Note: Writing style this time is Encyclopedic entry
The Golden Age of Scotland
Following the successful Homeland War, Scotland found itself in full control of the northern half of the continent of Dal Raida. Their defeat of The Danelaw had left them with no aggressors to battle and no High King to lead them. The three most popular candidates for the high throne (Das, king of the North and head of the MacIniss clans, Knas, king of the East and head of the MacCorbins and the Grey Fox, king of the South and head of the MacErcs) had all excused themselves from consideration. Other candidates were protested by various factions of the Brethon Council until a consensus candidate was agreed upon. Constantine MacAlpine was elected to succeed his grandfather Kenneth I as Ard Ri of Scotland.
Constantine had been chosen in part because of his perceived tractability. The Council believed that it could control the actions of the High King. Kenneth I had controlled with an iron fist and the Ris of Scotland desired a more malleable leader. Constantine astonished them by quickly and decisively taking control not only of his kingdom but of the Council as well.
He was a master of putting the right people in the right place and using his subjects to their best ability. He was also an exemplary statesman and a clever ideologue. Knowing that his rule would never be secure while he sat under the shadows of the great heroes of the Homeland War his first edicts dealt with them. His very first proclamation was to rename the greatest of the captured Danish cities in honor of the heros. Lindisfarme became Alpine after his fathers clan. Djurby became Corbin for the MacCorbins, Jorvik became Iness for the MacIniss and Skumathorp and Reskval became Grycaestre and Foxton for the Grey Fox. His second act was to sent these great men away from Edinburgh and the Council by giving them each honors and responsibilities elsewhere. Das MacIniss was given the responsibility for ensuring the training of all Scottish troops and garrisoning of all the towns and cities. Knas MacCorbin was given the task of developing infrastructure and roads for the entire kingdom. The Grey Fox was now the organizer of Scottish expansion southward towards Brittany.
All three succeeded admirably in their tasks and Scotland quickly began to grow as it healed from its many years of war. Constantine used this time well. He welcomed priests and missionaries from Kent and Ireland to the lands of Scotland. He converted to Christianity himself and made Catholicism the official religion of the Scots. He spent great resources in the integration of the Danes into the society of Scotland. By this time there were far more Danes living in Scotland than in the remaining Danelaw provinces. He was so successful in this regard that new terminology became commonplace across the land. Now there were not just Scots, there were Celtic Scots and Danish Scots.
He made treaties and established embassies with every nation. His frequent gifts and superb statesmanship made Scotland a favored nation to most. He welcomed immigrants and artisans, teachers and engineers. All who wished to be a part of the greatness of Scotland were made welcome. His crowning achievements were the construction of the Great Wall of Inverness and the Stirling Chapel. The construction of these great works was a galvanizing force for the Scots. True integration of the Danish and Celtic Scots became reality and Scotland entered a golden age of prosperity and production.
He used his great popularity and political strength to reform the Brehon Law. The major change was that the high king was now a hereditary position. This had a relatively small effect as the last five Ard Ris had been MacAlpines.
Constantine died shortly after the completion of the Great Wall. His passing was bemoaned across Dal Raida and Alba. He had been a great friend to all nations and his leadership and presence were greatly missed.
Constantine was succeeded by his son, Kenneth II. Although he was a just and able ruler, Kenneth suffered in comparison to his great father. His greatest addition to Scotland was the beginnings of the Scottish dominance in trade. He fought for trade treaties with a furious zeal and was very successful at it. He also opened the Scottish universities to scholars and academics from other countries, spurring a furious exchange of knowledge that brought Scotland to technological parity with its contemporaries.
Like his father, Kenneth II commissioned great works including a massive cathedral in Glasgow, a school of warfare in Alpin and a massive barracks and training facility in Perth.
Kenneths reign was cut short by his untimely death. Seventeen years after his ascension he was struck by a massive heart attack. Although the attack did not kill him it did leave him weak and enfeebled. He died a short time later from pneumonia.
Kenneth II was succeeded by his eldest son, Fergus. Fergus MacAlpine was a weak ruler and is generally considered to have been a very poor king. His finest accomplishment was not interfering with the projects already under construction from his father and grandfather. Internal politics of Scotland had grown considerably more complex during the reigns of Constantine I and Kenneth II. The elevation of Danish Scots to the peerage as well as marriages of state to the royal houses of Ireland and Pictland had created political hazards that Fergus I was simply not capable of handling. During his reign, much of the brotherhood and goodwill between Ireland, Pictland and Scotland was lost and tensions with Brittany began to grow.
Several movements gained prominence at this time, aided by Fergus inability to control the Council. A group of Danish Scot clans began to forcefully propose that the islands of Danish independence on Alba be brought under Scottish dominion. They were backed by the powerful Skilord clan, Danish Scots who had been raised to the peerage by Kenneth II. Another faction began fomenting the concept of Manifest Destiny, that it was Scotlands right and purpose to control the continent of Dal Raida in its entirety. They were backed by the OCharis and MacSeal clans. The OCharis were Irish merchant princes who had married heavily into the MacAlpine and MacIniss clans. The MacSeals were a burgeoning artisan clan with strong ties to the MacErcs. Both desired the bounty of Brittanys resources.
Fergus was not secure enough in his rule to counter all of these powerful factions. Something had to give way under this pressure and it was Fergus heart. Like his father, Fergus MacAlpine was struck by a massive heart attack and died of complications a mere three years after ascending the throne. As he was childless, the throne passed to his brother Angus MacAlpine. The reign of Fergus I is recognized as the end of Scotlands golden age.
Game Notes
What is Angus like? What does he want to do? Is he a strong military leader like Kenneth I, a visionary like Constantine? A builder like Kenneth II? Tell me what hes like and what you want Scotland to do for the next chapter.
Scotlands internal machinery is catching up to its growth now. All major cities have appropriate improvements. City garrisons are a combined arms mix of at least one horseman and spearman each. Horsemen are being upgraded to knights now and the spearmen to pikemen. The first highlanders (UU based on swordsman) are appearing as well. Bachs Cathedral, Sun Tzus Art of War and Leonardos Workshop are all being built. Roads connect all cities except those founded in Brittany territory (the Grey Fox was very crafty in his expansion plans and put down settlements behind and between Brethon towns wherever he could).
The Scottish army could take several Brethon cities immediately. With some build up its possible they could take Brittany entirely. Galleys wait to take troops across the Scottish Sea if the next Ard Ri likes the idea of finishing off The Danelaw.
Sorry theres no map again. Same problem as yesterday morning. After playing Civ for a while if I try to use my graphics program the PC locks up. Very frustrating.
Feedback please!
