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Description

Point of Divergence, July 796: Offa of Mercia’s son Ecgfrith does not die 5 months after his father’s death.

Ecgfrith marches an army south and takes Wessex by surprise, taking Winchester and capturing Egbert in 806, dissolving the Kingdom of Wessex and annexing it. There will be no rebellion in East Anglia because of Egbert’s meddling, and the Mercian Supremacy remains prominent.

The Viking invaders from Denmark invade England in 868. Mercia, now considerably stronger, can defend against the invasion before it gets too far into the kingdom. A new dyke is constructed in the north of the Kingdom by Æthelbald II to mark the northernmost parts of the kingdom.

After a period of peace, the Mercian Kingdom and its vassals is slowly able to push Norþanhymbra’s borders north, establishing superiority over it after the Battle of Settle in 924. Albany, united by MacAlpine in 843, invades south, and takes land up to Hadrian’s Wall, which becomes the de-facto border between Norþanhymbra and Albany.

Over the course of the High Middle Ages, failed invasions by French, Norse, and Danish Kingdoms highlight 2 emerging kingdoms, Albany and Loergria (the general name for Mercia and annexed kingdoms). Borders continue to shift under new kings, such as Dummonia, a kingdom that had remained independent from Loergria, which invades and takes land up to Bath, but loses at the Battle of Winchester in 1121, halting its advance.

The Kingdoms of Loergria and Albany treat Norþanhymbra as a buffer state. As Old English in Loegria and Dummonia begin to Latinise and Modernise into New English, Norþanhymbra retains the old dialect due to relative isolation from the rest of Albion. Due to the inability for any invasion from the south, Alban King Malcom I survives, and Gaelic does not begin to recede under Malcom III. In Kambria, which retains a united Welsh identity, does not lose the Welsh language as they are able to defend against Loergrian invasions well into the 16th century.

As the countries begins to modernise, competition over the title of Bretwalda fades as national identities of Alban, Loergrian (as well as Mercian), Dummonian, Noþanhymbran and Kambrian begins to fall into place with literature, art, language and culture solidifying a common distinctiveness. Universities in Cill Rìmhinn and Lincoln are established, and the Albion Enlightenment begins.

As Europe began to industrialise and modernise into the 18th century, Albion followed behind. Democracy was slowly granted to the population of each nation, and by 1904, every state on the island had full universal suffrage. Albion never became a world power but remained mostly neutral in European politics.

Today, the nations of Albion are modern states which function as constitutional monarchies with social democracies. With Albany and Norþanhymbra considered Nordic countries, Albion has established friendly relations with Northern Europe. The establishment of the Albion Trading Council (ATC) in the 20th century, an economic boom allowed for cities like London, Tamworth, Jórvík, Glasgow and Cill Rìmhinn growing to urban metropolises to support the more rural countryside, now featuring ATC-funded national parks. As of 2020, the population of Albion stands at 19 million (Loegria with 8 million, Dummonia with 1 million, Kambria with 2 million and Norþanhymbra and Albany with 4 million each).

Description

Point of Divergence, July 796: Offa of Mercia’s son Ecgfrith does not die 5 months after his father’s death.

Ecgfrith marches an army south and takes Wessex by surprise, taking Winchester and capturing Egbert in 806, dissolving the Kingdom of Wessex and annexing it. There will be no rebellion in East Anglia because of Egbert’s meddling, and the Mercian Supremacy remains prominent.

The Viking invaders from Denmark invade England in 868. Mercia, now considerably stronger, can defend against the invasion before it gets too far into the kingdom. A new dyke is constructed in the north of the Kingdom by Æthelbald II to mark the northernmost parts of the kingdom.

After a period of peace, the Mercian Kingdom and its vassals is slowly able to push Norþanhymbra’s borders north, establishing superiority over it after the Battle of Settle in 924. Albany, united by MacAlpine in 843, invades south, and takes land up to Hadrian’s Wall, which becomes the de-facto border between Norþanhymbra and Albany.

Over the course of the High Middle Ages, failed invasions by French, Norse, and Danish Kingdoms highlight 2 emerging kingdoms, Albany and Loergria (the general name for Mercia and annexed kingdoms). Borders continue to shift under new kings, such as Dummonia, a kingdom that had remained independent from Loergria, which invades and takes land up to Bath, but loses at the Battle of Winchester in 1121, halting its advance.

The Kingdoms of Loergria and Albany treat Norþanhymbra as a buffer state. As Old English in Loegria and Dummonia begin to Latinise and Modernise into New English, Norþanhymbra retains the old dialect due to relative isolation from the rest of Albion. Due to the inability for any invasion from the south, Alban King Malcom I survives, and Gaelic does not begin to recede under Malcom III. In Kambria, which retains a united Welsh identity, does not lose the Welsh language as they are able to defend against Loergrian invasions well into the 16th century.

As the countries begins to modernise, competition over the title of Bretwalda fades as national identities of Alban, Loergrian (as well as Mercian), Dummonian, Noþanhymbran and Kambrian begins to fall into place with literature, art, language and culture solidifying a common distinctiveness. Universities in Cill Rìmhinn and Lincoln are established, and the Albion Enlightenment begins.

As Europe began to industrialise and modernise into the 18th century, Albion followed behind. Democracy was slowly granted to the population of each nation, and by 1904, every state on the island had full universal suffrage. Albion never became a world power but remained mostly neutral in European politics.

Today, the nations of Albion are modern states which function as constitutional monarchies with social democracies. With Albany and Norþanhymbra considered Nordic countries, Albion has established friendly relations with Northern Europe. The establishment of the Albion Trading Council (ATC) in the 20th century, an economic boom allowed for cities like London, Tamworth, Jórvík, Glasgow and Cill Rìmhinn growing to urban metropolises to support the more rural countryside, now featuring ATC-funded national parks. As of 2020, the population of Albion stands at 19 million (Loegria with 8 million, Dummonia with 1 million, Kambria with 2 million and Norþanhymbra and Albany with 4 million each).