From Adaws@aol.com Mon Jan 19 12:56:20 1998 Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 14:59:48 EST From: Adaws To: mbusse@midway.uchicago.edu, kor2@midway.uchicago.edu Subject: England [The following text is in the "ISO-8859-1" character set] [Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set] [Some characters may be displayed incorrectly] Here's the general info on England that a well informed elf from Alfheim might know. Alain England A small island off the coast of Alfheim, England is the originating location and home base of the Sea Folk, who are human. Because of its proximity to Alfheim, it is also home to many elves. The humans live mainly around the rivers and coast of the island, but over the years they have spread inland so that many of the humans in England now farm as well as sail. They have erected cities, the largest of which is London. The elves tend to stick to the woods and have little use for cities. Nevertheless, the two races intermingle peacefully; so peacefully, in fact, that there are many half- elves. The elven nobility, well known for their wisdom and stability, rule alongside the humans, and for centuries the king and queen of England have been elves. This suits the Sea Folk, who are mostly interested in having a safe haven and not particularly interested in politics. As long as things run smoothly, they let the government see to itself, but they will step in if political problems interfere with their business. Because of its elven influences, England is a country known for its bards, both poetic and musical. It is also a major center of shipping and trade, all of which is controlled by the Sea Folk. Recently, there has been a sharp increase in trade and a sharp decrease in bards, attributable to the influence of the Lord Chamberlain who is the major power in the Protectorate government. Government England is governed by a monarchy which is based in the main city of London. The king or queen invests the lords of the land with their power. England grew from a feudal system of government, and the individual lords still control a great deal of land and prestige in their own right. If a fair number of them decide a king is overstepping his bounds, they have the strength to make him back off. This is England^Òs version of checks and balances. It behooves both parties to maintain good relations with each other Parliament was established by an early elven monarch. It is divided into a house of lords and a house of commons, both of which have plenty of Sea Folk representatives. Parliament meets in London. However, the government has been shaken by a series of recent catastrophes. King Charles and Queen Diana (both high elves) had two valued advisors, twin high elf brothers named Mick and Keith Glimmer. They come from a long line of noble elves who have worked in high ranking government positions. They were famous bards and diplomats, Chancellors to the king, and very well loved by their countrymen, elves and humans alike. Fifty years ago, Mick was murdered, apparently by a foreign assassin. England was shocked by his death and began to look on foreigners with suspicion. Keith spent all of his spare time trying to discover what happened to his brother and who was truly responsible. Then nineteen years ago he too was murdered, his heart speared by the splintered neck of his own guitar. At this point, all hell broke loose. The king and queen started to fight with each other and there were rumors that the king had a mistress. The Glimmer Twin's elder brother Archibald was elevated to Lord Chamberlain and promptly instituted martial law. Many citizens, angered by the loss of Mick and Keith, and already fearful of foreign plots, welcomed the increased security. Amidst all this, the queen gave birth to Prince William, the heir to the throne. Seventeen years ago, the king disappeared and hasn^Òt been seen since. The queen lost interest in governing and withdrew from the public eye. The Lord Chamberlain worked to strengthen the economy by forcing continually increasing labor on the lower class, and by plundering the island^Òs natural resources. Mining, logging, whatever would bring in money to the government. Many Sea Folk supported his efforts, which brought on a trading boom. He also has the backing of a strong contingent of lords, who are mostly human. The elves feel that he is squandering their resources in a short-sighted effor like to see him dead. In order to maintain control, The Lord Chamberlain has instituted laws for the licensing of bards, as well as the licensing and (more frequently) confiscation of weapons. Bards have certain things which they may or may not play. Many bards found that it was well nigh impossible for them to get a license, and have either stopped playing or been forced to go underground. The populace are discouraged from spending time enjoying themselves and pushed to make sacrifices for the good of their country (like during WWII). About ten years ago, the queen died and again the Lord Chamberlain blamed a foreign plot. He disbanded Parliament and it hasn^Òt met since then. Prince William is protected night and day and is never far from the Chamberlain. The prince has never been crowned because no proof has been shown of his father^Òs death. Thus he remains a prince and in the background of the government. There is a great deal of tension between the elves and the humans for the first time in centuries. All of the lords are holding fast on their own territories, waiting to see what^Òs next. Many of the outlying counties have practically become feudal again. The Lord Chamberlain^Òs most outspoken critic is the White Duke, David Bowie. Although his main holdings are in Alfheim, The White Duke has lands and responsibilities in England as well. His lands have become a haven for bards and workers escaping the tyranny of the government, but he himself has gone missing recently and some fear that he may have been put out of the way. London London is a enormous city as befits the Sea Folk^Òs main center of trade. It is complex and labrynthine, making it difficult to patrol thoroughly. This has allowed an underground of renegade bards to flourish. Many speakeasies exist where adventurous people can still hear cutting-edge music and news that has been kept from public knowledge. The bards who perform there tend to be rough characters who carry illegal weapons along with their illegal instruments. (The p beatnik hangouts crossed with ^Ñ20^Òs speakeasies). The Prince and Lord Chamberlain are both in residence at Buckingham palace, but many of the other government buildings are currently being used as barracks by the controlling militia. All in all, London has taken on a very Dickensian atmosphere in recent years and the future seems to hold no hope of improvement.