Tyr

The military of Tyr consists of three branches: the Royal Navy, the Royal Army, and the Royal Marines. Together, they are ready at any time to mobilize 280,000 men and women, with another 600,000 theoretically available in reserve.

The Royal Navy

Being a sea-faring nation, Tyr’s focus is on its navy, and it has the most powerful naval force on Ikol. The Royal Navy is comprised of over 250 men-of war, while the Coast Guard counts many frigates, as well as older warships such as carracks. 10 Ironclads form a permanent picket line horizon to horizon between Tyr and Gateway Empire. In addition to these ships, a number of sloops-of-war and other smaller ships are in service with the Navy and the Coast Guard. In terms of man-power, the Royal Navy consists of 58,100 men and women on active duty, with another 10,000 in active reserve and training at the naval bases in Caerleul and outside Tyrandel.

The Merchant fleet consists of approximately 2,000 ships of all sizes, the majority privately owned. Tyrean law opens the possibility of pressing such merchant vessels into military service in times of need. Consequently, most ships are equipped with either a catapult or a swivel mounted crossbow. This armament also aids in deterring pirates.

In addition to these weapons, most of Tyr’s naval fleet is equipped with bombards, though their propensity to misfire makes them more useful for intimidation than actual battle. They also use greek fire thrown from ship-borne catapaults and giant, swivel-mounted, winch-wound catapults.

The Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine have all seen increases in funding lately, paving the way for a potentially significant expansion in the near future. The impetus seems to be the elevated corsair threat in the region.

The Royal Army

The Royal Army is technically larger than the navy, consisting of some 80,000 soldiers. However, given the unlikelihood of an attack on native Tyrean soil, the army suffers from a lack of relative prestige. Since Tyr has begun pursuing economic conquest, there has been less call for on-the-ground battle, and the army these days maintains a presence in several colonies and protectorates, and within the Tyrean homeland, but is mostly active on peace-keeping and defensive patrol missions.

The Royal Marines

The Marines number about 28,000 on active duty with another 10,000 in training and reserve. While the smallest of the branches, the marines are still more prestigious than the army, given that they are usually posted on naval ships and so see more active duty. Tyrandel is home to the 1st Division of the Royal Marines, which is comprised of the Queen’s Own Regiment (“the First of the First”), and ten additional line regiments. The 2nd Division Royal Marines, consisting of the King Consort’s Own Regiment, ten line regiments, and a training regiment are based in Liosliath.

See main article: Culture In Tyr

With a history as long and rich as Tyr's comes the development of a deep-seated national culture. Tyreans are known primarily as a reserved people, tending to keep their emotions to themselves, and doing their best to avoid causing a scene. That said, they also tend to have a strictly ingrained sense of honor and duty, which they will not hesitate to defend if necessary. Polite and clean-living, their emphasis on manners and etiquette can make them seem stiff and overly-formal to outsiders, though their hospitality (a product of those impeccable manners) is significant. Dedicated to family, queen, and country, they pursue the glory of Tyr (and their own enrichment) with ambitious industry.

Perhaps the most significant feature of Tyr's cultural makeup, at least to people from Gateway, is that Tyr lacks a nobility. The aristocratic classes were decimated during the Great Plague several centuries earlier, and have never been reconstituted. Social and especially economic inequalities (and even, some would argue, hierarchies) still exist on a large scale, but since that time, all citizens have been considered politically equal at the very least. In keeping with this egalitarian trend, women enjoy the same standing as men in most walks of life. Certainly more women than men run households and raise families, but they are well represented in government, trade, and even the military. There are, of course, those who disagree with the wisdom of this practice, but the general policy is acceptance.

As the ships of Tyr have ranged far and wide for hundreds of years, the practice of magic is well known. However as Tyr has reached out into the world its own magic, which was at an equivalent level to Gateway Empire, has diminished, and is now completely unknown. Generally speaking, Tyreans tend to be wary of magic and distrustful of its users. They’re willing to deal in magical trinkets, and have no issue with crafts produced through magic (such as the carpentry pieces produced by Avannese wood-mages), but they prefer not to have much to do with the mages themselves if it can be avoided.

Overall the Tyreans are not practicing religious people, though there is a tradition of belief in the male/female dual supreme being. They are very tolerant to other religions as long as the religion does not infringe upon the rights of Tyreans, or attempt to convert any Tyrean citizens.

Typically the "male" god is mostly prayed to or thought of in times of war, when something needs to get done or fixed, while the "female" god (the Life bringer) is mostly prayed to for peace, understanding and compassion. This religious aspect of male - female equality and complimentary status extends to daily life.

This sort of religious thought remains in the back of most Tyrean minds, but rarely does it manifest itself in any more prominent fashion. Religious services are almost non-existent except on major holidays or combined with weddings or funerals. If asked about their religion, the majority of Tyreans will reply that they were taught about the dual-natured supreme being as children, and occasionally swear to it. Otherwise, however, religion and faith seem to play little part in the life of most citizens of Tyr.

While, in the past, Tyr foreign policy have been forceful and lacking in diplomatic effort, it has changed over time to focus on using banking, trade, alliances and diplomatic means to achieve some degree of control within distant lands.

Children of the King and Queen are each required to serve for a minimum of one year as an ambassador's aide in a foreign land. During this time, their royal title will not be used. This is considered vital as part of their training.

Tyr considers any foreign embassy on their soil an extension of the other country's territory, and expects the same courtesy in return.

Tyr’s relations with some of the other more prominent nations of Ikol are as follows:

Pais de Leuvier: For many years, Tyr and neighboring Pais de Leuvier (PDL) have enjoyed friendship, and PDL’s security on land and sea is today guaranteed by the Tyrean armed forces through a defense treaty going back decades. Queen Sheridan’s marriage to a Prince of Pais de Leuvier has only further cemented the already strong relations between these two world powers.

Aquilarco: Tyr maintains good relations with this other sea-faring nation, though the Aquilarcans' laid back lifestyle and deeply divided society are seen as peculiar by the Tyreans familiar with it.

Avanna: This small nation looks to Tyr for protection, particularly against the Gateway empire, which they see as aggressors. Their relations with Tyr are extremely close, and it is likely that they may become official part of the Tyrean Empire at some point in the near future.

Tolek: Tolek was previously a strictly isolationist country, opening up to foreign contact only within the last few decades. During that time, Tyr has developed both diplomatic and economic ties with their southern neighbor, and their relations are thus far amicable.

Abaiyoshu: Diplomatic and trade relations have been established with this somewhat reclusive nation, which remains neither a strong ally nor an enemy.

Illyria: The Illyrian practice of enslaving men does not sit with with egalitarian Tyr, but for the moment, their relationship remains stable, if guarded.

Maedhros: Like Illyria, Maehdros practices slavery, though primarily of women. Men are also enslaved as rowers on their galleys. The Maehdrosi are known primarily for their piracy, which has lately increased significantly, especially against Tyrean targets, both military and merchant. Some months ago they conquered Vistyr, the Tyrean colony that shares a continent with Maehdros, killing and enslaving thousands of civilians in the process. They are currently at the top of the list of Tyr’s enemies.