Warmongerer
05-10-2003, 03:13
A lengthy bit of reading, I know, but a good insight into the happenings in Pictish territories under my command nonetheless.
King Castantin I (AD 793 - AD 823)
King Castantin I, the first recorded king of the Picts in the Viking Era, proved to be the impetus behind much of the later success of Pictish military and diplomatic efforts, setting the groundwork for a legendary empire. During his reign, he was known both as a sound military tactician and a very influential ruler. Within the first decade of his reign, Castantin had reclaimed formerly Celtic lands from the weak, divided Scottish fiefs and aligned himself with every other major mainland power and the powerful raiders from the east who called themselves Vikings. Through his conquest of the Scottish, Castantin gained what would become a very valuable foothold on the Irish isle in the province of Ulster. He also put the Pictish military in advantageous locations through campaigns to the Isle of Man and Defet, a province at the southwestern tip of the British mainland. When the Anglo-Saxon wars first began between the Mercians and Saxons, Castantin broke his alliance with the Mercians from his deathbed, setting the stage for events yet to come.
King Brude VI (AD 824 - AD 838)
By all accounts, King Brude VI had a tough act to follow. His predecessor, Castantin I, had made great headway for the Pictish in military, technological, diplomatic, and other areas. He had laid the groundwork for greatness, and Brude would be expected to bring no less than that greatness to the Picts. He would come to prove himself worthy beyond measure. Almost immediately, Brude set out to make use of the foothold gained in Irish territory. Over a period of six years, he focused on intense military training to produce the finest soldiers of any kingdom at that time and established naval networks that would prove vital to Pictish expansion in the coming years. Brude made full use of these networks in moving an occupation force of over 5,000 men into Irish territories in just one year. This caught the Irish completely off guard, and they were overtaken easily, costing Brude’s forces less than 300 casualties.
Brude VI soon realized that these troops were not just a one-time invasion force. He began looking closer at Northumbrian territories and riches to the south. As before, he extended his naval network to surround the Northumbrian lands and trained many more soldiers so as to minimize casualties. Just as he was beginning to put his plans for conquest into action, Brude fell victim to a mysterious illness and passed away, leaving his best-laid plans in the hands of his heir, Castantin II.
King Castantin II (AD 839 - AD 840)
King Castantin II, the grandson of the famous Pictish ruler Castantin I, inherited a throne envied by almost every other monarch in the known world. The Picts controlled the northern area of the British mainland and had successfully expanded into the Irish isle under Brude VI. As Castantin II ascended, foolproof plans for the invasion of Northumbria had been laid by his predecessor, awaiting a single command to carry them out.
In a bizarre twist of fate, that single command was the only regal order that Castantin II would ever give. He contracted smallpox, supposedly through one of his servants infected by the epidemic plaguing the world over at this time, and died shortly after receiving the glorious news that his forces had sacked the citadels of the Northumbrians and occupied all of their provinces without difficulty.
King Drust VIII (AD 841 - AD 850)
King Drust VIII ascended to the throne after the bizarre passing of the short-lived Castantin II, in the process inheriting a rich kingdom feared by all nations. Drust VIII saw the successes of his predecessors and sought to attain the same level of glory. Through this frame of mind, he hatched a plot to conquer his Welsh allies in a similar manner as Brude VI’s conquest of the Irish and Castantin II’s takeover of the Northumbrians. Using a newer, stronger invasion force than previous kings, Drust VIII stormed through the Welsh provinces with little difficulty, securing the prosperity of Pictish society well past his death after only nine years at the throne.
King Angus II (AD 851 - AD 866)
King Angus II, one of the pivotal commanders in Drust VIII’s conquest of the Welsh, took the throne as probably the most able monarch ever to rule the Picts. Proficient in matters of finance, conquest, religion, and diplomacy, he was destined from the beginning to lead his people to greatness. At the beginning of his reign, the Mercians had won the Anglo-Saxon wars for good, gaining a firm grasp on Saxon lands and beginning to turn their greedy eyes towards Pictish holdings in the south. Immediately, Angus II began training and hiring forces where necessary to counteract the mighty Mercian armies along his borders. He soon realized, however, that defensive efforts alone would not be enough. The Mercian treasury was growing at a rate double that of his own, and their armies would soon outnumber his accordingly. Plunder and treachery, two means Angus II was not above using, would be required to rein these Anglican tyrants in.
Though his efforts began merely as pre-emptive strikes, the armies available to Angus kept getting bigger and better trained as Pictish lands began increasing trade and agricultural income. Every Pictish province was producing hundreds of Celtic warriors and spearmen a year. After amassing a considerable force, Angus decided the time was right for a full-scale assault on Mercian territories, lands that rightfully belonged to the Picts in the first place. While his initial efforts, solely military campaigns, were unsuccessful, Angus II began spreading his new-found wealth around among rebellious Mercian generals, who were more than eager to fight for his cause; as long as their coffers remained full. Gradually, these traitors and the armies they commanded wore down the loyal Mercian forces, cornering them in the southeast extremes of the mainland and finally overthrowing them in AD 864. Angus used the next two years to occupy the rebel provinces that had sprung up from a civil war in the final years of Mercian rule, securing Pictish total domination of the British Isles for centuries to come with the fall of the last rebel castle in AD 866.
King Castantin I (AD 793 - AD 823)
King Castantin I, the first recorded king of the Picts in the Viking Era, proved to be the impetus behind much of the later success of Pictish military and diplomatic efforts, setting the groundwork for a legendary empire. During his reign, he was known both as a sound military tactician and a very influential ruler. Within the first decade of his reign, Castantin had reclaimed formerly Celtic lands from the weak, divided Scottish fiefs and aligned himself with every other major mainland power and the powerful raiders from the east who called themselves Vikings. Through his conquest of the Scottish, Castantin gained what would become a very valuable foothold on the Irish isle in the province of Ulster. He also put the Pictish military in advantageous locations through campaigns to the Isle of Man and Defet, a province at the southwestern tip of the British mainland. When the Anglo-Saxon wars first began between the Mercians and Saxons, Castantin broke his alliance with the Mercians from his deathbed, setting the stage for events yet to come.
King Brude VI (AD 824 - AD 838)
By all accounts, King Brude VI had a tough act to follow. His predecessor, Castantin I, had made great headway for the Pictish in military, technological, diplomatic, and other areas. He had laid the groundwork for greatness, and Brude would be expected to bring no less than that greatness to the Picts. He would come to prove himself worthy beyond measure. Almost immediately, Brude set out to make use of the foothold gained in Irish territory. Over a period of six years, he focused on intense military training to produce the finest soldiers of any kingdom at that time and established naval networks that would prove vital to Pictish expansion in the coming years. Brude made full use of these networks in moving an occupation force of over 5,000 men into Irish territories in just one year. This caught the Irish completely off guard, and they were overtaken easily, costing Brude’s forces less than 300 casualties.
Brude VI soon realized that these troops were not just a one-time invasion force. He began looking closer at Northumbrian territories and riches to the south. As before, he extended his naval network to surround the Northumbrian lands and trained many more soldiers so as to minimize casualties. Just as he was beginning to put his plans for conquest into action, Brude fell victim to a mysterious illness and passed away, leaving his best-laid plans in the hands of his heir, Castantin II.
King Castantin II (AD 839 - AD 840)
King Castantin II, the grandson of the famous Pictish ruler Castantin I, inherited a throne envied by almost every other monarch in the known world. The Picts controlled the northern area of the British mainland and had successfully expanded into the Irish isle under Brude VI. As Castantin II ascended, foolproof plans for the invasion of Northumbria had been laid by his predecessor, awaiting a single command to carry them out.
In a bizarre twist of fate, that single command was the only regal order that Castantin II would ever give. He contracted smallpox, supposedly through one of his servants infected by the epidemic plaguing the world over at this time, and died shortly after receiving the glorious news that his forces had sacked the citadels of the Northumbrians and occupied all of their provinces without difficulty.
King Drust VIII (AD 841 - AD 850)
King Drust VIII ascended to the throne after the bizarre passing of the short-lived Castantin II, in the process inheriting a rich kingdom feared by all nations. Drust VIII saw the successes of his predecessors and sought to attain the same level of glory. Through this frame of mind, he hatched a plot to conquer his Welsh allies in a similar manner as Brude VI’s conquest of the Irish and Castantin II’s takeover of the Northumbrians. Using a newer, stronger invasion force than previous kings, Drust VIII stormed through the Welsh provinces with little difficulty, securing the prosperity of Pictish society well past his death after only nine years at the throne.
King Angus II (AD 851 - AD 866)
King Angus II, one of the pivotal commanders in Drust VIII’s conquest of the Welsh, took the throne as probably the most able monarch ever to rule the Picts. Proficient in matters of finance, conquest, religion, and diplomacy, he was destined from the beginning to lead his people to greatness. At the beginning of his reign, the Mercians had won the Anglo-Saxon wars for good, gaining a firm grasp on Saxon lands and beginning to turn their greedy eyes towards Pictish holdings in the south. Immediately, Angus II began training and hiring forces where necessary to counteract the mighty Mercian armies along his borders. He soon realized, however, that defensive efforts alone would not be enough. The Mercian treasury was growing at a rate double that of his own, and their armies would soon outnumber his accordingly. Plunder and treachery, two means Angus II was not above using, would be required to rein these Anglican tyrants in.
Though his efforts began merely as pre-emptive strikes, the armies available to Angus kept getting bigger and better trained as Pictish lands began increasing trade and agricultural income. Every Pictish province was producing hundreds of Celtic warriors and spearmen a year. After amassing a considerable force, Angus decided the time was right for a full-scale assault on Mercian territories, lands that rightfully belonged to the Picts in the first place. While his initial efforts, solely military campaigns, were unsuccessful, Angus II began spreading his new-found wealth around among rebellious Mercian generals, who were more than eager to fight for his cause; as long as their coffers remained full. Gradually, these traitors and the armies they commanded wore down the loyal Mercian forces, cornering them in the southeast extremes of the mainland and finally overthrowing them in AD 864. Angus used the next two years to occupy the rebel provinces that had sprung up from a civil war in the final years of Mercian rule, securing Pictish total domination of the British Isles for centuries to come with the fall of the last rebel castle in AD 866.