The Throneless Kingdom
General Premise
Welcome to The Throneless Kingdom! This is an RP set in England during a medieval period which has deviated from our historical timeline. As per history, William the Conqueror defeated Harold of Wessex at the Battle of Hastings, 1066, and took the throne of England. He then went on to die in 1087 and this is where our history deviates from our own timeline. There was no planned succession and the realm descended into chaos, rival families vying to expand their lands or just hold onto what they had already gained. And of course, for the most ambitious, the throne of England awaits for someone suitable to claim it. In this age where legitimate claims mean little and are tenuous at best anyone could claim the throne but only the most powerful and respected can hold it.
Players will take control of a noble family, of their own creation or one based loosely on historical fact, and set their own goal. Will they merely try to survive? Will they seek to expand their lands without upsetting the more powerful Dukes who fight on much loftier planes or will they seek to claim the ultimate prize - the throne of England?
There are a very few who have legitimate claims to the throne and it is up to players to decide whether they will support one such leader or avoid the greater conflict - and of course, should their chosen leader be defeated, a player may wish to quickly change allegiances to avoid the consequences of backing the wrong family.
On the horizon conflict is brewing far away in the Middle East with successive Popes having done nothing to support the Greek Emperor in Constantinople but that may soon change. More immediately, the French king eyes lands in Normandy formerly considered part of his demesne and may attempt to retake them at any point or even go for the much larger prize of England in its entirety.
The 'History'
Seventy years on from the Conqueror's death, England is still in a state of disarray. Several powerful Dukes and even some lesser Lords claim the title of King of England for themselves, none recognised by the others and constantly attempting to established the legitimacy of their claim. Others have abandoned the idea of a united England and have taken up the ancient Kingdoms that made up England, Dukes in the North of England claiming the ancient Kingdom of Northumbria and the newly formed Kingdom of Lancaster as their own. They keep to themselves, mostly, but keep a wary eye on the struggles further South; they look for an opportunity to expand their lands or even take up the more desirable title of King of England.
Alongside this the Saxons rebel against their Norman Conquerors often, chafing under the cruel reign of their relatively new Lords who cannot and will not protect them from the raids of their rivals. Although several generations have passed few have forgotten that it was not long since a Saxon King sat on the throne and fugitive descendants of Saxon Earls still hide amongst the peasantry and foment rebellion, some with foreign backing.
Across the border in Wales, the Britons who consider themselves the original residents of the British Isles raid into the English border counties. They are unorganised with no leader and their own internal conflicts but such an opportunity to retake their lands from the Saxons and the Normans will not be ignored for much longer.
Further North the Scots also raid into the border counties but they still struggle against the Viking descendants who inhabit the far reaches of their ancient Kingdom and do not have the ability to organise any significant invasion into England as of yet.
Below are some very much work in progress bits and pieces as I sort through my notes and formulate it into a way that is clear on the site. Please contribute if you any ideas/thoughts/critiques.
Mechanics Currently in the Works
- Wealth/points system to create balance but also reflect gains made and allow tangible progress.
- Battle mechanics based on troop numbers, morale, leadership/tactics/terrain and also luck.
- List of pre-set events that could be triggered at any point, individually or at once, based on dice rolls (some affected all players such as invasion from another country or a general peasant revolt, others only affecting certain players such as local epidemics).
- 'Big Player' information to show who the real movers and shakers are in the realm.
Powerful 'Dukes'
(Someone knowledgeable about the period will no doubt wish to point out that Dukes did not exist in England until about three centuries after this - thankfully this is an alternate history so we can do what we like here).
The below Dukes claim rulership over large stretches of land but their hold is loose as they lack the strength and legitimacy to retain proper control. They expect the Earls/Counts underneath them to pay homage but are unlikely to immediately punish those who refuse (but they will certainly seek to make an example of any 'rebel' Earls when possible, whether through military action or less honourable methods).
Duke of Northumbria - York, Northumbria, Cumberland and Leicester.
Duke of Mercia - Derby, Chester, Shrewsbury, Warwick
Duke of Wessex - Buckingham, Bedford, Devon, Cornwall
Duke of Gloucester - Hereford, Gloucester, Somerset
Duke of Kent - Kent, Surrey, Sussex
Duke of Middlesex - East Anglia, Middlesex (London), Essex.
Titles (WIP)
The titles below show the generic regions that someone may choose to rule over. As is clear, some have certain advantages over others and from a balance perspective may appear unfair. There are, however, factors to take into account. For example, York as an Earldom appears to be wildly stronger than others in terms of the holdings the Earl/Comte/Count would have access to but the Harrying of the North and a particularly unruly mix of Danish/Saxon populace could make it a particularly dangerous place for a Norman to live in.
By and large the general idea for the holdings is that a Castle gives you a defensible position and Household troops (the individually strongest of your troops and your 'standing army' as it were), a city provides you with Militia and also your conscripts. A monastery will provided you with both some conscripts but will act mostly as a morale booster - if your local clergy are hostile you may find the local populace are likely to rebel. On the other hand, if you are on good terms with the local clergy you will receive boosts to troop morale, recruitment numbers and possibly even additional income.
There will be variations - not all Castles are built the same, not all cities and monasteries/bishoprics are the same. This is where I plan to introduce a 'points' system - every player will have a starting number of points to allocate to their holdings and this amount will be uniform so where you invest them will determine your strengths/weaknesses. As time goes on you will gain points (or wealth) and be able to further invest them - random events may also grant you boons (or go against you) also.
