The Clans of Brettania

The Confederacy of the Coast, colloquially known as Coastalis, is a collection of maritime city-states centered around the ancient pirate haven of Lighthouse.
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The Clans of Brettania

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The Saxvenii Clan

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The Saxvenii, who call their kingdom Saxvenus, are among the oldest tribe to inhabit the Brettish Isles. Their ancestry stems from the first known civilization to occupy the islands, the Delvenii (Delvenus). At their height of power, after the fall of Delvenus, the Kingdom of Saxvenus spread over much of the northern half of Brettania. They were reigned in by Queen Greenwood of Menelmacar, who hemmed them into the north with the Queen's Wall that stretched from coast-to-coast. This marked the beginning of the decline of the Saxvenii, and they were eventually absorbed by a succession of colonial powers. Their culture was nearly wiped out during the Golden Age of New Brittania when King Jeremy defeated the last King of Saxvenus. But while he dismantled their state institutions, King Jeremy did not massacre the population, which remained the predominant ethnic group in the north.

The fall of Brettania to the plague allowed for the Saxvenii to once again rally as a free clan. As the Brettish Isles fell back into a state of pre-industrial technology, the Saxvenii tradition of swordsmanship proved to be a valuable asset. The hearty clans, already self sufficient in many ways, insular and organized, quickly took over the north, pushing hard against the boundaries of Willowshire. Aside from their skill with the sword, the Savenii are also stout sailors, and often raid the mainland. They have not been able to wrest control of much from the Willowii though, pushing as far as the ancient ruins of the Queen's Wall, which has once again become a major fortification. For the most part the skirmishes between the two sides has tapered off, both being so devastated by the plague that fighting is more an act of honor than rage. Both however are keeping a wary eye to the south and the vicious Calderii, who may be a serious threat to all free clans.

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The Hartii Clan

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The Hartii Clan of Hartshire claim to be direct descendants of King Jeremy I of New Brittania. Besides the Willowii, the Hartii are one of the most numerous clans and represent a full third of the population of the entire Isles. They are mortal enemies to the Saxvenii, and war with them constantly. The feud stems from King Jeremy's crusade against the pagan Saxvenii, when he first helped to establish the Church of New Brittania, and forced Saxvenus into submission. As a result the two clans have been at war for centuries. The Hartii played a significant role in the formation of the Brettish Isles, seeing it as a return to the heyday of the Brittanic Empire. However they also received the brunt of blame when the plague descended on the country and tore it asunder. This dispute resolved to split to remaining Brettish population into the Willowii, who supported the heirs of King Rivers, and the Hartii, who supported a decidedly-Brettish monarch, naming James Hart their lord and King.

Despite the split over rulership, the Hartii still see the Willowii as brethren, and often the two form a weak alliance to fend off Calderii and Saxvenii raids. While the Saxvenii have proven more amenable to terms, the war with the Calderii remains problematic. Caldera constantly sends waves of armies against the mainland, using their small strip of beachhead to force their way inland. Yet by the combined forces of Willow and Hartshire the Calderii are constantly driven back into the sea. Yet for all their victories the Hartii have not yet been able to mount a full-scale naval assault on Caldera, their people still recovering from years of plague. The Hartii are protectors of the Church of New Brittania, more recently re-christened the Church of Brettania, and serve as guardians of the faith. But the Hartii also hold Brettish culture dear to their hearts, and strive constantly to restore the glory of the old Brettish civilization, either through peace or war.

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The Calderii Clan

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The Calderii Clan arose out of the remnants of murderers and thieves, pillagers and gangsters. When the plague began to spread across Brettania, leaving chaos in its wake, these were the people who smashed windows to loot stores, shot farmers to steal their fuel, and ran off with purses from little old ladies. The outlying islands to the south and west were the easiest to seize control of. The central government in Westminster had all it could handle trying (and failing) to keep the mainland together. Thus it became impossible to ward off the rising gangs on the isles. Pretty soon Doyle, Watson, and Cornwallis were all under the control of various gangs and mobs.

It didn't take long for the gangs to begin tearing at each others throats. The most brutal of them arose on the Isle of Doyle. Here the gang known as "The Hammersmiths" consolidated their power over the entire island. Over the course of the next few decades the Mordreds warred endlessly against the other gangs, meanwhile establishing themselves at the ancient Delvenii ruins of Caldera. They established a mafia-type government, with family members holding important posts - and everyone else somehow indebted to them. With scavenged materials and slave labor they rebuilt Caldera into a grand palace, and here they founded their kingdom.

The first King of Caldera was Mordred Hammersmith, who assumed the title King Mordred. Him and his successors slowly extended control over the other two islands, wiping out rival gangs one-by-one. Once firmly under their grasp the Calderii began to harass the mainland. With a society built on pillage and plunder, the Calderii had wasted the resources they'd stolen and were beginning to run dangerously low on supplies. The petrol had been burned up, the ammunition spent. And so their society reverted, along with the rest of Brettania, back to more primitive methods.

King Morgrieve rose to power after killing his elder brother in a "boating accident". More brutal than past monarchs Morgrieve saw he would soon face an uprising if he couldn't keep his men loyal, and so he began an all-out war on the mainland. It mattered little that the missions he sent his men on were suicidal - they would be martyred and drive the frenzy of his soldiers. But those on the mainland were not expecting the Calderii to attack with such strength, and the southwestern coast soon became a battle ground. The Calderii seized the shoreline but could not penetrate inland. Neither did they expect the Hartii and Willowii to restrain from attacking each other to fend off the offensive. But Morgrieve refused to concede defeat, and constantly sends more soldiers to fight, driving his people on to victory or death.

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