Mercia

## Overview

The Earldom of Mercia is one of the three major administrative realms that make up the seven total realms of the Kingdom of Ængland's Heptarchy. It borders the Earldoms of Northumbria to the North, Wessex to the South and East Anglia to the Southeast, making Mercia a very central Realm within Ængland; to the East, Mercia is confined by the North Sea and to the West by the independent Welsh Petty Kingdoms of Gwynedd, Brecon and Builth, the lands are administered by Earl Ēadwine of Mercia, who rules over his Latin Christian Anglo-Saxon with an iron fist, that said the Welsh minority in the Western border lands are treated with benign neglect.

## Background

Settled by Anglo-Saxons during the Heptarchy period, the Kingdom of Mercia would be formed in 527 by King Icel. When King Ēadwine of Northumbria, having only recently formed Northumbria by unifying the Kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira, would claim the title of Bretwalda, meaning "Britain-Ruler", would be invaded and killed by King Penda of Mercia and King Cadwallon of Gwynedd in 633, halting the Northumbrian rise to power. In 642 a similar fate would befall King Oswald of Northumbria after he too would claim the title of Bretwalda, in 655 King Penda would launch another invasion into Northumbria, however this venture would prove unsuccessful and result in the death of Penda, at the hands King Oswiu at the Battle of Winwaed. With the death of Penda, Mercia would experience a brief period in which Mercian power would collapse, until Penda's son Paeda would take the throne, Paeda would rule as an underking of Oswui, until his assassination in 656, after which King Oswui would assume direct control over Mercia as a Junior partner. However this would be short lived as in 658 a Mercian revolt would overthrow Northumbrian domination and resulted in another son of Penda, Wulfhere assuming power, where he would rule as a tributary of Northumbria for a while before gaining full independence again. However when Wulfhere died in 675, which lead to the ascension of king Æthelred hostilities would erupt again in resulting in the Battle of Trent in 679, after which Mercia would integrate the lands of the Northumbrian Earldom of Lindsey, a region greatly disputed between the two powers. During 716 Mercia, under Æthelbald would annex the disputed Pengwern lands from the Welsh and begin the period known as the "Mercian Supremacy". Æthelbald would face two powerful rival kings in the form of Wihtred of Kent and Ine of Wessex, but Wihtred would die in 725 and Ine abdicate in 726, opening the floodgates to conquest, over the coming years he'd vassalize the other Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms South of the Humber. In 752 the West Saxons of Wessex under Cuthred would restore their independence, however this would only last until 757. Not long after restoring Mercian hegemony over the Anglo-Saxons Æthelbald would be killed in 757 by one of his body guards, a civil war would breakout which would end with the victory of Offa, who would be arguably Mercia's greatest king restoring hegemony over the Southern Kingdoms, constructing Offa's Dyke between Mercia and Wales, directly administering the Catholic Church of England and causing an economic boom, Offa would ensure that his son Ecgfrith would succeed him, however Ecgfrith would only rule for five months in 796, when he would die, the Kingship would then pass to Coenwulf and later in 821 to Coenwulf's brother Ceolwulf, who would succeed in subduing the Kingdom of Gwynedd, however during this time the West Saxons under Egbert of Wessex would grow in power. Ceolwulf would be overthrown by Beornwulf in 823, however Beornwulf would be defeated by Egbert in 825, ending the period of Mercian Supremacy. Wessex, Kent, Sussex and Surrey would all gain their independence, and later Essex and East Anglia would gain their independence when Beornwulf would be killed in battle suppressing an East Anglian revolt. Upon Beornwulf's death Earl Ludeca would assume power but he too would die fighting the East Anglians resulting in Wiglaf taking the throne, however he would only last two years before being driven out by King Egbert of Wessex, By 830, Mercia had regained it's independence from Wessex. In 852 Burgred came to the throne and alongside Ethelwulf of Wessex would subjugate Gwynedd. The Danes would arrive and occupy the Earldom of Snotingahamscír in 868, and then expel Burgred in 874, resulting in Ceolwulf II coming to power and the loss of the recently conquered Welsh territories. Eastern Mercia would be conquered by the Danish in 877 and thus would become a part of the Danelaw, upon Coelwulf's death in 879 Mercia would become a Lordship of Wessex. During the reign of Ælfred the Great of Wessex he would change his title from 'King of the West Saxons' to 'King of the Anglo-Saxons' to reflect his rule over Mercia and in opposition to Danish aggression proving that Southern England was not under Danish rule. Ælfred's successor Eadweard the Elder would integrate Mercia in 918 upon the death of Æthelflæd, daughter of Ælfred of Mercia and husband of Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians (died 911). After being integrated in 918 Mercia would transform into an Earldom within the Kingdom of Wessex, and with the conquest of the Danelaw later in 918 Mercia would reintegrate much of it's lost territory, in 927 Mercia would once again transform with the formation of the Kingdom of Ængland, retaining it's Earldom status but elevating tensions with Wessex as both nations now ruled over the Kingdom on more equal footing, that said however Wessex remained the preeminent power, within the Kingdom.

## Relationships

### Denmark

Having lost much of it's Eastern territory to the Danish invaders, which then allowed Wessex to further dominate and thus form Ængland, Mercian opinion of Denmark is one of open hostilities and regular naval skirmishes, with merchants and warships clashing if they come within sight of one another. This dislike and distrust between the two powers has resulted in both closing off their trade ports.

### East Anglia

Having been frequently a vassal of Mercia it is hardly surprising that the two have strained relationships with East Anglia looking on at Mercian domineering within Ængland with weary eyes. Mercia similarly treats East Anglia with distrust, but is hesitant to invade not wishing to start an internal noble war with Wessex in the process, and even if they were to be successful what about the risk of rebellions?

### Essex

Mercian domineering extends over Essex too, but here the situation is different, as Essex is a Junior Partner of Wessex in a Personal Union, meaning any attempted conquest would involve Wessex. Therefore Essex has been given breathing space with Wessex acting as a major counter balance towards Mercia, preventing a Second Mercian Supremacy period.

Gwynedd

Gwynedd has looked on at Mercia with observant eyes, having only gained it's independence from Mercia in the past hundred years, and laying claim to the Flintshire region, under Mercian control. Mercia watches on at Gwynedd waiting for a sign of weakness so that they can re-establish Mercian dominion over Gwynedd.

### Kent

Being the most distant from Mercia has allowed Kent breathing space as to conquer Kent would either involve invading Wessex or defeating the other Minor Earldoms within Ængland first, therefore Kent can feel relatively safe in the eyes of Mercian domineering. Mercia on the other hand has largely neglected Kentish existence and has instead focused more on issues closer to home.

### Northumbria

The historic rivalry to Mercia persists with Northumbria still laying claim to the former Earldom of Linsey and regularly supports rebellions there hoping to form an autonomous Earldom of Lindsey within Ængland which Northumbria could easily vassalize if successful. Mercian tensions stem from a combination of the Lindsey conflict but also over hostilities regarding lost territory which was annexed by Northumbria.

### Sussex

Mercian opinion of Sussex is one of open hostilities with both realms at each other's throts, due in part to the Earldom of Sussex being ruled ruled by a member of the Danish House of Knýtlinga, who's ancestors helped conquer much of Eastern Mercia to form the Danelaw.

### Wessex

West Saxon and Mercian rivalry has dominated politics in Southern and Central England for centuries, and being under the same banner of the Kingdom of Ængland has done little to curb the hostilities, Mercian claims over Eastern Wessex and domineering towards the minor Earldoms which have aligned themselves with Wessex has lead to border skirmishes and hostilities in the court.