Kingdoms: Britannia's Colony

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Dreamform: Britannia's Colony[edit]

"Is this the White Court's Kingdom, you say?

"No, old boy, you've got it all wrong. The Empire is far bigger than just this little country. This is just one colony amongst many. They say that the sun never sets on the Empire, because all across the world there's always at least one part of it where it's noon.

"The Empire is a grand old place, and here in the Colonies we're just one part of the big picture. Us white chaps are just here to keep the sepoys and little brown lads in line, aren't we?

"But now they say that some foreign power is coming here to try to take our little jewel of a colony from us. It won't make any difference though, because do you know who arrived on New Years Day?

"That's right - King Ranulph himself, God bless his soul! He's brought with him armies and generals, and there ain't an enemy in the world that can stand up to him!"

The Dominant Actors of the Court[edit]

KING: King Ranulph, Britannia's Emperor[edit]

In the most literal sense, Ranulph has delusions of grandeur. He believes himself to be in his fifties, and the Britannic emperor of a domain that stretches across the world. He believes that he is coming to the Colonies to see off a threat from a foreign power, and he hasn't even heard of the "Game of Succession"

Of course, such is the power of a King's Dreaming that everyone else believes this too. The people of the Colonies are fully expecting the full might of the Empire to follow after the King any time now, and fully expect that the foreign enemy can will be run off at the first sight of cold steel.

Naturally, if the King wins the Game of Succession his delusion will become reality, and Arcadia will be Britannia... at least for a thousand years.

Ranulph himself has the appearance of a late middle-aged monarch, with dress uniform, grey hair, a fine handlebar moustache and a monocle. He speaks with an accent that betrays his Etonian education. For as far as he can remember he has been a confirmed bachelor, so he was somewhat surprised when his young Queen-to-be stole his heart away. He has given her his love, and promises to marry her as soon as this "little war" is done with.

  • Suggested Boons: Victory March;
  • Suggested Drawbacks: Internal Dissent;
  • Suggested Traits: Strength in Trade;


KNIGHT: Captain Robert Steele, Westchester Rifles[edit]

Steele's low rank belies his effectiveness - had he not risen from the ranks he'd probably be a Brigadier by now. The fact that he has the accent of the lower classes, and his insistence on wearing his green rifleman's jacket instead of imperial red does little to endear him to other officers. Still, he's quite clearly an effective soldier and has been at the forefront of assault after assault, even taking an Eagle at Talavera...

  • Suggested Boons: None;
  • Suggested Drawbacks: None;
  • Suggested Traits: None;


BISHOP: Lady Roberta Rochester[edit]

Roberta isn't part of the army as such, but rather an unmarried noblewoman who has been following the king wherever he goes for some time, organising his social funcions and hoping to catch his eye. When Ranulph married Lady Blackwater, Roberta was understandably distraught. Still, she remains as part of his retinue, and the king is more than happy to use her skills as a talented speaker, adept socialite and intelligent companion.

  • Suggested Boons: Master Manipulator;
  • Suggested Drawbacks: Helpless;
  • Suggested Traits: None;


ROOK: Brigadier Emerson Fotheringham[edit]

A gentleman commander of the traditional sort, Fotheringham believes in starched collars, flogging malcontents and marching in tight formation. Despite being unpopular with his men he is undeniably feared and respected, and undeniably effective. His assaults may be weak with high casualty rates (as he's a fan of escalades and frontal charges) but he is an excellent commander on the defensive, with men under his command able to hold the line in the face of the most fearsome of enemies.

  • Suggested Boons: Defence Co-ordinator;
  • Suggested Drawbacks: Guileless;
  • Suggested Traits: None;


The Shadow Actors of the Court[edit]

QUEEN: Lady Antonia of Blackwater, Necromagus Adept[edit]

Coming as she does from a realm of knights, dragons, wizards and medieval war, Antonia felt a degree of culture shock when she arrived in Britannia's Colony, and was confronted with guns and other Britannic technologies. The King was surprised when she presented herself as his wife to be, but was persuadable to the idea, thanks to a mix of Antonia's feminine charms and the hand of fate.

Nonetheless, Antonia still finds it amusing that none in this Kingdom save her seems to accept the reality of the situation - that they are players in the Game of Succession and that this so called colony is in fact the total of the White King's domain at this time. She has resigned herself to the idea that it doesn't matter, and that she can worry about educating the King after he has won the game.

As a potent necromagus, she has earned both the fear and respect of the locals, none of whom had encountered magic before. Though she can raise armies of the dead, the King has as yet proven too uncomfortable with this idea to let her do so, though he suspects he will change his mind when he realises that his enemy has magic, and is not afraid to use it.

Once the Game is done, she sees herself refashioning Britannia into a new image - a kingdom where undead musketmen unflinchingly hold the line against enemies, and where a thousand souls will be sacrificed to her beauty every day...

  • Suggested Boons: None;
  • Suggested Drawbacks: None;
  • Suggested Traits: Magical Style: Necromancy;


KNIGHT: Anspeçada Abrahan Resendes, the Executioner[edit]

Abrahan is on attachment from the Portugese army. Though he holds rank, he prefers to work in the command of small groups of men, and is at his most deadly when he eschews guns in favour of knives. Few have his mastery of stealth and ambush, and for all the King's dislike of him he is a potent tool.

  • Suggested Boons: Guerilla Leader;
  • Suggested Drawbacks: Uncomfortable in command;
  • Suggested Traits: None;


BISHOP: Brevet-Colonel John Waterhouse, Intelligence[edit]

Waterhouse might be in the Army, but he's never been a soldier. In fact, he'd be hardpressed to reload a musket inside of a minute. Luckily, this dapper 30-something gentleman has an impressive mind to make up for this, and a natural talent for intelligence work and psychological warfare.

  • Suggested Boons: Master Spy;
  • Suggested Drawbacks: Helpless;
  • Suggested Traits: None;


ROOK: Sir Thomas Keelerson, East Colonial Trading Company[edit]

Keelerson is in the war for profit, as he will often remind his fellow officers. He is happy to place himself and his resources at the King's disposal, but he expects adequate compensation. A fat and ugly man, he is not beloved of the soldiers under his command, but he knows about the economics of war, and would rather lose the lives of men he commands than the supplies they guard.

  • Suggested Boons: Keeper;
  • Suggested Drawbacks: Fuelled;
  • Suggested Traits: None;


The Eight Armies[edit]

  • South Essex 8th, Musketmen - One regiment of good Britannic soldiers amongst many, able to reload and fire their muskets three times in a minute! (Ranged; Low Quality;)
  • Suffolk 13th Heavy Cavalry - Comprised of the gentry, and armed with lances, pluck and courage! A little reckless perhaps, but powerful on the charge. (Combined Arms Warfare; Attackers; Low Quality; Expensive;)
  • Highland Grenadiers - The best of the best, these soldiers never falter in the face of the enemy, and are ideal for leading the most dangerous of attacks. (Ranged; Expensive;)
  • "Steele's Rifles" - Skirmishers of high class, with a weapon that has twice the range and accuracy of a musket. (Ranged; Skirmishers; Commander's Household: Steele; Ineffective Defenders;)
  • The Royal Artillery - With ball and grapeshot, the guns of the royal artillery can demolish armies and enemies alike. (Ranged; Destroyer; Combined Arms Warfare; Wheeled; Expensive; Dependent;)
  • Sepoys - the 16th - They're not great, these local boys, unless you have an officer to keep them in line. Plenty more where they came from, though.(Ranged; We Are Legion; Dependent;)
  • Sepoys - the 3rd - They may be brown-skins, but they're amongst the most experienced troops in the colonies. (Ranged; Dependent;)
  • East Colonial Company - They only come out when their employer calls them out, but they're well equipped and well trained. (Ranged; Commander's Household: Keelerson)

Italic text above represents suggested Descriptors.