New Reality Seeds

[Astromancer]

It's more or less understood that for at least a century before Columbus, probably two, the merchants of Bristol, who traded with Greenland, knew about Vinland. It's also assumed, but not provable, that there were English settlements on the east coast of North America before Jamestown. As these would have been illegal, and those associated with them would have been at risk of total confiscation of all their and their family's goods. This both encouraged secrecy and discouraged investment.

However, on Plantagenet-7 a duke, (who died in infancy in Homeline history,) and who was also a lover of Richard II, discovers the Vinland secret of the Bristol Merchants. The Duke decides that instead of following the treaty with Norway (the reason that trade with Greenland and Iceland was illegal) England should grab these new realms.

Richard decides his lover has a point. He sends his cousin Henry Bolingbroke to scout out places to build forts to claim the land and defend the claim from the "Skrælings". Henry found he loved sea voyaging. And crossed several times. On his ninth voyage he died in battle killed by a Skræling.

Richard, saddened by his cousin's death, adopted Henry of Monmouth(Henry Bolingbroke's eldest son) as his heir. (as in Homeline history Richard dearly loved Henry of Monmouth as if Henry was his son anyway, and Henry had a father son relationship with Richard he never had with his father)

It's now the year 1405AD, the Norse had discovered not only do the English have settlements in Vinland, but the Greenlanders are fleeing to them. The Norse Kings aren't in good shape for war, but the Hanseatic League feels England has breached their privileges. Meanwhile, the 5th Earl of March (Richard's heir) is furious to see he's been by-passed by Henry of Monmouth, who Richard has declared Prince of Wales. Rebellion is being stirred up. The Earl has gotten the aid of Thomas Arundel, the disgraced former Archbishop of Canterbury. At the same time War is brewing with the Skræling tribes.

Basically, a millitarily focused swashers campaign. As the is a low mana Q6 world Centrum likes the idea of England taking an early lead in exploring and settling the Americas. Having this new British Empire squashed early wouldn't please them. Homeline and the Cabal are mainly focused on the magical traditions of this world's Arab lands, But neither want Centrum to gain to much Power in Britain. Meanwhile, Homeline France likes the idea of a Henry V (or in this world Henry IV) who's busy far from France. They're eager to keep King Richard and his adopted son safe.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

However, on Plantagenet-7 a duke, (who died in infancy in Homeline history,) and who was also a lover of Richard II

That’s a bit icky, and I suggest an earl instead. All the dukes in England during the reign of Richard III were his father’s brothers.

[zarawesome]

In Croatan-3, or The Hundred Nations, the Black Death hit Europe a century later. Looking for trading partners, Asia discovered America around 1450, but didn't have the capacity or interest in colonization: technology started rising as tension between North American natives and the Mesoamerican empires collided.

2007 sees North America as an union of over a hundred tribe-states, bordering the Nahua nation at the south. World is TL8, with military at TL6.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

That’s a bit icky, and I suggest an earl instead. All the dukes in England during the reign of Richard III were his father’s brothers.

Earl it is. But it's Richard II, not the third.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by zarawesome

In Croatan-3, or The Hundred Nations, the Black Death hit Europe a century later. Looking for trading partners, Asia discovered America around 1450, but didn't have the capacity or interest in colonization: technology started rising as tension between North American natives and the Mesoamerican empires collided.

2007 sees North America as an union of over a hundred tribe-states, bordering the Nahua nation at the south. World is TL8, with military at TL6.

OK, given the common human tendency to look at any new technology and ask 'how can I kill someone with this, or use it to avoid being killed,' I feel like that needs some justification.

[Astromancer]

Commonwealth-3

This Q6 low mana world diverges from Homeline history during the English Civil wars. The first divergence was the capture of Charles I sons by Parlementary forces. An attempt to rescue the Royal family ended up in the house were they were imprisoned burning down with the King and the princes in it. The second divergence was during the Putney Debates. Instead of Cromwell ultimately rejecting the case for universal manhood suffrage, he embraced it.

Among the many radical reforms proposed by the Commonwealth parliament was universal elementary education. In this parallel, that reform was put into action and literacy was near universal in the British Isles and the colonies by 1740.

More later.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Earl it is. But it's Richard II, not the third.

That was a typing error in my post. I meant Richard II, and I was correct only about the beginning of his reign. By the end some cousins were also dukes.

The first Dukedom in England was created in 1337 for Edward the Black Prince (Richard II's father). The second was the Duchy of Lancaster in 1351 (by Edward III); that was not for a member of the royal family, but it went extinct in 1361 and Edward re-created it for his son John of Gaunt. The next three were Clarence, Gloucester, and York, created by Edward III and Richard II for the rest of Edward III's sons. Then in 1386 Richard II created the dukedom of Ireland for Robert de Vere (who was not a member of the royal family, and the title was not hereditary); he was a favourite and companion of Richard II, but very much did not die in infancy. Richard II created six more dukedoms for members of the extended royal family.

I concede that you could posit that someone who died in infancy in real history became the lover of Richard II and was created a duke by him….

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Stanless-1

In this world Stanly Lieberman got into acting rather than writing, depriving the world of one of its great promoters of "common folk heroism". At least, that's the explanation one of the explorers gave for why this 1999 cyber-dystopic USA with a crippling malaise developed the way it did.

[TGLS]

Sitler is a weird timeline. Some would call it a Reich timeline, but that doesn't really fit. No one is for sure why, but for whatever reason, the Hitler of this timeline lost his aggressiveness after seizing the Sudetenland. While concerned with their heavily militarized neighbor, Britain and France had no appetite for starting a war, but still continued their rearmament plans. Apparently without a Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, Stalin made no sudden moves in the East. Tensions ran high, but nothing came of it.

In 1941, roughly on schedule, the Japanese moved ahead with their Strike South strategy, trashing the American fleet at Pearl Harbor and seizing South East Asia. The Western Democracies quickly rallied and proceeded with a steady rollback of the Japanese Empire. Stalin voided his treaty with the Japanese and grabbed up as much of Northern Asia as he could. Hitler, apparently now being ready for more conflict, invaded Poland but still hesitated at further expansion.

The Japanese War ended two years ago in 1945. Operation Downfall was extremely time consuming and bloody. The atomic weaponry developed by the Manhattan Project only amplified the destruction. Most powers are exhausted from the casualties of war. Germany is an economic mess because of massive cost overruns from its rearmament plans and not plundering neighboring countries. The Soviet Union and Germany both have crash nuclear programs underway. Hitler's dead and German leadership is in turmoil. Can you stop Germany from trashing Europe?

[Willy]

Originally Posted by TGLS

The Soviet Union and Germany both have crash nuclear programs underway. Hitler's dead and German leadership is in turmoil. Can you stop Germany from trashing Europe?

There would be no need to stop germany. In fact look at our history, west germany was created and rearmed to be a stop for Stalin. If Stalin is still alive as he should be, acting like our history and is inventing nuclear weapons, a lot of european nations would see germany as a doubtful but useful ally, which is needed to stop the sowjets. In such a world the sudden tech boost of the allies looted from germany wouldn´t happen. May it be missiles, tanks, jets or helicopters germany was the top or second in such important technologies. Also the whole and BIG german industry would come out of the war unharmed.

In this history line germany did what hitler promised to his followers, he reunified most of the german speaking territory, without switzerland and rounded up his territory by taking poland while he could, no need for a war in which stalin would be the laughing third.

The whole NSDAP leadership was rabbit anticommunist, so any outcome of the struggle wouldn´t let side germany with the sowjets.

Since in this scenario stalin couldn´t grab every nation east of east berlin, the sowjets may be confined to russia and the territorys ante bellum with added kuriles and kamchatka, so stalin wouldn´t have such a big army as he had in the end of WWII and early 60´s.

The bomb was used and the possible devastion is clear, once the longterm issues of fallout come into mind one nation wouldn´t bomb western europe: russia, if you nuke say berlin 2 weeks later moscow dies of radioactive pollution.

Imho you get a multisided stalemate the USA and GB/France on one side, germany in the middle and the sowjets all in a arms race and searching for a oppertunity to strike. Also all nations would keep there former colonies, save japan.