Medieval Ardmore: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Ardmore medieval art.png|thumb|Knights from the Duchy of Rosmore during the Conquest of Wissel, 1455. ]]
[[File:Ardmore medieval art.png|thumb|Knights from the Duchy of Rosmore during the Conquest of Wissel, 1455. ]]
'''Medieval Ardmore''' is the history of the Kingdom of Ardmore during the medieval period, which extended in the islands from the 9th century to the early 17th century. Predating this period Ardmore was in the classical and tribal period. During this time, Ardmore was heavily influenced by [[Levantia|Levantian]] and [[Occidental world|Occidental]] influences, and these influenced the multitude of different duchies and counties on the islands, which had gradually evolved from the tribal and clan system that had been in place or centuries before hand. Arts, poetry, and music all developed independelty but with some influences from larger medieval states such as the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], where instruments and artisans travelled to Ardmore as its ports were considered friendly to foreign merchants and trade as they expanded in the [[Sea of Canete]].  
'''Medieval Ardmore''' is the history of the Kingdom of Ardmore during the medieval period, which extended in the islands from the 9th century to the early 17th century. Predating this period Ardmore was in the classical and tribal period. During this time, Ardmore was heavily influenced by [[Levantia|Levantine]] and [[Occidental world|Occidental]] influences, and these influenced the multitude of different duchies and counties on the islands, which had gradually evolved from the tribal and clan system that had been in place or centuries before hand. Arts, poetry, and music all developed independelty but with some influences from larger medieval states such as the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], where instruments and artisans travelled to Ardmore as its ports were considered friendly to foreign merchants and trade as they expanded in the [[Sea of Canete]].  


The Early period of Ardmore's medieval history consisted of a significant amount of infighting and a power struggle amongst dominant clans on the island as a feudal system emerged. Fighting lasted for decades, with the Kingdom of Ardmore beginning to take shape as duchies began to expand and intermarry, with wars becoming less frequent by the late 1100s. These duchies would eventually sit for the Council of Moear, where they anointed the Duke of Rosmore as the King of Ardmore. This period saw the consolidation of the remaining Ardmori duchies in the Duke's War, a series of conflicts that lasted 80-100 years (historical sources vary). After the consolidation of the Kingdom of Ardmore, the Rosmore Dynasty then conducted a campaign to conquer the Wissel Islands, a small series of islands to the Northeast of [[Ardmore Proper]]. By the end of 1600, Ardmore had emerged as a strong economic power owing to its flourishing ports and strong guilds, as well as the lack of open civil conflict in the last two centuries of the Kingdom's medieval history.  
The Early period of Ardmore's medieval history consisted of a significant amount of infighting and a power struggle amongst dominant clans on the island as a feudal system emerged. Fighting lasted for decades, with the Kingdom of Ardmore beginning to take shape as duchies began to expand and intermarry, with wars becoming less frequent by the late 1100s. These duchies would eventually sit for the Council of Moear, where they anointed the Duke of Rosmore as the King of Ardmore. This period saw the consolidation of the remaining Ardmori duchies in the Duke's War, a series of conflicts that lasted 80-100 years (historical sources vary). After the consolidation of the Kingdom of Ardmore, the Rosmore Dynasty then conducted a campaign to conquer the Wissel Islands, a small series of islands to the Northeast of [[Ardmore Proper]]. By the end of 1600, Ardmore had emerged as a strong economic power owing to its flourishing ports and strong guilds, as well as the lack of open civil conflict in the last two centuries of the Kingdom's medieval history.  
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=== Age of Raiders ===
=== Age of Raiders ===
[[File:Medieval Houses of Ardmore.png|thumb|Medieval Houses of Ardmore]]The Age of Raiders was a period of Ardmori history wherein the warring clans of the Ardmori Isles began to structure their houses and dynasties, as well as construct the first castles and longships. While traders and merchants from Levantia had long visited the islands due to their proximity to [[Calinthia]] and [[Urcea]], Ardmore was largely seen as a backwater area with no significant economic value and was not strategic enough to merit conquest. Ironically, these two factors would be the largest contribution to Ardmore's continued independence until the [[Ardmori Civil War]]. Ardmore's clans were loosely organized around extended families and functioned as cooperative organizations, having a common set of shared values of honour and a strict code of discipline for social hierarchy. This over time progressed into formalized structures where a feudal structure emerged, much akin to those already existing in the Holy Levantine Empire.  
[[File:Medieval Houses of Ardmore.png|thumb|Medieval Houses of Ardmore]]The Age of Raiders was a period of Ardmori history wherein the warring clans of the Ardmori Isles began to structure their houses and dynasties, as well as construct the first castles and longships. While traders and merchants from Levantia had long visited the islands due to their proximity to [[Calinthia]] and [[Urcea]], Ardmore was largely seen as a backwater area with no significant economic value and was not strategic enough to merit conquest. Ironically, these two factors would be the largest contribution to Ardmore's continued independence until the [[Ardmori Civil War]]. Ardmore's clans were loosely organized around extended families and functioned as cooperative organizations, having a common set of shared values of honour and a strict code of discipline for social hierarchy. This over time progressed into formalized structures where a feudal structure emerged, much akin to those already existing in the Holy Levantine Empire.  
To amass wealth and capture livestock, both of which were difficult to obtain on the islands due to their rocky and non-arable nature, the Houses of Ardmore would conduct land raids against Urcea and Calinthia. The former however had a significant military presence and was drastically less likely to be raided as the nobility and warriors of the Ardmori Isles saw it as a dangerous adventure from which they were unlikely to return. One of Ardmore's first great heroes, Pádraig MacDowell, a low noble of House Kilkken, was killed and his half dozen ships razed on the Urcean coast in 877, which was considered to be one of the last raids against the Urcean coastline. Raids in Calinthia were usually undertaken by six to ten longships, each carrying approximately forty warriors. The raids usually avoided larger urban centres and fortifications, instead focusing on small religious places of worship and villages, where the raiders could successfully pillage and return to their ships unchallenged. The practice of mainland raiding gradually disappeared by the late 900s, as infighting amongst Ardmori houses had required warriors to defend their homes on the Isles.  
To amass wealth and capture livestock, both of which were difficult to obtain on the islands due to their rocky and non-arable nature, the Houses of Ardmore would conduct land raids against Urcea and Calinthia. The former however had a significant military presence and was drastically less likely to be raided as the nobility and warriors of the Ardmori Isles saw it as a dangerous adventure from which they were unlikely to return. One of Ardmore's first great heroes, Pádraig MacDowell, a low noble of House Kilkken, was killed and his half dozen ships razed on the Urcean coast in 877, which was considered to be one of the last raids against the Urcean coastline. Raids in Calinthia were usually undertaken by six to ten longships, each carrying approximately forty warriors. The raids usually avoided larger urban centres and fortifications, instead focusing on small religious places of worship and villages, where the raiders could successfully pillage and return to their ships unchallenged. The practice of mainland raiding gradually disappeared by the late 900s, as infighting amongst Ardmori houses had required warriors to defend their homes on the Isles.  


multiple clans begin to consolidate gains
It was as the Age of Raiders gradually gave way to increasing levels of border skirmishes and the creation of an established landed gentry and the Occidental and Levantine practice of knighthoods spilled into the Ardmori Isles and mixed with the existing local culture. During this period - informal borders were decreed and roughly agreed upon, but the lack of a King or Emperor meant that these flexible and loosely agreed upon divisions created problems for centuries.
 
largest army ~5,000
raids into Calinthia
 
limited raids into urcea
 
cross island raiding
=== North Island War ===
=== North Island War ===
[[File:North Island War Map.png|thumb|A map of the battles and sieges of the North Island War (933-981). Light blue line represented the pre-war territory, with dark blue the post-war gains by the Duchy of Rosmore.]]
The first major outbreak of conflict occurred as the North Island War, lasting from 933-981. The Duchy of Rosmore, under Duke Conn Rose, was determined to capture the strategic eastern port town of Granway, and subjugate the County of Kilinmuir under their rule, in a bid to expand their influence over the entirety of the North Island. The House of Rose, the ancestral rulers of both the Western portions of the North Island as well as limited fishing villages on the Western Ardmori Isles, had long been unfriendly with the Clan O'Coffey, who made up the bulk of the County of Kilinmuir's nobility. Border wars, clashes over fishing rights, and cross-territorial raids had long plagued both clans, with written histories cataloguing the animosity as far back as the 400s. 
Con Rose began his war with a large raid against Kilinmuir settlements in the central highlands of the North Island during the summer of 933, razing a half dozen and raising the Red Lion banner over the most prominent, which was a half day's ride from Ballyhill, a major military encampment for the County of Kilinmuir. Kilinmuir's response was their own raids during the summer of 934. These raids and occasional small clashes of a few hundred warriors finally culminated in a major force on force engagement at the Battle of Ballyhill in 939. 
{| class="wikitable"
|+Military Strengths of the North Island War
!Allegiance
!Men
!Horse
!Losses
|-
|Rosmore
|3,300
|450
|500
|-
|Kilimuir
|2,200
|200
|~700 (sources vary)
|-
|Wissel
|~800
|0
|200
|}
Duchy of Rosmore v. County of Kilinmuir + County of Wissel support County of K
Duchy of Rosmore v. County of Kilinmuir + County of Wissel support County of K
933-981
933-981
First use of siege equipment
First use of siege equipment


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[[File:CoA Ardmore.png|thumb|Coat of Arms of Major and Minor houses of the Ardmori Kingdom. ]]
[[File:CoA Ardmore.png|thumb|Coat of Arms of Major and Minor houses of the Ardmori Kingdom. ]]
Duchy of Rosmore
Duchy of Rosmore
Duchy of Kilikken
Duchy of Kilikken
Duchy of Dunval
Duchy of Dunval


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[[Category:Ardmore]]
[[Category:Ardmore]]
[[Category:IXWB]]
[[Category:IXWB]]
{{Template:Award winning article}}
[[Category:2023 Award winning pages]]