Imperial Privileged Oriental Company
Official Name in Documents: Compagnie Impériale Privilégiée d’Orient
Acronym: C.I.O.
Motto: Superbia ante lucrum, Honor ante Hubri
Global Headquarters: Hyakumantenbara, Mononobe Shogunate, Empire of Nijisanji
Regional Headquarters: Antipatreia, Province of Antipatreia, Empire of Nijisanji
Date of Charter: August 14th, 892 VTE
Type: State-Owned Joint-Stock Conglomerate
Affiliations: /2434/, /Nijimales/, /LazuLight/, /NijiEN/, /haha/, Gérin-Lajoie AG
Languages: Anykarian, Pomeranian, Pétale, Syndoneian
Religion: Nijisanjism, Rosemism
Industries: Agriculture, all types of Industrial Concerns, Raw Material extraction, Consumer Goods, Finances, Shipping, Shipbuilding, Construction, Investment
Wealth Level: 6
Organization
The Company is overseen by a board of 19 directors (or commonly the XIX) that come from the three main investors in the company. 13 from Nijisanji, and 6 from Gérin-Lajoie AG.
The lands under which the company rules in place of His Imperial Majesty are under the command of a Governor-General, who can come from any investor in the company but is elected by the XIX. He must swear fealty to the Emperor of Nijisanji and the Seitō Taishōgun of the Mononobe Shogunate.
To avoid competition with their rivals in the Imperial Privileged Occidental Company (Kaiserlich Privilegierte Abendländische Gesellschaft or simply K.A.G.), zones of jurisdiction have been set up between the two, with a Direct Zone that both can trade in fairly under the watchful eye of the Imperial Trade Commision. Otherwise, the companies are free to conduct business as they wish in their own zones.
Every major port on the east coast of the Mononobe Shogunate has an office, docking births, and warehouses solely dedicated to the C.I.O. Furthermore, the C.I.O. tries to get an office within every port open to trade with them under their own jurisdiction for accurate record keeping and quicker dealing with trade.
From the XIX down, the Company has organized its operations by economic sectors and local charters.
Merchant Marine and Company Fleet
Many merchants operating out of the eastern ports are amongst the earlier investors in the C.I.O. and have formed the backbone of the trade fleet. There are approximately 300 Indiamen of all sizes that operate under the C.I.O. Flag and countless smaller vessels.
While the Imperial Navy does offer its service as escorts, some larger Indiamen have been converted into 4th Ranks when needed.
There are a number of active warships that the companies use. In times of war, these ships are expected to be included into the Imperial Navy.
It has 6 Ships of the Line:
- Orient Second Rank 86 Gun
- Privilégiée Third Rank 74 Gun
- Gouverneur Général Third Rank 74 Gun
- *Commerce de Antipatreia * Third Rank 60 Gun
- Cambacérès Third Rank 60 Gun
- Quiéret Third Rank 60 Gun
10 Frigates:
- Victoire Fourth Rank 44 Gun
- Atalante Fourth Rank 44 Gun
- Sirène Fourth Rank 44 Gun
- Tigre Fourth Rank 44 Gun
- Soleil d'Indeia Fifth Rank 36 Gun
- Hercule Fifth Rank 36 Gun
- Mercure Fifth Rank 36 Gun
- Diane Fifth Rank 36 Gun
- Thétis Fifth Rank 36 Gun
- Jules Fifth Rank 36 Gun
and 12 Corvettes, 6 Brigs, and 20 lighter warships.
The Ships of the Line are all kept at Antipateria Harbor, where they are stationed as a deterrence to major foreign naval threats. The Frigates, Coverttes, Brigades and some of the lighter warships are used to patrol areas that are prone to piracy in areas that the Imperial Navy cannot send resources towards. Other lighter ships are gunboats stationed in Antipatereia and some other minor ports.
The rumors that this fleet is used to threaten foreign trade powers with their power and that there is no real need for this fleet has been declared by the Company as "Nonsense", citing the real threats and their need to be a supporting asset to the Imperial Navy, which they claim has been stretched thin.
Company Army
The Company takes the protection of its possessions within Syndeoneia seriously and uses the best of the best that they can afford, within reason, for it. Around 30,000 men currently are hired from foreign mercenaries, locals and volunteers from the homeland to guard their possessions. Trained in modern Line of Battle tactics including modern light infantry tactics. Company Cavalry is made up of Hussar, Lancier, and Chasseurs á Cheval, all light cavalry units. The Artillery is also extremely modern, being based on the Alvensleben Reforms that Pomerlane instituted which called for the standardization of artillery, greater logistically capabilities, flexibility and the use of Grand Batteries.
The Red Dragons are the Crème de la Crème this force. Coming from Selenium, these elite mercenaries take great pride in their work and sometimes have a tendency to want to use violence more than is needed. The Company turns the eye at this, because there are no better soldiers in the world for the task in Syndeoneia in their opinion. Their worth has been proven time and time again and has won them great fame and/or infamy across the globe. There are around 2,500 of the Red Dragoons, which make up a tenth of the Companies infantry of 25,000.
In total, the Companies Army has a total of 25,000 infantry, 5,000 Cavalry and 150 guns of all sizes. In the case of uprising or war, it is expected for this number to increase drastically thanks to the deep pockets of the C.I.O. Most of the officers and commanders of the Company Army are Pomeranians, a common theme across Anykaria given the surplus and great abilities of Pomeranian Officers.