• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.

CK2 Dev Diary #36: The Witching Hour

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a good time during the Holidays. I know I did, but now it’s time to don the crown, strap on the sword and get back to work on Crusader Kings II (and my other game, of course...) Now, what better way to start off the new year than with a bit of harmless witchery? In the terribly long eras before the great thinkers of the Age of Reason would have us replace magic with science, the “occult” was of course seen as a normal part of life, and society lived in fear of curses and evil spells. But… just because you’re superstitious does not mean the witches aren’t out to get you! Just like today, the desperate and the unscrupulous would seek power by any means necessary, including the worship of demons and evil spirits...

society_1.png

This brings us to my favorite Society in the upcoming expansion Monks and Mystics; the Demon Worshippers. These brothers and sisters of the left-hand path come in several varieties: Abrahamics get “Lucifer’s Own”, Tengri pagans get the “Plaguebringers”, the Indian faiths are afflicted with a particularly nasty type of Kali worship, Baltic, Slavic and Finnic pagans get “The Cold Ones” (evil shamans) and Germanic Pagans have those who curry the favor of Hel and of powerful jotuns. Regardless of religious context, they are all united in their self-serving, utterly ruthless quest for power in the world of the living, and care little for their fate in the afterlife. As they advance through the ranks, Demon Worshippers get powers like “Dark Divorce”, “Summon Familiar” and “Tainted Touch” (a health curse.) Through their network of agents, they can also attempt to abduct relatively low ranking characters. Now, a lot of the content for the Demon Worshippers is hard to explain in terms of placebo effects and natural phenomena, so if you don’t care for the supernatural I suggest simply not joining those Societies (because rooting out their covens and persecuting them through your Court Chaplain is reasonably historical and adds flavor to the game.) However, if you really don’t want them around, you can turn them off through a Game Rule.

society_1_power.png

Next up are the infamous Assassins, a Shiite Muslim Society that - unsurprisingly - specializes in murder. The elusive Assassins consider themselves the true followers of Allah, and will do anything to further the advances of Shia Islam and protect their fellow believers. Consisting of loyal warriors as well as competent spies, wielding manipulation and social skills as expertly as a dagger, they specialize in asymmetrical warfare, striking hard at the heart of their enemies. Their special powers include intimidation and murder. For example, they can get a Favor with someone (if you have the Conclave expansion) by leaving a dagger on their pillow. At higher ranks, they can also mark someone for death, so that lower ranked members will get that murder as a mission. Since this Society is also a political entity and a Holy Order of sorts, the Grandmaster gets the power to raise special troops.

society_2.png

There is more to say about these Societies; their other powers, missions and semi-random events, but I don’t want to spoil it all. Oh, and if you have the Way of Life expansion, you can use “Spy On” to find out if a character is a member of a secret Society like the above...

There won’t be a CK2 stream today, but stay tuned for something next week (and a new dev diary, of course)!
 
  • 167
  • 32
  • 30
Reactions:
I guess this means the generic portraits are French then. Are there any other cultures that don't have a portrait pack at this point?

Poles, Bohemians, Bulgarians, Croats, Serbs, and Magyars/Hungarians are the most notorious ones.

Berbers sharing the same portraits as Arabs doesn't seem right to me either.
 
  • 8
  • 1
Reactions:
Doomdark mentioned Alchemists as a society in an earlier DD. Is that still a thing, or are they being lumped in with Hermeticists? Is there any interaction between this society and the Mystical lifestyle trait?

Yeah Dutch. Which is odd dutch and german should have the same, they are the same in this era (Even having them as separate cultures is a anarchronism), while french/norman/english should use the same (since most characters are nobles). Up until the hundred years war the english nobility basically are french. Even today the french are probably the closest culturally linked with the english (except perhaps the americans).

South and West Slavic cultures, as well as Hungarians still use default European portraits.
Default Arabic portraits are used on the entire Arabian peninsula, Levant and North Africa.

Poles, Bohemians, Bulgarians, Croats, Serbs, and Magyars/Hungarians are the most notorious ones.

Berbers sharing the same portraits as Arabs doesn't seem right to me either.

Thanks!
 
  • 3
Reactions:
That's more of a derogatory name that became widespread. You're free to mod it, of course, but we're going to stick with Assassins, which is equally incorrect historically I suppose but nicely descriptive.
Didn't you just say that Hashashin was a derogatory name for them? If so then that's mean it was used to describe them in the period and hence be better than assassins. Calling them Hashashin also 1) is familiar and 2) gives immersion. Calling them the assassins just sounds dumb.
 
  • 8
  • 5
Reactions:
I started to write further explanation, but on reflection I'll just repeat that if you prefer Hashashin you are free to mod it.
 
  • 9
  • 5
  • 5
Reactions:
Poles, Bohemians, Bulgarians, Croats, Serbs, and Magyars/Hungarians are the most notorious ones.

Berbers sharing the same portraits as Arabs doesn't seem right to me either.
I wouldn't mind that provided that those portraits were good. I feel egyptians and levantines sharing with bedouines and berbers to be more problematic.
 
  • 1
Reactions:
Are you restricted to joining the demon cult of your own religion? Would be nice if, for example, North Germanic characters could join the Hel cult even if they're Christians.
 
  • 1
Reactions:
@Darkrenown Can you give us any information about how one would hunt down these witches and other members of secret societies? Or is that for a later dev diary?
If I recall from one of the earlier dev diaries your court chaplain now has its 4th function to be a passive Witchfinder General sort of thing.
 
  • 2
Reactions:
If I recall from one of the earlier dev diaries your court chaplain now has its 4th function to be a passive Witchfinder General sort of thing.

I know there's that, I was curious about how that works, and if there's anything more to it (can exposed members rat out other's? what influences the chances of success or failure to find members? etc.).
 
  • 3
  • 3
Reactions:
These cults will help groggy (did he change his identity?) finally take over Paradox and make Victoria III!

Oh, the things that I could do as a Catholic closeted Jew. I might be able to secretly convert from Catholicism with the help of a Jewish courtier from an event. I could crusade for Jerusalem and retake my homeland without having to deal with the normal Jewish start. I would then borrow money and expel my fellow Jewry and use that money to advance my cult...

Are there any world-ending events at all from either Reaper's Due or Monks and Mystics?
 
  • 2
Reactions:
Oh, the things that I could do as a Catholic closeted Jew. I might be able to secretly convert from Catholicism with the help of a Jewish courtier from an event. I could crusade for Jerusalem and retake my homeland without having to deal with the normal Jewish start. I would then borrow money and expel my fellow Jewry and use that money to advance my cult...

The Pope: "You, king What's-his-name of Whateverland, have truly done a great service to Christendom by reclaiming the Holy Land! By the power of our holy Church I hereby grant you the kingdom of Jerusalem for your line to hold until the end of... What's that thing behind your back?"
King What's-his-name:*hides the menorah under his cloak* "Oh nothing, nothing. Do continue"
The Pope: "And where did you find that silly little hat?"
 
  • 9
  • 1
Reactions:
I guess this means the generic portraits are French then. Are there any other cultures that don't have a portrait pack at this point?

The portraits are for English as in mainly Anglo-Norman, so Norman and the eventual English. Anglo-Saxons are separated from this grouping since they already have their own pack.

The German applies to the Central Germanic culture group and therefore to the Suebi, Germans, Lombards, and Frankish. It also applies to the Dutch

Yeah Dutch. Which is odd dutch and german should have the same, they are the same in this era (Even having them as separate cultures is a anarchronism), while french/norman/english should use the same (since most characters are nobles). Up until the hundred years war the english nobility basically are french. Even today the french are probably the closest culturally linked with the english (except perhaps the americans).

The Dutch use Germangfx. The English set applies to the Normans and eventual English. While it is true that the nobles were often of French descent, there existed a distinct material culture from the style of the French courts, often adoption of trends at a later date or partially incomplete. Honestly, there's just so much variety in vestment that you can easily make separate cultures from a shared clothing system.

I wouldn't mind that provided that those portraits were good. I feel egyptians and levantines sharing with bedouines and berbers to be more problematic.

Ideally, in my mind, the Muslim group should be broken into five or six graphical cultures. But, I'm also heavily in favor of "moremoremore" so I just mod it for my own usage to be that way.
 
  • 8
  • 3
  • 1
Reactions:
Societies are global.

Will it be possible to have realm based societies? If not will it be moddable to have them? I like the idea of having a society that conspires against their liege for their own interests.
 
  • 1
Reactions:
Anglo-Saxons are separated from this grouping since they already have their own pack.
Anglo-Saxons use default portraits. They have a unit pack DLC, not a portrait pack.
 
  • 1
Reactions:
One thing I keep hoping for, and which I think could have been done with this expansion, is knighthoods, honors, awards, personal knightly orders (like The Order of the Garter) with rankings / categories / level of knighthood / honor within those orders / societies (Knight, Knight Grand-Commander, etc.). This would be a very good way to be able to recognize and reward vassals, allies, relatives, courtiers, council members, people you want to think better of you. This could also incorporate better usage and mechanics of knightly orders like the Templars, Hospitalers, Teutonic Order, etc., and non-religious secret societies and orders ala the Illuminati, or the mythical Priory of Sion.
 
  • 8
Reactions: