Faction Overviews and Background FAQ

Started by Jubal, February 20, 2010, 02:42:25 PM

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Jubal

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!
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

Snoopy

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?

Jubal

Yay! Questions!

Okay, Q1...
Here's some written background on the mini-factions, for starters;
Spoiler: click to toggle

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...
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

Snoopy

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)

Jubal

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.
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

Cuddly Khan

Quote from: comrade_general on January 25, 2014, 01:22:10 AMMost effective elected official. Ever. (not counting Jubal)

He is Jubal the modder, Jubal the wayfarer, Jubal the admin. And he has come to me now, at the turning of the tide.

Gmd

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
Bunneh and I Rule this land in the name of Supreme Lord Krishna.

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") 


Give me my green name back!!! I am always Logothetes

chaz

loving the mod but how do i gat a boat i've been to the dicks but can just walk around.

Jubal

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".
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...


zxcvmnb

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!

Jubal

The frequency is similar to most other items, normally those items wouldn't appear at all but I've added them in.
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

zxcvmnb

Oh, ok. Well thank you for the quick reply! Good luck with the warband port.  : )

Cuddly Khan

#13
Don't know how to delete this blank post. :$
Quote from: comrade_general on January 25, 2014, 01:22:10 AMMost effective elected official. Ever. (not counting Jubal)

He is Jubal the modder, Jubal the wayfarer, Jubal the admin. And he has come to me now, at the turning of the tide.

The Dragon Reborn

#14
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