Fiannria: Difference between revisions

==History==

Most of Fiannan history is referred to the region and peoples that make up Fiannria today. In the past, the region now known as Fiannria was called by many names, most prevalent being Gaullia and Culfra or the Culfras. WIP

Evidence of the first humans in the region that would make up modern Fiannria go back to around 13000 BC in the Late Paleolithic period. The ending of the last great Ice age and into the Mesolithic saw various proto-Celts small hunter-gatherer-fisher bands travel through the Fiannan lowlands and into the highlands. Semi-permanent fishing settlements, early pottery, and large burial sites are shown to have been established during this time

As the agricultural revolution sweeped its way across Levantia in the Neolithic period, permanent settlements, farming, animal husbandry and many megalithic monuments and structures began to dot the Fiannan landscape and stone tools became widely available through the settled region. Notably however, groups which had traveled deeper into the highlands maintained a pastoral society for quite some time still while those in the lowlands and closer to the coast were agriculturally based.

Around 2500 BC the Copper Age began sweeping through Levantia and metallurgy created an economic revolution for early Fiannan people who had access to a huge field of metal ores including gold. Early metalworking would prove to be a major part of the early Fiannan economy. This would continue by around 1700 BC with the outbreak of more advanced metallurgy of the Bronze age. During the Fiannan Bronze Age, came the sweeping of the Crannog culture, part of the early Feinii Celts who began building crannogs, cairns, and hillforts across settled lands now considered part of Fiannria. Religious practices also majorly revolved around wetlands and bogs at the time.

Before the Adonerii and Great Levantia's arrival to modern Fiannria. From around 700 BC and forward the feuding tribes of the now developed Celts divided into two subcultures, Cúchuliann Celts lived along the lowlands and coast while Feinic Celts lived in the interior and among the highlands. Trade had clearly been a major part of early Celts in Fianria since the Copper Age and this continued to be shown during the pre-Adonerii period. Development of druidic Celtic religion occurred early in this period.

The Latins of the Adonerii Empire called Great Levantia often referred to the land of modern Fiannria as ‘Gaul’, while the earliest Adoneric conquests of Gaul occured around 200 BC. The Levantine Empire would not conquer Gaul to the Western Mountain ranges and the Vandarch until around 50 BC. Before these conquests, Clan Confederations had spread across much of Fiannriga and was starting to reach Adonerii lands leading to much conflict. The Adonerii, by allying and promising much wealth to certain clans, subjugated much of modern Fiannria and would remain atleast partially in power until 487 AD when the last Adonerii rump state was conquered. During the Adoneric Iron Age, evidence shows a great increase in traded goods from across Levantia and an advancement in infrastructure, Adoneric roads, settlements, and aqueducts setting the building blocks for later civilization. A major construction of a series of fortifications and walls along western Fiannria defined Ultmar, the region beyond. Despite major inroads into modern Fiannriga, true Adonericization of the Celtic cultures there was limited to mostly the closer regions to Adoneric states. However, in the late Empire, one major Adonericization tool which would gradually spread across Fiannria was Christianity. However the conflict between the pagan homeland religion versus Christianity from Adoneria would prove to be complex with the collapse of the old Empire and arrival of Gothic peoples from across the Vandarch

During the Migration period, starting around 375 AD, Great Levantia faced many Gothic-Germanic and Slavic invaders from the west. During the decline of the Adonerii, Feinic Chrisitianity flourished, adapting the mythology and traditions of the Celtic peoples of Fiannria. However as part of the migration, clan confederations of Goths arrived on the southwestern coast of modern Fiannria, along the Vandarch and at first, began trade along the Alva River, one of the major rivers of northern Levantia. But eventually began invading from this river and onto the northern coast of Fiannria as well. This, along with the collapse of the Adoneric Empire, led to an upheaval of Celts, Gothic and Latin petty kingdoms ultimately replaced Great Levantian presence in Gaullia (Fiannria) entirely. The decayed institutions of Great Levantia were to varying levels success attempted to become preserved. The most successful places where Adoneric knowledge was preserved was in Feinic Christian Art and monasticism which gained great popularity during this time period. It was during this period that the Gaul region became the frontlines of conversion and pagan warlords between pagan Celts, Christian Latins and Celts, and the largely still pagan Goths or Geats.

Christianization continued to have varying degrees of success in the war embroiled region. By now most Celts had adopted Christianity but they were also being subjugated and driven south and east from expanding pagan kingdoms of Norogothic clans. Given the term of Reavers and Vikings, these Germanic people built Reaver Kingdoms along the entirety of the Fiannrian coast and made use of the coast and rivers and the Vandarch to raid across Levantia. However during this period also, the Kingdom of Gallwa located in the borderlands between the modern Deric States, Fiannria and Urcea had confederated many Celtic tribes under its own protection, expanding itself into an Empire under king Conchobar In the 750s, having conquered Urceopolis, in 761 Conchobar was crowned Emperor of the Levantines. Conchobar’s descendants would rule this Holy Levantine Empire and confront the Reaver Kingdoms until 917 after Emperor Brian III died and split the realm among his sons. Fiannria was considered part of the Eastern Kingdom, ruled by King Culmann (as called by contemporaries). However for a series of reasons that have yet to be fully understood, King Culmann, the eldest and holder of the most power, was denied the coronation as Emperor of the Levantines by the Pope.

===The Realm of Culmannia===

During this period, the term Gaul and Gallia was falling out of practice in the south where it was often referred to as such with the title referring to the King Culmann of old, calling it Culmannia and Culfra. In 1082 a series of edicts to enforce Holy Levantine Authority over Culfra legally feudalized the clans and created stem ducal titles tied to the land the various Gaelic and Norse-Gael clans lived on. While causing some protest, and chafing of Levantine authority over the Culfran lords, nothing significant came of this while the Tyn continued to meet and the Ardrike represented the affairs of Culfra. However in 1093, at the issuing of the Emperor or those close to the Emperor, the Ardrike was removed from his position and orders were issued for rule of the Emperor, abolishing the Aonach and Tyn. The Tyn met anyway the following year and openly discussed rebellion. The situation was tense even during the start of the Crusades of Sarpedon which Culfran dukedoms participated in. However during the Crusade, the situation at home boiled over and Culfran forces marched for Corcra, returning Culfran crusader veterans joined and the situation looked very likely a Culfran victory. However the Golden Bull of 1098 creating the Imperial Kingdom of Urcea, which joined with the Imperial forces defeated the rebellion near the end of that same year. However, punishments on the rebellion were rather light and many concessions were made for the Culfran princes. Brídhavn was named an electoral seat and most the Culfran Princes were welcomed back into the Imperial Diet with only moderate monetary reparations and oaths of loyalty. In Brídhavn, Emperor Carles II permitted the princes a new Aonach for the Electorate of Brídhavn, and choosing a man who and his descendants would be Magister Militum per Culmannia and hold the Archimarcellus High Office for the Empire as well as a Prince Elector. The man chosen was a dark horse candidate by many in the south. A Norse-Gael baron who had gained renown for his time in the Crusades and in the Culfran rebellion, Tormick Mac Iolor. Mac Iolor’s election and the period thereafter saw peace and a population boom in Culfra following the return of the Culfran Crusaders and Rebels leading a resurgence of art, scholasticism, Latinic studies, old Gaelic studies and adventurism. As well as a growing cultural unity of martial ability. These many factors led to the sprouting of the new Fianna, bands of landless wandering warrior-hunters which traveled by land and sea who would sell their service as mercenaries across Levantia and Sarpedon. As well the foundation of several Holy Orders with Culfran involvement.

In the mid 12th century, Tormick Mac Iolor’s son and the new Magister Militum per Culmannia, Harla Mac Iolor saw an opportunity. It was a period of antebellum in the crusades in Sarpedon and Audonia and backed Freadrikr O’Boen in the establishment of a new Holy Order, the Order of the Blood and Shield of Saint Bridget or Order of the Martyr’s Shield. A saint who, along with Saint Alsandr were patrons of Culfra. While initially sponsored and established in Sarpedon. The Holy Order, with backing from Mac Iolor and the Papacy began the Great Ultmaric Crusade. Crossing the mountains and wall that once guarded Great Levantia, young Culfrans, glory and wealth seekers, and Crusader veterans joined the Order of the Martyrs Shield in droves to challenge the Norsgeats and other Gothic Reaver kingdoms. The fighting against the northern pagans continued along the northern Vandarch well into the territory of the Slavs. Through the Ultmaric Crusade, the Order of the Martyr’s Shield became known by another name, the Ultmaric Order, which by papal orders established a temporal regime over the lands of the Reavers. In the aftermath of this Crusade, settling Gaels in lands of the Norse found the places they left being settled by Norse refugees. Meanwhile the first Gothic Christian aristocrats began to arise in the Ultmaric Order’s realm, proving to the Levantine Catholics that these pagans could be brought to the light. Setting the foundation for future Crusades in Gothica and Ultmar.

The peace and adventurism of the mid 12th to the early 13th centuries gave way to the crisis in the north called the Gallowglass Wars. While work to build constructive and peaceful synergy between the Latins, Gaels, Goths, and Slavs now under the Mac Iolor administration, arguments over cultural sentiments, ancestral lands and wealth often led to descension to chaos and fistfights in the annual Tyn, now called the Altyn. Attempts to institute smaller Tyns across regions of Culfra failed after the assassination of Gregair Mac Iolor by Culfran Princes opposed to the Prince-Electors political maneuvering to gain more control over the Culfran Princes. Gregair’s death sparked the first in a series of conflicts called the Gallowglass Wars or the Foreign Gael Wars. The collapse of the central authority of the Prince-Elector of Bridhavn with Gregair’s heir, Wualderic, a boy of five led to absolute chaos and warfare between Norse-Gaels, Goths, Slavs, Gaels, and Latins fighting amongst one another for any which reason from land to dominance. The Sack of Bridhavn in 1222 forced the main line of the Mac Iolor dynasty to extinction. With the Prince-Elector seat now up for grabs, the years of conflict was called to a sudden and uneasy truce for the first Altyn consisting of all Culfran princes since before the death of Gregair over a decade beforehand. The debates for the next Prince-Elector and Magister Militum nearly broke into open bloodshed several times over the course of two and half months which led to the support of two different heirs, Raemon af Derrickhalle and Alsandr Mac Magen. One the day the final vote was to be cast, Alsandr was stabbed by a Prince whose name was lost to the history books and the riot of fighting that broke out killed Raemon. The camps of the two dead heirs retreated from Bridhavn and met over a series of pitched battles across Culfra in the name of the two dead heir’s sons. During these battles, the fame of Culfran soldiers such as the Galllowglass, Kerns, Huskarls and Landschnekt met popularity alike to Deric Knights among the Empire. However it was a sea battle of Culfran birlinn longships that in truth ended the conflict when the Derrickhalle faction attempted to strike Bridhavn by sea to cut a decisive blow from behind the Mac Magen forces. However, a force of longships and birlinn made a desperate defense in the Shalla(name subject to change) Firth (the estuary gulf into Bridhavn) which saw an irrecoverable number of Derrickhalle supporters killed spelling victory for the mac Magens.