Cornwall

> My son,
>
>
> We are of one people, but two branches, separated
> in the Fall of Troy long ago, and while we have
> shared many trials and tribulations since, we still
> trace our descent to our greatest hero, Corineus.
>
>
> Corineus was our king, in those past times. Corineus
> was sober-minded, wise in counsel, great in
> courage and audacity. No man could defeat him in
> martial feats. And his strength was such that he could
> wrestle with giants, throwing them as if they were
> merely boys.
>
>
> When Brutus and his followers sailed to our shores,
> they carried with them a prophesy of a great nation
> they would build on an island in the Atlantic Ocean,
> a place where the sons of Troy would rise again. Brutus
> begged Corineus and his people to join in this destiny,
> and such was his passion that it convinced Corineus
> and our ancestors.
>
>
> We sailed around Hispania, and landed in Aquitaine
> for supplies. The inhabitants of that land made
> war upon us. However, Corineus inflicted such slaughter
> upon them with his battle-axe that they fled in
> terror from him, causing him to exclaim:
>
>
> “Where are you making for, you cowards?
>
>
> Where are you running to, you slackers?
>
>
> Turn back! Turn back, I say and do battle with Corineus! Shame on you!
>
>
> You are so many thousands and yet you run away from me, who is just one!
>
>
> Take at least this comfort in your flight: that it is I, Corineus, who is after you —
>
>
> I who often drive in confusion before me the giants of Earth, thrusting them down to Hell!”
>
>
> We gathered rich spoils and new supplies from Aquitaine,
> and then set sail again.
>
>
> Finally, the fleet reached this island, called Albion
> after the King of the Giants that Hercules slew. Giants still lived here, and we made war on them until they
> withdrew to remote regions of the island. Corineus
> delighted in wrestling with the giants, and threw one
> of them, Gogmagog, off a cliff now known as Gogmagog’s
> Leap.
>
>
> Corineus received for his share the peninsula
> named after himself, Cornwall, and settled it with his
> followers. The hard land produced a hard people.
> Over time, we grew too numerous, and strife was
> looming. Rather than kill one another, we split into
> two tribes: Cornovii and Dumnonii. Cornovii, carrying
> their heritage in their name, migrated northward
> into Cambria, while we stayed in Cornwall.
>
>
> When the Romans came after King Lucius’s death,
> we saw that more could be gained from cooperating
> with the Romans, and in return, they left us alone.
> Just one fortress they built, at Exeter, but otherwise
> we continued with our old ways. Perhaps the Romans
> were afraid of the giants that still roam our moors
> and hills. Thus, we remained a free people, and cared
> little when the Romans left for good.
>
>
>
> We Dumnonii follow our own king, answering only to the High King, not to the King of Logres. The other Cymri call us Cornishmen, after our land and our founder, and we take pride in that name, too.
>
>

Cornwall is the westernmost part of southern Britain. It consists of Ascalon, Lyonesse, Tintagel, Totnes, and sometimes Jagent. The Cornishman’s world was one where neither the ancient British nor Rome had ever fully conquered the area, due to its relative infertility, its extensive moors, and a profusion of fantastic creatures.

Nonetheless, when the Romans selected their first British Senate, also called the Supreme Collegium, it still held 3 of the 28 seats, placing it far from the original footing that Corineus held with Brutus. The Irish were the most common raiders throughout the region and had established a land settlement as well.

The countryside of Cornwall is well populated with moors and treacherous pathways. Surprisingly, many fantastic creatures can be found here as well as the most famous of them all ~ giants. When Brutus and Corneus arrived, these creatures were many, but over the years, have decreased as the Cymri, especially Cornishmen, have hunted them. Many have wondered if the other side lies close to Cornwall as mysterious events have always happened.

## Jagent Picts

During the time of the Roman Empire, two walls were established to wall off the hostile Picts. The southern one, Hadrian’s Wall, proved successful and allowed four tribes to entrench themselves north of it. A second wall, Antonine Wall, was later built north of them, but was abandoned. The area of the North includes all lands north of Hadrian’s Wall, so both of these areas are considered under one heading, but separated by culture. Between the walls (Antonine and Hadrian) were the ‘British’ tribes. Further north were the Picts. Theirs was a world where Rome had never conquered them. This was a land of tribes who were constantly raiding, skirmishing, and warring.

Two Pictish tribes moved south to Jagent on Constans’ decree (based on Vortigern’s advice), to fight against the Irish in Cornwall in exchange of rich woodlands. The Jagent Picts have been civilized by the continued contact with the higher culture of Logres, but they are still distinct from the Britons. Although the Picts use a tribal structure in which the age of majority is 15, because the Jagent Picts move south very early and assimilate, for the most part, to Cymri customs, we ignore the differences in this book.

## History of the Region

### 11th century prior era vulgaris

**c. 1100 p.e.v.:** 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 after himself as Britain 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.

### 2nd century prior era vulgaris

**c. 200:** A succession dispute in Cornwall leads to the tribe splitting to the Dumnonii branch, who stay in Cornwall, and the Cornovii, who migrate out of Cornwall, and settle in the Upper Severn valley, in 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 100,000 Romans and Britons are slaughtered in the sacking of Camulodunum, Londinium and Verulamium. With the help of the Romans led by the future Emperor Vespasian, King Arviragus defeats the rebellion, and grants Romans the southeastern Logres as their own.

### 2nd century era vulgaris

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

**189:** King Lucius dies heirless, and the Britons fight amongst themselves. Romans under Senator Septimius Severus take over the island, apart from Caledonia, to restore order. A wall is built to keep the wild Caledonians away.

### 3rd century era vulgaris

**c. 210:** The Constitutio Antoniniana makes all free Roman subjects to be Roman citizens.

**c. 250–275:** Carausius revolts and establishes himself as King of Britain. Allectus, another Roman, suppresses the rebellion and makes himself king. The King of Cornwall, Asclepiodotus, defeats Allectus in turn, seizing power from the Romans.

**c. 275:** Emperor Diocletian starts persecuting Christians. King Asclepiodotus, seeking Emperor Diocletian’s favor, starts persecuting Christians, too. St. Albans is martyred in Verulamium, which thenceforth is called St. Albans in honor of the Martyr. Duke Coel of Camulodunum rebels against King Asclepiodotus, kills him and takes the crown for himself. King Coel takes power and halts the persecutions.

**c. 280:** Senator Constantius Chlorus sails to Britain with his legions to restore it to Roman power. King Coel offers his daughter and heiress, Helen, in marriage to this great Roman general. King Coel dies soon thereafter, and Constantius Chlorus becomes new King of the Britons. He orders fortifications built on the southeastern coast to protect the island from the rise of Saxon pirates.

### 4th century era vulgaris

**306:** Constantine the Great, the son of King Constantius Chlorus and Queen Helen, 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.

**378:** 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.

**383-88:** King Macsen Wledig takes his legions and his Cymric followers into Gaul, slays Emperor Gratian, and rules the Empire. King Dionotus of Cornwall acts as the regent in Britain, and sends Cornish wives to the British troops that have settled in Armorica, now known as Brittany. He gives his daughter, Ursula, in marriage to King Conan Meriadoc of Brittany. However, stripped of armed men, Britain is preyed upon by barbarian invaders.

**388:** Emperor Macsen Wledig sends Gratian Municeps with two legions to garrison Britain. They chase away the invaders. 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.) Once news reaches Britain, Gratian Municeps seizes power in Britain, killing the Regent, King Dionotus.

**395:** Britons rise up against the tyrant, Gratian, and kill him. They appeal to Rome for help against the renewed barbarian raids.

**398:** Count Stilicho comes to Britain and reorganizes British defenses decimated by the Macsen Wledig debacle.

### 5th century era vulgaris

**405:** Britain is stripped of its garrison to protect Italy against barbarian invasions. Raids by Saxons, Picts and Irish start almost straight away.

**410:** The Supreme Collegium sends a letter to Rome begging for help as the invaders are back and the tribes are fighting among themselves. Rome replies, telling them to “look to your own defense.”

**411-415:** Roman government in Britain is violently overthrown, with many officials killed. Britain is torn by riots: poor against rich, town against country, Roman against native, Roman Christians against British Christians, and tribe against tribe. Barbarians raid the coastlines.

**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 2000 soldiers, marries a British princess, and becomes the High 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.

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

**439:** The Irish raid, a giant causes local problems, and the High King leads troops into battle.

**440:** During this year, King Constantin is murdered by one of his own guards, an Atrebates knight. Meanwhile the Irish extend their holdings in Demetae lands. In Jagent, the Irish invasion overwhelms the local inhabitants.

**441:** A call goes out and the Supreme Collegium is summoned to raise up a new high king, but either they never meet or can’t agree this year. However, Dux Vortigern practically drags Prince Constans from his books in the monastery and he becomes King of Logres. In Cornwall, the Durotriges abandon Jagent due to the losses sustained in last year’s battle with the Irish and settle in Dorsette.

**442:** The Supreme Collegium convenes and after a long debate, elects King Constans as the new High King of Britain. King Constans is a young, bookish type, being young and raised in a monastery, so he relies on his uncle, Dux Vortigern, for advice. One of the first decrees is the movement of two Pictish tribes, the Holly-Wearing Decantae and the Ce Ap Gilgedi from Caledonia to now abandoned Jagent having accepted Vortigern’s offer to shore up defenses against the Irish. In addition, some Caledonian Picts are hired to be the High King’s bodyguards. The relocated Picts find Jagent is much to their liking. Dux Vortigern provides them with tools, grain and livestock as gifts, to replace whatever they may have left behind and to help them raise crops in Jagent. He is a good friend to the Picts.

**443:** Vortigern wines and dines the Picts. One night, Constans is murdered by his Pictish bodyguards. Dux Vortigern immediately has all the bodyguards beheaded. Word comes back to Jagent that Vortigern promises to lead retaliatory raids into Caledonian Pictland. After much debate, Dux Vortigern is selected to be King of Logres.

The Irish raid heavily in Cornwall, attacking Cymri and Picts alike. However, when the news of the treachery of the Pictish bodyguards arrives to Cornwall, the Cymri send raiding parties of their own against the Picts. Many of the Picts who lost family in the bodyguards are angry and feeling betrayed by the Cymri, especially Vortigern, but others are counselling patience: not only are the facts of the case unclear, but the surrounding Cymri, if given a good reason to, might wipe out the Picts.

**444:** The Picts stage a massive invasion, with their armies occupying much of the north and bands of raiders penetrating all the way into Logres. Rather than risk a great loss, King Vortigern orders his armies to dig in and garrison their homes and holdings. Cornwall is subject to raids from the Irish while the rest of Britain defends against the furious Picts. There appears to be small bands that even penetrate into Cornwall as the aftermath of raids show. Some of the Jagent Picts raid back in revenge, but are careful not to get caught. They are careful to stage the attacks so that they can be blamed on the Caledonian Picts.

**445:** The Picts continue their massive invasion, with their armies occupying much of the north and bands of raiders penetrating all the way into Logres. King Vortigern orders his armies to defend and he sends appeals for help to the continent. Dumnonia is subject to raids from the Irish. The King of Dumnonia sends emissaries to ask for help from King Budec of Brittany, who does send some warriors to help to stem the Irish tide. Jagent is more peaceful, but there are some monsters in the woods.

**446:** King Vortigern, realizes he needs assistance against the furious Picts, and in good Roman fashion, hires new barbarians to fight the old barbarians. Vortigern notifies the Collegium he is giving the Saxons the Isle of Thanet in Kent in exchange for military assistance as foederates. He encourages the Saxons to send for more reinforcements. Thus reinforced, the British army marches north against the Picts. Battle is met near the city of Linden Pool, and it is a great victory for the British. Closer to home, the Irish of Lyonesse are brought to battle at Bodmin Moor by the Dumnonii and Breton warriors who come to help. The Picts, for the most part, leave to fight at Linden Pool; loyalists fight for Vortigern while dissidents fight on the side of the Caledonian Picts.

**447:** During this time, High King Vortigern spares his own army, using the Saxons to drive the Picts out of the north while trying to solidify Cambria against the Irish.

The British celebrate. As a result of the great victory over the Picts, the Supreme Council elects Vortigern to be the next High King, even though the King of the Dumnonii argues against it. He awards the Saxons with the Isle of Thanet as foederates. More Saxons come to Britain, including many families, and Hengest’s daughter, Rowena, becomes a favorite at Vortigern’s court. The lands of Britain are relatively quiet.

**448:** Saxons continue to come from the continent. The Irish do not raid this year (a memorable event!). Court discussions still include the topic of the Irish ~ how to remove them. Vortigern counsels waiting until he arranges more help to arrive, as his Saxons mercenaries are still busy in the North. The local Picts are still somewhat troubling, but they seem to enjoy raiding, so the Dumnonii help them raid the local Irish.

**449:** Vortigern again counsels waiting until he arranges help to arrive. Word arrives back that the High King and Rowena, the Saxon chief ’s daughter, are one in heart and maybe that is one reason he is not helping, being too busy with his mistress.

**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, marries her this year in a lavish celebration. Hengest receives the Cantii Civitas as her bride price and renames it Kent. The leader of the Cantii is executed for high treason when he objects to the robbery of half of his people’s lands. Now whispers truly start: Vortigern prefers the company of the savage Saxons over the civilized Britons, his own kind. Who is next to lose their head to make room for more Saxons? The King of the Dumnonii is especially troubled by Vortigern’s brutality and continued disinterest in helping the Dumnonii.

**451:** News from the continent that the Huns, led by their king, Attila, reached the walls of Rome itself but were unable to storm or besiege it. Some say the Huns were stopped because they lacked siege engines, others that they failed because of the pope’s piety. After failing to smash or bluff Rome into submission, the Hun army turns to Gaul for pillage and plunder, scouring the land of its wealth, slaughtering as it goes. The commander in Gaul, Aetius, sends for help from all who will send it. Vortigern sends a contingent comprised of many who do not agree with his policies. The allied army meets the Huns at Chalons, where the Huns are defeated and driven from Europe. While many go overseas to fight the Huns, the Irish take the opportunity to increase raids, with more of them arriving from Ireland.

**452:** The Irish increase their raids, pushing the Dumnonii back. The Jagent Picts send warriors to help the Dumnonii. Many Dumnonii are accepting of the Picts and now see them as potential friends and allies. Some are willing to accept the Picts into their tribe and homes, and some Picts reciprocate. However, many others are tired of waiting for Vortigern and his promised help, so the King of the Dumnonii sends his son, Prince Riothamus, to request aid from King Budec of Brittany.

**453:** While the Irish continue raiding, Brittany sends its fleet to aid the Dumnonii against the Irish in Britain. The fleet is scattered by a storm as they are rounding the tip of Lyonesse, but the main force of the fleet manages to hold together and engage a fleet of the Irish warriors coming over from Ireland to raid the Dumnonii. The Irish reinforcements are defeated and sent fleeing back to Ireland, helping the Dumnonii to hold their own in Cornwall. As always, there are strange creatures to defeat as well as the Irish to fight.

**454:** The Dumnonii, reinforced by warriors from Logres and Jagent and thanks to the naval aid last year, are slowly pushing the Cornish Irish back. As such, the King of the Dumnonii decides they do not need more Breton aid this year.

**455:** Vortigern’s promised help comes to fruition this year. He moves the Cornovii from Cambria to Cornwall, and the Votadini from Caledonia to northern Cambria. The Irish in Cornwall (Lyonesse) are expelled by the Cornovii. Vortigern gives not only Lyonesse but also Totnes to the Cornovii as a reward. The Dumnonii are displaced from Totnes and crowd into Ascalon and Tintagel, understandably upset. Finally, Vortigern settles two new kingdoms of Saxons, Nohaut and Deira under Hengest’s and Horsa’s sons, Octa and Eosa, in Cumbria on lands confiscated from Cymri.

With the help of the Saxons, a major raid into Ireland occurs. These two events lead to a treaty ending the Irish threat from Ireland. The High King marries one of his daughters to the son of the Irish High King Loegaire.

**456:** The migrations continue. Towards the end of the year, word arrives that Vortimer and the eastern Britons are rebelling, but it is too late in the year to summon the army.

**457:** The eastern Britons continue their rebellion. The king summons his army, including the Saxons, and marches against them. A great battle ensues at Kent, in which the rebels are crushed. Vortigern gives the great lands of the Cantii tribe to his loyal Saxons. The Dumnonii use the distraction of the eastern rebellion to try and oust the Cornovii. However, with the help of the Picts of Jagent, the Cornovii defeat the Dumnonii, killing their King, and take over the Kingdom of Dumnonia. They rename it the Kingdom of Cornwall and dispossess the remaining Dumnonii nobility. Many Dumnonii commoners also flee, especially the refugees from Totnes. The Dumnonii do a mass exodus to Brittany under their Prince (now King) Riothamus, and found the Kingdom of Domnonie. King Riothamus marries the daughter of King Budec.

**458:** Many dissident Britons continue to depart from the island, moving with their families and possessions to Brittany. With the ouster of Riothamus and his Dumnonii, peace comes to Cornwall. The Picts slowly start adopting feudal attitudes regarding age of adulthood and raiding as a lifestyle, but many still follow their heathen ways, including raids. Vortigern starts reorganizing tribes into smaller units called counties, the better to collect income he says.

**459:** Vortigern continues reorganizing tribal lands in Logres. The exodus to Brittany continues for many Britons, but not Cornovii, who are busy consolidating their hold over the Dumnonii peasantry.

**460:** Peace and negotiations among most of the tribes. Vortimer musters the dissidents and rebels, plus some new tribes willing to fight. He especially works to get a fleet from the southern coastal tribes. High King Vortigern finishes breaking the tribes into smaller units known as counties. The King of Cornwall follows his example and officially establishes the counties of Lyonesse, Totnes, Tintagel and Ascalon. Jagent becomes its own county in the Kingdom of Logres. Vortigern orders the Picts to help the Kingdom of Cornwall in tracking down and eliminating a large group of Dumnonii bandits in the Blackdown Hills.

**461:** Vortimer re-energizes the British against the Saxons 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. Further north, 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. Some of the Jagent Picts go and fight as well.

**462:** The rebel Britons claim that the rule of King Vortigern has proved unwise and very oppressive in Logres, often favoring his Saxon mercenaries (and in-laws) over his lawful subjects. Vortimer’s rebellion, started last year, continues. The rebels win the day driving the Saxons out of Kent and back to Thanet. Vortimer claims his father’s crown, but he dies; rumor says he was poisoned by his step-mother, Rowena. Giants walk the land. Some fight the giants while others go to war.

**463:** Ostensibly to bring peace to all sides, Vortigern and Hengest call a council of all combatants to meet at Mount Ambrius for a feast of peace. Seeking reconciliation, almost all British knights attend. Surprising to all, the Jagent Pict leaders also attend. The Saxons prove their worth through great treachery, though, and the majority of the nobles of Britain (some three hundred) are slain in the “Night of Long Knives.” The King of Cornwall (Cornovii) dies with the other nobles at the Night of Long Knives. His will specifically states that his kingdom is divided between his two sons: the elder Ysgarran (Totnes, Tintagel and Ascalon) becomes the King of Cornwall, and the younger Meliodas (Lyonesse) becomes the King of Lyonesse, subservient to his elder brother.

With the British people now without leaders, the Saxons feel free to plunder/raid without fear of reprisals. However, the Picts are expert in becoming one with the forest and ambushing the Saxons instead

**464:** Vortigern is released and retreats to Gomeret. He starts building the impregnable tower of Ganarew. Unfortunately, the tower collapses each night so the workers have to start over each morning. Vortigern consults with wise men from all over including visiting the Jagent Picts. They tell him that he must sprinkle the blood of a fatherless youth on the foundation stones. The search for such a youth begins.

The Saxons send an army to claim Exe River. The Picts ambush and bleed the Saxons as they march through Jagent, but the army is too big for the Picts to stop it. The Cornovii refuse to give up Exeter and instead fight the Saxons. However, they lose the battle and are besieged by the Saxons in Exeter.

**465:** Saxons march back and forth across Britain, extracting tribute and plunder. Many more Britons flee the land. The youthful Merlin makes his appearance and begins his career by prophecy. Exe River is taken and sacked by a Saxon army led by Prince Æsc of Kent. King Ysgarran of Cornwall dies in the sack of the city. His son, Prince Idres, flees to his uncle, King Meliodas of Lyonesse.

**466:** Aurelius Ambrosius, son of the former King Constantin and brother of Constans, lands in Totnes with an army from Brittany and elsewhere. He carries a great banner with a red dragon on it. With him and returning home are Riothamus, King of Dumnonia, and Gorlois, a proven and fearsome Dumnonii warlord.

A Saxon army led by Prince Æsc of Kent tries to block his way to Logres at Exe River, but the Saxons are defeated and flee back to Kent. With the news of Aurelius’ landing and subsequent victory sweeping all across the land, discontented nobles muster their armies and join Aurelius’ army. Aurelius then marches across Cornwall and southwestern Logres, gathering supporters to his banner and subduing Vortigern loyalists in minor battles. Eldol of Glevum, the Hero of the Night of Long Knives, pledges his allegiance to Aurelius and joins in subduing Corinium, which had stayed loyal to Vortigern. Gorlois excels in these battles providing inspiration to those around him.

The Jagent Picts are split over whom they should support, mostly along tribal lines. The Holly-Wearing Decantae say they should follow Vortigern. It was he who brought them to this fertile land, showered them with gifts, and allowed them to prosper in a new land. The Ce Ap Gilgedi say they should follow Aurelius, the son of the original king. It was Vortigern who used them to kill Aurelius’ brother. It was he who lured their tribal and clan leaders to Mount Ambrius to die in treachery and the blood feud they have with his pets, the Saxons.

The discussion becomes an argument, then in the heat of the moment, a fist is thrown, then a dagger drawn. Soon, the entire landscape is swarming with a skirmish which erupts into a civil war among the Picts. The Pro-Vortigern faction eventually wins the day and the Pro-Aurelius tribe flees to Aurelius, fall on their knees and beseech him to accept them as loyal servants. Aurelius accepts them to his army, but as his main mission is to eliminate Vortigern and the Saxons, he simply marches through Jagent rather than spend time and men to root out the Pro-Vortigern Picts. He promises to restore them in Jagent after Vortigern is dealt with, in return for their allegiance, and assigns Gorlois to arrange sustenance and shelter for the Pictish families, and lead the warriors during the March.

**467:** Aurelius Ambrosius continues marching through the entire island concentrating on Cambria and the Logres Midlands, accepting the submission of those loyal to Vortigern. Many small skirmishes are fought, but no major battles. Locally, the Pro-Vortigern Picts continue to fight, raiding those loyal to Aurelius, both Cymri and Picts. As a result, Aurelius sends men to build a castle as a base to stop these attacks. A strong garrison is sent as well, which manages to stop the Picts from burning the castle down while it is being built.

**468:** Aurelius Ambrosius and his army pursue Vortigern and besiege him in his new castle on Mount Snowdon. Vortigern retreats to his tower which does prove impregnable. On the fourth day, a priest calls down fire from the heavens which burn both tower and Vortigern. His army scatters. Aurelius Ambrosius summons the Supreme Collegium, and they elect him High King of Britain. He takes the title of Pendragon (“high dragon” or “head dragon”), derived from his great battle banner.

Before the March, Aurelius had promised to restore the old Kingdom of Dumnonia to his most important ally, Riothamus. However, since the Cornovii did not fight Aurelius but helped him against the Saxons at Exe River, Aurelius’ harsh initial sentence is tempered. He arranges a compromise, whereby the Cornovii keep Lyonesse as their own vassal kingdom under Meliodas the Elder and Prince Idres gains a title of Prince of Totnes as part of the Kingdom of Cornwall, which goes to Riothamus. The name of the Kingdom remains Cornwall to differentiate it from the Kingdom of Domnonie (Dumnonia) in Brittany. The Dumnonii nobles returning from Brittany are restored in Ascalon and Tintagel, although some opt to resettle to Logres, if their own lands were in Totnes.

To seal the new arrangement, Riothamus marries his sister to Idres and names Idres as his heir presumptive, until he gets children of his own. Idres feels slighted by Aurelius, Riothamus and even Meliodas as he is now disinherited of his father’s kingdom, with only about a third of it remaining in his own control. Riothamus arranges with King Budec to settle the Cornovii nobles (and commoners) displaced by the returning Dumnonii nobility to the underpopulated part of Brittany. This area becomes known as the Kingdom of Cornouailles, after its primarily Cornovii inhabitants.

Gorlois is rewarded by being made the Duke of Cornwall by Aurelius. (Duke of Cornwall means that he is a duke in Logres, with the responsibility of guarding the border with Cornwall.) A new castle in the area is raised, to stop Pict raids. However, for now, Gorlois remains with Aurelius and his army.

**469:** Hengest gathers his Saxons and marches from Kent towards Cumbria to join with Octa and Eosa in Eburacum. However, Aurelius and his army catch up with Hengest. Two major battles occur and in the second, Hengest is captured and killed. Octa and Eosa swear fealty to Aurelius Ambrosius, and get to keep Nohaut and Deira as vassal kings. Æsc, the new King of Kent, continues to resist, but sends Rowena and Cerdic to their relatives in Saxony for safety. Even though many warriors did not join the March, the two battles look like it is a chance to finally break the Saxon hold on Britain. Thus, many warriors come to the battle anyways.

Aurelius also sends emissaries to the Pro-Vortigern Picts accompanied by some Pro-Aurelius Picts. The two tribes still show hatred and the emissaries are told in no uncertain terms that any possibility of alliance can only occur if Aurelius kills all the Picts in his army. Needless to say, the emissaries are appalled at this and leave. Aurelius promises justice, but not this year as he has to contend with the Saxons.

**470:** Aurelius reorganizes the tribal nobility into landholding barons with widely scattered landholdings, and appoints six dukes to oversee the regional defense of parts of the realm (called dukedoms). He introduces vassalage, where a vassal swears homage to a liege in order for the barons to have the loyalty of knights who belong to a different tribe. Thus, the knight’s loyalty is to his liege, not to his old tribe, and the old tribal affiliations and loyalties largely fade away as the result. Aurelius also gives Gorlois the mission to eliminate those Picts who will not swear allegiance to him. Gorlois gathers an army and with the help of the Pro-Aurelius Picts, brings the Pro-Vortigern Picts to battle. It is a crushing victory for Gorlois, with the few survivors hunted down without mercy by the Pro-Aurelius Picts. Those Picts who have become prisoners get a final chance to swear allegiance to Aurelius; those who refuse are executed.

Uther and Merlin invade Ireland in order to retrieve the altar and heel stones to add to Giants’ Dance on top of Mount Ambrius. The stones are re-erected as a memorial for those killed in the “Long Knives” treachery.

Aquitainians rampage through Gaul. Weak Roman authorities send out requests for help. King Riothamus, who had fought with and against the Aquitainians, answers the call. He leads many knights from Brittany and émigrés from Britain to fight the Aquitainians only to be met by an even larger army and slaughtered. With the news of Riothamus’ death reaching Cornwall, Prince Idres wastes no time to secure the Kingship of Cornwall. With many of the Dumnonii nobility dead with their king and with the right on his side, he is able to seize the control of Cornwall. However, the Dumnonii nobility refuses to accept him as their king. In Cornwall, they go to Duke Gorlois, to convince him to fight Idres.

**471:** Duke Gorlois calls upon the Dumnonii to rise up against Idres and many Picts join as well. The gathered army is met by the larger army led by King Idres amidst the Blackdown Hills. The broken, hilly ground is perfect for the Pictish scouts, and Idres’ army ends up being ambushed and defeated.

**472:** King Idres, unwilling to risk an open battle again, opts to garrison his castles and tries to wear Gorlois out. Duke Gorlois takes one castle after another, and crowns the year’s campaign by taking Exe River.

**473:** Early in the springtime, a marvelous event occurs. A ship, similar to the glorious ships Gorlois brought to Aurelius back in 466, arrives in Exe River. A beautiful lady, escorted by knights, steps off the ship. Duke Gorlois meets her at the pier and together they retire to his residence. Many then witness the marriage of Duke Gorlois and the Lady Ygraine. Many remark upon Ygraine’s beauty and wonder what arrangements behind closed doors allowed for this marriage to happen.

Æsc of Kent, reinforced by continental Saxons and confident of victory, marches into the Thames Valley. King Aurelius Ambrosius raises an army to resist, but loses the battle in a major Saxon victory. Gorlois concentrates on reducing the castles of Tintagel this year and raiding Totnes and Lyonesse. When the call comes that Saxons are preparing for war, Gorlois sends most of the Picts, but keeps the Dumnonii with him to fight Idres. Prince Uther later blames Gorlois for the defeat, by fighting for his own gain rather than for the High King.

**474:** With the Saxons of Kent roaming and pillaging Logres, High King Aurelius commands that the Cornish War has continued long enough: he wants it to end. A compromise is reached whereby Idres remains the King of a diminished Cornwall, consisting only of Totnes and Lyonesse, with Ascalon and Tintagel subsumed into Logres as part of the enlarged Duchy of Cornwall. This is a bit of a disappointment to many of the Dumnonii, who had hoped to finally defeat the Cornovii for good.

Margawse is born to Gorlois and Ygraine.

**475:** The Saxon fleet ravages the southern coast of Logres, and attacks Exe River. The city holds, thanks to its walls, giving Duke Gorlois time to gather an army. The Saxons are defeated and driven back to their ships.

**476:** King Idres launches an invasion of Domnonie, pursuing his claim as Riothamus’ heir. He lands in Cornouailles, where the local Cornovii settlers swear their allegiance to him, and then he marches into Domnonie. Thanks to years of oppression by the King of Vannetais, Domnonie welcomes King Idres as a liberator and the rightful king of Domnonie, to the disgust of many their Dumnonii kinsmen in the Duchy of Cornwall. King Idres gains the upper hand in Brittany, apparently thanks to his use of Frankish mercenaries to bolster his army.

The Saxons, apparently cowed by their failure last year at Exe River, limit themselves to just raiding the coasts of Cornwall.

Elaine is born to Gorlois and Ygraine.

**477:** Another Saxon king, Ælle, lands in southern Britain with a large army and takes over the area. Many of the peasants flee, but others are captured and enslaved. Ælle renames the land Suth Seaxe. Aurelius Ambrosius marches with his army to oppose the foe, who is reinforced at the last moment by the Saxons from Kent. Ambrosius is lucky to escape with his army. The Saxons remain.

**478:** For years, Aurelius Ambrosius has been building a fleet of ships in the ports of Cornwall. In this year, he musters his army and sets sail, sweeping around the southern coast, where he destroys the fleets of the Saxons in Britain. Gorlois follows Aurelius, but the Picts prefer staying on dry land. The Saxons in Britain begin vicious raiding in retaliation. Uther leads these battles against them.

**479:** King Idres is firmly in control of Domnonie, having driven the Vannetais occupiers away.

## People

* ??, the Abbot-bishop of Lookout Headland