Fellow Qelluki, I announce to you all that we are now a self-governing territory of the Zarkan Empire under her military protection. Under our new masters we shall grow in strength, power, and wealth, we will see a level of development that we could never have dreamt of as part of Adin-Morin! This is a benevolent occupation, and I hope and trust that you shall greet our new benefactors as friends, neighbours, and as brethren!
—Governor of Qellukia Saradiah Qelluk announcing the creation of the Protectorate to the citizenry of Qellukia, the capital of the protectorate
The Protectorate of Zarkanian Qellukia was a nominally self-governing colonial state of the Zarkan Kingdom and Empire that was located on the planet Earth for 182 years. The protectorate consisted of the former Province of Qellukia, the northeastern third of Adin, the eastern half of the United Provinces of Adin and Morin, a union of two small desertic nations on the continent of Desertica, located to the south of Columbia.
As a Protectorate rather than a pure colonial territory the territory was governed by the local Governors of Qellukia, the Qelluk family, on behalf of Zarkania, though Zarkania maintained ultimate control over the region, the Qelluks serving as little more than puppet rulers in essence
The Protectorate was formed in the Royal Year 616 (384 BBY) as a result of the Adinian Expedition. The Expedition was a military operation undertaken by the Royal and Imperial Expeditionary Corps (R&IEC), which was a military force of the Zarkan Kingdom that was created specifically to travel the world in search of small nations to invade and absorb in the Zarkan Empire.
One of these small nations to face an invasion was Adin-Morin, the R&IEC invaded the nation in 384 BBY by landing on the coastline of Qellukia during the Landing at Qelluk Bay. After facing a limited counterattack by the local Qelluki forces the invasion force pushed inland towards Qellukia, capital of the province.
After a brief siege of Qellukia which lasted two days, which saw ineffectual attempts by the Adinian forces to break the siege, whilst the forces were waiting for the artillery guns to be brought from the landing zone. When the guns arrived the besieging forces blasted the city gates down and swarmed into the city, the local city guard stood little chance against the highly trained, disciplined, and equipped Zarkanian forces, within half a day the city was entirely captured. As the forces were attacking the city, a simultaneous assault against Fort Qelluki took place, which saw the fort fall within a couple of hours.