Columba
The Kingdom of Columba is one of the nations that has emerged since the fall of much of the Jakonian Empire. They exist on the northwestern part of the Jakonian Peninsula, stretching from what's left of the empire in the south, to the Badlands in the north and Forard in the west. The Columbans are best known as solid, practical people, who while not particularly cunning, are at least capable whenever they set their mind to a task. They are very community minded, and work well together towards future goals and objectives.
Structure
The Kingdom of Columba is organized on a feudal structure, and while utmost authority seems to rest in the power of the king, it actually is held in the hands of the nobility and aristocracy. The Lordships established by the Jakonian Empire remain intact in Columba, and through the old apparatus of state, the nobles retain control. Many of these nobles even continue to be of the families that reigned during Jakonian rule. These nobles have formed the Adalsrat, a meeting of the strongest noble families in Columba. They pass all laws for the kingdom, with the king offering a tie breaking vote when needed. They are advised and counselled by the Volksrat, a gathering of elected individuals each selected from the towns and communities of the kingdom. These elected officials are also the judges to interpret laws passed by the Adalsrat.
History
The original Kingdom of Columba was founded in 78 AF, a collection of small towns and communities still recovering from the collapse of the Nameless Empire. Leesburg was the first of these towns, established in 31 AF, and eventually, it grew to the point where it settled what would become the other towns of the kingdom. The Columbans received some initial help from the Monastic Brotherhood before their destruction in 59, and even greater aid from the Nasite Kingdom in the east. The Nasites provided food and equipment to help the Columbans survive under harsh circumstances. The first true challenge to the Columbans arrived in 87, when the Attom Republic to the north was annihilated by the arrival of the Pit orcs from the far north.
The Pit orcs devastated the Columbans' main trading partners and seemed poised to turn south and do the same to Columba itself, so allied with the city of Augustin, the dwarves of Kiralyno, and the Nasite Kingdom, the Columbans marched forth and defeated the orcs at the Battle of Waycross, as that independent city also mustered a militia to join the defense. The orcs were routed and shattered, and their armies sent scattered across the whole of Emicara. It was too late for the region north of Columba, as the orcs' devastating march had turned this once fertile land into a barren desert.
The success of that war, and the growth of new ties in trade and commerce, particularly with the rising Jakonians to the south, caused the Columban kings to sit back on their laurels. They offered only token condemnation and support of the Jakonians when the Nasite Kingdom was crushed in 98, and then again in 103. They were shocked when the Jakonians contested the Columban inheritance of Orrland in 104, and ill-prepared for the war that followed. When Orrland was invaded, the Columbans were too slow to move to support their erstwhile allies. The Orrlanders were already effectively defeated when the Columbans finally assembled their full army on the border in 106, and the Columbans were decisively destroyed shortly after.
Instead of learning from the war, the Columbans ended up bickering among themselves over who was to blame. Minor feudal wars and border conflicts erupted, stirred on by the Jakonians. They were still woefully unprepared when the Jakonians began their conquest of their lands in 120. The Jakonians were careful, slowly causing dissent and taking Columba only one fortress or town at a time. When the Columbans finally realized that their independence may be lost for good, it was far too late to do anything about it, and the last lords of Columba submitted to Jakonia in 150.
Under Jakonian rule, the Columbans became best known for their industry and production, churning out the majority of produced goods used by the Empire. Although they typically only produced simple weapons, the Columbans still put out thousands of nails, tools, and pieces of other metalwork for use. They became devout followers of the Church of the One Sun, influenced by the Church as the Jakonians solidified their rule, and it seemed unthinkable that they would ever separate from the empire. The reverses suffered by the Jakonians in the 9th century put paid to this illusion, as the empire crumbled.
Disastrous defeats first in Bamard in the 880s against a much smaller kingdom, and then again in Forard in 923, it became clear that the empire's teeth were mostly gone, and the Columbans realized that the cream of their youth and people were sent into the onslaught with little purpose. Resentment grew among the Columban nobility, as they sensed it among the people. Unlike in other regions, the aristocracy of the Columbans managed to ride the tide of dissent to maintain their power and even lead the unrest against the empire. When the Northern Rebellion began, it was easy to muster armies of support, while the nobility led them into battle, with a core cadre of professional soldiers. The shattering of the Fruitlands Wall only bolstered the support of the public for the nobles of the land.
Having gained independence, the Lord of Leesburg was elected the new king, having been able to establish his lineage to the kings of the first Columban Kingdom. A sharp but bitter war was fought with the Kingdom of Forard, which sought to exploit perceived weakness in the wake of the rebellion. The Forardis were held back, and the northern border was maintained. The Columbans have since been aware of threats both within and without, keeping the influence of the Church at bay, while still adhering to some of its beliefs. They continue to thrive in the new world that has emerged, as production remains high and the people of the nation remain prosperous and overall happy.
Demography and Population
The majority of the Columban population is humans of Columban ethnicity. Jakonians and Nasites have also made the nation home over the centuries, though many would integrate into the larger society. A small minority of elves and halfbreeds are also present, along with a fairly large amount of half-orcs from the Badlands who have left behind the ways of the tribes in the region. The largest nonhuman minority in the nation after the halfbreeds are the Kiralyno dwarves, who have established trading posts and industries in the northeastern part of the country.
Military
The kingdom of Columba decided to forego the Jakonian standard of forming national regiments. Instead, the king relies upon his lords and vassals to assemble assorted levies to serve in the army during times of need. Although there is no official standing army, the king maintains his own personal regiments that are loyal to him rather than to the nation. These regiments make up the basis of the rest of the Columban army when mustered. The rest of the Columban forces tend to vary greatly in quality and quantity, both in terms of weapons and training. Still, nearly every Columban man has had some military training or experience, as most of the towns make participation in town militia drills and training mandatory.
The Columban navy, unfortunately for Columba, is organized along similar lines. While the Columbans possess nearly one hundred warships of differing sizes, these ships are kept mothballed during times of peace, as their crews remain ashore in their civilian positions. Only three warships are kept crewed full time, patrolling the coast and performing customs duties. In theory the crews could be called up during times of war, but they lack experience and training, as it is an arduous task to restore the ships to fighting shape, taking time and effort not always available when a conflict begins.
Technological Level
The Columbans have managed to stay on, if not the cutting edge, at least close to it of technology. Proximity to the Jakonian Empire allows for ease of access to the wealth of resources and innovators further south. The Columbans have even made plenty of their own contributions to the development of science and technology in Emicara. The universities of Columba provide a place where new methods of engineering and agriculture regularly enter into the world, offering incremental improvements to both farming and industry. Rarely to the Columbans take great leaps of innovation, but they do offer upgrades to the old ways of doing things.
Religion
The Church of the One Sun is the only official state religion in Columba. Up until 1030, it was the only legal religion. In order to build closer relations with Columba's northern neighbors, the king legalized the worship of other gods in Columba. This was mostly directed towards the followers of the Church of Keshush, mostly hill dwarves from Kiralyno. On the other hand, it has encouraged paganistic worship to return to the lands of Columba, perhaps simply out of a desire for novelty, and shrines for a surprising number of pantheons have sprung up across the kingdom. These worshipers are in a definite minority, as most of the nation remains faithful to the Church of the One Sun.
Foreign Relations
The Kingdom of Columba has had to be very delicate in their handling of their relationships with their neighbors. While they fought alongside the Orrlanders for independence, Orrland is hardly a reliable ally, depending heavily upon trading and commercial ties with the remnants of the Jakonian Empire. The imperials themselves remain hostile, never forgetting that the Columbans were the ones who breached the Fruitlands Wall. Nearly all Columban diplomacy is made with the idea that the southern border will be the scene of a future war for defense and independence.
With the ideas of a future war in mind, the Columbans have built new ties and alliances with the dwarves of Kiralyno, helping forge a new relationship that could protect the nation from invasion. However, the Forardis are less than trustworthy, after the the 960s border war that took place. Forard's managed to keep strong ties with the empire, which threatens Columba with a war on two fronts. The Columbans have attempted to build a relationship with their final neighbor, the Mersan Union, but the differences in faith have been somewhat difficult to work past, as the Columbans remain devoted to the Church of the One Sun.
Columba has begun to look to greater distances to make new friends away from the peninsula. Riveraineville has kept their neutrality, but Losana and Bamard both seem open to closer ties. The Columbans have been forced to work cooperatively with the empire and other interests against the Bahami Federation, as the corsairs consistently threaten the ports that Columba does possess. Columba's kings seem to have reached an impasse, finding it hard to make friends in a situation that is most definitively not to their own benefit.
Agriculture & Industry
Columba is a rare example of nation that excels in no particular area of industry or agriculture, but rather demonstrates a solid ability in all fields. The farms of Columba produce enough food to support the nation, and the mines produce enough iron and steel to fuel a powerful industry. Canals and irrigation systems scatter the land, and the forests possess more than enough lumber for construction and future development. Thanks to the confluence of elements, the Columbans are known not for any particularly high quality goods or resources, but rather simply a large quantity of whatever they choose to work on, of decent quality. Clothes and tools are the main items produced by industry for sale.
Education
The Kingdom of Columba's education is a very decentralized system, typically left to the middle classes rather than the upper classes. The aristocracy usually employ hired tutors and agents to educate their scions directly, rather than sending a single school. Larger towns and cities, however, do typically tend to provide generalized education for the masses, offering public school systems that are nonstandardized, but do at least offer a basic literacy and knowledge. These are typically free of charge to most citizens. Each major city in Columba also features a college or university, and opportunities for education in philosophy, magic, or engineering are all widely available. These tend to cost extra, and most Columbans will forego a higher education in favor of quickly entering into the work force.
Infrastructure
The roads of Columba are upgraded versions of the roads built during the days of the Jakonian Empire. The Columbans have refused to allow these roads to fall into disuse, and have even made extensions and expansions. These roads are well paved and monitored, and it is considered the duty of local lords to protect and patrol these paths to protect traders and travelers. Watchtowers and inns line the roads, offering succor and shelter to anyone who needs it, and several small villages have sprung up around these points, providing even more wealth and development to the nation.
Columba has also invested heavily in the construction of canals from the coast into the interior, connecting extant small streams and rivers, and allowing the plying of trade by small flatbed river boats. These ships help move the majority of heavy goads across the nation to the main ports and commercial markets of the nation. The canals have also been used to provide greater irrigation to the nation's farms and ranches, providing a solid source of fresh water to the people.
Standing Together, Standing Defiant
Founding Date
Bloodset 10, 948
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Demonym
Columban
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Copper/Silver/Gold
Major Exports
Tools, clothes, iron and steel goods
Major Imports
Foodstuffs, raw materials, luxury goods
Legislative Body
Adalsrat
Judicial Body
Volksrat
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Official Languages
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Comments