I present the long-delayed rework of the map and commentary of my novel, Tower of Ivory. As part of my general revision, I have reworked my original conception of the political circumstances of the setting of the novel to (what is in my mind) a much more complex and realistic situation. This isn’t intended to present my predictions for the future of the current political order, rather it is world as it exists in the universe of The War for Christendom and its stories.

United Global Directorate: The Directorate is nominally the governing council of an alliance of independent populist nations encompassing the majority of the Western World. In reality, political and military power has been slowly concentrated by the General Director, Dietmar Eisengrimm into his own hands, now the ruthless head of a “democratic” totalitarian regime. 

The Golden Caliphate: Caliph Umar Abdulmejid was originally low ranking officer in the Syrian Army who was fortunate enough to lead the raid which wiped out the headquarters of the last remnant of Wahhabist terrorists in Arabia. Taking advantage of his sudden popularity he maneuvered himself to the head of the Sunni revival movement, and in the wake of his conquest of Turkey, peacefully unified the Islamic World. However, it did not take long for his subordinates to begin removing religious and political dissidents, and for his restless armies to antagonize their neighbors in the Directorate and Communist Sphere.      

Caliphate of Indo-Malaysia: Inspired by the success of Umar and horrified by the instability of neighboring countries, the Muslim inhabitants of Indonesia and the Malay have established their own Caliphate, of extremely dubious legitimacy.

Sphere of Communist Resistance and Unity: The last flare of the dying Communist system, struggling to maintain itself in East Asia, Africa, and South America under the constant threat of internal disorder and revolution. The Grand People’s Democratic Committee is currently seated in Beijing, where it seems likely it will stay for some time. 

Nationalist Coalition: The few National-Populist governments that opted not to come under the Directorate’s “protection” soon came together under the leadership of the Russian Federal State, proclaiming an “authoritarian” alternative to the UGD’s democracy. 

Central Zaire Cooperative Republic: Warlords may in fact control the Congo Basin, but in name they are united under the CZCR, which pays them a monthly tribute to keep the occasional flair-up of tensions from becoming too deadly. 

Dervish Republic: Struggling under increasing pressure from the Caliphate, the Dervish Republic in Somalia presents an alternate vision of Islam to its people, one that is acceptable neither to the Caliph in Damascus, nor to the Directorate’s military interests in the region.

Central American Commonwealth: A group of American Republics at war with the UGD, lead by Juan-José del Fuego, President of Nicaragua. Though well-armed and skilled at guerrilla warfare, their armies lack the training and numbers to fight the Directorate and are losing ground daily.

Ethiopia: After the restoration of its monarchy, the Integrist-aligned Kingdom of Ethiopia, far from the damaging effects of hemispheric cooling in Europe, is flourishing. How long it can count on the uninterrupted support of the Integralist powers and survive as hegemon of its region is the country’s most pressing question. 

Integrist Portugal: The leading Integrist power, the Kingdom of Portugal is a compromise state, functioning as a militaristic republic with a figure-head monarch. However times are changing, and Dom Manuel IV is finding an increasingly active role in a country bracing for its inevitable conflict with the Directorate.   

Integrist Québec: Created as a pledge of good faith when the Commonwealth of Nations placed itself under the directorate, the predominately French Catholic Republic of Québec quickly allied with other Integrist countries in a desperate bid to maintain Canada’s parting gift of independence.

 Integrist Brazil: Supported by its mother country Portugal, the Integrist Government of Brazil is attempting to shift the balance of power in South America decisively in favor of historic Catholic-Hispanic unity which, outside of Ecuador, is finding little success. 

The Catholic Alliance: Officially the name is given to the coalition of the Sovereign governments of Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican, and their representatives in the Directorate Forum.   Unofficially it is a loosely connected group of popular uprisings in the Tyrol, the Vendeé, Brittany, Calabria, Krakow, Jalisco, the Asturias, and Assyria. The leaders of these uprisings have adopted the common symbol of the Sun of Justice flag, and are thought to receive support and weaponry from Integralist regimes, and aligned movements on the East Coast of the former United States. 

Kaiserjäger (Imperial Rangers): A mysterious group which fights injustice and protects Catholics throughout the world, with its command base at Mont Saint-Michel, recently bought from the French puppet government by a enigmatic Austrian whose real identity is known only to a few…