Tasnica Republic

Accurate as of 46 WR.

One of the four Great Powers, the Tasnica Republic is (perhaps) the single most powerful nation in the Web. Tasnica is known for its democracy, libertarian society, mercantilism, cosmopolitanism, and rocking parties.

See also Writing in Tasnica for a guide about using Tasnica as a setting.

Land

The Tasnica Republic is a massive country spanning multiple dimensions. The country’s heartland is in the Mana Dimension, where its territories include the Quad area, the Upperland forest, Northtown, Southtown, and the Gold Isle (or, in other words, everything but Kakkara and Pandora). In the Dragon dimension Prima and Winlan are parts of Tasnica. In the Kuvalla dimension, north of the nation of Kuvalla itself, span the Tasnican moogle states. In the Carrion Conflict Tasnica annexed the old Kingdom of Carrion, sprawling east of the Republic of West. The southern part of the Veldt in Esper is also Tasnican. The Abdilene region in Ticondera is also under Tasnica’s governance, and the Tasnican Ticonderan Territories (3T) is the one part of the Republic not accorded state status and voting rights. Tasnica also has a large space colony empire, including almost all of Mana (except Mana IV/Heinlein), large parts of Crystal (I, II, and a moon of VI), a moon of Esper V, and a colony on Merge IV. An increasingly large number of Tasnicans live in the “archipelagos” of space stations built to mine asteroids and service space travel.

For those counting, that places the Tasnican flag in 8 different dimensions. Not only is Tasnica one of the largest nations in the Web in terms of land area, it is also one of the most spread out.

Population

Tasnica is a very populous country with an extremely diverse population. About seventy percent of the country is human. Large minority races include [[nekos, sentient robots (RT and V series), moogles, Matangans, Primans, Krydions, todos and dwarfs. Smaller minority races include Tomato Men, Sprites and Chobins. The fastest growing races in Tasnica are the robots and the Matangans.

Tasnica is a very cosmopolitan country, and interracial relations are extremely good and tolerant overall. Official racial tolerance is enshrined in the Code of Belgememnon (after all, the alte Taznikanze included both humans and nekos). All of the larger minority races have at least one Senator, partly because the racial minorities of the Republic tend to be geographically concentrated (Primans in Prima, moogles in Kuvalla, etc.) Racial supremacist groups are allowed to operate, most notably the Human Nation, but they have difficulty gaining much traction. The Code of Belgememnon states that the government shall make no law respecting one sentient species over another.

Religion

The Tasnica Republic guarantees complete freedom of religion. Tasnica’s a chill place that way.

Rainericism

The worship of the Rainere, Goddess of Magic and Trade, the ascended Terra Branford, is the most common religion in Tasnica. Two-thirds of Tasnicans are Rainerics. Georgethor Cartier V adopted Rainere as the patron of the Republic, building the High Church of Rainere in Tasnicaport. It has spread to some of the nations and peoples annexed by the Republic, notably Carrion.

Rainericism as a religion is characterized by introspection and a relentless search for self-improvement (the quest for the Best Path.) This is fostered through the stories in Rainericism’s central text, the Apocrypha, and through the famous ‘Raineric’ questions: ‘Who are you?’ and ‘What do you want?’ It has been nicknamed “the religion of the big sister” as Rainerics tend to see Rainere not as some all-powerful mystical deity but a sort of ‘big sister’ they can consult for advice. Rainere is considered a freedom-loving goddess that does not interfere in the free will of mortals.

Raineric Churches in Tasnica are usually prime examples of neo-gothic architecture, featuring flying buttresses and stained glass. At the entrance of any church are two statues of Terra, in mortal form (said to represent trade; “What do you want?”) and a being of pure energy, her Esper form (said to represent magic; “Who are you?”). Her symbol is the ankh.

Elementalism

Elementalism is a hedonistic religion based on the worship of spirits believed to embody the forces of nature. It is the largest minority religion in Tasnica, comprising about a quarter of the population. Unlike Rainericism, which has spread throughout the Republic, Elementalism remains mainly focused in the Mana Dimension. It was also the dominant religion for the majority of its history. It ultimately fell from favor during Tasnica’s industrial revolution, replaced with a Web Pantheonism that became Rainericism. Converts said that Elementalism, though a “good time”, was not terribly productive.

Elementalism’s ethos is one of ethical hedonism: if it feels good, do it, so long as it doesn’t hurt anybody. Many of Elementalism’s celebrations include large consumption of alcohol, enormous feasts, use of recreational substances, and orgies. (Practices, it should be noted, that Rainerics don’t regard as sinful per se so much as unhealthy.) It was possible to petition the elementals for favors, each elemental presiding over a different area; users of Mana Magic applied this directly.

Elementalist shrines are stepped pyramids. In the old days, there were rather small, mere markers for the ceremonial grounds; many of these litter the landscape today. Most of these smaller shrines were devoted to a particular elemental. In modern times, the shrines are much larger, allowing for the ceremonies (and parties) to be held inside, and are dedicated to all the elementals.

Other

The remaining ten percent or so of Tasnica’s population practices a variety of eclectic religions. Tasnica’s open immigration policy and annexation of other territories have brought other religious traditions into the Republic. Controversially, Tasnica does not ban the worship of the Dark Gods or demons (although many of these religions have practices such as human sacrifice that ARE banned). This is a subject of some debate in the Senate. Nonetheless, Tasnica is one of the only nations in the Web to have open followers of Gods like Thanatos.

The following is a bare list of some of the more significant followings, although virtually ANY religion in the Web can be found in Tasnica. 

• Draggoneth (in Winlan)
• il’Bleu (also in Winlan)
• The Shining Path
• Chrystalis Worship
• Tahranism
• k’Tyr
• Thanatos Worship

Magic

Like many technological nations, magic use in Tasnica declined during and following the industrial revolution. The fact that many magic users were used as soldiers and special operatives during the Great War (and were subsequently killed) only added to the decline.

However, the founding of the Georgethor Institute of Magic by Rhodes Palmerston brought Arythian magic to Tasnica, and created a center for magical learning and research. This spurred interest in the dimension’s native magical traditions. The AAA corporations, primarily Saeder-Krupp Industries, began to invest more and more in magic users. These factors contributed to a mini-revival of magic in Tasnica. Although magic-users still comprise only a tiny fraction of Tasnica’s population, they are now more common than they were in the immediate aftermath of the Great War twenty years ago.

Like religions, many magical traditions can be found in Tasnica; some corporations are willing to pay highly for users of exotic magic such as Vodoun

• Arythian magic, though an import, has been learned by several non-Arythians at the Georgethor Institute
• Mana Elementalist Magic is magic based on invoking the Elementals, and is strongly tied to the Elementalist religion. Most Tasnican magic users practice some discipline of this kind of magic.
  • Mana Mages take a scientific approach to this magic
  • Mana Priests are more spiritual, worshipping a specific Elemental
  • Mana Summoners can call upon the Elementals much like callers in other traditions.
• Runekasting is magical spellcasting based on inscribing the runes of the Futthark rune language; it was originally used by the Taznikanze. It is prized for its uses in creating magical items.

Economy

Tasnicans are the ubercapitalists of the Web. The Tasnica Republic is the Web’s wealthiest nation. Tasnica is a free market economy. Entrepreneurs are admired in Tasnican society, and the Republic has a strong historic spirit of free enterprise.

Many of the Web’s largest corporations have their homes in Tasnica. These include the Kuat Consortium (arms, aerospace, and consumer goods), Saeder-Krupp Industries (heavy industry and magical items), Republic Interdimensional Bank (finance), Tuna Media Network (news and travel), Bahamuat Web Entertainment Basis (movies, music and entertainment), Diamond Corporation (Plastics), Hoplite Biotech (biotechnology and agriculture), Centurion Security Services (security), and Forge Mechanicals (computers and robotics). These are the so-called AAA corporations, and each of them has size and power comparable to a nation-state; most of them have shadow operations units, and some have whole private armies. Taken together, they form the Tasnican Corporate Council, or TCC.

Tasnica is an export-driven economy, and its robust wealth is facilitated by an extensive trade network among the Web’s nations. There are few areas of goods and services where Tasnica is not one of the top three or four producers in the Web. Particularly notable exports, however, include consumer goods, cars and other vehicles, aerospace, financial services, and entertainment. Tasnica is the only non-Gate country to develop its own robotic design, the V-series, a treaded, cylindrical model optimized for spacecraft operations. This make’s Tasnica one of Gate’s few serious competitors in robotics (although Gate is still far ahead). The country’s largest trading partner is the Esper Union; other important trading partners include Guardia, the nations of Crystal (particularly Eblan, and Polias. The nations of the Communist Protectorate, as well as the Dwarven Skull Empire, are the subject of trade sanctions. There has been talk, however, of formally lifting the sanctions against the Protectorate; given the fact that the Tasnican government’s line of credit supplies the Scandian League with access to hard currency, it seems like this may be a reasonable development in the future. The Tasnicans dare not lift it now, though, for fear of alienating Guarda.

The most important import of the Tasnican economy is magilyte. Tasnica itself does possess substantial domestic magilyte production, but this is far outpaced by demand. The main foreign supplier of magilyte to Tasnica is the Esper Union.

Space colonies have become increasingly important in providing the various raw resources needed to fuel Tasnica’s economy. Also, an increasing number of manufacturing facilities have been moved off-planet. More and more nanofabrication is used to produce certain components; the zero-gravity environments of space are the most useful places to do this. This has contributed to the need for increased funding for the RAF.

Damien Gavalian once described Tasnica as being “one of the most technophiliac cultures in existence”, and Tasnica has indeed acquired through trade and absorbed the technologies of other nations. Robots and gravitic technology are two of the most prominent examples.

The Tasnicans are known for being champions of free markets and laissez-faire capitalism. Tasnica still has some of the lowest taxes (a flat tax) and business-friendly regulation among advanced industrialized countries. The Populists have begun more regulation, particularly in the area of labor law; so far in this decade Tasnica’s economy has not grown as fast as it did in the thirties. [{Saeder-Krupp]], in particular, has drawn the ire of the government in labor practices; the new Labor Ministry persued a court case against them. The Kuat Consortium has also had to deal with government meddling, especially over its buyout bid for Forge Mechanicals.

Law

Law The basis of Tasnican law is the Code of Belgememnon, the twelve guarantees of individual rights enumerated at the Republic’s founding 1400 years ago. These include the right to a fair trial, free speech, political participation, and private property. Even today they are some of the most far-reaching and striking protections of human rights in the Web; in the ancient world they were radical. Tasnican law almost always favors individual rights over national interest.

Tasnica is an incredibly libertarian society, and so some things which would be banned or outlawed elsewhere are perfectly legal in Tasnica. These include weapons; alcohol, marijuana, pyra and other mind-altering substances; abortion; gambling; and, recently, homosexual marriage.

Corporate law used to be heavily slanted towards business, but, as noted under Economy, Populist rule is beginning to change that. The top priority, and the largest progress, have been under the rubric of labor law, beginning with the Kanavem Act of 37 WR. This is an area where the Populists enjoy the largest support, because it is the area in which ‘average Tasnicans’ are most visibly abused by large corporations. Financial law, however, is more esoteric and reforms have stalled. Environmental regulation is still essentially nonexistent, although some states and cities pass ordinances for aesthetic purposes.

Trials in Tasnica are held as tribunals of three judges; each side has a lawyer. (This adversarial legal system grew out of the Taznikanze custom of duels). The accused in these trials enjoys substantial rights, including the right to an attorney and the right not to testify against themselves. Fines are a common punishment. The Tasnica Republic does not allow the death penalty.

It should be noted that there is some difference in law between the 52 states of Tasnica. Egmont, for example, bans gambling, which is very commonplace in Olivawk.

Government

Although many nations in the Web are self-described Republics, Tasnica is the Web’s prototypical democracy, having been founded fourteen centuries ago with an elected executive (the Prime Minister) and an elected legislature (the Senate). These two organs are still at the core of Tasnica’s government. See also main articles: Senate (Tasnican), Prime Minister (Tasnican), Elections (Tasnican).

Prime Ministry

The Prime Minister is elected for a five-year term; he is elected in nationwide elections. Originally, the Prime Minister’s sphere was exclusively that of foreign affairs, but he slowly expanded his powers and prerogative into the domestic sphere. In foreign affairs, the Prime Minister is assumed to have the legitimacy to negotiate on behalf of the Tasnican people; he also has the power to make war, as he is Commander-in-Chief of all Tasnican military forces. Despite this, he is one of the weakest chief executives vis a vis his own government (he lacks any power of veto over the Senate, even one that can be overridden). Despite the limited powers of his position, the influence of some Prime Ministers (like Rhodes Palmerston) is unquestionable.

The Prime Ministry includes four other Ministries: Commerce, Foreign, Defense, and Labor. Although each Ministry’s creation had to be approved by the Senate (and the Senate maintains some oversight functions to prevent corruption), the Prime Minister has a lot of leeway in choosing how to use the Ministries. Rhodes Palmerston, for example, virtually ignored them and ran his administration almost single-handedly; current Prime Minister Kenneth Brackhaven has depended more on his cabinet. The Prime Minister appoints his various Ministers.

It should come as no surprise that Commerce, charged with promoting trade and economic growth, is the oldest Ministry. Foreign was created shortly thereafter to help deal with other nations. The Defense Ministry was not created until Tasnica moved from a citizen army to a professional army about 8 centuries ago; up until the Great War it was dominated not by the appointed Defense Minister but the Oberkommando der Republik (OKR, or Ochre), the uniformed military leaders. Ochre, however, was disbanded when Tasnica’s military formed the core of the Grand Army; when Rhodes Palmerston remilitarized Tasnica, he did not re-create Ochre. To this day there is some tension between the Defense Minister and the service chiefs. The most recent Ministry is Labor, created as one of the first acts of Brackhaven’s administration. The Labor Ministry is charged with defending Tasnicans’ rights in the work place. The Senate granted Labor certain powers of regulation, and Labor also brings litigation and serves as mediator in labor disputes. Its existence is somewhat controversial; Conservatives bemoan Labor’s activism.

The worst that can be done to a sitting Prime Minister is the “Test of Confidence”, that is, forcing him to stand re-election before his term is up. The opposite, an extension, is also possible; Rhodes Palmerston was granted this an unprecedented three times. This is considered an option only during times of national crisis where an election is deemed unfeasible. The Senate must approve it with a four-fifths vote; the extension lasts a year.

The Senate

The Senate is arguably the more powerful of the two branches, as it is granted lawmaking authority. However, this considerable power is difficult to wield by design. The Senate is broken down into several committees, each with its own sphere, to manage and review bills. Proposed laws must pass muster in the proper committee first; they must then be scheduled for a floor debate by the powerful Gatekeeper Committee, which consists of leadership from both parties. Once a bill finally makes it to the floor debate can last months or even years before it comes to a floor vote. There are many mechanisms to allow a minority of Senators to block legislation, most notably the filibuster, or talking a bill to death. There are three Senators from each of Tasnica’s 52 states; they serve four-year terms.

The presiding officer of the Senate is the Proconsul, elected by the Senators. The Proconsul is more than just the chief legislator; he has some powers reserved for executives in some countries. For example, the Proconsul has the power to issue pardons, and takes the lead in managing Tasnica’s court system. If something happens to the Prime Minister, the Proconsul becomes Prime Minister. The Proconsul also votes to break ties. As he also maintains his normal vote as a Senator, this means in certain situations he can effectively vote twice.

A rarely used procedure known as a Writ of Accountability demands that a bill in the Senate be put to a direct public referendum. The Writ can only be issued at the request of two thirds of the states, and has not been used in over a century.

The States

Each Tasnican state also has its own government; it varies slightly from state to state, but generally almost always includes an elected governor and an elected legislature. The states provide managing of local affairs, but any law made by the Senate trumps state law. It is the states, not the national government, that take the lead in essential services like police and firefighters.

Elections

Tasnican elections are held every year, as every year a quarter of the Senate and various local offices are up for election. Election day in Tasnica is a national holiday. Campaign finance law in Tasnica stipulates that any candidate may receive any amount of money from a contributor, but must report all contributions to the Elections Infrastructure Bureau, which then makes the information public. This caused great embarrassment for some Conservatives who took large sums from AAA Corporations and were criticized as ‘corporate lapdogs’ by Populists.

The Strange Case of the Tasnican-Ticonderan Territories

The only area under Tasnican rule not represented in the Senate or considered a state is the Tasnican-Ticonderan Territories, (3T), consisting of the Abdilene region in Ticondera. The triangle of Belaine, Telaine, and Dowaine was the economic heartland of Ticondera. Tasnica came into possession of the area through the machinations of the New Wraith. Unwilling to let it ago after the Wratih’s fall, the current system of government in place in the 3T includes an elected Advisory Board and elected, nonvoting representatives in the Senate. The Proconsul of the Senate appoints a Commissioner, who is the de facto head of the 3T. Most Tasnican acquisitions were granted statehood almost immediately; in fact, participating in Tasnican democracy and rough equality with the home territories is part of the reason Tasnica spread through the Web so widely and successfully. The future status of the 3T is the focus of some debate.

Government Agencies and Programs

Despite a few years of Populist rule, the slow grinding gears of government have assured that Tasnica cannot properly be described as a welfare state. It is not unfair to say that Tasnica has fewer state-run social services than any advanced, industrialized country. Most agencies are assigned to a particular ministry.

Here is a list of some of the most prominent government agencies and programs.

• The Authority on Revenue and Commerce (ARC) is one of the oldest and most feared government agencies. It is responsible for collecting tax revenue.
• The Elections Infrastructure Bureau (EIB) is responsible for administering and maintaining elections and election law
• Republic School Districts was known as the Education Oversight Board until 40 WR, a name which better describes its actual function. Tasnican schools are privately run with government funds. The government acts mainly as a standards-setting and grant giving agency. Many Tasnican schools, however, are able to raise all of their funds privately from sponsors and fees, and don’t take government grants; thus they are exempt from following government standards. Many Populists have sought to federalize the education system; Conservatives are opposed to this because (1) it would destroy the open market for education, replacing it with an inefficient government-run monopoly and (2) it creepily resembles the state indoctrinating the people.
• Census Bureau. Conducts the Census.

The following agencies are strongly associated with the Populist movement, and especially Kenny Brackhaven:

• The Consumer Products Safety Administration (created 38 WR in legislation authored by Kenny Brackhaven) is responsible for ensuring all consumer products brought to market are safe (duh!)
• The National Retirement Fund (created 41 WR, one of the first acts of Kenny Brackhaven as Prime Minister) provides ‘social security’ payments for the elderly
• Federal Housing Subsidies (created 42 WR) provides federal housing vouchers for low-income Tasnicans so they can have a place to live. Its enormous cost, and the fact that it tends to favor the (mostly Populist) space colonies make it contentious. (The reason is favors space colonies is due to the high cost of living in space; air isn’t free.)
• Food Guarantee (created 46 WR) provides a small electronic-transfer credstick to low-income and unemployed Tasnicans. It is only accepted at grocery stores. The name is a reference to the Guarantees of the Code of Belgememnon.

”Missing” Agencies and Programs

This term refers to agencies and programs that seem strangely absent in Tasnica, though common in other nations, due to its longstanding libertarian culture. The gaps in this area are made up in private industry, by the states, or not at all. Tasnica does NOT have:

• A federal postal service
• A domestic spy agency
• A national police force
• Any kind of agency dealing with environmental protection

Internal Politics

See main articles for more information: Populists (Tasnican), Conservatives (Tasnican), Defunct Tasnican political parties, and Tasnican interest groups.

Internal politics in Tasnica is largely based on the competition between two political parties. The Populists have held the Prime Ministry and the Senate since 40 WR; the Conservatives held it before and seek to reclaim it. In addition, various powerful interest groups seek to influence the parties, and even who wins the election.

The Populists

There are many factions in Tasnican internal politics. The two main political parties fight each other and amongst themselves; the Prime Minister clashes with the Senate; there are divisions within each of the parties, and within the Prime Minister’s cabinet. Additionally, there are a plethora of lobbyist and interest groups trying to push their agenda.

What is striking, though, is the broad consensus all groups hold for the fundamental principles of the Republic, as well as the democratic system as instituted in Tasnica. Foreign commentators were shocked at the Conservative party, after over a century of rule and a closely-contested election, were willing to hand over power when the Populists won a spread of elections in 40.

Tasnica’s first-past-the-post system create a very strong pressure for only two major parties. Today in Tasnica, only two parties are represented in the Senate: The Populists and the Conservatives.

The Populists possess 85 Senate seats (a majority) and the Prime Ministry. Their rise in the thirties and ultimate triumph in 40 is often seen as a backlash against the excesses of corporate behavior during that period and the Conservatives’ inability or unwillingness to reign them in. It is no coincidence that the modern Populist party was truly launched after the Moogle Wars ™, the corporate army invasion of the moogle states, and that its first major accomplishment, the Kanavem Act (extending extra protections to labor unions) came in the wake of the Foreman’s Rebellion. The anti-AAA corp, pro-labor union streak in the Populist party is still the strongest; the best example of this is the Prime Minister himself, Kenny Brackhaven. The Populists have called for increased regulation, and believe in a more activist government role in society as a counterweight to the corporations. Populist thought also has a Raineric current, who see increasing the role of the church and Raineric values as essential to combating corporatism and consumerism. Proconsul Stacia Apelbaum is a good example of this current, and she and the Prime Minister have not always gotten along. Another important figure in the party is the Majority Leader, Jude Hoven.

On foreign policy, the Populists tend to be dovish. They are proponents of the New Peace, and tend towards policies of engagement rather than confrontation. Foreign Minister Sandra Himmelsten has articulated doctrines of détente and commitment to international organizations that are widely accepted in the party. The dominant consensus is that the era of imperialism is over.

Conservatives

The Conservatives have maintained their hold on 71 Senate seats, and still possess a majority of governorships. The Conservatives are one of the Web’s oldest political parties, having been founded at the very inception of the Republic; their name is taken from their advocacy of a restrained approach towards government power. Conservatives believe, generally, that the government that governs least governs best. They are civil libertarians who have opposed attempts by the Populists to regulate certain substances, including marijuana, Elixer, and pyra. Fiscally, the Conservatives prefer low taxes and small government, and strongly oppose the creeping rise of the welfare state.

For a brief period, the Conservatives suffered from a crisis of leadership after the elections of 40. Not only had they lost their most visible and forceful personalities (Palmerston, Yeats, and Tuinne), they were forced into the role of opposition party, a role that took time to get used to. Recently, however, things have improved somewhat. Minority Leader Maxwell Nordsten is soft-spoken, but can handle things behind the scenes. Minority Whip Aggronor Stonebreaker (nicknamed “the Mighty”) has already earned a reputation as a firebreather and has helped rekindle the Conservatives’ fighting spirit. The Conservatives expect to pick up lost ground in the next few years culminating in a serious challenge to Kenny in 45 if a suitable candidate can be found.

The Conservatives used to be split over foreign policy, between doves and hawks. However, many of the more dovish Senators were from districts that have now elected Populists. Still, the legacy of Rhodes Palmerston insures that belief in the New Peace is still a force in the party. The more hawkish elements in the party range from hard-nosed realists to ‘Stokkanites’ who advocate the use of force to promote Tasnican ideals; this branch of the party has more imperialist leanings.

Intra-Prime Ministry Conflict

The current Prime Minister, Kenny Brackhaven, is a Populist. There is a struggle for power within his cabinet, particularly within the Foreign Policy Group. The Foreign Policy Group includes Foreign Minister Sandra Himmelsten, Director of Foreign Intelligence Wilhelm Angleton, Admiral Supreme Rycar Mountbatten, General Major Revlan Kursdorff, Defense Minister Albrecht Tauss, and Senior Political Adviser Grover Steuber. Albrecht Tauss replaces Gerd von Rausmann, who was widely considered a weak and ineffectual Defense Minister; it remains to be seen how the young defense intellectual and game theorist will alter the dynamic. The main struggles on the Foreign Policy Group have taken place between Foreign Minister Sandra Himmelsten, a proponent of diplomatic initiatives and détente, and Admiral Supreme Rycar Mountbatten, a more hawkish anticommunist (he has also been accused of being a Stokkanite and an imperialist). Himmelsten has generally prevailed; she is probably more responsible for this administration’s foreign policy than anyone else. However, even her influence on the Foreign Policy Group gives way should Grover Steuber ever make any recommendations. Steuber has no foreign policy experience of his own, but he watches opinion polls closely, and his imperative is to get Kenny re-elected. Although the Prime Minister is, of course, the final arbiter of anything that is actually done, Kenny rarely has any input of his own.

Other members of the cabinet include Labor Minister V3-243 Valerie, a V-series robot, and Commerce Minister Hans Schaft, a neko. Valerie has earned a reputation as an anti-corporate crusader rivaled only by that of the Prime Minister himself, and spends much of her time coming up with new labor regulations and seeing to it that fair labor practices are enforced. She was formerly head of the Mana branch of the Interdimensional Brotherhood of the Teamsters; as an ex-union boss, she has natural rapport with the labor unions that form an important part of the Populists’ base. She consistently polls as one of the cabinet’s most popular members. This is grating to Commerce Minister Hans Schaft, former CEO of food services giant Sisko, who sees it in his role to keep the administration from completely gutting the economy in its regulatory zeal. Schaft is perhaps the most marginalized member of the Cabinet; business leaders are hostile to him, and Himmelsten’s Foreign Ministry has taken the lead in foreign trade negotiations.

Interest Groups

An interest group is a group of private citizens that make a claim on public authority. Each of these groups has their own agenda and ideas for the Tasnican government, although it is sometimes narrowly focused and limited in scope. Many side with one political party or the other, and try to influence that party in exchange for their support. Interest groups, however, are not appendages of political parties; they play their own game, and make alliances with who they want. (The Committee for Equal Marriage rights never imagined that a Populist Prime Minister would be the one to legalize homosexual marriage.)

• Business Groups
  • Tasnica Corporate Council, representing Tasnica’s AAA corporations
  • Tasnican Enterprise Association (TEA), a small business advocacy group
• Religious Groups
  • Raineric Voters Federation
  • Political Coalition of Elementalists
  • Dark Deities Defamation Delegation (4D, Quad-D, the Four Ds, etc.), interested in preserving religious freedom for followers of the Dark Gods.
• Ideological Groups
  • The Nightwatch, a civil libertarian organization
  • National Alliance for Peace, a pacifist organization
  • Project for a New Tasnican Decade, advocating a return to the policies of imperialism
• Labor Unions
  • United Labor (UL), the umbrella ‘organization of organizations’ for all labor unions
  • Congress of Kuat Employees (COKE), for people who work for Kuat, regardless of profession
  • Interdimensional Brotherhood of the Teamsters
  • Space Miners Union

Foreign Politics

The Tasnica Republic is one of the Web’s Great Powers; some might go so far as to describe it as the most powerful nation in the Web, although that’s a contentious claim. Although Tasnica was perhaps the leading Great Power in the wake of the Leviathan War and the Cleansing Wars, today that claim is much more controversial. Certainly Tasnica lacks clear dominance, and the tetrapolar world continues.

When elected in 40 WR, Kenny Brackhaven inherited the diplomatic legacy of one of the most successful Prime Ministers in Tasnican history, Rhodes Palmerston. During the campaign Kenny eagerly cast himself as a follow of Palmerston, despite the differences in party, and stalwartly championed Palmerston-era proposals like the New Peace. True to his word, Kenny has kept Tasnica a strong participant and an active proponent in the Alliance Congress and other attempts to bring about international law and order. If anything, Kenny’s foreign policy has been overly cautious; the Republic has not gone to war once under him, and seems very concerned about antagonizing anyone. Critics such as Rycar Mountbatten have asserted that the current Tasnican foreign policy is insufficiently assertive in maintaining Tasnican power, and derided it as ‘trading being well-respected for being merely well-liked’. Nonetheless, few nations can boast of the same diplomatic goodwill as Tasnica.

Perhaps the largest foreign policy initiative of the Brackhaven administration has been the détente with the Scandian League and the Communist Protectorate. Although it would be an exaggeration to describe the two countries, there has been a thawing of relations under Kenny. Sandra Himmelsten meets with Scandian Commissar for External Affairs Nikolai Serchenko fairly often, and Kenny recently became the first head-of-state from a non-communist country to be given a full state dinner in Scande. Both sides have stepped down their military readiness on the Winlanese border. Although Scande is the focus of most of the diplomatics, détente includes the other communist nations as well: Tasnica continues to trade with Kuvalla even though a communist government recently came to power. Kuvalla, however, is on the WAST Sanctions List; WAST stands for Weapons and Sensitive Technologies. However, most communist nations, as well as the Dwarven Skull Empire, are the subject of a complete trade embargo. Tasnica at this time remains committed to the principle that diplomatic engagement with the Communist Protectorate is the best way to prevent another war from breaking out. The Scandians seem fairly receptive; Travin hasn’t called for revolution in Tasnica since Kenny came to power.

Tasnica’s moves to make nice with the communists have alarmed some of their other allies, notably the Esper Union. The two countries have a strong relationship because of Tasnica’s support of Esper during the Leviathan War, and after the war the EU has emerged as a critical ally militarily, politically, and economically. Militarily, the Esper Union is a counterweight to the Scandian League. Politically, the two countries recently signed the Core Alliance Nations Treaty Organization (CANTO); the Esperians view this as a united front against communism, and the Tasnicans joined at least partly to reassure the Esperians of their commitment. Economically, the countries are each others’ largest trading partners. Tasnica gets much of its foreign magilyte from Esper, and Esper imports many consumer goods and other things from Tasnica. In addition, Tasnican business is responsible for employing numerous Esperians. The current Esperian leader, TO Halberg, also enjoys enormous personal popularity in Tasnica, much more than any other foreign head of state.

Tasnica’s relations with the Kingdom of Guardia have been historically rocky, and relations reached their nadir under the Meres regime. However, since the Restoration and the rise of Khalid Morris, the two countries have returned to the track they have been on for years. Although they are rivals with different cultures, the leadership in both countries have realized that friendship is imperative. The most enduring symbol of this friendship is the RT-series robot, the Tasnican produced version of the ubiquitous Guardian design. Trade between the two countries continues to grow. There is also increasing military cooperation, especially against piracy in the Fringe; the RAF has basing rights on Guardian colonies. There are, of course, several sore spots, such as the Gate colony on Mana IV (even the name, Sanctuary or Heinlein, is a subject of some debate). Still, relations are overall good, and proponents of the détente with Scande point to Tasnican/Guardian relations as evidence of what prolonged diplomatic engagement can accomplish. Ironically, however, this détente with Scande has been the source of some strain on the Tasnica/Guardia relationship. Many have just chalked this up as another turn in a relationship as historically challenging as it is vital and hope that cooler heads will prevail at the end of the day.

Tasnica was one of the founding nations of the Grand Army Charter Alliance; indeed, since Rhodes Palmerston was the Charter’s architect, Tasnica perhaps deserves credit as the founding nation. Its aid in post-war reconstruction gives it a certain amount of good will in Crystal, where its closest ally is Eblan.

In fact, rather than discuss Tasnica’s relations with the other Powers, the most salient cleavage is between the Core nations (generally good) and the Fringe nations (generally bad). However, perhaps even this is beginning to change; Llionel Nemed, a neko hailing from Forthena, was recently hosted by the Prime Minister.

Military

Tasnica’s status as Great Power rests more on its diplomatic and especially economic power than its military might. Hearkening back to the days of the Republic Expeditionary Force, Tasnica prefers a small, mobile force.

Main elements of Tasnica’s defense structure include the Republic Marine Corps (RMC), Republic Aerospace Fleets (RAF), National Militia System (NMS), the Republic Foreign Intelligence Agency (RFIA), the Jaegers Special Operations Forces, and the Tasnica Republic Coast Guard (TRCG).

Tasnica has a lot of territory to defend; rather than try to build a massive army, the trend has been towards a smaller, more mobile force. The RMC, in particular, has a Regimental Combat Team on call to go anywhere in the Core’s main worlds in 48 hours; they claim to be able to put two anywhere on the Core’s main worlds in less than a week. The long distances of space travel make it impossible for the RAF to make similar boasts, but with fast ships, they are more agile than other space fleets.

Republic Marine Corps

In 24 WR, Tasnica committed all of its military forces to forming the core of the Grand Army. Although this was a solution that made sense during the Great War, the reality of the postwar world demanded Tasnica return to a national military force. In the early 30s Rhodes Palmerston ordered (and the Senate approved) the creation of the Republic Marine Corps. Since then, Tasnica’s military power has gone through several reforms and additions. The focus increasingly turns to space; although the Marines are good-quality ground troops, Tasnica does not field them in the numbers needed to match the other Great Powers (about 24 Marine regiments, vs. 53 SLCM-Ground regiments of all types). A common observation has been that the RMC is ideal for small wars against weaker countries, but would have difficulty facing off against another large power.

Despite recent reforms, battle armor infantry is the core of the RMC. The marriage of battlesuits to a fast and maneuverable dropship is the basis of the Corps. Recent reforms have added a greater variety of battlesuits to the standard, flexible Phalanx type, and have added vehicular support to allow the Marines more mobility and options outside of the dropship. All Marine battlesuits are vacuum sealed, and the Marines are fully capable of fighting on a colony with a thin atmosphere (or no atmosphere).

The Marines were originally envisioned as a rapid-response force, able to deploy immediately in the event of an enemy incursion. Their quick deployment time and readiness to fight also makes them excellent first-strike forces, a capacity Rhodes Palmerston used them in more than once.

The RMC maintains its own branch of Aerospace pilots to pilot dropships, ground support craft, and escort fighters. These are designated Republic Aerospace Marines Support, or RAMS. RAF is glad to have nothing to do with these roles, and focus on controlling space and killing enemy fleets. Aerospace support is key to the Marines’ doctrine, particularly for mobility (dropships) and fire support (Ballista bombers).

An important project of the Corps, just over a decade old, has been the cultivation of a unique identity. The Corps has an ethos of “every man an infantryman” exhibited in its motto Jeder Kampfen, Keiner quittiert (Everyone Fights, No One Quits). Jobs that are full-time in other militaries are part-time in the RMC. For example, in the GA, the cook is just a cook; in the RMC the cook is a battlesuited infantryman who just cooks on the side. This increases the combat focus of the RMC, but can lead to a shaky supply structure over long campaigns.

The RMC has no officer academy; all Marines start at private and have to fight their way up. This creates an “enlisted man” mentality; some have lauded it for creating warrior spirit and keeping the top ranks focused on the concerns of the common soldier; others have criticized it, as officers in the RMC sometimes lack a view to the ‘big picture’.

The RMC is divided into three Regimental Combat Teams (RCTs), each about 8 regiments, and including Marines, dropships and other aerospace assets, and vehicular and artillery support. The three RCTs are named Freedom, Liberty, and Democracy; they rotate each month being ‘on call’ from the RMC’s staging areas in the Upperlands; these are the troops that will go anywhere on the Core’s main worlds within 48 hours of the call. Another RCT will be dispersed providing border defense for the Republic in key areas like Winlan and The Tasnican-Ticonderan Territories; the third RCT will be taking rest. The RCTs rotate each month. Organization within an RCT is ad hoc and flexible, adjusting itself to the task at hand.

Republic Aerospace Fleets

Tasnica’s defense budget has gone up every year under the Brackhaven administration. The lion’s share of these increases have gone to construction of new spacecraft, mostly under the aegis of the RAF. Indeed, one of Brackhaven’s first acts as Prime Minister was to create the RAF as an independent force; formerly it had been a branch of the RMC, the Republic Marine Corps Aerospace Arm. Partly this increased emphasis is a reflection of the growing economic importance of Tasnica’s space empire; it is also partly a reflection of the growing political clout and personal prestige of Admiral Supreme Rycar Mountbatten.

The RAF has adopted several innovations that set it apart from the conventional thinking of space fleets. The most striking of these is in the choice of ships; fighters are relegated to escort duty, and large, slow, powerful capital ships, though present, are not on of the force’s critical components. RAF centers mainly around corvette types (the Firelance Frigate and the Ballista Torpedo Boat) and smaller capital ships (The Jema Destroyer). While many ships in the Web carry a compliment of fighters, most RAF fighters instead the part of room for missiles, and the rest to make the ship smaller and quicker. In theory at least, the combination of long-range weapons and high speed would make the RAF deadly in combat, as it would always be able to stay outside of enemy’s range. Another major strategic innovation has been the Deep Space doctrine and Space Lanes; rather than simply defend planets and colonies, RAF aims to first protect important corridors of space through which convoys can be moved, and more generally to gain overall dominance of the space of a dimension. The preference for engaging the enemy in deep space is more a matter of combat philosophy than a doctrine, but it is emblematic of the (very Tasnican) idea that the fight should be taken to the enemy.

The RAF has a strong navalist influence; most of its higher-ups served in various oceanic forces. Mountbatten himself was a destroyer commander in the Great War. Rather than seeing space is an extension of the sky, they view it as something else: “Space is the new ocean,” as Mountbatten is credited with saying. RAF’s symbol is a stylized anchor.

Whereas the RMC has struggled its own identity, the RAF sees itself as the inheritor of Tasnica’s land and sea warfare traditions. In speeches Mountbatten will often quote famous Tasnican commanders such as Rittersman. Overall, RAF officers have a more aristocratic bearing and a more technologist approach to war than their opposites numbers in the Marines.

Organizationally, the RAF is divided by function rather than geography. The Admiral Supreme is in overall command, and the five fleets report to him. Two fleets are mainly defensive, three are mainly offensive. The Home Fleet (which include Atmospheric Defense Command) is responsible for the planetary defense of Tasnican worlds and colonies. It has the most diverse array of ships under its command. The Home Fleet is commanded by Admiral Johann Themistocles, a todo. The Escort Fleet is responsible for providing guards and defenders for Tasnican convoys, as well as patrolling the space lanes. The Escort Fleet is commanded by Admiral Orko Xenophon, a Priman. The Strike Fleet is the rapid-response force of the RAF. Built around the RAF’s fast ships, it can launch lightning attacks. The Strike Fleet is headed up by Admiral Sigwulf Brasidas. The Fleet of the Line is the heavy-attack, slower force. Although unloved by Mountbatten, the Fleet of the Line is a favorite of many Tasnican politicians, who are moved by its numerous battlecruisers. The enormous power of this fleet has led it to be commanded by someone with the rank of Greater Admiral, in this case Helmut Nicias. Finally, there is the Special Combat Fleet, the RAF’s elite unit. They would say that they have the speed of the Strike Fleet with the power of the Fleet of the Line. With access to advanced technology and higher training standards, this may not be an idle boast. The Specials are under the command of Greater Admiral Angela Leonidas.

National Militia System (NMS)

These part-time volunteers are meant to furnish Tasnica with additional military strength in times of crisis. Mainly, they act to help cover area to free up the RMC to concentrate. An NMS regiment can be activated only by order of the Prime Minister or Defense Minister. The NMS includes 20 regiments; 16 of these are Infantry, 4 of these are Armor. NMS Armor regiments are a mix of tanks and LAVs. The Armor regiments are raised in the Republic’s border areas where conflict is likely, most importantly Winlan. Infantry regiments are mechanized infantry units that tend to use the baseline corporate equipment (mostly, the Kuat Consortium). The National Militia also includes a fair number of the Republic’s atmospheric fighters. NMS Fighter Squadrons, along with RAF Atmospheric Defense Command, provide air defense for Tasnica’s non-space territories. The Kuat Quickdraw Atmospheric Fighter is the most common. Recently these units were expanded with the addition of ground-attack units such as Kuat Banshees. It is not unfair to say that Tasnica’s Militia units are markedly inferior to regular units fielded by rival Great Powers and even those fielded by more competent middle powers such as the Merge League and Eblan. They do, however, allow the Republic to defend its large territories more economically.

Republic Foreign Intelligence Agency (RFIA)

The RFIA is listed her despite the fact it is technically a civilian agency.

Before GACA, Tasnica’s intelligence was largely handled by the army’s intelligence branch, Nachrichten, and the navy’s Recon Fleet (not really a fleet but an intelligence service) . Tasnica has historically been hostile to the shady aspects of such agencies, and when Rhodes remilitarized Tasnica the acquisition of intelligence assets lagged behind other aspects. The first attempt to remedy the situation, in 37 WR, was the Federal Security Bureau, or FSB. The FSB, under control of the international conspiracy known as the New Wraith, quickly confirmed everyone’s worst fears about such agencies, launching several high-risk operations including an invasion of Ticondera. After the fall of the New Wraith the FSB was dismantled.

However, the need for an intelligence organization was still important, and Rhodes Palmerston ordered the creation of the RFIA and appointed Wilhelm “Wild Bill” Angleton, a former Kuat ‘resources adjuster’, to head it up. The RFIA was created with a large number of legal constraints. For one thing, it was explicitly separated from the uniformed military; the Director of Foreign Intelligence reports directly to the Prime Minister. More significant is that the F in Foreign is taken very seriously; the RFIA is explicitly prohibited from operating on Tasnican soil or spying on Tasnican citizens. (There is, of course, no domestic intelligence agency in Tasnica, or even a national level law enforcement organization.)

Perhaps more than any other national intelligence agency, the RFIA abstains from aggressive covert operations. Mainly, it conducts passive information gathering, primarily through the usage of spy satellites and cryptography. It has spy sats and listening posts in areas of Tasnican interest throughout the Web, with particular focus on the Communist Protectorate and the Fringe. Its network of human intelligence (spies) is relatively weak.

Some have complained that the RFIA is too restricted and defanged to properly do its job; others have pointed to the ongoing ZAPS corruption hearings as evidence of danger of a powerful spy agency in a free country.

Jaegers Special Operations Forces

Sometimes abbreviated JSOF, but more commonly just known as the Jaegers, this small, elite group was formed by Rhodes Palmerston. Although initially created as a counterterrorist group, their skill set has expanded to include other special forces missions like strategic reconnaissance and direct assault. Each six man Jaeger unit has people numbered Two through Seven, and the unit is named after an Elemental, so that someone in a unit would be called their numerical rank plus unit (ie “Salamando Three”, “Undine Six”, etc.) The head of all the Jaegers is referred to simply as One.

Almost everything about the Jaegers is classified, although it is known that they make use of the Seraphim given to the Tasnican government for their aid in the Typhon affair. Most commonly these are Seta-Ts, but the Jaegers include a few more exotic Seraphim in their ranks. In addition to the Seraphim, the Jaegers possess and field advanced technology of many different kinds. It is also believed that their ranks include several magic users.

Jaegers are recruited from all walks of life, from corporate black ops to RFIA men to Marines and even ordinary people.

Tasnica Republic Coast Guard (TRCG)

Technically, TRCG is a police service rather than a military one, and it reports to the Minister of Commerce rather than the Minister of Defense. Its main mission is not a military one, and the primary tasks of the Coast Guard are border patrol and search-and-rescue. However, in wartime the Coast Guard falls under the Defense Ministry.

This is a ‘brown water’ oceanic force, mainly committed to coastal defense. However, TRCG has recently been conducting anti-submarine warfare exercises and maintains a handful of guided missile frigates; they are also scheduled to be the first recipients of Kuat’s new Pelican turboprop seaplane. However, it is still fair to say that, between land, space, air, and sea, Tasnica’s sea forces are the weakest; a far cry from its proud navy traditions.

Corporate

Although not really part of Tasnica’s defensive infrastructure, and not coming under the authority of any branch of the tasnican government, any discussion of Tasnica’s military power is incomplete without some reference to corporate troops. Most large corporations in Tasnica have some security forces, and many have black operatives to harass each other, but only the AAA corporations are large enough to field their own private armies. This was witnessed spectacularly in the Moogle Wars ™ of over a decade ago, when the corporations invaded several Moogle nations near Kuvalla.

The Tuna Group has a defensive fighter corps to protect its passenger liners, and many corporations have similar groups to defend their shipments to hostile areas; the Diamond Corporation’s Seraphim force began very much in a similar vein.

The largest corporate army is probably that fielded by the Kuat Consortium. Although rarely fielded in large formations, in defending Egmont against the Reklar Kuat was able to put together over ten regiments of various types. Kuat’s Arms Experts serve as Kuat’s security force, black ops, and sales representative; their training expertise is available for sale. Since they rarely deploy in large formations, corporate armies are ill-prepared to handle large-scale plans and factors such as logistics. However, they are well-trained, and extremely well-equipped with the latest hardware (the kind Kuat DOESN’T sell to the world yet). They performed very well in defending Egmont. Kuat also recently launched the Dominance, launching it into the realms of one of the select few powers in the Web to have a capital ship on that scale; Kuat can justifiably claim to have more space power than most of the nations of the Web.

People

http://www.kupopolis.com/kupopowiki/images/meta.gif

Meta•Fact: The people section of the Tasnican NP is scary.

Cities

The Quad

The Quad is in many ways Tasnica’s heartland; the four cities of Olivawk, Centwerp, Egmont, and Tasnicaport are linked by an underground hypersonic mag-lev.

• Tasnicaport

“Republik Taznikanze”

Tasnicaport is the capital city of the Tasnica Republic, location of both the Prime Ministry and the Senate. Tasnicaport is an ancient city, with its origins going back to the days of the alte Taznikanze thousands of years ago (they originally settled here because it was an excellent harbor and fishery). Tasnicaport’s Old Docktown is a historic district that preserves much of the feel of that era. The Republic’s National Museum is also located here, containing many artifacts, including the original metal pieces with the inscription of the Code of Belgememnon. In addition to being the seat of Tasnica’s government, Tasnicaport is also a thriving commercial port, the largest on the continent. It was also home to one of Tasnica’s first spaceports.

• Centwerp

“The real capital of Tasnica!”-Populist slogan, 35 WR Cetnwerp lies northwest of Tasnicaport, and as another of the Quad’s older cities, it does have a lot of historic areas. However, rather than reflect the alte Taznikanze’s days of sea raiding, Centwerp reflects the sensibilities of the interior, and even buildings built today have a neo-gothic feel. There is a trend in the city’s design towards elegance rather than ebullience. Centwerp lies at the junction of three of the continent’s most important rivers, and was therefore always an important center for trade. Even today its status as a trading center continues because the Web Stock Exchange is located here, as well as the headquarters of Republic Interdimensional Bank. The building for the Stock Exchange dominates the city, with holoprojectors displaying building-sized readouts of the latest stock data. Centwerpers (stereotypically) seem arrogant, aloof, confident with the attitude that only their city really matters.

• Egmont

“Civilization has been one long war against nature.”-Damien Gavalian

Egmont is Tasnica’s second-largest city, and also it’s fastest growing. Relatively young for the Quad cities, Egmont is shiny and new; it’s towering skyline of high glass buildings are what most people think of when they think of a Tasnican city. As a city, Egmont is desperate to be seen as world-class, and is engaged in a rivalry with its neighbor to the west, Tasnicaport, to be the Republic’s pre-eminent city. It is hard to believe that a few decades ago Egmont was a small fishing village. Egmont is known for many things, such as the Egmont Museum of Modern Art (the Republic’s largest), the jazz scene, its pioneering use of elevated monorails for mass transportation. But what Egmont is far and away best-known for is that it is the location of the Kuat Consortium. Consortium Tower is the city’s tallest building, stretching hundreds of stories high over Gavalian Plaza. Egmont is Kuatville; everyone in the city, one way or another, works for Kuat.

• Olivawk

“Whose bright idea was it to put the Void Bridge here?”-Damien Gavalian

Olivawk has a reputation as bit of a run-down city. It has large slums comprised of the wooden Termite Mounds that formed worker housing in Tasnica’s initial wave of industrialization. The poorest city in the Quad, and with one of the highest crime rates in the Republic. Still largely an industrial city, and heavily polluted even by Tasnican standards. The Void Bridge touches down from orbit in Olivawk; it was hoped that the space elevator would re-energize the city. However, it just made it easier for the wealthier elements of the city to move up to the new space city of Contac.

The Rest of Mana

• Matango

“Shrooms. Far out.” -Stoned College student, abroad in Matango Matango is largely peopled with anthromorphic mushrooms, whose asexual reproduction makes them one of Tasnica’s fastest growing populations (rivaled only by robots). Located in the upperland forest.

• Backwoods

“Come see the beautiful and pristine Upperland Forest! Also Available: Tour of Upperlands dam.”-Backwoods Bureau of Tourism Pamphlet

Backwoods is a sleepy forest city, well away from the hustle and bustle of the Quad. Lumber is still the primary industry here, as well as tourism. The Upperlands Dam, responsible for much of the continent’s power generation, is not very far from here. One of the few areas of the Republic the Tasnicans haven’t pillaged and scarred just yet, but give them time.

• Todoburg

“Goddamn, it’s fucking cold!”-Manta

Todoburg is the main settlement of the Ice Country, a frozen continent in the Mana Dimension. Largely people by Todos (anthromorphic walruses); too gold for almost anyone else. Mainly important economically for mineral resources. Local folk tales tell stories of a fat man in a red suit, but most people don’t believe it.

• Gold Isle

“PARTMENT FOR RENT. Two bedrooms, living room, and kitchen. 250,000 GP/month or best offer.”-Gold Isle Gazette” Gold Isle is Tasnica’s ultimate retirement community. The city seems almost entirely made of gold. It has everything the retired millionaire could want, from golf courses to beach resorts to discrete gentleman’s clubs, as well as one of the nicest climates in the dimension. Retiring here is an ultimate status symbol.

Northtown and Southwon “The Twin Cities”

These two cities of the Woldheim continent have been in decline over the past few decades; they sought to regenerate themselves by joining the Tasnica Republic in the early thirties, but that merely accelerated their decay. Still of interests to archaeologists, though, for ruins of the Vandole Empire (which possessed advanced technology even 500 years ago) and the much older nation of Krace (one of Mana’s first true civilizations).

Outside the Mana Dimension

• Carrion City

“What kind of stupid name is Carrion City?” –Republic Marine, in the Carrion Conflict

One of Tasnica’s newest imperial acquisition is the Kingdom of Carrion. After the decline of King Crimson, Carrion fell into infighting, eventually leading to the military dictatorship of Knossos. Knossos provoked Tasnica into invading, and the Tasnicans decided to stay. Carrion City is the largest city in the region, and heart of the Repbublic’s trade in the dimension. Carrion City seems more Tasnican than Carrionese; it’s gleaming skyscrapers are reminiscent of a mini-Egmont. Only Crimson’s old castle seems to separate itself as something Carrionese.

• Dowaine, Belaine, and Telaine

(The Tasnican Ticonderan Territories, or 3T) “Dain Lives!”-Dowaine graffiti

These three cities in Ticondera formed the economic backbone of communist Ticondera when it was united. Belaine’s manufacturing, Telaine’s mining, and Dowaine’s technological development were a powerful engine of prosperity. Tasnica gain control of the region through the machinations of the New Wraith. When it was revealed that they were being manipulated into attacking Ticondera, they still didn’t give it back. The resources of the region are vast, but Tasnica has been unable to fully exploit them because of security concerns. There is an active Ticonderan resistance movement, and the region overall is highly unstable and the Tasnicans have been forced to hire mercenaries to defend their territories. This is the only area under Tasnican rule that does not elect Senators. Some think that it’s more trouble than it’s worth and the Tasnicans should give it up; others believe that full statehood is the only answer. Still others believe this could be a springboard for Tasnican control of the Web’s largest continent.

• Prima

“Back in Business”

For years, Prima had been in decline as more of its natural trading partners in Dragon fell under the sway of the Communist Scandian League. To avoid the same fate itself, it turned to Tasnica for protection. The result has been nothing short of an economic miracle. The enterprising Primans exploited the new opportunities of statehood to their fullest, and trade with the rest of the Republic has been so brisk that Prime Minister Brackhaven recently had to negotiate additional canal rights from the Scandians. Prima supplies Tasnica with all manner of sea-based resources, from fish to deep sea mining. Prima’s biggest problem has been the imposition of law and order; several factions fight for control over the city. The two largest belong to Ernst Blofish, and the Cavefish.

• Orlean

Pop: 8 million “Winlanese! Shake off the yoke of your Tasnican oppressors and join your brethren under the benevolent rule of Comrade Rumanski!” “stfu n00b” -Excerpt from Winlanese Politics ON Message Board

Most of the cities of Dragon have a problem. They don’t grow very much food, and they get invaded a lot. The solution of the Scandian League was to build a military machine that could protect itself from any invader. The solution of Winlan was to bow down and submit utterly to the Tasnica Republic. Winlan is perhaps one of the least Tasnicanized of the Republic’s non-Mana possessions; it still retains it’s local flavor, cuisine, and art. Politically, however, it is fiercely loyal to Tasnicaport; it is only the Republic’s power and freedom that allow its culture to flourish. Prima has stolen much of Orlean’s economic thunder, but it still stands as a bit of an artistic city, a mecca for bohemians throughout the Republic. Orlean is home to a thriving independent film industry, as well as the Republic’s best theater company, and best symphony (thanks to Tunlanese fleeing El Presidente’s rule).

• Kuderia

Pop: 3 million “KUPO! Kupopopop! Kupo! Kupo!” “I DO NOT UNDERSTAND YOU!” -Excerpt from the swearing in of Kuhog, Tasnica’s first Senator from the Moogle states

Kuderia is the largest city in the (still largely rural) Tasnican moogle states. Tasnica acquired several territories north of Kuvalla over a decade ago, when the corporations decided to launch a war to show that they could. Since then, Tasnica’s rule has been largely a peaceful one, and they have brought the early-industrial moogles of the area into full modern technology. An important agricultural producer for Tasnica, and still does trade with Kuvalla to the south, even under the communist government.

Space Colonies

“The Tasnicans bring the fun to outer space.” -Eddie T

Tasnican space colonies are varied and eclectic. Originally founded to exploit mineral resources and solar energy, more and more of Tasnica’s manufacturing is done in the colonies. Most of the AAA corporations have at least one colony that they own lock, stock, and barrel; some have several. Tasnican colonies are trading posts; in space they are ports of call for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs, and wanderers.

The Tasnicans use the term “archipelago” to refer an interrelated ‘neighborhood’ of free-floating space habitats.

http://www.kupopolis.com/kupopowiki/images/meta.gif

Meta•Fact: Tasnican colonies are named for various science fiction writers.

Mana Dimension

• Mana I , Pohl Colony

• Mana II, Asimov Colony

“When I saw this star in the night sky, I never thought I would buy a car made there.” -Kuat advertising slogan This populous colony is one of Tasnica’s largest off-world manufacturing centers. Mana II was found to be rich in many important minerals, but shipping them up the gravity well in a ship that could withstand the ferocious venusian atmosphere of the planet was too expensive; resources from Mana I are also shipped here for processing. Asimov is home to Kuat Motors’ largest automotive plant. Asimov is actually several feet underground, a warren of tunnels carved out of sheer rock. Advanced technology gives these underground environs some simulacra of real environment, including the River Tiber, essential to the miniature colonial ecosystem.

• Mana III orbit has Contac and its associated archipelago

“Gateway to the Stars” Contac sits atop the Void Brdige, the massive tower reaching from earth to orbit of Mana III. It is a key link between Tasnica’s terrestrial holdings and its space empire. Although the Void Bridge was a massive undertaking consuming years and lots of money, it has allowed Tasnica to rapidly expand in space and build up its space forces. RAF headquarters is located in Contac. Although mainly a port, Contac is also home to its own space-based industry, including hydroponic farms and assembly bays.

• Mana IIIA (Mana III’s moon), Verne Colony, formerly owned by Atreus, know owned by the Tasnican government

• Mana Belt Alistair archipelago

IIf taken together, the Alistair archipelago would be the largest Tasnican space settlement. It consists of literraly hundreds of small habitats, including mining refineries, spaceborne factories, solar power stations, communications relays, and other space habitats.

• Mana V – three colonized moons, owned by three rival corporations. The gas giant itself is known as Bester.
  • Marusek – Kuat owned
  • Reed – Saeder-Krupp owned
  • LeGuin – Forge Mechanicals owned

• Mana VI, the gas giant of Bradbury – two colonized moons
  • Tomino – Hoplite Biotech controlled
  • Anno – Diamond colony
  • Emerald – former Diamond colony, destroyed by Typhon

Crystal Dimension

• Crystal I, Capeck

“The bot colony. I can’t believe they sent me to the bot colony.” -Barich, Forge Mechanicals shadow operative

Founded several years ago by RT-125G (Idomeneus), Capeck was designed from the outset to be a colony entirely of robots. This is an experiment at a truly robotic society, relatively free of human influence. The colony has a central computer that networks all robots on the colonies, allowing for free, efficient, and effortless exchange of information. Human visitors feel a little bit uncomfortable. The robots manage to turn a large profit in cutting edge software. Some people think that the robots have developed much more than they let on. Their group consciousness also makes them one of the Web’s most efficient mining operations.

• Crystal II, Simmons

Simmons (Crystal II) “You see, the Gatians got to space first, so they got the easy planets. Defiance, ‘Sanctuary’, and the rest. So then we Tasnicans, we gotta go for these fucked-up places, places where lead will melt outside. What kinda people would want such a place?” -Eduard T, local resident

The Tasnicans hoped that, since Mana II was wealthy, the similar planet of Crystal II would be, as well. They sunk a lot of money into the initial colonization effort. Seven large arkoblocks, have-buried in rock and built to withstand the pressure of 90 times sea level, were seeded throughout for maximum mining coverage. The investment resulted in only a moderate success; Simmons is an average mining colony. What makes Simmons huge, though, is its reputation as a smuggler’s haven. Many different powers have holdings in Crystal, and Simmons is where the people of those colonies (and the people of the nations of Crystal) go to get the things they’re not supposed to get. The yakuza has recently set up a presence, but it remains to be seen if they can clamp down on one of the largest smuggling rackets in the Core.

• Crystal belt, KSR archipelago

The Tasnican mining interests here are mostly dominated by the Kuat Consortium. Also the site of Kuat’s new shipyards, KDY-Two, designed to be the largest shipbuilding facilities in the Web.

• Crystal V, Annam three colonized moons. Two were controlled by Atreus, but Kuat picked them up during that corporation’s hard times, and now controls all the colonies in its own little system. (Creatively known as Annam One, Two, and Three.)

Other Holdings

• In Esper, one moon of Esper V Sheffield
• In Merge, they share the world of Merge IV with the Guardians and Medinans on a colony called Herbert

Brief History of the Tasnica Republic

See Taznikanze for account of the people who originally founded the Republic.

Pre-Great War

In most cases, the demarcation between these ages is not entirely clear.

• 1382 WB – 1100 WB: Early Republican Period (The Age of Great Progress)

Dated from the founding of the Republic when the various Taznikanze cities and settlements united under the Code of Belegemnon. Fervor over the ideals of the Code cause the Tasnicans to launch several aggressive campaigns of expansion; over the course of this period the Republic annexes most of the Ingrish Alliance in the continental interior, including the city of Centwerp. The Tasnicans also attained many great achievements, circumnavigating the globe, developing calculus, and creating other relatively sophisticated technology. This is a golden age of learning.

• 1100 – 700 WB: The Dark Ages

The exact date of when the earthquake (or dragon) that demolished the Caldar Dominion is unknown, but widely considered to mark the beginning of this age. Plague swept the Republic, and spreads through Tasnica’s trade network. Some turn to the worship of Thanatos for solace and guidance; Aesimond, the worship of Zahd, also makes a resurgence. The bloody climax of the era is the First Mana War. Many of the achievements of the Age of Great Progress are undone. Tasnica even lost control of certain territories, most significantly the city of Centwerp. Politically, this was an era of Royalist domination. This is when the monarchy, knighthood, and standing army were established.

• 650 WB-150 WB: The Middle Republic

Tasnica begins to rediscover some of the learning of the Age of Great Progress. A major war with Pandora (648-618 WB) ends with the two signing a long-standing alliance and Tasnican hegemony over the Euser continent. The Second Mana War around 500 WB is much less destructive than the first. An era of relative peace and prosperity.

• 112-4 WB: Industrial Era (Second Age of Great Progress)

Usually dated with the invention of the first practical steam engine. Tasnica becomes the first power in the dimension to embark on the path of industrialization; much of the early industrial development is centered around Olivawk due to its easy coal access. This path to power and wealth takes Tasnica to new heights; it seems poised to dominate the world. The world, however, was about to get a whole lot bigger. The discovery of the Web happens quite by accident when a Tasnican freighter ends up in Eblan, in the Crystal Dimension. The discovery of the Dragon Dimension and Light Dimension follow shortly afterward. The new dimension offers new opportunities for trade; Tasnica forms an alliance with Eblan, viewing it as a regional counterweight to Baron, and establishes a puppet regime in Auria. The new ‘Web of Worlds’, however, is not without danger.

The Great War and Aftermath

4 WB to 27 WR. Dated from the rise of Salynae to power in Ticondera to the capture of Baron by Rimmel Coward. The start of the war in Ticondera caught Tasnica off guard, as they had long regarded Baron as more potentially threatening.

Tasnica is one of the main protagonists of the war, although they do make some ethically and strategically dubious decisions, most significantly the decision to pursue dominance in the Esper Dimension after that dimension’s discovery in 3 WR rather than confront Ticondera outright. Tasnica failed to work closely with potential allies for most of the war, but that is a criticism that can be fairly leveled at many of the nations on the side of the Light Gods. The remedy came in spades when the Grand Army Charter was signed in 24 WR, largely at the instigating of one of the greatest Prime Ministers Tasnica had ever seen, Rhodes Palmerston (served 17-40 WR). Tasnica contributed the whole Republic Expeditionary Force and its entire military infrastructure to the effort of creating the Grand Army, and a Tasnican officer, originally from Albrook, was named Generalissimo: Celiose Cole. To this day, Tasnica tends to think of itself as a  prima inter pares  in GACA, and House of Lords meeting are traditionally chaired by the Prime Minister of the Tasnica Republic.  After three more years of fighting, some of the bloodiest in the history of the Web, victory was attained.

In the aftermath, many of the nations of the Web were weakened, and Tasnica was no exception. Although it committed to helping Crystal and Esper rebuild, Tasnica had also exhausted much blood and treasure in the war, and so the end of the twenties largely revolved around clashes between the GA and other powers (KMT War, Hivan War, and Omnisent Conflict) with nations taking something of a back seat. When national power began to reassert itself it was primarily at the behest of the Gate Three.

Palmerston and His Epoch

Imperialism

Rhodes Palmerston was a sports agent who had served four terms in the Senate before becoming Prime Minister. His achievements as the founder of GACA would be enough to ensure his place in history, but, characteristically, Rhodes wanted more. In 30 WR Tasnica claimed the Upperlands forest, which had been largely depopulated by a Dark Wrath campaign; Northtown, Southtown, and the Gold Isle joined Tasnica soon after. Rhodes Palmerston remilitarized Tasnica with the creation of the Republic Marine Corps. The Age of Imperialism had begun, and Tasnica was a gleeful and active participant. Although coming later to space than the powers of Gate, Tasnica soon had an active space colonization program. It also annexed part of the Veldt and acquired Winlan and Prima in the Imperialist War. This was also the time that the AAA corporations began to rise in power and prominence, and they launched there own war in Kuvalla, the Moogle Wars ™. With these conquests, Tasnica was second only to Ticondera in terms of land area.

What is remarkable about the “Great Rhodesian Expansion” is that it was accomplished with relatively little force; indeed, Tasnica maintained the smallest military of what were beginning to be known as the Great Powers. It was economic and political genius that fueled Tasnica’s imperialism. Peoples annexed by Tasnica were quickly granted full citizenship and rights under the Code of Belgememnon and representation in the Senate, which in many cases was a higher standard of individual rights and representative government than the original government provided. Investment in infrastructure and cheap Tasnican products soon followed; indeed, in more than a few cases, economic conquest had already preceded political conquest.

Rhodes also secured Tasnican interests through savvy diplomacy. He acquired RT-series robots from Guardia, made a deal with Hannibal de’Zama over the Veldt, and helped avoid a war in Gate by negotiating the peaceful separation of Atreus. (In the process acquiring more space colonies for Tasnica). Unlike the other great powers, Tasnica did not build an associated treaty alliance like GATO, the Fascist Pact, or the Communist Protectorate; Rhodes preferred much more flexibility to his actions.

The abuses of the [[[AAA corporations]] were one of the great dark sides of this era. In Guardia they recalled the era of the Syndicate wars; in the Fringe some of their abuses under the aegis of the Extraterritoriality Act provoked enormous anti-Tasnican sentiment leading to the rise of the Unbound. Anti-Tasnican backlash, as it turned out, was not limited to the Fringe.

Rhodes enjoyed enormous personal popularity in this era. In 35 WR, he trounced Kenny Brackhaven, who had reformed the Socialists into the Populists; that Kenny managed to put up a challenge at all is testament to his political skill. Nonetheless, some in the Senate believed that Rhodes was ‘getting out of hand’, and dissatisfied conservatives helped Kenny rise to the rank of Proconsul in the hopes that he would balance Rhodes.

Leviathan War

The Leviathan War began with Kakkara attacking Tasnica and appealing to the other Great Powers for aid. Tasnica marshaled an enormous force to crush Kakkara; it is estimated that Tasnica sent more Marines than the mail population of Kakkara, and that in the war effort they spent more than the tiny desert nation’s GDP. However, their efforts were frustrated by Fremen. Nonetheless, Tasnica supported the Esper Union in its struggle to survive against the Scandian League. Rhodes inked a mutual defense pact with Guardia around this time. This effectively gave Tasnica the license to support the Esper without fear of Scandian attack, as the Scandian knew that any attack on Tasnica would bring both the Republic and the Kingdom to the war. Massive Tasnican aid, particularly in the form of troops furnished by AAA corporations, helped Esper counter the massive resources of Ticondera. After the war Tasnica helped rebuild the shattered country, and the war left a legacy of a strong alliance between the two powers.

New Peace?

Fascist and Communist nations across the Web collapsed or reformed in the wake of the war. The Esper Union and the Scandian League had all but exhausted their resources and militaries and had to rebuild. Guardia faced internal problems with Meres and would soon have to fight the Defilers in the Cleansing Wars. Tasnica, however, still had an expanding economy, a growing space fleet, and good political relations with the majority of the Web. In 17 WR, Rhodes had become Prime Minister of a nation whose very existence was threatened. Twenty years later he was at the helm of the most powerful nation in the Web. Reflecting that each of the other Great Powers has been in that position before, and that almost all of them had eventually lost it, Rhodes set out to create a new order in the Web: the New Peace. He created the Alliance Congress so that the nations of GACA would be able to work out their differences peacefully, and brought the nations of the Web tto the table to sign the Hosluftgrad Conventions. To build the necessary legitimacy and goodwill to gain support for his reforms he did some unprecedented things, such as throwing his weight behind the repeal of the Extraterritoriality Act and ceding the city of Albrook from the Republic, creating it as an interdimensional treaty zone. Rhodes sought to create a peace, in his words, “the end to the beginning of wars”.

It is ironic that one of the great imperialists would seek to avoid a return to the age of imperialism. It is doubly ironic that he did so while still continuing to practice it; although wars with Carrion and Ticondera came about through the machinations of the New Wraith, Tasnica did not exactly offer to give the territories back when the New Wraith was revealed.

Rhodes was even the first major Web leader to make a goodwill tour of Aryth, in the attempt to promote trade with Tasnica and de-fang fears of industrialization. This exchange allowed to the establishment of the Georgethor Institute of Magic.

In 37 WR the Foreman’s Rebellion launched a chain of events that would bring Rhode’s time in the Prime Ministry to an end. A spotlight was finally cast on the grim excesses of corporate abuses. This led to the Kanavem Act and political gains on the part of the Populists. Many Conservatives in the Senate, led by Franklin Yeats, believed that Rhodes had not sufficiently used his enormous personal popularity to stem the rising tide of the Populists. Using Rhodes’s relationship with Rachela Deren as leverage, Frank forced Rhodes out of the running for Prime Minister in 40 WR.

Rhodes, however, decided that if he was going out, he was damned well moving up. He created the office of Sovereign Executive, political leader of the Grand Army Charter Alliance, and announced that he sought the office upon his retirement. Rhodes’s stature as an elder statesman in the Web was by that time such that he met with almost universal approval.

Election of 40 WR

See main article, Tasnican election of 40 WR. The election of 40 WR was between Conservative Senator Franklin Yeats and Populist Proconsul Kenny Brackhaven. It is one of the closest elections in history.

Franklin Yeats, a war hero, argued that little in Tasnica really needed to be changed. He pointed to the enormous wealth and prosperity of Conservative-style minimalist government. He warned that a larger welfare state and higher taxes would jeopardize prosperity. This sentiment was epitomized by his slogan, “No experiments!” In foreign policy, he was an ardent anticommunist and a strong supporter of the Esper Union. However, his campaign was hampered by his short temper and tendency to surround himself with yes-men.

Kenny Brackhaven’s central message was anti-corporate. He argued that the voice of the people had become subjugated by the voice of the plutocrat, and an activist government was the necessary counterweight. Famously he appealed to the Tasnican public to “Write Kenny” with their tales of frustration at outrage of corporate excesses, labeling their letters merely, “Kenny, Tasnicaport.” He was hamstrung by his own chronic depression and the fact that in public appearances he was a complete trainwreck. However, he did perform one of the great tricks of political genius in Tasnican history: he positioned himself as the heir to Rhodes Palmerston’s foreign policy legacy, the New Peace, despite the fact that his opponent was the Conservative in the race. This bit of political positioning would make up the slim margin of victory.

The Liberal party also disbanded and announced that it would caucus with the Populists. This gave control of both the Prime Ministry and the Senate control of the Populists. Although Damien Gavalian tried to press Yeats into challenging the results of the election, in a great moment for Tasnican democracy Frank simply called Kenny and conceded; the Conservatives, having lost their hold on power for the first time in a century, collectively simply shrugged and decided to try again next year.

Recent History

Kenny launched a sweeping series of reforms upon coming into office. Some of his early acts were the creation of the Ministry of Labor and the creation of the Republic Aerospace Fleets as a branch independent of the RAF. The Conservatives spent much of the early forties confused and disunited, allowing for the creation of additional social programs. Realizing that he still needed Conservative support for some things, Kenny moved to legalize homosexual marriage in Tasnica. The move divided the conservatives further, and they went through several permutations in Senate leadership before settling on Maxwell Nordsten as Minority Leader and Aggronor Stonebreaker (‘the Mighty’) as Whip. The Conservatives were therefore able to present a somewhat more unified challenge to Kenny in the 45 election with Vorten Tuinne as candidate. However, after five years of Populist rule, the Conservatives could no longer credibly claim that a Populist in charge would cause the doom of the Republic. The 45 election largely rehashed the issues of the 40 election, except Kenny had more successes in domestic and foreign policy to show, and so he attained victory through a slim margin with 52 percent of the vote.

In foreign policy, Kenny managed to meet with his fellow Great Power leaders within his first year. The fact that he had come to power as an anti-corporate crusader allowed him to reach out to nations who were upset over the AAA corporations such as Forthena. He recommitted Tasnica to the Esper Union. He launched a détente with the Scandian League, spearheaded by Foreign Minister Sandra Himmelsten. This gave Tasnica the political leverage in the Communist Protectorate needed to prevent local flare-ups like the Three Week War from becoming a Second Leviathan War. Tasnica was thus committed to a role as the preserver of peace and order in the Web. Critics such as Mountbatten, however, have argued that Tasnica has not been assertive enough in maintaining its own power; they are fearful that Tasnica’s status as the leading Great Power may soon become a thing of the past.

The AAA corporations have not had the same heyday as they had during the Age of Imperialism. Saeder-Krupp was roasted in a labor law trial, and all around they have had to deal with the end of special tax breaks and increased regulation. In this environment a hidden corporate war is going on as Saeder-Krupp marshals allies to try to wrest control of King Kuat’s crown. The death of Grom Goldmaker has opened a scramble for the control of Forge Mechanicals; Kuat and Esperian corporations have both launched buyout bids.