| “ | Greetings from Kutaraja Captains! Meet these self-declared rebels from the Dominion of Rempah who are fighting alongside Rahma to reinstate the rightful ruler! | „ |
| ~ Dominion of Rempah -- Skull and Bones twitter |
Over centuries, many ancient, mysterious kingdoms have risen and then collapsed in the lush, concealing jungles of the vast East Indies archipelago. Outside the forbidding walls of DMC shoreline fortifications, the East Indies territories feature flourishing coastal communities where seafaring clans like the Dominion of Rempah who operate outside of direct Dutch control.
Background[]
| “ | As Admiral Rahma of the Unbound, in Telok Penjarah, fights to put back a Sultanah on the throne, us, people of Rempah embody the resistance against the DMC while our Sultan's court cut deals with them. | „ |
| ~ Dominion of Rempah |
Nearly a century before the events of skull and bones, the Dutch Merchant Company (DMC) became the dominant power in the eastern Indian Ocean through unrivaled determination and brutality -- taking control of the region's production capacity for spice, indigo, cotton, and fragrant woods.
So far the Dutch have controlled the East Indies for decades by establishing a network of sprawling plantations defended by a string of heavily fortified strongholds. These towering oppressive DMC garrisons have come under increasingly immense pressure from local factions in open revolt. Even the seemingly impenetrable Fort Oosten is a target of the fearsome native insurgency.
The Dominion of Rempah is a coalition of native clans ruled by a Sultan surrounded by his court of ministers: the Orang Kaya. They have that has evolved into a well-organized military power over decades of battling would-be colonizers. However the Dominion is a nation that is currently in flux as their people grapple with a recently failed coup d’état led by Admiral Rahma, a charismatic leader who leads a formidable fleet that features a contingent of highly trained female war sailors known as the Unbound.
Previously the Rempah were lead by a long line of Sultanah who ruled long before the Orang Kaya put the current Sultan on the throne. Over time, the Rempah have become a sizable thorn in the side of the DMC however the Orang Kaya, in a desperate attempt to maintain their power turned to the Dutch Merchant Company for assistance, bending the knee in exchange for the DMC propping up their regime. Taking matters into her own hands, Admiral Rahma attempted a coup d’état to restore Sultanah Haryati to power however this coup failed thanks to DMC intervention. With the Sultanah captured by the DMC, Admiral Rahma was forced to flee along with her Unbound to Telok Penjarah where she is currently rebuilding her strength.
As the ashes of civil war settle, a new political landscape has emerged with the DMC maintaining their status as a major stakeholder in the region and having immense influence over the Rempah thanks to the Orang Kaya. However some Rempah citizens have taken up arms to protect themselves. They stand with pride and believe that Admiral Rahma will return to depose the Orang Kaya. While they may not belong to the Admiral’s personal army, they respect her and are moved to join her cause. As members of the faction thrive far out from their capital, they are eager for news of the Sultanah.
Huddled around the fire, they speak in hush tones of their uncertain future. There is an air of worry and tension as they banter about war, political intrigue and the rogue Admiral who is rumored to be consorting with pirates.
When it comes to trade, with the Dominion of Rempah you’ll find some of the things they trade include rubies, Batik, spices, or materials such as Saltpeter. If you intend to attack their merchants, you might face the full wrath of their broadsiders. They might only be equipped with cannons, but they are expert at tearing your sails and rending you inert while they get away.
Notable Characters[]
- Sultanah Haryati - Sultanah of Aceh and the Rempah
- Orang Kaya - Ruling court of ministers of the Dominion of Rempah
- Admiral Rahma - Rebel Admiral, leader of the Unbound
- Dian Sinaga - Treacherous Elite Captain
Trivia[]
A dominion was any of several largely self-governing countries of the British Empire. Progressing from colonies, their degrees of colonial self-governance increased unevenly over the late 19th century through the 1930s, and some vestiges of empire lasted in some areas into the late 20th century. Whilst the Dominion of Rempah is not part of the British Empire, The DMC's influence over the Sultanate's ruling council, the Orang Kaya, does technically make it a Colonial Dominion.
Interestingly the faction Friday tweet which introduced the Dominion of Rempah made direct reference to Kutaraja, which may hint at the Rempah may be partially based on the Aceh Sultanate. The Sultanate of Aceh was a major regional power in the 16th and 17th centuries, before experiencing a long period of decline. At its peak however it was a formidable enemy of the Sultanate of Johor and Portuguese-controlled Malacca, both on the Malay Peninsula, as all three attempted to control the trade through the Strait of Malacca and the regional exports of pepper and tin with fluctuating success (similar to how the Rempah are trying to take control of the spice and textile trade along the Strait of Harimau). In addition to its considerable military strength, the court of Aceh became a noted center of Islamic scholarship and trade.
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