Crown Colonies of Calbion

The Crown Colonies of Calbion are the territories of the Calbain nation that are directly under the governance of the Prince of the Calbain. Because the Prince is largely a ceremonial head of state, these territories are in practice administered by the Princely Exploration and Trading Company. The Crown Colonies constitute a major source of income and resources for Calbion, and are crucial for the Calbain economy. Having lost its colonial empire in the mid-17th century, the Realist government that came to power in 1688 made territorial expansion one of their top priorities.

Historical colonies

Calbion's first territory outside the Aeronesian Archipelago was Penguin Island, a small island off the coast of Tapfer. Penguin island was largely colonised by private forces, under the leadership of Captain Callaghan. Calbain settlers established the port of Newydd Pentyre on the island in the early 17th century. Calbain presence on Penguin island was the source for several international conflicts, including the lasting protracted conflict with Natopia. The territory was lost definitely in the Euran War and the subsequent peace settlement.

In 1630, the Lewis government moved towards expanding Calbion's presence in the world. In a short time, several colonies were established. These were the colony of Port Impregnable in the Skerries, Port Moorland and Y Dwyrain on Eastern Keltia and the island of Ynys Corrach to the South East of Corum. The territories were brought together under the special Talaith of Morwlad ("sea land"). In 1651, these colonies were lost to Jingdao.

Current Crown Colonies

Currently, Calbion has several overseas possessions. Aside from Cybwlach, which is a Talaith in its own right, all territories that are not part of the Aeronesian Archipelago are Crown Colonies. These are: Penn ar Bed and Ynys Fforst.

Penn ar Bed

Penn ar Bed is a the Crown Colony that is of high importance to trade by the Princely Exploration and Trading Company, having previously been an independent state governed by the Iron Company. The island of Penn ar Bed is also notable for being the home of refuge for several prominent Verionist figures. The name Penn ar Bed comes from the local dialect and means "end of the world". The remote location of the island is the probable explanation for the name, which has been around since the 14th century. The Storish who nominally administered the island for centuries, used the Alexandrian translation, Finistere, for the island.

For centuries, Penn ar Bed was home to only a small number of farmers and a large number of sheep. In the second half of the 17th century, however, the island became a refuge for the Verionians who arrived from the collapsing state of Gran Verionia. The massive expansion of the country, and the cultural differences between the regions caused friction from the start. The government of Godolphin Viqh fell following a failed referendum and a split between the Martino-speaking West and North, and the Soufi-speaking South East emerged after. The Verionian government, located on the island of Valarion in the far South, struggled to gain legitimacy. Corruption and crime, mostly related to drug trafficking was rampant and undermined the government. In 1686, the South-Eastern States of Torosh and Souf became part of the Emirate of Arbor. Meanwhile the Martino-speaking West, with a significant population of Alexandrian descendants, became part of the Alduro-Wechua Federation. The Verionist loyalists, in need of protecting the economic interests of the Iron Company, moved to a nearby island where they established a continuation of the Verionian State. The island also became known as Arama, mainly by Santa Paula cultists.

Ynys Fforst

Ynys Fforst is an island in South East Cibola. Having been part of the Germanian empire for a long time, as well as being administered by Stormark, the island became a Calbain possession in 1690. During the early years of the Calbain state, the island was already selected as one of the desired expansions. Ynys Fforst is a major source of hardwood and Iron ore, which both are of high value to the Calbain shipbuilding industry. As such, it houses several impressive dockyards.