Congratulations on becoming a citizen of the Kingdom of Talossa, an independent nation since 1979/I. This is an honor extended to few, and you should bear it with pride. But now that you’re a citizen — what’s there to do?
What’s Happening Right Now?
Ready to dive in? Here are some good starting points:
- Comprehensive overview of what’s happening in the Kingdom
- TalossaWiki History page — a great overview of how we got here
- The 2000 Wired article, “It’s Good to Be King” — dated, but still a fun read
- Wittenberg — introduce yourself and jump into the conversation
Lots to Do
- Visit the Beautiful GTA
- Your Name and Arms!
- Get Involved in Government
- Start Practicing Politics!
- TalossaWiki!
- The Talossan Language!
- Practice Law as a Lawyer!
- Start Up with the Media!
- Join Our Organizations and Culture!
Visit the Beautiful GTA
The Greater Talossan Area (GTA) is located on the East Side of the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We declared independence from the United States in 1979, and the Americans have yet to lodge any official protest. The Kingdom also possesses territory off the coast of France, where our province of Cézembre is located. If you live nearby either area or plan on visiting, be sure to stop and check out the sacred soil of your new country!
Learn more: The Realm | GTA | Cézembre
Your Name and Arms
Many citizens translate their name into our national language of Talossan. It’s a great way to take your first step into the language — and to figure out what it will mean to you to be a Talossan. Stop in at the Talossan Names board (Talossans only) for advice. Once you’ve decided on a name, you can make it official by sending a personal message to the Secretary of State and asking for it to be updated in the Talossan database.
As a Talossan, you are formally acknowledged as being of noble blood, and thus eligible for a grant of arms. The Royal College of Arms is delighted to help all new citizens design one — for many, it becomes a lifelong symbol. Stop by the Royal College of Arms board today to lodge your petition. Word of advice: follow their instructions to the letter. They are known for standing on ceremony.
You’ll also want to choose a Wittenberg avatar and personal text. On Wittenberg, Talossa’s official forums, every member has a picture avatar and a short personal tagline displayed beneath their name. By default, new citizens get a Talossan flag and the text “Citizen of Talossa” — but you can personalize these right away by logging in and visiting your profile. Once you receive a grant of arms, your coat of arms will typically become your avatar.
Learn more: Royal College of Arms
Get Involved in Government
In Talossa, there are two levels of government: national and provincial. As a full-fledged citizen, you can get involved with either — or both!
At the national level, we have a parliamentary democracy. The head of the Government is the Seneschal, assisted by an array of ministers who oversee things like immigration, culture, criminal justice, foreign affairs, and more. All of these people need help — and there is a wide array of tasks, large and small, that are right for almost anyone. You can join the civil service immediately and get to know some prominent Talossans while contributing to your new nation. Jobs might involve posting to the Kingdom’s social media, corresponding with new citizens, or helping maintain government records. Contact the Government by posting on the Lobby board on Wittenberg.
Alternatively, you might want to start closer to home with your local province. Many provinces only have three or four citizens who are actively involved in provincial affairs, which means you can make an outsized impact right from the start — or even take charge. Find the board for your province on Wittenberg and post about your interest.
Volunteer in a Ministry
Every term, the Seneschal appoints a number of Ministers to help govern the country. Current ministries include Culture, Defence, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, Immigration, Justice, and Stuff. Take a look and see if any interest you — most Ministers are glad for the help.
Enlist in the Military
A great way to build goodwill and to learn about Talossa is to join the Zouaves or the Navy. At minimum, you’ll be required to conduct a monthly training exercise with your fellow soldiers. To sign up, contact the current Minister of Defence. Your new country needs you!
Learn more: Civil Service | Seneschal | Government | Provinces
Politics
Talossa is blessed with a vibrant multi-party system. If elections and campaigning interest you, there are several ways to jump in.
You can start by joining a political party. Each party has its own vision for Talossa’s future. Take a look at the parties currently registered with the Chancery and see if one fits your values. After getting familiar with the political landscape, you might even want to start your own party!
Maybe you’d rather go straight to legislating. There is one senator for each province in the Senäts, each typically serving eighteen to twenty-seven months depending on election timing. If your provincial seat is up for election soon, consider throwing your hat in the ring. One of the best things about Talossa is that it’s small enough that you can be as big as you wish.
After joining a party, you can also ask about getting assigned seats in the Cosa, the lower legislative chamber, which divides its 200 seats proportionally among parties. Every Cosa, there are usually a few newly-arrived citizens who decide to wade right in. Join them!
IMPORTANT: If you’re really eager to jump in, you may request the Secretary of State to assign you a single seat (1 out of 200) in the Cosa until your first election. This is fewer seats than an elected member typically holds (up to 20–25), but if you want to participate in legislation right away, it might be better than waiting.
There are always serious debates going on in Talossan politics. Some current hot-button issues include:
- Derivatism or peculiarism — just what kind of country is Talossa?
- Monarchy or republic — which is the path forward?
- How do we teach about Talossa’s mythical Berber heritage?
- What should be the role of the GTA in everyday Talossan life?
Learn more: Ziu | Senäts | Cosa | Political Parties
TalossaWiki
There is a wealth of information to be found on TalossaWiki. Whatever your question, you will likely find an answer there. It’s worth checking out no matter what interests you about Talossa.
But even better: you can also help write and contribute! Once you create an account, a Government official will approve you as a citizen and you’ll be able to start fixing mistakes or filling in missing pages. New to wikis? No problem — there’s a three-lesson seminar on wiki editing to get you started. Check out the Citizens’ Portal to discover what you can contribute. You’ll find that helping out is also one of the best ways to learn about your new country.
The Library
One corner of TalossaWiki you won’t want to miss is the TalossaWiki Library, which contains a wide range of works written about Talossa or in the Talossan language — including translations of classic literature and original Talossan works. You can also read the March 2000 Wired magazine article on Talossa, “It’s Good to Be King,” which remains relevant today.
Learn more: TalossaWiki | Library
The Talossan Language
Our national language, Talossan (or el glheþ Talossan), is considered one of the Kingdom’s greatest treasures. It has a vocabulary of more than 28,000 words, a rich heritage based on — in the words of its creators — “whatever we thought was cool at the time,” and a large body of written works.
You can begin learning in several ways: try Let’s Learn Talossan! at talossan.net, take the Prüms Paçen online learning course on Memrise, or simply introduce yourself on the language board of Wittenberg. You can also request help translating your name into Talossan on the Talossan Names board.
To give you a taste, here are the first two stanzas of Talossa’s national anthem, Chirluscha àl Glheþ (“Hymn to the Language”), with English translation:
| Sta là, zefença Tu vell glheþ Talossan. Txamais praitença Da negarh tu drept þuman! |
Stand tall, Talossans the peninsula defend. No foe or villain can your love of country rend. |
| Es ca’scu ziua, Ár propreu glheþ parlarh; Sovenenç’ la tzara, Talossan c’e ben d’estarh! |
Raise high your banner, Your passion penned unto: “Loyal to our sov’-reign, Let our minds and hearts be true.” |
Learn more: Glheþ (Talossan)
Law
Interested in the law? Whether or not you have any formal training, you might be perfect to join the ranks of Talossan attorneys. Every so often, a citizen finds themselves accused of a crime or caught in a civil dispute — and they may need someone with a good head on their shoulders to represent them. That someone could be you.
All you need to do is pass the bar exam, which requires some study of the Organic Law of 1997 (our constitution) and el Lexhatx (our statutes). Read up, and then petition the Cort Pü Inalt for admittance to the Royal Talossan Bar. Someday you might even argue before the highest court in the land!
Learn more: Organic Law | El Lexhatx | Royal Talossan Bar | Cort Pü Inalt
Media
Are you interested in writing or podcasting? Then a career in Talossan media might be for you! There have been many newspapers and podcasts throughout Talossan history, including such long-running luminaries as Støtanneu, Oraclâ, the Talossan News Project, and Beric’ht Talossan. Maybe you’d like to contribute to one — or even start something new.
You can begin simply by declaring that you’re launching a new publication and posting your stories on the main board of Wittenberg. If people engage with your work, you might set up a website on Blogger or Google Sites. Maybe someone else joins you. The sky’s the limit!
Learn more: Press | Talossan Press Association
Organizations and Culture
Talossa has a rich cultural heritage, and there is no shortage of organizations to get involved with. There is a Royal Talossan Opera Company, the Aßociù del Futbol Talossan (the Talossan Football League), the Gremiour Talossan dels Zesegneirs Telaragneschti (the Talossan Web Designers Guild), and more. See if something interests you!
Learn more: Talossan History | Library
Remember: every institution in this Kingdom was created by someone who was once a new citizen, just like you. If you don’t see something you like — make something new!
Published by the Bureau of Immigration, Kingdom of Talossa.
