Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
We are currently performing site maintenance, parts of civfanatics are currently offline, but will come back online in the coming days. For more updates please see here.
Come now, early America has a very rich literary landscape. And considering the detail we've been getting into with the other countries, I see no reason that American history can't have that same
Depends on what you define as "early America." Personally, I've always considered American literature to be born in the early 1800s, with Poe and Longfellow and such. I mean, starting from the first colonies and going to modern days... that's, say, 200 years without too much in the way of major fiction - of course, they had some more important things to worry about. Once you get into the Gilded Age, of course, we become a real cultural power, and it starts to snowball from there.
Of course, I agree, it needs expansion in the period - but it's a LOT harder to pull sources from before the Civil War than after, y'know?
Glad to hear you're doing King Arthur, Dibukk - I have almost NO knowledge of Arthurian Legend, so I look forward to reading what you throw together.
I'm thinking of doing another Leaderpedia, too... maybe Beowulf of Macbeth, one of the more straightforward leaders, y'know? I'm also thinking of re-editing my Aztec and Viking 'pedias, to expand them a bit and add in more details from the current timeline and such. Like Aztlan... seems like it would be a major aspect of the Aztec culture.
Here's a quick entry (one of the few entries we have on units) for the Hero unit, John Henry
John Henry is one of the most towering figures, both figuratively and literally, in the history of the America. A hero to African Americans and laborers, his life has been immortalized in countless songs telling of his great triumph of strength against the coming of the Industrial Revolution.
Its unknown precisely when he was born given the strange nature of his birth. With the acquisition of California in 1848, the United States gained control of the peninsula of Brobdingnag, home to one of the last surviving populations of homo ingens. On the whole, the monarchistic Brobdingnagians had little love for the democratic Americans, and chose not to integrate. Some, however, decided to head east and put their enormous size to good use. These include such figures as Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. However, it is hard to conclude what Henrys relation to Brobdingnag was. While certainly a giant, nearly all of the Brobdingnagians were light-skinned. Henry looked African. Also, he was considerably smaller than most other giants. The most likely theory is that he was the son of a Brobdingnagian immigrant and a black slave (while theres no concrete evidence, its safe to assume the mother was the giant). Since the US government did not keep solid records of the births of blacks or Brobdingnagians officially dismissed by the government as a provincial tall tale Henrys date of birth is unknown.
It is thought that he was born in Missouri sometime in the late 1840s or early 1850s. Since Missouri was a slave state, its likely he was born into slavery, although no records of any slave named John Henry exist. It may be that his father had escaped bondage and fled with his young son. Its said that it was as a child that he picked up his first hammer, and there his father saw that John Henry would be a steel-driving man.
As a grown man, surviving the Civil War, Henry went to work on the railroads. He quickly gained a reputation as Americas strongest man. It was said that he could lay claim to nearly a fourth of all rail laid in America during his lifetime. Most upper-class white Americans scoffed at the claim, thinking that no man, and certainly no black man, could do such feats.
So, his abilities were put to the test. In the mid 1870s the heads of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway arranged a contest between Henry and the latest model steam-powered hammer to be held at the Big Bend Tunnel near Talcott, West Virginia. Henry and the man operating the drill were placed on the opposite sides of a stretch of un-spiked rail. From the starting point they would drive rail spikes until they reached the tunnel. Whoever got there first won the match. The race was begun with a gunshot, and both Henry and the steam drill began driving spike after spike into the rail. To the surprise of the C&O owners, and to the roar of the onlooking rail workers, Henry shot ahead, sweat flying off him with each swing. The last hit of the hammer was met with cheers. John Henry won, and collapsed to the ground. He had beaten the steam drill, but his heart gave out.
He was survived by his son, the equally strong Conker Henry, who worked in a travelling circus. It was because of Conker that his story spread so quickly, a son's wish to honor his late father. After his death, folk singers across the country began to sing songs about him for over a century. Now there is hardly a man, woman, or child who doesnt know about John Henry, the steel-driving man, who died with a hammer in his hand.
Sources:
American folklore: John Henry, Pecos Bill and Paul Bunyan
Gulliver's Travels: Brobdingnag
The Nine Pound Hammer: Conker Henry
Well, I was actually planning to write the Arthur pedia this weekend but cfkane's John Henry pedia (which is great, by the way) inspired me to write a pedia about .... giants! Yep, those big fellows.
Now, we haven't got exactly a giant unit but I could imagine that a giant would serve well as a legendary barbarian unit. And if not, we can still use the pedia for the Brobdingnagans (while writing the pedia that word drove me mad, you know?).
PS: Cfkane, the John Henry pedia could use a reference to the novel The Nine Pound Hammer by John Claude Bemis, which tells the story of John Henry's son, Conker, a giant who works for a traveling show.
Spoiler:
GIANTS
The colossal giants have been one of the most powerful neighbors of humanity for millennia. Some of them formed kingdoms while others remained savages, some were known as monstrous beasts while others befriended the humans. While today they are nearly driven to extinction, it is undeniable that these titanic beings have influenced the development of humankind in a remarkable way.
Experts traced back the origins of all the giants in the world to an age long before even the Hyborian and Thurian Age. In this age of prehistory the entire Arctic north polar region was frozen solid and was an ice waste named Niflheim. It was in this ancient time that the omnipotent creator of the multiverse, for simplicity from now on referred to as God, sired many fearsome children like the first Cyclopses and Hecatonchires as well as the icy cow Audhumla and a creature known as Ymir (in later time he would be known as Kronos and Saturnus, too). But compared to his brethren Ymir was weak and thus God decided to strengthen his son by bringing him to the Arctic region where Ymir was blessed by the Ice of Niflheim and God himself, in the form of the Fire of Muspell. Thus Ymir turned into a being of colossal size and enormous power - the most powerful child of God and the earth-deity Gaia. But God hated the offspring that Gaia bore him, and his offspring hated him as well. Thus Ymir used a powerful magic to render God impotent. God of course has no physical form, but the best metaphor to use would be to say that Ymir castrated God. Outraged by his son's recalcitrance, God cursed him and all those of his blood to loose all their powers. To maintain his strength and his enormous size, Ymir had to gather and consume a powerful plant-based substance granting immortality and power. This substance was known as the Food of the Gods, Amrita or Ambrosia. With the Food of the Gods Ymir remained powerful and he sired his own offspring, a species of gigantic creatures traditionally called the Jötnar, the Nephilim by the Hyborians, the Titans in Greek antiquity and since the Middle Age simply the Giants.
After an unknown time the small Arctic reserves of Ambrosia dried up and Ymir decided to lead his people southwards. The giants entered Europe over the part of Niflheim that today forms Scandinavia. The giants (called Nephilim by the Hyborians) spread all across Europe which led to frequent battles against some belligerent pre-flood people such as the Cimmerians and the Picts. When God punished the human realms by sending the Great Flood, they were knocked back into another Stone Age, but the giants managed to survive the flood just well, thanks to their colossal size and their preference for inhabiting mountainous regions. With human civilization falling apart, Ymir (who at that point had settled down in Greece, becoming known as Kronos) saw the perfect chance for him and his people: from the ruins of the fallen human realms rose the empire of the Titans.
Spreading all over Europe the Titans fathered the gods of Norse and Greece religion, the Aesir and the Olympians respectively, as well as many weaker species such as the Ettins, the Ogres, the Dwarfs, the Trolls and the Vanir. But for a people as large as the Titans, Europe was merely a peninsula. Thus they were eager to lead war after war in order to expand their territory. Soon the Titanic influence spread to the Middle East and North Africa, but Kronos and his children had been created as creatures of the cold ice wastes of Niflmein and thus they were not able to withstand the scorching heat of the Persian and African deserts. Only a small force of Titans led by the giantess Dili managed to pass the desert and reach India where they settled down, founding the people of the Daityas. But the Daityas were helpless against the hegemony of the local Hindu gods and many of them had to flee northwards, hiding in the enormous mountain chains of the Himalayas. There they reverted to ape-like savages known as the Yetis due to malnutrition of the Food of the Gods.
But dry deserts were not the only obstacle for the Titanic armies. The Empire of Melniboné situated on the island continent of Mu - which would one day become known as Atlantis - survived the Great Flood, too, and its vast armies of sorcerers and dragon riders resisted the invading naval power of the Titans for generations. Eventually, this constant warfare and reckless expansionist policies led to two major uprisings in the northern and the southern outskirts of the Titans' empire. In Scandinavia, the first-born Aesir - Odin, Vili and Vé - began to slaughter the frost giants, the most powerful of Ymir's children. At roughly the same time, the Olypmians ignited a rebellion in Greece, supported by Ymir's siblings - the Cyclopses and Hecatonchires - as well as by the local human tribes. Following the example of the Aesir and the Olympians, revolts broke out all over the empire and soon the Titans had to face many enemies such as humans, pagan gods, ogres, trolls, elves, dwarfs, goblins and the vengeful Melnibonéans. Although at first the Titans managed to withstand the revolting hordes, the order of the empire eventually collapsed after the death of Kronos/Ymir. Today it is uncertain how the first giant died as there are conflicting claims about his death. For instance the Aesir tell the story that Odin slew Ymir and used his corpse to create the realm of Midgard, thus banishing Ymir to Hel, the Norse plane of the dead. On the other hand, the Olympians speak about how they banished the Titans to the prison plane of Tartarus. Regardless of what really happened, without their forefather as a strong leader, the giants' empire collapsed due to infighting between the survivors of the so-called Titanomachy, the War of the Titans.
After learning about the decline of their home nation the Titanic fleet that had been sent to conquer Mu changed its goal. The new aim of these giants was to find a new home where they could live peacefully without being pursued and hunted. In the following decades these giants circumvented South America and followed the American coast northwards until they reached what one day would become Vancouver Island. It was there that the giants founded their new nation: the Kingdom of Brobdingnag. Without any enemies Brobdingnag became a prosperous and powerful monarchy which developed poetry, mathematics, literature, printing and an ethic code long before anyone else in the Americas. Furthermore, many groups of Brobdingnagans left their nation looking for new land in the East. There the giants split up and settled areas all over the northern parts of the continent reverting to much more savage giants than their Brobgingnagian relatives. These giants include the Inupasugjuk living with the Inuit, the tribe of Dzunukwa, the Dehotgohsgayeh people, the Si-Te-Cah in Northern California and the Sasqatchs (today also known as Bigfeet) who evolved in a similar way as their Yeti relatives: without enough sources of the Food of the Gods they became savage ape-like creatures preying on the local human tribes.
But the surviving giants in Europe were not as fortunate as their Brobdingnagian relatives. Hunted by the "little peoples" all over their former realm, the giants were slaughtered by the native population and only the smartest and strongest giants survived. Several tribes of giants managed to escape their pursuers by hiding in the mountains, such as the Jentil and Mairu in Basque territory. There is another story about a giant building a flying castle and thus escaping his pursuers. This specific giant would one day be killed by a young Englishman named Jack who used a magical beanstalk to reach the fortress. Hordes of giant refugees fled over the English Channel, for there were nearly no humans in Albion (ancient England). Thus Albion became a safe haven for giants who seized power over the native peoples such as elves, fairies, goblins and some human tribes such as the Picts, the Woads and the Scots. Albion was ruled by giantkind until the Trojan refugee Brutus of Britain set foot on English territory which would result in the creation of first English human realms and the suppression of magical native creatures such as the giants. The longest
remaining giant realms in Albion were Cornwall which existed until the death of the giant king Cormoran, the Welsh giants ruled by Bendigeidfrân and the giants under Cichol Gricenchos who were ousted to Ireland where they were called the Fomorians. The Fomorians had Ireland under control until they lost the battle against the Irish-Celtic gods during the rule of the half-Fomorian half-Cyclops Balor.
But Albion was for a long time not the only save haven for giants. In the Middle East the Titanomachy had only little effect and the local giants - a people calling itself the Rephaite - still wielded power of the humans. But once more the giants' rule would find an end: after the demise of the greatest Rephaite leaders, Goliath of Gath and Og of the Amorites, the remaining giants were driven out of the human territory. Only a few survivors of the Rephaite are known, such as the Saracen giant Fierabas and Gog and Magog who would travel to Western Europe where they survived for centuries, in later times becoming known as Gargantua and Pantagruel.
The Titans imprisoned in Tartarus tried to return to the world and to take their revenge several times: first of all, after the end of the Tojan War (1198-1184 BC) an outraged Poseidon betrayed his people and allied with the cyclops Gargarensis in an attempt to open one of the four gates leading to Tartarus. But Gargarensis was defeated by the Atlantean hero Arkantos although Atlantis was destroyed in the process. Only some years later, in 1177 BC the Titans tricked the surviving Atlanteans into invading Mount Olympus, the seat of power of the Olympian gods. With the assault of the gods' fortress the barrier between the mortal realm and the plane of Tartarus was weakened and the banished giants managed to return to their home plane where they began to wreak havoc all over Greece, Egypt and Scandinavia, until they were defeated by Kastor, a descendant of Arkantos. The third and last attempt of the Titans to return to the mortal world took place shortly after the Battle at Attica (486) between the allied Greece city-states under the hero Kratos and the Persian Achaemenid Empire under God-King Zyros. Kratos attempted to slay the Olympian gods and out of this reason he freed the Titans to aid him in his quest. Although Kratos eventually fail because of the intervention of the "Hero of Helos", after this incident the Olympians decided to cut the connection between Olympus and Earth.
During the Middle Age the European giants were nearly driven to extinction. The survivors turned into lone wolfs roaming the countryside, preying on humans and human settlements both out of sheer hunger and out of a grudge against humanity for the genocide of giantkind. This aggressive and vengeful attitude gave the giants their medieval reputation of being mindless, brutal monsters. This led to many battles between giants and humans such as Roland, Amadis de Gaula, King Arthur, El Cid, the Twelve Peers, the Mayor of Shrewsbury and Jack the Giant Killer. Following the demise of King Arthur during the Battle of Camlann (537), Britain descended into barbarism and anarchy, plagued by ogres, giants, and faeries ruled by Arthur's half-sister Morgan le Fay. Still, some giants managed to live peacefully with humanity, such as the Basque giant Olentzero, the German colossus Rübezahl and the giantess Neringa who worked together with local humans and funded the Neringa municipality in westernmost Lithuania.
In 1680 the magical and the non-magical society signed the 'International Institute of Secrecy'. This treaty would not only segregate the wizards and witches away from the Muggles, it would also affect the shrinking giant population. After millennia of being hunted by humans they were only a handful of European giant tribes left while the American giants and the Indian Daityas were becoming fewer and fewer, too. To prevent the giants from becoming extinct, the wizard community secretly supported the expedition of Lemuel Gulliver in 1726 hoping he would discover the nation of Brobdingnag. He did, indeed, but the King of Brobdingnag was far from willing to join his relatives in Europe, as his opinion regarding humanity was very low, describing humans as "the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the Earth." Nevertheless, during the 19th century some Brobdingnagans traveled eastwards and joined the growing United States of America. Furthermore, the American Dream lured several giants from the Old World to America, where they hoped to be save of their pursuers. These American giants did a great deal at helping to build the growing American nation and today many of them still hold a strong place in folklore, such as Paul Bunyan, Alfred Bulltop Stormalong, John Henry, Mose the Fireboy, Henry "Ole Pete" Peterson, Pecos Bill, Johnny Kaw and Big Joe Mufferaw.
But not even migration to America and the support of the wizard community would increase the shrinking number of giants. During the late 19th century, Brobdingnag plunged into anarchy after the king was assassinated by a group of radical revolutionaries, followed by a civil war that cost the life of nearly the entire population of the kingdom. The remaining native giant tribes (excluding the Sasquatchs who seem to be extremely skilled at hiding from humanity, as are the Yeti) were forced to live in reservations where they slowly lost their powers and their enormous size as there was by far not enough Food of the Gods available. Furthermore, the Indian Daityas died out during India's time as a colony. And after millennia of being hunted and centuries of being on the edge of extinction, the last tribe of Eurasian giants died at the end of the 20th century while allying with the dark mage, Lord Voldemort.
Good, but I don't think Gog and Magog are the same as Gargantua and Pantagruel. In Historia Regum Britanniae, which has already been referenced in th British pedia, Gog and Magog were killed in pre-Roman Britain either by Brutus of Troy or Corin of Cornwall. And I don't see the reason in connecting two epic characters with comic ones like the French Gargantua and Pantagruel.
And while I appreciate the amount of work and research that go into all of these, I think a lot of these could be much shorter. It's good to get the backstory straight, but we still need to be practical.
Ah the giants. I'll probably try and mix some of that into my updated Viking Pedia... speaking of which, since the (absolutely fantastic) Snow Queen is going to be added as a leader, I should probably add her in. Is there any specifics of her kingdom/history? I know the general story, but I've never actually read it.
Oh, and here's a kinda-sorta redone Aztec 'pedia. Additions and/or changes in bold, along with some general grammar touch-ups.
Spoiler:
The Aztec people, like many in history, lived and died on the whims of the gods. Originally a tribe of hunter-gatherers from a region is northern Mexico known as Aztlan – originally colonized, by some accounts, by the Atlanteans – the Aztec people migrated south and settled on the islands in Lake Texcoco during the 13th Century. It was on these islands they founded Tenochtitlan in 1325 – it was Huitzilopochtli who guided the Aztecs to this spot, taking the guise of an eagle perched on a cactus. This was the first of many interactions with their gods – true or false – which would shape the history of the Aztec people.
Considered uncivilized by neighboring civilizations, they quickly grew in strength and in science, taking in the culture of neighboring civilizations, including the Toltecs, originators of all civilization in the region. This influx led to a variety of technological achievements, first and foremost the elaborate irrigation systems that turned Lake Texcoco into a thriving capital. In addition, early Aztecs made leaps and bounds in spiritual power. They began to domesticate the Ahuizotl, a strange, ape-like creature that had previously plagued the region. Popocatépetl, a legendary hero from the empire's youth, was deified after his death, becoming a mountain god alongside his lover, Iztaccíhuatl.
A long line of ambitious kings followed, using these advances to expand the Aztec Empire to its zenith, stretching over most of present-day Mexico. Most of this expansion was simple conquest – Aztec society was a heavily militaristic one, perhaps inspired by their founder, Huitzilopochtli, who was also a mighty war god. Most conquered tribes changed into small states with heavy spite toward their new masters, who enslaved and absorbed the peoples into their caste-heavy society. With fear-based rule and human sacrifice, it was only by pure military might that the Aztecs remained hold over their vast territories. Many groups remained culturally sensitive to their roots; remnants of the Mayan Empire remained, as did a northern offshoot of the tribe known as El Dorado – the founders of the legendary City of Gold. This created strong rebel sentiment among the people, despite the empire's might.
By the start 16th Century, the Western World began to encroach on the Aztecs. The High Priestess Tetaxa, who was allegedly revived in 1507, has since been confirmed as time traveler Barbara Wright. Thomas Wingfield, an Englishmen unwillingly sent to New Spain, was the first Anglican to be accepted into Aztec society, marrying the daughter of Emperor Montezuma II and settling into society, despite conflicts between traditional Aztec beliefs and the Christian faith. Religion - Catholicism in particular - would continue to have a great influence far into the future of the region, even into modern Mexico. It was shortly before, and during, this period the Aztec Empire had entered into a new period of prosperity, as Chicóme-Xochitl Tliléctic Mixtli, close advisor of the emperor Montezuma, helped to unite the Aztec Triple Alliance (the main governing body of the empire) with Aztlan, their legendary homeland.
In 1519, however, relations would quickly take a turn for the worse as Hernán Cortés led his infamous conquistadors to the New World. The Toltec Civilization which the Aztecs revered so highly placed great emphasis on duality – in particular, the twin deities Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca. Quetzalcoatl was the ruler of the Toltec civilization, also known as “White Tezcatlipoca,” to emphasize the contrast between the two. It was said that Tezcatlipoca exiled his rival, who promised he would one day return. Known for his white color and military might, it is easy to imagine the Aztec’s confusion when a heavily armed, pale skinned warrior arrived from across the sea.
Cortés brought relatively few men with him on his expedition, but many gained renown during the conquest. One pair, Tulio and Miguel, stumbled upon the legendary city of El Dorado, where they were worshiped as gods. Though the high priest of the city, Tzekel-Kan, attempted to lead Cortés to the city, quick thinking by the pair helped save the city – for a short while, at the very least. Alonso Manrique traveled alongside the warlord and won the heart of Xuchitl, the daughter of King Nezahualpilli of Texcoco, both literally and metaphorically. His heavy Catholic leanings shaped the future of the civilization, and coupled with the brutal conquest of the region, Christianity put an end to the rich religious tradition of the Aztecs.
In only a few short weeks, Cortés amassed over 30,000 Mesoamerican troops from the conquered tribes, all of whom resented their cruel overlords. Allowed into Tenochtitlan by Montezuma, wary of defying the gods, he turned against the emperor and sacked the city. For all intents and purposes, the Aztec Empire had fallen; however, Cortés continued to stamp out resistance for many years afterward, and the influence of the empire survives to this day. Tenamaxtil attempted to raise an insurrection with like-minded Aztec splinter groups. One of Montezuma’s illegitimate sons, Topiltzin, survived for years under the care of a Spanish friar, though he never attempted to revive his father’s legacy. A wide variety of cities continued to dot the region, including one particular tribe that worshiped a pair Tyrannosaurus Rex. Despite defiance from indigenous groups across Mexico, and the attempted Aztec revival of Montezuma's two sons, the region had thoroughly been conquered – and New Spain was built on the riches of the empire.
Though the legacy of their gods doomed the Aztec people, in the modern world, Quetzalcoatl DID return - under the guise of Johny Azotl, in Patriot City. He quickly became an icon for the people of Mexico, and from the 20th Century into the 21st, many others followed suit. Aztek, champion of Quetzalcoatl, was accepted into the Justice League of America. El Fuerte and Thunder Hawk, two of Mexico's best known fighters, were accepted into the World Warrior Tournament, bolstering national pride. In 2015, Francisco Pavón of the Azatlán Party was elected president of Mexico on a platform of nationalism and native resurgence - with the Awakening of Magic reviving long-dead Aztec blood magic, few chose to argue.
With backing from the Aztechnology Corporation, the country was renamed Aztlan, after the homeland of the ancient peoples. While many praised such nationalistic trends, this period of prosperity only lasted so long. In 2041, Aztechnology revoked the Roman Catholic Church and replaced it with ancient sacrificial cults, and in 2044, the Aztlan government nationalized all corporations, save Aztechnology. Now a mystic police state, ruthless leaders came into power, using horrible blood magics and ravaging natural resources; most of the region was quickly transformed into a vast desert and poisonous wasteland. Because of this, few were surprised to see Aztlan collapse shortly after the start of WWIII, finally ending the legacy of the Aztecs.
...and one more thing: there's this quote by Dracula from Castlevania that's stolen from a French philosopher whose name escapes me, but I think it would be awesome for, well, SOMETHING.
"What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets!" ~ Dracula
I dunno if you want it or what you could do with it - tech quote? Diplotext? But, yeah, I'm a fan, so... there you go.
After getting called out by Farsight for my using of dog latin, I changed the scientific name of giants from homo giagantis to homo ingens.
Also, I'm still working on an entry for James Bond and Gloriana.
As for the Snow Queen, I believe her kingdom was placed in Lapland in the original story. Also, Narnia may have been mentioned in earlier entries, and it would be too easy to connect her to Jadis the White Witch from the C.S. Lewis stories. But then again, we could save that for the leader's bio.
Its hard to discuss the history of British intelligence without mentioning James Bond. As the man behind dozens of the most successful spy missions in the Cold War and the War on Terror, James is perhaps the most famous spy in all history.
Born in 1920 to a family which had long served the Crown, Bond was something of a swashbuckler, taking to adventure and conquering women at an early age. This hedonism was hardly surprising his family motto espoused a kind of greed: Orbis non Sufficit The World is Not Enough. After attending Eton, he was inducted into the BSS in 1937. Finally conducting two successful kills in 1950, he was granted the elite status of double-O in 1950. For the next decade 007 would be a key player in Allied blows against Soviet advancement, gambling millions away from Russian coffers, stopping the production of military satellites, even saving Americas gold reserve from contamination. Rarely, if ever, using a codename on mission, Bond always let his enemies know his name.
Ironically, he was also shrouded in mystery. Some speculated he was immortal, since he was able to ably spend well over half a century doing rigorous work in the theater. Others thought him to be a shapeshifter. Most descriptions of him say he was white, upper-class English and dark-haired with sophisticated tastes. Some mention a Scots brogue rather than Received Pronunciation. Other reports say he was blond and brutish. Some say he was cold, others noted a pithiness about him. For a long time these incompatible descriptions baffled Bonds enemies - and his biographers.
The truth is hardly fantastic. It was an invention of Admiral Miles Messervy, a man who spent the middle part of the 20th century serving in the position codenamed M (itself a long-standing office; others who held the title include Jack Wilton, Mycroft Holmes and Emma Peel). By the early 1960s when Bonds career had developed far enough that the name began to become too famous, and a liability to agents in the field. Messervy, a Navy man to his heart, had an interest in the history of piracy and a particular fascination with the dreaded medieval Welsh pirate Roberts. While reports of Roberts men had been reported on the high seas for decades, Roberts own career was relatively short. He chose to retire early and let other men use the Roberts name, since it was the name that was so powerful. So, Messervy encouraged Bond to retire and let a man take his place. The second Bond, a young masculine Scotsman, took the role in 1963. Since then the name of James Bond has been used by at least six different British agents, as different in looks and personality as they were alike in competence and effectiveness. So effective that nearly every other agent in Britain or America has attempted to emulate his style the American agent Maxwell Smart noted in interviews during his retirement that the Bond brand of suave was a gift that he would have given anything to have had.
The use of the Bond codename was used at its peak during the Cold War, but as the 21st century came about and new threats from alien invaders, cybernetic uprising and a resurgent magic, 007 became less and less used. Still, Bond, James Bond, and his legacy would remain irrevocably tied to British intelligence.
Sources:
Spoiler:
Ian Fleming's Bond series: Bond, "M", Miles Messervy
The Unfortunate Traveller: Jack Wilton
Sherlock Holmes: Mycroft Holmes
The Avengers: Emma Peel
The Princess Bride: The Dread Pirate Roberts
Get Smart: Maxwell Smart
I'm going to try to keep entries on the units relatively short - just the basics on who they are and how they fit into continuity. This is also why the John Henry one was so quick.
(Damn Utopians, stealin' my island colonies and killin' all my Cyclopes...)
James Bond as a code-name... I read something about that recently, and it really does make sense. Perfect addition. I was thinking the same thing about units - keeping them short and sweet would be best, I think.
One thing I've been wondering, just for clarification... on the whole, "monsters" - giants and dwarves, oni, cyclopes, demons of various shapes and sizes - fell out of favor near the dawn of the Renaissance as far as continuity is described. Of course, this is due to a variety of factors - the fact the world was "tightening up," the monster-slaying exploits of King Arthur and Momotaro and Siegfried and so forth, and, as introduced in the Giant Pedia/Harry Potter, the "International Institute of Secrecy" officially turned "mystical creatures" private.
So, now, when 2011 comes by and the Awakening of Magic pops up, they come back, correct? I mean, there's some other appearances beforehand (Yu Yu Hakusho has the gate between the Human and Demon Worlds unlocked in the late 1990s, and the "Rural Japan" scenario has them pour of the woodwork after WWII), and of course the Big Bad Wolf and Brobdingnag and so forth were solid facts, but on the whole, monsters are considered legendary by the public at large from, say, 1700 to 2000. Right?
And now, updated Viking Pedia! To be honest, I wasn't happy with this one at all at first, so I was eager to give it some touch-ups. Mostly expanded upon the Norse Pantheon, Beowulf, and a few other things. I was actually reading up on Conan earlier today, and learned that their northernmost region was ruled by Ymir and named Asgard... so, seems like a clear things to weave into the mythos.
Spoiler:
The Viking people inhabited the present day Scandinavia between the 9th and 11th Centuries – best known for their merciless raids on Europe’s coasts through the Middle Ages. During the time, there were three major groups. The Danes invaded England, the Norwegians attacked Scotland, Ireland, and other western kingdoms, and the Swedes invaded parts of Russia. However, all are referred to as Vikings, and all had the same roots and a similar cultural identity during the period.
While the Vikings only existed for a short period of time, their roots are ancient. During the Hyborian Age, an ethnic group known as the Aesir lived in a nation known as Asgard, part of the greater region of Nordheim. Both before and after the Great Flood, Ymir, a massive frost giant, ruled over the region with an iron fist, and the Aesir - forming loose tribal communities - could do little to combat him. However, for his own reasons, Ymir moved south, giving the Aesir a perfect opportunity to organize. Odin became the Asgardian leader, and led his people to war with the frost giants, eventually slaying Ymir himself. Some giants, however, survived for many years after the defeat of their lord, such as Folstag; Folstag, however, would eventually reform, becoming a respected king. After the death of the frost giant, Odin crafted a new realm, known as "Midgard," for his people, from his body - by some accounts, literally.
Odin himself is a figure of great interest among the Norse Pantheon - as the Aesir became known - as is his son, Thor. For many years, the father and son both ruled over Midgard, creating political alliances with nearby tribes, such as the Dwarves, and protecting his nation from invasions. The greatest event in his period is generally considered the Atlantean Invasion of 1117 BC; along with Greek and Egyptian deities, Odin's soldiers were able to thwart Kastor's plans. However, over time, Odin chose to remain in Asgard for longer and longer periods, and few of the Aesir continued to interact with the people of Earth. One major exception is Loki, the God of Mischief. As a shapeshifter and a trickster, he committed countless transgressions against the gods and against the humans, to a point where he was exiled and chained outside of Asgard. The rivalry between himself and his half-brother Thor burns to this day - Loki's "children," such as the serpent Jörmungandr, are major threats to mankind and are constantly thwarted by the Thunder God. However, many others would do battle with these great beings; Bjarni Ericsson was once able to defeat Jörnmungandr, and while Thor's hammer was in repair, a clan of dwarves called the Diggles went to battle with Fenris.
Over time, as the continents shifted, Midgard devolved again into tribal warfare, as Odin, partially blinded by Loki, began to rule more loosely. Many became disenchanted with their gods, who ruled from afar. Valhalla, not Asgard, became the final destination the people of Midgard desired. Warriors who died in battle would generally be brought to Valhalla by Valkyries, where they would prepare for Ragnarök, the inevitable apocalypse. It is described as a massive dining hall with endless food and drink, where not only those that died in combat but kings and warlords awaited the end of days. Valkyries, more than just guides, were fierce winged warriors, far removed from their angelic cousins. Due to this, the Viking warriors, when their era arrived, were more than prepared for death, even welcoming it, so long as they knew Valhalla awaited.
Now known as Scandinavia, a splintered Midgard began to reunite during the 5th Century. Norway, a region first settled by the Goddess Gefjon, was a region of minor kingdoms and city states long before the era of the Vikings – hardly an empire at all. After the fall of the Roman Empire and the start of the Iron Age, legendary heroes such as Sigurd came into control of larger kingdoms and greater power. Beowulf, king of the Geats, made landmark progress in diplomacy throughout the region, aiding Hroðgar, king of Demark, in his battles with the beast Grendel, without request, years before his kingship. Soon after, he helped to slay the beast's mother, descended from the ancient evil of Cain. The two countries pledged fealty to each other, and Beowulf would help lead his nation into a new period of prosperity, lasting for decades. However, in his old age, Geatland was attacked by a large dragon, and Beowulf was killed in the battle. Wiglaf, his close friend, was chosen as a successor, but the Golden Age of the Geats had ended.
However, this eventually lead to the unification of Norway, encompassing the southern tip of Scandinavia, the majority of the peninsula’s coast, and the entirety of Denmark. Many believe it was this unification that led to the formation of what most consider the "Viking Life" – simple boredom, due to a lack of warfare, caused warriors to take to the sea. At the end of the 8th Century the first sackings began on the coast of Britain, after which a regular system of raids occurred up and down the coast of England. However, these raids often led to confusion among the heirs. One Viking King, Ragnar, had two sons – Einar, a legitimate heir, and Erik, an illicit child between himself and a Northumbrian queen. A lifelong feud ensued over which was to rule over his kingdom. Such problems were not uncommon in most societies; with the cutthroat lifestyle of the Viking, monarchies could collapse under the weight of a sibling rivalry.
Northumbria became the center of Viking society on the British Isles, but control would quickly expand further north, into Scotland, along with smaller footholds in northern France and eastern Ireland. Land was divided between various warrior tribes and kings without land of their own, such as Sven the Returned and his claim of the Orkney Islands, eventually leading to the entire conquest of England during the 11th Century. This control was short lived, however, as the Normans then invaded and took the country for themselves. Most Vikings in Scotland and Ireland settled down, intermingling with the native populations, and becoming absorbed into the population, though Norwegian leaders would continue to invade for many years. France was another large target of Viking raids; though they never exerted as much control as they did in England, attacks up and down the country’s rivers took a massive toll on the various kingdoms of the region.
Arguably, among the greatest accomplishments of the Vikings - in particular, Eric the Red and his son, Bjarni Ericsson - was their discovery of the New World, along with Iceland and Greenland, both of which were heavily colonized by the travelers. Bjarni, in his time, explored the American coast from Vinland to the Yucatan Peninsula in search of "sun shards." In Newfoundland, however, settlements were sparse, and conflicts were common with the native tribes. Many natives were killed in battle, while others were hanged as a sacrifice to Odin, acts which obviously infuriated the Native Americans. The native tribes killed a majority of the settlers, with such native leaders such as "Ghost," a Viking child adopted by the People of the Dawn. Nevertheless, these discoveries were major ones, and eventually helped lead to the era of colonization, and travellers would find fame and fortune on their return. Bjarni, after his exploits in America, became famous for repelling the legendary snake Jörmungandr along with the Frankish Knight Sigurd, the Saracen Hadshi, and the Byzantine Amazon Cyra.
Viking society had a number of leaders in it’s time, each with their own kingdoms, and each leading their own crews and bands – the Vicky the Viking and his father Halvar, the pudgy Hägar the Horrible, the legendary kings Harald Bluetooth (under whom the Viking Empire stretched from Normandy to Hålogaland) and Ragnar Lodbrok, and many more. Ragnar, a descendant of Odin himself, was both a king and a warrior, ruling over all of Sweden and Denmark at one point in his life. He reveled in battle and was a conqueror of great renown, at one point killing eight barons at the mouth of the Danube - one of his many victories in mainland Europe. At some point during the period, on the isle of Spitsbergen, Jadis the Snow Queen came into power; her origins are unclear, but her control was far reaching, and her rule lasted far beyond the Age of the Vikings, her palace still standing during the 1800s. Despite such powerful leaders, infighting was common between rival bands, such as the Tarn Vikings and the Dreadguls, and an endless life of battle was held deep within the heart of Viking culture; the never-ending war between Hedin and Högni is a staple of Viking lore.
But the hard life of battle took a toll on even the hardiest of warriors - despite their militaristic nature, the Vikings also became shrewd traders and even engaged in limited Diplomacy was established. Arabia sent an ambassador by the name of Ahmad ibn Fadlan to one group of Vikings, whom he aided in a war with the Wendols, descendants of Cain, with some relation to the legendary Grendel. In addition, during the 10th Century, the Vikings went through a religious revival. This period introduced Christianity to Scandinavia, and, thanks to King Olaf, it became the major faith of the country – ironic, as Olaf reclaimed his kingdom thanks to the help of Thor himself.
By the 12th Century, the age of the Vikings had ended, and the many tribes settled down into cities, colonies, or kingdoms, either of their own creation or of their neighbors’. As most had began to worship Christ, the old beliefs slowly began to die off. The Norse kingdoms continued to grow, and though the Vikings never formed a true empire, their reach and influence were massive – spanning four continents and hundreds of years. “Lost” Viking groups were discovered as late as 1907 and as far away as Ellesmere Island, Canada. In the modern world, Asgard has again become a major world force – and not simply through sacrifice and inspiration. Thor, son of Odin, acts as a hero on Earth, and Loki, long since free of his bondage, is a constant thorn in the gods’ side – and in mankind’s. Despite the brevity of their time at sea, the reputation remains, and the legacy of the Vikings is unmistakable.
I wasn't QUITE sure what to do with the Snow Queen... she doesn't exert any real control, insofar as I can tell, and simply seems like a fixture in Scandinavia. However, with her snow powers and such, it would make sense for her to have influence over the region. However, she doesn't quite "fit" into the period... particularly when you mix in the White Witch, Jadis. Jadis is immortal, and rules Narnia for 'bout a hundred years (which, considering the time wonkiness of Narnia, could mean she simply came into power in the 1930s). But she doesn't really appear until the 1900s, and then kinda sits around for a millennium.
However, I'm sure you could explain it SOMEHOW. Narnia is really, REALLY weird, so having her spit out at some point during the Viking Age and biding her time until she can return and take control of Narnia... doesn't seem too odd, does it? I'm sure you can handwave it somehow.
To answer your question about magic and whatnot, it's somewhere in between. I think the existence of magic and other fantastic things is officially denied for about 300 years. That of course doesn't mean that magic ceases to exist, nor has it faded from the public mind. There are cults and conspiracy theorists that believe in such things but the everyday person just refuses to see it.
As for the Snow Queen, I was thinking about making her an old goddess of winter that established a footing in the newly created pocket dimension of Narnia sometime after the heydey of the Vikings (and after the Andersen story takes place). I suppose Aslan would be a lion mystic or something...
I've working on a coherent backstory for animals in this world after someone suggested an Animal Empire be included in the mod. I'll think more on it later.
I've working on a coherent backstory for animals in this world after someone suggested an Animal Empire be included in the mod. I'll think more on it later.
Ah, that reminds me - I remember you mentioning that cartoons like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny were "actors" of sorts, and their shorts were, y'know, productions and such - as in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? So, these characters... are they talking animals, like Gorilla Grodd and so many others, or are "Toons" a separate race, as in the movie?
Also, one mention you need as far as the Animal Empire goes - Animal Crossing! Animals forming "civilized" societies in the early 21st Century, some integrating with human beings... kinda like a Civil Rights thing, where they're almost entirely segregated, maybe.
AND another 'Pedia... Macbeth, as I said! Draws heavily from the original story, with touches from history and a big heapin' helpin' of Gargoyles. The timeline dates were "fudged about" with, earlier... I kept historical dates, but if you'd prefer the 14th Century ones, that's fine, too.
Spoiler:
MACBETH (1005 – ???)
Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, King Hereafter of Scotland
Macbeth Findlaích of Scotland believed, from an early age, he was destined for greatness. Born in 1005 to Finláech, Mormaer of Moray, Macbeth’s early life was, on the whole, uneventful. It was not until 1020 that destiny met the boy; an assassin under the command of Prince Duncan known as “The Hunter,” secretly Gillecomgain, Finláech’s nephew, murdered the Mormaer in order to usurp his stewardship. If not for the intervention of Demona, a powerful gargoyle, Macbeth would have been murdered as well; however, along with his cousin, Gruoch, Macbeth survived the attempt on his life.
Duncan had wished to assassinate other likely heirs to his father’s throne, in order to assure his ascension. As years went by, Duncan indeed inherited the crown, and Macbeth grew into a high-ranking warrior. He had fallen in love with Gruoch, who had become betrothed to Gillecomgain by her father; heartbroken, Macbeth began to train viciously. In 1032 Duncan realized the threat he posed, and again contacted Gillecomgain for an assassination. Gillecomgain refused; in retaliation, Duncan revealed Gillecomgain’s identity to Macbeth, hoping the two would do battle and both would be killed. It nearly worked; however, Demona, having sworn a vendetta against “The Hunter,” returned to aid him in the nick of time. Gillecomgain was killed, and Macbeth assumed his title, while Duncan – taking the mask he had worn as the Hunter – assumed the name, as well as his fallen ally’s hatred of gargoyles.
As Steward of Moray, Macbeth married Gruoch and raised his stepson, Lulach, who was conceived during the brief marriage between Gillecomgain and Gruoch. He became much loved by his people, and quickly ascended to Thane of Glamis. At some point during this period, as well, Gruoch conceived a daughter – but, for reasons unknown, she was given to a convent soon after birth. During this period Macbeth was close friends with King Duncan, unaware the man had conspired to murder him twice, and spent much time with Duncan’s young son, Malcolm. Pure chance had lead Macbeth and Duncan to a group of gargoyles, which had turned to stone in the daylight. The king wished to destroy the creatures, while Macbeth begged for their protection – this convinced Duncan that the thane and his gargoyle allies were conspiring against him. Later that day, he sent his guards to shatter the gargoyles, much to Macbeth’s dismay.
In 1040, Norwegian forces under the command of the traitor Macdonwald invaded Scotland, and Macbeth, renowned warrior, was sent to battle. He killed the warlord and, along with the noble Banquo, repelled the invasion. Thane of Cawdor – also among the traitors – admitted to this, and was promptly executed. Macbeth, for his heroism was awarded the title “Thane of Cawdor;” this was of great surprise to him, as earlier in the day, a trio of witches had predicted this very event, along with an eventual ascension to kingship. In addition, they accurately predicted Banquo's descendents would be kings; Fleance, his son, would eventually take the throne, and James I of England would trace his lineage to the same family.
These witches had great interest in Macbeth, and had become integral parts of his entire history. Their influence had convinced Duncan of Macbeth’s treachery, would remain near him throughout his kingship, and eventually cause the death of his daughter. It is unclear exactly why these witches had such interest in Macbeth, nor exactly who they are. They are similar to the Fates, Graces, and Furies of Greece, and consider themselves “Children of Oberon,” or fairies. Their appearance, too, is elastic; while Macbeth saw them as old hags, Duncan saw maidens, and others range from small children to aging gargoyles. Names are just as contradictory – they call themselves Selene, Phoebe, and Luna, but records of a young girl named Gilly also exist. Gilly – a young handmaiden during Duncan’s reign – is the only figure with a concrete motive, as her father was killed, at some point, by Macbeth’s father Finláech.
These witches appeared with him not long after his ascension to Thane of Cawdor, as well. Demona – her clan having been murdered by Duncan – was slowly dying, and Macbeth came across her in a bog. The witches offered both of them immortality, and to save his old ally, Macbeth agreed. Within moments, he had aged greatly, and Demona returned to her youth. The two became connected; neither could die, except by the hand of the other. As a parting gift, the witches informed Macbeth of Duncan’s role in his father’s death, re-igniting the same fury that had led him to kill Gillecomgain.
Upon returning to his castle, Macbeth spoke with Gruoch of the recent events; she, too, wished to murder Duncan, though for power, not revenge. Using this rage to convince her husband of regicide, she gave him a knife, and that night, he killed Duncan in his sleep. Malcolm and Donalbain – both shaken by their father’s death – exiled themselves to England and Ireland respectively. Malcolm, however, was able to take his father’s prized possession. Donning the mask of the Hunter, he swore revenge on Macbeth, who had clearly usurped the throne.
During the period from 1040 to 1057, Macbeth ruled Scotland with an iron fist. Driven to paranoia by the constant council of the witches, he murdered countless men, women, and children, close friends among them. He installed Demona as his chief advisor; she, too, had been corrupted, still angry at humanity for the death of her family. If nothing else, his reign was peaceful, until the invasion of Siward, Earl of Northumbria, in 1054. Using this to their advantage, the people of Scotland sent nobles Ross and Macduff to contact Malcolm, and in the summer of 1057, they joined with the English army to invade. At first, Macbeth, due to another prophecy, assumed he could not be defeated, but as time went on, he quickly planned for defense.
While Scotland’s army – composed not only of humans, but of gargoyles – rebuffed their attempts for a time, dissension in the ranks helped bring the battle directly to the capital. Demona, through simply misinterpretation, believed Macbeth intended to exile the gargoyles; she abandoned Scotland and allied herself with Malcolm’s forces, taking her people with her. On August 15th, known as the Battle of Lumphanan, Macbeth’s forces were crushed and his castle burned, thanks to the aid of the gargoyles. Macduff – whose family was among those killed during Macbeth’s reign – tracked down the king himself. After a climactic duel, he removed Macbeth’s head from his shoulders and put it on display for all to see. During the battle, Gruoch had committed suicide, and Lulach’s army would be defeated easily. Malcolm proclaimed himself king and, to protect himself, slaughtered the gargoyles that had aided him in battle. Yet again, Demona alone escaped.
Though most assumed Macbeth had died in battle, his pact with the witches preserved him. However, rather than attempt to reclaim his throne, he swore revenge on Demona, whose treachery had cost him his kingship and his wife. Now immortal, he spent his time raising a private army and gathering wealth; eventually, after Malcolm himself was usurped by Fleance, son of Banquo, and killed, Macbeth found the mask of the Hunter, and – despite its prior use against him – donned it to hunt Demona. He continued to search for her well into the 20th Century, attempting to kill her and reclaim death. While did not succeed, his attempts lead him across the world and brought him into contact with countless individuals of status – King Arthur, via temporal flux, primary among them. He would live far into the future, last seen in 2198, living as a hermit – a sad end for the man who would be “king hereafter.”
Currently working on Beowulf, as well. Might have it done later today, or tomorrow, or, well, soon.
EDIT: And I'm done! That was a fun one... and I got it out pretty quick, all things considered.
Spoiler:
BEOWULF (ca. 5th/6th Century)
King of the Geats
Beowulf, today, is known as the greatest Viking king of his era, and one of the instrumental figures in early Viking unification. Ethnically, he was a combination of Swedish and Geatish blood; his father Ecgþeow was a warrior of the Swedish Wægmundings, while his mother was the daughter of Hreðel, King of the Geats. He was raised among the Geats, and spent much of his childhood along with Breca the Bronding, a close friend; the two would often compete in challenges of strength and skill, and both sharpened their skills throughout their adolescence.
It was not until adulthood, however, that Beowulf became known as a hero. Renowned far and wide for his raw power, he traveled to aid the Danes, who had been terrorized by a monster for many years. Their king, Hroðgar, had been a close friend of Ecgþeow, and Beowulf had come to repay his father’s debts. The monster, Grendel, was related indirectly to a nearby tribe known as the Wendols. Descended from Cain, the “first murderer,” the group was monstrous in appearance, and incredibly sensitive to sound. Heorot, capital of the Danish world, was known far and wide for its merriment and celebration – Grendel was less than enthused, and attacking the mead hall whenever the noise became too loud.
On his first night in Heorot, Beowulf did what no other hero had – fighting Grendel to a standstill. Their battle was relatively quick; Geatish warriors first charged the beast, while Beowulf waited for him to draw near. Once there, he grabbed onto the monster’s arm, and in his struggle to escape, Grendel’s arm was torn off from the shoulder. He escaped into the woods, and to his mother, where he soon died.
Grendel is an interesting figure; his exact origins are unclear, though rumors persist that Hroðgar was his father. Many modern scholars point the blame not on Grendel, but the Danes, who had offended the monster with their revelry, and liken the beast to a child – unable to understand the consequences of his own actions. In any case, his mother, Grinhilda (though generally referred to only as “Grendel’s Mother”, blamed the humans, and sought revenge. In the night, she attacked Heorot, killing many Geats and Danes in the cover of darkness.
Roughly a year beforehand, Beowulf had come across the traveler, Xena who was seeking a Rheingold ring, and aided her in this quest. Though of little consequence at the time, Beowulf again found Xena, and learned she had a personal rivalry with Grinhilda – again, the two worked to hunt down the creature. Eventually, the Geats discovered her at the bottom of an icy lake; Beowulf alone dove down to combat her. Armed with the blade Hrunting, he fought various monsters and
It is unclear exactly what happened beneath the water – Beowulf claimed that he has slain her with a sword crafted by giants, but contemporary accounts differ. Some postulate that Beowulf and Grinhilda made love, an act that may have come back to haunt the warrior during his kingship. In either case, the witch never seemed to harm the Danes again, so most assumed Beowulf’s story was true. Despite their apparent deaths, accounts from the early 21st Century speak of beasts similar to Grendel and his mother living in Scottish lochs, and others, in the 2020s, off the coast of Los Angeles; some assume they are entirely unrelated, or, perhaps, other descendents of Grinhilda.
With the thanks of the Danes, Beowulf returned to Geatland as a hero. He aided the current king, Hygelac, in his raids on the Franks; unfortunately, their forces were defeated, and Hygelac was killed. Upon his return, the queen offered Beowulf the throne; however, remembering advice from Hroðgar, he refused, allowing the young prince Heardred to ascend instead. Soon after, two Swedish princes arrived in Geatland, asking for sanctuary; their uncle, Onela, had been usurped in the Battle on the Ice of Lake Vänern. In retaliation, the Swedes invaded Geatland, killing Heardred in the process. Beowulf accepted kingship to avenge his death and install the rightful heir to the Swedish throne.
For the next fifty years, Geatland became the most prosperous region in Scandinavia, with Beowulf renowned as their greatest king. The riches obtained in his conquests helped the Geats become an economic as well as military power, and Beowulf, a Christian convert, helped it become a moral nation, as well. This all came to a close half a century after Beowulf’s ascension, as a dragon from nearby mountains began to attack his homeland.
Gathering his finest warriors, the aging king marched toward the dragon, and entered into mortal combat with it. During the battle, all but a single warrior abandoned Beowulf to his fate – his loyal friend and servant, Wiglaf, was the only warrior to aid him. The battle was fierce, and Beowulf weak, but in the end, he was able to slay the beast and claim its nearby treasure. Unfortunately, the poisonous bite of the dragon had infected him, and his death was imminent. With his final breath, he declared Wiglaf the new king, as he had no heirs of his own. Some warriors at the scene claim to have seen a golden man in place of the dragon – Wiglaf, the only one with a clear view of the entire battle, never spoke of it, or of what Beowulf told him in his final breath, and likely took his king’s secrets to the grave.
Beowulf was given an honorable funeral, and a large tower built in his memory. Wiglaf became another renowned Geatish king, despite his own foreign blood, but he never claimed the same legacy as his predecessor. During his reign he never took a wife, though some reported seeing him with a dark-haired woman; curiously, he also adopted Christianity, despite the greater Geats rejecting it. Before becoming king, the Geats were forced to leave their homeland by Swedish invaders; they settled near Sutton Hoo, where he was officially crowned. In this period, the Geats attempted a more peaceful lifestyle, though they were eventually conquered and again forced to relocate by the Saxons. Buried in England, Wiglaf’s gravesite is now lost, as is Beowulf’s – only the memories of their people preserved the name Beowulf for the modern world.
Sources:
Spoiler:
* Beowulf – Beowulf, Hreðel, Breca, Hroðgar, Grendel and the Battle, Grendel’s Mother and the Lair, Giants’ Sword, Hygelac and Heardred, Swedish Princes, Onela, Dragon
* Eaters of the Dead/The 13th Warrior – Wendols
* Beowulf (2007 Film) – Hroðgar as Grendel’s Father, Grinhilda’s Appearance, Grinhilda and Beowulf, Christianity, Dragon as Beowulf’s Son/Golden Man, Wiglaf and Grinhilda
* Grendel – Sympathetic Portrayal of Grendel
* Xena: Warrior Princess – “Grinhilda,” Xena, Rheingold Ring
* Monarch of the Glen – Grendel and his Mother in Scotland
* Bay Wolf – Grendel and his Mother in Los Angeles
* Beyond Beowulf – Wiglaf’s Rule, Christianity, Movement to Sutton Hoo
Had to add some foggy parts where different interpretations said COMPLETELY different things, but, all things considered, I think it actually works pretty well.
The only thing I think is missing is Banquo's lineage. In the play Shakespeare added a scene where Macbeth sees a line of kings that would be born of Banquo's blood which ended with a man carrying multiple balls and scepters, which most scholars accept to be a reference to James I, king of England and Scotland, who would have been the main audience of Shakespeare's work.
I mention it because I wanted to use James I's story as the end of Gloriana's reign.
And I think the Toons are separate from the talking animals. They can be explained as, of I don't know, "ink golems" or something.
Now that I think of it, I had been planning on removing Vinewood from the game, since I don't quite know how to fully reconcile the GTA universe with ours - i.e. I don't want to do away with New York entirely and replace it with Liberty City. I was thinking Toontown would be a good replacement.
I was looking over the Great People earlier. Assuming you've already removed the duplicates (Jack Ryan, Fu Manchu), there's one other substitute I think you should make - Izumi Curtis (from Fullmetal Alchemist) is quite clearly stated to be from Amestris, which is an alternate universe to ours. Eventually some characters do cross over into "our" world, though. In fact, the movie, Conqueror of Shamballa, almost entirely takes place in Nazi Germany; some Nazi agents end up opening a portal to "their" universe in an attempt to find Shamballa, hence the title, which could probably make a good topic for some Pedia at some point.
BUT anyways Izumi never crosses over to our world. However, Van Hohenheim, the father of the main characters, DOES. He's considered one of the best alchemists in their world, and ends up an advisor to Winston Churchill in the 1930s (though indirectly mentioned) and later a member of the Thule Society, aiding in re-opening the gate and such. So he would probably be a better choice, y'know?
Speaking of Great People, I was thinking about the board game HeroScape, which is full of characters stolen from various times and places, on Earth as well as other planets. They're taken to "Valhalla" and meet "Valkyrie," but it's made pretty clear it's not the REAL Valhalla of Viking myth, so I didn't really mention it. However, a few units might make for good Greats...
Sgt. Drake Alexander - Great General ("Main Character" of the story; from WWII.) Marcus Decimus Gallus - Great General (Leader of the IX Roman Legion; disappeared while patrolling Britain.) Kato Katsuro - Great Merchant/Great General (Well, he is a Daimyo, which would make him a pretty wealthy guy, but he's also the commander of a bunch of Ashigaru and Samurai, so, either way.) Agent Carr - Great Spy (He's a futuristic super spy from New York City... I think he'd fit.)
...and other characters, who would make interesting choices either way.
Sir Denrick and the Knights of Weston - Vaguely Arthurian order of knights, though they're technically from Brittany; Denrick is known as a giant slayer, so I'm sure that could be worked in somewhere. Alastair MacDirk - Faux-Highlander; fought against William II as a kid, so he's from around the 12th Century, I think. Could probably be used in the Celtic Pedia. Shaolin Monks and Master Win Chiu Woo - Since we already have some, a mention of a vast number of Monks disappearing at some point would make sense in the Pedia. Spartacus, Crixus, and Retiarius - Obviously the historical figure - when someone writes the Gladiator Pedia entry, they should mention that, when his rebellion was defeated, the bodies of Spartacus, Crixus, and Retiarius were never recovered.
If you poke around the site, you'll find all sorts of other characters - cowboys, samurai bands, a rainbow of ninja... and there's some Mohicans, too, though they haven't updated the site to include them yet. Again, not really sure if you need them, but, 't'wouldn't hurt, y'know?
On another note... as far as Pedias go, how far will we be taking things? Obviously, entries for the new units and such will be needed, but will we rewrite all of the regular ones, for Warriors and Barracks and Knights and such, like we have the empires? I could see arguments from both sides.
I think I had Curtis removed at some point, so that's taken care of.
As for the other pedias, I think the focus really ought to be on the new and necessary additions to the game. Besides, most of the entries on things like the Barracks, Warrior and so on are pretty generic. Fictionalizing themmay not even be necessary.
On the other hand, some of the Next War stuff could have some of our background put in...
Wow, I don't visit the forum for some days and suddenly there are lots of great new pedias. All of them are nicely done! Well done, Johnny, that's a whole new bunch and cfkane, I love the James Bond pedia, although I kinda miss a reference to Campion and Jimmy Bond. The latter one could be one of the first Bond incarnation during IngSoc days. Oh, and johnny, would you mind adding an Age of Mythology reference to the Viking pedia? You can find the necessary infos in the Greek, Egyptian and Atlantean pedias.
Regarding the discussion about magic, monsters and other supernatural stuff, I guess that largely depends on the continent. In most of Europe, magic is kept secret by the different Ministries of Magic (I suppose every nation has one) while in Russia (and perhaps China) the tense stand-off situation between the forces of Light and Darkness (the Night Watch and the Day Watch) has a similar effect. In America there is no such thing as a wizarding community - wizards and witchs usually remain in covens and sects. Nasty things like vampires, ghosts and demons are hunted down by hunters - either freelancers (Buffy, Supernatural) or governmental (X Files, Ghostbusters). I suppose that in former colonial territories (Africa, Asia, Latin America and Australia) the native supernatural populations have been hunted down and forced to hide by the European explorer.
During the last week I've been busy, too. Sadly I haven't been able to finish a new pedia but I have many irons in the fire. I'm making progress reworking the American pedia, I'm done with research for Arthur, a Firefly pedia largely based on Engelbert Dollfuß is nearly finished (I'm not gonna finish it until I've actually watched Duck Soup) and collecting ideas for some African LHs - T'Challa and Joffer. For that, I designed a map of fictionalized Africa just to get an overview of what it looks like (plus it's surpisingly fun to make those...).
And here it is, plus some additions to explain the chosen locations.
Spoiler:
Interzone (Naked Lunch) - located near Tangiers Carbombya (Transformers) - replaces Libya as it shares many similarities (camels, oil, Northern Africa, Abdul Fakkadi is based on Muammar al-Gaddafi) Halwan, Murkatesh, Wakanda, Ujanka, Ghudaza, Mohannda, Rudyarda, Niganda, Narobia, Canaan, Azania, Zwartheid, Imaya, Genosha, Mbangawi, Bora-Baru, Burunda (Marvel) - from a Marvel Universe map I found online Arrida (Ranger's Apprentice) - located somewhere in the North African desert Kahndaq (DC Comics) - located on the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula Babar's Kingdom, Rhinoland (Babar the Elephant) - location determined by overlapping maps showing spreading of Elephants and Rhinos as well as former French colonial empire Bonande, Nayak (Night of Truth) - replace Burkina Faso (home of the film's director Fanta Régina Nacro), divided similar to the two major people of Burkina Faso (the Voltaic and the Mande who are similar to the Bonande and the Nayak peoples) Ng'ombwana (Black As He's Painted) - replaces Guinea-Bissau, however I forgot why... Katanga (The Dogs of War) - replaces Guinea as it is said to border Sierra Leone and the novel (which depicts a civil war in Katanga) appeared during the Guinean civil war Beninia (Stand on Zanzibar) - uniting Benin and Togo due to the obvious similarity of the name (Benin originally ruled both Benin and Togo!) Nibia (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls) - replaces Nigeria, apart from the slight reference of names, the bat is holy in Nigeria as it is said to be in Nibia Fernando Poo (The Illuminatus! Trilogy) - based on the real island of Fernando Pó Buranda (Yes, Minister) - replaces Equatorial Guinea as suggested by the episode Gorilla City (DC Comics) - location determined by overlapping maps showing African jungle territories and spreading of Gorillas Kinjanja (A Good Man in Africa) - replaces the Angolian exclave of Cabinda Republic of Zangaro, Democratic Republic of Zangaro and Bongo Congo (The Dogs of War & King Leonardo and His Short Subjects) - a little pun on the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo Zamunda (Coming to America) - replaces Uganda as Jaffe Joffer is already established as an Idi Amin reference Equatorial Kundu (The West Wing) - replaces Rwanda as the Genocide of Kundu is based on the Rwanda Genocide Ishmaelia (Scoop) - located in Ethiopia as the book is based on the author's experience during the Italo-Abyssinian War Bangalla, Ivory-Lana (The Phantom) - said to be located around the approximate region of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda; Ivory-Lana located at one of East Africa's largest elephant habitats Pride Lands (The Lion King) - location determined by overlapping maps showing spreading of Lions and Swahili language (the lions' names are Swahili words) Moloni Republic (Metal Gear Acid) - replaces Malawi because of the similar names Gorotoland, Nagonia (Capable of Honor / TASS Is Authorized to Declare) - splits up Mozambique because both take place in a Southern African communist nation Matobo (The Interpreter) - replaces Zimbabwe which is Matobo is based on and Edmond Zuwanie would be a great fictional version of Robert Mugabe Sangala (24: Redemption) - replaces Botswana as the timeline of the civil war and coup d'etat fits to the one in Botswana Outer Heaven (Metal Gear) - located in the north of South Africa Kukuanaland (King Solomon's Mines) - located in South Africa Birani (The Gods Must Be Crazy) - located in the Kalahari desert, near Namibia and Angola Nambabwe (Oh Shucks...Here Comes UNTAG) - replaces Namibia which Nambabwe is a parody of
Oh, and johnny, would you mind adding an Age of Mythology reference to the Viking pedia? You can find the necessary infos in the Greek, Egyptian and Atlantean pedias.
Done and done. Also added an Atlantean mention to the Aztec Pedia (Aztlan being colonized by Atlantis) and a little mention to the Great Flood.
Nice map, by the way. I always like seeing maps. They're so much fun.
Also, I was wondering... Dr. Doom, uhh, are we assuming he achieved immortality at some point? Because he's around during WWII, already ruling Latveria, and he's STILL hanging around before WWIII. It wouldn't be a stretch - the guy's known for dabbling in the arcane arts, and has some fancy tech to boot - but, just wanted to make sure.
Oh my, how could I confuse Uganda with Angola? Thanks a lot, I already updated and replaced the map!
Anyway, thanks for the great feedback, guys! I kinda like making maps, so who knows, maybe I'll come up with some more. By the way, good news: I'm sure I'll be able to finish Arthur's pedia tomorrow and I'm quite content with what I have so far.
Ah, the old problem of ageless comic book characters. I think in the case of Doom that's not really a problem. Who knows, maybe he took a quick bath in a Lazarus Pit, or he meddled with supernatural affairs, or he became a vampire (after all, Latveria is pretty close to Transylvania). Or maybe Doom eventually dies but he's simply replaced by one of his Doombots. The possibilities are infinite, however, I somehow prefer the Doombot idea. Anyway, deciding that will be up to whoever writes the Doom pedia.
Oh and cfkane, a quick word regarding the Hynkel pedia: in the Freedo-Moronikan pedia I mentioned Hynkel being stationed in Meccania (the inventor of fascism) during WW I where he learned the "values" of a totalitarian government. I was going to base that on Hitler's time during the Austrian army in WW I but I totally forgot about that. Now, do you want me to add that or do you prefer to do it yourself?
Alright, I've been looking over the thread, checked the various civilizations, and all that. I also added in our most recent leaderheads; a tad presumptuous, but, well, I'm assuming they'll be in the next edition, so it makes sense to put them on the list.
BLUE means the Pedia is done, RED means it's not. If there was any entry at all, even if incomplete, I counted it as "done."
Spoiler:
AMERICA
Leaders: Jed Bartlet, Jack Ryan, Nehemiah Scudder
ARABIA
Leaders: Haroun Al-Raschid, Vathek
ATLANTIS
Leaders: Atlas, Arthur Curry
AZTEC
Leaders: Huitzilopochtli
CELTIA
Leaders: Macbeth, Lear
CHINA
Leaders: Huangdi, Wu Qinghua, Liu Bei
EGYPT
Leaders: Ozymandias, Ra
ENGLAND
Leaders: Arthur, Gloriana, Big Brother
FREEDO-MORONIKA
Leaders: Rufus T. Firefly, Moe Hailstone, Victor von Doom
FRANCE
Leaders: Prince Charming, Louis XVI
GERMANY
Leaders: Froschkonig, Adenoid Hynkel
GREECE
Leaders: Agamemnon, Oedipus
HYBOREA
Leaders: Conan
INCA
Leaders: Manco Capac
INDIA
Leaders: Raghava Rama, Khan Noonien Singh
JAPAN
Leaders: Yamato Takeru
MALI
Leaders: Chibinda Ilunga, Shango
NATIVE AMERICA
Leaders: Hiawatha, Winnetou, Daniel Howling Coyote
So, we've got a lot done, but we're still missing a good chunk - 10/28 Civilizations, and 44/54 Leaders have yet to be written. But, some are in the process of being written, or have been otherwised claimed.
Looking over this list, there's a lot I'm entirely unfamiliar with, but a few I could tackle soon. Being a bit of a comic geek, Arthur Curry, T'Challa, Doom... I could probably write an entry for any of them, and since Dibukk is working on Rufus T. Firefly, I might do Doom soon, just to finish off Freedo-Moronika, though of course it still has the UU and UB and LU and Superhero.
Huitzilopochtli and Manco Capac will be hard to stretch to a full entry, but since I wrote their Civilization entries, I'm already familiar with the material. I'm also a pretty big fan of Mel Brooks movies, so I could likely do Louis XVI, too, which would finish off France. I'd very much like to do the Snow Queen and the three Native American leaders, for consistancy, but to be honest, I know virtually NOTHING about any of them. So, I doubt I'll be working on them any time soon.
Also, very surprised that no one's done Rome yet. It might be tough to find pure fiction, but between Shakespeare and their legendary pre-history (Aeneas, Romulus and Remus, the Rape of the Sabine Women, the first Brutus)... I might throw something together.
I've also been interested in writing some entries for the Alliances; with the Cyclopes and Dwarves in particular. So I might get around to that, too.
At the moment, I think I'll go with Doom - I've been thinking about him a lot lately - but, who knows.
EDIT: Also, while on my little adventure through the thread, I noticed that Dibukk wrote some additions to my entries a while back... so, I re-integrated them.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
, blamed the humans, and sought revenge. In the night, she attacked Heorot, killing many Geats and Danes in the cover of darkness.
