Bretalyon

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Bretalyon
Flag bretalyon.gif

Coat bretalyon.png

Feudal Status: Chivalric Order
Capital: St. Litavia
Largest Cities: St. Litavia

Local Leadership Title: Grand Master
Local Government: Monarchy
Current leader: John Giraud

Local language: Cibolan Saxon, Bretallois
Local Religion: Saxon Church

Bretalyon, officially the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Bretalyon, is a small semi-independent country associated with the United Principalities of Treisenberg. It occupies the southwestern peninsula of Cibola that bears the same name. It is one of the oldest regions of Cibola, having been settled by crusading knights dispatched from New Brittania during the first conquest of the continent. They were soon joined by Treisenberg, long considered to be the first civilized settlement on the continent, and established a crusader state on the peninsula. The fusion of Brittanic and Treisenberger cultures led to the rise of a unique local culture that combines elements of both.

Etymology and terminology

Prior to settlement by crusaders the peninsular region of Cibola had no formal name. It was during the crusading period when Brittanic forces met with the Treisenberg knights. The New Brittanian forces had landed at the northern tip of the peninsula, while Treisenberg's knights had been pushing west from the eastern boundary. Neither side was aware of the other until they met in battle with the heathen Cibolan tribes at the Fields of Litavis. Recognizing each other as fellow knights, the two sides joined forces and soundly defeated the heathens. The Treisenberg knights, known as the Knights of Liyon, decided to join the Brittanian crusaders, forming Bretalyon and founding the city of St. Litavia on the site of the battle.

Geography

Bretalyon is located on the western shores of Cibola, occupying the northern tip of the southern peninsula at about -50 degrees longitude. The region has a temperate climate with mild summers and cool winters. Its proximity to the ocean also influences the region, lending it some aspects of an oceanic climate and contributing to higher levels of rainfall.

History

The discovery of the hitherto unknown island of Cibola around 1700 ASC (2004) quickly escalated into a mad rush for colonization as the powers of Micras vied to stake claims. While peopled by barbarous tribes, of which little evidence remains today, the rest of Micras looked upon Cibola as a land of heathens. In particular, Cranda, Baracao and Slobovia eyed the island with a zealous attitude. But neither nation officially sanctioned colonization. Instead groups of volunteers took it upon themselves to form bands of crusaders meant to "cleanse" the land of heathens. The resultant mass of loosely organized armies landed on Cibola with little foresight beyond converting, by conquest or capitulation, the entire native population to the Saxon churches dominant in their home countries. The resulting clash was a disaster and most of the armies dispersed across Cibola never to return home. But it did result in creating a distinct Saxon culture in the south, while precipitating a Baracaoan culture in the north. Following these early crusades the Germanian state appeared in the south and San Martin in the north, marking these as the first civilized states to develop.

The Germanians are credited with spreading Saxon culture and religion throughout southern Cibola. For several centuries they dominated the entire southern half of the island. Meanwhile in the north San Martin spread its own culture, setting the stage for what would eventually become Alexandria. Germania never had a strong central government, often formed of several feuding states so that it eventually disintegrated. In Germania's wake several principalities banded together to form Treisenberg. Unlike the Germanians the Treisenbergers occupied much of the central territory of Cibola, nor were they strong enough to exert influence much beyond those areas.

It wasn't until 1980 ASC that crusaders from Nova England and New Brittania began arriving for what would be called the Second Crusade. Like their predecessors, these knights acted independently of their homelands. In the collapse of Germania many of the old heathen religions had reappeared, so that the knights felt justified in launching a new crusade. It was also a good excuse to claim new colonial lands. Thus armies began to land at the tip of the Bretalyon Peninsula, fighting their way south and conquering the lands before them. Around the same time, Treisenberg also launched its own crusade, pushing towards the west from their mainland stronghold of Vaduz.

The Knights of Brittania, led by Nigel Pershing, easily defeated the disorganized heathen tribes and rapidly advanced south. Likewise, Treisenberg's Knights of Liyon (Lion Knights), led by Gunther Haddam, were pushing in from the east. The native tribes broke before the onslaught of a war on two fronts and doubled back to an area between both advancing armies. Here the tribes were rallied by a clansman known only to history as Artonius. Artonius gathered the remnant tribal forces into a coherent army and met both the Treisenberg and Brittanic knights on the Fields of Litavis. Pershing and Haddam, meeting for the first time, agreed that only by joining forces could they hope to defeat Artonius. Thus the first seeds of the Bretalyon Knights were sown.

The two armies battled fiercely for several days, but in the end the the knights had superior weaponry and tactics. Artonius was slain in battle and the tribes utterly subdued. Pershing and Haddam agreed that they should remain united in their goal to convert the land. The two leaders dedicated the site of the final battle to Saint Litavis, one of Treisenberg's early Saxon saints, founding the city of St. Litavia on the same site. They also coined the name Bretalyon, representing a combination of both orders. For the next four centuries the Knights of Bretalyon ruled over the peninsula and built a small maritime nation therein.

Bretalyon survived as a small nation-state, often by selling its services as mercenary forces or by trading with other local nations. But by 2400 ASC the country had weakened significantly, so that within another century the country fell to stronger forces. A long succession of rulers then utterly erased Bretalyon from existence. From Monovia to Holzborg to Jingdao, foreign armies tramped over the land while the Order was forced to exist in the shadows. It wasn't until 5700 ASC, when the Empire of Sangun and South Cibola took over the region, that the knights began to inch back into the light.

Government

Culture