Common Territories
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The Empire of Common Territories Das Reich der Gemeinsames Staatsgebieten | |
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 Flag
 Imperial Seal
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Motto: "Für Seine Majestät und Reich!" "For His Majesty and Empire!" | |
 Geological map of Mainland TECT (Continent of Imperiorum Regni). | |
 Political map of Mainland TECT. | |
| Status | Greater Empire |
| Capital | Reichsstadt |
| Largest | Crown Antonius (Crown Antony). |
| Official languages | English & German |
| Ethnic groups | Commoner-Caucasian (80%) Non-Commoner Caucasian (15%) Other (5%) |
| Religion | Kirche der Königlich ("Church of the Royal") |
| Demonym(s) | Commoner (Bürgerlicher), Imperial |
| Government | Absolute, Federal Monarchy |
• Emperor | Emperor JC |
| Johann Baptist Krüger | |
| Legislature | Imperial Congress of TECT |
| Imperial Senate | |
| Imperial House of Representatives | |
| Overlord of twenty Imperial States, one Commonwealth, and several dozen colonial fiefdoms and territories. | |
• Nomadic northern peoples begin settling into communities. Unification between several settlements establishes the early workings of the "Royals Civilization". | Around 12,000 BCE |
• Maximus Forelis succeeds his Lordship from the Royals Civilization, proclaiming the "1st Commoner Empire." The Royals Civilization is plunged into civil war. Imperial victory years later forments the Empire as the official successor to the Royals Civilization. | 1,500 BCE |
• Maximus Forelis passes away, leaving Antony Forelis 2nd Emperor of TECT as promised in the "Dualitas Pact." Twenty years later, Antony's passing allows Maximus II, Maximus' son, to succeed the throne. | 1,458 BCE - 1,438 BCE |
• The 1502 Nobility Civil War, or "Commoner Civil War," erupts between eastern and western noble realms. Years later, the victorious (Imperial backed) eastern realms proclaim the "2nd Commoner Empire" or "Empire of Common Territories." | 1502 - 1505 |
• With the success of the Subjugation of Tiefland, the Empire now ruled over 80% of the continent. Full subjugation of the continent was achieved on December 1st, 1762. | 1755 - 1762 |
• The "Republican Movement" hits TECT in the wake of the 1891 Nobleman Insurrection. Forcing Charles I to adopt the "Imperial Federal Reforms." Dramatically shifting the absolute monarchy into federal monarchy system. | 1892 |
• Emperor JC is crowned Emperor prematurely at age 16 after Emperor Charles II passes away from brain surgery complications. | 2008 |
| Area | |
• Total | 42,437,650 km2 (16,385,270 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 8.64 |
| Population | |
• 2021 census | 1,931,648,369 |
• Density | 40.06/km2 (103.8/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2021 estimate |
• Total | $254.17 Trillion |
• Per capita | $41,003 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2021 estimate |
• Total | $40,123 |
| Gini | 41 medium |
| HDI |  0.813very high |
| Currency | Imperial Dollar (TECT) ($) |
| Time zone | Imperial East, Central, and Western Times |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | 111 |
The Empire of Common Territories (Das Reich der Gemeinsames Staatsgebieten) or often shortened to "TECT"/ "Common Territories", is an enormous and ancient intercontinental empire which dominates the Imperiorum Regni (Land of Monarchs) Continent as its sole resident; individually speaking, the Empire often refers to itself as "Das GroßgerReich der Gemeinsames Staatsgebieten" or "The Greater Empire of Common Territories" in reference to the 1762 Unification Proclimation. Imperiorum Regni consists of over fifty-nine landmasses, which together form into one continent, two subcontinents, and over eighty islands of varying shapes and sizes - together that equals approximately 42,437,650km2. The Royal Seas, the bodies of water surrounding the continent, is categorized into the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Seas. TECT itself consists of twenty "Imperial States," one "Personal Union Kingdom," several dozen Fiefdoms (colonial holdings), and several dozen more colonial territories under direct Imperial rule; although TECT borders many nations by land and sea, none of these borders have been present in TECT's Mainland since 1762. Imperiorum Regni is megadiverse, possessing broad varieties of landscapes and climates due to its sheer size. It is, however, known widely that its flatter, more productively rich agricultural landscapes are fewer in number when compared to the denser, more numerous mountain and hill ranges.
As an enormous country, TECT varies in climates and culture throughout its expansive lands; from it's homeland to colonial possessions, TECT's climate varies from mountainous terrains, woodlands, valleys, jungles, deserts, swamps, and even polar ice caps. Holding lands in different regions throughout the world, it is often said that the Sun will never set on the Empire. Boreal forest, high forming hills, mountain ranges of varying scale, and plains make up the vast majority of the country's Mainland. Along the coastlines are more mediterranean climates influenced by the bordering seas and lakes. In the interior of the continent lies flatter, more agriculturally productive lands where surrounding highlands/mountains drain water into (from there the water drains into the Forelis Inland Sea to the west and through the Theodoar River Network to the east) before eventually returning to the surrounding oceans. In this central region, the climate is very mild but also very wet, resulting in better agricultural production and naturally dramatic seasons. The Empire is especially well known for its mountainous terrain and woodland environments, so much so that it actually lacks more "bread basket" zones because of this featured landscape. The weather in TECT varies tremendously depending on one's location; most of TECT has wetter climates, but dryer regions exist in some areas where droughts are fairly common. Overall TECT is known for being fairly temperate in its climate but features some pockets with harsher seasons compared to others, including colder zones near the northern and southern tips while warmer near the center of the continent. In the summers, TECT is commonly cooler and wetter the closer to bodies of water you are - the more inland you travel the hotter and more humid the weather becomes. Summers usually last between April to mid September. August brings Fall in September which is followed by Winter in Late November. Winters are usually the same as Summers in terms of conditions, wet and colder the closer to bodies of water you are, but warmer the lower and closer inland you travel - travelling to higher altitudes is much colder and dryer. Winter lasts from October till mid March typically. The Tropical Line also plays a role in weather patterns in the mainland; conditions are usually warmer and more humid along this strip of land, delaying its colder seasons and making its summers wetter and more humid. It's note worthy to point out that TECT owns colonial lands that are placed in more fertile locations and are often much warmer then the Homeland - suggesting that agricultural beds were and still are often sought after as colonial possessions.
Commoners, or often simply referred to as "Imperials," make up the vast majority of the Empire's population. Tracing their roots to at least 50,000 BCE, ancient Commoners first arrived north to modern Homeland State as a nomadic people believed to have been following large hunting game migrating to safer northern lands. Largely Caucasian and Mediterranean in race, Commoners trace their roots not only to the Empire's Homeland, but to several other distinct cultures absorbed by the Empire later on over time. Although several other races call the Empire home, these races are demographically minute minority. This includes the largest minority group, the non-Commoner Caucasians (15% of the total population), which is primarily comprised of colonial citizens and citizens from various fiefdoms, namely New Celisia. The ancient Imperial Capital Reichsstadt has been the capital city since the weigning years of Emperor Maximus Forelis' reign, comprising of over three thousand square kilometers of land and over twenty-two million citizens. Reichsstadt's brother city, Crown Antonius, has reigned as the Empire's most populus city however, boasting over forty-six million citizens living within a five thousand kilometer square area. The Empire's population took off after the subsequent expansion into southern wild lands where colonists took residence looking for riches and titles. Over the many centuries of war and successions, the Empire's population continued to grow until 1762 when the unified continent comprised of over a billion residents. Subsequent population booms have occurred due to technologic discoveries and the Empire's aggressive colonial efforts. Since 1762 the Empire's population has increased almost double from where it began. Today's citizenry, at least in the Mainland, is deeply conservative politically, largely Template:WP, and possess a strong attachment to their cultural roots. Colonials, depending on where you look, also share most of these values. Pockets within the Empire, even in the Mainland, don't entirely conform with some leftist party strongholds and anti-monarchy sentiments within said strongholds. Otherwise, the Empire enjoys a powerful racial, political, and economic hegemony domestically.
Notable for its powerful free market economy, TECT's mixed economy is based primarily on free market principles, a strong currency backed by both gold and silver, and largely protective economic ties/practices that have made TECT an economic powerhouse worldwide. Primarily, the TECT economy runs on a powerful small business driven economy with larger, often noble owned or invested businesses making up the large businesses within the Empire. While small businesses are largely local/regional focused, large businesses typically focus on the entirety of the Empire domestically while being export focused in foreign markets. Wolf Armaments, Royal Bancroft Bankcorp, Meinhardt Brauerei, Commoner League Inc., and Commoner Energy Inc. are among the more well known large businesses with export heavy focuses worldwide. Domestically, the TECT economy is dominated by the manufacturing and service sectors with sub-category industries making the bulk of the Empire's GDP. Services and manufacturing are followed by the energy/mining sectors and agriculture/aquaculture sectors. To this effect, TECT is a highly developed country boasting a large GDP per capita every year and top ranked placement on the Human Development Index.
Internationally, the Empire is a highly respected member of the international community. TECT was commended by the World Assembly Security Council's Resolution 284 on Jun 18, 2019 as a nation "deserving of international recognition for their positive contributions to the larger community of nations." Furthermore, TECT's reputation internationally is bolstered further as the refounder/Imperial Marshal of the Imperion Coalition and a senior member of the Santiago Anti-Communist Treaty Organisation (SACTO).
History
Early History (50,000BCE-1,500BCE)
The first human inhabitants of the land now known as Homeland State, the homeland of the 1st Commoner Empire, were nomadic tribal peoples who moved into the area following big hunting game migrating north. It has been recorded that organized tribesmen date back to at least 50,000 BCE; some theories, however, say the same or similar nomadic peoples (or even less evolved human ancestors) traveled through the area prior to modern human tribes. Before tribes and civilization itself existed the earliest modern human inhabitants of Imperiorum Regni date back somewhere to four million years ago, evolving from their evolutionary ancestors to become 'Homo erectus'. Evidence shows that humans evolved throughout the central portion of the continent in modern day Zentral State where the "Fertile Corridor" allowed the oldest civilizations to exist even before the Commoners settled fully settled in the Homeland. Prior to these Fertile Corridor nation states forming, however, many groups of humans formed nomadic groups and traveled in various directions throughout the continent. It was one of these groups that eventually became the nomadic peoples that settled in the Homeland.
Civilizations in the Homeland developed mostly along the southern center of modern Homeland State, neighboring rivers and other connected tributaries that lead into low lands along the northern coastline. The nomadic peoples split into several distinct groups later on after not being able to settle on one settlement site; this created the original site, numerous along the rivers and coastlines, and a few groups settling to the east of modern day Homeland State. After many centuries of development, the now dozen settlements had developed into small cities. These cities had become city-states with individual governments, cultures, and asperations. Many more years of development, wars, and various other conflicts, the city-states officially came together to form one entity. The governing leaders of each city had agreed on forming a loosely tied federation of city-states that banded together rather than fighting needlessly, forming the Empire's predecessor the Royals Kingdom or Royals Civilization. It's important to note that the nearest civilizations to Royals were located in surrounding modern Imperial States, namely Emperor Island State. These civilizations, however, developed much slower than Royals likely because of their more peaceful and more centrally focused lifestyles; Royals on the otherhand was said to be far more competitive because of their split city-state structure. By the time the Royals Kingdom formed in 12,000 BCE, the surrounding civilizations had not even began the process of forming actual nation states.
The Royals named themselves after the word "royalty" because they saw themselves in better light. Literally a people who could only be ruled by superior classed individuals of superior blood and status. They believed themselves to be a better race of people, smarter in every way, and most beautiful when compared to other peoples they discovered later on. TECT Mythology is rooted during this period as many "Angels" (Gods) with worshippers that all equally worshipped a "God" (a supreme god or "old god"). Royals believed they were choosen by the Angels, increasing their already egotistical view of themselves. The Royal Civilization focused on building up the original settlement into the Kingdom's capital. Its ruins are located adjacent to the Royal Mountains in a lower valley southeast of Reichsstadt close to the modern borders of Homeland State and its southern neighbors Forelis and Maximus States. By 9,000 BCE, the Royals Kingdom had established a powerful government, created its own numerical and writing systems, worshipped a central religion with varying sub-faiths, and had began expanding its borders in every direction. It is estimated that the population of the Kingdom alone was nearing half a million people, while the entire Civilization itself exceeded half a million or may have had eight hundred thousand people.
The Royal Civilization, or Royals Kingdom, at this point was made of well over a dozen city-states whom all were largely self-governing. A King was elected by members of the "Royalty," the royal families whom acted as leaders in each city-state. At the time the "Royals" were not always royalty but the electors or other leaders who governed the city-states. Even the King at this point was largely a unifying figure who's purpose was to consolidate the Kingdom's city-states for likeminded goals. One goal was the total unification of the civilization. A number of cities and smaller settlements had refused to join the Kingdom, thus causing a rift between those aligned with the Kingdom and those wishing to prosper alone. Together, the city-states fought their neighbors in an effort to expand the Kingdom's control, increase their own power, and land to expand for their growing populations. Conflicts within the Civilization were often fairly brute forced as most city-states focused on hand-to-hand combat and ranged slingers or archers. Horses were less favored in direct combat because of their value and lack of ample horse riding equipment. War with other civilizations would not occur until the Early Imperial Era when the Empire launched expeditions outside the Homeland. It is believed that the Royals Civilization was completely united by 5,000 BCE through the use of warfare and "convincing" diplomacy. By 2,000 BCE the Royals Kingdom, through the use of over twenty-four "royal states," had become the dominant nation state in the Homeland. This achievement was largely due to the Homelandic area being easy to protect because of the eastern, southern, and western mountains along with major riverways acting as natural barriers against outside invasions; historians believe this is largely the reason why other nomadic groups never emmigrated to Homeland State.
As a civilization, the Royals Kingdom had reigned since the weigning years of the stone age. It had grown exeedingly powerful during the bronze age and towards the middile of the iron age was succeeded by the Empire. During the almost eleven thousand years of its existance the Royals Kingdom had largely prospered due in large to the fact its only rivals, fellow Royals who refused to join the Kingdom, had been either eliminated or absorbed. Its evolution from several city-states to over twenty four territories ruled by members of the exceedingly large royal family marked the Kingdom's golden age. This golden age ended around 4,000 BCE as without any exterior foes to focus on, or lands outside the natural barriers' safety to colonize, members of the royal family began targeting each other. In what historians would describe as the Kingdom's "Medieval Feudal Period," the once fairly united Kingdom quickly began to turn on themselves. At first it was greedy tax collections and trade disputes. Then came the internal wars. Internal wars had happened before this time, but they were never as serious and always ended before too much damage could be dealt to either side; in most cases, these conflicts were ways to settle disputes honorably when both sides refused to back down. During the 4,000 BCE to 2,000 BCE period, wars had become so common that territories had formed coalitions in order to seek protection from larger, more stronger territories. The King, who had grown more powerful personally, had long become a corrupt position held by a single family who passed the title back-and-forth in the three largest eastern territories. Known as the "Three Easternly Dukes," the patriarchs were always brothers and used their influence/power to retain the Crown. Even blood became too thin by the year 2,000 BCE as the brothers split, fighting to hold the power alone. The western territories never had a chance at becoming King and merely attempted survival during these times. Wars between western territories was often more about survival than simply greed as the eastern powers sucked up as much resources as possible. The once proud Kingdom had devolved into endless wars and power struggles where lower houses/territories were treated as prey, and the original unity the people once felt had long been murdered. This was the Kingdom Maximus Forelis was born into.
The Forelis Lordship, a small peership located in modern day northwestern Homeland State was fairly tiny. It had no overlord but did band together with other lower houses in its neighborhood for protection. This group of lower houses was ultimately under the protection of a major terriotry guarding the lower mountain borders and was often spared by the eastern powers in exchange for bribes. Often times trade rights, sums of gold or other valuables (sometimes even trade goods), and even daughters were handed over as sacrifices for the eastern powers. Once example written into the record was the Lordship Henricus' War. Lord Henricus refused to hand over his first born daughter and a demanded sum of gold to one of the eastern powers. To make an example of him, the eastern power invaded the tiny lordship, pillaging their city, torching their farms, and massacering swaths of the population. Lord Henricus was spared only because the eastern power's Duke wanted him alive to mourn his losses, including his entire family which had been burned alive in front of him. Lord Henricus committed suicide when he found the oppertunity, leaving the land to be swallowed up by a neighboring Lord. This tale is used often to show how brutal the era was and even how desparate some were that they'd even swoop in and take what remained if it meant helping their own situation. Wars and abuses like these is what fostered the hatred many had for the King and the Kingdom as a whole.
The First Commoner Empire (1,500BCE-805AD)
By 1,500BCE, The Royals Kingdom had become the dominate power in the Homelandic area, possesing strong economic and military power that would have challenged other civilizations near and far during the time. This fact however clouded the actual state of the Kingdom internally. Although technically united, the numerous territories of the Kingdom were beyond splintered with no real hope of ever seeing the fracture healed. Corruption, constant civil war, and poverty plagued all but few territories whom robbed from the weaker lands. The only thing keeping the country together was the established Royal Family that had become influentially powerful as the Kingdom's chief leadership. At the same time, these royals were the very source of the strife the Kingdom was suffering. By this point in history, the Royals Kingdom was at its darkest times with only the highest of Royals never really caring to notice. This was the Kingdom Maximus Forelis was born into and where the roots of the 1st Commoner Empire were planted.
The beginning of the 1st Commoner Empire can be said to have started on February 5th, 1,522BCE. The day marks one of the most famous dates in national history and a changing point of the country. This was the momentous day TECT's first Emperor, Emperor Maximus Forelis was said to have been born. Maximus Forelis was born into one of the lowest classed territories of the Royal Family. The Forelis Household was a Lordship located in the northwest. It was said to have only been sixteen kilometers squared in size and was sandwiched between other small territories. Although not often the target of abuse directly, the Forelis househild wqas said to have lost several daughters and thousands of gold pieces to the eastern powers. Maximus' parents were from one of the poorest and smallest of territories that made up the Kingdom, making its living on the sale of its extra farming harvests and livestock products; even as members of the Royal Family, the Forelis name was often never remembered and disrespected outside the western half of the Kingdom. Furthermore, Maximus grew up in an abusive family where his parents never showed any empathy for him and overworked him daily; behind closed doors his parents took their frustrations out on him and his first brother Antony, often beating and even branding them using hot irons used on their cattle - it was said their third sibling died early on from an infection caused by said branding. The extended Royal Family never paid mind to the Forelis', let alone Maximus. Of the few times they did, it was only to demand gifts or insult them. Even the actual blood relatives in other families looked away at the abuses suffered by the two brothers. This was the norm in many lower households after all.
Maximus's younger brother Antony Forelis was five years younger and Maximus' considered him his only family. Although he could not do much, Maximus protected his younger brother growing up as the two learned to looked out for each other. Even with all the torment suffered, the two brothers (namely Maximus) were very ambitious and driven young men. Maximus spent his younger years honing his intelligence while learning the sword. Antony on his part spent his younger years mastering warfare, learning from historical records and even developing new techniques that would later be used within the Empire. Both brothers despised the deeply corrupt aristocracy that the Kingdom had fallen to. Like many others, they held no loyalty for their country or their King. Hatching an ambitious plot, the two brothers began work on finally freeing themselves and their people from this never ending nightmare. In 1,505 BCE, at the respective age of seventten and twelve, the brothers with the help of sympathetic supporters, overthrew their parents in swift yet bloody uprising. Maximus personally cut his father's head off and placed it on a pike outside the city's walls, as did Antony in regards to their mother - a blood pact both brothers made. Other supporters and officials whom helped in their parent's abuses were also executed. While the people of the land celebrated the new reign, the Kingdom largely didn't notice. Upper classed Royal Family members who had heard the news simply didn't care, while lower houses in similar rank eyed the situation looking profit off the situation. A neighboring Lord had in fact attempted to invade the Forelis Lordship seeing weakness in a new young ruler combined with a territory that had just undergone a revolt. That Lord's name was totally removed from historical records because just as his forefathers had done, Maximus and Antony not only easily achieved victory, they had brutally taken over this Lord's domain the same way he had intended to do to them. Even at his young age, Maximus was said to have been a gifted military mind and talented strategist, but his strength rested in his political skills as many historical records indicate Maximus was a natural born orator and leader. Antony, for his part, was the better gifted military leader and soldier with some records stating in a sword fight, Maximus would lose handidly to his brother "five years younger." The next several months were spent preparing for war. The brothers shared power in the domain with Maximus handiling the government and political affairs while Antony organized the military and economic side of things; although Anonty, even after the Empire was formed, believed his brother was the clear leader "up until he moved on to the afterlife." Those months spent preparring for war had turned the territory around economically and militarily; exports were said to be up as were stockpiles, and the militia had been reformed into an army by Antony who he ensured were fully equipped and professional in discipline. Maximus' efforts paid dividands further on the diplomatic front, securing secret deals with the east's largest territory and forming a secret pact with the other minor lords to form a new country together to oppose the Kingdom. Passionate with a radiating personality, Maximus' presence almost literally attracted people to his side as more and more people began to hold trust in him. The Kingdom had very little interest until the rumors of an indipendence movement springing forth. By the time the overly confident eastern lords had began to take action, the Forelis Brothers had already cemented their plans for the next fighting season. Sensing danger, the eastern powers did what they had always done, send demands and threats. All three personally threatened Maximus "to leave his land as bare as they had left his family's daughters" if he did not publicly refute the rumors and provide five years worth of reported gold income by summer. Maximus replied with a letter containing a single copper piece inside. Although the exact message is lost to history, an aid to one of the Dukes wrote to one of his vasals that "Maximus, the fool, dared to state 'Here! You have robbed me of my gold long ago, but take this copper piece. Add it to your collection!' Death is a merciful punishment for such arrogance!" Historians would later explain that the act of stating such an insult would have been a death sentence, but actually sending a copper coin, which had less value than a newer iron coin and not even a gold coin, was an utter slap in the face. "Today it would be like getting the bill at a restaurant and handing the waiter a quarter saying 'keep the change!'" In the spring of 1,501 BCE, Maximus Forelis, along with his brother Antony Forelis and their cheif supporters, proclaimed the creation of a new empire, that which was superior to the Kingdom they promised to destroy. Maximus, in his boisterously proud self, crowned himself Emperor and naming his brother his immediate successor. Thus marking the creation of the 1st Commoner Empire on March 3rd, 1,501 BCE.
With Maximus Forelis proclaimed Emperor, creating The Empire of Common Territories or 1st Commoner Empire, the entire Kingdom fell into its first and last civil war. While completely taken aback by such a stunt, the eastern powers, their vassals, and loyal territories to the Kingdom prepared for war. However, the new Empire was already on the move. The Empire quickly launched several offensives in the north to sieze all the minor territories who refused to join the Empire; instead of simply pillaging the land, their rulers were either executed or banished along with their supporters who refused to bow before the Empire. Another offensive was launched southward to connect the borders of the Empire with its ally the sole superpower of the west who had yet to join the Empire. Although resisted in moderation, the people in these lands largely sided with the new Empire and took up arms to assist in some cases. Hundred, even thousands of years of endless civil war and strife lead to most citizenry resenting their rulers and desiring change. The new Empire was clear change; the Empire's policy of not looting, pillaging, and showing mercy to the citizens paid off in more ways then one. However, Maximus and Antony were ruthless geniuses when combating the Kingdom. This was not only about what was right or wrong, but revenge for what the Kingdom had put them and the people through. The First Commoner Empire included many of the territories that now make up the Homeland State. Opposing Royal Family members including the leader of the Royal Family, Jörg Beike, made up a significant size of land in the Royal Civilization's south eastern corner that was just under half of the country. They stood against Maximus for who they saw as a mongrel and disgrace to the ancestors of the Royal Family. Whether right or wrong, Maximus demanded that the country become united as one territory and not a bunch of waring states. In many of his speeches and public efforts he spoke down to the those who stood against the unification and demanded that his external family submit to the will of the Empire. With negotiations being fruitless, Maximus decided there was no other choice but to declare war. Maximus brutally lead an invasion into the territory Tungri while his younger brother Antony invaded the territory Nervii, barely three months into TETC's foundation. The Commoner Civil War was the first large conflict of the new nation in an effort to unite the country under one banner, lead to a short bloody civil war. Maximus Forelis lead the Commoner Empire into its first invasion with his loyal gathered army prior to the nation's creation. Nicknamed the 'First Grand Army', Maximus' army was over 60,000 men strong and had been trained excellently throughout its existence. The men worshiped Maximus, their General & Emperor, and were on high moral always. Antony may not have had his brother's fame and personality but he was just as passionate and is less credited still for being a brutally better military genius then his older brother. Antony's army was nicknamed the '2nd Grand Army' and was over 40,000 men strong. Jörg Beike lead the apposing army that faced Maximus in battle on June 12th at the Battle of Bosch Hill; Jörg used the familiarity of the land and larger force of 80,000 to force Maximus to retreat or suicidally attack. Maximus being the genius he was, discovered a way to flank Jörg's forces and personally lead the pincer attack that lead to his first victory. Antony also faced opposition in his campaign against a force of 45,000 men. Antony's force nearly whipped out the enemy army in the battle leaving only a few hundred survivors over the month long campaign. On September 1st, 1,500BCE, Maximus Forelis and Antony Forelis combined forces on outside the old capital city and accepted the surrender of opposing Royal Family members -- finally uniting the Royal civilization fully as the first Commoner Empire.
TECT in Cornellia
TECT has had a short yet extensive history in Cornellia; historians often refer to Commoner history in Cornellia as the 'Cornellia Chapter', referring to a chapter in a history book of sorts. TECT's first interactions with Cornellian states was through trade; it conducted trade with provinces of the Cornellian Empire and newly independent states would become trade partners as well. It wasn't until the 1700's that TECT began to take an interest in the region for imperialistic goals. The Commoner Empire began influencing the region through many means in order to inspire uprisings around the Cornellian Empire - remaining records reveal that TECT had played a small part in many of the revolutions/uprisings around Cornellia, either with providing arms, smuggling, or by directly inspiring revolutions. Another practice was corrupting officials within the Cornellian Empire, such as bribing, to sway their loyalties. TECT failed many of these times to lure states to ally or join the Empire - the most extensive damage done was influencing the collapse of the Cornellian Empire in the long run. Commoner leaders soon found new hope, or changed heart on the issue, and decided it was time for a direct turn of action to fulfill its desire of imperialism.
For many years, the main goal of attaining allies or even colonies in the region was farmland. Trade income and other resources were essential, but additional farmland allowed for larger food production, an essential need for the Empire during the time. An exploding population brought along many challenges, including feeding said population and preserving the economic growth of the country. It was soon decided that small territory along the coast would be the target of a military invasion; a land that presented strategic, economical, and political advantage for the Commoners. This land was known as Fläche; a slave owning province in a state of unrest due to economic troubles and slave tensions. TECT used the unrest to empower the slave revolt of 1863, hoping to bring chaos and distract the Cornellian Empire long enough to land troops and secure holdouts along the eastern coast. The many other developing civil wars around the Cornellian Empire also gave the Commoners a pristine opportunity. On May 15th, 1864, Commoner forces lead by Admiral Bernd Franklin and General Lukas Baumgartner began the Cornellian Invasion of 1864; which commenced with the bombardment of Ansbach and its eventual marine landings. The war lasted for two months before a ceasefire and followup treaty was signed. Experts of the time and in today's historical circles believe that the war could have left an even larger scar on history; the war could have lasted many years and could have taken even more lives then it did if it had continued. Admiral Bernd often noted that "TECT had the will and drive to fight in the name of conquest - Cornellia had the drive to repel the invaders and do it even if they died trying. Win or lose, we'd need fields to bury all the dead and banks to pay for the costs." Many historians, historical figures, and military commanders during the time disagreed with the war's early end, seeing how TECT was running the Cornellians back and could have taken far more land and resources if Commoner forces had continued the campaign. Experts today are often split on the issue; many say it could have gone as said and lead to even greater successes for the Empire, but there are many now who believe that doing so would have left many more dead, costed the Empire more currency to handle, and even more troops to be deployed. Regardless; the early end to fighting is still widely considered as one of TECT's largest mistakes. A cease fire was declared on June 24th, 1864 and a peace agreement was reached two weeks later on July 8th, 1864.
After the destructive war campaign, Admiral Franklin was named the temporary Viceroy of the newly acquired territory; commanders such as General Baumgartner also held seats of power early on. Franklin which had been named so shortly after, spent nearly half a decade under the Colonial management of the military governance. In 1869, five years later, Franklin had been granted status as an Imperial Colony after years spent into securing the territory from external and internal threats. Many of the military policies formed included a recruitment program to recruit locals in the territory, a massive border protection initiative, and a management plan in the event that a counter-invasion was launched. Franklin spent the next decade forming a civilian government system, military defense organization, and a massive economic initiative to improve the territories value. By 1880, farming development rose over 120% - mining, services, and marine industries had also exploded. The rise in economic value and new found profitable home brought many colonists from the Mainland; many dreamed of earning a large income, buying land, or bringing new found happiness to their families. In 1880, as well, the TECT Congress, with authority from the Emperor, granted Franklin statehood - Franklin had now become officially the 'Imperial Colonial State of Franklin'. Jan Beckenbauer was elected as the Colonial State's first civilian Governor the same year.
Government & Foreign Relations
Government
Government/Politically speaking, TECT is technically an Absolute Monarchy ruled by the Emperor who acts as head of state, but is categorically organized into a Federal Monarchy possessing a federalized government (a three branched government) and federal system of local-to-central governance. In the past, the Imperial Government varied between autocratic Emperors/Empresses with tighter grips on power and feudalistic governments where nobles and royalty exerted larger influence in governance as a whole up until the seventeenth century; to this date the Empire's governance largely mirrors what the current Emperor desires it to be, thus the more federally minded Charles Dynasty reshaping the Empire into a federal system. Originally during the Royal Civilization, power was held by early Kings which had a large influence over the country but not absolute power - an extensive royal family (less related by blood and more by relation) was next in the hierarchy, which controlled territories that make up much of modern Homeland State. The Royal Civilization was named as such because it was feudalistic in nature with no central authority other than a King who traditionally held only little power over the royal family/noble class that ruled over their people. Maximus Forelis, a young royal himself who grew up on the lower end of the Royal Civilization's hierarchy, overthrew his parents and proclaimed himself "Emperor," waging a bloody civil war that eventually ended this era of loosely tied feudalism. Emperor Maximus introduced a newer form of feudalistic governance that instead relied on loyal vassals and a governing council that would later form into the Empire's first parliamentary legislature. It was said the new Empire enjoyed peace for over a century thanks to this new form of centrally controlled, locally governed governance - a stark change from constant civil war. The Emperor today remains as Head of State and is regarded as the highest cultural authority in the Empire; naturally the Crown/Throne also acts as head of the Royal Family, Commander-In-Chief of the TECT Armed Forces, and holds such deeply respected cultural position that cultists believe that legitimate Emperors/Empresses are a living gods. According to many mythologists and historians researching the subject, the legitimate Emperor/Empress in certain circles is either a living god or the reincarnation of Maximus Forelis himself, the latter of which gives divinity to Maximus and is proven simply by inheriting the throne - literally living up to his name as the "Eternal Emperor" he promised to become. TECT's Government outside of royal and noble appointments consists of multiple levels of jurisdictions and three central branches that make up the "Imperial Federal System." This system is essentially based off of western federalism found in many republics and democracies. It is largely consistent with federalist practices of jurisdictions and authorities, considering it is largely civilian ran, possesses a constitution, legislated by a bicameral legislature, and a judiciary branch with Imperial Federal Courts and a Supreme Court. Modern TECT governance is split between three branches of government: The Imperial Government (executive), the Imperial Congress (bicameral, lower and upper houses), and the Imperial Judiciary. While the executive branch entirely revolves around the Throne, the Reichskanzler (Imperial Chancellor) serves as head of the Imperial Government. Other duties of the Reichskanzler include Speaker/Head of the Imperial Congress (they are the highest elected official in TECT if not appointed), second in-line of command for the Imperial Government and armed forces until a new ruler is coronated, and is the Emperor's chief representative and civilian advisor. The Imperial Congress is TECT's legilative body that creates and votes on laws and policies. It is made up of a lower "Imperial House of Representatives" consisting of "Imperial Representatives" from electoral districts established by Imperial States/territories, and the upper "Imperial Senate" consisting of "Imperial Senators" who're appointed by the Imperial States/territories as their representatives in government. Lastly, the "Imperial Judiciary" is the judiciary branch of the Imperial Government responsible for the Imperial Federal Court System and the Empire's Supreme Court.
Law Enforcement
TECT is by far a safe and civilized developed country in terms of law enforcement and national security. With tough border laws, immigration policy, excellent privacy laws matching ethical guidelines, and national security laws to protect citizens. The crime rate is very low mostly due to an excellent police force, tough policy on many offenses, education, and cooperation between local and national police forces. Culture and other influences also provide a moral upbringing for children causing less violence in the country. Law enforcement is made up of 4 theaters: International, National, State, and Local. The main body that enforces the law is the Ministry of Justice or MOJ; it is a the law administrative force under the executive's (President of TECT) control/law enforcement responsibility as the enforcer of law & justice in the country. The TECT Constitution plays a guideline role for the MOJ's laws and regulations. Local police make up towns, counties, cities; state police for their individual states; TAT's or Tactical Assault Teams, handle dangerous situations such as combat scenarios and volatile situations and also mostly handles the raids carried out by other MOJ agencies, acting as combative roles for agencies as well. RP's or Riot Police handle protests, riots, and other grouped unrest situations or scene controls. The IS or Investigative Service(s) are mostly referred to as the Investigation Services. They are a government agency belonging to the TECT Ministry of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency (counterintelligence). The IS has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime in TECT. The Imperial Security Agency or ISA, is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the TECT Ministry of the Armed Forces and Justice responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting TECT government communications and information systems, which involves information security and cryptanalysis/cryptography. The ISA is also said to gather intelligence on domestic communications and information in the case of national security. The Substance & Weapons Enforcement Administration or SWEA, has responsibilities including the investigation and prevention of federal offenses involving the unlawful use, manufacture, and possession of firearms and explosives; acts of arson and bombings; and illegal trafficking of regulated products. The SWEA also regulates via licensing the sale, possession, and transportation of firearms, ammunition, and explosives in interstate & international commerce. SWEA is also responsible for regulating substances and alcoholic products. Finally; the Bureau of Controlled Substances or BCS, is tasked with combating drug & alcohol smuggling and illegal use within TECT (most alcohol does not fall into this area, only certain alcoholic substances such as Moonshine). These are just some of the current agencies part of the MOJ.
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A diagram of a TECT TAT team before breaching into a room.
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Riot Police standing guard during a protest.
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IS agents seize records and evidence during an investigation.
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SWEA storage facility for weapons.
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BCS raid and confiscation of Cannabis plants.
Political Divisions
Political divisions within the Empire are split between three categories that ultimately depend on the territory and its history/origin within the Empire. Territories within the Mainland of the Empire were reorganized into "Imperial States" after the 1891 Nobleman Insurrection that led to the Republican Reformation period within the Empire. Prior to this, these lands were governed by Dukes as Stem Duchies with their vassals as county governors, then before that these Duchies operated as the largest land owning nobles with mirrored representation within the Imperial Parliament of the time, and even before that territories were completely divided into realms dominated by certain nobles with royal oversight. In modern times, nobles have been totally removed from governing land outside of a civilian capacity unless appointed by the Crown or granted fiefdoms by said Crown. Modern land governing nobles exist as colonial rulers as part of the Empire's system of Colonial Stem Duchies. The Stem Colonial Duchies make up the bulk of the Empire's colonial holdings that aren't under direct Crown rule or military administration; although only Mainland territories were/are allowed "Statehood" under the Constitution, proposed alternatives like the "Colonial State" that mirror Imperial States' Statehood have become a topic for debate within the Imperial Congress. Other bodies within the Empire include actual nationstates that have submitted to and joined the Empire, such as New Celisia which submitted to Imperial rule in 2012; in New Celisia's case, as another Empire, it was reformed from the "Empire of New Celisia" into the "Kingdom of New Celisia" since there could only be one Emperor and no other ruler could stand above the Emperor - thus its Emperor was essentially demoted into a King, the only of his kind within the Empire. New Celisia's acceptance is a special case since States haven't been accepted into the Empire without being totally absorbed in many, many centuries. Thus the New Celisia joined as a personal union with the Empire, meaning the Emperor of TECT rules over both nations. Therefore, nations such as New Celisia submit themselves to the Crown and often times Imperial Government in exchange for protection and status within the Empire itself. Since such affairs have become rare in modern times, the future is blurry on how they will actually turn out.
The Empire of Common Territories is described as a massive nation that lies on the Mainland continent from which it is native too. TECT also possess colonial lands abroad all over the world as per its expansionist creed. In total: TECT is made up of 20 Mainland States, three Colonial States, and one colony. The basic structure of TECT territory starts from territories to colony status then to Colonial States. Territories, in general (non-descriptive phrase for lands) context of organization structure, are lands owned by the TECT government that are maintained and operated by numerous TECT entities including the military; many military bases are classified as territories but are not necessarily actual political divisions in the country. Colonies are civilian lands that are populated by civilians but with administration being primarily of military & strict government authority. These lands are newly controlled territories that have been opened to civilian population. Like new world colonies, these lands are meant to grow more stronger and eventually upgrade to actual statehood (Colonial State); colonies are essentially tinier versions of communities or city like communities until they are large enough to be upgraded to statehood. Colonial States are colonies who have grown so large that they have meet requirements to become states in the Empire. These colonies are given full statehood status and rarely do they actually lack similar rights to Mainland States. The requirements for colonies to become Colonial States are: a population of one to ten million, proof that the colony has means of defending itself and it's people militarily if attacked, a desire to become a state (a vote or petition could prove the will), and the drafting of a legal (by federal law) state constitution following an elected body to represent the people of the territory. Currently; TECT owns/possesses territories in: the Cornellian Empire (Franklin Colonial State), Galbador (Zwischen Ozean Colony), The Islands of Smaragdi Mielettömyys, Nova Marsica, Lollohian Vokolyia (TECT Vokolyia), New Tyvar, and Stomalia (protectorate).
{list to come of territories, colonies, colonial states, and mainland states}
State of Maritime Territory & Exclusive Economic Zones
Maritime territory has always been a topic of protest by foreign bodies when it concerns the Mainland's claimed sea boundaries and its exclusive property. According to the 1991 "Royals Boundaries Act", the TECT Government and Armed Forces enforce an official territorial boundary of about one thousand kilometers from any given landmass, besides given exceptions; Royal's Exclusive Economic Zone, according to the law, is another thousand kilometers, making the zone two thousand kilometers from shore. RBA defines these areas as including under the water, on the water, and above the water in the sky/atmosphere. Although the law, which is also referred to as an 'Accord' or 'Policy', has those stated perimeters, the military under orders enforces them slightly differently at times. Law enforcement does use the law, however, as it is written; this includes government law enforcement and military police forces. Public policy on the matter details three layers of territory enforcement for Royal's waters: The first layer begins at the two thousand EEZ and ends at the official territorial line another thousand kilometers away; this zone is for interception, investigation, and if needed, removal of unwarranted vessels/aircraft. Next is the second layer, which is between one thousand and eight hundred kilometers; this zone is immediate territory where shipping will be intercepted and engaged by police and/or military forces who intrude - from there the responding force will either remove, deter, or apprehend the unwarranted vessel/aircraft. The second layer is rarely penetrated because most interceptions occur in the first layer within the EEZ; those craft that have gone into the second zone are often mistaken paperwork cases or human failure of some kind that are solved on scene - a military intrusion has never occurred since the country's full unification in the 1800's or after the 1991 law's enactment. Lastly; the third and final layer is between the five hundred kilometers and the shore - the eight hundred to five hundred kilometer is an open area used for last chance second layer attempts to deter intruders. This layer is publicly stated as the "Final Grove" because most intruders in this zone will end up on the bottom of the ocean - military/police forces will engage any intruders in this layer as threats against national security. If a craft does not immediately respond to warnings or hails, or refuses to accept the given orders, the craft will immediately be engaged by military or law enforcement forces; in most cases, the aircraft will be shot down or the vessel sunk if it is determined to be too dangerous to approach - this is usually determined by on-sight intelligence or by information gathering sources. Interceptions will only happen if law enforcement or military forces deem the vessel safe to apprehend or approach - it is often the commander's discretion in these types of situation.
Critics of TECT's policy is that the areas claimed are too large, claim open ocean, and that they're "unenforceable anyways." In the past foreign nations threatened to perform "Freedom Of Navigation" missions through TECT claimed territory as a protest to the policy. Although their threats were never carried out, TECT took the threats seriously. To detect intruders, permanent surveillance sonar stations on the sea floor to detect any water vessel within their sphere. Although its publicly knowledge, most experts believe the systems are placed along a rough line of one thousand five hundred kilometers, centered in the EEZ. Patrols by surveillance aircraft are common as are routine patrol routes by Imperial Navy & Coast Guard patrol groups.
The TECT Armed Forces
The TECT Armed Forces are the organized military forces/organizations of The Empire of Common Territories. They consist of the Imperial Army, the Royal Guard, the Imperial Air Force, the Imperial Navy, the Home Guard, and the Union of The Empire's Special Forces (USF). The TECT Armed Forces are an excellently trained, state of the art, and highly organized military force. TECT has a very extensive military history, much of which are the roots to the rich military culture in the country. TECT's rich imperial past is well known, especially the eventual unification of the mainland continent. Today's military culture is deep in respect, honor, and brotherhood for those who serve the military. The Emperor of TECT is the overall head of the armed forces, followed by the President of TECT, and then the Minister of the Armed Forces along with the main organ for military policy -- the Ministry of the Armed Force of TECT or MAF. The Minister of the MAF is third in command in the military chain of command; The Minister and the President serve as principle advisers to the Emperor in all MAF matters -- which all commanders have further advisers to assist in all matters.
The TECT Armed Forces presently has a large but efficient military organization. At a median level, the military stands at 13,000,000 personnel and has an annual budget of $14.2 trillion Imperial Dollars. The first true Commoner military organization was the formation of Maximus Forelis' Grand Army that fought in the Commoner Civil War.
Nobility/Royalty
Nobility in TECT is still a common thing among the higher and more respected members of Empire. Nobility, or sometimes referred to as the Adel (german for Nobility), are land holding, title owning, and influential members of Commoner society. In modern times however; nobility have lost many of the powers they once enjoyed before the 1900's. Modern day examples of nobility are royal family members (who gained their titles through influence with the Emperor), military commanders, influential persons, and titles through heredity. Those who have earned their titles are usually influential through actions or achievement; nobles who inherited their title are usually respected for their family's rank and influence -- of which may be because of history, influence, and/or because they actually own powerful businesses. Examples of non-royal noblemen are Jared A. Wall, Chairmen of Commoner League Inc. (Earl), Franklin Kelter (Baron), Secretary of Defense, and Jan Kohler (Duke), Duke of Upper Maximus (northern Maximus state). The most common titles are Emperor, Prince/Princess, Archduke, Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron, Knight; others, that are simply less known but still exist are: Lord, Burgrave, Gentleman, Esquire, and various others.
Women are less commonly nobles (noblewomen). Male dominance over females have been entrenched for centuries until the 1900's; which is when feminism and equal rights activists began to rise. Regardless; female equivalent noblewomen arose over the centuries -- whether it be from heredity or reward for achievement -- women have proven to be equals to men when attaining titles. The Emperor holds final say on titles being distributed to anyone; regardless of standing or popularity -- the Emperor remains the sole decider on Commoner Nobles. However; royalty does have the power to appoint lower vassals or attain vassals -- such as a crowned prince appointing knights to his defense or appointing an ally in his local district. Although in many cases these noble titles do not have the power to interrupt law or craft law; some titles have the right to enforce laws, protect sovereigns, and advise the Emperor depending on their gifted powers and standing with the Emperor.
Foreign Relations
The Empire of Common Territories have often taken interventionist and imperial policies when concerned with foreign relations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the primary governmental body tasked with foreign affairs; taking to task diplomatic communiques, announcements, and general relations missions. Since early in its history, TECT has had an imperialistic behavior that can be described best as greedy, land hungry, and interest based. TECT is often accused of being land hungry and of expanding illegally, through means of war and other fashions. In modern times however, TECT has changed its strategy in order to adapt to modern times; this means fighting economic and militaristic wars. Invading isn't the only way TECT has chosen to acquire power either. Through alliance building and puppet propping; TECT has grown an extensive grouping of military and economic allies around the world -- most notably Gavinium Magnus, Estovakiva, and Virana. Other up-in-coming allies are New Othman and Ossoria.
TECT's policies of intervention and motive based interests however have not made all friends; most notably, countries like Deadora are well known to be hostile to Commoners. Following a brief conflict, Deadora was bombarded in a missile attack over the Gavinium Magnus Civil War, on the grounds that it was invading the country to seize it from its rightful rulers. Nations like Adiron and New Edom have also been negatively affected by Commoner policies; leading to strained relations and conflicted interests at times. TECT, being an inter-regional nation, has various relations with countless countries all over the world.
Economy
The TECT Economy is a mixed economic system that directs the economy, reflecting characteristics of both market economies and planned economies. Largely a capitalist system, marketing is left alone mostly by the government -- the Emperor still has authority over happenings in the economy, though the Emperor today rarely meddles in economic affairs. The Emperor does have good economic sense along with his economic staffers; some of his policies he set included: improving the Imperial Dollar's worth through numerous policies, improving the GDP, increasing trade (export & import), lowering taxes, and making business easier. The President also has some economic power allowed to him as well as other government officials.
The Empire's economy mostly reflects a conservative role with a small minority of liberal policies; there are few welfare programs and it is regulated tightly; hard work and education inspire early participation in the workforce through part-time work, job shadowing, private work, and apprenticeships. Older citizens use this early experience to find their career path (along with help throughout life) to live long and happy lives in careers they truly enjoy. This workforce has lead TECT to become an industrious nation and also plenty rich. The TECT mainland has always been rich in natural resources: from energy products, luxury products, minerals, and especially oil. Agriculture is especially rich in profits because of the smaller market caused by the amount of farming lands in the mainland states; many colonial states have become rich by producing abundant agriculture products to the mainland and other trade partners. Minerals are also a huge market trade in TECT. Coal, metals, limestone, gravel, and other stones; clay, and other mining products are abundant in the mainland states. Today, TECT is an economically powerful nation and continues to expand its economy further.
Products & Industry
TECT is most economically famous for its rich minerals and energy industries. The TECT mainland is home to many rich mountains and highlands -- home to minerals such as gold, iron, copper, steel, coal, as well as many stones and luxury gems. TECT is home to some of the large mining companies and some powerful energy corporations as well. Lumber, electronics, information, and other newer markets have also sprout out the Common Territories. During the early 2000's, TECT began a economic revolution of sorts; growing stocks and increased revenues greatly enhanced the country's economic sphere until the 'golden age' died down years later.
The military is one of the leading industries in the economy. The military budget is set high allowing top commanders to repay that funding into all sorts of sectors from arms manufacturing to information technology. Lumbering operations have also increased greatly with the many rich forests in the country, benefiting home makers and many manufactures. Stone and metal mining and users have benefited the most with a high demand for metals and stones. Such rich minerals such as gems and gold are also rich in the mountains of TECT. Oil production increased during 09 when large deposits were found offshore Maximus, Homeland, and Bayson states. A recent deposit discovery in 2011 off Antony also pushed TECT to a new high in oil production, making TECT a oil rich country. TECT also has a growing green technology sector along with nuclear refineries that provide significant amounts of power.
Culture & Population
TECT is a very proud and hard working nation. Home to the mountains of the Homeland, they are no strangers to freezing winters and cold summers. Many hold a strong connection to their country and its rich history. While the first ancestors came from the Homeland, many did live through out the modern borders and farther before the country's official founding.
TECT is home to a deeply rooted conservative-monarchist culture that has historically shaped cultural values and politics - the rise of a modern sense in democratic principles, liberty, and civil rights the past hundred years have warped Commoners cultural identity into a modern mix of traditionalism, monarchism, and independence. The unique blend of loyalty to royal imperial authority and sense of independence has bred a modern population that is vastly conservative in nature and strong spirited. As a western styled country, TECT shares many features that other western nations have, including infrastructure, culture, appearances, and ideologies that are common in other western nations. Religion in TECT is dominated by Christian faiths, the population predominately belongs to the "Kirche der Königlich" or "Church of the Royal"; Kirche der Königlich is an established Christian faith similar to the Catholic Church (Catholicism), differing only in some teachings, inducting aspects of TECT Mythology into the Christian faith, and having significant differences in worship practices and ceremonies. Other Christian faiths are common (a mild mix of Protestantism and Catholicism) while Judaism is the second largest major religion practiced in TECT. TECT Mythology, an historically important and rich body of myths and culture upheld by ancient Commoners, still possesses a significant following in some circles throughout the Empire while the majority of Commoners do not religiously observe said myths, rather, they hold high reverence for traditions handed down by myths - enough so that Commoners to this day celebrate and observe traditions culturally rather than religiously.
Major Cities
Geography & Climate
The Empire of Common Territories is described as one of the more colder & wetter countries located in Adrastos. TECT is the farthest north country in Adrastos, consequentially making winters more colder and summers more cool. The Empire is home to some of the most iconic mountain ranges in the region, with 14 state parks alone and dozens of other mountain sites, the country is easily ranked highest in mountain national parks if not near top. TECT is also home to valleys, hilly areas, and low lands; although over 45% of the landscape is considered mountainous and 15%, this means 60% of land is higher up past sea level and 40% near or under water level. Another prize to the country is its large forests that are ranked high in density with many being considerably large, providing the lumber industry plenty of lumber. Lands are also rich in metal ores, precious gems, gold, and even some pockets of oil. TECT is considered a beautiful country blessed with numerous resources.
TECT is sometimes nicknamed the "Damp State/Country/Empire" because it is home to some record setting rainfalls and snowfalls. A common weather joke is "If it's not raining it's snowing.", which in parts is true where places receive much rain/snowfall. TECT is located far north making snow falls very common and causing freezing rain is also a common occurrence. High systems usually pass strait through the country on its decent south or west, which is blamed for most of the rain/snow storms that pass through. Violent weather isn't very common though with very few tornadoes and almost no hurricanes/typhoons recorded; the most common violent weather seen are strong winds that sometimes rise to 40mph or higher.
Unlike summer weather, winter weather can be more dangerous in TECT. Blizzards and bad snow storms are so common that ancients used to believe in a winter god named "Schnee", which is German for snow. Today blizzards are common to almost every year to sometimes 3 times of year, TECT has one of the highest ranking snow falls per year to date. In summer temperatures usually get to 80 degrees at best while in winter temperatures get to annually -10 - -40 in mid to late winter. The annual temperature is usually between -10 and 26 degrees during winter though. Though the "Damp State" gets pretty soaked in all seasons, this actually brings in tourism especially during winter months like December. TECT is one of largest income makers on winter season activities such as skiing/snowboarding/sledding lodges & resorts, winter resorts, ice skating, and even paint balling. A not so well known fact is that many Commoners prefer not to use umbrellas during winter or summer, polls showed that most didn't use umbrellas because of ether not wishing to carry more objects or because they don't mind the rain/snow. This lead to the term "Standing in the snow/rain like a Commoner", which is a joke at TECT citizens for being too stubborn to use umbrellas.