Table of Contents
Welcome to James Kemp's Wiki
This is a collaborative web platform that allows people to edit1) the web pages to provide additional content for some of the stories I have written and the roleplaying games that I am involved in, whether as a player or GM.
There are several namespaces operating slightly different wiki subjects. These are, in no particular order:
- Skyss - Story Background - a fantasy novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2016.
- Perfects - background for the near future story and some police roleplaying that I ran in that universe
- Theocracy of Daprav - A D&D campaign that I ran with Glasgow University Games Society around 2002-3.
- Jim Wallman's Universe - a roleplaying by e-mail campaign that I play in, this is an unofficial wiki and none of it is canon unless Jim says it is.
- Interstellar Freelance Unlimited - subset of the Universe pages covering the activities of a mercenary company that we are currently roleplaying every Full Moon.
- Earth Imperium pages. These cover the activities of the Government of the Solar republic (aka Earth Empire) in Jim's Humanity Will Prevail campaign, including the Earth Imperium News Items.
- Free Worlds Alliance - covering the activities of another emerging polity in the Humanity Will Prevail campaign. Mostly contributed by Eric Moroney.
- Universe Background - page collecting the various bits of background info that have come up in various e-mail discussions for the campaigns set in Jim Wallman's Universe.
- Master map of the Universe (6Mb PDF, as at 3212).
- Delta Green - some roleplaying campaigns about horror and conspiracy. The main one was set in Berlin in 1953.
- Free games rules - a collection of free rules for wargames and other sorts of face to face games that I have designed or run.
- Wargames rules - I'm not just a player of games, I also do rules for them from time to time as well as one-off games. A primary outlet for this is through Chestnut Lodge Wargames Group.
- Other free rules - at the moment just those for the 1689 (Orange or Lemon? and Bonnie Dundee, respectively about the debates in the Scots Parliament and then the military campaign of Viscount Dundee during 1689) and The Other Side of the COIN (about what makes people become insurgents). All games that I have have produced for Chestnut Lodge Wargames Group.
- Background for a near future universe where I have written some fiction and also run some roleplaying games in.
Comments and complaints to me at webmaster@full-moon.info please.
James Kemp
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Kingdom of Berenicia
The Kingdom of Berenicia is a prosperous northern realm situated on the continent of Osnines. It is characterized by its high degree of organisation, a thriving economy based on wool and iron exports, and a complex social hierarchy of powerful Dukes and Earls. It sits immediately south of the related but significantly more impoverished Grand Duchy of Dael Riata.
Geography
The primary industries of Berenicia are hill farming and metallurgy. The kingdom is a major producer and exporter of wool, supported by rich farmland in the Fruitbar Plain. To the south and west, the border with Zushonia is defined by the River Wackle, a waterway prone to significant decennial flooding that necessitates advanced civil engineering and settlements built on rocky outcrops.
The heart of the kingdom is bisected by the Dipthorn Range, a mountain chain rich in iron ore and coal deposits. These resources feed the massive smelters of Ironburgh. To the east, the River Dunkle serves as the border with Bledal and Smaenia.
People
Berenicia is ruled by a hereditary monarchy, currently held by Queen Eleanor I, who took the throne following the death of her brother, King Edmund IV. Unlike the faction-riven Daels, the Berenicians are highly organised, maintaining a well-kept legal system overseen by the House of Justice and a strong presence from the Board of Trade.
The social structure is dominated by a wealthy nobility that outnumbers the peers of Dael Riata. Higher learning is centered in the university town of Stylhet, which serves as one of the few academic hubs on the continent.
Main Nobles
The main nobles of Berenicia identified in the records are:
- Queen Eleanor I, Sovereign of Berenicia.
- Duke Simon of Goddodin, a veteran commander with strong royal claims.
- Duke Arthur of Mercia, a young peer of the blood.
- Bernard Wallis, 1st Earl of Stylhet, Chancellor and Spymaster.
- Oliver Postumus, Earl of Whithead, illegitimate son of the late King Edmund IV.
- The Duke of Deira.
- The Duke of Rheged.
- The Earl of Dinbaer.
- The Earl of Dinguaire.
- The Earl of Metcaur.
- The Earl of Elmet.
- The Earl of Cadfan.
- The Earl of Penda.
- The Earl of Elfhed.
- The Earl of Ebrauc.
Urban Hierarchy
Berenicia supports a total population of approximately 4,000,000 people. The major settlements follow a rank-size distribution:
| Rank | City | Population | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastport | ~110,000 | The Capital; primate port for wool exports. |
| 2 | Ironburgh | ~55,000 | Industrial heart; largest iron smelter in the realm. |
| 3 | Westport | ~37,000 | Strategic northwest port on the Dael Riata border. |
| 4 | Middleton | ~27,500 | Inland collection hub for hill farming. |
| 5 | The Bend | ~22,000 | Riverine city on the Wackle; built on a rocky outcrop. |
| 6 | Strongport | ~18,000 | Naval bay guarding northern shipping lanes. |
| 7 | Oakwood | ~15,500 | Logging hub for shipyard timber. |
| 8 | Woolwick | ~13,750 | Primary raw wool processing centre. |
| 9 | Stylhet | ~9,500 | University town and seat of Earl Wallis. |
Skyss - Story Background
This is a web version of the notebook that has the background to my fantasy novel Fierce (released 1 May 2024). You can read the first chapter on my blog 'Fierce Ch.1 - Straven', which is a medium-level fantasy story with relatable female lead and a dash of romance set in a world of my own creation. It's influenced by everything I've ever read, and loosely based on a Norse 10th/11th century blending with some ancient Roman, although the ships are more like 17th/18th century. Skyss is the northern state the main characters come from, but there is a whole world and other states exist, some of which will be linked to here.
NB this site is a work in progress and is a means for me to be able to remind myself what I've written so that I stay consistent. Feel free to re-use the material in your own stories (with attribution, and not commercially without permission). If you have comments or observations I would love to hear them, you can contact me via my blog https://www.themself.org/ or email james @ that domain.
Skyss World-Building Notes
The Skyssian Sagas
I've published one full length novel in this world, as well as some short stories. I've also outlined two further novels, and have worked up those outlines with world-building. In due course the stories will get fleshed out to the point where they can also be published. For now this is the list of published works.
- The Mother's Dream - a creation story for the Skyssians, how they ended up with nine gods and how the world was built by the Trolls.
- Going to Sea - another early myth of how the Sea Goddess Kari got people to worship her, and helped them become seafarers.
- Fierce (released 1 May 2024). You can read the first chapter on my blog 'Fierce Ch.1 - Straven'
- Bjorn the Beardless - I wrote some backstory for one of the main characters so that I could understand them better. There's a bit more than this, and some of it will work it's way into other stories.
Yngvild Helgasdotir
Yngvild is also known as Yngvild the Fierce, and she's the title and POV character for Fierce. She was adopted into Old Bjorn's household on Straven. Her biological parents were lady_helga and oddmundr. Oddmundr weilded Jafnadr the Sword before Yngvild was born.
Appearance
Yngvild is about 24 during the events of Fierce. She has long red hair, pale skin and blue eyes. That said, she is a shapeshifter and she can look like anything she can imagine and over the course of the story she takes several forms, mostly human.
Clothing
Her favourite colour is red, with green a close second.
Shield
Yngvild made her own shield as a teenager, with the help of Old Bjorn. It's a slightly curved rectangular shield that covers knees to shoulder.
Amulet
Gifted to her by Old Bjorn her amulet is in the shape of a silver coin attached to a silver chain. “It looked freshly minted and polished, shinier than most silver coins I'd seen. Not that I'd seen very many. The side facing me had the standard crest of Skyss, a circle of nine circles, gold coins when painted, and crossed axes in the middle with a boat prow underneath. Usually a blue circle with coloured paint. The boat was green and the axes red. This coin had a small hole drilled where the top-most of the nine coins went. Old Bjorn turned the coin round. The other side had the face of the Goddess Malfin. The runes Bjorn had cut round the edge read “Malfin, guide and protect your loyal servant and champion Yngvild the Fierce, Helgasdottir and Keeper of Secrets”.
Skyss's World
I've not drawn the whole world or put lots of detail in, I think it's best to leave some room for what I might need in future stories. That said, there are a couple of maps
Description
World is a large place, I sketched out a broad shape and then went to work on where the tectonic plates were, so that I knew where the mountains and volcanoes were. After that I added in lower hills, and major rivers flowing from the high places to the sea. I placed some cities in likely places based on real human geography, and from there came some trade routes, mostly sea traffic but also some along rivers and between places. The step after that was to fill in a lot of the space with deserts, forests and plains based on where the winds would take the rain. After that there were a load of political boundaries drawn.
From the political boundaries I made some notes for each of the countries/states/major cities to help flesh out the map. I also went further with the places that would end up being used in my stories.
King of Skyss
The King of Skyss is elected, and can be deposed, by nine electors.
The current King is king_thirfinn.
Stories
They are in the story
- First appears - in Fierce when Yngvild Helgasdotir arrives in Kronstadt she is invited to dinner with King Thirfinn.
Description
The King runs the navy and justice. The title is always 'King' but the incumbent can be either male or female.
Relationships
People
Notable people
