Sundered Veil

In the world of Sundered Veil, British occultists in the 15th century tear a hole in the barrier between the Natural and Supernatural, unleashing mystical forces into the world.

Point of Divergence

In 1325 John of Nottingham is hired to kill several people including the Prior of Coventry, King Edward II, and Hugh Despenser the Younger using magic. After testing his methods on a local man, his assistant betrays him to the authorities. In this timeline, his assistant does not betray him, but neither does he kill his targets using magic. He uses the money he was paid to hire assassins to kill the men in ways that make them look like they are killed supernaturally, so as to increase his reputation. This results in the deaths of Hugh Despenser the Younger, his father, the Prior of Coventry, and King Edward II. King Edward III discovers the source of the plot and John of Nottingham is arrested. The trial concludes that he used sorcery to eliminate the men and he is burned as a witch. Much of history continues as it happened OTL. During this time however, John of Nottingham's reputed success in eliminating multiple unpopular figures using magic fuels an increased interest in sorcery amongst many of the remaining conspirators in Coventry. As the years go on, the Order of John is formed, devoted to researching magic and the occult in secret. In 1403, several members of the order discover what they referred to as The Veil, a barrier between our world, and the supernatural world. Sometimes, areas of the veil become thin, allowing miracles or disasters depending on the nature of the supernatural beyond the veil at that time. The order postulated that if they could tap into the world beyond the veil, they could gain powers unheard of besides the legendary Merlin. On October 25th, 1415, the highest members of the order gathered together in their sanctum in Coventry to perform a ritual they believed would allow them to access the power beyond the veil. What happened next would shake the world.

The ritual completed and at first the order believed they had failed, but one by one they could feel power flowing through them, they achieved what they desired, they had become conduits to the power beyond the veil. Unfortunately they underestimated that power. As the power flowed into them it began to eat away at their bodies, and eventually they were simply not enough to contain it. Their bodies evaporated into nothing. With no conduits to contain the essence of beyond, it began to flow uncontested through the tap in the veil and much like air escaping a balloon with a small hole, the escaping energy simply tore apart the veil flooding into our world. The resulting rush of energy caused the sky across the world to light up with a flash of silver light. The English forces at the Battle of Agincourt saw this as God showing his favor, other areas saw otherwise

Results of the Sundered Veil

Several things happened immediately as a result of the veil's destruction and the flood from beyond into our world.

World Map with OTL borders

Historical Results

• The French are entirely demoralized by the Battle of Agincourt and the Silver Sky, and unity breaks down even moreso than OTL. France collapses.
• The rain of fire that destroys Bursa is taken by the Ottomans as a sign that their occupation of Christian Europe is against God's will. They pull back to Asia Minor and Anatolia, leaving their holdings to the Byzantines.

Physical Results

• In Coventry a column of crystal 300 meters wide and 900 meters high stood where the veil was torn.
• Fire rained from the sky over several areas including Bursa, Riga, and Cairo, wiping out the cities.
• Significant volcanic activity causing destruction in Iceland, Japan, The Philipines, and across the west coast of North and South America. The southern California coast is now a chain of islands, Iceland is split in two, North and South America are separated by a strait.
• Seismic activity causes several island chains to rise, most notably the Azores and Cape Verde, and several new chains were created, such as the Amperes off the coast of Portugal, and the Jaseurs off the coast of OTL Brazil, and the Nazcas off the coast of OTL Chile.

Long Term Results

With the supernatural energies released into our world, there were some drastic alterations to the way the world worked.

• The ambient enegies now flowing through the world can be tapped by those of enough will or those who's bloodline was touched by supernatural phenomenon during the sundering. These energies can be manipulated into a variety of effects through practice, instinct, or faith.
• Some animal life was corrupted creating new species of beasts

Timeline

1325: King Edward II and several other unpopular figures are assassinated by John of Nottingham. Murders associated with magic.

1327: Order of John founded in Coventry

1403: Order of John discovers the Veil

1415: Inner Circle of the Order of John sunders the Veil. Riga, Bursa, Cairo, Kyoto destroyed.

1416: Remnants of the Order of John discover they are able to perform minor feats of magic, flee to the Isle of Mann to avoid suspicion due to investigation into the Crystal Column.

1417: France collapses into several warring states. England consolodates power in Brittany and Normandy.

1419: Order of John having surpassed John of Nottingham in every way, restyles itself the Order of the Veil, begins using its power to establish itself as the ruling elite of Mann.

1422: Order of the Veil establishes Sanctums in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, begins recruiting.

1423: Scottish member of the Order of the Veil, Duncan McGregor, previously a priest, begins collecting his theories on the Sundering and God's will towards witches.

1425: McGregor publishes his work "Of God and Magic". It states that the Silver Sky was God deeming mankind worthy of greater power over the earth, and that the increase in miracles is due to this. His teachings begin to gain a major following in Scotland.

1427: McGregorism spreads to Ireland

1428: Joan of Arc meets Charles VII in Chinon. Beginning of French Reunification War

1431: With McGregorism gaining ground in Ireland and Scotland, King Henry V begins a Holy War on the McGregorists. The French armies lead by Joan of Arc have nearly unified southern France.

1432: Order of the Veil approach McGregorist lords to offer assistance against Henry's armies. Their use of magical energies on the field devastate Henry's armies and bring more converts to the McGregorist cause.

1433: Charles VII is mortally wounded by an assassin, Joan of Arc demonstrates the ability to heal by touch, saving his life.

1434: Henry V abandons his Holy War and instead turns to securing his holdings in France, where the newly united French of the south have begun moving on Burgundy.

1435: Joan of Arc's armies crush the Burgundians and begin moving on English Normandy.

1437: Henry the V is killed in the siege of Calais. Pope Eugene IV declares Joan a Champion of God, and a living Saint. Charles VII establishes the Order of Charlemagne, an order of 12 holy warriors. Joan is the first inductee and she is tasked to search the lands to find 11 other worthy recruits. McGregorism spreads to Wales.

1438: Henry VI declares another holy war against the McGregorists.

1439: Order of the Veil recruits James Douglas and his twin brother Archibald.

1441: Henry VI's holy war ends with the forced release of Wales as an independent Kingdom. The Order of the Veil manages to get Llewellyn Rhys, a high ranking member and minor nobleman elected King.

1452: James II of Scotland murders William Douglas under a safe-conduct. The Earldom of Douglas passes to his younger brother James. James Gathers support and takes up arms against James II.

1453: With aid from their fellow members of the Order of the Veil, James Douglas seizes the throne of Scotland.

1454: Beginning of the War of the Roses.

1460: James Douglas and his brother Archibald seize control of the Order of the Veil.

1461: Edward VI seizes the throne of England. James Douglas and his wife give birth to a son, William.

1466: James Douglas and Edward VI enter into an alliance sealed with the betrothal of their children.

1471: William Douglas begins his training in the Order of the Veil.

1478: William Douglas, son of James Douglas, and Elizabeth of York are married.

1479: Edward VI's two sons are killed in a mysterious fire, leaving Elizabeth as his heir. Her marriage to William Douglas makes him next in line for the throne of England.

1483: Edward VI dies suddenly. William Douglas becomes William III.

1488: James Douglas dies, William III becomes King of England and Scotland.

1490: Irish Parliament under pressure from the Order of the Veil, declares William III and his heirs, King of Ireland.

1492: William III allows McGregorists in England. Columbus discovers the New World.

1494: William III and King Llewellyn II of Wales enter into an agreement. Llewellyn, also a Veil trained Sorceror, would cede his crown to William, in exchange would be placed in charge of the Order of the Veil's operations.

1495: Llewellyn abdicates the throne of Wales to William the III, making him the King of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Through OotV manipulation, Parliaments pass an act of Union, establishing the United Kingdom of British Isles.

1496: William III establishes the Church of Britain, a McGregorist national church with the King at its head. He also brings the Order of the Veil public, renaming it the British Order of Magi, and ordering the construction of a headquarters within the Crystal Column. Llewellyn Rhys is named Archmage of the Order.

1498: Pope Alexander VI excommunicates William III.

1504: Pope Julius II declares a Crusade on Britain.

1505: Rogue Sorcerors summon a fireball on Rome, destroying the city.

1506: Papacy moved to Avignon