Karstedt

**Legislature:** Karstag

**Government:** *Cent. Executive*
**Taxation:** *Raise Taxes*
**Spending:** *War Effort*
**Debt:** *None for Now*
**Military:** *Win the war*
**Economy:** *Dirigisme*
**Trade:** *Assertive*
**Foreign:** *Win the war*
**Alliance:** *GCTO*

 Overview Characters Military AI

> "*Karians have learned not to entrust their destiny to anyone but themselves. They wait on no one and will meet the galaxy on their own terms.*"
>
> **- Egan von Kars, Minister of State**
>
>

The **Karian Star Republic**, also referred to as **Karstedt** or **The Republic**, abbreviated **KSR**, is a human society in the Encounter Region of the Aoshtai Galaxy. It is the direct descendant of the powerful kingdom of Karstedt which unified disparate human nations in the Encounter against common enemies.

Beset on all sides by foes, Karstedt was forced to develop strong institutions. It possesses a centralized administrative state, a rigid but efficient economy, and one of the most disciplined militaries in the galaxy.

Karian humans consist a majority of the population. They are a diligent, nationalistic, and hard-working people who value productivity, distrust their local institutions, and trust their central government. Popular opinion tends to be distrustful of, if not outright hostile to, most xenos. The national language is Karian. Under the Karian constitution, only biological humans who speak Karian fluently can become full citizens of the Republic.

Karstedt is an unequal society with deeply-entrenched social distinctions and classes. The gap between rich and poor is large, though it is alleviated somewhat by a social understanding that aristocrats and middle earners must organize the economy to provide stable and gainful employment for the lower classes. This informal understanding is reinforced by Karian law and religion.

## History

### Early History

The Karians trace their origins to the fall of the Allerian civilization about two thousand years before the present day. At the invitation of the Patriarchate of Lessos, the survivors from Alleria settled seven planets in the Concourse region. These were Rhenburg, Herrath, Allenfeld, Nalhof, Lubin, and Kornhofen. It took around two hundred years for these terrestrial kingdoms to make it back into space, at which point they began establishing themselves as independent powers.

Centuries of intrigue, war, marriage, and politicking eventually brought all of these disparate worlds under one monarch, a Herran from the von Kars family, from which the kingdom derived its name. This was the Kingdom of Karstedt, a power with seven city worlds, a population of around 60 billion, and a strong state possessing a great amount of space power.

### First Concourse War

In the 24th century of the Herran calendar, the Kingdom of Karstedt had become a major power in the Concourse Region of the Aoshtai Galaxy, possessing a capable stellar navy, a number of favorable alliances, and an experienced army. Karian grand strategy revolved around ensuring a balance of power in the Grand Concourse which would ensure that no single power could dominate the others, therefore assuring its independence and freedom of action.

The Kingdom of Karstedt was one of the major players attempting to stop the rise of the Orbitritum Empire while it was still small. Despite the terrific competence of Karstedt's army and navy and the enlistment of every quarter of Karian society in the cause, Karstedt was outmaneuvered and outnumbered in critical battles.

After long bloody years of war, Karstedt experienced a bloodless revolution and adopted a Republican constitution inspired by a warped understanding of Herrath's ancient institutions. The new Republic was forced to sign the Treaty of Herrath of -20 NAC, in which it ceded the territories collectively known as the Unterhärt and limited the size of its armed forces.

The Karian Revolution brought with it a total abolition of the special rights and privileges enjoyed by the aristocratic class which had up until that time governed Karstedt. Many aristocrats chose to flee into exile to the plantation colony of Amestria, where distinctions of hereditary rank, status, and property were still recognized and protected.

### Interwar period

Karstedt would slowly recover. Its republican institutions proved to be well suited to the nation and the time. The joining of constitution and nation came to replace the King as the source of authority for the Karian state, while its sterling administrative machinery remained largely the same as the one it had inherited from the monarchy.

The Republic stuck to a appeasement policy with the Empire for years, though by -8 NAC it had begun making its own foreign policy moves again such as renewing its naval alliance with Naer'si, its erstwhile ally, and eventually the founding of the Grand Concourse Treaty Organization which provided the basis for a new alliance against the Empire.

At first, the Grand Concourse Council's approach to the Empire was cautious, following a two-track policy. The first track involved balancing the Ascensionary's strength with equal military strength, mitigating the Empire's coercive diplomacy through economic coordination and assistance, and providing a security umbrella that small powers could take shelter behind to escape the Empire's grasp. The second track involved attempting to conciliate with the Empire, to convince it that they had no designs on its existing territory, and to convince it to accept the status quo with no further revisions.

The -10's NAC were consumed by tit-for-tat economic and military escalation. The Empire imposed tough economic sanctions on Karstedt for its defiance of military and diplomatic treaties. The GCTO retaliated with a general embargo of the Empire. This, in turn, provoked the Ascensionary as a whole to impose a total economic embargo on the Grand Concourse Organization as a whole, and so on. By the -4 NAC, the second track was widely considered to have been a colossal failure, and the GCTO's policy turned from attempting to prevent war to preparing its members for a conflict with the Ascensionary it now deemed inevitable.

### Second Concourse War

War came in 1 NAC when the Empire launched a preemptive invasion of the Federated Union of Naer'si, a member of the GCTO and a Karian ally. Karstedt mobilized, declared war, and instituted a war constitution, although it mysteriously held back from attacking the Empire while the latter conquered Naer'si. The government of Karstedt struck a deal with the Empire whereby the Empire returned Karstedt's conquered territories in exchange for a separate peace, and Karstedt dropped out of the war to general outrage.

### Second Interwar period

#### Flirting with an alliance with Orbitritum

Karstedt spent year 2 and 3 of the New Aoshanti Calendar recovering from its general mobilization of 1 NAC and reintegrating the Unterhart territories, representing around 30 billion people, back into the national patrimony. The accession of these territories represented a major windfall to the cash-strapped republic, allowing the government to expand the Karstmarine's capital fleet and the size of the standing army. The government of Karstedt flirted with an alliance with the Empire, leaving Orbitritum with the impression that it would want to divide up the spoils of the war against the GCTO with it. Ultimately, this came to naught and proved to be a ruse devised by Karian leaders to buy time and provide cover for expansions of the Karian armed forces.

#### Relations with the GCTO

Karstedt took a backseat in the Grand Concourse Council as the GCTO reeled from the loss of Naer'si and Karstedt, and the future of the organization was thrown into grave doubt. The GCTO nations, led by Aratacia and the Phero Ecumene, continued to fight the Empire on other fronts. Karstedt secretly assured them that it was still on their side and did not cease its exports of war materiel to the GCTO nations although it had promised to do so to the Empire. Ships flying the Karian ensign were routinely used by the Allies to ferry supplies back and forth between warring nations, as imperial commerce raiders had instructions not to fire on Karian vessels for fear of losing Karstedt as a potential ally and drawing it back into the war.

#### Astronaval actions

In year 3, half of the Karstmarine's expanded battle fleet, numbering thirty capital ships, burned from Kornhofen towards the north of the galaxy, ostensibly to engage in naval exercises to test the spaceworthiness of the largest hulks and their crews. Instead, the battle fleet struck the naval yards of the Khanbaqir Solar Dynasty, an imperial ally, under the pretext that the Khanbaqiri had been attacking Amestria (and the Karian forces sent to defend it), and so had initiated war against the Republic.

The attack massive surprise attack crippled the Khanbaqiri capital fleet and forcing their withdrawal from the war against the GCTO by formal treaty. The Karstmarine continued to patrol the central Concourse, enforcing the treaty, protecting allied shipping, and hunting down Khanbaqiri pirates. These actions caused a rapid deterioration in relations between Karstedt and the Empire, although the Empire took no substantial punitive action against Karstedt.

### Third Concourse War

In the years between year 1 and 4, the GCTO won every other theater of war outside of the Concourse, robbing the Ascendancy of its allies and isolating it in the Concourse. The GCTO resolved by secret vote to continue the war until the Empire was defeated and dismantled, a treaty which Karstedt signed. The Allies began organizing a concerted multinational invasion of Naer'si, while Karstedt pledged to declare war and invade from the galactic west, although it would largely act separate from the GCTO command structure. The Allied invasion fleet was assembled and launched against Naer'si in year 5, and Karstedt made good on its promise, initiating mobilization, declaring war, and unambiguously throwing its full weight behind the Allied cause.

Karstedt assembled a grand army which it intended to use to invade major imperial worlds, though this army languished in orbit of the city worlds of Lubin and Nalhof for years due to the fact that the Imperial Solemn Vigilance battle fleet, numbering eighty capital ships, outclassed the Karstmarine Battle Fleet's 60 ships. Both the Ascendancy's and Karstedt's planners were reluctant to have the two fleets engage, as neither side was certain of what the outcome would be.

For two years, the Karians refused to attack into Ascendancy space, satisfying themselves with pinning down a large contingent of imperial capital ships, as well as significant armies, on their border. It was only when, after Naer'si was fully liberated in year 7, the GCTO sent a combined international task force numbering 150 ships to reinforce the Karstmarine that Karstedt initiated its invasion. The allied attack on Ur'uume was a great success, the first time the Karstmarine and Karian Army had seen combat in a little under fifty years. The Empire's defense collapsed very quickly as ships and armies abandoned territories before the advancing Karian Army and reinforced the imperial capital of Orbitritum for what imperial planners assumed would be the final battle of the war. The Karian Army rushed to occupy as many major planets as possible, extending itself over a great distance and coming to control a great portion of the Empire's former territory.

The Allies attacked Orbitritum all together in year 9 with an astronaval force numbering three hundred and eighty-one capital ships and countless support vessels. The imperial remnant defended its capital with one hundred and sixty-one ships which attempted a defense of the system, but were overwhelmed.

## Stats

* HOME NATION
* INCOME
* TRADE
* ESPIONAGE

CUBITS

**Helvetion, 23 NE -** +𝔛1.9 quadrillion from surplus
**Helvetion, 23 NE-** -𝔛1 quadrillion to buy shipyard points from Gladrecorp
**Aresen, 23 NE -** +𝔛2.1 quadrillion from surplus
**Murrius, 23 NE -** +𝔛2.1 quadrillion from surplus
**Aulus, 23 NE -** +𝔛2.3 quadrillion from surplus
**Lars, 23 NE -** +𝔛2.3 quadrillion from surplus
**Lars, 23 NE -** -𝔛1.5 quadrillion from purchase of espionage equipment

ACTIVE (1/3)

* Shadow 95  ***Shadow Program Assassin  3***

BENCH

* Ralph Eairhart  ***FIB Cypher***
* Bertram von Reis  ***OSS Cypher  1***

## Demographics

### Major Planets

*National Capital*
*Military Tradition*
*Rigidity*
*Simple manners*
*Religious Center**Burial place of Kasmira*
*Fashion Capital**Aristocratic Tradition**High culture**Good taste**Streetside cafés**Indolence*

*Significant Aoshanti population*
*Ties to the Aoshanti Concourse*
*Orthodoxy*
*Arid climate*
*Aoshanti-inspired architecture*
*Ties to the Patriarchate*
*Financial Capital*
*Lax Morals*
*Rapacious Capitalism*
*Cosmopolitanism*
*Corruption*
*Republican Tradition*
*Strong Middle Class*
*Reform Leadership*
*Good government*

## Government

Karstedt is a federal parliamentary republic possessing a strong administrative state and an aristocratic political class. Politics is dominated by collaboration between political machines and professional civil servants. Lawmaking power at the national level is vested in the Karstag, which is the ultimate sovereign authority in the country. Members of the Karstag are elected to the Karstag directly by single-member constituencies.

### National legislature

**Karstag**
136 seats is a majority
270 seats total

#### Governing Coalition

**Government:** *Centralized Executive*
**Taxation:** *Raise Taxes*
**Spending:** *Great Power Navy*
**Debt:** *None for Now*
**Military:** *Interventionism*
**Economy:** *Dirigisme*
**Trade:** *Assertive*
**Foreign:** *Practical, Trade-Focused*
**Alliance:** *Vakhan-Karian Trade Entente*

**Government:** *Centralized Executive*
**Taxation:** *Don't Touch Taxation*
**Spending:** *Funds for the Unterhart*
**Debt:** *Puritanical attitude*
**Military:** *Maintain strength*
**Economy:** *Reform Capitalist*
**Trade:** *Protectionism*
**Foreign:** *Rhyan Internationalism*
**Alliance:** *Patriarchate of Lessos*

#### Opposition

**Government:** *Reinstate Legislatures*
**Taxation:** *Low*
**Spending:** *Social Programs*
**Debt:** *Puritanical attitude*
**Military:** *Maintain Current Strength*
**Economy:** *Liberalization*
**Trade:** *Protectionism*
**Foreign:** *Internationalism*
**Alliance:** *GCTO*

**Government:** *Centralized Executive*
**Taxation:** *Cut taxes only to a point*
**Spending:** *Funds for large astronavy*
**Debt:** *Repaid by year 18*
**Military:** *Maintain strength*
**Economy:** *National Capitalist*
**Trade:** *Protectionism*
**Foreign:** *Third War Doctrine*
**Alliance:** *Karian League*

### Intelligence and Law Enforcement Agencies

* National Investigation Authority - NIA
* Foreign Intelligence Bureau - FIB
* National Signals Intelligence Agency - NSIA
* Center for Military Intelligence - CMI
* Immigration and Customs Authority - ICA
* Karstguard - KG
* Federal Reconnaissance Office - FRO

## Economics and Trade

*Karstedt/AI*
The Karian system of international trade is one of the most restrictive and technically sophisticated national trade networks in Aoshtai, relying on large infrastructures, state-sanctioned corporations, and technologies of surveillance to enable the flow of incoming and outgoing commerce while managing security risks.

The regulation of trade is constitutionally vested in the Karstag through the adoption of trade law, and in the executive government through the creation of treaties. In areas where treaties and domestic law conflict, domestic law takes precedent. The infrastructure itself is in great part administered by the Karstedt International Astro-Shipping Organization, a state-owned international shipping and logistics conglomerate.

## Armed Forces

### Army

The Karian Army is one of the most well-ordered and disciplined in the Cluster. It is a conscript army of around one million built around a core of well educated professional officers and career soldiers.

### Astronavy

The Karian Navy, known as the Karstmarine, is the astronaval service within the Karian Armed Forces. Given that Karstedt borders one of Aoshtai's most powerful land powers, more attention and funding is given to the Karian Army. This makes the Karstmarine smaller than the naval services of other countries, possessing only a peacetime capital fleet of four battleships, four battlecruisers, and two fleet carriers. Despite its small size, the service is professional and well-drilled, maintaining an understanding of current naval practice, technology, doctrine and keeping their crews trained and ready. However, Karstmarine crews have not gained experience with astronaval combat in a long time, and there is only so much that can be learned through drills.

The Karstmarine maintains the capacity to expand rapidly by commissioning mothballed ships into service, though these hastily-assembled crews are likely to be less experienced than the trained crews of existing ships.

A less savory aspect of the Karstmarine is the way that the institution supports a breed of independent spacers operating smaller military vessels. Ever since its founding, the Karstmarine has had tenuous control over these mercenary captains, but it has been able to count them on its naval rolls during war.

### Alliances & Commitments

**Grand Alliance**
   Phero Ecumene
   Amestria
   Aoshanti Republic
   Kingdom of Aratacia
   Naer'si
   Arboros
   Concourse Commonwealth
   Trillic Khaganate
   Day's End
   Marric Union

**Other alliances**
   Heavenly Kingdom of Brasaeat Dot
   Vakha
   Illarian Empire
   Aoshanti Republic
   Kingdom of Bonames
   Day's End
   Amestria
   Little Illaria of Northern Aoshtai
   Dorosani
   Axanar Selten Gate

### Trade & Support Relations

   Phero Ecumene
   Amestria
   Aoshanti Republic
   Kingdom of Aratacia
   Naer'si
   Arboros
   Concourse Commonwealth
   Reachian Commonwealth
   Day's End
   Marric Union
   Heavenly Kingdom of Brasaeat Dot
   Vakha
   Illarian Empire
   Seniborcia
   Aoshanti Empire
   Kingdom of Bonames
None

### Rivals & Enemies

   Phero Ecumene
   Naer'si
   Trillic Khaganate
   Illarian Empire

   Aoshanti Empire   Kingdom of Vigila   Kingdom of Neodorum

   Aoshanti Empire
   Titian
   Kingdom of Neodorum

### Embassies & Diplomatic Missions

  Grand Concourse Treaty Organization
  Day's End
  Naer'si
  Aoshanti Republic
  Order of Lessos
  Arboros
  Concourse Commonwealth
  Brestovik
  Realm of the Shak Tuvi
  Titian
  Bonames
  Amestria
  Lindinis
  Concatum
  Apulun League
WEST CONCOURSE
  Phero Ecumene
  Clans of Torkac
  Bonds of Kallos
  Ibi's Hollow
  Sanctum of Votum
  Muara
  Xeribel
  Aldrean Empire
AXANAR
  Kingdom of Aratacia
  Realm of Stjarnavík
  Heavenly Kingdom of Brasaeat Dot
  Khimyat
ARRIVAL
  Seniborcia
  Holy Eden of New Tvolai
  Kylnrift Parity
  Krizovia
  Advenae Enclave
HYTAXIA
  Rothania
REACH
  Reachian Commonwealth
  Vakha
  Marric Union
SELTEN
  Illarian Empire
  Day's End
  Naer'si
  Aoshanti Republic
  Order of Lessos
  Arboros
  Concourse Commonwealth
  Brestovik
  Realm of the Shak Tuvi
  Titian
  Bonames
  Amestria
  Lindinis
  Concatum
  Apulun League
WEST CONCOURSE
  Phero Ecumene
  Clans of Torkac
  Bonds of Kallos
  Ibi's Hollow
  Sanctum of Votum
  Muara
  Xeribel
  Aldrean Empire
AXANAR
  Kingdom of Aratacia
  Realm of Stjarnavík
  Heavenly Kingdom of Brasaeat Dot
  Khimyat
ARRIVAL
  Seniborcia
  Holy Eden of New Tvolai
  Kylnrift Parity
  Krizovia
  Advenae Enclave
ENCOUNTER
  Neegwein
REACH
  Trillic Khaganate
  Vakha
  Marric Union
SELTEN
  Illarian Empire
  New Adresaas Dominion
  Unified Realms of Selten

## Trivia

* Karstedt draws inspiration from Prussia and Germany, but is ultimately a work of fiction.
* The demonym for Karstedt used to be "Karstedtian" until it was shortened to "Karian."