The Principality of the Teressien is a Principality south of Auwalt on the the Continent of Aranna. Current Prince is Fürst Alrich III..
History
Early History (- 1420)
Formative Period (1420 - 1630)
Early Era of the House of Hochheyde (1630 - 1782)
- 1630: The Marriage between Fürst Falk II. and Princess Nela von Hochheyde forms the House of Hochheyde, which establishes itself as the ruling dynasty in Teressien
Fortifying Power (1635 - 1723)
- 1638: Foundation of the Seehandlungsgesellschaft.
- 1652: The Herzog of the Wißenthenland sends a delegation to the Spring Festival in Redruth to hire mercenaries in preparation of the next war.
The Uprising of the Barons (1723 - 1782)
- 1723: Foundation of the Baronat Zyng. Fights over who gets to rule it break out.
- 1726: The Herzog von Raycbucht, [name], hires a bunch of Selkie-Mercenaries, who soon make a name for themselves in their distinctive blue uniforms as the Blue Guard. They were eventually dissolved in 1872.
- 1780: The Battle of Blutschelde is one of the last major field battles of the Uprising of the Barons.
Long 19th Century (1782 - 1912)
Rule of Fürst Falk VII. (1912 - 1937)
Rule of Fürstin Emilia (1937-2006)
- 1950: Unternehmen Seehammer/Operation Sea Hammer, concerted Anti-Pirate-Kanmusu Operations
- 1978: FFS Schwarzsteyn is sent to Ridderli to represent Teressian Interests. Onboard: Naya Findehoof.
Rule of Fürst Raik VI. (2006-2014)
Rule of Fürst Alrich III. (2014-today)
- 2014: Alrich III. ascends to the throne.
- 2019 Ball at Schloss Zyng.
- 2021 SEA-Summit in Lixtium, Mervay: Participation of a delegation under Adalrich von Ehrenback.
See Also
- Military History of Teressien in the Early Era of the House of Hochheyde (1630-1782).
- Sailing Vessels of Teressien in the Early Era of the House of Hochheyde (1630-1782).
- Structure of the Armed Forces of the Principality in 1940.
- Seehandlungsgesellschaft.
- List of Princes of Teressien.
Geography
- See List: List of Cities in Teressien.
Teressien is a relatively large country, which is situated in the southern half of Aranna. The country borders Auwalt to the north, Menyz and Mandanda to the east, the ocean, the Great Bay and Brucalla to the south, Lutetii to the west and Dousatel to the northwest.
Climate
Biodiversity
- Also See: List of animal species endemic to Teressien, List of plant species endemic to Teressien.
Teressien is
Politics
Teressien is a conservative country at its heart,
The Fürst
With his full title, the currently reigning Fürst Alrich III. is:
- Alrich III., Fürst Teressiens, Herzog von Hochheyde, Baron von Zyng, Statthalter von Bad Bannersback.
- (Alrich the Third, Prince of Teressien, Duke of Hochheyde, Baron of Zyng, Stadtholder of Bad Bannersback.)
He is the currently reigning monarch of a line going back into the 16th century, when his dynasty first came into power. The history is long.
Alrich, however, is the Head of State, the Head of Government and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, although that position is usually delegated to the Highest Soldier, currently Admiral Naya Findehoof. He reigns with a government appointed by him,
Currently, the Cabinet is composed of:
- Adalrich von Ehrenback, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
- Admiral Naya Findehoof, Minister of Defense, Highest Soldier and usually Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
- Rainer Kistmacker, Minister of Health.
- Elfi Reck, Minister for Civil Service and Sports.
Nobility and their rights and duties
The Fürst stands at the head of the Principality as Head of State and Government, that person currently being Fürst Alrich III..
The country itself is divided into a number of Shires (Herzogtümer, ruled by a Herzog or Herzogin) and Baronies (Baronat, ruled by a Baron or Baronin), which are ruled by these people of Royalty - as heads of their territories, with the inner constitution varying, some havin democratically elected Chancellors, some appointing Chancellors, some ruling themselves. They have authorities over internal matters of infrastructure, inner security and policing, environment as well as the finances of their territories.
Matters of industry, agriculture, foreign affairs and defense, justice, customer protection, health and education are with the central government in Hochheyde. Branch offices of the ministries can be found in every Shire or Barony Capital.
On the communal level, the citizens elect in free and secret elections their own mayors, who lead their villages, towns and cities with the dedication expected of them.
List of Shires and Baronies (in order of precedence)
Shire or Barony |
Population (in millions of people) |
Capital | Ruler | Heir | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Herzogtum Hochheyde | 29.5 | Hochheyde | Alrich III. | N/A | |
Herzogtum von Dorch | 13.8 | Dorch | Malte von Dorch | Vin, Prinz von Dorch | |
Herzogtum Raycbucht | 8.7 | Raycbucht | Alvina von Raycbucht | N/A | |
Baronat Byrkland | 1.6 | Birktopia | Nahmen, Baron von Byrkland | Lien, Prinzessin von Byrkland | |
Herzogtum Hammacker | 11.2 | Hammacker | Lone von Hammacker | Theda, Prinzessin von Hammacker | |
Herzogtum Bucktend | 9.4 | Norwin and Elfi von Bucktend | Raik, Prinz von Bucktend | ||
Baronat Bad Hektling | 8.6 | ||||
Baronat Zyng | 4.1 | Zyng | Alrich III. | ||
Baronat von Port Monee | 1.1 | Port Monee | Wilrun, Baronin von Port Monee | ||
Herzogtum Zieselhaven und Elms | 4 | Zieselhaven | Fiete von Zieselhaven und Elms | Nela, Prinzessin von Zieselhaven und Elms | |
Baronat von Entenhausen | 6.4 | Entenhausen | Donald, Baron von Entenhausen | ||
Herzogtum Wißenthenland | 13.1 | Wißenthen | Ada von Wißenthen | Rena, Prinzessin von Wißenthen | |
Baronat am Barschenberg | 1.8 | ||||
Herzogtum Neuingen | 2.8 | Roderich von Neuingen | |||
Teressien | 116.1 | Hochheyde | Alrich III. | N/A |
Sykane and Bad Bannersback are under the Lordship of a Stadtholder, Bad Bannersback under that of Fürst Alrich III., Sykane under that of the Duchess of Reycbucht, Alvina von Raycbucht.
Local Administration
Military
- Also See: Fürstliche Streitkräfte.
The Armed Forces of the Principality, a.k.a. the Fürstliche Streitkräfte, are the armed forces of the Principality. Divided into the Landwehr, the militia of Teressien, the Fürstliches Heer, the regular army, and the Fürstliche Marine, the navy, a total of 200,000 officers and men are permanently under arms, while an additional 300,000 people are reservists (mostly for the Landwehr).
Their first and primary mission is to defend Teressien and to provide assistance in case of natural disaster, as well as to protect the EEZ of Teressien.
Law and Law Enforcement
- See Main Articles: Police of the Principality.
The Principality is a state of law.
Although the Principality has a relatively liberal Firearm Legislation, there are a number of restrictions: Citizens are not allowed to own firearms of automatic nature, with no caliber larger then 9x20mm (pistols), 8x60mm (rifles) and 19x80mm (shotguns). A number of additional restrictions exist in regards to ammunition, allowing Wadcutter and Semi-Wadcutters, but little else other then blanks. Owners of shotguns are limited to solid-shot Wadcutters as well.
The Grenzpolizei is responsible for border security.
The Street Children
One of the largest political issues Teressien currently faces are reaped from decades of bad policies during the reign of Fürst Raik VI. (the father and predecessor of Fürst Alrich). This issue are the street children in Teressien, especially in the industrialized and built-up areas of Eyssenstad, Hammacker, Zieselhaven and the old and abandoned mining areas all along the Feuerbergkette.
While a number of philanthropists work towards ridding these children of poverty, among them Otis Sassa and Aaltje Schreyg, their efforts, while not in vain, are only a drop of water.
Reasons for runaways to run away from their homes are manyfold, but many tie in with the rampant child poverty in industrialized areas: Poor homes, substance abuse (mostly alcohol) and domestic violence are the major causes. Around a third of the street children identify as LGBT, which, coupled with the very restrictive LGBT-policies of the Principality and the stigma against LGBT-persons in Teressian Culture, is seen as a possible cause as well.
It is estimated, that as of 2019, the streets of Teressien's cities are populated by around one million street children of various definitions. Around fifty thousand of them are estimated to be 'children of the streets' (without home and family support), with the remaining majority being 'children on the streets' (with home and family support, but spending the majority of their days and some nights on the streets).
The problem ties in with the child poverty in general, about six million children being either in various levels of poverty or threatened by it. The government of Fürst Alrich has been critisized for not handling this issue properly both in national media and internationally, but aside from the actions of various philanthropists, nothing really came from it. This was, until early 2021, only half of the truth: The Handling of the situation by the national government amounted to largely ignoring the issue.
During the COVID-Pandemic, the issue was brought to the forefront of the discussions by the Big Sisters of the Principality, namely Nela, Prinzessin von Zieselhaven und Elms and Enya Findehoof (the girlfriend of Prince Alrich). Elfi Reck, Minister of Civil Service and Sports, was tasked with working out a strategy and first pilot projects are expected to start in the Summer of 2021.
LGBT-Situation in Teressien
Teressien is a very conservative and old-fashioned country. Starting in 1999, on the first Sunday in August, the Mulatschak LGBT Parade is held, an annual LGBT pride event - it was thanks to this, that Section 175 of the Criminal Code of the Principality, which forbade homosexual acts between men (and in particular men), was abolished as late as 2001. However, homosexuals are still under heavy scrutiny within the society and the economy, with the law still not allowing for same-sex marriage.
While no specific laws exist against the discrimination against homosexuals, the Supreme Court of the Principality decided in 1958, that no citizen of the Principality is to be discriminated or prosecuted by the Principality's authorities as long as they follow the law.
However, it is known, that bias-motivated crimes against members of Teressien's small LGBTQ-Community are investigated with less fervor by the police then non-bias-motivated crimes.
Foreign Relations
Teressien has a number of Embassies abroad, the largest of which is in Auwalt.
Since 2020, the Principality maintains an embassy in Warsaw, Prussia-Poland. The Commonwealth's Embassy in Teressien, on the other hand, has the distinction of being colloquially called die Polenfestung (the Polish Fortress) due to being a bit fortress-like when compared to other embassies.
Economy
Generally speaking, Teressien's economy relies heavily on the Secondary, Tertiary and Quarternary Sectors, with tourism taking more and more of a spot in the metaphorical limelight.
Teressien has rather strict import regulations, especially for food. Additional regulations make it basically impossible for nations without positive diplomatic relations with Teressien to import anything.
Primary Sector
One of the largest mining and refining companies of Teressien is the Sykane Mining Company, to this day held by the von Sykane Family.
Teressien is internationally known for its very strict food regulations, especially for imports. Over the last few years, there has been a movement in the ice-cream industry for permitting the usage of un-pasteurized milk in the production, which is highly debated.
Forestry plays an important role in the mountainous regions of the north, in the Herzogtum Wißenthenland. The Waldgrafschaft Kyrschsee and the Raugrafschaft am Wolfsberg are famous for their dense forests and the cutting of timber done there. The exclusive right to timber cutting rests with the Waldburgmannschaft von Lattenzaun, curently held by Rieka, Waldburgfrau von Lattenzaun.
Secondary Sector
The Hammacker Motorenwerke are one of the major industrial companies of the secondary sector. Their main products are motorcycles and mopeds, but also other motor vehicles and engines and even the occasional airplane, mostly in license-production (like the HMW-Flugzeugwerke HMW-FW 88 Gryffe Helicopter). Other vehicle manufacturers, which are far smaller then HMW with its 145,000 employees, include Sunna-Leni and the sports car manufacturer N. Meyster Sports Cars.
Flugwerft Elms-Sytzerheim is Teressien's oldest manufacturer of flying vehicles and is still operating in Elms' District Sytzerheim. To this day, they produce zeppelins and aircraft.
A number of shipbuilding companies operate in Teressien, with the state-owned Fürstliche Kriegswerftengesellschaft (Princely War-Yard Corporation) standing out as one of three licensed manufacturers of warships (the Aska Schiffswerftengesellschaft in Raycbuchthafen come to mind). Several of the shipbuilding companies of Teressien specialize in custom yachts and small vessels, others in larger ships.
Teressien, having a small arms manufacturing sector, exports arms and military equipment under strict conditions, for example not into active war zones and into countries friendly towards Teressien. This marks a policy change, which was made in 2022. Before, Teressien very, very reluctantly exported heavy equipment. The Fürstliche Kriegswerftengesellschaft is still not allowed to export their products.
Another important part of the Secondary Sector is clothes manufacturing. This importance is less based on the actual revenue coming from that part, but on its historic importance, as linen clothes are nowadays more of a niche. Most clothing is imported, mainly from Brucalla, where cotton and sheep are aplenty.
Tertiary Sector
One of the companies with the most controversies attached to it in Teressien is the services company Pflasterhirsch Feinmechanik- und Gerätevertrieb, which is a wholesale company selling weapons and military equipment, both surplus and new products, to the public, both from Teressien and from other places. A huge part of the Equipment of the Lutetiian Armed Forces at Disbandment went into the hands of Pflasterhirsch.
Tourism
One example for traveling agencies operating in Teressien is the Reiseboreau TAMS of Isa Tropp.
Quarternary Sector
Demographics
- See also: List of Teressians.
Teressien has a total population of 116.1 million people according to the 2017 census.
The majority of people follow the Gwezbewa-Cult. There are very small communities of Christians, most notably the Congregation of Port Monee, which follow the Kyrenaian Orthodoxy.
The Principality guarantees the Freedom of Religion, unless the religion or its rights contradict with the law.
Culture
Music
- See Main Article: Music in Teressien.
Teressian life is very much entwined with music, making music and listening to music, almost every school having its own little orchestra and choir, many companies organizing their own little musical groups either actively or passively. The Fürst himself it expected to be virtuoso with any instrument (Alrich III. is an expert on the violin), as is the nobility.
The playing of music, and coming together to listen to it or to dance is an important social function. While 'classical' music is the predominant style, newer styles gained popularity over the last few decades as well. One prominent example would be the Schnitzel-Rock Band Küss die Hand.
Architecture
Teressien can look back on a long architectural history, which finds expression in numerous cities and places all over the islands: From the earthquake-proof building on the islands of the Feuerbergkette to the massive stone and timber buildings of the Großkleckserl to the wooden buildings of the Südhaininseln to the modern skyscrapers and cityscapes of glass and steel of the major cities and towns.
The Kanalstädte, Sykane, Barschenberg, Hammacker and Dorch, on the other hand, have a totally different style of Architecture.
Arts
Cuisine
- See also: Cuisine of Teressien, Teressian Beer, Teressian Wine.
Media
- See also: Movie Industry of Teressien.
Sports
Fashion and Design
The traditional costume of Teressien is the Tracht, nowadays mostly worn by women. Men can wear Lederhosn or Drachtenanzug. Hausmädchen wear their own, specific uniforms with traditional connotations.
Card Games
One of the most popular pastimes in Teressien are card games,