Coburia

Coburia, officially the Republic of Qübüj, is a dictatorship in Alshar. It is neighbored by Soirwind to the south.

The nomadic Qübüji people known as the Coburii migrated to modern-day Coburia after a series of earthquakes in their homeland, displacing the local Andior people. After several centuries of disunity, the Coburii were united under the Kingdom of Qübüj, later conquering much of the surrounding regions before collapsing in the mid-8th century. Qübüj would be reunited in 803 under King Agyöš III Mallányi. Qübüj was briefly among the powers of Alshar until its steady decline after the Maqhös Wars in the early 13th century. Qübüj would remain completely independent until the late 19th century, after King Obüngyóróč II Algáracöwönt submitted to XXX dependency, though Qübüj was never formally integrated into XXX. After the decline of the XXX empire, Qübüj would regain complete independence, though public opinion of the monarchy was shattered. In early 1975, following a series of anti-monarchist riots, a pro-democracy revolution led by Garáš Aföčny began. King Ógóngü Algáracöwönt submitted to the revolutionary demands in August, and was exiled to XXX.

A legislature was established by the revolutionary leader Úbor Ranya in 1979, which quickly voted Aföčny into power. However, Aföčny has since dismantled and weakened the legislature and Ranyaist democracy established in Coburia, and is a de facto autocrat. Coburia ranks poorly in economic equality, quality of life, and GDP per capita, and has undergone several economic collapses in recent years. Coburia has ample mineral and fossil fuel reserves, but its mining industry collapsed after the banning of asbestos in many neighboring nations, asbestos having been Coburia's primary export.

Qübüj is a member of the League of Nations.

Etymology
The name Qübüj (Qübün: /qʰʏpʏt͡s/) comes from the ancient Coburii (Qübün: Qübu /qʰʏpʊ/) tribes of the eastern regions of modern-day Qübüj. In the medieval period, the Coburii would unite and fracture multiple times, until the formation of the Kingdom of Qübüj by Agyöš I Mallányi in 451. The Coburii would later conquer the western Aröqh peoples, and the Kingdom of Qübüj-Aröc would be declared in 968. The name would return to Qübüj during the twelfth century under King Ülgye Llűnǵ. In accordance with the Coburii, many regions in Levantia refer to Qübüj as Coburia.

Early history
The Coburii tribes of western Alshar migrated westward into Coburia in the mid-6th century BCE following the Unüfaqh Disaster. The nomadic Coburii were organised into small roving bands called agöm consisting of a patriarch and his extended family. These patriarchal clans largely settled around the highlands and hilly regions of the east of Coburia. These gradually coalesced into larger roving bands under the rule of a council of powerful patriarchs, though the clans were known to frequently fracture after conflict between the patriarchs. Under the leadership of patriarch Agyöš bör-Aingűd Mallányi, the Mallányi clan expelled the native Andior peoples from the more fertile western regions of Coburia in 276 BCE. Agyöš would initiate the change of the Coburii from hunter-gatherers into nomadic ranchers and equestrian warriors. By the 3th century CE, the Mallányi would be the most powerful of the agöm. The patriarch of the Mallányi was the de facto leader of the cattle-raising eastern tribes collectively known as the Qübu, or True Coburii, while in the eastern highland regions the disparate hunter-gatherer Aröqh lived. In 212 CE, the Mallányi patriarch Ábás attempted to unite the Qübu after calling a council of the Qübu patriarchs. However, the new Kingdom of Mallányic fractured quickly due to a series of mutinies among the patriarchs, and civil war broke out in 219, resulting in Ábás' death and significant territorial losses for the Mallányi.

The patriarch of the Ügyúny clan, Qhöče, began a series of wars against the reeling agöm in 223 CE, rapidly conquering much of the Qübu before his death in 228. His grandson, Andya would later subjugate the plurality of Mallányi territory by 241, and declared himself King of Ügyúnyöj at the site of Agyöš Mallányi's grave. Upon Andya's death in 252, his sons Andya II and Pürqhu fought over the succession of the kingdom, leading to its collapse in 256. The Mallányi would swiftly reclaim their lost territory during a number of conquests in the late 200s, almost completely absorbing the lands of the Ügyúny by the turn of the century.

During the early fourth century, an intense rivalry erupted between the northern Mallányi and southern Anyöqh clan for unknown reasons, resulting in a series of border skirmishes leading up to the First War of Any-Mallányic in 336 CE. After prolonged war and the deaths of hundreds of warriors following the Battle of Ǵarpöri in 349, the two clans reached a stalemate and agreed to a truce. The Second War of Any-Mallányic would erupt in 372 after the seizure of goods from a group of Mallányi Baigá monks by the Anyöqh, and would last until 376. In 432, the Mallányi patriarch Agyöš bör-Gunül would begin the final war and invaded the Anyöqh. After the Mallányi victory at Aigöǰ in 439, the Anyöqh patriarch Eny surrendered. After conquering the Anyöqh cadet branch of Rága in 451, Agyöš would be coronated as the fourth King of Qübüj, Agyöš I Mallányi.

Third Kingdom of Qübüj
Agyöš I oversaw great territorial expansion southwards and eastwards for the House of Mallányi, conquering the Andior kingdom of Akri, humiliating the rival agöm of Moyög at Maqás, and subjugating much of the Aröqh. Agyöš' grandson Cepiy would build the first permanent capital for Qübüj at Any-Ǵüngűm in 488. Thoughout the reign of the Agyosite Mallányi, numerous trade networks passed through Qübüj, and its systems of governance became far more advanced.

In 723, under the rule of King Bány I, Qübüj invaded the Aröqhi heartland of Cápány, aiming to completely and finally unite all of the Coburii. The rough highland terrain of the region crippled the Qübüji horsemen, and the kingdom suffered a series of defeats throughout 724 and 725, eventually leading to Bány's death at the Battle of Fórgagy in 727. Bány's son, King Agyöš II, would continue the war until 736, when both him and his heir Golyúr were killed at the Second Battle of West Any-Rikhág, resulting in the dissolution of the Kingdom of Qübüj. The Mallányi agöm was split among several cadet branches and relatives, and Coburia entered into a period of intense infighting, during which Any-Ǵüngűm was destroyed.

The civil war would continue until Agyöš bör-Cepiy Mallányi, grandson of Bány's general Cügüy, seized control of the powerful Gyöbuč-Mallányi agöm of eastern Coburia in 795. Agyöš rapidly subjugated the neighboring Öböngyud-Mallányi and Arpáky-Mallányi agöm, and made many surrounding agöm his vassals. By 803, Agyöš captured the burial site of Agyöš bör-Aingűd Mallányi, and coronated himself as the King Agyöš III Mallányi at a council of all the Mallányi patriarchs.

Fourth Kingdom of Qübüj
Agyöš' successor Bány II would officially reunite all of the Mallányi in 811, reincorporating the surrounding agöm and Qübüj's vassal states into Qübüj proper. Under Bány and his son Jedémbay, a new capital at Fárőc was built, and new trade routes opened during the beginning Coburian Golden Age. Trade flourished through the new Ögur trade ruotes, mostly in salt, silk, and gold.

During the mid-10th century, King Agyöš V, Qübüj began a series of conquests in Cápány, subjugating the plurality of the Aröqh by 945. His grandson, Bány III, would conquer the last Aröqh resistance at Any-Fakhöc in 949. Upon Bány's death in 961, the kingdom was split among his sons: the elder, Aingűd, became King of Qübüj, while the younger, Üqürat, inherited the Kingdom of Aröc. Aingűd would invade Aröc in 964, reuniting the Mallányi in 968. Aingűd would be coronated as King Aingűd III of Qübüj and Aingűd I of Aröc after Üqürat's execution in autumn of 968.

Kingdom of Qübüj-Aröc
Aingűd III would rapidly expand Qübüj's borders into north and central Alshar, and expanded many of the kingdom's trade routes. During his reign, various outposts and trade stops were built in Qübüj, fortifying and enriching the kingdom. By the time of his death in 1002, the trade post of Any-Gakhtá had grown significantly larger than Fárőc due to foreign trade and several nearby Aröqh salt mines. Aingűd's son Eny II would move the capital to Any-Gakhtá in 1008, and began the construction of Qübüj's first permanent roads and forts, mostly in the rebellious regions of Cápány and along major trade routes.

Under the reign of Bány IV, Qübüj would undergo a reformation of its military, leaving a pair of generals in control of each of the kingdom's various outposts and forts, and building academies for the training of soldiers. Mining in Cápány and trade in iron and copper was greatly encouraged, and the Qübüji Royal Armories were established in Any-Gakhtá. The Qübüji military was among one of the most powerful in the world, and Bány's famous Gögujidíky cavalry were among the few equestrian warriors trained to fight exclusively in the mountainous eastern regions of the kingdom, resulting in huge western territorial gains throughout the mid-11th century.

Throughout the expansion of Qübüj, there was a massive influx of missionaries who accompanied foreign traders. These missionaries came in frequent conflict with native Baigá leaders, and religious violence between converts and the Qübüji was common. Tensions came to a head in 1084, when King Agyöš VI declared war against several powerful neighboring Buddhist nations, beginning the Maqhös Wars. Agyöš suffered a series of defeats along Qübüj's western borders, leading up to the Siege of Qhátőgy in 1102, where Agyöš met his death and Qübüj suffered significant losses. By the time of his son Cúgy's accession to the throne, the majority of Cápány had been captured, and various revolts had broken out among local leaders seeking the removal of the king. Cúgy would be deposed in summer of 1104, and Qübüj suffered massive territorial losses at the end of the war. The regions of Cápány and Arǵöm had completely gone outside Mallányi control, and the Kingdom of Aröc would be dissolved soon after the Qübüji loss. The strife caused by the war led to the exile of King Agyöš VII and the House of Mallányi in 1107, and the coronation of King Ülgye Llűnǵ, one of Agyöš VI's former generals, later that year.

Gradual decline
There was significantly less popular support behind the Llűnǵ dynasty than the Mallányis, and the Qübüji ideal of Agyia posed great risks to the Llűnǵs' legitimacy, and the divus status of many Mallányi leaders incited a number of anti-Llűnǵ uprisings, particularly among the landowning military elite and religious leaders. A number of border regions and wealthy trade posts would break off from Qübüj, causing the kingdom to lose much of its Golden Age fortifications. The revolt of 1116 marked the official end of the Coburian Golden Age, after Ülgye's loss of the historic stronghold at Fárőc.

Qübüj under the Llűnǵs saw a massive reduction in its trade, and Ülgye's successors Agyöš VIII and Donű pursued many autarkic and isolationist policies, leading to the 150 Years of Silence. At the close of the 13th century, the King Agyöš X ended Qübüj's isolation with his reformation of the Gögujidíky and reconstruction of many of the kingdom's forts. In 1308, Agyöš invaded Cápány and the Ganöp region of southern Coburia. By 1324, the plurality of the surrounding kingdoms had been recaptured, but at great cost. Losses among the soldiers were high, and the once-feared Gögujidíky had been placed under the command of inexperienced commanders. After Agyöš's death in 1332, most of the territory he seized would be lost again.

In 1339, several neighboring groups, including the Kingdom of Bárgy and XXX, organised retaliation against Qübüj on account of the Kingdom's expansionism. By autumn of that year, Bárgyiy troops had gathered along Qübüj's eastern borders, and war was declared in September.