Calbion

Calbion Gwlad y Calbain (Calraeg)
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: Cyfiawnder a Chryfder "Justice and Strength"
Anthem: "Calon Lân"
Map versions	15.0.5 - current
Capital	Pentyre
Largest city	Llysthur
Official language(s)	Calraeg (national language) Istvanistani (lingua franca)
Official religion(s)	Calbain Catologian Church
Demonym	Calbain
Adjective	Calbain
Government	Various, Decentralised Monarchy
• Prince of the Calbain	Jack II (last)
• Governor-General	Evyn Drakeford
• Magister of the Calbain Catologian Church	His Eminence Huw Macklemore
Legislature	Cynulliad Cenedlaethol
Establishment	1596
Area	362,880 km2
Population	3,581,000 (Population of the Calbain lands as of 1685)
Currency	Arian
Abbreviation	CAL
Driving side	right
Time zone(s)	CMT-3
National animal	Black Dragon
National drink	Calbain Whisky

Calbion (Calraeg: Gwlad y Calbain) is a sovereign island nation in the Central Sea. The nation occupies the Eastern part of the Jasonian islands (Ynysoedd Jasonaidd). In the past, the nation also had several colonies in Keltia. Calbion is a Monarchy, although it can be described as a 'Crowned Republic' because of the limited role of the Prince of the Calbain, who serves a largely symbolic and unifying function. The last Prince of the Calbain was Jack II, although the title got usurped by the Vinandy regime during the Arcadian occupation.

The Calbain nation is one of the oldest civilisations on Micras, although often subjugated to political repression. In the year 1596, Calbion first gained an official status as an autonomous part of the Southbatavian empire. Following the Southbatavian transition towards the authoritarian empire of Jingdao, the Calbain autonomy was once again surpressed, which resulted in a short but bloody Revolt that saw the Calbain population decimated. Subsequently, Calbion was incoporated into the Brettish Commonwealth. Under the leadership of Llywelyn Lewis, the Governor-General of Calbion under Brettish rule, the identity of the Calbain people remained alive and the Calbain communities were restored. In recent history, Calbion was an autonomous province of Arcadia after the conquest of the islands by the Batavian Vinandy dynasty. The Vinandy's usurped Calbain titles, which created resentment and saw the politics of Calbion become divided into the "Realist" and the "Nationalist" fractions. Several historians pose that these internal division was one of the factors that lead to the collapse of Arcadia. Following the fall of Arcadia, a nationalist movement under the leadership of Evyn Drakeford, established Calbion as an independent nation again.

Etymology

The name Calbion is an istvanistanism of the name of the Calbain people. The Calbain themselves refer to the land as Gwlad y Calbain, the land of the Calbain. It is certain that there already existed a people indicated as Calbain, or Calbi, in Aerlig. The origins of the name for the Calbain people is unclear, but etymologists have suggested that the old Calraeg root calb- means "bald" or "barren", and refers to the plains that cover most of central Calbion. The name Calbion was first given to the island by Istvani seafarers, who settled in what is now the Port Edward region.

Calendar

Calbion uses the Calbain calendar, which has been synchronised to the Norton calendar. A year (blwyddyn) is divided into 15 months. The Calbain calendar differs from the original Norton calendar, in that it starts to count from the arrival of Jack Mounford (Jack I) and the establishment of Calbion as a sovereign political entity in the year 1596. Years before this moment are referred to with Cyn Dyfodiad (CD), years after this moment are Ôl Dyfodiad (ÔD).

History

Tribal Era

The earliest mentions of Calbain tribe in what now is Calbion comes from around 400 CD. The first mention of the word Calbain comes from Matbaic sources who speak of the tribe of the Calbi. Based upon archeological findings and oral history, it is most likely that the Calbain arrived on the island during the period in which the island was occupied by Aerlig. Linguists and historians have found Aerligan influences in Calraeg and early historical documents.

During the Matbaic period, Calbain kept to themselves, as appears to be the general strategy of the tribes. The Calbain were divided into three general groups, also known as the "hidden realms". These realms derived from important families and clans who often ruled the tribe in an autocratic fashion.

The three hidden realms were Dewlad, Morwlad and Penwlad. Dewlad, the "realm of the south" was ruled by the Arthur dynasty and was the nation most connected with the ruling classes. This proved to be both an advantage and a disadvantage. During the Matbaic period, Dewlad became occupied by Matbaic settlers who erradicated the Calbain culture. Due to intermarriage and the minority position of the Calbain, Dewlad lost to be an important Calbain region.

Morwlad, the "realm of the sea" wasn't as much as a centralised nation but rather a federation of cities founded by Calbain seafarers. The Morwyr, or seafarers, founded settlements in northern Calbion but also on Faenor and Nelaga island, as well as in southern Tapfer and Cibola.

Penwlad at its highpoint, during the Matbaic era

Penwlad, the "headland", was the most important ancient Calbain nation and is regarded as the predecessor of Calbion. It is the only Calbain realm to survive the Matbaic era and as such, the culture of Penwlad has been the foundation for the Calbain culture as it is today. The capital of Penwlad was Pentyre, which still is the capital of Calbion. The realm was governed by the Llywelyn dynasty.

Maraguan Era

It was this society that the Maraguans met when they took over control of the island. The Maraguans, under the Maraguo Vrystaat and as part of Nelaga, had the desire to return to the culture of mythic land of Jasonia. To reach this goal, the Maraguans committed large-scale ethnic genocide on both Matbaians and Calbain.

The Calbain lived in close-knit communities during this period, waiting for a better time.

The north of Calbion was briefly occupied by Interland, remnants of Interlandian culture are still visible in, especially, St. Edward.

Southbatavian Era

Jack Mounford as Prince of the Calbain

This time came when Nelaga fell in 10 CD due to internal scheming, incompetent leadership and a fractured society. Famines had decimated the Maraguan people.

In Southbatavia, or Jingdao as it was known, it was a time of unrest. Juan, an army general, had tried to remove the Jingdaoese Emperor from power. The economic and political situation was dire. During that period, Jack Mounford, the leader of a Catologian order, united a group of impoverished people and sailed to unknown lands with a small fleet of Southbatavian refugees.

The island they landed was Calbion. Mounford stumbled upon a divided nation. The south was still very Maraguan, but the north was now under control of the Calbain. With the help of Jingdaoese forces, Mounford united the country and placed it under Southbatavian control. He himself was declared Count of Calbion. But that didn't prevent the Maraguan population to rise up against the, mainly Calbain, new government. This resulted in a bloody uprising that was dealt with accurately by the Calbain and Southbatavian forces. Subsequently, Jack Mounford recieved the title of Lord of Calbion. The reign of Jack Mounford saw large cultural development on the Island and the Calbain culture reached new hights. To reflect the ancient Calbain tradition, Jack Mounford was proclaimed Prince of the Calbain.

Several incidents occured however which created a schism between Calbion and the Southbatavian government. The first incident was the establishment of a rocket launching site. The Emperor wanted to build a rocketbase on the isle of Faenor, but the local residents objected strongly to these plans. Mounford was unable to prevent the building of this site and had to settle for an aircraft base which also included the rocket facility.

The second incident was the raid of a Natopian trading ship and of a Natopian holiday facility for homosexuals by the Calbain pirate Callaghan. The cruelty which the pirate displayed towards his victims led to a diplomatic crisis between Calbion and Natopia. This was only enlargened by the crash of a Natopian airplane on the Central Square in Pentyre immediately after.

No longer wishing to submit to the rule of the despotic Empress Sisera, The Calbain rose up in a rebellion against Jingdao. A declaration of independence was drawn up and several Jingdaoese soldiers were killed. Sisera reacted by attacking Calbion in full scale, destroying large parts of the country and killing the large majority of the population. A desolate and post-apocalyptic landscape was all that remained of the once proud land.

In April of 2013, Calbion declared independence and was attacked by Southbatavia. Almost all cities were destroyed and the attack left an estimated survival rate of 3-4%.

Lost Era

Calbion was thrown back into the middle-ages, the technological level was near zero and the tribal society had returned, the Calbain still were a large group in this new society. The island later was briefly occupied by Maraguan revivalists who proposed to move the Calbain to the north. However, Calbain uprisings and protests brought an end to this plan. Soon after, the country fell into tribalism again.

Brettish Protectorate

Calbion joined the Commonwealth of the Brettish Isles as a protectorate. The Protectorate era was seen as a period of stability, in which Calbion recovered and returened to being a proud nation. Governor-General Llywelyn Lewis ruled Calbion in close association with the Brettish Government.

Independence

After some time, nationalist sentiments arose in Calbion. As the country became more and more developped, the Calbain population refused to adhere to Brettish rule and to, what was percieved to be, the everclosing Brettish dominance over the nation. Following protests, the leaders of Calbion and the Lord Protector of the Brettish Isles arranged a settlement that lead to Calbain independence. Governor-General Lewis became head of state until Jack II was proclaimed Prince in 145 ÔD.

Unification with Arcadia

Calbion was abandoned for a period, but revived by unification with Arcadia. The king of Arcadia became Prince of Calbion.

Geography and Nature

The eastcoast of Calbion near Nissud

Calbion was an island nation with a diverse geography. The island of Calbion is mountainous and forrested in the north, while in the south and the west, green valleys and lowlands dominate the landscape. Y Faenor is a mountainous and barren island, with most of its population living in the South. Kilkelly has a more easy climate, it's landscape is characterised by green downs and high peaks in the far west. Northern Kilkelly is a famed holiday resort, for its pleasant climate. Morwlad is diverse in nature, Port Impregnable is a tropic island, with a warm climate. The Port Moorland colony has a harsh sea climate, while Y Dwyrain also is tropical and sunny, albeit subjected to heavy storms and rainfall.

Government

Prince of the Calbain

The Prince of the Calbain (Tywysog Calbain) was the head of state of Calbion and de facto head of government. The powers of the Prince of the Calbain have varied over time. During the time of the Hidden Realms and most certainly during the tribal era, the Prince of the Calbain ruled as an absolute monarch. The elected Princes during the Second Era often were regarded as primus inter pares among the high Lords of the land. Often, there has been no Prince of the Calbain at all, or only a weak person who held the title only as a symbolic feature, resembling the unity of the Calbain people.

Governor-General

The Governor-General (Llywodraethwr-Cyffredinol) was the official head of the High Council, the appointed government of Calbion. The Governor-General has usually been a strong position in Calbion. Sometimes the Governor-General served as primary advisor to the Prince of the Calbain, but often, the Governor-General ruled the country in name of the Prince.

Cynulliad Cenedlaethol

The Cynulliad Cenedlaethol or the National Assembly is the historical legislating body of the Calbain people and was the legislative body of Calbion. Although it functioned as a parliament, the Cynulliad Cenedlaethol took the form of a triannual gathering of local representatives. The Assembly consisted of two tiers, first the High Council, which was the main governing body of the Calbain, and had both executive and legislative powers, and second the Assembly, which developed into the lower house. Procedings in the National Assembly were rooted in (often shadowy) tradition and history of the Calbain people.

The High Council (Gyngor Uchel) was the governmening council of Calbion. The council did not have a set number of members but generally has a membership of around ten. The members of this council were appointed by the Assembly.

The Assembly was the place of gathering for the 'peasants' or the ordinary people. Originally, all male heads of the Calbain families attended the National Assembly. During the establishment of the Calbain state, this slowly transformed into an indirect parliament and political factions formed. The most notable of these parties was the Plaid Calbinol, which has been the main proponent of internationally recognised independence for the Calbain nation. It governed Calbion during its time of independence, and carried the nationalist political movement during the period of Arcadian occupation. Other, smaller factions have formed as well but have largely disappeared. The small Plaid Wleidyddol Catologiadd, a party that sought to implement the principles of the Calbain religion was propped up by the Arcadian occupation government as the established government party of Calbion. As such, they, together with some liberal forces, formed the "Realist" strain in Calbain politics.

Administrative Divisions

Calbion is an unitary state, but due to its expansion towards several islands, it is informally divided into three provinces, known as Talaith. The largest province in terms of population and influence is that of Calbion island. Because this island is the core of the Calbain land, and also houses the government, it does not have any local government. With the expansion of the Calbain nation, the west of the island of Thalassa was occupied and became known as the Kilkelly province, after its largest port city and capital. To the North, the island of Armoria was also brought under Calbain rule. This island was often indicated as Y Faenor, or "the mansion". This referred to the gubernatorial palace that was constructed in the late 16th century. The island is also known as Summerisle, due to its proximity to the equator and its subtropical climate.

In addition to these three core provinces, Calbion also used to have a colonial dominion, which was known as the Ffederasiwn Tiriogaethol or "Territorial Federation" of Morwlad (literally: sea land). Morwlad consisted of several colonies with limited autonomy that were mainly used as trading hubs or extraction colonies. At its highpoint, Calbion occupied the colonies of Port Impregnable, Port Moorland, Y Dwyrain and Ynys Corrach. Traces of Calbain influence can still be seen in most of these places, most notably in the Agra Fortress that was constructed in Y Dwyrain and is still one of the largest castles on Micras.

Foreign relations

Calbion was a member of the Micras Treaty Organisation. The country has informal relations with Avalon, Natopia and Sangun. Calbion was a founding member of the Blackrock Pact, where it has strong relations with the Commonwealth of the Brettish Isles and Jingdao. As a consequence, Calbion became involved in the Euran War.

Military

The defense of Calbion was generally in the hands of the Order, a military organisation that evolved out of the Catologian Order headed by Jack Mounford. The Order is under command of the King as commander in chief. The Order serves as de facto armed forces of Calbion.

Besides the Order, Calbion had a navy and an air force. The Arwyr Airforce base on Y Faenor was the largest military base on Calbion.

Economy

Calbion was a nation of trade.

Demographics

The largest ethnic group in Calbion are the Calbain, being almost 80% of the population. Calbion has significant Maraguan and Batavian minorities, respectively 10 and 8 percent.

Culture

Religion

A Calbain Catologian cross

There are several significant relgions in Calbion, the most predominant of which is Calbain Catologism. From the early days of the Calbain nation, polytheistic religions were common, unified in the old Calbain faith, featuring numerous gods. Even though this religion still has a cultural impact and even has followers today, the numer of actual believers in the old gods is estimated to be less than one percent of the population.

With the arival of Jack de Mounford on Calbion, Catologism spread rapidly. De Mounford himself was Grand Master of a Catologian order, known for a particular brand of fundamentalist Catologism which was the foundation for Calbain Catologism. Because of the position of Calbion, Calbain Catologism differs enourmously from classical Catologism and even more from Jingdaoese Catologism.

Sports

The two most popular sports in Calbion are Rugby and Football. Calbion's national teams are respected all across Micras. Calbion is known as the founding nation of the Micras Rugby Union.

Football in Calbion is controlled by the Calbion Football Association (Calbion Cymdeithas Bêl-droed). Calbion has one professional football league, the Gynghrair Gyntaf and a national team that participates in major international competitions.