The British Dominion
One of the major powers in Europe, the 19th century saw the British Dominion reach a territorial size larger than any other Empire in history. The London World’s Fair in 1851 clearly established the British Dominion as the industrial leader of the world. The technological wonders that were unveiled were subsequently used by the government to develop powerful weaponry, which in turn bred government corruption.
The British Dominion is recognized worldwide as an oppressive regime. Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, is a living embodiment of the idiom “an iron fist in a velvet glove” and her drive to maintain the Dominion has led to a tightening grip on all of the British colonies and interests.
Today, the British Dominion spans the globe. In addition to the Isles (England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales), the Dominion rules much of southern Asia, including India, and exerts virtual control over its neighbors, the Union of Pyu, and the Republic of Bharata. The Dominion controls the Island of Hong Kong and dominates trade with the Tsung Empire.
The Dominion has managed to create a few small colonies in sub Saharan Africa, namely the Gold Coast and Cape of Good Hope.
In North America, the colonies of Kanata remain caught between the Federated States of America, the northwestern tribal lands, and the warlike Raudrlanders. The Dominion has
been a strong supporter of the League of American States and some wonder if their goal is to regain some or all of their American colonies.
Meanwhile, at home, The Dominion’s industrial cities suffer from a plague, which is killing the poor and isolating the rich. The infected can become violent, often attacking others and spreading the plague. The British government uses the plague as an excuse to incarcerate or purge citizens as they wish. Order is maintained by the Boiler Men, soldiers whose bodies have been mixed with steam engines and mechanical parts. They are supported by Warjacks, heavily armed and armored Lightning powered automatons said to be controlled by the minds of their handlers.
There are many political, economic and familial relationships between the British upper class and their American cousins. Visitors to the Americas are common and many Americans have visited the isles for their renowned universities.
Many poor Irish have fled famine and oppression in their lands electing to face the dangerous cross Atlantic journey with only the vague promise of a better life in the Americas. The strong relationship between the League of American States and the British Dominion has encouraged many Irish to destinations in the Federated States.
Imperial Russia
Under Peter the Great, Russia was proclaimed an Empire in 1721 and became recognized as a world power. Russia, allied with various European countries, fought against Napoleon's France. The French invasion of Russia, at the height of Napoleon's power in 1812, failed miserably, leading to the disastrous defeat of the invaders. The Russian army ousted Napoleon from the country, before pushing through Europe and into Paris. Alexander I headed Russia's delegation at the Congress of Vienna that defined the map of post-Napoleonic Europe.
Russian officers serving in the Napoleonic Wars brought ideas of liberalism back to Russia and attempted to curtail the Tsar's powers. From 1812 - 1855 Russia enjoyed a zenith period of power and influence in Europe that was disrupted by their defeat in the Crimean War.
Tsar Nicholas's successor Alexander II has enacted significant changes in the country, including the Emancipation Reform of 1861, which abolished serfdom. These Great Reforms spurred industrialization and modernized the Russian army, which is currently embroiled in a war with the Ottoman Empire.
As the working class has gained more power, there has been a rise in socialist movements in Russia, inspired by the writings of Karl Marx. Some members of the upper class have moved their assets to Europe and the Americas hoping the Tsar will address this rising movement that threatens the “natural order” of society.
The Franco-Spanish Theocracy
Napoleon Bonaparte strove during his reign to eradicate the institutions of the Old Order such as the monarchy and the Church of Ohm. After his defeat in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo, even those who had originally suffered under such institutions began to look upon them with nostalgia. The monarchy became a symbol of unity and peace
The fall of Napoleon was seen as a victory for the Church and as a sign from Ohm that the monarchy enjoyed the divine right to rule. In 1818 The Church sent Adofo Nakar, Hierodeacon of Spain, to bring bring the people of France back into the fold.
Adofo used the influence of the Church to support Louis XVIII and the Restoration. Under his guidance anyone that had supported Napoleon, or who spoke out against the monarchy, was declared an enemy of the church. Spain’s government, controlled by the church for many years, leant its support to Hierdeacon’s efforts. In 1824 Adofo reinstituted the Office of the Inquisition and used this to further root out opposition to church and monarchy. Her Holiness Sabbat III, Hierophant of the Ohmnian Church, rebuked Adofo for his zealotry and called for him to temper his teachings and his methods. Adofo responded by accusing the Hierophant of opposing the will of Ohm and declared himself the Hierophant of the Church of the Pillar of Ohm, creating a major schism in the church.
Upon the death King Louis XVIII in 1830, Hierophant Adofo claimed that Ohm wanted no secular power above the Church and claimed that the lands of Spain, Portugal, and France were the beginning of a new Holy Empire that would bring the truth of Ohm back to the world.
The more secular northern areas of France have resisted this conversion. Paris and the lands north of the Seine and Marne rivers remain the Republic of France, a member of the Confederation of European States.
Today the Theocracy is ruled by Hierophant Adan Durante who continues to embrace the convert or die philosophy of his predecessor. The Church of the Pillar of Ohm considers the Egyptian Orthodox Church of Ohm to have lost its way and the splinter sects in America as little more than heretical cults.
The Theocracy sends missionaries around the world to spread the word of Ohm.
The Confederation of European States
In 1806, the last Holy Roman Emperor abdicated after a defeat by the French under the hand of Napoleon. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1814, the victorious allies (Russia, Prussia, Austria, and the British Dominion) together with a number of smaller governments agreed to meet to settle issues that had arisen as a result France’s aggressive policies and to create a balance of power in Europe.
The Confederation of European States was intended to create an alliance of nations to prevent a country like France from throwing Europe back into a long war. The resolution of some territories such as Poland left Russia at odds with the Confederation and there are constant border conflicts and political machinations that ultimately keep the Confederation, comprised of dozens of duchies and princedoms and small nations covering most of central Europe, splintered and weaker than their more powerful neighbors.
Many of the wealthy from the European states use their money and status to travel the world. America is seen as an opportunity to see the frontier in a somewhat civilized fashion and many are attracted to the opportunities to revitalize family fortunes.
