The Shattered Realm discussion

Setting:
Takes place in a world much like that of Eighteenth Century Europe.

****Note:These are quotes taken form the book Fly by night, by Francis Hardinge****


HISTORY OF THE REALM
((by Quillam Mye))

*Before*
“Once, in a day that some still remember, there was a king who spent a lot of time devising beautiful gardens and thinking clever thoughts about the stars. He meant very well, and ruled very badly, and in the end they cut of hid head, and melted down his crown to make coins.”
“The Parliament ruled the country after that, and all the people who still thought there should be a king went into hiding, or retreated into the hills, or fled to other countries. The Parliament's leader ruled very like a king, but no one called him a 'king,' because names are important.”
“The dead king had a son, whom loyal servants rescued and carries abroad. The boy prince traveled afar and became a man prince. He spoke with other kings, some of whom promised to help him win back his throne. He learned etiquette of court, and found out which princesses were worthy to be his queen. And then, while he was visiting a far-distant king in a land of burning sands, his camel unexpectedly bit off his nose. The prince took, a fever and died the next day, through surprise as much as anything else.
“Those who though there should be a king or queen now argued among themselves. Some thought the old king's daughter should rule, some his sister, some his cousin's son.
“Twenty years passed in this way, and the Parliament fell out with another as well. They were to busy squabbling to notice their power being stolen away by a new enemy.”

*THE TIME OF THE BIRDCATCHER*
“A Bad time came upon the Realm. For ten years...”
((skipped))

*After*

“...But Birdcatchers were overthrown and the Bad Time did pass. Afterword, the monarchists and the Parliamentarians resumed their struggle for power. Each group of Royalist gatherers an army and prepared to snatch the throne for their monarch of choice. Parliament was frightened and prepared their own armies for war”
“And Then one day, to their surprise, the leaders of the Parliament found themselves drinking tea with a group of quietly insistent men in very clean but well-used overalls who explained to them that they were not going to do anything of that sort. The Parliament were surprised, for these were the heads of the guilds, the leaders of the watchmakers and locksmiths and stationers, and other skilled working men.”
“' If you go to war' said the guild heads,'you will suddenly find there are no boots or coats for your troops. You will find that there are no flints for you pistols and no shots for you muskets.'
“'No matter,' said the leaders of the Parliament.'Our troops will be so inspired by their cause that they will fight in their shirts and theirs socks, and will use swords and stones if they cannot have guns.'Perhaps,' said the guild heads.'But in the meantime even you will have no tea or marmalade for you breakfast tables, and no tailors to darn you robes of office when they tear.' And so the leaders of Parliament went pale and asked for time to think about it.
“Meanwhile , on their own lands, The Royalist supported prepared to march on the Capital. But each and every one found themselves, one day, talking to a group of quietly insistent men in very clean but well-used overalls who explained to them that they would do nothing of the sort.'You will promise loyalty to the Parliament,' said the guilds heads,'or your city folk will have no flour for their bread or slate for their roofs'
“'Our cause is so just,' said the Royalist leaders,'that our people will hold out against a siege even if they are hungry and snow piles up in their beds.''Perhaps' said the guilds heads.'But in the meantime no one will set your wives' hair into ringlets, and your horses will be ungroomed.' And so the Royalist leaders trembled, and said they would give an answer the next day.
“The next day, the Parliament said that a monarch
would be no bad thing, and set up a Committee in the Capital to look into it. One by one, the Royalist leaders came to join the Parliament, and waited to find out who was destined to take up the crown and return the nation to its remembered glory.

***That was seven years ago. Today the Realm still awaits the Committee's Decision. Now the nation is like a cookie. ((smash fist into cookie) It still looks like a whole cookie, but it is cracked beyond repair. Every fragment flies a flag to a different king or queen. There is no more cookie anymore. The cookie where we once lived is dying...****

A FEW NOTES ABOUT
THE FRACTURED REALM

PARLIAMENT
Responsible for setting up the committee of Kingmakers, established to decide who is truly destined to wear the crown. But as the decades have passed and no decision has been reached, a fractured realm has been born. The Capital follows Parliament still, but every other fragment flies a flag to a different possible king or queen.

THE BIRDCATCHERS
Once custodians of all sacred texts, until they found the White Heart of the Consequence....thus followed the Bad Time. But now all the Birdcatchers have been killed and the Stationers have burned their books.