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Columba, officially the United Columban Territories, is a planned and upcoming nation in Centaura. It is bordered by Riaa to the north, Cetus and Aquila to the south and Grusa to the east. It is also in close proximity to Vega.
Etymology[]
The name "Columb" arrived early during the Libran conquest of the region. Legionnaires reported to have spot a giant bird like creature, some dubbed it "Kreofaia". During the unification phase, the regional polities would adopt "Columba" represent the region to correspond with Astranism.
History[]
More lore can be found on the official lore document.
For most of its history, Columba was not a single country, having only unified in 1702. Before that, the region consisted of numerous small tribes and kingdoms that rarely interacted with each other; the rugged terrain often made wars too challenging to manage and sustain. As a result, these tribes usually left the mountains to attack and loot lowland civilizations before returning—they were hit-and-run raiding societies.
The first major group in Columba was known as the Noachi Guild, a trade network of various Columban cities and towns that signaled the first attempts to unite the region in 1058. They originated from East Columba, where travel by foot was arduous and risky—bandit tribes frequently lurked in the valleys and hillsides, waiting for merchant caravans to ambush. Throughout its existence, the Guild instituted a system of guardsmen called Armatics, who were responsible for maintaining order in their local area and most often served as levies to resist raids into the area.
The Guild’s main rival, aside from common banditry, was the Grusan Empire, a large empire that controlled much of East Centaura and led incursions into numerous Columban mountain villages. While the harsh environment carried much of the responsibility of defense, the Noachi Armatics, with quality-trained soldiers, had the upper hand against the armies of Grusa.
In the 1200s, the Grusan Empire collapsed, removing their status as a threat to Columban societies. However, there were still other Columban nations that the Noachi Guild did not control, more specifically, the west. There were three major states in the west during the 1300s: the Kingdom of Phact in the north, the Federation of the Nohae in the northwest, and the Kingdom of Quar in the south. They would continue to expand and swallow smaller tribes until the 1500s, when their territorial growth stagnated.
The Noachi Guild was eventually restructured and renamed the Confederation of Euria in 1536. By this time, they had controlled the majority of East Columba and dominated trade in the Annulus Sea. The period that followed the Guild’s reformation was marked by peace and economic prosperity.
Unification[]
In the 1580s, the Kingdom of Quar fought a war against the Cetan Empire and the Aquilan Kingdom. It resulted in the loss of their lowland territories south of the mountains, and a treaty was signed officializing the Cetan and Aquilan annexation of those captured lands. The Quarite society was left in a crisis after paying reparations to Cetus and Aquila, which gave Euria an opportunity to make a deal: the formation of a unified state between Quar and Euria would allow for stronger armies and improved welfare. Considering that Euria’s history was full of mercantilism and wealth, the Kingdom of Quar willingly entered an agreement with them, starting the roots of the United Columban Territories.
The northern nations of Phact and Nohae were also urged to join the unification following nearly a decade of diplomatic talks. Representatives from the latter were initially stubborn, refusing to unify because they believed that a confederation was unsustainable and argued that they would only join with the other states if the government system was reformed.
After a few more years of consideration, they eventually agreed, and the United Columban Territories were established as a federation in 1702. Each province under this new nation ultimately answered to the central government, but most were given local authority over their respective region.
Centauran Wars[]
Map of the United Columban Territories.
Antares and Columba would begin armed conflict in 1915 as Antares attacked them from various rally points in Cetus, Aquila, and Vega.
The first Antarean invasion into Columban territory began in 1915, coming from Aquila, with the Shokk divisions attempting to capture a village around 1,500 ft in elevation. However, the journey up was extremely difficult as the terrain was steep, and no vehicles were able to support the Shokk Troops.The attempt failed, with the leading Shokk platoons completely wiped out. Though it was a relatively small campaign at the time, it made a point that Antares was looking to invade and conquer Columba. Due to the battles against Vega and Grusa, the Columban campaign did not receive much attention until 1919, after both Vega (1915), and Grusa (1919) had been defeated.
In 1917, Corvus had attempted an attack from the west, but the panhandle territory of Riaa disallowed any further movement. Since Antares was not yet ready to fight Riaa, all efforts of invading Columba from the west were set aside.
In the years following 1919, Antares made repeated attacks from the south, attempting to fight through the harsh mountain ranges of Columba. The higher the elevation was, the harder it was to fight. This is what made the Columbans nearly impervious in their defense. Many Columban positions also held a high ground, making it even more difficult for the Antareans to advance. Not even the Shokk divisions were spared from this difficulty.
By 1921 Antares would redirect plans off Centauri due to its strong coastal defenses and focus on attacking Columba instead.
Throughout the fighting in 1923 Antares suffered heavy losses due to the Columbans making use of the mountain environment to their advantage, putting machinegun bunkers in unexpected places, and creating easy ambush spots along main trails.
In 1924, Kolonel Cervantes, a rather young officer for his age, devised a plan that would unfortunately extend the length of the Columban campaign, but nonetheless with the reward of total victory against the Columbans. Operation Kataklysm was the name of the long-term war plan.
By 1924 after having suffered massive losses and slow progress, Antares high command would order the mass production of medium bombers to bomb the Columban positions. Meanwhile, all of this was going on in 1925 Riaa would declare official support by sending troops with Columba as more attempts by Antares to penetrate the Columban mountains failed in 1926.
At the time, Kataklysm was not considered by Antarean high command. The commander of operations for the Columban campaign, General Archer, had been adamant in his decision to keep pushing through the southern mountains rather than taking the eastern coast route. He had feared the Columban navy in the Annulus Sea would impose heavy casualties on Antarean units near the coast.
A surprise came in 1927 when the Northern Centauran Alliance was formed between Riaa, Columba, Tucana, and Centauri. These four countries banded together to repel the Antarean invasion, sending more men and materiel into the Columban mountains.
By 1929, seeing nearly no progress made in the campaign, Emperor Aran Tau, who had succeeded the throne just a few months prior to the formation of the NCA, relieved General Archer of his position and appointed the newly-promoted General Cervantes to take his place as commander of operations. Now, Cervantes could enact Operation Kataklysm.
After four years of what seemed like a stalemate in the Columban campaign, the Antareans decided to finally break through the eastern coast. The NCA’s supply and reinforcement lines were cut off, leaving a brunt of their soldiers and equipment stranded in the mountains. Corvus assisted in this encirclement, finally invading through the west and meeting in the middle. The NCA’s forces in the mountains were now surrounded with no hopes of resupply.
Antarean and Corvun forces continued to push north despite the major NCA presence in the mountains. By 1933, the government of Columba capitulated. However, NCA garrisons were still fighting in the Columban ranges; the new doctrine the Antareans adopted was to “contain” the NCA forces, meaning they would not be on the offense, but rather the defense to keep the NCA in the mountains. Meanwhile, Antarean supplies and equipment made their way north through the western ports.
Following Operation Kataklysm's success in 1932, the newly combined forces of generals Cervantes and Reyes began the largest military operation in Forman History. Although a portion of Northern Centuaran Alliance's manpower was successfully trapped within the Columban range, the subsequent push northwards would be extremely brutal. By 1933, Antares had captured Columba's capital, Mundare, resulting in its capitulation. Immediately afterwards began the Siege of Riaa; a lengthy period of slow, stagnant combat, characterized by large amounts of armored & air combat. During this time, construction of a new naval fleet within the Annulus had begun in Columba's and Grusa's ports.
Columban Uprising[]
A decade after the fall of Columba, a network of armed rebels in the mountain regions would begin uprising against the Antarean occupants/loyalists.
A series of shootings, bombings, and sabotage was planned by the Columban rebels, who called themselves the Rooks (named from the Rook appearing on the Columban national emblem).
In a year, the Rooks would target military and industrial infrastructure in Columba, such as outposts, dams, oil refineries, and farms. The farms were the easiest to control in the northern countryside of Columba, where there were little Antarean patrols.
The Rooks were also responsible for the bombing of the Antares Imperial Army HQ situated in now occupied Columba’s capital, Mundare.
In 1944, the leaders of the Rooks, who had stayed anonymous ever since the start of the rebellion, Were identified through Columban residents who shifted their loyalty to Antares. They were all detained without warning and executed.
Although the leaders of the Rooks were killed, the rebellion would continue for another year, though with little to no centralized planning and, much smaller-scale attacks. These de-centralized, and lonely rebel groups would be picked off by the Antarean army, and the last of the rebels were finally silenced in 1946…
Geography[]
Digitus Trail[]
The Digitus Trail is the name of the shortest and least difficult route through the Columban mountains when entering from the direct north or south of the region. It was charted around 395 BCE after the Libran Empire explored for a way through the ranges for centuries.
After the fall of the Libran Empire, the trail was not under the control of any one nation, but rather splintered inside different territories. One part of the route could be under the control of a northern kingdom, while another part could be under the control of a small but violent tribe. The ownership of the trail remained separated for the first few centuries of the Common Era.
Some time around the 12th century CE, the path came under the control of the [Noachi Guild](https://discord.com/channels/758737758117560320/945170546558132224/1291411301217599563) for the purpose of connecting southern towns to the north with ease. The Guild's complete ownership of the Digitus Trail would not last long, however, as the valley kingdom of Quar expanded in the 1300s. The Quarites held the southern section of the trail, profiting from trade and taxing merchants until the unification of Columba in 1702.
Throughout history, the trail had been an extremely guarded and populated zone, and many battles between medieval nations were fought on the nearly 500-mile-long stretch.
In the industrial era, the Digitus Trail underwent much construction to widen the roads and accomodate more people. Many of Columba's largest mountain towns were situated along the route, and it was the only direct path between North and South Centaura.
The trail would later be demolished on purpose during the Centauran War. In 1916, engineers of the Columban Army intentionally triggered massive rockslides throughout the southern portion of the path to obstruct hostile advances by the Antareans. It was also heavily littered with landmines.
The restoration of the trail in the postwar era would take almost a decade to complete. Multiple countries worked together to clear the path and rebuild it as it was before. In 1970, the Digitus Trail was completely redeveloped and is considered one of Forma's most impressive engineering feats.
Politics[]
In the early years of its formation, the federal government of Columba had very little power over the many territories within its borders, especially those in the mountain ranges. Over time, the advent of new technologies allowed the central government to gain more power and, in turn, pass more national legislation that all provinces had to abide by. The most popular and longest-running political party in the 1900s was the National Party, which follows a civic nationalist ideology. The chancellor from 1917 to 1933 was Oscar Massey.
Languages[]
The main language of Columba is Librae, as is the case with most other countries in Forma. However, as Columba serves as the crossroad for northern and southern Centaura, northern parts of Columba are bilingual, speaking Ursan and Librae.[1] It is unknown if Ursan is a recognized minority language in the country.
Columban Law Enforcement[]
Policing Columba's vast meadows and unforgiving mountains was never an easy endeavor, past and present Columban institutions continue their struggle against not only crime, but nature itself. The first establishment of a police force dates back to the formation of the Noachi Guild in 1058, a trade network among various Columban port cities and mining towns that signaled the first attempts to unite the region.
Throughout its existence, the guild instituted a system of constables responsible for maintaining order in their local area, though they most often served as levies to resist the Grusan Empire's raids into the area. This model of law enforcement would continue to be adopted and revised by future states, the largest belonging to the Kingdom of Phact and Federation of the Nohae. In 1702, these states and more would merge as the United Columban Territories following a decade of negotiations and agreements. A year later, the congress and Chancellor passed an act to form the Territorial Constabulary (TC), a central body to unite the police forces of constituent territories.
The TC was organized as a branch of the United Columban Army (UCA), operating with similar ranks, structure, training and weapons. The constabulary would utilize mounted troops to police remote regions of Columba, combating banditry and manning checkpoints alongside other military interests. Constables would seldom intervene in city-scale crime, allowing it to fester in cities like Mundare and Phact, this negligence would spark disputes between the Army and Secretariat of Justice who pushed for the TC to be integrated as a civilian force under their control. The handover of the TC would be hotly debated among Columban leaders and politicians, with entire chancellorships dependent on their view of the TC's role in Columba, creating periods of political instability for the young federation.
Reformist factions in the Congress would push for civilian control of the TC, which the Army refused alongside their conservatives allies in the legislature. Only through a decade of political maneuvering did Chancellor Artur Granholm achieve a reform act in 1762, in which the TC gained their own training facilities and was divided into the Rural and Municipal divisions, granting cities a dedicated police force. Granholm's achievements however quickly deteriorated as the Municipal TC were unable to contend with the deeply engrained crime networks. TC-M constables would resort to brute force to detain and eliminate high profile criminals, making their career fraught with controversy.
The reformists found themselves in a predicament; wherein disbanding the TC-M would let crime grow in the cities, while continuing the program in its state would completely discredit their movement and Columba's law enforcement. Finally, through extensive planning, Chancellor Kohen Ludomir's administration proposed the formation of the Municipal Police Services (MPS) as a civilian force to complement the TC-M. By 1807, the MPS began appearing in towns and cities around Columba, within two decades they completely replaced the TC-M divisions - which were then completely dissolved. A new Secretariat of Public Services was set up to organize the MPS, alongside other public emergency services.
Ludomir would salvage the reformists reputation and the MPS restored confidence in the government, while the Army continued to operate the constabulary as they pleased. Regional crime rates reduced significantly as the MPS received extensive aid from successive administrations, allowing them to tackle organized crime with sufficient equipment and facilities. Nevertheless, there exists contention between the police and constabulary due to their overlapping jurisdiction surrounding suburban areas.
Through several more acts, the TC gained a new role as a military reserve unit at the request of General Olm Vissarion. Constables would only conduct limited internal security actions while also being active in disaster relief efforts, utilizing their expansive outposts to quickly mobilize units. In 1912, Chancellor Miron Blackwell dispatched constables to assist border guards with the massive influx of refugees as a result of the Centauran War, and once skirmishes broke out on the border the constabulary were mobilized to support the Columban Army. The war would see constables defending supply routes and serving as the army's rearguard in defensive actions.
At home, the MPS were given new duties and objectives under Chancellor Oscar Massey's war government, those including coordinating air raid drills, countering sabotage attempts, enforcing the ration system and arresting suspected enemies or deserting soldiers. The signing of the Home Security Act of 1922 saw officers bearing rifles and guarding military outposts in lieu of constables. When Operation Katakylsm shattered the Columban frontline, the MPS and TC hastily began evacuating settlements in range of the Antarean advance. Many would make their last stand before the capitulation of Mundare rendered the two organizations virtually defunct, with survivors strewn across the Riaan border and the Columban interior.
The law now fell onto Antarean hands, who quickly formed the Civil Kooperative Police (CKP) to fulfill security duties. This collaborationist organization would be responsible not only for restoring order in war-torn Columba, but carrying out anti-partisan activities, spying on the populace and spreading pro-Antarean sentiment. The CKP would receive nominal independence from the Antareans when they fell under the jurisdiction of the Skorpii Riaan government, but public opinion of them still remained - that as traitors.
Currency[]
Columba's Official Currency is "Solid"
Trivia[]
- In Latin, Columba translates to "dove", as in the bird. Because doves often represent peace, it is an ironic name since the Columban campaign saw the death of numerous soldiers from both sides.
- The "Rook" on the Columban emblem is based on the Rook piece in Chess. The meaning behind this is unknown, but it is possible that it relates to the Rook being originally known as the "tower" or "castle", which are both strong defensive entities. Considering that the Columban mountains provided excellent defensive capabilities to the south it is likely to show Columba's excellence in defending in the south.
- The Columban mountain range, even though everyone refers to it as that, has an actual name. It is called the Macer Mountains, or the Macer Range.
Gallery[]
Vexillology[]
References[]
- ↑ Compare these two maps and you can see a clear portion of Ursan speakers in Columba.
