The Kingdom of Ohio is one of three kingdoms that once made up the Empire of the Mississippi. A calm and stable western half, long controlled by the Mississippi Empire, was paired with a fractious and recently conquered eastern half along the Ohio river. This situation has been exacerbated by the king’s pious nature and the government’s slow movement towards theocracy.

History

Following the Commonwealth War and partition of the Mississippi Empire, the occupying forces decided to grant the Ohio River Valley to the central of the three partitions, thereby creating the Kingdom of Ohio. Francisco Santiago-Locke, younger brother to the former Emperor and now Margrave, was appointed its king.

King Francisco wasted no time making his mark on his kingdom. A devout and religious man, Francisco rules as an autocrat, refusing even a noble-blooded legislature to check his power. Within a year he bowed or burned every religious institution to the throne.

The result is a long and consistent subversive movement, hiding and moving those who refuse to modify their scriptures to match the king’s. So far the movement has been content with getting them out of the kingdom, but there are always rumors of something else brewing.

Government

The government of Ohio is run from Cairo, a settlement at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. It is a very secure location now, with only government officials and official visitors allowed within the city limits. Access is heavily restricted.

King Francisco’s rule is very autocratic. Local nobility have very little leeway to rule their lands as they see fit, instead constantly referring to the King’s Codex, an ever growing document of laws that King Francisco enacts. There is no legislative body of any sort, unusual for an Atlantic American successor kingdom.

King Francisco does have ministers, specially appointed nobility who conduct the functions of government for trade, economics, military, diplomacy, an so forth. The King is not above interfering with their ministries, if he wants to. As a result, most ministers do not last long before they are replaced or resign.

Military

The Military of Ohio is unusual in that is lacks the pomp and circumstance of most militaries, and the numerous divisions common amongst Atlantic American forces. There is no separate air force or navy; both are subsumed into the army. Uniforms tend to be drab colors, with little distinction to their badges.

Of any Atlantic American military, Ohio is extremely manpower intensive, even more so than North Mississippi. King Francisco’s belief is that intense physical service will help break the freshly occupied eastern territories of their tendency to resist his rule.

King Francisco has divided his kingdom into several districts, each corresponding to a neighbor, with a large central region acting as a reserve. Each district is commanded by a general, who commands as many troops as King Francisco feels he needs to. Ohio regiments tend to be rather large, and the army lacks much of the support and mechanical services of their neighbors.