National Museum of the Imperial Coalition

The National Museum of the Imperial Coalition, also known as the National Museum of Huenarno, the National Museum, or NMIC, is the largest museum in Huenarno. Located in the capital city of Bitnirak, it was founded by Emperor Mainri Higari in 1976 to “help the people of Huenarno understand their people, their heritage, and their land so that they may carry on the torch we have lit.” It covers a wide range of topics, including art, history, and zoology. Spanning 410,000 square feet, the NMIC is among the largest museums in the world.

The museum is divided into several halls, each dedicated to a distinct part of the Imperial Coalition.

The Hall of Art is the largest art collection in the nation, housing over 75,000 pieces and artifacts. It features art from every ethnic group in the Coalition, including Jinali ujox tusk carvings, Vineari wood carvings, Hujixcon earrings, and Rálaho pottery, as well as more contemporary pieces. The star attraction is the Revolutionary Gallery, which is dedicated to art and artists of the last days of Salian colonial rule and the War for Independence that followed. Most famously, it holds First Among Equals, [ARTIST NAME]’s oil painting depicting the formation of the Horgani Pact.

The Hall of History depicts the history of human habitation in the Imperial Coalition. It has the second largest collection of artifacts from the ancient Hini people, outside of the Hini Museum in the eponymous city. The hall also includes artifacts from the early Gharan migration, early agriculture in the Huenarnoan River Valley, the conquests of Mainri Santaq, the establishment of the Huenarnoan Import Company by the Salians, and the War for Independence. The latter is famous for playing the “We No Longer Grovel” speech by Mainri Higari. The hall was purposely built to have plenty of space past the War for Independence, with the intention for the remaining space to be filled out as time went on.

The Hall of Zoology displays over 200 different skeletons and taxidermies of vertebrate species that live within Coalition borders. The largest species on display is the skeleton and accompanying replica of a blue whale. Other notable specimens include Big Harno, reportedly the largest domestic ground sloth known, the taxidermies of the legendary man-eating naramak pack who delayed the construction of the Grand Huenarnoan Railway by six months, and Santaq, the prized horse of Emperor Higari. The hall is unique in housing some live animals, most notably a butterfly house that houses 21 species of butterflies native to the nation, including the critically endangered lowland urania. Also in residence is Jomjom, a Hujixcon tortoise known for his calm, friendly disposition and for helping in the species conservation efforts.

The Hall of Botany is the smallest department of the NMIC. It consists of a series of greenhouses holding various native plant species.

The Hall of Geology and Paleontology houses the largest geode collection in the Coalition, including the infamous Bloody Diamond, rumored to bring bad luck upon anyone who owns it. It’s main attraction, however, is World Before Man, which chronicles the natural history of the nation, starting from the formation of the planet. The largest room, the Kolom Hall of the Mesozoic, displays fossils from the Initalu Formation of the Late Cretaceous. The largest avesaur [theropods, which are considered different from other dinosaurs] and pachypod [all other dinosaurs] collection on the Vidinan west coast, it’s star attractions are the reconstruction of Huenarnopod, among the largest pachypods to ever exist, and Vin, the most complete Carhcarodontoptryx so far discovered.