Free States of Balia

Seventy years ago the Albish explorer Sir Barnabus Blythe discovered the continent of Balia. He found it to be a vast land with a varied climate and a wealth of natural resources.

Soon after its discovery the Albish King Arnold IV began sending ships loaded with colonists and workers to Balia to settle its lands, strip its resources and tame its indigenous people.

The Albish colonists discovered that some parts of Balia had already been settled by colonists from the neighbouring continent of Avernell, however these colonists were suffering from disease and regular attacks by the indigenous tribespeople and their land was easily taken away and claimed for Albany.

The Albish colonies, unlike the colonies of the various countries of southern Avernell, thrived and prospered. This was mainly due to the Albish having more invested in their endeavour by their home country. They brought with them soldiers, physicians, explorers, cartographers and trade goods and were able to forge better initial relationships with the natives.

After fifty years the Albish controlled the entire continent, however they had become a fractured people and the country was divided into roughly four large states that were governed more or less independently.

In the North is a region of mountains and rivers named Daconda. The colonists of that region were visited by priests from Hemland in Avernell and religion soon swept through them like a plague. The Dacondan colonists began worshiping Har, the god of light and eventually they came to pay closer attention to the words of their priests than that of their governers.

In the East is a region of forests, swamps and lakes named Malvania. The colonists of that region traded with and ultimately exploited the natives of Balia, taking advantage of their good nature and desire for Albish trade goods. Eventually the native Teratonga tribe were driven into the interior as their land was bought for a pittance. Soon the Malvanian colonies began looking outward and struck up trade deals with Massia and Canthus in Avernell. Eventually the Malvanian governor began to wonder why they should continue to pay exorbitant taxes to Albany when they were quite able to fend for themselves.

In the South is a region of low hills and grasslands named Holdinia. The colonists of that region are a proud people who are mostly farmers, miners and trappers. They trade with the fishermen and whalers of Maurania, a large island off the south coast and they have a tradition of always maintaining an army of volunteers that stand ready to defend Holdinia against any who would seek to take what they have earned by the sweat of their brows.

In the West is an arid country of salt flats, desert and plains named Cadia. The colonists of Cadia rebelled against the crown after thirty years and threw their governor into the sea. Many of the Albish soldiers joined the rebellion and cast off their blue coats to join what became the Free Clans of Cadia. These clans ruled Cadia for twenty years in almost true anarchy, each clan seizing an area of Cadia and laying claim to it. The Bloodskull Clan took the city of Two Rivers and the West coast breaking itself into individual "crews" and turning criminal enterprise into a daily way of life. Other clans did similar. The Black Oak clan turned to banditry and turned the roads between Holdina and Cadia into a highwayman's hunting ground.

When the colonies of Malvania, Holdinia, and Daconda petitioned the recently crowned King Brian I of Albany to do something about the rebellion and lawlessness of the Cadian Free Clans they were informed that Albany could not spare the soldiers for such an endeavour and that they must deal with the matter internally.

The decree lit a fuse that would smoulder for a further twenty years, until after continued tax hikes and neglect from Albany the Governor of Malvania formally renounced the crown and called upon the other states to join him in casting off the yolk of the Albish King.

Malvania was joined swiftly by Daconda and even the despised Free Clan leaders of Cadia joined what became known as the "Insurrection". Holdinia was the last state to join, being more law abiding and having suffered the least from Albish neglect. Even so, after less than a year of talks the Governor of Holdinia declared himself Lord Protector and joined the grand cause.

Albany responded sluggishly to the Insurrection but when it finally did respond it did so with terrible force and ferocity. There was no attempt at negotiation, instead the Albish navy surged into the South Poseidic Ocean, its Line of Battle Ships leading hundreds of troop transports loaded with soldiers to take back Balia by force of arms.

The fighting that ensued lasted for two bloody years. By the end of it Albany had laid claim to all of the islands off the coast of Balia and destroyed several Balian cities. However, despite the might of the Albish navy Balia had support from a number of countries in Avernell including Sonneland, Hemland, Massia and Canthus. But what was perhaps the deciding factor that gave Balia the edge was the Malvanian relationship with the island of Skuld. This small island of the North East coast of Avernell was a hub of innovation and new inventions were made available to the Balians which gave their ships deadly advantage. Copper plating allowed the Blood Skull's ships to turn more quickly in the water, iron scantlings gave them improved resistance to cannon fire and bronze cannons made their guns far more accurate.

In the end, despite the Albish having superior ships and better tactics they were defeated by greater numbers and modern inventions and were forced to reluctantly concede Balia to the newly named Free States.

Three years ago, after having upgraded their ships with modern innovations, King Brian once again made an attempt to retake Balia. However, the Albish gambit was short lived. By now the Free States, though constantly involved in internecine conflicts and disputes with each other had amassed great wealth and numerous allies and Albany found itself faced with the navies of almost every country in Avernell, barring that of the Namorian Empire which remained neutral. The Albish navy was driven out of the South Poseidic, most likely for good and Balia was left to govern itself in its own unusual way.

Now the Cadian Confederacy does as the Free Clans have always done and flourish on a lifestyle of organised crime, while the Dacondan Order of Azar seek to spread the word of Har far and wide while defending their borders from Cadia and the countries of southern Avernell. Holdinia remains true to its values and its current Lord Protector is making a valiant effort at curbing the excesses of Black Oak bandits. Malvania is making more allies in Avernell and amassing wealth. It is involving itself in the conflicts in Avernell, lending aid to countries who find themselves besieged by the ever expanding Namorian Empire, while also seeking to expunge the remaining tenuous Albish influence in Balia.

Although the Free States are largely individualistic and have their own aims and often fight amongst themselves there still exists a council of delegates who represent each of the Free States and meet regularly to discuss common threats and aims. This council is nominally equal but in recent months it has been ever more dominated by Malvanian opinion. It is known as The Caucus and it steers all major Balian policy.