Editing Deathworld (section)

===Free Britain===
As Europe falls under the bootheels of the Nazis, Britain prepares for an invasion from the continent. With the humiliation at Dunkirk fresh in memory, the Army prepares to dig in and fight to the last as the Battle of Britain erupts in the air. Britain holds out for a good while, but in the end, without a second front to worry about, Operation Sea Lion begins and German troops begin landing on the south coast. The Army falls back to its defensive positions, but they can only hold out for so long and slowly, but surely, Britain too falls. The German forces are assisted by Fifth Columnists led by Oswald Moseley, who the Germans will soon appoint Governor of the British Isles.

The British Government had already seen this defeat coming though, and had begun work on a plan to keep the most important bits of Britain out of the reach of the Germans. Work had begun on a gigantic nuclear submarine, to evacuate the Royals, the heads of the Army and government as well as all the necessary support for them. As Britain fell, the submarine was made ready and, with the help of the last of the British Navy, managed to break free of the Nazi blockade and out to the open ocean.

But this was not the only preparation that had been made. The impact of the increasingly apparent defeat on the King was particularly acute. He became increasingly withdrawn and depressed, and his daughter Elizabeth, was desperate for some way out of their grim situation. It was then she was approached by a young stage magician named Jasper Maskelyne.

Maskelyne, an illusionist who had assisted in the construction of defences with decoys and cunning ruses, in a quest for real magic, had discovered an ancient book, detailing the Fae-spirits that used to live in Albion, and how they might be contacted and dealt with. He had spoken to one of these entities, and was promised the protection of the heart of Britain, if he could only obtain the consent of a Princess. The young Elizabeth was eager to hear of any solution, and together, she and Maskelyne made a deal with the Fae. Elizabeth was somehow possessed by the entity, and Maskelyne made immortal to serve under It, but the heart of the Nation was protected in the submarine which miraculously made it past the German Navy.

British society soon changed aboard the Submarine. King George died, and the Elizabeth-thing rose to the throne, taking Prince Phillip as an easily controlled husband. Parliament dissolved into insignificance, splitting up into various committees and sub-committees dedicated to the running of various aspects of the ship. The British government-in-exile was refused access to the Isolationist USA, and even its former colonies turned against it, especially as Nazi and Soviet influence spread round the globe. The submarine settled into its new existence.

Nowadays, there's effectively three main power blocs. The Queen is effectively in charge. The civilian government keeps most of the ship running, clamping down on dissent as much as it can. The Army is basically all that's left of the Armed Forces, the Navy mostly being destroyed in the evacuation, and the Air Force mostly being subsumed into the Army. The Queen has worked her Fae-magics over a substantial proportion of those in charge to keep them subservient. The Queen's magic serves as the Submarine's protection too, shielding it from hostile eyes. She also blesses certain of her servants, granting them boons that mainly manifest as Fate bending to make them safer, or more likely to succeed.

There is resistance to her regime though. From within, disaffected Republican terrorists plot to remove the Queen entirely, and deep in the slums and food vats, there's plenty of places to hide. And outside of the bounds of civilisation, there are the near-feral Scottish tribes, hidden deep in the ventilation systems and sewers. Originally only a small hardcore of Scottish Nationalists, their numbers have grown over the years, from disaffected Republicans or just people who wandered down the wrong corridor at the wrong time.

Outside of the submarine, the most commonly sighted Free British are commandos, raiding undefended sea-ports for the resources they need, or for bizarre and seemingly mundane items that the Fae Queen demands. The liberation of their Isles is the top priority, but no-one knows what plans the Queen has made in secret, not even Maskelyne.