About Us

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 considerable 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 beloved 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

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 at 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 hearty 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 for their own. A number of 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 plying the sea-lanes of the North Pacific. After several generation 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 the English and the Spanish. 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 the 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 crown. When the colonial powers tried to reign their North Pacific colonies in, 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 heated. 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. The document was signed on May 11, 1872.

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 and 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.

Government & Politics

The ROD is a representative democracy, with three equal branches of government as dictated by the Dalmatian Constitution, which was ratified on May 11, 1872. The Dalmatian delegates used the United States Constitution as a model when developing the Dalmatian Constitution, but there are a few key differences.

Three branches of government, as copied from the US model, provide vital checks and balances between government entities. Unlike their American cousins, however, there are term limits for all elected government positions.

• The President is the head of the executive branch of the government, and he/she is elected for 4-year terms. There is a 2-term limit for the presidency.
• The Senate (Congress) is made up of 40 members, each elected for 4-year terms. Eash senator represents one of the 40 ROD counties. There is a 2-term limit for senators.
• The Supreme Court is made up of 5 justices who serve 12-year terms. They are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

In addition to the president, Senate, and Supreme Court (and their staffs), the government includes several departments. Each department is led by a secretary, which is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Commerce
• Department of Defense
• Department of Education

• Department of Justice
• Department of State
• Department of Treasury
• Department of Veterans Affairs

Economy

The ROD’s economy is very robust, owing in large part to the diversity of industries and its location astride Pacific trade routes. Shipping and logistics have been a large part of the economy, even before the nation gained its independence. In addition, however, the tech and entertainment sectors have grown and prospered over the past 80 years, and the fertile central valley is an agricultural juggernaut.

The ROD Constitution requires a balanced budget every year (except in times of war or national emergency with the Senate’s approval). While some revenue is derived from tariffs and fees, the bulk of money coming into the government comes from taxes (income, payroll, and corporate taxes). There are exceptions for citizens at both the high and low ends of the income spectrum, but most pay the standard 15% personal income tax rate.

One specific tax that has generated a great deal of revenue for the ROD is the so called “Sin Tax”. This tax is applied to all purchases of alcohol, tobacco, and adult entertainments. It is collected in the form of a sales tax, and 100% of Sin Tax revenue is applied to the ROD Military.

Culture

We have a saying in the ROD: “Every dog has a home, and every home has a dog”. We are very attached to our canine companions here. We love all animals, but dogs hold a special place in our society. Anyone foolish enough to abuse an animal in the ROD is vilified and there has been legal precedent for harsher penalties in the case of animal abuse than for human abuse.

We embrace our personal freedoms in the ROD, and that manifests itself in public debate of important issues, as well as in the arts and music. All genres of music are popular here (except for opera). Heavy metal music is particularly popular right now. Here are some of the more popular musicians in 2025:

Diplomacy

The ROD maintains a robust network of embassies and consulates around the world. Typically, ROD diplomatic missions are not terribly large – usually a small staff of diplomatic officers and several military attaches – but the philosophy of the State Department is to have points of contact in place to foster positive relationships with foreign governments. It often isn’t talked about, but the ROD also finds that its diplomatic missions are an excellent source of foreign intelligence.

Despite the normally austere diplomatic missions, the ROD does have close ties with several nations which it cooperates closely with. These nations include the Republic of the Pacific Northwest (which the ROD cooperates closely with); the Kingdom of Mahishmati, Germany, and Mexico (where the ROD has military forces permanently based); and the United States, the Republic of Ireland, and the Vatican.

Military

The ROD military has always been held in high regard, and that tradition continues to this day. The ROD believes that the quality of military forces is much more important than quantity. For this reason, the ROD spends lavishly on personnel when it comes to training and equipment. The Department of Defense is responsible for the military, which includes the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Intelligence Service, and Coast Guard.

As an island nation, a strong Navy and Air Force are seen as non-negotiable. The Navy in particular bears a heavy burden in the defense of the Home Island, as well as projecting power around the globe. The Navy is expected to maintain several formations at sea around the world at all times, and it is also expected to be prepared to fight a conventional war at the same time.

The Army and Marine Corps are modest in size but have a proud tradition of being some of the most competent and professional troops on the planet. Artillery is still of prime importance in the ROD, and the artillery traditions fall to the soldiers and Marines of the Field Artillery.

While it often does not get much attention (just the way they like it) the Dalmatian Intelligence Service also falls under the purview of the Department of Defense. This organization is shrouded in secrecy, though it is common knowledge that the operators of this branch of the military supply special operations troops for military operations, as well as covert intelligence operatives.

It is also important to note that, as an island nation, the ROD military is necessarily an expeditionary force. There are no land borders to deploy to, nor are there hostile nations within artillery range. This means that in addition to highly lethal combat troops, the ROD must maintain fleets of transport ships and aircraft. Routine patrols by naval forces and Marine Expeditionary Units allow ROD forces to respond to emergencies around the globe. Additionally, military forces based overseas, and the storage of prepositioned equipment, enable ROD troops to rapidly deploy for combat operations or humanitarian support missions.