The Untitled Canal built through the isthmus between the HATA 1 Spawn and the Swamp of Secrets has been the center of a territorial dispute between Tobytopia and the Remy Republic, which has led to several brief clashes between Remy and Toby over the issue.

Background

In early October of 2024, both Remy and Toby had ideations about building a canal in approximately the same location — directly to the west of Spawn and to the east of the Swamp of Secrets, controlled by Tobytopia.

Their motivations for wanting to build such a canal were also similar. For long, there had been no convenient route navigable by boat between Tobytown and its harbour and the Sheap River and Mediterraneanot Ocean. The only route available betwen Tobytown Harbour and the Meditterraneanot was the very long and circumnavigatory route that ran through long and windy rivers, to places as far as Layon, necessitated by the lack of a canal.

As such, both parties wanted to be the first to build a canal and possess the valuable location and a certain amount of control over the likely lucrative commerce that would flow through it.

Dispute

Tobytopia Begins Construction

On 2024-10-20, Toby secretly began construction of the Canal without any public announcements, flattening the terrain and excavating a then shallow channel.

Remy Republic Attempts to Stake a Claim

On 2024-10-21, the Remy Republic sent Remy, without knowledge, at the time, of Tobytopia having already begun construction in secrecy, to the location of the canal, intending to claim the area for the Remy Republic. This expedition was dispatched in total secrecy.

When Remy arrived, however, he saw Tobytopia's canal already in progress, with the channel already being one meter deep. As Tobytopia had as of then made no formal claims on the area, however, Remy intended to move forward with the mission to claim the area, including the unfinished canal.

Remy did not succeed, however, as Toby noticed that Remy was on the Minecraft server, joined the call, and proclaimed his ownership over the canal, warning Remy not to try and claim it for himself.

Remy Republic Claims Mangrove Trees West of the Canal

Later that same day, though the Remy Republic's original plan had been foiled, Remy decided to claim a region directly to the west of Toby's canal, placing the Remy Republic's banner there. Remy justified his claim by saying that the region had mangrove trees, not part of Tobytopia, that were planted by Holden during the era of Mangrovepox. Since such mangrove trees were the same type planted by Holden in New Mangrovia, Remy asserted that the trees to the west of the canal were a rightful part of New Mangrovia.

Border Skirmish

On 2024-10-27, the dispute between the Remy Republic and Tobytopia erupted into a military skirmish at the border between the Remyan and Tobytopian claims.

In response to Remy's annexation of the area covered by mangrove trees to the west of the canal into New Mangrovia, Toby logged onto the server, took down the Remyan banner, replacing it with the Tobytopian banner, and felled the mangrove trees in question, undermining the Remyan claim.

Remy, hearing about this development, himself logged onto the server to take down the Tobytopian banner and replace it with the Remyan banner. Toby was present in the area, working on his canal, when Remy arrived to do this. When Remy took down the banner, a verbal argument began between the two, which soon escalated.

• A brief banner placing competition ensued:
  • Toby broke the Remyan banner and replaced it with his own.
  • Remy broke the Tobytopian banner and replaced it with his own.
  • Toby broke the Remyan banner and replaced it with his own.
  • Remy broke the Tobytopian banner and replaced it with his own.
  • This continued for a few minutes.
• Toby then pulled out his rocket launcher, loaded with a big damage missile, and pointed it at Remy.
• Toby then started lagging due to his faulty internet connection.
• Remy pulled out his Order 66 spawn eggs and spawned several clone troopers which shot and killed Toby.

Toby would later respawn, and, despite the minor murder, began negotiating with Remy.

Negotiations

The negotiations were unproductive and achieved no changes to the state of affairs.

Reactions

Anna Builds Bridge Over Canal

On 2024-11-24, during a brief but rare flurry of activity on the server when suddenly all its members had some time to play Minecraft for a while, Anna built a bridge over the canal using high quality cherry logs.

Some observers believed this to be a symbolic gesture of promoting peace by Anna, but in reality, Anna built the bridge because they had no elytra and needed to cross the obstacle on their way to Tobytown for the tour that Toby was offering. Anna said that she was entirely unaware of the dispute in the region and had believed the canal to simply be a crater in the ground.

Toby was initially unhappy with this development but rapidly changed his tone when he heard that the bridge was built with very high quality cherry logs imported all the way from Neville, commenting that he might keep it around, actually.

Aftermath

Toby has continued to dig his canal, significantly deepening the channel, though the canal is still yet to be filled with water as of writing (2024-11-30) and no date has been given for when it will open.

Remy built a tower in his claim, and has begun referring to the region he claimed as North Mangrovia.