Britannia: A Saga of Albion

[loki100]

impressive ... but you can't leave us hanging here for too long

[Vesimir]

Enewald - Yep. Good land.

mayorqw - If someone from the other side of the known world came and defeated both you and the people that were defeating you, and they established themselves as the rulers of your ancestral lands, would you resent them?

RGB - Ehm.... Well... This is alternative reality after all. And the Hundred Years War is two hundred years earlier. Plus the peasants are good people. The rosary was a good idea I see.

AllmyJames - Nope. The germans are safe, they're too big to conquer. An ancestral enemy however... Try to guess who's an old enemy of the english.

loki100 - Impressive? The narrative or the killing frenchmen part? I've finally dropped my own pathetic attempts at a narrative style and adopted a far superior one so I hope you guys like it. And as you can see, I can leave you hanging.

To make you more patient for the update, here's a little gift. - EDITED : You'll have to wait for it. I need to make myself an account on a filefront or smthin.

[mayorqw]

Savegame?

[Vesimir]

Savegame?

HAH! You wish. I would also have to upload my entire game as it's modded so thouroghly it's impossible to say what's vanilla and what isnt'. It's GFX.

My home-made CK loadscreen! I know it sucks but I wanted to share. Now I have an excuse to say why the update hasn't been made yet.

http://www.filefront.com/16784175/load_1024.bmp

[RGB]

Tell me about it. Self-modded games are always fun. You never know what you put in three months ago.

[mayorqw]

That loading screen is awesome! How did you make it?
A new screen a day keeps the teutonic order away... Just reminding.

[AllmyJames]

Anyone else want CK2? http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/...1#post11267836

Thought so. And yes, it is genuine

[PrawnStar]

Re-subbing - not sure why I lost track of this a couple of months back but I've had some really bad RL and only realised after your post in my 'What's the country' thread earlier tonight.

Lots of good stuff, enjoying

[Vesimir]

RGB - Yup. And it's kinda satisfying when you've just modded 60 events to work with your modded game.

mayorqw - Easy actually. Take a nice image from DeviantArt, give it a poster edges effect in photoshop, make the borders of the screen cool using nice brushes. If you really like them, I could do more. Or, even better, I could continue my long abandoned work on blonde beards to go with blonde hair.

AllmyJames - As said before, OMGWTFBBQ!11!!!!111!11!!! The only thing I have against is the fact it uses Facebook...

PrawnStar - I can't believe nagging people to read my AAR actually works! Who'dda thought.

No update this weekend. Those following the AARland succesion game probably know why. My last school week is starting tommorow and it's crazy. No one knows what's going on. But I can say that once the vacations start, I'll have some extra-sweet stuff for all of you.

[Vesimir]

Hello everyone!

I'm here to ask for a favour. I'm a part of the La Republique game. I'm also the leader of the France first Party, the only fascist party in France. I'd like to ask ya'll to vote for my party as the elections are going on right now.

All you would have to do is post this - I, *Your name*, vote for France first Party (FfP). - in bold, size 5 on this thread.

Thank you for your time. And remember, the sooner I become president in that game, the sooner I win a certain bet and the sooner I can concentrate on other things. Like this AAR.

I'm not demanding anything, but it'd be nice of you if you did it.

[RGB]

Yeah, Vote for Me or No Update is totally not blackmail

We'll see what we can do.

[Vesimir]

Yeah, Vote for Me or No Update is totally not blackmail

We'll see what we can do.

I didn't say that! I just.... pointed you in the right direction if you want an update quick.

[Vesimir]

Ragnar grunted as the boats rocking almost made him fall off the bench. He chewed the salmon a little more and spat it out to the water after which he turned back to look at his mysterious client. He wasn't one for questions, he was a simple norseman trying to make a living in a constantly normanising Britain. The man made him a little nervous though, he wore a white robe with a grand black cross with its borders made out of real gold, real gold!, on the back. As he was having a rest in the Rennes docks, the man approached him and without saying anything threw a purse on his lap. Then he pointed north over the Channel. And that was the last he had anything even close to a conversation with him. As he sat down on one of the benches back in France, he was sitting there still. Another thing that made him nervous was the fact that the traveller hasn't moved even an inch since then! Every time he looked at him he sat in the same position. His head down, his hands together as in a prayer. Ragnar shook his head and looked at the sail. There wasn't much wind but they should arrive in Cornwall by the evening. Ah, well. The job wasn't that bad. Even though the client was odd, he got enough money to get drunk for a whole week.

"When?" The harsh voice of the robed man almost gave him a heart attack.

"S.. Sorry?" Ragnar turned around holding his chest and huffing.

"When shall we arrive?" For the first time Ragnar could see his clients face as he looked up and took of his cloak. His hair and beard were neatly trimmed, and he could see armor under his white tunic.

"Ah... Um... This evening M'lord. Are you in a hurry?" The ferry man quieted himself down and tried to look into his clients eyes. The mans gaze was as steel.

"No. It is fine." The mysterious knight put the cloak back on and leaned back, probably to get some sleep.

Ragnar shook his head in disbelief. Why would a noble knight use a simple ferry boat like his? Ah, those nobles. Lousy lot, all of 'em. And what was that thing he held in his hands? It looked like a rosary but the beads looked strange. Maybe he was a monk? One of those knight-monks who served the pope in the Holy Land? Who knew.

As those interesting debates took place in Ragnars mind, his throat reminded him it was at least an hour since his last drank. With a sigh he grabbed the horn he had under his bench and poured himself some beer from his travelling keg. It was hard to live day by day when everything was changing. Alcohol helped.

Time stopped for those few seconds before the crash of the armies. Neros and Stephanes gazes met and in an instant, the two kings knew only death of one of them would end this. As the distance between them shortened, the first french nobles reached the Wardens. Blood and wood were everywhere around them as lances broke either on armor or flesh, but the two kings were focused only on themselves. The world around them didn't exist. Nero sheathed his bastard sword and reached for his spear while Stephane adjusted his shield and aimed his sword straight at the head of the english king. The distance grew smaller and smaller. Stephane was seconds away when Nero holding his spear together with his rosary in his left hand and his right tightening its grip on the bridle jumped out of the saddle and held on to his horses right side . After Stephanes sword swung through air where Neros neck was a second before, the englishman jumped back into the saddle and turning around thrusted his spear forward where it found its target. The spear entered the french kings body from the back and re-appeared on the front. Nero let go of it to save himself from falling from the horse and looked as the dying king galloped forward on his horse. The un-experienced french nobles were slowly giving ground to the Wardens but when they saw their king pierced by a spear they broke into a full rout. The battle was won. Agincourt was english. The french king was dead.

"Hurray for England!" With his sword back in his hand, Nero shouted into the air. "Hurray for Britannia!"

The Wardens yelled with their king, and as the soldiers broke into a celebration one of them rode to the kings side.

"We won!" Rodrigo was covered in both blood and mud, but his distinctive smile would make Nero recognize him whatever was happening.

"Those rats are escaping, give me permission to get them while they're still close! We should use our victory to the fulelst"

"Fine!" Nero tried to calm his horse as he started to get unnerved by the racket going on around. "Capture some of them alive if you can! I think I can find some uses for them!"

"As you wish, Commander!" With a laugh, the spaniard gathered some men and bolted forward after the french.

Nero smiled as he heard the cheers, this was his day. This was his war. And he would make sure this was his age. He rose his left hand into the sky and opened it letting the beads hang on his fingers.

"God has granted me victory!" This one yell, lost in the noise on the battlefield was heard by someone far far away. A certain knight in London smiled and opened his hands discovering a rosary. A skull rosary.

England was much alike to other european countries. They were almost like France, but if you would tell an englishman it was so, you would risk dying. Many elements of norse, and to a smaller extent, celtic, cultures were present too. Big parts of the saxon culture were also normanised to fit into the new realm. But they were basically french. And he had no sympathy for the french. But a papal order was like an order from God so he had no choice but to obey. He would go to London, and he would get English support for the knight orders. One way or another. He still wasn't sure of the Papal decision to break the Miles Militis Dei into smaller parts that would become Knight-Monk orders. His friend, knight Gerard Tune has gone to Sicily to establish a Mediterranean based order with French backing, his former master and leader of the Militis Dei, Heinrich von Bassenheim has gone to Athens to bring Catholicism to schismatics and muslims alike. He was chosen to go to England and establish a military order that would eventually take the role of protecting pilgrims in Egypt and Levant.

The three Great Military Orders of the Dark Ages

As his horse made its way over a hill he, for a short moment, had to admit the english were powerful. London, the capitol city, was stretching on the horizon. He remembered the words of some french, that London was a cancer on the english land, constantly spreading and expanding. Those words were pretty accurate, if things would go on like this for the next, say, fifty years, London could surpass even Constantinople from the times it still stood. As he made his way around the various merchants and their carts, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about the potential his mission had. Even though those thoughts weren't ones the Pope would approve off, he was a free man now, wasn't he? He was free of the Papal supervision, the Regent of Christ has made him the master of himself, the only duty he had now was the one before God. With the backing of the english king he could create an order that could promote christianity even in the furthest corners of the world.

As Hughes de Payens made his way to the Grand Palace of the Briton rulers as the kings of England styled themselves, the king himself was riding alongside his friend on one of the tracts to London, coming back from a Falconering trip. The meeting between the two would shape Europe for years to come.

[RGB]

I always fancied the Knights of St.Lazarus becoming a full-fledged Sovreign order at some point. Twisted and interesting.

Ragnar - a kingly name for a simple boatman.

Nero - you know, taking prisoners ought to be the norm, not the exception. How would you otherwise raise money to keep fighting

Spear vs. Sword, that French King didn't play enough Mount and Blade, otherwise he'd know better.

[Enewald]

What would be the size and population of Londonium at this point, as the centre of Brythonic Empire?

[Vesimir]

RGB - Alternative reality. Here things are different. (This is such a good excuse!) But the Britannia world is very far off from RL at this point and not just in national terms.

Enewald - Can't give you a number, but it's big. Really big.

Look at that! It's saturday already, the time is passing so quickly when you're not doing anything.

I'm watching ARG-GER at the moment and I'm irritated. Very irritated. I doubt I'll have an update today.

[Vesimir]

The fall of the Kingdom of Franks was by some claimed to be the event of the century. Some claimed it was bound to happen because of the french decadence. Some said the English winning the war was nothing short of a miracle. One thing however, everyone agreed on. From now on, England was the 'top dog' of Europe.

After the death of its king, France pretty much knelt before the invaders. The only nation that had trouble taking the territory as described in the treaties was the Holy Roman Empire. The dutch were reluctant to go back to their germanic ancestry after decades of intensive frenchifing. The Angles and the Byzantines had little trouble in subduing France.

After taking his part of France, Nero began his work immediately. Pillaging of the major cities was done like taxing. Organised troops systematically stripped the cities of France of everything valuable after which the riches were transported in armed convoys to the port cities of the north. The wealth France gathered all those years was now transported to England where king Nero began improving the nation as he planned. Bricked roads were established between all cities deemed important, churches and castles were built and London was starting to become so immerse some called it 'Rome of the North'. And so, years passed and as Albion flourished, France entered its darkest times.

Nero I 'The Lion' de Anglléterre
.Ruler of Britannia, King of England, Pharaoh of Egypt, Prince of Essex, Wales, Britanny and Normandy, Protector of France.
.Aged 23.

England saw major changes since the times of the Norman invasion. The Asketilsson rule brought leniency in matters of state, it's rulers focused on warfare. This made the the main cities of the British Isles much like the Free Cities of Italy. Rich, big and ruled by councils of the most wealthy citizens. Both Christian I and Bård I 'The Viking' like many medevial brythonic kings, spent much on improving the roads and cities of Britannia. The rule of Bård also brough much foreign influence into Britain which made the northern kingdom open to the world at large for pretty much the first time. Trade with both the Middle East and Europe in general flourished and so did the people of England. Which eventually led to the rebellion that overthrew the Asketilsson dynasty. The merchants grew weary of living under a king distant to them both in culture and life, and so, in a certain way helped by the king, they overthrew him.

Then came the famous Anglléterres. William I de Anglléterre done what was expected of him. The nation was normanised and shaped to fit the needs of the ruling caste of Albion, the Merchants. But can we really call them Normans? They were Normans in the beginning, but now, after absorbing the saxons and adapting much of the celtic cultures, could you really call it a a norman based culture? The English came to be, taking the British Isles by storm, and becoming brilliant merchants and archers. Many historians agree that the English longbowmen at their prime, were the most powerfull and the best trained troops in medieval Europe. And then, like the Asketilssons, France brought doom upon itself. They've meddled into the 'Merchant Monarchy' of England abolishing the elections and instituting inheritary rule back to England. This led to the rule of Silvester I 'The Mad' de Anglléterre, a man that despite his madness managed to subdue the British Isles under his rule establishing the first phase of the 'Brythonic Empire'. Then he managed to conquer Egypt from the biggest muslim nation on Earth, destroying one-third of the Fatimid army in one battle. Crowning himself Pharaoh of Egypt and robbed many Egyptian temples but buildings such as the pyramids in Giza stayed closed to the mad king as many expeditions ventured into their depths, never to be seen again. And even today, the remnant skeleton of the fourth pyramid which was to be Silvesters tomb can be seen. After returning to England, the king promptly forgot about his past orders and didn't took notice when the Prince of Egypt, an elective position for the man that ruled Egypt as a vassal to the english king, stopped its construction. Silvesters exploits in Egypt also brought christianity to the nation, and at the end of the Medevial Age, Anno Domini 1336, about 60% of the egyptian and nubian population was following roman rites with the various small 'modifications' the english made to them. But it was Silvesters only son and heir, Nero, that was the man that doomed the French kingdom.

Nero divided the Kingdom of the Franks between himself, the Roman Empire in Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. The largest cut of the pie, the one held by England, was stripped of all its wealth and construction of many great buildings there, like Notre Dame de Paris, has been stopped for centuries. The Germans brought what they always represented. Old traditions and a status quo between all sides, carefully balancing to keep together a multi national empire. And the Roman Empire, could finally call itself an empire. But Basileios ton Romaion Leo Dukas wasn't a man to sit idle. His eyes quickly turned to the Castillian kingdom, Iberia was to be united under one banner and he wouldn't have any other than the Gold Eagle of the Roman Empire.

Britannia with its capitals highlighted
Anno Domini 1182

[RGB]

Awwwwwwwwww man.

That is a NICE map. Really nice. I am definitely stealing some of the castles.

Ayr is the capital? Not Edinburgh or Perth?

Plunder-based economy, sounds right on.

[Enewald]

Who are the most important and wealthiest lords of your realms?

[loki100]

great update & I agree with RGB, thats one cool map

Ayr, yep quite plausible in this period, not sure of relative populations but it was a relatively large and prosperous town at a time when Edinburgh was (as some claim it is to this day ) a wee bittie of a midden.