Autumn Dominion

The Autumn Dominion is a country consisting of Greater Autumland in Gloria as well as numerous overseas territories and colonies, the major ones being Sashnikia, East Larmartia and Dominion East Tyren. Greater Autumland extends from the Titanic Ocean in the west to the Kedavian Wall in the east, and from Souvon, Lurberrany and the Glorian Apexes in the south to Sudorn and the Krakenprowl and Cold Seas in the north. The country has a population of roughly 42.6 million. The Dominion is a semi-parliamentary absolute monarchy with its capital in Autum Prime, its 2nd largest city and arguably most important cultural centre. Other major urban areas include Orange Port, Rilais, Rievaulx, Helmsley, Plainsport and Ryedale.

The Dominion was first founded by Queen Alice Rievaulx in the year 0PI (Post Independence) after declaring independence from the Blancourtian (now Souvonese) empire.

The Autumn Dominion is the world's largest country by GDP and when counting colonial territories, largest by population (without colonies the country has the 8th largest population). The Dominion is a centre of trade, culture and arts with its empire ensuring its influence is felt around the world. The Autumn Dominion is a founding member of the Congress of Glorian States.

Government
The Autumn Dominion is a semi-parliamentary absolute monarchy. This means that while representatives from each city and state are elected, political parties are outlawed and votes and referendums only occur with approval of the monarch. The monarch, whose official title is King-Emperor or Queen-Empress, has final say on all matters of state but delegates the running of the country of to several ministries headed by lord-ministers who are nominated by their predecessor and approved by the monarch. The monarch also acts as the supreme commander of the army. These ministers, the chiefs of staff, high druid and others, including whomever the monarch deems suitable, form the privy council which surrounds the king and have the most input into the monarchs decisions. This council meets twice a week to discuss important matters and provide reports while the full parliament meets once a week unless an emergency meeting is called. This parliament is made up of representatives representing each state within the country, elected by the people they represent. Meeting each week, representatives are able to propose new laws, policies and decisions to the monarch who, with the inner council, decide on whether they will be passed or not. In matters of "intense national importance", a vote can be called amongst the representatives who convey their constituents wishes, in some cases a nationwide vote is called with every citizen able to cast their input. Thus, though the Dominion is technically an absolute monarchy with all important decisions being made the monarch, a lot of these decisions are largely delegated and any monarch who goes against the will of the people too strongly will not be monarch for long.

List of Inner Council Members
Including the monarch, the Privy council traditionally holds twenty members though rulers are allowed to invite other advisors or personal confidantes to hold a seat.

Military
The Dominion armed forces are formally split into five branches, each with their own chief of staff who report to the King/Queen who acts as supreme commander. The army, navy and air force share a joint departmental headquarters in the form of DRADRNDRAF (drah-drun-draf) Castle located to the north of Autum Prime. DRADRNDRAF Castle acts as an administrative and operational headquarters for the three branches as well as a joint operations centre allowing greater cooperation between the three branches. The Royal Coast Guard headquarters is located in Rilais while the Royal Colonial Army's command is split between localised headquarters in each colony.The five branches of the military are:


 * Dominion Royal Army (DRA)


 * Dominion Royal Navy (DRN)
 * Dominion Royal Airforce (DRAF)
 * Dominion Coast Guard
 * Dominion Colonial Army

Foreign Relations
The Dominion enjoys good relation with most north Glorian countries and its colonial subjects as well as other countries which make up its global sphere of influence. However, its large empire and interventionist and expansionist practices have led many countries to treat the nation coldly or even outright denounce them with other imperial nations exhibiting various degrees of rivalry.
 * Kingdom of Souvon - Ever since the Dominion declared independence from the Blancourtian Empire, an event which many historians argue to be the main trigger of its downfall, the Dominion and the empire's successor state, Souvon, have had an intense rivalry. Both country's histories are punctuated and defined by bloody wars between the two countries which has resulted in icy tensions only exacerbated by colonial expansion in the last few centuries. Both countries are currently fiercely competing to the be the world's dominant superpower, a drive which may lead to more bloody conflict in the future.
 * Republic of Robertia - While Robertia and the Dominion have previously clashed in regards to influence in the Cold Sea, in recent years the two nations have come to an understanding with a set of mutually beneficial treaties. These include free trade treaties and respect for spheres of influence but most important of these is the recent treaty which called for greater naval cooperation between the countries. In return for Dominion assistance in the design and construction of a new aircraft carrier for the Robertian navy and respect of Robertian monopolies in its network of global trade ports, Robertia and the Dominion signed a non-aggression pact and conditional defensive alliance. The treaty states that if any power were to move on either country's colonial possessions or within the Cold Sea, the other would provide assistance.
 * Kingdom of Kedavia - With close cultural and genetic ties, Kedavia is the oldest and closest ally of the Dominion. The countries share strongly interconnected economic and trade ties and often coordinate foreign policy decisions. There has been talks of unifying the two countries due to their extensive similarities and shared aspects, though these arguments are usually dismissed on both sides, there have been times such as the Winter war and a short period of personal union where the idea came closest to fruition.

Colonies
The Autumn Dominion has the largest empire in the world with several colonies of significant size. In addition to these larger colonies, the Dominion also controls several island territories and trade ports throughout Tyren, Gondahar and Larmartia.

Climate
Being located relatively far north in Gloria, the Dominion has a climate which is a mix of fertile temperate land in the south, centre and west which merges into pine forests and moors the further north and east you travel.


 * Temperate Forest - The regions of Autumland, the Frontier, Rilais, Centralia and Ryedale are traditionally temperate regions populated by forests of broadleaf trees which have been largely cleared for farming in the fertile soils universally fed by fast running rivers through the usually flat terrain. Temperate forest is the most widespread biome within Greater Autumland.
 * Temperate Grassland - The temperate grassland biome dominates the Great Prairies region of the Dominion. Due to a lack of rainfall making it past the Maritime Ranges, the Prairies are a perfect place for long grasses to thrive with few trees, leading the area to be perfect for livestock farms which dominate the region.
 * Coniferous Forest - To the far north and east of the Dominion lie vast expanses of coniferous (pine) forests. Due to the large extent of these forests they are used for lumber and also contain the country's largest domestic national parks.


 * Moorland - To the north east of the country lie the Hintermoors, a region roughly the size of Rilais which is characterised by its acidic soils and hills which cause the area to be dominated by low growing vegetation. Moorlands can also be found on the north-western coast of the Dominion. Due to the lack of fertile land these areas are the least populated regions of the Dominion and mostly consist of national park.


 * Marsh - Due to the country lying relatively high above sea level, the Dominion has few areas of marsh or bogs. The most distinctive exception to this rule is the Corgrove Marshes, a thick ring of marshland formed in what scientists believe to be an ancient meteor crater. Despite the usually poor liveability of marshes, the Corgrover people live in a surpirsingly large city in the centre of the marsh, a unique minority group culturally but not genetically distinct from Autum's who survive today in largely the same way their ancestors did. Smaller areas of marshland are also found on the north-western coast.
 * Mountains - Mountains are only found in the extreme south-east and in small amounts close to the Sudorni border. In the south-east, the Glorian Apexes dominate the border region and are excellent mining territory.

Population
The Dominion's population has historically largely been concentrated in the country's south in places such as Rievaulx and Rilais due to this being the Autumn people's homeland. This changed with the conquest of the north between 80-150 PI which saw large migrations into the new lands and population booms in new cities such as Plainsport, Ryedale and Autum Prime. With the coming of the industrial revolution areas with natural resources and fast running rivers became areas of rapid growth with cities such as Orange Port and the Helmsley valley area growing immensely due to their burgeoning economies. The industrialisation also resulted in many immigrants, particularly from Dominion colonies brought in to work the factories and mines. The Dominion is the second most populous country in Gloria after the Orkovian Empire.

Major Cities
(In order of Population)
 * 1) Orange Port - The largest city on Known. This gigantic urban sprawl is located at the mouth of the River Running in the north-west of the country, the city was first settled by the infamous Pratt & Pratt company which purchased the land, transforming it from a collection of smaller townships and farmland into the metropolis it is today. The city was not officially part of the Dominion until the Pratt & Pratt company was nationalised 40 years prior. The city is the country's largest industrial centre, accounting for 10% of the country's domestic GDP alone. The north and south sides of the river are demographically distinct and often referred to and treated as seperate entities.
 * 2) Autumn Prime - The country's capital and administrative centre, Autumn Prime is the youngest Glorian capital. Built after the Dominion conquest of the north, it was intended to be a modern, centralised capital for the nation. Due to the planned nature of the city, it features many wide avenues and curated city blocks which present the best of Autumn culture and architecture.
 * 3) Helmsley - Located upriver from Greater Orange Port, the fast running rivers which run down from the Sudorni border and the northern hills allow the city and surrounding areas to be dominated by mills and industry. Helmsley is the second largest economic centre of the Dominion, accounting for 8.5% of the country's economy. Whereas Orange Port focuses on manufacturing consumer goods and finished products such as steam engines, ships and automobiles, Helmsley and the surrounding area's main exports are raw materials such as steel, coal, aluminium and other parts which are often shipped downriver to Orange Port for assembly. If it was built in Orange Port, chances are it first came from Helmsley.
 * 4) Rievaulx - The old capital of the Dominion, Rievaulx is the cultural heart of the nation and one of its oldest developed settlements. The city is rife with historical buildings such as Rievaulx castle, ancient home of the Rievaulx dynasty, All Saints Cathedral, and Saint Evan's Academy for the study of Cultural Magic. The city also has a prominent university district with several of the world's most prestigious places of learning.
 * 5) Rilais - Located inside the mouth of Shunweather Bay in the country's southwest and originally settled by the Glorian Empire who called the city Riana (Rye-A-na) or "safe harbour", it is the country's oldest urban settlement and still has a large amount of well preserved old Glorian architecture such as a large portion of the city's harbour. With its superb natural harbour and port facilities, Rilais is seen as the Dominion's second port with the majority of the country's south exporting and importing through the city and the Royal Dominion Navy using it as its home port.
 * 6) Ryedale - Ryedale is the capital of the extensive farming region of the same name in the country's north-east. It is located on the banks of Lake Rye and like Helmsley has a large amount of rivers which flow down from the Sudorni border to the lake. The city is thus surrounded by fertile land which it exploits to earn its name as the Dominion's breadbasket, exporting a significant portion of the country's food supply.
 * 7) Plainsport - Capital of the Great Prairies, Plainsport is a major transport hub for the western half of the country with more unique rail and road connections entering the city than any other Dominion city other than Autumn Prime. The city is also the country's most isolated with it being the only city of over 150,000 people in the expansive prairies. Plainsport's main export is livestock and the Plainsport Pioneers wingball team.

Ethnic Groups
The majority of Dominion citizens are of Autumn descent making up 95% of the population at 40,470,000 people. The country has significant populations of citizens from cultures currently under the rule of the empire. Centred around industrial cities such as Orange Port and the Helmsley valley, 650,000 Larmartian and 426,000 Tyrenese citizens make up 1.5 and 1 percent of the population respectively. Of the remaining 2.5% most identify as other which includes the Corgrover subculture in the south, Kedavian in New Kedavia, those who still identify with northern tribal groups and a sizeable Souvonese majority in Tennont with minority presence in other areas throughout the south.

Religion
As with most countries, the Dominion has an incredibly high rate of religiousness within its population.Religion is split up with similar percentages to the country's ethnic groups with each culture subscribed to their respected religion. Less than 1% of the country is atheist.

Ancestorism is the country's native religion and is followed by 97% of the population, the 95% being roughly Autumn and the other 2% being a mix of Autumn identifying citizens who are genetically Kedavian or Souvonese.

Ancestorism
Ancestorism is a religion based on ancestor worship. Autums believe that when you die, your soul leaves your body but remains within this world so long as those who the souls belong to are honoured and remembered. Each house in the Dominion has an individual family shrine where family members can remember their Ancestors. In return for this maintenance of their soul, it is said that the Ancestors can assist their descendants in their lives, protecting them from danger or bringing them good fortune. Shrines are located in every major settlment where druids can assist in communication with the ancestors as well as remember and pray for those who have no one left to remember them. These shrines also act as shrines to the Saints of Autumdom.

Treated as shared ancestors, the Saints are honoured by all and risen to this status by decision of the High Druid and his council in return for great service to the Autumn people. Usually associated with a specific area, the Saints are said to protect the Autumn people and assist the country and its people in its endeavours.

The head of Ancestorism is the High Druid in Rievaulx who ensures the maintenance of the country's belief and religious institutions and with his inner council of the country's other High Druids (holding the same title but for regions or cities) is able to appoint new Saints.