmentary Period, play an outsized role in Tyreseian cooking, even making it one of the spiciest cuisines in the Periclean Basin. Such spices include the tebel, a traditional mix featuring coriander, caraway, garlic powder, and chili powder. Numerous dishes are flavored with this spice profile, sometimes even with other spices added to augment certain flavors. The practice evolved from the use of salt and spices to disguise the taste of spoiled meat, as much of Tyreseia's meats were imported from Belisaria and thus more likely to spoil on the long ship voyage to the nation. Other imported elements of cuisine include the Asida, which came along Ozeros trade routes from Kembesa in the 12th century and is now a typical Tyreseian breakfast food, alongside omelettes or other items typically constituting of egg or fish.

By far the most unique culinary cultural property of Tyreseia is garum, a type of condiment. Derived from fermenting salted fish, the sauce is extremely savory and a source of umami-producing glutamates. The condiment has been frequently used to garnish dishes in need of a savory flavoring in Tyreseia for millennia, and garum works have been patronized by numerous civilizations in the region. Originating somewhere in the Aradian Sea cultures, the technique of producing garum was brought to modern-day Tyreseia by the Tyrian civilization, which quickly began producing and exporting it around the Periclean Sea. The sauce also found the support of many Latin elites during their period of rule, eventually finding its way into Latin dishes at all social levels over the centuries, continuing even after the region's loss from the Latin Empire. Nevertheless, garum enjoys only mixed support outside of the country, with many even in the former garum-importing epicenter of Latium decrying its often-strong aroma and overpowering flavor. The sauce is frequently both praised and mocked worldwide, and remains one of Tyreseia's most controversial cultural exports. Common dishes featuring garum include the x, which I will elaborate upon its ingredients when I can be bothered to look it up.

A popular traditional drink in Tyreseia is posca fresca, a sugared vinegar drink consisting of fruit juice, herbs and spices. Other popular drinks in Tyreseia include wine, with vineyards in great abundance on Tyreseia's fertile coastal plains. Such wine, including the fortified vinum porti, is altered by processes specifically tailored towards export and longer keeping, leading to Tyreseian wines becoming popular in locations abroad over the centuries. Wine has held a near-monopoly as the consumed alcohol of choice for centuries in Tyreseia until the Industrial Age saw new forms of spirit arrive on the nation's shores. Nevertheless, into the modern day, vinum porti has remained a recognized cultural property of Tyreseia, and the national government has taken steps at home and abroad to protect its integrity. Other farms in the region typically grow olives, which are used in local cuisine and exported either in their current form, or after processing into olive oil. Unlike Tyreseian specialties of wine, the olives grown in Tyreseia are similar to those found across the Periclean Basin, and as such, the most competitive markets for such exports is usually found in the nations of the Kiso Pact.

Sports

Tyreseian fans controversially burning the Mutulese flag after the 85th Mulawil Halaab

The most popular game in Tyreseia is pitz, or Mutulese Ballgame. Introduced to the country via Tyreseian sailors returning from captivity or trade missions in the Mutul during the golden age of Oorupaqi trade, the sport maintained a relatively small, but loyal following for centuries, typically among coastal communities. Unlike soccer, pitz requires serious training and practice, which limited the pool of players in Tyreseia to skilled players. This kept the sport from becoming widely popular until the 19th century, when semi-professional and professional athletic leagues became common across the country. At that time, an effort was made to re-adapt the rules of Tyreseian pitz to match the standards of the Mutul, bringing Tyreseian teams into the international stage. In 1950, Tyreseia's national pitz team, il-Barqa, or the Lightning, was founded. This team competed in its first Mulawil Halaab, or Pitz World Court, later that year. The team had decently average performance for decades, with serious winning streaks in the 1980s culminating in three consecutive championships (1986, 1987, 1988) in the K'anich Halaab (Golden Flower Court), the Scipian regional tournament. In 2021, the team achieved its first-ever victory in the World Court, beating Tsurushima 5—2 in the final game and the Mutul 5—4 in the previous game. Such a performance has accelerated the already-growing popularity of pitz in Tyreseia, which saw a first surge in the 1980s but slowed down during a losing streak in the early 2000s.

Tyreseia's newfound rabid pitz fandom generated controversy in 2021, following il-Barqa winning the 85th Mulawil Halaab. In celebration of the victory and in protest of the Divine Throne regime's actions, several flags of the Mutul were burned. Flag burning is a common activity of protest in Tyreseia, but the burning of the Mutulese flag, so soon after beating the Mutul in that country's own national pastime, served in this instant as a serious provocation that inflamed issues surrounding international sanctions on the Divine Throne. [Insert Mutul actions of protest here.]

Soccer, or association football, has traditionally been the most popular sport in the country. Local sports involving moving a ball on the ground via foot have been recorded as early as Late Antiquity, and the introduction of other primitive forms of football to the country via trade with other Belisarian and Periclean nations made what is now Tyreseia fertile ground for the sport's flourishing. The popular place that soccer has held in Tyreseian culture has been overshadowed by pitz in recent decades. Unlike pitz, soccer requires very little skill to play, which gave soccer an edge over sports like pitz in early Tyreseia. Despite the rise of pitz, soccer still enjoys a healthy fanbase; it is the most popular sport for school teams, with lacrosse in second and pitz a distant third.

Another sport imported via the Oorupaqi trade from the Western Hemisphere is lacrosse, which is the third-most popular in the nation.