A Sour Note In The Song

A Sour Note In The Song:

A request be HeliosMegistos for an ISOT involving characters from “A Song Of Ice And Fire” as well as a chunk of the geography and some of the magic.

In the Year 1190 a strange phenomenon takes place off the coast of Western Europe. A fairly substantial island appears in the ocean, displacing a substantial amount of water and wreaking havoc over the area as tidal waves crash into the continent, destroying cities and killing countless thousands.

However it was what was the island brought with it that really changed things.

The island was Dragonstone, the residence of the Targaryen family, last of the Dragon Lords of Old Valyria. Before the ISOT the ruling Targaryen, Aegon, had been preparing an invasion of the continent of Westeros to his west. However thanks to his unnatural transportation, his fleet had been wrecked (though thankfully with few casualties) and every ship he sent west of his island reported nothing but open sea. Ships sent east in search of the familiar city states of Essos discovered new landmasses filled with unfamiliar nations. However even with these phenomenal changes Aegon was ambitious and he still had the power of dragons at his and his sister-wives' command.

After building a new, if ramshackle, fleet, Aegon and his followers ailed across the new sea to Europe. Landing in Brittany they immediately went about building a fortification and defeated the small army sent to stop them. It took time for word to spread of an army marching through Europe, led by three warriors atop the backs of monsters but by the time it did the entire continent was thrown into turmoil. The mess of petty states and kingdoms made Aegon's conquest difficult as he had to deal with a multitude of opponent but the small size of his adversaries also worked to his advantage. Those who surrendered were rewarded and their armies joined the forces of those he had conquered, expanding the Targaryen invasion force exponentially.

Finally exhaustion and logistical troubles ended the Targaryen rampage, he practically controlled Christendom and his armies were poised to wreak havoc through the lands of Islam as well. Aegon established a capital in Aquitaine, offered titles to his vassals, both those who had arrived with him and those indigenous Europeans that had supported him, and settled down to consolidate his gains.

With all of the events taking place it was no wonder that, at first, no-one in Europe noticed that summer lasted a few months longer than it should. It was only when a year had passed with no winter that people wondered what was going on. Many revelled in the seemingly eternal summer whilst others fretted at the unnatural state the world was in. Then winter came. It was two years long and devastated the world. No-on was prepared for it save the Targaryens and their original followers who knew what was coming and had stocked up food. Thousands died across the world as the long winter drew out. Those who survived learned their lesson and forever after the peoples of the world tried to pre-empt the strange weather and seasons of the world.

The Targaryens and their followers first problem (aside from the obvious ones that emerge when conquering continents) was the language barrier. It took time but soon enough they and their original followers were speaking, accented, French. Local languages and dialects persisted but French eventually became the accepted language of the aristocracy along with Latin. The Targaryens converted to Christianity and even accepted the titles of Holy Roman Emperor but continued the ancient Valyrian practice of institutional incest with the occasional political marriage to favourably powerful families. This, as well as the existence of their dragons, caused a lot of problems between them and the rest of the populace who found their habits and attitudes to be blasphemous and disgusting. It took only a few generations for the Targaryen power to wane as their dragons eventually died out, their eggs infertile or the young produced turning out to be vestigial and sickly. With the disappearance of this essential advantage the tenuous rule of the Targaryens weakened dramatically. It was not long before ambitious or unruly nobles began to rise up against them. In the 14^th Century the Targaryen Dynasty was overthrown, the empire they built fractured slightly and power changed hands once again.

By 2014 the massive and centralised Holy Roman Empire that the Targaryens built has fragmented. The fragments have fought, expanded and contracted, some claiming distant descent from the Targaryens, others not bothering and simply seizing power for their own dynastic legacies.

The current lead contender for the title is the Holy Roman Empire of the Germans, the most powerful by far. A German speaking nation with a strong Latin influence added to it, the Germans dominate Central Europe and hold the Italian Peninsula firmly in their grip. Their control of Rome has been their greatest justification of their title as well as a source of prestige over the other nations of Christian Europe. The capital is in Northern Italy due to the severities of the long winters further north but by this point the northern portion of the peninsula has been firmly Germanised. The Targaryens began the centralisation of the German states of the Holy Roman Empire and their successors continued it. By this point there are only a few areas that have autonomy within the empire. Others have become vassal states. The current emperors are descended from the Wittelsbach-Hapsburg dynastic alliance which now rule as the hereditary dynasty rather then being elected to the throne.

The German Empire is highly Catholic but also Caesaropapist with the Pope firmly under the control of the emperor and the diet. The Papacy still has considerable influence and a lot of land under their control but they are still the subordinates of the secular government and have to comply with their decisions, often being used as centres for propaganda. Their attitude towards the people of their mostly Muslim colonies is one of slow conversion, forcibly if necessary. Most schools and universities are also associated with the church. This is a world where the greater success of secular authority (in the form of the Targaryen united Holy Roman Empire) has forced the church to accept the advancement of knowledge, even if the finer details contradict old fashioned scholarship. This has not led to anything remotely resembling a secular concept of scientific progression in place of faith but it has made society more tolerant to innovation, speculation and philosophy as long as it does not interfere with politics.

German colonies are closely integrated into the empire. The aristocratic organisation of the Holy Roman Empire has also been exported to their colonies, ensuring continuity of control between the heartland and the overseas territories. Most native populations are religiously and culturally converted and creoles have healthy populations alongside colonists. Colonies with vibrant indigenous cultures simply have their ruling classes subverted by the colonial governments.

The Rhoamon Empire was relegated to vassals of the Targaryens and occasional stepping stones in their plans to conquer the neighbouring nations of Islam. Originally founded by Serbians, the current incarnation has since been assmilated by the Greek aristocracy and population. Once freed from Targaryen rule they found the renewal of the war with the Seljuk Turks and other Muslim invaders was almost too much for them. The strange weather that is now the norm pushed a lot of refugees from further north into their lands and bolstered their population, saving them from conquest by the Turks. They have managed to survive but they have not properly recovered. However their cities and historic sites are some of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and the Rhoamons still hold a number of traditional events to attract further revenue.

Though they suffered like all others the people of Scandinavia did a better job than most of Europe in surviving the magically extended seasons. The Swedish ultimately came out on top, dominating Northern Europe as the centuries went by and adapting to the new world. Sweden is a rather authoritarian empire, devoted to political traditionalism and pragmatism. Despite adopting a form of pan-nationalism that unites Nordic and German cultural traits, they have remained very reactionary compared to other powers in Europe. They have adopted a clear social hierarchy with the clergy and the aristocracy at the top. They were also one of the first nations to adopt a distinct dissenting church of their own. Their industrialisation and modernisation is very lethargic and they have fallen behind their rival powers. Their last war with Britain was largely a matter of luck and sheer volume but they have since fallen behind the other great powers and their position in the world is very precarious.

The Caliphate of Industan has rallied the Muslim world against the powers of Europe. A dynamic and visionary dynasty arose in Northern India that was able to hold off the earliest European advances and even adopted their technology when European influence was still weak. Rising when the knowledge of magic was once again waning in Europe, they were able to turn their great size and wealth to their advantage. Once industrialisation began they adopted it with as much vigour and established themselves as overlords of nations across the Indian Ocean, claiming to protect them from European domination. Once they reached their primacy in the early 19^th Century the Shah of the time even declared himself Caliph and his empire a new caliphate.

Whilst a powerful industrial nation they are still rather conservative, lacking in some of the more recent technological development and preferring to stick to what industries they already practice. Staunch Islam is a major feature of Industan and their empire, practising, often extreme, discrimination against other faiths, especially Hinduism. Through the title of Caliph the Industanis have even laid claim to the entirety of the Muslim world and back religious revolts in areas where Muslim populations are ruled over by other faiths. Nationalism has not developed in their empire, like much of the rest of the world, but anti-European ideals have been emerged and are advocated by the government. Their rule over many of their vassals is rather loose in several areas but other vassals have proven incredibly resistive, especially now that some Christian states have come under their rule. Industan also pushes for the industrialisation of these vassals in order to make them viable assets on the world stage.

England was conquered by the Targaryens but had always been on the periphery of their empire. They were also one of the first nations to secede from the Holy Roman Empire once the Targaryens were overthrown. They went on to become one of lead colonial nations once the Victorias (ATL Americas named after an explorer named Victor) were discovered and built a substantial empire. When they lost their last war with Sweden the government, monarchy and thousands of loyalists fled to their colonies, establishing a government in exile.

The British Empire has survived (in a sense) in their colonies and preserved their old empire. Today they are a sprawling collection of individual sub-kingdoms and viceroyalties, all united under the same monarchy but largely autonomous of one another. A heavily interdependent economy and military command structure keeps this otherwise decentralised edifice in one piece even though it makes political decision making very difficult. There is a democratic senate but it is very weak and mostly just an extension of small centralised bureaucracy. The franchise is limited to men who meet certain standards of property ownership and income, usually making them aristocrats anyway. There is a cultural disconnect between those who live in the northerly portions of the empire and the inhabitants of the southern regions, usually exacerbated by the extended seasons and the differing degrees to which they affect each other. The links between the various British kingdoms generally is weak and at times the empire as a single entity is theoretical at best. The only imperial institution with any consistency is the central bureaucracy tasked with handling and managing the empire's protectorates and even the grip the British emperor has on them can be weak depending on his character.

Much like OTL the Amerindians suffered during the colonisation of the Victorias due to disease, displacement and war. The populations of Amerindians in the British Empire mostly live within the protectorates allocated to them but they have received better treatment overall when compared to OTL.

Ever since the Targaryens subverted the control of the Church there have been various heretical movements. This meant there was no orthodox Protestant movement but dissenting churches still appeared to challenge the politicised views of the Catholic Church. The Victorias became a refuge for many followers of these Dissenter denominations and the Anglican Church was the largest. The Anglicans are more similar to nationalised Catholics as they still keep many of the traditional practices but have politically divorced themselves from the Catholic Church and eventually decided to recognise the emperor as head of the Church. Other Dissenter denominations and heresies exist throughout the Victorias but the largest concentrations can be found in British territories along with indigenous faiths, anti-papal Catholics and even anti-clerical Christians, all of whom are usually ignored as long as their religious practices are not too vocal. They are also unlikely to ever gain a seat in the senate even if they meet voting qualifications or possess an aristocratic title.

Technologically this world is at 1900 levels of technology compared to OTL. Smokeless powder is now used in weapons by most nations and few armies now wear flamboyant uniforms for anything other than parades. Chemists across the world are experimenting with various toxic gases that they are now producing in quantity, believing the concoctions are capable of being weaponised. Industrialisation took place and is far more widespread than OTL with most powerful states also preferring to develop their colonies as well as their homelands. Railroads are being constructed across the entire world as empires rush to connect their lands together. Ironclad warships have mostly phased out the old wooden sailing ships and zeppelins cross continents with passengers and cargoes. There is no official system that ensures science progresses or encourages innovation at this point in time but technological development still takes place at a slow pace.

An Enlightenment of sorts has still taken place and new ideas and philosophies about the world have been developed. Currently there have been no revolutions to directly challenge the old monarchical institutions but across the world visionaries have debated over matters of governance. Utopian idealism is fairly new but is taking root in the academic institutions of the world and is finding support in the downtrodden masses of several nations. Socialism was never developed but a form of political anarchism was still created and is becoming popular in Sweden, the Holy Roman Empire and other areas. Enlightened Despotism has only recently been enshrined in new constitutions in Spain and the British Empire and the more traditional nations believe that only ruin will come from experimenting in such methods.

Though nothing is really known about the land, Old Valyria has entered myth and legend throughout Europe as an ancient land of majesty and power. Some view it as synonymous with the ancient continent of Atlantis whilst others revere it alongside other great civilizations like Greece, Rome and Egypt.

Ever since Dragonstone appeared in the Atlantic the world has been infected by other strange forces that appeared to raft along with it. The extended seasons were the most long lasting, having become a persistent phenomena. The long winters and summers rarely last more than two or three years (with autumns and springs often lasting a year at a time) and the people of the world have adapted accordingly. Surprisingly the global biosphere did an even better job of adapting despite its natural fragility.

Magic is a rare and poorly understood phenomenon that has been tied to the Targaryens and their dragons. When the dragons thrive the power of magic is strong but when their strength wanes and they die so too does the power of the world's magic. The true arts of crafting Valyrian steel, stone and other enchanted materials remains unknown to the people of Earth but there are alchemists that know how to weave the weak ambient magic that now flows across the world into weapons and devices, to make them stronger and more durable than any natural materials. There are numerous organizations in Europe, the Americas and secret places in Asia and Africa that remember how to preserve and reforge enchanted items. These groups also record the knowledge of how to create enchantments even though the magic of the world is currently weak and has been for well over a century.

Ever since the Targaryens and Dragonstone arrived there have also been people with strange gifts. Every now and then there will be people who strange connections with animals, often able to see through their eyes or fully transfer their consciousnesses into them. These wargs are commonly regarded as unnatural beings, ostracised from communities that discover their existence and even subjected to witch hunts by more isolated communities. Other magicians have also emerged and perfected or studied their arts, crafting spells and enchantments. Like those who learn how to enchant metals and stone there are organisations that have grown up across the world that try to refine or collect as much knowledge regarding magic as possible. At the moment there are few who can actually use magic and most simply resort to slight-of-hand techniques.

At the present time magic has ebbed but times are beginning to change. Across the world the disparate and scattered descendants of the Targeryens feel the faint call of the blood of the dragon, old dragon eggs, once thought infertile secretly quicken with new life and magicians who gave up hope of ever practising their true arts now find themselves wielding new and reinvigorated power.

Meanwhile in the far North outlying settlements whisper of blue eyed corpses that refuse to stay dead and of strange, disturbing figures wandering in the autumnal snow storms. Winter is coming and this one may prove to be the worst the world has ever faced.