A Game of Shires- a Halfling Civil War

 

I am working on a 28mm miniature fantasy tabletop wargame. I will assign my already painted units randomly to each side, and add more as I paint them. The majority of the units come from Wargames Atlantic, Titan Forge, Westfalia Fantasy, and MaxMini. They are mostly plastic sets and 3D printed resin figures. It is called A Game of Shires. It is about a Halfling civil war. I have named many shires and will post a follow on list. I will be using several fantasy wargame sets of rules including: Wars of Orcs and Dwarves, and a modified set of Hostile Realms. I am starting the first battle with my Hostile Realms amended rules. As I build my armies, I will assign each unit a shire origin. The background is that the war takes place in the Commonwealth of Shires. This is a constitutional non-hereditary monarchy with a figurehead king and queen and a parliamentary moot. The moot has a sheriff from each shire that elects a High Sheriff as the head of government. When a King or Queen dies, their spouse steps down to join the Council of Elders in the capital of Auldshire as advisors to the next monarchs. The new King and Queen are chosen during the contests, games, competitions,and tournaments held during the next harvest festivals in Kingshire and Queenshire. A lad and lass from each, respectively, are selected and united in an arranged marriage, becoming the new King and Queen. The current monarchs have reigned for twenty five years. A tied election in the moot has resulted in two claimants to be High Sheriff, and a resulting civil war. Each side will also be augmented by local Halfling militia, and various Human mercenaries.The main issue dividing the two sides is how to use honey. One side wants to use more honey to be eaten directly, while the other wants to turn it into mead. They are referred to as the “Honeys” and the “Meads”. After months of wrangling over the proper use of the year’s honey harvest, warring factions have formed to settle the issue. Declaring for the “Honeys”, Wyndham Gurk of Meadowshire formed a small army and marched East. Meanwhile, Conrad Prentis of Cloudshire, riding his pigasus Piccolo, has formed his own force of bannermen from shires supporting the “Meads”. The two small armies met along the road in Loamshire where a small supply depot rests near the shrine to the One God. Battle is at hand, begun the Game of Shires it has. The leader of the Meads:, The Royal Family: King Bertram Goodchild Queen Suri Hornblower Cedric, rumored to want to become the next King Gilbert, rumored to support the Honeys Rosamund, rumored to support the Meads Aligned to the Honeys: Wyndham Gurk of Meadowshire Bernard Brockhouse the Wizard Griffo “One Eye” Oakbottom Bungo Burrowes the Strong Aligned to the Meads: Conrad Prentis of Cloudshire - riding his Pigasus Halfred Hairyfoot the Holy Allowin Goldworthy Theodoric Puddlefoot Unaligned: Billiam Fourwinks, Other major factions: The Grand Church of the Holy One: There is a single major religion in the Commonwealth but the individual parishes in the shires are very independent. There are many Saints and religious orders. The churches are known for their beekeeping. The Academy of Magic in Manashire The Children: The current monarchs had triplets twenty two years ago. Some suggest the nation would be better off with a hereditary monarchy to keep the peace and check the power of the sheriffs. Norish: A viking like Human people from the Northwest. Often raid the Shires and also serve as mercenaries. Empire: A great Human Empire from the East. Wants to subjugate the Shires and destroy the Church of the Holy One. Major Resources: Honey Tobacco The shires so far (add shire to the end of each word). I will add other minor shires to fill in my map as needed.- Sand Hill Sea Ice King Queen Fire Bluff Moor Swamp Aspen Fir Green Meadow Dusk Isle Lake Frost Market Harbor Plain Crag Pine Vale Dale River Creek Stream Prairie Auld (the capital) March Loam Dawn Bath Spring Snow Cloud Willow Stone Hearth Heart Sweet Palm Bracken Oak Falls Rose Thorn Graveshire Hallowshire Hollershire Holyshire Manashire