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Lords I -The Anglo-Saxon Invasion

The Lands of Lords I


Time: Ancient History and Early Middle Ages

Location: A group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the northwest coast of continental Europe, which would later be called the “British Isles.” In the nebulous realms of ancient Britain, the land was a tapestry of cultures woven together by the rhythms of nature.

Context:

The history of the British Isles began around 4000 B.C., when migrants began arriving from central Europe. About two thousand years ago, during the time of the Roman Empire, several tribes speaking Celtic dialects inhabited the British Isles.

The northern third of Britain was settled by a people known as the Picts, and the southern two-thirds were occupied by people called the Britons.

The Romans attempted to expand their civilization to control southern Britain, but were prevented from advancing further north by the Picts, who built Hadrian’s Wall to mark the northern border of their empire in AD 122. The Romans remained in Britain for almost four centuries (AD 43–c.410). While the Romans were present in Britain, they were unable to invade the north and subdue the Picts, who remained there unchallenged.

When the Romans left Britain in 410, the newly Christianized Britons (also called British Celts), who occupied the southern two-thirds of the island, quickly prospered amid lush forests and rolling hills. They lived in relative peace on the island, except for occasional raids by the Picts, the same people who had prevented the Romans from advancing north on the great island. The Britons, a people who slowly embraced the teachings of Christianity, sought solace in the new faith while still honoring their rich traditions. They were steeped in tradition and bound by kinship, cultivating the land and worshipping their Christian god under the open sky, led by the wise chief Carloman. He was renowned for his bravery in battle and his deep connection with the land.

To the north lived the Picts, fierce guardians of nature, their lives intertwined with the land and guided by the ancient wisdom of Druidism. The Picts were a proud, honourable and courageous people, and led by their righteous warrior chief Svarn, they remained in close harmony with nature, praising their pagan gods and dedicating themselves to defending their lands, traditions and families. They would later become the Highland people, leading to the formation of Scotland a few centuries later.

After the departure of the Romans, for years the Britons and Picts maintained a fragile peace, marked by skirmishes and misunderstandings, but they found a way to coexist. After this period of discord between the British and Pictish peoples, their chiefs settled into a period of peace and began to live in cordial and commercial relations. Together, they reveled in the beauty of their island, celebrating the changing seasons and the bounty of the land. However, as the north winds began to howl ominously, an unseen threat loomed on the horizon.

Then, in the early part of the fifth century, from across the sea, ships laden with Germanic tribes swooped across the waves, driven by an insatiable hunger for land and wealth (the Angles and Saxons from northern Germany and the Jutes from southern Denmark). Their arrival shattered the tranquility of the island, bringing chaos and destruction in its wake. The south-eastern and eastern coasts were soon under siege, the newcomers spreading terror like a dark shadow. These seafaring peoples sought new lands and wealth, driven by their own gods and ambitions.

Rumors of their pillaging raids sent shivers through the villages, prompting Carloman and Svarn to strengthen their defenses and prepare their warriors for the worst. Together, they would resist the encroaching darkness, protecting their lands and cultures from the chaos that sought to engulf them. At that moment, the heart of Britain beat stronger, united by the spirit of defiance and the hope of a brighter future.

Choose your leader from among the Britons or the Picts, maintain the alliance between them, explore the entire island and, in the name of our gods, attempt to drive the invaders from the island, changing the course of history.

But be careful! They are already at our gates!