Tabikrion

The nation of Tabikrion is a large, moderately populated nation, consisting of a five “Incorporated” States, eight Provinces, and a number of Territories and Protectorates. Governing these lands are an elected Federal Chancellor and a representative State Senate, who share near limitless power. Despite being one of the older organized nations of Averencia, it has historically remained distanced from other regional powers, but expanding borders, a faltering economy and recent crisis throughout the rest of the continent have forced the Tabreks out of isolation.

Tabikrion

Flag of Tabikrion
Motto: "Iuncta Aut Concilio Aut Gladio"
None Available
Region	Averencia
Capital	In Construction
Official Language(s)	Tabitimor
Leader	The Chancellor
Population	24.5 million (2005 Census)
Currency	Tabrek Kronar
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History

Though the nation of Tabikrion is nearly two and a half centuries old, the idea of a single Tabrek people has existed in one form or another for many centuries, if not millennia.

Early Tabikrion

It is usually agreed upon that Averencia was first inhabited by humans several millennia ago; however, there is much controversy over where they came from and around what time they began to adopt their own distinct cultures and civilizations. Regardless, the early Tabreks were among the dominant people in Averencia at the time, eventually founding a Tabreki Empire which ruled over an area several times larger than modern Tabikrion for some time. It is often believed that the Tabreks greatly over-exaggerate how strong and far-reaching this kingdom was, even going so far as to compare it the ancient Roman Empire and Chinese Dynasties. It is not known exactly how long the empire lasted, but when it fell the nation splintered into many small city-states. Though attempts were made by ambitious Tabreks to restore their former glory, these short-lived kingdoms rarely lasted longer than their king did. By the mid-eighteenth century, central Tabikrion had been in a relative state of peace (and stagnation) for two centuries. However, the powerful states of Veneran and Tepton had just finished a bout of political maneuvering that resulted in the coronation of a more flexible king in neighboring Ullenia; one who would finally give his nation’s full support for a chance to rebuild Tabikrion's empire.

The Confederation

The Confederation of the Tabreks was created two-hundred thirty-two years ago by the original three States, Veneran, Tepton and Ullenia, for the purpose of reuniting the Tabrek nations. Though these States and several of their neighbors had occasionally maintained alliances in the past, this marked the first time in modern history when they would be united under a single banner. This Confederation was lead by representative body called the Confederal Senate. The number of representatives was based on the political standing of the State, rather than population. The Senate appointed the generals of the Tabarmat (the military branch of the Confederation) as well as the governors of the Provinces and Territories. The primary goal of this new nation was to reunite the nations of Greater Tabikrion, regardless of the method. This common insatiable drive and the nationalistic fervor that followed would assure unity throughout the Confederation for the next seven decades.

The First Unification

Over the next few decades other States would become part of the Tabrek Confederation; a few voluntarily joined, though most were conquered by the ever growing Tabarmat. Only one State (the powerful city-state of Kohdeka, a voluntary member) would be given full representation within the Confederation; the others were declared "Provinces", 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. Within seventy years Tabikrion had increased its holdings ten-fold. The Confederation now comprised of four States and six Provinces, as well as a large number of unrepresented territories, which made up the majority of the Confederation’s size (and possibly its population). To the overambitious Senators, the creation of a new Tabreki Empire seemed possible for the first time.

The Provincial Uprising

This "golden age" soon ended though, and Tabikrion felt the strain of maintaining a large nation. The Tabarmat, now stretched thin across the vast lands of the Tabrek peoples, was no longer able to continue expanding, and even had a difficult time keeping order in what it already controlled. As the expansion and war ground to a halt, the faults of the governing body of the Confederation became obvious. No longer united by war-driven nationalism, the individual regions began to reform their own identities. The first to openly challenge the authority of the Confederal Senate was the Province of Nanwel, the only voluntary non-State member, which had expressed its distaste in being forced to send men, money and material to a nation that refused to approve of its Statehood. Other Provinces and Territories soon gave their support to Nanwel, as they perceived themselves as receiving little in return for their years of loyalty to the Confederation following their “Reunification”. Their demands for equal representation in the Senate and increased autonomy in their own territory were flatly denied by veto after veto in the Senate. Eventually, five Provinces and their allied Territories overthrew their State-appointed governors and began illegally recalling their soldiers from the outlying Tabrek Territories to build their own personal army. The States were infuriated by this action and prepared their armies as well. The Province of Ostwil and most of the now leaderless Territories, remained silent and each prepared to secede on their own should a civil war break out. A mere decade after the First Unification had ended, it seemed that the nation was on the brink of a civil war.

The Second Unification

Before the relations between the two Tabrek factions could reach a breaking point, a common foe emerged. A foreign armada of arrived on the coast of western Tabikrion and taking advantage of the disorganized situation, quickly overran the Western Territories (present day Ericrea and Sabrelands) with a well-equipped and well-organized army, smashing through the few Tabrek divisions which had remained at their posts during the Uprisings. Within months, the invaders were fighting their way into the Tabrek Interior. Its very existence threatened, the intense unity of the Confederation returned and the State and Provincial militaries were drawn back into the Tabarmat. A pitched nine year war followed -- probably the most costly in Tabrek history. The technology of the foreign army was generations ahead of the outdated Tabarmat, but knowledge of the land, sheer manpower, 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 about a quarter of their forces. A general withdrawal from the continent followed, though a number of units were allegedly left behind. 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. Half of the entire nation had slipped out of the Tabrek orbit. Many of the former territories had declared themselves sovereign states or were simply left on their own. The Senate continued to regard them as under Confederation control, but it took many decades to finally enforce these claims. Most regions (including most of the Western Territories) were never reclaimed.

The Incorporated States

The close of the war brought about a period of reform within the nation. Realizing that the Confederation was fundamentally flawed during peacetime, the Senate proposed a complete reorganization of the nation. Thus, the Incorporated States of Tabikrion was created, some one-hundred forty-one years before the present day. The main advantage the IST offered over the Confederation was the newly created Office of the Federal Chancellery, an executive branch that was elected by the Senate. Though his powers were initially limited, the introduction of a visible leader that the entire country could call their own was a huge step towards complete unification. The Provinces and Territories were given increased representation in the Senate and population was factored into representation. The militia-like Tabarmat disbanded and was replaced by the more organized and professional Tabrek Armed Service, which was being equipped with new weapons made from modified designs of captured enemy arms. The generals of the TAS were put under the command of the Chancellor. A central currency of Tabikrion was created, the Tabrek Kronar. An official state language was adopted: Tabitimor (a mixture several Tabrek languages). Finally the IST implemented a peacetime draft and placed itself into a state of near-complete isolation, thus attempting to avoid any future entanglements with the international community.

The Years of Refinement

Tabikrion remained in a state of isolation in one form or another for one-hundred forty years, focusing on intra-national commerce and catching up with the technologically-advanced Western world, specifically in military technology. For the most part, the IST stayed completely out international conflicts and affairs; until the mid-twentieth century its only non-internal actions were the conquest and reclaiming of several small nations to the east and south (eventually rebuilding Tabikrion to three-fifths of its pre-war size). However, immigrants fleeing world crises would often find refuge in the safety of Tabikrion, provided that they serve for several terms in the TAS to receive full citizenship. Though it refused to join the United Nations or open its borders, the IST had lessened the extent of its isolation and had begun communications and trade with a small number of nations. During the early Cold War, the first PMCs (Private Military Corporations) were commissioned by the government. They served as mercenaries in several “proxy wars” on the side of the Soviet bloc during the Cold War, with the undeclared support of the IST. By doing so, IST was allowed access to Soviet weapons and technology, which have since become the mainstay of the TAS.

During this time, the Federal Chancellors had continued to consolidate power into the once weak federal government (particularly their understrength executive branch), dragging the nation further away from its Confederation roots. The most blatant breach of power was when the Chancellery, with a slight majority support in the Senate, claimed control of several hundred square miles of uninhabited plains within central Tabikrion for the purpose of building a national capital. Though many critics claimed this movement to be illegal, the State governments did nothing to stop it.

The Bartehun Depression

Seventeen years ago, 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. Additionally, tens of thousands of Tabreks had invested large sums of money in the companies involved in the construction of the project; the massive sale of stock, company bankruptcy and accusations of scandal that followed only added to the massive crisis that swept the country's economy. Construction of the nation's capital was put on hold as funds were diverted to recovery. During this time, many large corporations were given increased freedom when dealing with foreigners in a desperate attempt to introduce foreign currency into Tabrek's market. Though most corporations were only partially successful in the intracontinental economy, the PMCs found themselves to be extremely sought after. Despite their new freedom abroad, the Senate became increasingly controlling over the larger corporations, and even nationalizing those who could be considered even a remote threat to economic and national stability.

End of Isolation

Tabikrion continued to slowly open its doors to Averencia (and later, the rest of the World), but it was not until a few months ago that Tabrikrion declared it had reopened its borders and has begun to establish political ties with the other Averencians. Though still distanced from its neighbors, Tabikrion has taken a much more active role in the affairs of the rest of Averencia. The economy was finally stabilized shortly afterwards, due mostly to success of the PMCs.

Geography and Climate

Due to its large size, Tabikrion’s landscape has a good amount 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 makes up approximately a third of Tabikrion’s land mass and is known for its extreme cold and massive snowstorms.

The foot of the Steps of the Sabres, is the beginning of the nation’s fertile center, and everything from massive government and private plantations to small individual plots can be found scattered until a distance east of the Felrud River.

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, which encompasses over a third of Tabrek lands. 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 IST Founding Papers), is very vague when outlining how the government itself works, allowing it to be flexible and easily adaptable. The central government of the IST consists of a State Senate and the Office of the Federal Chancellery, which jointly work wield the nearly limitless power entitled to them by the IST Papers. There are also individual state, regional and local governments, but their influence and power have diminished since the creation of the IST.

State Senate

The State Senate is made up of dozens of Senators, hailing from every State, Province and Territory of the IST. The Senate is a unicameral body, and the number of representatives and the weight of each of their votes from each member is decided by many factors, taking in account everything from state population to perceived loyalty. By far the most important factor is the status of the member’s statehood. “Incorporated States” receive the most representatives, though they no longer hold complete dominance of the Confederation. “Provincial States” do not have the benefits of complete statehood, but still given a fair amount of representation. 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 Senate is elected by the people of their region. A class-based electoral system that was established in the founding of the IST was removed long ago in favor of a more democratic popular vote. Senators serve four year terms and usually hold office for six or seven terms on average. Though most of the senators are wealthy, male Native Tabreks, growing minorities in the Senate have challenged their one time supremacy.

The Voice of the States is the official title of the Senate Chairman, who is appointed by the Senate, much like the Federal Chancellor. He or she serves as the spokesperson and representative of the Senate to the Tabrek people and the Chancellor’s Office. He is one of the most visible figure in Tabrek politics, surpassed only by the Chancellor and a few powerful senators and generals. The Voice can also serve as a temporary Chancellor should the current one become incapable of finishing his term.

Office of the Federal Chancellery

The Chancellor serves as the executive branch of Tabikrion government. Originally, the Chancellor was only used as a sort of figurehead: his only real power lay in his ability to directly control the TAS during times of war and other emergencies and to call into question the loyalty of a member state. Due to its limited and rarely used powers, many amendments have been approved since to increase the strength of the Chancellor’s Office, which now rivals (and arguably surpasses) the once unequalled power of the Senate.

The Chancellor is now required to approve most important legislature or an amendment before it is passes; a Chancellor’s veto can be overruled by the Senate, but a large majority is needed. The Chancellor can also declare a temporary “National Crisis” anywhere in or outside the nation, though a continued maintenance of this status requires a Senate vote. The Chancellor can be removed from office on the spot through a speedy vote of no confidence, though this is rarely attempted; the Chancellor is elected by the State Senate, and not by a popular vote, assuring that the Chancellor will almost always be supportive of the Senate majority that put him in office and can likewise remove him. Chancellors are elected once every six years.

Local Governments

The local governments of the individual members of Tabikrion used to have a significant amount of influence, but for the sake of continued unity, their power was decreased by the creation of the IST, and marginalized continuously since. However they still have enough freedom from the federal government in their area of control to run their own land with efficiency, though that is the extent of their control.

State and Provincial governors are elected by popular vote, though Provincial governors must be first approved by the Senate, though this is usually not a problem. 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 Senate 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 Senate will often interfere with the process.

Territorial District governments are elected by popular vote of the Territories, but the Senate can simply dismiss the results and select its own governor, which is usually the case. Territorial governors are usually directly more loyal to their supporters in the Senate 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 nearly equal to those of their State and Provincial brethren.

Civil Rights

Citizenship is by no means guaranteed in Tabikrion, but once it is finally received, a Tabrek can enjoy most of the freedoms enjoyed in many republics. Upon turning 18, native born Tabreks receives partial citizenship. Full citizenship, which includes the right to vote and increased healthcare and tax cuts, is not achieved until the individual completes his or her military obligation. All citizens, regardless of gender or race, are entitled to the exact same rights. This also means that racial or gender quotas for universities and companies are considered illegal.

Though everyone is equal in theory, there is the unavoidable problem of discrimination. Being a mainly patriach society, Tabrek women do not hold as many top government, military and corporate positions as men. Tabreks of foreign ancestry are at an even greater disadvantage. Growing numbers of women and non-Native Tabreks in the Senate will hopefully create better enforcement of the few anti-discrimination laws in effect.

The legality of public protests are the source of much debate. Though it is almost universally agreed upon that citizens should have the right to speak their minds, the government is hesitant to allow this sort of freedom be expressed by large groups in public. Though the government is usually tolerant of peaceful protests that question a certain policy of the nation, radical protests that condemn the entire nation and important aspects of Tabrek life and culture itself are almost immediately disbanded, violently if necessary.

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

There is no specified drinking age in Tabikrion, though no one under 16 can purchase beverages with high alcohol content. There are also severe punishments for those who abuse this privilege. The government stance on drug control is strictly enforced, and most major substances have been made completely illegal except in use in government-run hospitals and facilities for clinical use and research.

Religion

Relgion plays an important part in Tabrek society, but has a mostly unpronounced effect on the 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, etc. The government enforces a policy that prevents religious discrimination, assuming the religion has been approved and recognized by the government.

Most major religions of the world count many thousands of Tabreks as fellow believers. Foreign based religions are practiced in some way by nearly a quarter of Tabreks. The remaining three-quarters practice the native Tabrek religion, called Jaetla’Kojani, commonly known as Ja’Koj.

Economy

The economy of Tabikrion is a very centralized one, with relatively little imports or exports when compared with similarly populated nations; massive protective tariffs are applied liberally to foreign products. The government takes an active role in controlling certain aspects of the economy, such as corporate power and international trade. However the average citizen is not greatly affected by this interference and is free to purchase what he wants and needs at the bustling open-air markets in Tabrek towns, and the large government-funded trading complexes in the major cities. Bartering and haggling are accepted and practiced vigorously by Tabrek merchants.

Taxes are moderately high in Tabikrion, giving the government large amounts of funds. The percentage of funds going to taxes is decided by the amount of people per household and their total yearly income; this system has helped Tabikrion achieved one of the smaller rich-poor divides in the industrialized world. The taxes are not so extensive that the people have no spending power at all either. The inclusion of free basic healthcare and government retirement pensions for full citizens allows citizens to spend more of the money on other necessities; thereby the high tax rates are not as noticeable for citizens as one might expect.

Much of Tabikrion’s economy is fuelled by its large plantations around the Felrud river, and the sprawling mining complexes in Sabre Mountains. The Tabikrion manufacturing industry is relatively weak, but hundreds of government-funded factories are in construction, with the hope that they will keep Tabrek citizens and soldiers from becoming overly dependent on foreign goods.

Large corporations, though not uncommon, are under constant government scrutiny and only those who earn their trust will last in the long run. Smaller businesses receive much less government interference, but must still comply with the many business laws and regulations created by the Senate. Only the PMCs and a handful of other companies are allowed to expand their business beyond Tabikrion and Averencia, and likewise, very few foreign companies are allowed to conduct business in Tabikrion.

Law and Order

The Tabikrion system of justice is at best, brutal and unforgiving. If one is found guilty of a capital crime (murder, rape, child molestation, drug dealing, smuggling), they are then sentenced to death and given a chance to appeal for a quick death, usually by hanging or decapitation. As opposed to most other nations, Tabrek “lethal injection” and “electrocution” are among the most feared death sentences, as death is painfully prolonged for many minutes or hours. Public executions and floggings are rare in modern times, but they are known to still occur. No quarter is given to foreigners.

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.

The Tabrek police force is a strong, well-funded branch of the government, tasked with keeping order by enforcing Tabikrion’s many laws and regulations. Full citizenship is required to join the force, thus assuring that all officers have some military background. Police are known to be particularly brutal at times, and a “shoot-on-sight” policy is often employed. 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 states and territories.

Foreign Relations

Tabikrion is on a quasi-friendly relationship with most of fellow Averencians, but this is merely out of necessity for foreign trade. The Senate is generally only slightly less distrustful of its neighbors than it is of the rest of the world. Each year Tabikrion will send an official invitation to join the IST to the nations of the Sabrelands and Ericrea, which has become more of a tradition than a serious demand. However, recent increases in troop numbers along the Sabreland borders, and the accusations of Ericrean-based drug smuggling operations have further strained relations in the region.

Though diplomatic ties and limited trade has been reopened with the rest of the world, Tabikrion has continued to refuse joining the international community by and large. It’s only major contact outside of Averencia is the former Soviet republics, who have long supplied Tabikrion with weapons, military equipment and other essential technology not available in the Tabrek homeland. Tabikrion is particularly protective against any perceived Western military and cultural invasion of Tabrek lands, who in turn half-suspect that Tabikrion may be harboring terrorism.

Military

The Tabrek Armed Service is the nation’s military, which every Tabrek citizen must serve with at least part of his or her life. Over a third of the entire federal budget is spent on a military related program. 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).

By far the largest overbranch is the Ground Corp, which is broken down into four primary branches: Armored Infantry, Reserve Infantry, Foreign Infantry and Artillery Infantry.

The next largest overbranch, Marine Corp, consists of the Naval Forces, Sub-Naval Forces, Coastal Forces and Amphibious Forces.

The smallest overbranch is the weak Aerial Corp, which is made up of Fighter Wing, Bomber Wing and Reconnaissance Wing.

Tabrek style of warfare puts a huge emphasis on thorough advances of heavy armored vehicles supported by auxiliary infantry, and preceded by constant rolling artillery barrages from canons and naval vessels. Due to the TAS’s overall lack of an effective air force, many vehicles and ships are equipped solely with anti-air canons and missiles with the intent of covering other ground and naval forces.

Full citizenship requires at least one five year term be served before the age of 40; this requirement is usually fulfilled after graduation from secondary or tertiary school, though. Immigrants and other non-citizen adults must serve a full ten years (five for partial citizenship, five for full) in the Foreign Infantry before they are given their full citizenship in Tabikrion. Additional benefits, such as increased pensions and healthcare coverage are awarded to those who serve longer than the required. Though soldiers do not generally receive a high salary, they are exempt from some taxes during and after their service.

Tabrek small arms usually are domestically produced variants of Soviet and Russian design, such as the Kalashnikov and RPG lines, due to a lack of quality Tabrek equivalents. Military vehicles and heavy weapons, such as artillery, are mostly of Tabrek design, though some modified Soviet models are used; missiles and combat aircraft are the exception which are almost entirely Russian-built.

Currently, a few small detachments of the military are dealing with several rebel outbreaks in the territories and outer provincial areas. There have been discussion of deploying additional military to stop this growing problem from worsening, as well as send soldiers to reinforce the overextended police forces in curbing the quickly rising drug trafficking issue.

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

Education

Until about a quarter century ago, Tabikrion held one of the lowest literacy rates in the region. This problem has now been reversed due to a massive increase in public education funding in the last two and a half decades. However, only recently has the traditional ten years of education been raised to the standard twelve, and a secondary school diploma required for military service. There are an ever growing number of public universities, which are funded mostly by the government.

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. This healthcare package is usually sufficient to cover the majority of the medical expenses for the average Tabrek, though many still opt to supplement this with more comprehensive packages offered by the private sector.

Many Tabrek doctors get most of their training as field surgeons during their required military service. Unfortunately constant shortages in medical personnel and financial mismanagement of funds for healthcare has kept Tabrek medical science nearly a decade behind more advanced nations. This renders the free healthcare benefits offered by the government much less useful than they appear, and have forced many Tabreks who are seriously ill to rely almost soley on better funded and significantly more expensive healthcare in the private sector.

Art and Entertainment

Art in Tabikrion is generally not as well respected as it is in many other cultures, and is sometimes looked upon as frivolous wastes of time. This had led to a general lack of museums and art galleries, and most of those that exist are funded by the government and filled with paintings of the Unifications and other pro-nationalistic materials. The recent archeological finds concerning the ancient Tabreki Empire have created what some would call a cultural rebirth of the nation, causing many Native Tabreks to learn more about their heritage. Both privately-owned and government-run museums are now trying to shift to accommodate this change in interest, and millions in Kronars from the government and other wealthy individuals and organizations are being handed to archeologists in hopes of finding something to fill these museums.

Entertainment in Tabikrion has been greatly affected by the nation’s reconnection with the world, though many traditions still remain. The foreign sports of rugby, football/soccer and snowboarding compete for popularity and airtime with the traditional sports, such as razkta (similar to dodgeball) and verovov (Tabrek version of downhill skiing). Television has probably been the most affected, as it previously played a minor role in Tabrek life, watched mostly for news announcements and live-events on holidays and other important days; now foreign sensationalized news programs, TV dramas and noticeably untabrek comedies have made a foothold on the Tabrek channels and psyche, much to the disapproval of the government and traditionalists.

One aspect of entertainment not greatly affected by the slow internationalization of Tabikrion is their love of violence in many of their games. Though banned decades ago by the Senate, gladiatorial-type duels occur underground as often as once a week in many Tabrek cities. Less-than-lethal games of similar play are still legal, and are still incredibly popular, accounting for three-fifths of all stadium-based games. The dozens of yearly war games practiced jointly by military branches and PMCs are often televised with great success and popularity.

Science

Through its friendship with the powerful Soviet regime of the Cold War era, Tabikrion was able to end its status as a backwards nation, and has since maintained stable, though unremarkable science programs. Because of its often traditionalistic nature, Tabikrion is often unwilling to commit itself to projects that could be morally dubious for most Tabreks. Anything not deemed crucial to the nation is usually not funded by the government, leaving it up to the science-based corporations to support much of the weight of the scientific community. Government interference with these companies has further increased frustration of researchers, and in the last decade has resulted in the departure of many of the Tabikrion’s better scientists for more open-minded nations. 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, in hopes of replacing its weakened scientific community with a new generation.

Environment

Environmental protection has never been a priority to the Tabreks due in part to a general lack of forests to log and that the nation’s weak manufacturing has kept air and water pollution relatively low. There are regulations on companies pertaining to waste disposal, but many believe this is more of a way to keep companies under the government thumb then to protect the environment. Hunting is a popular sport in Tabikrion, and though laws are in place to protect animals that are potentially endangered, they are loosely enforced. However, there are concerns being voiced by domestic and international environmental groups about Tabikrion’s rapid increase in industry, which many believe will lead to an environmental destabilization seen in other countries. Ericrea in particular has criticized Tabrek methods, which has done little to improve relations between the two nations.