Colony

The Empire of Luz Dorada

The Colony describes the military and economic extension of the Empire of the Luz Dorada, and corresponds to the Church of the Holy Trinity which is the religious arm of this Empire. While the Empire is technically a separate entity, the Emperor is considered a Holy Figure to followers of the religion as a channel through which the Gods administer their blessings and justice. The Empire stretches into regions across the planet, but the larger world politics are not very well understood on the Islands.

The Empire of Luz Dorada was born over 100 years ago out of political alliance between two powerful kingdoms: the Kingdom of Luz Dorada (which was more economically powerful) and the Kingdom of Sombra Profunda (a major military power in the region. Together they were able to solidify control of the Eberic Peninsula and leverage their extensive coastline to become a major naval power. Using a strategy refined over decades of colonialism in other parts of the world, the Empire followed its initial exploration party with a combination of Missionaries, Merchants, and Military. To the people of the Islands, they simply became the Colonizer--thus the moniker of The Colony was born.

Current Status

The Colony has established almost complete colonial control of Puthanawan--save for the encircled Mountain City of Himpawpawiran. Governing from the Southern Coastal City of Sumilong, the Colony Governor of Puthawanan is reluctantly hosted by the City's Datu who is allowed to maintain a tacit level of political rule over the social aspects of the Islander's lives. The Colony has prioritized iron mining and refinement, moving resources up a trail stretching from the Arimaonga Ridge to the Western refineries in Agusan, where the materials are then shipped to the Colony Shipyards on the North edge of Nasirakna. Missionaries of the The Holy Trinity Church are engaged in the work of solidifying Colony control within society by converting the local Islanders to their beliefs.

Gaining effective control of Nasirakna was relatively easy in comparison to the conquest of Puthanawan. Upon reaching the shores with their expeditionary group, the Colony was greeted cordially by local leadership. Bearing gifts of tribute and warnings about the danger of the Islands interior, they worked with the Colony to establish their powerful presence by creating a massive military shipyard in the Northern bay--its forges working throughout the night earning it the name "Luz on the Water". The Colony Governor and Merchants base out of the floating city Sangdaangalon, this allows them to launch trading routes to Kaylahon while maintaining a military blockade of the Northern Islands mostly intended at cutting Kotabalon off from outside aid.

The Colony is actively at war in Kotabalon, launching amphibious invasions regularly to attempt to seize a foothold on the island. This island known as the gateway to the Underworld, on Kotabalon the Colony forces found themselves in hell, as native Islanders silently moving through subterranean tunnel systems and slicing through unsuspecting casters with razor sharp obsidian blades. As a result, the Colony has moved towards scorched earth tactics--Kotabalon will fall to Colony control even if it is as a smoldering wasteland.

The Colony hopes to influence the island leaders of Timanduk to voluntarily fall to their side. While their surface strategy is a mixture of diplomacy, religious expansion, and economic involvement through trade, in back alleys the Colony Agents use daggers as easily as they use deception. Expect the Colony to do whatever it takes to bring TImanduk into the fold.

Relationships

The Colony is in active war with The Free Territory of Kotabalon. Generally this means the rules of engagement are kill on sight, whether that is raiding on Kotabalon, or in a shadow war on the streets of Timanduk. However, to maintain diplomatic face, the Colony does not attack the Emissaries from Kotabalon directly in Kaylahon.

The Colony is also technically at war with The Free Islands Alliance, however the extent of this is blockading ship traffic from the Southern Islands North of Timanduk. They generally will not provoke active conflict with their agents in Kaylahon as they prepare plans to expand South.

The Colony is actively trying to bring the Neutral Territory of Timanduk into its fold.

The Colony officially hunts Cultists--explicitly labeling their beliefs as blasphemous to the Holy Trinity belief system. However--rumor has it that Cultist Assassins have been killed with Colony gold weighing their pockets.

In a similar way, the Colony officially hunts pirates but as also been known to employ them as mercenaries or for other dirty work.