Commonwealth of Ohio
System of Government: Feudal State
Head of State: President in Cincinnati , chosen from the ruling Ingram-Wolf Family by Feudal Electors (de jure), by the President (de facto)
Population: 7,500,000
Religion: Non-Denominational
Totemic Symbol: Buckeye Tree
Once again a credible challenger for premier power of the Midwest, when the President in Cincinnati has had control over his many vassals, Ohio is able to throw it's weight around. This has meant control over the river guilds along the Ohio, vassalization of its neighbors and creating alliances within the Church powerful enough to challenge the Ivy League supervisories.
Part of Ohio's power comes from it's great population and the power of the Ohio River. The rich soil of Midwest means that more people live within Ohio's borders than any other state on the continent. This has led to some of the largest cities on the continent being located in Ohio. The capital Cincinnati is home to nearly 200,000 individuals and the mills, docks, smithies and markets which employ them. The Ohioan presidential palace is located just upstream of the city and is modeled on the National Mall in Washington with the imperial residences where the Capitol should be. A great palace at one end, surrounded by gardens and a reflecting pool which points towards the Ohio River, a walled city off limits for those without invitations.
A map of Ohio
Just prior to the Great Midwestern War, Ohio was doing well, but not as well as it had been. Michigan was getting it's act together again and Illinois was no longer concerned about the Rizzinni's though some of its more unruly Kentucky vassals had been replaced with loyalists from north of the river. But the devastation and loss of power that came with the end of the war was difficult to deal with. Toledo had been ceded to Michigan again, Allegheny county was severed and many of it's tributary states in Tennissy, Pope-Gallatin county no longer owed tribute to Cincinnati. And the worst was yet to come for Ohio.
When the Dabneys crossed the Mississippi and burned Illinois, there was nothing stopping them from venturing further, and so they did. The Dabneys raided across Indiana, burned down the town of Fort Wayne and were only stopped when a force nearly 15,000 lancers strong met them at Lima. The cowboys were not expecting an army to arrive for several days and as such let the lancers creep up on them during the night. At dawn, under the command of First Consort/Vice President Wallace Wolf, the lancers charged towards the cowboys. This charge scattered the cowboy camp and allowed the lancers to inflict heavy damage on the cowboys. After the rout with his lancer force, Wallace was able to pursue the cowboys all the way back to Illinois. For 50 years after that, much of the President's annual budget went towards maintaining the Wabash Wall, a great series of ditches, walls and forts designed to repeal the Dabney's annual raids. Even then, the wall took many years to construct, took tens of thousands of peasant laborers and was breached at least twice.
With this in mind, when a coalition was built to destroy the Dabneys, Ohio was at its vanguard. It was Ohioan lancers, alongside their Wisconsinite counterparts who broke up the main Dabney force into managable chunks. These groups were then slaughtered to the man. Though Ohio did not seize any of Illinois, it was able to secure friendly terms with George Bailey. When Luthor III invaded Illinois and sent its ships to Buffalo in a fit of pique the year after, Ohio was there as well, taking Toledo back and besieging Detroit.
Since the destruction of the Dabneys the outlook has been positive. With the persistent genocidal threat from Illinois gone, Ohio is once again able to throw it's weight around and bully its lesser neighbors. In 2942 when some of its vassals "independently" raided Tennisy and Pope-Gallatin County, Ohio was able to negotiate an annual tribute from them, in return for keeping its vassals under check. But constantly bullying your neighbors is a good way to scare them and sometimes pandering to them is also needed. In 2977 President Wallace I expelled the Masons from all of Ohio earning him great favor and influence in Buffalo. In 2991 Ohio sent 1500 lancers to Ontario in order to support them in the 7th Northern Crusade.
Until now, the Ohioan claim on Michigan has gone unpressed and a repeat of the Great Midwestern War has been avoided. However rumors swirl in all the courts of the Midwest and Great Lakes that, Wallace's son, President-Elect Stefan intends to do so the moment he ascends to the Buckeye Chair. With Stefan's marriage to First Daughter Joanna Bailey of Iowa and his father's increasing frailty it seems like Ohio may finally overcome one of the greatest hurdles in their quest for nearly absolute dominance over the Midwest. However, Stephen's ascension to the throne allegiance is not guaranteed. A cruel and vindictive man, he has alienated many of his fathers vassals. Unbeknownst to many his bastard half-brother Joeseph lives in Detroit under Michigander protection, ready to sail for Toledo and press his claim on the throne in Cincinnati. If war is to pass, as many believe, it may be messier and bloodier than the last.