The Republic of Dalmatia (ROD) is an island nation located in the center of the northern Pacific Ocean. It is a relatively large and prosperous nation with some influence in the imagi-nation world. The “Home Island” is a 150,000 square mile banana-shaped island, and it is home to 33 million citizens. The dog reigns supreme here, all breeds being loved by everyone.
The capital of the ROD is Erinsburg, located in the fertile central valley. We have a robust agricultural industry, as well as high-tech manufacturing and entertainment. The military is held in high regard in the ROD, and we have the largest artillery impact area anywhere in the world!
History of the ROD
The island of Dalmatia has, by virtue of its location in the center of the North Pacific, been a destination for merchants and explorers for centuries. Many seafaring peoples have come to her shores, and some decided to stay and call it home. Many Asian and European settlements popped up on the island, but because of the island’s size, small native communities were also able to thrive and grow in relative isolation.
It is not known when dogs first appeared on the island, but it is believed that they were brought to Dalmatia by European explorers. Dogs of many breeds found the large open spaces ideal for work and play, and they proved to be constant companions to the early settlers. Of particular interest to researchers is the presence of the Dalmatian breed, for which the island is named.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several different Asian and European empires claimed Dalmatia as their own. Several military expeditions were launched by these colonial powers to subdue the island and eject competing nations. The vastness of the island proved to be more than any single nation could dominate, however, and after much bloodshed, rule of the island was divided between native tribes in the interior areas, the English in the south, and the Spanish in the north.
Over time, the colonial settlements turned into cities. Saint Catherine, an English city in the south, became the largest and wealthiest city on the island. San Andreas, a Spanish city in the north, was not far behind Saint Catherine in terms of population, wealth, and infrastructure. Both cities boasted sophisticated ports with adjacent shipyards that at first serviced the fleets of merchant ships transiting the sea-lanes of the North Pacific. After several generations though, Saint Catherine and San Andreas began to product vessels for their own use in both shipping and fishing.
In 1745, an industrious Irish immigrant named Sir Johnny O’Doyle (no record can be found of him ever receiving a knighthood) settled on Dalmatia and he constructed an iron forge for producing cannon. These weapons were initially used in the production of warships on the island, but over time the cannon saw use with several armies in Europe and Asia as well. O’Doyle’s cannons were seen primarily as a business venture at this point, and by providing his wares to both the English and the Spanish, the foundry became a meeting place for both English and Spanish colonists. Over time the traditional rifle hunting clubs even gave way to louder and much more exciting artillery clubs, where Englishman and Spaniard could spend the afternoon together sipping brandy while blasting hay targets with small caliber artillery.
Sir Johnny O’Doyle, himself a great lover of dogs, began breeding the spotted namesake of the island, using the long-distance running canines to carry messages to and from the foundry. These humble animals did much to unite the island’s populace, as dogs were considered universal pets. The care and comfort of the dogs was everyone’s responsibility, and a common cause for bonding
By the time the 19th century rolled around, the residents of Dalmatia generally considered themselves to be Dalmatians, rather than subjects of the English or Spanish crowns. When the monarchs tried to reign in their North Pacific colonies, they were met with resistance, and a large population of militiamen that knew their way around artillery. The disturbance was short-lived, as European powers were busy elsewhere, and they made no further attempt to reclaim the island or its people.
In 1855 a governing council was assembled at the foundry with delegates from Saint Catherine, San Andreas, and several other English, Spanish, and native areas. The effort to create a single, unified government for the island was long and often intense. Delegates changed over time, and meetings were infrequent. Despite these obstacles, a constitution was drafted and ratified that created a new nation – the Republic of Dalmatia.
ROD Flag
The new nation continued to grow and prosper. The increase in trans-pacific trade brought more and more shipping to ROD ports, and the fertile central valley began to produce large surpluses of fruits and vegetables which were exported around the Pacific. National pride was soaring among ROD citizens at this time, and a new foundry was built to produce more sophisticated weapons (primarily artillery) for the world market. The original foundry was renovated and became the ROD capital building. The new facility became the center of artillery production, as well as a center for training, and it became officially known as The Foundry.
When World War 1 erupted in Europe, the ROD was far removed from the conflict. Over time, however, as more nations found themselves embroiled in the war, the ROD citizenry sought ways to contribute to the war effort on behalf of their allies. In 1915, The Foundry gathered the greatest minds in artillery and established an artillery school to train professional artillerymen from the ROD and allied nations in the latest tactics and techniques of field artillery operations. By late 1916, with artillery production reaching new heights, the ROD began to deploy small artillery units to Europe, which were attached to allied ground forces.
After the war ended, the ROD military consisted of several infantry regiments, and a huge force of artillery. And when Nazism began to rear its ugly head in Europe, the ROD began preparing for a return to the continent. Several artillery units did in fact deploy to Europe with US Army divisions, but Japan was a far more urgent threat to the ROD, and this time the nation mobilized to fight for its survival. While several ROD Army divisions did fight throughout the Pacific theater, the ROD Navy was the nation’s main effort, denying Japanese ground forces access to the home island for the duration of the war.