History of the English people

[Lone Wolf]

This is a story of a Civ3 Monarch game, as the English. My own mod that changes some lategame non-mech unit values and changes armies to capacity 1 + a hp bonus, allowing the AI to use them.

The ancient Anglo-Saxons arose in the lands of a valley between ranges of rolling hills. Although cold, the land was still capable of supporting agriculture, the hills contained gold ore, and the waters of the southern seas provided some fish and crabs.

Soon after the formation of the first Anglo-Saxon settled culture, these people came into contact with the Indus river culture to the north. Archaeological digs testify that around that time, Anglo ceremonial burial practices undergo a drastic change in sophistication and complexity, signifying increased cultural exchange between the two peoples.

Later legends tell of a marriage between the Anglo-Saxon High Chieftain and the daughter of the small Iberian tribe, assimilating the Iberians.

To the north of Indus, past the sugarplant-rich plains and the deserts, lay the sophisticated ancient Byzantine culture.
Around 2550 BC, Anglo-Saxon settlements appeared in the wheat-rich York. An old epic tells how chieftain Winfred, discontent with the despotism of the old High Chieftain, left to found the York settlements.

First bronze tools used by the Anglos appeared to have been of Byzantine manufacture. It, however, didn't take a long time to them to acquire the means of bronze manufacture themselves.

Prevented by the Indians from settling to the warmer North, the Anglos were forced on a push to the cold, but game-filled southwest, where they defeated the Vandal tribes. Tales of High Chieftain Alfred, uniter of the tribes and inventor of the fearsome bows, continued to be popular even in medieval times.

The same bows proved to be decisive in the Anglo-Saxon conquest of India. The clubs Indian warriors used were nothing compared to Anglo bows. The battlefield must've been strewn with Indian bodies, pierced by this technologically advanced weapon.

The razing of Madras helped High Chief Harold to consolidate his authority over the other chiefs. Even more significantly, he abandoned the old title of High Chief, for a new title of King, inspired by the Indian rajah.

A later depiction of Harold, the first King.

The conquest greatly changed the initially primitive Anglo-Saxon chiefdom. Not only the Anglos gained the knowledge of Indian masonry and iron working, the consolidation of the conquerors and the conquered resulted in the new ethnic identity of the English people, as opposed to the previous loosely united tribes.

Despite the destruction suffered during the conquest, Delhi quickly recovered as an urban center, while the Byzantines claimed Nicaea at the site of the old Madras.

Constantinople was described by the English as the most beautiful city of the world. Nothing could compare with it neither in England, nor in the Western lands of the Ottomans and the Celts.

Constantinople. Its Hanging Gardens, temples, hippodromes and marble walls impressed English travellers and merchants.

 

[Toxicman007]

I don't often see new stories in here anymore but this one has really got my attention! Looking forward to the next chapter

 

[Lone Wolf]

Thanks, always pleased to write a new story.
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The valley of Hastings is still known for its fine wine.

English expansion into the sugar valleys of Glasgow triggered diplomatic protests in Constantinople, but the royal court in London was too busy drinking the new sugar-sweetened wines to care.

The Byzantines considered the Pyramids of London to be a pathetic imitation of Constantinopolitan wonders. But to the English themselves, they were a source of national pride, distinguishing them from nations like the Ottomans, Celts or the Indian remnant. Combining Indian mathematics and English hard labour, they would stand near London for untold ages.

The Civil War between the followers of King Egbert and Queen Adra was the first major civil conflict in England. Egbert was supported by the nobility around London, which advocated a harsh, despotic control over the rest of the kingdom's notables, while Adra was the champion of the York, Glasgow and Delhi landowners. This war, ending in Adra's victory, is seen by modern historians as the institutionalization of proper English Monarchy, with its Parliament Adra set up in order to ensure all estates of the realm (first of all, of course, the local nobility) would be properly represented.

Sailing past Byzantine Smyrna, English sailors made contact with the Chinese and the Arabs.

Many nobles were against paying tribute to the Ottomans, but in the end, cooler heads prevailed.

Independent Indian remnant of Bombay were conquered in a brief war, while the rest was razed by the Ottomans. To English displeasure, the Celts settled the Turkish-devastated land..

To no one's surprise, Byzantine historian Thucydides claimed the Byzantines are the most advanced nation on the planet.

Celtic sagas were all the rage for a while in the English court.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Silk caravans from Ottoman lands were bringing their fine good to England.

Brave galley explorers managed to avoid oceanic storms and discover a small island. It was named the Bermudas.

The Celts were clearly on their way out.

Constantinople was quickly becoming the main center of learning on the continent. English nobles were eyeing the well-defended city with greedy eyes.

I like these citizen faces, it's a pity that later Civs removed them. Some games like Stellaris, however, continue this pop representation tradition.

English travellers who visited China brought back with them the knowledge of Chinese engineering. The English state was becoming more prosperous (at least, for the upper classes) every day. It certainly couldn't be brought down by vigorous Celtic chanting.

Civ3's diplomacy text is the best. For some reason, later Civs don't have that many variations or humorous quips (civ4 has the Actual Quotes mod that redeems the situation somewhat).

In 730AD, English armies crossed the Byzantine border, and laid siege to the City of the World's Desire. The Byzantines thought that they were secure, protected by their "Greek fire"-wielding Musket troops.

Many English men-at-arms died for one Byzantine defender...

But in the end, English numbers prevailed. English troops spared the Great Library of the city.

Weakened English armies could not afford fighting on two fronts, hence, Ottoman demands for fine horses was granted.

As usual, the Byzantines fell prey to their propensity to over-think things. Instead of recruiting more men for defence, their intellectuals were busy making useless new theories about the art of war.

 

[Toxicman007]

Useless? I'm sure that won't stop the English from getting free Barracks in every city

 

[Jivilov]

Clever, amusing, and well illustrated. Just when you think Stories and Tales have been consigned to the ash-heap of history another one comes along. Good one Lone Wolf!

 

[Lone Wolf]

Thanks for comments! Yeah, I have chronic story-itis, as you can see from my signature.
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The Byzantine Emperor still reigned in Adrianople. Athough English forces quickly captured continental imperial land to the east, the emperor managed to regroup in his new capital, repelling the over-confident English assault (you can see my initial army and its remnants here). At least, both sides got all the epic stories and poems they wanted - for the Byzantines, some melancholy would nicely improve their poetic technique.

The growth of English middle classes and the newly gained access to old Byzantine texts led to a new age of exploration and discovery in England. The Bermudas were settled, a grand new observatory was built.

English caravels revealed the Western Islands, shared between Ottoman conquests and Celtic remnants. Meanwhile, in China, English diplomats engaged in a mutually beneficial exchange of learning.

As the Arabs become the first culture to suffer total conquest, England renews her ties with the Otomans.

These Celtic remnants didn't put much resistance to English conquerors, resulting in yet another English overseas possession.

The Chinese were willing to pay the English for their knowledge of navigation.

The Grand Chinese Academy, employing both native Han and English scholars, was the pride of the Eastern Continent.

Byzantine remnants lasted for long, but with Chinese gunpowder and English navigational skills, they came to an end. Adrianople was quickly captured, and Smyrna was added to the growing overseas English empire.

Ironically, the only source of coal in England was near the formerly Celtic backwater town of Ath Cliath.

With the capture of the Bulgarian Island, Byzantium as a state was no more.

 

[Lone Wolf]

The year 1560 saw the establishment of Great British Union. Representatives from all over English-controlled lands signed a treaty establishing a united Parliament of England (inc. India), Byzantium and Celtic Isles.

That the Kingdoms of Byzantium and England, as well as the Princedoms of India and the Celtic Isles shall upon the first day of May next ensuing the date hereof and forever after be United into One Kingdom by the Name of Great Britain And that the Ensigns Armorial of the said United Kingdom be such as Her Majesty shall appoint...

The Ottomans, the only nation to share the West with Britain, went from strength to strength, resulting in the Parliament deciding to pursue a friendly policy towards the Sublime State.

From the Imperial Gazeteer:

The atrocities and indignities which the new Chinese Communist regime subjected its people, the mass executions of landholders, its destruction of precious cultural artifacts, leave Britain with no option but to re-assert its influence in the Eastern Continent by force. The Parliament and Her Majesty call on volunteers to join the Armed Forces in their heroic struggle.

From The Friends of Liberty:

Do not be deceived by the warmongers. The Chinese have the right to determine their own destiny without our rifles and bullets entering the picture. All fair-minded people should struggle for a peaceful resolution to the upcoming bloody conflict.

British troops had to deal with both regular Chinese forces and with peasant irregulars who were given the nickname of "Crusaders for Communism".

Despite ferocious resistance by the Chinese (quite a lot of British Redcoats occasionally mumbled "maybe these Friends of Liberty wackos were right" when repelling an assault of Chinese Cavalry), British troops entered Beijing.

China captured the Tsingtao port, cutting the British off from immediate reinforcements. General Edward Doukas-Rao, of mixed English/Byzantine/Indian heritage, managed to quell the resistance of pro-Communist sections of Beijing populace and to repel the Chinese attacks.

A Celtic lady named Boudicea demonstrated extraordinary leadership skills at the second Battle of Tsingtao. Meanwhile, the Smyrna island also saw battle, with Chinese managing to occupy it for a while before its reconquest by Britain.

Tsingtao was then lost again in a surprise Chinese attack, but the newly-organized British armies pushed forwards, capturing Shanghai.

It was clear that the new Chinese Communist regime is sturdier than was initially thought. A peace treaty was signed, making the Chinese recognize existing English conquests, hand back Bermudas and give Britain the small peninsula of Chinan as an additional possession on the continent. With these new Eastern holdings, the Sun never set on the British Empire.

After the war, China, eager to restore wounded national pride, announced the liberation of Zulu people from their reactionary chiefs, with Chinese armies taking Zimbabwe.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

I'll be watching this.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Unfortunately, the new peace didn't last for long. The war that broke out between China and Turkey caused Britain to re-establish hostilities with the Chinese due to the English-Ottoman Mutual Protection Pact. The Ottomans proved to be good allies, repelling Chinese landings on the white cliffs of York.

The continuing war between Chinese and the Zulu harmed Chinese defences in the south.

Another British expedition liberated Smyrna and landed on the mainland, capturing Muscat. This was enough for the Chinese to request a peace proposal. Weary of war, the British people supported the new treaty.

Although many young Britons died in these wars, the overall mood at home was still one of new scientific progress and discoveries. It appeared that the atomic theory - a view advocated in its more primitive form by some marginal ancient Indian and Byzantine thinkers - turned out to be true.

New medicine and sanitation caused lifespans to drastically go upward.

I moved Longevity to Sanitation, so that it's actually meaningful.

For some reason, the foolish Zulus declared war on Britain. Perhaps, they were simply determined to go out in a blaze of glory. Their assaults against Chinan and Bermudas were easily repelled, and when the British landed on the island on Yamama, they had a hard time refraining from "Yamama's so poor, she's defended only by Impis" jokes. The Zulus, humiliated, were forced to sign peace.

Observations over certain native birds of the Yamama islands helped to formalize the theory of evolution.

Despite all the social progress in Britain, it was Turkey who first granted suffrage to its women. The suffragette movement in Britain had a harder time achieving its demands due to internal splinters between pacifists and jingoists over overseas wars with the Zulus and the Chinese, finally achieving its goal 12 years after the Turkish female suffrage law.

And after China finally overcame the last remnants of Zulu resistance, it became clear that another war with China was on the horizon...

Chinese poster, proclaiming the upcoming liberation of "colonialist-occupied territories".

 

[Lone Wolf]

Domestically, things were doing great with the Hoover Dam being one of the most impressive civilian engineering programs of the 19th century. Unfortunately, in military matters, things weren't going too well, with Chinese troops swarming British China.

Beijing was quickly cut off from the sea.

The British decided to attempt a new holding in former Arabian lands.

Even the Army, however, fell under a prolonged Chinese assault. Beijing was reconquered by the Chinese soon thereafter. Celebrations were held in all of China, as their nation's historical core was theirs again.

The Chinese Communist Party soon signed peace, content for a time with an expansion of British possessions off Smyrna Island.

This time, however, lasted only 22 years. The British governor failed to prepare for the sudden assault by fortifying the mountains around the area.

British complacency resulted even in the Chinese managing to make a raid into core British territory, holding Aberdeen for a time.

The Chinese were far more ruthless with Muscat, burning it to the ground. Then they took Tatung, the remainder of the mountain coast, eliminating British presence of the Eastern mainland.

Chinese attempts to capture the islands, however, were repelled - Britain still ruled the seas, especially with her new Destroyer fleets.

China was forced to sign peace again, but this time, with her entire starting continent controlled. The sun still never set on the British Empire thanks to the Yamama Island.
Realizing that further colonization of the East is impossible, the British government decided to start colonizing space. Newspapers debated about possible merits of space tea and curry.

 

[Lone Wolf]

The British-Ottoman relationship continued to thrive.

The Ottomans, however, were still building nuclear weapons, presumably for use on China in case the conflict gets ignited again.

Nothing much happened since either internationally or domestically since then. Just more trade with Ottomans, progress and more spaceship parts.
Finally...

The two other nations were 2-3 parts away from launch.

British relationship with the Ottomans was a game-long beneficial alliance, which is a rarity in Civ3. Osman, however, still thinks that I cheated, for some reason. I guess the AI is really cranky and suspicious.

What awaits the British in space? Will they able to build a United Kosmos? Will they meet sentient machines there, or genocidal cute geckos? Only time will tell.

 

[Toxicman007]

Congratulations on the victory! Although it was a shame to see Aberdeen (my place of birth) fall to the Chinese...
Will you be making any more stories?

 

[Lone Wolf]

At least, it wasn't razed!
Maybe some time later, I have a chronic desire to write AAR's.

 

[Spoonwood]

Nice screenshots!

 

[r16]

uh , conspiracy to claim friendship with UK will benefit my country . And ı hate games against Byzantines , because the sad face of Theodara , best looking one in Civ III .