Hello! This is first preview of Heidnn Veor mod in ModDB. It only contains few pictures+ history of faction, so for full preview, go here: Twcenter.net
Basic information:
Native Name: Englaland Ríce
Faction Strengths: Excellent shield-wall infantry, great at responding to threat
Faction Weaknesses: Backbone of armies are AOR levies, at war with two Viking nations.
Faction Leader: Ēadgār Cyning
Faction Heir: Eadweard
History of the Kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England
The Kingdom of England under the Anglo-Saxon kings was the dominant force on the British Isles until the Normans arrived. Their history stretched back over 400 years, until the mists of time envelop their beginnings. They began as three tribes; the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes. The tribes lived on or around the peninsula of Jutland under different chieftains and tribal divisions.
Relations with the Roman Empire
In the times before the Germanic "Migration Age," the Roman Empire dominated Europe. They ruled the lands of Britain, Gaul, Spain, and Italy. There was one place, however, they could never assert domination of - Germania. The many tribes living in the dark forests of Germania were divided, but fierce. The Romans attempted to conquer on several occasions, but after the disaster at Teutoberg Forest the mighty Empire would never attempt to conquer again.
The Saxonii, as the Romans knew them, would come into the scene long after the battle of Teutoberg. The first mention of the Saxons was in the early 2nd century, where they were described as pirates and raiders upon the Northern Sea. The threat was so great, in fact, that by the latter half of the third century the Romans created a system of fortifications along the English Channel called the Litus Saxonicum, or the Saxon Shore.
Anglo-Saxon Invasion of Britain
Centuries later, the barbarian tribes of Northern England were again tormenting the lands of Britannia. The Roman Empire had abandoned Britain years ago, leaving the Romano-British to fend for themselves. The Picts, Gaels and Britons began raiding regularly and at will, devastating fields and villages all around Britain. So, in proper Roman tradition, the Romano-British hired mercenary forces called foederati from the Germanic tribes across the Channel - mainly the Saxons, Jutes, Angles and Franks.
The Saxons proved to be great warriors and fighters, perfect for fighting off the Celtic and Gaelic raiders plaguing the country. However, the foederati enjoyed their new status in Britain, and began to exploit their employers. Vortigern, the King of the Britons, had invited the Saxon warlord-brothers Hengist and Horsa to join his army - for the price of an area of land and provisions. Soon, their numbers grew to be too much for the Britons to provide, and their Germanic mercenaries turned on them. For most of the remainder of Vortigern's life, the Saxons and Britons would be entangled in a stalemate. As the pagan tribes began to push forward, Vortigern fled into exile. However, Hengist enticed him out, telling him he wished for peace - and assassinated him.
Years passed, and the Saxons, Angles and Jutes continued to pour from their homelands to a new home - the bountiful ex-Roman province of Britannia. Whether the native Britons were annihilated, displaced, or assimilated, the Anglo-Saxons soon dominated Britain. Seven kingdoms grew from the many different tribes - the kingdoms of Essex, Sussex, Wessex, Middlesex, Mercia, East Anglia, and Northumbria. The kingdoms locked in perpetual combat between each other and the Britons living to their west in Wales. Centuries passed and the battle for supremacy would continue until a new foe would arrive on the shores of Britain.
England and the Vikings
In 793 A.D., a new storm crashed upon the holy island of Lindisfarne. Pagan warriors from the icy fjords of Scandinavia descended upon the unsuspecting monks, taking the valuables, slaughtering the holymen and burning the monastery before sailing away again. This was the beginning of a new period for the Anglo-Saxons: now, they would have to learn to defend themselves from the Norsemen. This was not the first encounter with the Norse, however. In 789, three ships entered the harbor of Portland Bay in southern England. A local official mistook them for traders and attempted to force them to pay a tax to the king, but was slaughtered.
The next major encounter occured in 865 A.D. The Danish king Ragnarr Loðbrók became stranded in England after his ship crashed onto the shore. The king of Northumbria, Ælla, took him hostage and swiftly executed him for his many years of raiding. Upon hearing of his death, his four sons (who were also renowned raiders and warriors) decided to enact revenge. Sigurd Snake-in-the-eye, Ivar the Boneless, Ubbe and Halfdan gathered a large host of professional warriors to invade England and take their vengeance upon the unsuspecting Anglo-Saxons. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle names it the "Great Heathen Army." In the summer of 870 another army arrived, this one named the "Great Summer Army." These two armies caused great devastation to much of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
Rise of The House of Wessex
When the Great Heathen Army arrived on the English shores, the people of the British Isles stood poised to fall under the rule of the pagan Vikings. Three kingdoms fell to the Viking army's wrath: in 860 the Kingdom of Northumbria, then in 870 the Kingdom of East Anglia, and finally the Kingdom of Mercia in 874. Only the kings of Wessex stood fast; King Æþelræd (pronounced Ae-thel-raed, meaning "noble council") had just ascended to the throne when the Vikings arrived. Soon, his fellow kings had all fallen, and he and his family were the only ones left standing. In 871, he was defeated at the Battle of Reading when the Danes turned their attention to Wessex. Soon after, his brother Ælfrǣd (anglicized as Alfred) defeated the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown. He was defeated twice more before he died in late 871. His brother Ælfrǣd succeeded him, and was immediately thrown into a deadly conflict with the Vikings. The Heathen Army's leader Halfdan Ragnarsson was set on finishing off the rest of the Saxons, and so he pushed hard into the Saxon territory. He took the town of Reading, and soon crushed Alfred's armies twice more. Alfred knew he had no hope of winning, so he bargained for peace with the Vikings. The Danes withdrew from Reading and the rest of Wessex. Soon, the new Viking leader Guthrum attacked Dorset, then took Chipperham in Mercia. Alfred had been staying in Chipperham, and fled the wrath of the Viking warlord. He stayed hidden in the marshes of Somerset, raiding and harassing the Danes. Then, after months of hiding, Alfred summoned a great army from the shires of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire and defeated the Danes, trapping them to Chipperham. Soon, the hungry Danes surrendered, withdrawing back to West Mercia and converting to Christianity.
England and the Danelaw
The Anglo-Saxons and the Danes divided their territory into two separate entities. The Danes kept their newfound territory in East Anglia and Northumbria. Mercia was divided up between the Danes and the Saxons, with the west half going to Wessex, and the east going to the Danes. The Danish territory was now named the Danelaw, as the Danes enacted their own laws and customs in their lands. Northumbria became the Kingdom of Jórvík, centered at the Scandinavian-ruled York. In 899, Alfred died and his son Edward ascended the throne. Edward did not have it easy - his cousin Æthelwold revolted, attempting to claim the throne to himself. He joined the Danes and was pronounced King of Northumbria. He attacked Essex, and Edward retaliated by ravaging across East Anglia. They finally met in the battle of the Holme, where Æthelwold was killed. By 918, he had reconquered East Anglia, Mercia and most of Northumbria from the Danes.
His son Æþelstan ascended the throne when Edward died in 924. His reign was relatively short, lasting only 15 years. A Viking still ruled in York, however. Sigtrygg (Sihtric in Irish and the Saxon Chronicles) of Dublin was of the clan Ivar, and was believed to be descended from Ivar the Boneless. However, he soon died and Æþelstan seized his chance. He took the throne of Northumbria before Sigtrygg's son could. Æþelstan, and his descendants, were from then on hailed as King over all of England.
The line of kings continued from Æþelstan through his brothers Edmund, Eadred, and Edmund's son Eadgar - you. You now have the task of keeping the great Kingdom of Englaland safe - from internal strife, raids of the Welsh, and invasions of the Norsemen. You have a great many foes who are more than willing to destroy what your fathers, uncles, brothers and ancestors forged for you. Keep them proud.
CREDITS:
- Absinthia for his great base models and textures, and parts of his Anglo-Saxon roster
- The Wrath of the Norsemen team for parts of their Norse rosters
- Lord Calidor for his weapon back
- Rusichi Team for parts of textures and their excellent horses
- BALTS TW Team for parts of models
- Banzai and Johnwhile for their excellent work in Animations
- Polycarpe of the WOTW team for his great recruitment stats guide
Dont forget to check out pictures section for map and unit previews :)
