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theStormWeaver

Lead Dev - Ancient Religions
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Jul 28, 2012
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ACR.jpg

Current Version: 0.46.1 "Imentet"
This thread is for the continuation of the Ancient Religions mod; originally by superskierpat but continued by the team with the gracious help of others.

The original thread is here.
The primary github repository is under user 'xirsoi' (that's me).

Religions currently supported by the mod:
- Celtic Pagan (reformable to Druidic)
- Britannic
- Hellenism (reformable)
- Prometheanism
- Titan Cult
- Egyptian Pagan (reformable to Kemetic)
- Atenism

Kemetic has been copied from the CK2+ mod, with their gracious permission. Currently I only have one event chain to revive Kemetic, but the other two will be coming (hopefully soon) in an upcoming version.

We have every intent to expand on all three of the listed religions. I know that super planned to add a few more (Basque, Gaunche, and Mesopotamian), but I currently have no plans to implement those religions. My only commitment for the moment is to expand on the three available religions and to keep the mod up to date. Those plans may change. Who knows, I may suddenly become a giant fan of the ancient Mesopotamian faith ;)

In the coming days I'll be making posts to give details on the current features for each religion.

Thanks:
superskierpat, for starting this mod.
OrdepNM, for the old EU 4 converter
AnaxXiphos, religious icons, some trait icons and some flags.
Jon Severinsson, for all the original work on the Hellenics
Lascupa0788, for event coding.
Meneth, for help with event coding
Cybrxkhan, for help with event coding and suggestions
Luca0312, for gracefully sharing his work on the winter king mod
schwarherz and the ck2+ team, for their assistance in several areas and allow me to use some of their code
Keegan King, for the Gaulish culture files
zijistark, for event modding help
And anyone else who helped through their discussions, suggestions, bug reports and information.

Downloading the Mod: You can download the mod's various versions by going to the Release section of the repo on github. Alternatively, you can subscribe on the Steam Workshop. There is also a link in my signature.

Versioning Scheme: [Major Version].[Minor Version].[Patch]
Major Versions are guaranteed to break save game compatibility. They will either mark a major milestone in the project's development, or a major change in how it works. This won't happen often. Currently we aren't even at Major Version 1. I will declare version 1 when I feel that the original three religions are at feature parity with the existing religions in the game. These are named after the high god of one of the religions currently supported. v0 is retroactively named Zeus.
Minor Versions contain new features or compatibility updates for new versions of CK2. These will often be incompatible with save games in previous versions, but not necessarily so. These are named after one of the gods from the same pantheon as the high god. v0.36 is named "Venus."
Patches will always be save game compatible and will feature relatively minor changes to fix bugs. These are named after non-god characters associated with the god. v036.1 is named "Adonis."

After Action Reports Using Ancient Religions Reborn:
- The Legacy Renewed by XShoukiX. This AAR has been abandoned.
 

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Celtic Paganism

Celtic Paganism is the faith of the ancient Celtic peoples of modern day France, Spain, Britain, Turkey, and parts of Italy. Led by the Druids, an intellectual caste that, in the later centuries of the religion, took over the priestly duties of the Vates or priests. The religion emphasized bravery, honesty, and glory in battle.

Game Mechanics:
- Celtic Pagans do not suffer opinion loss when raising vassal levies.
- Celtic Pagans suffer prestige loss if they are at peace for too long.
- Celtic Pagans can declare subjugation wars once per lifetime against other pagans.
- Celtic Paganism is a feminist religion.
- Celtic Pagans can have female council members and priests.
- Celtic Pagans have access to the Absolute Cognatic Succession Law.
- Celtic Paganism is a Heroic Religion.
- Celtic Paganism can be reformed.

Druidic is the reformed Celtic Pagan faith and receives the following changes*:

- Druidic suffers opinion loss from raised vassal levies.
- Druidic does not suffer prestige loss when at peace too long.
- Druidic has access to Holy Wars.
- Druidic has a religious head, the Arch Druid of the Circle of Druids.
- The Arch Druid is elected by the Circle of Druids, like the Pope. There are 9 Druids of the Circle, which act like Cardinals.
- The Arch Druid can declare Great Holy Wars.

Heroic Religion Modifiers:
Code:
Modifiers:
    levy_size = 0.15
    retinuesize_perc = 0.3
    garrison_size = 0.2

Home Modifiers
    land_morale = 0.6
    light_infantry_defensive = 0.6
    heavy_infantry_defensive = 0.6
    pikemen_defensive = 0.6
    light_cavalry_defensive = 0.6
    knights_defensive = 0.6
    archers_defensive = 0.6
    horse_archers_defensive = 0.6
    garrison_size = 0.2

Flavor and Features:
- The Fianna is a Holy Order formable by a Celtic Pagan holding the Kingdom of Ireland. The Irish monarch may also enact a decision to vassalize the fennids, but it is costly. Numerous events exist dealing with the Fianna, from courtiers requesting permission to join to a fennid impregnating a courtier. Members of this Holy Order gain the "Fennid" trait (+2 martial, +1 learning, +5 same religion opinion, +20 same trait opinion, +5% fertility, Command Modifiers [+20% vs religious enemies, +20% Morale Damage, -10% Defense]). The Fianna will reform with the Celtic faith. You may also do all the normal Holy Order decisions (loans, building baronies, etc.).
- The Wolf Tails are a Celtic Pagan mercenary company that forms after the first county converts to Celtic Pagan. The Wolf Tails are a bog standard merc company and will reform with the Celtic faith.
- The Sons of Gwydion are a vassalized mercenary company similar to the Varangian Guard. They can be formed by a Druidic Emperor of Prydain and have a series of events based on the Varangian flavor events.
- The Red Dragon Knights are a Druidic Holy Order which forms after the age of Great Holy Wars begins. They are a standard holy order, like the Knights of Santiago, with all of the standard decisions and events that those entail.
- Gaelic cultured Celtic/Druidic pagans have several flavor events involving the voyages of Bran and various mythological creatures.
- Gaelic cultured Celtic/Druidic pagans can hold an Aonach Tailteann, a grand festival to the gods! Your decisions in this festival will have an effect on your entire realm! (VIETerans may be reminded of the Grand Griot celebrations from Immerision that West Africans could hold.)
- Give Offerings to the Sidhe celebration. Various bonuses can be obtained if you sacrifice is accepted, but if not...
- Sacred Symbols are placed in every province, giving a minor bonus. These symbols can be lost if you anger the Sidhe (spirits) of the land! Giving offerings to the Sidhe can appease them and lift the curse.
- The first Welsh, Pictish, or Breton Emperor of Prydain will be nicknamed 'Pendragon' and get a unique Bloodline.
- Accomplished Celtic warriors may become Headhunters, collecting the heads of their defeated enemies and preserving them in Juniper oil as trophies. The truly glorious may become a Living Legend!
- Celtic Pagan rulers send their children to be educated either as Warriors or Druids. Druids are respected in Celtic society, but they can never rule.
- Gaulish culture, with a knight retinue and cultural building. Currently only available via Ruler Designer or console.

Britannic Heresy:
- A matriarchal, monotheistic offshoot of Druidic that replaces Danu with the Roman era persona loci "Britannia", the Holy Mother.
- The default inheritance for Brittanics is Enatic-Cognatic, but they have access to Enatic and Absolute Cognatic.
- All priests are women known as Dryads. They have a matching trait, like the Druids.
- The head of the religion is formed by decision and is known as the Archdryad.
- Unlike in Catholicism the question of investiture is a foregone conclusion; the Archdryad is the supreme spiritual authority and is the final arbiter of religious life.
- The Archdryad is powerful and aware of her authority. She will attempt to interfere in your rule, but you are not without tools to keep her at bay. She can be satisfied with a large tithe, for a time. Should you submit to her authority and do whatever it is she's asking of you, she'll also be satisfied for awhile.
- Britannics may hold a fertility festival called Imbolg, the Welsh name for the ancient pagan festival St Brigid's Day is based on. This festival still celebrates Brigid, who is also venerated as a saint in the Britannic Church. Several flavor events have been designed to create interesting interactions with people in your realm and help establish the lore of the festival.
- Britannic children are expected to be have a Tumoidechais, or "immersion day", which is a kind of baptism. The tumtha, "immersion"/baptism, is expected to be done in the sea. This can make it difficult/expensive for those who lack access to the sea. Those children who are not tumtha by the time they turn 4 are considered "Sych" (dry) and are forever stained by that designation.
- Children of Dryads are considered to be blessed by Britannia herself and receive a special trait to mark their auspicious birth.
- Britannic is considered a reformed faith.*

Planned Features:
- Gaulish revival event chain.
- Expanded education events for the Warrior path.
- Reworked Fianna mechanics.
- More Archdryad interactions, including the ability to have the Archdryad perform your child's Tumtha.

* Not pre-reformed. Various features are assigned to the religion to simulate being reformed, in addition to exceptions made in script for Britannic.
 

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Hellenic Paganism

Hellenic Paganism is the faith of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Probably the most well-known of all pagan religions, Hellenism was the state religion of the Roman Republic for most of its existence, and for the Empire from its founding until Emperor Constantine converted in the 4th century. Hellenism still held on in small pockets for a few centuries, but was entirely irrelevant by the 8th century. It centers on the worship of The Olympians, a pantheon headed by Jupiter, Zeus to Byzantine cultures, god of the sky and thunder.

Game Mechanics*
- Hellenic pagans are vulnerable to missionaries from Christian and Muslim rulers.
- Hellenic Kings may use the Imperial Reconquest CB once per lifetime.
- Hellenism gives access to Subjugation and County Conquest CBs.
- Hellenism gives access to a Hellenic County Liberation CB against non-pagan rulers to take counties that are Roman, Greek, or Italian cultured.
- Hellenic pagans can wage Holy Wars.
- The Pontifex Maximus may declare Great Holy Wars.
- Female Temple Holders.
- Allows Aunt-Nephew marriages
- Access to the Neoplatonic Societies.
- Skeptics and Epicureans are pretty much copies of the Stoics, but they value different traits and educations.
- The Sacred Band holy order may be formed by decision.

Flavor and Features
- Hellenics have been given access to the Restoration of Rome event chain and the Imperial Reconquest CB (when Byzantine/Roman Emperor)
- The IR CB has been altered to a specific list of duchies, rather than duchies within de jure kingdoms, making it immune to de jure drift. The list also better reflects the maximal extent of the Roman Empire.
- Hellenic Kings and Emperors may recreate the priesthood and declare themselves the Pontifex Maximus.
- Roman Cultural Revival: A hellenic mayor may ask his liege to restore the rights and customs of ancient Rome.
- Legionary Roman cultural retinue and Legionary Training Camp cultural building.
- The Pontifex Maximus can appoint girls of the nobility to the Vestal Virgins and select the Vestalis Maxima. These offices are Minor Titles in game, and the appointment lasts for 30 years.
- Vassals of the Pontifex may nominate their daughters to the Vestal Virgins.

Heresies
Prometheanism
- Prometheanism is a pre-reformed** faith.
- Prometheans gain piety while at peace.
- Prometheans do not have access to the Pagan Subjugation CB, and cannot be targeted by it.
- Prometheans do not have access to the Pagan County Conquest CB.
- Prometheanism is a feminist religion, and can have female priests.
- Prometheans cannot raid, even if tribal.
- Promethean short reign penalties are half normal.
- Promethean priests may marry.
- Prometheanism has a formable (via decision) head of religion, the Scholarch of the First Academy.
- Prometheans may hold an Unbinding Festival every three years; a major celebration with various events for flavor.

Titan Cult
- Titanism is an un-reformed faith, and cannot reform.
- Titan Cultists lose prestige if at peace too long.
- Titan Cultist priests can be female, and may marry.
- Titan Cultists may raid, even if not tribal.
- Titan Cultists may raise vassal levies without opinion loss.
- Titan Cultists may take up to 3 concubines.
- Titan Cultists face an increased short reign opinion penalty (double normal, same as regular unreformed pagans),
- Titans may hold a "Great Thysia", a celebration event just like the Viking Blot.

Planned Features
- Olympic Games event chain.
- Restore the Colosseum decision.
- Better Vestales mechanics.
- A pilgrimage style decision to visit one of the Oracles.
- The Epic Blood event chain.

* Features of reformed religion will vary based on chosen Leadership, Doctrines, and Nature.
** Promethean is not technically Pre-Reformed, as that designation is buggy at best. Instead it has been given a set of features that mimic the effects of being reformed and has had been given an exception in various scripts so that it is treated as though it was a reformed religion.
 

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Kemetic Paganism
Literally meaning 'Ancient Egyptian Faith' in Egyptian, this is easily one of the most well known and recognized ancient faiths in the western world. Featuring a staggering pantheon of over three hundred gods, the Egyptians had all the bases covered, several times over! The concept of Divine Blood that runs through Kemetism meant that the Pharoah was, essentially, a god in waiting. This resulted in a significant blurring of lines between religious and secular government, but practically speaking the day to day religious affairs were handled by a vast number of priests that were de facto led by the High Priest of Amon.

Game Mechanics

- Kemetics have river movement.
- Kemetic priests may be women, and may marry.
- Kemetics may have up to 4 wives (but no concubines, because that breaks the GUI a bit).
- Kemetism allows sibling marriage.
- Kemetism has the Divine Blood mechanic.
- The Paragon Xraj of Amon may call Great Holy Wars.
- 1/3 revival event chains complete (Lost on Pilgrimage/Hajj).

Flavor and Features
- Kemetics have access to the Pyramid Great Work.
- Hold Sed Festival decision, available after 30 years of rule and every 3 years after.
- The Horus Guard and Anubis Guard are Kemetic Holy Orders formable by decision.
- The great temple city of Luxor can be rebuilt via decision, giving a whole new city and a special modifier to the province of Asyut in Egypt.
- Big pile of random flavor events.
- Coptic culture is available via Ruler Designer.
- Cultural Retinue (Anhuri Warriors) and building (Temple of Anhur).

Heresies
Atenism
- Atenism is the exclusive worship of the Sun Disk, Aten.
- Aten Pagans have access to all of the decisions available to Kemetic Pagans.
- A creatable religious head, a King tier feudal style title, like the Fylkir, called the Meryaten.
- The Burning Blades Holy Order, creatable via decision by the Meryaten.
- Ability to restore the city of Akhetaten.


Planned Features
- Restoration event chains for Kemetism (1/3 complete)
- Coptic restoration event chain.
- Patron Deities system for Kemetism.
- Go all Baskin Robbins on Kemetism/Atenism.
 
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This is really good. Best of luck man. :D
 
This is really cool to see. How does one convert to Hellenism besides the usual console command it in? Also, is this updated for the current patch with Way of Life? I'd love to sink my teeth into it!
 
Is this compatible with other mods? Want to try this with CK2+ or HIP
It's already in CK2Plus. We just don't use the same conversion mechanic.
 
I hopes this goes really well!
Btw are you also planning to add coptic/kemetic/old egyptian culture to go along with the kemetic relgion for v0.4?

Well, I've been thinking of introducing a "Gaulish" revival, and we already have Roman cultural revival, so why not?
I mean, it wouldn't be a true Coptic culture, but a new revivalist culture that self-identifies as Coptic. It's the same with Roman and Gaulish.

This is really cool to see. How does one convert to Hellenism besides the usual console command it in? Also, is this updated for the current patch with Way of Life? I'd love to sink my teeth into it!

Well, there's always Ruler Designer. The only conversion mechanic I'm aware of (for Hellenic) is for a courtier to get a special event where they "study the classics" and decide to convert. From there I believe there are events to allow the ruler to convert. There is also the "Gone Pagan" decision that allows cultures that were Hellenic pagan in the ancient past (Byzantine and Italian cultures) to convert when their (non-pagan) religion's Moral Authority is very low (under 30 if you are not Zealous or Cynical, under... 15? with no other restrictions). Gone Pagan is from CK2+.

Ancient Religions is up to date with CK2. It does not currently take advantage of any new features introduced in 2.3.

Is this compatible with other mods? Want to try this with CK2+ or HIP

It is not currently compatible with other mods, but as schwarherz said, it was incorporated into CK2+. The version in CK2+ is from before I got involved, and they've done some work on it in CK2+ since then, so there are probably additions and differences.

So only the conversion mechanic is different from this version to the current CK2+?

Edit: Because the new holy order for Celtic sound really cool :D

The Celts currently have three possible conversion paths. The first is the Gone Pagan decision I mentioned above. The second is to rule over the western isles (Innse Gall), directly or otherwise, and to be ill in some way. If you manage to be ill and not die, after a few years you'll get an event about visiting the pagans on St. Kilda to be healed. Those who are sympathetic to pagans are more likely to get the event. Second is to be an insane Celtic cultured character. You'll be visited by elves and have the chance to convert. The third is to be visited by an old druid who will offer to become your court wizard. A long series of events will allow you to eventually convert. I feel like there is a fourth, but I'm forgetting what it would be.

I don't know how CK2+ handles conversion to the ancient faiths.

I'm glad you like the sound of the holy orders :) I cannot claim any credit for those myself, I just finished what super started.
 
I liked the picture in the original thread, subscribed anyway. ;)

If you do end up making Basque paganism, we might just steal it for WtWSMS as we have some provinces that should be of that culture. If we make it before you, you would be free to use our files as a base.
 
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Glad that this mod stays alive !!

@theStormWeaver For mod feature summary you can inspire from http://www.ckiiwiki.com/Ancient_Religions ;)

I'll have to update that page tonight, there have been some small changes to druidic since that was written. Thank you!

I liked the picture in the original thread, subscribed anyway. ;)

If you do end up making Basque paganism, we might just steal it for WtWSMS as we have some provinces that should be of that culture. If we make it before you, you would be free to use our files as a base.

Sounds great, thank you.
I'm thinking of making a new image that only includes the three planned/implemented religions, so as not to imply content I don't intend to create.
If you like, and haven't implemented it already, I'd be fine with you using AR's Celtic Paganism and associated mechanics. In the early to mid 5th century Ireland and Scotland should still be pagan majority.
 
Sounds great, thank you.
I'm thinking of making a new image that only includes the three planned/implemented religions, so as not to imply content I don't intend to create.
If you like, and haven't implemented it already, I'd be fine with you using AR's Celtic Paganism and associated mechanics. In the early to mid 5th century Ireland and Scotland should still be pagan majority.
We have it already, and got the permission by superskierpat as far as I remember. But we will use any new material/events and adapt it if needed. ;)
 
Regarding Egyptian paganism, I was thinking about a decision to hold a Sed festival (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sed_festival)
Requirements would be that the Pharaoh has ruled for 30 years (tough !), and festival can be renewed every 3 years after that.

Any ideas on some interesting effects for gameplay (opinion, health ?, ...) or events ? I was thinking maybe some effects could be incremental each time you hold it (ex: N piety the 1st time, 2xN piety the 2nd, ...)
They primarily were held to rejuvenate the Pharaoh's strength and stamina while still sitting on the throne, celebrating the continued success of the Pharaoh. This significant celebration was a ritual during which the king's right to rule and his royal powers were renewed.