#scottish strategic alliances

[forever-scotland]

hi scottland!!!

about the war both @official-opera-gx and google play came to you about, which side are you supporting? xx

-@totally-ikea

What am I supposed to be fighting for?

[forever-scotland]

Hello, unknown gimmick here. I found you. Hiii.

Y'know what's great about still being a relatively small blog?

The big gimmicks haven't found me

[forever-scotland]

ANYONE WANTS TO JOIN THE INDEPENDENCE ARMY?

[forever-scotland]

Do you want to join us in the war against IKEA?

Do you want to join us in the war against the United Kingdom?

[scotianostra]

30th November 1292 saw John Balliol crowned King of Scotland at Scone, the last Scottish Monarch to be crowned on the Stone of Destiny at Scone,

Remember on November 17th I posted about the announcement at Berwick Castle, that Balliol had been chosen as King by King Edward after a period known as The Great Cause. During this process all claimants to the Scottish throne agreed to pay homage to Edward. This post also ties in with another recent post from October 23rd regarding The first signing of the Auld Alliance.

Balliol was up against it from the start, yes he did have concrete claims for the Scottish crown but he was an inexperienced politician and was unprepared for his role as king, but more importantly, Scotland had not had a reigning monarch for six years, and as such, the administrative system was weak.

To be fair, he did try to govern but Edward I was a formidable figure, on at least two occasions disputes which were in Scotland’s jurisdiction and that Balliol ruled in, were taken to the English court and overruled by Longshanks forcing The Scottish King to reverse his earlier decision. So why did Balliol bow to Edwards rulings?

Historians say that his tenure as our monarch was weak and needed the support f the English due to the Bruce family, who were disgruntled at the appointment. Longshanks was treating Balliol like a feudal Lord rather than a King and when England prepared to go to war with France in 1294 he called on his Lords to fight at his side. Balliol was uneasy with this, Scotland had strong economic ties with the French and the idea of fighting for the English wasn’t going down easy, added to that the English crown was taxing Scottish Lords to pay for this war, it was all coming to a head!

In order to assemble some form of focused resistance against Edward I, Scottish representatives were sent to France. At the beginning of 1296 a military and diplomatic alliance treaty was signed between Scotland and France, the ‘Auld Alliance’ was borne.

The Alliance was quickly acted upon, Scotland strengthened the border town of Berwick, raiding the Northern Counties of England, putting them to the torch.

Obviously this pissed Edward off and he retaliated. Along with his troops he crossed the River Tweed on March, 12, 1296. He offered the people of Berwick three days to surrender, when the Scots refused it enraged him and he attacked the town, ordering that no-one should be spared. Berwick was overrun and sacked, then was repopulated with English people from Northumbria.

Edward sent his general William de Warenne ahead to secure the strategic Dunbar Castle, easily dispatching a Scottish attack, capturing many many guardians and nobles, robbing Scotland further of any leadership.

Roxburgh, Jedburgh, Edinburgh and Stirling soon fell to the English, by summer Edward was reported to be as far north as Elgin, Balliol did not offer any effective leadership. He did not lead the Scots at Dunbar and when news travelled of their defeat he fled to Comyn territory in the north. Following a failed attempt to rally the remaining Scottish support at Kincardine Castle, the nobles requested terms from Edward, and John Balliol officially surrendered to Edward on July, 2, 1296. He was subsequently imprisoned in the Tower of London until 1299, before being allowed to go into exile in France.

Edward was far from modest in victory, accepting John’s surrender during a ceremony where he was forced to publicly apologise and surrender the throne of Scotland. The Royal Badge was removed from his clothing and he was subsequently known as, 'Toom Tabard’ ('Empty Coat’).

Edward went further, trying to destroy any remaining Scottish identity and removing all evidence that proved that Scotland was an independent country. He ordered that important records relating to the Scottish throne be removed to London, although they were destroyed when the ship carrying them sunk. The Stone of Destiny was transported to Westminster along with the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Black Rood of St Margaret.

In August 1296 leading Scottish Nobles and burgesses swore a personal oath to the English king in The Ragman’s Roll. This document illustrated how much Edward dominated Scottish internal affairs.

The following year, now this is quite important, many people don’t know that at The Battle of Stirling Bridge, Wallace’s greatest triumph, it was on behalf of the captured Balliol that the army was fighting, around the same time Bruce, encouraged by Bishop Wishart, raised the standard of revolt at Irvine and began his own fight against Edward I, who he had originally gave his allegiance to, this uprising was short lived he was back and forward a few times from 1297 to 1304 His marriage to Elizabeth de Burgh, daughter of the earl of Ulster (part of English-held Ireland) influenced this change. From 1304 he abandoned Balliol, and planned to take the throne for himself, we all know how that came about.

[forever-scotland]

YOU FORGOT ME?

I AM DEFINITELY ON SEALAND'S SIDE, YOU WELSH POINSETTIA. BRINGING ALL MY LAKE MONSTERS (1) AND WALRUSES THERE.

SEALAND BRITAIN WAR

Sealand side: Ireland, Illinois, the US navy, Guatemala, Shell Jr, Femboy monster energy, A couple of suburban moms with Molotov cocktails, Royal Canadian Air Force, Denmark, Russia, India, Hot Topic, the Trenchcoat people, France, Scotland, Australia, Sanrio, Femboy Sanrio, Florida, femboy Sam, femboy asus

Britain side: Britain

[typingatlightspeed]

Hey. You should write a small drabble about what your versions of the team would be doing in the battletech universe.

This is my husband Ken, who is a little shit lmao. Lmao I will always accept your batchall, boo.

TF2 Fanfic - Batchall

When Clan Ghost Bear allies with Clan Smoke Jaguar and Clan Ice Hellion for an offensive, star commander Misha was not prepared for the sheer immaturity of the surats he ended up working with. Composing a star of multiple different clan mechs was probably not the best strategic decision, though.

Ao3 Link!

This is perhaps the stupidest thing I've ever written. I know precious little of Battletech except through osmosis from Ken, but if there's one thing I'll never do it's back down when he challenges me lmao. Enjoy!

No warnings, but so so much clanner slang.

---------

"You dare refuse my batchall?" Jane bellowed as he fired a salvo of SRMs and strafed the field with his ER laser. The heavy footfalls of the Warhawk he piloted churned the soil as he chased down the enemy Black Lanner.

The mech turned on Jane's, a roar of annoyance and a Scottish accent ripping across the comms channel. "Neg!" his opponent replied. "Tavish o' Clan Ice Hellion ignores nae batchall, ye Smoke Jaguar surat!"

"Then we will fight! And I will win!" Jane said, grinning broadly as he fingered the trigger for his short range missiles.

Before he could react, in a sudden burst of speed from the mech's oversized engine, the Black Lanner was upon him, lasers tearing into the Warhawk's armour as it launched its own salvo of SRMs. The Ice Hellion had closed on him and exploited the slow speed of his assault mech, and as Jane was rocked with the impact of his opponent's missiles, Jane couldn't help but laugh. Finally, a worthy challenge.

Misha sighed. Normally clans allying against a single target was touchy at the best of times, but every single time these two idiots met on the field they'd forget everything about the mission for an excuse to tussle and waste resources. "Clan Ghost Bear has more important thing to do than to witness third pointless batchall you have issued since alliance began. You will cease your dezgra coupling and you will return to mission, or neither of you take isorla back to your khans. Quiaff?"

Loud sighing filled the channel from both sides followed by both men mumbling a deflated, "Aff."

With a grumble, Jane offered, "Well bargained and done," like a chastised child.

"Well bargained and done," Tavish echoed petulantly.

"Finally," Misha grunted, engaging the boosters of his Kodiak and charging ahead of his rowdy allies. He hated working with other clans. Their mechwarriors behaved like mewling sibbies.

[tearlessrain]

OC meme, 7? :3

thank! (ask meme)

7. What's one way your OC has changed since you first came up with them? since nobody was specified I'll just answer for the SWTOR gang (or the ones I can think of answers for at least)

Khatte — Leaving aside the obvious one that he was a joke character who accidentally grew a backstory, his character arc has gotten a lot bleaker as I develop him. He still gets a more or less happy/hopeful ending but the man goes through some serious shit to get there and I'd only consider his ending fully happy when grading on a curve (it's definitely the best ending he could reasonably have gotten but to some degree I think the Agent has an inherent element of tragedy to them and I lean into that a fair bit with him).

Kalarros — I've developed his personal flaws a lot since his inception which has been a lot of fun. He's a Sith Warrior who by default in-game is kind of The World's Specialest Boy with plot armor like a jaeger, and I chose to commit to the bit on that, but I've greatly enjoyed finding the cracks in that outward perfection and building on them. He's spectacularly good at Being A Sith and Killing Things and Battlefield Strategizing but the man cannot scheme to save his life. literally. Baras collapsed a mineshaft on him and he did not even slightly see it coming, and then once he'd gotten revenge for that betrayal he turned around and made the exact same mistake with the Emperor (and somewhere in the middle of those two things he also made the same mistake a third time with Quinn and didn't see that coming either). He's a prodigy and a genius and a finely honed killing machine and also situationally the Galaxy's biggest dumbass.

Jial-ro — His characterization/general arc have stayed pretty consistent since I made him but I think he's had the most drastic visual change out of anyone so far. He is literally unrecognizable from the appearance he's stuck with in-game. I mean most of my cathar end up wildly diverging from their in-game appearance eventually because I love designing them with my own headcanons and shit, but he's kinda the poster child for that.

Valdrynn — well he's scottish now for some reason. but no honestly I never knew what to do with the Sith Inquisitor because the story is all over the place and the LS track, which I strongly prefer for the Inquisitor in theory, is a goddamn mess that they obviously weren't expecting anyone to play (don't come for me I know most people love the Inquisitor story but this is my blog and I feel how I feel about it). So I made him because I'm a completionist and he was just kind of there until I was like "hey I need someone to throw in the canon Alliance Commander slot, and I need to do something with this guy, and he's already a ghost lightning rod because of Circumstances, it's perfect." He's still basically a character getting dragged along by his own story like a ragdoll in the jaws of a jack russel terrier, but there's intention behind it now and I'm making it work for him.

Qohi — I made him originally with the intention of trying to make the Trooper bearable. Needless to say, this was a fool's errand. So he languished at the bottom of my character list until I had an epiphany: I'd been going about this all wrong. I'm never going to have fun trying to make the Trooper bearable, but I can have a lot of fun making the Trooper as absolutely unbearable as possible. So he turned from "attempt to somehow subvert the expectations of this character and do something to make him relatable/likable to me" to "that one relative/acquaintance every American has who joined the Marines and made it his entire personality." He's the absolute worst and everyone who's RPed with him hates his guts within five minutes and it's great.

[forever-scotland]

HOLY NESSIE IT'S CANADA !!!

Well, hi, glad to meet you! Would you like to join us in our independence fight?

Also could we make a trade, I give irn bru and you give maple syrup?

Anyways, WELCOME HERE MY FRIEND!

Well hello I guess :)

I'm Canada (as the name suggests)

@forever-scotland (thank you for the advice by the way) @totally-france @india-official @official-the-united-states @officialtheunitedkingdom @russia-totallyofficial @genuinely-germany @totally-germany

(I hope I'm not bothering any of you)

[classiqals]

{peter capaldi, 61, cisman, he/him} We are so glad to see you safe, KING GRAEME STUART of SCOTLAND! It’s dangerous out in the world these days, but I hear that you are PASSIONATE and BRAZEN enough to handle it. Just don’t let your HUNGER FOR POWER bring you down! Stay on your guard, because with your secret being at risk for exposure, you wouldn’t want everyone to find out THAT YOUR EYESIGHT IS RAPIDLY FAILING AND YOU ARE NEARLY BLIND.

BASICS;

nicknames:  don't even consider it.

sexuality:  heterosexual/undecided.

relationship: married to the queen of scotland.

date of birth:  january 2nd.

zodiac sign:  capricorn.

moral alignment: neutral evil/chaotic neutral depending on the day.

hobbies: spectating sports, especially horse racing & archery, large feasts, a brisk chilly wind, playing && hearing bagpipes, theatrical performances about heroes and war, war itself, strategic thinking, strategy games, spending time with his family, formerly, writing strongly worded letters.

dislikes: the answer 'no', being proven wrong, backtalking, losing, sneaky behavior from his children.

languages spoken: scottish, english, french, learning german, hindi.

politics/loyalty: politically linked to germany, has ambition to gain alliance with spain, and ultimately, would like to gain as much power as possible. heavy eyes are now on the sharma's wealth and influence. he wants a piece. loyal to himself, first of all, and secondly, his family. judges germany poorly.

inspirations: the power hungry, the crimson, the girl dad, the tragic backstory antihero, the conqueror. + king magnifico from disney's wish

DETAILS;

likely one of the more well-known royals, has quite the reputation/legacy preceding him, and is easily one of the older royals in the investigation, thus far. his opinion of the mysterious deaths is more intrigue than fear - graeme does not believe scotland will ever fall, and thinks the forces against other kingdoms dare not touch his realm.

for the last 2 years, his eyesight has worsened rapidly, and he has gone through a number of physicians trying to fix this progression to no avail. now, it is very poor, and he is in a lot of migraine pain most days - and yet, he maintains his secret.

people know him as loud, boisterous, opinionated, power seeking, strong, and protective, especially over his youngest daughter.

will beef with anyone, hates france & england with a passion, and is now trying to play nicey-nicey with the sharma royals.

CONNECTIONS;

to be filled out !!

bring wife

BACKSTORY;

to be filled out, for now, reference the scotland blurb on the main here!

[danmoorhouse]

11th June 1336

Edward III heads to Newcastle

With tension mounting on the continent, it may seem unusual that the King should choose to head north, instead of remaining in London to coordinate a response to the build up of French forces across the channel. That he did not shows how fluid the situation was, and that there were several strategic options that could be explored.

The conflict with the Scots had been a major drain on resources throughout the 1330s. As the situation in France had deteriorated, the Scottish-French alliance had become more of a concern. As demands were made in France about Edward IIIs duties in respect of Aquitaine and Gascony, the threat of war on multiple fronts increased.

France was known to be building up a strong fleet. At Harfleur it was said that there were 2000 sailors, some 30 copper coated galleys and in the region of 300 transports being readied. England’s spies also spoke of 14000 armoured jackets having been procured, and mercenaries being hired across Europe. Edward’s spies also knew that many of the French vessels were not yet ready. It was also known that King Philip of France was intending to use the fleet and army to support Scotland: France asked the Papacy for permission to levy a tax of one-tenth on the church for this purpose. It was refused by the Pope but made the intentions of the French King clear to all.

With this information at his disposal Edward III could act against it. For the French plan to work, it needed a large harbour on the Scottish East Coast at which it could safely unload its men, horses, and supplies. A campaign against the Scots along this coastline could minimise the chances of the French being able to fulfil their plan.

Edward headed to Newcastle on 11th June 1336 to lead this campaign. The English force already in Newcastle was small. Edward arrived with 400 of his own men. Combined it was probably no larger than 1000 men. But it was well trained. Advance parties had been sent by sea to the far north of Scotland, taking castles near Aberdeen. Edward now led a scorched earth campaign against the East Coast. Catching the Scots by surprise his force had by mid-July reached the Moray Firth. Slowly, the English king destroyed the east coast’s ability to sustain a French army, livestock being taken for his own men, or slaughtered. Stores and buildings were destroyed.

As Edward’s band tackled the East, a second English army followed. As soon as the Great Council, held in Northampton in the Kings absence, had finished this army set out into the western lowlands. As Edward reached Aberdeen and completed the destruction of the East Coast, the valleys of the west suffered the same treatment. And as this was taking place, English diplomats set off to treat with the French.

#hundredyearswar #medieval #medievalhistory #medievaltimes #englishroyalty

[ask-alicia-and-edith]

Character Profile: Edith Drake

General Information

Full Name: Edith Drake

Nickname(s): The Mantis of London

Age: Technically shares Bonner's age (49), but her presence feels timeless

Gender: Female

Place of Birth: Emerged in London as a result of Bonner consuming Jekyll's serum

Date of Birth: Unspecified (linked to Bonner's experiment)

Star Sign: Shares Gemini with Bonner, reflecting her duality

Race/Ethnicity: Black

Occupation: None formally; operates in the shadows of London's underworld

Status: Alive

Appearance

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)

Weight: 150 lbs (68 kg)

Skin Color: Dark tan with a radiant, almost supernatural glow

Hair Color: Vibrant red

Hair Style: Long, voluminous, cascading in untamed waves

Eye Color: Yellow with catlike pupils

Clothing: Dark, form-fitting leather outfits or sultry dresses, designed for mobility and allure

Accessories: Wears sharp rings and a single dangling earring shaped like a claw

Features: Sharp teeth and nails; fuller, blood-red lips; an air of danger and seduction

Relationships

Family: None (considers herself separate from Bonner's life)

Love Interest/Crush: Enjoys a tempestuous partnership with Edward Hyde

Friends/Allies: Edward Hyde, though their alliance is volatile

Enemies: Dr. Alicia Bonner (despite their shared existence), anyone who threatens her independence

History

Edith Drake came into existence when Alicia Bonner secretly consumed Henry Jekyll's experimental serum. Unlike Bonner's restrained, ethical personality, Drake represented unbridled chaos, ambition, and desire. She quickly embraced her new identity, earning the moniker "The Mantis of London" due to her predatory, lethal charm. Drake aligned herself with Edward Hyde, finding a kindred spirit in his violent indulgence, though their collaboration often spirals into competition.

Personality

Drake is cunning, violent, and seductive. She thrives on manipulation and control, using her intelligence and charisma to bend others to her will. Her fierce independence contrasts with Hyde's raw impulsiveness, making her a more strategic force of chaos.

Her speech is peppered with dry wit and scathing remarks, making her verbal exchanges with Hyde or her victims as cutting as her sharp nails. She leans into her accent's rough edges to emphasize her power and grit, often laughing mockingly to unsettle those around her.

Quotes

"Power isn't taken; it's claimed. And I never ask permission."

"They fear what they can't control. That's why they'll always fear me."

Other Information

Accent: Scottish, rough and assertive

Likes: Thrills, domination, fine wine, the chaos of London's underworld

Dislikes: Weakness, indecision, authority figures

Hobbies: Playing mind games, dancing, stalking prey (figurative or literal)

Goals: To ensure her existence and carve a permanent place for herself in the world

Habits: Runs her sharp nails along surfaces when irritated

Fears: Ceasing to exist if Alicia gains full control

Trivia

She collects trophies from her victims, usually small trinkets or accessories.

Her fiery hair is a source of vanity; she often flaunts it as a symbol of her power.

Drake's accent is derived from Bonner's beloved mentor, Dr. Roderick McLean. McLean had a prominent Scottish accent, but his disregard for conventional methods contrasted with Alicia's methodical tactics. Drake adopting a rough Scottish accent subconsciously pays homage to McLean, but twists it into a symbol of chaos and power to mock Alicia.

[forever-scotland]

@definitely-canada , @true-blue-straya , WE SHALL GET IT BY OURSELVES THEN. Alliance?

can me, scotland and canada have independence pwease 🥺👉👈

-@true-blue-straya

No uwu

[forever-scotland]

halò!! ciamar a tha thu an diugh?

-@official-opera-gx (corps can interact with countries, right?)

Halò! Tha Gàidhlig agad? Sgoinneil!

Tha mi ceart gu leòr, rud beag sgìth ach toilichte coinneachadh riut!

(yes, I think we can interract. Want to help us get our independence?)

[perspectiveunbound]

Strategic Reassessment: Enhancing Scotland's Position in the Global Economy

Reassessing Scotland's Role in the Global Economy: Opportunities and Challenges Hello, dear readers! As we navigate through the complexities of global economic trends, it becomes imperative to reconsider Scotland's position and strategy in the international market. Today, let's discuss the diversified opportunities and impending challenges that shape Scotland’s potential as a cornerstone in global trade and economic relations. Scotland is renowned for its robust sectors such as whisky, technology, and renewable energies, which have traditionally furnished it with leverage on the global stage. However, the evolving dynamics of international trade agreements, coupled with the repercussions of Brexit, demand a strategic reassessment and proactive adjustments. The opportunity for expanding into new markets, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, presents a promising horizon. These markets show an increasing demand for high-quality goods and services, where Scotland excels. By enhancing trade relations and forming new alliances, Scotland can assert a more pronounced global presence. Conversely, the challenges are significant. Trade barriers, regulatory diversities, and international competition necessitate robust policies and innovative solutions. Moreover, Scotland must leverage its academic and research institutions to pioneer advancements in technology and sustainability, ensuring its economic activities not only contribute to wealth but also heed environmental and social responsibility. The Scottish government's role in this endeavour is crucial. Policies that facilitate international business, protect intellectual property, and support SMEs to reach global markets are essential. Furthermore, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit amongst the youth and encouraging startups can invigorate Scotland’s economic landscape with fresh ideas and vibrant business models. Let us ponder: What strategic initiatives can Scotland implement to enhance its global economic footprint? How can we overcome the challenges that lie in our path to becoming a more influential global player? Thank you for delving into this critical discussion on Scotland's evolving role in the global economy. Warm regards, Alastair Majury *Perspectives Unbound* --- *For further insights into global economic strategies and Scotland’s role within them, keep following Perspectives Unbound.*