User:Jack/Sandbox
| Nelson | none | Sherrinford | Lewis I | Lewis II | Lewis III | Lewis IV | Lewis V | Griffin | Drakeford | ab Ioan |
| Nelson | none | Sherrinford | Lewis I | Lewis II |
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| 232 | 1 | 198 |
| Democratic | Republican |
History
For a systematic overview, see: Timeline of Calbion
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 Linguists and historians have found Aerligan influences in Calraeg and early historical documents.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, 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.
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
The Nelaga territories, set up as a political compromise following the Redoubt war, succumbed to internal problems aided by massive natural disasters. These disasters, including earthquakes and floodings, were referred to as "the islands coming down" in historical texts. This description is a reference to the belief that the islands were once "flying" during the mythical Jasonian ages. As a result of these disasters, famines had decimated the population, especially on Calbion island. Nelaga finally fell in 1596.
During the same time, in South Batavia it was a time of unrest. The country was in a period of transition from a former Batavian territory towards a new empire with a distinct culture. Juan, an army general, had tried to remove the Emperor from power. The economic and political situation was dire. During this period, Jack de Montfort became the leader of a Catologian order. In this position, he emerged as the voice of some Batavian settlers who felt uneasy by the dictatorial tendencies of the South Batavian government. In the early weeks of 1596, de Montfort, together with some followers, sailed to unknown lands with a small fleet that also carried South Batavian refugees.
The island they landed was Calbion. Jack de Montfort stumbled upon a divided nation. The south of the island had a small presence of Maraguan forces, who wished to reinstate a Nelagan government. The North of the country, as well as the central plains around Pentyre, were occupied by the Calbain, who saw this time of instability as their chance for political self-determination. De Montfort also made an alliance with the Interlandian governor of Saint Edward, which became the first city to transfer to South Batavian control. A prestige project for the South Batavian nation, for which de Montfort nominally claimed the islands, a squadron of South Batavian forces was detached to the island in order to unite it. De Montfort quickly entered into an alliance with the Calbain tribes, openly declaring his support for their independence struggle and styling himself Count of Calbion to honour those people. The Nelagans in the South briefly attempted an insurrection against the new government, but were defeated in a short skirmish.
Subsequently, Jack de Montfort was invested as Prince of the Calbain, the largely ceremonial title for the heads of the Calbain people which had been vacant for some time. De Montfort identified strongly with the Calbain tradition, and under his rule, Calbain culture flourished. Several incidents occured however which created a schism between Calbion and the South Batavian 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 the South Batavians, now known as Jingdao. Jack de Montfort formally declared independence, and ordered the arrest of the Jingdaoese ambassador and several military officers. Empress Sisera reacted by attacking Calbion using weapons of mass destruction. By doing so, she ended up destroying the major cities in the country. The civilian death toll was significant. In the years that followed, some Maraguans attempted to reinstate their government, which was briefly successful in the South. Meanwhile, the Calbain regrouped and rebuilt most of the country. However, the lesson of the failed war of independence taught the Calbain that they needed to form alliances with other states in order to survive.
Brettish Protectorate and Independence
In 1608, Calbion became a protectorate of the Commonwealth of the Brettish Isles. The Protectorate era was seen as a period of stability, in which Calbion recovered and returned to being a prosperous nation. Governor-General Llywelyn Lewis, who was appointed in 1610, ruled Calbion in close association with the Brettish Government.
After some time, nationalist sentiments arose in Calbion. As the country became more and more developed, the Calbain population refused to adhere to Brettish rule and to, what was percieved to be, the everclosing Brettish dominance over the nation. The first direct elections for the Assembly resulted in a win for Governor-General Lewis, who ran on a nationalist platform demanding full autonomy. 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 as well as government until the Investiture of Jack II. The period of independence saw political development and the transition of Calbion towards a more or less democratic nation. The custom of national assembly evolved to include an elected parliament.
Post-Independence
For twenty-five years, Calbion prospered as an independent country until it was dragged into the struggle for power on Micras. Siding with the Jingdaoese, Calbion opposed the Alexandrian occupation of Penguin Island, which has a significant Calbain population. In these circumstances, Calbion became increasingly dominated by the Jingdaoese, who established direct rule on Calbion in 1651, causing the Calbain government and the Prince to go in exile on the Skerry islands, were they set up an alternative government. After the Jingdaoese gave up their direct rule in 1662, Calbion became an autonomous province of Arcadia. King Gustavus des Vinandy was intrigued with the ancient customs and cultures of the Calbain, even though he was not very well informed about them. In a made-up ceremony, he claimed the title of Prince of the Calbain, which gained him significant notoriety among the Calbain population. His claim was widely renounced, and many Calbain continued to display the portrait of Prince Jack II in their homes. However, a faction of Realists led by Mackenzie Ó Gallchobhai decided that it was in the best interests of the Calbain to work together with the Arcadian leadership. Calbion had relative autonomy and freedom, and the situation had greatly improved from the Jingdaoese direct rule. Even though they acknowledged this, the nationalists still refused to cooperate with the Arcadian government and continued their government in exile.
Second Independence
In 1684, Arcadia collapsed as a result of a foreign policy disaster and internal division. The Calbain declared independence immediately after, and the government-in-exile finally returned. A nationalist government was formed under the leadership of Evyn Drakeford, and Jack II, who had been living in exile on the Skerries as well, returned as Prince of the Calbain.
