After the Legends: History and Lore Thread

[SaintB]

Preamble
So adapting the lore of King Arthur and the real history of Great Britain in the 6th century turned out to be a bigger undertaking than I had anticipated. I ended up with a fair amount of lore and history and find that I'm adding more every day, so instead of dumping it haphazard into the OOC thread I'm compiling it all here in a special dedicated topic. Please do not post in this topic and if you are interested in joining the RP please visit the OOC at this link.

Contents

• 1. Biographies
• 2. Weapons and Warfare
• 3. The Britons
• 4. Saxons and other Peoples
• 5. Artifacts

[SaintB]

High King Arthur Pendragon
Born: 464 Died: 520
Ruled: High King of the Britons 480 - 520
The greatest of all the High Kings, Arthur's legend will out live that of any ruler before or after. Born a bastard of Uther Pendragon in Caer Tintigel he was from the outset a strong, healthy, and stoic child who refused to cry. As soon as he was capable of travelling Arthur was taken by Merlin to live with a minor chief of Cynwidion named Ector. Merlin told Ector of the boy's parentage and that the boy was destined for great things and so the boy was adopted as a brother to his elder son Kay. Ector treated Arthur according to the Briton tradition for a younger son of a chiefdom and ensured Arthur was tutored alongside Kay in letters, maths, Latin, and war in proper Romano-Briton fashion. Arthur was smart, strong, quick, pious, and adventurous.
Shortly after his 16th Birthday on Easter Arthur drew the Sword of Peace from the stone in Lundien square and became by right of brandishing the sword, High King Among the Britons. Arthur drew the sword to give to his brother Kay who had become one of the greatest warriors of Cynwidion and was representing the Kingdom in a trial by combat for a chance to draw that very weapon. At first Kay tried to pass off having drawn the weapon, but Merlin was quick to call his bluff and reveal the truth that it was the younger brother, Arthur, who pulled the sword from the stone. Kay begged forgiveness of his new king and swore to serve honest and faithfully from then on; he and his father became the first of Arthur's knights.
Arthur's kingship would need to be forged by blood on the battlefield against the Saxon invaders. With the revelation of Arthur's true lineage as the heir to Pendragon many of the northernmost Briton Kingdoms fell quickly in line, but others were distrustful of the sorcery which was used to ascend Arthur, and others still felt that they had better rights to claim the title of High King for themselves. Thus was Briton still suffering from disunity when the enemy made a new push for the Briton lands and spread as if wild fire through the Kingdoms of the Eastern Britons; seemingly unstoppable save for the kingdoms lead by High King Arthur who remained undefeated in battle after battle with the hated foe and winning a decisive victory at River Glein in 486 that awed even his detractors. Arthur's string of impressive victories continued and over four years he lead north to a successful campaign to end the Anglish attacks from Lindsey.
It wasn't until the fall of the Kingdom of Caer Anderida to the tribe that now calls themselves West Seaxe in 491 that the Britons finally flocked to the Pendragon banner. Arthur unified the Briton people as no high king before him ever had; he organized the nobles and chieftains into a coherent cavalry force and created a brotherhood of warriors dedicated to the defense of Britain then supported it with a program to breed horses and train both highborn and lowborn warriors to become members of the elite inner circle known as the Knights of the Round Table. Arthur's cavalry forces became the primary weapon by which he would defeat the Saxons time and again until the final conflict in 496 at the Battle of Badon Hill where the invaders suffered such a defeat it secured peace for the Britons for an entire generation.
With too many dead on both sides after the war, Arthur made his mission to maintain the tenuous peace between the Britons and their rivals. The Knights of the Round Table became a force of questing peacekeepers and its ranks opened to all who were worthy, Gauls, Franks, Gaels, Saxons, Picts, Britons, and peoples from far flung corners of the world would all join the ranks of the Round Table at different points. Arthur founded the city of Camelot within the Kingdom of Powys in 497 where he took tribute from the Kingdoms of Britain and maintained his seat of power. In the year 500 on his 36th birthday Arthur finally took himself a wife, a young Princess of Dyfneint named Guinevere.
Like his father, Arthur was not a man to sit idle on his laurels, and like his father his restlessness would eventually be his downfall. He often joined his knights on quests and his many adventures would create problems for the king during his rule; Guinevere, often neglected by her husband, fell into the arms of Lancelot, the knight charged with being her bodyguard. He failed to protect Merlin, who was ensorceled by faeries summoned by Morgana - his body lie asleep as his mind was taken to Avalon. His sisters even ensorceled Arthur himself, leading him to believe Morgause was his wife and seducing him to beget a bastard child of royal blood. Many knights died in a vain attempt to find the holy grail. Enemies of Arthur spread distrust among the royal courts, and as time passed by the High King's position became weaker.
Arthur's end was sudden, and without Merlin, unforeseen. In 518 the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere became public and the shamed king banished his wife to live among the Gaels at a monastery in Eire, his greatest knight Lancelot was cast out and returned to Frankonia, taking many Round Table knights with him. In 519 Arthur could not muster enough support to stop the Saxon chief Cerdic from uniting the West Saxon tribes and founding the Kingdom of West Saexe in modern day Hampshire.
The final blow came from his secret bastard son Mordred. While Arthur campaigned against Cerdic, Mordred raised an army to sack Camelot and steal the Sword of Peace from his father's court and challenge his father's authority as High King. The two met for the first and only time in their lives on the field of battle at Camlaan. In that fateful battle Mordred was struck dead by the famed sword Excalibur but not before striking a mortal blow against his father. It is told that Arthur did not die, that his sister Morgana became repentant for her past sins against her brother and summoned the fae to rescue her brother Arthur and take him to Avalon, paying the price for his life with her own. Legend holds that Arthur yet lives within the faerie realm, awaiting the call of his people to save them in their most dire need.


High Kings
High King Uther Pendragon
Born: 428 Died: 465
Ruled: Galloway 454 - 465, Dumnonia 461-465, High King of The Britons 461 - 465
The youngest son of Constantine Aurelian, First High King of the Britons. As a boy Uther and his brother Ambrose fled to Brittany to escape death at the hands of the usurper king Vortigern who murdered their brother Constance. He returned in 454 to help Ambrose claim his father's throne and lead his armies. Ambrose was elected to fill his father's role as High King after reclamation and granted Uther the Kingdom of Galloway as well as making him marshal of his armies.
Uther Aurelian became a legendary warrior and general in his own right by leading his brother's armies against the Gaels, Picts, and Saxons and was the natural successor to High King when Ambrose fell in battle to a Angle and Saxon alliance in 461. In 462 Uther had visions of a mighty dragon leading his army to victory against the Angles and Saxons, he flew a dragon banner at the Battle of Mount Damen and soundly crushed his enemies. That night he changed his surname to Pendragon to commemorate the victory.
After achieving Briton's dominance over his enemies Uther settled into running a country but found that the life of an administrator did no suit him well. Restless, he fell in lust with Igraine, the beautiful wife of his vassal King Gorlois of Cerniw and grew so desperate to have her that his lustful advances beget civil war among the Britons. It was during this time, months before his death, that Uther ordered Merlin to make him appear before Igraine as Gorlois so he could lay with her on the night her husband died in battle.
Uther died in 465 after being poisoned by Saxon assassins and left the Britons in a state of civil war with no High King for 16 years. He beget one son and two daughters, the illegitimate Arthur Pendragon with his rival's wife Igraine, and the Princesses Morgana and Morgause with his own wife Ygerna.

High King Vortigern the Usurper
Born: 408 Died: 454
Ruled: Powys 435 - 454, Dumnonia 439-454, High King of the Britons 439-454
The Usurper Vortigern was the worst High King, a traitor, a thief, and a fool. He served as an adviser to King Constance until 439; in that year he betrayed Constance by launching a coup and murdering him in his sleep, declaring himself High King of Briton. He was branded Vortigern the Usurper for his betrayal and many of the lesser kings refused to follow his lead.
In 445 Vortigern needed soldiers to fight the Picts and Scotti and invited the Saxons, Jutes, and Angles to settle in the east coast in exchange for fighting as mercenaries. They betrayed Vortigern in 449 during the Treachery of Long Knives and killed his son along with many other Briton chiefs and nobles before founding the Kingdom of Kent and launching endless hostility between the people's of Britain. Ambrose Aurelian and his brother Uther returned to Britain in 454 and with help from the Bretons and from many Britons killed Vortigern and his personal guard by setting his fort on fire.


Other people
Morgana
Born: 458
Died: 520 ?
Morgana is also known as Morgan of the Fae. She was the oldest of Uther's children and became a sorceress of some renown during her lifteime. She was already an adept magician apprenticed to Merlin by the time her brother Arthur pulled the sword from the stone to become High King Among the Britons. Upon discovering the secret lineage of Arthur as her half brother was hidden from even her by Merlin, Morgana felt slighted and insulted. If Merlin would hide that secret from her what else would he hold back?
Determined to learn everything, Morgana stole some of Merlin's scrolls to study in secret in hopes of learning more advanced spells or rituals. During the course of these self guided studies she accidentally summoned an evil spirit, an unseelie fae calling itself Oberon. Oberon lended his power to Morgana's and taught her to manipulate lesser fae in exchange for seemingly trivial favors, but as happens with evil fae, slowly but surely corrupted the woman's motives and morals.
Oberon sought to sow chaos and confusion among the mortal world and it was by his bidding that Morgana convinced Sir Accalon that Arthur was his enemy which lead to their duel in 489. On the eve of Arthur's marriage in 500, Oberon convinced Morgana to ensorcel her brother and sister into believing they were each other's husband and wife, their lustful union produced Mordred - the seed of Arthur's doom. When Merlin discovered Oberon's influence upon Morgana in 514, he attempted to banish the unseelie fae, but Morgana defended the spirit and turned his own spell on him, sending Merlin to the realm of Avalon and rendering his body comatose. Morgana became Arthur's magician and advised Arthur to banish Lancelot and execute Guinevere under Oberon's insistence in 518, further weakening the court at Camelot.
At Camlaan Morgana first aided Mordred's army by summoning a fog that obscured his soldiers from Arthur's army but did not hinder her nephew's men, but when she saw the ruin she had brought upon her own people and family she realized what evil she had wrought while blinded by Oberon's 'guidance'. Morgana tried to stop the combat between Arthur and Mordred, but she was too late to save them from each other. Her last known act was to summon the faeries and beg them to save her brother's life - she and her brother both disappeared into the mists and were taken to Avalon.

Guinevere
Born: 480 Died: ?
Guinevere was the daughter of Cyn-March, a Prince of the Dummonian kingdom of Dyfneint. She was betrothed to Arthur as part of Dummonia's pledge to recognize him as high king and married him shortly before her 20th birthday in the year 500. Bard's tales tell the common folk of romance and love, but the truth was that Arthur and Gwen were dutiful husband and wife that felt genuine affection but no love for one another.
Guinevere eventually fell in love with her bodyguard Sir Lancelot, a bold knight from Frankonia and one of Arthur's most trusted men. The two resisted temptation for many years but eventually consummated their relationship, their infidelity was revealed by Morgana who brought Arthur to the lovers while they were in the throws of passion. For her crimes Gwen was to be executed by the royal headsman, but was saved by Lancelot and a group of Round Table Knights who snuck into Camelot. They failed to escape the city, but when Arthur and his remaining knights couldn't bare to strike their comrades down Arthur re-sentenced his wife to live out her days in a convent in the Gaelic Kingdom of Meathe.

Merlin
Born: ? Died: 514
The enigmatic figure of Merlin served as sage and adviser to the many kings of the Briton people for nearly 100 years. The man was already displaying the signs of age when he presented himself to the court of High King Constantine sometime before the year 420 and became court magician. During Vortigern's coup against High King Constance Merlin ferreted away young Ambrose and Uther to Brittany and protected them from any would be assassins dispatched to end the young men's lives. He accompanied the brothers back to Briton when they lead an army against the Usurper and then served each in turn while they ruled as High King.
Merlin played a key roll in Arthur's life, he helped Uther to gain access to the wife of King Gorlois of Cerniw from which Arthur was the product. It was also Merlin who brought baby Arthur to the home of Ector and Kay where he was raised strong and smart, Merlin also looked after the boy from time to time. It was Merlin once again that convinced Arthur to try the sword in the stone, and who convinced the other kings of Briton of Arthur's birthright. Merlin was also instrumental in running Arthur's court, convincing the Lady of the Lake to forge Excalibur, and in many of the High King's adventures.
In 514 he discovered the possession of Mrogana by the unseelie fae Oberon; he tried to banish Oberon but Morgana reversed the spell upon him, banishing Merlin's soul to Avalon and leaving his body to slumber in a secret grove. Merlin always lived as a man of peace, never using his magic for battle or to cause injury to any man or beast. To this day no one is sure where Merlin came from or if he was human, fae, or something else.

[SaintB]

Professional heavy infantry soldiers assault the line.

Combat
The majority of conflicts in 6th century Britain were hardly more than skirmishes, often raids on neighboring towns or tribes to get wealth and resources, they could and did often turn fatal for participants but were a far cry from the epic combats seen in tales; pitched battles were extremely rare. Despite the lack of major conflicts happening in most of Britain these were still dangerous times and fighting was a pretty regular occurrence across most of the land. Even among the people living in the same kingdoms there may be little unity or strong central authority to enforce the peace and a manorial lord may turn their eye to the demesne of their neighbors as a means to expand their own holdings or gain valuable supplies. In the border and frontier regions this can be exacerbated even further, peoples from different cultures, kingdoms, and tribes all competing for the same land only makes the likelihood of conflict even higher.
Fights are usually short and brutal; when prepared, combatants may throw or launch some missiles at each other before closing in for a melee battle behind their shields. In an ambush the combatants with the advantage generally make quick work of their enemy.

Armies
Standing militaries had been unknown since the end of the Roman occupation in the 4th century. In times of conflict landowners would get the 'soldiers' from the men living within their demesne. As a consequence most men involved in a battle were simple farmers or day laborers who wore little or no armor and carried only simple weapons such as a spear and a shield. Some so called soldiers might only be armed with a farming implement and nothing more. Professional men like blacksmiths were rarely called to war as their skills were far more valuable back home.
Only a few men would be professional soldiers; a tribal chief or a lord of a manor would usually be one of those professionals and they may also have their own retinue, a handful of well trained and armed warriors to serve as guards and battlefield shock troopers. Body armor would be very rare, only the warrior of wealth or status would be likely to have the added layer of protection against a landed blow. The majority would rely solely on a shield and perhaps an open faced helmet to protect them from attack. Cavalry is virtually unheard of on the battlefields of Britain, horses are in short supply, and any mounts suitable for war are more so; only the people highest on the social ladder can afford to own and keep a horse capable of handling the rigors of combat.

A typical 'soldier' levied to participate in fighting for a noble. He may have received some kind of incentive on his rents to fight in a battle or raid.

Weapons

Missile Weapons
The heavy reliance on ranged combat many people associate with British warfare is many centuries away from the year 540. The ad hoc nature of armies and lack of supply chain means that combatants supply basically all their own equipment - bows and arrows are important tools for keeping food on the table during lean times and losing them on the battlefield could be the difference between surviving and starving in a hard winter. Many combatants will throw stones or spears, some may even carry slings with them to hurl rocks into battle from a distance. The Saxons and the Gaels are both fond of carrying javelins or darts while on campaign but they are less common among the Britons.

Spears
The most ubiquitous weapon of war throughout history is the spear, the simple wooden shaft with an iron or steel head is simple, elegant, and effective, as well as affordable to virtually anyone. Spears can be found in the hands of kings and peasants alike during times of war; the sword and the ax may get all the recognition in the tales and sagas but the humble spear is the weapon with which kingdoms are gained or lost. The typical spear is about 2 meters in length and consists of a wooden shaft with a pointed tip about 20cm long on the end - most spearheads are forged of iron but higher quality weapons will have have a head made of steel and may also have a spike on the opposite end. While they can be held in two hands they are most often used single handedly and held over the shoulder to be thrust downward at enemies.
Lances used for horseback are even more rare than the cavalrymen who would wield them, in 540 AD they have a longer and narrower head than a spear and are generally held in two hands; they are usually discarded after a charge.

Swords
Sixth century swords are created by hammering multiple pieces of steel together to form a longer blade; softer steel is used in the weapon's core while a harder more durable steel is welded to the core strips to form the cutting edges on either side of the blade. By 540 swords are uncommon battlefield weapons and tend to only be in the hands of the social or battlefield elite as a secondary or backup weapon. While similar in function there are three prevalent styles of sword in the region during the sixth century. The spatha style weapons hailing back from roman times and the Celtic and Germanic style migration period weapons that are native forged in contemporary times.

Spatha (plural spathae) had become the standard weapon for the heavy infantry soldiers and cavalrymen of the Roman empire by the third century and were mass produced for the legions in Britain and across Europe until they abandoned the island in the late 4th century. Many of the spathae forged for the legions are still extant in Briton society and passed on as heirlooms along family lines, others have been claimed as trophies by invading Saxons who took them as prizes off the battlefield dead. A spatha is typically 90cm to 1m (35 to 40 inches) with a 10cm (5inch) hilt designed for use in one hand and and weigh about 1.1 kilograms (2.4 pounds). The original grips of a spatha are were usually wood or bone but in most cases have been replaced by something newer after many generations of use.
The blade of a spatha is most often straight and may or may not contain a fuller, they taper off at a long point for the last 25cm or more of the blade and infantry swords come to a sharp point while ones used by cavalry tended to be rounded at the ends. The hilt of the spatha was designed only to help the wielder maintain a steady grip and had no cross guard, the weapons are utilitarian and usually unadorned.

An example of a typical late Roman spatha, it has a bone handle and wooden pommel and guard.

Celtic The native swords forged by the Britons after the Roman occupation tend to have shorter blades and longer hilts than their predecessors and averaged about 80 to 90cm (32 to 36 inches) in length. Celtic swords most often had straight blades with a diamond or flat cross section, the blade flared out to a larger width around half way along their length in a pattern known as a leaf blade and finally come to a sharp point at the end. The weapons are balanced toward the top of the blade to facilitate a more powerful chopping or slashing attack and weighed about a kilogram (2.2 pounds). The hilt of a Celtic sword often lacked a guard of any type but the pommel often had an open design to allow a strap or cord to be tied on and wrapped around the wielder's wrist. The swords were made for specific individuals and families and featured intricate decoration in the form of carvings and etchings along the handle and pommel; scabbards included matching artwork and may also feature gemstones.

A Celtic pattern sword that could belong to a Briton. It's decorated with ornate carvings and etchings along the hilt and scabbard to make it appear as if it were a whale or sea serpent.

Germanic The Germanic pattern swords most closely resemble the later Viking Era swords that appear in the 8th century and evolve into the modern concept of medieval swords in the 11th century. Custom made, similar to the Celtic swords, the weapons hardly resemble each other in form but follow closely in function. Germanic swords featured thicker and shorter blades than other types that averaged between 71 and 81cm (28 and 32 inches) long and were either flat or featured a shallow fuller that ran the length of the blade. The blade came to a slow angular taper and was rounded off on the tip.
The sword's hilts featured a straight and shallow crossguard and often had a beach nut shaped pommel beneath the grip, the pommel occasionally featured a built in ring from which a strap or cord could be tied if the wielder desired. Germanic swords weighed about a kilogram (2.2 pounds) and usually featured decorations along the crossguard and pommel but rarely on the handle itself. Decorations included small gems, precious and decorative metals, and occasionally etchings; the blade of the sword may feature decorative runes and scabbards for these swords were relatively plain.

A King of East Engle was buried with this sword. It has a brass guard and the pommel is inset with garnet stones.

Axes
Axes and hatchets were humanity's first manufactured tools and so its no surprise that they accompany people into battle during the 6th century. Purpose made battle axes are the purview of the elite but the rank and file trooper may carry a wood axe or a hatchet with him.

Daggers and Knives
Daggers and knives are common tools both on and off the battlefield. These small blades are every day objects for men and woman alike and used for a variety of tasks and chores including eating and cutting, in a fight a knife or dagger could be a defensive weapon of last resort. The Saxons and Jutes are famous for the saexe, a long single edged iron or steel tool with a straight blade and a sharp point that virtually all of them carry into battle for close quarters. The knives have caught on with the Britons to some extent in a few areas.

Clubs, Hammers, Maces, and Bludgeons
If all else fails find something sturdy and wack someone with it! A good solid stick, hammers, clubs, and crude maces were all used as battlefield implements where necessary. Both Celtic and Germanic preferences seemed to be for cutting and stabbing weapons over bludgeoning.

A professional Briton soldier with a ridged helmet, lammellar armor, and a spatha. He is likely a member of a retinue.

Armor and Shields

Shields
Body armor was very rare in the sixth century but shields were possibly the most common piece of kit carried by any 6th century warrior. The center of any good shield was a 15cm (6inch) metal dome called the boss but the bulk of the shield was made of wood and leather. Wooden planks about about 7mm (1/4) inch thick would be joined together by pegs and glue in an oval or circular shape and then wrapped in linen or leather that was treated to shrink around the boards and hold them in place. The exterior of the shield would be wrapped in rawhide, linen, or hemp to provide extra sturdiness, and finally a handle would be affixed to the back using iron nails. The wielder would hold the shield in one hand by gripping the handle and putting their hand inside the boss. Higher quality shields may have iron reinforcements along the back or even along the edge but could weigh significantly more than ordinary. Ideally a shield protected its bearer from neck to knees and covered the entire torso.

Body Armor
Body armor is a rare battlefield commodity that's only slightly more common than swords. Armor in the 6th century mostly only covers the wearer's torso and shoulders and rarely extends to the the groin or upper thigh. There are three prevalent styles of armor in Britain and some less common styles as well. The common types of armor are gambeson, mail, and scale, with lamellar armor being less common. Armor may slide over the wearers head or open along the side, front, or back and fasten shut with leather straps or hooks.

Gambeson A gambeson is constructed of multiple layers of wool or linen quilted together and may be stuffed with horse hair, scraps of cloth, or some other substance. Though made of cloth gambesons provide surprisingly good protection against attacks from swords, spears, and arrows and can reduce the impact of a bludgeon quite significantly. Gambesons have the benefit of being affordable for anyone of decent means and is easily repaired by anyone versed in basic stitching techniques.

Scale Armor Scale armor consists of pieces of hard material stitched, glued, or riveted to a cloth or leather backing. The armored material may be bone, metal, or animal leather. The armor provides somewhat better protection than mail against bludgeoning attacks, but is often heavier and more restrictive to the wearer's movement.

Mail Mail (or chain mail) is forged of rings of iron or steel joined together in an intricate pattern to provide against slashing and piercing attacks from weapons on the battlefield. Mail is shaped into shirts known as byrnie and is often worn over thick clothing or if one is wealthy enough a gambeson to provide extra protection against bludgeons. There are actually two varieties of mail, butted mail, and riveted mail. Butted mail's rings are closed around one another and held in place by the rings on either side. In riveted mail some or all of the rings are closed with a rivet that holds them in place; a riveted suit of mail is sturdier and superior to butted armor but is also very costly to produce and maintain.

Lamellar Lamellar is made of strips of metal or bone joined together by a cord of some sort. The armor more or less drapes over the wearer's torso and provides decent protection with excellent mobility for the limbs but its restrictive for the torso. Lamellar is an unpopular armor choice for most of western Europe even though its relatively simple and cost effective to produce and maintain compared to mail.

Helmets
Protection of the head is paramount to a warrior and helmet was the most common piece of armor worn on the battlefield. With most attacks coming down on a combatant from above the shield some form of helmet was all but necessary for survival. Many of the commoner's helmets were Roman heirlooms passed on from father to son from generation to generation, but newer helmets were still being made to supply to elite warriors, nobles, chieftains, and anyone with the resources to afford one.

Spanghelm The spanghelm is more of a construction technique than a style. The dome shaped spanghelm is constructed by riveting six shaped pieces of leather or metal to a steel or iron frame. Spanghelms may feature cheek and/or nasal guards, mail to cover the neck, or the iconic spectacle shaped face protection; the most elaborate ones even feature a full face plate to make their wearer seem inhuman and intimidating to their enemy. Spanghelms are often decorated with copper or brass adornments and plating and may have a plume of horse hair or feather's attached to them, a common motif of Saxon helmet decorations is the boar, which is sacred to one of their gods.

Ridged Helm Ridged helms are based off of a common design from the late Roman Empire that first appeared in the 3rd or 4th century, high and low quality versions of these helmets are produced in Britonic kingdoms for the lowborn and highborn alike. The helmets are formed by riveting together metal pieces and reinforcing them with a dorsal ridge running from front to back of the helmet. Cheaper models are bowl shaped and forged of two pieces of metal with two loosely attached cheek guards of leather or metal. Quality ridged helms are made with four overlapping pieces of metal riveted together and reinforced by a dorsal ridge, these helms often feature cheek guards, nasal protection, and a curved plate to deflect blows from landing against the back of the neck.
Like spanghelms a ridged helm is often decorated with copper or brass, some are even plated in decorative metals. The helmet's ridge is often included in the helmets decorations and may have a plume or other decorative element, or be inset with semi-precious stones or glass gems.

A Saxon chief prepares for battle, he wears a mail byrnie over top of a gambeson. He carries a shield, a Germanic pattern sword, and wears a spanghelm on his head. All his gear is of high quality.

[SaintB]

The Britons are a Celtic people along with the Gauls, Picts, and Gaels. They lived in Britain for centuries before the Roman occupation of their lands, but like many before them even the most determined resistance could not stop the inevitable conquest by Rome's powerful legions and advanced culture. There were a few growing pains but the Britons more than much of their kin took to Roman ways, constructing Roman Style roads, cities, fortresses, and even living Roman style lives. In the latter part of the fourth century the last of the Roman legions had left the Britons to defend themselves and by 410 the Britons had declared themselves independent of Roman rule and stopped paying taxes to the far away Imperial administrators. They founded many kingdoms of their own based on traditional tribal lines and lived lives very similar to the ones they had lived as Roman vassals.

A Briton nobleman and his bodyguard

Society: Britons are far and wide more literate than their rivals, education in both Brythonic and Latin language is expected among the upper classes of society, but for the common folk the skills to read and write are rare. By and large the very vast majority of Britons consider themselves catholic, the religion setting its roots during the era of roman dominion of the island and its tribes. Like in many other places at this time, the Briton version of Catholicism is unique in many ways and has many regional variations in how the clergy administers to the laymen in each area. Celtic and local holidays and traditions may be incorporated into the services performed by the priests in an area and overall the faith is largely self governing and independent of the Papal authority in Rome even though it recognizes the Pontiff as the highest of catholic authorities.
Life in Briton society is quasi-feudal; all commerce and society is organized around the fiefs and manors controlled by a ruling elite. These elites are mainly the descendants of tribal chiefs and roman officials or members of the catholic clergy (who themselves are often the younger sons of land owners), they provide security and protection for the common folk who live on their land and in exchange the commoners are expected to provide a portion of their labor in return, in this way the landowner was enriched by the people beneath him and in return the local lord will provide protection in the form of administrating law, settling disputes between the residents, and a small personal force of armed men known as a Tuelu to defend against attacks from raiders or invaders. The rulers of these fiefdoms are beholden in turn to the ruler of the kingdom who himself administrates the nobles as they do the commoners, providing for the common defense and etc. A typical fief consists of all the land that a man could walk in a single day from sunrise to sunset in any given direction (about 24 miles or 37 kilometers squared).
The common Briton is a free man, capable of moving between fiefs and more or less living their life as they see fit so long as they obey the law and do no harm to the person or property of their fellow Britons. Roughly one third of each fief is known as the demesne and this land is directly controlled by the local nobleman, most of an area's industrial activity would take place here and all local farmers are obligated to spend a portion of their time working in the fields to tend the crops of the local lord - on average a common man would devote about 15 hours of service each week to the landowner as a form of rent for living on their land, they could also be called up to fight during times of war as a part of the landowners levy. The remaining land was available for the commoners to settle and live on with the blessings of the lord and as free men they were unlikely to be mistreated so that they wouldn't move to the next lord's lands.
Laws varied greatly from kingdom to kingdom and fief to fief and largely based on tradition and precedent as much as by decree. As a result something that is illegal in one area may be no crime at all in another; another consequence of this decentralized law system is that sometimes a criminal can escape into another jurisdiction to escape being punished from their crimes in another. Punishments for infractions range from public shaming to the harsh or even deadly and often fall in between, with punishments such as branding or mutilation being common.

Major Kingdoms
Dumnonia: Dumnonia is the oldest independent Briton Kingdom and existed alongside the tail end of the Roman occupation. It occupies all of southwest Britain and consists of three minor kingdoms Cerniw in modern Cornwall, Dyfneint which is modern Devon along with portions of Dorset up to the River Frome, and Glasstening which is now most of Somerset. It's capitol city is Caer Uisc or Isca and is located close to modern day Exeter, their king is a pious man named Constantine. It competes militarily and politically with Powys for control of the cities of Caer Baddan (Bristol), Caer Ceri (Cirencester), and Caer Gloui (Gloucester) and they often pass back and forth between the two kingdoms. Dumnonia is involved in a prolonged conflict with West Seaxe, straining its resources in the east by supporting minor kingdoms located in modern day Dorset and Wiltshire.

Powys: In 540 AD Powys consists of all the modern region of the same name as well as Shropshire, Worcestershire, and most of Clwyd. It has a client kingdom in Gwent and politically dominates what will become Whales. Powys feuds with Dumnonia, and Rheged over the sovereignty of the lesser regional kingdoms and independent cities and is possibly the most powerful of the Britonic Kingdoms. The ruins of Arthur's capitol city Camelot are here and its capital is Caer Meguaidd.

Venedotia: Venedotia is nearly as old as Dumnonia and also known as Gwynned. It begrudgingly shares Whales with Powys. It's territory extends to all of modern day Gwynned and Clwyd and contains six sub kingdoms that answer to the main political entity in Gwynned. Though territorialy the smallest of the major kingdoms Venedotia is the most marshal and has the best skilled warriors who have plenty of practice at fighting thanks to regular Gaelic raids from across the sea. It's capitol is located in Caer Rhun and Venedotia's ruler Maelgwyn Gwynedd has claimed for himself the title of High King, but is not recognized so has no authority over the other Kingdoms.

Rheged: Rheged Split into northern and southern kingdoms left to the eldest sons after the death of King Merchiad five years ago. North Reghed is ruled by Cynfarch The Dismal, a dour and unwelcoming man, and South Rheged by his twin Elidyr the Stout and Handsome who is possibly the most welcoming and generous king in Briton. The brothers work closely together in matters of war and politics and their combined talents and resources have kept Rheged among the most influential Briton kingdoms. North Rheged has its capitol in Caer Ligualid which is modern day Carlisle and it's territory covers most of modern day Cumbria and ends at Hadrian's Wall. South Rheged's capitol is Caer Robais and its territory more or less covers modern day Chesire, Mercyside, Lancashire, and Manchester.

Berneich: Berneich is the east most kingdom of the Britons and rules over regions of modern Northumberland, new Castle, Durham, and Teesside. King Morgan the Thunderbolt rules here from the old roman fort of Coria and has for many decades. As a young and energetic man he was one of Arthur's knights, as an aging king he fought alongside King Arthur in his final battle, and now as an old man seeks some semblance of that unity once more. Morgan has spent considerable time and influence trying to form a confederation of Britonic, Anglish, and Pictish realms but has had little success. Berneich has been in a state of total war with Angles from across the sea and the Kingdom of Lindsey and is slowly but surely beginning to crack under the onslaught.

High Kings of the Britons
The High King of the Britons is a traditional office that existed for hundreds of years before the Roman occupation and was brought back after the Romans left the Britons to their own devices. The high king is appropriately titled High King Among all Britons and he is selected amongst the kings of all the lands through an election. Traditionally the high king receives tribute from the other kingdoms in exchange for leading the Briton people to fight during times of war. There have been six men recognized as High King since the end of Roman rules.
Constantine Aurelian 410 - 434
Constance Aurelian 434 - 438
Vortigern the Usurper 439 - 454
Ambrose Aurelian 454- 461
Uther Pendragon 461 - 465
Arthur Pendragon 480 - 520

[SaintB]

This is WIP

Saxons (Jutes, Angles, Frisians, etc)

A Saxon man and woman.

Saxon has become a catch-all derogatory term for various groups of Teutonic and Nordic peoples who have made their way to Britain from modern Saxony and the Jutland Peninsula by following the currents of the North Sea. The many people’s making up what the Britons refer to as Saxons include actual Saxons as well as Jutes, Angles, Frisians, and others. In the last century the Saxons have become the chief rival of the Britons for land and resources in the last hundred years.
The first Saxons came to Briton lands as soldiers and federati brought to protect the sparsely populated Romano-Briton regions on the southeast coast from occasional raids by rival tribes hailing from their home regions. These first migrants were friendly with the Britons and more or less assimilated with the population within only a couple generations. During his tenure as High King, Vortigern invited more Saxons to come to Britain and serve as mercenaries in his armies, they would fight against the picts and in exchange their chiefs would be given more land on the east coast to settle in.
While they did help defeat a Pictish advance into the northern kingdoms these Saxons did not come as migrants; they came as enemies and invaders. After a bloody four years of campaigns against the aggression of the Picts, the Britons loyal to Vortigern and his Saxon Mercenaries gathered in the kingdom of Ceint to cede the promised lands to the Saxon chiefs and exchange oaths of loyalty. Many of Briton’s highest ranking people attended, including Corangon, the King of Ceint and Voritmer, Vortigern’s eldest son, attending as the representative of the High King.
During the ceremony the Saxons sprung a trap, using their Saexe knives to slaughter the unarmed Britons to the man, woman, and child. The Night of Long Knives was only the start of the political and personal enmity between the Briton and Saxon peoples that can only be ended in an ocean of blood. Saxons still freely migrate to the lands stolen from the Briton tribes and replenish the numbers of their warriors far faster than the natives as people flock from the factious, war torn homelands to settle in a new realm.
Saxons are by and large Pagan with a few Christians among their numbers, they have allowed Christians living in their lands to mostly practice their religion unmolested. Saxon Paganism resembles the religion of the Norse in many ways, with similar mythology and gods, but also many different household, local, and tribal gods. Saxons do not believe in an afterlife and their religious practices are worldly and focused on the here and now.
The major 'Saxon' realms are administrated tribally and the situations in these realms are often chaotic, the borders of the Saxon and Anglish kingdoms are constantly being reshaped as tribal allegiances change, entire settlements may be upended and the populations move on to settle elsewhere overnight, and small scale wars may break out between tribes at any minute; this scenario has turned the typical Saxon into a more skilled raider and warrior than most Britons are. The Saxons are nearly entirely illiterate and all their news, history, and stories are passed on through the oral tradition.

The Saxon Realms
The Anglish Kingdoms of Cantaware, East Engle, Lindisware and Middle Engle, and the Saxon Kingdoms of East Saexe, Middle Saexe, South Saexe, and West Saexe are the most powerful of the realms. Presently the two most notable realms are West Saexe and Lindisware. West Saexe has been at a nonstop state of war with Caer Celemion since it's rise during the rule of Arthur and has also been aggressively recruiting and conquering Briton and Saxon tribes on the borders of Dumnonia which has prompted a similar response from King Constantine. Lindisware is being used as a base by invaders seeking to conquer the lands of Berneich, these warriors have the support of Lindisware's king in their endeavors.

Gaels
The Gaels are cousins of the Britons. They are another Celtic culture that migrated from Gaul though they separated from the Britons and Picts and settled on the island of Eire in the years before the birth of Christ and stuck to the old pagan gods until Saint Patrick converted many of them by driving all the snakes from the island about 200 years ago. For the most part the Gaels are less civilized than their Britannic cousins and still live their lives by their own versions of the ancient tribal customs once practiced by all Celts. For most Britons encounters with Gaelic clans are only in the context of trades or raids with men coming from modern day Leinster and Meath but there are a few Gaelic kingdoms on the island of Britain as well.

The Gaelic Realms
Dyfed: Dyfed peacefully transitioned into Gaelic rule through marriage about a century ago. The ruling Briton family struck a deal through marriage for protection from other Gaelic tribes with the Deisi Clan and a scion of that marriage inherited the throne. Though Gaels, the people of Dyfed are hardly distinguishable from their Briton peers, and have settled into the way of life of their neighbors. Dyfed is ruled by the venerable Vortiper who has reigned for nearly 45 years and his military alliance with Venedotia helps keep Powy's from being too powerful in the region.
Brycheiniog: Brycheiniog was once part of Dyfed but was inherited by a younger son of the Deisi Dynasty as his own Kingdom. It's ruler is Llowarch ap Rigenew and has little power or influence of its own. This minor kingdom is a protectorate of Dyfed.
Dal Riada: Dal Riada is a young Gaelic kingdom founded in Pictish territory by warriors of the Clan Scotti who had been dispossessed by a coalition of other Gaels. Like the Saxons to the Britons the first Scotti to arrive were mercenaries and the ensuing waves were conquerors. The king Gabrán mac Domangrat is approaching his third year of rule and Dal Riada is currently at peace with its Pictish neighbors due to an outbreak of yellow fever, but tensions run high after the latest landgrab that had been initiated by his older brother Comgall.

A Gaelic fighter.

Picts (Caledonians)
The Picts are another Celtic culture living on the island of Britannia in modern day Scotland but known in this time as Caledonia to the Britons and as Pictland to the others. Pict is not the original name of the tribes of Caladonia, it was the Roman word for the northern tribesmen who were infamous for lacking armor but covering their bare chests and arms in war paint - it means painted men; the tribes true name is lost to history so in this RP they will referred to as Picts or Caledonians. The Pictish tribes live together in loose confederations of kingdoms and speak a language very similar to Brythonic, close enough that native speakers of each language can understand one another's intent if not all their words. Animosity between the Britons and the Picts dates back to before the times of Roman Occupation but during the centuries long Romanisation of their southern neighbors relations between the two peoples became more or less irreparable and until the time of Arthur Pictish raids could penetrate far south of Hadrian's wall.
In the time of this RP the tribes of Caledonia gather together in various confederations and are mostly pagan with a few christian tribes near the shared border with the Britons, the people will continue to resist conversion from the Britons but will in only a few years prove to be more receptive of missionaries coming from the Gaels. A plague of Yellow Fever has been sweeping through the Pictish tribes which has kept them quiet in the lands of the Britons for the last year or two, but in the North of Pictland strong forces will use this disaster to unite most of tribes into a single entity within the next decade.

Pictish Spearmen ward off a charge from mounted Briton warriors, their own cavalrymen counter attack.

Bretons
The Bretons originated in Britain and maintain close relations with with their cousins across the channel. The original Breton settlers were drawn from the Briton auxiliary troops that were moved to the Roman province of Amorica to fight against the many incursions of the Franks in the 4th century. As time went by the soldiers stationed in Amorica began to retire and be given lands in the region, creating permanent enclaves of Romano-Britain culture in the region. By the time Roman influence was withdrawing from the region the Bretons joined the Britons in declaring self governance and founded their own kingdoms, renaming their land Brittany. The Bretons are less sophisticated than their Briton cousins, less literate, and with a less romanized lifestyle, but living under a very similar manorial way of life. Being on the mainland of Europe gives them more contact with other cultures and they are wealthier through trade as a result.
Britons from the island migrate to the Breton Kingdoms to avoid the conflicts raging with the Saxon invaders and religion in the Breton Kingdoms is a hodge podge with Christians mingling with Celtic and Roman pagans. The three Breton Kingdoms are Domnonée, Cornouaille, and Bro Waroc'h. There is a Breton commune in Gallaecia (Spain) under constant siege of the Goths.

[SaintB]

The Sword of Peace
On the night of Christ's Mass in the year 474 there appeared a mysterious sword in the town square of the city of Lundien. The beautiful weapon was stabbed into an anvil that sat atop a natural stone and seemed to call to those who were bold and ambitious. Upon the anvil was inscribed the instructions Whoso pulleth out this sword from this stone and anvil, is rightwise king of Britain born.
In those first days many brave and strong men and women from Kingdoms of the Britons and even the Saex lands tried the sword, but no matter how they pulled and tugged the weapon it would not budge. The Kings of Briton gathered together and summoned the wise sage Merlin to ask of his advice and he bade them that in time the true king of the Britons would indeed draw the sword from the stone and with it could bring peace to the Briton lands and may yet save the Briton people from annihilation at the hands of the enemy. The council decided that on each Easter champions from each kingdom would compete at games for the right to pull forth the sword. And thus for five years the games would be held; the grand champion of each event would either attempt to draw the sword or give that privilege to their liege lord, but none could ever move the blade which never so much as tarnished despite rain, snow, and all the other depredations of the elements. In the fifth year a boy named Arthur pulled the weapon from its home while in desperation to arm his brother for a tournament.
The Sword of Peace became the sword of King Arthur's court. In the hands of a worthy man the legendary blade can cut through stone, but cannot harm those who are pure of heart and pure of deed and who are faithful to the old ways and to the God of Christendom. Arthur would use this sword to dub each of the knights that sat at his round table - the sword bouncing harmlessly off of the necks of those worthy of such high honor. The relic rests at the monastery of Beckery Chapel.

Excalibur
Sir Accalon was a Gaulish warrior who came to fight with the Britons against the Saxon invaders. In 489 he was convinced by Morgana that Arthur had plans to kill him and challenged the king to a duel. Morgana secretly fortified Accalon with a magic spell that made his skin impenetrable, but Arthur struck him such a blow he shattered his sword and knocked Accalon unconscious. A mysterious nymph known as the Lady of the Lake reforged Arthur's sword into the weapon known as Excalibur.
Excalibur as described having a design of two chimeras on the golden hilt; when the sword was unsheathed what was seen from the mouths of the two chimeras was like two flames of fire, so dreadful that it was not easy for anyone to look. It's gleaming blade bore two inscriptions reading "Take me up" on one side and "Cast me away" on the other. The magical blade struck fear into the hearts of Arthur's enemies, shined with blinding light when used against traitors to his rule, and purportedly could cut through iron as if it were wood.
Excalibur was returned to the Lady of the Lake by Sir Bediviere after King Arthur was taken to Avalon by Morgana.