Tilenno

Tilenno, formally known as the Federal Empire of Tilenno (Tilennan: Purena Tilenno), is a country located in Northern Avalonia. She is comprised of 5 regions, the autonomous region of Zesha, the federal areas of Hireno, the Desert of Kaesami and the disputed islands of Latanga. Each region contains multiple self-governing with the biggest one being Glikaero, in total there are 38 of these states. The capital state of Hireno is not part of any region. The autonomous region of Zesha has her own functioning parliament and functions separate from the other regions. The Kaesami Desert is largely uninhabited and is solely under the control of the federal government. The islands of Maugorod Islands Latanga are a disputed territory with Yarova.

Tilenno covers a land area of 1 530 475 km2 and borders Cipertine and Osorra in the South and Arroyo-Abeille in the North. She has a population of around 58,6 million, giving her a population density of 38,3 people per km2, making her one of the most sparsly populated nations in Anterra. Urbanization in Tilenno is high with around 17 million people living in the 5 largest cities alone, namely Glikaero, Hireno, Ytriva, Martones and Ennia, and only around 4% of the population lives in a rural area. Her GDP in 2020 totals over $1,6 trillion, which amounts to $27 953 per capita, making her one of the poorer states in Avalonia and by extension Artemia.

Tilenno is mainly shaped by her rugged, mountainous and dry nature with small pockets of fertile land in between. Her national flower is the and her national animal the. Tilenno's ecosystem is relatively isolated from others, giving her a unique fauna and flora.

Tilenno is home to one of the earliest recorded human civilizations surrounding the lake of Gantes, making her one of Anterra’s. From 4200 BCE till 1200 BCE Tilenno housed many kingdoms, mainly situated around the lake of Gantes its delta and on the islands, mainly in the Atrivan Sea. it was only around 1200 BCE with the formation of the city-states that Tilennan culture flourished. With the discovery of southern cultures and the introduction of the sweet potato in 293 BCE, combined with some major natural disasters, the city states were devastated and new dynasties took rule. They lasted until the military coup of 412, starting the age of Imperial Tilenno. The Steppe wars in 973 added Zesha to Tilenno, but left the empire in ruins, causing it to split in 5 dynasties. They lasted until the Colonial wars of 1500, which brought along the colonial era for Tilenno and trade with Artemia.

Origin of the word Tilenno
Over the years there have been many discussions on where the name Tilenno comes from, but nowadays there are 3 leading theories.

The first one, and generally accepted one, says that the name is derived from the Old Tilennan words tilera (Tilennan: tilae) and henas (Tilennan: ires), meaning land and people respectively. So Tilenno would translates to land of the people.

The second one claims that it comes from the old words for to us and sea, ti (Tilennan: xa) and lenas (Tilennan: lona) respectively. Translating to sea given to us, referencing the lake of Gantes. It also claims that the name is the genitive of the country because people would state that they were from Tilenna, which became Tilenno.

The last theory seeks the origin in the old word for sailing, ílenàrei (Tilennan: olònarí). This is in reference to the ancient sailing culture of Tilenno and could translate to land of the sailing people or the sailing country.

Lake of Gantes
The lake of Gantes is considered one of the cradles of human civilization. It provided a patch of fertile land in the arid mountainous desert of Tilenno. With its regular flooding twice a year, both from the river Kuuster and the river Perta, the land was perfectly suited for agriculture.

They mostly grew tiresta, a thick, calorie heavy grain which served many culinary purposes. Other cultivated crops included honey tomatoes, white carrots and sereela, a sweet berry used to make the traditional Tilennan drink, shiizae.

They also kept a variety of animals mostly in the grass patches near the mountains, which were unsuited for agriculture. This included animals like the Odeitan Ox, Cloud Alpaca and Sereelian Turkey.

We can divide this time period up into 3 distinct era’s: the first civilizations, the Teeruukian era and downfall of the ancient civilizations

The first civilizations (4200 - 2000 BCE)
The earliest recorded evidence of human civilization can be dated back to 4200 BCE, but researchers speculate that there may have been earlier ones. Some claiming as far back as 6000 BCE, but this remains open for speculation.

Clay tablets with proto-Tilennan script were found in the ruins of Teruuko, in modern Ytriva. Translated in 1987, they explain multiple ancient myths, trading details and wars. The most well-known myths are the Tilennan creation myth and the story of Mareiso. These tablets also proved the existence of an ancient trading route through the Kaesami Desert, nicknamed the Canyon Trail.

The last big discovery made in these texts was the epic tale of the Pan-Gantian War, in which all the big kingdoms surrounding the lake of Gantes clashed in a war so enormous, the sun didn't set for an entire month, not to miss out on the events of war. Eventually the kingdom of Teruuko won, and established its dominance around the lake, starting the Teruukian era. The real war this story was based on is believed to have taken place around 2000 BCE.

Teruukian Era (2000 - 1200 BCE)
Generally the Teruukian era was a peaceful and prosperous time in Tilennan history. Teruuko controlled the majority of the land around the Gantian Lake and established itself as the culural and economic center of that time. Teruuko was a, but it was notably a male-preference. During Teruukian rule there were 3 known occasions where a queen sat on the throne.

Many different forms of art could flourish, like poetry, philosophy, mathematics, architecture, music, theatre and visual arts. The foundations of Loonakean religion are also believed to be created during this time by Taumasae of Umia, as culture shifted away from the traditional pantheon to more abstract thinking and philosophy. Loonakae however wasn't really common until much later with the Teruukian revival.

During this age people from Gantes first sailed out and settled the islands of the Atrivan and later the Lamosan sea. The first city to be founded was Glikaero, which grew out to become one of the major Tilennan settlements.

The ancient city of Teruuko is located north of Teruuko Kitrae further up the Kuuster river.

Downfall (1200 BCE)
Around 1200 BCE tides began to change for Teruuko. The exact causes of the downfall are unknown but it is believed a combination of multiple natural disasters and raids of the northern steppe people that drove the civilization into chaos. Many people fled to the islands which caused a shift in the economic balance between Gantes and the islands. The Teruukian kingdom collapsed into smaller city-states which would kickstart the sailing era. The city of Teruuko was completely devestated during these events and people moved downstream to establish Ytriva.

Rise of the City-States (1200 - 1073 BCE)
Following the downfall of the Teruukian Kingdom, city-states rose up from the major settlements of the Teruukian Era. The four most important were Ytriva, originating from the people of the devasted city of Teruuko, Glikaero, the largest city-state on the islands and main trading hub for the rest of the islands, Lagora, Located on the Teleran isthmus between the Lamosan   Sea and Thethian Ocean and Hireno, situated on the delta between the Atrivian Sea and Gantian Lake, controlling the trade between these two.

This era is mainly characterised by the city-states trying to get a grip on their internal politics and stop the turmoil caused by the downfall. Trade in these times was minimal, although still existing. For this reason Tilennan culture stagnated during this period and in some aspects it even degraded. Many ancient texts were lost due to neglect and the Great Fire of Glikaero in 1148 BCE.

Great Glikaeran Outreach (1073 - 1054 BCE)
In 1073 the city state of Glikaero had finally reached enough stability again and was the first one to reinstate a connection between the Tilennan cities. It's influence on the other islands during this period grew significantly and it created the Diamond Island Alliance with Glikaero itself functioning as the de facto capital and main trading and military power.

The other city states, especially Hireno and Ytriva didn't like the prominence of Glikaero in the Atrivan Sea and started to avoid it as a trading route, giving preference to the Calm Coasts trading routes to reach the Lamosan Sea and Thetys Ocean. In doing so, they cut Glikaero of from their trade, creating the Lamosan-Gantian Axis

The Diamond Island Alliance however, with it's growing population, couldn't sustain itself without the trade from the fertile lands of Gantes and were forced to either loosen their grip on the Atrivan Sea or go to war with the Axis.

First War of Seas (1054 - 982 BCE)
In 1054 BCE the Diamond Island Alliance finally took action and tried to invade the Region of Limones to cut of the trade between Lamosa and Gantes[]. They left in secret and arrived at night on the shores of Shudero and invaded the town in what is known as the [[Night of the dying Star. When news of the invasion reached the other states, they immediately sent their armies to hold back the Alliances forces.

Hireno however was unwilling to participate in the war and refused to send aid. Meanwhile the Alliance went along the Tranquill Coast untill they were halted in Setaeho by the Axis, where the invaders lost the battle of Setaeho and were forced to retreat back to Shudero. There they got surrounded by the Axis and fought the first naval battle in Shudero, which got named the Burning of the Sea in 1052 BCE, which they won effectively destroying the connection between Lamosa and Gantes.

Hireno, which had been neutral till this point, switched to the side of the Diamond Islands, Complety cutting of any possible trade to Gantes. Multiple city-states in Gantes followed the example of Hireno and switched side. Ytriva however didn't switch and continued to fight against the Alliance.

The Occupation of Shudero lasted untill 984, when the Lagorian forces finally took back the city in the third naval battle of Shudero. When the news hit Gantes they left the alliance, ending the First War of Seas.

Setting Sail (982 - 723 BCE)
When the Alliance was defeated they needed to find resources elsewhere and set sail for the unexplored south setting up some colonies that provided food for the islands. The colonies grew and the Atriva islands became richer than the other city states.

Lamosa wasn't going to just let this happen and set sail for the west and found the uninhabited island group of Latanga, providing them with sugar and exotic spices not found on the mainland. This was also the start of the Northern Tethys migration. Both Seas built up their forces untill it came to a second confrontation.

Rivers and Lakes
Tilenno is reliant on three main rivers, on which most inland cities are located. The Mesères river which runs down from the North, between the Muqa and Gèreiva mountain ranges and runs next to the Odeitan mountain range, flows out in the Gantian Lake. The cities of Ytriva, Teruko Kitrae, Ennia and Mesèra are located on this river. The Mesères floods in summer.

The Kústera branches of the Mesèra and runs through the Kaesami desert, it is known to occasionally dry up during the dry season. The river tends to by enclosed by canyons most of its length, so settlements across the Kústera are rare, with the biggest one being Dòraso, bordering the lake of Kúsha.

The third river is the Perto which originatew from the rainforests in the center of Avalonia, and it is the biggest river of the three. It cuts through the Kerela and Vèsaura mountain ranges and flows out in the Gantian lake as well. The Perto floods in winter. The main settlement on this river is Perteso.

The biggest lake in Tilenno is the lake of Gantes. It is the cultural bakermat of Tilenno and by extension Avalonian civilization. Its main two tribuaries are the Mesères and Perto river, which causes it to flood twice a year.

Other smaller lakes are scattered across Tilenno, like the lakes of Ennia, Werengo lake, Faudo lake, Zjira lake, Dòraso lake and the lake of Life.

Mountains
Tilenno is a very mountainous country. Most of the big chains are located directly on the coast formed by convergeance of the Avalonia plate with the Tethys and Kihei Plate. The biggest chain is the Odeitan mountain range, which also feautures the second highest peak in Tilenno, Letae Nihones at 5243m above sea level.

Further up North the Gèreiva and Muqa mountain ranges follow on the Odeitan. In the Muqa range Tilenno's highest point is located, namely Letae Ulèsares at 5682m, as well as the third highest point, Letae Kareino, 5138m. The Gèreiva mountains are less extreme, wth its highest point at 4747m, named Faude.

In the South the triple mountain range is located, which consists of the Kerela and Vèsaura mountain ranges and the Dividing mountains in the middle. Their highest point, Keno, at 4874m is situated on the Southern border with [Osorra]]

Besides mountain ranges, Tilenno also features the Louga and Reisa plateau in the Kaesami Desert and the White Hills in Zesha

Sea and Islands
Tilenno has an estimated 11 000 islands within its territories, of which only 600 are inhabited permanently. The biggest island, Glikaero is also Tilenno's most populous and has the largest city in the nation. Other important islands or island groups in Tilenno are: Iles-Saint-Martin, on which Martones is located, Bazja Archipelago, The Diamond Islands, Onisian Islands and the Sevadan Islands.

The Tilennan islands are considered part of the East Tethys and share a lot of cultural similarities to them, especially the further west you go. Tilenno also claims the islands of Latanga, but this remains a disputed area.

Tilenno divides her island up in different classes ranging 1-10 based on certain criteria:

While Tilenno has a relativy long coastline, most of it is quite rugged and rocky and therefore maladapted for human settlement, most of the more populated coastal regions are therefore located around the Artivan ands Lamosan Sea as they are more suitable for settlement. The coastline of Katouro is often nicknamed the empty coast and has been awarded the prize of worst touristic area 37 out of 41 times.

Desert
Most of Tilenno's land area is covered by a sprawling desert, named the Kaesami desert, which extends further out of Tilenno into neighbouring countries like Arroyo and Cipertine and is part of the longer continuous North Avalonian Desert. Not a lot of vegetation is found in the desert except form some places on the Louga Plateau and around the lake of Kúsha. The only major settlement here is Dòraso. The desert is mostly used to generate solar energy due to its extreme amount of sunshine a year. A high speed railway crosses the Kaesami Desert along the Kústèra river axis.

Overal the Desert is relatively flat with some smaller wind eroded hills scattered across the landscape. The area receives minimal rainfall with most of the desert receiving less than 200 mm of rainfall a year. While in during the day desert can reach scorching temperatures of up to 50°C, the nights are particularly cold with most nights reaching freezing temperatures.

Various nomadic tribes roam the desert from oasis to oasis, they speak their own language and are in no way connected to the Tilennan government. They have no voting rights and are not even counted as Tilennan citizens. The deal between Tilenno and these tribes is that Tilenno owns the land and natural resources and the tribes have no obligation in regards to government and are let to exist peacefully. These tribes however have the ability to become full Tilennna citizens if they so desire, leading many to move out of the desert, causing their numbers to dwindle as they slowely integrate into Tilennan society.

Vegetation
Most of Tilenno has sparse vegetation and low shrubs. The islands and regions around rivers and lakes are generally more lush, featuring lots of trees and shrubs. the further you stray the more barren. The mountains around the Gantain lake have big grasslands that are primarily used for cattle grazing. eventually you'll hit the Kaesami Desert where plants come to die, if you're lucky you'll find the occasional cactus or shrub. In Eastern Zesha you'll find extensive Steppes.

Tilenno has some unique native plants like the Serela Berry Vine, Bulb Cactus, Red Palm and Sunroot.

Climate
The Tilennan climate is dry with minimal percepetation. It receives high amount of sunshine, but can only sustain agriculture on lands bordering rivers or lakes without extensive irrigation. Average temperatures range between 10 and 30°C year though. The highest temperature ever recorded in Tilenno was 57,9°C just out of Dòraso. The lowest was -14°C in the Northern mountains.

Most of the rain falls during the summer, causing the Mesères to flood. Other times in the year almost no rain falls. This means that Tilenno on average receives around 2800 hours of sunshine a year.

Language


The most common first language in Tilenno is Tilennan with about 45.2 million speakers or 77% of the population. Combined with the second language speakers, about 97% is capable of speaking Tilennan. This is mainly due to the fact that Tilennan language education is mandatory nationwide.

comes second with about 7.8 million speakers, but it has a large number of second language speakers because it is the official language of Zesha, where it is not spoken as a first language by the majority of the population. Vallisian is also a commonly taken subject in Tilennan education, but is not mandatory.

Zeshan is widely spoken in the region of Zesha, but is not the official language of the region and the number of speakers has been slowly dwindeling as Vallisian becomes more common and the population of Zesha decreases due to emigration to the big Tilennan cities.

The only other 2 recognised regional languages in Tilenno are Dòrasan, a pidgin language of Tilennan and Vallisian spoken in around the lake of Kúsha in the Kaesami desert, although Tilennan is the official language here. There is also spoken on the islands of Latanga, where either Tilennan or  is the official language.

There are also lots of foreign language speakers in Tilenno, with the most common one being Akitei, Agranian and Jungastian. It is also known that there are a lot of Yarovan speakers in Tilenno, but this language is never stated as an option in the census, so official numbers are not known.

Ethnicity


The largest ethnic group in Tilenno is native Tilennan at about 87% of the population. Native Tilennans are very distinct due to their dark skin and gray, almost white hair, which isn't found anywhere else in the world, except from the eastern islands in the Tethys Ocean, as these are believed to be related to mainland Tilennans. These are also included in the Tilennan ethnicity. While most Tilennans speak the Tilennan language, they are also found in the regions of Katouro and Zesha, where Vallisian is official. Many Tilennan people are also found abroad due to the multiple diaspora waves over the last 2 centuries. Every ethnic Tilennan has the right of return and Tilennan citizenship. Tilennans were often described as alienlike by other cultures that encountered them, due to their unique appearance, strange customs and interesting fashion.

The second largest group is Western Artemian at about 7% of the population. Mainly residing in the French speaking regions, these people have settled Tilenno in the colonial era. Most of them came from Vallis, but people from Agrana y Griegro and Jungastia are also present. However in the Tilennan speaking regions they're hard to find. The only Non-Vallisian speaking city with a sizeable Western Artemian community is Limona. A lot of the people who claim to be of Artemian decent are often mixed race. Racism towards this minority group is common, as the native population still associates them with the challenges colonization brought along.

In Tilenno there is also a decent group of West Kesh decend, mainly from Pseiwan at 3%. This can be attributed to the colonization of Paseiwa by Tilenno in the 19th century. A lot of Pseiwan people were intermarried to Tilennan people, making the distinction between the two diffucult, as they both feauture dark skin. Racism towards this group is noticeably less, due to similarities in appearance, language and religion, as well as a lack of negative stigma around them.

Other minority ethnic groups in Tilenno include: Akitei, East Artemian and other Avalonians. Out of these Eastern Artemians have to most stigma of any group surrounding them, mainly from countries of the past Vojiskiy Empire

Lonàkae
Lonàkae is a philosophical religion created by Taumàsae of Umia during the Terukian Age. At its core it believes that everything will return to a state of balance and that one should try to act in order to promote this return. It relies on the duality of the sun and the ocean as the outmost extremes. The clash of these two is the origin of all life. This clash is controlled by time, who in the end will bring the ultimate balance when the two extremes become one.

Lonàkae has three main principles: Modesty, where the sun represents scarcity and the ocean excess, Englightenment, where the sun represents blinding and the ocean darkness and Humbleness, with the sun pride and the ocean rudeness.

Lonàkae became the main religion of Atriva after their defeat in the first war of seas. Since then its influence spread rapidly and became the state religion of Tilenno during the Imperial Age. When Vallis introduced Christianity to Tilenno, the Confederacy refused to adopt it and after the colonizers left, aimed to eridicate Christianity from the country, known as the Christian-Tilennan Genocide. Lonàkae is mainly practiced in Tilenno itself, but is also commonly found in West Kesh. Due to the Tilennan diaspora many countries have a minority who practice Lonàkae. In total there are an estimated 65 million people who adhere to the Lonàkae religion.

Religious distribution
Lonàkae has always been the most dominant religion in modern Tilenno, although its share of followers has been decreasing over time as Atheism and foreign reigions rise in importance, mainly due to immigration. has been steadily rising, most conversions come from the relgions as you would be better of being Atheist than Christian in Tilenno, and in general secularisation of these groups is higher across Anterra. from Akiteiwa is the 4th most common religion, brought to Tilenno by Akitei immigrants.

Education
Education in Tilenno is compulsory untill the legal age of 16 in either public or private schools or by homeschooling. Public schooling in Tilenno is in comparison to other countries in Avalonia far below standard, due to lack of public funding. The 2015 census showed that around 76% of the youth are enrolled in public schools, causing Tilenno to have a severe undereducated population. Only 4% of people who graduate public schools pursues advanced education. Private schools in Tilenno enroll around 22% of the youth. While mostly reserved for the wealthier layers of society, it is not uncommon for poorer children to receive scholarships if they show potential. The precentage of graduates who continue their education after private school is almost 100%.

The Tilennan curriculum can be modified by each region separately, or in the case of Gantes by each city-state. A mandatory list of subjects must be taught in every school, this includes: Tilennan,, , and. is also commonly taught across Tilenno, but is rarely mandatory except for the Vallisian regions. Most schools also include relgious teachings of Lonàkae in combination with, is also a common subject. is not commonly given at Tilennan schools.

Recent movements and protest to fix the current flawed education system have become more prominent over the last years. Protesters demand more funding and equipment for public education as well as more competent teachers and more modern infrastructure. The government has already made plans to improve the current situation, but almost no direct measures have been implemented yet.

Higher education in Tilenno however is on the level of their neighbours. Her most prestigious university, University of Taumàsae in Hireno, ranks 145th worldwide. Other important institutes in Tilenno include: Lonàkean University of Glikaero, Free University of Martones and the Technical University of Ytriva.

City-states
Tilenno is divided into 36 city-states, excluding The capital area of Hireno, which is part of the federal area, along with Kaesami and Latanga. Every city-state sends 2 experienced senators to the Senate and between 4 and 62 representatives to the Chamber, with Glikaero sending the most at 62 followed by Ytriva and Martones at 36. In total the city-states send 72 senators and 468 representatives. All city-states have a central city, with its own government. This government has power over the state capital region. Every city-state also has localities, that have a smaller administration, they govern their own locality, but can be overruled by the central city at any time. The governments of the localities together with the central city make up the city-state council. The head of a city state is called the lord. The city state council has power over local affairs across the state.

Regions
All city-states belong to one of 5 regions: Gantes, Atriva, Làmosa, Kàtouro or Pàvona. The regions control local interests like education, healthcare, infrastructure and tourism. Each regions governor also has a seat or can appoint someone to have a seat in the federal cabinet. Zesha is sometimes counted as a region, but is structuraly different from them.

Communities
Tilenno is also divided into 3 Communities: The Tilennan community, Vallisian community and the West Tethys Community. Not to be confused with the regions, communities mainly act on a cultural scope. They regulate culture, media, language and religious affairs. Each governor of the communities also has a seat in the cabinet. While Zesha is part of the French community, it doesn't participate in its administration due to language barriers.

Autonomous region of Zesha
The region of Zesha became part of Tilenno for the first time in 984, as a result of the Steppe wars. Short after it became independent again during the rule of the 5 dynasties in 1052. Joining Tilenno in 1573, due to the colonial threat, it became the 5th region, since Pavona was still part of Atriva. As colonialism faded, protests emerged in Zesha in 1831, asking for independence. This resulted in the autonomous region of Zesha we know today.

Zesha has her own parliament, but the federal government can still veto every decision made. It has power over internal affairs, economy, education and culture, healthcare, social security, jurisdiction and tourism. The cuurent Prime Minister of Zesha is Deresho Kótres.

It is subdivided into 4 regions: Zesha Tetiso, Zesha Lurano, Zesha Òdeito and Tilae Erano. These don't have a government like the city-states do. All power is directly in hands of the Zeshan government. Zesha does features municipalties which act like the localities elsewhere.

Federal Area
The Federal area refers to the land that doesn't belong to any region within Tilenno's borders. There are 3 distinct federal areas: The desert of Kaesami, the Hireno capital area and the disputed islands of Latanga

The Hireno Capital region is the only part of the federal area that has voting right. It sends 50 representatives and 2 senators. It functions as the capital of Tilenno and seat of the Emperor. Hireno has historicaly never been part of any region and joined the Tilennan Confederation only if it could maintain a degree of autonomy. It was also the house of Hireno which delivered the current imperial lineage. As it isn't part of any region or community, those responsibilties are managed by Hireno itself.

People living in the desert of Kaesami have no voting rights, but are still under federal law. But legal enforcement has been lacking, making it a free port for crime, gambling and prostitution. There is only one noteworthy town here, Dòraso and it's surrounding towns, by the lake of Kúsha, with an estimated 600,000 inhabitants, which is 80% of the total population of Kaesami.

The Islands of Latanga are a disputed territory with Yarova, and in reality don't participate in Tilennan politics. No Tilennan laws are inforced nor do they vote in elections.



Federal Government
The Federal Government consists out of the Senate and Chamber that together form the Parlement and the Cabinet lead by the Prime Minister. After the elections the party with the most representatives in the chamber can form coalition so that a majority of representatives is reached. One of the members of the wining party becomes Prime Minister and gets to form the Cabinet that reflects the coalition formed. The governors of the regions and communities are also part of the cabinet and are there to represent there regions or community's interests. Other parties form the opposition.

Currently the Government is lead by the central-right liberalist party Glaechedé (Vivons Ensemble) in coalition with the right confederalist party Glaela Lete (l'Avenir Ensemble) and the right conservative party Tilenno Kítrae (Nouvelle Tilène) with as Prime Minister Mèrena Loutecho from Glaechedé. As the winning party is only active in the Tilennan speaking part, the French community has expressed their dissatisfaction with the current government multiple times.



Emperor
The Current Emperor of Tilenno, Hirenes Nàteicho, is a direct decent of the Hirenean king. The title Emperor is however for the most part symbolical. The Emperor however can initiate the Imperial overrule protocol, in which many steps of bureaucracy are skipped. This is only supposed to be used in emergency situations. The Emperor line was male-preference until 1984, after that the first descendant was heir to the Empire.

The Emperor's function in Tilennan politics is to symbolically appoint the Federal Government as well as the Imperial Court, the highest form of justice, and Imperial Senators, special senators that hold position for life and are not affiliated with any political party, only in cases of treason, bribery or abuse of power can these be removed from function.

Economy




Art
Art is a big part of Tilennan culture and stretches far back into history. During the Terukian age various forms of pottery and sculpting were popular. Statues were typically carved out of white sandstone and depicted mainly gods, kings and various types of fruit. The most famous sculpture Three figs and a date is currently displayed in Ornans after it was stolen from Tilenno in the Colonial age. The sculpture is said to refer to the integrity of Terukian society, with the figs representing love, balance and harmony with the date symbolizing desire. However no contemporary sources prove this hypothesis, with most historians agreeing it has no deeper meaning than just being fruit.

With the rise of the city states, new forms of art flourished, especially calligraphy and woodworking became incredibly popular. Wood was seen as a precious resource as trees were not common and cutting one down to make art with was seen as a sign of extreme wealth. It became so popular the city state of Glikaero went through a wood crisis and banned the art of woodworking for purely decorative purposes. Sculpting remained popular with themes shifting more towards depicting stories and myths rather than worship.

During the Imperial Age art stagnated and was mainly used as a tool to display the greatness of the empire rather than cultural enrichment. Only when the empire collapsed into the five dynasties art picked back up steam and the dynasties were in a competition to outperform each other in cultural significance, striving to have the best athletes, sculptures, weavers, musicians and so on. A great focus was laid on the use of colour and most pieces from this era are eye-bleedingly bright. The dynasties loved showing off elaborate tapestries with vivid colour depicting the greatness of their region.

With the arrival of the Artemians in the 16th century, Tilenno was introduced to traditional oil painting techniques. Many Tilennan artists adopted this form of painting and gave rise to the Tilennan masters of the 17th and 18th century. These paintings were mainly used as propaganda during the time of war and to create a strong Tilennan identity. Ríches Faesèrae and Nilae Sàleso were the most famous artist during this period, with the lather painting the famous Liberation of Làgora in 1754 depicting the deciding battle in the Vallis-Tilennan colonial wars of the 18th century.

After the unification of Tilenno the industrial revolution got started. Tilenno was quite late in fully adapting the innovations of the west and so too came the movements of romanticism and realism at a delay. Tilennans were always really great in not fully understanding what a movement was about and the Tilennan variant of romantiscism for example is quite far removed from its western counterpart. It often features human-animal hybrids in exotic environments like the arctic.

Moving into the contemporary art scene Tilenno puts heavy focus on it's Avalonian Culture Awareness Program which aims to promote traditional Avalonian culture across the world. So can international art platforms, like museums and expositions receive financial support for including Tilennan art into their collections. Famous modern artists include Sires Àstero, who painted the Hirenean pillars completely black, Kaela Darte, who painted The dance of 5 leopards and a baby and Verona Bedalo who threw herself of Tilenno's highest building covered in paint onto a canvas and called the splash the impact made art. Afterwards it was discovered the stunt was faked, but the painting is still internationally famous.

Body and face paint, often in permanent form, like tattoos, is a common practice in Tilenno. The right shoulder and upper arm of a man, and sometimes women typically receive family and regional markings. The face of man and women are painted for purely decorative reasons and often as a display of status. This tradition continues into the modern day, but has lost most of it's cultural significance and status, but is exclusively done for aesthetic purposes, with also many people now refusing to mark their faces.

Architecture
Traditional Tilennan architecture draws lots of inspiration from nature and incorporates flowing and organic shapes rather than ridged straight lines. It makes heavy use of white sandstone natively found all around Tilenno. Most buildings also feature a specific kind of dome that has been described as either a flower or a flame. For more elaborate buildings, the sandstone is often coloured, especially the domes, mostly with a red pigment created from the serela berry or with gold.

With the arrival of the Vallisians, a lot of more traditional Artemian buildings were erected, mainly in the region of Katouro and in the city of Martones. Martones is often called the Ornans of Avalonia, due to it's resemblance in architectural style. It has barely any skyscrapers and has that classic Ornansian sandstone with black roofs style. Kàtouro is also home to a plethora of castles and forts with the most famous one being Le Château de La-Roche-sur-Reine.

Houses generally have windows on the West and East side of the house to maximize wind blowing through it and to avoid the midday sun from heating it up to much. The sandstone doesn't preserve heat very well, so during the night houses can cool down enough for them to never get overheated. Due to this buildings are open and let in a lot of light. With the rise of air conditioning these building limitations became less important, although still a majority of houses in Tilenno don't have AC. Plants are also commonly seen around Tilennan cities, with many cities featuring large parks, mainly to moderate to heat and provide shade.

Tilennan architecture lays a heavy focus on the presence of water. It is common for wealthy citizens to create artificial ponds, fountains and recently also swimming pools around their estate to show of their wealth. Water also plays a major role in Tilennan symbolism and culture, bringing water close to your house meant that you live in a more balanced environment increasing your chances to reach the Lonakean endgame. Sport venues are also required to be placed in proximity to water. They are often constructed in a half circle shape overlooking a body of water. Most sport fields are also slightly flooded, mainly is played this way in Tilenno. This practice however is becoming more and more phased out due to the pressure of the international sports community to keep the terrains more in line with has been established.

Nowadays more and more skyscrapers are seen across Tilennnan cities as housing in the large urban areas becomes more scarce. Many people are against this evolution as they argue that the skyscrapers take away from the importance of traditional monuments, but this has not stopped them from being built. Tilenno has however taken note from the Avalonian High North's way of building skyscraper, giving them a wide base with a more narrow tower to keep the streets open, but also solve the housing crisis at the same time.

Some famous buildings in Tilenno include the Purèsian Palace, Twin Pillars, Temple of Modesty and Museum of the Eternal Sun in Hireno, the Temple of Refreshment and Gomeires Lono Càneido in Glikaero, the Àrena Purena in Martones, the Two Cliff Palace in Ennia and the Shrine of Lena on the Holy Shrine Island.

Cuisine
Tilennan cuisine is a mix between traditional Avalonian ingredients and influences from the Artemian continent. It also makes heavy use of spices, but dishes generally aren't spicy.

Sport
The most common sport by far in Tilenno is swimming. Tilenno is known for the highest quality swimmers in Anterra. The sport has a long history: during the sailing age swimming competitions were held as part of the Ashaeic Festival in the lake of Gantes. In recent times Tilenno has claimed many world titles in multiple swimming disciplines, mainly excelling in the 100m butterfly.

Volleyball is also a very popular sport in Tilenno. There is also a Tilennan variant of volleyball, stemming from the ancient game of uches. Nowadays uches is mostly replaced by volleyball. In total the Tilennan national womens team has won 12 world championships, while the mens team has won 7 times.

Tennis is also a huge part of Tilennan sports culture. Hosting one of the Major Solo Festivals, the Sanatae Martones Open and a couple of smaller tournaments. Tilenno also brought forth some top tennis players like Derae Pereno, Reisa Lamiira, Gano Remouchier and recently Adasha Kanaeso and Pauline Serae.

Recently soccer has seen an increase in interest and the local soccer scene has experienced an increase in youth athletes. The Tilennan team has even managed to reach the semi-finals of the 2020 soccer AIFA Anterran Cup, held in Tilenno itself.

Other popular sports in Tilenno include: Diving, Javelin, Sailing, Surfing, Hockey, Taekwondo

Fashion
Traditional Tilennan fashion is compromised of a couple different elements. The top piece consists of a metal top bar or frame to which the fabric is attached. Since the metal is quite rigid this limits the range of movement and is therefore only used for more formal occasions. The lower part has a metal ring around the waist with fabric draped like a skirt coming from it. Traditionally no pants are featured in Tilennan fashion. Common folk typically wear a form of tunic with a rope strapped around the waist and optional leather shoulder pads. Clothes are typically made from either a silk like substance, created from a bug native to Tilenno or cotton. Fabric can be dyed, but the process to turn the silk white is one of the most difficult, causing white fabric to be more prized over coloured or natural toned ones. More wealthy people could also be seen wearing silk drapes on their arms connecting to the metal br on top and a bracelet at the wrist. Footwear was typically limited to sandals.

Modern Tilennan fashion is more similar to that of other nations around the world, with dresses still commonplace for men, as gender roles are less prevalent in Tilennan society. Most clothes receive also extra padding around the shoulders to mimic the metal shoulder support of the past. Some famous fashion designer from Tilenno are Fales Sedaeka, renowned for his androgynous style of designing clothes and Loune Leriànaeres, a luxury fashion designer, especially known for her revealing fashion choices.

Tilenno is also one of the major exporters of quality undergarments, with many underwear brands being located there. Tilennan silk is in high demand and can only be produced locally causing prices to spike worldwide for Tilennan silk undergarments. Other products like ties and dresses, while less commonly produced are also highly valued. The brand Loraeches is currently the biggest producer of these garments.

Another big industry in Tilenno is the perfumery sector. Starting as an offshoot of the bigger chemical companies, perfume has become one of the most important exports from Tilenno. While some brands are originally Tilennan like Saelo and Qlikes, most perfume gets exported to international companies to end up under their name. While the modern perfumery sector is quite recent, Tilenno knows a rich history of perfume use, with many small villages producing their own kind of perfume to distinguish themself from outsiders.

The biggest fashion industry in Tilenno however is the jewellery sector. With one of the largest diamond mined located on Tilennan soil, combined with large metal deposits like gold and silver, Tilenno is one of the biggest exporter of raw precious minerals and metals. While a lot of diamonds and other precious minerals get exported raw to be processed internationally, Tilenno has recently put more effort in expanding its own jewellery industry and promoting Tilennan brands on an international level. It's trying to cut down on exporting raw materials and aims to process more internally, much to the dismay of international jewellery brands that rely on Tilennan diamonds for their products. Tilennan jewellery is also not limited to women, but men are often seen wearing it, including earrings, necklaces, headbands and bracelets, with no noticeable difference between male and female accessories.

Androgynous Culture
In contrast to Western Culture, Tilennan society doesn't have a strong presence of gender norms and identity. Men typically have long hair, wear jewelery like earrings, rings and necklaces and apply make-up. Women are often seen in positions of strength and leadership. Children are mostly taken care of by the father or other male figures of the family. Custody in case of divorce is mostly granted to the dad.

Due to this Tilenno is one of the more gender equal nations in the world, with one of the smallest pay gaps and lowest rate of gender discrimination. However the situation is not perfect as women still face many challenges like rape and abuse that are often swept under the rug.

Drag and crossdressing are not seen as weird in Tilennan entertainment and many Tilennan celebrities pride theirselfs in being androgynous and not conform to any gender. Often people, especially foreigners, will have a hard time figuring out someones gender. This however is not important as referring to someone is not gender based in the Tilennan language, but relies on proximity to the speaker. The Tilennan variant of Vallisian often ignores gender as a concept entirely, but is still used in formal text.

There's also a large support for transgender and non-binary people. But since Tilennan culture has less distinct gender expression, many transgender people don't feel the need to transition and gender disphoria rates are lower in Tilenno as a whole. Bathrooms almost exclusively unisex with urinals generally missing. Transition is completely legal and largelt supported.

Rights for members of the LGB community are however not as liberal. Gay marriage, relations and intercourse remains illegal in Tilenno and when reported can lead to prison sentence and in extreme cases to loss of citizenship.