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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
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Caer Suibhne
Caer Suibhne is the ancestral seat of the Suibhne family, the Earls of Douglas. Situated within the mainland of Dael Riata, it is historically regarded as neutral ground suitable for high-level noble negotiations.
Stories
Caer Suibhne is in the story “The King's Peace”
- First appears - “The King's Peace,” a standalone short story detailing Dael Riatan politics
- Function: The castle serves as the primary setting for the climax of the story, where a diplomatic dinner intended to secure the “King's Peace” turns into the infamous massacre of the Murchadh leadership.
Description
Caer Suibhne is a substantial stone castle featuring a Great Hall dominated by a large fireplace with wood panelling and flagstone floors. The castle is large enough to contain multiple corridors patrolled by guards and dedicated royal apartments for visiting monarchs. During the events of 774, it was the site where the rules of hospitality, traditionally sacred to the Suibhne family, were bloodily violated when Domnhall Murchadh and his brother Fearchar were killed in the Great Hall.
Relationships
People
Notable people
- Alasdair Suibhne: The 7th Earl of Douglas and the host of the fatal 774 negotiation.
- Alasdair V: The King of Dael Riata, who claimed the Murchadhs attempted to assassinate him in the castle.
- Iain Alpin: The King's Steward and Commander of the Lifeguard who executed the Murchadh brothers within the hall.
- Domnhall Murchadh: The 5th Earl of Uisdean, killed here by Alpin.
- Fearchar Murchadh: Brother to Domnhall, also killed during the negotiation.
- Mister Soutar: An official or castellan for the Earl of Douglas who manages castle retainers
Places
- Douglas: The Earldom where Caer Suibhne is located.
- Dael Riata: The Grand Duchy that encompasses the Suibhne lands.
Iain Alpin
Iain Alpin is a pivotal and controversial figure in the Grand Duchy of Dael Riata, serving as both the Steward to King Alasdair V and the Commander of the King's Lifeguard.
Background and Family
Born in 735, Iain is the third son of Sean Alpin, the 7th Earl of Ardmor. Despite his noble lineage, he has a fractured relationship with his family; he is currently disowned by his father for “having changed sides,” presumably referring to his unswerving loyalty to the King over his father's more traditional noble interests. He is a veteran who distinguished himself in battle before taking his current post.
Appearance and Role
He is described as a tall, muscular man who typically wears a green suit decorated with gold braid and the badge of the King's Guard. In his capacity as Commander, he is rarely far from the King, often standing just paces behind him to provide immediate protection. Currently, he also controls the King's cavalry force ( based in the capital, Dalreoch.
The Massacre at Caer Suibhne
Iain Alpin's most significant and notorious action occurred in 774 at Caer Suibhne. During a private negotiation between the King and the Murchadh brothers - Domnhall and Fearchar - Alpin was the only other witness.
- The Official Version: The King asserted that the brothers attempted to assassinate him and that Iain Alpin’s “swift defence” saved his life, resulting in the deaths of both Murchadhs.
- The Murchadh version: According to a short account of the event, the “defence” was actually a premeditated execution. In this version, Alpin used a single swift motion to decapitate Earl Domnhall and then pivoted to drive his sword into Fearchar’s chest. To support the King's claim of treason, Alpin allegedly threw the brothers' swords onto the floor near their bodies to make it appear as though they had been drawn first. He then raised the alarm and escorted the wounded King to safety.
Whatever the truth, this event earned him the eternal enmity of Diarmid Murchadh, the current Earl of Uisdean, who views Alpin and the King as murderers who broke the sacred laws of hospitality.
The Murchadhs
The Murchadhs are Earls of Earls of Uisdean. Their ancestral home is Caer Murchadh, located on the island of Uisdean Mor. A seafaring people known colloquially as the “Sea Kings,” they are notorious raiders and fishers who operate in the inshore waters between the Easter Isles and the mainland of Dael Riata.
Titles
The current and 7th Earl is Diarmid Murchadh. He succeeded to the title after his cousins, the 5th and 6th Earls, were killed by the King.
Genealogy: Diarmid (born 739) is 35 years old and married to his second wife, Senga Riata (19), with whom he has a daughter, Caoimhe (6 months). He has a son, Diarmid (11), from his first marriage to Niamh Sioltach, who died in childbirth.
Lineage: The Earldom was created in 530 for Malcolm Murchadh (495–589), who established an unassailable raiding force on Uisdean and allied with the Sioltach to help House Ranald take the crown from the Riata dynasty.
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
The history of the Murchadhs is one of martial prowess and increasing friction with the central crown:
- The Sea Warrior Era: The 2nd Earl (Iain) was a successful raider killed in a sea battle with the Skyssian Navy in 628. The 3rd Earl, Earsaid, fell at the Battle of Dalry in 666.
- The 4th Earl's Heroism: Iain Murchadh distinguished himself at Dalry, personally killing King Edmund II of Bernicia in hand-to-hand combat. He later died in battle in Bernicia (739) while fighting for King Alasdair IV.
- Disestablishment from Norpen (749): The family was removed from the lands of Norpen following a failed plot by Earl Domnhall to kidnap Queen Caoimhe and force a marriage to claim the throne. To “clip their wings,” the crown installed the Gilranalds in Norpen.
- The Rebellion and Overthrow (756/7): Earl Domnhall led the noble coalition that forced Queen Caoimhe to abdicate, citing her scandalous relationship with a Skyssian merchant and her attempts to re-introduce Skyssian gods.
- The Massacre at Caer Suibhne (774): King Alasdair V invited Earl Domnhall and his brother Fearchar to a private dinner at Caer Suibhne to negotiate peace. 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. Despite the laws of hospitality, both brothers were killed. The King claimed self-defence against an assassination attempt by the brothers, while the Murchadhs maintain it was a calculated murder by the King and his Steward, Iain Alpin. 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.
Current Status: Under threat of total extirpation and the loss of all ancestral lands, the current Earl Diarmid was forced to swear an oath of allegiance to the King.
Allies, Friends & Lords
- sioltach - A long-standing and vital alliance; the Earls of Duffjord supply the timber necessary for the Murchadhs to build and maintain your fleet.
- The Alpins - Historically allied during the civil wars. There is a blood connection through Raonaid Murchadh, who was married to Bhaltair Alpin before her death in 759.
Enemies & Feuds
- Bhaltair Gilranald - not only a 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.
Grand Duchy of Dael Riata
Dael Riata is a poor land sandwiched between mountains to its North and East, and the Sea on the West. To the south sits the related but way more prosperous Kingdom of Bernicia. Riven by centuries of internecine warfare between tribes with a culture of raiding and blood feuds the Daels are impoverished. Many of their towns (all of the successful ones) are fortified, and fortlets and castles abound between the hills and lakes. The capital is Dalreoch.
A seafaring people loosely linked to the Skyssians based on a collection of Islands and the nearby coastal lands to the East of Skyss. Unlike Skyss they're riven by factions and internecine warfare, which is why they haven't banded together to be a greater power in the world. Many Daels leave the area and seek their fortune elsewhere, and it is common to find little groups of Daels onboard a Skyssian ship, or in an enclave somewhere in a civilised town in another country.
Geography
The primary industries of Dael Riata are inshore fisheries, there are substantial islands off the west coast, paradoxically called the Easter Isles. This name harks back to the days when there was no difference between the Daels and the Skyss, and both nations sailed where they pleased. Skyss and it's isles are the Western Isles. As well as fisheries lots of oats and barley are grown, along with sheep and shaggy brown cattle with wide horns.
As well as exporting people as skilled sailors and mercenaries there is a small shipbuilding industry from the two major ports Dalreoch and dalmuir on the west coast. Large forests dominate the hills and mountains, and they provide good quality timber for ship-building. The Daels are reknowned ship-builders, possibly more accomplished than the Skyssians. Dael ships are fast, sleek, and have strong hulls able to withstand the ice often found in the waters off their Northern Cape.
People
Dael Riata is ruled by a hereditary monarch, which has been in the hands of the Ranald family for almost three hundred years, before that there was a two decade inter-regnum filled by a very bloody civil war and an intervention by the King of Bernicia which united the Dael Riatan's against the Bernicians. Originally the Riata dynasty founded the Kingdom, but the crown passed out of their hands to the Ruary dynasty, which died out (although one of their cadet branches, the Gilruary, still exist).
The current monarch is Alasdair V, Grand Duke of Reoch. He succeeded to the throne as a baby when his mother, Queen Caoimhe, was forced to abdicate by a coalition of nobles. The main nobles of Dael Riata are:
- The Ranald, Grand Dukes of Reoch & Kings of Dael Riata
- The Ahearn, Earls of Suddal, known colloquially as the Horse Lords.
- The Giluilleam, Earls of Dalry, and relative newcomers to Dal Riata.
- The Gilcinead, Earls of Craigmuir
- The Aonghus, Earls of Beatham.
- The Riata, Dukes of Glasholm, the founders of the Kingdom of Dael Riata.
- The Gilriata, Earls of Dalcot, a cadet branch of Riata that now surpasses them.
- The Sithech, Earls of Aifric, the Old Wolves.
- The Suibhne, Earls of Douglas, famed for their hospitality and generosity.
- The Sioltach, Earls of Duff, host to the Unicorn Troop.
- The Gilruary, Earls of Dalmuir, the second port of Dael Riata.
- The Murchadh, Earls of Uisdean, notorious raiders and self-proclaimed Sea Kings.
- The Gilranald, Earls of Norpen. A cadet branch of Ranald installed on the Northern most islands as a foil to the Muchardhs.
- The Alpins, Earls of Ardmor. Guardians of the great forest in the North.
History of the Grand Duchy of Dael Riata
The history of the Grand Duchy of Dael Riata is a chronicle of a seafaring people defined by centuries of internecine warfare, tribal raiding, and blood feuds. Sandwiched between the eastern mountains and the western sea, the nation's past is marked by the struggle to maintain independence from the prosperous southern Kingdom of Bernicia and the internal rivalry of its noble houses.
Founding and Early Dynasties
The Kingdom was originally established by the Riata dynasty. Following the decline of the founders, the crown passed to the Ruary dynasty. However, this lineage eventually died out, leading to a bloody two-decade inter-regnum characterized by civil war. This period of instability invited intervention from the King of Bernicia, a move that paradoxically united the disparate Dael tribes against a common southern foe.
The Rise of House Ranald
The current ruling Ranald family has held the throne for nearly three hundred years. Their dominance began in earnest following the death of King Ruaraidh X (reigned 434–528).
Wars of Independence (529–544): Following Ruaraidh X's death, Edmund I of Bernicia attempted to intercede in the succession. A coalition of nobles eventually chose Alasdair Ranald (the first) as King after he successfully defeated the Bernician forces in several battles. The Battle of Dalry (666): During a later invasion by Edmund II of Bernicia, the Dael forces achieved a significant victory at Dalry. Iain Murchadh, the 4th Earl of Uisdean, famously killed King Edmund II in hand-to-hand combat during the engagement.
Recent History and the Minority of Alasdair V
The 2nd and 3rd centuries of the Ranald era have been particularly tumultuous: Alasdair IV and the Ambush (739): King Alasdair IV attempted to claim the Bernician throne through his brother-in-law, Harold VIII. His army was ambushed by Bernician nobles, resulting in the King's death and heavy losses among the Dael nobility. The Abdication of Queen Caoimhe: Queen Caoimhe succeeded her father as a child, governed by a regency council that included Sean Alpin. Later, her attempt to marry a Skyssian merchant and re-introduce Skyssian gods led to a noble coalition forcing her abdication in 756/7. The Reign of Alasdair V: Succeeding to the throne as an infant, the young King was raised through a series of four regents, most notably his cousin Bhaltair Gilranald, the Earl of Norpen. At age 15, Alasdair V asserted his adulthood and began a campaign to centralise control.
The Massacre at Caer Suibhne (774)
A defining moment of recent stability—or tyranny, depending on the perspective—occurred at Caer Suibhne. Seeking to resolve the long-standing defiance of the Murchadh family, the King invited Domnhall Murchadh (5th Earl of Uisdean) and his brother Fearchar to a private negotiation. Despite the laws of hospitality, both brothers were killed by the King's Steward, Iain Alpin. While the King officially claimed they attempted to assassinate him, many believe it was a calculated move to break the power of the “Sea Kings” of Uisdean. This event led to the current Earl, Diarmad Murchadh, swearing allegiance under threat of total extirpation.
Kingdom of Berenicia
The Kingdom of Berenicia is a prosperous northern realm situated on the continent of Osnines. It is characterized by its high degree of organisation, a thriving economy based on wool and iron exports, and a complex social hierarchy of powerful Dukes and Earls. It sits immediately south of the related but significantly more impoverished Grand Duchy of Dael Riata.
Geography
The primary industries of Berenicia are hill farming and metallurgy. The kingdom is a major producer and exporter of wool, supported by rich farmland in the Fruitbar Plain. To the south and west, the border with Zushonia is defined by the River Wackle, a waterway prone to significant decennial flooding that necessitates advanced civil engineering and settlements built on rocky outcrops.
The heart of the kingdom is bisected by the Dipthorn Range, a mountain chain rich in iron ore and coal deposits. These resources feed the massive smelters of Ironburgh. To the east, the River Dunkle serves as the border with Bledal and Smaenia.
People
Berenicia is ruled by a hereditary monarchy, currently held by Queen Eleanor I, who took the throne following the death of her brother, King Edmund IV. Unlike the faction-riven Daels, the Berenicians are highly organised, maintaining a well-kept legal system overseen by the House of Justice and a strong presence from the Board of Trade.
The social structure is dominated by a wealthy nobility that outnumbers the peers of Dael Riata. Higher learning is centered in the university town of Stylhet, which serves as one of the few academic hubs on the continent.
Main Nobles
The main nobles of Berenicia identified in the records are:
- Queen Eleanor I, Sovereign of Berenicia.
- Duke Simon of Goddodin, a veteran commander with strong royal claims.
- Duke Arthur of Mercia, a young peer of the blood.
- Bernard Wallis, 1st Earl of Stylhet, Chancellor and Spymaster.
- Oliver Postumus, Earl of Whithead, illegitimate son of the late King Edmund IV.
- The Duke of Deira.
- The Duke of Rheged.
- The Earl of Dinbaer.
- The Earl of Dinguaire.
- The Earl of Metcaur.
- The Earl of Elmet.
- The Earl of Cadfan.
- The Earl of Penda.
- The Earl of Elfhed.
- The Earl of Ebrauc.
Urban Hierarchy
Berenicia supports a total population of approximately 4,000,000 people. The major settlements follow a rank-size distribution:
| Rank | City | Population | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastport | ~110,000 | The Capital; primate port for wool exports. |
| 2 | Ironburgh | ~55,000 | Industrial heart; largest iron smelter in the realm. |
| 3 | Westport | ~37,000 | Strategic northwest port on the Dael Riata border. |
| 4 | Middleton | ~27,500 | Inland collection hub for hill farming. |
| 5 | The Bend | ~22,000 | Riverine city on the Wackle; built on a rocky outcrop. |
| 6 | Strongport | ~18,000 | Naval bay guarding northern shipping lanes. |
| 7 | Oakwood | ~15,500 | Logging hub for shipyard timber. |
| 8 | Woolwick | ~13,750 | Primary raw wool processing centre. |
| 9 | Stylhet | ~9,500 | University town and seat of Earl Wallis. |
