Exilian
Game Design and Project Resources: The Workshops Quarter => M&B Mods - The Explorer's Society => Mods, Maps & Game Add-Ons - The Bazaar => Southern Realm => Topic started by: Jubal on February 20, 2010, 02:42:25 PM
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The Factions
OK, here's a quick overview of all the SR factions and very potted backgrounds of them!
CALRADIA and the NORTH
The Vaegirs
Old enemies of the Swadians, the Vaegirs are a northern Calradic people whose split with the Swadians helped to cause the breakup of the once great Calradian Empire. Their excellent footmen and tough knights make them good all round fighters, not perhaps the most given to discipline but certainly brave and personally tough, from their footmen right up to their mounted nobles.
The Swadians
The flowers of Calradic chivalry, the Swadians (and their vassals in the Duchy of Suno, which contains Calradia's old capital city) consider themselves the direct successors to the old Calradian Empire. Their knights are second to none, with peasant crossbowmen dragged to battle by their feudal lords.
The Rhodoks
Mercantile, community-driven, and strong believers in tactics over personal valour, the Rhodoks are one of Calradia's newest realms. Once part of Swadia, the oppressed merchants, peasants, and nobles of the rolling southern hills rose in revolt, and their semi-elected kings have been vigorous opponents of the reduced Swadian realm ever since.
The Vorroks
Mountain cousins of the Rhodoks, good healers with a traditional religion and a strong sense of community who live and mine around Calradia's highest peaks to the south of the Rhodok lands.
The Princedom of Curaw
A revolt against the Vaegirs by the northern sub-tribe in Issakev, over the mountains, has now found its centre in the larger town of Curaw, captured by the Issakans some years ago but now ruled by a native upstart from Curaw who rules both Issakan and Vaegir lands from his power-base there.
The Nords
Raiders from their homes far to the northwest, the Nords sweep down to the shores of Calradia for loot and battle. They now hold the port of Wercheg, and have long been a terror on the Alanian coasts too.
The Alanians
A realm between the Swadian mountains and the sea, famed for its deadly longbow-wielding archers and bold knights, and built strong in the face of repeated Nord invasion attempts.
Zendar
The mercenary capital of Calradia, based in the fen and river lands of the west.
THE GEROIAN PENINSULA and the SOUTHWEST
The Commagene Empire
A major power to the south of the Geroian peninsula, the Commagene realm is protected from the Gorin Empire by formidable mountains. This old realm once dominated more of the plains to the east, but has been beaten back to its old heartland in recent years. It may recover, however...
Geroian Republic
An alliance of mercantile city-states under the powerful thumb of Geroia, their largest city.
The Grand Duchy of Monemvasia
The Monemvasians, in the turmoil of the Gorin Empire's rapid expansion, have recently gained their independence from both Gorinia and the Commagenes.
Lacontia
In the mountains of the central Geroian peninsula, the city state of Lacontia is famous for its pikemen, operating a vigorous training regime from birth with a military class of total professional warriors who are led by their two kings into battle.
Tenthala
A smaller city state on the west side of Geroia, famous as a haven for merchants but also smugglers and pirates.
THE GORIN EMPIRE and LUSITANIA
Aurothia
The isle of Aurothia lies just to the west of the Lusitanian peninsula. Centred around the old city of Estarinia, the Aurothian rulers and people are perhaps the most ancient realm still in existence, with ancient stores of lore guarded from other peoples and an effective trading fleet.
The County of Thuralia
A tiny independent duchy founded by a freebooter.
The Dharroks
Southern cousins of the Vorroks and Rhodoks, living in an upland region and causing no end of trouble for the Gorin cities of the plains.
The Duchy of Mallardia
A tiny independent duchy founded by a freebooter in the southeast of the Lusitanian peninsula.
The Duchy of Rhonewar
A tiny independent duchy centred around an exceptionally defensible castle in a hilly, forested region just north of the plains.
The Empire of Gorinia
A vast Empire stretching from the Lusitanian peninsula across the southern plains and up to the borders of Calradia. Their disciplined sword-armed infantrymen and tax-funded army are currently one of the world's dominant military forces.
The Empire of Lusitania
Something of a rump state, the Empire once dominated the Lusitanian peninsula and beyond before Gorinia revolted and rose to far greater prominence and power. Their professional soldiers still fight in an archaic but efficient infantry army.
The Hematite Emirate
A small emirate in the southern Lusitanian peninsula, unlike most other Emirates which are across the sea to the east.
Lexandia
The most southerly Orinite faction, protected behind a string of mountains along the coast and with a powerful trading fleet as well as a recently reformed feudal system on the model of that in Swadia or the Vaegir Kingdom.
THE EAST and the STEPPES
The Khergit Khanate
The huge Khergit hordes have exploded out of the east to dominate the steppe regions where their horse archers and tactical flexibility have made them an almost unbeatable force.
The Red Khanate
A southern offshoot of the main Khergit horde, the Red Khanate is now a powerful force in the bloodily contested Holy Lands.
Harlaushia
The city of Harlaushia was once part of a far greater eastern realm, but has retained its independence primarily through its status as a wealthy trading post on the route between the southeast and Calradia.
The FAQs
This is also going to be a sort of FAQ thread for SR's background. Here I'll post questions and answers to any questons like; "How was Alania formed?", "Why is Geroia a Republic when in Native Lezalit is the count's son?", "What the hell is up with Taugard anyway?", and so on.
So go for it! Questions!
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Alrighty, here goes:
How did those two/three 1 castle 1 village nations get formed without being annexed by Empire?
How has Lexandia (sp?) survived the growing size of the Empire?
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Yay! Questions!
Okay, Q1...
Here's some written background on the mini-factions, for starters;
Spoiler: click to toggle
Mallardia is probably a crusader state, founded as part of the reconquista of the southern Gorin peninsula. The only thing they are famous for is having a surprisingly tough fleet of privateers; essentially an unpaid navy liable to prey on both enemies and merchants. The whole country is also kind of a running joke, as everything they have is named after a type of duck; Mallard for the state, Gadwall is their leader, Pochard is the castle and Teal their village.
Thuralia was originally a loyal part of a kingdom long since swallowed up by the advance of the Goriniae; a mercenary captain serving with the Goriniae took the relatively protected enclave for his own, building a strong castle to guard it from invasion. Although not originally exceptional at all, long years of beating back their powerful norther neighbour have bred a hardy, militarist and suspicious people adept as raiders and in demand as mercenaries.
Rhonewar has more of an independent history; even before the Gorin empire expanded, the barbarians and woodsmen of this little area lived undisturbed as the "civilised" folk further south could not see the benefit in battling their way through the thick forests and rolling hills that lay in the shadow of the great mountains for no real prize. The Goriniae, too, ignored it at first; the discovery of rich copper deposits changed their attitude rather. A scholar from Swadia was at that time in the region, also looking for wealth in the mountains and hoping to profit by leading the newcomers to good mines. However, impressed by the hardy folk he encountered, he found himself advising villages on how to defend themselves against the enslavement that would befall them if the enemy came. Eventually he - barely willingly - led a militia force against the Goriniae. His mastery of forest tactics led to total success, and while his foes were in disarray he quickly took charge of building defences, eventually culminating in Rhonewar's vast ducal castle. Crowned Duke by the villagers, the unwilling hero has become a figurehead and legend for the people of Rhonewar, who enjoy more freedom than serfs in most other countries.
So, onto why they haven't been annexed...
Rhonewar has the most obvious reason; terrain. The Goriniae are masters of open field warfare; their manouverable but well-armoured infantry and medium cavalry are more than a match for most "civilised" foes such as the Commagene or Geroian armies. In the woods and hills of Rhonewar, they have far more of a problem (an equivalent would be why the Romans never conquered Scotland).
Mallardia's reason is less obvious due to that peninsula being unfinished; there should in fact be 2 more factions squidged in there. The long-fought and bitter wars between old rulers, new Empires, and invading Emirates mean that the peninsula is a constant shifting mass of cultures and warfare that the Goriniae tend to leave alone; the Mallardians are a convenient buffer and are often batted around as a minor ally between states. No power is likely to capture enough of the land there to threaten Gorinia, so the Empire leaves them be to go in search of richers and less ravaged targets for conquest.
Thuralia's independence probably seems least reasonable, but is rooted in the turbulent formation of the country. The Goriniae essentially failed to realise how determined their former vassal was to keep hold of his land, and so twice sent small forces that were beaten back by the skilled command of the mercenary captain (who hasn't got a name, so I'll call him Count Ialon I). The repeated sight of aggressive enemy forces hardened the population against the attackers and led to a violently anti-Gorin sentiment of nationalist fervour that drives the nation to this day.
Lexandria is something of an oddity; sheltered beneath its mountains, it is the only (nominally) Orinite faction south of the great mountains that is at all sizeable. It is thus religion that gives it its state; by leaving it alone the Goriniae (though nominally Varalite) can play the clever game of playing the Swadians and Alanians (always game for a Crusade) off against the heretics of the south. It is also a great economic and naval powerhouse, and its navy (much stronger than the weak Gorin fleets) is valued by the Empire as a power balance to the strong Commagene fleets that can often threaten their merchant shipping. Finally, it is (oddly) a major stopping point for Crusaders. Despite the fact that the Infidel is beyond Irinalla (more on those guys in later releases, hopefully), Crusaders tend to prefer a longer southern route - with Leona as the last Orinite stop-off point - rather than the greater dangers of traversing the Khergit lands or the treacherous crossing of the great mountains. The Leonese will, of course, happily use their strong fleets to transport the Crusaders... for a price...
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A couple more:
How has Zendar not been annexed by any of its neighbors yet?
What exactly stopped the Gorinae advance towards Calradia proper?
How was Curaw formed and what is its situation?
(Also, what is up with the Fenland Tribes? I saw a couple messages of them switching sides between Alania and Zendar, but I have never seen any groups of Tribesmen in the area)
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Zendar hasn't been annexed because it's the mercenary capital of the WORLD. It's also rich as hell, if anyone attacks it their opponents will suddenly mysteriously be able to hire large Merc armies at dirt-cheap prices... basically, attack Zendar and they'll turn up at your base pointing out that they legally already own it in your defaulted loans. That said they're not immune to attack, and at the time of SR are looking to expand their power beyond the merely financial; this leaves them more open than ever before to conquest.
The simple answer to Q2 is... nothing. The frontier you see in SR is very much a current one, hence the fact the Goriniae have wooden forts along it (wooden so they can be demolished and moved in the future). Maris is a recent acquisition (prior to that it was briefly independent, although it's often been batted around between the Tenthalese looking for a handy seaport to the west and Lacontia in its more aggressive phases).
The Vaegirs of SR are a complicated group, but share a single ethnicity. Within that the split is threefold; the Vaegir triber, the Issakan tribe (from Issakev, they are probably the oldest group), and the Chega, the southernmost group who have now intermingled a lot with the Fenlander, Swadian and Nord ethnic groups but leave their mark with names such as Rivacheg (Rivan meaning rock, cheg making it the Chega's Rock) or Wercheg (Werra + Cheg, waters of the Chega). Curaw is a brief (or possibly lasting) expression of Issakan unity against the normally dominant Vaegirs. The Issakans captured Curaw just a decade prior to SR (their real power base being Issakev) and since then have been constantly either fighitng the Vaegirs (to whom the lack of Curaw forms the greates threat to their unity, with Khudan and Reyvadin under threat) or each other; the current Prince is something of an upstart noble from Curaw itself, the original leader (Tsar) of the Issakans being dead and his daughter banished to wander the world...
The Fenland Tribes do spawn a few small parties, and occasionally some raiders as well who can handily go out and burn enemy villages. In theory.
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WOW dats a lot of info.
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MALLARDIA ROCKS!!! thanks for putting it in there jubal :P... although i became a vassel of guy d'gadwall and managed to defend it and rage war on the empire and take over all castles up to the capital but suffering strong attacks lol gadwall has been defeated in serveral occasions :P
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loving the mod but how do i gat a boat i've been to the dicks but can just walk around.
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If you have enough money (I think 1500 or 2000 denars) then when you go to the docks menu the option will appear alongside "go to the docks".
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thanks.
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Ok, I'm new to this mod, and I have noticed that the fequency of "Eastern" items in markets is increased greatly. Is there then a faction that primarily uses these eastern items or is it jut a market change? Thanks in advance and great mod!
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The frequency is similar to most other items, normally those items wouldn't appear at all but I've added them in.
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Oh, ok. Well thank you for the quick reply! Good luck with the warband port. : )
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Don't know how to delete this blank post. :$
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I have a question about the Aurothians. So could you explain their culture and lifestyle please. Could you explain their history as well. Also, why do they wear the armor that they do?
I listened to Windhawk briefly about them, but don't completely understand them.
They're my favorite faction. :P
Basically, just explain all you can.
Thanks,
Authorian
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The Aurothians are a very, very ancient people; they also sit on a crossroads between the eastern world (as shown by the nearby Hematites), the Southern Sea nations (Such as the Lusitanians), and trade routes from places like the Commagene Empire. As such, they have a very rich and diverse history and draw on many other cultures to create quite an unusual fusion. Their city of Estarinia has been built over many generations, and having never been destroyed has vast undreground mazes of tunnels, particularly in the castle.
Aurothians consider themselves to be the oldest surviving nation; certainly they were never absorbed by the Lusitanians at their height. Legend has it that once there was a great island in the middle of the southern sea; the Kings of this isle, Nurelon, were the most powerful of all the rulers of their day. They built a vast city, called Huralia, beneath a large mountain. Eventually there was a great civil war there, between those loyal to the Kings and those loyal to the High Priests. Eventually the Kings were forced to flee and continue their war from afar, fighting around the shores of the sea until eventually, in the middle of the night, they found a wooded hillside beneath a second great mountain. As the stars were so bright in this new place, the settlement they founded there was named Estarinia, and bears that name to this day. And what of Nurelon? The earth was angered by the wrongs of the priests and punished their falsehoods; the mountain at the centre of their realm spat fire, and the once great nation sank beneath the waves. Perhaps this will one day happen to Estarinia, who can tell? Nevertheless, the Aurothians are truly and rightly proud of their heritage.
They tend to a higher degree of learning than most nations, prizing that above discipline or the arts of war - they fight with finesse, using fast horses and daring bands of archers, rather than the clunking heavy knights of other kingdoms. The leadership of the Kingdom is done firstly by the King, but he is advised by the Rinterns, who the academics and merchants of the town elect from amongst the old noble families. In this way those who provide the wealth are made to feel they have some say in matters (though since the candidates must be of noble blood it makes little real difference). Popular pastimes for the poor include archery and rabbit-trapping; for the rich, alchemy is very much in vogue as is hawking (Aurothians are known for breeding the finest hunting-birds in the world).
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The Aurothians are a very, very ancient people; they also sit on a crossroads between the eastern world (as shown by the nearby Hematites), the Southern Sea nations (Such as the Lusitanians), and trade routes from places like the Commagene Empire. As such, they have a very rich and diverse history and draw on many other cultures to create quite an unusual fusion. Their city of Estarinia has been built over many generations, and having never been destroyed has vast undreground mazes of tunnels, particularly in the castle.
Aurothians consider themselves to be the oldest surviving nation; certainly they were never absorbed by the Lusitanians at their height. Legend has it that once there was a great island in the middle of the southern sea; the Kings of this isle, Nurelon, were the most powerful of all the rulers of their day. They built a vast city, called Huralia, beneath a large mountain. Eventually there was a great civil war there, between those loyal to the Kings and those loyal to the High Priests. Eventually the Kings were forced to flee and continue their war from afar, fighting around the shores of the sea until eventually, in the middle of the night, they found a wooded hillside beneath a second great mountain. As the stars were so bright in this new place, the settlement they founded there was named Estarinia, and bears that name to this day. And what of Nurelon? The earth was angered by the wrongs of the priests and punished their falsehoods; the mountain at the centre of their realm spat fire, and the once great nation sank beneath the waves. Perhaps this will one day happen to Estarinia, who can tell? Nevertheless, the Aurothians are truly and rightly proud of their heritage.
They tend to a higher degree of learning than most nations, prizing that above discipline or the arts of war - they fight with finesse, using fast horses and daring bands of archers, rather than the clunking heavy knights of other kingdoms. The leadership of the Kingdom is done firstly by the King, but he is advised by the Rinterns, who the academics and merchants of the town elect from amongst the old noble families. In this way those who provide the wealth are made to feel they have some say in matters (though since the candidates must be of noble blood it makes little real difference). Popular pastimes for the poor include archery and rabbit-trapping; for the rich, alchemy is very much in vogue as is hawking (Aurothians are known for breeding the finest hunting-birds in the world).
Thanks, its good to know about them now. They're now even more interesting to me.
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Well, feel free to ask any more questions you want. :)
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I also have a question about Lacontia or however you say it. Why do they have two kings? More importantly, what are their origins?
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I'm not Jubal but I imagine that Lacontia has two kings as a Spartan reference.
@ Jubal: I have a question regarding the Vorroks and Dharroks. Who are they? And are they civilised to any real extent?
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Yeah, Lacontia is basically just a load of Spartan references, an imagining of that sort of state in the medieval era.
As to the Vors/Dhars; the Voroks are the least civilised of the Vorok/Dharrok/Rhodok people, and the most tribal. They are how ever experts at mining, good builders of fortifications, and fairly handy healers due to their lack of truck with the "make it bleed, that'll heal it" methods employed across Calradia and the Gorin Empire at this time. They're still (as I said) very tribal by nature, and are led by a council of chiefs, from whom a convocation of monks (of which there are large numbers across the Vorok lands, practitioners of their rather shamanistic religion) choose a High Chief.
The Dharroks are a migration southwards mirroring the northwards spread of the Rhodoks; they are more feudal by nature, and are fairly similar to medieval Scotland.
All three have strong similarities; they dislike cavalry and distrust horses, they prefer spears as weapons, they place a strong cultural emphasis on herding animals, they prefer a more egalitarian view of religion (the Rhodoks are Coniriles, the Dharroks oft-schismatic Varalites, and the Voroks tribalists, but all three have a very community-based religious approach). They have a strong respect for age and wisdom, and little respect for personal military valour over military cleverness and order.
The differences are really that the Voroks are the traditional and "pure" culture. The Rhodoks moved north, and their tribe became mixed up in the disputes of the southern Swadian farmers and merchants, who together broke away from the more feudal and militaristic knight-controlled parts of the realm (In the vale of Uxhal and the Duchy of Suno). This has given them a more mercantile and pastoral outlook, and encouraged their absorption of old Calradic culture which was instrumental in influencing the thinkers and philosophers behind the Great Peasants' War (as the Rhodok war of Independence is known). The Dharroks were a southern offshoot of the Voroks who conquered the surrounding lowlands as their previous masters took troops out in their failed war against Gorinia. Their acceptance of the Varalite faith bought them support from Lexandria and other smaller nations who helped their new co-religionists maintain independence. The support of the church bought with it the idea of anointed monarchs under the Mother Goddess (a monotheistic deity shared by the Varalites, Coniriles, and Orinites), which in time led to a more feudal system developing.
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I see cool, thanks for answering those questions for me. :D
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Just out of curiocity... have we talked about the hematite emirate? why do they have a capital reminding Chuck [al-Norris]? what are their relations with foreign dudes? the one-castle state [malardia?] next to thum, the Aurothian/Estarinian people? the Goriniae?
And whatever else you like mr Jubal.
EDIT: Also info about Tenthalla and countess Aroma and General Tataca the old foul, alone in the fort...
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Who cares if it's a necro? :D
I don't suppose you'd care to answer the questions please Jubal? Dimos isn't the only one who's interested. ;)
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Okay, this is done from long-distance memory so hopefully I haven't made continuity errors:
The Hematites are a breakaway group from a faction which I was going to put in whose name I've now wholly forgotten who've invaded the Gorin peninsula from the south. The Goriniae have tried and failed to dislodge them many times. They're culturally extremely different to their neighbours; the Mallardians are the result of an attempt to use a Mercenary army to attack them, with the Lusitanians being a formerly dominant power in the peninsula. They were beaten in a few wars by the Goriniae which then created the weakness the Hematites exploited.
Aurothia is a very, very old island nation, a bit of a hang-over from days gone by. They tend to be quite reclusive and defensive, and dislike Varalite clergy intruding on their culture. Their buildings often have centuries-old catacombs and tunnels due to the very firm (but volcanic) rock on the island.
The Tenthalese are just another city-state of the Geroian peninsula. They tend to be very wealthy due to trade, as well as being a centre for the production of velvet. Tenthala is also something of a base for swashbucklers and privateers, and is sometimes referred to as the "Zendar of the South" for its very mercantile and mercenary culture. Arona is the current countess, her father having been killed recently on a crusade to the far east. As for Tataca, he's something of a legend in the wars of the city states. He took both Calamantia and Eulalia for the Geroians, giving them a dominant position in the peninsula, but then fell out with his old masters and retired to a safe location in the hills with some of his loyal guards. He's reputed to have never lost a battle.
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This thread now actually *has* brief faction overviews in it, over four years since it was last used :P
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Good stuff mate, I'll get stuck into this when I get a chance. Tonight hopefully. ;)
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I'll happily try and answer any questions, though I may be deviating a lot from what me-four-years-ago thought the lore should be if I do :P
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Okay so my main questions revolve around how several of these factions wage war, so I guess if you could go into a little detail regarding the make up of their armies and how they fight, that would be awesome. Particular interest mainly in those smaller factions like Curaw and such.
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Is this mod being reborn?
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A good few ideas are being ported into Calradia Total War.
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Cool beans.