Help me choose an idea for a Timeline!

Zioneer

Banned
I have multiple ideas for timelines, but I can't decide between them. So I would like the members of AH.com to help me decide on the possible timeline I could do. I currently have 4 possible PoDs for a TL.

1. A Cathartic Exercise. At the beginning of the Albigensian, or "Cathar" Crusade, Raymond VI of Toulouse appeals to King Peter the Catholic of Aragon, bringing the powerful Crown of Aragon into the conflict for control of Southern France. In OTL, Raymond didn't ask for help until he was exiled from Toulouse. Also, sorry for the pun. This is my personal favorite, but don't solely choose it based on my preference.

2. The Vikings Return to Dublin. At some point in his rule, King Sigurd I of Norway decides to attempt the conquest of Ireland through the right of his father-in-law (Muirchertach Ua Briain) being the High King of Ireland. (Self-proclaimed, of course.)

3. Armorica Ascendant. Conan II of Brittany survives his assassination by poisoned riding gloves (seriously) and begins a period of Breton pushing for full independence from the Frankish kings. Hearkening back to the old days of Rome, he re-names this "new" Brittany Armorica, after it's Latin name.

4. Harold Survives. Harold Godwinson does not die at the Battle of Hastings, but is severely wounded, and flees England with his family. This timeline will follow the ramifications of Harold's direct line surviving.


So which timeline is the most interesting to the members of AH? Whichever one it is, be warned, it may not show up for a while. Oh, and if the names are a bit... odd-seeming, that's because I'm just using them for ease of remembering which timeline it is.
 

Philip

Donor
1. A Cathartic Exercise. At the beginning of the Albigensian, or "Cathar" Crusade, Raymond VI of Toulouse appeals to King Peter the Catholic of Aragon, bringing the powerful Crown of Aragon into the conflict for control of Southern France.

This has potential for being a good story, as long as it doesn't go too Dan Brown.

2. The Vikings Return to Dublin.
This probably makes me an AH.com heretic, but I have never been a fan of the vikings.


Armorica Ascendant. Conan II of Brittany survives his assassination by poisoned riding gloves (seriously) and begins a period of Breton pushing for full independence from the Frankish kings.

Another potentially good one. I assume this will cause trouble for William.

Harold Survives. Harold Godwinson does not die at the Battle of Hastings,
I, for one have seen enough Godwinson TLs. Some have been very good. Others out-right failures.
 

Zioneer

Banned
Thanks for the feedback, everyone. It seems as if Options 1 and 3 are the favorites. Now I would like you all to pick between the two, and tell me why you wish for this option.

Also, Phillip, could you explain what you mean by "hoping this doesn't go too Dan Brown"? I know who Dan Brown is, and why that is a bad thing, but do you simply mean that you want it to go plausibly?
 

Zioneer

Banned
I don't remember seeing a Brittany TL on Here, which would make yours a first.

Well then, since the majority are undecided between options 1 and 3, and since I'm personally warming up to the idea of a Brittany TL more then a Toulouse TL, I will choose Brittany.

Keep an eye out for a thread titled To Breizh!, everyone. Breizh being Brittany in the Breton language, of course.
 
Well then, since the majority are undecided between options 1 and 3, and since I'm personally warming up to the idea of a Brittany TL more then a Toulouse TL, I will choose Brittany.

Keep an eye out for a thread titled To Breizh!, everyone. Breizh being Brittany in the Breton language, of course.

Cool. Just remember that you can mess with the orthography a bit since it's all modern ;). So Breiz or Breix rather than Breizh but still pronounced brace.
 

Glen

Moderator
I have multiple ideas for timelines, but I can't decide between them. So I would like the members of AH.com to help me decide on the possible timeline I could do. I currently have 4 possible PoDs for a TL.

1. A Cathartic Exercise. At the beginning of the Albigensian, or "Cathar" Crusade, Raymond VI of Toulouse appeals to King Peter the Catholic of Aragon, bringing the powerful Crown of Aragon into the conflict for control of Southern France. In OTL, Raymond didn't ask for help until he was exiled from Toulouse. Also, sorry for the pun. This is my personal favorite, but don't solely choose it based on my preference.

2. The Vikings Return to Dublin. At some point in his rule, King Sigurd I of Norway decides to attempt the conquest of Ireland through the right of his father-in-law (Muirchertach Ua Briain) being the High King of Ireland. (Self-proclaimed, of course.)

3. Armorica Ascendant. Conan II of Brittany survives his assassination by poisoned riding gloves (seriously) and begins a period of Breton pushing for full independence from the Frankish kings. Hearkening back to the old days of Rome, he re-names this "new" Brittany Armorica, after it's Latin name.

4. Harold Survives. Harold Godwinson does not die at the Battle of Hastings, but is severely wounded, and flees England with his family. This timeline will follow the ramifications of Harold's direct line surviving.


So which timeline is the most interesting to the members of AH? Whichever one it is, be warned, it may not show up for a while. Oh, and if the names are a bit... odd-seeming, that's because I'm just using them for ease of remembering which timeline it is.

I like 1 and 3. Either would work for me.
 

Glen

Moderator
Well then, since the majority are undecided between options 1 and 3, and since I'm personally warming up to the idea of a Brittany TL more then a Toulouse TL, I will choose Brittany.

Keep an eye out for a thread titled To Breizh!, everyone. Breizh being Brittany in the Breton language, of course.

Might I suggest you use that as a subtitle? To Breizh! While cool, tells no-one (except those who know Breton) what the timeline is about so may be overlooked. Armorica Ascendant has a nice ring to it....:rolleyes:
 
1, 2 or 3. Personally I also like your second idea. Do you mean a kingdom of Ireland conquered and united by the vikings (which in the long run will go native or they somehow succeed in a 'vikingization' of the Irish) or a divided Ireland?
 

Philip

Donor
Also, Phillip, could you explain what you mean by "hoping this doesn't go too Dan Brown"? I know who Dan Brown is, and why that is a bad thing, but do you simply mean that you want it to go plausibly?
The Cathars are often dragged into pseudo-history/conspiracy-theory stories
 

Zioneer

Banned
1, 2 or 3. Personally I also like your second idea. Do you mean a kingdom of Ireland conquered and united by the vikings (which in the long run will go native or they somehow succeed in a 'vikingization' of the Irish) or a divided Ireland?

A combination of all three ideas. If that TL was chosen, the vikings would have conquered Ireland, and controlling it for a while, succeding in partial vikingization, but not complete, creating an entirely new Irish-Viking culture. If it would have gotten far enough, the Vikings would lose control of Ireland to the new culture, and Ireland would be united by Irish-Vikings.


The Cathars are often dragged into pseudo-history/conspiracy-theory stories

Ah. Well, I wasn't going to make them a conspiracy, but since the Breton TL has been chosen, it's a moot point.
 
A combination of all three ideas. If that TL was chosen, the vikings would have conquered Ireland, and controlling it for a while, succeding in partial vikingization, but not complete, creating an entirely new Irish-Viking culture. If it would have gotten far enough, the Vikings would lose control of Ireland to the new culture, and Ireland would be united by Irish-Vikings.




Ah. Well, I wasn't going to make them a conspiracy, but since the Breton TL has been chosen, it's a moot point.

Wouldn't this be a more gradual development, like for instance the Normans and Angevins in England? The Viking presence would have changed Ireland, but even the ruling Viking elite would gradually have become Irish-Vikings. So that the descendents of the conquerors wouldn't have lost Ireland, but Ireland would have been lost for the Viking culture. (Just some ideas...)
 
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