In Britannia Salutem

[Spartan-G257]

It's been 28 years since that young man took control of his poisoned father's army...

And this might yet be the lowest point, he's lost one of his youngest sons and his wife. Both to said youngest sons machinations, and his own.
I do wonder how he's going to continue from here and what legends will arise from the rest of his life?

 

[Lindseyman]

Venta

In a complete break with tradition, the autumn meeting of the Council was held in Venta rather than Viroconium. This was mainly due to the fact that all the Lords had assembled in Venta for Findabair’s funeral and therefore it made logistical sense. However the Magistrate of Viroconium was not displeased by this turn of events. The project for the rebuilding of the Basilica in Viroconium was both massively over budget and was overrunning. The delays had cost the previous magistrate his job and the new one had promised Pelias that everything would be more than ready for the meeting the next year (he had his fingers very firmly crossed as he made that promise!).

The Lords assembled and then Ida shocked everybody.

“I have decided to resign the position as Leader of the Council”

There were cries of disbelief from all sides. Ida smiled wryly

“I thank you all for your support. However I still, after all these years, have not been fully accepted by all as Leader (there was guilty shuffling from some of the Cambrian Lords) and the cares of the office have taken their toll.

I plan to spend the next few years spending time with my wife and getting to know my grandchildren as well as getting under my son’s feet. He will still be acting as Lord of Lindsey as he has been doing during my absences but on a rather more full time basis.”

Ida paused

“I nominate Artos, the Lord of Venta as my successor”

There was stunned silence then loud cheers. Artos stood up and the cheering slowly faded.

“I will accept the position as Leader of the Council but with two provisos. Firstly I will not also be Lord of Venta that will be Amhar. Secondly I will not hold both the Leadership of the Council and the position of Dux Bellorum. I suggest that in the interim the arrangement that was put in place due to my absence be retained. If either of these provisos is rejected then I shall not accept the position.”

Pelias of Deva stood up

“Cousin, it is not our place to agree or disagree with who is Lord of Venta. That is between you and your son. I, myself, would have no problem with you fulfilling both roles. However as you do not wish to do so then I endorse your suggestion, although I rather think that Virianus will have objections”

Virianus then stood up

“With some reluctance I also endorse the suggestion although I would strongly suggest that we cut out the middle man and appoint Flavius Aurelianus Lupidus as Dux Bellorum”

Virianus chuckled

“After all as you all know he has been the de facto Dux if not the de jure one”

Virianus sat down and Vortiporus who had finally succeeded Pascent arose

“I also endorse both provisos and indeed agree with Virianus’ amendment.”

The other Cambrian Lords fell in line with Vortiporus. So it was that Artos was unanimously installed as Leader of the Council and (much to Virianus’ relief) Flavius as Dux Bellorum.

Medraut had said nothing

“What’s the matter Medraut?” asked Titus of Elmet

“Cat got your tongue?”

Medraut smiled and shook his head

“You know my preference, Titus, but this arrangement is more than satisfactory”

He sighed

“Mother predicted that this would happen”

“How is she?”

“Much better and helping Morgana through her third pregnancy”

“She’s with child again?”

“What can I say? She and Coel are besotted with each other”

Titus shook his head

“Oh, to be that in love with your wife. That fire has long since burned down to embers for myself and Drusilla although we still care deeply about each other and in the right circumstances those embers burst back into flame”

Titus stopped

“I apologise that was uncalled for”

Medraut shook his head

“No need to apologise, I have come to terms with Helena’s death.”

“I just hope that Artos can do likewise”

 

[Deadtroopers]

Not very "heroic" this Arthur, is he? This is all too Parish Council for me.

 

[Lindseyman]

The next ten years or so were an age of peace and prosperity in Britannia. The chaos that Llacheu instigated slipped into memory and life in Venta and the other Lordships went back to normal.

However the same could not be said for the rest of Europe and the Middle East.

481 Chlodhio, who claimed descent from Merovus, seizes the throne of the Franks despite being only in his mid-teens.

482 Romulus takes control of Italia from his father Orestes who is forcibly retired to a monastery. Those in the senate who help Romulus initially benefit greatly (as they had hoped).
Death of Guitolinus. He passes away peacefully in his sleep. Cerdicus has a mausoleum built at Noviodunum.

483 Carthage rebels against Constantinople. The revolt is crushed mercilessly. As a reward the Berbers are given greater autonomy.

484 A military disaster that would echo down the ages. Peroz I and most of the Sassanian leadership are killed in a crushing defeat by the Hepthalites at Herat. Persia shatters as various governors and junior officers desperately try to retain control of their areas of responsibility. Balash was crowned but never controlled more than a small area around Ctesiphon.

Anthemius took advantage of the situation to occupy many border areas and to rearrange Armenia to his satisfaction.

Persia would remain a patchwork of squabbling statelets dominated by the Hepthalites to the East and the Romans to the west until the rise of Khosrau the grandson of Peroz in the late 520s

485 Romulus seizes full control of Italia with a purge of the Senate. He reinstates all of the Majorianic reforms and begins to rebuild the Roman Army.

486 Chlodhio takes advantage of a revolt by the Visigoths to invade Belgica and Gallia. Initially he is successful defeating the local Roman Commanders. He is stopped by Aegidius the son of Syagrius at the Battle of Senones with the help of the Britannians.

487 Cerdicus defeats the Franks at Durocortorum and Chlodhio is taken prisoner. Cerdicus enforces the translocation of many of the Franks to an area around Vesunna displacing the remaining Visigoths into Hispania.

488 Marriage of Amhar, Lord of Venta and Julia, the daughter of Aegidius and granddaughter of Syagrius (she had been widowed in the Frankish invasion)

489 Anthemius, Emperor of Rome dies, he is succeeded by his son who is universally known as Anthemelinus. Artos, Leader of the Council of Britannia, falls seriously ill.

 

[Jonathan1997]

Are you thinking of doing a time skip

 

[Lindseyman]

Are you thinking of doing a time skip

"Only" to 489 AD, Britannia is peaceful. Lots happens but it's normal life not anything particularly unusual. I will do the odd piece set in this period but no overarching story.

 

[Jonathan1997]

"Only" to 489 AD, Britannia is peaceful. Lots happens but it's normal life not anything particularly unusual. I will do the odd piece set in this period but no overarching story.

It just seems from history and obviously you were going off script that things should be okay for the next 200 years or more

I down if the Weastern Rome Empire will be getting involved when Islam risers and the Islamic conquests

 

[Lindseyman]

1. Batavians
2. Saxony
3. Moravians

The white parts of the map may contain stable states but they are too small to show. So for example, the Prydannian Lordships exist but there is no longer a Council of Britannia

 

[Jonathan1997]

View attachment 742715
1. Batavians
2. Saxony
3. Moravians

The white parts of the map may contain stable states but they are too small to show. So for example, the Prydannian Lordships exist but there is no longer a Council of Britannia

Is the lords Ships encompassing otl Great Britain and Ireland or just otl Great Britain.

So how did the Roman Empire reunite and it looks like it has a big threat to the North, East and even from the south.

Will the Rome Empire have a policy of maintaining unity having see that splitting the empire nearly lead to its destruction.

As for Pyrdannam will it have a strong mixture of Anglo-Saxon, Picts, Scandinavian with a small sprinkling of the Rome traditions

 

[Lindseyman]

Is the lords Ships encompassing otl Great Britain and Ireland or just otl Great Britain.

So how did the Roman Empire reunite and it looks like it has a big threat to the North, East and even from the south.

Will the Rome Empire have a policy of maintaining unity having see that splitting the empire nearly lead to its destruction.

As for Pyrdannam will it have a strong mixture of Anglo-Saxon, Picts, Scandinavian with a small sprinkling of the Rome traditions

1. Just the island of Prydannia. Hibernia is nominally a High Kingdom but in actual fact is just as big a patchwork of feuding lords as OTL
2. There was an ITTL equivalent of Justinian who didn't burn through as many generals
3. It will try but there are always those who think that they deserve the purple more than the actual emperor (quite correctly in some cases)
4. The Lordships that have survived since the 5th century still see themselves as at least heirs to the Roman tradition but in actuality are Welsh (to borrow an OTL term) with a bigger Roman admixture. Lowland "Scotland" is Saxon, East "England" is Angle with some Bulgarian influences.

 

[Jonathan1997]

1. Just the island of Prydannia. Hibernia is nominally a High Kingdom but in actual fact is just as big a patchwork of feuding lords as OTL
2. There was an ITTL equivalent of Justinian who didn't burn through as many generals
3. It will try but there are always those who think that they deserve the purple more than the actual emperor (quite correctly in some cases)
4. The Lordships that have survived since the 5th century still see themselves as at least heirs to the Roman tradition but in actuality are Welsh (to borrow an OTL term) with a bigger Roman admixture. Lowland "Scotland" is Saxon, East "England" is Angle with some Bulgarian influences.

So Scotland is Saxon and they are all part of the Lord ship I take it the Vikings will mean that there will be a new Lord or King my come to power.

What about the line of Artos has the male line dead out but his blood still exist in the ruling families or does the male line still exist.

So it was an version emperor justinian who united the Empire did he get it by war or palace intrigue?

 

[Lindseyman]

So Scotland is Saxon and they are all part of the Lord ship I take it the Vikings will mean that there will be a new Lord or King my come to power.

What about the line of Artos has the male line dead out but his blood still exist in the ruling families or does the male line still exist.

So it was an version emperor justinian who united the Empire did he get it by war or palace intrigue?

1. A Lord of Prydannia will reform the Council in the 9th Century to combat the Vikings (Constantine of Reghed)
2. It carries on. In the Viking Age it is still the "main" line
3. We're talking Romans /Byzantines here, so both

 

[Jonathan1997]

1. A Lord of Prydannia will reform the Council in the 9th Century to combat the Vikings (Constantine of Reghed)
2. It carries on. In the Viking Age it is still the "main" line
3. We're talking Romans /Byzantines here, so both

What stops the council having the same proplem as the Roman Empire with its accession problem which lasted from emperor Augustus 2 Constantine the 11th in 1453.

Do you number your rulers it was only really a European thing later on like Henrys I, Ii, III and so on and so forth.

 

[Lindseyman]

What stops the council having the same proplem as the Roman Empire with its accession problem which lasted from emperor Augustus 2 Constantine the 11th in 1453.

Do you number your rulers it was only really a European thing later on like Henrys I, Ii, III and so on and so forth.

1. Nothing. It falls apart in the 6th Century due to a combination of the Plague of Justinian (not called that here), the colder and wetter weather which leads to poorer harvests etc. In other words a perfect storm of ill luck (and judgement). It reforms because there is a need for it (The Vikings).
2. No numbering until the ITTL equivalent of Renaissance Scholars start applying them. Everything must have an order and a place!

 

[Jonathan1997]

1. Nothing. It falls apart in the 6th Century due to a combination of the Plague of Justinian (not called that here), the colder and wetter weather which leads to poorer harvests etc. In other words a perfect storm of ill luck (and judgement). It reforms because there is a need for it (The Vikings).
2. No numbering until the ITTL equivalent of Renaissance Scholars start applying them. Everything must have an order and a place!

Likely the 12 century Renaissance after Jerusalem was takin in 1199AD.

I would think the Viking will be a bigger threat to otl France because there is not centralised Kingdom

 

[Deadtroopers]

1. Just the island of Prydannia. Hibernia is nominally a High Kingdom but in actual fact is just as big a patchwork of feuding lords as OTL
2. There was an ITTL equivalent of Justinian who didn't burn through as many generals
3. It will try but there are always those who think that they deserve the purple more than the actual emperor (quite correctly in some cases)
4. The Lordships that have survived since the 5th century still see themselves as at least heirs to the Roman tradition but in actuality are Welsh (to borrow an OTL term) with a bigger Roman admixture. Lowland "Scotland" is Saxon, East "England" is Angle with some Bulgarian influences.

4. "... but in actuality are Welsh (to borrow an OTL term)... No! Cymric or similar. Autochthones do not refer to themselves as "Foreigners".

 

[Lindseyman]

4. "... but in actuality are Welsh (to borrow an OTL term)... No! Cymric or similar. Autochthones do not refer to themselves as "Foreigners".

I used Welsh as a lazy term to describe their culture. Absolutely there is no way that they would refer to themselves as Welsh especially as ITTL they are the dominant culture on the island.

 

[Deadtroopers]

I used Welsh as a lazy term to describe their culture. Absolutely there is no way that they would refer to themselves as Welsh especially as ITTL they are the dominant culture on the island.

Not your own laziness; but a wider one. Even more so perhaps with devolution; I may be English but they are still my "Fellow Countrymen": Cwmry. How I feel about it is pretty much along the lines as if "Nigger" or "Wog" were the normal and acceptable way to refer to particular ethnic groups; and not what they are - deep ethnic slurs. This might seem a little extreme and YMMV; but it is how I roll.

 

[Lindseyman]

Venta

Rufio stretched out his legs and smiled sweetly at the new owner of the Golden Amphora. He was exactly the type of customer that the new owner didn’t want in his establishment, an old man who nursed his drink. Many of the old customers had taken the hint and had taken their custom elsewhere as the ones that the owner wanted, younger men with far more money than sense had moved in. According to Luc, his son, the Golden Amphora was becoming one of the places in which the up and coming had to be seen to frequent.

He harrumphed into his goblet. The young today had forgotten the bad times and the need to prepare for a rainy day. They lived for the moment. He shook his head. He finally noticed the owner standing over him.

“May I suggest that you finish your drink and leave? Also don’t bother coming back. We don’t want your sort here”

“My sort?”

The owner sighed

“May I join you?”

“It’s your inn”

“Look Rufio, I know that you have been coming here for decades. You never cause any trouble, always pay up when you buy drink and are unfailingly polite to both me and my staff and tip well. If the Amphora was anywhere else you would be the type of customer that I would want and in fact would encourage”

Rufio smiled tightly

“However?”

The owner waved his hand around the hostelry

“Look at the other customers”

“They are all young. So?”

“You are putting them off. They come here to get away from their relatives and have a good time. You are a constant reminder of what they are trying to avoid”

“When I was their age that didn’t stop us. Old people were a fixture in places like this”

Rufio smiled

“We certainly didn’t let them stop us from what we thought was having a good time”

The owner sighed

“Times have changed Rufio and I will accept not always for the better. Some of my bigger spenders have basically told me that either you and the one or two other die hards go, or they will take their custom elsewhere. To be honest they spend a lot more than you do”

“And they don’t question what they are being served once they are deep in their cups. Oh, don’t take offence young man. Hostelry owners have been the same for generations. To be fair you still sell them better stuff than Falerix used to try and pass off as the good stuff at the start of the evening!”

Rufio drained his goblet and stood up

“I won’t come here again and thank you for being polite about it. However remember the custom that you are chasing is flighty. Somewhere else will become the place to be seen and they will desert you”

The owner nodded

“So I have to make hay whilst the sun is shining”

Rufio looked hard at him

“How long, a year?”

“If I’m lucky” admitted the owner

“Then either I, or more likely the person to whom I sell this as a going concern, will be welcoming customers like you back”

“But in the meantime don’t cross the threshold?”

“What can I say, it’s good business sense”

Rufio shook his head

“Only in the very short term. Long term you need regulars. Still I will do as you request. May it not turn out badly for you”

Rufio left. He ran into Conatus who was returning to base. Conatus took one look at his face and shrugged

“He’s barred you hasn’t he?”

“Not officially but effectively, yes. As a business man I can understand his reasoning but it still rankles”

“He doesn’t like the Watch using it either even when we are off duty”

“Makes his big spenders uncomfortable at a guess”

Conatus nodded

“We might start asking where some of them got so much money!”

Conatus looked around

“I’ll see you home Rufio. Some of the young bucks don’t always think straight when they’ve had a few. Before you say anything, the Legate and Praefectus do have a plan”

Rufio smiled

“I rather think that he (Rufio indicated the Golden Amphora) will not like it!”

“Probably not” answered Conatus.

They started walking back to Rufio’s home.

 

[Lindseyman]

Decidivatus' Villa

Gulielmus walked around the gardens of Decidivatus’ villa and sighed. Although not much interested in gardening himself he had always found these gardens a peaceful place in which to walk and gather his thoughts. Unfortunately when Llacheu had had Decidivatus killed and had sized the villa upkeep of the gardens was not a priority and the signs of neglect were everywhere to be seen.

Flavius had returned the villa to Gulielmus and Amhar had confirmed it. So Gulielmus had decided to occupy it. He had given priority to repairing the villa itself and had visited to see how the work was progressing.

Gulielmus frowned. Although the formality of the gardens was still suffering from neglect, this part had at least been tended. The paths had been maintained and there was not a weed (Plant in the wrong place, smiled Gulielmus to himself) to be seen. He had to admit that the lack of formality actually made this area of the garden even more tranquil. There was the steady buzzing of bees, numerous butterflies could be seen and birdsong filled the air.

He turned a corner and bumped into an old man kneeling and weeding a small area.

Gulielmus was surprised

“Who are you??”

The old man slowly got up from his knees

“You could watch where you are going young man! I am called Cadfallus, I served Decidivatus in small ways and he let me stay here”

He peered a little short-sightedly at Gulielmus

“You’re his nephew aren’t you? Although you look different in that silly hooded cloak.”

“It is very useful when it drizzles”

“Garn, a little rain never hurt anyone.”

As if to give the lie to his last statement he gently rubbed his back wincing slightly.

“You should have a medicus look at that” commented Gulielmus

“I can’t afford their charges” retorted Cadfallus

“Plus most of them are frauds who know less about the healing arts than do I”

Gulielmus smiled then realisation hit him

“Served him in small ways? You were his eyes and ears as he grew ever more reluctant to leave this place. How did you escape Llacheu?

Cadfallus chuckled

“I was never one of the great and good. Only you have ever worked out my responsibilities. It was easy for me not to be noticed”

He paused

“I just stayed in this far part of the grounds. Nobody ever bothered me. I grow a few beans and tend the bit of the gardens near where I live. You are the first person to come here for a couple of years. Are you the new owner? You’re not going to evict me are you?”

Gulielmus shook his head

“Na, you are free to stay here as long as you wish. I must admit to preferring what you have done to the way my uncle wanted his gardens kept”

“Well, it is less bother this way. Still requires a lot of work to keep the weeds down but as I said less bother. Certainly less than my other role”

Gulielmus looked hard at Cadfallus

“Could you show others how to change the rest of the gardens to be like this?”

“Sa, but would they follow instructions? Young people today are full of silly ideas and dislike hard work. This is easier to maintain but still requires effort”

“An old centurion like yourself should have no problems” smiled Gulielmus.

“How?”

Cadfallus shook his head

“You know because he told you!”

Gulielmus inclined his head

“Indeed, but even if he hadn’t the signs are all there for those who look”

Cadfallus sighed

“You’re as bad as him! Always drawing conclusions from the things that others don’t notice.”

“And you hear things that others didn’t”

“Well who takes any notice of the man in the corner?”

Gulielmus raised an eyebrow

“Apart from yourself, and some of the Watch. That Conatus for one.”

“He has promise” acknowledged Gulielmus