The Empire of Albion
"Hail Albion! For God and the Empress!"
The Empire of Albion is the most powerful nation in the northern hemisphere, and is only rivaled globally by The Mu Confederation in the south. It began on the island of Albion, but has grown to directly or indirectly control more territory than any other government in the world.
Public Agenda
The Empire of Albion believes that they are a force for civilization and peace in the world, and seeks to export their way of life to all the people in the world. In addition to the military bases they have set up in all the countries they could, they have established schools and hospitals that minister to the local population. These institutions serve to spread the culture and ideals of the Empire, and as outlets for Imperial propaganda.
History
The Empire of Albion was formed when the kingdoms of High Albion and Alba merged under the rule of Emperor Henry I, formerly Henry II of High Albion. This merger brought the entire island under a single ruler for the first time in history, and also extended the power of the Church of Albion across the Alba.
In the centuries since Albion has embraced magic to an extent unseen before in the world. Today, magic pervades every aspect of Albion society, from powerful weapons in the military to sleeping wands used by parents to quiet their infants. Magical constructs can be seen on every street and working in every field and factory. Alchemist's shops and talismongers can be found in even the smallest villages, while the borders of the nation are shielded by powerful spells keyed to the monarch herself.
Territories
The core of the Empire is in the Albion Isles, an archipelago located about 200 miles west of Elbid. It controls the large islands of Albion and Inisfal as well as most of the smaller islands, with the strategic exception of the island of Piffling, which is a protectorate of the Empire, but not a part of it.
Beyond the archipelago, Albion directly controls several territories on Elbid, with the most notable being Arvoringia, which was part of Carovingia before the conclusion of the Dragon Wars. It also has military installations throughout Elbid, put in place during the war and maintained afterwards to help protect against the remnants of the Cult of the Leviathan, and later against incursion by pro-Mu forces.
Beyond Elbid, the Empire has begun to use the military forces developed during the Dragon Wars to seize control of any overseas territories it can. The largest of these territories is the Payainan Islands, which serve as a source of valuable resources and as a strategically valuable base in the Southern Hemisphere. Another major territory under Albion's influence is Kemet; in the aftermath of the Calamity in Kemet, the Empire was deeply involved in rebuilding and caring for the Orphans of Kemet, and still administers the territory in their name. While there are plans in place to return the region to local governance, they have been delayed several times, and the administration of Kemet is a major point of conflict between the Empire and the Mu Confederation.
The Empire has also used diplomacy and intimidation to gain effective control over the governments of many nations around the world, and quietly claims that the sun is always shining on some territory under the Albion flag.
Military
Even before the Dragon Wars, Albion spent a large amount of time developing and building upon their military. Ever since the schism that formed the Church of Albion allowed for the free and open use of Magic in the Empire, they have been creating Taloi, a kind of construct soldier which forms the core of the Albion forces. The Empire has millions of Taloi and other constructs stationed around the world, ready to carry out the will of the Empress at a moment's notice. These constructs are lead and directed by a number of highly trained military mages, and accompanied by human soldiers equipped with wands and other magical weapons of war. Construct ships carry the armies of Albion wherever they need to go, and once in place, the Royal Army Transport Corps are able to create magical gateways to bring in whatever troops and supplies are required.
Intelligence Services
Albion has several intelligence services, both civilian and military. By far, the largest and most active of these is The Ministry of Correspondence. This agency is ostensibly charged with running the Imperial Mail, and providing for any other communication needs the government assigns to it. In practice, The Ministry of Correspondence is a wide-ranging intelligence agency that has operatives all over the world. Internally, they speak in terms of couriers and messages, but sometimes the messages they send are lethal in nature. Agents of the Ministry usually work in small groups, with each courier bringing a particular specialty to their missions. Many of their missions are clandestine enough that if the agents are caught, the government of Albion will disavow any knowledge or connection to the agents who have failed them.
The Empire is a parliamentary monarchy. Empress Charlotte I is the monarch, and has command of the Empire's military forces. She can also propose legislation to the Parliament, but does not receive a vote to pass it. The monarch can veto any piece of legislation that is passed by Parliament, but that veto is subject to being overridden by Parliament via a two-thirds majority.
Mm, schools and hospitals are a very good way of spreading propaganda. Very smart of the Empire.
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
They are quite good and making friends and influencing people.