Colonial History of Doubeia

The Twicetagrien colonisation of modern-day Doubeia spans the first landfall in modern-day Queensland in 1654, to the Fall of Twicetagria in 244. As a means to expand territorially and to seek potential safe havens for the monarchy in the event of a crisis, the Twicetagrien crown funded colonisation and expedition trips to Esportiva. Settlement rates in the two Esportivan colonies, Dobraya and The Newlands, gradually increased as people were attracted by the fertile soil and agricultural opportunities present.

Settlers in the Twicetagrien colonies were overwhelmingly, if not entirely, of Twicetagrien ethnicity. Foreigners were almost nonexistent as the colonies had strict rules that forbade foreigners to permanently settle in them. Nevertheless, foreign goods were regularly traded to and from the colonies. Within twenty years, Dobraya's population had grown to more than 75,000, and The Newlands to more than 50,000. The two colonies, despite being under the Twicetagrien crown, operated independently. Dobraya's economy was heavily reliant on agriculture and sustenance farming, whereas The Newlands' economy was more diversified, with fishing and trade being other major industries during their sunrise years.

The colonial history of Doubeia ended when the Twicetagrien monarchy dissolved as a result of the Fall of Twicetagria in 1832. The colonial administrations, loyal to the crown, were seen as unofficial successors of the monarchy, but anti-monarchist sentiments amongst settlers resulted in the Doubeinese Revolution.

Founding and settling of Dobraya

Twicetagria's first foray into Esportiva took place in 1654 when the crown-backed colonisation and expedition mission first made landfall in Esportiva on the piece of land where modern-day Queensland sits on. The area was scouted, and after reporting fertile, arable farmlands around the area, the Twicetagrien government officially began to prepare for its first Esportivan settlement. The first few settlers arrived a few months after the land was newly formed. The entire colony was named Dobraya (from Twicetagrien Russian до́брая “good”), but the main settlement itself was named Queensland (Korolyevi Krai, Kороле́вы Kрай) after the Twicetagrien monarch. In the following months, Dobraya expanded as more settlers came, especially farmers. Farmers were granted large pieces of farmland as a ploy to attract more settlers. Feodor Churkayev was named as the first colonial governor of Dobraya.

The Twicetagrien monarchy intended Dobraya to not only be a boost to Twicetagria's economy, but a safe haven for the monarchy and nobility. Anti-monarchist sentiments were on the rise in Twicetagria, and members of high society were fearful of a popular rebellion which would implicate them. Therefore, whilst most nobles did not live in Dobraya, they owned properties in Queensland. Meanwhile, due to ongoing droughts and climate uncertainties in Twicetagria, many farmers were paid to move to Dobraya due to the abundance of arable land. Although the crown promised to aid the farmers and subsidise farm operations for the first few years, many farmers were often left unsupported, having to rely on themselves and other farmers to set up their farms.

In the meantime, other affluent and well-to-do families and individuals also started to move to Dobraya to escape the tensions and instability in Twicetagria. Some sought a quieter life without having to resort to rural lifestyles, while others saw Dobraya as an opportunity to set up business. Amongst these settlers were both pro- and anti-monarchists, although most in Queensland supported the monarchy. Penal settlements were also set up in Dobraya, with convicts being tasked with colonial projects such as construction of infrastructure, manufacturing and farming. In the next few years, the settlement had grown to about 50,000, and New Tvoygrad was crowded enough that the first serious effort to establish other urban areas outside of New Tvoygrad was made. New Tvoygrad’s geography made it, while a great port, hard to expand as much of its land sat on a coastal island, with the surrounding coast being largely marshy and unsuitable for settlement. Smaller settlements started to form including Angelovsk (А́нгеловск, lit. “city of angels”) and Gavany (Гавань, lit. “haven”).

The Winter of 1675 was the first crisis Dobraya faced as a colony. The winter a particularly harsh one, and many crops failed while at least sixty-seven deaths were reported due to starvation or hypothermia. Farms and penal settlements were hit the hardest as many were not adequately prepared to withstand the cold. The warmer climate in Queensland made it a safe haven for many farmers escaping the cold. December 14 is celebrated in Doubeia as Foundation Day to commemorate the Winter of 1675 and Dobraya's early display of community-centredness.

Queensland Oblast

Named after the city of Queensland/Korolyevi Krai, Queensland Oblast served as the administrative centre of Dobraya as the colonial administration and most services were located in Queensland. Queensland Oblast contained only the city of Queensland.

In the later years of Dobraya's colonial rule, Queensland started to face over-population concerns. Most of the island Queensland was situated on had been urbanised, and as settlers continued to flow into Dobraya, the city became very crowded. Furthermore, a housing shortage forced many settlers, old and new, to go homeless, with many living in informal housing and slums. A former mayor of Queensland, Yoan Hanzelkov, decreed that newer settlers were not allowed to settle in Queensland if they had not bought a lodging before their arrival, while properties that were left unoccupied for more than 60 days would be claimed by the city and resold to willing buyers. This led to disapproval amongst the nobility back in Twicetagria as many owned doomsday properties in Queensland but did not reside in them, so the latter ruling was rescinded. The nullification of the ruling caused frustration and annoyance amongst the general populace, especially those looking to purchase homes amidst the housing shortage and high housing prices.

Angelsk Oblast

Angelsk Oblast comprises Angelsk city, which it was named after, and several smaller settlements and farms. Angelsk was the second city to be founded in Dobraya, serving as an alternate destination along the Dobrayan coast for settlers. Queensland's overpopulation contributed to its quick growth especially during the later years. The expedition team that scouted the area reported sightings of what they described as angels, which gave the city its name.

Angelsk is known in the modern day as Angelos.

Gavany Oblast

Named after the penal settlement of Gavany, Gavany Oblast was the first home of many Twicetagrien convicts and prisoners. Whilst it was originally a separate entity from Dobraya, it was formally incorporated into the colony in 1767.

The Gavany penal settlement was home to as many as 80,000 convicts. Many of these convicts had committed political or high-profile crimes, and it was rumoured that dissidents amongst the royal family and nobility and anti-monarchists made up a substantial portion of these convicts. As Dobraya's farming industry grew larger, more and more convicts were transported to Dobraya even if their crime was relatively insignificant (e.g: robbery, theft or pickpocketting, perjury) to support farming operations. These convicts were often transported without their families; homesickness and loneliness were contributors to the high suicide rate in Gavany.

Gavany remained a penal settlement until the Fall of Twicetagria. However, convicts were encouraged to settle in Gavany while serving their sentences. Former convicts and their families were allowed to move to other parts of Dobraya and The Newlands if they showed good attitude in Gavany. Some managed to escape Gavany even though they were not allowed to leave, but many eligible families chose to stay in Gavany due to the stigmaisation of so-called "convict families" in the rest of the colonies.

Gavany is known in the modern day as Ebony.

Krasnyezhsk Oblast

Krasnyezhsk (Красне́жск, lit. “city of red snow”) Oblast is named after the city of Krasnyezhsk. The largest oblast by land area, Krasnyezhsk oblast largely comprised Krasnyezhsk City and surrounding farms who used Krasnyezhsk City as an urban centre to sell and distribute their crops. The etymology of the name is unknown, but it was speculated that it was named after the Winter of 1675. Most human and livestock deaths were recorded in Krasnyezhsk, and the "red" may have referred to the blood of the deceased.

Krasnyezhsk is known in the modern day as ???.

Lyevly Oblast

Named after its namesake city which in turn was named after its founder, Lyevly (Ле́вль, lit. “of Lev”) Oblast was the easternmost oblast in Dobraya. Lyevly is largely mountainous and borders Kita-Hinode to its east. Nevertheless, there was little evidence of any contact between Dobraya and Kita-Hinode.

Lyevly's mountainous terrain and often harsh climate attracted few settlers, most of whom settled on the foot of mountains and valleys closer to other parts of Dobraya.

Lyevly is known in the modern day as Lievlie.

Rudagorod Oblast

Rudagorod (Рудагoрoд, lit. “ore city”) Oblast was known for its numerous mines and mineral deposits. When ore and other precious metals were first discovered in the area in the 1740s, Rudagorod attracted many settlers hoping to profit from the minerals. Other than ores, Rudagorod's southern location and mild weather attracted settlers who could not acclimatise to the cooler and more populated parts of Dobraya.

Due to the island's proximity to the Euthymian Isles, many followers of the Tetralotoi faith would move to Rudagorod City; this would lead to the city being granted the title of "Saint".

Rudagorod is known in the modern day as Saint Ruderock.

Roga Oblast

Roga (Ро́га, lit. “horn”) Oblast was the only oblast in Dobraya not to be named after the largest city in the oblast which was instead Aleksandraya. Instead, Roga was named after the Horn of Dobraya (modern-day Horn of Doubeia). Primarily a farming oblast, Roga was differentiated from the other oblasts due to its relatively low-altitude interior but high-altitude coast. This contributed to its iconic cliff coasts. However, this also made Roga rather inaccessible by sea, and this limited its settler potential.

Ruda and Aleksandraya are known in the modern day as Horne and Alexandra respectively.