Cam's Alt Earth

[Cambrius]

This promises to stomp all over everything Mr. Bowen is already conceiving and/or writing even now. Hopefully not. It would be kind of awesome if this in any tiny way influences the future inked-in parts of the map where I'm scribbling in pencil here.

The following national profiles are from an alternate Earth I was developing that never got used. With some bludgeoning, I've wedged it into a Malifaux-possible universe.

Could this be a peek into the Alternate Earthside? I can definitely state with confidence...maybe. Possibly a bit.

[Cambrius]

Control + Alt + Earth

Atlantisia Thalassokratia para Byzantion

History
Lost deep in the mists of time, are the chronicles of an event that would forever end one of the greatest civilizations the world had never known. Atlantis.

In Plato’s account, Atlantis, lying “beyond the pillars of Heracles”, was a naval power that conquered many parts of Western Europe and Africa in approximately 9500 BC. After a failed attempt to invade Athens, Atlantis sank into the ocean “in a single day and night of misfortune”. But setting aside the fact that Plato’s story comes more than nine thousand years after the supposed fact, the story came from…somewhere. It is that somewhere that forms the foundation of Byzantium.

Atlantean Exodus (Æ), from the original Greek Atlantisia Exodos, is an ancient and powerful order, pervasive throughout the Thalassocracy. The origins of Æ are as duplicitous as the order itself. The Atlantean Exiles were expelled from the ancient nation for reasons lost with the civilization itself. It is thought by some scholars within the order that the reason was simple treason, that original Æ members went to Athens and sold the Athenians the invasion plans. Unable to retrieve them for justice, the Atlantean government subsequently exiled the Æ from their home.

After the catastrophic event that sent Atlantis beneath the sea, and with no one left to refute their claim, the first Æ members rewrote their own history for posterity. Instead of being traitorous exiles, they were clairvoyants and prophets who foretold the doom of Atlantis. When their words went unheeded, they wrote, Atlantean Exodus (not Exiles) left Atlantis and its hubris behind for Athens, to preserve Atlantean history and culture for future generations. This version of the story is the one preserved by the order to this day and is the secret source of Plato’s story.

The origins of Byzantium are also shrouded in legend. The traditional legend has it that Byzas from Megara (a town near Athens), founded Byzantium in 667 BC, when he sailed northeast across the Aegean Sea. Byzas had consulted the Oracle at Delphi to ask where to make his new city. The Oracle told him to found it “opposite the blind.” At the time, he did not know what this meant, but when he came upon the Bosporus he realized: on the Asiatic shore was a Greek city, Chalcedon. It was they who must have been blind because they had not seen that obviously superior land was just a half mile away on the other side of the Bosporus. Byzas founded his city here in this “superior” land and named it Byzantion after himself. It was mainly a trading city due to its strategic location at the Black Sea’s only entrance. Byzantion later conquered Chalcedon. What legend doesn’t tell is that Byzas was a prominent member of Æ, sent forth with an invaluable opportunity to provide the order with a new home, a city of their own design.

The centuries and generations came and went, springing into brief and virulent life before fading to ashes and dust. Atlantean Exodus slowly and quietly grew in membership and influence in the city they founded, preferring to rule from the shadows and veiling themselves in ever-deepening layers of secrecy and deception. After siding with Pescennius Niger against the victorious Septimius Severus in a Roman civil war, Byzantium was besieged by Roman forces and suffered extensive damage in AD 196. The city was rebuilt by Septimius Severus, now emperor, and quickly regained its previous prosperity.

In February 313, Constantine and Licinius, leaders of the western and eastern parts of the empire, respectively, discussed religious policy when they met at Mediolanum (now Milan). The two augusti were in Milan to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Constantine’s half-sister Flavia Julia Constantia to Lucinius. The text usually called the Edict of Milan would have restored confiscated properties to Semite practitioners and allowed Semitism to be practiced throughout the empire. Both toleration and restitution had already been granted by Constantine in Gaul, Spain and Britain in 306, and by Maxentius in Italy and Africa in 306 (toleration) and 310 (restitution). Galerius and Licinius had enacted toleration in the Balkans in 311, and Licinius might have extended restitution there in early 313.

But Licinius was a high-ranking member of Atlantean Exodus. The order viewed Semitism as a hypocritical philosophy of magic that was constantly rewriting itself to suit its assertions. While the order could respect Semitism’s efforts to survive, Æ had already established a much more useful faith – “faith” being the common term for the belief and practice of a given magical philosophy – in the sciences called Alchemos. When whispering agents failed to convince Constantine of the merits of Alchemos, Atlantean Exodus devised a more sinister plot. A Semite slave was contracted (read: strong-armed) to attack and rape Constantia, an act that both garnered sympathy from her brother and allowed the condemnation of the Semite faith in the eastern empire. The slave was killed in the act, and in his “rage and grief”, Licinius outlawed the “clearly duplicitous” Semite philosophy in his city after marrying Constantia despite her shameful deflowering. Constantine hesitated, and in the following month, on April 30, Licinius inflicted a decisive defeat on Maximinus at the Battle of Tzirallum, after Maximinus had tried attacking him for his condemnation of Semitism. His “Plot at Mediolanum”, having succeeded, Licinius established himself master of the East, while his brother-in-law, Constantine, was supreme in the West. The way was paved, and Alchemos became the prime faith of Byzantium.

The first great Byzantine Emperor was Justinian I (AD 482-565). His ambition was to restore the old Roman Empire and he nearly succeeded. His instrument was the greatest general of the age, Belisarius, who crisscrossed the empire defeating Persians to the East, Vandals in North Africa, Ostrogoths in Italy, and Bulgars and Slavs in the Balkans. In addition to military campaigns, Justinian laid the foundation for the future by establishing a strong legal and administrative system, and by defending Alchemos as the Byzantine faith.

The Byzantine economy was the richest in Europe for many centuries because Byzantium was ideally sited on trade routes between Asia, Europe, the Black Sea, and the Aegean Sea. It was an important destination point for the Silk Road from China. The nomisma, the principal Byzantine gold coin, was the standard for money throughout the Mediterranean for 800 years and remains the currency of the nation to this day – though the name has changed to the nommis. Byzantium’s strategic position eventually attracted the envy and animosity of the Italian city-states.

A key strength of the Byzantine Empire was its generally superior army that drew on the best elements of Roman, Greek, Gothic, and Middle Eastern experience in war. The core of the army was a shock force of heavy cavalry supported by both light infantry (archers) and heavy infantry (armored swordsmen). The army was organized into units and drilled in tactics and maneuvers. Officers received an education in military history and theory. Although outnumbered usually by masses of untrained warriors, it prevailed thanks to intelligent tactics and good discipline. The army was backed by a network of spies and secret agents, led by Atlantean Exodus, that provided information about enemy plans and could be used to bribe or otherwise deflect aggressors.

The Byzantine navy kept the sea-lanes open for trade and kept supply lines free so the city could not be starved into submission when besieged. In the 8th Century, a land and sea attack by Arabians was defeated largely by a secret weapon, Greek Fire. This weapon, its composition now unknown to all but the highest ranking scholars in Æ, was a product of research in Alchemos and by its college of magic. Greek Fire was a sort of liquid napalm that could be sprayed from a hose, and the Arabian navy was devastated at sea by its incendiary might.

In the 7th and 8th Centuries, the Arabians overran Ægypt, the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain, removing these areas permanently from Byzantine control. A Turkish victory at Manzikert in 1071 led to the devastation of Asia Minor, the empire’s most important source of grain, cattle, horses, and soldiers. In 1204, crusaders led by the Doge of Venice used treachery to sack Byzantium, but always the city survived and always the resurgence was led by Atlantean Exodus.

In the 14th Century, the Turks invaded Europe, capturing Adrianople and bypassing Byzantium. They settled the Balkans in large numbers and defeated a large crusader army at Nicopolis in 1396. In May of 1453, Turkish Sultan Mehmet II was defeated at a Byzantium that appeared weakly defended, despite the aid of heavy cannon. The bold and deadly use of Æ’s assassins, with their blades and their poisons plaguing the Turkish camps at night, completely destroyed the invaders’ morale, as well as many of their officers. The Byzantines countered with an offensive of their own and, by October of 1454, Loukas Notaras had captured what is now Greece, Thrace and Anatolia, as well as Cyprus and Crete. Atlantean Exodus worked quickly and ruthlessly to secure what they now held. With their victory, Æ took a more prominent hold of the government. The army was replenished and very well trained, cavalry-heavy, though expected only to hold the borders. Atlantean Exodus placed top priority on the navy, building ships at a frantic pace and training top crews to man them.

Finally, there would be a return to the wine-dark waters. Citizens of Byzantium called themselves Thalassians, from the Greek words meaning “people of the sea”. But for foreigners, Æ had had enough. The government dropped the Great Purple Veil over their nation. Trading posts were built at the borders of other nations, where foreign merchants could trade, the goods hauled deeper into Byzantium by Thalassian carts. Ports had special districts, walled off from the rest of the city, where merchant ships could dock and trade. The gates into the city were heavily guarded and any who tried to trespass were executed on the spot.

As the 20th Century begins, the long tradition of secrecy has allowed Byzantium to prosper and grow behind the Veil, and lent the nation an aura of mystery and intrigue. Stories abound about what lies beyond the gates and walls and borders of Byzantium, but the Thalassian navy discourages anyone from learning anything that Atlantean Exodus does not want known, including the presence of any Lesser Breaches

Geography
Territories: Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Crete, Aegean Islands
Total Area: 921,770 sq. km (910,800 sq. km land, 10,970 sq. km water)
Coastline: 21,524 km
Climate: Temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior.
Elevation Extremes: Low – Mediterranean Sea (0m); High – Mount Ararat (5166m)
Natural Resources: Coal, lignite, petroleum, iron ore, gold, copper, chromium, antimony, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, mercury, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land.

People
Population: 17,094,000 (1900 or 113 Post Foris)
Demonym: Thalassian, Thalassians, Byzantine, Byzantines
Ethnic Groups: Greek, Turkish
Magical Philosophies: Alchemos: 99%, Other: 1%
Languages: Greek (official), Latin (administrative), Turkish

Government
Official Name: Atlantisia Thalassokratia para Byzantion (Atlantean Thalassocracy of Byzantium)
Common Name: Byzantium
Capital: Byzantium
Major Cities: Athens, Thessalonika, Ankara, Nicosia

National Holiday:
Other Holidays:
Political System: Imperial Oligarchy
Legal System: Thalassian Imperial Law
Suffrage: 16 years of age, male; 18 years of age, female
Currency: (№) Nommis (pl. nommi), solidus (pl. solidi) 1/100 of a nommis.
Flag: Gold symbol for alchemy represents the magical philosophy of Alchemos. The purple field represents the Great Purple Veil.

Executive Branch
Head of State: Archon Daeminon Fatih (Hegemon of Æ)
Head of Government: Archon Daeminon Fatih
Cabinet: Praesidium; The official duty of the Praesidium is to carry out the orders of the Archon and Synod, and their status as specialized advisors have made them highly valuable. Praetors are appointed from among the civilian ranks of the Æ, though no one would ever know. All Praetors are properly addressed with the honorific Choregos, meaning Chorus Leader.

Legislative Branch
Unicameral
Synod: The legislative council, consisting of four Tetrarchs that serve the Archon as chief advisors for a life term. Tetrarchs are appointed from among the senior members of Æ, and such knowledge is a very tightly guarded secret.

Judicial Branch
The Imperial Court of Byzantium stands at the apex of the Thalassian judicial system and consists of five High Magistrates, appointed for life by the Archon from among the superior courts – though High Magistrates may choose to retire. Candidates must be from civilian families and may not hold any other remunerative office during their term, though all High Magistrates are senior members of Æ. The duty of the judiciary is to advise the Archon in legal matters, to uphold Thalassian Imperial Law, and to adjudicate legal matters at all levels.

[Cambrius]

Control + Alt + Earth

Greater Britain

History
As the northern tribes of Angles, Saxons, Teutons, and others assaulted and settled a Brittania recently bereft of Roman garrisons, they found a stable and comfortable quality of life and so Roman influence never faded, but instead flourished in its own way.

In the 15th Century, the popularity of Maria Tudoria Elizabeth was extremely high, but her Privy Council, her Parliament, and her subjects thought that the unmarried queen should take a husband; it was generally accepted that, once a queen regnant was married, the husband would relieve the woman of the burdens of state. Also, without an heir, the Cambrian Tudor dynasty would end; the risk of civil war between rival claimants was a possibility if Elizabeth died childless. The first and most ardent suitor was the late Mary’s widower, Philip II of Spain. However, numerous other suitors from nearly all European nations sent ambassadors to the English court to put forward their suit.

Risk of death came dangerously close in 1564 when Elizabeth caught smallpox; Elizabeth survived but British destiny was forever altered. It is said that in her fever, she experienced a holy visitation from a source no one would ever have suspected, given her moderate yet adamant Reformist views. Elizabeth claimed that Danu, mother goddess to the Tuatha de Danaan – the forerunners of modern Celts – came to her in her hour of greatest peril and told her that the elder gods had returned from their long celestial journey to reclaim the hearts and spirits of their Briton children. Elizabeth quickly recovered and proclaimed the vision a miracle.

What followed was a Second War of the Roses, with House York rising up with the support of all Semites and Reformists of the realm, many of them Lancastrian. But a return to the original gods and a renewal of ties to the land was popular among the laymen and more nobles than might have been thought joined the Tudor cause. The Reformist College of England reacted virulently, supporting the Yorkists and declaring Elizabeth and her revived magical philosophy of Druidism anathema. In response, Elizabeth decreed the College to be valid, but no longer the faith of the Crown and State. Popular revolts against the Reformists resulted in the College’s presence being reduced to Yorkist fortifications. In the end, the overwhelming popularity of Druidism resulted in the near-expunging of the Reformist College of England.

The initial reaction from Rome was one of support for Elizabeth, seen as a scourge against the Reformist College. The Vatican Synaxis believed that Semitism could be reinvigourated in Britain. Too late, the Pontifex realised that the Druidic movement was strong enough to hold permanent sway over the nostalgic Britons. Having supported the movement at its inception, the Pontifex could not exactly call for a Crusade – especially given that Rome was greatly occupied with the Arcane Land, and that Britain held nothing of geographical or magical importance for Semitism. Indeed, the magical nexus Stonehenge became a leading symbol for the Druidic revival, something the Vatican Synaxis wanted no part of. As a result of the successful Druidic Movement, Elizabeth conformed readily to the idea that marriage and birth-giving were natural cycles of the gods-given Earth. She married Edwardius Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, in 1565. After much anticipation and anxiety, Elizabeth finally gave birth to Augustus Tudorius Taliesin I in 1575; Prince Taliesin succeeded his mother to the throne in 1603.

The Welsh state solidified its identity of Roman influence when, in 1599, Prince Taliesin suggested for the kingdom the name Cambria, a Romanised version of Cymru, the Welsh name for Wales. The name was officially adopted November 3, 1601, and was declared the national holiday by Queen Elizabeth. Cambria and England formed the Kingdom of Great Britain until, after a similar popular Druidic Movements in Ireland in 1644 and Scotland a year later in 1645, the nation became the Kingdom of Greater Britain.

Geography
Territories: England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, Orkney Islands, Shetlands
Total Area: 329,232 sq. km (310,480 sq. km land, 4620 sq. km water)
Coastline: 13,877 km
Climate: Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atalantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; more than one-half of the days are overcast.
Elevation Extremes: Low – The Fens (-4m); High – Ben Nevis (1343m)
Natural Resources: Coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, copper, silver, tin, limestone, barite, limestone, dolomite, salt, peat, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land.

People
Population: 39,875,900 Cambria (1900 or 113 Post Foris)
Demonym: Briton, British
Ethnic Groups: Welsh, English, Irish, Scottish
Magical Philosophies: Druidic: 84%, Reformist: 12%, Semite: 2%, Other: 2%
Languages: English (official), Welsh, Latin (administrative), Irish, Scottish.

Government
Official Name: Kingdom of Greater Britain
Common Name: Britain
Capital: London
Major Cities: Cardiff, Birmingham, Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester, Belfast, Cork, Edinburgh.
National Holiday: Feast of Elizabeth – November 3
Other Holidays: Candlemas, All Hallow’s Eve
Political System: Constitutional Monarchy
Legal System: Royal Law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Currency: (€) Crown Sterling (pl. crowns), penny (pl. pence) 1/100 of a crown.
Flag: Red dragon represents the Cymric ancestors of the Cambrians. The white and green field represents the colours of the House of Tudor.

Executive Branch
Head of State: Queen Victoria, House of Tudor
Head of Government: Prime Minister Christopher Fey
Cabinet: Royal Ministries

Legislative Branch
Bicameral
Circle of Archons: Peerage of the realm.
Circle of Monitors: Constituent representatives elected by popular vote.

Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court of Greater Britain stands at the apex of the British judicial system and consists of nine Justiciars, appointed for life by the monarch from among the superior courts – though Justiciars may choose to retire. Candidates must be from civilian (non-noble) families and may not hold any other remunerative office during their term. The duty of the judiciary is to advise the monarch in legal matters, to uphold Royal Law, and to adjudicate legal matters at all levels.

[Cambrius]

Control + Alt + Earth

United Kingdom of America

History
The United Kingdom of America began rather humbly, as a cluster of tiny colonies originally established by British proprietors looking for gold and riches in the New World in 1562. They did not find quick riches of gold deposits but rather a land which required hard work and farming just to sustain the colonists. But in 1565, just on the cusp of an exodus back to Greater Britain, many sails appeared on the horizon bringing a flood of fresh supplies and new arrivals, philosophical objectors who brought word of the Second War of the Roses and the rebirth of the magical philosophy of Druidism in Britain.

The new colonists arrived to the fugacious original sites and breathed new life into them. Though it was widely believed that ships full of soldiers might soon arrive from across the ocean to enforce a British governance, it was the native tribes and nations with their powerful shamans that would prove to be the foe. The cluster of settlements grew larger and more populous with immigrants from all over Europe. Soon, the original sites had been merged into a single colony, incorporated in 1584 as Jamestown, named for Prince James Stuart of Scotland, a favoured cousin of the British queen, Elizabeth.

The need to create new settlements and expand their land holdings brought them into conflict with the local natives. In 1585, after a small scouting expedition had returned with two Indigenas and many astonishing stories, British immigrant Sir Walter Raleigh tried to establish a colony called Roanoke in an area of land he named Virginia in honour of the Queen Elizabeth before her Druidic Movement, when she was known as the Virgin Queen. The site was actually an island on North America’s eastern seaboard protected by the outer banks of what is now North Carolina’s coast. Twice Roanoke was the site of massacres at the hands of local Algonquins.

The next year was devastating for the colonists, with only thirty-two surviving the winter and only then because Indigenas living in the area came to their aid with food. After a supply ship arrived the next year they had additional provisions but many more colonists to feed as well. Once again, over the winter, most of the colonists died of starvation and from hostile encounters with their neighbors. As winter came to a close, ships once again arrived. But as these were preparing to sail back, Lord Thomas de la Warr (Delaware would be named after him) arrived from Britain with new supplies and more settlers; he refused to let the survivors return to Europe. Slowly, as they reached agreements with the local native tribes – Druidism and the native magical philosophies shared many tenets – and as they learned how to grow some of their own crops, the colonies began to prosper. More immigrants were arriving to the colonies all the time, establishing trade and industry and by 1624 the governors of Virginia had organized into a Royal Colony, petitioned to and granted by Charles I, son of King Taliesin I. The British crown sent a Governor General, but the post remained almost entirely a ceremonial one. In 1632, Charles I granted the Maryland Charter to George Calvert, governor of Baltimore. Over the next 120 years, the remaining eleven colonies would also be granted Royal Charters.

Powerful Dutch merchant guilds strived to regain control of flourishing continental holdings. In an effort to disrupt the growing union of colonies, the Dutch funded and supplied local native nations to make war on the Americans. In 1775, George Washington was appointed general of the American Continental Army. After a decade-long campaign, Washington’s army was forcing the Indigenas west into the areas of Ohio and Upper Canada. The general faced a crisis with the Continental Army while it was encamped in New Amsterdam in 1783. There had not been a major battle for almost a year and the Dutch-supported natives were simply sitting in a stronghold on Lake Erie, and his Army was in danger of desertion. The soldiers had not been paid for many months and, due to inflation, the continental dollar was nearly worthless. Meeting with his officers, he heard their grievances and was pained. Conditions were indeed intolerable. Washington supported a move against Philadelphia and their coup against the Congress. Being the only real military presence on the continent, it was a swift and bloodless affair. In a matter of just a few weeks, the governance of the Continental Congress was over.

What to replace Congress with was a point of much debate. A petition to the crown of Britain for annexation was being drawn up when Governor Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, suggested that America form its own united kingdom of states. The proposal was supported by the British governors general and in January, 1784 General George Washington was elected the first monarch of the United Kingdom of America.

While many members of the Congress were arrested by Washington’s force, some were able to escape and fled south. Among the Congressmen who made their way to Charleston, South Carolina, was Thomas Jefferson. With the support of the General Assembly of South Carolina, Thomas Jefferson declared the seccession of South Carolina from the United Kingdom of America. Soon after, the states of Georgia, North Carolina, and – most distressing to the American king – Virginia followed the example of South Carolina and declared their secession. In February, 1784, delegates from the four independent states gathered at Richmond and agreed to resume the Articles of Confederation that gave the Continental Congress their authority and formed a new confederation: the Confederate States of America. King George could not bring himself to oppose the secession. He was no tyrant to declare the southern states as rebels. Instead, he initiated extensive talks with the South. But diplomatic relations between the UKA and the CSA remained icy and civil war was imminent.

King George formed a new congress through which to govern. One of the first acts of the Royal Congress was to create the American Constitution, which outlined the constitutional limitations of the crown and the structure of the government. The process of debate and ratification by all of the colonies began in 1787 with Delaware being the first to sign, and would last until for just over three years when Rhode Island signed in 1790. The Colonies became States.

King George died in 1789, brokenhearted over Virginia’s secession, it was said. King George had no children of his own, only stepchildren by Queen Martha. His named successor was the son of his closest advisor, John Adams of Massachusetts. John Quincy Adams, crowned King John of the House of Washington, continued George’s negotiations with the South, but only to keep up the appearance of diplomacy. Talks ultimately failed in 1796, and the American Civil War began.

Initially, the Civil War was exceedingly bloody and fierce. Attrition slowed the pace of the war to a sullen crawl, devolving the conflict into a series of raids and sieges. Events came to a head in 1836 when the Republic of Texas declared itself a nation and Sam Houston’s army marched into Spanish Mexico supported by the Confederate Army. Given a fresh excuse to punish the South, the royalists invaded Virginia. In the bloody four year surge that followed, Richmond and Petersburg burned as did Baltimore and Harrisburg. By 1840, the royalists had claimed large territories from the natives to the west and much of the state of Virginia. The grueling raid-and-siege pattern resumed until the Treaty of Richmond and the establishment of the Mason-Dixon Wall in 1896. The treaty established a de facto cold war in recent years. However, with the reconciliationist policies of current King George II, both Americas seem hopeful to put away past differences as the new century begins.

Geography
Territories: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachussetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Indigenia, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa
Total Area: 1,927,456 sq. km
Coastline: 1541 km
Climate: Mostly temperate, humid continental climate.
Elevation Extremes: Low – Atalantic Ocean (0m); High – Mt. Washington (1917m)
Natural Resources: Coal, petroleum, natural gas, copper, lead, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, silver, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, tungsten, zinc, timber, hydropower, arable land.

People
Population: 47,347,900 (1900 or 113 Post Foris)
Demonym: American, Americans
Ethnic Groups: Welsh, English, Irish, Scottish, German, Italian, Spanish, French
Magical Philosophies: Reformist: 54%, Semite: 28%, Druidic: 11%, Other: 7%
Languages: English (de facto)

Government
Official Name: United Kingdom of America
Common Name: America, The Union
Capital: Philadelphia
Major Cities: New Amsterdam, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indigenapolis
National Holiday:
Other Holidays:
Political System: Constitutional Monarchy
Legal System: Royal American Law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Currency: ($) Dollar (pl. dollars), cent (pl. cents) 1/100 of a dollar.
Flag: Twenty-one white stars represent each of the states in the kingdom in a canton of American Blue. The thirteen red and white stripes represent the original thirteen American colonies.

Executive Branch
Head of State: King George II, House of Washington
Head of Government: President
Cabinet: Royal Departments

Legislative Branch
Bicameral
House of Lords: Peerage of the realm.
House of Commons: Constituent representatives elected by popular vote.

Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court of America stands at the apex of the American judicial system and consists of nine Justices, appointed for life by the monarch from among the superior courts – though Justices may choose to retire. Candidates must be from civilian (non-noble) families and may not hold any other remunerative office during their term. The duty of the judiciary is to advise the monarch in legal matters, to uphold Royal American Law, and to adjudicate legal matters at all levels.

[Cambrius]

Control + Alt + Earth

Confederate States of America

History
In 1783, George Washington supported a move by the American Continental Army against Philadelphia and their coup against the Congress. In a matter of just a few weeks, the governance of the Continental Congress was over. The traitorous General Washington was elected the first monarch of the United Kingdom of America in January, 1784.

But while many members of the Congress were arrested by Washington’s force, some were able to escape and fled south. Among the patriots who made their way to Charleston, South Carolina, was Thomas Jefferson. With the support of the General Assembly of South Carolina, Thomas Jefferson declared the seccession of South Carolina from the United Kingdom of America. Soon after, the states of Georgia, North Carolina, and – in a coup against the northern king – Virginia followed the example of South Carolina and declared their secession. In February 1784, delegates from the four independent states gathered at Richmond and agreed to resume the Articles of Confederation that gave the Continental Congress their authority and formed a new confederation: the Confederate States of America. King George initiated extensive talks with the South, but diplomatic relations between the UKA and the CSA remained icy at best and civil war was imminent.

In 1789, King George died. John Quincy Adams, crowned King John of the House of Washington, continued George’s negotiations with the South, but only to keep up the appearance of diplomacy. Talks ultimately failed in 1796, and the American Civil War began.

Other developing southern states joined the confederacy as they formed: Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas. General Andrew Jackson led Confederate forces in the First Seminole War in 1817, ostensibly to protect burgeoning settlements on the peninsula. The Second Seminole War started with the Dade Massacre in 1835 and incited the former general and now President Jackson to take Florida decisively. The state was finally added to the confederacy in 1845.

Attrition slowed the pace of the Civil War to a sullen crawl, devolving the conflict into a series of raids and sieges. It flared hot again in 1836 when the Republic of Texas declared itself a nation and Sam Houston’s army marched into Spanish Mexico supported by the Confederate Army, which included many veterans from the Seminole Wars. With this fresh excuse, the UKA invaded Virginia. Confederate armies pulled out of the Texan campaign and turned to the north. In the renewed conflict that followed, Richmond and Petersburg burned, but so too did Baltimore and Harrisburg. In the end the CSA was not able to field armies of the same size as the more populous royalists. The UKA had claimed large territories from the Indigenas to the west but, apparently unsatisfied, the kingdom acquired much of the state of Virginia. A truce with the CSA was eventually formalised with the Treaty of Richmond and the construction of the Mason-Dixon Wall in 1896.

In the Caribbean, the Arcane Empire of Spain was gaining strength. Already in firm possession of Central America after the failed attempt by Texas to claim disputed Mexican territories, the Spanish hold on certain islands was growing. When a small rebellion rose in Cuba, both the UKA and CSA called for its resolution. Spain rejected the demand and asserted their sovereignty over the matters. The UKA continued to negotiate in vain, but the Confederacy declared war in 1898. The conflict began with the CSA gaining control of the Bahamanian islands, and ended very shortly thereafter with a decisive defeat at Havana. The war lasted only five months and was formally resolved with the Treaty of Paris; Spain maintained their holdings and the CSA was allowed to retain the Bahamanian islands, including the Turks and Caicos. The islands were organized into the State of Bahamas and added to the Confederacy late in 1899.

The reconciliationist policies of both the current American crown and President Foster, the Americas seem hopeful to put away past differences as the new century begins.

Geography
Territories: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Bahamas, Turks & Caicos Islands
Total Area: 473,370 sq. km
Coastline: 7205 km
Climate: The coastal plain is influenced by the Atalantic Ocean which keeps temperatures mild in winter and moderate in the summer. In the south, a humid subtropical climate with long summers and short, mild winters.
Elevation Extremes: Low – New Orleans (-2m); High – Mt. Mitchell (2038m)
Natural Resources: Coal, petroleum, natural gas, copper, lead, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, silver, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, tungsten, zinc, timber, hydropower, arable land.

People
Population: 14,130,000 (1900 or 113 Post Foris)
Demonym: Dixie, Dixies, American, Americans
Ethnic Groups: Welsh, English, Irish, Scottish, German, Italian, Spanish, French
Magical Philosophies: Reformist: 54%, Semite: 28%, Druidic: 11%, Other: 7%
Languages: English (de facto)

Government
Official Name: Confederate States of America
Common Name: Dixie
Capital: Atalanta
Major Cities: Birmingham, Charlotte, Miami, New Orleans, Memphis
National Holiday:
Other Holidays:
Political System: Republic
Legal System: Dixie Law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Currency: ($) Dollar (pl. dollars), cent (pl. cents) 1/100 of a dollar.
Flag: Thirteen white stars represent the original thirteen American colonies. The field is a Reformist cross banner in the traditional American colours of red, white, and blue. The blue is a particular shade called American Blue.

Executive Branch
Head of State: President Murphy Foster
Head of Government: President Murphy Foster
Cabinet: Confederate Cabinet

Legislative Branch
Bicameral
Senate: Upper House of Congress; elected to represent constituent states.
House of Governors: Lower House of Congress; elected to represent constituent states.

Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court of the Confederacy stands at the apex of the Dixie judicial system and consists of nine Justices, nominated by the president from among the superior courts and confirmed by the senate. Justices serve for life though they may choose to retire. Candidates may not hold any other remunerative office during their term. The duty of the judiciary is to advise the president in legal matters, to uphold Dixie Law, and to adjudicate legal matters at all levels.

[Cambrius]

Control + Alt + Earth

Republic of Texas

History
Texas is a new nation, born mainly of necessity less than a hundred years ago. Independent settlements in the Wild West, viewed as being lawless and chaotic, came to be pressured to join the Arcane Empire of Spain. Wary colonists in Texas began forming Committees of Correspondence and Safety. A central committee in San Felipe de Austin coordinated their activities. While a somewhat popular notion with the local Semites of Spanish decent, the pressure was vehemently rejected by stubborn, freedom-minded folks. As the cold war between the United Kingdom of America and the Confederacy heated up, the governors of major settlements in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona assembled the Convention of 1836. At the convention, it was decided to seek aid from the CSA and declare their own independence, most notably from Spain.

On March 2, 1836, the Republic of Texas declared itself a nation and Sam Houston was elected the republic’s first president, with Stephen F. Austin as his vice president. A hastily assembled army of Texan civilians, magical practitioners, and professional rangers marched into Spanish Mexico. They were supported by the elements of the Confederate Army, which included many veterans from the Seminole Wars. When the UKA invaded Virginia, Confederate armies pulled out of the Texan campaign and turned to the north. Consequently, the Texan offensive stumbled to a halt and was easily rebuffed by Spanish forces. Peace was forged with the Alamo Treaty in 1837, the terms of which established the current borders between Spanish Mexico and the Republic of Texas.

Internal politics of the Republic were based on the conflict between two factions. The nationalist faction, led by Mirabeau B. Lamar, advocated the continued independence of Texas, the expulsion of the Indigenas, and the expansion of Texas to the Pacific Ocean. Their opponents, led by President Sam Houston, advocated respecting the border claims of burgeoning western neighbour Cascadia and peaceful co-existence with Indigenas. The Comanche shamans were the main Indigena threat to the Texas Republic. In 1839, Sam Houston negotiated a peace between Texas and the Comanches, but Mirabeau B. Lamar replaced Houston as president the next year and reversed the Indigena policies. He launched a genocidal war against the Comanches and invaded Comancheria itself. In retaliation the Comanche attacked Texas in a series of raids. After peace talks in 1841 ended with the massacre of thirty-four Comanche leaders in San Antonio, the Comanches launched a major attack deep into Texas, known as the Great Raid of 1841. Under command of Potsanaquahip (Buffalo Hump), 500-700 Comanche cavalry warriors and shamans swept down the Guadalupe River valley, killing and plundering all the way to the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, where they sacked the towns of Victoria and Linnville. Houston’s former state secretary Anson Jones became president in 1844 and, with both Texans and Comanches exhausted by war, a new peace was established.

With the neighbouring Pacific nation beginning to flourish, Texas trades a great deal with Cascadia via overland routes through the independent territory of Deseret and the native nations to the north; a prosperous endeavour for all involved thus far. A delicate balance of trade with the Confederacy and UKA also enriches Texas, though both Americas tend to see this as partisanship and strains relations between each. President Joseph Sayers’ diplomats – indeed those of all three nations – are certainly busy as the new century begins.

Geography
Territories: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado
Total Area: 1,757,722 sq. km
Coastline: 590 km
Climate: Arid in the south and Great Basin of the southwest.
Elevation Extremes: Low – Gulf of Mexico (0m); High – Mount Elbert (4401m)
Natural Resources: Coal, petroleum, natural gas, copper, lead, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, silver, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, tungsten, zinc, timber, hydropower, arable land.

People
Population: 4,733,000 (1900 or 113 Post Foris)
Demonym: Texan, Texans
Ethnic Groups: Spanish, French, Welsh, English, Irish, Scottish, German, Italian
Magical Philosophies: Reformist: 54%, Semite: 28%, Druidic: 11%, Other: 7%
Languages: English (de facto)

Government
Official Name: Republic of Texas
Common Name: Texas
Capital: Houston
Major Cities: Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Albuquerque
National Holiday:
Other Holidays:
Political System: Republic
Legal System: Texas Code of Law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Currency: ($) Dollar (pl. dollars), cent (pl. cents) 1/100 of a dollar.
Flag: Five white stars represent each of the states in the republic. The field is American Blue.

Executive Branch
Head of State: President Joseph Sayers
Head of Government: President Joseph Sayers
Cabinet: Federal Departments

Legislative Branch
Bicameral
Senate: Upper House of Congress; elected to represent constituent states.
House of Governors: Lower House of Congress; elected to represent constituent states.

Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court of Texas stands at the apex of the Texan judicial system and consists of nine Justices, nominated by the president from among the superior courts and confirmed by the senate. Justices serve for life though they may choose to retire. Candidates may not hold any other remunerative office during their term. The duty of the judiciary is to advise the president in legal matters, to uphold the Texas Code of Law, and to adjudicate legal matters at all levels.

[Cambrius]

Control + Alt + Earth

Republic of Cascadia

History
After Confederate president Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark into the Pacific Northwest in 1803, Jefferson envisioned the establishment of an independent nation in the western portion of North America which he dubbed the Republic of the Pacific. Jefferson’s original idea was embraced by a number of settlements on the west coast, and less than thirty years later, the Republic of Cascadia was formed.

Elements among the region’s population sought to form their own country from the very beginning of Oregon’s settlement by pioneers. While the southern states seceded to form the Confederacy, some Oregonians saw it as a perfect opportunity to establish their own country. However, their movement failed when it became linked with the Knights of the Golden Circle, a pro-Confederate organization. Californians unsympathetic to the UKA also pushed for the establishment of the Republic of California as an independent entity – the leader of California’s militia at the time of secession was himself a supporter of the Confederate cause – but that movement proved weaker than its opposition.

Royalist sympathizers separated themselves politically from those sympathetic to the CSA and established the Washington Territory from the northern expanse of the Oregon Territory. But the eastern American nations were far away on the other side of the continent and local concerns provided a much stronger common ground upon which was founded the Cascadian republic. In 1828, regional leaders convened the Cascadian Assembly – which would inspire the Convention of 1836 in Texas. The Assembly took place at the end of the Oregon Trail, in Oregon City, at the residence of local leader Dr. John McLoughlin. Though not initially invited, leaders from settlements in British Columbia, Rupert’s Land, and Aleutia petitioned to be included at the assembly, a petition that was readily granted. On October 19th, 1828, the Assembly declared the Republic of Cascadia a nation. All attending leaders signed the Charter of Cascadia, joining the nation, with the sole exception of Rupert’s Land, now called Alberta.

For the first two years Cascadia had no central government, owing to the tremendous distances and a lengthy election process. In 1830, John McLoughlin was elected the first president of Cascadia.

In what was dubbed “The Great Migration of 1843”, an estimated 700 to 1000 emigrants left for Oregon from the royal and confederate Americas. They were led initially by John Gantt, a former Royal American Army Captain and fur trader who was contracted to guide the train to Fort Hall for $1 per person. In January 1848, gold was discovered in California precipitating the California Gold Rush. Over the next decade, gold seekers from the UKA, the Confederacy, Texas, and the Arcane Spanish Empire in Mexico started rushing overland and dramatically increased traffic on the Oregon and California Trails. Overall it is estimated that over 400,000 pioneers used the Oregon Trail and its two primary off-shoots, the California and Mormonic Trails. Traffic declined after 1855 when the Panama Railroad across the Isthmus of Panama was completed. Paddle wheel steamships and sailing ships, often heavily subsidized to carry the mail, then provided rapid transport between the east and gulf coasts, Spanish Panama, and ports in California and Oregon.

Trade has been Cascadia’s primary endeavour since the nation’s founding and, while not very populous, Cascadia remains a wealthy and influential nation on the Pacific. The native and independent Mormonic settlements survive on the trade flowing overland to and from the west coast. Over the decades, the capital has moved from Oregon City, to Portland in 1857, and finally to Seattle in 1890.

While the other American nations contend for the plains territories, Cascadia looks for potential expansion into unincorporated Alberta and possibly the Yukon territory. Instead of marching armies, however, Cascadian policies rely heavily on economic incentives, particularly with the Indigena nations. The wealth and quality of life in Cascadia continues to attract a steady stream of immigrants, and President James Dunsmuir holds high expectations for Cascadia in the new century.

Geography
Territories: British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Aleutia
Total Area: 3,526,412 sq. km
Coastline: 39,693 km
Climate: Low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
Elevation Extremes: Low – Pacific Ocean (0m); High – Denali (6194m)
Natural Resources: Coal, petroleum, natural gas, copper, lead, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, silver, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, tungsten, zinc, timber, hydropower, fish, arable land.

People
Population: 2,659,000 (1900 or 113 Post Foris)
Demonym: Cascadian, Cascadians
Ethnic Groups: Scottish, Spanish, German, French, Irish, Aleut, Nipponese, Cathayan
Magical Philosophies: Reformist: 48%, Semite: 29%, Indigena: 10%, Druidic: 9%, Other: 4%
Languages: English (de facto), Spanish, Russian, Salishan, Kwak’wala, Tlingit

Government
Official Name: Republic of Cascadia
Common Name: Cascadia
Capital: Seattle
Major Cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Portland, Victoria, Juneau
National Holiday:
Other Holidays:
Political System: Republic
Legal System: Cascadian Law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Currency: ($) Dollar (pl. dollars), cent (pl. cents) 1/100 of a dollar.
Flag: Douglas fir is a traditional symbol for the Pacific coast settlements. The colours of American Blue, white, and evergreen are strongly associated with the Pacific Ocean and regional flora.

Executive Branch
Head of State: President James Dunsmuir
Head of Government: President James Dunsmuir
Cabinet: Federal Ministries

Legislative Branch
Bicameral
Senate: Upper House of Congress; elected to represent constituent states.
House of Commons: Lower House of Congress; elected to represent constituent states.

Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court of Cascadia stands at the apex of the Cascadian judicial system and consists of nine Justices, nominated by the president from among the superior courts and confirmed by the senate. Justices serve for life though they may choose to retire. Candidates may not hold any other remunerative office during their term. The duty of the judiciary is to advise the president in legal matters, to uphold Cascadian Law, and to adjudicate legal matters at all levels.

[Thechosenone]

Very amazing Cambrius. I write like this for all the dice and paper rpgs i do with friends. Super rewarding to craft a world. It gives you a really detailed setting to host your stories in.

good work

[the_madhatter1]

don't have time to read through the whole thing, but all your work looks amazing!

[Cambrius]

Thanks, guys! These are six of fifteen profiles I did for a forum-based roleplay set in 1900. I do love to build worlds. The hard, and I daresay awkward, part is the inelegant stretching of a four-year civil war into a hundred-year slugfest.