SOD Warlords - Official Faction/Religion lore

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SWORD OF DAMOCLES - WARLORDS
Short yet Elaborate Descriptions of Factions and Religions.
For those poor unfortunate souls unfamiliar with the lore of SOD.

- by scholar and loremaster MorrisB, anno domini 2011. -​

I'm going to presume that since everyone here playes/played Mount and Blade and/or MnB: Warband, you all have some basic knowledge of the Calradian factions. So I'm not going to describe those factions, BUT if their lore was altered in any manner or we added something new to it (ie. religion) I'll list it. Note that events which took place (either in theory or practically) in the official SOD mod story may not be reflected in SOD Warband because that would lead to restricting certain game aspects, and we don't want that.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE LORE MATERIAL LISTED BELOW OR OTHERWISE, FEEL FREE TO ASK.

In SOD and SOD: Warlords there are "major factions" (kingdoms, empires, republics, etc) and "mercenary factions" which assist their 'mother faction'. Currently only the Calradian factions have mercenary guilds to back them up, this might change later.

Each faction has (or in the case of Calradian factions, "will" have) its own Noble troops and Faith troops, both of which can be acquired only by building the required structures in castles/towns.

In addition, each faction has its chosen religion. Of course, the Player can pick his/her religion during character creation (cannot be re-picked during game !), but some religions are Calradian/Native Ponavosan only.

CURRENTLY THE CALRADIAN RELIGION DESCRIPTIONS ARE NOT YET DONE.
While I'll do descriptions for them eventually, they won't be that much in-depth as they have fairly little role in the story whatsoever (specifically: none. They are but excuses to give the Calradian factions Faith Troops and make the players suffer. Mwahahahaha !!! Oh, and basis for some new future quests.)

Lists below.

If you have trouble finding a faction description, use Ctrl+f, type in the full faction name and keep searching the results

Major Faction list:
- Kingdom of Aden (SOD faction, can be chosen during character creation)
- Empire of Antaria (SOD faction, can be chosen during character creation)
- Republic of Marina (SOD faction, can be chosen during character creation)
- Villianese Duchy (SOD faction, can be chosen during character creation)
- Zerrikanian Sultanate (SOD faction, can be chosen during character creation)
- Imperial Legion (SOD faction, cannot be chosen - will be erased/replaced in later mod versions of SOD Warlords)
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- Kingdom of Swadia (Calradian faction)
- Kingdom of Vaegir (Calradian faction)
- Kingdom of Nord (Calradian faction)
- Kingdom of Rhodok (Calradian faction)
- Khergit Khanate (Calradian faction)
- Sarranid Sultanate (Calradian faction)

Mercenary Factions and their employers:
- Black Army (Swadia)
- Boar Clan (Sarranid)
- Conquistadors (Vaegir)
- Elephant Guard (Khergit)
- Jotnar Clan (Nord)
- Serpent Host (Rhodok)
- Slavers (all)

Religion list:
- The One (SOD, can be chosen during character creation)
- The Void (SOD, can be chosen during character creation)
- The Old Gods (SOD, can be chosen during character creation)
- Spiritual Enlightment (SOD, can be chosen during character creation)
- Natural Philosophy (SOD, can be chosen during character creation)
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- Marsus (Imperial Legion, cannot be chosen)
- Orthodox Amhelite (Calradian, cannot be chosen)
- Reformist Amhelite (Calradian, cannot be chosen)
- Balance of Trinity (Calradian, cannot be chosen)
- Nature Worship (collective term - has many forms, cannot be chosen)
- Ponavosan Deities (Ponavosan, cannot be chosen)

--------------------SOD FACTIONS--------------------

KINGDOM OF ADEN

Aden is a SOD faction, which highly resembles Swadia in many respects.

Prior to the War of Recapture, it was a constitutional monarchy (nobles held the true power); after it was liberated from the Imperial Legion, it became an absolute monarchy.

Throughout its history, Aden became known for its arrogant barons and other nobles whose infighting and politicking brought the kingdom to the brink of collapse several times and the oppression of the peasantry, though now that it has a strong monarchy leading things go quite smooth. For now, that is.

The nobility holds many privileges and power, though in recent history their influence dropped significantly.

Aden's military is primarily composed of melee cavalry troops (starts out as medium cavalry but goes up to heavy cavalry on higher tiers) led by nobles, assisted by masses of ill-equipped serfs (weak archers and cannon fodder footmen).

Aden's noble troops are Squires and Knights who form the personal retinues of magnates. On top tier, the nobility itself moves to battle represented by the heavily armed Magnates. Each of the three units are heavy cavalry troops and use mostly lances, swords and maces.

Historical relations: 'friendly rivalry' with Antaria (sometimes allies, sometimes enemies), bitter enemies with Marina in the past (border disputes), allies with Swadia (became allied during the Invasion of Calradia), enemies with Vaegirs (helped Swadians against the Vaegirs).

Aden's religion is Spiritual Enlightment, but it has no unified church. Religious services are performed in individual shrines, monasteries and by wandering monks and holy knights.

Adenians value (material) independence, self-reliance and loyalty to one's cause but this also makes them to act selfishly and arrogantly.

Adenians favor simple, practical outfits and rarely decorate their armors or weapons, though it is not uncommon to use heraldic clothing and/or shields to display their allignance to their overlords.

The Ponavosan colonies of the Kingdom of Aden in SOD: Warlords are ruled over by Baron Buegard Kollin.

If you wanted a real-life equivalent (save for the religion of course, which has none), it would be the Kingdom of Hungary during the medieval era.

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EMPIRE OF ANTARIA

Antaria is a SOD faction, which is composed of 3 smaller countries: the Kingdom of Antares (mostly miner-cities), Jarnas (mountains and hills-filled area with some forestlands) and Redes (lots of grassy fields and agricultural territories). Obviously, the true boss is Antares.

Antares is a highly advanced feudal state. In comparison, Jarnas and Redes were initially both inhabited by primitive nomadic clans and tribes, but after they were attached to the empire they were slowly assimilated.

Antaria always was and still is an absolute monachy, however after the War of Recapture a bicameral (lower and upper house) Parliament was also formed albeit with limited power.

Nevertheless, the lower classes have more power and influence than in other average feudal states. The nobility has more of a supportive role than actual political strength, though they still have a notable influence.

Antaria's military is composed of three branches: the cities of Antares each uphold regular armies of heavily-armored swordsmen; the tribes of Jarnas train battalions of Javelin-throwers; and the people of Redes maintain light-medium cavalry companies.

Antaria's noble troops are the Nobles (members of nobility who escort their king/queen to war), and the Honor Guard who are personal bodyguards of the royal family. Both are clad in superb plate armors and traditionally wield massive two-handed swords.

Antarians worship The One, and have a strong centralized church, however it is becoming increasingly decadent and corrupt.

Historical relations: 'friendly rivalry' with Aden, enemies with Swadia and Nord (claimed territories from both prior to the Invasion of Calradia), bitter foes with Zerrikania (religious wars)

Antarians in general (all three states) value loyalty to one's nation and comrades-at-arms, being (religiously) devoted to one's cause. The Antarians have a rigid code of fighting honor. While generally consiered to be good folks, an average Antarian can be dangerously prideful, over-confident and self-righteous.

Antarian equipment choice depends on the country of origin. The swordsmen of Antares always wear at least chainmail armors if not plate armors, but rarely display their allignance anywhere, giving them a more coherent, uniformed look. The people of Jarnas and Redes, however, prefer leather armors (sometimes reinforced with metallic plating) and openly display the heraldry of their lords on their shields.

The Ponavosan colonies of the Empire of Antaria in SOD: Warlords are ruled over by Viceroy Fordail Ironcap.

The closest real-life equivalent would be the late Western Roman Empire (imperials + "barbarian" mercenaries) and/or Holy Roman Empire.

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REPUBLIC OF MARINA

The Republic of Marina is a SOD faction highly renowned for its democratic views.

As the name suggests, it is a republic. The nobility (and thus the country's leadership) is formed by people of either wealth or influence, or both, primarily merchants. The nobles form into political parties, and there are elections on a 6-year basis.

However, after the War of Recapture the title 'Governor' was established. In war time the Governor gains massive political power but in peaceful times he/she has not much to do. (Think of the role of the consul in ancient Rome).

Marina has many coastal cities and rich agricultural lands, trading is very profitable.

Marina's military consists of small armies of well-equipped regular troops (pikemen and crossbowmen), but in war times peasants are conscripted, given ****ty equipment, basic training and then sent to bolster the regular troops.

Marinan noble troops are represented by Mercenaries, or in the case of the richest merchant families, the famous Landsknecht and Condottieri companies. They are renowned for flexibility and high discipline, being armed similarly to the crossbowmen of the regular Marinan army but even better, expert with both crossbows and close combat weapons, primarily swords.

Historical relations: bitter foes with Zerrikania (trade wars), enemies with Aden (border disputes), friends with Rhodok (stood united during the Invasion of Calradia), 'friendly rivals' with Nord.

Marina generally tolerates any religion, but most of the populace follows (or at least accepts) the conceptions of Natural Philosophy. No church to speak of.

Marinans value community spirit, rationality and (spiritual) independence, but are often either somewhat cowardic, materialistic and scheming, or alternatively, radically nationalistic and racially intolerant.

Marinan regular troops primarily wear chainmail armors sometimes augmented with steel plates, but low-level conscripts have only leather armors. Marinans wear single-colored uniforms, the color of the uniform displaying the rank (brown - conscript, green - regular, blue - officer, etc.), but rarely use any heraldry.

The Ponavosan colonies of the Republic of Marina in SOD: Warlords are ruled over by Governess Katrinne Hilis.

The closest real-life equivalent would be the ancient Greek city-states, were they united and survived to the medieval times

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VILLIANESE DUCHY

The Villianese Duchy is a SOD faction.

Originally, the Duchy is not so much a true monarchy but a sleazy alliance of tribes under a common sovereign. The Duke used to have limited power, but after the War of Recapture the Duke's power was expanded.

There are several dozen tribes inhabiting the Duchy, each with its own Chiefs. Those with the greatest amount of land, military power and the right to participate in the election of new Dukes (which happens every 10 years) are referred to as High Chiefs.

The Duchy has enermous forestlands and mountain ranges, as such it has poor agriculture but wild animals are aplenty and ores are in bountiful supply.

The military of Villian is composed of the personal armies of the Chiefs and High Chiefs, primarily swordsmen with great shields and longbow archers. Villianese armies are at home in rough environments and prefer slow but sure advancement.

Villianese noble troops are represented by Chiefs and on higher tier, High Chiefs. It is very common for the lesser clan leaders or their sons to march to war alongside their warriors, and are each professional warriors on their own right. Their primary weapon is the bow, but in close combat they switch to brutal two-handed battle axes. Their armors are exceptionally good as well.

The Villianese worship the Old Gods (and are thus practically nature worshipers). Each tribe has its own patron deity/deities whose will are made known by shamans and seers.

Historical relations: pissed at Antarians (border disputes), bitter enemies with Zerrikania (raid attacks), allies with Nords and Khergits (both factions housed Villianese tribes during the Invasion of Calradia)

Villianese value freedom and loyalty to one's family and clan. Many clans have strict moral codes. From a more negative side, Villianese are unforgiving and cruel, and infighting between clans is not a rare thing either.

The Ponavosan colonies of the Villianese Duchy in SOD: Warlords are ruled over by Earl Ardevso Kentura

Closest real-life equivalent would be Scottish highlanders with Norman influences (and longbows).

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ZERRIKANIAN SULTANATE

The Zerrikanian Sultanate is a SOD faction.

It was, is and will probably continue to be an absolute monarchy led by the sultan whose power is absolute indeed.

Zerrikania strecthes across deserts, steppes and tundras, neither of which are truly hospitable. To maintain itself, the Sultanate encourages slave trading on an intercontinental level and has respectable manufacturing capabilities. Since slave-rebellions are constantly potent sources of threat, the military is always ready for action.

The military is rather colorful. The backbone of the regular army is formed by cavalrymen, both horse archers and medium melee cavalry, assisted by masses of expendable foot troops, archers and axemen alike. Unlike other factions the Zerrikans don't have outstanding elite troops in any field, but their army structure is balanced so they don't lack any troop type.

Fresh recruits often wear ragged, irregular civil clothing, regulars and officers on the other hand rather wear color-themed armors and clothes to display which army branch they belong to (ie. axemen - dark red, elite axemen - dark green, black - medium cavalry, etc.)

Zerrikan noble troops are represented by Boyar's Sons and Boyars, land-owning nobles who were called to fight alongside their Sultan. On higher tier they are replaced by Dvor bodyguards, secretive and unforgiving warriors of the Sultan. Each tier has access to medium horses and ranged weapons.

Zerrikans follow the religion of the Void under the guidance of a centralized but highly corrupt clergy.

Historical relations: enemies with Villian, Antaria and Marina, allies with Vaegirs (fought side-by-side during the Invasion of Calradia), 'friendly rivals' with Khergits

Zerrikanians value humility towards one's superiors, endurance in everyday life and honing one's skills. However this ideology also attempts to justify slave-trading and social injustices.

The Ponavosan colonies of the Zerrikanian Sultanate in SOD: Warlords are ruled over by Boyar Vladigar the Scalper.

The closest real life equivalent would be if you combined the Ottoman Empire with the Kievan Rus.

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IMPERIAL LEGION

The Imperial Legion is a SOD faction but it cannot be chosen as a playable faction.

The Imperial Legion are the main antagonists of the original SOD (which was made for vanilla MnB). Among other things, they are responsible for the conquest of the five other SOD nations and attempting to subjugate the whole of Calradia (again, this is the plot of the original SOD).

The Imperial Legion serves a powerful country referred to as "The Empire". Many fans tend to call the Legion's mother faction as "Romans" or "Roman Empire" because of the appearent roman and antique greek motifs and equipment worn by the Legion's troops, but officially the Legion's mother faction is simply called "The Empire", period.

"The Empire" is an absolute monarchy with an Emperor leading it. There's also a senate which advises him but has otherwise little political power.

Ideologically, "The Empire" believes it is their divine right to conquer/unite every other nation and lead the world to to a bright new future under their leadership. As such, "The Empire" is slowly but steadily expanding its borders and assimilates those nationalities which fall under its rule. But again, it is a thought-over, slow process. It was not until the time of Emperor Janus Constantinus and the appointment of Gaius Marius to the rank of Legate that "The Empire" began the rapid conquest of the world, a campaign that eventually ended in crushing defeat at the hands of a certain refugee king/queen (the Player).

Guided by their ideology of supremacy, Imperials, while usually tolerant (both religiously and racially), patient and open-minded, generally look down on others and consider every nationality beside theirs as 'servant ethnicities'. They back up these beliefs with hard work and overall high level of education (Imperial citizens can all read/write, serve in the army for several years and are trained to be professionals in their jobs). During the attempted Invasion of Calradia, most officers of the Imperial Legion commonly displayed cunning thinking, unshakable loyalty and zealous determination.

From military aspect, the Imperial Legion has a fairly balanced troop tree. The backbone is formed by well-armored infantry troops armed with board shields, short swords, spears and occasionally javelins. The cavalry starts out medium and later upgrades to heavy, armed primarily with lances and sabers. The ranged branch is made of crossbowmen but they lack proper armor and have no shields up to the final tier.

During the attempted Invasion of Calradia, the Imperial Legion also deployed two unique mercenary companies: the elite cavalry archer Sons of Deer and the ruthless assault infantry Bastard Brothers.

The main Imperial colors are red and black, sometimes ornamented with silvery, or more often, golden decorations. A recurring image in the Imperial Legion's heraldry is that of a two-headed dragon, which is a mythological holy beast of their deity, Marsus, and also appears on the heraldry of the Emperor's family.

The Imperial Legion (along with most Imperial citizens) worship the supreme deity Marsus.

The Imperial Legion also appears in SOD: Warlords but they are reduced to renegade warbands and mercenary groups since "The Empire" was annihillated by the vengenceful SOD/Calradian nations. Note that they are a full-scale faction in the "test versions", though.

There are two Imperial characters of high notority:

- Emperor Janus Constantinus who devised the conquest of the SOD nations and Calradia; his sanity was questioned by many, but he was a nevertheless charismatic and highly intelligent ruler until he lost his head - literally, in a public execution.
- Legate Gaius Marius, who carried out the conquest of the SOD nations and led the Imperial Legion to try and conquer Calradia as well; exceptionally cunning and talented, but also a humble, honorable and down-to-earth personality, he is/was the "final boss" of vanilla SOD, fighting not only a military but also a moral battle with the Player. Depending on the Player's choice, he could be either imprisoned, executed, or asked to ally with the Player (but the latter required very high Honor). His true fate in SOD: Warlords has yet to be revealed...

The Imperial Legion, as well as its mother faction "The Empire" are heavily based on a mixture of late Roman and antique Greek culture but also bear some far-eastern motifs. Their worldview was based on American expansionism/"manifest destiny" ideals.

--------------------CALRADIAN FACTIONS--------------------

KINGDOM OF SWADIA

In SOD history, King Harlaus gave some lands to both the Antarian and Adenian refugees but did so to put space between his fiefs and the Nords/Vaegirs respectively. After a while the Antarians got pissed and became independent, and when Lady Isolla of Suno started a coup against Harlaus the Adenians supported her. After a short but bloody civil war Isolla became queen and now rules Swadia.

In SOD: Warlords, the Ponavosan colonies of Swadia are under the rule of Isolla's daughter, Princess Lisan the Caring.

Swadia in SOD: Warlords follows the Orthodox Amhelite religion.

...

KINGDOM OF VAEGIR

In SOD history, the Vaegirs sheltered but also exploited the Zerrikans, who allied with Prince Valdym the Bastard. The plot failed, but King Yaroglek weakened and the Zerrikans earned independence. When the Imperial Legion came to Calradia, the two factions set their differences aside and fought together, eventually becoming close friends.

In SOD: Warlords, the Vaegir colonies are under the rule of Lord Saverok the Gutter, a bastard son of Yaroglek.

Vaegirs are a nature-worshiping faction; they primarily worship the powers of nature embodied in terrifying mythological creatures.

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KINGDOM OF RHODOK

In SOD history, King Graveth welcomed the Marinan refugees but shamelessly exploited them, so the Marinans began supporting Lord Kastor of Veluca's claim to the Rhodok throne. After a lot of court drama and political scheming, Lord Kastor won the next election and became good mates with the Marinans who proved to be great allies.

In SOD: Warlords, Rhodok colonies are ruled over by Lord Talan of Jelkala, a cousin of Lord Kastor.

As opposed to Swadians, Rhodoks are Reformist Amhelites in terms of religion.

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KINGDOM OF NORDS

In SOD history, King Ragnar died fighting the Imperial Legion during the Invasion of Calradia. He was succeeded by Lethwin Far-Seeker who rallied the Nords and helped to re-unite the scattered Villianese clans.

In SOD: Warlords, the Nord colonies are ruled over by Prince Levin Far-Seeker, Lethwin's son.

Nords can be counted as nature-worshipers, though they primarily honor their dead ancestors first and elements of nature second. Also, they follow a "Don't pray but act" principle so the Nords build very few shrines and have no notable clergy.

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KHERGIT KHANATE

In SOD history, Sanjar Khan accepted several Villianese clans into his service. While Dustum Khan plotted Sanjar's downfall, the Villianese foiled his plot out of a sense of honor, after which the Khergits accepted the Villianese as their brethren, even though later these Villianese clans travelled to the Nord kingdom to re-unite with the other clans.

In SOD: Warlords, the Khergit colonies are ruled over by Mistress Harika Galetwist, Dustum Khan's daughter who had sworn loyalty to Sanjar to earn forgiveness for his father's "sins".

Khergits are nature-worshipers, but the two primary objects of their worship are the Horse Spirit and the Wind Godess, deities who gave birth to the Khergits as a nation (according to their myths, that is).

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SARRANID SULTANATE

In SOD history, the Sarranid Sultanate remained suprisingly passive during the Invasion of Calradia, confident in their position until the very last moment. Then in their confusion they spent immense manpower trying to hold the Imperial Legion at bay. While economically crippled, the Sultanate earned much credit for buying time for the rest of Calradia to rally against the invaders. Using the chaos to her advantage, Arwa the Pearled one arranged the assassination of Sultan Hakim and ascended to the throne.

In SOD: Warlords, the Sarranid colonies are under the rule of Caliph Ferhan Al-Hakim, Hakim's son who decided to marry Arwa (he was on bad terms with his daddy anyway).

Sarranids follow the religion of Balance in Trinity in SOD: Warlords and have a well-organized church under the authority of the Sultan.
 
--------------------MERCENARY GUILDS--------------------

BLACK ARMY

The Black Army is a mercenary guild which is connected to Swadia.

The Black Army originates from Aden but after the Kingdom of Aden first collapsed because of the Imperial Legion they fled to Calradia and sealed a contract with Swadia. After the Imperial Legion was defeated, the leadership of the Black Army became dissatisfied by the fact that Aden became an absolute monarchy and decided to stick with Swadia rather than go back to their old employer faction.

The Black Army is nowhere as strictly regularized as it would be expected from a mercenary guild, given by the fact that the guild accepts anyone regardless of race, cultural/religious background and fighting style so long as they are obedient. As such the armament of the individual troops can be extremely varying; warbands and formations are based on 'guidelines' rather than the troops' equipment (ie. there are no seperate crossbowmen and archer groups, only "ranged troops"). Only some elite branches have regularized equipment.

Suprisingly enough this doesn't downgrade the performance of the guild, as the Black Army has some of the brightest and toughest military masterminds of the known world among its ranks, and variety means no holes in the army structure. They have everything an army could need - light/heavy infantry, ranged foot troops, cavalry archers and heavy cavalry.

The main colors of the Black Army are black (suprised ?) and red, and wear heraldic shields to display their allignance. Recurring images in their heraldry include a pitch-black raven holding a ring in its beak and a crowned lion walking on its hind legs.

The Black Army was inspired by the "real", historical Black Army of Hungary (mercenaries under the king's command) from the late 15th century.

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BOAR CLAN

The Boar Clan is a mercenary guild connected to the Sarranid Sultanate.

The Boar Clan originally had a small kingdom on its own but was consumed by civil war and foreign (Swadian and Vaegir) incursion. Reduced to the size of several thousand man and women, the Boar Clan moved southwards and pledged its allignance to the Sarranid Sultanate.

The Boar Clan is a nation of warriors. They have characterized by unwavering courage, loyalty, have a strict moral code and a somewhat unorthodox choice of weaponry (hammers and multi-headed, trident-like spears), many of which were converted from working tools.

They have an infantry line with good armor and blunt weapons (maces/hammers), some of which are two-handed. The cavalry rides on camels (gifted to them by the Sarranids) and uses trident-like spears. They also have a small group of horse archers.

The Boar Clan's main colors are brown and grey. Their heraldry, a wild boar with grim tusks is often displayed on their shields and clothes alike.

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CONQUISTADORS

The Conquistadors are a mercenary guild connected to the Vaegirs.

Originating from the Kingdom of Vesapnia (a country that spans across dozens of smaller-bigger islands quite far from Calradia otherwise), the Conquistadors were originally charged with a task to deliver massive amounts of merchandising goods to a remote eastern trading partner. However a storm in the sea ravaged much of the fleet and they had to change direction, eventually shipwrecking near the Vaegir shores. King Yaroglek told them that he'll give the materials necessary to repair the ships - at a (beep)ing high cost. Before they knew it, the Conquistadors became a guild on their own right and they no longer wanted to go home.

Unlike their brutish employers, the Conquistadors place formation and strategy over individual strength. Each of their units fulfill dedicated purposes and are experts on their respective fields.

They have two types of infantry: swiftfooted swordsmen with shields (rush infantry) and pikemen. They are supported by crossbowmen and a small but elite division of heavy cavalry lancers.

The most common colors of the Conquistadors are red and yellow, often in stripes. Another common symbol is a black eagle-like figure.

Obviously, the Conquistadors are based on the "real" historical spanish and portuguese Conquistadors.

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ELEPHANT GUARD

The Elephant Guard are a mercenary guild connected to the Khergits.

The Elephant Guard hails from the land of Ubum-Izwe (african-themed land that lies far-south of Calradia - way below the Khergit and Sarranid lands, but is still part of the Calradian continent). Essentially, the greatest tribes of northern Ubum-Izwe were at constant war until a towering elephant appeared; believing it the reincarnation of a high priestess, the tribes eventually all decided to follow its wake. The elephant eventually perished on the road northwards, but the tribes themselves continued and journeyed through some mountain passes to reach into Khergit territory, where Sanjar Khan (seeing potential allies in them) welcomed the tribes and granted them rich lands in return of military services. The tribes, now aligned as one faction by the name of 'the Elephant Guard', were happy to finally leave behind all the starvation, infighting and diseases which plagued their ancestral homelands and step into a bright new future with the Khergits at their side.

The Elephant Guard has two unit branches: melee foot troops (with either one-handed clubs/swords and shield or two-handed spears) and spear throwers. They also have melee-fighting warrior-shamans.

The image of the elephant is an often recurring theme which warriors paint upon themselves. To display which tribe they belong to, the warriors use different colors: red and black (for melee fighters) and yellow (for spear throwers).

Note that the Elephant Guard DON'T WEAR ANY ARMOR. Their 'body paint' IS the armor (it is not just a texture, it does have actual armor value but it cannot be looted).

As you are guessing, the Elephant Guard was inspired by african tribal cultures but also bear signs of antique Egyptian influence.

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JOTNAR CLAN

The Jotnar Clan are a mercenary guild connected to the Kingdom of Nord.

The Jotnars are the original inhabitant of North Calradia, who were conquered by the Great Calradian Empire. Once conquered, the Calradians moved settlers to the area to assimilate the Jotnar. Thus started the history of the later Nord nation. However, some Jotnars decided to migrate to hardly-reachable mountain regions and dwelled there for several decades. After the Great Calradian Empire collapsed and the Nords formed a kingdom on their own, the Jotnar re-united with their 'younger cousins'. King Ragnar saw great potential in these unexpected visitors and soon rallied them under his banner.

The Jotnar society is led by female shamans and seers called Norns. Save for that fact, everyone in the clan is completely equal. Gameplay-wise, the Jotnar have a female horse-riding branch (medium cavalry with throwing weapons and bows) and a male infantry branch (heavy infantry with two-handed weapons, plus an axe-thrower unit).

The main Jotnar colors are blue, and to a smaller extent brown.

The Jotnar Clan were inspired by figures of Norse mythology, and their unit names reflect these figures (ie. Valkyre, Disir, Eihenjar, etc.)

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SERPENT HOST

The Serpent Host are a mercenary guild connected to the Rhodoks.

The Serpent Host were originally a Khergit tribe which resisted Sanjar Khan's father's attempt at unifying the Khergits under a single rule, saying that each and every tribe should be allowed to decide whether they want to be part of a new Khanate or not. Sanjar did not approve and bloody wars followed. The Serpent Host migrated to Rhodok lands, and sealed a pact with King Graveth that they would serve him in return of some land to call their own. Ever since then the Serpent Host started transforming into a mercenary guild, bolstered by Rhodok recruits and Khergit refugees.

The Serpent Host, being of Khergit origin, places great emphasis on cavalry tactics, but unlike their forefathers they realized the need for heavy cavalry troops. They have both horse archers and heavy melee cavalry. The infantry branch is rather weak but efficient - foot troops are lightly armed but often have access to ranged weapons (bows) and have shields.

The Serpent Host uses primarily scale mail and chain mail armors, though lesser-ranking troops have leather armors. It is common to display the guild's insignia on armors and shields.

The Serpent Host's main color is green.

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SLAVERS

The Slavers are a mercenary guild which has connections with each and every Calradian faction.

The Slavers' history is unknown, but they have been around for quite some time by now and have significant influence in business all across the globe. In some places their activities are entirely illegal and persecuted (ie. Antaria, Marina, Rhodok, Villian), in other places they are 'tolerated' (Aden, Khergit Khanate, Swadia) and yet again elsewhere they are fully accepted (Kingdom of Nord, Sarranid Sultanate, Zerrikania).

The organization runs under the leadership of the mysterious "BOSS" (yes, spelled all in capital letters), but no-one knows his/her real identity save for a tiny inner circle. Some claim the BOSS in fact doesn't exist and the inner circle is the highest authority of the Slavers. Those who seek to uncover what the truth really is soon meet a cruel end.

In any case, in everyday life the Slavers operate under the instructions of Slaver Chiefs who are in charge of operations in a given region (gameplay-wise, there is one Slaver Chief per Calradian/SOD faction). Their 'regular' troops are essentially professional slave-hunters, but the number of these soldiers is low compared to the 'irregular' forces: lowly henchmen drawn from the ranks of average street scum - vagabonds, thieves, cutthroats, etc. who are hired for one-time jobs. However, the business of the Slavers is not just slave-trading, smuggling, assassination and similarly sinister activities, but also providing manpower for any Lord who quickly needs troops.

Given their conditions, a Slaver warband is a rag-tag gathering of criminals, many of whom lack even the most basic military training or equipment. Among these low-life nobodies will stand a small group of dedicated Slave Hunters, Slave Crushers and Slave Masters, all mounted and armed with blunt weapons.

Gameplay-wise, the low-level troops spawn with very random low-class equipment but higher tiers get horses, regularized reinforced leather/chainmail armors, and top tier gets charger mounts and plate armors.

From time to time, it is not uncommon that Slaver warbands happen to fight against each other under the command of different Lords. The Slaver Chiefs in general don't give a damn about this so long as sufficient profit is involved. Most of their henchmen are expendable anyway.

A recurring symbol of the Slavers is a decaying, cracked skull. Their primary color is black.

The Slavers are a serious re-design of the Manhunters. They are practically a medieval realization of sinister international companies, meant to both terrify the Player or sometimes provide cynical comic relief / social criticism, P. Howard style.

--------------------SOD RELIGIONS--------------------


THE ONE

Followers:
Empire of Antaria (official state religion), parts of Aden and Marina

Basic principles:
- There is a supreme divine being we call 'The One'. The One created the world and everything within it, including good and evil. Humans are test subjects towards an end known only by The One, but through preachers and prophets The One made it clear that he/she (gender unknown) expects humankind to brace whatever test he/she puts upon them.
- every challenge you face in life, every decision and hardship is part of a test that you must face either alone or together with other individuals. By passing these tests you can become a better person: you become humble, brave, self-sacrificing etc.
- In the afterlife, you will be judged based on your 'results' in life. If you are deemed a good person, you can enter The One's realm, but if you were evil in life great hardships await in the afterlife until you have repented for all your misdeeds.
- individual life is worth little in The One's eyes (regardless of title, race, etc), only by becoming part of a community can one strive for greatness.
- goodness can only be based upon a structured society that is free of slavery and the social classes are in balance (this does not require democracy - absolute monarchy is a-okay so long as the monarch and the nobility don't oppress the peasantry too much). Such a society also requires a firm ideology and moral code (which were laid down by the prophets). Societies where there are great injustices, lack proper moral codes or have twisted ideologies are decadent and eventually crumble, or worse, corrupt other nations with their sick views.
- everyone is born 'neutral', there are no pre-destined goals in life (unless someone is born to be a prophet). Individuals have to be guided and taught of what's good or bad. Once the individual learns his/her lessons, he/she is very difficult to persuade to follow different views and morals. As such, the religion of The One has to be spread through very violent methods if necessary. Mercy and forgiveness are remarkable signs of goodness, but rarely pay off.

Clergy:
The One's followers in Antaria have established the Church of The One centuries ago, and it is a well-organized insitution. If someone joins the church, he/she can steadily advance through the ranks if he/she displays sufficient skill and devotion, but there are restrictions (ie. women are not allowed into the highest positions) and people from poor/foreign families are often discriminated. The Church is led by a Patriarch who is elected from the ranks of the highest ranking clerics and is also a member of the Antarian royal council. Since The One's religion is also somewhat militaristic, it is a custom in Antaria that each battalion of the regular army has a priest to accompany it. The church also maintains a small militant wing composed of veteran elite troops.

Faith Troops:
"I dare you, you misguided man, try and block my strike ! Raise your shield in the belief it will protect you ! And then scream in agony as my blade effortlessly cuts through steel, flesh, and ultimately, your darkened, sinning soul ! For through me, The One shall strike you down !"
(Guardian of the One, threatening a Zerrikan nobleman while dueling him, and then turning his threat into reality)

Faith Troops of The One are characterized by their richly ornamented armours and weaponry, silvery and shining, inscribed with blessings. They are generally highly religious veteran soldiers, who claim to have witnessed divine visions or experienced miracles (such as unnaturally fast recovery from mortal wounds). They consider themselves to have 'picked' by The One him/herself to perform great deeds in the mortal world and thus show good example to ordinary people. They are zealous in their cause, caring greatly for their comrades but showing no mercy to foes.

...

THE VOID

Followers:
Zerrikanian Sultanate (official state religion), parts of Villianese Duchy (several minor clans)

Basic principles
- beyond our world lies the Void. It is both an 'entity', a 'system' and a higher level of consciousness. Throughout your life, it observes you and in your death it judges you.
- the main goal of human life is to search for perfection by attaining a balance of four disciplines, or 'strengths'. If one cannot achieve this, the consequences will effect his/her life drastically.
Strength of the Arm - physical strength, health, courage in battle; failure to achieve this results in weak health and a life of constant fear
Strength of the Heart - self-sacrificing, helping/guiding others without expecting reward; failure to achieve this results in greed and repulsiveness
Strength of the Mind - wisdom, bravery to experiment and share new knowledge; failure to achieve this results in dumbness and being easily manipulated
Strength of the Soul - struggle to achieve balance between the previous three 'strengths'; failure to achieve this results in a twisted personality
- perfection cannot be achieved in one lifetime, but if you did your best you'll reincarnate and get a new chance to reach greater heights.
- by that token, life is pre-destined to a certain extent; people are NOT born equal. People are born to social classes depending on their earlier lives, but they DO have the ability to change their lives' course - a beggar can enlist to the army and become a great fighter, or an antisocial noble can be banished from his rank by the Sultan, etc.
- you do NOT have to 'worship' the Void to become a great man/woman, but having a strong faith DOES help a lot to achieve perfection so long as it does not turn into blind fanaticism.
- in life, you must be humble and try your best to realize your own potential (train, study, be self-aware). If you notice greatness in others, help them utilize it (ie. a slave is a good farm worker - grant him freedom and some land in exchange of some tribute/tax).
- a bad personality is the result of imbalance of 'strengths' which may be indirectly caused by other persons (ie. abusive parents)
- you shouldn't look down anyone based on social/cultural background alone - any people can have qualities that you do not possess yourself. Follow good examples and ignore/pity the bad ones. Do not envy others.
- it is always useful to have help, but TRUE greatness can only be achieved on your own. Those who can't help themselves are often chained down by their own incompetence rather than outside influences. It is noble to help them, but they do not deserve your sympathy.
- when you die, three possible fates can await you: you either reincarnate, be consumed for failing to utilize your inner strength, or become one with the Void itself (which counts as reaching perfection).

Clergy:
There is an organized church in service of the Void, called plainly the Church of the Void. Its structure is based on the four 'strengths', as such the church operates numerous facilities. The actual number of priests (who embody the 'soul') is low, but they have incredible influence and are each exceptionally talented individuals. The church is led by the Minister of Faith, who is appointed by the Zerrikan Sultan from the ranks of the priests. Other groups within the church include preachers/community workers ('heart'), scientists ('mind') and powerful religious warriors ('arm'). The Church of the Void does not give a damn about social/cultural/ethnic background nor gender so long as a member performs his/her duties well, but advancing in the ranks is a very slow and demanding progress.

Faith Troops
"I see the fear in your eyes and the trembling in your legs; I feel your thoughts... you fear the end of your pitiful existence, yet you never showed sympathy for those you exploited... you disgust us. You deserve all that awaits you. Brace yourself for oblivion, for we shall cleanse the world from the disgrace of your existence."
(Night Stalker of the Void, a minute prior to rending apart a depraved Adenian noble)

Faith Troops of the Void commonly wear initmidating dark metal armors and are renowned for their lack of emotion or sympathy. Their fighting skills border near superhuman qualities but in fact they were achieved through rigid training and discipline. They do not guide common people - this task is for the clergy. Rather, their task is to weed out those of weak spirit by slaughtering them and thus sending their souls to the Void to be consumed or reincarnated.

...

THE OLD GODS

Followers:
Villianese Duchy (almost every clan and tribe), parts of Aden

Basic principles:
- The Old Gods are the spirits of nature and souls of champions and sages of past ages. They have varying degrees of power and are each personalities on their own (just like humans), but they are collectively referred to as 'Old Gods'.
- other entities DO exist beside the Old Gods (among others, The One and the Void are acknowledged) but these entities are otherworldly and manipulative, they care only about power. The Old Gods, on the other hand, are all around and among us, in every stone, plant, river, dreams, the spirit world (the realm of the dead), etc. They have been with humanity since its birth and they care for us, even if sometimes their actions or intentions are debateable.
- every clan, tribe, hero, shaman, chief have their own patron deities which usually suit their mentality. Note that it is not they who pick the patron spirit - it is the spirit which chooses whom to favor; and it is the shamans' job to identify what spirit accompanies a person..
- a common trait of the Old Gods is that they demand humanity to live in balance with nature. Those who shamelessly exploit and abuse the gifts of nature for their selfish needs (ie. chopping down entire forests for business' sake) will face terrible consequences, either in this life or the next. Such great can be the gods' anger that they might hurt even those who did not offend them (which is the reason behind natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes).
- the Old Gods are numerous, just like the humans, animals and plants they look after. No-one is supreme. If anyone ever accessed absolute power it would only bring ruin to the world. As such having multiple smaller communities living in close connection with each other is more favorable than a single state under a tyrant's rule.
- as a human, you are NOT expected to actually 'worship' your community's patron deity, but you ARE expected to be loyal to your family/clan/etc. Plus, upsetting your community's patron deity is usually not a good idea either.
- the Old Gods are often in conflict among themselves, but these conflicts rarely end in serious harm - they are more like brawls. The aim is to settle arguements, not to hurt the other. Following this principle, you should pay proper respect to deities beside the ones which favor your family/clan/etc; starting all-out religious war against a kindred community only leads to disaster and is plain stupid. But uttering your god's name in battles against greedy foreigners is perfectly okay.
- after death, you become an inhabitant of the spirit world - in a sense, you become a minor god yourself, but you won't have any power over the physical world unless you were an exceptional person in life.

Clergy:
While seemingly scattered and disorganized, the clergy of the Old Gods, composed of shamans, seers and 'possessed' champions actually has a decent structure, but one without overly complicated rules. Each clan and tribe has its spiritual leaders; these leaders and their representatives counsel the Chiefs and High Chiefs, and form the so-called Council of Sages which helps the Duke in governing but also makessure the Duke doesn't overstep his/her limits. In the council every member has equal rights and decisions are based on simple majority votes. The council has no military might, but it is not uncommon that "chosen ones", men possessed by lesser deities assist shamans or their clans/tribes in military affairs.

Faith Troops:
"Hah ! You dare challenge the Old Gods ?! Your foolishness knows no bounds ! Fighting the Old Gods is fighting the ground you stand upon, hitting the air you breathe, punching your campfire, neglecting the water you drink ! Here, have a taste of the power you wish to defy, wretched mortals !"
(Guided One educating Imperial legionries before uprooting a young pine tree with his bare hands and pulverizing the whole Imperial warband with it)

Faith Troops of the Old Gods are clad in dirty metallic plate armors, often rusted or even moss-covered at parts. Upon their armors, weapons and shields they wear symbols of the deity that guides and favors them. The gods' guidance is described as 'voices in the head'. Many claim that the so-called "chosen ones" of the Old Gods are plain lunatics, but their nigh superhuman abilities seem to suggest more than that...

...

SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTMENT

Followers:
Kingdom of Aden (majority of the populace and Lords), parts of Marina, Antaria and Zerrikania

Basic principles:
- there IS a higher power out there, controlling our fates, but through very subtle means, not directly. It does not require us humans to worship it, but it does help us to help ourselves.
- each and every life has a meaning, a goal; a person's life ends when his/her purpose has been fulfilled or if his/her death serves to help the realization of purpose of other individuals. No birth nor death is meaningless, everything is connected - even if we humans think otherwise.
- however, beside your life's goal - which is set even before birth - you are completely free to do whatever you desire. After all, there is always more than one path leading to the same goal. (ie.: you kill a boy's mother OR you save her from bandits - both can help to 'inspire' the boy to become a warrior himself, even though the attitude of the two approaches is radically differing).
- since everyone has a purpose in the great scheme, you shouldn't classify anything or anyone as 'pure good' or 'pure evil'. Things are sometimes not what they first seem to be. If a poor farmer kills his decadent overlord out of desperation, and this brings actual relief to the community, can he be called a criminal ? But on the opposing end, let's say, the murdered overlord taxed the peasants so heavily to pay a ransom for her wife who was captured by enemy troops. Is he a bad person then ?
- this relativity of goodness and evilness, however, does NOT mean that there is no need for a structured society, nor does it excuse a person's malicious behaviour - remember, there is always a different road to take. The farmers and their overlord could have decided to talk sensibly instead of ending the 'conflict' in tragedy. Both ways could have brought relief to the farmers.
- the best way to live (either individually or as part of a community) is to follow a 'universal moral code'. There are certain unwritten 'guidelines' which are present in each and every society (ie. respect your elders, help those in need, don't kill/rob others, etc). Knowing these guidelines sets examples you should follow yet at the same time allows you to live freely without causing too much harm to others.
- the aforementioned guidelines also reinforce the belief that humanity is indeed guided by a higher power to some extent - they are so common values that it is unlikely that each and every civilization developed them on their own; it is more likely these values are 'artificially' encoded in the subconsciousness of humanity.
- fates and goals are even. Sure, a king may send thousands to their deaths if he pleases - but remember, if the common folks decide not to help their king then that sovereign is powerless. A ruler's true power lies in aligning the fates of those below him/her with his/her own destiny.
- in death, you ascend into some mysterious beyondness of which we mortals have only clues at best. Reincarnation or becoming a lost soul (ghost) is possible, but very rare.

Clergy:
Spiritual Enlightment has no centralized clergy; it is more of a loose network of free-thinkers following a mutual moral code. Although this religious movement has its own temples, clerics and champions they have no upper leadership, and as such are in many ways quite independent and self-sufficient. Gender, social standing or ethnicity doesn't matter, anyone can be a follower and preacher. Due to this fractured organization, there is more than one variant of Spiritual Enlightment, some are more strict in worldview, others more liberal, but the basics are the same in each case.

Faith Troops:
"You have wasted life and now life shall waste you, oh tyrannic one. For you see, a leader's power lies in its subjects - subjects who you have neglected, oppressed, robbed of their freedom of both action and thought; you have tempted Fate, now Fate will show its hand. You can either die by my spear in a duel now, or face the crowd you enraged yourself. Make your choice."
(Boundless Ranger enlightening a Marinan general before killing him in a duel by impaling him in a single move)

The Faith Troops of Spiritual Enlightment are lordless knights and wandering champions who dedicated their lives to uphold the 'universal moral codes' of humanity. They are completely independent and hold no close allignance to any faction, however if they foresee great disasters (ie. Zerrikanians organize large-scale raids to capture thousands of slaves) they will band together and offer their services to the threatened faction. These boundless knights, rangers and other folks are often quite intellectual and social personalities, their charisma backed up with dedicated faith and outstanding martial skills. Their armors and weapons are often richly decorated, but these decorations are not religious, merely artistic.

...

NATURAL PHYLOSOPHY

Followers:
Republic of Marina (majority of the populace), parts of Zerrikania and Aden

Basic principles:
- Natural Philosophy is not so much a religion but a worldview. It has no centralized church and its preachers are not priest or monks but scientists and philosophers.
- Natural Philosophy does not deny the existance of a divine entity or 'life after death', but claims that worshiping them is simply stupid and pointless, since it is questionable if there's any higher power out there at all given the fact we lack proof of its existence, but if there's one then it does not directly manipulate us so praying to it makes little sense.
- people are masters of their own fates, there are no pre-set destinies, and there are no divinely prescribed rulesets (or if there are any, they are carved into the human subconsciousness); laws and moral codes in general are established, maintained and enforced by human society.
- mythology, legends and religion in general is an "excuse" to find (often illogical) explanations for things humans do not understand as of yet. The fact that you don't know how lightning works doesn't mean it's a divine arrow or anything, it merely proves humanity's current lack of proper knowledge regarding this natural phenomenon. There was a time when humanity didn't know how fire is made at all, and now we have firearms. Science and logic always finds a way - eventually.
- since we are unsure whether there is actually an afterlife or anything of that sort, we must encourage the respect of life in general.
- humanity is superior to animals and plant life because throughout history humans developed supreme mental capabilities - speaking, usage of tools, etc. However, we have our animalistic side, instincts which force us to act by emotion rather than logic, which leads to dissent and infighting. The warring civilizations of today are not much different than say, packs of wolves fighting over hunting territory.
- to change things for the better, humans must strive to erase their still lingering animal side. This doesn't mean we should become emotionless, just more rational and culturally/socially tolerant.
- to achieve this (on an individual level at least), first you must give up believing in anything supernatural and learn to face the world on your own, becoming conscious of your decisions and their consequences while at the same time taking responsibility for your role in society. Remember: God didn't make the world as it is now; we humans did it. Civil rights and such are manufactured and applied by society. This is not a bad thing, as laws are required to maintain communities. Lack of order only leads to anarchy.
- be skeptical. Do not believe anything without clear evidence. Why would you believe in dragons if nobody has ever seen one ? By following this logic, you'll soon realize that religions are generally worthless and illogical. Churches serve only two purposes: moral education and "spiritual" control of a country's populace.
- but on the other hand just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean it's not real. You can't see air and wind, but they do exist, right ? This leads to a cycle: every question must be answered, and every answer must be questioned until you achieve a satisfactory conclusion.

Clergy:
Natural Philosophy has no church and no offical clergy. It is represented and preached by scientists and philosophers and taught at shcools and universities.

Faith Troops:
"Here lies a great, armor-clad body of a divine chosen. Are you wondering how he died ? Look upon his helm, there's a hole in it; a hole through which my bullet flew and then entered his skull. If the deity he praised so much indeed existed, why did he, or she, not shield this favored champion who battled us with so great vigor ? I'll tell you why: because no god can help a champion who fights in such a crappy armor."
(Weapon Specialist preaching to Marinan troops after killing a Chosen One of the Old Gods with a single bullet of his musket)

Faith Troops of Natural Philosophy are ordinary people with extraordinary capabilities - elite soldiers, weapon specialists and combat inventors/engineers trained in specialized military academies. Let those frauds and fanatics of other religions boast how they are chosens of gods, their fall will be all the more painful when they face defeat by superb strategy, cold logic and technological superiority. Faith Troops of Natural Philosophy garb themselves in the highest quality armor and weapons avaible in the known world and are each trained tacticians as well as superior specialists in their respective fields. Ranged Faith Troops of this religion often wield firearms such as hand cannons or muskets.

...
 
I am not sure if this thread is supposed to be locked or not. Because I can post in locked threads, and there was no sign. I can delete this if necessary. Whatsover...

I saw the name zerrikania from the game "The Witcher" series. Does the"Zerrikania" name come from there?
 
Master Ronin said:
I am not sure if this thread is supposed to be locked or not. Because I can post in locked threads, and there was no sign. I can delete this if necessary. Whatsover...
I saw the name zerrikania from the game "The Witcher" series. Does the"Zerrikania" name come from there?
The earliest reference Wikipedia has for "The Witcher" is October, 2007: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witcher_%28video_game%29
That is probably well after the original SoD's early revisions, the earliest one I can find records for is a post by VonMistont on 12/28/2008, which is a release for V4.0.  I'm not claiming that the nice folks who produced "The Witcher" series of games lifted it from SoD, but the possibility exists.

I am seeing posts by on a "CodeGuru.com" site with a programmer name of Zerrikan on Feb. 27th, 2006.  There is a real possibility that an amateur coder who used the login name of "Zerrikan" created or inspired the race, and he might also have been part of "The Witcher" development somehow.

As the race has been in use by SoD mods for at least three years now, if there's a copyright troll out there looking to lose friends and antagonize people, he's very slow to act.  Thank you for your diligence, though.
 
Hmm actually I've seen it from the game, but I've not read the books. You know, The Witcher is based on a novel series of Andrzej Sapkowski.
 
From what I know the original creator of vanilla SOD (for MnB), vonmistont, got the name from the Witcher book series. I wouldn't be suprised, given he was Polish himself.

But since this mod is not connected to the world of the Witcher novels/games (SOD's Zerrikania is way different from the Witcher's Zerrikania) AND is completely free to download and use (hence nobody gains profit from it), I doubt too many lawyers would bother about that. At least SOD had been around for quite a few years by now and no-one ever had a problem with it.
 
Well I believe vonmistont has thought about it's consequences enough already. I have not said it, because of this though.

In the game/novels Zerrikania is a realm/country in the south-east. The mage who tries to rob Kaer Morhen at the beginning of the game is from Zerrikania already.Hhis apperance is like a man from deserts and bitter lands. He's a fire mage and that is quite normal though. But his face looks eastern as well.
Just to giving information about the origin I wanted to do.
 
Master Ronin said:
Well I believe vonmistont has thought about it's consequences enough already. I have not said it, because of this though.
In the game/novels Zerrikania is a realm/country in the south-east. The mage who tries to rob Kaer Morhen at the beginning of the game is from Zerrikania already.Hhis apperance is like a man from deserts and bitter lands. He's a fire mage and that is quite normal though. But his face looks eastern as well.
Just to giving information about the origin I wanted to do.
As long as the Zerrikanians in Witcher don't have comparable "look and feel" so like what is used in the mod that they are unmistakably the same, and the folks at CD Pr / oj / ekt (broken up to reduce the level of invitation) don't have a horde of lawyers looking to justify their existence, it should be fine.  If some fool should decide to add a horse with the distinctive rounded ears of a certain iconic cartoon rodent and call it "Mickey Mount", we'd all be in litigation hell for the rest of our lives, unto the fifth generation. So long as you draw your inspiration far from the fetid swamps of Hollywoodland, we're pretty safe.

Also, CD Pro / je / kt are the nice folks who run Grea / t Ol / d Gam / es dot com, and they aren't the kind of folks who revel in litigation, since they run a DRM-free house. We aren't building anything that competes with their products, and they wouldn't ignore the loss of goodwill that attacking a group of gaming enthusiasts would cost them.
 
Daedelus_McGee said:
...and the folks at CD Pr / oj / ekt (broken up to reduce the level of invitation)...
LOL!  :lol: 

Well I'm all in when it comes to learning about SOD's past development history. I didn't personally know VonMistont so I try to learn about his influences. As far as his goals on what he was aiming SOD towards seem pretty vague.
 
What we definetly own to vonmistont (among many things) are the SOD factions, the items related to their troops (even though there were redesigns since he left, some troops still use vonmistont's items in SOD v5.0), basic story background for the mod and many of SOD's early features (which were later on refined or replaced).

From v4.0 onwards vonmistont wasn't around frequently and quit completely around v4.5 due to real life occupation, the Laws and their enection was the last feature he made for SOD (and while we all welcomed it, the feature was quite buggy at first). From that point on Cyclohexane, Kuba and myself continued on 'till we got v5.0 out.

What he was aiming SOD towards ? To make it a fun mod with new factions and features to eastablish your own kingdom while preserving the atmosphere of native MnB. End of story  :razz: Yep, sometimes things really are that simple.
 
Only if you legalise it as a monarch.

...

Seriously, this kind of thing is not of big importance in gameplay terms. We leave it up to your imagination if you'd permit your clergy to practice such things.
 
manekemaan said:
serieusly, the nords have some good looking ladies but... just go to some website man :p
This game's polygons are not optimized for those textures.  For instance, none of the available ladies have tentacles, so we're completely losing the Japanese market once we stop focusing on battles and chivalry.

More seriously, to keep the mod centered on manageable in-game conflict, the particulars of the religions are left deliberately vague. We do not need sprawling dysfunctional conflict on the forums, we need sprawling functional conflict in the play of the mod. If you want to get in a religious argument, there are any number of sites on the internet that will hook you up.
 
Hi, I'm a little confused. Sultant Hakim is well and alive in 3.92, but I'm assuming in 4.0 he is going to be a dead dude (as it says Arwa killed him finally)? Just wondering.
 
Computica said:
For now it is, I'm going to make religion more of a factor like in Total War: Medieval 2

what? medieval 2 total war had (has) a **** religion system, it just increases - decreases the unrest, and spreads  in a lousy way.
 
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