Cymru

> My son,
>
>
> We own this land. Before us, there were no men
> here. We are Britain and Britain is us. Listen to me,
> for I will tell you the story of our coming to this land,
> and our struggles against the invaders ever since.
>
>
> Ages ago, the Trojan civilization flourished. During
> those days lived Albion, a giant son of Neptune, a
> contemporary of Hercules. Albion ruled over an island
> far to the west, to which he gave his name. Presuming
> to oppose the progress of Hercules in his western march,
> he was slain by him and the deed is recorded thus.
>
>
> For the love of a woman the Trojans and Greeks
> fought a war, and through trickery the Greeks brought
> low the Trojans. The survivors fled or were enslaved
> by the victorious Greeks. Prince Aeneas of Troy fled
> to Italy. His great-grandson, Brutus, was prophesied
> to be the doom of his parents, which came true; his
> mother died in childbirth and his father in a hunting
> accident by Brutus’ arrow. For the crime of patricide
> he was exiled, and with followers he sailed to this
> land. On the island known as Leogetia, the goddess
> Diana spoke to him:
>
>
> “Brutus! Far to the west, in the ocean wide,
>
>
> Beyond the realm of Gaul, a land there lies,
>
>
> Sea-girt it lies, where giants dwelt of old;
>
>
> Now, void, it fits thy people: thither bend
>
>
> Thy course; there shalt thou find a lasting seat;
>
>
> There to thy sons another Troy shall rise,
>
>
> And kings be born of thee, whose dreaded might
>
>
> Shall awe the world, and conquer nations bold.”
>
>
> They reached an island that was uninhabited save for
> giants and faerie folk. Brutus and Corineus made war
> upon the giants, wiping most of them out and taking
> the island for the Trojans. After many years, the island
> was named after Brutus, known today as Britain; and
> with his followers as Britons he built a great city, Troia
> Nova, from which the Trinovantes tribe took their
> name, though that city is now called London. Brutus
> ruled wisely and well, and after he died, his sons split
> the kingdom between them: Locrinus got Logres,
> Albanus gained Alba, which is now known as Caledonia,
> and Camber’s portion was Cambria. The lord
> Corineus had already been rewarded with the peninsula
> that we now know as Cornwall.
>
>
> We Britons ruled supreme for many centuries. Our
> Kings Belinus and Brennus sacked Rome, an event
> that the Romans remembered with dread for centuries.
> But in our success, we became proud and fell upon
> one another. When the Romans came to our shores,
> they found numerous tribes fighting one another. Still,
> our great king Cassivellaunus beat back two of Julius
> Caesar’s invasions. But he was betrayed by one of his
> own, allowing the Romans to win the third invasion,
> and yet so costly was that victory that Julius Caesar
> left with his armies, never to return. It was almost a
> century later, during the reign of Guiderius, son of
> Kymbelinus, before the Romans invaded again on the
> orders of Emperor Claudius. Our King Arviragus
> defeated the invasion, and made peace with the
> Romans, taking Claudius’ daughter as his wife. He
> welcomed Roman traders and merchants to our land,
> encouraging them to build new cities.
>
>
> However, some Romans were greedy and abusive, not understanding our ways. Roman debt collectors whipped Queen Boudica of the Iceni and raped her daughters, confiscating her lands as repayment for her late husband’s debts. Blaming King Arviragus for allowing = Romans into Britain, Boudica raised
> = a rebellion that swept across Logres, killing a = hundred thousand Romans and loyal Britons and razing the three cities that the Romans had built. King Arviragus was left with no choice but to fight Boudica, and the future Emperor Vespasian arrived to help King Arviragus with a Roman army. When her army, eighty thousand strong, was massacred by the Romans and loyal Britons, she took poison rather than be enslaved by the victorious Romans. Thanks to the Romans’ help and in reparations for their killed countrymen, King Arviragus ceded to them the eastern-most portion of Logres that is now known as Saxon Shore. But the Romans had learned their lesson and ruled in partnership with the Britons, rather than treating us as slaves. By the end of the first century, we were living in peace with the Romans and we had adopted all their ways that were worth adopting.
>
>
>
> King Lucius brought Christianity to our island, and his rule was a blessing to us all. Alas, he died childless, and the Romans claimed the whole of the island for themselves. They soon fell to fighting each other, and we helped Constantine the Great, grandson of King Coel, to become the Emperor. He made the whole Empire Christian. However, when he died, rather than be ruled from Rome, we elected Octavius to be our new King. He married his daughter to the general Macsen Wledig, who conquered the Empire again with our help, and established Brittany. Alas, he was slain by his enemies, who usurped the emperorship, with Macsen’s sons fleeing to Brittany. Although our ancestors gave their blood for the true emperors of Rome, we were abandoned by Rome and ravaged by barbarian raids. Our leaders came together to elect a High King to rule over all of Britain. The choice fell to King Aldronius of Brittany, the son of Macsen Wledig. He deferred to his younger brother, Constantin, who crossed over from Brittany with two thousand men and appointed the best of our men as knights to fight the barbarians. High King Constantin brought us peace and security.
>
>

Long, long ago, “in the legendary times, before Rome was even founded,” refugees from Troy came to this island seeking their destiny. Their leader was Brutus, a grandson of Aeneas, and from his name the island was called Britain. Brutus and his men drove out the savage race of monstrous giants who inhabited it. They established relationships with the ancient gods and goddesses and with the faerie races that live underground and in hidden kingdoms. They settled far and wide, giving every place its proper name. Ever since, the Cymric people have been the dominant British people.

Cymric principles are not based on imperial aggression, like the Romans. They are based on “humility, honor, and unity” and on “recognition of our place in the land.” The Cymric peoples, or Cymri, rightfully disdain “Roman greatness,” which is based on an arrogant and selective memory. They don’t talk about the fact that the great Julius Caesar was driven off. Yes, Rome came back and “temporarily conquered” the island, settling many cities, but when the empire dissolved into civil war, it was a Briton, Constantine the Great, who took British soldiers and united it again. When Armorica was devastated by barbarians and disease, it was Britons who resettled it. So the Romans came, but the proud Cymri were not assimilated and have subsequently reasserted their national character.

## Stereotype

The common people, regular, serious-minded folk who work hard and do their best for their families and the nation.

## Self-image

Cymri are the upright people of this island, proud of their heritage and abilities, but not arrogant. Their ancient traditions of family and class have maintained a good way of life for centuries, and they will endure forever. They manifest a quiet certainty regarding their quality and way of life as being the best, but without being dogmatic or insistent ~ the fact that “everyone” is like them proves the point.

## Let’s Be Practical

They are everywhere and own everything. They are also skillful spear fighters, both on foot and horsed.

## Names

### Male

Addonwy, Aeron, Afan, Aneirin, Aeddan, Amig, Amlyn, Athrwys, Arddur, Buddfannan, Blaen, Bledri, Bradwen, Bleddig, Cadfannan, Cadfael, Cadwallon, Cilydd, Cynon, Cynfan, Cyfulch, Cynrain, Cunvelyn, Caradoc, Cibno, Ceredig, Cadlew, Cynwal, Clydno, Cynhafal, Dafydd, Defi, Dwyai, Edar, Edern, Eiddef, Erthgi, Elad, Eudaf, Eiffin, Gwefrfawr, Gwegon, Gwion, Gwyn, Gwarddur, Gwern, Gwyleged, Gwrien, Gwraid, Gorthyn, Gwaednerth, Gwengad, Brugyn, Gwenabwy, Gwrfelling, Gwair, Graid, Geriant, Gwanon, Hyfaidd, Hywel, Ieuan, Llywel, Marchlew, Moried, Morien, Madog, Morial, Mynyddog, Merin, Neilyn, Nwython, Nai, Nerthaid, Neddig, Nidian, Owain, Padern, Pedrog, Ricerch, Rhodri, Rhufon, Rhun, Sawel, Seriol, Sywno, Tathal, Tathan, Tudfwich, Tyngyr, Uren, Uwain, Ysgarran.

### Female

Adwen, Annest, Angarad, Arianwen, Briant, Duddug, Collwen, Dwynwen, Eleri, Ffraid, Glesig, Glesni, Gwen, Heledd, Indeg, Leri, Lleueu, Lilo, Melangell, Meleri, Nest, Nia, Tydfil.

### Pronunciation Guide

Cymric vowels are long in stressed syllables. Stress is always on the second-last syllable, except in very long names, where there is a second, lighter stress on the first syllable to help move the word along.

(c) is roughly equivalent to English k.

(w) is roughly equivalent to English oo

(dd) is roughly equivalent to English th, as in the

(ff) is roughly equivalent to English f

(f) is roughly equivalent to English v

(ll) is the “Welsh sound,” an aspirated l-sound. Put the front of your tongue on the roof of your mouth and blow the air out the sides, between your teeth.

## Religion

### British Christian

“Ours is the first established Christian Church. Before Saint Peter was in Rome, the most holy Joseph of Arimathea founded his church here. And Joseph brought the Holy Grail, which is the most important relic of Christianity, for it held the blood which He spilled to redeem mankind.”

### British Pagan

“Our religion is based on respect for the land and its resident powers, whom our ancestors have worshipped for uncounted generations. It is natural and local, and we wouldn’t abandon it for an upstart minority creed started by a prophet who lived far away, in a land entirely unlike ours.”

## Tribes

* Atrebates
* Belgae
* Brigantes
* Cantii
* Catuvellauni
* Coritani
* Cornovii
* Deceangli
* Dobunni
* Dumnonii
* Iceni, blended with Romans
* Ordovices
* Parisi
* Regnenses
* Silures
* Trinovantes