Directionland

The United Empire of Directionland (commonly The Empire of Directionland, or simply Directionland) is a constitutional empire on the world of Mundus. It emerged from a centuries-long process of settlement, alliance, and reform that culminated in the Great Unification—an election that centralized authority under an imperial crown and bicameral legislature. The official capital is Ironwood; the state faith is the Aetherian Faith (with Simonius as primarch deity); and the imperial currency is Directian Crown (originally the Gref).

The United Empire of Directionland
The flag of Directionland
The Coat of arms of Directionland.
Nation type	Empire
Form of government	Constitutional Imperial Monarchy
National anthem	Our Sacred Land
Motto	Unity, Wisdom, Mercy
Currency	Directian Crown
Languages	Common Directian, Ruulden
Alliances	Imperial Defense Union
Leadership
Head of state	Emperor Alexander XVII
Head of government	Chancellor Nathaniel Crowley
Territory & population
Estimated population	~ 80 million
Capital	Ironwood
Major cities
St. Stylinson Simonville St. Niam Evergreen
Provinces
Central Directionland Eastern Directionland Western Directionland Eastern Directionland Greater Stylinson Gandry Capital Province

Etymology

“Directionland” began as a frontier nickname used by settlers who said one could move “in any direction” and find land fit for homesteads. The label stuck and became the de facto name of the realm.

History

Early settlement and St. Stylinson

After a cataclysm in their homeland, a tribe of Humekind landed in the south of Mundus and moved north, allying for a time with the Ruul’yun (Elvenkind). The Humes eventually settled on fertile plains rich in gold, where the martyrdom of Stylinson led to his canonization and, later, to the founding of the Kingdom of St. Stylinson.

The War of Grief and the Directionland frontier

Roughly 670 cycles ago, St. Stylinson fought the Kingdom of Cratterly in the brutal War of Grief. In the postwar period, settlers pushed north; by 650 cycles ago, the frontier was commonly called Directionland.

From union to empire

By 500 cycles ago, a loose United Realm of Directionland coordinated the growing patchwork of duchies and kingdoms. Administrative strain and a southern threat forced a full political unification: 450 cycles ago, an election between King Ethian IV of St. Stylinson and Grand King Ultimer III of Gandry produced Ethian IV as Emperor, inaugurating the United Empire of Directionland with a bicameral legislature and an imperial crown.

Capital shift, war, and reprisals

The capital was formalized at Ironwood about 350 cycles ago, with a new Imperial Palace and Parliament. Around 300 cycles ago, Directionland fought the War of the Empires against the Southern Federation of Kingdoms; the conflict devastated Gandry (including the burning of the Grand Sanctum of Alessa) before Imperial Engineers’ innovations turned the tide.

Light Energy, forcefields, and railways

About 200 cycles ago, engineers learned to concentrate Light Energy into large defensive domes. Iconic forcefield towers soon protected major settlements (the Golden Tower in St. Stylinson was repurposed for this role). By 220 cycles ago, the Directionland Royal Railways had connected the empire into a single network.

Government and politics

Directionland is a parliamentary democracy with an imperial structure. Laws originate in the Imperial Parliament (lower house), pass through the Imperial Senate (upper house), and require the Imperial Crown’s assent. The Chancellor—head of government—is elected by the parliamentary majority or a coalition. General elections occur every 4 cycles; citizens vote from 18 cycles. Senate membership combines provincial premiers (appointed ex officio) with city representatives.

Early in the empire, friction between houses led to a physical separation of chambers: Parliament sits in Ironwood, while the former unicameral building in St. Stylinson became the Senate—an arrangement meant to deter inter-house interference.

Flag and coat of arms

The flag of Directionland

The Directionland Flag

The flag of Directionland was first presented during the first anniversary of the Great Unification. Until then, the Empire had flown the Kingdom of St. Stylinson's standard as an interim flag.

It is a red flag with a wide light-blue horizontal band edged in white; at the center sits a stacked red-and-white diamond (“double lozenge”) with a small light-blue diamond in the middle—forming a stylized compass needle.

Symbolism.

• Red field (gules): sacrifice and martial valor—recalling Saint Stylinson’s self-sacrifice (the Empire “will always remember”).
• Light-blue fess (pale azure): peace, rivers, and the serene breadth of Directionland’s landscapes; visually a river running through the realm.
• White fimbriations (argent): unity and divine grace “guarding” the tranquil river so it may flow without end.
• Compass lozenges: Directionland’s frontier origins—a nation facing beauty in every direction; the nested lozenges suggest ordered expansion from a stable core. (The realm’s very name arose from settlers pressing outward “in any direction,” later adopted as Directionland.)

The Coat of Arms of Directionland

The Greater Coat of Arms of Directionland

• Four crowns in chief — two ducal coronets (left/top-left) and two royal crowns (right/top-right) — mark the two duchies and two kingdoms that united to form the first Imperial union.
• Ear of wheat (base dexter) honours Simonville’s grain that sustained the realm during the War of Grief.
• Broken sword in a bare hand (base sinister) represents Saint Stylinson and the sacrifice made to save another.
• Central crystal is the Durias Stone, the ancient gem now mounted in the Imperial Crown and emblematic of lawful authority and continuity.
• Imperial Crown above the shield signifies the sovereignty of the Emperor over the union.
• Supporters: the golden lion (dexter) is the national beast of the Kingdom of St. Stylinson; the wolf (sinister) is the sigil of the Kindom of Gandry — the two founding crowns upholding the arms together.

• Tinctures: Gules (red) recalls sacrifice and martial courage; Argent (white) and Azure (blue) invoke purity, unity, and the tranquil rivers and lands of Directionland.

Administrative divisions

Directionland comprises historic kingdoms, duchies, and special jurisdictions:

• Kingdoms: St. Stylinson (founding kingdom; its lion became the imperial sigil). Gandry was once a kingdom and remains a storied region rebuilding after wartime devastation.
• Duchies: Simonville (transport and grain), St. Niam (agricultural heartland), God’s Landing (sacred sites of Simonius and the Ancient Cross), Grasped Hollow (Balmeran Mines), Fort Shagogbot (eastern fortress and “Eastern Shield”).

• 

  The Provinces of Directionland

  Outposts/Colonies: The Merchant City of Wolfwater, a guild-founded city with trade privileges under a Grand Magistrate elected by merchants.

Geography

Imperial imagery and the national anthem celebrate a wide range of landscapes—from Ironwood’s snowy peaks to Grelian’s deserts, dense forests, and the rugged east anchored by Fort Shagogbot, the empire’s farthest bulwark.

Economy and infrastructure

Directionland’s economy blends agriculture, mining, trade, and public works. Simonville’s wheat fields historically helped feed the empire; St. Niam’s farms were famous before the Great Fire. Grasped Hollow’s Balmeran Mines remain strategically important (iron, redstone, diamonds). Wolfwater manages merchant routes under special tax terms. The imperial currency evolved from the Gref (old Ruulden for “gold”) to standardized Directian Crown (colloquially referred to simply as Gold). A unified railway network binds the provinces, managed by Directionland Royal Railways.

Demographics and religion

The state faith is the Aetherian Faith, a four-god pantheon (Simonius, Odivia, Alessa, Darg). Simonius is Directionland’s primarch deity; gold is a sacred element in worship. Ecclesiastical leadership is decentralized under a Grand Seer (in Directionland, seated at the Grand Sanctum of St. Stylinson), supported by Realm Seers and local Seers. Many cities adopt patron saints (e.g., Saint Stylinson and Saint Niam are especially prominent in imperial culture).

Culture and symbols

Directionland marks Founding Day in Odiviamoon (August), alongside realm-wide observances such as Snowtide, Rainbow Festival, Harvest Festival, and Saintsmas. The national anthem is “Our Sacred Land.” The imperial sigil derives from St. Stylinson’s lion; holy motifs include the Cross of Simonius near God’s Landing.

Security and the military

Civilian safety relies on the Light Energy forcefield system erected around major settlements. The Imperial Engineers developed and maintain the network, while the Imperial Army (traditionally associated with Saint Niam) responds to external threats and Dark Energy incursions.

Contemporary politics and crises

Current politics are shaped by rising Dark Energy, the Kingsvalley portal, the aftermath of Fort Shagogbot fighting, and the General Election Crisis following Chancellor Crowley's attempted coup d'état. Election issues include the future of the Crown, security policy, and economic stability; parties range from the monarchist Directionland Union Party and progressive New Dawn Coalition to the hard-line Imperial Stability Party and merchant-aligned Free Trade League.