(OOC: not all the specifics in this post still count as canon)
(This article was translated from Lissian for our Staynish readers)
Lobarkoa Celebrates its 100th year in the Federation
By Guillaume Lafayette — 23/07/2020 at 6:21 AM
A century ago, a small nation on a faraway coast suggested a mutually beneficial alliance could benefit Nordenpunto. Today, that federation has grown to encompass much more land than it could have dreamt of.
The Province of Lobaroka, an Arkian-speaking region dedicated to the worship of the deity Akrona, was the nation that, intentionally or not, started it all. Mostly due to its size, the province is not a frequent topic of discussion. To honour its century in our midst, we thought it would be fitting to tell the history of how this place came to be.
Why is there a pocket of Akronists in Novaris?
Though it is true that the religious leader of the Akronists and the founding nation are in the Bay of Northwest Gondwana, another community exists on Novaris. That’d be the island of Rodoka, which was settled by religious missionaries from Acronis. The exact date is not known, but the said missionaries eventually travelled north and into the Lobakroan peninsula to convince the inhabitants to praise Akrona. The Ethalrians in the region had spent generations stuck in poverty, mostly due to the area’s constant state of war. Ownership of that land has been debated for centuries, outlasting several empires. The Lobakroans accepted the religion with open arms, desperately needing something to cling on to. Though the locals swear Akrona’s grace had blessed them, their renewed hope is probably what allowed the peninsula to thrive while war roared nearby.
Why is the peninsula not a part of the contested territory?
Their extreme devotion to their deity often made the people nearby weary. Some discriminated the Lobakroans, others were fascinated by their upright zeal and joie de vivre. Their distinct society declared itself a nation, without much protest from the empires surrounding them, who were too busy on the front lines to care about religious folk seceding. By sheer luck or the grace of Akrona, depending on who you ask, no one contested their sovereignty.
Why did Lobakroa want to join a federation?
The advantages for them to do so were numerous, but they had to pick a good middle ground to not anger the global powers that surrounded the Lobakroans. Such an opportunity presented itself as Nordenpunto, that has recently gained its independence from their colonial master. The young nation was fairly neutral between Arkalarius and Tretrid, who were now the opposing parties in the disputed territory. That position was advantageous to Lobakroa, who did not want to be dragged into wars. They approached Nordenpunto with a deal: Nordenpunto supports Lobakroa when they are in need, while Nordenpunto has full access to Lobakroan waters and land. This was the earliest form of the federation.
This only beings to scratch the surface of the history in Lobakroa. Resources have been linked below if you wish to learn more.
We wish a happy hundred years to our mutual partnership and raise a glass to one hundred more!