Table of Contents
Welcome to James Kemp's Wiki
This is a collaborative web platform that allows people to edit1) the web pages to provide additional content for some of the stories I have written and the roleplaying games that I am involved in, whether as a player or GM.
There are several namespaces operating slightly different wiki subjects. These are, in no particular order:
- Skyss - Story Background - a fantasy novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2016.
- Perfects - background for the near future story and some police roleplaying that I ran in that universe
- Theocracy of Daprav - A D&D campaign that I ran with Glasgow University Games Society around 2002-3.
- Jim Wallman's Universe - a roleplaying by e-mail campaign that I play in, this is an unofficial wiki and none of it is canon unless Jim says it is.
- Interstellar Freelance Unlimited - subset of the Universe pages covering the activities of a mercenary company that we are currently roleplaying every Full Moon.
- Earth Imperium pages. These cover the activities of the Government of the Solar republic (aka Earth Empire) in Jim's Humanity Will Prevail campaign, including the Earth Imperium News Items.
- Free Worlds Alliance - covering the activities of another emerging polity in the Humanity Will Prevail campaign. Mostly contributed by Eric Moroney.
- Universe Background - page collecting the various bits of background info that have come up in various e-mail discussions for the campaigns set in Jim Wallman's Universe.
- Master map of the Universe (6Mb PDF, as at 3212).
- Delta Green - some roleplaying campaigns about horror and conspiracy. The main one was set in Berlin in 1953.
- Free games rules - a collection of free rules for wargames and other sorts of face to face games that I have designed or run.
- Wargames rules - I'm not just a player of games, I also do rules for them from time to time as well as one-off games. A primary outlet for this is through Chestnut Lodge Wargames Group.
- Other free rules - at the moment just those for the 1689 (Orange or Lemon? and Bonnie Dundee, respectively about the debates in the Scots Parliament and then the military campaign of Viscount Dundee during 1689) and The Other Side of the COIN (about what makes people become insurgents). All games that I have have produced for Chestnut Lodge Wargames Group.
- Background for a near future universe where I have written some fiction and also run some roleplaying games in.
Comments and complaints to me at webmaster@full-moon.info please.
James Kemp
Tag Cloud
Recent Additions
The Alpins
The Alpins are Earls of Ardmor
The ancestral home is Caer Alpin which is in the north of the mainland of Dael Riata. It lies on a rocky outcrop on the coast where the river Ard meets the inner sea.
Titles
The current (7th) Earl is Sean Alpin.
They are is 72 years old (born 702), and is currently a widower. He was married to Ealasaid, the sister of the 19th Duke of Glasholm, for thirty-four years before she died when the old Queen was captured at the start of the civil war (in 754). He has four surviving children and a number of grandchildren.
- Bhaltair (43, born 731) Heir. He has one surviving child of his own, and was married to Raonaid Murchadh, the third sister of the fifth Earl. She died in childbirth giving birth to his daughter Raonaid (15, born 759). She is not yet betrothed.
- Iain (39, born 735) third son, distinguished himself in battle. Currently commander of the King's Lifeguard. Currently disowned for having changed sides.
- Eilidh (35, born 739), married to Bhaltair Gilranald while the Earl was the regent in the immediate aftermath of the civil war.
- Earsaid (32, born 741). Earsaid wasn't suited to warfare, and preferred his books. When he left for university in 757 he never returned to the north. Currently Earsaid Alpin is the reader of naval engineering and the favourite candidate for the Chair to be established at the university if the Estates approve the Charter.
Size & Wealth
Caer Alpin is unusual in the seats of the great nobles in that it isn't in the main town/city of their realm. The main town is the port Nordhaven, sited on the north coast of the mainland of Dael Riata. It has a population of about 6,000 and is a ready stopover and resting place for those venturing from the inner sea round the cape to the open ocean to the East of Dael Riata.
There are silver and gold deposits in the mountains, lots of sheep on the hills and a steady income from farming the land, and passing trade from the East. By far the bulk of the population are involved in rural activities, there are villages every couple of miles over most of the coastal areas and up the river Ard until the mountains proper. Overall there are about 50,000 people in Ardmor.
Recent History
The Earl is the oldest of the great nobles. He remembers the reign of Alasdair IV (sepcifically the turmoil in the regency that spanned the first twelve years of his life, and the old King's death at the hands of nobles of Bernicia when he attempted to march south to claim that throne on the death of his brother in law Harold VIII of Bernicia. The Earl was with the army and was lucky to have been in the rear when the ambush was sprung. Many of the great nobles fell that day, as well as the smaller folk that made up the army.
Queen Caoimhe was nine when her father died, and as one of the few surviving great nobles the Earl was part of the council of regents. There was discussion then about the succession, and securing the throne with the Queen's marriage to one of the great nobles, but none could agree who it should be. The Earl aligned with the fourth Earl of Uisdean and the 7th Earl of Beatham to maintain stability. His wife acted as Matron and looked after the Queen's welfare. This worked until the Queen grew old enough to assert her own authority and became enamoured by a suspicious Skyssian merchant. Shortly after she gave birth to the young King Caoimhe confided in Ealasaid that she wanted to marry the Skyssian and make him prince consort.
It was with great regret that the Earl acted, but it was necessary to ensure the integrity of the kingdom. In the years that followed the Earl spent most of it either as regent, or as an adviser to the regent. He has made a number of unpopular decisions, but each for the good of the kingdom. He knows that he was unpopular, but that is a price he has been happy to pay, because the young King is all the stronger for it, and has been well tuaght, and well advised. He won't make the mistakes his mother or his grandfather made.
Still, it would be nice if he showed some appreciation for the sacrifices that the Earl made on the young King's behalf.
Allies, Friends & Lords
- Bhaltair Gilranald - the Earl is your son-in-law, and you worked closely together when he was regent to carry on your good work. You taught him well (his father was killed fighting alongside the old King).
- riata your wife was the 10th Earl's Aunt, and she kept in close touch. The new
Enemies & Feuds
Alasdair V, King of Dael Riata
Alasdair Ranald is the King of Dael Riata, and the fifth of that name. His mother was the only child of Alasdair IV (reigned 700-739), and his father was a Skyssian merchant who spent some time in Dael Riata before escaping.
Titles
Alasdair Ranald holds several titles, including Grand Duke of Reoch, King of Dael Riata, and as such all the Earls of the Kingdom are expected to swear loyalty to him. He is a great grandson of King Harold VII of Bernicia (reigned 687-711, his grandmother was the second child. Alasdair V has a strong claim to the throne of Bernicia should the current Queen (Eleanor I - born 706, reigning since 756) die.
He is 20 years old (born 754), and is currently engaged to be married to Lady Elizabeth Wallis. She is the heir to the Earl of Stylet, the current secretary to the aging, and childless, Queen of Bernicia.
Size & Wealth
The Grand Duchy of Reoch is the largest realm within Dael Riata and it has some of the most fertile farmland. On top of that there are royal duties paid on trade that passes through the main ports. The capital is Dalreoch, the biggest city in the realm, with a population of around 25,000 and a flourishing trade network. It even has its own university.
Recent History
He has been King since he was three months old, and asserted his adulthood at the age of 15, having been through four regents in the time since his mother was forced to abdicate.
Since breaking free from the last of the regents (his second cousin Bhaltair Gilranald, Earl of Norpen, with whom he has a strong bond) Alasdair V has pacified the country and resolved the failure of fifth Earl of Uisdean to swear allegiance. The current, seventh, Earl of Uisdean has sworn an oath of allegiance, under duress as he claimed, after the threat of losing the family lands and extirpation being made.
Domnhall Murchadh and his brother Fearchar met the King and his Steward for a negotiation over dinner at Caer Suibhne, a neutral ground. The rules of hospitality were in force, and the Earl of Douglas was their host. After dinner the Suibhne family left the two parties to negotiate. Raised voices were heard, and the clash of steel. When the Earl of Douglas entered the great hall he found the King's Steward cleaning his sword, the King staunching blood from a wound to his face, and both of the Murchadh brothers dead on the floor, their drawn swords next to them. Alasdair V asserted that they'd tried to kill him, and only his Steward's swift defence had saved his life.
Allies, Friends & Lords
- Bhaltair Gilranald - A cadet branch and very loyal, although some have questions around how the previous Earl, Bhaltair, conducted himself as Regent. Alasdair himself is fiercely protective of his elder cousin, and claims that were it not for his regency then the kingdom wouldn't be in such a healthy state.
- ahearn - The Horse Lords are the strongest supporters of the King outside of the Ranald family.
- All the Earls have formally sworn allegiance to the King, and none are currently under arms within Dael Riata.
Enemies & Feuds
- The Murchadhs - the Earls of Uisdean raised rebellion against his rule, and allegedly made a direct attempt on his life. Alasdair V threatened the current Earl of Uisdean, Diarmad Murchadh, with extirpation and loss of the ancestral lands if he didn't swear allegiance.
- The King doesn't trust aonghus or The Alpins because both were allied with Murchadh during the civil wars that followed his mother being deposed.
The Murchadhs
The Murchadhs are Earls of Uisdean
The ancestral home is Caer Murchadh which is on the island of Uisdean Mor. They're a sea-faring folk and when they're not raiding abroad they are usually fishing in the inshore waters between the Easter Isles and the mainland of Dael Riata.
Titles
The current (7th) Earl is Diarmid Murchadh. He's a cousin of the 5th & 6th Earls, both murdered by the King because they refused to bend the knee.
Diarmid is 35 years old, and is currently married to Senga Riata (18). She is his second wife, and has recently given birth to a daughter. His previous wife (Niamh Sioltach) died in childbirth, his son survived.
- Diarmid (11)
- Caoimhe (6 months)
Size & Wealth
The Murchadhs are notable raiders, and much of their wealth comes from raiding. Apart from dried fish the only other notable export from their islands is the stone.
Recent History
Earl Domnhall was one of the leaders of the coalition that overthrew Queen Caoimhe because she was consorting with a Skyssian merchant and likely to bring Dael Riata under the control of one of the Skyssian factions. She was also trying to re-introduce the Skyssian gods to Dael Riata in place of the traditional Daelian gods that the small folk worshipped and the nobles had learnt to pray to. Domnhall had a claim to the throne through his mother, the younger sister of Alasdair IV.
Domnhall Murchadh and his brother Fearchar met the King and his Steward for a negotiation over dinner at Caer Suibhne, a neutral ground. The rules of hospitality were in force, and the Earl of Douglas was their host. After dinner the Suibhne family left the two parties to negotiate. Raised voices were heard, and the clash of steel. When the Earl of Douglas entered the great hall he found the King's Steward cleaning his sword, the King staunching blood from a wound to his face, and both of the Murchadh brothers dead on the floor, their drawn swords next to them. Alasdair V asserted that they'd tried to kill him, and only his Steward's swift defence had saved his life. You don't believe this story for a moment, your cousins had quarrelled with the King, but they wouldn't break hospitality. They hung one of their main lieutenants for that only a year ago.
Allies, Friends & Lords
- sioltach - you have a good relationship, they supply the timber you use to build and maintain your ships.
- gilruary - the Earl of Dalmuir has the biggest shipyards in the Kingdom, and some of the best shipwrights in the world. They build very fast ships, you have several of these.
- aonghus - your southern neighbour, you sometimes raid together away from Dael Riata.
Enemies & Feuds
- Bhaltair Gilranald - an usurper planted on your rightful lands by the notoriously fickle Queen Caoimhe. He was the one that set up the meeting between your cousin, the fifth Earl, and the King.
- ranald - he killed your cousins, and threatened you with extirpation. Blood shed needs to be paid for, either with more blood, or a suitable fee.
- ahearn - The horse lords in the south spurn the sea, and yet roll in the riches from fertile farmland, and bribes from the southern kingdom of Bernicia. They've kept Alasdair Ranald in power, and need to be discredited before he becomes King of Bernicia and forgets the smaller and poorer Dael Riata.
Dalreoch
Dalreoch is the capital of Dael Riata.
Stories
They are in the story
- First appears - it is the setting for the short story called 'Wedding Party', and possibly intended to form part of the setting for a 'Heirs' story.
Description
Dalreoch is a not quite coastal city, on the river estuary of the River Reoch it was built on a rocky outcrop in the delta. Given the violent nature of Daelian history Dalreoch has multiple curtain walls around the King's Keep, the old town, the merchant city, and an outer bailey. Over the main channel from the dock is a forest actively managed for building ships. Several shipyards line one of the channels, known as 'the yards'.
There is a well established university on an island between the 'College Stream' and the Main Channel. Many of the nobles of Dael Riata have been educated there, and the 'Library Annex' is one of Dalreoch's notable taverns, famed for the quality of its wines - most of which are imported from southern cottalem through the university's ancient links with the University of Dacidade.
Relationships
People
Notable people
- Alasdair V, King of Dael Riata lives here
Places
There are several notable taverns in Dalreoch, the most famous of which are:
- The King's Head - the oldest site of a tavern, but was used as a courthouse and prison during the time of Alasdair I.
- The Library Annex
- The Troll's Head - featuring an actual Troll Head on a pike above the main door
- The Drum - notable for the frequent brawls
- The Sore Heid - frequented by the Guild of Physicians
- New Bridge Inn - one of the older continuously open taverns in Dalreoch, although not the oldest location of a tavern.
- The Outside Inn - the second oldest tavern, just outside the Old West Gate.
- The Wonky Wheel - just inside the Merchant's Gate.
- The Bag O' Nails - on the Merchant's Road between the walls of the Merchant City and the Outer Bailey of Dalreoch.
- The Full Purse - next to the Exchange in the centre of the Merchant City, famed for some of the excessive drinking when successful deals have been done.
- The Bunch O' Grapes - just inside the Old North Gate, and a popular spot with the Barber Surgeons Guild.
- The Water Gate - the only tavern in Dalreoch to have its own gate and jetty, rumoured to have been involved in smuggling into and out of the city at times. A favoured haunt of the gilruary clan when they're in the city. Often one of their ships can be seen moored against the wall.
- The Drovers' Rest - technically neither a tavern nor in the city, it lies over the river to the East on the road to the cattle market. However it hosts a lot of visiting drovers, and makes a convenient spot for those looking for cheaper accommodation.
Bhaltair Gilranald
The Bhaltair Gilranald is the Earl of Norpen, and for some time regent of Dael Riata during the minority of his cousin Alasdair V, King of Dael Riata. He is also the Marquess of Righ, and swears fealty twice to the King. Bhaltair is the second cousin of Alasdair V, King of Dael Riata, descended from the second son of King Alasdair III.
The ancestral home is Caer Righ, a castle guarding a strategic crossing of the river Righ in the Grand Duchy of Dalreoch. However the present Earl's father was translated to the Earldom of Norpen, on the northernmost of the Easter Isles. This was an overtly political move by the old Queen early in her reign as an effort to clip the wings of the The Murchadhs who had been causing trouble for generations.
The seat of the Earl is the walled city of Norpen, a very densely populated stone built haven from the Northern seas and the storms that rip across the open ocean to the North and West of the Easter Isles. There are about 10,000 people in the city, and a similar number farming across the collection of isles.
Titles
The current Earl is Bhaltair Gilranald.
They are is 36 years old, and is currently married to Eilidh Alpin. They have five surviving children
- Tormoid (16), is the eldest & heir.
- Ealasaid (14), is second and currently betrothed to the elder son of the Earl of Suddal
- Ranald (10)
- Aonghas (8)
- Oighrig (4)
Size & Wealth
Although new to the islands the Gilranalds have worked hard to establish the sea focus of the other island Earls. When the Earls of Uisdean were disestablished on Norpen many of the more skilled seafaring folk left with them, and the tradition takes time to establish. Some 25 years on there are signs of it returning, but it will continued effort to develop local shipbuilding skills and attract more veteran seafarers to pass their skills along to the new generations.
There's an active stone quarry that exports local stone for building. There are also lots of fishing vessels, seaweed collection, and some iron ore deposits. There's a lot of trading both with the Kingdom and more widely across the world.
The Earl has a letter of justice from the King enabling his ships to intercept raiders and keep the prizes. This has been a very good source of income over the last decade.
In addition to the lands in the Easter Isles the Earl of Norpen still holds lands as the Marquess of Righ within the Grand Duchy of Dalreoch. These are mostly feudal villages engaged in agriculture. These account for about a quarter of his income, and the second town (Caer Righ).
Recent History
Bhaltair spent four years as the regent, from 765-9. Initially he was chosen for his close relation to the King and that the Earls of Duffjord and Suddal both thought that they'd be able to steer him effectively. It turned out that Bhaltair was more adept than they'd expected, and while both Suddal and Gilranald came out of the arrangement ahead, Duffjord took offence when neither of them supported his attempt to move his northern border from the river Muir so that he could work both sides of the forest for ship-building timber.
In his time as regent Bhaltair engaged the King in decisions, and made sure he was well lead. This early introduction to the murky world of politics allowed the King to assert his right to rule in his mid-teens. It's also shown up in how the King has ruled, and the methods that he's used to enforce strong central control on Dael Riata. The country has not been this unified in living memory. Bhaltair Gilranald remains unswervingly loyal to his cousin, the King.
