High Kingdom of Albreannidh
The High Kingdom of Albreannidh was a monarchy present on the island of Grenholl, which it controlled a sizable portion of. The High Kingdom commanded the loyalty of many petty kings, lords, and clans scattered across Western Grenholl. It has a long and rich history, and though its glory days are behind it, it may be possible for the clans to reunite once more should the Frostreach Empire be defeated.
History
The history of the High Kingdom of Albreannidh dates back to the 12th century SC, and has its roots in the Ceohlig Invasion Period, a time of great strife on Grenholl. Rapidly growing in power, the Ceohlig had gained a significant advantage in strength thanks to advances in magic (in collaboration with elves but also independently), acquiring new forging processes, and a rising population. One kingdom in particular had gained significantly more authority than the others, uniting many of the western Ceohlig tribes and landing forces on the island of Havvaf, which at that point was settled by a primarily Albreannach populace. The resulting chaos, from fleeting Albreannach clans to raiding bands deserting and striking out on their own, led to devastation along Grenholl's Inner Sea Coast. Raids by other Ceohlig clans overland and via sea were also devastating, and the powerful kingdom took advantage to land along the coast.
Hard pressed by raids, invasions, and refugee clans trying to assert new authority, many of the coastal and other western clans, petty kingdoms, and lordships banded together in 1149, under the so-called Albreannach Confederation. Initially a disunited force composed of many rivals and enemies forced to work together by a greater threat, the coalition was a very loose alliance and barely had the trappings of even the most disunited confederation. After several key defeats saw even more clans losing their lands, the various members realized that this state of affairs could not continue. They needed a strong leader to lay down the law and coordinate the clans, not a circle of men arguing. Elections were to be held for the position of High King, which were initially fair. However, the wealthy and influential Crosburn clan was able to influence the election via bribes, corruption, and promises, as well as bringing in several of the refugee clans and exploiting their votes. This allowed them to corral a plurality of the votes, coming out on top of the other candidates. The new High King made no secret of his corruption, but the other members could do little to contest this, having more concern about the greater threat.
The Crosburn clan immediately proved their worth, and with discipline (loosely) enforced, the Ceohlig threat began to lose battles. Increasingly, raiding clans were turned aside, the refugees stopped poring in as land was no longer being shed at extreme rates, and a focus on the main threat could be established. After the Battle of Bannockbury in 1160, the Ceohlig King was slain, and the threat of his kingdom began to recede as successors squabbled over the core lands, vassal tribes returned home to protect their domains, and Albreannach subjects swapped sides. This allowed Albreannidh to slowly march back to the sea, restoring lords and enshrining new ones, though Havvaf was outside of their reach. By strongarming both returning lords and those refugees from Havvaf who sought to become lords in the west as opposed to returning, the Crosburn clan managed to obtain favors and influence in an increasing amount of subjects, with many of these clans swearing direct fealty to them, rather than the office of the high king. This allowed them to control the elections.
In 1168, an invasion by the [cornish] was defeated, and counter-offensives saw new lands come under the control of Albreannidh. By using the same strategy as before, the Crosburn clan was able to make new titles in the conquered lands, forcing such lords to swear fealty to them instead of the high king's office if they wanted these titles. After 1168, this meant that over half of the members of the kingdom were direct vassals of the Crosburn clan, and they used this influence to abolish the elections in exchange for certain privileges given to their subjects. Following this, the High Kingdom began expanding, forcing clans to swear fealty and invading and deposing ther leadership if they refused. Their lands would then be split among loyal Crosburn allies, as a reward for their service. Using this strategy, which was often slow and burdensome, allowed the Crosburn to enrich their dynasty, but it was not ideal for building a long-lasting state. By the time the final mainland clans acceded to the kingdom in 1322 SC, the High Kingdom was already a shell of its former self, a bureacratic nightmare and filled with corruption, bribery, and arbitrary land and clan distribution that often caused huge amounts of lost revenue. Many of the more powerful lords, especially those aligned closely with the High Kings, acted with impunity and bullied weaker clans or sold out to others in exchange for power.
Such things were so obvious to outsiders that it prompted an invasion by the Frostreach Empire. Frostreach had already snapped up several of the outerlying islands and subjugated their clans, as well as launching raids occasionally, in the north, but in 1347 their forces landed- and stayed. Over the next hundred years, a grueling war of influence was waged between the High Kings, their increasingly autonomous subjects, and the Empire. Increasingly, Frostreach came to control almost the entirety of the Albreannach lands, extracting resources and warriors to feed their other campaigns. The Corsburn, their strongholds in lands not conquered by Frostreach, remained High Kings, but with little to no authority. Eventually, they would sell the title to the closely related and heavily intermarried Sinclair clan, who became the new High Kings, and were payed little homage by anyone not aligned with the Crosburn, who still remained the power behind the throne.
Still, Frostreach was not an eternal Empire. As time dragged on and Frostreach began losing lands, first slowly and then rapidly, Grenholl became less tightly controlled, allowing regional lords to once more assert their autonomy. By 1590, Frostreach had lost their southern islands entirely, and the Albreannach had become increasingly unruly, prompting a wave of emigration of the Voðeren settlers, administrators, and soldiers present in Grenholl. First to leave were those in the east; the Inner Sea was rarely, if ever, safe to travel and there were few Voðeren there anyways. In the south, many fled to coastal bastions, while in the north they sailed back to Frostreach. Later, the central/inland regions of the island were departed as well, before Frostreach was reduced to a last few islands and enclaves along the coast and just off-shore of Grenholl. These final few enclaves were swamped by refugees, forever altering their culture, and several have even stood the test of time. These enclaves would all become independent by 1619, marking the final withdrawl of Frostreach from Grenholl.
This should have been cause for celebration in the High Kingdom, but times were tough. The swift withdrawl of what had been the main peacekeeping force allowed bandits to run rampant and raiders to proliferate. Their numbers were swelled by the food crisis that struck the lands; many of the Voðeren had looted the countryside as they left, carrying off valuables and, critically, the harvests. This left little food to go around, causing famine. To make matters worse, the withdrawl of Frostreach marked the start of the Golden Era of Raiding- Frostreach may have been gone, but the Voðeren certainly weren't. The political situation was further complicated by neverending war between the various clans, lords, and petty kingdoms which arose from the ashes; new clans rising alongside old ones trying to reassert power. The High Kingdom continued to be in disarray, the Sinclair having neither the prestige or troops to quell the autonomous clans. Still, nearly all the rising lords and clans continued to acknowledge the nominal authority of the High Kings, drawing them into disputes and wars as their fortunes waxed and waned. This situation continued unabated for several centuries until the Sinclair dynasty was devastated by a mysterious illness that killed many leading male members and left the title of High King in Crosburn hands once more. This lasted a mere 14 years before the Empire of Frostreach returned to the island. Forces bolstered by his alliance with the Telrai of Numoanu, the young and ambitious Emperor Gorm landed on Grenholl with intent to conquer the whole island. The Crosburn High King, proud and arrogant, marched his forces north to defend his subjects. His goal was to reaffirm the Crosburn authority by routing the invaders. However, he underestimated the power and tactical ability of Gorm, and his forces were totally routed within the year. Fleeting to the Crosburn lands, he was imprisoned by the Sinclair en route, at the behest of his cousin, who claimed himself to be the new High King. This was met with derison by the other clans, and apart from a few loyalists like the Sinclair, the High Kingdom is devoid of allies, most clans having finally renounced their loyalty.
Hard pressed by raids, invasions, and refugee clans trying to assert new authority, many of the coastal and other western clans, petty kingdoms, and lordships banded together in 1149, under the so-called Albreannach Confederation. Initially a disunited force composed of many rivals and enemies forced to work together by a greater threat, the coalition was a very loose alliance and barely had the trappings of even the most disunited confederation. After several key defeats saw even more clans losing their lands, the various members realized that this state of affairs could not continue. They needed a strong leader to lay down the law and coordinate the clans, not a circle of men arguing. Elections were to be held for the position of High King, which were initially fair. However, the wealthy and influential Crosburn clan was able to influence the election via bribes, corruption, and promises, as well as bringing in several of the refugee clans and exploiting their votes. This allowed them to corral a plurality of the votes, coming out on top of the other candidates. The new High King made no secret of his corruption, but the other members could do little to contest this, having more concern about the greater threat.
The Crosburn clan immediately proved their worth, and with discipline (loosely) enforced, the Ceohlig threat began to lose battles. Increasingly, raiding clans were turned aside, the refugees stopped poring in as land was no longer being shed at extreme rates, and a focus on the main threat could be established. After the Battle of Bannockbury in 1160, the Ceohlig King was slain, and the threat of his kingdom began to recede as successors squabbled over the core lands, vassal tribes returned home to protect their domains, and Albreannach subjects swapped sides. This allowed Albreannidh to slowly march back to the sea, restoring lords and enshrining new ones, though Havvaf was outside of their reach. By strongarming both returning lords and those refugees from Havvaf who sought to become lords in the west as opposed to returning, the Crosburn clan managed to obtain favors and influence in an increasing amount of subjects, with many of these clans swearing direct fealty to them, rather than the office of the high king. This allowed them to control the elections.
In 1168, an invasion by the [cornish] was defeated, and counter-offensives saw new lands come under the control of Albreannidh. By using the same strategy as before, the Crosburn clan was able to make new titles in the conquered lands, forcing such lords to swear fealty to them instead of the high king's office if they wanted these titles. After 1168, this meant that over half of the members of the kingdom were direct vassals of the Crosburn clan, and they used this influence to abolish the elections in exchange for certain privileges given to their subjects. Following this, the High Kingdom began expanding, forcing clans to swear fealty and invading and deposing ther leadership if they refused. Their lands would then be split among loyal Crosburn allies, as a reward for their service. Using this strategy, which was often slow and burdensome, allowed the Crosburn to enrich their dynasty, but it was not ideal for building a long-lasting state. By the time the final mainland clans acceded to the kingdom in 1322 SC, the High Kingdom was already a shell of its former self, a bureacratic nightmare and filled with corruption, bribery, and arbitrary land and clan distribution that often caused huge amounts of lost revenue. Many of the more powerful lords, especially those aligned closely with the High Kings, acted with impunity and bullied weaker clans or sold out to others in exchange for power.
Such things were so obvious to outsiders that it prompted an invasion by the Frostreach Empire. Frostreach had already snapped up several of the outerlying islands and subjugated their clans, as well as launching raids occasionally, in the north, but in 1347 their forces landed- and stayed. Over the next hundred years, a grueling war of influence was waged between the High Kings, their increasingly autonomous subjects, and the Empire. Increasingly, Frostreach came to control almost the entirety of the Albreannach lands, extracting resources and warriors to feed their other campaigns. The Corsburn, their strongholds in lands not conquered by Frostreach, remained High Kings, but with little to no authority. Eventually, they would sell the title to the closely related and heavily intermarried Sinclair clan, who became the new High Kings, and were payed little homage by anyone not aligned with the Crosburn, who still remained the power behind the throne.
Still, Frostreach was not an eternal Empire. As time dragged on and Frostreach began losing lands, first slowly and then rapidly, Grenholl became less tightly controlled, allowing regional lords to once more assert their autonomy. By 1590, Frostreach had lost their southern islands entirely, and the Albreannach had become increasingly unruly, prompting a wave of emigration of the Voðeren settlers, administrators, and soldiers present in Grenholl. First to leave were those in the east; the Inner Sea was rarely, if ever, safe to travel and there were few Voðeren there anyways. In the south, many fled to coastal bastions, while in the north they sailed back to Frostreach. Later, the central/inland regions of the island were departed as well, before Frostreach was reduced to a last few islands and enclaves along the coast and just off-shore of Grenholl. These final few enclaves were swamped by refugees, forever altering their culture, and several have even stood the test of time. These enclaves would all become independent by 1619, marking the final withdrawl of Frostreach from Grenholl.
This should have been cause for celebration in the High Kingdom, but times were tough. The swift withdrawl of what had been the main peacekeeping force allowed bandits to run rampant and raiders to proliferate. Their numbers were swelled by the food crisis that struck the lands; many of the Voðeren had looted the countryside as they left, carrying off valuables and, critically, the harvests. This left little food to go around, causing famine. To make matters worse, the withdrawl of Frostreach marked the start of the Golden Era of Raiding- Frostreach may have been gone, but the Voðeren certainly weren't. The political situation was further complicated by neverending war between the various clans, lords, and petty kingdoms which arose from the ashes; new clans rising alongside old ones trying to reassert power. The High Kingdom continued to be in disarray, the Sinclair having neither the prestige or troops to quell the autonomous clans. Still, nearly all the rising lords and clans continued to acknowledge the nominal authority of the High Kings, drawing them into disputes and wars as their fortunes waxed and waned. This situation continued unabated for several centuries until the Sinclair dynasty was devastated by a mysterious illness that killed many leading male members and left the title of High King in Crosburn hands once more. This lasted a mere 14 years before the Empire of Frostreach returned to the island. Forces bolstered by his alliance with the Telrai of Numoanu, the young and ambitious Emperor Gorm landed on Grenholl with intent to conquer the whole island. The Crosburn High King, proud and arrogant, marched his forces north to defend his subjects. His goal was to reaffirm the Crosburn authority by routing the invaders. However, he underestimated the power and tactical ability of Gorm, and his forces were totally routed within the year. Fleeting to the Crosburn lands, he was imprisoned by the Sinclair en route, at the behest of his cousin, who claimed himself to be the new High King. This was met with derison by the other clans, and apart from a few loyalists like the Sinclair, the High Kingdom is devoid of allies, most clans having finally renounced their loyalty.
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