The Grand State of Virginia

Summary
The Grand State of Virginia, also known as The Commonwealth, is a constitutional monarchy ruled by the House of Kellam in the Mid-Atlantic region of post-America. It consists of 5 Provinces, 14 duchies, 5 free cities, 2 protectorates, and 2 territories, with the Commonwealth's rule becoming more decentralized the farther one gets from the Tidewater heartland. Founded by Emperor John of Kellam and inherited by his son, Emperor James of Kellam, The Grand State of Virginia is lead by an Emperor as the head of state who is advised and restricted by a House of Burgesses, consisting of representatives and noblemen from all the State's duchies and subdivisions.

Built upon the conquest of the many squabbling city-states of the post-collapse Tidewater region, The Commonwealth's military is one of the most professional and disciplined in the entire continent. Infrastructure and urban areas are highly developed in the central districts, but the freshly-conquered or annexed regions in Appalachia and Carolina are mostly still underdeveloped or recovering from previous wars. Unrest is most present in these regions as well, with the Ali-Alakwas religious movement gaining traction amongst the Appalachian rebels, and communist partisans in Carolina maintaining a low-intensity guerilla conflict since the Carolinian Civil War. Opposition within the heartland is also not unheard of, with a Neu England-linked Occult movement based around Powhatan revivalism and Tidewater ethnonationalism spreading amongst a minority of radical intellectuals and army officers.

The Grand State of Virginia maintains complex relationships with its neighbors. In the north, Virginia maintains amicable relations with Atlantropolis, founded on trade and mutual defense against the expansionist radicals in the Neu England Kommunreich, which the Commonwealth defended against during the brutal and bloody Mason-Dixon War. This war was ultimately a stalemate, although Virginia made a crucial push near the end that allowed them to install a DMZ to prevent future conflicts for as long as possible and give themselves time to recover. Virginia has no official diplomatic ties to the Laurentian League aside from occasional trading contracts. In the south, Virginia has never officially been at war with the USSR, although they have come close. The last time this happened was during the Carolinian Civil War, in which socialist partisans and Virginian royalists fought over the failed South Carolina Republic, ultimately leading to the royalists' victory and Carolina's annexation into the Commonwealth. They still maintain cold relations, but more immediate threats discourage them from direct conflict with each other. To the east, the rising power of Ozarkistan and the spread of the Ali-Alakwas faith make many in the Transappalachian Territory fear raids or even a full-blown jihad from across the Mississippi.

Province of Richmond
The Duchy of Richmond is the crowned jewel of the Grand State. While it had begun as an unremarkable city-state in the Tidewater region, at the time of the Great Emperor John Kellam’s death it had become a grand metropolis worthy of Virginia’s capital. While it does not have the same volume of trade as Hampton Roads, all roads in Virginia lead to Richmond, and the majority of Hampton Road’s trade originates or leads to Richmond. The Emperor rules here from the Grand Mahone Palace, while the House of Burgesses meets in the nearby General Assembly Building. While many of the duchies in the Tidewater region are wealthy, Richmond stands above all of them as the height of The Commonwealth’s opulence. It boasts several baptist cathedrals, the prestigious Commonwealth College, and a thriving industrial sector.

Province of Hampton Roads
The Duchy of Hampton Roads is the primary trade hub in the Grand State of Virginia. It is the second wealthiest region in the Commonwealth, although not as industrialized as Baltimore. Its primary industry aside from trade is shipbuilding, being the home port of Virginia’s Grand Navy. It is also the birthplace of the Kellam royal family, and the Emperor’s private estate, the Monroe Palace, resides in this duchy. The Emperor’s royal guard was originally an elite cadre of warriors and assassins that resided in the duchy’s backwaters, whom swore their loyalty to Emperor John and aided him in his rise to power. These troops were instrumental in the amphibious assault on the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula.

Crownland of Piedmont
The Duchy of Piedmont was also created from several less powerful duchies, although rather than being conquered they submitted willingly to Virginia after they had consolidated their rule over Tidewater. The reason for this was two-fold; the princes of the Piedmont knew they couldn't stand against Emperor John's armies, and they also desired protection from increasing raids on their plantations by Appalachian tribes. The Duchy of Piedmont is renowned for its vast swathes of fertile farmland, and is the primary agricultural producer for the entire Commonwealth.

Duchy of Rappahannock
The Duchy of Rappahannock is the poorest and most agrarian of the Tidewater duchies, and as such offered little resistance to the Emperor’s armies. It has remained agrarian since, although it has become significantly more wealthy by producing rare and exotic crops imported from the Hampton Roads port. The Emperor’s Royal Cavalry Division hails from this region and they have turned the tides in many battles, most notably in the famous Battle of Hannastown during the Mason-Dixon War against the Neu England Kommunreich.

Duchy of Potomac
The Duchy of Potomac was one of the strongest powers in the Tidewater region, boasting a professional military, a strong mix of industry and agriculture, and a heavily defended capital. Ultimately it fell to a prolonged siege, and the gateway to Maryland was opened. Since then, the Potomac has become a center of culture in and of itself, often called the "Athens of the New World". While not being as wealthy or powerful as the capital, it holds great historical and cultural significance, containing many ruins of the old American Empire.

Duchy of Baltimore
The Duchy of Baltimore was assembled from a number of small, squabbling city-states in the Maryland region which were conquered swiftly after the capitulation of the Potomac. It is a highly industrialized region, producing the majority of the Commonwealth's manufactured goods and military equipment. The region sustained significant damage from Neu England bombers and artillery during the Mason-Dixon War, and rebuilding has been an important priority in preparation for a possible second Mason-Dixon War.

Duchy of Raleigh
The Duchy of the Inner Banks was an early supporter of Emperor John and his conquests of the Duchy's northern rivals, and made a number of strategic marriages to bring them closer. When the Duke of the Inner Banks died without a suitable heir, the nobles allowed Virginia to inherit the duchy diplomatically, and the Emperor placed his nephew on the throne whom had married into the Inner Bank's royal family. The Inner Banks is primarily based around agriculture and fishing, with a minor shipbuilding industry. The Inner Banks has produced several lightweight, iron-clad, shallow-sea corvettes for the Commonwealth's navy, which play an important role in the Inter-coastal Flotilla.

Delmarva Protectorate
The Duchy of Delmarva was a rural, poorly developed region in the Commonwealth's vicinity which was shielded from Virginia's conquests by the bay, and the small portions that were connected to the mainland were heavily fortified. While Emperor John had not succeeded in conquering it, his son, Emperor James, blitzed the peninsula early in his reign as a show of force, utilizing amphibious landings to aid their land forces. While the duchy has little industry, it acts as a crucial corridor for trade with Atlantropolis, as well as preventing Neu England access to the sea through the Delaware River.

Carolina Protectorate
The Carolina Protectorate was originally the independent Republic of Carolina, which succumbed to a civil war between communist partisans and Virginian pan-nationalists. Thanks to volunteer forces, logistical support, and military advisors from the Commonwealth, the Virginian nationalists defeated the communists (even with the USSR supporting the partisans), and Carolina was annexed into the Grand State of Virginia as a protectorate. Carolina has never fully recovered from the civil war, and communist guerillas and agitators continue to operate underground within the region.

Cisappalachian Territory
The Cisappalachian Territory is the eastern portion of the area inhabited by Appalachian tribes, and was the target of the grand campaign by Emperor James to subjugate the region as a part of his "Greater Virginia" aspirations, in addition to being rich in natural resources to fuel future conquests. The Appalachian tribes fought ruthlessly against the more numerous and professional Virginian armies, and despite ultimately losing inflicted significant losses against the invaders. Even now, the Appalachians have not been fully pacified, and revolts or sabotage are common. Ever since their subjugation, the Ozarkian Ali-Alakwas faith has spread among the more rebellious tribes, and has intensified resistance in the region.

Transappalachian Territory
The Transappalachian Territory is the western portion of the area inhabited by Appalachian tribes, and despite being farther away, has been less resistant to Virginian armies and occupation. This is due to the fact that Transappalachia is a much more developed region, and thus more civilized, but also because the Transappalachians are more opposed to the spread of Ali-Alakwas than their Mountainous brethren, and hope to use the Commonwealth as a bulwark against a potential jihad from across the Mississippi. Transappalachia is rich in natural resources and posses fertile Mississippi River farmland.