Domenican Empire

ドメニカ帝国

The dawn upon my window softly lays, And casts its light upon the Hautwood hearths, Across Domenica’s vast capital’s Fair expanse. Its many-spired arrays That o’er-head loom, their golden bells a-ringing, Their flags in spring’s cool breath, each a-billowing, And the watch a-keeping across the town All day. And down the lengthy street I see More towers still, all reaching for the crown Above in heaven. How they yearn to see, As I, the righteous warmth of its airy Vantage, the company of its saintly Peerage, and to hear the choir merry, Praising our Empire until, faintly Departs our sorrows. And far beyond, clear Without mine sight, her peerless twin in height Kindred, Chateau Hathéle, her sister dear, Within her rests our Empire’s might. From my sill to gaze upon it, my heart Doth brim with joy: to set upon so pure A sight, as if one beheld divine art. Saint-Érasme arrests my heart for sure, As in the shadows of the towers’ loom, Shall ev’ry foe spy a portent of his doom, To freeze his blood and rend his soul with dread: Saint-Érasme the sublime! Our forges burn, The light of our Kingdom, widely spread, And wider still and far beyond we yearn For her magnificence to be expanded. Foreman, press the bellows, lease smog to sky, As our great Emperor hath commanded. By coal and steel, our ascent draweth nigh. And even in the lower streets, uncouth As they may be, the humblest masses swell With pride as we, for the Empire’s truth Shall guide all peoples as a clarion bell.
And even when the night has cast its shade Over Saint-Érasme, be not dismayed. For if the weary traveler should sail Along the strait, he could not but stop and Gaze agape on that from which we hail, High upon the cliffs, and wider still in span, And that tired traveler on gentle slope — His gaze shall pass o’er glimm’ring starry night, In favor of our brightly shining hope, Saint-Érasme, in splendid gas-lamp light. And not within the highest Chateau’s keep, Nor upon the still-thronging streets, you’ll find Even one dreamer who yet yearns for sleep, For Domenica is lavish and kind Yea, for the traveler who walks in the gloam. Here, even the heathen may find a home.
— Eleanor Belwether, Saint-Érasme

The Domenican Empire is the most powerful kingdom in the Thirteen Lands. It is a military and economic superpower that spans six out of thirteen lands and has its eye on the other seven. Multi-ethnic and comprising many diverse regions, it is united by allegiance to King Melchior II Hathelus and faith in the Reliquary Church.

An Expansionist Power

In 0 AC, Saint Erasmus, Grand Master of the Reliquary Order of Knights, established his kingdom on the banks of the River Domen. Over centuries of alliances, marriages, proselytizing, and warfare, the kingdoms of the Thirteen Lands were unified under the Domenican crown. Today the Domenican Empire is an archipelago-spanning polity of over twenty million citizens — the greatest power the Thirteen Lands have ever seen.

Imperial nobles enjoy a breadth of luxury unheard of elsewhere in the Thirteen Lands. They have technological marvels from Almoria, tea and spices from Panethria, tapestries and velvet from Galway. They believe this is proof of the generosity of the Crown and the righteousness of their way of life. There would be peace and prosperity throughout the Endless Ocean, if only all were united under the Church and the King as one people.

A Melting Pot of Cultures

Part of the reason for the Empire’s success is that they do not discriminate. All who pay taxes are citizens, and all citizens are equal in the eyes of the state. This has led to a very multicultural empire, where fish markets from the north collide with spice markets from the south, and saints of every faith and skin color have been folded into the Church. The Empire is not only the largest faction, but also the most diverse and welcoming faction.

With that said, it is hardly an egalitarian paradise. There is a firmly established hierarchy with the King and the Church on top, then the noble houses, then merchants and skilled urban craftspeople, followed by the vast majority who are poor farmers and factory workers. The Empire provides for all under its banner, but not equally.

The Church of Saintly Relics

The Reliquary Church is the state church of the Domenican Empire. It teaches that virtue must be pursued and sin avoided. If one keeps faith and lives well, they shall ascend to divinity as a saint, whose good works will touch and inspire humanity for all time.

Relics — objects left behind by saints — are especially valued by the Church. Devotees will go to great lengths to preserve historical and sacred artifacts, ideally in an airtight box in an Imperial museum where they can be worshipped from a safe distance by pilgrims.

Despite its popularity, the Church is not without its critics. In the salons of Marais, it is said that the priests have an overly specific idea of virtue and sin, and rarely ask for permission before taking relics and interfering in lives. In recent years, the Indulgences Scandal of 507 AC has led many to question the transparency of the Church and whether it really serves the interests of the people.

Coal and Steel

Of all the factions, the Domenican Empire is the most willing to extract the resources of the land to further its goals. Wherever it spreads, it builds lumber mills, iron mines, gas pumps, and belching smokestacks of industry. This has greatly raised the material standard of living in the Empire — there are mass-produced textiles, newspapers, wallpapers, street lights — but it is also changing the landscape irrevocably beyond restoration, a major point of conflict with other factions.

Imperial cities are filled with lavishly decorated galleries, clock towers, and churches; the houses have gas-lamp lighting and are furnished in turn-of-the-century grandeur. All this is powered by giant steel boilers and smoke-wreathed industrial zones that extract coal and gas from the earth.

Pathfinders of the Empire

The first Imperial Pathfinders were the youngest sons and daughters of upper-class families. Not being the eldest child, they stood to inherit little of the family business, but had enough means to strike out on bold adventures. Wealthy captains such as these took on merchant sailors, ex-navy officers, and all kinds of servants or professionals who might be useful at sea in some capacity. Some of these followers later went on to make their own name and captain their own ships.

To Imperial Pathfinders, the New World is a land waiting to be tamed and added to the Empire. They see themselves as part of a civilizing mission: they are building homes, making discoveries, and finding treasure for the people back home. They believe that the power of the King and the Church can make the world a better place for all humankind. If that means clear-cutting forests, strip-mining mountains, and evicting the spirits of nature from their homes — so be it.

Provinces of the Empire

Domenica: The heartland of the Empire, a large Isle of rolling farmlands and lush forests. On the River Domen stands the capital city of Saint-Érasme, a metropolis that has vastly outgrown its medieval walls and now dazzles visitors with its cathedrals and baroque towers.
Vinaria: A sunny and picturesque Isle known for flowers and wine. It has a bit of a bohemian reputation — many of the Empire’s finest artists and composers hail from the regional capital of Marais, but also many revolutionary and anti-Church types.
Almoria: An Isle of high winds and arid, rugged highlands dotted by castles. The industrial capital of Las Colinas is home to many iron mines and the birthplace of inventions like gas lamps and hot-air balloons (which later evolved into airships).
Panethria: A tropical Isle of sweeping savannas and volcanic mountain ranges. It is the culinary center of the Empire, the homeland of allspice and cloves and coffee and all sorts of delicious things. It is also known for very fine clothes and fabric.
Galway: This cold mountainous Isle was partially flooded by the Confluence, becoming an “isle of isles” where fishermen and shepherds live on floating houses between mountain ranges. The people here have a reputation for being taciturn and humorless, but unwaveringly reliable.
Crutiera: A peripheral Isle, known for excellent seamanship and carpentry, which resisted joining the Empire for decades until the Imperial-backed Princess of Crutiera overthrew her cousin in a civil war. The new province is welcomed warmly but kept on a short leash: the Imperial garrison regularly parades in the streets to remind everyone who is in charge now.

Symbols of the Empire

Royal Coat of Arms: The symbol of House Hathelus is a shield divided into four quadrants, representing the arms of Vinaria, Almoria, Panethria, and Galway, with the coat of arms of Domenica superimposed in the middle. (Crutiera is a lesser principality which is technically under the Kingdom of Panethria and nobody wants to spend the money to redesign the shield.)
Imperial Banner: The flag flown by Imperial ships: a blue banner with a gold border and the royal coat of arms in the center.
The Crossed Keys: The Reliquary Church is represented by a pair of silver and gold keys pointing downward at an angle, crossing each other.