Name of Nation: The Quebecois Empire
Flag:
Battle Flag:

Government Structure: Feudal Monarchy. The emperor is the head of state, though regions of the empire are divided into Lord-Governorships, who in turn divide their lands into smaller marquises.
Privy councils are formed at the emperor's whim, the highest electable position is that of a Mayor of a city or colony.
Tribute is extracted from the vassal tribes in surrounding lands, who are obligated to relent to Quebecois colonising forces.

Leader(s): Emperor Claude-Davis 2nd, of the house Du Roberts, Empereur des Canadiens, King of Quebec and the Ontario, Lord of Lac Ontario, Warden of the Saint-Laurent River and Conqueror of Anticosti Island.

Claude-Davis is the 8th king of Quebec and the 4th proclaimed emperor of the Quebecois Empire. Often called "the Fox" after his successful campaign against the Anticosti islanders.
Claude-Davis is a highly trained and intensively schooled tactician, who joins a long tradition of subjugating kings and reformers of wastelands. He is however a stern politician and a cruel occupier.
He is also not a kind soul, it's said that the princess-consort cried at their wedding out of sadness rather than joy.

Culture: The empire is administrated and socially structured under a feudal system. Serfs and peasants are at the bottom, toiling and labouring under freemen, who then pay tribute to chevaliers and marquis, who protect their lands for their people and for the Lord-Governors and the Emperor himself, who rule over and establish laws and edicts over the population.

Depending on where you are in the empire depends on the social circumstances. Along the shores of the Saint-Laurent river, there is more urban development and trade traffic flowing towards the great lakes and out to the east coast. The further north and south however are dotted more with settlements closely pressed against keep walls and fortresses built by imperial military, for safety's sake.

Quebecois is the state language of the empire. A French-English mix more the former than the latter. Minority languages are found closer to administrative centres and trade ports rather than out amongst the rural communities. Many nobles also pay for tutelage in classical English and French, with translators brought in from surrounding regions to communicate between tribal dialects or other governments.
The city folk are more influenced by the cosmopolitan and refined culture of the social elite, with more of a pastoral, nationalistic pride holding communities together along the frontiers.

The state religion of the empire is the Reformed Chalcedonian Church, a Christian religion that is built on absorbing the various Christian sects together into a single religion. Administrated from various bishoprics in the imperial core and upheld by missionaries and preachers in rural settlements. Though not all festivals in the imperial calendar are religious, a religious component is usually included in some form or fashion.

Demographics: Depending on where you are, depends on the density of population. More people are densely packed along the shores of Saint-Laurent river in the cities and citadels close to the imperial courts. There is then a more even spread of population in the rural heartland before becoming uneven along the frontier. Either swelled populations in separate colonies and fortresses along the border.

The majority of people are from a European-Canadian background, with mixed populations intermingled here and there in mainly cities. Ethnic diversity is found most prominently in the trade ports and outposts along the river routes and ocean ward harbours.

Nation History: The Citadelle of Quebec is the stronghold of the first king of Quebec, a shelter and a bastion for the people under his protection. Some people say he was a raider, other's that he was a defender of the people. What's certain is that he was a warlord, a determined king bent on uniting the Quebecois under a strong kingdom.

Eduard 1st was his name and he was followed by Markus the Voyageur, who ventured up the Saint-Laurent and opened up relations with the tribals along it's shores. Then his son, Claude-Davis 1st who conquered the said tribals and took their kingdom of the Ontario. His nephew was crowned king and married into the Kingdom of the Ontario, then struggled for control of Lac Ontario on his father in laws behalf.

The first imperial authority came into force shortly after the coronation of Alice-Marie as the first Empress of the Quebecois Empire, spanning over the Ontario and Quebec kingdoms and uniting them. Empress Alice-Marie's reign is credited with reform and foundation of many of the imperial doctrines and traditions still practiced today.
Her heir and successor, Henri the Zealot, cemented the Chalcedonian church into Quebecois culture and condoned the persecution and cleansing of religious minorities.

The crown passed to his brother, after Henri the Zealot's death whilst crusading against northern heathens. Emperor Eduard is considered a lazy emperor, content with taxing the traders along the Saint Laurent and refurbishing the courts and upper class quarters of the imperial cities. The emperor's only legitimate son, Claude-Davis, hung all of his father's bastards from the parapets of the Citadelle of Quebec, where their skeletons still dangle to this day.

Emperor Claude-Davis 2nd had to cement his political power. So he warred with the Anticosti islanders and drowned their king in saltwater and sand, at the Battle of the Strait.

With military success came political respect and admiration from the populous of the empire. Though now he seeks to reach an open palm to the men of the Canadalands, with a closed fist to the Americain kingdoms of the south and west.

Description of Economy: On the frontiers of the empire are where raw materials (such as timber, furs, metals, minerals and reclaimed bricks and glass) are all packed and shuffled down to the shores of Saint-Laurent, where they are refined and manufactured into refined materials or goods to be traded up the river, to the eastern seaboard or into the great lakes.

The trade that flows from the tributaries of and along the Saint-Laurent river are the life blood of imperial commerce. As there are boats and pack-trains moving towards the imperial cities, so do they pass goods and equipment heading out to the frontier.

The port and city surrounding the citadelle of Quebec and the imperial court is home to major administrative structures and offices of the various trade companies competing for trade rights to many frontier provinces and tribes. The ports that dot the shores of the river are home to various manufactories and industries churning the resources of the empire.

Description of Military:
Chevalier

Recruited from the upper classes, at least those who can afford their own horse. Chevaliers are the heavy cavalry of imperial armies and provide a mobile counter to infantry and cavalry alike. Should the need arise, a chevalier can dismount and fight on foot should they need to. Though martial honor and a lack of empathy for the lower orders often abstains them from doing so.
Dragoon

Trained to utilise their muskets on horseback or on foot. The imperial dragoon is the most moblie of the armies and are sought after to hunt and harass. When met with counter-attack they run, when matched they challenge and when run from they harass. Their purpose is not to deal the final blow, but to fill armour with holes so it's easier.
Arbalist

Behind or flanking a wall of pikes are the arbalists. Poorer armies will utilise crossbows, while more wealthier lords with arm them with muskets. Regardless their purpose is to pepper enemy infantry with protection from cavalry with their pike compliments. The arbalists are also armed with swords, daggers and all other sort of hand weapon should a pike phalanx collapse and a melee breaks loose.
Infantryman

Drilled into phalanx formations, the imperial infantryman is one of many pikes pointed towards the enemy. A spiked wall that can repel cavalry and infantry alike. The Quebecois infantryman, though a pikeman in theory, are also armed with smaller weapons should their phalanx be penetrated. Though their armour is significantly less than that of a chevalier.
Siege weapons

The piece de resistance of Quebecois engineering is the trebuchet, an imposing device often found on the battlements of fortresses or in long sieges. The trebuchet is usually set to depart either the average boulder or a purpose made artillery shell, encasing an explosive ordinance more to kill defenders than tear down walls.