Luttenried

The Holy Dukedom of Luttenried Heiliges Herzogtum Luttenried
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Gott, Treue, Reich!" "God, Faith, Empire!"
Anthem: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott Royal anthem: Luttenlied
Map location of Luttenried in the region of Kali Yuga.
Status	Stem-Duchy
Location	Located in the central-south of the Far-East of Kali Yuga.
Capital and	Whilhelmshaven
Official languages	German
Recognised national languages	English, German
Ethnic groups	Caucasian (75%) Native/Asian (20%) Black/Middle Eastern (4%) Other (6%)
Religion	Kirche der Königlich ("Church of the Royal")
Demonym(s)	Lutten(rieden), Commoner
Government	Theocratic Feudal Monarchy, Absolute Monarchy
• Emperor	Emperor JC
• Holy Duke	Friedhelm von Luttenried
• Reichskanzler	Kunibert Wörner
Legislature	Luttenried Diet
• Upper house	House of Lords
• Lower house	House of Commons
Colonial Duchy of TECT.
• Establishment of "Schwenke" Settlement by Imperial authorities and adventurer-colonist Arne Schwenke.	1402
• The Luttenried Order is awarded authority over the Schwenke Colonial Effort after Arne Schwenke is presumed dead. Luttenried Oberbefehlshaber Burchard Bleier Luttenried is granted title of Earl by Emperor Whilhelm XII, creating the "Earldom of Luttenried" at home while the Order referred to itself now as the "Luttenried Crusader State."	1404
• The Luttenried Earldom/Crusader State expands the settlement's control to modern day Capital District boundries.	1410
• Luttenried Earldom/Crusader State declares a "Holy Crusade" against the "Luttenried Island" Ohanzee Confederation natives after several raids against Luttenried satellite settlements.	1412
• Luttenreid Earldom/Crusader State achieves victory over Ohanzee natives, consolidating signifigant portions of Luttenried Island under Crusader control.	1414
• Total victory over remaining Ohanzee Confederation and other remaining native groups brings Luttenried Island under total control of the Luttenried Earldom/Crusader State. Luttenried Oberbefehlshaber & Earl Burchard Falkenrath Luttenried is awarded title of Duke by Emperor Whilhelm XII, transforming the "Luttenried Earldom" into the "Luttenried Duchy."	1431
• Luttenried Dukedom achieves its modern borders, Luttenried Oberbefehlshaber & Duke Burchard Luttenreid III proclaims the "Holy Dukedom of Luttenried."	1521
• The Republican Movement reaches the Holy Luttenried Dukedom, forcing Holy Duke Gottschalk to enact republican reforms and creating the Luttenreid Diet.	1892
Area
• Total	7,856,487 km2 (3,033,407 sq mi)
• Water (%)	9.25
Population
• 2022 census	52,454,883
• Density	9.56/km2 (24.8/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2020 estimate
• Total	1.34 Trillion NSD
• Per capita	25,546 NSD
GDP (nominal)	2021 estimate
• Total	32,516 NSD
Gini	36 medium
HDI	0.994 very high
Currency	Imperial Dollar (TECT) ($)
Time zone	Luttenried Time
Driving side	right
Calling code	120
Internet TLD	.tct

Statue of Mother Mary, welcoming travelers along Wilhelmshaven's northern shoreline.

Luttenried, or properly known as the Holy Dukedom of Luttenried (also Holy Duchy of Luttenried), is a Colonial Stem Dukedom within The Empire of Common Territories (TECT) located in the Kali Yuga Region. It is comprised of mainland Luttenried (continent), seven major islands off the mainland's southern coast, and thirty-one other islands scattered around the mainland's vast coastline. With an area of 7,856,487 km2, the Holy Duchy is the largest landmass between the continents of Musgorocia and Oriea - Luttenried itself is the sixth largest continent in the region. Luttenried is a largely flat, megadiverse country with a broad variety of landscapes and climates due to its large size; tropical rainforests, savannas, dense forests, mountain ranges, and expansive deserts are all found on the continent of Luttenried.

Luttenried's population of over fifty-two million people is primarily made up of Commoners (Luttenried natives and newer migrants) and the mixed race decendents of native peoples (Ohanzee people), the remainder are primarily regional immigrants or Christian pilgrims. The Holy Duchy's population steadily rose during its founding in the 15th century, immigration exploded in the 16th century during the Holy Duchy's "crusader" period and continued rising after the post-crusader period. Luttenried is a highly developed country with a largely urbanized population surrounding several major cities including the capital (and largest city) Wilhelmshaven; a significant portion of the population is located in rural areas, however. Although starting off as a command economy while a Crusader State, the Holy Duchy opened its economy further after the Luttenried Crusade in order to better recover from the economic devistation proceeding the crusade. Today, as a mostly free-market economy, Luttenried enjoys less regulations and fewer financial burdens while still reigning controls it sees as vital infrastructure for keeping the Holy Duchy economically secure. Agriculture, aquaculture, mining, manufacturing, and services (in that order) are Luttenried's largest income sources with the Empire being the Holy Dukedom's leading importer of goods/services. As a former crusader state and now "Holy" Duchy, Luttenried is a deeply conservative and religious country with the overwhelming majority of citizens practicing Christianity, the Holy Duchy's state religion. Religion plays a central role in every day life within Luttenried with most holidays, tourist destinations, historical locations, and major events centered around Christianity or the church; schools, governments, businesses, and communities are tightly interlocked with the local churches and average Luttenrieden's faith.

Politically, the Holy Duchy is a Theocratic Feudal Monarchy, comprising of sixteen provincial territories governed by Stem Holy Earls along with several other territories governed by other Luttenried Noble Houses. The Holy Dukedom itself is a Colonial Stem Duchy under TECT, which is an Absolute Monarchy. Largely unchanged since their creation prior to the Luttenried Crusade, the Holy Barons of Luttenried traditionally held large authority over their lands in exchange for total fealty to the Holy Duke and a universal national identity; a pledge tracing its roots to the Luttenried Order's existence before the Luttenried Crusader State era. Holy Barons today are domestically powerful governors but are submissive to the Holy Duke otherwise, lacking independent powers such as raising actual militiaries or conducting international diplomacy even with the Empire directly. Although unequal compared to the Holy Duke, Holy Barons are largely left to their own devices when enacting domestic policies so long as they're within the Holy Duke's authority. While historically governed from top-to-bottom (like Luttenried itself historically), most Holy Barons have operated some form of legislature or federalist system to meet the demands of the Holy Duchy's Republican Reform effort during the waning years of the 19th century; each Holy Baron governs differently, but most Holy Barons entrust their lands to lower ranking nobles in county level fiefdoms to govern or represent them. Nationally, the Holy Duke is the absolute governor (not ruler, technically) of the Holy Dukedom - their ruler is technically the TECT Emperor. The Luttenried Diet, a parliament comprising of the Lords (governing nobles or their acting representatives) and elected Representatives of each Barony/lower holding, is tasked with enacting laws/policies, representing the people in governance, and settling disputes of national interest. Although Luttenried possesses a legal system like most nations, Holy Barony or lower courts vary in design/scope and Holy Duchy Courts are largely for criminal cases or legal disputes that don't fall under the Diet's prerogative. As the actual governing force of the Holy Duchy, the Holy Duke is the absolute manager of his lands as granted to him under the Crown, thus making the Holy Duke superior to their own government and even most of the Imperial Government/TECT Nobility.

History

Pre-Colinization

Schwenke Settlement colonists before the Luttenried Order's arrival.

As a nation and people, Luttenried's story begins with the Luttenried Order. The Luttenried Order was founded by Arndt Luttenried in 1354 in response to the joint declaration by Reichsstadt Pope Wendelin III "The Peacemaker" and Emperor Whilhelm XI, declaring a "Holy Crusade" against the central pagan tribal nations located in modern day Zentral State. Arndt Luttenried was a wealthy merchant whos family had connections with the vassals of the Maximus Dukedom, granting the early Luttenrieds large amounts of wealth and personal fame within the southern Imperial territories at the time. Described as devout members of the Kirche der Königlich, Arndt and his family were staunch allies of the Kirche. Although never serving on a single battlefield, Arndt founded a religious order originally intent on helping the Kirche supply and tend to crusader forces in the field. Arndt's original Luttenried Order was comprised of merchants from within his own or affiliated families, using their wealth and connections to spur trade relations while supplying the Crusaders with supplies and equipment they needed. After serving in the First Central Pagan Crusade, Arndt underwent a drastic lifestyle change due to what he claimed to have seen the pagans do to his fellow Christians as well as facing a personal tragedy. "Memoir Der Arndt," a memoir collection of Arndt's own journals as well as letters written by or to him, contained two chapters focusing on the 1st Crusade through Ardnt's perspective. "War was savagery given permit." He wrote, heading the the first chapter's dialog. "Entire towns burned to the ground. Men and animals left to rot where they were slain, though often times mutilated to some degree. The only children left behind were infants - tossed into holes and only identifiable by their bones. Women, young and old, either found dead further away or never at all - same as the young boys whom were believed to be recruited by force to join the tribe. I will not share reports concerning the rest, for not even the Lord's Blessing can redeem them for the evil they've done to those innocent lives..." An entire journal was dedicated to his siblings, detailing their lives and Arndt's fondest memories of them before the Crusade. The final pages of the journal and second chapter concerning the Crusade in the Memoir covers Arndt's greatest tragedy: The deaths of his siblings at the hands of Pagans. "Marcel, Gerfried, Berahard, and Carl are... were their names. Our parents were always away so to them I was a second father. To me they were my everything - children I had always wanted for myself. No amount of wealth or power could warm my heart like the brightest smiles from my dearest brothers beaming faces. I may not have been their father but if it were between them and myself, I would not hesitate to take their place no matter the danger. That was not only my duty as the eldest but the responsibility I put myself to knowing they would follow me to war... And yet, I did the opposite. I sent my everything inadvertently into a battlefield to die... Grief is too weak of a concept to conceptualize my betrayal of my blood. I am not worthy of such prayers, but Lord, please forgive me. And most importantly - Marcel, Gerfried, Berahard, Carl. I ask not your forgiveness but only ask you hear my pleafull sorrow for the betrayal I am guilty of. I am sorry. I am sorry. Please... I am so, so sorry..."

Devastated after the first few months of the Crusade, Arndt sold most of his personal possessions for capital, took up the sword and shield, and converted his religious order into a religious military order. Arndt overnight donated his entire wealth and soul to the Kirche, using the money to rebuild his Order and donating the rest to the Kirche. Although his extended family objected to his decisions, Arndt either ignored them or banished them from the household; Arndt would even go on to strip all but himself of his family name, citing "If I am destined to murder all Luttenrieds, then so be it that I am the last." In the following years, Arndt lead his Order up until the Third Central Pagan Crusade where he was cut down during the Battle of Veremund Forest. His death may have ended his story, but it failed to end the story of Luttenried like he had originally intended. Urs Bleier, Arndt's Unterkommandant (Sub-Commander, second-in-command) and sworn brother, became the Luttenried Order's second Oberbefehlshaber (Supreme Commander). Urs, holding his dying sworn brother, swore to take his name in order to redeem what he saw as a dead family. Urs' last words to a dying Arndt were "I will not let God's gift to mankind die with you, brother. When we reunite His Paradise, I shall make you eat your own words on that fateful day." Becoming Urs Luttenried, Urs went on to serve as the Order's leader until his own death in 1395. His son, Burchard Bleier Luttenried, would become Oberbefehlshaber of the Luttenried Order that same year and take part in the Sixth Central Pagan Crusade where the Luttenried Order earned a noteworthy reputation back home for its devout followers, excellent resource management, and fierce military prowess. In 1404, Burchard and the Luttenried Order were recognized for their achievements during the Crusades and were rewarded for their accomplishments with the new Luttenried House given the title of Earl by Whilhelm XII. As for the Luttenried Order, it was awarded several honors by both the Empire and Kirche. Emperor Whilhelm XII granted the Order (and Burchard) a territory to "govern, convert, and expand" in the newly discovered Kali Yuga Region. Although political scheming aside, Burchard and his Order, like Urs, were dead-set on changing "Luttenried's" fate so as to honor their founder.

Colonization & Conquest

Although inhabited primarily by Commoners and decendants of native peoples, the continent's previouse dominant civilization, the Ohanzee people, were said to have settled Luttenried over a million years ago; they are speculated to have arrived from Musgorocia using makeshift rafts and boats, island hopping until settling in Luttenried. The Ohanzee Confederation, a confederation of over thirty tribal nations, dominated the continent by the time Commoners arrived in 1402. As the continent's first governing force, the Ohanzee Confederation was said to have been created by the actual Ohanzee tribes who hail from the northeastern part of the continent. Four Ohanzee tribes total unified so they could cooperate and direct all future warfare against its competitors; competiton namely included other Ohanzee speakers - Ohanzee tribes who were independent - and unknown, possible prior natives, that are believed to have been wiped out by the Ohanzee in the past. Oral tradition states that "the four nations brought together eight other Ohanzee tribes/speakers and defeated eighteen other peoples." In 1412, a full decade after TECT colonists establish their first settlement on the continent, and eight years after the Luttenried Order established their Crusader State, the two sides officially went to war. After almost two decades of conflict, the Luttenried Crusader State/Holy Earldom achieved total domination over the continent in 1431. As recognition for its grand achievements, the Luttenried Earldom was hansomly rewarded by both the Empire and Kirche for its victory in yet another crusade. To cement the state's authority in the region and its position within the Empire, Whilhelm XII awarded Holy Earl Burchard Bleier Luttenried the title of Duke, transforming him into a Duke his realm into a Colonial Stem Dukedom.

The Holy Dukedom of Luttenried exploded economically and experienced a significant population boom after the Ohanzee Crusade. The combination of religious and imperial fervor, knowledge of vast untapped resources, and expansive land for settlers to claim attracted immigrants, pilgrims, and businesses to the continent in what historians refer to as the "Luttenried Settler Rush." Holy Duke Burchard and the Luttenried Order spent the next three decades consolidating their position in the region; time was spent developing the Duchy's infrastructure, attracting new residents from home, and learning more about regional neighborhood. After his death in 1492, Holy Duke Burchard's eldest son, Theudemar Luttenried, inherits his father's title and becomes the next Oberbefehlshaber of the Luttenried Order. Holy Duke Theudemar "The Crusader" was a devout believer like his predocessors before him and his loyalty to the Emperor was second only to God. Theudemar's self-proclaimed mission as his father's successor was to build upon what Holy Duke Burchard had established, and to do that, Holy Duke Theudemar spent nearly two decades preparing for war. In 1510, Holy Duke Theudemar and the Luttenried Order proclaimed "Holy Crusade" against several island nations and territories surrounding Luttenried, kicking off the Luttenried Crusade. Over the next decade, the Holy Dukedom of Luttenried, with the Empire's assistance, conquered dozens of islands near and far from the continent. By 1521, the Holy Duchy had achieved its modern day borders and continued its march until reaching its territorial height in 1528. Luttenried's defeat at the Battle of Werdheri Bay in 1528 turned the tides against the Luttenried Crusaiders, marking the downfall of the Holy Crusade.

Luttenried Order Knights furiously defend Werdheri Castle to the bitter end, 1528.

Luttenried, reeling from its untimely defeat during the nearly two-decade long Luttenried Crusade, turned its focus on restablishing itself into a proper state within the Empire. Although Holy Duke Theudemar focused his reforms on establishing an official military and fortifying the Holy Duchy's remaining holdings, his death in 1531 ended all aspirations of continuing the Holy Crusade in the immediate future. Holy Duke Theudemar's successor, his second son Raginmund Luttenried, would be remembered in history as the "Raginmund The Reformer." Under Holy Duke Raginmund's reign as Holy Duke, the Holy Dukedom of Luttenried underwent extensive reforms from top to bottom. Although devout and loyal to both God and the Empire like his predecessors, Raginmund was not nearly as militaristicly centered in his policy making; rather, Raginmund is remembered more as "Father Raginmund" than as "Crusader Raginmund." Historians credit "Raginmund's Reformation" period as the turning point in Luttenried's history, transforming Luttenried the "Crusader State" it was founded as into Luttenreid the "Holy Dukedom." Rather than acting as a polity, Holy Duke Raginmund realized Luttenried needed to properly integrate into the Empire and reform itself into a proper national entity if it were to thrive in the long term. Raginmund was the first Holy Duke to decline the title of Oberbefehlshaber in the Luttenried Order, instead leaving the Order to decide whom the position suited best; Hariman Luttenried, the Holy Duke's younger brother, was unanimously elected as Oberbefehlshaber in Raginmund's stead. Before his passing in 1588, Holy Duke Raginmund solidified his father's efforts in establishing a proper military force which didn't belong to nor rely on the Luttenried Order. Holy Duke Raginmund also formed a proper government structure by creating the "Stem Holy Baron" system to properly govern the Holy Duchy's territories. Rather than overseeing the entirety of the Holy Dukedom personally, vassals overseeing their respective territories increased efficiency and freed up the Holy Duke for other activities. Smaller territories, such as distant islands, were governed by lower nobles such as Holy Lords as well if they fell outside a Holy Baron's domain. Vassals of the Holy Duke were then selected by the Holy Duke to become ministers (often with promotions in noble rank), ministers being tasked with operating ministries and other segments of the Holy Duke's government. As Holy Duke Raginmund's political and military reforms were enacted, so too were his economic reforms. Knowing the Empire's favor primarily derived from Luttenried's ability to export foodstuffs/food home, Holy Duke Raginmund established policies that would direct Luttenried into specializing in agriculture economically; these policies included tax incentives for farmers, special land development expansion projects, and production level incentives for agricultural producers (percentile tax return based on product weight and gold weight, for example). Vegetables, fish, animal products, and fruits became the highest paying exports Luttenried shipped back home. Although not to fall short, Holy Duke Raginmund was keen on exploiting Luttenried's other resources, such as gold, lumber, and numerous mineral deposits his vassals had discovered. Shipbuilding, a trade Luttenried was in desparate need of, also saw large growth under Holy Duke Raginmund.

First session of the Luttenried Diet.

At the end of the nineteenth century, the Holy Dukedom of Luttenried began experiencing what historians describe as the "Republican Movement" within the Empire. The Republican Movement was a political/cultural shift within the Empire, primarily in the Mainland, that called for the redistribution of governmental authority to the citizens in order to achieve better representation and improved quality of life. This namely translated to eliminating the noble class' iron grip over governance, and reshaping nearly two millennias of governance within the Empire itself. In the Empire, this resulted in the "Federal Reformation," which transferred most noble authority away from their direct rule over provinces and fiefs into civilian elected State Governments; a dangerous period in Imperial history as the citizens fought to achieve recognized liberties and most nobles fighting to retain their authority within the Empire's governance. This period was also marked by civil war, as several nobles took up arms against the Empire which was attempting to please the two sides by compromising with the "Republican Federalists" and satisfying the nobles through other incentives; although brief, the 1891 Nobleman Insurrection was followed up with cold war style political strife after the noble's decisive defeat. In Luttenried, the affects of the Republican Movement were tame but heard. Since the Imperial Government's reformation affected holdings it directly controlled in the mainland, Luttenried itself was not obligated to follow such reforms unless it desired to. Although legal experts of the time expressed colonial stem noble realms fell within the reformation's scope, Emperor Vinzent II decreed (even over the Supreme Court of the Empire) that such colonial holdings held an independent position within the Empire and that their statuses "are all but decided by themselves, as Federalism would rightfully call for." Although the people of Luttenried did not identify completely with the new Republican Movement, it was ever apparent that the Holy Duchy's citizens did wish for liberties its Imperial siblings were receiving and the idea of better representation was all too inticing. Holy Duke Gottschalk took action immedietly before the situation could possibly develop into instibility. Among his first acts, Holy Duke Gottschalk established reforms that changed how vassals operated their domains; all fiefs were required to better document necessary events and statistics in order to better oversee their activities and take action against those violating their oaths. Holy Duke Gottschalk's second action was replacing his Minister Council with the establishment of the Luttenried Diet, a multi-level legislature comprised of the governing nobles and represntatives of their land's peoples. The Luttenried Diet's main function at the time was offering better representation for the Holy Duchy's people and conducting policy making absent of the Holy Duke's direct contribution - although the Holy Duke was still required to approve all matters the Diet processed. Although these and other Republican/Federalist reforms didn't necessairly meet Republican Movement demands on paper, the results however did. Luttenried Nobles, now fearing their power being totally stripped like their Imperial counterparts, were encouraged to provide better liberties to their people, such as more free speech and representation through elected governance. While not changing all too much, the Holy Duchy survived the Republican Movement as a fully intact Theocratic Feudal Monarchy where most other nobles of the Empire either lost their governing positions or were reduced to merely empty titles.

Culture & Demographics

Christmas Market in the City of Dresbach, Ardestorf Earldom.

Culture in Luttenried has been shaped by both local and Imperial trends or phenomena since Luttenried's founding in the early 15th century. Overwhelmingly spurred by religion, Luttenried's culture has been shaped by Kirche activities and beliefs throughout the Holy Duchy's entire existence. Although possessing a number of secular traits, such as Commoner Imperialism and political militarism, much of Luttenried's cultural identity originates from its tightknit community organization, strong family units, and fanatic Christian faith. As a result, Luttenried's universal cultural traits are manifested as strong local and realm communities, deeply tied large family units, and daily Kirche involvement. A number of trends from the Empire have also shaped Luttenried since Imperial authorities colonized the land, including Luttenried's merchantlike business culture and Luttenried's staunch noble aristocracy. Furthermore, Luttenried and the Empire share several universal cultural traits, such as their tastes in cuisines, architecture, fashion, and artwork.

Art, Literature, Design, Architecture

Luttenried was founded at the start of the 1400s, which was the height of Gothic Art Style within the Empire. When the Luttenried Crusaders took over the Schwenke Settlement, their devout Christian fanaticism was forced upon the already Christian population. Once the entire continent was tamed by the Order, cultural activities such as artwork and architecture were used by the Order as symbols of the regime's success and prosperity. Among the other growths the colony saw, artworks such as paintings, sculptures, hymns and other music along with architecture exploded into early Luttenried culture. During this time Imperial Gothic art was still the dominant artistic style within Luttenried. Often portrayed in two different lights during this time, Gothic Style was expressed in darker themes as well as brighter themes. Gothic dark themes portrayed the harshness of life first expressed during the realism movement, highlighting the period's focus on both realism and grandeur. Meanwhile, on a lighter note, the brighter themes of Gothic Art beamed with softer tones and vibrant colors, highlighting Christian faith, hope, and faith in Christ as well as the human spirit. Imperial Gothic artwork often balanced the two themes, but artwork showcasing both themes weren't entirely scarce. In fact, later Gothic artworks often included both themes similar to how adding different layers of colors birthed new undiscovered colors - new pieces used this method to experiment. Theophil Ramirus Bambach, an Imperial painter during the later years of the 14th century, was among the first to combine the two themes. In his "Heaven Nor Hell" piece, Bambach pictured an existence on Earth with no afterlife for the faithless where humanity suffered except those whom held faith in Christ and were rescued by the Lord to prosperity. Other Imperial artists such as Benno Chlothar Dieter, Humbert Tilman Senft, and Hariman Hadubert Rettig were among the Imperial Gothic Style's greatest artists. Dieter the painter created several works that held many themes, showcasing Gothic Style paintings at their greatest. Senft the writer wrote a number of short stories before finding Christ, his first full book using his own life as an example is one of the Gothic Period's greatest works. Rettig the sculptor chiseled many pieces depicting those in dire situation and others in their happiest; his sudden change of carrier into architecture was unexpected but said to have been a revaluation from an Angel saying he would go on to craft many beautiful Kirches. Their works would go on to inspire future gothic artists and even help bring about the Empire's Renaissance Style/Period. But most importantly, these individuals are often portrayed as the grandfathers to Luttenried Gothic Style.

Inspired by Gothic art styles found within the Empire at the time, a unified Luttenried emulated Imperial Gothic art styles, eventually creating Luttenried's own religiously themed variations. Kirche leaders and Holy Duke Burchard Falkenrath Luttenried utilized the political momentum brought by their conquest to cultivate a cultural hegemony throughout the newly established Holy Duchy. This cultural movement was designed to strengthen the Kirche's already heavy influence by deepening the population's religious faith while also cementing the Holy Duke's absolute rule. As a result, Luttenried over time developed its own religiously themed Gothic art styles, most of which persist to this day. Luttenried's "Gothic Style" is heavily based on faith, doubling down on the two-themed roots of Imperial Gothic artwork while also exploring deeper into Luttenried's unique Christian faith. Painters such as Gerbold Reiner Lewerenz and Robert Sigiberhtaz Wildgrube were among Luttenried's first great artists. Their sharp contrasts using both realism and vibrant themes shocked even Imperial art enthusiasts. Patriotic themes were also among Reiner's greatest, where as a Crusader himself he would often recreate battlefields while slipping in demons and angels among the human combatants. Early Lutten art wasn't limited to paintings either. Writing, architecture, metal working, pottery, glass, fashion, and sculpting were and are still extremely popular.

Much of Luttenried culture is based entirely on faith. Much of its older architecture was designed by Kirche affiliates, its arcticians were often devout members of the Kirche, and even public policy is a reflection of Luttenried's theocratic governance. Take for example, holidays. All but few are religious in origin and those that aren't often either focus on Christian themes or patriotic adherence to the Holy Duchy. Christmas time is Luttenried's holiest time of the year, resulting in much of December being dedicated to both Kirche activities and local cultural customs developed over centuries.

Holidays

Of the twenty-two official public holidays celebrated within Luttenried, all but two are secular. These two holidays are "Luttengründungstag" ("Lutten Unity Day," a two day celebration of Luttenried's unification of the continent and ascension into a Duchy) and "Reichsgründungstag" ("Imperial Unification Day," the day celebrating the unification/founding of the Empire). Of the remaining twenty holidays, several are split into holy weeks during December and the rest scattered to other holy days/holidays throughout the year. That is not to say that other Imperial/Ducal holidays originating from the Mainland or the Empire as a whole aren't celebrated within Luttenried, but most of said holidays are merely recognized or observed and not sanctioned by the Holy Duchy. For example, "Veteranentag", the Imperial Holiday paying respects to service members throughout the Empire and memorializing the fallen, is observed in an official capacity within Luttenried by Imperial Law but is also separate from Luttenried's own religious duplicate "Kreuzrittertag" (the day Luttenried pays respect to active, veteran, and fallen Crusader Knights - or soldiers - serving the Order/Holy Duchy/Christendom). Other secular holidays observed include Luttenried's own version of Labor Day, Flag Day, and Fathers/Mothers Day.

Christmonat

In Luttenried, December is only recognized by its secular name in official capacities while Luttens refer to the month by another name. For Luttens the final month of the year is referred to as "Christmonat," or "Month of Christ". Christmonat is the Christian faith's holiest time of the year, which in Luttenried is especially sacred given the country's theocratic history. The Christmonat holiday season is divided into two separate sets of dates, Advent and Christmastide. Advent, literally referring to the "coming of Christ," is celebrated in Luttenried as nearly four distinct holy weeks that are spent preparing for Christmas. The holiest holiday within Lutten Advent is the decoration holiday "Hanging of The Greens", which is celebrated on the first day of Christmonat as an all-day event spent laying or erecting wreaths, Christmas Trees, and Chrismon Trees; Advent's other holidays, Rites, are held weekly until Christmastide. Other official events include lighting candles and constructing Daily Devotionals (temporary stands or rests for reading daily scripture related to Christmonat). Advent holidays like Hanging of The Greens are often marked liturgically in local communities and broadcasted nationwide by Kirche and Holy Duchy leaders, marking a time where local and national congregations come together to celebrate. Activities between the second day of December and Christmas Eve (December 23rd) are spent setting up other Christmas themed decorations such as Nativity Scenes, hanging additional Greens and lights, as well as spreading Christmas Joy through Nativity Plays, gift giving, and Christmas Caroling. Fasting throughout Advent is also observed universally once Hanging ceremonies end. Although there are different methods, traditional minded Luttens stick to Biblically accepted food groups (no meat or other animal products, which leaves certain breads, greens/vegetables, and fruits) or will refrain from eating certain meals or specific food groups during meals.

Marking the end of Advent are the two holiest days in Christianity, "Christmas Eve" and "Christmas Day." Christmas Eve is the beginning of Christmastide once clocks turn ten at night, culminating between January 4th and the 6th. It is tradition in both Lutten and other Commoner cultures to give and open presents during this time at night before Christmas Day; depending on the family's traditions, Commoners also open their gifts on Christmas morning as well. Luttens will remain awake until midnight to welcome the first official day of Christmastide, celebrating the occasion with readings from the Bible as well as visiting Christmas Markets among other family centered celebrations before attending Midnight Mass. Midnight Mass, or also known as the "Angel's Mass," is held at midnight in order to celebrate the hour of Jesus Christ's birth. It is the holiest hour on the holiest day of the year for Luttens and is followed up on Christmas Morning with Christmas Mass. Referred to as "Mass at Dawn" or "Shepherd’s Mass," Luttens once more gather for mass at six in the morning to welcome first light, which symbolizes Jesus' birth bringing light to the world. Christmastide's "twelve days of Christmas" are spent celebrating and observing holidays centered on each day. Christmas Day is spent enjoying festivities and feasting now that fast is over while other holidays down the road (such as "Saint Stephen's Day", "New Year's Eve", and "Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God") are liturgically celebrated through multiple ceremonies and events. Christmonat culminates on the "Twelfth Night" of Christmastide, where Luttens spend the day enjoying final festivities and feasts before taking down all Christmas decorations during nightfall. It is superstition that bad luck follows those who fail to remove decorations by midnight of the twelfth day. A superstition that is adhered to largely due to Kirche traditions dictating "new life is born and grows after birth," meaning life moves along after one is birthed into the world.

Fashion

Fashion in Luttenried is often a mixture of Imperial influences and traditional Lutten/religious trends. Ever since colonialization ended, Luttenried's sense in fashion evolved largely thanks to Kirche and noble influences. Imperial fashion trends reached Luttenried similar to how it works today, but as the 16th century rolled around the Empire's fashion sense weaned on Luttens. 16th century artisans were quick to popularize trends that met both public and Kirche approval over the coming decades. Notably, one trend still exists today where social class dictates fashion for Luttens. While all Luttens adhere to Kirche approved clothing options, certain trends are only socially approved for some and not others. For example, decorated military garments, such as military suits worn by nobles and high ranking officers, are strictly taboo to wear for normal citizenry; historically, citizens disobeying this social norm are punished by nobles who took offense to such actions. Essentially, the higher the social standing, the better decorated you're allowed to be or not be. That said, however, Luttens are very fashion minded due to having a strong focus on hygiene practices as well as upholding good representation within their community and God.

Historical (Early 16th Century)

Historically, early Lutten wardrobes were identical to Imperial ones given how young the nation was. Late 15th and early 16th century fashion within the Empire was dominated by loose yet sturdy clothing worn in layers. Men often owned up to several outfits with many of them being either buttoned up loose fitting shirts, tunics of two different sizes, or robes that covered down to the ankles. Pants were often a mix of undergarments or normal trousers, Braies were especially popular until the start of the 16th century when Breeches and other similar tighter fitting pants started becoming popular; certain leggings like Hose and chausses were popular up until the 17th century as well. A typical outfit for a Lutten at this time would be a mid sized tunic with trousers down to his ankles, and if he were cold then a buttoned jacket or cloak would be worn. Basic cheap armor that could be worn were also popular given Lutten Crusader trends. As for hats, men often wore chaperons in many different variations, but while working straw or linen hats were worn and helmets during war. For shoes men were often wearing leather shoes such as turnshoes with padding added to cushion the feet. Leather cushion in leggings were also sometimes worn to replace shoes but cheaper clogs were also worn with some adjustments. Casual wear such as sandals were more often worn at home than outside working. Lastly, for nightwear, nobody owned specific nightwear clothing - a practice which would become popularized only in the future. Men would often either sleep naked or wear undergarments to sleep if nighttime was excessively cold. Fashion wise, Lutten men were more often fixated on functionality instead of beauty, only caring about decoration or coloring when displaying their social class or while attending formal events. Noblemen were especially flashy with their outfits, making sure their colors were bright and their decorations noticeable to all.

Early Lutten women had an equally large wardrobe similar to their male counterparts. Kirtles, once worn by both sexes, were now exclusively worn by women during this period. Most Kirtles within the Empire reached the knees on women but in Luttenried they would more often be closer to the feet for piety reasons; although some dresses as we know now were worn, they were not confirmative to daily life for most Lutten women and were thus only worn on special occasions. Underneath the Kirtles or dresses women wore was an underlayer gown called a chemise. It wasn't uncommon for women to wear some form of leggings or undergarment trouser, but Lutten women often wore what was appropriate to their daily routines and thus some layers were either added or removed to meet their needs. Although most Imperial women during this period slept naked most days, Lutten women opted to wear their chemise to bed every night for both modesty and piety reasons. In colder seasons Lutten women wore overgowns such as Houppelande and Mantles. Headwear for Lutten women were important due to their highly intricate fashion statements and as accessories helping to emphasis the era's "be seen, not heard" culture. Early colonial Imperial women wore Hennins in numerous styles, but decorative alternatives such as Circlets were popular for women. When Luttenried became more theocratic, women's fashion became more tame as a result. Headwear were now less flashy and more conservative. Cauls became immensely popular with Lutten women as the garb covered their hair and could still be decorated with items such as circlets without breaching Kirche norms. Wimples and veils were also fairly popular among women. Similar to men, women wore turnshoes with padding added to cushion the feet as well as leather cushioned leggings. clogs were cheaper but less worn unless adjustments were added. When it comes to fashion, Lutten women were deeply invested in fashion. Displaying bright colors and accessorizing their outfits were important to all Lutten women, regardless of social standing. While men focused on fashion largely to display their wealth and grace with God while attracting women, women needed to display their humble beauty to attract men while keeping within God's approval similar to how peacocks displayed their feathers. Although wealth was a factor, women were largely driven by beauty and emotion when it came to fashion.

For clothing in general, artisans during the early 16th century had a wide variety of materials to work with. Most artisans by default were women whom took care the sewing work for their families. Merchants and local businesses would offer fabrics and other materials and women would often buy said materials to make their family's clothing. It was around this time in Lutten history that both businesses and Kirche organizations began sewing more professionally, offering their own fabric designs and easy to assemble clothing to customers. More complex items such as accessories and headwear were popular products given how difficult they were to sew. What materials were available also played a major part in Lutten fashion. For example, less common fabrics like silk weren't popular due to their cost and versatility. Locally acquired cotton, wool, and furs. While nobility preferred flashy silk, the lower class preferred abundant wool from the sheep they raised and leather which was a luxury material for clothing for lower class Luttens. Linen and cotton were also popular materials produced by tailors, namely because of women and the Kirche buying the material by the roll.

Modern Luttenried

Fashion in Luttenried is often a mixture of Imperial influences and traditional Lutten/religious trends. Lutten fashion is often broken down to outfit styles as modern Luttens will own several dozen outfits in order properly dress for certain occasions. For example, Luttens will own multiple working outfits, an outfit or three for formal occasions and religious events, everyday wear, and stay-at-home outfits. With newer technology and higher wealth, families have been able to afford better clothing material as time when on. Wool and cotton are still extremely popular among Luttens, but modern synthetic options such as polyester and denim have found popularity within Lutten over the last century. These newer materials and clothes making technologies have had impact not only on Lutten everyday wears but also Lutten culture as a whole.

For men many of their outfits typically consist of modern tunics with numerous options for lower wears like pants or shorts. Tunics of all shape and size have historically remained a popular upper wear when compared to entrant options such as T-shirts, sweaters, and jackets. Imperial fashion is more popular than ever in Luttenried for men now, resulting in more numerous business/casual suits while loser fitting casual wear has been on the rise. Working outfits have largely moved away from tunics and more into Imperial trends, such as shirts, overalls, jeans, and similar tough yet simple work attire; for white collar jobs suits have begun dominating the most everyday wear while traditional Lutten clothing is worn often formally. Casual outfits at home, or for nightwear, have largely remained traditional within Luttenried. Traditional nightwear for centuries has been dominated by robes, either while lounging around the home or while going to or actually wearing to bed.

Politics

Government & Diet

The Holy Dukedom of Luttenried is a Theocratic Feudal Monarchy comprising of sixteen provincial territories, two of which consist of county-level island domains. Luttenried itself is a Colonial Stem Duchy residing under The Empire of Common Territories, which is an Absolute Federal Monarchy. At the Holy Dukedom's head is the "Holy Duke," an Imperial Duke who's House has historically been aligned with the Kirche der Königlich, hence their title of "Holy." While the Holy Duke has supreme authority over his realm (as granted to them by the Crown), a national government comprised of a noble society and civilian governmental bodies are in place. Local governance is maintained by lower seated Luttenried nobles with their own local governments, most of whom are Holy Barons or Holy Lords. Historically, Luttenried existed as a "Crusader State" between 1412 and 1531 until it formally adopted the traditional noble/governmental rule of the time; the Luttenried House itself was granted the territory to govern originally as an Earldom by Emperor Whilhelm XII. Although it has not fundamentally altered its governing system since 1531, significant changes occurred under varying Holy Duke's reign throughout Luttenried's existence. Luttenried's greatest political shift was Holy Duke Gottschalk's formation of the Luttenried Diet along with enacting other Republican reforms in 1892 that either federalized or incentivized federalization of Luttenried's governing apparatus. In this case, "federalizing" was done more in spirit and was defined literally as "a system of central governance built from decentralized local governance." In practice Luttenried's governance changed very little, but like TECT its government accepted more civilian responsibilities while remaining under absolute rule of the Holy Duke as well as the Imperial Throne.

From top down there are three branches of governance within Luttenried's national government: The Holy Duke (executive), the Luttenried Diet (legislature), and the Luttenried Judicial System (justice system). Although these are all branches of governance technically, they are not equal by any means. The Holy Duke's authority rests above the Diet and courts because the Holy Duke's authority over their territory is absolute - a right afforded to them by the Empire. As an Imperial Duke, the Holy Duke wields vast authority even outside his own territory while within the Empire. As Luttenried's ruler, however, the Holy Duke is enshrined as an absolute monarch. Modern Holy Dukes have taken a page from the Empire by utilizing a civilian government to dictate their wishes and duties through local means. While have a place in governance, civilians are strictly regulated within government and largely occupy no higher offices. Most power within the Holy Duchy resides either in the Holy Duke, his personal council of higher ranked nobles/ministers, and the domain governing nobles serving under the Holy Duke.

Luttenried Diet

The Luttenried Diet, the youngest of the branches, was created by Holy Duke Gottschalk both as a means to settle Republican sentiments and to better manage government/national affairs utilizing local leadership instead of central authorities. Luttenried's Diet is the first national legislature since the Pontifical Diet for Wilhelmshaven, which was dissolved in 1531 after the disastrous results of the Luttenried Crusade. Luttenried's Diet is comprised of two chambers: the "House of Lords" and the "House of Commons." The House of Lords is the upper chamber of the Diet and consists of all title holding noble houses possessing the rank of Holy Lord or higher. Representatives of the aforementioned nobility may also serve in their sted and officials from Luttenreid's branch of the Kirche der Königlich (an official from each of Luttenried's territories) also hold seats within the upper chamber. At heart the Holy Duke holds supreme authority over whom is allowed to join the Chamber, but traditionally the territory governing nobles and highest ranking nobles are guaranteed a seat. It is rare, for example, to not have Ministers from the Holy Duke's government (such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs) as members of the House of Lords because most Ministers are high-ranking nobles the Holy Duke appointed himself. In stark contrast, the House of Commons is the lower chamber of the Diet and entirely consists of elected representatives from the realm. The lower realms by Decree must sanction the election of two representatives every four years to the House of Commons where even leadership in the Chamber is elected by the members of said Chamber, including the House's top official, the Speaker of the House of Commons. While the House of Lords typically varies in number of members since no law limits its member count, the House of Lords currently seats one hundred and thirty-two members. The lower house in contrast has remained the same since the 1987 Bourgougian Blitz when Luttenried seized the Îles Perlegrise in an effort to retake territory lost centuries ago. Since 1987, the House of Commons has had forty-two Representatives, two representatives per lower realm. In this design, the upper house represents the noble class and the governments formed in their realms while the lower house represents the citizens of those noble realms in government. While not above the Holy Duke, the Diet acts as the main civilian-driven mechanism of law-making and the country's judicial enforcement of the law.

Justice System

Judicially speaking, the Luttenried Judicial System is the Holy Dukedom's national justice system made up of courts that serve in enforcing the Holy Dukedom's national laws domestically. Justice was once carried out by the Kirche directly but is now overseen by the Holy Duke's Ministry of Justice whom still operate a dedicated branch to theocratic morals enforcement. While serving in a law enforcement capacity, the Justice Ministry's Court System (or "Dukal Court") oversees Luttenried's national court system. There are eight judicial districts in Luttenried whom each posses lower, upper, appellate, and supreme courts among other courts within the upper/lower sub-types. Luttenried itself lacks a supreme court because the Diet is responsible for the Holy Dukedom's highest possible judicial cases. If the matter is not settled by the Holy Duke or his authority, the Luttenried Diet is tasked with handling cases concerning the highest probable national consequences. Luttenried's Dukal Court System serves in similar fashion to a federal court system in other nations with federal governments, rather than dispensing justice for local crimes it focuses on prosecuting national or Imperial crimes. Local law enforcement and judicial systems are responsibilities of the local lord(s) and the realm's governor.

Luttenried Charter

The "Luttenried Charter" (or "1998 Luttenried Charter") is Luttenried's supreme law and the formal contract that bounds the Holy Duchy of Luttenried and The Empire of Common Territories together. Technically the Charter is currently issued to the head of the Luttenried Family, the Imperial Noble leading the household and thus inheriting the title of Imperial Duke; although the Duke is the primary beneficiary of the Charter's benefits, the actual nation itself is bound to both the title holder and the Throne through the Charter's contractual obligations/terms. Historically the original document in question, the "1410 Luttenried Charter," is considered the same document as today's 1998 Charter as successive charters since 1410 have either been redrafts or amended into today's modern Charter. This is historically why all Charters are dated, each date signifies redrafting or significant amending to the previous version of the Charter. As supreme law of the land originating from the Empire and the Throne, Luttenried's Charter overshadows Luttenried's own ability to create or extend authority and any Decree from the Holy Duke is subservient to those above him within the Empire - namely the Emperor.

Luttenried's Charter with the Empire is organized into articles with which certain points of interest are written section by section under subsections. Article 1 of the Luttenried Charter is spent defining, identifying, and declaring preamble information concerning the Charter and the relationship between the two parties and their monarchs. For example, Section 1 and 2 of the Luttenried Charter declares Luttenried as a fiefdom under the Empire, to which its ruler (the Holy Duke) swears total fealty to not only the Empire but also directly to the Emperor as their vassal. Later Sections also go into defining what the position of each party is to the other, what is defined as Luttenried land and Imperial land, and other general legal/diplomatic groundwork. Article 2 of the Luttenried Charter declares the formal diplomatic relationship between Luttenried and the Empire, as well as delving into Luttenried's diplomatic powers concerning foreign states. While generally understood as being Imperial, such vassal states do posses certain levels of autonomy granted to them by the Emperor that Imperial States in the Mainland no longer posses. Luttenried's own Charter has granted the Holy Duchy self-autonomous powers unseen by most of the Empire's colonial vassals, including the ability under Section 3 of Article 2 to conduct limited diplomacy with foreign powers independent of the Empire. Further sections of Article 2 cover Imperial mandates such as commercial and trade agreements, military/government cooperation and integration, and Imperial/Dukal Authority. Article 3 of Luttenried's Charter covers obligations paid by the Vassal (Luttenried) to its Overlord (TECT) in exchange for commitments paid by the Overlord to the Vassal in return. While both obligations and commitments have changed over the centuries, Sections 1 and 2 of Article 3 has always been reserved for obligations from the Vassal (former) and commitments from the Overlord (latter). Furthermore, while the most heated article within the Luttenried Charter, few details have changed overall since 1410. Section 1 for example includes language dictating Luttenried's military obligations to the Empire in return for military protections granted by the Imperial Military found in Section 2. Aside from generally common obligations paid to the Empire found in almost every territory's Charter (even Imperial States' Constitutions), such as taxes and integral government facilitation, Subsection 3 of Section 1 is a prominently known portion of the Luttenried Charter. Article 3, Section 1, Subsection 3 of the Luttenried Charter covers economic products/resources paid directly to the Empire, of which subsection 3 mostly refers to the valuable agricultural sector resources and products desired by the Empire. Historically this portion has seen the most attention due to Luttenried's importance within the Empire as a "bread basket," resulting in both parties fiercely negotiating over the topic as well as its sibling topic, Article 3, Section 2, Subsection 3 - Imperial commitments in return for obligations paid under Section 1. As of 1998, Luttenried's Charter under Article 3 has allowed Luttenried to tax agricultural exports to the Empire at progressive rates far beyond the market value. In return, Article 3 compensates the Empire with favorable rate brackets and imposes production quotas on listed imports for Luttenried to produce regardless of economic sector that are largely free or heavily discounted. There are several other Articles of the Charter in total that were negotiated over time. Most of the later articles address specified topic points unique to the relationship between Luttenried and the Empire during the time. For example, Article 5 covers specific Imperial Military stations and deployments while Article 6 addresses Luttenried noble title holders privileges within the Empire.

As with most colonies of the time, Luttenried's creation was Decreed through the creation of a Charter by Emperor Whilhelm XII. Originally commercial in origin, the "1402 Schwenke Charter" authorized the creation of the Schwenke Settlement in modern Whilhelmhaven. The Schwenke Charter established a number of early provisions governing the new settlement, including naming Luttenried's original discoverer Arne Schwenke Viceroy of the colony, authorizing commercial exploration of the continent so that discovered resources could be sent back home, and creating a council of both residents and authorities from the Empire to officially govern over the settlement. According to historical letters passed between members of the council, the Schwenke Settlement was eyed largely for its commercial properties and was originally planned to become an enterprise serving the Empire directly. Sadly, Arne Schwenke would soon pass on after receiving the Charter and becoming its number one benefactor, thus foregoing the original plan to create a trading company for the time being. The mantle was soon passed on to Burchard Bleier Luttenried by decision of the Emperor along with extensive Kirche influence. Emperor Whilhelm XII decided on the matter largely because of the presence of natives on the island whom threatened Imperial interests; promoting a militant crusader organization with merchant history not only saw the Empire's economic and military interests met, the Kirche would also be satiated by having influence in the new settlement. Historically it is said that the Schwenke Charter remained intact during this period although under new administration. This was a turning point in governance for the continent due to Emperor Whilhelm XII officially handing over the Charter to Burchard's Luttenried Order in 1404. In doing so the Emperor promoted the Luttenried House to Earl and gave the new Earl the Chartered lands to govern personally, disbanding the governing council and creating a new oversight council to replace it; this new oversight council oversaw Luttenried's governance and would not only report their findings to the Emperor but would often instill the Emperor's directives if the Earl or his authorities deviated from the Charter's text. While the council itself would remain for centuries, their authority would continuously decline until the council was officially disbanded in 1722. The council would be replaced the following year with a designated Viceroy position, an Imperial official appointed by the Throne to oversee the Holy Duchy's affairs; while most Viceroys in the Empire are direct rulers, the Luttenried Viceroy is an Imperial representative who's main purpose is oversight and instilling the Empire's authority upon the Holy Duchy when called to. 1410 is remembered fondly as the year the Luttenried Order quashed the continent's natives, thereby becoming the dominant power on the continent and later becoming a Dukedom. Now a Dukedom, Luttenried had gained significant recognition and power within the Empire, and in doing so the Emperor drafted the "1410 Luttenried Charter." The 1410 Charter is the beginning of Luttenried's early golden age of prosperity, and also the origin of the modern 1998 Luttenried Charter.

Lower Realms/Political Divisions

Lower Realms of the Holy Dukedom of Luttenried first emerged prior to 1500 as a way for Holy Duke Theudemar and his predecessor to properly manage their growing domain after fully bringing the entire continent under their control. Holy Duke Theudemar and his predecessor utilized vassals they appointed in order to administrate territories the Holy Duchy had acquired and by 1500 these appointees were eventually all given the title of "Holy Baron." During the 1510 Luttenried Crusade, Holy Duke Theudemar solidified the Holy Baron position as an administrative position and appointed new Holy Barons and Holy Marquess' to govern lands the Holy Duchy conquered. During these times the two ranks were nearly identical in power with the sole exception only being that Marquess were military commanders while Barons were more civil oriented, meaning Marquess were responsible for maintaining armies in order to protect the Holy Duchy's borders. After the Crusade's turning point in 1528, many of these newer Holy Barons and Marquess' (among other lower title holders) were wiped out by the retaliating Jihadi and Musgorocia forces. Although some retreated to safety, many of the title holders themselves made their last stands in their territories before dying in battle or being executed by their captors. The only time a former domain was retaken after the Crusade was in 1987 during the Bourgougian Blitz; although House Klingewalde fell alongside its islands in 1530, the new Holy Marquess of Klingewalde is said to be a descendant of the island's surviving nobility.

Today there are twenty-one lower realms of the Holy Dukedom of Luttenried. A political reform in 1762 consolidated several dozen realms in order to create twenty centralized provinces, replacing Holy Barondoms and their Holy Barons with Holy Earldoms governed by Holy Earls. Under these Holy Earls are lower ranking vassals appointed to govern territories or counties such as cities or entire islands. While diverse, most Luttenried nobles are non-land owning/governors but rather office holding title owners; their power lies with administrative authority given by their title rather than by the land they govern. Four Holy Marquess act as the border territories between Luttenried and foreign nations. While similar to Earls in administrative roles, Marquess have the unique responsibility of maintaining an armed forces along with border defenses. Marquess in general are the highest ranking military officers within the Holy Duchy, nobleman of military value whom lead the Holy Duchy's military forces; in a militaristic society such as Luttenried's, such a title is coveted. Each lower realm acts as semi-independent administrative division of the Holy Dukedom itself, enjoying a high level of autonomy in return for absolute loyalty to the Holy Duke. As governor of the realm, the lord may decide their territory's governance style, laws, and other domestic policies so long as they are within Holy Dukedom law and avoid running against Holy Dukal authority. A realm governor at heart, however, is tasked with governing their realm and protecting it from threats whether they're domestic or external. Although this is not entirely the case in some situations, edicts from the Holy Duke and policies from the Luttenried Diet have made certain policies permenant that to this day stand firm. Some of these edicts include which powers lords posses and which authorities they hold over other lords. For example, Marches like the Holy March of Hachborn (the last remaining Luttenried territory bordering the muslim realm to the west) are required by edict to retain a certain level of military forces. That edict is enforced by Marquess Hachborn by maintaining a certain level of troops and equipment, but is also done so by maintaining Marquess defense sites on each of his islands. Over the centuries the ranks of nobles have changed but the system has only evolved to meet modern needs.

Kirche der Königlich

The Pontifical Diet for Wilhelmshaven assemble to conduct matters of State at the St. Michael Palace in 1502.

The "Kirche der Königlich" or "Church of the Royal" in english, is the dominant religion in both the Empire and Luttenried. While other denominations of Christianity began to spread in the Empire during the late nineth century, Emperor Alexander Aþanareiks Fromm became the first Emperor to adopt the faith in the early 10th century. Not only did Emperor Alexander adopt the faith, he spearheaded a new denomination of Christianity in order to incorporate the pagan faiths still dominating the Empire. Emperor Alexander's incorporations of the Angels as Heavenly Angels and Bösepenst as demons became widely popular within the Empire to the point that only two decades after his death, the new Kirche named in his honor became the fastest growing religious denomination of Christianity within the Empire. While holdouts of the pagan cults still exist to this day, the Kirche or other Christian faiths eventually converted the overwhelming majority of Commoners into the Christian faith by the 12th century. Fashioned on the structure of the Catholic Church, the Kirche was built around a clergy headed by the "Papst" or "Pope" in english. Cardinals and Bishops, among other lower ranking individuals, made up the structure of the Kirche, allowing the Kirche to organize its members around the Empire with great success. Unlike the Catholic Church, however, KdK is often compared to Protestantism due to its traditional adherence to the Bible as the sole infallible source of authority for the Christian faith and practice; for example while the Pope is seen as the highest authority among man on behalf of God in the Catholic faith, the Papst acts as the direct representation and will of God among man. Although these differences have lead to fighting between the faiths, KdK eventually came out on top as the most influencial Christian body and religious faith within the Empire.

KdK's influence with Luttenried begins long before Commoners ever set foot on the continent. Not only did Luttenried's first ruler, Holy Duke Burchard Bleier Luttenried belong to the faith, he was Oberbefehlshaber of the Luttenried Order, a prominent and highly prestigious order of crusader knights serving the Kirche during the later Pagan Crusades. Once the Luttenried Order took full control of Wilhelmshaven (TECT's colonial settlement on the continent at the time), governance fell onto the Order and thus by default the Kirche as well. As a crusader order serving the Kirche, naturally the Kirche had a lot of sway in how the territory was governed. In stark contrast, while not openly opposed to the Kirche's influence, the Empire staked its place in the dirt to remind the Kirche and Order for whom held the highest power in their complicated relationship. As such, Luttenried was forced to placate the Empire all while still serving in the Kirche's best interests; this tug-of-war between the Empire and Kirche wasn't uncommon, but it was however the first time such a struggle occured between the Kirche and Imperial Authority in international affairs. Meanwhile the Kirche continued to press its influence on nobles around the Empire, and Luttenried was among those realms most in-bed with the Kirche given its position and history. Luttenried's identity was so fixated on religion that it operated under two distinct identities during this period of time. While the Empire widely knew Luttenried as the "Earldom of Luttenried," or "Dukedom of Luttenried" shortly after, Luttenried itself along with the faithful operated under the name of "Luttenried Order" or the "Crusader State of Luttenried" until 1531.

Between 1404 and 1531, the "Crusader State Era" as it's known, governance of Luttenried was entirely theocratic and dictitorial. After the establishment of total continental control in 1431, Luttenried began reforms in an effort to consolidate control of the continent and begin thriving as a territory within the Empire and region. Up until his death in 1492, Holy Duke Burchard had directly governed over his realm on behalf of the Empire as its sole theocracy, leaving himself and the Order in total control of the continent. Before his death, Holy Duke Burchard enacted many economic and political reforms to bring order and success to Luttenried. To help govern over the newly booming Holy Dukedom, Holy Duke Burchard created a system of governance based on a provincial system managed by vassals, an inner council that advised the Holy Duke and enacted his will, and a Duchy-wide governing/law-making body consisting of local Kirche officials. The Holy Duke's vassals would manage the territories of the Holy Duchy while a select few trusted vassals would serve the Holy Duke as advisors and enforcers. Holy Duke Burchard's most important political reform, however, was the creation of this new Kirche body within Luttenried that acted as the Kirche's own vassal. Often referred to as the "Kirche der Luttenried," it served two purposes. First, the Luttenried Kirche consolidated all Kirche assets and operations within Luttenried into one body headquartered in the capital Wilhelmshaven; this move put everything into one local entity which proved to be a cost saving measure that also gave the regional authorities better autonomy. Second, Holy Duke Burchard used this new Kirche system to establish the "Pontifical Diet for Wilhelmshaven," Luttenried's first national governing/law-making body with legislative and policy making powers. Although the Luttenried Kirche didn't (and still doesn't) have a Papst, rather it observes the Kirche's Papst as the highest clergy official, they do have a "Papst Kardinal" which is translated into english as "Pontiff Cardinal." Similar to the Papst, the Papst Kardinal is the highest clergy member of the Luttenried Kirche that serves directly under the Kirche's Papst, acting as the Papst's chief executive in Luttenried.

The "Crusader State Era" ended in 1531 with the death of Holy Duke Theudemar. His death also marked the end of the Luttenried Crusade historically and the loss of all hope in attempting a second crusade primarily due to the losses suffered during the 1st Crusade. Although the Luttenried Crusade ended with net positive land taken for the Holy Dukedom, the stark contrast in lives and resources lost, including many of Theudenar's own offspring, cut deeply into the Holy Duchy's psyche, many of those wounds being made during the weigning and bloodiest years of the Crusade. As a result, the Luttenried Kirche along with the Pontifical Diet lost much of its respect and discipline throughout its militarily decimated ranks. While not largely blaming the Kirche, many within Luttenried began approaching the Kirche with newfound caution. KdL may not have been entirely to blame for the results of the Crusade, but many felt their overzealous and recklessly hostile nature lead to such a disaster within Luttenried to begin with. Holy Duke Theudemar was among those most critical of the Kirche due to losing control of both the situation and his territory to the Kirche. Not only had he personally lost so much to this Crusade, but so did others partaking in the fighting who came to him demanding answers. His vassals (those who had survived that is) wanted answers why the Kirche was in any position militarily to lead the war effort when they weren't even tasked by law with the ability to do so; they felt their lives and realms were surrendered in the Crusade due to the Kirche's overzealous whims and now that the fighting was over they were expected to continue submitting to Kirche whims. Meanwhile the Empire was absolutely livid with the Holy Dukedom and the results Holy Duke Theudemar "achieved." The Empire lost thousands of marines and most of its Luttenried stationed fleet during the Crusade; on top of having to pay for those immense loses, the Holy Dukedom had the nerve to request aid (material and financial) after adding a considerable amount of wealth to the Empire's debt throughout the Crusade. Then there was the population itself within Luttenried who had lost many fathers, brothers, uncles and cousins to the Crusade. Protests were a new occurance to Luttenried, many of which were led by the most devout who believe the Kirche overstepped the Bible and its teachings. Lower classes and the ruling class both were angry at their own losses during the Crusade, but combine them with religious fury and you end up with the large protests seen throughout Luttenried after the fighting ceased. Under pressure from all sides, Holy Duke Theudemar was forced to make drastic reforms or face Imperial retribution - or worse. After one hundred and twenty-four years as a "Crusader State" governed by a crusaider order and its Oberbefehlshaber, along with a Pontifical Diet, Holy Duke Theudemar officially adopted his title as Holy Duke of Luttenried, abolishing the Crusader State and its Pontifical Diet. Furthermore, Holy Duke Theudemar ordered the decimation of the Luttenried Kirche so that its key leadership would face some form of punishment; Papst Kardinal Hans-Günter was removed from his position and banished to an isolated island where he died imprisoned many years later. Holy Duke Theudemar spent his remaining years reforming his realm politicaly, militarily, and economically before he passed away.

Luttenried's legacy as a total theocracy changed the Holy Dukedom forever. Although Holy Duke Theudemar's actions had aided in harming Luttenried, his final years were spent fixing his mistakes, saving not only himself but also Luttenried from facing total annhilation.

Military

Holy Luttenried Marine Forces operating with the Holy Luttenried Navy's Garnele CVLN Class HDL Rolf.

The Holy Luttenried Armed Forces ("Luttenried Armed Forces", "Holy Duchy Armed Forces") or "Heilig Lüttenried Bundeswehr" are the armed forces and organizations serving the Holy Duke of Luttenried and the Holy Dukedom of Luttenried itself. Luttenried's Armed Forces are comprised of five main branches and several smaller organizations within those main service branches; outside of LAF chain-of-command are still several entities working with or serving Luttenried's Armed Forces Ministry, which is the governmental body that oversees the Luttenried Armed Forces, and the Holy Duke himself. Holy Duchy Ground Forces, Holy Duchy Maritime Forces, Holy Duchy Air & Space Forces, Holy Duchy Cyber Warfare Forces, and Holy Duchy Feldgendarmerie are the five main branches of the Luttenried Armed Forces. The Holy Order of the Luttenried Knights, the original armed forces of Luttenried and knight order are technically working partners with the Ministry of the Armed Forces, serving alongside other militia units within the Holy Duchy's Armed Forces under the direct command of the Holy Duke (Oberbefehlshaber). Currently the Holy Duchy Armed Forces number over 2,500,000 men and women, not including militia irregulars outside the Feldgendarmerie chain-of-command. An overwhelming bulk of Luttenried's military power is focused on its maritime forces (Holy Duchy Navy, Seekorps, and Maritime Air Force) due to Holy Duchy's geographical location and strategic requirement for force projection. Rather than having an official anthem, much like the Holy Duchy itself, the Holy Duchy Armed Forces have an official hymn/chant ("Media vita in morte sumus") that is often chanted during wartime or other military ceremonies. In the past, when Media Vita in Mort Sumus is sung/broadcasted to the public from government sources, it is official notification of Luttenried's entry into open warfare; Luttenried last broadcasted the battle hymn over all frequencies at the beginning of its invasion of Bourgougia during the aftermath of the Bourgougian Blitz.

Among The Empire of Common Territories' Colonial Duchies, Luttenried boasts not only the largest military force outside the Empire's own armed forces but also possesses the most well-equipped military among the Empire's colonial holdings. The Holy Duchy's Armed Forces are widely regarded as being second to only the Empire's armed forces among other territories within the Empire; officially Luttenried is third behind the Kingdom of New Celisia which was integrated into the Empire only recently. This unique position amongst the Empire's historical colonial holdings has put the Holy Duchy into a position of authority not seen in most colonial holdings within the Empire. For example, the Empire traditionally makes up the bulk of the armed protection colonies enjoy, leaving colonies to use their forces to police their populations or borders while bolstering Imperial units stationed in their territory. In Luttenried's case, the opposite occurs. Holy Duchy units provide all military and police forces defending the Holy Duchy while the Empire's garrisons are strategically stationed in order to serve as a deterrent for would-be attackers. Aside from Imperial garrisons, the Empire operates over two dozen military bases in order to project its military power within Kali Yuga. Historically speaking, in Kali Yuga much of the Empire's policies have either been dictated or delivered through Luttenried on behalf of the Empire due to the political nature between the two entities, often including military affairs and political relationships. While the Luttenried Armed Forces do technically serve the Holy Duke, in the overall chain-of-command the Holy Duke serves the Empire and thus his armed forces technically serve at the behest of the Emperor. Thus it is not incorrect to instantly assume the Luttenried Armed Forces are technically part of the TECT Armed Forces even if they are not part of TECT Armed Forces Ministry.

Equipped overwhelmingly with Imperial equipment, the Holy Duchy Armed Forces are among the few Colonial entities that equip themselves rather than solely relying on the Empire for its wares. Historically, Luttenried has purchased or received its equipment from the Empire directly, but in modern times it purchases its equipment without Imperial assistance unless truly necessary. Although purchases from foreign entities must be approved by the Empire, domestic purchases (like with Wolf Armaments) don't require Imperial approval. A modest yet thriving arms sector within the Holy Duchy economy provides Luttenried (and even the Empire) with some of its own unique equipment while also maintaining the equipment it already has. While Wolf Armaments itself has several major facilities and a few dozen smaller operations within Luttenried, some maintenance and upgrades are outsourced to companies located within Luttenried; aftermarket equipment or upgrades (such as optics and even vehicle parts) provided by domestic sources have made Luttenried's military more diverse in terms of equipment when compared to the Empire's. It is well known that the Luttenried Armed Forces utilize standard equipment, vehicles, naval ships, and aircraft that are tailor made or modified to suit their needs; often times these item models will include an "L" in their designation to signify they're models designed to fulfill Luttenried service standards. Among other entities Luttenried has acquired equipment from internationally, Consortia SA from Etoile Arcture, Schwerpunkt Arms from Nachmere, and several companies within the Empire of Greater Nifon have done business with Luttenried in the past.

Economy

Holy Dukedom of Luttenried GDP by sector in 2020.

Luttenried is a highly developed market driven economy. When compared to other colonial holdings within the Empire, the Holy Duchy is by far the largest economy due in part to its sheer geological and population size. Luttenried's economy is one of the few colonial realms powerful enough to compete with the better developed and higher populated Imperial States on the Mainland in terms of both GDP and political influence. The Holy Duchy has enjoyed mostly uninterrupted economic growth since the late sixteenth century, owing its successes and higher than average HDI to several factors including having an economy made up of durable/robust industry sectors, careful government interventions, and Luttenried's strategic trade policies. International trade, Luttenried's greatest income base, has historically flourished between the Empire and Luttenried, becoming one of the Holy Duchy's primary sources of economic prosperity. As a result, a significant amount of Luttenried's Gross Domestic Production (GDP) originates from international trade with the Empire or regional neighbors.

Domestically, Luttenried's economy is dominated by the agricultural sector. Luttenried's status as one of the Empire's most successful "bread baskets" has gone unchallenged since the 16th century. All manners of agricultural products from basic raw food crops to livestock based meat and leather make up a huge segment of the Luttenried economy along with the manufacturing sector which refines these products further. Historically this is due to the Empire's heavy demand for food products and other processed secondary goods originating from agriculture it lacked the ability to grow or make locally, thus requiring the importation of such goods from trade partners; colonies like Luttenried simply followed the money, some of which (like Luttenried) continue to focus on industries that better cater to the Empire in order to earn higher profits and favor from the Mainland rather than fully consider catering to local regional economic demands. Buying from colonies also benefits the Empire since regardless of how much money is paid for colonial products, financial returns such as taxes earn the Empire profit yearly. Aquaculture, which is often conflated with agriculture in Luttenried's economy, has been a more locally focused sector in terms of demand. The Empire does buy in large quantities products not locally found near the Mainland (such as fish and other ingredients not native to the Royal Oceans), but overall the Mainland is overabundant in most aquaculture based products due to local industries. Thus most of Luttenried's superfluous aquaculture products are exported to regional neighbors outside Luttenried's geographical neighborhood or outside the region entirely. Manufacturing is the next largest sector of the Luttenried economy after agriculture/aquaculture. In large part fed by the abundant natural resources found within Holy Duchy territory, manufacturing boomed in the early 20th century as a result of technological innovation and higher demand for industrial output/self-reliance. Luttenried's modern manufacturing sector, which is still riding a boom in activity that started during the 90s and early 2000s, is focused on refining, crafting, and itemizing Luttenried's natural resources for both domestic needs and export demands. For example, meals and bulk food products made in factories are high earners within the Holy Duchy while factories refining cash crops/byproducts such as cotton, leather, and oil are turned into other products exported abroad. Commercial items are in high demand and thus new businesses along with imports are always welcomed. As of late, the Holy Duchy has incentivized such industries in order to reap the tax money generated down the road and collect tariffs according to its extensive foreign trade policies.

Mining and energy producers (namely oil and nuclear) are the next largest sectors within the Holy Duchy. Both rare and common resources are the primary income bringers for Luttenried's mining industries, serving domestic customers and even some notable export customers within Kali Yuga. Metal resources such as iron and aluminum are mined in great quantities for both local use and exports while precious metals, such as gold and silver for example, are largely exported for net profits if not refined for domestic uses; aside from bolstering the Holy Duchy's Treasury, precious metals are used extensively within the jewelry sector, making a name for itself within the Empire in terms of quality and religious style design choices. Fuel, such as oil and uranium, are officially property of the Luttenried Ministry of Energy for distribution to the Holy Duchy's energy monopolies. Technically all fuel resources and producers are property of the Holy Duke whom may extend ownership shares as they please, resulting in the Luttenried Family owning the entire industry in some shape or form and merely handing out government contracts via the Luttenried Energy Authority; the Ministry of Energy within Luttenried is there for civilian, business, and government regulation purposes only. Long story short, the Luttenrieds own the fuel industry, control it using the Luttenried Energy Authority, and operate/regulate governmentally through the Energy Ministry. More widely used commercial fuels such as coal and charcoal are almost entirely exported at high rates due to the Holy Duchy's significantly higher reliance on other forms of energy, such as hydroelectric power, nuclear power, and solar/wind or other green/renewable power source. Oil is also sold commercially abroad at higher rates but is also sold to refineries whom turn that oil into fuels or other commercial products like additives for clothing, plastic, and obviously gasoline. In recent years the Holy Duchy has looked to export more of its energy and mined materials locally due to the Empire's miniscule demand for both sets of resources. Doing so not only stirs the domestic economy but also earns the Holy Duchy more income due to not having to pay taxes or most fees on said industry.

Services is the smallest of the large sectors within Luttenried's economy. Up until the 1980s, Luttenried's services sector was dominated by the tourism industry and Imperial entities profiting from Luttenried's lax business regulations. Between the numerous tourist resorts and religious destinations, Luttenried's Tourism Board had proactively sold the Holy Duchy as not only a fun and enriching tourist friendly nation but also as a beautiful pilgrimage location for Christians regardless of denomination. As a result, Luttenried is one of the most popular tourist locations outside the Mainland for Commoners; a healthy flow of Kali Yuga vacationers/pilgrims also visit year-round, making Luttenried one of the most popular tourist locations in the Empire. Noticing a signifigant lag between the Holy Duchy and its neighbors in terms of a healthy services sector - even more so with the Empire - Holy Duke Friedhelm von Luttenried launched an initiative after seeing the consequences of neglecting certain industries within the services sector of the economy. While some other sectors directly benefited from Friedhelm's "Economic Modernization Initiative" or "EMI" throughout the 80's and 90's, the services sector saw the largest investment in both monetary funding and government assistance. Many EMI loans and government partnerships focused on lifestyle improvements, such as bringing more Imperial Banks to Luttenried while investing in the domestic banks, passing tax law that made Luttenried a haven for the wealthy and investors, and significant investments into technology from both the Empire and Nifon to develop more domestic solutions. Infrastructure, business wares/tools, household goods, and even electronic devices became a focus for companies trying to earn government funding. By 2000, Luttenried had signifigantly modernized much of its services sector, improved its citizens lifestyles according to statistics, and for the first time in many decades became competitive economically with other regional heavyweights. Although still reliant on Nifonese electronics, domestic companies compete and often take government contracts related to imports.

Luttenried's modern economy has significantly advanced since the early 1900's, evolving from a more colonial give-and-take system into a full-fledged independent nationstate economic system. Still dominated by an agricultural sector, Luttenried's manufacturing and resource/energy sectors have significantly grown over the past forty years, slowly becoming the Holy Duchy's newest economic "rib cage." Four decades of Luttenried's Economic Modernization Initiative resulted in a modern economy less reliant on the Empire than ever before. Although no longer entirely reliant, Luttenried's economy is by no means independent from its overlord, enjoying the fruits of its trade but still tied down by that trade nonetheless. Over sixty percent of the Holy Duchy's trade revenue originates from the Empire. As a nation who's tax system is based almost entirely on trade (sales tax + import/export tariffs), Luttenried relies heavily on its ability to trade not only with the Empire but also other nations around the world.

Taxes & Regulation

Taxes and regulation throughout the Holy Dukedom varies by local territorial domain, but on a Ducal level both taxes and regulation are subject to a number of Ministries with the two prominent ones being the Ministry of The Treasury and Ministry of The Interior. Overseeing these two sets of policies are the Luttenried Diet and of course the Holy Duke himself. Historically speaking, Luttenried's first tax system and set of regulations concerning businesses were created by the Kirche. Although the government collected these taxes and enforced regulatory policy, the Kirche under the Pontifical Diet for Wilhelmshaven had final say on what could or couldn't become law. Society during this era was very different to the point that taxes and even regulations were largely minimal due to the Kirche garnering donations that funded much of the government and military forces. These donations were often encouraged and voluntarily handed over, but some were demanded under threat of legal repercussions. Taxes that were collected were often used to supplement the Holy Duchy's budgetary needs, such as paying for infrastructure development/maintenance, processing documents along with government materials or fees, and of course maintain the Holy Dukedom's merchant fleet that transported goods to and from the Empire. Regulations were understandably no different as the Kirche imposed Biblical regulations upon the population; although very few thought nothing of following these regulations due to deeply rooted cultural norms, there were cases where these regulations sometimes collided with public interests causing some debate. With the collapse of the Pontifical Diet so too did their financial system and firm control on regulatory matters, requiring the Holy Duchy to build a brand new tax and regulatory system from the ground up.

Post Pontifical Diet history is dominated by Imperial influences on both government and the economy. Historians mark this turning point as one where Imperial and Noble influences overtook the Kirche's century long tight control over the domain. Although society changed little, Luttenried itself greatly changed as it moved away from being a direct autocratic theocracy into a true theocratic noble realm. Aside from the loss of trust from citizens, the Kirche was forced to forfeit control over the domain's taxation and regulatory policy within the Holy Duchy, only retaining advisory authority for regulatory matters. Taxation changed several times throughout the next two hundred years as Holy Dukes and their successors experimented between innovative Luttenried ideas and traditionally rooted Imperial policies that trickled in from the Mainland. Some of the key policies that survived the Pontifical Diet's time and made it into the 1752 Taxation Reformation (Luttenried's first official tax code) were taxes on domestic sales, export/import tariffs, and voluntary donations paid by citizens in return for benefits. Today's modern tax code, which was passed in the early 20th century as a modernization of the 1752 Reform, incorporates many of the ideals codified back in 1752 while also modernizing the domain's tax code. Regulatory policies also greatly changed throughout this time as Ducal policy concerning regulation changed frequently depending on the current Holy Duke or his administration. The 1901 Regulatory Act passed by the Luttenried Diet and later Decreed by then Holy Duke Gottschalk finally codified several regulatory policies into a single unified governmental regulatory code. The law also created a number of government regulatory bodies and drafted new ministry offices that were put in charge of regulating said bodies. Luttenried's Ministry of The Interior overnight became much larger as it now oversaw regulatory bodies with new ministries formed in order to assist with the new work-load.

Taxes

Taxes and tariffs in Luttenried are codified in three different sections of the Treasury Ministry's updated Tax Code which was drafted in 1968 and last modified in 2009. These sections are "Domestic Taxes", "International Trade Tariffs", and "Voluntary Contributions". Domestic Taxes cover taxes citizens, businesses, and all other entities pay while residing or operating within the Holy Duchy. Such taxes include the five percent property tax noble estates and major landowners pay as well as the one percent property tax paid by regular landowners like average citizens and small business/land owners. Luttenried is unique within the Empire for lacking several popular types of taxes that would normally be placed in this category, including inheritance taxes, business taxes, welfare taxes, and most importantly all income based taxation. Instead the bulk of Luttenried's domestic tax income originates from the Holy Duchy's fifteen percent sales tax on all purchased goods and services. This tax includes everything from a normal citizen buying food from a grocery store and paying fifteen percent on the sale to that major grocery chain paying fifteen percent whenever it purchases an item or services it wholesales to its customers. Rather than paying up to several levels of income based taxes, Luttenried has both historically and in modern times relied on similar sales taxes to replace the often burdensome complexity seen in modern tax codes within the Empire. Sales taxes have been historically proven within the Holy Duchy to generate immense wealth while also lessening the strain on both citizens and businesses so long that economic activity doesn't stagnate. This is also true for the government which collects revenue with less headaches and a better complying populace that more often relies on larger family units, local communities, and the Kirche for welfare related needs. While not perfect, the Domestic Tax Code has been lauded even within the Empire for being a unique way to lessen the burden on normal citizens without utilizing more strict means to produce income for the government. Additionally, the Volunteer Tax Incentives alleviates any shortfalls within the budget that may occur during the financial year.

The Voluntary Contributions Taxes, or simply "Tax Incentives", is a volunteer donation/taxation system that businesses and citizens can volunteer to pay in return for government handouts and/or benefits. Aside from religious donations that've continued from the Pontifical Diet era, there are a number of options available to citizens and businesses to either pay additional taxes or donate sums of money to the government outside of normal taxation. As far as options go there are several tiers of income based taxes ranging from one to fifty percent, inheritence taxes up until paying everything to the Holy Duchy upon passing away, and paying additional sales, property, or wealth taxes; lump sums of money are also accepted with benefits awarded according to the donor's estimated wealth. While unordinary to even those within the Empire, Lutten society is religiously group minded, resulting in many behaviors aimed at bettering the community even if personal sacrifices are necessary to do so. Of course the vast majority of participants opting into the system are looking to benefit financially or otherwise from the incentives offered in exchange for paying additional taxes, but that isn't to say that donations are Luttenried's version of tipping waiters while eating out. Each donation or tax comes with specific incentives while others allow citizens/businesses to enjoy a whole host of benefits offered by the government in tiered layouts. For example, paying income taxes to the government offers numerous tiered benefits depending on how much you pay according to your income. If a normal household family pays five percent of their combined income annually to the government, that household is exempt from paying property taxes and is paid a return on all taxes paid at the end of the year so long as each taxable transaction is properly recorded. Households paying up to ten percent not only earn the previously mentioned benefits, but they are also exempt from minor fees/fines such as government processing fees and parking tickets. Citizens will also have the option for their returned tax money to be paid through precious metals instead, often gold or silver physically sent to taxpayers. The government is also known to give these homes one quarterly tax break from time-to-time and deliver free sacks of non-perishable food every financial quarter (typically rice, oats, dried fruit, and preserved meat or fish) that will last several weeks for a family of six. Households participating in the system itself are also given identification cards that bestow many benefits when used in everyday life and are used to track taxes paid. Aside from legally abiding to the laws regarding them, some businesses show preferential treatment to participants (customer or employee) for government kickbacks as well as improved business practices. Some perks include reduction in required sales taxes to be paid, tax breaks that could be monthly or even yearly if stacked, discounts for household goods (food, gas, etc.), honorary non-land owning titles that come with their own perks, and other benefits that scale up depending on how much is paid into the system. Overall the system incentivizes citizens and businesses to pay additional taxes in exchange for an equal or sometime greater return, financially or materially speaking.

Businesses are also encourage to participate in Voluntary Contributions. Doing so does harm the government's ability to extract income from business related taxes, but those shortfalls are often made up annually in the budget through other means. Businesses have their own set of options aimed at taxing their income and property in exchange for cheaper operation costs. These options include business taxes that could go as high as forty percent, income taxes that go as far as fifty percent, and even property taxes or asset taxes with varying tiers; sum donations are also accepted for benefits that scale depending on how much money is paid per the business' income. Although each tax has certain rewards relating to their tax, general benefits are shared throughout the entire system. For example, a business that pays ten percent income tax annually is exempt from paying all property taxes and sees its sales taxes reduced by one percent. If that business decides to pay an additional ten percent business tax it will have its sales tax reduced to two percent, its government filing fees discounted heavily, and the business will begin receiving tax returns annually that year.

Independent to decide their own tax/regulatory systems, the Lower Realms have the ability to tax however they please short of Ducal approval and Ducal law/decree. Tariffs are off the table however due to domestic trade being untaxable and international trade a Ducal power to regulate. Most realms choose to follow Ducal trends by implementing sales or property taxes to make the bulk of their income. While not nearly as large a percental, these taxes are largely collected in order to fund the realm's political and economic activities. Marches however also have to consider funding their militaries too. Although not radical, some realms do tax their people in non-traditional ways, such as business taxes and/or income taxes while others have smaller taxes like gas taxes or wealth taxes to cover shortfalls in their realm's budgets. There are some nobles whom utilize their own vassals or resources to precure income instead of simply using overt taxation. One example is the Holy Dietfried Earldom which has no tax system but instead a collections system. Instead of taxation the Dietfrieds utilize profits from its extensive mining businesses and lucrative government oil contracts to fund their realm's budget. Another example is the Holy March of Hachborn. Rich in sea traffic and trade, the Hachborns utilize little taxation and instead collects the bulk of their income in collection and business contract fees; between port/service fees and a lax business/property tax, Hachborn's citizens pay almost nothing if anything in monthly taxes.

Tariffs

Luttenried's second largest source of tax related income are tariffs paid on all traded goods and services. As a former colony and now Stem Duchy, Luttenried has historically relied on trade with the Empire in order to finance the budding Holy Duchy's budget. In its earliest period, trade with the Empire is what kept the colony alive financially speaking. According to the Luttenried Charter, the Imperial agreement bestowing the Luttenried Family its title and powers over the lands it now rules, Luttenried is allowed to tax "trade activities" between itself and the Empire as a whole so long as the terms are agreeable to both sides. This part of the agreement was amended into the Charter in 1482 in order to solidify Luttenried's ability to independently secure income without needing to take rely on handouts from the Empire. Long story short, up until that point in history, the Empire was responsible for directly paying nearly all government related debts Luttenried generated in order to fund the Holy Duchy's extensive development. This too was paid alongside monetary bonuses and contractual payments for each measured good (often bushals, pounds, or stones) delivered to the Empire. The former Luttenried Trading Company, predecessor to the current Office of Trade within the Ministry of The Economy, also funded the Holy Duchy's government extensively by selling Luttenried's raw resources and agricultural products within the Empire. This joint venture between both governments aimed to export the Holy Duchy's vast raw resources and agricultural capacity to trading companies throughout the Empire. However successful some of these policies were, Luttenried was still unable to earn enough income to cover its budget and the Empire was failing to not only control its own spending in Luttenried but now its colony was beginning to lose its economic value to financially minded eyes at home. In order to rectify the growing crisis, both parties sat down and agreed that revising the Luttenried Charter was needed in order to overcome the colony's stagnation. Of the many revisements made during this time, the ability for Luttenried to tax trade with the Empire and its subjects at agreed upon rates (unfair as they may be) in return for meeting (higher than desired) set production quotas annually was likely Luttenried's longest standing successful economic reform. Thus was born Luttenried's early merchantile economy that still stands to this day.

After the collapse of the Pontifical Diet, tariff policy was rested on the Ministry of The Economy which in turn made the Luttenried Trading Company the Holy Duchy's trade authority. This laissez faire policy changed after the 1752 Taxation Reformation which reformed the entire government's taxation system, transforming Luttenried's tax codes into what we know today. Some of the most important changes to tariffs under the 1752 Reform is that tariffs were no longer under the authority of the Economy Ministry but were now under the purview of the Treasury Ministry.

Agriculture

Dominated by agriculture since its inception, Luttenried's agricultural sector remains as the Holy Duchy's largest source of income. Agriculture accounts for forty-eight percent of the Luttenried economy according to the Holy Duchy's Interior Ministry. This trend was created in 1588 by Holy Duke Raginmund during the "Raginmund Reformation." Holy Duke Raginmund knew the Empire invested in Luttenreid largely in part due to the Holy Duchy's ability to produce food for the Empire; this was largely the case under Raginmund's predecessors as well who focused on food exports to the Empire in exchange for goods and services unavailable in Luttenried from the Empire. Many of Raginmund's economic reforms and initiatives focused on developing Luttenried's agricultural sector, including incentives for farmers, land development projects, and investments into agricultural programs throughout the Holy Dukedom. As a result, the Holy Duchy's economy became in large part centered around food and raw resource production. Luttenried's agricultural sector includes farming industries, the forestry industry, and animal husbandry industries to name a few. Aquaculture, the economic sector which focuses on fishing and other aquatic cultivating industries, is separated from agriculture by the Treasury and Interior Ministry. Both sectors accounted for sixty-eight percent of Luttenried's GDP in 2020, or $7.8 Trillion NSD; agriculture accounted for forty-eight percent of Luttenried's GDP alone in 2020, or $5.5 Trillion NSD. There are over 472,375 agricultural workers employeed throughout the farming, forestry, and animal husbandry industries within Luttenried. These workers and businesses account for sixty-five percent of Luttenried's landmass, which are spread over 156,034 farms/pens and associated facilities; eighty-eight percent of these farms/facilities are still family owned.

As a landmass with large swaths of arid land, Luttenried is well known for its practices of irrigation and dryland farming. Other areas, notably the northern and southern peaks, are dominated by tropical climates and support more intensive farming practices. In general, Luttenried's agricultural sector is dominated by mechanization of farming where possible, including the use of large harvesting equipment and support tools for manual labourers. In terms of food production, Luttenried has three primary product groups: Vegetables/fruits/nuts, cash crops (such as sugar cane or coffee beans), and husbandry products (such as meats and wool). Fruit is especially profitable in Luttenried as most of the Empire's mainland lacks any tropical climates suitable for most favord fruit crops, making them rarer or entirely imported. Although not as profitable as many fruits, raw vegetables and meats make up huge segments of Luttenried's exports to the Empire; their value when sold in bulk quantities is what makes these products as profitable as they are. Meanwhile, many cash crops such as sugar cane and coffee beans (Luttenried's most abundant cash crops) are mostly sold domestically to local businesses who then turn those products into bulk exportable products. Aside from coffee, which is Luttenried's largest cash crop export for the Empire, only excess cash crops are exported (typically to regional trade partners or the Empire).

Husbandry is the largest segment of Luttenried's agricultural sector behind its farming industries. The beef industry in particular is the largest segment of Luttenried's husbandry operations. Cattle operations cover almost two-hundred and twenty million hectares of land in Luttenried, accounting for almost two million heads of cattle within the Holy Duchy and around thirteen billion litres of milk in 2020. Around seventy percent of the beef produced in Luttenried is exported - mainly to the Empire - while around eighty percent of the milk produced in Luttenried is consumed domestically. Leather, a product produced alongside beef, accounts for most of Luttenried's leather production and earns around sixty million NSD yearly.