BretwaldaBretwaldaby Mike Demana (article originally appeared in The Herald #22)
A flurry of rainstorms heralded the arrival of March, 816 A.D. Wicked weather alone could not deter hardy Norse seafarers, though, as three fleets of dragonships beached on the coast of Cumbria. Their claims of being blown off-course rang false in Strathclyde King Christian Ravenhawk's ears, and were disproven a month later when a warband laid siege to Cumbria's capital.
One wolf chased off another, though, when a massive Northumbrian army invaded, brushing aside the smaller Viking force. The Norse returned in May, and the two armies whetted their blades for battle. Meanwhile, Cumbria's army slipped over the hills and sped for York. The Northumbrian army garrisoned there marched out to defend northern Britain's greatest city. The King's bitterness towards his ancient, Anglian foes was shown when Strathclyde's northern army invaded the province of Dumfries.
May began with promise for Northumbria when tidings arrived that Eorl Mundar had driven off the Vikings in Cumbria. However, the citizens of York and Dumfries watched in horror as their armies were routed by the Britons of Strathclyde and siege laid to their capitals.
Celtic treachery opened the campaign in the far north. King Circinn of the Picts assured his Dal Riatan neighbor he'd aid an attack on Strathclyde. When the Scots marched south, though, he sent two armies of his tribesmen to invade Hebrides and Lochalsh. The Scots had barely begun siege lines when they had to march back to relieve their provinces. As the relief army arrived at Dunstaffgne, the Scots' main capital, King Circinn and his tribes boarded their skin-covered curraghs and sailed away. The mystified Scots continued north to drive the Picts from their other province.
Armies began moving a month later in the southern half of Britain. The Welsh swarmed across Offa's Dyke and besieged the border fortress of Dee. King Coenwulf of Mercia ignored the incursion and sent an army into East Anglia, suprising and capturing the fortified town of Thetford. This thrust seemed to unleash a storm upon his kingdom, though. Essex struck back, its army marching north and besieging the capital of Northampton. Wessex joined the assault on Mercia, sending two huge armies to invade and besiege Hwicce. As May ended, the Welsh captured Dee and began to threathen the fortified provincial capital of Chester.
Spring in the Bretwalda campaign had proven very eventful. In the first three turns (March - May), only one of the 10 player kingdoms had not invaded an enemy province or been attacked themselves. Three tabletop battles had been generated. Early on, it seemed the kingdoms of Dal Riata, Northumbria and Mercia were the worst beset. However, summer and the shifting alliances of Dark Age Britain could bring a respite.