The Phurzic Dominion
Whether sailing away from the chaos of the Northern Kingdom or the rigidity of the Silver Sun, it would be hard pressed for one to ignore the iconic flag of the Dominion; a golden four-winged griffin proudly standing on a green background.
Considering itself the direct successor of the long-dead Empire of Olm, the Phurzic Dominion is without a doubt the largest nation in the Isles, even if it’s population is not necessarily the highest due to variable climates and terrains. Being one of the only democratic nations in the known world, both in it a core territory and in some of its Governates, it is often considered to be a land of freedom and opportunity by those who migrate their from elsewhere. Like other places, however, the Dominion is not immune to problems. The rich and powerful, whether hereditary or self-made, almost always get far more power over the system than the average citizen, and more than a few think that the Dominion’s democracy is nothing more than a farce for the powerful to play their games. Nevertheless, the Dominion allows more political and social freedom than most of its neighbours, and with all the different peoples it rules over, its principles of tolerance and expression make it an excellent place to know more about the rest of the Isles.
One of the most notable features of the Dominion is the diversity of people living in it. Various peoples of three, even four of the Forbidden Isles' sapient races dwell in many cities, and while some cities definitely reflect their locale more, there is always at least a noticeable minority of those from other regions of the Dominion and even outside it who live in such urban areas. This is in fact by design, for the Dominion's historical preference has been to move around conquered peoples and their resources and encourage migration between regions in order to reduce the efficiency of any anti-establishment groups, encouraging mercantile careers and multicultural cities allows the various conquered races to associate less with their direct homelands and more with their Phurzic masters, who solidify the republic under their 'guidance'.
Structure
As described in Phoz, the Decarchs are the highest authority in the Phurzic Dominion, with both the Supreme Senate and the Governors being subservient to them. Ten theoretically equal figures, they ensure that no lone man or woman holds a position as a king, for the Phurzic people rejected such options long ago early in their formation. However, their power is strongest within the lands of Phurzia itself, which is by far the largest territory. In contrast, most of the other regions the Dominion has conquered over the centuries have instead been put under the control of ‘Governates’, semi-autonomous regions where the populations are allowed some degree or another of self-rule, supervised by governors handpicked by the Decarchy. The Governates are forbidden from raising their own armies unless with the consent of the governor and the central government, and so any forces besides the Dominion Army are more for self-defence than anything else, or to serve as auxiliaries alongside the main army. The Governates and the governors are also forbidden to wage war upon one another unless in the case of a rebellion. However, governors as well as high ranking aristocrats in and out of Phurzia typically find ways around this, such as hiring mercenaries to settle border disputes or raid other Governates for resources when times are weak. Such mercenaries may also be hired for defence from foreign powers. This rule of course breaks down in cases where Phurzia itself is in civil war, in which case the governates are often free to dispute with one another, either over political differences or simple opportunism.
As a result, local armies typically answer only to the governor, unless emergencies are declared where martial law takes place and the central government steps in. This arrangement is not a perfect one for sure, as many local peoples in the Governates do not like being conscripted to serve in other areas of the Dominion, or to not have their local rulers be unchallenged. There have been multiple times, most notably in Il-Azori, where the local rulers attempted to overthrow governors in favour of independence, or at least greater self-rule.
Local governments in the Governates vary substantially depending on local customs, culture and if there is any history of rebellion. Some such as Il-Azori, Barad and Kithmir are monarchies, others like Gurd and Illustrio are democratic republics, and a few are territories where the Governors rule absolutely, as no previous central authority existed. One unique example is Mekonia, where the centaur tribes come together to elect a chief of chiefs who rules second only to the local governor, who oversees the elections, and may bribe and intimidate unfavourable candidates away. Governors can serve as long as they are deemed fit by the central government, and can be demoted or replaced at any time. Particularly bad governors may even find themselves on the sharp end of an assassin’s blade.
Culture
Founded more than seven hundred years ago as a democratic republic with members of multiple species, professions and religious beliefs, the Dominion encourages a syncretic attitude to religious deities, at least in the context of which can or should be worshipped. More than fifty gods or goddesses exist in the Phurzic pantheon, and almost all have at least one cult dedicated to their worship, having even absorbed deities from the religions of conquered peoples. More monotheistic and henotheistic religious groups are also tolerated within Phurzic society, and respects the freedom to openly follow most beliefs, though the government prefers them to stay away from direct political office, as is the case in other parts of the world.
As a result of being founded by members of multiple sapient races in the aftermath of the oppressive Olmese Empire, as well as accepting exiles from the Yamachai isles to the south, the Dominion is quite tolerant of different races and ethnic groups for the most part, though naturally there is certainly a preference for Phurzic over other peoples in the capital itself. A decidedly larger factor in the Dominion's social heirarchy is culture and birthplace. Those of Phurzic cultural values are certainly seen in higher light than those who come from cultures associated with the Governates, and even more so than those who come from other lands, sometimes thought of as 'savages' by Phurzia's elite. As a result, it isn't uncommon for Phurzic traditionalists to have a very paternalistic outlook on both Phurzia's empire and the outside world, believing it is the 'Phurzic Burden' to uplift other parts of the world under their enlightened rule.
As another reaction to their predecessor, the Empire of Olm, the Dominion is much less tolerant of the practise of slavery due to its links in Olm's racialism, and has sought to abolish it in whatever lands they conquered, with even the poorest workers having some salary to earn for their labour. Conquered territories that surrended more peacefully are expected within a fifty-to-one hundred year period to gradually remove the practise through raised taxes, bonuses of framing techniques and other incentives, while more violently conquered lands have their laws radically reformed upon occupation. Despite its professed rhetoric, however, the Dominion has no qualms trading with other nations of the Forbidden Isles that do use slavery, such as the Vulgar Empire or the Southern Alliance, and their opposition to the pirates and criminal enterprises rampant in the Northern Isles is certainly more for competition than moral convictions. In fact, it is almost certain that Phurzia's rich and powerful profit off, or even covertly participate of the labours of slavery in the tropical north.
As a result of its founding, as well as earlier religious dogmas dating back to the ancient Philhart people, the number ten is considered sacred in Phurzic theology, and has also seeped its way into trading, government structure and their military, among other things. Even the army is organised into units and multiples of ten.
Assets
Being the largest nation in the Forbidden Isles by far, the Dominion has a wide array of resources to trade, deal and exploit at its disposal. Within the core territory of Phurzia itself, the river Ol and its tributaries provide a great range of fish, dyes and aquatic plants to feed upon, as well as clean water to import further inland. In Slithia, great vineyards and tomatoes are cultivated that do well to feed the population, with mountains full of gems and gold there too. Further north, Phurzia's resources lie in good farmland, minerals and metallurgy, putting them at a significant advantage in resources and population to neighbouring regions. This is what allowed Phurzia to conquer its neighbours in all directions, and build a powerful army and navy to accomplish this.
The island cities of Gurd and Sandur are noted for their strategic importance as trade centres, as well as being home to uniquely prestigious resources such as blood marble, found nowhere else in the known world except for Sandur. Gurd in particular serves as a trading port for the entire western world as far west as the furry residents of Umbor, and has grown to be the third largest city in the entire Forbidden Isles as a result. They are also home to impressive fortifications as well as prime fishing grounds, and naturally they house docks to build the Dominion’s formidable fleet.
With the many governates covering a range of habitats from mountains, forests and vinyards to deserts, plains and marshes, a road system of grand proportions is necessary. Fortunately, the empire that came before them, Olm built a system of stone roads to connect their island-wide empire so that armies and traders could move quickly, and whereas many were broken or fragmented in the years following the Fires, those of Phurzia were fortified and as the Dominion expanded, rebuilt and reshaped into the Lifeblood, named for its importance in keeping the many governates connected to Phurzia, with the ideal being that just as all roads once led to Olm, they will one day lead to Phoz.
History
With its origins in the nomadic Philhart tribes that once roamed what would become the Jazyart Plains, Phurzia developed as a settled vassal of a young Olmese empire, developing into a local system of merchantile republics located near to the base of the Ol river, far further downstream than Olm itself. This land was even more suitable for good crop growth and the moving of ships than Olm itself, which was far inland and merely was close to the base of the great river. The communities of Phurzic peoples formed a flourishing merchant community under Olm's watchful eye, often being the first to invent new technologies.
When the Fires emerged and devastated the world, the Phurzic peoples, due to their adoption of proper crop rotations, weathered the crisis better than most. It has also been rumoured that their priests forsaw the disaster years in advance, and some of the more interesting rumours even claim they used some form of dark magic to make the great volcano under Huyuun erupt for their own gain, though these are surely just fanciful stories. In whatever case, the small Phurzic republics, all ten, formed a confederation in the early years, incorporating nearby towns and villages of Phurzic people and centering in the major trading town of Forkton. Forty-nine years after the Fires erupted, the leaders of the ten republics came together and formed the original leadership of the Phurzic Dominion, with themselves forming the ruling organisation known as the Decarchs. Forkton quickly was renamed Phoz and became the capital of this new regime.
Territories
Possessing an overall land area of more than 660,000 square miles, the Dominion is easily the largest nation in terms of territory, though its population is not necessarily the densest, especially in the more arid northern coast.
Military
One of the most feared military forces in the world, the army and navy of the Dominion are feared even in Porpuda! Organised into multiples of ten, the Phurzic army uses an elaborate system of signals to communicate orders across the battlefield, which helps them perform exceptionally well against opponents. The smallest multiple in the army is a Dec, consisting of ten soldiers led by a captain for infantry or a Vang for cavalry, with the next upward being a hundred, known either as a consort for infantry, under an officer's watch, or a vanguard for cavalry, under a Huvang. The larger units are made up of both and are often backed by auxilleries and siege engineers, the most common being a Muni, consisting of one thousand soldiers, including up to one hundred centaurs serving as dunos alongside a trained human. Led by a Warmaster, they often serve as the bread and butter of standard Dominion warfare, particularly in the context of putting down larger uprisings or smaller conflicts.
Several other more specialised units exist in Phurzic military for serving different purposes, such as cataphractoids, consisting of exceptionally heavy cavalry known as cataphracts, wearing multiple layers of armour on themselves and their steeds or a Pointherd, a division of trained archers or crossbowmen. War-griffins, used for aerial assaults, scouting or dropping payloads on enemies are organised along with their trainers into Handlers, which may contain up to a hundred of the beasts. The Dominion is also the only nation in the Forbidden Isles with a regular division for Murks organised professionally instead of as a rare unit used only by the rich and powerful, due to the more efficient cultivation of murk eggs. Murks in the Phurzic army are typically organised as an elite cataphract alongside the more typical horses and sometimes camels that are used in that profession.
The largest unit in the entire Dominion army is a Domineius, led by a general or 'Marshall', which consists of ten thousand soldiers plus auxilleries, hired mercenaries and siege engines. This typically consists of seven thousand infantry along with two thousand cavalry, with one half of such being dunos. Exceptionally organised from the lowest level to the highest, a strict train of command and discipline is maintained throughout this structure, making it easily one of the most dangerous units in the known world. A single Domineius and its auxilleries has been known to defeat opposing forces twice or even thrice its size in battle, or singlehandedly take cities during large scale wars. At peacetime, there is only enough soldiers in the Dominion's army to fit four full Domineius, or a total of forty-thousand professional soldiers.
One of the most well known features of the Dominion’s army is the appearance of its soldiers. Armoured in a suit of lamellar and plate, their colour scheme typically consists of a mix of green and black, often with streaks of gold or blue depending on the military rank. Standards soldiers have helmets shaped loosely after the face of a ripper, the most infamous of the scythebeasts. Officers tend to wear all black helmets shaped after the black swans that swim in the river Ol. The high ranking Marshalls wear golden and green armour modelled after the Emperor Griff, the largest and most mysterious of its kind, even containing feathered ‘wings’ for ceremonial purposes. These features combined make the Phurzic military very outstanding compared to the dull grey of Evergnon’s knights or uniform black of Xu. With extensive use of griffins and murks in their army, it is clear the Dominion uses whatever means it has at its disposal to achieve power, which would be true. The size of the Dominion, combined with its structure, allows the Dominion’s army to be the largest in the isle’s, capable of raising over one hundred and fifty thousand men, centaurs and Vrain when fully mobilised against a rival nation. A particularly infamous unit is the Duno, where a mounted human and a centaur work in cooperation, divides into two forms. The Li-Duno consists of a mounted archer upon a lightly armoured centaur armed with a spear and shield, while the Cra-Duo involved a heavily armed lancer atop an equally armoured centaur, with mace or warhammer. This way, both short and long range weapons are resolved in a devastating combination.
In addition to a fierce army, the Dominion possesses a powerful fleet in order to preserve its control over the smaller islands under its rule, which control vital resources and population centres.
Foreign Relations
With a history of expansionism and hostility with some of the practises of other nations, the Dominion's relationships with other nations can only go so well. Therefore many other nations of the Forbidden Isles are somewhat wary of them and hope to contain their power. A prime example of this is the Southern Alliance, a collection of smaller realms previously at war with one another which aligned to counter the influence of both the Dominion and the rivalling Kingdom of Xu from invading their land. Sometimes, however there is little choice, as is the case for the Kingdom of Evergnon, which is under direct threat from a more organised Jazyart horde, which has established a backer in the form of Xu, and therefore has turned to the Dominion for financial and possibly military aid should the time come.
Prosperity in Unity
Founding Date
49AF
Type
Geopolitical, Republic
Capital
Alternative Names
The Dominion, Great Phurzia
Predecessor Organizations
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Trained
Demonym
Phurzic
Leader Title
Government System
Timocracy
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
The common currency in the Dominion is ‘Doves’, silver coins with the image of a dove present. Higher coins, mainly owned by the more privileged or lucky members of society are the Griffs, named after the griffin that is in the Dominion’s flag.
Legislative Body
The ten figures of the Decarchy:
The Beak:
The spokesperson for the Decarchy, the Beak also is the chief administrator of the Decarchs, who archives the activities of the Decarchs alongside the Scroll. In cases of emergencies, the Beak tends to be the one who decides martial law alongside the Talon.
The Hand that Feeds:
The religious head of the Dominion’s faith. This person manages the different cults within the city to ensure that sound and orthodox teaching is given and that the cults do not wage war upon one another. They also involve in charity to the poor.
The Talon:
Supreme Commander of the Dominion’s army. This individual manages the greater movement of soldiers throughout the Governates and Homeland alike, and mobilises coordinated fronts in the event of military action, external or internal. Can work alongside the Beak to establish martial law in times of emergency.
The Feather:
Handles justice within the realm, ensuring that the judiciary system throughout the Dominion is consistently upheld and high ranking criminals are given appropriate trial. More of a managerial role most of the time, this individual often partners with the Scroll for more efficient management.
The Cyclone:
Supreme commander of the Dominion’s navy. This person organises the admirals and naval officers of the Dominion, as well as the defences of the island Governates. The planning of amphibious attacks may be coordinated with the Talon, while the Breath may work with the Cyclone when regarding insecure trade deals.
The Heart:
This person ensures that the governates are properly handled, managing policies such as taxes, monitoring local rule and ensuring that the power of the governors does not overstep their boundaries, ensuring local rulers still have a degree of say in how they are ruled.
The Scroll:
This person writes and revises the laws of the land, mainly in Phurzia itself, though can extend edicts to the governates with consent from the other members.
The Breath:
This person manages external trade with other nations, ensuring that Phurzic vessels are kept secure, often collaborating with the Cyclone and Voice to ensure that deliveries and negotiations are secured.
The Voice:
The voice runs diplomacy between the Dominion and other powers, managing ambassadors from other nations and keeping a close eye on external affairs to ensure the Dominion’s safety from external threats.
The Eye:
This individual runs security in the city and throughout the Dominion as a whole. They manage internal threats to the order, mainly in terms of political radicals and especially dangerous criminals. They also supervise security forces within the Governates, offering forces someone other than the governors to answer to.
Terms of the Decarchs
Decarchs are elected for ten year terms, reflecting the sacred number in Phurzic religion, and each is put in control of their particular aspect of the economy, and tower in the Spires. While with advisors from the senate, they are mostly autonomous in how they enact their roles, with the senators either helping implement these rules or vocally opposing them, depending on what political party to which they belong. Each individual is only allowed to serve one term in their office, thanks to the Edict of Al-Barad of 523AF, following the Treachery of the Six, a four year long civil war where the Decarchs became too entrenched in their power and served as kings instead of abdicating to the people. The way in which coalitions are managed when there is not a conclusive victory of one party over another is that the party with the most votes overall gains the majority of seats, with a token seat or two from a related party to moderate. Mixed party coalitions are considered too unstable to last following the Great Divorce of 617-628, which contained eight years of political deadlock and three of civil war. In this way, the opposition is able to plan out their overall campaign more effectively, instead of relying solely on the charisma of just one or two candidates, for fear they may end up being venerated in life, a blasphemous presupposition.The Senate
While not as noticeable as the Decarchy, the Senate are no less important for the running of Phoz and the Dominion as a whole. Often taking a more subtle role in making decisions, the senate frequently debates terms and orders given to the parties depending on which party they support, if any at all. More often, outside of the election periods, they tend to try to implement the laws the Decarchs set.
Judicial Body
In Phurzia itself, the Supreme Senate acts out the Decarchs’ laws directly, or varies depending on interpretation. The senators can be divided into various specific elements, many of which directly relate to a particular Decarch's office, such as the legal system, with the Decarchs themselves having a more supervisory role. In both the capital along with other Phurzic cities and towns, elected senators and appointed judges will pass the laws and enact punishments for their transgressions. In the case of aristocrats or the richest of defendants in legal matters, a senator may be assigned the role of 'sympathiser' or 'symp' for short, where they are to make a case for the defendant and against any allegations being made.
In the Governates, the governors apply these laws more directly, with consideration for local rulers and their customs in most cases. The most authoritarian governors can almost write the rules for themselves, however.
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
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