Aminaagh Dominion
Established by Ughrakh, but more fully conceived by his son Morghrakh, the Aminaagh Dominion rose in the 78th century and is the first (and, at present, only) true orcish state in recorded history (though legend relates a massive state in pre-history, north of the Awdthinaith Escarpment).
Structure
The Dominion of Aminaagh is an absolute monarchy. All power rests with the Sovereign. The crown has invested a Diet (parliament) with some powers over day-to-day laws, but the Diet can only be called into session by the Sovereign, can be suspended at any time for any reason by the Sovereign, and may legally only take up those matters which it is directed to do so by the Sovereign. In this way, the Crown maintains complete control over the functions of government.
The military of the Dominion is commanded by the Crown or its designated representatives.
Culture
Honor, defined as a combination of trustworthiness and courage, is the highest ideal of the Aminaagh Dominion. Virtually every aspect of civil society is patterned around this notion of honor.
Education is valued, but only for those of certain social standing.
Orcs are considered first-class citizens, and non-orcs are considered lesser. Nonetheless, non-orcs are well treated. They do not have precisely the same rights as orcs, but they do enjoy a wide range of freedoms, including the ability to own property, operate businesses, travel, and so on. Their chief disadvantage comes in the courts, where, especially in criminal law, they are not accorded the same assumptions of innocence vs. guilt at trial.
Public Agenda
The Dominion of Aminaagh exists specifically and exclusively to guarantee the survival of the Uphigh Orcs. All public action of the State will reflect this singular purpose.
Assets
The Dominion of Aminaagh possesses a few towns, as well as the substantial capital city of Yitrowaash. In its southern ranges, it also possesses a decent expanse of fertile farmlands. The Sovereign is also technically the Laird of Hrukkizh and collects substantial taxes from the dwarves there, as a result, though the Crown leaves the direct governance of the massive stronghold to the Chamberlain of the Stone, the traditional dwarvish lord of that stronghold.
History
In 7687 AF, elves of the north, for unknown reasons, closed off the passage up the Awdthinaith Escarpment. This caused the Uphigh Orcs to lose access to their traditional spring and summer hunting grounds. Famine quickly broke out among them. As the Escarpment can easily be defended from its heights against a massively superior force, the Uphigh orcs were forced to turn to the south for a solution to this existential threat.
Under the leadership of the warlord Itraakh, a number of tribes swept southward, raiding towns to the south, both independent and within the Itaros Imperium. For nearly a century, this pattern continued. The Uphigh Orcs successfully raided Hrukkizh, as well as much of the northwest Itaros Imperium. Their hit-and-run style of attack confounded the set-piece tactics of the Itarosans. In 7763 AF, orcs under the command of Ughrakh attacked and sacked Itaros, itself. Their sack of the Itarosan capital lasted roughly thirty days and signaled the collapse of the Western Empire. In the wake of this victory, Ughrakh began pulling his orcs back, little by little. Sixteen years later, Ughrakh took the Crown and established the Aminaagh Dominion, and two years after that, in 7781, he negotiated an end to the war with the Estinos Imperium at the Armistice of Psiksandos.
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