Bards tell ancients tales of these islands being invaded by one race after another. The Formarians, Firbolgs, Daoine Sidhe, Brutus of Troy and his descendants, the list goes on of settlers and conquerors from time forgotten. Recorded history is the same. Romans, then Saxons, Danes, then Normans, all have conquered much of these islands, and all but the Normans have been conquered in turn. Peoples of these islands have also fought and conquered one another. Most Caledonians are descended from the Scoti, a Hybernian tribe that pushed back the Eldar blooded Picts. The Celtic tribes of Hybernia and Caledonia have harassed Albion since the Romans departed, and in the last few centuries the Kings of Albion have sought to conquer their neighbors in turn. Yet every conqueror absorbs more then they destroy, and the descendants of those who came before are still here. Even the Daoine Sidhe are said to still dwell in the great mounds of Hybernia.
This record of invasion and assimilation helps account for the great differences found across the peoples of these islands. With their clans and bagpipes, blood feuds and old beliefs (coexisting with those of the Holy Church) the Hybernians and Caledonian Highlanders live much in the same as their ancestors have for centuries. Even their greatest towns, which are only of moderate size (they have no cities), where originally built by the Vikings. On the other hand feudal Albion, home to the universities of Cambridge and Oxford, a powerful Holy Church hierarchy, many a plate clad knight, and a number of great towns and even a few cities, clearly shows its connections to the continent, a natural outcome of its Roman-Saxon-Norman heritage. Cymru, a Celtic land conquered by the Romans before becoming independent long ago, and the Kingdom of Caledonia, never truly conquered in the last several hundred years, but greatly influenced by Albion and having strong connections to Galia and The Empire, are distinct again.
Before the Romans, Britannia had many local cults, all following the Old Ways, and an elite class of Druids complemented by the Priestesses of Avalon. The Druids acted as leaders and sages as well as priests. The coming of the Romans reduced the influence of the Druids, but also brought new deities and divine lore. Later the Romans introduced the Holy Church, which is well established in all of Britannia except for those few parts of Caledonia still controlled by the Picts. However the fall of the Romans has also seen a revival of the Old Ways as well, especially outside of Saxon conquered Albion.
Magic and Sorcery may be more common here then anywhere else in Europa, except perhaps for Finmark. Those first conquerors where highly magical in nature, and some of their blood may run in the veins of these island's sorcerers. The Celts are famous for their bards, and known for their great enchanters and illusionist, also said to have fey blood, and those traditions continue to this day. The establishment of formal colleges of magic in Albion and the Kingdom of Caledonia have further increased the wizardry of Britannia. And these Islands have no shortage of beast and being, loch and standing stone, with an eldritch nature.
Elves, perhaps descendents of those early invaders, have long lived in these isles. Enclaves of High Elves can be found in each region, as can fierce wandering bands of Sylvan elves, who also maintain there own Pict “kingdom” far to the north. Gray elves live on uncharted islands to the west of Britannia, and have a few enclaves on its western coasts as well. The affinity of the Celtic peoples and the Eldar ensure that half elves are not unique, if they are also not so common.
The Hill Dwarves of the Avalonian Kingdom also have ancient roots, and are known for being more opened minded about magic and their fellow islanders than their continental cousins. Gnomes also live in every region, though as elsewhere their holdings and villages remain well concealed. Goblinkin, giants, even some Saur in the marshy southern coasts also inhabit Britannia, and with its ever present mists, fey are also to be found.
How best to describe each region? Hybernia has always produced much greater warriors than armies, is favorable to heathen priest and Christian monk alike, and is home to a poor people known for their love of drink and festivities. It is also a place of perpetual feuding between clans and the islands little kingdoms. Only the Highlanders of Caledonia may feud more, and in general they are a grimmer lot than their Hybernian cousins. But just as poor and just as fond of drink. The Kingdom of Caledonia, with its craftsmen and merchants, knights and swashbucklers, university wizards and playwrights, is a very different kind of place, but it still retains much of its ancient heritage. Bagpipes are heard; tartan worn and the pubs have begun to serve an incredibly strong kind of drink, unique in the world. Albion is a single kingdom as well, but is troubled by irregular fighting between those who would seek to be its king, as well as seeking to be the king of Galia, where the armies of Albion take regular trips. Cymru is the third kingdom, and it is a different kind of land, a land of great bards and sorcerers, mighty dragons and the sinister followers of the dark god Arawn. The people who dwell there are not so different however, perhaps a bit more heroic. These are all the major regions, but two others places should be noted. One is the mysterious Island of Avalon, to which only the most powerful of druids can find their way. The other is the city of Camelot, a bastion of chivalry and capital of Arthur Pendragon who did many things, including conquest of these Islands.