FAQ of Histories of Our World
By Alex Nochbe, BA, SD, FE, QB

1. Whatever happened to William Speare?

William Speare was noted as one of the more tragic notes in the English Civil War. Although his plays were openly supported by the Black Bard, it was not by those of the "Old" British Army. As a show of his support, the Black Bard made him his official Playwright, commissioning the famed "Elizabeth of England" plays as well as the noted "Horatio, son of Hamlet" tales. It was during the opening production of "Horatio, Part II" in York when William Speare was shot by a crossbolt by an Army sniper. It is said that William Speare's last words were "Let the Play go on".

In this, William Speare was appointed as the Laureleate of Plays, and buried in Canterbury's Literary corner.

2. What's this I hear about Clark Reginald, Baron of Kent?

Clark Reginald was viewed by most within King Fredrick Henry's court as the successor to William Speare, although not heavily involved into the Elizabeth canon, as popularized in the death of William Speare's tragic end. Clark Reginald was very fond of the naval traditions. This went hand in hand with King Frederick Henry's experience, thereby creating a "Dutch" flavour on the stages of Drury Lane and Blackbard Avenue. The one play that Clark Reginald was famed for was the "Atwell" saga, which portrayed a grandiose braggart captain by the name of Atwell Kent who moonlighted as a sea bandit, bringing order to the wild brambles of Sydney Raffle Sea in the mythical land of Victoria.

Most unfortunately, the "Atwell" saga proved to be the undoing of Clark Reginald, whom wanted to go into tragedy and not the adventures of Atwell Kent. It is said that Clark Reginald actually stated to King Fredrick Henry that he was sick of the Atwell saga to the point that he wished he never wrote it. King Fredrick Henry was not happy at this, quickly appointing Clark Reginald the Ambassador of Novgorod, effectively banishing him from the Blackbard Court.

Ambassador Clark Reginald did well in Novgorod, until he insulted a boyer's daughter, and was found floating in a ditch the following day.

3. But didn't Ambassador Clark Reginald, Baron of Kent help Novgorod?

He did in a way, as League diplomats did to Tver.

The only thing was that Clark Reginald didn't speak Russian; the only language that he could speak fluently was Swedish and Norwegian.

4. What about Marian of Ulster? I've heard that she was a very fine actress-

She was a very fine actress. It is said that she could seduce a man a thousand yards with her rendition of Fatim, the cast off daughter of Blind Harry, the King who could not see faith. The ironic thing was that the man that she caught was none other than King Cedric, whom sought to "save" her from the Irish Wars that were commencing in the said state.

5. Did she become his concubine?

She became his wife actually.

6. Then who was Queen Atashya?

King Cedric's wife.

7. But I thought kings could only bear one wife?

King Cedric was actually of the Naval tradition. Queen Atashya was his sea-wife, as it were in the Naval Ways, and she helped run the Fleet while he was focusing on the United Kingdom per say. Although Queen Atashya was recognized as his consort, it is said that she did not want to become an actual Queen, and was happy with King Cedric simply being her "man". Naval traditions of the east often confuse the first time arrival; just go with it would be the rule of thumb.

8. How many academies were in the United Kingdom?

Of 1750's, there were about 28, not including the public educational facilities helping the youth of varying cities to their occupation, nor the Hollander Universistat that focused on the "natural" sciences.

9. What about Ghent? Did it unify with the Kingdom of Netherlands?

Yes, it did, under Queen Juliana the Wise's reign. Ghent was allowed to keep it's Ambassadorial seat in the Leaguehaus due to it's long history as a member of the League. During the latter years of King Cedric's reign, Ghent became the Kingdom of Belgium, a subsidiary of the Netherlands, due to politics of that area.

10. Why wasn't the Faerie Queen published with the rest of the Elizabeth cannon?

It has been, although integrated into the more "common" plays that illustrate the adventures of Francis Drake, Cavalier of the Queen's Guard, and his futile attempts at having the Virgin Queen marrying him. Due to the variations that actors have in different areas, the Faerie Queen is often cut short at Stanza 10, and twisted into the "Wed me milady, for we shall sail upon unknown shores" speech in Act 3, scene 4.

11. What about the Bible?

What about the bible?

12. I mean, was there any effort on unifying it?

Naval traditions did help cement a sort of hybrid version of Johannism that was popular at the time (1750's) and reflected the polygot times that much of the League had been known for. An informal Sailor's Book was introduced in the latter years of Black Bard's days as Prince, with most focusing on the conduct that a sailor should have in the Fleet, as well as the respect one should have towards the "Gods of the Seas". Over time, this became adapted by the Admiralty as the "Code of the Sailor", with several books added for the directions of the winds, the conduct of the Moors, and so on. It was only in King Fredrick Henry's time that the Sailor Book was unified in the Blackbardian Codex.

The Blackbardian Codex does focus on two things; the code of the sailor and the respect of the "Gods of the Seas". As one should note, the addressing of the Bible is somewhat privy to the corruptions that the Naval Traditions have in the written text. A good deal of the text is devoted to the deeds of Jesu, the Prophet Blessed Upon His Name, as well as the different facets of His Father, the Ruler of the Seas. Although King Cedric's grandfather, General Jacqubar Cedric of Ulster had not yet risen to fame in the Seige of Rouen, there was that overt presence of the Moorish Realm within the Naval Tradition, which depended greatly on the Ghana coast for wood, supplies, men, and so on down the list.

In fact, the Blackbardian Codex could be treated as a precursor to the Fredrickhenry Codex, written in the latter years of King Christian Henry's time, which combined the traditions of Sweden with Britian. As one might note within the Deviant historical plays, there is a difference; that is within the Fredrickhenry Codex, Johannism is focused on rather than Moorish Islam. This helps academics be keen on the strains of the different Naval Traditions that were going about; the Johannism influenced by native traditions and Johannism influenced by Muslim culture.

The two codex lasted until the middle of King Christian Henry's reign, where the Rotterdam Codex came out, whereas both strains were recorded to help delinate the customs of the League. The Rotterdam Codex was recorded in Rotterdam, as one can expect from the name, and it was mainly to inform the Germans of what exactly was going on in the "Fleets". The Rotterdam Codex was held as the defacto manuel of Naval Traditions until Margrave Johann Jack of Hamburg introduced the "German" version of the Rotterdam Codex, named (not surprisingly), the Johannist Codex, which remained the manual for all League sailors untill the introduction of the II Johannist Codex, which was pretty much an updated version of the first.

As for England, the Blackbardian Codex was held as the Bible of the Naval Fleets, with only minute alterations made during King Egill Canute II's reign on the theory of Jesu's interactions with His Children in Ghana. Most sailors referred to the Blackbardian Codex as "English" and started to spread it throughout France, which they held as their own private domain due to the politics involved that country. During King Cedric's reign, the Blackbardian Codex tilted even more to Moorish Islam, to the point that it was madatory for all editions of the Blackbardian Codex to not name Jesu as Jesu and simply refer to the Prophet Muhammed as the True One Prophet that made the world just in both spheres - the personal and the outside. By the time Queen Ximena's reign, many of the Moorish imans that had come to England had started to comment on the Codex being more Moorish than what they had, and the Blackbardian Codex was incorporated into the Holy Texts of their Realm.

13. But that's Naval Tradition! What about the landlubber version?

Several different bibles were retained for the "land" version with the only unifying text of the said book being made under Archbishop Peter of Uxumbridge, whom published the Canterbury-York Version of 1672. Although this text did not have the consent of the various spiritual centers at the time, it was heralded as the "one key thing for the commons to read", with it's emphasis on virtue of a goodman. The Uxumbridge Version of 1672 did stand out through the English Civil War and was used in many sermons as the key principle of which England could survive on. Over time, this viewpoint became the focus of the Canterbury Proclaimation, in which all Englishman common folk swore by the plainess of the text, and that Canterbury was the only thing that held England to it's roots.

14. Didn't Northumbria had a say in this?

The Uxumbridge Version of 1672 was actually published in the said county. Many scholars refer to the Uxumbridge Version as an adaption of the Bruno Cassius proposal, a noted healer in the Scottish Wars, whom used his proposals to gall his people to fight against the Scots. A deviant of the Uxumbridge Version, known as the Haraldian Text, was adapted for King Harald II's ancestors, although severely damaged with the Black Bard ascending the throne.

15. Who was Christopher Marlow?

Christopher Marlow, Earl of Northumbria, was a noted commander who broke ranks within the Civil War to join the Black Bard. It is said that upon review of Prince Fredrick Henry's "procupine" tactics and the constant shelling that the Black Bard did on the coast, Christopher Marlow personally sent a message imploring the Black Bard to "secure his ally to the North". As a result of his breaking ranks, Christopher Marlow was made Earl from his measly position of Colonel of the 11th Northumbrian Sharps. Northumbria later on proved to be the cradle of the Marine Core and became the defacto manufacturing center of Great Britain.

16. Then what's this I hear of David Marlowe?

David Marlowe, Earl of Northumbria, was Christopher's son, whom dabbled into the prototype of satire, especially the usage of deviant history in making a direct commentary on the world at large. The plays in particular did touch base within the conservative base of Northumbria, which was primarly pro-Uxumbridge and not Blackbardian Codex, even though much of the coasts held it as the defacto Bible of the sea. Over time, David Marlowe's plays became immensly popular with the Archbishop of Canterbury, whom authorized the construction of the Hull Cathedral, and personally attended the Earl whenever he had a crisis.

David Marlowe was also a skilled merchant, whom pioneered the Hull Cutter Lines, a subsidary of the Home Fleet, and oversaw the trade in the Norway-Sweden-Finland-Denmark route.

17. Is he the writer of the Salom Salem songs?

Sadly, no. What you're thinking of is Abraham Moliere, a Natural Scientist of the Ghentish School, whom pioneered the "Aue Naturale" concept of philosophy. Abraham Mliere is primary known for the latter and not his poetry; much of it was made in his youth when he visited Drury Lane. The Salom Salem songs are erronously accredited to Phillip Kirkengard, who is responsible for the Absolem Salen Psalms.

18. How much of France did Great Britain hold domain over?

All of the north, excluding the "Petan" Realm, in which Paris was "given over to the natural authorities".

19. What was the Grand Tour?

Essentially all youths of the Marine Core (later made back into the British Army) were assigned service in France, else France would fall back into Spanish hands.

20. How many theaters were on Drury Lane?

What decade are we talking about?

21. How about the 1740's?

There were about 23 of them. By the time Queen Ximenia's reign it was 36.

22. What about Blackbard Avenue?

The Blackbard Avenue was predominately for the "upper class"; although in smaller number (20), it was of quality, and the famous Wilhelm-Orange Opera is a good example on how much money it was bestowed upon by the authorities.

The Histories of Alex Nochbe (compiled by G.Bone) can be followed at Histories of Our World Part 2