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Compatibility reasons make sense, but the other stuff is pretty interesting aswell. Is there anywhere I could read about Harranians? The wikipedia page didn't really say much about them other than that they were identified as Sabians so they could be people of the book in Islam.
Yup and another reason I forgot to mention above is from a gameplay POV, I wanted them to have certain features that might not make sense in the context of other kinds of Hellenic pagans even if we take a broad interpretation - for ex, the "Islamic Syncretism" tenet sounds a little nonsensical at first until we consider the context that a lot of the elite Harranian scholars peacefully co-existed in the context of the Islamic Golden Age of learning and were good at understanding and navigating Islamic ideas and culture, so that was my way to do it (I could've made a unique tenet that flavor-wise is more fitting, but problem is oddly making new tenets requires you to modify vanilla code so... compatibility issues lol).
Anyhow, I'll vomit a better list of sources when I write up my dev diary/guide for the flavor pack, but for now, a good starting point for sources would be Tamara Green's The City of the Moon God, which you can read samples on Google Books (I think a longer sample was available back when I first looked it up in 2018, but not so much anymore). It gives a good overview of Harran's history, but do note that it is from 1992 so while still relevant and not outdated, it misses out on some more recent scholarship. If you can read French, there's also Michel Tardieu's Les Paysages Reliques, where he proposes a theory that the Neoplatonist Academy in Athens set up camp in Harran - while not controversial in the sense that most scholars deem it plausible, I don't think there's broad consensus on whether Tardieu's evidence is convincing enough (though for my mod I've accepted his argument in the interest of flavor).
A couple other articles I can recommend is From Alexandria to Harran: the Neoplatonic and Sufi Wisdom by Algis Uždavinys (2002), which if I recall takes a skeptical stance on Tardieu's theory but I think accepts Neoplatonic influence on the Harranians, and Being a Sabian at Court in Tenth-Century Baghdad by Alexandre Roberts (2017) which is a pretty fun exploration of how the Harranian pagans (referred to here as Sabians) navigated living in a culture and society where they were a small minority, and focuses mainly on the great-grandson of Thabit ibn Qurra, the most famous Harranian scholar. The latter even maps out Thabit ibn Qurra's descendants to the early 1100s, and suggests that some of them may have remained pagan into the early to mid 1000s!
As an aside, do note that there's some confusion as to who the Sabians mentioned in the Quran actually refer to - I take the stance that it probably referred to some Gnostic sect (like the Mandaeans) that were distinct from the Harranian pagans, but that the Harranian pagans labeled themselves as Sabians to be considered People of the Book. The classical story is that they basically duped a Caliph into agreeing to this based on advice from an Islamic jurist after said Caliph threatened to kill them if they didn't convert to Islam or one of the religions of the Book like Christianity, but I think the likelier and less dramatic story is that the Harranians and Abbasid authorities agreed to it mutually as a win-win compromise. Anyhow, for this reason you see the Harranian pagans referred to as Sabians a lot in the scholarly literature, but I decided not to call them in-game as such as it seems the Sabianism as portrayed in CK3 is that weird little known Gnostic sect.
The faiths I put under "Helleno-Semitic" are intended to represent those in Semitic-dominated regions that survived well into late antiquity (justifying their inclusion as more plausible in contrast to, say, more questionable additions in the vanilla game like Cainites), and had syncretized with Greek/Roman polytheism. So there was still a Semitic element to these sects (Mesopotamian in the case of Harran's paganism, for instance) that isn't exactly like the cliche Greek/Roman pantheons people think of... but on the other hand there was a strong Greek/Roman element to it, too. So, again, guess it boils down to how you feel it should be interpreted in terms of the game. I think it's in enough of a grey area to be justified in game terms and for flavor (and of course as mentioned above for the real concern of compatibility reasons).
It's a pity the game doesn't allow for proper Polytheism.
Leaving aside the fact that the moniker "polytheism" is a monotheistic concept, polytheistic religious systems were usually much more complex than just "this is our set of gods, choose whichever works for you". Polytheistisms are usually fluid religious ideas tied to a series of cultural rituals. The way a god is worshipped in X may change if this god gains popularity in Y. See Apollo, Adonis, Cybele, Mithras, and many other "translated" gods. Romano-Gauls keeping Celtic gods with Roman rites, Romans adopting Semitic gods but transforming it completely in the process, etc...
But I understand Paradox didn't put a lot of effort into this, since CK is centered around the great monotheristic religions.
More preview screenshots for the Harran Flavor Pack below - those of you who played the CK2 version will recognize features like the CYOA event chain if you play the semi-historical start as Thabit ibn Qurra at the 867 start date. But unlike the CK2 version, there are also some surprises for Harranians in 1066, interestingly....
It's a pity the game doesn't allow for proper Polytheism.
Leaving aside the fact that the moniker "polytheism" is a monotheistic concept, polytheistic religious systems were usually much more complex than just "this is our set of gods, choose whichever works for you". Polytheistisms are usually fluid religious ideas tied to a series of cultural rituals. The way a god is worshipped in X may change if this god gains popularity in Y. See Apollo, Adonis, Cybele, Mithras, and many other "translated" gods. Romano-Gauls keeping Celtic gods with Roman rites, Romans adopting Semitic gods but transforming it completely in the process, etc...
But I understand Paradox didn't put a lot of effort into this, since CK is centered around the great monotheristic religions.
Yeah, I don't disagree with you there. The religion system is still a touch too rigid for some eastern faiths too. Anyways, reminds me of how Imperator changed to a more flexible patron gods system where you can change them around - something like that in CK3 might be fun. If I recall the Elder Kings 2 mod will be implementing a system like that for their religions, which would be great to see.
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Version 1.2.3 "Thabit ibn Qurra" (Released 5/22/21)
We are the heirs and the transmitters to our heirs of paganism, which is honored gloriously in this world. [...] Who has made the world to be inhabited and filled it with cities except the good men and kings of paganism? Who has constructed harbors and canals? Who has made manifest the occult sciences? On whom has dawned the divinity which gives divination and teaches the knowledge of future events except the wise men of the pagans? [Pagans] have made to arise the medicine of souls, and have made to shine forth their redemption; have filled the world with the correctness of modes of life and with the and it is they also who have made to arise the medicine for bodies and the wisdom which is the beginning of excellence. Without these products of paganism the world would be an empty and a needy place, and it would have been enveloped in sheer want and misery.
- Thabit ibn Qurra (836-901 CE), as quoted by Bar Hebraeus, a 13th century Syriac Orthodox bishop and saint
No beta version this time - the Harran Flavor Pack is all done and good to play! (To be fair I was adapting a lot of this from the CK2 version, so much of the writing had already been done) Because of this, the "dev diary" for the Harran Pack will be in this same post - do note even if you played the CK2 version, I added a few new things this time around, so be sure to look at the dev diary below and/or the guide in the Steam description.
But first, here's the changelog:
Added Harran Flavor Pack: The Last Hellenic Pagans
Added 5 Middle Eastern and ancient themed songs
Added Helleno-Semitic religion with three faiths: Harranism, Heliopolitanism, and Dusharaism
Added game concepts for Harranian Courtiers, Neoplatonic Academy, and Temple of the Moon (in Harran)
Activities added by RICE now have the appropriate icon when hovering over the province they’re held in
AI is slightly less likely to go on a Pilgrimage to Aachen
Brightened text for Siwa special building descriptions
Revised text for duchy requirements of the Restore the Tuyuhun Kingdom decision to be clearer
Fixed Maastricht bridge collapse event triggering for any ruler
Miscellaneous bugfixes
Harran Flavor Pack Dev Diary
Helleno-Semitic Religion
A new religion, Helleno-Semitic, is added with three faiths, all ancient syncretic polytheisms of the Levant:
Harranism, for Harran’s paganism that this flavor pack focuses on. It is a mix of Hellenism (particularly Neoplatonism) and Mesopotamian paganism. It survived into the 11th century. Tenets: Esoterism, Astrology, and Islamic Syncretism.
Heliopolitanism, for paganism that survived in the city of Baalbek (known as Heliopolis to the Romans) as late as the Arab Conquest, and focused on a Triad of Jupiter/Hadad, Venus/Atargatis, and Mercury/Adon. Tenets: Esoterism, Astrology, and Sun Worship.
Dusharaism, for the religion of the Nabataeans of Petra fame, which had many foreign influences and may have also survived as late as the Arab Conquest. Dushara was their chief deity, identified with Zeus. Tenets: Astrology, Aniconism, and Adaptive.
Only Harranism appears on the map in only one county (Harran). Ultimately, as these pagans’ survival is relatively late compared to other pagan faiths in the region, I see them as sensible additions that more realistically reflects the dynamic religious landscape of late antiquity than vanilla’s Hellenism.
Followers of these faiths can take a minor decision to Pray to the Planets, where you try to get a temporary modifier representing one of the seven classical planets that lasts for 7 years. This can be done every 15 years. Muslims of the time stereotyped the pagans of Harran as having special, even mystical knowledge about the stars due their religious practices purported revolving around worship of the celestial bodies.
Temple of Sin
There are two new unique buildings. One is in the barony of Tell Mahra in Harran, called the Temple of Sin, Sin being a Mesopotamian lunar deity. In real life, it survived into the mid-1000s - right before the 1066 start date, so it only appears in 867.
If you own or have a capital close to Harran and are pagan, you’ll have access to a decision, Make Offerings at the Temple of the Moon. It can be taken every five years and triggers an event that’s basically a way to pay gold to get either piety or prestige.
Conversely, if neither you or your liege or top liege are pagan, you’ll have access to a decision called Destroy the Temple of the Moon which permanently disables the building (unfortunately PI has not given us modders the ability to destroy buildings for some reason). The AI will usually take this sometime in the 11th century. When you destroy it, you instantly get 500 gold, 200 prestige, and 200 piety, but also some negative modifiers for you and the County of Harran. Obviously, pagans will hate you for this (if any are still around). Once destroyed, pagans will no longer be able to take the decision - thus, if you’re pagan, it’s best to secure the temple’s location as soon as possible!
Neoplatonic Academy
Another special building in the barony of Harran itself is the Neoplatonic Academy, which also only appears in 867.
If you own or have a capital close to Harran, you have access to a decision, Patronize the Neoplatonic Academy. At the cost of 50 gold, you get a modifier that adds to your learning and prestige; if you are Hellenic or Helleno-Semitic pagan, you will also get a bonus to piety. A bonus for patronizing the academy is that it improves the likelihood you’ll get a Harranian courtier with amazing stats and traits (more on that later).
However, in time, as the pagan faiths decline, so too does the Academy. After 1000 CE, if Harran is not controlled by a pagan or in a realm ruled by pagans, there is an increasing chance an event will trigger which destroys the Academy. A powerful pagan ruler who owns Harran or has it in their realm can take the decision to Revitalize the Neoplatonic Academy to reverse this trend and prevent the Academy's decline permanently.
For historical background, there is a theory that when the pagan Neoplatonic Academy in Athens (which itself claimed intellectual descent from the original Platonic Academy) was closed by Emperor Justinian’s orders in the 6th century, its members fled to Sassanid Persia and set up shop in Harran before the Romans allowed them to return, and that the academy mentioned in Harran a couple centuries later is a remnant of this. Though this theory is contested in scholarly circles, the Neoplatonic influence on Harran’s scholars is likely.
Harranian Courtiers and Treatises
Every now and then, Harranian courtiers will randomly spawn in realms in the Middle East. They typically have decent stats, particularly in learning. There is also a high chance they will also spawn with a unique modifier representing their background, and what they did before they arrived at your court, such as being a devotee to the deity Tanmuz or being an ostracized Harranian.
Keeping Harranian courtiers around is advantageous not just because they often make councillors, but also because they can sometimes publish academic treatises on various topics. In game terms, you receive a modifier. There are several types of books you get is random, and there are several books with their own unique bonuses.
If you are a Harranian Pagan yourself, and have at least 12 Learning, you can take the decision to Write a Scholarly Treatise. This will earn you one of the modifiers above, as well as some prestige and piety. If you pay a little bit extra you can get more prestige. Anyhow, in the future, after the Royal Court DLC is out, hopefully I can turn these books into artifacts.
Playable Harranians
There is one playable, semi-historical Harranian at the 867 start date: Thabit ibn Qurra, a famous scholar from the House of Wisdom at the Abbasid Court, and perhaps the most famous Harranian. He is not playable via the normal menu; instead, you need to first play as a ruler close to Harran, which will trigger an event offering you the opportunity to switch playing to Thabit ibn Qurra. Though a wonky method, it is necessary to ensure maximum compatibility with other mods. Like the CK2 version of the mod, if you play as Thabit, there is a CYOA event chain at the start of the game which will change your starting situation depending on your choices.
But there’s more! Unlike the CK2 version of the mod, at the 1066 start date, after the Temple of the Moon and the Neoplatonic Academy are gone, there is a playable, semi-historical Harranian… sort of: Abu 'Ali Muhammad Ibn Nabhan, a 7th generation descendant of Thabit ibn Qurra. His grandfather, Thabit’s 5th generation descent Hilal, converted to Islam in the early 1000s, but a few of Ibn Nabhan’s relatives might have remained pagan - perhaps the final Harranian pagans. At any rate, while Ibn Nabhan is Muslim and staunchly defended his grandfather’s conversion in real life, perhaps there is more to him than meets the eye…. If you choose to play as him, you’ll go through an event chain and an associated decision, where you choose to embrace your pagan heritage to try to bring it back against all odds. I included it as a difficult but semi-plausible way to embrace a form of paganism.
By the way, there is a game rule to disable the pop-up events asking if you want to play as these characters if you find it annoying. Note that the events will only trigger when starting near Harran.
Miscellaneous
Like all other Flavor Packs, this one will also have accompanying flavor events and music.
To round it off, I want to address a potential question some may have as to why I had Harranians separate from vanilla’s Hellenic or Sabians. Sabians are portrayed in vanilla CK3 as obscure gnostics, which the Haranians were not - they adopted the label of “Sabian” to be classified as People of the Book under the Abbasids, but had distinctly pagan practices. While I could make them Hellenics (like in my CK2 mod), I decided not to as I wanted to make them more distinct, such as portraying how they (or at least their elites) were part of the Islamic world, and partly because I feel vanilla’s Hellenism doesn’t capture the varieties of ancient Greek and Roman paganism well.
All in all, my CK2 version was one of the first mods I made after I returned from a hiatus for CK2 modding several years back, so it has a special place in my heart - returning to Harran to not only adapt my CK2 mod but expand on it is cool. Not to mention this is the first full adaptation of my CK2 work to CK3. I’ve spent a lot of time researching this seemingly unassuming city, and I hope you’ll appreciate delving into this city’s history, too. Speaking of which….
Withdraw into yourself and look. And if you do not find yourself beautiful yet, act as does the creator of a statue that is to be made beautiful: he cuts away here, he smoothes there, he makes this line lighter, this other purer. Cut away all that is excessive, straighten all that is crooked, bring light to all that is overcast, labor to make all one glow or beauty and never cease chiseling your statue, until there shall shine out on you from it the godlike splendor of virtue.
- Plotinus (c. 205 - 270 CE), the founding figure of Neoplatonism
Just a minor update, with a bit of new content for Harran as well as integration of Chinese translation by Juijote. I'm doing some preliminary work for the next Flavor Pack and I'll do the obligatory previews/teasers on Discord, and the dev diary here and on Reddit, when I have more to show.
And the changelog:
Integrated Chinese localization into RICE instead of having it as a separate mod
Added several Neoplatonic philosophers as historical characters (who may show up in your dreams)
Fixed Pray to a Planet activity taking place in Harran
“Tammuz, radiant in the temple and on earth!”
- Hymn to Ishtar, goddess of war and love, and wife of the Mesopotamian deity Tammuz
This is the official update to patch 1.4. Unfortunately, since my main PC is borked at the moment, I've had to upload this using an old laptop which can't really handle CK3, but there are pretty much no changes so it should work fine, so let me know if you encounter any issues.
For anyone who hasn't heard about it yet, VIET and RICE will be participating in ModCon! ModCon will be an all digital event hosted by One Proud Bavarian and other content creators, featuring the latest from a large variety of Crusader Kings III Mods - I'll be there to talk about my experiences creating VIET and RICE, so stay tuned for more info! Official website here: https://modcon.xyz/
“We took ship at Suakin for Yemen. No sailing is done on this sea at night because of the number of rocks in it. At nightfall they land and embark again at sunrise. The captain of the ship stands constantly at the prow to warn the steersman of rocks.”
- Ibn Battuta, writing about his journey across the Red Sea
The newest Flavor Pack for RICE, the Red Sea, is now up! This was partly a cross-promotion thing with BlackEmperor's Africa Plus mod, which I highly recommend (and not just because I coded a few flavor events for it) - it adds in some flavor to various African cultures and religions, and is compatible with RICE. You can download it on Steam here. Additionally, I've uploaded a RICE+EPE compatch which can be downloaded per the above links.
As with the Harran Flavor Pack, the Red Sea Flavor Pack dev diary will be below.
Changelog:
Added Red Sea Flavor Pack: Treasures of the Eastern Desert as cross-promotion with the BlackEmperor's Africa Plus (BAP) mod by Black7Emperor7
Added EPE compatch (separate download)
Slightly reduced the frequency of Siberian courtiers spawning
Renamed file containing code for South Arabian culture - this will prevent South Arabian from popping up randomly in many situations, though it will not prevent those situations per se (it should now default back to the vanilla Akan)
Coastal rulers in Egypt now have access to the Maritime Trade Legacy
Fixed AI being unable to take the decision to visit the thermal spas of Aachen
Miscellaneous bugfixes
Red Sea Flavor Pack Dev Diary
Mines
The Red Sea was a major route for the Indian Ocean maritime trade since the days of the Pharaohs. It produced several important exports of its own, which will be reflected in RICE.
First, three mines have been added around the Red Sea. While there were many historically in the region, for gameplay and simplicity I narrowed it down to a few I felt were most important:
Mount Smaragdus in Jabal Quzlum - the Old World's chief supplier of emeralds for millennia until it supplanted by New World sources in the 1500s
Wadi Allaqi - a major gold mining region since Pharaonic times, which saw a gold rush during the 10th-13th centuries
Al-Baha in Bisha - to represent the mining regions of southeastern Arabia that were a major source of precious metals for the Caliphate in the early medieval periods
Other Resources
Two counties in Egypt - Fayyum and Aswan - will be given a permanent county modifier at game start called Egyptian Textile Manufacturing Center. Egypt was a major exporter of textiles during this period.
The Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and the waters off of Sri Lanka have been major sources of pearls for centuries. For Duchies along the coasts of those regions, a special Duchy Building can be built called the Pearl Industry, so you can profit from the pearl trade. Of course, such an investment comes at the cost of not being able to build a different Duchy Building.
Red Sea Ferries
There were many ways to reach Mecca for devout Muslims going on the Hajj, crossing the Red Sea by boat was a popular option for those from Africa. Thus, three coastal baronies are given a special building called the Red Sea Ferry at game start: Suakin, Aydhab, and Jeddah. This building has several upgrades and provides a minor boost to gold, development, and prestige. The last building in this chain requires the second perk, Cosmopolitan Ports, from the Maritime Trade dynasty legacy that was previously introduced in the Socotra Flavor Pack.
The taxes these traveling pilgrims provide are a nice source of profit, and greedy rulers can try to extract even more money from these caravans. If you own Suakin or Aydhab, you can take a decision to Increase Taxes on Pilgrims per city. Doing so adds a modifier, Extra Taxes Levied on Hajj Pilgrims, to the county you chose which increases its taxes at the cost of development and county opinion for 10 years. As Suakin and Aydhab were traditional rivals, taking this decision will grant the other city its own modifier, Increased Numbers of Hajj Pilgrims, which increases its development to represent pilgrims taking more interest in using its port instead (unless if it, too, has raised its taxes).
al-Umari and Wadi Allaqi
There is some new flavor for the ruler of the Eastern Desert in the 867 CE bookmark, Abu Abdallah ibn Abd al-Hamid al-Umari. An ambitious scholar and businessman, he amassed a following to exploit the resources of the Eastern Desert, particularly its gold mines. A prominent warlord on the Caliphate’s frontier, he got involved in regional politics and had a complicated relationship with the Tulunids in Egypt. He was assassinated in 870 CE, but perhaps you can change his destiny. His colorful life is represented in game with a unique modifier, Scholar, Merchant, and Warlord.
Because of the positive reception of the roleplay elements I added for Thabit ibn Qurra in the Harran Flavor Pack, while al-Umari won't have an extensive CYOA (partly because he is already a character in vanilla unlike Thabit), he will have a few events at the start of the game to slightly customize your starting scenario. Most importantly, you can choose whether to get free claims on a couple counties in Egypt, on Nubia instead, to vassalize yourself to the Tulunids to reconcile with them (as al-’Umari attempted historically), or focus on developing infrastructure.
Given his dominance in the region's mining industry, al-Umari had connections with merchant communities in Egypt, particularly in Aswan as it was the closest major city to Wadi Allaqi. Thus, there is also a decision, Seek Investors from Aswan, available to him or any ruler who controls Wadi Allaqi. It can be taken every ten years within the first fifty years from the 867 bookmark; at a hefty cost of prestige, it gives a ten year county modifier to Wadi Allaqi called Investment from Aswan. A consequence of doing this is that it’ll provoke the ire of Egypt’s ruler (assuming you don't own it yourself), who may interpret such actions as an insult to their authority.
Miscellaneous
Several new thematically appropriate music tracks as well as a few new flavor events have been added as usual. As mentioned above, some of these events are inspired by the ancient Egyptian religion, and for followers of Kushitic faiths - they have also been included in Blackemperor's Africa Plus mod as part of our cross-promotion. If you haven’t already, check out BAP here - it’s fully compatible with RICE and has plenty of great flavor for Africa.
Pamir Flavor Pack Preview
Lastly, here's a quick teaser for the upcoming Pamir flavor pack which will hopefully come sometime next month, as an adaptation of my Pamir Immersion Pack mod for CK2 and in time for its one year anniversary of that:
“Aydhab [is] a large town, well supplied with milk and fish; dates and grain are imported from Upper Egypt. Its inhabitants are Bejas. These people are black-skinned; they wrap themselves in yellow blankets and tie headbands about a fingerbreadth wide round their heads.”
- Ibn Battuta, writing about the port of Adyhab
This is a small update that includes minor tweaks and additions for some flavor packs. Barring any serious issues, this should be the last update for a couple weeks while I work on the upcoming Pamir Flavor Pack.
The changelog:
Added Mosque of the Companions modifier to the County of Massawa, which gives a small development growth bonus
At game start, a few random lucky, qualifying rulers will get Harranian scholars and Indian Ocean merchants, sailors, or adventurers in their courts via hidden event
Mastermind Theologian (Tier 4 learning trait) is now a virtue for Helleno-Semitic faiths
Diligent and humble are no longer a virtues for Helleno-Semitic faiths
Reduced trigger range of the event at game start asking if you want to play as Ibn Nabhan in the 1066 bookmark
Reduced al-Umari’s intelligence trait to level 1
Reduced volume of Celtic music from the Breton Flavor Pack
Fixed Thabit ibn Qurra’s fictitious sister getting the Great Harranian modifier (since that’s only meant for him)
Miscellaneous bugfixes
Speaking of which, here’s a couple preview screenshots of what I’ll be discussing in my first dev diary for the Pamir Flavor Pack this weekend (it’ll be a two parter like the Socotra dev diaries, as there’s a lot to cover):
PAMIR FLAVOR PACK DEV DIARY #1: More Cultures, Decisions, and Mines
It's time for the first dev diary for the Pamir Flavor Pack! As this will be RICE's largest flavor pack since Socotra, the dev diary is split into two parts, with the next part hopefully coming next weekend.
Much of this update is an adaptation of my final mod for CK2, the Pamir Immersion Pack, so for those of you who played that, some of the features discussed today won't sound new at first, but there are many tweaks to existing features and new additions. I intend to release this update in a couple weeks around the one year anniversary of the CK2 mod. Please note this is all WIP, so things are subject to change.
New Cultures
There are three new cultures: Burusho, Peristani, and Brahui. The first two are Indo-Aryan, the latter Dravidian. These are not on the map, but instead appear via random events that spawn courtiers of these cultures. Burusho and Peristani spawn for rulers who own territory in the duchies of Pamir and Badakhshan, while Brahui for rulers in a few counties of Makran.
Burusho, or Hunza, refers to speakers of Burushaski, a language isolate spoken in a few valleys in northern Pakistan. Though there are a few theories suggesting a connection to various established language families, none are fully accepted by mainstream linguistics at this time.
Peristani is based on “Peristan,” an anachronistic term used by some scholars for an area in eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan that is/was inhabited by various pagan tribes, such as the Nuristani and the Kalash, the latter of whom are the last “pagans” of the region today. Historically, “Kafiristan'' was used to denote this area, but Kafir (meaning infidel) has negative connotations and was a term applied to these people by Muslims, so I felt Peristani fits better as a catch-all (short of dividing them up into separate cultures).
Also, while they don't appear on the map per se, the “Kafir” tribes are represented via a permanent county modifier in a few counties. These tribes often lived in more isolated valleys and highlands where they could resist incursions from, and even launch raids on, more urbanized states well into the Victorian Era, so these counties will not be easy to control.
Meanwhile, the Brahui are not in the Pamirs, but they're nearby and I might not return to this region for a while so I thought I'd throw them in. They're nomadic Dravidian speakers who are oddly in Baluchistan, far from other Dravidians. There are two main theories on their origin: either they are a derelict group of Dravidians, or migrants who came during the early medieval period. I've gone with the latter interpretation; a few counties in the area get a permanent modifier signifying Brahui populations, and it is here that Brahui courtiers can spawn.
Lastly, those of you who played the CK2 version of the Pamir mod may notice there is no Pamiri culture. I decided to err on the side of caution this time and wait for Royal Court to come out, so us modders have a better idea on how culture works and what the devs' plans for Iranian cultures will be. I may consider re-doing the setup then.
Mines
Historically, the Pamir region was famous as a source of lapis lazuli, a blue gemstone; the mines of Sar-i Sang in Afghanistan have consistently supplied a vast majority of the world’s lapis lazuli since at least the early Bronze Age, being found as far away as Egypt, for example. The mines are present in the county of Mujnan in game.
The ruby mines of Kuh-i Lal, which were mentioned by Marco Polo in his records, also appear as well in neighboring Wakhan county. They were a major source of spinel for many centuries.
Though it's a bit further away from the Pamirs, I've also added the Khewra Salt Mine, which is in the so-called Salt Range of Punjab. Purportedly discovered by Alexander the Great's horses (when they were found licking the salt stone), this mine is a major salt mine and is most famous nowadays as the source of the pink colored "Himalayan Salt." As an aside, amusingly to me, the mine is also known as the Mayo Salt Mine (after Lord Mayo, a British Viceroy to India).
Chinir Festival
Now onto decisions. Attend the Chinir Festival returns from the CK2 version of the mod, and is available to any Iranian ruler who controls territory in the duchies of Badakhshan or Pamir. It is a simple festival type decision with various events that might garner you different bonuses.
The Chinir Festival, in real life, is a Wakhi festival heralding the start of the harvesting season ("it's almost harvesting season" in other words). The Wakhi are an ethnic group who live in the Wakhan corridor and speak an Eastern Iranian language. Thus, it's technically not celebrated by every tribe here, but I decided to use this festival to represent the region, similarly to how vanilla has flavor for catch-all religions like Finno-Ugric and Baltic paganism. (It also helped that I was able to find academic info on it online.)
Watchtowers
The Watchtowers of the Pamirs are another returning mechanic from the CK2 version of the mod, though they work a bit differently. Like before, there are two county modifiers in the counties of Wakhan and Gilgit to represent the networks of watchtowers in the Wakhan Corridor and Karakoram Mountains respectively. By default, these give a small boost to garrison size.
If you control either or both counties, you'll have access to decisions to repair the watchtowers that may have fallen into a state of disrepair. By maintaining them, you'll get an extra county modifier boosting the tax and defense of these counties for 20 years. The strength of the modifier depends on how much money you're willing to shell out. This can be useful if you anticipate fighting a war in these highlands.
Historically, these valleys and mountain passes were of extreme strategic importance, both for military passage and to secure trade routes along the Silk Road. Empires like China and Tibet as well as local rulers maintained these watchtowers over the centuries.
Bibi Fatima Hot Springs
The last decision I'll cover today is to visit the Bibi Fatima hot springs. There are a few popular springs in the region so I picked one I felt had unique flavor. In real life, these springs are located in the part of the Wakhan Corridor controlled by Tajikistan, and are claimed to enhance one's fertility, especially for women. They are named after the Prophet Muhammad's daughter, as local legend connects her with the springs, so they’re popular among local Muslims.
In-game, this decision is available to anyone with territory in the duchy of Badakhshan. It gives you the expected stress reduction like other springs decisions in RICE, but what makes this one unique is that there is a chance the springs will give you a fertility boost. If you are Muslim, you also get a little piety too.
That concludes today's dev diary! Next week, I’ll cover changes to the history setup at both start dates such as a few new playable characters, and religious flavor not seen in the CK2 version of the mod, including Muslim stuff for the region and how I'll represent the pagan faiths of the Kalash and pre-conversion Nuristani.
Just wanted to show a couple teaser screenshots for this weekend's dev diary on the Pamir Flavor Pack. Among other things I'll talk about, there will be new flavor for Muslims and pagans in the region that wasn't in the CK2 version.
And a couple more preview screenshots for the Pamir Flavor Pack. Second dev diary should be out as planned this weekend! (Fun fact - the Pamir Flavor Pack is already the second largest Pack in terms of the amount of text I've written, after Socotra, but I'm not done yet, so it might even surpass that.)
PAMIR AND ZUNIST FLAVOR PACK DEV DIARY #2: Religious Immersion and History Tweaks
It's time for the second dev diary for the now renamed Pamir and Zunist Flavor Pack. I decided to throw in extra Zunist features as a bonus (and for marketing). I have a beta up on GitHub like I often do, but do note that while it is playable, it is incomplete and missing a few features, mainly a few flavor events which I'll work on this week.
Before I continue, I admit it’s a bit awkward to talk about some of this history given some of it is in Afghanistan, in light of events literally happening in Afghanistan as I type this (I'd planned this pack for months, so it's an awkward coincidence). What I will say is if you have time, read academic history on this region. Through the course of my research here, I’ve learned a lot about the dynamic political, religious, and economic history of this part of the world - it’s more than just a backwater, tribal “graveyard of empires.” There’s a dynamic blend of people, families, history, and culture, and it’s best, I feel, to keep that in mind when we think of this region and what is unfolding right now.
Dizawism (Kalash/Nuristani Paganism)
There is a new religion, Peristani, with one faith, Dizawism. It represents pagans in the Pamir and Hindu Kush region like the Kalash and pre-conversion Nuristani. Its tenets are Eastern Syncretism, Sanctity of Nature, and Ritual Celebrations. My depiction of "Dizawism" is based chiefly on certain Kalash sub-groups as a necessary abstraction, and should not be understood to be truly representative of all pagans in the region, then or now.
There are two main decisions associated with Dizawists. First is the Chawmos Festival, which can be held every 10 years and is a winter solstice festival heralding the new year. Though a mostly linear event chain, you have opportunities to gain various boons along the way.
The other decision, Sacrifice Goats to the Gods, is available to Dizawist AND Zunist pagans. In the region’s pagan beliefs, goats were held in high esteem as a symbol of sacred purity. You choose how many goats to sacrifice, which influences the chances of getting a good bonus, especially a stronger one. If Zunist, you’ll sacrifice to only Zun; if Dizawist, you can choose which deity to sacrifice to. Each gives various bonuses.
Lastly, if you're a prepubescent male ruler, you'll get a modifier - Purity of Youth - enhancing piety and people's opinion of you slightly. This modifier is given to both genders, or only girls, if you change gender doctrines when reforming. In Kalash belief, the contrast between purity and impurity was paramount, with prepubescent boys seen as the epitome of purity. (For those checking out the beta, I haven’t finished coding this yet so it is not on there.)
Idol of Zun
Since this is now also technically a Zunist flavor pack, I've added a bit for Zunists too in the form of a decision to Restore the Idol of Zun. It is available to sufficiently powerful Zunists who own Zamindawar, and adds a nice county modifier to Zamindawar, gives you some piety, and gives you a character modifier that will make it easier to create or reform a religion - a good idea if you plan to reform Zunism! Several sources - ranging from Muslim historians to Buddhist pilgrims - mentioned a large golden idol of Zun with ruby eyes on a mountain in Zamindawar that was partly destroyed by raiding Arab forces in the 7th century.
867 Start Date
Several new rulers have been added to the 867 bookmark. To ensure maximum compatibility, they are added via in-game event, so you can select to play them via a pop-up event that only appears if you choose a ruler in the region, similar to what I did for the Harran Flavor Pack.
The new rulers are all vassals of the Samanids:
The Puteshan Kings refer to Puteshan, the name of Badakhshan as transliterated by the 8th century Korean monk and pilgrim Hyecho in his records of his travels. They control the lapis lazuli mines and are the only chieftains with two counties. Though the most powerful of the bunch, it’s no cakewalk.
The Wakhan chiefs control the region's ruby mines and benefit from the Wakhan watchtowers.
The Karran and Shughnan chiefs are the only playable Dizawist pagan rulers by default, and lack any advantage unlike the others. Hyecho wrote that the nine Shughnan chiefs were not Buddhist but he did not mention their religion - as he otherwise would’ve mentioned something like Zoroastrianism as he did elsewhere, I've interpreted them as followers of a local variety of paganism.
Additionally, there are a couple changes to existing rulers. The Banijurids are now in their real life position around Balkh/Khuttal as powerful vassals of the Samanids. Meanwhile, the Zunbils are independent, own a little more land, and still Zunist, as they were conquered in 870 CE.
Also, a narrative event triggers around 900 to represent the immigration of Brahui to their present-day location in Balochistan. Once this happens (or if you start in 1066), Brahui courtiers may spawn in the court of nearby rulers (as discussed in the previous dev diary).
1066 Start Date
There is one new ruler at the 1066 start date, the Emir of Badakhshan, Ali ibn Asad, and he has unique flavor - or rather, his courtier and friend, Nasir Khusraw. In real life, Nasir Khusraw was an Ismaili poet, holy man, and missionary credited with converting much of Badakhshan to Ismailism. Ali was a local ruler mentioned by Nasir Khusraw in some of his writings, as a patron who was supposedly quite an intellectual man himself.
At the game start, Ali ibn Asad is a Sunni Muslim. He has the option to convert to Ismailism and aid Nasir Khusraw’s proselytizing, or remain Sunni but respect Nasir Khusraw's differences and continue to patronize him; each will earn you different modifiers with different bonuses.
Side note: Nasir Khusraw was a major regional figure during his lifetime and is revered by both Sunnis and Shiites here, but his success in spreading Ismailism may've been limited contrary to local legend; Marco Polo, for example, makes no mention of Ismailis in Badakhshan (though they could’ve fled or killed by the Mongols). Still, he may have at least contributed to starting the region's Islamization.
Nasir Khusraw
If Nasir Khusraw is alive and in the court of whoever rules the Duchy of Badakhshan (usually Ali ibn Asad) and is Muslim, they can take a decision to Comission a Work from Nasir Khusraw, which will trigger a couple events for Nasir Khusraw to begin writing The Reconciliation of Philosophy and Religion. While not as famous as Nasir Khusraw's earlier works, this text, finished around 1070 CE, was his final work and commissioned by Ali ibn Asad. It nets you piety, an increase to learning, and a character modifier, Illuminated by Nasir Khusraw.
After Nasir Khusraw passes away, the ruler of the Duchy of Badakhshan has access to a decision to Expand Nasir Khusraw's Shrine if they are Muslim. Taking this decision, adds a permanent county modifier to Badakhshan, Shrine to Nasir Khusraw. More importantly, any Muslim in or near Badakhshan now has access to a new decision, Go on a Pilgrimage to Nasir Khusraw's Shrine.
Though similar to a standard pilgrimage, one little twist is that you can leave your mark on history and write something on the walls of the shrine, as happens frequently in real life, and possibly be inspired by Nasir Khusraw.
Now, what happens if you start the game in 867, before Nasir Khusraw was born in real life? In that case, starting in the 1000s, if a county in Badakhshan is controlled by a Muslim duke or count-tier ruler with high enough learning, he may randomly spawn in their court (with player controlled rulers prioritized over AI ones) and the events and decisions proceed as above. (For those checking out the beta, I haven’t finished coding this yet so it is not on there.)
Miscellaneous Features
Like always, there will be other miscellaneous features like flavor decisions for the region, as well as new music.
That wraps up the two dev diaries I planned for the Pamir and Zunist Flavor Pack. This will be the largest flavor pack I've ever made for RICE, so I hope you enjoy all the content no matter who you play in the region. As mentioned above, there is a beta, but it is missing some features (though it’s still playable). I have also provided some of the resources I used below.
I've been away for a while and it looks like you've added a ton! I will probably hold off on jumping back into CK3 until the next DLC is out (on a HOI4 kick at the moment actually) but your events about ancient Egypt sound awesome considering the AAR I had a while back doing a Pharaohnic Restoration.
Good deeds stand tall like a green pine, evil deeds bloom like flowers;
The pine is not as brilliant as the flowers, it seems.
When the frost comes, the pine will still stand tall,
While the flowers, withered, can be seen no more
- Nasir Khusraw
RICE's biggest update ever, the Pamir and Zunist flavor pack, is finally out! To give you an idea of how big this update is: the previous biggest pack, the Socotra Flavor Pack, the files for events and localization had a total size of 120 KB and 83 KB respectively (and that's after some new content added in subsequent updates); meanwhile, the Pamir and Zunist ones are 132 KB and 116 KB respectively. For that reason, this will be version 1.4.0 of the mod, rather than version 1.3.3 (also so I can get to the same number as vanilla 1.4).
Additionally, today's release marks exactly the one year anniversary of my final CK2 mod, the Pamir Immersion Pack, which the Pamir and Zunist Flavor Pack (unsurprisingly) is an adaptation of.
There's a lot of new content added to the Pamir and Hindu Kush region, so be sure to read the Pamir and Zunist Flavor Pack Guide for more information.
Changelog:
Added Pamir and Zunist Flavor Pack: Roof of the World
Added 5 Iranian and Central Asian themed songs
Added French translations for Aachen Flavor Pack and other miscellaneous text - thanks to French translators! If you’re interested in helping translate French, see here: https://paratranz.cn/projects/2617/files
Mahayana Buddhists can now take concubines (change done via hidden event to prevent compatibility issues with mods that modify Buddhist religions)
There is now a few days wait when you take the decision to visit the Thermal Spas of Aachen, so it isn’t instantaneous
House of Al-Harrani now has “He who knows his own essence becomes divine” as their house motto
Zahra the Poet now gets the Devoted (Nun) trait, as a wonky workaround to prevent players from potentially converting her to a non-Muslim religion or marrying her
Reduced chances of Maastricht bridge collapse triggering (so it’s more likely to happen later in the game)
Feast music plays when Nadun Festival starts (like in other vanilla and modded feast decisions)
Miscellaneous bugfixes
No concrete plans on the next flavor pack yet, though I am leaning on one idea at the moment. Either way, it will be a much smaller offering than this one.
Yup, even more Pamir and Zunist flavor is coming, meaning RICE's biggest flavor pack is going to get even bigger in the upcoming 1.4.1 "Zun" update - I'll do a dev diary on it hopefully this weekend. And a couple teaser screenshots in the meanwhile:
