What would a Robin Hood story be without Nottingham? In the World of HOOD, we kept the location and name, but boy did we change a lot of the rest!
For instance, after the devastating changes to the coastlines of the world after climate change, our Nottingham is now on the seaside. In the early days of figuring out our story world, Robyn’s Nottingham was going to be a city-state. Now, it is the capital of the Queendom of East Mercia, overseen by Robyn’s sister, the Sheriff of Nottingham, and King John. They rule their divided city with an iron fist, and even have the media in their pockets! Check out Nottingham News, our in-world news web-series, to get an idea of what Robyn is walking right into…
Find out more about Nottingham
History
Pre-Hycathic Era
Nottingham, originally the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Snottingham, was consolidated by the Normans upon their invasion of England in the late 1060s. It was they who established Nottingham Castle, built on Willem the Conqueror’s orders by one of his knights, Guillem Fitzwalter. The Castle would pass to another Norman knight, William Peverel, upon the disgrace of Guillem, who had fallen for an English Hycatha, upsetting the Church-led Norman royal household.
The First Age of Hycath
The origin of Nottingham in its current shape can be traced back to the final days of the First Hycath War in 1141/YE 1, in which it played a vital role. Empress Matilda I visited there with her allies on their way to fight King Stephen of Blois at the Battle of Lincoln. She recruited Guillem Fitzwalter’s granddaughter, Gabriella, as her general. Gabriella, in her turn, recruited her drill-sergeant and romantic partner, Margaret Loxley, along with Margaret’s soldiers, to the cause. Upon Matilda’s victory, England was reorganised into sixteen Marcdoms supporting London, where Matilda ruled as Empress. Nottingham became the primary city of the new Marcdom of East Mercia. Gabriella was named the first Margrave and Nottingham Castle became her official seat.
