Empire of New Britain Isles

The Empire of New Britain Isles is a state that grew out of the two East Indiamen that departed the south Pacific into the Eastern Ocean. Those vessels were the property of the Honorable East India Company, which remains a form of shadow government in the Empire.

History
The Empire was founded by the crews of three East Indiamen of Honorable East India Company that were transferred in Destroyermen's world in mid-1700s. After initial contact with the Lemurians, the crews of two of the ships decided to travel eastward in attempt to find safe places to settle, unknown to the Lemurians and Griks. After a series of intermediate stops (like Respite Island), those two ships eventually came to the mid-pacific islands, in our world known as Hawaii. Here the crews of the two East Indiamen decided to settle, considering themselves safe from any hostile powers.

Due to lack of natural resources on Hawaii (named New Britain Isles in the books), the Imperials were forced to establish a colonial presence in North America, mainly in California.

Sometime after the colonization of the New Britain Isles, the Imperials came into contact with the Holy Dominion - a large theocratic realm in Central and South America. The initial contact was relatively peaceful, and led to the establishment of some trade relations. The most important resource that Imperials were able to obtain from the Dominion were its slave women: there were only a very small number of fertile women in the initial Imperial population (32, to be precise), and the Imperials were threatened by a serious demographic crisis. The immigration of women from the Dominion helped to improve the demographic situation on the New Britain Isles, but also laid the foundations for a system of implicit slavery, known as Indetured servitude. However, it must be noted that by importing slave women from the Dominion, Imperials De-facto saved them from the human sacrifices, that the Dominion religion practiced.

In the XIX century, the Empire experienced a period of exploration and expansion. They explored the Pacific Ocean and claimed a lot of islands as colonies. During this time, the Empire established contact with the Tagranesi and several similar reptilian races. However, the Empire did not attempt to re-establish contact with the Lemurians, and (due to the fears about external invasion) it was made a rule that the location of the New Britain Isles must not be revealed to any outsiders. The Imperial-Dominion relations eventually worsened - over both religious and territorial reasons - and a series of wars (primarily naval) were fought between the two powers in the XIX and early XX century, which led to the end of Imperial expansion.

By the 1940s, the total Imperial population was numbered a few million, and they controlled a large colonial empire on the Pacific Islands and North America's Pacific Coast.

Geography
The Empire controlled relatively small territories, but dispersed across the whole Pacific Ocean. The homeland of the Empire is the New Britain Isles (known in our world as Hawaii). The four major islands are: The total surface area of the four major New Britain Islands is about 50% larger than in our world.
 * New Britain (the Hawaii island)
 * New Scotland (a single island, formed on the place of Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe due to the continued Ice Age in the Destroyermen's World and lower ocean levels)
 * New Ireland (the Oahu island)
 * New Wales (a single island, formed of Kauai and Niihau)

Outside the New Britain Archipelago, the Empire controlled a large number of islands as colonies. The most prominent is Respite Island.

Population
The Imperial population by 1940s is numbered a few million. Because the large part of initial population (the crew of initial Indiamen) consisted of so-called lascars - slang term for Asian or Arab sailors - the Imperial population enjoyed complete racial equality.

The Imperials seem to lack a real hereditary aristocracy, except the Governor-Emperor's family, but any upper classes (generally in terms of an prosperous bourgeoisie) clearly existed. The social stratification of the Empire is currently unclear.

A large percentage of the female population of the Empire were Indentured Servants - basically a form of debt slavery. The practice of indentured servitude was created in the early years of the Empire, when the looming demographic crisis was averted by the import of female slaves out of Dominion. The imported women were considered technically free in the Empire, but under obligation to "repay their transport expenses" (in terms of forced labor) to the ones, who provided them passage - or the ones, who purchased their debts. Eventually, the indentured servants became the majority of Imperial unskilled labor; because their children were granted full imperial citizenship, the Empire needed a constant inflow of new indentured servants.

The main (by the XX century - only) provider of indentured servants for the Imperial economy was a Honorable New Britain Company.

Goverment
The Empire is a constitutional monarchy, ruled by the Governor-Emperor of New British Isles. The extent of the Governor-Emperor's power still somewhat unclear, but it's clear that he had control over most of the Imperial military. The population's interests are represented by a parliament, known as the "Board of Proprietors", which indicated that at least initially the Empire was considered more a corporate society than a "true" monarchy.

Since early XX century, there was a power struggle between the Governor-Emperor and the Court of Proprietors of the Honorable New Britain Company over control of Empire. By the early 1940s, the situation deteriorated so much, that open conflict between Imperial Goverment and Company became possible. The situation was eventually resolved with the attempted Dominion invasion, when it became clear that a number of high-ranking Company representatives were actually recruited by the Dominion. Stunned by the betrayal inside their own ranks, the Company - the majority of its personnel were rigidly anti-Dominion - was eventually disbanded.

Religion
The Imperials enjoyed a partial freedom of religion; however, only the practitioners of the state religion (Anglicanism) are allowed to have full citizenship. The majority of population are Anglican, but a relatively large number of Catholics are presented, especially on the New Ireland. The Catholic population are usually viewed with suspicion, because of supposed "ties" between them and the Dominion's twisted version of Catholicism. Some vestiges of Islam and Hinduism also persist, though what form they have taken is not mentioned in detail.

Economy
The Empire has a capitalist economic system, comparable to early XIX-century Britain's. The notable distinction is that the Empire's economy is based on a De-facto slave workforce of indentured servants to a great extent (which was considered outdated by the standards of XIX-century Britain).

Lacking natural resources in their homeland, the Empire established a vast colonial empire across all the Pacific, and a large (probably the largest in the world) cargo fleet. Their industrial capabilities are well-developed and roughly comparable with the mid-XIX-century: the Empire has an all-steam military and cargo fleet, but their technological level is relatively low, comparable to the early decades of the XIX century.

External politic

 * Union of Homes - Currently in a stable alliance. Relationships are very friendly.
 * Republic of Real People - Indirect contact only, limited official relations.
 * Holy Dominion - State of war, formerly official relations.
 * Celestial Realm - State of war, no official relations.
 * Kurokawa's Japanese Empire in Zanzibar - Supposed state of war, no official relations.
 * Czech Legion - No contact.
 * New United States - No official contact but are aware. Friendly relations are presumed.
 * Shogunate of Yokohama - No contact.

Army (Marines)
The Imperial army is relatively small and largely supposed to serve as garrison units and support marine operations. Due to the lack of manpower, the Empire considered it impossible to fight a land campaign against the much more numerous Dominion army, and invested more in the navy, than the army.

The standard Imperial army weapons are flintlock smooth-bore muskets of .75 cal, fitted with ring bayonets, swords and .62 cal service pistols. The Imperial officers usually used privately purchased pistols. The main unit of imperial field artillery is smooth-bore 8-pdr guns on split-trail carriages.

Navy
The Imperial navy was considered the most important part of the Imperial military. Lacking the manpower to maintain an army, capable of competing against the more numerous Dominion's troops, the Empire envisioned the naval superiority as their main (and actually, only) line of defense.

The backbone of the Imperial navy was the numerous sail&steam powered ships-of-the-line, locally named as "Liners". They were generally comparable in terms of size and firepower with the early-XIX century second and third rate ships-of-the-line, the Imperial liners also have steam engines and paddle wheels, protected by thick wooden wheel-boxes. However these proved inadequate to stop cannonballs from destroying the paddles. The Imperial navy experimented with screw propulsion, but until recently was unable to effectively transmit torque from the machine to the propeller. The average Imperial liner have a displacement about 1900-2200 tons, armed with 64-80 guns, and capable of 8-10 knots. In actions, they serve as a main battle-line, capable of withstanding and dealing more damage, than less powerful frigates. Liners in Imperial Navy are often used as a flagships.

The liners are supported with a large number of frigates, that served as main multipurpose units of the Navy. The Imperial frigates usually have a displacement about 1200-1500 tons, and armed with 24-40 guns. They are faster and cheaper than liners, and more useful in patrol, reconnaissance and raiding operations.

By the mid-1940s, all Imperial warships were paddle-wheeled steamers, which gave the Emipre a significant advantage over the Dominion Pacific Fleet (which was all-sail). The Empire didn't know anything about the existence of Dominion Atlantic Fleet, and about the existence of steam liners and frigates in it.

The main armament of Imperial warship were the smooth-bore artillery of 30-pdrs, 20-pdrs and 10-pdrs. They are only capable of firing solid shots and grapeshot. No explosive shells or rifled guns were used by the Imperial warships until after contact with the Lemurian-Human Alliance.

Imperial Warships tend to have classical Greco-Roman names.

Air forces
The Empire currently has no air forces or any serviceable aircraft of their own, but the seaplane carrier Maakka-Kakja with 3-rd naval air wing was provided by Alliance for the campaign against the Dominion. This is likely to change as Grand Alliance aircraft and blueprints have been supplied to the Empire for replication and instructors to train new pilots.

A task force consisting of Achilles and three other ships arrives at Tarakan Island‏ shortly after the Battle‏ of Tarakan Island‏. Harvey Jenks, Captain of Achilles and Commodore of the Imperial Squadron, has a very different opinion of the Destroyermen and Lemurians than Captain Matthew Reddy.

Coming to Baalkpan following the battle, Commodore Jenks' squadron meets with Captain Reddy. Company Warden Walter Billingsly abducts Princess Rebeca, and Lumerian-Human Alliance persons while Harvey Jenkis is with Captain Reddy. Prompting a persuit by USS Walker and HMS Achilles. The prisoners escape HMS Agamemnon and Dennis Silva contrives to blows her up.