Bakfong

Beifang (: 北統, tr. Bakfong, [ˈbæk fɔŋ]; : Bắc Thống), officially known as the The Imperial State of Beifang (Bakanese: 大北統, tr. [bak7][fong1][daai6][dai3][gwok3]; Yuenese: Đại đế Bắc Quốc), is a    on Kesh bordering Alvakalia to the south, Guurdalai to the east, Tolima to the northeast, Poja to the north, and Kodeshia to the southeast. Comprising of 8 provinces and 3 direct-administration zones, the nation covers an area of 1,001,402 km2 and hosts a population of 102.5 million people. Beifang's capital, Taywu, sits west of the Wu Lake on the northern coast. Other major metropolises include Dong Kinh, Quan Chau, Lim-Chow and Kowhai. Minority cultural centers include the former colony of Tsih-Pa Ra and  Tan-Fo Han.

The country has its origins in the eight tribes of the Yue, Ou, Nan, Yang, Min, Yelang, Shan, and Luo. Before the Gwok-Min War, the area around the Wu Lake was the center of warfare between the 8 proto-kingdoms for a millenium. Various invasions from Kodeshia in the 2nd century CE led to the intense of the Nan and Yang tribes while the remaining kingdoms were made vassals of the XXXn Dynasty for over 200 years before the Invasion of the Gwokyang Peoples in 475 CE. Considered to be a catalyst for Beifang's creation, the Min and Yue tribes unified to become the Minyue Kingdom, defeating the Gwokyang in a 12-year war before emerging as the strongest Kingdom in northern Kesh for a century. With unparalleled military strength, King Sagong waged annexation wars known as the Unification Wars (491 CE-528 CE), culminating in the founding of the Confederation of Bakfong and later the Imperial State of Beifang. The founding of the country was a direct challenge to Kodeshian hegemony and a war of independence was fought against Kodeshian garrisons in southern deserts of Sik Wa.

Beifang and Kodeshia fought several wars throughout subsequent centuries, many of them over control of the ludicrous trade route between the not/Himalayan mountains. In the 9th century CE, Emperor Kway Tsing declared that it was Heaven's will for Beifang to conquer its neighbors and expand further inland, culminating into the Ngoi Hay March (Outwards March). Over the next 600 years, Bakanese borders gradually expanded far into the Sik Wa Desert away from the vital rivers flowing from the not/Himalayas. With the destruction of various desert confederacies and the annexation of the Southern Iron Hills (formerly Alvakalian territory), the Ngoi Hay March ended with the Decree of Troi Đuc that saw the official incorporation of conquered lands into the Imperial State.

In the modern era, the country enjoys substantial economic affluence and political stability. Business-friendly policies and reliable government bureaucracy created one of the largest markets in the world. The Taywu Stock Exchange boasts over 2,142 companies worth a combined total of $4.1 trillion.

Etymology
"Beifang" is the name first recorded in the 3rd century CE to refer to the confederation of lake tribes in the north. Beifang has two root words:
 * The word Bei, meaning "North".
 * The Kodeshian word fang meaning "united."

Bakfong - meaning "northern kingdom" - was originally used by the various lake tribes to refer to the proto-kingdom of Minyue after the Gwok-Min War. Upon establishing relations with the Kodeshian empire, XXXn officials recorded the name of the nation as "Beifang" in their chronicles. During the Kodeshian Domination era from the 3rd century to 5th century CE, sinification of the river settlements and cross-cultural exchanges led to the adoption of the Kodeshian written language and subsequently the Kodeshian name in exchange for profitable trade benefits. During the early 9th century, King Kway Tsing (Quay Sinh), an ethnic Nan, began a process of sinification across the country. Kodeshian clothing was imported and the modified customs of the already-sinified Nan and Yang peoples were brought all the way to Wu. Hence, the official name of the country was changed to the Kodeshian name "Beifang", though "Bakfong" remained common usage among the people.

In the Yue language, the country is called "Bắc Thống", a naturalisation of the Bakanese name.

Prehistory and antiquity
The Goidelia subcontinent is believed to have been sparsely populated by of the species ' between 850,000 and 900,000 years ago. Fossil records indicate that the first of the inhabited southern Goidelia as early as 32,000 years ago, although migration beyond the southern coast did not occur until 10,000 years ago when the  began to recede. At this time, Goidelia was connected to Artemia via a land bridge across what is now the Saint Canal due to lower sea levels. Geneticists suggest that the early indigenous human population were decedents of early modern humans from what is now Vallis and migrated to the subcontinent primarily via this land bridge and by boat.

Proto-Celtic culture and language developed in Goidelia, influenced by the migration of continental tribes from 400 BCE. Ancient seafaring Guals speaking were the predominant civilization in southern Goidelia beginning at approximately 200 BCE. Gaulic tribes were responsible for much of the Celtic presence in continental Artemia, notorious for raiding continental coastal settlements and founding permanent settlements. The largest of these settlements was founded in what is now northern Legantus during the 1st century BCE, although these Gauls were eventually pushed out of the area by competing Teutonic tribes by the 2nd century CE. Although the Gaels never fell a continental culture, due in part to its relative isolation on the Goidelia subcontinent, its culture eventually faded from prominence by 700 CE. Around this time, the Gauls were supplanted by and -speaking Celts.

Medieval times to Teutonic invasion (800-1150)
The rival matriarchal Brittanic and Goidelic tribes of Goidelia had evolved into a patchwork of kingdoms by 800 CE. These kingdoms were the progenitors to the modern Brittanic and Goidelic duchies and principalities of Tiperyn. These kingdoms retained much of the seafaring tradition of their Gaulic predecessors, settling the archipelago that now composes the Goidelic Republic of Airgialla. Between 900 CE to 1,000 CE, it is alleged that the Goidelic Pádraig sailed across the North Iapetus, landing in what is now modern Brigantica. He reported his findings to the High Queens and Kings of the Goidelic kingdoms, describing temperate, beautiful, and largely uninhabited landscapes - with the exception of sparse Algonquian tribes. Goidelic explorers and priests gradually plotted the coastline of eastern Brigantica, founding hill-forts along the coastline.

Goidelia fell subject to invasion by the Teutonic Angli and Frisii tribes of continental Artemia in 1080 CE. Over the course of the next 40 years, the Goidelic and Brittanic kingdoms of southern and eastern Goidelia were pushed west, supplanted by Angli and Frisii settlements. These settlements act as hubs of major Teutonic migration to Goidelia. The most significant of these settlements was founded in what is now known as Ambrosia Bay. These settlements would evolve into predominantly Frisii kindgoms in the south and east, and Anglii warriors moving north past the Izerhert mountain ranges. By 1150 CE, Goidelia's Celtic population had been pushed into the island's western-most areas, coalescing under one Goidelic kingdom and one Brittanic queendom. Based on genetic research and writings found in the ruins of a Celtic settlement in modern-day Airgialla, it is theorized High Queen Maeve displaced her kingdom to Brigantica following early Celtic defeats at the hands of the Anglo-Frisii invasion, founding what would eventually become the state of Anderin. This accounts for the presence of indigenous Celts in northern Avalonia, as well as the disappearance of the original kingdoms of Airgialla during the 12th century.

Teutonic expansion and early clashes (1150-1300)
From the mid 12th century to the early 14th century, Goidelia was marked with the expansion of the Teutonic kingdoms, periodic war, and the formation of the Tipslansk and Anglic identities. Through this period, the Middle Tipslansk and Middle Anglic languages developed from their Teutonic progenitors. The Teutonic tribes gained practical control over the majority of Goidelia - with the exception of westernly Celtic lands - and tensions boiled between the competing nobles leading up to the House Wars.

The Old Frisii migrants had unified into two major kingdoms: Tipslan and Wittenlan. Meanwhile, many of the Anglii migrants continued north, traversing the Izerhert Mountain Range into the largely uninhabited of northern Goidelia. The kingdom of Tipslan was the original Teutonic kingdom of Tiperyn founded by the ancestors of the Highal royal family in 1172, taking its namesake from the Frisii word Tipslan meaning "further land." Wittenlan was one of the earliest expansions of the newly established Tipslan east after a peace agreement was signed between House Highal and the Goidelic High Queen. The settlers in eastern Goidelia fractured from Tipslan in response to Tipslansk demands for tribute from the area's prosperous cattle ranchers and wheat farmers. The dissidents rallied around the wealthy Menward noble family, organizing an army composed of both peasant infantry and auxiliaries and noble cavalrymen and founding the kingdom of Wittenlan in 1255. At this time, the conflict between Tipslan and the Celts had de-escalated to minor border clashes and raids along the largely uncontrolled border regions. The wealthiest and most powerful of the noble families subordinate to House Highal had begun to boil with malcontent, but House Highal had attempted to maintain its control of the remainder of Tipslan territory by diminishing the role of the nobility in the standing military, appointing viceroys to manage village militias. However, this only further stewed discontent amongst Tipslan's western and northern reaches.

By 1261, Tipslan was fully embroiled in war with Wittenlan. The tributary demands of Tipslan in the form of grain and men for House Highal's army had increase substantially as the lower nobility's support for House Highal diminished. When Queen Falkou, the second queen of Tipslan, died in 1264, several noble families of eastern revolted against House Highal, with House Hathuward and House Eilulf challenging the authority of the Highal family over Tipslan. Initially, there was little conflict following the revolt. Over the following decades, Tipslan solidified its control of southern Goidelia, quickly seizing ports and major farmland on the periphery of its territory. Princess Valentina, being the oldest of Queen Falkou's two daughters and three sons, ascended to the throne, being crowned the Queen of Tipslan in 1266 after a brief period of leadership by Prince Gerrit - the husband of Queen Falkou.

Queen Valentina the First was notorious for her pragmatism and brutality towards dissidents and rival noble houses. The year 1274 marked one of the most infamous acts in Tiperyn history, when Valentine I summoned leading members of the Hathuward and Eilulf noble houses to Ambrosia to discuss a resolution to the conflict between the houses. Upon receiving two princesses of House Hathuward and the crown prince of House Eilulf, Valentine I immediately ordered their execution. Concurrently to their visit, she had dispatched a force of 2,500 men to ride to the Eilulf's seat in Nijboarn and raid the city. Tipslan cavalry, supported by nearly 600 militiamen that joined along the march, entered Nijboarn on 17 August 1274 and razed the city to the ground, killing between 5,000 and 10,000 people and executing the leading members of House Eilulf. After the battle, Valentina I placed control of this easternly area now known as Idlerein under the authority of the loyal House Wilbrand, with Elisabeth Wilbrand becoming the first Duchess of Idlerein in 1280.

The dismantlement of House Eilulf bought Tipslan two decades of relative peace before the next series of revolts. House Hathuward of the northwest submitted to Valentina I after the razing of Nijboarn, fearing raids against its relatively vulnerable seat at Mynherberch. Although Tipslan continued to delegate local governance to House Hathuward in the area now referred to as Tytsjerkstera, House Highal had regained its access to its rich mineral resources - particularly iron and copper. Meanwhile, the conflict against Wittenlan had ground to a stand still, with neither side able to reach a decisive victory. From 1278 to 1300, neither Wittenlan nor Tipslan instigated a battle, rather bidding their time for an advantageous time to attack. Expecting an imminent war to take the entirety of Goidelia, Valentina I drastically expanded the size of the Tipslan army and implemented positions of leadership for professional soldiers outside of the nobility. During this brief period of peace, Valentina I discharged many soldiers hailing from Tytsjerkstera and deployed Tipslaner and Idlereiner soldiers to areas that had once been in rebellion to maintain authority. However, as the power of the Tipslan military grew, so to did its requirement for resources. Taxes demanded of Tipslan's periphery duchies increased every year from 1285 to 1300, as did the overbearing presence of Tipslan militiamen and knights.

In 1300, House Hathuward instigated an open rebellion against Queen Valentina I's reign once more. Across Tytsjerkstera, barracks housing militamen were torched and soldiers were ambushed as they ate and bathed. Although House Wilbrand of Idlerein stood loyal with Tipslan, six low noble families north of Idlerein and Tipslan splintered, forming principalities around the cities of Eastliryk, Hindelvega, Rotte, Buitenwoude, Malskurm and Steinsen. These rebellions and secession are now considered to be the beginning of the House Wars.

House Wars (1301-1345)
The House Wars were a series of conflicts between the Tipslan-Idlerein alliance against two rebellious duchies, six principalities, and the Celtic kingdoms. Lasting from 1301 to 1345, the Tipslan-led alliance fought a campaign of divide and conquer, first targeting the weakest principalities directly bordering Tipslan before engaging the larger duchies of Tytsjerkstera and Wittenlan. During the early years of the war, Tipslan fought on the defensive, protecting its eastern border from the Wittenlan threat while rushing to secure the vulnerable iron mines of southern Tytsjerkstera and Eastrein. The offensive to reclaim Tipslansk lands began in 1312 with the invasion of the principalities and their destruction. By 1319, the rebellious noble families who commanded the six principalities were either captured, executed or forced to flee to Wittenlan or Tytsjerkstera. Valentina I replaced their reign with loyal noble families, crowning their reigning members as princesses and princes of the Tipslansk Ryk. The coronation of the six nobles occurred during the same ceremony in 1320 in the Tipslan capital of Ambrosia. Valentina's use of the term "Tipslansk Ryk" in her famous "Warrior Queen" speech was the first suggestion of a unified Tiperyn by the royal family, foreshadowing the rise of the Tiperyn Realm at the war's end.

Tipslan set its sights on House Hathuward of Tytsjerkstera in 1321 after regaining strength from the campaign against the principalities. Facing an inferior enemy force and already in control of its major iron mines, the Tipslan alliance - now aided by principality forces - invaded Tytsjerkstera, defeating House Hathuward by 1333. Tipslan invaded Wittenlan later that year, crossing the Ienheid River on 2 November and laying siege to the Wittenlan capital of Wineker on 29 November. Wittenlan capitulated to Tipslan forces once its food stores had expended on 4 March 1334, suffering approximately 40,000 civilian deaths due to starvation.

It is believed Queen Valentina I died on 1 September 1334 of pneumonia, although several records also report 6 September as her date of death. She was succeeded by her eldest daughter Valentina II (age 17). With the unification of the ethnically Tipslansk duchies and principalities, Valentina II turned her ambitions towards the Celtic kingdoms of the west which had remained unchallenged since 1150. In 1337, Valentina II committed Tipslan's army to the largest campaign in its history. A force of nearly 90,000 Tipslan soldiers invaded the kingdoms of Poc'her and Rosraig. With both sides taking heavy losses initially, the campaign turned into a protracted war of attrition. Celtic forces implemented guerrilla tactics, ambushing columns of Tipslan soldiers as they traversed Rosraig's thick forest valleys. Tipslan forces besieged the Celt's major towns, including the Rosraig capital of An Clochan on island's western coast, and bombarded them into submission. The decisive battle was the Battle of Solas Canala, where Tipslan forces converged on a Celt force of nearly 15,000 that had retreated to the port city of Solas Canala, intending to escape by ship to the Airgialla archipelago. Once Celtic forces had retreated into the city following the arrival of Tipslan forces, Tipslan alliance soldiers laid siege to the city, while alliance ships blockaded the port and began a bombardment of the city's shoreline. Over the course of four months, two-thirds of the original 15,000-strong Celt force had died, as well as 34,000 of the city's inhabitants. The Celts officially capitulated on 9 September 1345, bringing an end to the 44-year long House Wars.

The island's Anglic population, which had remained isolated north of the Izerhert Mountain Ranges, had stayed out of the House Wars. Following a meeting of the Duchess Jane Willems of Hawkreath, Princess Victoria Hawtrey of Spencton, and Valentina II, the Duchy of Hawkreath and Principality of Spencton agreed to peacefully join the Tipslan-led alliance in exchange for access to the southern duchy's foodstuffs and iron, as well as increased autonomy in comparison to the conquered territories.

Queen Valentina II declared the founding of a Tipslansk Ryk, dubbed the Tiperyn Realm by the island's Anglic population. She ordered the convention of all of the Realm's duchesses, dukes, princes, and princesses at the Anglic enclave of Stallings in northern Tipslan. At the meeting, she laid out the pillars of the Realm, cementing Tipslan as the Grand Duchy of the Realm and declaring herself Empress of the Tiperyn Realm. The Stallings Concordant was signed on 5 December 1345, and serves as the founding document of Tiperyn.

Colonial empire (1540-1915)
Christianity had existed in Tiperyn since the migration of Anglii and Frisii tribes in the 11th century, but up until the 15th and 16th centuries had little influence on the Empress or her government.

The Grand Campaigns (1915-1926)

 * See more: The Grand Campaigns

Demography
Tiperyn had an estimated population of 102,560,000 as of 25 June 2018.

Language
[[Image:Tiperyn Language Map.jpg|right|thumb|350px|105%

]]95% of Beifang's population can speak Standard Bakanese or Min Bakanese, as it is considered the lingua franca, while 52% of the population either speaks a dialect of Bakanese or knows a second regional language. Historians believe that the 8 tribes of Wu had their own languages with unique dialects of ancient Bakanese. Studies of old records have proven for example, that Yang Bakanese was mutually unintelligible with Yelang Bakanese. After the Unification Wars, it is believed that the Min dialect became more prominent around the Wu area and the old proto-languages either adopted Min words or merged with Min. During the time of the Kodeshian domination, Bakanese was exposed to the Kodeshian language and consequently absorbed many loanwords; up to an estimated 15% of Standard Bakanese is intelligible with Kodeshian with an additional 45% of the vocabulary consisting of loanwords. Regional dialects are still highly reminiscent of the original languages once spoken by the other tribes.

On the other hand, Yue is often classified as its own language group due to its geographic isolation away from the other tribes as well as its linguistic preservation since the days of the Minyue. Yuenese and Bakanese share many common words with each other; the former often containing many naturalised words and phrases from Bakanese and Kodeshian. Yuenese also has considerable foreign influence such as borrowed vocabulary from Mero-Curgovina and Anglic traders. An estimated 41% of Bakanese people can speak Yuenese despite ethnic Yue making up only 27% of the population.

Beifang also contains fusion languages, resulting from the Artemian colonial era. The special port of Tsih-Pa Ra was a former Mero-Curgovinian trade outpost that grew into a bustling economic hub in the late 19th century. The majority of the population there speak Meronese, a unique dialect of Bakanese with over 85% of its vocabulary consisting of loanwords from Mero-Curgovinian.

Considered the universal language, Anglic is spoken primarily in urban areas of the country. Places with a large number of expatriates or foreigners often have signs and demarcations in Anglic. The language is also the official international business language of the nation, learned by students all throughout their years of schooling. It is believed that Anglic was first introduced to Beifang in the early 19th century when Tiperyn traders arrived to the Far East and established commercial relations.

Government
The Holy Tiperyn Realm is a    with Empress Aletta I acting as,  and Supreme Governor of the First Apostolic Church. Tiperyn has been ruled by House Highal since its inception in 1345 with a lineage hearkening back to the 9th century as the dominant family of the Duchy of Tipslan.

Tiperyn consists of seven duchies and nine principalities that are subordinate to the Empress and the Grand Duchy of Tipslan. Each division is ruled by a duke/duchess or prince/princess unrelated to House Highal, with the exception of Tipslan whose Duchess is also the Empress. However, subordinate nobility must pledge their allegiance to the high crown and submit their individual armies to the nation during wartime.

Monarch
The Tiperyn carries the title of Empress/Emperor of the Holy Tiperyn Realm and acts as the nation's head of state and head of government. The monarch concurrently holds the title of Grand Duchess/Duke of Tipslan and acts as the Supreme Governor of the First Apostolic Church. Monarchs come exclusively from the Highal royal family - the only family with a claim to the Grand Duchy of Tipslan throne. As a, the succession process involves input from several actors, including the royal family, the noble families of the duchies and principalities, and the bishops of the First Apostolic Church.

The process of succession begins when declared by the Archcardinal of the First Apostolic Church that the ruling monarch has passed away or resigned their duties as Emperor or Empress. The royal family produces a list of candidates that are eligible for the throne based on the line of succession and who are approved by the Archcardinal of the First Apostolic Church and a majority of the church's Archbishops. The line of succession is, meaning female members of the royal family are first in line for the throne and males may only be eligible if there is no eligible female successor. Thus, succession cohorts of potential candidates for the throne universally come from the same gender when they are formed. This makes male monarchs rare in Tiperyn, with there only being three in its nearly 700 year history. Once the succession cohort is formed, the successor is elected by the Noble Congress which is composed of the dukes and duchesses of Tiperyn's duchies and the princes and princesses of its principalities, totaling 16 voting members not including the vacant seat of the Grand Duke/Duchess of Tipslan. The process by which the duchy or principality decides which candidate has its vote varies from division to division. For example, the Duke/Duchess of Wittenlan has typically held sole decision-making authority in casting its vote for a successor, whereas the Viceroy of the State of Kanaalbaken has based his or her decision upon a vote including a council of 100 respected, estate-owning members of the community. In the event of a tie, the Archbishops of the First Apostolic Church vote to decide the successor. Upon election, the new monarch is immediately granted all concurrent titles dependent on their position as Emperor or Empress.

Once in power, the monarch holds broad and significant executive powers. While in practice, the monarch has delegated daily governance to the Cabinet of Cardinals chaired by the Archcardinal, it has the authority to override decisions made by the ministries and unilaterally implement policy. In practice, the Empress has served as the face of the realm government and the First Apostolic Church, and has set the direction of the government for her cardinals to follow. The monarch appoints the Cabinet of Cardinals, who are then responsible with leading individual ministries. Additionally, the monarch chairs the Noble Congress, using it as a platform to mediate disputes between subordinate noble families, impose the royal family's outlook, and maintain Tiperyn's system of nobility. Additionally, the monarch uses it to maintain control of the Realm Guard, whose infantry, armor, air, and support regiments are subordinate to noble families and the governments of the duchies, principalities and states.

Although the monarch has been the Supreme Governor of the First Apostolic Church since the union of the realm and the church in 1540, the institution of the First Apostolic Church has traditionally been a on the monarch's power. The church is an institution with significant power and influence in Tiperyn society. The monarch derives much of their power from the support of the church, asserting the monarch has a to rule the Holy Realm. Additionally, the church maintains a large organization dubbed the Holy Guard (Tipslansk: Hilligeskyld). The organization, composed of over 1 million members, was founded in the late 17th century to counter a  carried out by a number of powerful duchies and their Realm Guard regiments. This organization pledges its allegiance to the Empress as the Supreme Governor of the church, but the church's bishops, archbishops and the Cardinal of Values hold practical control of the organization. Further, under certain circumstances, the church's Archbishops may convene at the request of the Archcardinal to pass a motion of no-confidence in the Empress' leadership as the Supreme Governor of the church. Although this has never happened, the body can remove the Empress from her position as the head of the church. Although this does not directly remove her from the throne, it is suggested that the monarch would abdicate, losing the support of the church.

As a result, every reigning monarch of Tiperyn has espoused values consistent with the First Apostolic Church and implemented policy friendly to the institution. This has included the persecution and suppression of Tiperyn's polytheistic Goidelic population, the expansion of the role of the Holy Guard as civil religious police, and the promotion of beliefs held by the church's most extreme leaders.

Cabinet of Cardinals
The Empress is the head of the Church and the Cabinet of Cardinals that lead Tiperyn's federal ministries. All Cardinals are appointed by the Empress, while the Archcardinal presides over the cabinet, acting as its head in absence of the Empress. Each ministry is responsible for a different sector of federal government, with subordinate Offices composing each primary ministry. The composition of the cabinet is as follows:

Administrative divisions
The Holy Realm of Tiperyn is divided into 19 administrative divisions subordinate to the royal government and varying in power. These include seven duchies, nine principalities, one state, and two overseas dominions. The Grand Duchy of Tipslan serves as the seat of the Holy Tiperyn Realm, with its Grand Duchess serving concurrently as the monarch of Tiperyn.

Foreign relations

 * See more: Foreign relations of Tiperyn

Tiperyn maintains diplomatic relations with most countries in the world - with the exception of Airgialla - and is a leading member of the the North-South Concordant. Although its relative power has decreased from when it was a colonial power prior to the turn of the 20th century, it still maintains status in world affairs. Formal diplomatic relations are primarily maintained by the Ministry of Diplomacy headed by the Cardinal Diplomacy.

Military

 * See more: Tiperyn Realm Defence

The Tiperyn Realm Defence are the military forces of the Holy Tiperyn Realm. It is divided into three main service branches, a paramilitary branch, and a branch. The primary service branches include the Realm Guard, Realm Armada, and Realm Aero Service. The paramilitary branch is the Holy Guard, which the Realm Defence shares joint command over with the First Apostolic Church. Lastly, the Crown Vigilance Corps is Tiperyn's federal gendamerie and is primarily implemented as police in the capital, government buildings, and as highway patrol. The Tiperyn Realm Defence is among the largest national militaries in the world, consisting of 1.04 million active duty, 1.54 million reserve duty, and 1.04 million paramilitary personnel.

The Realm Armada and Realm Aero Service are represented on the Cabinet of Cardinals by the highest ranking officer in each respective branch appointed by the Empress - the Cardinal of the Fleet and the Cardinal of the Aero Service respectively. These two branches are considered federal branches, drawing on the national population at large and being under the direct authority of the federal government. Meanwhile, the Realm Guard is represented by the Cardinal of War, who heads the Ministry of the Sword. Unlike the Cardinal of the Fleet or the Cardinal of the Aero Service, the Cardinal of War is a civilian position. Because individual Realm Guard regiments are formed, managed, and operated under the authority of individual duchy, principality, and state governments, the Cardinal of War coordinates the federalization of the Realm Guard and its operations. The Holy Guard and Crown Vigilance Corps are under the authority of the Ministry of Values. This Ministry is innately connected to the First Apostolic Church, and the two branches are charged with enforcing Apostolic law, deterring resistance against or seizure of the state, and enforce criminal law. The Holy Guard and Crown Vigilance Corps are composed entirely of paramilitary and reserve duty personnel respectively.

Each active service branch plays a different role in Tiperyn's defense strategy. The Realm Armada acts as Tiperyn's primary and  service branch. With a history steeped in a rich tradition as a naval colonial power, Tiperyn's navy has the most active duty personnel of any branch and is the one most often deployed in response to conflict or humanitarian needs. The Realm Armada consists of the High Seas Fleet, Fleet Auxiliary, Fleet Air Service and Fleet Marine Corps. Its non-nuclear supercarriers and amphibious assault ships allow for the rapid deployment of land and air forces. The Realm Defence concentrates the majority of its fixed-wing close air support capability into the Realm Armada, as its aircraft carrying capability makes it ideally suited for operations outside of its network of military bases and military partners. Because of its integration into the Realm Armada, the Fleet Marine Corps acts as Tiperyn's expeditionary ground force, supported directly by Realm Armada aircraft, helicopters and ships. Fleet Marines are typically the first Tiperyn soldiers deployed to combat zones, as was the case with the current Naseristan crisis.

By contrast, the Realm Guard is composed of regiments under the authority of duchy, principality and state governments that may be federalized by the realm government in times of crisis. Well suited towards occupation and counter-insurgency operations due to their experience combating Goidelic insurrectionists domestically, the Realm Guard are actively involved in the fighting in Naseristan. As Realm Guard soldiers are recruited and assigned to units within their own province, the Realm Armada - which usually has strategic command over combat zones - has been hesitant to utilize Realm Guard units due to them being subordinate to other noble families. However, some units, such as Hawkreath's mountaineer regiments, have proven themselves to be aptly suited for the geography currently being fought in by the Realm Defence - particularly the mountains of south Naseristan.

The Realm Aero Service typically does not participate in tactical operations, by contrast. It possesses a modest strategic bombing fleet, but it has gradually been relegated from Tiperyn's primary air service from the 1910s to the 1960s to airlift, bombing, and surveillance. It coordinates with the Realm Armada in the defense of Tiperyn's homeland air space, with 22 air bases stationing 300 Realm Aero Service interceptors. Additionally, since the turn of the 21st century, the Aero Service has assumed more responsibilities with regards to space. The Aero Service absorbed Tiperyn's exploratory and research-based space agency, becoming a driving force in the Concordant Cosmological Mission. Further, the Aero Service is responsible for the maintenance and delivery of 70% of Tiperyn's nuclear arsenal (via medium- to long-range ballistic missiles and bombers), while the Realm Armada is responsible for the remaining 30% (via ballistic missile submarines and carrier-capable interdictor aircraft).

Economy
One of the largest economies in the world, Beifang has stood as a bastion of pro-entrepreneurial policies and a business-friendly market. For most of its history, the country relied heavily on the fertile lands and natural harbours around the lake, with economic activity mainly centered around the cities of Quan Chau and Taywu. It wasn't until the establishment of the Mero-Curgovinian trade outpost of Tsih-Pa Ra (Scipara in Mero-Curgovinian) that the nation began to undergo gradual economic reforms in order to adapt to the rising globalised trade system and the growing power of the Artemian nations. In the late 18th century, Beifang fought a brief naval skirmish against the early Teutonian fleets that colonised the nearby lands of later Alvakalia. Upon seeing the strength and importance of a modern navy, the Siwu Council of Nobility forced the conservative Emperor Yue Kong (Viet Cuong) to sign the 100 Compromises Treaty, which limited the authority of the Emperor and placed matters of the economy and legislature into the hands of the Siwu and Si-Ga legislative houses. The opportunistic noblemen opened the country to Artemian influences and immediately witnessed an influx of new technologies and ideas brought in by western traders. The Fu Gwok Koeng Gwan (Nước Giàu Quân đội Mạnh) or Fu Gwok (Phú Quốc) Movement in 1821 saw the rise of a new class of entrepreneurs, industrialists, and the implementation of laissez-faire government economic policies whilst a growing middle class developed a large, favourable market for foreign companies to invest in the country throughout the 19th century. Young students were often sent abroad primarily to Teutonia and Mero-Curgovina to study western economic theories and law. In modern times, the shipping sector accounts for 21% percent of the GDP while the manufacturing sector accounts for 10%. Private enterprise makes up an astonishing 60% of the country's economic output with agriculture holding only 9%. The economy is dominated by service industries, although shipbuilding, shipping, transportation, and biotech make up large shares. The Taywu Stock Exchange is one of the largest on Kesh, listing 2,142 companies as of 2018 worth a combined total of $4.1 trillion. As such, Beifang can be considered one of the maturest and most westernised economies in Kesh.

Economic system
The Commission of Trade and Commerce has strict guidelines and standards that pervades all levels of economic activity in the country. Beifang implements a unique variation of the system known as, in which the means of production are owned privately, but the state has considerable control over the allocation of credit and investment as well as intervening in the economy to protect and advance the interests of businesses. The central government invests heavily in its private sector with often lavish to a level dubbed "" by many business-goers. Ironically despite Beifang's for big corporations, many upstart small businesses find success in the country due to the  managed by the government and a large pool of skilled human capital to grow a small company.

Foreign investment is also a key factor in Beifang's development sector, as it drives private land owners outside of the Wu megacity area to usher in, where barren land is reclaimed as fertile and habitable soil. Since 2000, approximately 82,000 km2 has been reclaimed from the desert sands and developed as either human dwellings or agricultural and manufacturing plots. However, economic consequences have resulted in the migration of businesses out of the condensed and competitive megacity area in favour of more open, cheaper land out in the green Sik Wa areas. Subsequently, the economic importance of the Wu megacity has waned in the last few years but remains the powerhouse of Beifang's economy.