Renaissance Inspired Fantasy Setting

[macphersonrants]

I'm not sure exactly what I want to do with Britain.

I don't think I can do without Gloriana. Elizabeth I is simply too central to renaissance Britain to not have some sort of analog on the throne of England. The Elizabeth as Arthur / John Dee as Merlin angle taken by 7th Sea is rather tempting although I don't think they did an especially stellar job of executing it.

I definitely want border reivers, so I'm thinking that I'll go with the political situation around the beginning of Elizabeth's reign in the north.

Ireland should be as unsettled as in real life.

I'd like to think of something interesting to do with Wales to give it a little more character during the era.

While the Elizabeth approach is the obvious one, I have toyed with something more radically alternate. For example, the Elizabeth figure could be male. Edward VI could survive to adulthood. Elizabeth could marry. All of these options bring a male into the picture atop the English power structure making military embroilment in Europe likely to take on greater prominence. I haven't hit on anything that really appeals, so I expect I'll end up with something heavily inspired by real history, but I may still find inspiration of some sort.

Suggestions are welcome.