Anglasweorc: Difference between revisions

The [[Nordmontaine War]] which destroyed the Kingdom of the Ænglish saw the final end of the weorc in its original conception. As the Ænglish lost field battles and major sieges and the forces of the [[Emperor of the Levantines]] continued to advance, some of the Ænglish nobility held out in the castles of the weorc at the conclusion of the war, many of which were dilapidated by the time of the 1540s. These castles and fortresses were demolished by a large scale cannonade of over five dozen large guns, one of the first massed artillery actions in Levantine history. At the end of the War, the Ænglish Kingdom was divided into the Kingdom's constituent duchies, and the weorc began to fade into historical memory. By the late 16th century, a century of war, natural decay, and vandalism left much of the once-mighty weorc as forgotten piles of rubble and mounds which served as a curiosity to locals and travelers.

====Vandalism by Yonderians====

During and after the [[Great Confessional War]] that followed the Nordmontaine War, mercenaries from [[Yonderre]] traveling through the divided Ænglish duchies to other parts of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] would readily destroy or otherwise vandalize portions of the wall, greatly accelerating the natural decline of the structure of the preceding century. Many mercenaries returning home would also take bricks of the weorc as a souvenir where they would be carved into other objects once reaching [[Yonderre]], ranging from prized bowls and goblets to toys and other stone trinkets. The Weorcbrick Musèe in [[Collinebourg]] retains a large number of artifacts from this period related to this practice. [[Burgoignesc language]] graffiti stemming from the [[Great Confessional War]] are still visible on the Anglasweorc, having been etched into the brickwork. These graffitis range from simply names and greetings to rude slurs and depictions of penises.

===Nationalist renewed interest and restoration===

The ruins of the Anglasweorc would lay without notice for several centuries following the Nordmontaine War, with its structures continuing to crumble. Many local builders would use the remaining famous polished limestone for other structures, and by the early 19th century scholars noted the "palatial" nature of nearby Ænglish stables and feeding troughs. As [[Ænglish people|Ænglish]] nationalism began to reemerge in the 19th century, Ænglish historians began to take an interest in the weorc. The first archaeological efforts began at sites along the weorc in 1864, and a small segment of wall was uncovered and partly restored by local authorities in 1872. Funds for these efforts were limited and would slow for the next half century. Interest in the project was bolstered in 1880 when the remains of the weorc's northernmost terminus on the [[Vandarch]] were demolished to build locks for the [[Carolina-Grand Canal]], sparking public outcry among the Ænglish and condemnation by scholars worldwide. The creation of the first Ænglish state since the 16th century - established by 1884's [[Concordat of Donnebourg]] - lead to a significant influx of funds and attention for projects related to the archaeology and history of the Ænglish people. The new state of [[Anglei]] began to make these areas its priority by 1900, and a great deal of work uncovering the weorc began in 1907. Some efforts to restore the walls and forts were successful, providing for the organized wall and fort ruins visible today. The weorc was declared to be largely uncovered by Anglei's archaeoligcal authority in 1927. As much of the weorc was still in private ownership during the 1910s-20s restoration period, many owners took liberties in their restoration efforts to the weorc, misplacing historic stones to create a more impressive looking structure or introducing new material altogether.