Royal Columban Navy
The Royal Columban Navy is the primary naval military force for the Kingdom of Columba. Dedicated to the mission of protecting the nation's shores and harbors from invasion, they have been primarily geared towards eventual war and combat with the greatly superior Jakonian Imperial Navy. Knowing that they will always be outgunned and outnumbered, they have focused their efforts upon learning naval raiding techniques, and thus have gained a reputation for hiring less than savory characters to help fill out the ranks of their officer corps. Although holding themselves above privateers and pirates, they have taken upon themselves to become masters of boarding actions and single ship combat.
Structure
The navy of Columba faced a serious debate over who would manage the rising new military force. The Columban king was faced with the daunting prospect of building a navy completely from scratch, one that could pose a conceivable threat to the far greater powers present on the water from the Free Cities and the Empire. Most of the talented officers of the navy when it began were the handful of defectors from the Imperial Navy, and they proved insufficient to staff the numerous ships required. Instead, the ranks had to be filled with aristocrats, many of whom had never spent a single day on the sea. Thus began the tradition of captains and administrators being selected from among noble houses, regardless of training or expertise. This has been somewhat counterbalanced by a reliance on skilled executive officers, who are typically hired from among privateer crews from Riveraineville, Capcora, and the Bahami Federation.
Public Agenda
Staffed by these aristocrats, the navy has become a true player in the politics of Columba. Nobles from across the nation compete for the varied positions and leadership roles in the navy, as an extension of the constant political strife among the upper class. The leadership often takes up an active role in commenting upon affairs in the Adalsrat, and they frequently advocate for increased naval spending, to help build up a fleet that could gloriously and directly contest control of the Circle Sea against the empire should the next war with the south come.
Assets
The naval forces only maintain a single base, compared to the plethora of shipyards and strongholds maintained by the Imperial Navy. They have focused nearly all of their energy into the fortified complex that is the naval base at the city of Suwannee. The Columban fleet is stationed there at nearly all times, and consists of around thirty warships of different sizes, with the smaller ships frequently out on patrol, providing a token effort to assist the other Circle Sea states against pirates and Bahami corsairs. They also maintain a total of three marine regiments for land based and ship based combat.
The Incoming Tide
Founding Date
949 AF
Type
Military, Navy
Predecessor Organization
Training Level
Semi-professional
Leader
Parent Organization
Location
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Comments