O
old.strondor
Guest
Hereinafter follows an objective analysis of the three Realms of Excalibur... Feel free to flame as much as you like (lights blue touch paper and retreats to safe distance!)... 
HIBERNIA:
Appearance: Without doubt the ugliest realm in the game. Most races are best viewed through a milk bottle in order to compensate for their comically dispropotionate limbs and facial features. Firbolgs like to think they look big and tough but in fact look as fearsome as Big Bird from Sesame Street.
REPUTATION: The Hibernian nation has always felt somewhat reluctant to venture beyond its own frontiers. As a consequence of Hibernia's aggrophobia (in more sense than one), her neighbours have habitually tended to come visiting Hibernia at home rather than wait forever for any Hibernian tourists. Unfortunately this has meant that Emain in particular has become the "Belgium" of Excalibur - a place where Excalibur's Realms regulalry chose to fight their wars and which changes colour on the world map faster than a set of traffic lights.
Hibernia has by necessity become an expert in Defensive tactics. Rarely venturing far from the security of a Keep or Milegate , some Hibernians have become so agrrophobic that that they chose to dwell inside a wall itself during a raid (a practice that has brought great shame upon them).
Of late, however, Hibernia has been coyly flirting with its Midgard neighbour. Unfortunately this has never blossomed into "going steady" with Midgard and has usually resulted in rather grubby one-night-stands and a reputation as the "Cell Bitch of Midgard".
MIDGARD:
APPEARANCE: The denizens of Midgard are not quite as ugly as those of Hibernia but do range rather comically in size. This mish-mash of feeble runts and cumbersome oafs tends to spoil most of their wedding photographs.
REPUTATION: Midgardians have always had an easy and rich diet of XP at home resulting in rapid development of its citizens (far more so than its neighbours). As a consequence Midgard reached adolosence as a Realm far earlier than its enemies. For some time Midgard was the testosterone-filled vindictive bully of the Excalibur play-ground, regulalry picking on its prepubescent Albion and Hibernian classmates. With the passage of time, however, the other realms have also matured resulting in regular beatings of Midgard behind the bikesheds of Excalibur High. Indeed whilst Midgard remains the musclebound "Jock" it does seem now to have been left scratching its head alone in the playground whilst its more gifted neighbours have graduated to bigger and better things. Midgard is rarely seen out and about these days, many say as a result of internal strife in its cerebrally challenged troll leadership.
ALBION:
APPEARANCE: Clean-limbed, strikingly attractive and more cunning than a certain fox at Oxford University (edit - Copyright of Blackadder, BBC).
REPUTATION: Such is the military briliance of Albion's small but heroic population, its sadly believed by Hibenians and Midgardians alike that Albion has vast numerical superiority. This misconception is also due to the Midgardians doubtful numeracy skills ("duh..one, two.. three..twlelfty...many") and the Hibernians' perspective on life which is mainly viewed rather innacuarately through either a keep window or from the "eating grass" position.
Albion is currently seen as the fatherly overlord of all Excalibur and its neighbours willingly see themselves a grovelling vassals. This appears unlikely to ever change.
Strondor the Theurgist (Level 43) - Emeritus Professor of Modern History, Excalbur University.
HIBERNIA:
Appearance: Without doubt the ugliest realm in the game. Most races are best viewed through a milk bottle in order to compensate for their comically dispropotionate limbs and facial features. Firbolgs like to think they look big and tough but in fact look as fearsome as Big Bird from Sesame Street.
REPUTATION: The Hibernian nation has always felt somewhat reluctant to venture beyond its own frontiers. As a consequence of Hibernia's aggrophobia (in more sense than one), her neighbours have habitually tended to come visiting Hibernia at home rather than wait forever for any Hibernian tourists. Unfortunately this has meant that Emain in particular has become the "Belgium" of Excalibur - a place where Excalibur's Realms regulalry chose to fight their wars and which changes colour on the world map faster than a set of traffic lights.
Hibernia has by necessity become an expert in Defensive tactics. Rarely venturing far from the security of a Keep or Milegate , some Hibernians have become so agrrophobic that that they chose to dwell inside a wall itself during a raid (a practice that has brought great shame upon them).
Of late, however, Hibernia has been coyly flirting with its Midgard neighbour. Unfortunately this has never blossomed into "going steady" with Midgard and has usually resulted in rather grubby one-night-stands and a reputation as the "Cell Bitch of Midgard".
MIDGARD:
APPEARANCE: The denizens of Midgard are not quite as ugly as those of Hibernia but do range rather comically in size. This mish-mash of feeble runts and cumbersome oafs tends to spoil most of their wedding photographs.
REPUTATION: Midgardians have always had an easy and rich diet of XP at home resulting in rapid development of its citizens (far more so than its neighbours). As a consequence Midgard reached adolosence as a Realm far earlier than its enemies. For some time Midgard was the testosterone-filled vindictive bully of the Excalibur play-ground, regulalry picking on its prepubescent Albion and Hibernian classmates. With the passage of time, however, the other realms have also matured resulting in regular beatings of Midgard behind the bikesheds of Excalibur High. Indeed whilst Midgard remains the musclebound "Jock" it does seem now to have been left scratching its head alone in the playground whilst its more gifted neighbours have graduated to bigger and better things. Midgard is rarely seen out and about these days, many say as a result of internal strife in its cerebrally challenged troll leadership.
ALBION:
APPEARANCE: Clean-limbed, strikingly attractive and more cunning than a certain fox at Oxford University (edit - Copyright of Blackadder, BBC).
REPUTATION: Such is the military briliance of Albion's small but heroic population, its sadly believed by Hibenians and Midgardians alike that Albion has vast numerical superiority. This misconception is also due to the Midgardians doubtful numeracy skills ("duh..one, two.. three..twlelfty...many") and the Hibernians' perspective on life which is mainly viewed rather innacuarately through either a keep window or from the "eating grass" position.
Albion is currently seen as the fatherly overlord of all Excalibur and its neighbours willingly see themselves a grovelling vassals. This appears unlikely to ever change.
Strondor the Theurgist (Level 43) - Emeritus Professor of Modern History, Excalbur University.
