Origins: The Story of Us

The Dark Ages have descended over Europe, lowering a shroud over the once great and advanced civilization of Ancient Rome, and taking with it all the knowledge of advanced medicine, learning, architecture and so much more. In the time that has passed since the fall of the empire, the face of the continent has changed drastically. Germanic tribes, Vikings, Franks, Visigoths and others raced together in a vacuum to snatch up the unclaimed lands—transforming it to the world we now know. Hundreds of years have come and gone and the familiar names of France, Castile, Galicia, Navarra, England, Germany, only to name a few, have appeared on the map. Cultures have mixed to form new ones and languages taking their roots in the Germanic and Latin tongues are dominating much of Europe.

Our story takes place in the Kingdom of France during the early 900’s C.E.—the height of the Viking era. On the mend from a continent-wide pandemic and famine due to decreased atmospheric temperatures, the nation is reeling with turmoil. To make matters worse, royal authority is in a transitional phase from one house to another and the duchy of Normandy has been seized in war by the savage invaders from the frigid northern lands. Within the span of two months the kingdom lost both its crown prince and his father the king, only to be followed to the grave the very same day by his own brother and successor, the fallen Duke of Normandy. A kinsman and uterine half-brother to the Karlings now sits upon the throne, son of the Queen Mother Hildegarde and her second husband Hugh de Capet—King Adalman II.  

The Carolingians, however, were not an extinct dynasty. Laws may bar women from succeeding to the throne, but not all titles held such precedence. The first of the two late kings left behind two daughters by way of his Scottish bride. Upon his death, the Duchy of Champagne passed immediately to the elder of the two girls, Princess Amicia. The latter brother, brought with him the Duchy of Normandy, but subsequently lost that as well as the kingdom upon his death—unbeknownst to him as his blood spilt upon the Northman’s blade. Without hesitation, Queen Mother Hildegarde seized the power of the regency for her young son and surrendered Normandy with no further contest in order to sue for peace. With Champagne, Normandy was not a total loss, but control of the young Duchess fell to her own mother, Dowager Queen Alysanne, Princess of Skotlond. Hildegarde sought to remove this obstacle by offering her former daughter-in-law as a peace offering of sorts, but found that Alysanne had fled Paris with both daughters and the elder Dowager Queen Ethel before the offer could be made.

This infuriated the queen mother, and so she sent troops in secret to intercept Duchess Amicia at Reims. The chateau was ransacked and left to ruin, but the girl and her family were nowhere to be found, at least until official notice arrived from la Château D’Ombrage in the famous sparkling wine producing region of Champagne, that she’d taken up residence within the palace there. Furthermore, they’d been joined by yet another queen, the former duchess of Normandy, Queen Genevieve Princess of Wessex, and she was demanding the widow’s jointure due her as a former consort of the kingdom, if only for a few hours. Given the defensive nature of their chosen residence and the looming threat of war from either woman’s family, the crown had no option but sanction the action and provide the means necessary to support the household—within reason. These women had each played a part in ruling France for many years, and held considerable internal influence as well—harming good Christian women of high birth was a black mark even Hildegarde could not afford.

The Château D’Ombrage is an ancient fortress, dating back to the Roman occupation of Gaul. While its living quarters were by no means any comparison to the rooms in Reims, it had been decently maintained as a royal property and benefactor to the crown due to its rich surrounding vineyard. Its overall structure made it easily defendable and difficult to assault directly. It was built along the river Marne upon a small inland island, accessible by dock or drawbridge. A thick forest sits across the river to the North, as well as to the east and is home to bountiful game and wildlife such as deer, wolves, rabbits, and boar. Otherwise, grassy plains and farmland are scattered about. The nearby village of Ombrage is about an hour walk from the castle and is where a great deal of trading and the like occurs. The castle itself contains modest apartments and servant chambers, gardens, a church, rookery, council room, a great hall for feasts, stables, barracks, as well as other general castle needs.