[hider=The Serene Empire of Tara] Still WIP, and subject to change. [center][img]http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac117/Marinuska1/TheDarkFirstCrest.jpg[/img] [i]No better friend, no worse enemy.[/i][/center] [b]Official Government Name[/b]: The Serene Empire of Tara [b]Head of State[/b]: Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Liliana, Queen of Sairland, Suzerain of the Vershellen Principalities, Matriarch of House Tara, Radiant Duchess of the Royal Marches, Defender of the Empire and the Star in the West, Lady of the Winter Dynasties and Protector of the Cinnamon Isles. [b]Capital City[/b]: Rigour, the Star in the West [b]National Language[/b]: Tarantese [hider=Basic Geography] The Serene Empire has its origins and seat of power on a set of sprawling islands in the balmy equatorial seas. Imperial colonies have since been established on several other landmasses, supplying the metal and stone-poor islands with these resources and acting as a market for the various foodstuffs and luxury goods the Home Duchies – the five original islands of the Empire - provide. The islands themselves – with the exception of inhospitable, mountainous Monrutaine – are generally congenial, interspersing thick jungle and cloud forests with broad, open floodplains perfect for settlement. To others, though, Taran summers are stiflingly hot and incredibly humid, even with the frequent thunderstorms. is split into several administrative and geographic units, as follows: 1.) [i]The Home Duchies[/i]. The origin of the Empire, the five Home Duchies are its beating heart. Richly watered by regular rain and spared the extremes of the world's weather as a whole, they are lush and green. The balmy capital region comprises the five principal islands of the ancient duchies – Arcadia, Monrutaine, Vallefay, Myrantia, Salamis and of course the Royal Marches themselves. The islands – with the exception of harsh Monrutaine – are a mixture of lush, rich rainforest and broad, fertile grasslands amply watered by rivers and dotted with sparkling lakes. Such hills and mountains as exist are old and gently rolling, and the beaches slope down to the turquoise seas in long, white arcs. Most of the settlements of any note here are, unsurprisingly, seaports of one flavour or another, the greatest of which is dreaming Xantal on its thousand isles. The imperial capital of Rigour sprawls across miles of the meandering river Rheol in the Royal Marches. 2.) [i]Sairland[/i] - An archipelago to the south-east of the imperial heartland, in earlier times Sairland was an independent maritime nation and long-term trading partner of the then-Serene Kingdom of Tara. It was a state renowned for its commercial acumen, its music and its artistic sophistication, but in the latter days of its existence as an independent nation it was convulsed by the throes of revolution and internecine war. Tara, in particular, watched in horror as the Sairish people went mad – or so it seemed to them – burning down palaces and grand monuments that had stood for generations, tearing down a culture which had stood for a millennium in a few short months. The Sairish merchant fleet and the navy together both quickly turned to piracy as the disintegration of the Sairish nation continued, fuelled by demagogues from a half-dozen different powers who had aimed Sairland like a missile at the Serene Kingdom and her shipping lanes, many of which passed through Sairish waters, long since considered safe and now suddenly some of the deadliest in the world. Whilst the Kingdom had initially tried to stay out of the conflicts in Sairland, as soon as Sairish ships began to prey on Taran vessels, it became clear that [i]something[/i] had to be done. Those few Taran agents who happened to be in Sairland – and those that had survived the pogroms – were rapidly coordinated and the Royal Navy sailed for Sairland in quick succession. The armada sent most of the Sairish fleet to the bottom of the sea in short order, just outside the capital Port Vannis, and, having defeated the seaborne threat, the Royal Army was the next up to bat, enormous troop transports disgorging fully a quarter of the entire army into Sairish harbours to restore order – by any means necessary. After several of the more belligerent pirates and agitators had been summarily shot by the advancing soldiery and their strongholds reduced to rubble by naval bombardment, the islands began to calm down and the Royal Engineers came in to clean up the mess and repair some of the damage that the conflict – and the previous years of civil war – had wrought. With the agitators shot, deported or behind bars in the newly-created Empire’s [i]special[/i] cells under the tender care of the Harlequins, the Sairish citizens began to appreciate the return to sanity and the stability of Taran rule. The King of Sairland is Alexander de Rochevalle, governing his territory from the silver-domed Grand Palais in Port Vannis. 3.) [i]Vershellen[/i] - The principalities across the sea, Vershellen is the second-oldest overseas possession of the Empire, initially conquered for its rich deposits of gemstones to feed the voracious appetites of the merchant princes and high nobility. The land is harsh; the principalities themselves are scattered across the desert, huddled around oases, aquifers and the rare permanent rivers that come down from the high mountains that fringe the principalities on two sides. Unsurprisingly for such a maritime nation, imperial power is concentrated near the coastal cities, where both the crushing might of the Imperial Navy can be brought to bear and the moderating influence of trade and travel has broadened the mind. The current Vicereine is Maharin de Sulimenne, whose family lands encompass the regional capital of Aurian. 4.) [i]Cinnamon Isles[/i] - Exotic and engaging, a tourist destination right across the world – to quote a tourist advertisement ‘The dusky and enigmatic Cinnamon Isles, where natives the colour of rich chocolate cavort on the orange sands and wine-dark seas lap the shores under a nacarine sky.’ The Cinnamon Isles are found to the south and west of the Home Duchies. The mainstay of the Cinnamon Isles’ economy these days is tourism, unsurprisingly, given its great natural beauty and the aesthetic sense the Dominion’s rulers have preserved ever since the Isles fell under Imperial rule. The capital of the Cinnamon Isles is the city of Cinnabar, where Aurelia Thierrault, the Vicereine of the Isles and Countess of the Rathing Sea in her own right, rules from her sandstone palace and the sleek shapes of hotels discreetly mingle with the villas of the wealthy, jostling genteelly for position along the curving sweep of the beaches. [/hider] [hider=Basic Demographics] -[i]Sairish[/i]: Traders, merchant venturers and erstwhile pirates from Sairland, a small, fertile archipelago to the south and west of Tara’s Home Duchies heartland. The stereotypical Sairish appearance is one of blonde hair, fine features and eyes like the sea itself. -[i]Vershelleen[/i]: Natives of the Serene Empire’s second-oldest overseas possession, after Sairland itself, the Vershelleen are dark-skinned and fire-eyed, revelling in heat and humidity that would severely hamper others. A common myth is that their ancestors were burned black by the sun. -[i]Pencharnese[/i]: Hailing from the Cinnamon Isles, the dusk-skinned Pencharnese have held and cherished an economic rivalry with Sairland and the Sairish since time immemorial. Despite their cosmopolitan homeland, their trading heritage and their practices of hospitality, they still hold themselves apart from the other groups in the Empire; their own word for themselves translates simply as ‘the People’. -[i]Moravines[/i]: Originally hailing from the most isolated and mountainous of the imperial Home Duchies, the Moravines are known for their strength and stubbornness as well as the similarity of their flattened features – it’s often remarked that Moravines have only three surnames across the entire duchy, which, whilst a falsehood, is not too far from the mark. [/hider] -------------------------------------------------- [hider=Important People] [b]Empress Liliana[/b] - Serious and devoted to her country, the young Empress tries to be balanced and listens carefully to her Opal Court and their counsels, carefully taking soundings before committing to any action. Her still-childlike figure is a powerful tool in making others underestimate the power of the Empire, while internally she is held up as a beacon of hope. The Empress always makes a point of visiting any disaster area or great new development, to either celebrate the achievements of the people or to commiserate and direct more resources into recovery procedures. Her closest counsel is the Imperial Chancellor, Peregrine Montclair, the Duke of Arcadia. [center][h3][i]Her Majesty's Government and its Cabinet[/i][/h3][/center] 1.) [b]Peregrine Montclair, Imperial Chancellor and Duke of Arcadia[/b] - The affable and smiling fifteenth Duke of Arcadia, Earl of Xantal, Viscount Saere and Imperial Chancellor, Peregrine Montclair is the day-to-day [i]de facto[/i] head of the government. As Chancellor it's Perry's job to orchestrate the often-fractious Parliament and govern, in his empress' name, the far-flung possessions of the Serene Empire. Even before the Chancellorship, Peregrine Montclair was one of the most powerful men in the Empire – not that he shows it much, hiding his true power and wealth behind a smiling, affable façade. His duchy provides advanced engines and devices, and further grows luxury cash crops and succulent fruits for the finer tables of the Empire. The Duke also receives vast revenues from the trading ports of his capital; indeed, he might as well own his own private navy, given he is the Chairman and owner of the Trifecta Shipping Group, one of the largest freight-and-passenger services in the Empire. He is the leader of the [b]Centrist Party[/b] in imperial politics. 2.) [b]Alexander de Serenne, Viscount St. Clair and Marshal of the Imperial Army[/b] - The redoubtable Marshal of the Imperial Army and, therefore, [i]de facto[/i] Minister of War for the Serene Empire, Alexander is a dark horse among the high nobility. The Serennes as a House are minor nobility in Arcadia duchy, but Alexander, from a cadet branch of the family, pursued a highly successful career in the military, fighting numerous battles and rising through the officer corps (his family, after all, paid to put him through officer training rather than see him slog through with the rest of the grunts). He reached the rank of Lieutenant-General in the Royal Engineers before retiring to take up politics. He commands the entire army from the Imperial College of War, alongside his counterpart in the Navy. He is a member of the [b]Centrist Party[/b]. 3.) [b]William de Vallière, Viscount Vajours and First Lord of the Admiralty[/b] - Endlessly energetic, de Vallière is the dynamo that drives the Imperial Admiralty. A relentless modernizer, under his watch the Admiralty has commissioned and documented more studies, experiments and testbeds than at any other point in its history. His drive for all things new does not only extend to new ships and weapons, though - he has ruthlessly streamlined the notoriously-complex shipbuilding process to good effect and military acclaim. His signature practically sizzles on every important piece of Admiralty legislation or Board decision over the last few years, and it would be hard to find a more dedicated naval man. He is a member of the [b]Expansionist Party[/b] in imperial politics. 4.) [b]Gabriel de Marin, Marquis of the Reach and Foreign Secretary[/b] - Tenth Marquis of the Reach, Earl Rosemont, Earl Tavistock and Baron Tenshard, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs is a powerful man indeed. A career diplomat and politician, the Gothic colossus of the Foreign Office is a home away from home. Precise and smooth, a graduate of Queen's Ring Academy and Polaris University, like most of the Cabinet, he is supremely comfortable in the clubby atmosphere of Parliament and a past master at its many and varied backroom deals and internecine political intrigue. As Foreign Secretary, he is well-placed to put that particular talent to use on a wider stage. As chairman of the [b]Expansionist Party[/b], he is a strident and well-known voice in Parliament, pushing for bringing civilisation to the benighted heathens of the world by any means necessary. 5.) [b]Nathaniel Ruthven, Earl Summervale and Chancellor of the Exchequer[/b] - Precise and unflappable, Nathaniel Ruthven is the oldest and perhaps most conservative of the current Cabinet. Having engaged in the mysterious world of high finance for many years as Lord Allenby - his courtesy title, before ascending to the earldom - he has a keen understanding of what makes the Treasury tick and, crucially, how to keep it ticking. Instinctively against any great new expenditure of imperial lucre, he keeps tight control over the purse-strings of government. A valued - but extremely irritating - member of the Cabinet, his careful fiscal policies often force Peregrine Montclair and the other members of Cabinet to exhaustively justify their spending plans. Once set on an issue, he has a will of iron and is very difficult to shift. He is a member of the [b]Centrist Party[/b], and is known as the Father of the House of Blood, being the longest-serving aristocrat in Parliament. 6.) [b]Olivier de Perrault, Baron Daubeny and Chairman of the Imperial Board of Trade[/b] - Head of the sprawling imperial trading bureaucracy, responsible for every port and freight railway terminus in the land, in charge of tariffs and customs, the Imperial Board of Trade is a powerful body, and its head an influential man. Rotund and jolly, Daubeny is a renowned gourmand and epicure, enjoying the finer things in life that his position affords, either in the form of gifts and treats from the great merchantier houses looking to persuade him and his committees one way or the other, or else in the enviable access his position affords. Perhaps naturally, he is a member of the [b]Expansionist Party[/b], aligning closely with their ideals of ordered imperial dominion - and with it, yet more trading destinations under the empire's banner. 7.) [b]Solomon Holmes-Selkirk, Viscount Oriel and Secretary of State for Home Affairs[/b] - Details! [b]Expansionist Party[/b] 8.) [b]Jacques de Clifforde, Earl Fenton and Secretary of State for the Colonies[/b] - Details! [b]Centrist Party[/b] 9.) [b]Edward Farnese-Sagari, Viscount Thalassa and Secretary of State for Sairland[/b] - Details! [b]Centrist Party[/b] 10.) [b]Martyn Hamilton, Viscount Drax and Secretary of State for Industry[/b] - Details! [b]Expansionist Party[/b] 11.) [b]Charles Clare-Malet, Marquis Templecombe and Attorney-General to the Opal Court[/b] - Details! [b]Apolitical legal advisor[/b] [center][h3]Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition[/h3][/center] 1.) [b]Sir David de Borbonne, Baron Mersenne and Leader of the Opposition[/b] - Details! [b]Liberal Party[/b] 2.) [b]Airey Fanshawe-Curreau, Earl Vallon and Shadow Secretary of State for Home Affairs[/b] - Details! [b]Coextensive Party[/b] 3.) [b]Sadi de Carnot, Viscount Carnot and Shadow Foreign Secretary[/b] - Details! [b] Liberal Party[/b] [/hider] -------------------------------------------------- [b]I.Nation[/b] - [b]Population[/b]: 3. - [b]Stability[/b]: 6 - [b]Landmass[/b]: 4 - [b]Demographics[/b]: 2. - [b]Civilian Industry[/b]: 6 - [b]Armaments Industry[/b]: 3. - [b]Infrastructure[/b]: 6 - [b]Naval Industry[/b]: 5 [b]II. Military[/b]: - [b]Army Size[/b]: 1 - [b]Army Training[/b]: 2 - [b]Army Technology[/b]: 3 - [b]Navy Size[/b]: 4 - [b]Navy Training[/b]: 5 - [b]Navy Technology[/b]: 5 [b]III. Economics[/b]: - [b]Rare Resources[/b]: 1. - [b]Common Resources[/b]: 2. - [b]Luxury Resources[/b]: 1. - [b]Bureaucracy[/b]: 4. [/hider]