Tabikrion

The country of Tabikrion (formally known as The Incorporated States of Tabikrion) is a large, modestly populated country, located on the Averencian continent. It is governed according to a strong federalist system, with the national union consisting of fourteen states and several federally governed Territories and quasi-autonomous Protectorate states. The central government is led by an elected Federal Executive and a representative State Assembly, who share power, though in traditionally they have exercised political constraint, granting the populace and regional governments large degrees of freedoms. Despite being the historically dominant Averencian power, and also one of the oldest organized states on the continent, it has remained distanced from the rest of world community throughout much of its history; a faltering economy and an escalation of an ongoing series of insurgencies has caused the state to deem isolation no longer a viable option.

Tabikrion

Flag of Tabikrion
Motto: "Strength and Freedom through Unity and Fraternity"
None Available
Region	Averencia
Capital	Arkovfel
Official Language(s)	Tabitimor
Government
Population	36.6 million (2005 Census)
Currency	Tabrek Kronar
NS Sunset XML

History

Though the current state of Tabikrion is arguably over two centuries old (though its government structure has changed significantly since), the idea of a single Tabrek state and more recently, nation has existed in one form or another for many centuries, if not millennia.

Early Tabikrion

It is generally acknowledged that the first waves of humans to inhabit Averencia arrived many millennia ago. The early Tabreks are thought to have been among those that came in the second or third wave of migrations, eventually overpowering the original inhabitants of the region and becoming the dominant people in this part of Averencia. Over time, their fledgling settlements were united, founding the first incarnation of the Tebryt Empire, which managed to control an area substantially larger than modern Tabikrion for some time, fragmented briefly and reforming numerous times. The name of this empire is thought to have derived from the name of the first empire’s mythical founding ruler or council body, Tvebrytkrin, though this claim is now hotly debated amongst historians. The name eventually evolved to describe both the ethnicity of the people and the region’s early history (“Tebryt”) and the current nation-state and its immediate predecessors (“Tabrek”, “Tabikrion”).

It is not known exactly how long this cycle of collapse and rebirth continued, but eventually (estimated to be somewhat less than one millennium ago) the empire did not reform itself and permanently splintered into many smaller city-states, and quasi-feudal kingdoms. Though attempts were made by ambitious Tabreks to restore a nation-wide empire, these short-lived kingdoms rarely lasted longer than their kings did. By the late eighteenth century, central Tabikrion (known as The Cradle by its inhabitants) had been in a relative state of peace (and stagnation) for several decades. However, the regional power, a union of the militaristic republics of Veneran and Tepton, had forced the coronation of a weak king in rival kingdom Ulkenta; with the power of these three central states, a course was set to rebuild empire of the Tabreks.

The Confederation

The Confederation of the Tabreks was created two-hundred three years ago by the principal three States of the Cradle, Veneran, Tepton and Ulkenta, for the purpose of recreating the glory of the old Tabrek Empire. Though the many Tabrek states and several of their neighbors had often maintained alliances in the past to maintain a relative balance of power, this marked the first time in modern history when they would be united under a single banner.

This Confederation was lead by quasi-representative body called the Confederal Senate; though there were elections only the landed elite could vote, and even then a powerful nobleman could and often simply appoint himself Senator, disregarding the popular vote. The number of representatives was based on the political influence of the State, rather than population. The Senate appointed the generals of the Tebrarmat military coalition (though the authority over the troops ultimately remained in the hands of the leaders of their home state) as well as the governors of the Provinces and Territories.

The primary goal of this new polity was to reunite the states of Greater Tabikrion into one country, through a multitude of methods, key among them strategic alliances, intimidation through threat of invasion, and conquest. The leaders of The Cradle played upon the common culture of the scattered Tebryt peoples (while maintaining their dominance over the rest) and helped to stir up patriotic fervor that followed would assure a relative degree of unity throughout the Confederation for the next seven decades.

The Unification Wars

Over the next few decades the lesser Cradle polities were absorbed into the Central States, while more powerful States of the region would become recognized members of the Tabrek Confederation; a few joined on their own accord, while others were intimidated or fought until submission. Only the powerful city-state of Kohdeka (whose equally sized and better led forces had single-handedly stalled the Tabermat for almost an entire first decade, until a Confederation-backed coup replaced its reactionary monarch with a puppet dictatorship) would be given full representation within the Confederation; the others were declared "Provinces" due to a perceived lack of “incorporation into the Tabrek nation”, and given partial power. The wars were usually quick and decisive, and rarely was complete conquest of a region necessary before a treaty was signed, which usually allowed even those declared Provinces a degree of autonomy on domestic issues. Within seventy years the Confederation had increased its territory ten-fold.

During this time, the different rulers of the many states that made up the new Tabrek state gave up (both voluntarily and forcibly) much of their power into order to improve national unity. For several of the states, this was done willingly in support of Tabrek unity, and the growing phenomena of nationalism. Many of the conquered regions however, refused to surrender their sovereignty even after their defeat and persisted as a major problem for the Confederation well after the end of the Unification.

The Confederation now comprised of four States and six Provinces, as well as a large number of unrepresented territories, which made up a large amount of the Confederation’s size and its much of it non-Tabrek/Tebryt population. To the overambitious Senators, the creation of a new Tebryt Empire seemed possible for the first time in centuries.

The Provincial Uprising

This "golden age" soon ended though, and Tabikrion felt the strain of maintaining a large state, which had now expanded to include other, less cooperative nations to the east and south. The Tebrarmat, now stretched thin across the vast lands of the Tabrek peoples, was no longer able to continue expanding, being already incapable of maintaining order in what was already conquered. As the expansion and war ground to a halt, the faults of the governing body of the Confederation became obvious. No longer united by single purpose, and now with an increasing number of voices added to the Senate, the grievances of many of the members were quick to be heard.

The first to openly challenge the authority of the Confederal Senate was the Province of Nanwel, which had willing joined the Unification wars on the side of the Confederation. They expressed their frustration in being forced to send men, material and capital to a body that refused to recognize it as an equal member of the Tabrek nation-state. Other Tabrek Provinces and Territories soon joined Nanwel’s cry for true representation. Their demands were flatly denied by veto after veto in the Cradle-dominated Senate. Eventually five of the Provinces and their allied Territories overthrew their Cradle-appointed governors and began recalling their soldiers from the outlying Tabrek Territories to consolidate their forces for the inevitable struggle.

The Cradle States were infuriated by this action and prepared their armies as well. The appointed governor of the non-aligned Province of Ostwil had managed to maintain his control over his Province, but the ongoing civil war between the pro-government forces, separatist insurgents and non-Tabrek/Tebryt ethnic minorities flared out of control and was unable to contribute to either side of the conflict. Many of the now leaderless Territories, which also contained large populations of non-Tabrek ethnicities, remained silent, with many prepared to secede on their own should a full scale civil war finally break out. It had been just one decade since the end of Unification, and it already it seemed that the country was on the brink of disintegration.

The War of the Imperialists

Before the relations between the two Tabrek factions could reach a breaking point, a common foe emerged. Foreign armies of Western states had been arriving on the coast of far western Tabikrion, and suddenly advanced eastward. The Tabreks had repulsed small raids by these Westerners for centuries, but this invasion force consisted of large units of professional soldiers, and was much better equipped and led then any previous encounter. The combined military force had quickly taken advantage of the disorganized situation, overrunning the Western Territories (present day Ericrea and Sabrelands countries) with relative ease, smashing through the few Tabrek divisions which had remained at their posts during the Uprisings, and receiving little resistance from the apathetic Dirtuun and Sabre populations, and even gaining allies among them, especially the Sabres who had suffered greatly during a famine caused by the military demands during the Uprisings. Using their advanced weaponry and battle-tested tactics, the invaders were fighting their way into the Tabrek Cradle within months.

Its very existence threatened, and with much of the Senate dissolved and fleeing for their lives, the remaining loyal Tebrarmat commanders put aside their regional differences and jointly assumed control over the remnants of the Confederation. A pitched nine year war followed -- easily the most costly in recent Tabrek history. The technology of the foreign army was generations ahead of the outdated Tebrarmat, but knowledge of the land, overwhelming numbers, and Tabrek adaptations and innovations of Western weaponry kept the invaders from achieving the quick victory they had grown accustomed to elsewhere in the world. The majority of the outlying territories (including the resource-rich Western Territories) were abandoned in order to focus on the defense of center of Tabikrion. Eventually the Tabreks gained the upper-hand, and in the decisive Battle of Pevetslon, the foreigners' forward command center was encircled and subsequently overrun, forcing the destruction or surrender of approximately a quarter of their forces. A general withdrawal from the mainland followed.

By the end of the war much of Tabikrion was a devastated. The once powerful agriculture of the land was shattered, and the many of the poverty-stricken were forced to migrate to the slightly more intact cities, leading to a more urbanized Tabikrion over time. All but the individual States and Provinces had slipped out of the Tabrek orbit. Most of the former territories had declared themselves sovereign states or were simply left on their own, if not already completely depopulated by conscription, famine and atrocities committed by both sides. They were still regarded as Territorial members of the Confederation, but it took many decades to finally enforce these claims. Many regions (including most of the Western Territories) were never reclaimed.

The Incorporated States

The close of the war brought about a period of internal conflict and reform. The Tabreks found themselves a people and nation without a state. The ruling body, a council which consisted of several Senator-generals and numerous other military commanders who had made the stand against the Imperialists, survived the war with completely unlimited and unchallenged power over what remained. With some minor changes, they formed a peacetime provisional government with promises of surrendering power within a decade. The council set about purging the few surviving Senators and regional leaders who had retreated from their charges in the face of battle or the few who still supported Provincial independence from the Confederation; these actions, though bloody, met little resistance from an exhausted and desensitized public. Simultaneously, the bloated Tebrarmat was disbanded, which was no longer sustainable in peacetime, and consisted mostly of poorly trained conscripts. In its place was formed the Tabrek Armed Service, which was made up of the core veteran commanders and divisions from the war. While existing units were to remain intact, all units formed thereafter consisted of citizens throughout the Confederation, rather than from a single State. The entire TAS was also put under the central authority of the council, much as how the Tabrarmat had been during the war; major military powers of the actual states (in both peace and wartime) were removed, though they were allowed to keep small standing militias, guards and reserves to be funded locally. With the transformation of the levied Tebrarmat into the professional TAS, came a social clash amongst the commanders.

At the end of the war, a slight majority of the provisional council were of the non-aristocratic upper- and middle-class who had assumed the role of commanders when their aristocratic Senators-generals had fallen in combat or fled from battle. Following the end of major dissent and centralization of the military, many of these new leaders proclaimed that only through the dissolution of the existing monarchies and oligarchies of the states could the nation ever truly be unified; the most radicals blamed them for the catastrophes that had befallen Tabikrion in the past decades and demanding their removal and imprisonment or execution. Split on the issue, the council reached a compromise and forcibly stripped the powers of state monarchs and aristocrats, but allowed them to maintain their status titles, existing mostly as popular figureheads for the public.

Though it was six years late, the provisional government eventually lived up to its promise and held general elections for a committee that would create a new constitution creating the new state for Tabikrion. The “constitution” consisted mostly of a collection of various acts and laws that had been passed by the council in the previous years, with the addition of a section extending civil liberties and creating a definitive executive branch that was separate from the legislative (now renamed the State Assembly, and more representative than its Senatorial predecessor). A national currency was adopted (the Kronar), helping to mainstream the devastated economy. The new nation-state was inaugurated as The Incorporated States of Tabikrion, for reasons relating to the final dissolution of the independent state system, and their “incorporation” into a single polity.

The Populist Movement

Tabikrion remained in a state of relative isolation in one form or another for nearly a century, focusing on intra-continental commerce and developing its weaponry to match Western equivalents (without much success). For the most part, the IST stayed out international conflicts and affairs; until the mid-twentieth century its only major external actions were the conquest and reclaiming of several small adjacent regions (eventually rebuilding Tabikrion to about half of its pre-war size).

As the Tabrek economy stalled due to its lack of extensive foreign trade and it again began to lag behind technologically, the government moved to reopen its borders and join the newly formed League of Nations, as well as sign disarmament treaties as a sign of goodwill towards. This sparked a wave of domestic opposition, which saw this as a sign weakness and appeasement towards the West. This public hostility increased over the next few years until it finally led to a social populist uprising that stood to overthrow the government. With much of the military and civilian population backing the resisters, and hoping to avoid another civil war, the government negotiated a peaceful solution, which significantly liberalized the electoral system, extending the vote to nearly all the adult male population. The aristocracy was forever dissolved, their titles removed and many estates seized for governmental use. Due to the heavy influence of many Provincial citizens in the uprising, the status of “Provincial States” (a leftover from the Confederation, and a source of discontent for much of the Tabrek citizenry) was abolished, and the Provinces were either absorbed into existing states or were given that status of “Incorporated State”.

Upon taking power in the next election, the nationalists had Tabikrion withdraw from the League and returned to its isolationist ways (at the cost of short-term deterioration to the economy). It did however establish strong diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union, which the radical government saw as both an ideological equivalent (despite their opposition to Soviet internationalism) and potentially powerful future ally.

The Cold War

During the next few decades, the predecessors to the first Tabrek mercenary contractors, were commissioned by the government as “foreign observers” to gather military intel and gain combat experience abroad, and return to help inform and train the next generation of the TAS. They voluntarily served as in small independent units on the side of the Soviet bloc and their allies during the waning years of the Great Patriotic War and during much of the Cold War, all the time with the public support of the IST, which simultaneously remained officially uninvolved. By doing so, IST was allowed access to Soviet weapons and technology, which has since become the mainstay of the TAS. Additionally, Soviet advisors assisted the IST in modernizing many of their social programs, such as education and healthcare, further strengthening the government, while at the same time weakening the power of the citizen and government, increasing reliance on Moscow for support. Though Tabikrion never became a true satellite state of the Soviets, this de facto alliance and near dependency in the mid- and late-Cold War all but destroyed the tense relations between the Western allies and Tabikrion, who perceived each other as imperialists and communists respectively. It was during this time that previously contained rebellious sections on the border territories throughout Tabikrion began to flare up, which the IST claimed to have been supplied, trained and funded by the Western allies.

During this time, the Presidents had continued to consolidate power into the once weak federal government (particularly their under strength executive branch), dragging the country further away from its Confederation roots. The most notable breach of power was when the Executive, without an Assembly vote, quickly created additional powers for himself and then moved to claim control of several hundred square miles of mostly uninhabited plains within The Steps for the purpose of building a new national capital on what was then a small and growing urban community, Arkofel. Prior, the Assembly meetings had been held in different cities every few months, a tradition carried over from the uncertain days of the Second Unification War; this process had held back the centralization of government within the IST for decades. Though technically legal through a loophole in one of the amendments, it was in no way intended for any one individual to have so much power within the IST. The state governments and their Assembly representation protested this seizure, and the loophole was amended before further acts could be passed, but the damage was done.

The Bartehun Catastrophe

During the end of the Cold War era, catastrophe hit Tabikrion, when the Bartehun Dam burst, only weeks after its completion. Thousands were killed in the floods that followed, and billions of Kronars in damage were done. The project (and the aftermath of the disaster) had made up a large percentage of government expenditures for the past decade and had been one of the country’s main focus and pride for the past several years; within days committees were formed to investigate and hundreds of officials involved in the construction were charged with corruption and negligence. Additional construction on the nation's still unfinished capital was put on hold as funds and labor were diverted to recovery and repair. Coupled with the decline (and soon after, collapse) of the IST’s main trade partner and source of financial aid, the Soviet Union, the government was forced to take drastic measures towards privatization. In the weeks that followed, many government restrictions on foreign trade were lightened or lifted altogether, and many sections of the government, including the “foreign observers” that had been employed during the Cold War, were privatized.

These new corporations, including Tabikrion’s first Private Military Contractors (PMCs), were allowed increased freedom when dealing with foreigners in hopes that the introduction foreign currency would help repair the Tabrek's market. Due to inexperience in a truly competitive and international market, most of these new “corporations” were only partially successful, the PMCs found themselves to be extremely sought after, now that their pro-Soviet limitations had been removed. Several years later, with the economy stabilizing once again, the government tried to bring in the reins on the increasing power of the corporations over the Tabrek economy, only to bring the country back into the beginnings of a new recession. Realizing that their economy was now too much tied into the international market to isolate themselves again, the Assembly reluctantly voted to return the international freedoms to the corporations and as the times called, lifted many government restrictions and further privatized many areas previously controlled by government agencies and organizations.

This marked the true end of Tabikrion’s experimental “March to Tabrek Socialism” which had begun with the nationalist takeover in the 1920’s. Despite a general recovery, it came at the cost of drastic cuts in military funding, social programs and public works.

End of Isolation

Tabikrion continued to slowly open its doors to the rest of the world. It has continued to loosen control over its economy. The government had been hailed by many international economists for its sudden and relatively successful transition to a more liberal free market, it has but there is much hesitation amongst the public towards continued privatization and liberalization, which has increased unemployment greatly and increasingly distanced the financial status of the rich and poor.

Though still somewhat distanced from its neighbors, Tabikrion has taken a much more active diplomatic, economic and even cultural role in the affairs of the rest of Averencia, hoping to reassert itself itself as the dominant power in the region.

Geography and Climate

Due to its large size, Tabikrion’s landscape has a wide degree of variety, shifting from western peaks of mountains to the lowland plains of the nation’s center to the vast deserts in the southeast.

Along Tabikrion’s western and southwestern borders lay the snow covered Sabre Mountains, which slowly give way smaller mountains, hills and eventually plains several hundred miles into the country. This mountainous area, as well as the Steps of the Sabres to its east and southeast makes up nearly half of Tabikrion’s land mass and is known for its extreme cold in winters and sudden weeks-long snowstorms.

At the end of the Steps of the Sabres in the east, is the beginning of the Tabek Cradle, known as the birthplace of Tabrek civilization and the center of the country’s powerful agriculture. The remnants of collectivized fields as well as many government and private farms of all sizes can be found here, mostly centered in the Felrud River Valley. This region was once the undisputed center of Tabrek culture and politics, and though it remains important, there has been a general shift west towards the Steps.

To the south and east of the farmlands are a series of semi-arid hills and small mountains and beyond that, hundreds of miles of open desert. It stretches northward, becoming a more tundra-like environment along the northwestern reaches of Tabikrion.

Following the coast northeast from the mouth of the Felrud River are the few small temperate forests of Tabikrion, which are then replaced by more sparsely vegetated boreal forests in the near sub-arctic area at the nation’s furthest northern extent.

Government

The unnamed documents that created the Incorporated States (often simply called the Tabrek Constitution or more correctly the IST Founding Papers), is very vague when outlining how the government itself works, allowing it to be flexible and easily adaptable. The government on the national level, most closely resembles an elected parliamentary system. It consists of a State Assembly and the Office of the Federal Executive, which jointly wield the nearly limitless power entitled to them by the IST Papers. The IST uses a federal system, with strong individual state, regional and local governments, although their influence and power have diminished significantly as the country moves towards a more centralized, unitary government.

State Assembly

The State Assembly is made up of dozens of Representatives, hailing from every State, Territory and Protectorate of the IST. The Assembly is a unicameral body, and the number of Representatives and the weight of each of their votes from each member are decided by many factors, taking in account everything from the obvious (state population) to the abstract (perceived loyalty to the Union). One of the more important factors is the status of the member’s statehood. “Incorporated States” receive full representation, though they no longer hold complete dominance of the Confederation. The outlying “Territorial Districts” receive relatively little representation in comparison, though the recent “Territorial Empowerment Act” has given them enough of a voice to no longer be ignored. The “Protectorate States” have very little voice in the Assembly, acting mostly as observers, but as compensation, have considerably more autonomy and freedom from federal legislation then the States and Territories do.

The Assembly is elected by the people of their region. The ethnic and social class discriminating voting system that was established in the founding of the IST has been since been largely removed in favor of a more representative election that allowed most full citizens to vote. A “winner takes all” electoral system is implemented, which has fostered a small amount of influential national parties, and a larger base of regional parties with shifting national alliances. Representatives serve six-year terms and usually hold office for at least three (though usually not more than six) terms on average. Though most of the Representatives are affluent, male Tebryts, growing minorities in the Assembly have challenged their one time supremacy.

The Voice of the States is the official title of the Assembly Chairman, who is appointed by the Assembly. He or she serves as the spokesperson and representative of the Assembly to the Tabrek people and the President’s Office. He is elected by the members of the Assembly, with a requirement that he become a nonpartisan, with advisors from numerous political parties; however this requirement is loosely interpreted and enforced. In practice his role is between that of a prime minister and a chairman; although he has substantially more powers than a chairman, he lacks the much of the autonomy from the legislative that most prime ministers enjoy. Despite these differences, outside of the Tabrek state he is often erroneously referred as the Prime Minister (much as how the Executive is often called the President). He is one of the more visible figures in Tabrek politics, surpassed only by the President and a few powerful Representatives and generals.

Office of the Federal Executive

The Federal Executive, or President as he is commonly known as outside of Tabikrion, serves as the executive branch of Tabikrion government, enforcing the rulings of the Assembly, and keeping the individual ambitions of the States and their representations in check. It is important to not confuse the Tabrek President with a prime minister (a term often synonymous with President outside of Tabikrion), as it acts much closer to a president. Initially the President existed as a ceremonial figurehead, who was often an aging retired military commander or other popular public figure. Due to its limited and rarely used powers, many amendments have been approved since to increase the strength of the President, which now rivals the once unequalled power of the Assembly.

The President is now required to approve most important legislature or an amendment before it is passes; a President’s veto can be overruled by the Assembly, but a large majority is needed. The President, who most often has a somewhat extensive military background, serves as the Supreme Commandant of the country’s offensive and defensive capabilities when granted by the Assembly. The President is popularly elected, though the electoral process is often considered unnecessarily confusing and marginally corrupt by outside observers

State and Local Governments

The local governments of the individual members of Tabikrion used to have a significant amount of influence, challenging (but not surpassing) the power of the national government, making Tabikrion a federal state. However, due to the call for greater unity (willing or otherwise) following the end of the Unifications era, their power has been decreased and marginalized continuously since, further centralizing power in a traditionally fragmented region. However they still have enough autonomy to run their own land with efficiency, though that is the extent of their control.

State governors are elected by popular vote; they have the ability to levy small additional taxes onto the federal taxes, but the majority of their finances are given to them by the Assembly based on population and necessity. Though it is the responsibility of the state, regional and local governments to use these funds as they see fit, the Assembly will often interfere with the process.

Territorial District governments are elected by popular vote of the Territories, but the Assembly can simply dismiss the results and select its own governor, an occurrence that is not rare in many of the more independently minded Territories. Territorial governors are usually directly more loyal to their supporters in the Assembly then the actual people he or she governs, and are sometimes seen as military dictators. However, corruption has been reduced somewhat under the “Territorial Empowerment Act”, and education, healthcare and law and order have risen so that they are more comparable (though still far from equal) to those of their State counterparts.

Civil Rights

Upon turning 18, native born Tabreks receives partial citizenship. Full citizenship, which includes the right to vote and basic healthcare, post-secondary education and other non-essential support, is not achieved until the individual completes his or her national service obligation. This obligation can be fulfilled through a number of part and full time government occupations over the course of several years; military service being the most financially beneficial and popular option. All citizens, regardless of gender or race, are legally entitled to the same rights. Under this logic, the Assembly has repeatedly maintained that racial or gender quotas for all entities and organizations are considered illegal, despite attempts by minority groups to increase their often barely recognized influence on society, economy and government.

Though everyone in the IST is equal in theory, there is a moderately high level of discrimination in both the private and public sectors. Being a heavily patriarchal society, Tabrek women hold very few high-level government and military. They fare slightly better in the upper management of internationally dependent corporations, though they are still a small minority. Tabreks of non-Tebryt ancestry are at a similar disadvantage. However, the distance between Tebryts and non-Tebryts is much less pronounced then it was in the past, with the decline of nationalism during the Cold War, and the rise of rallying around ideology and gradual assimilation. An increase number of women and non-Tebryts in the Assembly in the last three decades, may continue to improve the enforcement of the few anti-discrimination laws in effect, but it has yet to be seen if this trend of diversification in the legislative will continue.

The legality of public protests is the source of much debate. Though it is almost universally held that individually, citizens should have the right to a relatively unlimited freedom of speech, the government (on all levels) has traditionally been hesitant to allow citizens their guaranteed right to assemble. Although authorities are usually tolerant of peaceful protests that question a certain policy of the government, more radical protests that condemn the entire nation state itself are almost immediately disbanded, with deadly force almost always being used soon afterwards if the crowd responds with violence.

Small firearms for self-defensive and hunting are allowed for Tabreks who have attained full citizenship. Often lengthy background checks are mandatory, and any abuse of the privilege is punished severely.

There is no specified drinking age in Tabikrion, though legally no one under 16 can purchase beverages with high alcohol content. There are also severe punishments for those who abuse this privilege. Tobacco products (most of which are domestically produced) are legal, and a handful state and local governments have legalized the use of cannabis, with the idea of national legalization being implied, though there is still widespread opposition, even in the States which have legalized it. The government stance on “dangerous substance control” is strictly enforced, and many major drugs have been made illegal, with exceptions for specific native plants used in religious rituals as well as substances used in government-run hospitals and facilities for clinical use and research.

Religion

Religion plays an important part in Tabrek society, but has traditionally had a mostly unpronounced effect on the secular government’s policies. Freedom of religion is one of the few freedoms held universally; full, partial and non citizens can all practice their beliefs, so long as it does not involve or incite violence, drug use or other crimes. The government enforces a policy that prevents religious discrimination, assuming the religion has been approved and recognized by the government. Religions not considered “legitimate” are labeled as cults and carefully observed in order to determine if they are “malignant”, in which case they are forcibly disbanded and made illegal.

The majority of Tabreks practice the native Tebryt religion, though it is estimated that nearly a quarter are members of another religion (both local and foreign), agnostic or atheist.

Economy

The economy of Tabikrion is a relatively centralized one by today’s standards (though significantly liberalized since the end of the Cold War), with significantly less imports or exports compared to similarly populated countries; protective tariffs are applied to many foreign products; exceptions are being made for highly demanded products that have no domestic replacements, as well as a growing number of countries that have made trade agreements with the Tabrek government. The government takes an active role in controlling certain aspects of the economy, such as corporate freedoms and limitations on international trade, though these are increasingly weakened as Tabikrion is further integrated into international capitalism. The general lack of competition in its past economy has kept Tabikrion inexperienced and not quite successful in the international market, and has led to a economy (though stabilized since the Bartehun Catastrophe) that has grown only slightly, though this has come at the cost of huge cuts in military, social and scientific programs; unemployment has increased (in some cases almost doubling) every year since the depression, and literacy rates and worker rights have begun to decline.

Taxes are modest in Tabikrion, and many would consider it a welfare state until its economic reforms after the Bartehun Catastrophe. The percentage of yearly income that is to be taxed is decided by the amount of people per household and their total yearly income; there is also a yearly salary floor and ceiling, set by the Assembly, though it has been significantly lowered and raised respectively in recent years. This system has helped Tabikrion achieved one of the smaller rich-poor divides in the region, while simultaneously limiting the range of class mobility, and upper class wealth accumulation, leading to a notoriously weak population of investors to help bolster economic growth. However, this trend has almost reversed, and recent liberalization has created an increasingly affluent business class (though still well behind much of the developing world) that is supporting the gradually growing economy, but at the cost of a rapidly growing rich-poor divide due to cuts in social programs and relaxation of labor protection and corporate restraint.

Some of Tabikrion’s only major exports come from its strong agriculture industry, located mainly in The Cradle’s Felrud river valley; the sprawling mining complexes in the Steps and Sabre Mountains also play an important, though much less successful, part in the economy. The Tabikrion manufacturing industry is relatively weak, with a disproportionate number of factories being used to build military-related vehicles, weapons and equipment. Though arms sales make up a large portion of Tabrek exports, the situation has also created increased dependency on foreign manufactured goods, such as automobiles and advanced electronics. The current government has tried to avert this dependency by converting many military production facilities to manufacture civilian basic and luxury goods, as well as giving hundreds of loans and factory permits out to various domestic and a select few international corporations (as well as discretely building numerous new prison-factories) in hopes of increasing popular interest in home-made products.

Large corporations are still under heavy government scrutiny, even after the lessening of restriction in recent years. In the past, only those who had proved themselves to be an essential and cooperative asset to the state and people they serve stand a chance of long term survival as an independent entity. Today, most corporations are allowed to expand abroad, but fear of sudden charges of corruption and nationalization still remains in the minds of many older CEOs; however, extreme cases such as these are extremely rare in modern Tabikrion. Smaller businesses receive much less government interference, but must still comply with the many business laws and regulations created by the Assembly. Overall, only the powerful Tabrek PMCs and a small handful of other major corporations have had large scale success internationally, and now exert great political influence (at least by Tabrek standards) on the Assembly, a trend that has become begrudgingly accepted by the public, despite its often communal and social traditions.

Law and Order

The Tabikrion system of justice has gained a degree of international notoriety for its often brutal and inhumane nature, according to many human rights organizations. If one is found guilty of a capital crime (murder, rape, child molestation, drug dealing/smuggling), they often sentenced to death and given a handful of chances to appeal before their execution, which usually does not extend more than a year after the individual’s sentencing. Official well under a hundred prisoners are executed each year, though many suspect the true number may be significantly higher.

Hanging is the most common form of execution, though the decapitation by saber (an ancient Tebryt tradition) is still an option. Firing squads are used if the convict had prior served his nation honorably (usually an act of extraordinary bravery, either in the military or otherwise); this is commonly seen as the most honorable form of execution in Tebryt culture. Death by electrocution, lethal injection and gassings are currently banned from practice due to their damage to organs: many of which are extracted afterwards and sent to government run hospitals and clinics. This act, which is seen as almost barbaric in many in the outside, is considered the final payment of a dangerous criminal to the nation and people that they wronged.

Those not guilty of a capital crime are usually imprisoned in a state or federal penitentiary, in which they may serve one of several different punishments depending on the severity of their crime. The most common is “employment” into the Tabrek labor force, which is essentially a legalized form of temporary or permanent slavery. Traditionally most prisoners were used as miners in high risk regions of the Sabre Mountains, though recently many of the prisoners with lower sentences are allowed to work in new government and corporation run factories.

Full citizenship is required to join the any branch of the Tabrek policing forces, thus assuring that all officers have some military background (those who chose a non-military form of civil service are not allowed to apply). Police are known to be particularly brutal at times, and “shoot-on-sight” and summary execution policies are not uncommon or necessarily illegal. Two activities currently dominate large-scale law enforcement operations: destroying the drug smuggling foothold on Tabikrion’s coastal regions and coordinating raids with the military aimed at breaking the domestic rebel insurgent cells throughout Tabikrion’s territories.

Foreign Relations

Tabikrion is on relatively good relations with most of its fellow Averencians, however this is a relatively recent trend, and many of its neighbors still openly express concerns over the alleged good-natured intentions of the Tabreks. The Assembly is generally willing to make compromises and agreements concerning economic matters, but usually excludes itself from other regional organizations, concerning security alliances and human rights issues. Annually, Tabikrion sends official invitations to join the IST to several of its neighboring countries, including the multiple Sabreland states and Ericrea; this has become more of a tradition than a serious demand. However, the increasing diplomatic distance between the East Sabreland states and Tabikrion (which have long been traditional allies), and the accusations of Ericrean-based drug smuggling operations have further strained relations in the region.

Though diplomatic ties and limited trade has been slowly reopened with the rest of the world in the last few decades, Tabikrion has continued to refuse joining the international community by and large. Though it is a member of the UN (which is relatively unpopular domestically), its only major contact outside of Averencia is the former Soviet republics, who have long supplied Tabikrion with both military and civilian technology that it could not itself produce. Prior to its collapse, the Soviet Union also played a significant role in helping the previously agrarian country industrialize; this aid was cut short over twenty years ago, and has played a part in the lack of major development in manufacturing since. Tabikrion is particularly protective against any perceived Western “cultural invasion” and corporate exploitation of Tabrek lands; many in the Western world in turn half-suspect that Tabikrion may be harboring or founding terrorism.

Military

The Tabrek Armed Service is the nation’s military, which many Tabrek citizen must serve with at least part of his or her life. Upper estimates put the military budget just under four percent of the country’s GDP. There are many branches in the TAS, but they are each put under the command of an “overbranch”, which are Ground Corp (Army), Marine Corp (Navy) and Aerial Corp (Air Force).

Tabrek style of warfare puts a central emphasis on advances of heavily armored vehicles supported by auxiliary infantry, and preceded by constant rolling artillery barrages from canons and naval vessels. The TAS’s token air force attacks mostly as a supplement to the ground forces, and due to the TAS’s overall lack of an effective air-to-air force, many vehicles, ships and ground weapons have been converted to heavy anti-air combat roles should Tabikrion ever have to face a major air power in war.

TAS small arms are often domestically produced variants of Soviet and Russian design, such as the Kalashnikov and RPG lines. Military vehicles and heavy weapons are a mix of older Soviet and new Tabrek design. Old Soviet tanks and APCs are planned to be completely phased out of front line units within six years, and replaced by heavily modified versions of aging Cold War vehicles and new Tabrek models that are on par to many modern Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) and other armored vehicles; missiles and combat aircraft are the exceptions which are almost entirely Russian-built. Artillery cannons and self-propelled guns are almost completely Tabrek-manufactured, and are noted to be superior their Soviet and often Western equivalents.

The most popular and financially beneficial method of receiving one’s full citizenship is to serve one term (3 years on average), full-term in the TAS. Serving in a part-time National, State or Territorial Guard over a much longer period of time (often several decades) will also fulfill this requirement. Extended military service or serving one or more full terms as a professional soldier (6 years on average) provides additional benefits. Foreign Infantry detachments exists as part of the Ground Corp, existing as a method for foreign nationals and other non-citizens to receive their Tabrek citizenship through military service.

Currently, several detachments of the military are dealing with multiple rebel outbreaks and long-term insurgencies in the territorial and some state regions, working in cooperation with local police, federal agencies and private contractors. There has been discussion of deploying additional military presence to critical areas crush expanding resistance pockets before they can link up, as well as send soldiers to port cities to reinforce the overtaxed police forces in curbing the quickly rising drug trafficking crime syndicates.

For detailed summary of Tabrek Armed Service as well as the involvement of Tabrek PMCs with the TAS, see Military of Tabikrion

Education

During the Cold War, the Tabreks instituted a centralized, federally funded and controlled of education program, which have greatly increased the literacy rates in Tabikrion. Some of the more recent advancements in the Tabrek education system include the increase from ten to twelve years for public education and secondary school graduation requirement for military service. There are also a large (though some would say shrinking) number of public universities, which are mostly funded by the state or federal governments, and are usually inexpensive for students, depending on the financial and citizenship status of the student. However, the mass privatization in the past two decades has replaced many public universities with private schools, which some argue could turn to a negative trend for the lower classes if current levels of privatization continue.

Healthcare

Free basic healthcare is available for all full citizens, with increased benefits for those who have served additional years of service in the military or some other form of national, state or territorial civil service. The healthcare package, though once almost all-inclusive, can be considered relatively extensive by current standards and covers the majority of health costs for the average Tabrek citizen.

Many Tabrek doctors get their training as field surgeons during their military service. Civilian medical schools, on the other hand, are noted to be under funded which have led to shortages in medical personnel, outdated equipment, and use of obsolete practices. Even military medical funding has suffered minor cuts and even, which coupled with the problems in the civilian department has kept Tabrek healthcare and medical practices from increasing significantly in the past two decades.

One unusual benefit that Tabrek full citizens receive is a near guarantee of a transplant organ, should they ever need one. This is due to the forced organ “donations” of the thousands of individuals who die in prison and the handfuls officially executed each year. Even more crucial to this guarantee, is the tax deductible status of being an organ donor and other benefits (if there ever is an organ shortage, long-time organ donors are moved to the top of the list). However, organ donor benefits are considered being lessened or altogether cut due to the already expensive nature of Tabikrion’s healthcare program.

Science

Through its close relationship with the technologically advanced Soviet Union of the Cold War era, Tabikrion was able to maintain a relatively stable and modern, though unremarkable, science programs, though this field has suffered greatly following the depression and end of the Cold War. Several of the government’s science departments were privatized after the Bartehun Incident, and many others have been left to literally fend for themselves following the major cuts to most public programs in following years. Lack of government funding and a weak private sector has resulted in the departure of many of the Tabikrion’s more prominent engineers, researchers and other scientists for better funded foreign governments and multinational corporations. This minor brain drain has caused the government to put an increased focus in math and science in the nation’s education reforms, especially in the university level, though this attempt has been suspect due to increasingly large cuts in education.

Environment

Despite international and regional pressure (particularly from Ercirea) to adopt international environmental standards for decades, the Tabrek state has by and large avoided the creation of any serious environmental protection legislation. In spite of this, the country remains relatively unpolluted as the country has only begun large scale industrialization in recent decades, a process that some argue is still not close to full capacity. One of the few measures the IST had taken in the past, was to pass regulations on companies pertaining to waste disposal; however, many critics claim these are more of a measure to keep the companies under government control then to protect the environment, which is seen as a beneficial byproduct. These restrictions have also been increasingly loosened and removed as time the country’s economy is further liberalized in order to compete on the international market.

Controversies

Autocracy vs. Democracy in Tabikrion

Many in the international community find it debatable whether or not Tabikrion meets the criteria of a true democratic republic. Most would argue that it does not, due mostly to the fact that universal adult suffrage is not available due to the civil service/military requirement, as well as discriminatory policies that impede democratic practices in Territories, especially those that make it difficult for non-Tebryt citizens to participate in local and national government. Several political parties also share similar and often nearly identical goals, creating relatively uncompetitive elections. Some believe that all political parties (including the few radically minded ones) are simply controlled by state in order to maintain the appearance of a democratic system. This view is not widely shared, nor supported by evidence collected by international observers. However voter turnout is usually high, with it rarely falling below 70 %, and public opinion towards increased democratization seems to be of enthusiasm, rather than apathy, especially in centrally located Cradle States, many of which have long standing democratic traditions.

The entire system giving more votes to “high-ranking” the states has also been seen as counter to the interests of greater representation. Since most of the Territories are made up of mostly non-Tebryt populations, this is seen as a discriminatory policy, giving much greater power to the already dominant ethnic Tebryts. The mostly state-controlled media has also been accused of covering up some of the details of the Insurgency Wars (especially in the rural and poor east) and a complete glorifying of the TAS military forces. Criminal justice is also highly controversial due to its liberal use of the death penalty and compulsory organ donations. The IST’s restrictions against large-scale public protests are also seen as authoritarian, and are even becoming increasingly opposed within the Tabrek Assembly itself. Many in the international community have cited this form of political repression to be only one sign of the paradox of Tabikrion’s alleged “authoritative democracy” or “popularly elected dictatorships”.

On the positive side, Tabikrion has been commended for being one of the only states in Averencia to maintain mostly free and open elections almost uninterrupted since the beginning of the Confederation. Excluding its occasional interference in Territorial and Protectorate affairs, Tabikrion has had almost no cases where an unsatisfactory election result has been ignored or overturned by the government, which has made it an exception amongst its authoritarian and false democracy neighbors. It has also received praise for its lack of overall political oppression and protection of individual freedom of speech, with the government even organizing public local and state meetings to discuss progress and bring up new ideas.

Overall, Tabikrion is seen by the world by and large as a pseudo-democracy that maintains a democratic system with protected rights, but whose government rarely changes and maintains some degree of control over nearly all aspects of the average Tabrek’s life. Tabikrion has never been a true democracy throughout its history, but has maintained this form of “authoritarian representation” since the creation of the IST and arguably dating back to the governments of the founding Cradle city-states. Tabikrion has also been praised for its enforced protection of workers’ rights and for its extensive (though somewhat outdated) medical and education coverage. The existence of both strong democratic and authoritarian traditions in Tebryt culture has created a unique system of government that precariously and professionally balances the absolute power of the state with the will of the people; a system that some Westerners falsely praise as a model for democracy in the developing world, and many more falsely condemn as a bastion of unrestrained tyranny.

Human Rights Record

The Tabrek government has often been the target of Human Rights groups, for its unusually high number of executions each year, and the lack of guaranteed rights to its criminals, most prominently the right to appeals, which are extremely limited in number under Tabrek law. The existence of prison-factories, essentially labor camps some claim, is a major point of severe condemnation by Human Rights groups. The removal of organs from executed and deceased criminals is another major criticism of the government’s practices, and has become a point of major international controversy after it was employed on several foreign nationals involved in drug smuggling following their deaths in a shootout with police. The Tabrek government has maintained that this practice is done in a humane manner and is critically beneficial to all law abiding citizens, by creating a surplus of organs (though the majority of the organs actually come from voluntary, non-criminal donors) in the country’s hospitals, avoiding the occasionally fatal waiting lines in many other countries.

The TAS’s and local PMCs’ handling of the ongoing Insurgency Wars is another point of Human Rights activists concerns, with reports of (though not limited to) summary executions, use of torture, forced labor of prisoners and civilians and shelling and forced evacuations of small population centers. Some even contend to the occurrence of the rape and massacre of entire villages and even rumors of ethnic cleansing. The official government stance is that these reports, though containing some true and regrettable facts, are mostly rebel propaganda, claiming this war is a matter of maintaining the security of its citizens, and accusing the Western media of trying to vilify Tabikrion in attempt to divert attention away from many incidents of “imperialist aggression throughout the third world in the last several decades, and indeed centuries”.