A fantasy late medieval mod for Mount & Blade : Warband
Tohlobaria 0.8 Download link
Historical context
1257, 20 years already passed since the disappearance of the emperor, the former empire is dying and its capital is about to fall, overwhelmed by the new power incarnated by Pravar.
The war is still raging between the Principality of Borovod and the young Kingdom of Hadvog for the control of the vast North.
In the south, the Sultan is determined, with the help of the Imifir Confederation to regain its territories lost during the Wyu invasion..
Features
- New campaign map.
- 8 New factions.
- Troops and fighting tactics specific to each culture.
- New Quests.
- New way to recruit and upgrade your troops. (no more soldier who obtain new expensive equipment miraculously at the end of the day!).
- More difficult to establish his own kingdom (it's not enough to take a castle and declare independence).
- Ability to join any battle at any side.
- Big change in the mechanisms of freed prisoners (never prisoners with their full equipment, only "stripped" war prisoners ).
- No more mix between troops of different kingdoms.
- Manual loot.
Factions
Dirim Empire :
At least what is left of the glorious Lobarian Empire .
Good infantry.
Kingdom of Pravar
Former central provinces of the empire and the most fertile, led by the powerful city of Pravar, subservient to the hero of "War of the Steppes".
Heavy cavalry, "mounted" infantry and fair crossbowmen
Imifir Confederation
Rich merchant confederation formed by three city-states at the beginning of the Empire Civil War.
Pikemen, halberdiers, very good crossbowmen.
Borovod Principality
Fiercely independent state and forever source of headache for all the Tohlobarian emperors.
Formidable archers and devastating men with Bardiches.
Kingdom of Hadvog
Early ferocious marauders from the Frozen Seas, they are later used by the Empire as mercenaries then allies against the Borovod threat. They founded their own kingdom just after the breakup of the empire.
A big bunch of heavy infantry with a lot of large shields and axes
Afirids Dynasty
The empire's great rival, who once covered the whole southern Tohlobaria, but now weakened by the great Wyu invasion.
Good infantry and good light cavalry.
Guhulay Khanate
Nomadic Invaders who came with the great Wyu invasion and managed to keep a vast territory in the south despite their defeat.
mounted archery.
AAR (By Comrade Crimson )
Part 1
Been playing a wee bit. Have some screenshots of my character Bartolomeo, Imifir mercenary whose family (father, who was a former soldier) came from the old Kaliskos nation state.
Will get a better picture of him sooner or later, but here's some screenshots of just walking through some different towns.
This bottom one was when Bartolomeo was on a few errands for various merchant houses in the Imifir confederacy, to go south and root out some problems and rescue a few family members taken hostage by the steppe bandits. Its unfortunately a common problem for the Imifir merchant families to lose their loved ones to vicious brigands on the steppes, but the trading deals provided by the Khanate are lucrative enough to risk the dangers.
And here we are in Pravar- the Kingdom of Pravar is not a very old one, as it had been founded just recently when its king decided to split from the crumbling Dirim empire decades ago. The kingdom of Pravar is founded upon the wants of the aristrocracy and their relative want for more power and rights- rights the Empress and her dynasty were not willing to give necessarily due to the rather centralized rule of the Dirim's government structure. Still, even after all these years the influence of the Dirim empire's legacy is still felt on their cities, Pravar itself having a lot of the old structures reminiscent of the urban lifestyle of Dirim's metropolitan society. Their merchants none the less are welcoming enough to men of Imifir... although there is a certain hostility in the air whenever Kaliskos is mentioned- after all, it wasn't long ago when the Kaliskos army fought Pravar and others on the field of battle, and lost the war for their independence. The resistance is still relatively fresh in a lot of minds. Bartolomeo doesn't forget his heritage- or the sacrifices of his father, the man having lost a leg to infection, but he knows when not to speak to preserve his own hide. Business must be carried out if he's to pay his troops.
And here we are in the Hadvog territories... forested, damp, cold lands inhabited by resilient northerners. The Hadvog had ventured across the seas centuries ago, and their people's had split in beliefs ever since then- the Hadvog settling down with local strongmen, forming their own kingdom, while the Galnar kept to their old beliefs, preferring not to grow soft off of lording over lands and preferring to raid and pillage as their forefathers had. While the Hadvog are certainly not peaceful by any means, they are definitely welcoming to traders with many good commodities to be sold, and their fair share of problems. Bartolomeo keeps rather neutral in these lands however as he does not want to embroil himself in the inter tribal conflicts of Galnar chieftains and Hadvog lords, nor does he want to get involved in the rampant warfare of the Borovid princes and boyars that often feud with their Hadvog neighbours, his company is simply not large enough to handle such threats yet.
Mercenaries walk the streets in many towns, but few really have many ambitions beyond fighting to earn their coin and growing their purses fat with spoils, and their beds warm with women (and sometimes men if its a very drunk night. Or if you have an abundance of very strange Afirid soldiers, or so Bartolomeo's heard many nights in the tavern.) but Bartolomeo has a dream. To reclaim the Kingdom of Kaliskos, and reforge the nation into something great- and not only that, a place where all mercenaries and man at arms can find a home, a place where soldiers can truly thrive, as well as the industries that support them. Never again will his homeland fall to the predations of outsiders, and nor will it be subject to the whims of external kings. Her merchants and people will thrive... but this long term goal will have to wait. The Kaliskos river and the great city will call to him in his dreams, but for now, he must bide his time. Build up funds and relations... for a non noble son, the only way to secure power will be through social relations with the merchant families of Imifir and other nations, and through strength of arms- both of which will need to be greased by coin.
And here's some soldiers in general, town guards.
A Praetorian from Dirim, with his mask standing watch over the ancient, splendorous yet weary capitol of the Dirim empire.
And here's some Hadvog guards. This particular one is stretching, while others have some rather stern stares about them. Likely wars with the Borovid Principalities have made them rather hardened, bleak men.
And here's an old Guhulay soldier. He looks kind of bored.
And that's all for now. I'll tune you guys in on some cool stuff later on.
Will get a better picture of him sooner or later, but here's some screenshots of just walking through some different towns.
This bottom one was when Bartolomeo was on a few errands for various merchant houses in the Imifir confederacy, to go south and root out some problems and rescue a few family members taken hostage by the steppe bandits. Its unfortunately a common problem for the Imifir merchant families to lose their loved ones to vicious brigands on the steppes, but the trading deals provided by the Khanate are lucrative enough to risk the dangers.
And here we are in Pravar- the Kingdom of Pravar is not a very old one, as it had been founded just recently when its king decided to split from the crumbling Dirim empire decades ago. The kingdom of Pravar is founded upon the wants of the aristrocracy and their relative want for more power and rights- rights the Empress and her dynasty were not willing to give necessarily due to the rather centralized rule of the Dirim's government structure. Still, even after all these years the influence of the Dirim empire's legacy is still felt on their cities, Pravar itself having a lot of the old structures reminiscent of the urban lifestyle of Dirim's metropolitan society. Their merchants none the less are welcoming enough to men of Imifir... although there is a certain hostility in the air whenever Kaliskos is mentioned- after all, it wasn't long ago when the Kaliskos army fought Pravar and others on the field of battle, and lost the war for their independence. The resistance is still relatively fresh in a lot of minds. Bartolomeo doesn't forget his heritage- or the sacrifices of his father, the man having lost a leg to infection, but he knows when not to speak to preserve his own hide. Business must be carried out if he's to pay his troops.
And here we are in the Hadvog territories... forested, damp, cold lands inhabited by resilient northerners. The Hadvog had ventured across the seas centuries ago, and their people's had split in beliefs ever since then- the Hadvog settling down with local strongmen, forming their own kingdom, while the Galnar kept to their old beliefs, preferring not to grow soft off of lording over lands and preferring to raid and pillage as their forefathers had. While the Hadvog are certainly not peaceful by any means, they are definitely welcoming to traders with many good commodities to be sold, and their fair share of problems. Bartolomeo keeps rather neutral in these lands however as he does not want to embroil himself in the inter tribal conflicts of Galnar chieftains and Hadvog lords, nor does he want to get involved in the rampant warfare of the Borovid princes and boyars that often feud with their Hadvog neighbours, his company is simply not large enough to handle such threats yet.
Mercenaries walk the streets in many towns, but few really have many ambitions beyond fighting to earn their coin and growing their purses fat with spoils, and their beds warm with women (and sometimes men if its a very drunk night. Or if you have an abundance of very strange Afirid soldiers, or so Bartolomeo's heard many nights in the tavern.) but Bartolomeo has a dream. To reclaim the Kingdom of Kaliskos, and reforge the nation into something great- and not only that, a place where all mercenaries and man at arms can find a home, a place where soldiers can truly thrive, as well as the industries that support them. Never again will his homeland fall to the predations of outsiders, and nor will it be subject to the whims of external kings. Her merchants and people will thrive... but this long term goal will have to wait. The Kaliskos river and the great city will call to him in his dreams, but for now, he must bide his time. Build up funds and relations... for a non noble son, the only way to secure power will be through social relations with the merchant families of Imifir and other nations, and through strength of arms- both of which will need to be greased by coin.
And here's some soldiers in general, town guards.
A Praetorian from Dirim, with his mask standing watch over the ancient, splendorous yet weary capitol of the Dirim empire.
And here's some Hadvog guards. This particular one is stretching, while others have some rather stern stares about them. Likely wars with the Borovid Principalities have made them rather hardened, bleak men.
And here's an old Guhulay soldier. He looks kind of bored.
And that's all for now. I'll tune you guys in on some cool stuff later on.
Where we last left off, Bartolomeo was doing errands for various merchant families. Lets check up on him shall we?
Here's some music to accompany this.
Waking up groggily in the tavern, Bartolomeo and his soldiers of fortune rarely get the chance to have warm beds and well thatched roofs over their heads, the spartan tent spared of luxuries being their home more often.
But today was different. Bartolomeo had an important job to do... one that had him conflicted on his feelings, but an opportunity to further the movement towards the independence of Kalisos.
He made haste. There was no time to lose.
He met up with another mercenary, an overpriced and relatively cocky man by the name of Jalik. Jalik was somewhat of a rival of Bartolomeo, but there was no real violence between their groups... however, Jalik had useful information. Names and information on potential merchants and affiliates he had come to know who were actually funding a rebellion in Kalisos itself. Bartolomeo had his skepticism, until documents were pulled up, as well as other evidence, proving these claims. Old family seals of loyalists upon contracts for some of Jalek's own mercenary detachments... it was evident the old families, noble and merchant alike, were plotting discretely. Such proofs could not be denied, as the sigils of these families were secrets these years. There was no doubt. Jalek however had a price. To find and kill some mutinous curs.
Typical. Jalek was so far up his own ass he couldn't control his own men... Bartolomeo was not very impressed, nor surprised.
But none the less, the deal was fair and of little problem to Bartolomeo's rather experienced company.
It wasn't hard to track these bastards. They had killed a merchant caravan they were supposed to be guarding, and were found drunk. 8 men... the corpses of the remainder of the battle were nearby, with crows and vultures flying overhead, already picking at the carcasses. Bartolomeo found them, drunk and relatively incompetent. In the back of his head, he felt it was too easy... that there was definitely something wrong with this. Jalek's men were disciplined and good fighters, and while their reputation was overblown it seemed... suspicious.
He stowed these thoughts away. Killing them was easy, only two of his men were wounded in the process while the mutineers were beaten like **** stained farmers. A young merchant was found tied up at their camp... and he revealed himself to be the son of one of the Kalisos merchants. He later proved this, by matching the signature of the documents Bartolomeo had. Bartolomeo asked many questions, and it was proved that the reason for this unsettling prospect of Jalek's men rebelling was that Jalek was having a power struggle. A captain was actively working with Pravar, and was betraying Jalek. Jalek was a weak commander at times, but mutineers were scum irregardless... especially ones who threatened the independence of Kalisos.
The merchant's son indicated where the bastards were hiding, and they rode towards their encampment.
It took a few days... but they found their camp. Tell tale signs... smoke from fires. It was evident they had an army. Bartolomeo attacked in the early morning with a small group of his best soldiers, and struck violently.
They ransacked the place and butchered the soldiers, many of them half dressed or just in their stockings- only a few sentries on guard.
An utter massacre... with no survivors. Bartolomeo impaled the rebellious captain himself upon his spear, and interrogated and executed the survivors. Pravar was unaware of Bartolomeo's intentions and he intended it to stay that way until the crucial moment.
Bartolomeo had only one intention for now. Head towards Kalisos itself and seek contact with these elusive patriotic families.
Through a bit of digging, and the help of the Merchant's son, he found means to speak with them.
Even so, there was many guards about Kalisos. Military security of this city has always been relatively high, especially with the fiercely independent population to contend with. The citizens of Kalisos and her great families are incredibly proud of their city and its vibrant history, and the feelings of occupation and oppression by Pravar and the abandonment the Imifir Confederal army showed Kalisos are strong here, and the feeling of bitterness has still not dissipated, even after decades of occupied Pravar rule.
Even the houses of the nobility had "Honour Guard" provided by the King of Pravar himself... mostly to keep a good eye on his most powerful subjects in the city of Kalisos.
But none of this deterred Bartolomeo. He was the proud son of Kalisos, born in the city itself, having moved from it at a young age when his father took him to the Imifir confederacy to survive the resulting purges that occurred after the takeover of the city. It was hard, and he lost his 3 sisters and his mother in the conflict, and all of his uncles- who died in the glorious, and tragic siege of the city where they gave their lives valiantly, holding nigh to the last man, with only a few survivors like his father.
Bartolomeo would have nothing stand in his way in his quest to free his beloved city. He first however, wanted to get a taste of home... to see how it fared after so many years. And to get bearings on finding these elusive freedom fighters.
Entering the city after so long was... both a relief, and heartbreaking.
His home. The place he grew up in as a child... the wonderful, illustrious city of Kalisos with its many artists and great works of art- from tapestries to paintings, to pottery... it was a place of flourishing arts when he had known it as a child. With hearty bards and musicians playing in the streets, painters capturing the beauty of the world and its people on canvas with oil and brush, and potters and all other sorts of artisans perfecting their craft with beautiful displays of worksmanship. Now...
... Now it was only a symbol of Pravarian oppression. The stifling of his great people, the betrayal of the Imifir made manifest. He fought back tears. Even after so many years since that terrible siege parts of the city were still in ruin- the only thing that seemed to be cared for were the imposing walls of the city, to serve the new Pravarian masters, and keep everyone inside under tight control. No art flourished in the great city, people walk the streets like ghosts, robbed of their inspiration and individuality, their spark of life.
The city was shackled under the great weights of foreign control. It stabbed Bartolomeo dearly in his heart to see his beloved home city reduced to such a state.
He would have his vengeance. All of the citizens of this great city would have revenge for their beloved city state soon enough. He vowed it to his father, and again to himself, and thrice to the shining beacon of culture and prosperity Kalisos once was.
He made contacted eventually with the families of Kalisos. The venerable Mandatti's- proud adherents to the former city guard and Kalisos army- commanders of old, the wealthy and powerful Orlogsconi's who were great patrons of many artists and craftsmen in the city for centuries and the respectable Kortuscans, an ancient and righteous noble family who may not be large, but its seniority and vast archives of history earned its place as some of the greatest advisors in the whole of Tohlobaria... names that had been dwindled with the horrific post siege purges, but still survived despite the presence of foreign devils. They've certainly had to compromise, marry into Pravarian families here and there and cut deals. But their hearts were still with Kalisos, and that's what mattered.
A plot came to relevance.
In order to succeed, Kalisos needed allies. It needed someone to resurge, even if temporarily... peace was needed, ironically, between Pravar and the Dirim empire. A tough plan to achieve, given the King's hellbent desire to crush Empress Belinda's reign of the stagnant Dirim empire. However, Dirim held many many reserves of soldiers. Allowing them peace would mean that many of these soldiers would be out of a job, and a deal could potentially be struck... or at the very least, it would allow trade to flourish to fill the families coffers.
Bartolomeo took up the task. He rode for Dirim once again.
He arrived into the ancient city... and was allowed an audience with the small court of Dirim.
He paid his respects to the rather young, and by all accounts now confirmed, beautiful Empress Belinda... but he was not here to see her or pay tribute beyond customary diplomacy. As a respected mercenary captain, Bartolomeo was respected enough by the various lords and rulers for his competency, if nothing else.
He spoke to Duc Kalidus, one of the last remaining loyalist nobility and generals that still served the Empress and her dying empire.
He broached the subject of peace with him... tried to convince him to do so in order to try and help recuperate the armies of Dirim, as well as promote trade on behalf of his Kalisos benefactors, and perhaps provide aid to the city.
Duc Kalidus would hear none of it. While he was certainly an honourable, and loyal man... Kalidus's loyalty was not one without his stubborn nature. He would not hear of talks of peace and dejected Bartolomeo's proposition with fierce rebuttal.
Bartolomeo had little other choice. Duc Kalidus was the main component of the war with Dirim, as was the ruler of Kalisos. Both would have to be subdued in order to stop this war, or at least stagnate it enough to where it crippled both sides. Bartolomeo neither wanted to see the return of the Dirim empire nor the supremacy of the Pravarian Kingdom.
He plotted the capture and detainment of both lords... and succeeded with Kalidus, hitting him with a crossbow bolt poisoned with severe muscle relaxants, made from a herb from the far away Afirid lands. (AKA I head shotted him in a battle but hey, narrative bull**** here.)
The plan was underway. It was going to be difficult, and he would have to be discrete and quick.
Bartolomeo headed up north, as the Count of Kalisos was a far more protected man... he would need a better force to help handle his personal guard.
And thus Bartolomeo headed northwest, to the Borovid principalities.
Cold, harsh lands. Their people, with rather warm hospitality, but cold harsh expressions that matched their bleak homeland.
There was allies to be found here though.
In order to secure both extra men and future economic partners, Bartolomeo would need to get on the good side of the lords of this land. To earn their economic partnership, as Borovid Princes and Boyars reigned over lucrative lands with fur trade and other profitable industries... industries that would help revive his city's prosperity when it became independent.
Helping clear bandits out and other problems, Bartolomeo built up his reputation amongst the Borovid, and earned their wealth and trust.
Relations were secured... but only time would tell on how the rest of his plan would carry out...
Here's some music to accompany this.
Waking up groggily in the tavern, Bartolomeo and his soldiers of fortune rarely get the chance to have warm beds and well thatched roofs over their heads, the spartan tent spared of luxuries being their home more often.
But today was different. Bartolomeo had an important job to do... one that had him conflicted on his feelings, but an opportunity to further the movement towards the independence of Kalisos.
He made haste. There was no time to lose.
He met up with another mercenary, an overpriced and relatively cocky man by the name of Jalik. Jalik was somewhat of a rival of Bartolomeo, but there was no real violence between their groups... however, Jalik had useful information. Names and information on potential merchants and affiliates he had come to know who were actually funding a rebellion in Kalisos itself. Bartolomeo had his skepticism, until documents were pulled up, as well as other evidence, proving these claims. Old family seals of loyalists upon contracts for some of Jalek's own mercenary detachments... it was evident the old families, noble and merchant alike, were plotting discretely. Such proofs could not be denied, as the sigils of these families were secrets these years. There was no doubt. Jalek however had a price. To find and kill some mutinous curs.
Typical. Jalek was so far up his own ass he couldn't control his own men... Bartolomeo was not very impressed, nor surprised.
But none the less, the deal was fair and of little problem to Bartolomeo's rather experienced company.
It wasn't hard to track these bastards. They had killed a merchant caravan they were supposed to be guarding, and were found drunk. 8 men... the corpses of the remainder of the battle were nearby, with crows and vultures flying overhead, already picking at the carcasses. Bartolomeo found them, drunk and relatively incompetent. In the back of his head, he felt it was too easy... that there was definitely something wrong with this. Jalek's men were disciplined and good fighters, and while their reputation was overblown it seemed... suspicious.
He stowed these thoughts away. Killing them was easy, only two of his men were wounded in the process while the mutineers were beaten like **** stained farmers. A young merchant was found tied up at their camp... and he revealed himself to be the son of one of the Kalisos merchants. He later proved this, by matching the signature of the documents Bartolomeo had. Bartolomeo asked many questions, and it was proved that the reason for this unsettling prospect of Jalek's men rebelling was that Jalek was having a power struggle. A captain was actively working with Pravar, and was betraying Jalek. Jalek was a weak commander at times, but mutineers were scum irregardless... especially ones who threatened the independence of Kalisos.
The merchant's son indicated where the bastards were hiding, and they rode towards their encampment.
It took a few days... but they found their camp. Tell tale signs... smoke from fires. It was evident they had an army. Bartolomeo attacked in the early morning with a small group of his best soldiers, and struck violently.
They ransacked the place and butchered the soldiers, many of them half dressed or just in their stockings- only a few sentries on guard.
An utter massacre... with no survivors. Bartolomeo impaled the rebellious captain himself upon his spear, and interrogated and executed the survivors. Pravar was unaware of Bartolomeo's intentions and he intended it to stay that way until the crucial moment.
Bartolomeo had only one intention for now. Head towards Kalisos itself and seek contact with these elusive patriotic families.
Through a bit of digging, and the help of the Merchant's son, he found means to speak with them.
Even so, there was many guards about Kalisos. Military security of this city has always been relatively high, especially with the fiercely independent population to contend with. The citizens of Kalisos and her great families are incredibly proud of their city and its vibrant history, and the feelings of occupation and oppression by Pravar and the abandonment the Imifir Confederal army showed Kalisos are strong here, and the feeling of bitterness has still not dissipated, even after decades of occupied Pravar rule.
Even the houses of the nobility had "Honour Guard" provided by the King of Pravar himself... mostly to keep a good eye on his most powerful subjects in the city of Kalisos.
But none of this deterred Bartolomeo. He was the proud son of Kalisos, born in the city itself, having moved from it at a young age when his father took him to the Imifir confederacy to survive the resulting purges that occurred after the takeover of the city. It was hard, and he lost his 3 sisters and his mother in the conflict, and all of his uncles- who died in the glorious, and tragic siege of the city where they gave their lives valiantly, holding nigh to the last man, with only a few survivors like his father.
Bartolomeo would have nothing stand in his way in his quest to free his beloved city. He first however, wanted to get a taste of home... to see how it fared after so many years. And to get bearings on finding these elusive freedom fighters.
Entering the city after so long was... both a relief, and heartbreaking.
His home. The place he grew up in as a child... the wonderful, illustrious city of Kalisos with its many artists and great works of art- from tapestries to paintings, to pottery... it was a place of flourishing arts when he had known it as a child. With hearty bards and musicians playing in the streets, painters capturing the beauty of the world and its people on canvas with oil and brush, and potters and all other sorts of artisans perfecting their craft with beautiful displays of worksmanship. Now...
... Now it was only a symbol of Pravarian oppression. The stifling of his great people, the betrayal of the Imifir made manifest. He fought back tears. Even after so many years since that terrible siege parts of the city were still in ruin- the only thing that seemed to be cared for were the imposing walls of the city, to serve the new Pravarian masters, and keep everyone inside under tight control. No art flourished in the great city, people walk the streets like ghosts, robbed of their inspiration and individuality, their spark of life.
The city was shackled under the great weights of foreign control. It stabbed Bartolomeo dearly in his heart to see his beloved home city reduced to such a state.
He would have his vengeance. All of the citizens of this great city would have revenge for their beloved city state soon enough. He vowed it to his father, and again to himself, and thrice to the shining beacon of culture and prosperity Kalisos once was.
He made contacted eventually with the families of Kalisos. The venerable Mandatti's- proud adherents to the former city guard and Kalisos army- commanders of old, the wealthy and powerful Orlogsconi's who were great patrons of many artists and craftsmen in the city for centuries and the respectable Kortuscans, an ancient and righteous noble family who may not be large, but its seniority and vast archives of history earned its place as some of the greatest advisors in the whole of Tohlobaria... names that had been dwindled with the horrific post siege purges, but still survived despite the presence of foreign devils. They've certainly had to compromise, marry into Pravarian families here and there and cut deals. But their hearts were still with Kalisos, and that's what mattered.
A plot came to relevance.
In order to succeed, Kalisos needed allies. It needed someone to resurge, even if temporarily... peace was needed, ironically, between Pravar and the Dirim empire. A tough plan to achieve, given the King's hellbent desire to crush Empress Belinda's reign of the stagnant Dirim empire. However, Dirim held many many reserves of soldiers. Allowing them peace would mean that many of these soldiers would be out of a job, and a deal could potentially be struck... or at the very least, it would allow trade to flourish to fill the families coffers.
Bartolomeo took up the task. He rode for Dirim once again.
He arrived into the ancient city... and was allowed an audience with the small court of Dirim.
He paid his respects to the rather young, and by all accounts now confirmed, beautiful Empress Belinda... but he was not here to see her or pay tribute beyond customary diplomacy. As a respected mercenary captain, Bartolomeo was respected enough by the various lords and rulers for his competency, if nothing else.
He spoke to Duc Kalidus, one of the last remaining loyalist nobility and generals that still served the Empress and her dying empire.
He broached the subject of peace with him... tried to convince him to do so in order to try and help recuperate the armies of Dirim, as well as promote trade on behalf of his Kalisos benefactors, and perhaps provide aid to the city.
Duc Kalidus would hear none of it. While he was certainly an honourable, and loyal man... Kalidus's loyalty was not one without his stubborn nature. He would not hear of talks of peace and dejected Bartolomeo's proposition with fierce rebuttal.
Bartolomeo had little other choice. Duc Kalidus was the main component of the war with Dirim, as was the ruler of Kalisos. Both would have to be subdued in order to stop this war, or at least stagnate it enough to where it crippled both sides. Bartolomeo neither wanted to see the return of the Dirim empire nor the supremacy of the Pravarian Kingdom.
He plotted the capture and detainment of both lords... and succeeded with Kalidus, hitting him with a crossbow bolt poisoned with severe muscle relaxants, made from a herb from the far away Afirid lands. (AKA I head shotted him in a battle but hey, narrative bull**** here.)
The plan was underway. It was going to be difficult, and he would have to be discrete and quick.
Bartolomeo headed up north, as the Count of Kalisos was a far more protected man... he would need a better force to help handle his personal guard.
And thus Bartolomeo headed northwest, to the Borovid principalities.
Cold, harsh lands. Their people, with rather warm hospitality, but cold harsh expressions that matched their bleak homeland.
There was allies to be found here though.
In order to secure both extra men and future economic partners, Bartolomeo would need to get on the good side of the lords of this land. To earn their economic partnership, as Borovid Princes and Boyars reigned over lucrative lands with fur trade and other profitable industries... industries that would help revive his city's prosperity when it became independent.
Helping clear bandits out and other problems, Bartolomeo built up his reputation amongst the Borovid, and earned their wealth and trust.
Relations were secured... but only time would tell on how the rest of his plan would carry out...
Name: Tohlobaria
Version: v0.8
Game version: 1.172+
Category: Total Conversion
Short Info: A fantasy late medieval mod
Mode: SP
Languages: EN, FR
Version: v0.8
Game version: 1.172+
Category: Total Conversion
Short Info: A fantasy late medieval mod
Mode: SP
Languages: EN, FR
Last edited: