Cambria

Cambria is the western region of Britain. It is not only modern Wales, but it extends eastward beyond the modern area to include a much larger region. The interior of Cambria is all rugged mountains and forests and its inhabitants cling to their old ways, including paganism.

Cambria has several significant tribes dating back to the pre-Roman times, each with their own kingdom: the Ordovices, the Silures, the Deceangli, the Cornovii, and the Demetae, in addition to numerous smaller tribal kingdoms. The region has 9 out of 28 seats in the Supreme Collegium, split between the main tribal kings and bishops. The Irish of Estregales are a newer kingdom, originally invited to settle in Cambria by Macsen Wledig, but thanks to the raids from the other Irish, most Cambrians see them as enemies, too. By far the mightiest king in Cambria is King Vortigern, who rules over the Ordovices (later Powys) and the Silures (later Escavalon). In addition, Vortigern is the Dux of Glevum in Logres. He is second only to the High King of Britain himself, and is a skilled politician and leader of his people. Finally, he is married to Severa, the sister of High King Constantin who is mightier still, as befits a High King. He has three noble sons and one daughter by Severa: Vortimer, Katigern, young Paschent, and Scotnoe.

## History

### 11th century prior era vulgaris

**c. 1100 BC:** Aeneas’ great-grandson, Brutus, lands with his followers on an island called Albion. It is inhabited by the giants, whom the Trojans defeat in battle, claiming the island for themselves. Brutus names the island Britain, after himself, and becomes its first king. His followers become known as Britons. Corineus, Brutus’ second-in-command, is rewarded with an area of land that becomes known as Cornwall, after its ruler. Brutus’ three sons split the rest of the country at their father’s death, giving their names to the lands: Locrine gets Logres, Albanus gets Alba, and Camber gets **Cambria**.

### 1st century era vulgaris

**c. 40 AD:** Emperor Claudius invades Britain, but is defeated by King Arviragus of the Britons. They make peace and King Arviragus marries Emperor Claudius’ daughter. Roman traders and businessmen are allowed to settle into Britain.

**c. 60:** Excesses of Roman debt collectors cause the Iceni Revolt, led by Queen Boudica. Almost one hundred thousand Romans and Britons are slaughtered in the sacking of Camulodunum, Londinium, and St. Albans. With the help of the Romans led by the future Emperor Vespasian, King Arviragus defeats the rebellion, and grants Romans southeastern Logres as their own.

### 2nd century era vulgaris

**c. 120:** Pro-Roman King Coill sponsors the foundation of Carlion. It becomes a thriving Romano-British city.

**c. 150:** King Lucius sponsors Christianity in Britain, asking the Pope in Rome to send missionaries.

**189:** With the death of King Lucius without an heir, Britain is thrown into turmoil. Senator Septimius Severus is sent by Rome to restore order and he adds the rest of Logres, Cambria, and Cumbria into the empire as a province of Britain.

### 3rd century era vulgaris

**c. 210:** Constitutio Antoniniana extends Roman citizenship to almost all freemen in the empire.

### 4th century era vulgaris

**306:** Constantine the Great is acclaimed as the Emperor by the soldiers in Eburacum. He goes on to defeat rival claimants and becomes the sole Emperor of the Roman Empire.

**337:** After Constantine’s death, Octavius is elected as the King of the Britons by the Supreme Collegium.

**380:** King Octavius marries his daughter, Helen, to General Macsen Wledig (father of Constantin and grandfather to Aurelius Ambrosius and Uther), who succeeds Octavius as the King of the Britons.

**383–388:** King Macsen Wledig ennobles Cambrian tribal chiefs to organize their own defenses against the Irish, founding the royal houses of Cambria, including that of future King Vortigern. He settles loyal Irish tribesmen in Estregales, in return for their promise to defend the land against other Irish. Then, he takes his legions and his Cambrians into Gaul, slays Emperor Gratian, and rules the Empire.

**388:** The eastern Emperor Theodosius defeats Emperor Macsen Wledig and beheads him in July. Many of Macsen Wledig’s troops, as well as his sons, settle in Brittany. (This becomes known as the “First Migration.”) Gratian Municeps seizes power in Britain.

**c. 390:** All over Cambria, as the monastic movement developed and conversion from the old religion began to take place, the old Celtic pagan traditions are gradually absorbed into the new Christian religion.

**395:** Britons rebel against the tyrant, Gratian, and kill him and his men. Niall, High King of Ireland, sacks towns in western Britain, while Saxons and Picts raid East and North respectively. Britons turn to Rome for help.

**398:** Roman General Stilicho answers the Briton pleas for help and defeats the barbarians, garrisoning the island again with Roman troops.

### 5th century era vulgaris

**405:** Britain is stripped of its garrisons, in order to protect Italy against barbarian incursions. Soon thereafter, the barbarian raids into Britain start again, with the Irish active in raiding Cambria.

**410:** British pleas for help are ignored by Emperor Honorius, who tells the Britons to look to their own defenses. Britain erupts in a chaos of foreign invaders and internecine warfare between the tribes.

**415:** British leaders convene the Supreme Collegium to select a High King. Guided by the Primate, Archbishop Guithelinus, the Collegium offers the crown to King Aldronius of Brittany, the son of Macsen Wledig, who cedes it to Constantin, his younger brother. Constantin sails from Brittany with two thousand soldiers, marries a British princess, and becomes the High King. He gives his sister, Severa, in marriage to King Vortigern of the Ordovices and the Silures, a powerful Cambrian king. He summons the best men from each tribe and ennobles them as knights, in return for military service. With his army of knights, High King Constantin brings peace to Britain, for a while.

**423:** Constantin sires his first son, Constans, whom he entrusts to a monastery in the White City.

**433:** Constantin’s next son is born and named Aurelius Ambrosius for his distant relative, St. Ambrose.

**435:** King Vortigern defeats King Aed of Estregales and King Clotrius of the Demetae, over a border dispute, and forces King Aed to give his eldest son, Urb, as a hostage to Vortigern’s court.

**436:** Constantin sires his last son, Uther. Guithelinus, Archbishop of Londinium, fosters both Ambrosius and Uther.

**437:** Prince Triffyn Farfog, King Aed’s younger son, marries the only child of King Clotrius, Princess Gwledyr, and thus becomes the heir of the Kingdom of the Demetae.

**438:** King Aed of Estregales dies, naming Triffyn as his successor. Vortigern releases Prince Urb to contest the kingship, but thanks to the help of his father-in-law, Triffyn is able to defend his claim against his older brother, who dies in the attempt.

**439:** An army of invading Irish has landed at the mouth of the River Severn. King Constantin brings his army of professionals, musters the local armed forces, and engages the Irish in battle. King Vortigern joins the king by bringing his forces. The Irish of Estregales are looked on with suspicion.

**440:** King Constantin is murdered by one of his own guards, an Atrebates knight. The entire kingdom is thrown into disorder. King Clotrius dies, leaving his kingdom to Estregales. The Irish of Estregales take over Demetia and launch raids against the Ordovices and the Silures. Cornovii and Deceangli use the chaos to raid their neighbors, too.

**441:** King Vortigern travels to Londinium. While there, he summons Prince Constans, Constantine’s eldest son, from the monastery. They discuss the situation and Constans reluctantly agrees to his uncle’s demand that he take the crown, and is elected as the King of Logres. The Supreme Collegium receives a summons to convene to select a new High King, but due to the intertribal raiding and feuding, they are not able to gather this year.

King Vortigern then returns home to settle the matters in Cambria. He summons his warriors and manages to get the Deceangli and the Cornovii to join him as well, restoring order. He then marches with his army to Estregales and asks that King Triffyn of Estregales pay reparations for the unwarranted raids. Faced with the large army of the Cambrians, the King of Estregales submits to this ultimatum.

**442:** The Supreme Collegium meets. Among the contenders is the King of the Brigantes; many think he would make a strong warrior king. But honey-tongued Vortigern debates the strength of the arm versus the strength of words, as proven just last year in Estregales. And so, at the urging of King Vortigern, the Supreme Collegium chooses Constans as the High King. Constans is a young, bookish type: learned in laws and customs, but not in governing. Thus, he relies on his uncle, King Vortigern, for advice.

Some minor inter-tribal raids continue in Cambria, but that is normal life.

**443:** Young King Constans is murdered by his Pictish bodyguards. King Vortigern executes the murderers immediately. The nobles of Logres hastily assemble at Londinium. After much debate, Vortigern is selected to be the next King of Logres. Due to his new duties, he makes Vortimer the King of the Silures and Katigern the King of the Ordovices. The younger brothers of King Constans disappear, presumably killed. (Later, it is found out that Princes Aurelius and Uther are being raised in their cousin’s court in Brittany.)

**444:** The Picts and Brigantes stage a massive invasion of Logres, with their armies occupying much of Linden, Lonazep, and Lambor, and bands of raiders penetrating all the way to Glevum, where King Vortigern is basing his court. Numerous skirmishes result between the invading raiders and the defenders as the tribes defend their homes.

In Cambria, the Irish of Estregales grow bolder and start raiding their neighbors again. Picts raid into Deceangli and Cornovii lands, too.

**445:** The Pictish raids deeper into Logres increase in intensity, as do the Irish raids in Cambria. King Vortigern orders his armies to muster, but most do not answer the call, staying at home to defend their families against the raiders ~ or at least that is their excuse. King Vortigern scolds the nobles of Logres to no avail. He also summons the Supreme Council, which sends replies that they are unavailable as the country is so dangerous. Needing more troops to fight the Picts, King Vortigern sends emissaries to the continent to try to hire mercenaries, selecting some of his bodyguards to go, too.

**446:** Vortigern sends Vortimer and Katigern with their Cambrian tribesmen to attack the Pictish raiders in western Logres. Hengest arrives at the shores of Britain with many warriors. Vortigern brings his army to Logres. Aquitainians meet, and Hengest pledges his sword arm to Vortigern.

The Cambrians push the Picts back to Linden Pool, where Vortigern, leading the combined army of Logres, reinforced by Saxon mercenaries, crushes the Picts and the Brigantes in a great victory. The invaders flee back across the Humber. However, while the warriors have been away, the Estregales Irish have used the opportunity to raid deep into Cambrian homelands

**447:** The Supreme Collegium meets and, as a result of the impressive victory in the preceding year, elects Vortigern as High King. Vortigern gives the Saxons the Isle of Thanet as their own property, as foederati. Vortimer and Katigern lead the Cambrian warriors against the Irish in Cambria, to avenge the last year’s raids. Their attacks expel the Irish from the Llyn Peninsula in Gomeret, and cause devastation throughout Estregales, causing the King of Estregales to sue for peace.

A prelate from the pope, the saintly Germanus, returns to Britain to condemn and combat British Christianity. He heals the crippled leg of the son of Elaphias, praetor of the White City.

**448:** Cambria is at peace. Estregales has been reduced to a non-threat, but provides sport for the young warriors to raid and prove their mettle. In the north, the Deceangli and the Cornovii happily raid into the Brigantes lands in Bedegraine, and occasionally might pick up something from Logres too. It is all in good fun.

King Vortigern spares his own army, using the Saxons to defeat the Brigantes in their own land and drive the Picts back to the north. The King of the Brigantes rides south and surrenders to Vortigern, swearing loyalty. More Saxons arrive in Logres, invited by Vortigern, including Hengest’s beautiful daughter, Rowena, who becomes a court favorite.

**449:** Cambrians continue their peaceful existence, which means raiding one another for sport to stay in shape. However, deaths are rare.

There is some worrying news from the court of Logres. Saxon king Hengest is high in favor, with his daughter Rowena attending personally to Vortigern. This causes some unease among Vortigern’s sons: their mother, Severa, is still Vortigern’s wife. More Saxons are arriving daily, to help to reinforce the Saxons fighting against the Picts in Caledonia.

On the continent, the Huns are a new foe, defeating the German tribes right and left. These savages are thought to be half demon, half horse. However, unless they have trained their horses to run on water, that is of no concern to the Cambrians.

**450:** Vortigern, impressed with the battle prowess of the Saxons and even more with the talents of Rowena, the daughter of the Saxon chief Hengest, repudiates his wife, Severa, and marries Rowena this year in a lavish celebration. Hengest receives half of the lands of the Cantii as his daughter’s bride price, corrupting the name to Kent in the Saxon language. The leader of the Cantii protests that half of his tribe’s land has been given to foreigners. High King Vortigern has him arrested and swiftly executed for high treason. This tyrannical action causes grave concerns among the other noble British: could they be the next?

Vortigern’s sons, Vortimer and Katigern, take their father’s actions in a very poor light. They travel to the court with their escort of warriors and try to talk some sense into their father. When the wedding goes on regardless, they walk out of the ceremony. Many Ordovices and Silures follow the example of their kings, for Severa was well-loved as queen. Some tribesmen are curious enough about this new queen to stay at the wedding, though Vortigern’s gift to the Saxons and the execution of one of the guests sits ill with many.

Many of Vortigern’s Cambrian bodyguards are dismissed from their posts or quit in disgust when Vortigern makes his plans to marry Rowena known

**451:** News from the continent that the Huns ~ led by their king, Attila ~ invade Gaul to pillage and plunder, scouring the land of its wealth and slaughtering as they go.

The commander in Gaul, Aetius, sends for help from all who will send it, and Vortigern sends a contingent. The allied army meets the Huns at Chalons, where the Huns are defeated and driven from Gaul.

The Cambrians have problems closer to home, however. Irish High King Loegaire launches a massive invasion on northwestern Cambria, coordinated with another prong of attack from Estregales to southern Cambria, where the local Silurian defenders are severely outnumbered. The Cambrians are defeated in two battles, Bangor and Carmarthen. A son, named Cerdic, is born to Vortigern and Rowena.

The survivors, all of whom were knights dissatisfied with Vortigern’s policies, return to Britain with great Glory, but tell the bitter tale of the prince of the Parisi dying. Vortigern welcomes them with honeyed words and a bitter heart.

**452:** The Cambrian tribes are reeling under the Irish onslaught. Even with the warriors returning from the continent, the Irish are still outnumbering them. Many advise Vortimer and Katigern to ask Vortigern for help, but the humiliation of having to go to their father, with his new wife at his side, is too great. Katigern leads a coalition of Ordovices, Deceangli and Cornovii against the High King Loegaire’s Irish, but they are still defeated near Degannwy. Vortimer, having brought up his full army, manages a defensive stalemate at Gower against the King of Estregales, forcing him to withdraw from the battlefield.

Dissatisfied nobles from the eastern tribes, especially the Cantii, visit Vortimer and Katigern. However, busy as they are with the Irish, neither Vortimer nor Katigern are interested in getting involved in Logres.

**453:** Swallowing their pride, Vortimer and Katigern send messengers to Vortigern, asking for warriors against the Irish. Vortigern sends some Cymri warriors, claiming that he is unable to send more due to the Saxons being still busy against the Picts, but it is clear that this is just a fraction of the army that Vortigern could lead to Cambria, should he so choose. Little help is better than none at all, though, and the Irish choose to engage in deep plundering raids rather than seeking a decisive battle. Rumor has it that an Irish fleet was engaged and defeated on the seas between Cambria and Ireland. Perhaps it was a Saxon fleet that did it, and that explains why the Irish are not pushing harder?

**454:** Vortigern continues sending warriors, usually those who have spoken against his policies regarding the Saxons, against the Irish in Cambria. However, it is not enough, as the High King Loegaire invades western Cambria from the north and the south. Vortimer and Katigern unite their forces and a decisive battle is fought at Aberstwyth, which the Cambrians lose again, despite reinforcements (coming mainly from Cumbria). They are driven back to the central mountains of Cambria, leaving the whole western half of Cambria in Irish control.

**455:** Finally, after what seems a lifetime to his subjects, Vortigern acts to defend Cambria against the Irish. He leads a Saxon fleet to attack High King Loegaire in Ireland, lands and defeats the Irish High King in battle, and then concludes hostilities with a treaty. The treaty states in no uncertain terms that Loegaire agrees to stop assisting the Irish in Britain. To seal the treaty, Vortigern marries his daughter, Scotnoe, to Loegaire’s son. Loegaire cannot stop all individual actions, but agrees that he will not sanction any more assistance from his island.

A large tribe of northern Cymri, the Votadini, under their famous warleader Cunedda, march to oust the Irish in Cambria. To make room for the new tribe, Vortigern convinces half of the Cornovii to move to Cornwall. The Irish are soundly defeated in the Battle of Rhuddlan in Norgales, sending them retreating headlong into Gomeret. In the south, Vortimer and the Silures skirmish against the Estregales Irish to keep them from helping their kinsmen in the north.

Vortigern is not done yet, though. He rearranges the tribal borders in Cambria, reserving Western Cambria for the Votadini once they have reclaimed it from the Irish. They get to keep Norgales as well, to the shock and surprise of the Deceangli, whose land it was. The Deceangli are left with the Kingdom of Cheshire. The Ordovices get the central mountains and half of the lands of the Cornovii, including the former tribal seat of Oroquellenes, and their new kingdom is renamed Powys. Vortigern carves off a small part of the central mountains and gives it to his youngest son, Paschent, who becomes the King of Bulith. The remaining half of the Cornovii land forms the Kingdom of Cameliard. The Silures form the Kingdom of Escavalon.

Vortigern’s reorganization is not greeted with cheers. Even though Vortigern’s actions have staved off the Irish threat, many see it as evidence that Vortigern could have done this thing several years ago, sparing Cambria all the years of lost battles and raids. As Vortigern settles large groups of Saxons in Cumbria (Deira, Nohaut) and Caledonia (Nohaut), partially on the former lands of the Votadini, the renewed complaints of the eastern tribes finally find much more receptive ears in the courts of Escavalon (Vortimer) and Powys (Katigern).

News arrives that Rome, the center of the civilized world, has been sacked! The tribe of Germans called the Vandals has done the impossible and brought Rome low. The Western Empire is finished. No one much cares in Cambria, as Rome had abandoned them three generations ago.

**456:** The eastern Britons rebel, protesting the high-handed policies of King Vortigern, the way he tramples on the autonomy of the tribes and gives their lands away to anyone. Vortimer and Katigern lead the rebels against the Saxons of Kent, bringing many Cambrians to the fight, too. Two battles follow, with the rebel forces victorious, even though Katigern dies in a mutually fatal duel with Horsa. Meanwhile, the Votadini drive the Irish out of Gomeret

**457:** Vortigern summons his army, and with the Saxons, marches against the rebels. Some dissidents flock to reinforce Vortimer, in turn. A great battle ensues at Crecganford in Kent, in which the rebels are crushed. Vortigern forgives his son, Vortimer, but gives the regency of Powys to his third son, Paschent, since Katigern’s son, Cadell, is too young to rule. Paschent purges Powys of “rebels” (all dissidents included), confiscating their lands to reward his own supporters and to enrich himself. Vortigern gives the entire lands of the Cantii tribe to his loyal Saxons.

The Votadini take Anglesey from the Irish.

**458:** Cunedda finishes pushing the Irish back to Estregales, adding the Cardigan coast to his kingdom. However, he dies soon after his victory, and his sons split the kingdom between themselves. They soon start fighting one another over the inheritance, even pulling Powys into the fray.

Vortigern starts reorganizing lands. Instead of tribes which can be spread far and wide, he splits the tribes up into smaller parcels, called counties. He starts in the east with the rebel tribes. Many dissident and rebel Britons depart the island, moving with their families and possessions to Brittany.

Secretly, Vortimer starts to put together a new rebel coalition. He naturally relies on men he knows to share his views

**459:** Vortigern continues reorganizing tribal lands in southern Logres. The exodus to Brittany continues.

**460:** Vortigern finishes reorganizing the tribes of Britain into counties; the Midlands and Cornwall are the last to be done.

With the Votadini still killing each other, and Paschent and Estregales busy interfering in that civil war, Vortimer feels secure enough. He starts sending out messages for his co-conspirators to prepare themselves for the uprising next year.

**461:** Vortimer raises a new rebellion, re-energizing the British against the Saxons. He marches his army to Kent and, in a series of brilliant maneuvers, forces the Saxons back. Saxons are brought to battle at Stonar where they flee in their ships, but Vortimer is ready with ships of his own. The Saxons retreat to Thanet. In Cumbria, the Brigantes, the Parisi, and the northern Britons join Vortimer in his rebellion, and attack Nohaut and Deira.

Vortimer is crowned King of Logres by the rebels, replacing Vortigern, and makes his seat in Grantabridge.

**462:** Vortigern calls up his armies to fight against the rebels. Vortimer attacks to force the remaining southern Saxons off Thanet, resulting in a siege battle known as Ebbsfleet. He wins, but dies of his wounds.

**463:** With the death of King Vortimer, the rebels are without a clear leader. Vortigern sends lavish presents to the rebel tribes and invites them to a meeting at the Giants’ Dance to negotiate a peace, promising to address their justified complaints. Seeking reconciliation, almost all British lords attend. After eating, when the ale flows freely, the Saxons prove their worth: they draw hidden weapons and kill the majority of the nobles of Britain. Some three hundred are slain. Hengest takes Vortigern prisoner and makes demands for more land, which he gives them. When released, Vortigern flees to his homeland in Gomeret. Rowena and Cerdic stay with Hengest. Saxon forces occupy the main cities of Britain, including Londinium and Corinium, although Glevum resists, which shields Carlion as well.

## People

* Dubricus, Roman Archbishop of Carlion-on-Usk
* Gwengad, Roman Abbot-bishop of Fort Gwent
* Julius, Roman Abbot-bishop of the City of Legions
* ??, Abbot-bishop of Seafort

## Kingdoms

* Amans, ruled from Amans
* Cameliard, ruled from Carohaise
* Galvoie, ruled from Wigarons Fort
* Gomeret, ruled from Sinadon
* Powys, ruled from Oroquelenes