Prophesy of Pendor - V1.21 Introduction and Release For M&B 1.010/1.011

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saxondragon

Sergeant Knight at Arms
Prophesy of Pendor


Introduction

    The hospice hallway was dimmed and there was lingering smell of bleach as I walked
down towards Vance’s room.  I knew that he was dying and the summons I received from his
sister meant that the end was near.  It had been a long year and Vance, my friend since
college, had struggled with and will finally succumb to, the cancer that he was diagnosed
with last Christmas.  What a lousy year this had been.

I knocked at the door and entered, pulling the linen drapes aside I saw that he was lying
in one of those high end hospital beds, a bright red blanket up to his chest and an IV
drip was attached to his left hand.  I knew it was morphine.  He looked gaunt and tired,
his hair was uncombed and he had a pale look to him.  Not just pale, but worn, almost
translucent.  He smiled as I entered.

    “Hello champ how goes it?” I bantered as I sat down in the chair closest to the bed.

    “Hey!  I have been waiting for you slacker.” He said in a strained voice, barely
above a whisper.  “How am I?  I’ve been better.”  A small mischievous smile crept across
his face. “You see that hot nurse out there?  Too bad she’s taken.  I can’t talk her out
of dumping her fiancée and running off with me to Tahiti.” His smile ended in a slight
grimace and a spasmodic cough.  “Sorry, the morphine is still kicking in.  The pain is
not fun.” He said.  There was a moment pause where we just looked at each other. 

Memories flooded me, the times we had shared, and a sense of what this man meant to me as
my friend.  Dam few friends these days to lose any more, especially ones that were so
important.

    Seeming to sense my mood, Vance smiled, “I still think you should have bought the
Jag.”  I laughed as my mind flashed back to a time when I could have bought my dream car
for a song.  I procrastinated and it was sold out underneath me before I mustered the
guts to sign on the dotted line.  Vance said that I was a fool and went to some pains to
remind me of his ignored advice for going on twenty years now.  Never of course, in front
of my wife, but when we were alone, it was almost a mantra.  Twenty years?  Yes, I
recounted them; I had known this man as my friend over half my life. 

“I have something for you.” He said and he motioned to the table next to him.  There was
what looked to be a large stationary box.  “Open it.” he said.

  I reached over and grabbed the box.  It was much heavier than I had anticipated and
brought to my lap where I carefully opened it.  Inside was what looked to be a typed
manuscript.

“I have been working on this for a long time”, he said, “and now I want you to have it.” 
He paused as I took a moment and inspected the pages, several hundred, neatly typed. 
This surprised me, as I had no inkling that Vance was a writer.

“I don’t understand” I said, unable to contain my confusion.

He smiled, and said, “Read the introduction.”  He then closed his eyes and sighed, “I
will just take a short nap here while you do.  Wake me if that hot nurse comes in.  I
have to work in her some more.”

I smiled then turned my attention to the box in my lap.  The introduction was twenty
pages long, talking about of all things, the nature of the universe.  Specifically how
there are infinite variations of reality played out in alternate dimensions and explained
fairly well under the general term of Quantum Physics.  It went on to cite references
and theories and wove an intricate argument of how every story, every act of artistic
creation was a momentary breach between these infinite dimensions bringing that “reality”
back into our own.  Every story, every novel, every “fantasy world” was in fact, in some
other alternate dimension and therefore real.  It ended with a question in that do we
really pull this stuff from alternate dimensions, or by the act of inspiration do we
cause its existence?  Do we create infinite universes by our acts of creativity and
storytelling?

I looked up maybe twenty minutes later to see Vance watching me.  He smiled and
whispered, “Keep reading.” then shut his eyes again.

I looked down at Chapter One, and I started reading about the history of this medieval
fantasy kingdom: Pendor.

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Almost a Millennium ago

The war of the Titans laid the foundation for the ascension of Man.  A terrible war,
between ancient elder races left the world stripped of magic, and those magnificent
mythical people, once so powerful, were now only the stuff of folklore and legends.  Only
the reclusive Noldor, what since “The Lord of the Rings”, we call “Elves” remain from
those times, and their once great cities are all destroyed save perhaps one. 

Three hundred fifty four years ago – the Founding of Pendor.
It is the time of Man.  The story centers on the fertile lands of Pendor and the
struggles of the peoples, their leaders and their destiny.  Several hundred years ago, a
single Kingdom was forged by sword and fire.  A peace was maintained and prosperity came
to the kingdom and it flourished.  Five generations of Pendorian Kings sat on the Silver
Throne in Sarleon and for nearly two hundred years they guided the destiny of their land
and it’s subjects.


From the Founding of Pendor – the year is 198
The downfall of the Kingdom was as swift as it was and vile.  A single month, thirty
days, and the empire was in tatters.  The irony was it was not by the sword in battle,
nor by some dark magic that caused the deaths of the King and his family.  But by an
unseen killer, a disease, the red plague that ravaged the land and cut down the peoples
of the Kingdom, great and small, like an assassin in the night.

The royal family had perished, and there was no King to rule the land.  Then came the
invasions that seemed to shatter the once proud kingdom into slivers and the glory that
was once the Kingdom of Pendor, was now itself the stuff of legend.

With the death of the King and his heirs, there was chaos.  Multiple lords laid claim to
the throne and nearly every noble of the land began squabbling over succession. 

From the Founding of Pendor – the year is 199

The carefully laid agreements, truces and alliances with neighboring powers became
suspect.  In the North, the mountain tribesmen began raiding the heartlands of Pendor. 
Embolden by their success and the lack of response from the Knights of the Realm, they
struck even deeper and soon this led to the siege to Rane.  The Earl of Rane sought help
from the nobles of the land, but the schemes of the powerful found reasons not to come to
his aid.  Many Northern Lords, banded together and formed a small army that marched to
defend the city from the onslaught of the northern Mystmountain warriors..  The battle
was bloody and fierce, and in the end, the siege was lifted, and the barbarian tribesmen
and their shaman leaders, routed back to their mountain homes. The Northern Lords, who
fought so valiantly that day, decided to establish a knighthood order, the Order of the
Dragon, comprised of the valiant warriors who defended the city.  News of this new order
was not well received by other knighthood orders or by the nobility to the South.  They
demanded that the Order of the Dragon be disbanded which in the minds of the proud
warriors of the North, was an unforgivable insult to their valor.  The scorn of other
established knighthood and the lack of support to route the invaders from Rane prompted
the Northern Lords to break ties with the southern lords and declared themselves an
independent Kingdom: The Kingdom of Ravenstern. 

Reeling from the succession of the Northern cities and lords, the remaining Pendorian
nobility were not prepared to meet the next challenge that followed within a few short
years. 

From the Founding of Pendor – the year is 202
From the South, over the southern sea, the great Baccus empire launched an invasion fleet
and landed a powerful army on the shores of Pendor led by the war hardened General Oasar.
He drove inland conquering cities and castles, and seemed unstoppable.  Ironically,
within a few short months of campaigning, the general received by messenger that the
great Baccus Empire itself was in civil war and that the Emperor had been assassinated. 
After receiving this shocking news, Oasar established himself, with the support of
several Pendor Lords, as Overlord of Janos and officially broke away from what was left
of the Baccus Empire.  The great Baccus Empire convoluted and fragmented into dozens of
principalities, city-states and kingdoms.  The greatest and most powerful is the under
the dominion of the priesthood of the serpent: a powerful and seemingly mystical religion
of warrior priests who worship the unnamed goddess of darkness who manifests herself in
the form of a snake. 

For the once great kingdom of Pendor, that meant that a large portion of it’s Southern
lands, cities and nobility were now either dead or sworn to service under this upstart
general who calls himself Overlord.

From the Founding of Pendor – the year is 204
After the establishment of the Northern Kingdom of Ravenstern and the invasion of Oasar,
the powerful Lord Alfred, Duke of Sarleon, consolidated the remaining lords of Pendor and
declared himself King of Sarleon.  For ten years a measure of peace was maintained.

From the Founding of Pendor – the year is 213
To the far north, across the seas lived the hearty warriors of the Vanskerry.  Segmented
into Jarldoms, they were raiders and traders.  With the Baccus Empire gone, many of the
Vanskerry mercenaries in their employ were free to return home to the frosty shores of
their fathers. A wise man’s musings in the reaches of Vanskerry goes “Death is found in
the blade of your enemy and trouble when a warrior has nothing to do.”  When word came to
the North of the troubles of Pendor, it was greeted with a call to arms and promises of
plunder and women.  Soon, raiding ships found the shores of Pendor a ripe land full of
gold and wealth.  Their well-armed and hearty warriors began raiding the towns and
villages along the coast and met very little resistance.  The Knights of the Lion and
Lords of Sarleon responded by patrolling the coastal shores.  Yet, still the crafty
Vanskerry raiders managed to sack village after village.  With so little ability to
defend themselves, the merchant lords of the Pendorian coastal provinces sent delegations
to the Jarldoms to seek alliances and protection.  At first they were rejected, but in
time as offers included titles and lands many Jarls and their huscarls began to listen. 

The lands of Vanskerry are rugged and cold, compared with the lush and rich pastures of
Pendor.  The lure of good weather, and the chance to become a Lord of a castle, or even a
well-located mayor of a village, appealed to many of the Jarls.  Soon, many Vanskerry
households left the shores of their fathers and sought fortune and prosperity along the
coast of Pendor. Some entered into the service of the Pendorian lords, others married
into the noble families.  This changed many things in the Kingdom, as the warrior
culture and attitudes of Vanskerry were brought into the noble houses of the coastal
lords.  Within a generation the culture gap was so great that the coastal nobles broke
away from the King of Sarleon and formed a rough alliance of city-states called
collectively the Fierdsvain.

From the Founding of Pendor – the year is 204 to 245
The story continued and detailed intrigues, war and heroic actions as well as the great
villains of the land.  There were stories of the Jatu tribesmen and their flight from
the Empire and General Oasar, becoming nomads in the Eastern prairies of Pendor.  There
are the detailed accounts of the Order of the Lion, a knighthood order of Pendor, and
their history and their betrayal by one of their own which had the order declared outlaw
for years until their redemption under the current King of Sarleon. Chapters were
dedicated to the D’Shar, a nomadic peoples who are evolving into a military and economic
force only to find that their own worst enemy is themselves.  Just as fascinating was the
references to the encounters with the ancient Noldor and their powerful weapons and
enchantments that changed the life of more than one adventurer.  I was especially drawn
to the story of Madigan, a wandering mystic who prophesized the coming of a hero who
would unite the lords of the Pendor and reunite the old kingdom.  His saga touched me as
a hero himself, trying to speak the truth and being condemned to death for his beliefs. 

I was startled out of my reading by the nurse telling me that visiting hours were over.

It was late, and I had spent most of the afternoon and early evening captured by the
amazing story I held in my hands.  I skipped quickly to the last pages and found them
blank.  I realized suddenly that the final chapters were missing.

I looked at Vance, who once again was awake, and watching me. 
Guessing my question and concern he said, “I do not have the answer to the last chapters.
Those will have to be written.  Perhaps when you write them, it will create those
dimensions, those realities.  I do not know for sure, but I suspect that is the case.  I
am too tired now to continue.  That is why I asked you here today mate.  Finish the
story.”

He reached over and took my hand and gave it a hard squeeze.  “I am tired mate and I have
to sleep” he said in a half dreamy voice.  It was the morphine I knew, finally giving him
relief to the awful pain he must be feeling. I smiled at him and he shut his eyes and
went to sleep.
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This module is created as the stage to write the end of this story.  You play the Hero or
Heroine who fulfills the Prophecies of Madigan, and becomes the champion who brings forth
the lost glory of the Kingdom of Pendor.   

Let me know how it turns out…


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Game Specifics:

Features
A new unique and challenging map. 
5 Playable Factions with extended troop trees for each (15-19 per tree).

The Kingdom of Ravenstern – Blue 
The Fierdsvain – Green
The Kingdom of Sarleon – Red
The D’Shar Principalities – Brown
The Empire - Gold

A unique troop tree reserved for the player.
Advanced troop types.
Enhanced troops.
Well thought out cultures, armies, and conflicts.
Expanded Armor and Weapons and Mounts (250+)
There are “Enchanted” weapon and armor: if you can find them.
Updated Companions modified for Pendor.
Period Music -
Expanded new banners.
There are more foes to fight, and much more challenging that in “native”.
High replay value.
Not a module for the inexperienced player.
Mature content warning.  Some crude language, mature subject matter, mature themes.

Download here: https://www.mbrepository.com/file.php?cid=7&id=1011

Note: There are many textures so it is slow to load:  have patience.


From the Founding of Pendor – the year is 354 – The Prophesy has awakened.

The North – Ravenstern and the Mystmountain Barbarians:
To the North, the Kingdom of Ravenstern sits on the southern slopes of the impassible
Cloudmist Mountains.  They are a hearty, proud peoples having adapted to the harsh
Northern climate.  The ruler of Ravenstern is King Gregory IV, the great grandson of King
Gregory I, who led the final charge that drove the shaman of the northern barbarians back
into their homes in the Cloudmist Mountains.  Every since that battle, Ravenstern has
been tested by constant raids and sorties from these bloodthirsty clansmen.  The Lords of
Ravenstern are fearsome warriors, yet they are quite proud and very individualistic. 
There is a strong underlying culture of competition among these peoples that makes them
outstanding individual warriors, though in groups they tend to be undisciplined.  The
Knights of the Order of the Dragon, the cream of the Ravenstern nobility, are to be
feared in combat.  Like most of the other Knighthood Orders in the realm, these Knights
do not swear allegiance to any noble, but rather travel with the Lords of the realm when
it suits them. 

The West – The Fierdsvain and the raiders of Vanskerry:
Along the coast to the West is Fierdsvain, where some of the Jarls of Vanskerry have
intermingled and intermarried with the old Kingdom to form a unique warrior culture. 
Most of the former mercenary Jarls of Vanskerry who went to war on behalf of the Emperor
of the Baccus Empire had difficulty in returning to the cold barren shores of the North. 
When the emissaries from the coastal lords of Pendor arrived, many jumped at the chance
to establish themselves in better climates.  However, there were many in Vanskerry who
looked upon these mercenary Jarls as turncoats to the code of the North and have sworn to
make it a point to plunder the lands held by these traitors.  Regardless, infused with
new blood, strong warriors and an appetite for both battle and trade, the Fierdsvain have
flourished and have become as powerful as Sarleon itself.

The ashes of Pendor – The Kingdom of Sarleon.
The Kingdom of Sarleon dominates the center of the game map.  The current King, Ulric of
Sarleon, is the descendent of King Alfred I, former Duke Alfred of Sarleon.  Once King
Alfred established the Kingdom of Sarleon, most of the Knighthood orders charged with
defending Pendor were outlawed. .  The most famous of the outlawed orders was the Order
of the Griffon: the guardians of the royal line of Pendor.  Today only one order, the
Order of the Lion still exists in Sarleon.  This noble order backed Alfred’s claim to
rule. The Order of the Lion since that time has had a murky past, and for a score of
years they also were outlawed.  Today they have been vindicated and are now in the good
graces of King Ulric of Sarleon and are the guardians of the realm.

The Southern Steppes – The D’Shar Nomads.
The South, along the Shavanir Desert is the Principality of D’shar made of dozens of
separate individual tribes.  At the height of the founding of the Kingdom of Pendor
several tribes supported the peace and prosperity that the Kings of Pendor offered them
for a treaty of peace.  The peace turned into an alliance and these tribes began trading
with the Northern Kingdoms.  The makeshift tents and stalls that they set up in the
plains of D’Shar over several generations became small-fortified towns and villages.  No
longer were they nomadic, but settled down, built homes and planted crops.  Their
prosperity quickly propelled these tribes into prominence in the D’Shar plains.  Yet,
those tribes who were staunchly tied to the old ways, remain nomadic and have rejected
the “city dwellers” completely.  Recently they have reverted to raiding the many caravans
coming into and out of these towns.  This has caused a great deal of tension between the
cities and the tribal nomads closer to the great desert.

The Southeast – The Empire and the Snake Cult.
The remnants in and on Pendor of the Great Baccus Empire are now called just “The
Empire”.  However, some portion of the old Baccus Republic (Pre-Empire by several hundred
years) must have had profound influence on General Oasar, as he decreed that a democratic
council of Lords selects each new “Overlord” when either the existing ruler dies or
reaches the age of sixty.  The strong military of the Empire could have long ago swept
Northwards into the Pendor heartland and conquered the interior towns, but for the ties
that the Empire has from their homeland across the Southern Sea, which have plagued them
to no end.  The Serpent Cult has been a constant threat, both politically and empirically
to the Empire as they almost successfully corrupted the Empire ruling class from within. 
It did not help that the many civilians and nobles were until recently openly in support
of the path of the Serpent.  All this has changed.  The current Emperor, Marius I, has
been successful in banning the Priests and temples from the cities of the Empire. This
diplomatic feat has resulted in more of an all out war between the priesthood and the
Empire and battles in and around Empire towns and castles are common.  The Serpent
worshipers in Pendor have gone underground, and receive help from across the Southern Sea
where the heart of the Serpent resides.  Marius I, has deftly turned the tables on the
priesthood and has shown to the peoples of the Empire the depths of their unholy
depravity.  Escaping the death kiss of a Priestess of the Serpent is strong motivation
for the average citizen to help their emperor in this task. 

East – the Jatu tribesmen.
Along the Eastern plains of Pendor are the steppes of the Jatu.  The original Jatu lived
across the Southern Sea in a land of vast plains.  They were a fiercely independent
nomadic people, well versed with bow and spear.  The Jatu are skillful horsemen and boys
at an early age learn how to fight from horseback.  After years of conflict, the Baccus
Empire brokered an agreement with the leaders the Jatu that in exchange for peace. The
Jatu would provide mercenaries to the Empire to conquer other lands.  When General Oasar
invaded Pendor, his main compliment of cavalry was the Jatu Horse Lords.  When word came
that the Great Baccus Empire was in tatters and that the Emperor was dead, the War
leaders of the Jatu had no way to return to their homeland.  Instead, they left the
service of Oasar, raided dozens of villages for women folk, and traveled northwards to
establish a new homeland for their peoples.  A closed society that refuses trade and
diplomatic overtures, these warriors will attack anyone in their domain. 

Everywhere – at-large – those with weapons and the will to use them.
Once the Empire’s armies began to stand down and call Southern Pendor their own, the more
unsavory elements, to which the old Baccus Empire was famous for, began to emerge.  The
Red Brotherhood is a confederation of secret societies that crossed borders all across
Pendor.  They are bandits, thieves, slavers, and they deal in unsavory plans and sell
whatever they can get their hands on.  You will find them at times, helpful, and at
times, they will be glad to relieve you of your possessions and perhaps your life.  Town
Militia and various lords try to wipe them out when found, but rooting them out of the
various cities is like trying to kill rat infestation with a stick.  You never seem to
get them all.  Note that the various gangs of Red Brotherhood operate independently of
one another. 

While there are many hazards in Pendor to be wary of, perhaps one of the most dangerous
are the various Renegade Knights who wander the countryside.  These knights are of
various origins, some are from outlawed knighthood orders, others are twisted by the wild
magic of the items which they carry, and some are just bent on the destruction of any who
cross their path.  One thing if for certain, they are deadly.

There are many religions and faiths in the lands of Pendor.  Most of them are benevolent,
and maintain a doctrine that is the bridge between life and death with a code of conduct
that paves the way for a  pleasant hereafter.  A few of the non-benevolent religions are
bent upon destruction and hatred.  These followers are termed heretics by the other
faiths, and are looked upon as something to be stamped out.  Heretics often are believers
in human sacrifice, and other dark rituals and are unsavory at best.  At worse, they
bring the stuff from your worst nightmares to life.

In your travels you will find adventurer companies.  These groups of adventurers are from
varied backgrounds and have many different goals.  Some are on missions for various
lords, some are bounty hunters, and still others are explorers of the ancient cities
destroyed long ago.  If they happen to take an interest in you, be prepared for anything
as it is these self styled heroes that turn up in the most improbable places, with the
most unreal equipment and do the impossible.

To the far East, the Noldor.
The last known remaining trace of the elder races are the Noldor.  The war of the Titans
was horrific, and the once graceful cities of these folks have long since been destroyed.
Only this one place, hidden from outsiders, remains of their civilization.  The Noldor
were once wondrous workers of magic, but one of the results of the great conflict was
that they were no longer able to invoke the cantrips and spells that were so central to
their lifes.  Still, some of their lesser enchantments are still working as evidenced by
their almost supernatural abilities on the battlefield.    None who cross the paths of
the Noldor near their home, come away unscathed. 


Concept Discussion
For a long time I have been watching the slow convergence of entertainment offerings.
Many powers in the entertainment industry stick fastidiously to the concept that there is
literature, games, and theater in all of their respective forms, and never shall they
mix. 

My contention is that are they are the same thing, just served up differently.  A comic
book is the same as your favorite television show, is the same as a Broadway play, is the
same as a MMORPG.  They collectively are ways to enjoy shared experiences with other
people without the real danger and/or heartache of living through them in reality.  They
refine our moral compass, reinforce our sense of self, and allow us the respite from a
real world that often is not as friendly as we would wish.

This “Mod” to Mount&Blade is three things to me.  First it is an exercise in creativity
for myself, a way to express some ideas that I find intriguing.  Combined with the
various open source resources available, together sparked some creative thoughts.  Yes,
this mod was created off the cuff by looking at the various “concepts” behind the items
provided in the open source downloads on the Unofficial Mount&Blade file repository and
merging them with what exists in Calradia and stewed in my own creative cooking pot.. 

It is also, in a larger sense a creative work designed to challenge some barriers by
blurring the lines between a game, literature, and performance art.  While I believe that
it will be fun to play, part of the goal is to shock the status quo, and get people
thinking in different ways that will energize the creative juices of our community. 
Lastly, it is a gift.  It is my way of saying “Thank you” to the folks who not only made
Mount&Blade, but those enterprising pioneers who created artwork, tools and other modules
that I have enjoyed over the last several years and continue to enjoy to this day.

Please accept my sincere apologies to those people who will likely take offense to how
this module was introduced.  I will say that if it did not cause a bit of controversy,
and if it did not make you, at best, wonder, and at worse, become unsettled, then I
failed.  To really learn, and be able to see things in new lights, requires stepping out
of our comfort zone.  I chose the introduction and story wrapping specifically to elicit
this sort of response in you. 

For those of you who have not recognized the structure of what happened, this is a story
encapsulating a story regarding a game, the results of which then becomes part of both
over-arching stories.  It also intentionally blurs the lines and asks some poignant
questions about the nature of reality and why we have the underlying need to create
things and what it means when we do.  And yes, I do want to know how it turned out for
you and how your version of the story ends and get an idea of what new reality you have
created.

 
Module discussion
There are many people to thank for their work, to which I humbly stood upon their
shoulders to bring you this concept.

The following people either created tools, answered questions on the forums, provided art
work, voice acting or provided inspiration based upon their excellent work in other
modules.  A heartfelt thank you is in order to all of you for making this community
terrific.

First and foremost: Thank you Armagan for the foresight to allow others to express their
creativity by way of your ideas and hard work.

Tools and coding:
HokieBT: For his excellent work on the Troop editor.
Thorgrim: Creator of the BRF Edit program and the Map Editor Program. 
David Jorden : Mastermind behind the Item Editor for Mount and Blade.

Fujiwara:  For his willingness to share his expertise on coding.
Hardcode: For taking the time to help and his excellent instruction.
Maw – For realizing that if you help other people succeed, they usually do.
Ruthven – For taking the time to compile the list of resources to make this much easier.
Llew2 – For his understanding and sharing his expertise.
GetAssista – For taking the time to answer some very technical DDS questions.
Achilles – for helping with DDS file conversions.
Ealabor – for giving perspective as well as the creation of the modders lore thread.

Special Thanks:
Santashelper: Whether he knows it or not, is an inspiration on many levels.  A single
note, well timed, made all the difference on this module.  He said three words.  “Don’t
Give Up!” as I was pounding my head bloody for over 30 hours on the keyboard trying to
find a coding error. Perseverance makes all the difference. Thank you.


Artwork-models
Ancientwanker, merlkir and the last days team for use of the Hardrim Armor.
Burrek for K&K, Byzantium Armor, Unique Eurpoeans 1 & 3 Skinsets (bur)
Lord Condormanius Irish Skinset (con)
FJ62 Norse Skinsets (fj6)
Various other skins from MTW2 mods,
DaBlade, for elegant engraved plates
Talak

Banners
I ran through the thread on the forums where folks posted various banners they had done
for “anyone” to use.  Some I used as is, others I modified.  My apologies that I did not
record all of the names, if you ping me I will be happy to put your name to this list of
artists.  Thank you for your great work, you folks are really talented.  Also thank you
for willingness to help others provide better mods!

Lord Kinlar
James
Tangent
Vulkan
Gellan
Lord Bernd
Justiciar
Kraven
Radegast
GrailKnightHero
Ringwraith #5
Sian


Music
Thank you to the "Brobdingnagian Bards," http://thebards.net, for allowing three of their
performances to be shared in this fashion.  Visit them please.

Very special thanks to Jon Sayles – for sharing his talent with the acoustic guitar and
his work in creating and maintaining a historical music compilation.
http://www.jsayles.com/familypages/EarlyMusic.htm
  Composing Credits:
 
  •   (Gone but not forgotten)
        John Dowland (1563 - 1626)
        Adrian Willaert (1490-1562)
        Elway Bevin. (1554-c.1639)
        Thomas Weelkes (1575 - 1623)
        Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625)
        John Wilbye (1574-163:cool:
        Claude Le Jeune (1503 -1600)
        Heinrich Isaac (c. 1445 - 1517)

Sounds and Voice Acting
Thank you to Lumikant and his friend Myk Antos for your great work and voice.  You guys
caught the concept and ran with it perfectly!

Thanks to Checkmaty for collaborating with me to bring his “More Metal Sounds” V1.1 battle sound pack into this module. 

Chief cook and bottle washer:
That would be me: Saxondragon.  I am also the designer, developer, writer, programmer,
sound mixer, producer, pr-manager, marketing manager, ad-hoc artist, and janitor.  Find
out more about me at http://gamecrafter.blog.com

Designer Notes
In playing many M&B games, native and with modules created by various talented folks,
there was a central theme that once you understood how to play Mount&Blade, in the
tactical sense, it became easy to roll up the map with a handful of Swadian Knights or
their equivalent.  Too true.  This issue has been a central goal of this module: to make
the game more challenging in the mid to later stages, as well as more engaging overall. 
It has also been a central goal to create a sense of context and suspension of reality. 

I desired to try to take the player away from “Calradia” and into a new realm, yet still
pay homage to the native universe and to the work that Armagen and his team have done.
Even though there is no internal reference to Calradia, or any of the existing people,
storyline or places inside this module, you will find the structure familiar.  Five
primary powers, with varied histories, cultures and goals, clashing at a focal point. 

Arguably there could be eight or nine factions which would have been interesting to see
the Jatu or Snake Cult Legions actually take over and conquer cities and castles. 
Perhaps an invasion from Barclay across the Western Sea who uses arbalests would be a
fascinating addition.  But that discussion and many other second generation release
possibilities remain for you and I and the others who are playing this module to discuss
on the forums.  This will be an interesting journey.

This module is not designed for the beginner player.  It is rougher and harder to play
than native mode in many subtle ways that will surprise you.  There is not a single troop
type that has not undergone enhancement.  The troop trees for each major power have been
extended greatly.  With the standard limit of 32 troop slots, the  “mix and match” troops
strategy that often dominates other modules will be difficult to adhere to.  There are
unique things in the game that may happen occasionally, or not at all.  Each game will be
different like that and the challenges will vary.  I am a big proponent of chaos theory
and have used extrapolations of it in game design for a long time.

While many small changes to data and presentation have been made, there is one radical
departure that I wish to discuss and bring into focus.  You will find that Knights and
those troops that are beyond Knights (such as the knights of the various knighthood
orders) cannot be captured.  Further, training troops to elite levels is much more
difficult than in native, and especially building knights is a difficult process
involving creating some very weak cavalry (Squires and Squires-at-arms and their
equivalent).  Once you have those elite mounted units, the upkeep cost is higher than
what you have been use to.  The idea here is to make Knights and elite mounted troops
difficult to both acquire and to maintain.

Beyond this, you will find that hiring the some of the various Companions is a much more
expensive proposition.  I expect that it will be well into mid game that a player will
have a full compliment of 8 companions. 

The various changes are designed to force the use of lower level troops, and to emphasize
the capabilities of the player, and the player’s decisions as the deciding factor in most
conflicts. 

Release notes:
In a perfect world I would hang on to this module and continue to run it through to the
end-game for each faction just to experience the various perspectives and make sure that
every data-point does exactly what I wanted it to do.  While my QA process is fairly
robust, I have never seen nor heard of anything do to with data work be 100% accurate.
Expect that I am not perfect and that I have missed some small tweaks.  Just let me know
them so I can address them.

Peace out and enjoy.

Saxondragon




 
I am so NOT going to read all that, but the amount of text tells me this will be a well thought out mod and im definitely going to download it and give it a spin.  :smile:


Edit: Tiny problem though, i cant see a dl link.
Download here:

Note: There are many textures so it is slow to load:  have patience.

Just an empty line  :sad:
 
Couched said:
I am so NOT going to read all that, but the amount of text tells me this will be a well thought out mod and im definitely going to download it and give it a spin.  :smile:


Edit: Tiny problem though, i cant see a dl link.
Download here:

Note: There are many textures so it is slow to load:  have patience.

Just an empty line  :sad:

No worries.. you are too fast! :smile:

A chicken and the egg problem with cross referencing.. have to create the page to reference it in another page and vice versa.. :smile:

The repository and this intro thread are now cross-linked properly.

Have fun!

Saxondragon
 
Couched said:
I am so NOT going to read all that, but the amount of text tells me this will be a well thought out mod and im definitely going to download it and give it a spin.  :smile:


Edit: Tiny problem though, i cant see a dl link.
Download here:

Note: There are many textures so it is slow to load:  have patience.

Just an empty line  :sad:
you're missing a great story...
btw i'm downloading it right now... the story was great and so will be the mod i hope. :smile:
 
1. You´d better make a shorter version of the story, so that all people read it. I´d like to but I, for example, have got no time so I wouldn´t. Keep the long one, but also make a shorter one.
2. You should place the link more clearly in the top.
3. Mature content? Offensive language, or porn?  :roll: I can play to see but as I sead above I run out of time
4. It sounds fantastic, you get my blessings son  :mrgreen:

Happy Christmas!
Bas Gunean Pig X
 
Note:

I am uploading a new .rar as we speak that includes a quickfix.  The existing module.txt in the second line somtimes slips after editing the map.  I missed this just before release.

You can change the module.txt file by placing a carriage return.

This is what the damaged file first lines look like.
Code:
module_name = Pendormap_min_x   = -105.000000
map_max_x   = 105.000000
map_min_y   = -105.000000
map_max_y   = 105.000000

This is what it should look like.

Code:
module_name = Pendor
map_min_x   = -105.000000
map_max_x   = 105.000000
map_min_y   = -105.000000
map_max_y   = 105.000000

My apologies for not catching this.  Th 1.01 version will have it corrected.

Best,

Saxondragon
 
Edit: Ooops, just ignore me..  :roll:

Excellent stuff. Im hooked allready.  :smile:

It has got that problem in the .ini file though that makes the map "shrink". So if you are playing and notice that the camera wont move out towards the edges of the map, just open the mods .ini file,
The first two lines will probably read

module_name = Pendormap_min_x  = -105.000000
map_min_x  = -105.000000

Just change that to

module_name = Pendor
map_min_x  = -105.000000
map_min_x  = -105.000000

and save, and everything should be fine.
 
I'm going to download this and try it out a.s.a.p.
But not before I have found time to read all that! Coz I'm pretty sure it'll double the fun.
 
waraelm said:
this sounds really good but i hope you dotn mind me asking but was that intro story true??

Great question.  True as in it is real?  That is the essential question and nature of this experience.  What defines reality?  Does it mean that it is real once you dream it then share that dream?  I don't know.  As science progresses, and as we hear more and more about the nature of reality,  it bubbles up some questions that stretch our minds. 

So, does Vance exist and did I get the box from him containing this story of Pendor?  In what we generally term as a shared reality, no.

But then.. where did it come from?  The scientists tell us that there are an infinite amount of possible dimensions that spawn over every probability and  possibility.  I would be close-minded to think for a moment, given this premise, that this story and the story of Pendor are not real in one or more of them.  Then if that is true, how did I come to know of it? 

We use a simple term, 8 letters, "infinite" for a concept that is at best abstract.  When you stop to consider what "infinite" means, then think that there exist the possibility of "infinite" dimensions.  Well, that just unsettling and too much for me at least, to properly grasp. 

Part of this concept, this performance art piece, is to share with you this conundrum for consideration.

Best,

Saxondragon

 
saxondragon said:
The scientists tell us that there are an infinite amount of possible dimensions

If you ask those that adhere to string theory they'll tell you it's only 11, which would severely slim down the chances of your story being true, as in "shared-true", in one of them. But then again, who tells you string theory is the truth itself  :mrgreen:
 
Hi... i've played it and i can confirm the mod is as great as the story...
but just one question : aren't the noldor supposed to have one city, like you sad in the description
None who cross the paths of
the Noldor near their home,...
or is the forest mean to be their home?
 
Wow...nice story. Almost finish to read it. Damn it's long  :wink: however, forgive me if i ask this, maybe i didn't understand what i red (english its not my language) but will player be able to select noldor as race? Sorry, i'm just a big elves fan!  :mrgreen:
 
GodHandApostole said:
Wow...nice story. Almost finish to read it. Damn it's long  :wink: however, forgive me if i ask this, maybe i didn't understand what i red (english its not my language) but will player be able to select noldor as race? Sorry, i'm just a big elves fan!  :mrgreen:

Thank you, glad you enjoyed the story..


Altair2 said:
Hi... i've played it and i can confirm the mod is as great as the story...
but just one question : aren't the noldor supposed to have one city, like you sad in the description
None who cross the paths of
the Noldor near their home,...
or is the forest mean to be their home?

Excellent! Glad that you like them both.

The Noldor:

The Elves are an ancient race, with problems and perspectives that are quite different from those in Pendor.  However, the fates of each are intertwined in some ways which may become clearer as the game and story progress.

The remaining "home" of the Noldor is indeed a city, but it is not accessible to humans or to any but the Noldor themselves.  Thus their "Home" is around that strange lake on the eastern edge of the map.

While the elves are not a playable race in this release it is a consideration for a possible future release.  I am certain that will be a topic of passionate discussion. :smile:

Best,

Saxondragon


 
I agree. Simply beautiful mod with great immersion, colorful factions, stunning high-end troops and thank god- no Looters!

Edit- I think there might be a problem with allies joining sides in battle as I'm about level 13 and it hasn't happened yet.
 
How are you meant to get Empire Legionaries, Immortals, Gladiators etc? There's no troop tree upgrades for them nor have I found a way to get them (other than rescuing them from the enemy) is it supposed to be like that?
 
omzdog said:
This is beautiful. Very nice intro and story. I don't know how much this says, but I approve  :grin:

It says a great deal, and thank you.  I am happy that you are having fun with this. :smile:

RayvenQ said:
How are you meant to get Empire Legionaries, Immortals, Gladiators etc? There's no troop tree upgrades for them nor have I found a way to get them (other than rescuing them from the enemy) is it supposed to be like that?

RayvenQ,

Good catch.  Looks like the link from Light Infantry (troop #635) to Heavy Infantry (# 8:cool: did not take.  Data error.  I will make a correction and post asap.  In the mean time, if you have the unofficial troop editor..

froggyluv said:
I agree. Simply beautiful mod with great immersion, colorful factions, stunning high-end troops and thank god- no Looters!

Edit- I think there might be a problem with allies joining sides in battle as I'm about level 13 and it hasn't happened yet.

Thank you for the compliment Froggyluv, I am glad  you approve.  Regarding the allies and joining sides.. can you give me more specifics such as which faction, what were you battling  etc so I can research to see if it is a problem?  Thanks mate..

Best,

Saxondragon
 
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