[Mod] New Era - Old World

[Rufy_King]

(Remake of "After the End - Old World: Dev Diary 1 - No one ever expects the Spanish... Church?", originally published 13 May 2019)

Our first Dev Diary will take us to the lands of Hiberia. Here, Spain and Portugal once stood, mighty Catholic Empires on which, they say, the Sun Never Set. Those times, however, are long gone, and today the lands of Spain are as divided as the rest of the world. However, here too many claim to be King.

Portugal, the last Catholics of Hiberia
The lands of Portugal did not survive the Event unscathed. However, where many other Kingdoms never rose again from the dust of time, Portugal did. Under the rule of House Avril, founded by Calixto the Founder, the Portuguese rebuilt, and today Portugal controls all of his pre-Event land. This is, however, only a minor grace for the Kings of this surrounded land.
On all sides, the Schismatics or, as they call themselves, the Palmarian, threaten them, while their corsairs often land in Portugal to pillage an block trade. Neither can they hope to expand in Spain like the legendary king Sebastiao did, for the strong King of Morocco controls the Atlantic and would stop them at any cost.
King Vinicius is a man in grief, after the death of his loved queen, Cintia, and his sons are not yet of age.

All that keeps the kingdom from perishing is their pride and their faith. For they are the only shield of one of the Catholic Holy Sites. They defend Fatima, and for it they would die to the last man. And they are the Portuguese, the men on the western edge of the world.

The Palmarian Church
The Palmarian Church, that in 2555 is the majoritarian faith in the peninsula, is a religion born before the Event. It's believers claim that the Virgin Mary itself appeared to order the true Christians to move the capital of Christendom from Rome to El Palmar de Troya, in Andalusia. Those that believed formed the original core of the Church. Seen only as antipopes, however the event came to change everything. Many previous non believers and Catholic felt the Event was a punishment for their sin, and slowly but steadily the Palmarian Church grew. Today, all the Spanish kingdoms bend to the True Pope in Palmar. Currently, the Pope is Pablo Cortés. Of course, the Catholics only see them as a Schismatics.

The Broken Crown of Castille
Once, the Kingdom of Castille seemed on the verge of unifying Spain once more. Expanding from Galicia to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and claiming descent from pre-Event kings, Castille was the most powerful kingdom of the region. However, then came the reign of failed kings. Extremadura and Galicia banded together, and declared their independence. And with them came the crows. Andalusia and Catalonia invaded Castille from the south, taking away precious cities. Today, Castille is a weakened realm, ruled by the elderly Alfonso IX Bourbon. His son, the Duke of Leon, might be the best hope of the Kingdom... if his brothers don't try to do something about him now.

The rebel lords: Galicia y Asturias and Extremadura
It has only been three generations since the land of Galicia, Asturia and Extremadura declared independence from Castille, and yet their two histories have already diverged a lot. The youngest, weakest ruler of the region, the lord of Galicia y Asturias has declared himself King, and after three generation many consider his lands de jure, but that does not change the fact that was Castille, even weakened as it is, to turn its might on the young kingdom, there would be no hope for survival. And this, King Ramiro Jimena, who claims to descend from no less than the first kings of Spain, knows very well.

King Ramiro has arranged the marriage of his sister, Urraca, to a man that is in an even harder position: Hernan III Cortés, the third independent Duke of Extremadura. The brave warrior that rules the disputed border between Portugal, Castille and Andalusia is still without heir, but he has to worry most about the kings of Castille, who wish to reconquer their lost Duchy. For this, Duke Cortés counts on the bond with his uncle, the Palmarian Pope, for protection. Only time will tell if this will be enough.

Andalusia, the core of the Palmarian faith
The first region that after the event converted to the Palmarian faith was none other than Andalusia. And today, Andalusia prides itself of holding the holy site of Palos and being the shield that protects the True Papacy. The Andalusian Kings gained much from the weakening of their northern neighbours of Castille, and many see this as the opportunity for the King of Andalusia to finally ascend to be the first power in Spain. King Ordono de Vivar, ruler of Andalusia, has a secure dynasty thanks to his children and his many distant relatives, a powerful realm second only to the Catalan and the blessing of the Pope.

The Great Kingdom of Catalonia
Even before the Event, Catalonia claimed independence from Spain. Now, after the event, it does not surprise that the kingdom of Catalonia rules from Barcelona on a vast land that has even grown in the last century, after the fall of Murcia. However, this vast land is very diverse, with the Aragonese in the interior and the Castillan Duke of Murcia both opposed to the control of the Kings in Barcelona, the former whispering of the legendary Kingdom of Aragona and the other plotting to reunite with his true king. King Pere II Posas has to walk a dangerous path, to secure his internal borders and expand. However, his most precious vassal is the Merchant Republic of Mallorca, so what he lacks in military might he makes up in coins. Only time will tell if this will be enough to hold the Kingdom together.

The Basque Kingdom
Equally as willing even before the Event to claim independence, the Basque today rule their own Kingdom. And unlike the squabbling spanish, they look north to more conquest. The divided lands of France interest them and, save for the Occitan Duke, none of their neighbours can hope to resist them. However, the Basque are in a dangerous position, since that Duke is ambitious. King Antso VII Aguirre, however, is more than ready to fight.

This concludes our overview of Spain. For any question, we are ready to answer.

 

[Rufy_King]

(Originally published as "After the End Old World - Dev Diary 2: Where do Yugo in the Balkans? on )
Sorry for the delay in publishing this second DD guys, but we are here again. Today we take a look at the political situation of the Balkans.

The Empire of Yugoslavia and the Church of the Crossed Moon
For a long time after the Event, the Balkans remained divided in many kingdoms, great and small, at war with each other for land and religious dominance. Sunni, Catholic and Orthodox fought an harsh battle where territorial gain where lost in the next war, in a great bloodshed that made all of them weaker. Of this took notice Greece, that under the faith of Hellenism marched north.

However, when the force of the Hellenists invaded the northern countries, the six great kings of the Balkans - Bosnia, Slovenija, Hrvatska, Serbia, Bulgaria and Albania - joined forces and repelled the invader, under the flag of an ancient Kingdom of legend called Yugoslavia, that many said was "strong enough to resist the Eagle and the Bear". After the war, the 5 surviving kings - the King of Albania died of an unfortunate wound in the midst of battle, although many note he was the one in strongest opposition to uniting in an Empire, and show equal suspicion of the severe wound to the head of the King of Bulgaria, that made him unable to properly express his doubts until the process of unification was too close to completion to pull out without facing the united armies of the other nations - agreed on forming a single Empire that would span from Albania to Slovenia. The King of Serbia was elected first Car, and it was decided the successive Cars would be elected by the five kings and the dukes of Albania.

The Empire survived, but faced a great internal threat: too many faiths existed in the Kingdoms, and the Emperor could not force the conversion of the kings without risking a great rebellion. After many Emperors had sat on the throne, one of them created the church of Yugoslavism, the faith that would unite all the people under one faith. Through much work in persuasion and no little use of threats, he convinced the Kings - although all showed great scepticism, and all are known to not openly enforce the faith - to adopt the new faith he had created, a mixture of Catholic practices, Orthodox interpretation of the Bible and the inclusion of the teachings of the Prophet of Sunni Islam. While he was convinced this would mark the end of religious war in Yugoslavia, it is known that this is nothing more than a feeble attempt, and without the enforcing of many Emperors it will disappear as a side note in the history of the Empire... if the Empire is to survive at all.

The Fallen Kingdom
After the Event, Hellenism had grown in popularity in Greece, as preacher after preacher found old ruins of great beauty and deduced that their abandonment had weakened the Gods and freed the Titans, caused a second war and ultimately the Event. To avoid this, they claimed, all men have to follow the teachings of the gods of old Greece. And so, at it's zenit, Greece was a kingdom that ruled from Cyprus to the doors of Istanbul, a domain of great power and with all intention to expand. But after the war, all was lost. The Kings were stripped of their western land, forced to pay tribute in both soldiers and gold, and many part of the country broke free of the King's control, later forming their own domain or bending to other kings. And today, the Kingdom of Greece is just a shadow of what it once was. But if disaster was to strike Yugoslavia, Greece would have it's chance...

One of those that broke free is the island domain of Naxos. This group of islands in the Aegean Sea survives not through the sword, but through the coin: This Republic controls the route that from the Merchant Republic of Crimea enters the Mediterranean, and all the trade to Constantinople from there, making it the richest Hellenist land by far. However, it has it's own hurdle. The King of Greece may decide at any time to reclaim it's old land, and it will be up to Naxos to prove what's strongest, the gold or the iron.

The new Kingdom
Seeing the state of Greece, many Hellenist have argued that there may be a new chance for the faith might rise in a new kingdom. Following the tale of the legendary conquests of the Gods Dyonisus and Alexandros, many Hellenist sailed east, never to come back... Except for one. The adventurer Ilias Tsekrekos led a force to the coasts of Turkey, to carve in the east a new home for his people. Divided, the Turks of the coast fell, and Anatolia was established, the "last hope of Hellenism, as many see it". However, the Turks are certainly not going to just surrender to an invader, and only he can determine wether the Kingdom will succeed or fall.

 

[Rufy_King]

Sorry for the long delay to all the people interested in the project, but it's exam season and something had to take the backseat [Wow this intro is relevant again].
Still, we are finally here with a new one.

Britannia, Rule the Waves

After the Event, the British Isles have seen a great deal of transformations. The followers of the faith of Old Thelema, before a minority, raised slowly in power, thanks to a fall in the old beliefs and the conquest of Britain at the ends of the semi-legendary Emperor Arthur Crowtemple. Meanwhile, the population too saw a change, with Welsh speaking people gaining an unheard of population advantage over the English speakers. Thus, the British Language was born, a form of English heavily influenced by the Welsh way of writing and talking. And under the rule of the Lord Protectors, Britannia has expanded, first to the Scots and Irish, and then to the mainland, taking over the disorganized French.

[Britannia in 2555]

Lord Protector, King and Goverwrs

There is and will always be only one ruler of Britannia, the immortal Queen. But, until she decides it is time to come back to her throne, it is the Lord Protector that has to hold it for her. And house Cyflymarian, whose current leader is Lord Protector Frederick II, has proven more than capable, expanding the rule of Her Immortal Majesty from Faroya to Thouars.

Under him are three rulers that help him to govern his vast lands: the King of Scotland and the Goverwrs of Ireland and Brittany.

The King of Scotland is an oddity, for he is the only ruler of such rank that has the right of bearing the title of King, and the only ruler of this rank that is not British, but Scottish. The Scots have fought a long battle for their lands, and it was only through marriage that their relation was pacified. This, neither King William Wallace nor the Lord Protectors have forgotten.

The Irish fought as dearly, if not more, but the death in combat of their last king in the Battle of Dublin left them fractured, and the British conquered the island. When the Irish-Scottish Rebellion failed, the kingdom fell once and for all. House Russel was made their Governwr, an hated family that constantly has to fight revolts great and small. Governwr John Russel is the current holder of the crown of Ireland, but the lords he rules are far from loyal.

Brittany became the first point where the British landed. When the Redcoats were sighted, a fierce battle ensued, but ultimately a pointless one, because at this point the might of Britannia was far superior to that of Numenor. Above them, was crowned House Spatstone (Which if you have ever played on the East Coast in AtE around the time of the Redcoat invasion, you should know well). In little more than a century, most of Northern France has fallen, with only the Bonaparte of Pas de Calais, once Emperors, still holding their fierce independence.

Royal Blood and Poets of Old

Many British dukes serve under the Lord Protector, powerful believers of the Thelemic faith.

Two of them claim to descend from royal families of times long gone: Henry Tudor of Gloukestyr and George Windsor of Norffumberland both consider themselves next in line to the throne, but both are far weaker than the Lord Protector. But perhaps one of those men will see the crown on their house head, like they claim it was before the Event.

On the opposite, Duke Michael of Ioork and Duke Richard of Laupwll claim to descend not from great kings, but from great composers. Older than most lords in the known world, those famous poets are well respected by their Lord and their vassals, who claim similar descent from their trusted companions.

Great women and new faces

If the Dukes of old England are so powerful, the Duchesses are no less. Duchess Margaret of Lincoln is a strong willed woman, that from the family of her father, house Newton, inherited a fascination for the mystic world. Meanwhile, Duchess Boudica Nelson is one of the greatest naval and land commanders of the Empire, and many say she will soon be granted the title of commander, the first woman to do so since the Event.

However, not every family claims to come from great men before the event. Duke Spike Edney is from an ancient Thelema family, and Duke Tristan Flamank, while bearing an ancient name, has no known claim on the family, instead boasting to descend from an hero from times long gone. More importantly, Duke Tristan is a Westlander, a separate culture from the British, and a believer of the Summer Queen, a Thelemic faith born in Cornwall that is only relatively close to the faith of the rest of Britain.

The men once known as Welsh, and the lord of Mann

If there is a country that has gained influence from the Event, that is Welsh. The dukes of Wales are powerful and respected, for it is said they were the first to influence the English language and culture and guide it to become the British culture of today. Be it Duke Rolls-Royce, Duke Montgomery or Duke Squires, the men of old Wales are influential lords with great power over the politics of Britannia. Only Duke Lawrence stubbornly holds on the ancient ways of the Old Welsh.

Meanwhile, still isolated after so many years, the Lord of Mann bent the knee, but still follow only a man of their own. Lord Illiam Gibb is a known commander, but is rarely seen outside of his dominion, and calls himself High Chief instead of Duke.

There are many more rulers to see in Britannia, both under the various governwrs or counts that have not been given a spot due to space. But we will leave them for the future. For now, know that the Empire may appear united, but in truth has many faiths in it's territory.

 

[Rufy_King]

After the End Old World - Dev Diary 5: Kaiser...reichs?

In today's Dev Diary, which took me way too long to repost we take a look at the region that forms the German Empire in AtE. It is a land where four different kings and many, many Dukes and Counts fight for supremacy, with the dream of one day reforming the Ancient German Empire.

Germany in 2555

The four Kings: Prussia, Switzerland, Bavaria and... Leichtenstein?
Long ages have passed since a single ruler has controlled all of Germany. Where once stood a single Emperor, now domains rise and fall in a night, all dreaming to rule once again over all the Germans. And no dinasty embodies this desire to reform the Empire more than the Zollerns of Prussia. Between the 24th and 25th Century, the Zollerns, following an heresy of the Lutheran faith called Prussianism, expanded their control over various neighbouring states.

At it's peak, Prussia ruled most of Saxony and had even conquered up to Holstein, usually installing Prussian Dukes to rule over their new subjects. Then, Prussia looked east, to restore it's rule on the land that they considered theirs. The invasion of Poland and the northern states seemed a success at first, until in 2430 the Prussians came to the walls of the Republic of Danzig. Here, against all odds, the army of the Republic and the mercenary bands they hired fought valiantly, managing not only to defeat the Prussian army, but also to capture the King himself.

Thus, the war ended, and so did the dreams of conquest of the Prussians. They were forced to renounce the Prussianist faith, returning to mainstream Lutheranism, and to give independence to many of their vassals both west and north. Now, Prussia is only a shadow of it's former self, and while some kings did succeed in retaking lands east and west, none has ever brought back the Prussian Kingdom to it's former glory.

To the southwest, on the opposite, Switzerland has gained much since the Event. The Calvinist church has become the country's national church, and many claim that the great conquest in formerly French land is proof of the benevolence of God. Controlling vast territories in France and some in Northern Italy, Switzerland is currently the most powerful German Kingdom. However, the nature of Calvinism makes it so that an unjust ruler risks to be struck down by his own vassals.

The small Kingdom of Bavaria is the youngest of the German Kingdoms, and has to compete with many bordering dukes. Yet, this Catholic domain in the south east seems to be destined to great things, as many notice it's growth year after year. Only time will tell if Bavaria is going to be successful.

Lastly, the small Kingdom of Lichtenstein is an oddity: this minuscule kingdom that from Vaduz rules over what many would consider a single province is surrounded by many, stronger foes. Yet, for all it's history since the event, this kingdom has held on it's independence, under the rule of it's Grand Prince. And while adopting the Calvinist faith was seen by many as a way to bend the knee to Switzerland, no formal tribute has ever been paid to the great kingdom bordering Leichtenstein. What can Leichtenstein expect in the future?

The southern Dukes

In the lands between Bavaria and Switzerland, many dukes and counts have risen and fallen from power since the Event, and many dynasties have come and gone. Austria, Nordgau and Swabia, however, are the only ones that survive to this day.

Austria, ruled by a man that claims descent from the same Von Habsburg that ruled many Empires, is the easternmost power in the country. Bordering the Dukes of Czechia to the north and the King of Bavaria to the west, both claiming lands currently under the Duke's domain, Austria however finds itself in a difficult position, and their dream of restoring the Empire may be destined to an abrupt end.

Nordgau, located between Prussia and Bavaria, is nonetheless in a far better position. Ancient and strong, the High Chiefdom of Nordgau was considered the closest candidate for the crown of Bavaria for many centuries, and so has not taken well the birth of the Kingdom to the south under a feudal ruler. About evenly matched, only time will tell who will come out as the true King of the Bavarian lands.

Swabia, on the other hand, is not locked in any political fight, but rather in a religious fight: many of the subjects of the Duke are still Catholic, and therefore being ruled by a Lutheran lord is source of many issues in the region. The conversion of the Dukes of Swabia dates back to the time of Prussian expansionism, and was seen as a convenient tool to later "accept" the Prussianist faith. However, after the fall of Prussia, the lords have never been able to turn their back to the Lutheran faith, as they could not renounce twice a faith without being considered untrustworthy by the church. However, fact remains that Swabia is the only Lutheran lordship in the south, and may be risking a lot in holding this belief.

The Catholics of Rheinland

The lands of Western Germany, taking the name from the great river Rhein, are usually called Rheinland. And here, unlike in most of the surrounding regions, the Catholic faith still holds, rooted in three small but combative duchies.

Alsace, located to the north of Switzerland and the east of Luxemburg, is however a strong Catholic nation, at least for northern Germany's stander. The risk of invasion from the Calvinist and the Novelist puts the inhabitant of Alsace in constant need of allies, and so it's not surprising that the lack of heirs of the current Duke, and therefore a lack of allies, is seen as a great danger for the nation.

To the north, Trier is ruled by a stronger lord. A veteran that has fought in many wars against the Novelist to the west and the Lutherans to the east, this has left him disfigured and one-handed, but nonetheless Duke Julius still is considered a great ally of all catholics... as long as they don't find themselves in the way of his ambitions.

Finally, the weakest of the Dukes, the Duke of Cologne, finds himself in the most dangerous of locations: with the Lutherans of Hesse and Munster Deutschland to the east, and the Novelist kings to the north and west, many see it only has a matter of time before Cologne falls. Yet, this far, they have survived, at great cost of lifes and money. Wether they can survive or not, depends on the power of the Duke.

The small duchies

In the age of the Prussian expansion, many smaller lord in central Germany chose to band the knee and become tributaries of the Kings of Prussia, instead of falling like the first few had done. After the Battle of Danzig and the Prussian defeat, those same tributaries freed themselves of prussian control and returned to their old ways of fighting for supremacy in central Germany. In 2555, three small duchies control those lands.

Munster Deutschland, the northernmost one, is in a bad situation. With Bremen growing in power to the east and the novelist of Holland taking lands to the north, it seems it's only a matter of time before they fall for the powers surrounding them.

The Duke of Franconia has expanded west, gaining a foothold in the Rheinland. However, this same hold is challenged by the count of Frankfurt, who defeated the Franconian armies many time before. It is up to the Duke to make the count bend the knee.

Hesse, the last small duchy of Central Germany, is in a location considered by many hard to defend: those plains are located right at the center of Germany. Many see Hesse as a country destined to fall, and it is the Duke that once agains has to ensure it's survival.

The dukes that were once Prussians

The three duchies closest to Prussia were once ruled directly by the Kingdom, until gaining independence after the Kingdom's defeat. One of the reasons for this was their different government. After the Event, many lands in Europe fell to tribalism. However, by 2555 most of western and central Europe have returned to Feudalism. It is not the case, however, for Bremen and Saxony. Originally, it was Prussian intention to slowly make the tribes return to feudalism after the victory in the east, to make sure morale remained high during the campaign. Yet, the defeat stopped completely this plan. Since then, the Dukes (spregiativelly called High Chiefs by the bordering lords) have preserved the Tribal rule to make sure they wouldn't be overtrhoned, being not of the same culture as the majority of their subject. Only a great victory could raise the Dukes high enough to become proper feudal lords once again.

The Duchy of Saxony is the closest to Prussia, being the only one that still borders the Kingdom. This tribal lords often raid nearby kingdoms, though never Prussia, since that would be incredibly dangeous. Yet, those raids are seen by many as a way to gain money and fame to expand, and Saxony is kept under watch by many bordering powers.

The Duchy of Bremen, to the east, is a growing power that has conquered many lands in northern Germany. Less prone to raiding than their neighbour, nonetheless the Bremen men are feared and respected in all neighbouring lands. However, the danger of Novelist Holland to the east is in turn a great concern to the Dukes.

Lastly, Holstein is a different situation. The northernmost German lord has his eyes not on Germany, but on the weaker and divided Danish lords. While many of his subjects are less than happy about his intentions, particularly the danish in the north, it is clear that Duke Franz is a man that has more interest to the north than in the south.

Lutherans and Calvinists: the churches of Germany

Lutheranism and Calvinism date long before the Event. Yet, the two religions are in much different situations: Lutheranism, once the majoritarian faith in northern Europe, is now reduced to only west Germany and some lands in Scandinavia, mostly subistituted by newer and older faiths.

Calvinism, on the other hand, while mostly limited to Switzerland, has gained quite a lot of land, expanding into French and parts of Italy,as well as becoming the first Church of Lichtenstein. It's belief on predestination is embodied in the difficulties the rulers can experience if they dare to stride from God's path. Any action in such way would be seen as a sign of predestination to damnation, and therefore harshly opposed by the lords of a Calvinist domain.

 

[Rufy_King]

Dev Diary 6: Catholic Heartland

Some nations in Europe have an history of being broken in many, many pieces. Italy, is no exception. And it is only to be expected that, after the Event, the country would go back to his ancient rivalries and wars. Yet, new states have emerged from this war. Nations that once were never heard of now battle for supremacy over the Italian Peninsula. From Friuli to Sicilia, new and old states have appeared to claim the throne of Italia... or to die trying.

Italy in 2555

Northern Italy: The Broken Land

Northern Italy, in 2555, can be cleanly divided into an eastern part and a western part. To the west, the pressure of the Swiss conquest keeps the nation divided, broken in many small, regional lords. Some of those claim descent from some ancient ruler before the Event. Only Duke Vittorio Amedeo Savoia, the self-proclaimed Heir of Kings, dares to call himself a Duke, but his power, like that of the other piemontese and lombard rulers, does not extend far.

To the east, on the other hand, many rulers have emerged, battling for power over this corner of the peninsula. One of those is the Duke of Veneto, Romeo Salgari. Not to be underestimated despite his young age, Duke Romeo controls all of ancient Veneto, except for one domain.

The Doge of Venezia, Marco Mose, is still resisting any offer of annexation to the Duke's kingdom. Rich and powerful, Venezia is the only Republic that has resurrected from it's ancient past, all thanks to it's isolated position that protects it from any assault from land (at least since the bridge once built to connect it to the mainland fell apart). Still, the situation of the city state is risky.

Meanwhile, the Duke of Tyrol, Cesare de Gasperi, controls the mountains of Trento and Bolzano. While he nominally claims land beyond the Alps, he has never moved north, probably because the region he claims is actually controlled by the Count of Innsbruck and the powerful Duke of Swabia. Yet, many say a fire burns inside this man, and only time will tell if his future is just isolated in his current lands.




Central Italy: San Marino, Emilia and Toscana

In the central region of Italy, two are the great rulers that fight for control over the region: the Kingdom of San Marino and the Duke of Toscana. On one side, San Marino has greatly expended since the event, taking over the lands of Le Marche and Romagna. San Marino has become the capital of a prosperous kingdom ruled by the powerful King Vincenzo Guidi, recently elected over other lords, including the powerful Duke of Romagna.

On the other hand, the Duke of Toscana controls even more land. Pisa, Piombino, Arezzo, Siena, all proud, powerful cities that have bent the knee and follow the Duke, ruling from Firenze. Duke Niccolò Innocenti however looks with a worried look towards the bordering Kingdom, and prepares for a battle that may come.

Meanwhile, the Duke of Emilia is a minor power, and therefore has to look at both nation with fear. On one side, for generations San Marino has claimed the lands of "all the ancient Emilia-Romagna". On the other, however, he knows that Duke Niccolò is interested in expanding his power. It is an harsh world, and Duke Luca Ferrari has to keep a delicate balance to not be swallowed.

The Papacy in Rome
Of course, the Papacy still holds the great city. The seat of Saint Peter may be weaker than it was in centuries past, but since the time of the Event it has done it's best to protect the Catholic faith. And while it has not always been succesful, some murmur that this will soon change.

Southern Italy: The Five Duchies

In the south, instead, five great duchies rule over the country, constantly fighting to gain advantage over the others. Now calling themselves Neapolitans, Sicilian or Pugliese, all southern ruler aim to unite the nation once more.

Abruzzo, to the north, is the weakest of the Duchies. Yet, Duke Simone Giuliani is one of the best rulers it's land has ever had. Maybe, it is a sign of good times to come. Or perhaps there is nothing he can do to fight against the bordering states.

Meanwhile, no southern country is more extended than Campania. From Napoli, Duke Pietro Napolitano controls all the land from the southern border of Rome to the northern border of Calabria. And with this much power, he can truly look at the crown of Two Sicilies, if only he can hold together his vassals.

But if we talk of military might, Duchess Maria Lorusso, ruler of Puglia, is the strongest. Ruling over the nation closest to the Balcan coast and the powerful Empire on that side, the military of Puglia makes it the most powerful Duchy. However, the first concern of Duchess Maria, the last of her family, is succession.

In a similar position to the Duke of Abruzzo, the Duke of Calabria, Enzo Spadafora, is another weak lord, ruling however over a more defendable position. Yet, it is only up to him to hold together the Duchy his ancestor built.

Lastly, Sicily is at this point a nation of it's own. Ruled by Duke Salvatore Russo, Sicily is more isolated, but this isolation gives it the ability to amass power. Perhaps, even to compete with the other island nation.

The Kingdom of Sardinia: from Provence to Tunisi

The Kingdom of Sardinia is an expansionist nation. Originally closed in the island it takes the name from, however it quickly grew. First it conquered Corsica, allowing however for a Corsu ruler to maintain control of the nation. Then, it invaded Provence, taking lands from the Novelists of the area and even from the Swiss. And now, it has landed in North Africa, capturing Tunis and now menacing the nearby nation. Only time will tell how far the expansion of Sardinia will go. Time, and the will of King Vittorio Saragat and his successors.

The Shield of Christianity, the Holy Knights of Malta
To the south of Italy, in the middle of the Mediterranean, stands the island of Malta. And here was established the base of the Holy Order of the Knights of Malta. While some claim they are direct descendants of the ancient organization that once protected Christianity, other claim they are only a group that chose to bring the order back to life. Either way, the Knights rule Malta and pledge to protect Catholicism from all it's enemies.

 

[Rufy_King]

We finally are back with another DD from the Old World. And this time, we visit the lands of Continental Scandinavia (Iceland will receive it's own mini DD, due to it's particular situation).

In the land of Scandinavia, the Event has divided the countries, but has not destroyed the memory of their ancient unity. Norway and Sweden still exist, although greatly diminished, and while the continuous warfare with the bordering powers has broken up both Denmark and Finland, their people still exist.

Scandinavia in 2555

Martin Luther, Väinämöinen and Alfred Nobel

One faith still holds in Scandinavia from before the Event, although greatly diminished: the Lutherans, the rulers of all Denmark and of the mountains in central Scandinavia.

Meanwhile, in Finland and Karelia, a new pagan belief has emerged: this new Suomenusko faith, while similar to it's ancient predecessor, shows a great influence from the Kalevala, the national epic of those lands. Both in Finland and Karelia, both in the land of the Finns, the land of the Karelians and the land of the Sami, the pantheon now praises Ukko and Ilmatar, and many search for Pohjola and the Sampo, fearing Louhi and telling tales of the power of the Kantele.

Last but not least, the new faith of the self proclaimed kings of Sweden and Norway, whose power in reality is limited to the southern coasts, is that of the Nobelians. This Old World Cults is based on the desire to restore the knowledge of the ancient world. To it's followers, Alfred Nobel was a God of Knowledge, and those that received the prize were those that brought to humanity it's power and wisdom. After the Event, it is now up to the Nobelians to restore the Old World to it's ancient power, not through violence, but by searching and restoring ancient knowledge. Yet, some whisper that the faith should not be peaceful, and that Nobel himself was a bringer of death as well as wisdom. Those few are hidden from the public eye, their belief deemed an heresy... but will this always be the case?

Kings of the south
Ruling over the Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, the two most powerful nobelian rulers look north to expand their domains.
King Arvid Katilberg, ruler of the Kingdom of Sweden, is well known Stockholmer for his beauty and his bad temper. However, he is also a respected game master that can prove surprisingly hard to beat both in a discussion and at the chess table.

King Lars Onsager, King of Norway, on contrast is a shrewd, man, ugly as sin, but a theologian and architect of fame. His frail consitution is justapposed by his great appetite.

Nobelian Dukes

Controlling the inland provinces of Norway and Sweden, and declaring themselves King in defience of the coastal rulers, the two nobelist rulers are however the most endangered by the Norwegian and Swedish Kings, and only a great manpower can protect them from annhilation.

High Chief Dolph of Bergslagen rules on much of inland Sweden, bordering Jamtaland to the north and the Swedish king on all other sides, except for the western mountains. As strong as he is beautiful, Dolph Lundgren is respected and envied, although his speech impairment can cause him many problems.

Meanwhile, King Carsten of Oppland, ruler over the mountains of southern Norway, is far less admired. A gardner - strange hobby in such an harsh climate - King Carsten Hopstock is however an enviable diplomat.

Skane and the Skanians

On the tip of Sweden rules King Birger. A poweful warrior cursed with an hugly lisp, this feared man is far from a pushover. Many claim he does not look at the Swedish lands in the nord, but at the weakened Danish lords to the west. And he may be powerful enough to succeed. A member of the Skanian culture, opposed to the Stokholmer lords of the rest of Sweden, many see him as an outsider, or at least a dangerous man.

Lutheran Lords

Once, the Lutheran church ruled over all of Norway. Now, however, only some of the surviving dukes and counts still claim to be followers of the church. Of those, the most powerful are the King of Jemtland and the King of Nidaros.

King Arnold Juklerod, ruling over most of the lands north of Sweden, is wroth and ambitious. His norwegian blood puts him at odds with the Swedish population he rules, but only time will tell if he will bend or conquer.

King Gulo Natta, the ruler of Nidaros, rules over a smaller domain of rock and fjords. A man of intrigue, he however only wishes to protect what he owns, rather than wish for more.

Aland, Finland and Karelia

Aland is the merchant Republic in the Baltic Sea. Yet, they are far less powerful, outshined by the great Republic of Danzig. For centuries, Aland has wished to gain egemony over the North Sea, and the rich Grand Mayor Adam Andersson is determined to see his wishes come to fruition.

Meanwhile, in Finland, the young High Chief Xander of Suomi is the strongest of the rulers of this land. With control over the ancient capital of the country, and the faith in the gods of the north, Chief Xander Ratilainen however does not wish for anything more, something that puts him at odds with many others.

To the north, weaker but not to be underestimated, rules High Chieftess Agneta Harkonen. This quick thinker and brave warrior chieftess is highly respected by her vassals and her foes. Many believe she may be the true hope of Finland.

In Karelia, Chief Erkki of Pomorye rules over most of the lands, and is expected to name himself High Chief soon. A master warrior, as brave in battle as he is lustful in bed, Erkki Akbulatov is also considered the likeliest candidate to bring to life the Kingdom of Karelia.

 

[Rufy_King]

After the End Old World - DD 7.5: Iceland

Iceland, the land of Ice and Fire, has been ruled by various people over it's long history. Now, After the Event, many rule the ancient cities and towns, making them into new domains. And yet, this is also the first country that met the men from beyond the sea... and was first colonized by some of them.
Four chiefs, four men of four faiths, and the first hint of new tidings from another world.

Reynir the Wizard

Out of the four lords of Iceland, the kindest of all is the chief of the north-east, Reynir the Wizard is the most peaceful. A young man with his mind focused on the mystic and the otherwordly, rather than on his neighbours. Will his desires to know more about the world of spirits allow him to be a Nobelist of great fame, or will it cause him to lose against his more pragmatic neighbours?

Bjartmar the Bear

The Lutherans still hold on the lands of Austisland, in the south-east, the last stronghold of the cross on the island. The current cief, Bjartmar, is a known warrior and the last hope of the christians. But will this be enough to ensure their future?

Aldar the Wyrm

In the South-West, where the remains of ancient Reykjavík still hold, rules the richest of all the Chiefs, a man made rich by plunder and theft: Aldar the Wyrm, the scourge of the northern sea. Unlike every other pirate, who has bent his head to a king to act as a corsair, Aldar the Wyrm sails free on the great sea, fighting against both corsairs and storms to obtain his great desires.

Lief the Greenlander

Far in the east, people speak of the great island of Greenland. And even further, they say stands Vinland, a great continent only the bravest Icelanders have seen. Many doubted these claims, until the day the ship of the Greenlanders landed on the coast of Iceland. Their leader conquered the north-west of Iceland, Vestisland, bringing to Europe the Druidic faith and the knowledge that more may come, from beyond the seas of the west.

 

[Rufy_King]

After the End - Old World Dev Diary #8 - All the Russias

Привет, redditors, and welcome to another Dev Diary for After The End: Old World. I'd like to mention that this DD has some problems with counties CoAs for reasons we are still trying to find. Very sorry for this. Now, without further ado, let’s get to the main meat of our discussion: Russia!

The Crown of Heaven

When the Event came, Russia suffered no less than the rest of the world. The mighty land of old, after enduring so many centuries, quietly came to an end, as the long night descended on the Old World. In the chaos of the post-Event world, the traditional pillars of Russian society, such as the Orthodox Church, collapsed into dust, alongside the state that had supported it. However, the natural piety and devotion so characteristic of the Russian people could not be kept down for long. As memory of the past faded into legend, the core of new beliefs began to form. Stories were told of the glory of Old Russia, of her spired towers, her vast extent, her harmonious union of every people under heaven, and most of all, of the glorious rulers who had made it all possible – the mighty Tzars. Gradually, these stories were written down and compiled into a text – the Chronicle of Days Past.

The Zarist religion believes that the world was created by a powerful, incorporeal entity called the Holy Spirit, but that most men displeased Him by their depravity and their worship of false gods. Because of this, the Holy Spirit withdrew himself from the race of men, with the sole exception of the Russians, His Chosen People. They believe that the Holy Spirit bestows absolute power and authority upon a single ruler, the mighty Tzar. Because of his divine election, the Tzar must be obeyed unquestioningly. They also hold that, upon their deaths, Tzars are divinised by the Holy Spirit, becoming “Saints” that the people can pray to for their intercession (a task He Himself does not stoop to). Pious Zarists often make pilgrimage to the tombs of great Tzars, beseeching them for aid with deep-rooted piety. Currently, the Zarists are in a moment of unprecedented crisis. The realm of Rus has been splintered by infighting and ambitious lords, whose impiety prevents them from submitting to the mighty Tzar. Of all the realms, only Pietropolis possesses sufficient strength to reliably repel the assaults of the Christians from the West and East. Two paths lie ahead for Russia – it may unite into a great realm under a man mighty enough to claim the mantle of Tzar, or it may remain divided, and fall to Christian aggression. Which of these comes to pass, though, no-one can tell...


For The Motherland

The Chronicle of Days Past is a fragmentary collection of books, offering piecemeal and sometimes apparently contradictory accounts of the history of Russia. One of the most vexing problems is the references to a strange entity referred to as “USSR”. Many texts speak of this as a person, or a nation, or a group of nations, and they are often claimed to have defended Russia and saved her people. However, other texts speak of hostility between USSR and Great Russia, with them vehemently disliking each other. Yet other texts do not mention conflict, but casually mention USSR as occupying territory that, according to other texts, has always been a vital part of Russia, without explaining how this came to be or why the Tzar would not respond to such an occupation. Complicating things further are the many statutes and temples to Lord Stalin, a heroic figure that features extensively in much of the Chronicle, as well as some legends that claim that Lord Stalin made war upon at least some of the Tzars. Intense debates led to a wide variety of positions, from holding that Stalin was simply another Tzar, to holding that he had murdered the Tzar and usurped his position, to holding that he was the leader of a rival nation that sometimes helped Russia and sometimes threatened it, to holding that Stalin was the son of Baba Yaga and a manifestation of Russia itself. Those Zarists who favoured holding Stalin in high honor rather than contempt came to be known as the Stalinists. Stalinists are strict monotheists, worshipping Lord Stalin to the exclusion of all others. They believe that he still fights to defend them and Russia from their enemies – and their enemies are many. Stalinist holy texts describe a terrifyingly wide array of evil beings – among others, the supernatural forces of the Wreckers, the malignant influence of the Tzars, the treasonous sedition of Trotsky, god of murders, and the all-consuming Elder Deity known only as “America”. Only through fervent effort and devotion to ‘class struggle’ can the Stalinists empower Lord Stalin to defeat all these threats. Eventually, as the Zarist faith became more codified, the contempt many felt for the Stalinists turned to naked hostility, and finally violence.

Pursued by constant aggression, the Stalinists were driven south, escaping into the untamed wilds of West Kazakhstan and the Caspian Coast. By the 26th century, all the squabbling Stalinist tribes have been united under one leader: the great Genndy Zyuganov.

This ambitious chieftain aims to reclaim all of Russia for the glory of Lord Stalin, and to re-establish the great Empire of CCCP. He is regarded by many as the best hope for the Stalinists’ future. However, that is not to say that he is the only hope. Some place their trust in more…clandestine courses of action.




Lords of the Plains

Well-equipped to endure the harshness of post-Event life, the Cossack people have experienced a resurgence in the last few centuries. Hardy and stubborn, the Cossacks are heavily divided along line of religion and lifestyle. Those who live in the western parts of their range, around the Crimean peninsula, tend to live in settled, agrarian tribes, while those in the eastern parts have adopted the nomadic lifestyle of their steppe neighbours. Some follow the Zarist faith, recalling their ancient allegiance to the Tzar of All Russias, while some hold to the White Christ, serving as the rangers of the Emperor in Transnistria. However, in recent decades the Hetmans of Don-Kuban and east Ukraine have grown independent-minded, and seceded from (or perhaps, simply ‘rode out’ would be a more appropriate term) the Emperor. What will happen to the Cossacks? Will they return to servitude under the Emperor? Will they aid the Zarists in repelling Christian aggression? Or will they ignore both sides, and seek to form their own Kingdom, aloof and independent as they have always been?

Hetman Vladimir Bulba

Khagan Pyotr Varangayel


Hetman Boris Skoropadsky

The Sons of Genghis

North of the great Caucasus Mountains, on the shore of the Caspian Sea, in the land which the Ancients named ‘Dagestan’ lies a realm very unlike all its neighbours. This is the realm of the Kalymks, a people very unlike the Russians, the Georgians, and the Arabs. They most resemble the steppe peoples, but even then they bear substantial differences from even those. They themselves claim to be the descendents of the Great Genghis Khan, the God-King of the Ancient World, who came from the Far East on a steed made of thunderbolts to conquer the whole world. They follow a religion that is strange and inscrutable to most of their neighbours, worshipping neither the White Christ nor Tzar nor Allah, but hoping to achieve liberation from suffering through a process of purification guided by wise guides.




The Frozen North

Far beyond the civilised lands of Central Russia, beyond the banks of the sacred river Volga, the authority of the Tzar does not extend. These lands are wild, untamed, populated by hard men and barbarism.

The majority religion in this area lacks a single unified name, but has come to be called ‘Folklorism’ by the scholars of Moskva. Folklorism is a disorganised pagan belief system that has no essential doctrines, but a number of beliefs are common among them. The central deity of their pantheon is Mother Russia, the great goddess and protectress of Russia. In ancient days she and her children conquered everything between the Black Sea and the White Sea, and her children, the Rus, were well protected and happy. Folklorists also worship a wide variety of other deities, such as the Black Baron, the perilous and alluring Rusalka, and the Great General, Potemkin. Their priests, the Witchers, cast spells to connect believers with the gods and divine their will, as well as protecting them from the evil influences of Baba Yaga and Sam, the Uncle of Chaos.

Chief Alexei

Chief Chibreki

However, heathenry is not unchallenged even in these cold wastes. Though the Russian Orthodox Church was devastated by the Event, it did not die completely. It persists in the fringes of Zarist society, tolerated if not encouraged. But there is one place in Russia where it yet reigns. The watchman on the Volga, the Prince of Mari remains loyal to the Church, dreaming and hoping of the day when he can rest from guarding against barbarian raids and bring Holy Russia back under the banner of the White Christ.

Nestled in the fields and woodlands, shielded by the Ural Mountains, the Kingdom of Perm expands. Formed from settlements of the Old Believers, a sect that broke from the Russian Orthodox in time out of mind, these faithful Christians have been waging an endless war against the heathen for centuries. Well used to isolation and tenacious beyond measure, the Old Believers benefit from increased garrison size, and are harder to convert.

Whew, are we done already? That was a fair bit of stuff! Hopefully, this shows you some of the work we’ve all been doing! Russia is one of the most exciting-looking areas in the mod, and hopefully you’ll have as much fun playing it as we did making it! Dasvidanya, readers.

 

[Rufy_King]

Welcome to a new Dev Diary for After the End Old World. Today, we definitely leave behind a continent and travel to Asia, entering from the Strait of Dardanel in a land of warlords and Kings on the mountains.



Warlords of Turkey

Since the fall, many men have risen and fallen to claim the seat of the Ottoman Sultans. After the Ottomans' fall, legends speak of a famous Sultan Ataturk. However, after the Event no man has ever sat on the same level of those ancient heroes and wise men.

That is not to be said that there is no claim to the throne of Turkey. Many warlords, grown beyond the title of mere Beylebeyk, have claimed the title of Sultan of all of Turkey, just to fall in combat, or for their line to go extinct.

However, this may change now. As the Greek Hellenists claimed the coast of the west, in the mountains of the east a new Sultan rose. Sultan Utku Benli has grown in power and fame tremendously, unifing most of the lands around his original domain in the new Benli Sultanate. Wether he will prove succesfull, or turn out to be another feeble dream like the warlords that preceeded him, only time will tell.





Christians of Old

The oldest Kingdom in the world, as they claim to be, still stands in the Caucasus. Georgia, a land sacred to both the Stalinists and the Orthodox, for the first to be the birth nation of their god, and for the latter for being the strongest Orthodox Kingdom left in the east. Georgia, whose kings claim descent all the way back before the Event.

The Georgians are a powerful force in the Caucasus, and have long ago extended their reach on the lands south, at expenses of Muslim and fellow Christians alike. Now, King Nika Burjandze leads the country, an ambitious man of sinister fame. The Georgian rule over the Caucasus, but som look worried at the count in the mountains, that weird Stalinist preacher that claims to descend directly from Lord Stalin. Others, more pragmatic, stare west, where the warlords of Turkey may turn their eyes on Georgia at any moment.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Armenia has lost much of his ancient lands to the Kurds and the Georgians. However, King Ashot Pashinyan is a famous man, cruel to those that oppose him, but patient to those that fail him. Many say it is his rule that may bring back Armenia to prominence, although other whisper his power will soon be challenged by the surrounding nations, and fear the days of independent Armenia, a country that challenges the Georgians for ancient rule, may soon be gone.











Kurds and Azeri

The easternmost inhabitants of the Caucaus, the Azeri are a proud people. Defending their independence at any cost, the people of Azerbaijan have united centuries ago under the lead of their Shahs. The Shiite faith rules the country, and the current Shah is the respected elder Aslan Aliyev. The greatest warrior of his generation, Shah Aslan is however getting older, and soon it will be his son's turn to take the throne of the Shahdom. Many wonder if the renowned warrior left behind an equally impressive son.

Meanwhile, the Kurds have grown in power since the Event. Uniting their lands one step at a time, now they are a major threat to the people to their north, though in turn they have to keep a constant eye on the warring nations to their south. Lead by the Barzanid dynasty that many say ruled on many of them since before the Event, the Shahadom of Kurdistan, or Barzanid Shahadom, is a power many think will come out victorious from the Middle Eastern struggles.








The many faiths of Cyprus

In the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Republic of Naxos and the many warlords of Turkey, is the island kingdom of Cyprus. This small domain is a peculiar land, born of the ancient struggle between the rulers of south and north. After a long, bloody war, the people had to band together to fight external invaders, and ultimately succeeded in defeating many. Overtime, the two groups fused into a single one, and a new Cypriote culture was born. While the south kept the faith of the Cross and the north the faith of the Crescent Moon, the two lords of the land agreed in putting together an elective monarchy, and choose a single ruler. Thus, was born the title of King of Cyprus.

Over time, the Kings of Cyprus extended their influence on the sea. First to the pirates of Rhodes, who accepted the name of corsairs. Then, to the Hellenists of eastern Crete, who eagerly agreed to join this Kingdom. And finally, the colony of Israel, in western Crete, fell. The lord of the land too agreed to follow the rule of Cyprus. Today, the Kingdom may not be as powerful as many on land, but is unique in the variety of faiths followed by his lords. Five religions for four cultures, is the saying. Presently, the King of Cyprus is the Orthodox Serdar Ioannou, and his son is expected by many to succeed him in both titles. Wether this will happen or not, is up to the lords of the islands.

 

[Rufy_King]

Well exam season and massive work to do was a thing, anyway... Greetings, readers, and welcome to the next Dev Diary for After the End – Old World! This week, we take a bit of a detour to the far East – the land of India, more specifically.

India has endured in one form or another for over five thousand years, and great though the chaos and turmoil of the Event was, it was merely one more disaster among a lengthy history. Though much has changed, much yet remains the same.

Faith and Fire

India is a land with a rich history, but it is not a history without division, the most notable, enduring, and vicious of these being the division between native and non-native religions. Despite the loss of much information over the course of centuries, the ancient animosities between Islam and non-Muslim religions in the subcontinent have been remembered well, and with the breakdown of the international order that kept such animosity (somewhat) constrained, warfare between them has become the norm. As it is impossible to understand India without understanding its religions, we will now provide you with an overview of these.

The Ways of Dharma

The entity sometimes called “Hinduism” has never been a single religion in the sense of the Abrahamic faiths, instead being an umbrella term for a broad variety of traditions and schools with many shared beliefs. This has not changed in the 26th century, as the faiths of India morph and alter themselves to accommodate new realities. By the year 2555, these changes have resulted in two dominant currents in Hindu thought and practice. While these currents are still very broad, and multiple schools and differences of opinion exist within each, for game purposes these streams of thought are treated as different overarching religions.

The Flower of Bharat

In the years leading up to and following the Event, debate raged over the question of what it meant to truly “be an Indian”. Was it sufficient to be of Indian lineage? Was it possible for a foreigner to become Indian? Was culture or blood the determining factor? Most crucially, was it necessary for him to follow a Vedic religion? Different answers were proposed to each of these questions by different teachers, but the school of thought known as Bharatva was born out of those who answered with a triumphalist, majoritarian response. Bharatva maintains many of the traditional Vedic beliefs (in reincarnation, in dharma, Brahma and Atman, etc), but adds to these an extremely rigorous and combative attitude towards unbelievers and a firmly literalist interpretation of Hindu scripture. Bharatvists believe that all Indians ought to be united under a single Great King, and that “foreign” religions have no place there. As a result, they are by far the most aggressive of the Dharmic religions, and harbour particular hatred for Abrahamic religions. Other “Dharmic” religions such as Sikhism and Jainism are tolerated, but are considered inferior to the way of Bharatva. In addition, Bharatva schools face controversy by their insistence on the importance of the caste system, which many other schools and currents of thought were eager to discard.

Bharatva contains within it a multitude of schools of thought, such as:

-Aryasamajists, monotheistic proselytisers who boost conversion strength

-Savarkari, who focus on Indian culture rather than religion per se, and receive Learning bonuses

-Bharata Gandhists, who believe that the legendary Mahatma was the reincarnation of King Bharat. They are even more aggressive than standard Bharatvists, advocating for the expansion of the Hindu State far beyond the borders of India.

Other schools familiar from the basegame version of CK2 will also be present, such as Vaishnavism and Shaivism.

Neo-Vedantic

The term “Neo-Vedantic” was not one chosen by its own practitioners, for it implies that they are not “really” a Vedantic religion, but merely a monstrous, second-hand knockoff of such. Indeed, that is the very purpose of the term, for it was first used by Bharatvist polemicists to insult and demean Hindus who disagreed with their doctrines. Nonetheless, the term has stuck, and it is by this label that they are referred to in-game.

Neovedantics vary widely in their beliefs, and are to some degree defined by their opposition to what they see as the excesses and disgraces of the Bharatvists, their most bitter enemies. In fact, Bharatvists and Neovedantics despise each other so bitterly (each seeing the other as a deep perversion of true Dharma) that not only can they declare Holy Wars on each other, Neovedantists can only declare traditional Holy Wars on Bharatvists, and have to settle for Minor Holy Wars against heathens!

Neovedantism still holds most of the traditional, distinctly-Indian religious beliefs and practices, but they also incorporate beliefs and practices from India’s long subjugation under the fabled British Empire, of which only legends remain. Most notably, most Neovedantics do not believe in the necessity of the caste system, regarding it either as a relic fit only for a previous era or an outright corruption introduced by Brahmins in the Middle Ages. There are a variety of schools of thought, such as the Brahamo (monotheists who reject Hindu mythology in favour of a rational faith), the Ramakrishnas (another branch of monotheists who focus on missionary work, and are one of the few Indian religious branches enthusiastic about preaching to heathens), and the Vaishnava Gandists (followers of a school of Vaishnavism that holds that the legendary Mahatma, venerated as a Sant by nearly all Indians, was in fact an Avatar of Vishnu. Their special focus is on synthesis, syncretism, and religious peace). Other schools more familiar from vanilla CK2, such as Shaktism and Smartism, are also still present.





The Land of Five Rivers

The north-western part of India has always been a place of many faiths, and the Event did little to change that. The region is dominated by two primary powers – in the North, Maharaja Raavi Singh rules over the ancestral holy land of the Sikh people.

They face a somewhat precarious position, surrounded by realms of different religions. Fortunately for them, their most powerful neighbour, the Neo-Vedantic Mishra Kingdom, cannot declare Holy Wars on them. However, their other neighbors can, including the Afghan Emirs, the Bharatvist warlords of Rajasthan, and possibly their most severe threat, the Indari Sultanate to their south, who claim descent from the rulers of the mythic land of Pakistan.

Will the words of Guru Grant Sahib continue to guide people to salvation? Or will the Second Sikh Empire be destroyed like its predecessor?

The Sacred Valley

The largest Kingdom of ancient India, Uttar Pradesh is the fertile heartland of Indic civilisation. The Gangetic floodplain supports agriculture strong enough to feed millions, though nothing like the surely-mythical yields that are said to have been possible to the pre-Event civilisation. The terrain and high populations of the region have resulted in much conflict, which has finally resolved itself in the form of three ruling dynasties; the Mishras, the Guptas, and the Anands. The conflict has grown ever more intense with the interference of the Nepali kingdom, whose Buddhist rulers find it prudent to keep their southern neighbours eternally feuding with each other.

The Guptas were once minor landholders in Delhi, but rose to power in a coup against a King seen as weak and corrupt. Known adherents of the extremist Barata Ganda school, they set out to purge India from what they viewed as ‘impure’ influences. This was followed by a horrific campaign of persecution and violence against Muslim minorities within the Guptas’ realm. This earned them the especial ire of the Mishras, who were famous for their protection and even patronage of Muslims within their own lands, even the unorthodox and highly persecuted Ahmadiyya. Believers in the Vaishna Ganda school, they were firm believers in freedom of religion, and were disgusted that the Guptas could be so blasphemous as to slaughter Muslims in the name of the Mahatma. A fierce war ensued, which resulted in a bloody stalemate, during which many members of religious minorities fled across the Ganges and settled in Mishra territory. Both attempt to consolidate their power in anticipation of final victory in Uttar Pradesh. The Guptas have done this by annexing and absorbing smaller warlords south of the River, while the Mishras have made formal alliances of marriage with the Anand dynasty of Bihar.

Religious map


Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharastra

The western parts of India are fractured and often violent, with Kingdoms rising and falling in the span of a single generation. The Rajput peoples have no clear leader after the death of the Yunani conqueror Laskandar, with multiple Rajas struggling for a position of supremacy. Meanwhile, Gujarat, led by the Republic of the ancient Mohdey dynasty, struggles to fend off both Rajput raiders and the tentative efforts of the Desai kings, who, despite purporting to follow the way of ahimsa, are eager to find a way to reclaim the Jain holy places of Gujarat.

The Yunani were once a minor population descending from a country to the far west known as Hellene. While they do not remember much of this land, they still follow it's old faith, the Orthodox Christianity of their ancestor. Still, they were a minor group until only a few years ago. Then, the great Yunani conqueror Laskander Mumbaikar rose to prominence, and Rajput was all united... until his untimely death. This left his generals to contend the kingdom, as his now defenseless young son watches from a minor throne he may not keep.

Meanwhile, Gujarat is the seat of a government unheard of in the subcontinent, even if similar to that of other parts of the world. The so called Oligarchic Republic is a unique form of rulership that vassals and councillors to elect the heir of the Emperor from amongst themselves and his sons. Ruling from cities rather than Castles, the Oligarchic Republic is less protected, but far more rich than any of it's neighbours.

Jainism has been a minority religion in India for many centuries. However, in the late 24th century, a great holy man named Neeraj Karmarkar initiated a revival of the way of ahimsa in western Maharastra. Possessed of apparently-miraculous powers and claiming to be a reincarnation of the Mahatma himself, Neeraj founded the religious order known as the Neeraji, who have made the spread of the faith throughout all of India their main goal. Neeraji mystics and philosophers travel the subcontinent, engaging in debate, supporting the Jina and establishing monastic communities. Their success varies, sometimes accomplishing little, at other times sparking widespread conversions to Jainism, or even converting the rulers of entire realms. Some rulers attempt to clamp down on them, some embrace them genuinely, and others still tolerate them for the economic and technological benefits that they and their monasteries bring. In 2555, the Desai Raj is the only realm to officially follow Jainism, but the efforts of the Neeraji may change that yet.

Finally, there are two small, seemingly-insignificant vassals of the Desai, who nonetheless are very interesting: first, the line of House Bom, rulers of Goa, and followers of the faith of the Christ-beyond-the-seas:

Secondly, the house of Yadzgir, rulers of the prosperous city of Mumbai, descended from refugees from antique Persia, and one of the few remaining practitioners of the faith of Ahura Mazda:

Karnataka and the Deccan Plateau

The people of southern India have always been a little different from their northern cousins. The geography of the Deccan Plateau makes it difficult for outsiders to exert control over the region, but also makes it troublesome for rulers to expand beyond its borders. In 2555, most of Deccan has been unified underneath the Purandara Empire, a large realm that is ringed on all sides by smaller coastal powers. However, despite its size, the Empire is in a perilous position – the previous Emperor died young, with his one-year-old son his only heir. A regent rules the realm for now, but powerful and ambitious vassals vie for power, threatening to destabilise the Deccan. Purandara is a unique entity, a Confederation of lords, rather than a Feudal Empire. This means, among other things, that if the Emperor dies his successor will be elected amongst his vassals, and while for now they appeared content to choose the last of the Purandaras, this may not be true for long.

To the South, the resurgent Ramachandrans of Sri Lanka look hungrily for more land to expand to, bringing with them the oldest Buddhist school, the Theravada. Should the Purandaras fall apart, they may yet seek to replace them, and return Buddhism to a position of prominence in the land of its origin. However, the recent civil war in the last Theravada domain might spell it's doom.

A most unique realm in found in Chera Nadu, southwest of the Purandaras. This realm, Villarvattom, is ruled by people who call themselves Nasranis, known to Europe of old as the St.Thomas Christians. These people claim to have been brought the Faith by the Apostle Thomas over twenty-five centuries ago. Though they have long since lost communication with the rest of the Christian world, they have not forgotten their ancient faith, which has acculturated itself well to the Indian mind and sentiment. Over the centuries they have been vassals of the Purandaras, but the recent decline in Purandara power has left them more or less independent. Will they return to servitude to protect themselves from the ravages of the Buddhists and Brahmins? Or will they carve out their own Christian kingdom in the Tamil Nadu?

To the east lies the great alliance of merchant princes known as the Tamil Confederation (currently ruled by House Vairamuthu). This loose collection of city-states makes their living trading spices, ivory, and other luxury goods along the coasts of the subcontinent. They have always enjoyed the protection and patronage of the Purandaras, but with said power waning, they face new threats from Sri Lanka and the north - and there’s always the possibility that their benefactor could become unhappy with them.

The Jungles of The East

The eastern lands of Orissa and Gondwana were never prioritised as highly by the Ancients, and as such remained poorer and less developed, retaining in many parts a tribal way of life. However, this situation in some ways benefited them when the Event came, for they were better prepared for the post-Event world and the chaos which followed.

The Rajas of these areas are highly unusual, for many reasons. Firstly, and most notably, they follow a strange religion quite dissimilar from the ‘civilised’ traditions of India. The Maunaxites, as they are called, reject the idea of reincarnation and the caste system, which they regard as evil ideas created by the dark spirits, known as the “Lords of the Land”, to enslave and deceive the people. They worship Maushiva, the Scarlet King (identified with Shiva by many Hindus), whom they believe returns at appointed times throughout history to destroy the corrupt and wicked rulers and uplift the poor. They maintain that the Event was his judgement upon the wicked and corrupt Empire of India, which cared little or nothing for the poor and often persecuted them, and indeed were scarcely better than the wicked British which he liberated them from previously. The Maunaxites are extremely isolationist and usually only venture outside of their homelands to engage in raids, which are feared throughout Bengal and Karnataka for their ferocity.


Bengal, Land of Gold and Green

Bengal, also known as Bangla or Bangladesh, has always been a tumultuous country. A Muslim-majority area surrounded by non-Muslims, the societal collapse in the wake of the Event caused chaos and violence to escalate in the region. Petty kingdoms rose and fell, and the Bengal Delta changed hands between Muslim and Hindu several times. The current watchful peace in the area was established by Mansif Chowdhury, a powerful general of the then-King of Bengal. Attacked during a time of civil war and instability by an alliance of three Hindu kings from the west, only Mansif’s quick thinking and genius saved the realm. At the Battle of the Raging Waters, his numerically inferior force broke and drove back the combined armies of the kings, earning him the nickname ‘Hindu-Hammer’. Mansif was near-unanimously pronounced King by popular acclaim, overthrowing his old liege and establishing the Chowdhury dynasty. His reign is regarded as a golden age, lasting over fifty years until he died a natural death at the ripe age of eighty-one. Currently, his grandson Shahabuddin rules the realm and its tributaries, remaining the foremost power in the region – at least for the time being.

The Peoples of God

To the north of Bengal, in the jungles of Nagaland, a powerful Kingdom resists the advances of the Chowdhury Sultans and the Tibetan Kings both. Here, the tribesfolk were long ago catechised by missionaries from a foreign land. Because they accepted faith in Jesus Christ through baptism, they readily accepted the name of Baptists, and among them, traditional Assamese names such as Alisha, Darpak, Eeshan, and Divyesh sit side-by-side with names like Matthew, Mary, Christopher, and John.

Currently, the Liangmai dynasty rules, and have been so far successful in defending their homeland from the predations of the Bengal Sultans, ambushing their armies in the densely-forested hills and valleys of Nagaland. Yet, Maharaja John looks outward, a little uneasy. Defending one’s homeland is good, yes, but the Scriptures clearly teach that Christians must preach the Gospel to the whole world. Were not they themselves only saved because devout men and women from across the ocean were so aflame for the faith that they travelled to the dangerous lands of Assam, facing derision and hardship? How then can they, who are closer by distance, blood and culture to the peoples of India, fail to work for evangelisation also? Only time will tell, however, what will come of this sentiment.


Realm of the Dragon Emperor

To the north of Assam, on the border of ancient Tibet, lies a secretive and mystical realm. Known to some ancient scholars as “Bhutan”, the Thunder Dragon Empire claims dominion over a small realm, nestled in the mountains. Isolationist and mistrustful of outsiders, few enter or leave the Realm of the Dragon Emperor, but legend says that it was one of the only places completely spared the wrath of The Event, protected by their divinely-favoured monarchs. Though small, the Empire is extremely wealthy, with highly developed cities and temple complexes flourishing throughout its borders. There is much to say about their government, so much so that another DD entirely is uniquely dedicated to this land of survivors.


Followers of Tibetan Buddhism, the Wangchuck Emperors strive to maintain their unique way of life, free from the threat of Indian or Tibetan domination. But some wonder if the Dragon-Emperor should truly remain behind his walls forever. Would it not be better, some argue, to spread his enlightened rulership to more people? The present Emperor does not wish for this, but all it would require is for one of his heirs to be less peaceloving.

It Came From The Far Continent

Ancient legends tell of the distant past, when the mythical British Empire dominated the whole of the land of India, imposing their foreign ways and plundering the riches of the land. To most Indians of the 26th century, such stories were entertaining, and perhaps believed, but hardly considered relevant to their own everyday lives. The British, if they ever really did exist, were long gone, swept away by history. They were excellent sources of villains for works of fiction, and little more. All that changed a few decades ago. A party of foreign ships, looking rather ragged and their crews worse for wear, took refuge in the western port of Mumbai, where their pale complexions and outlandish clothing stirred up a storm of curiosity about them. They had managed to obtain the services of several Persian and Egyptian translators who were capable of intermediating between them and the natives, and it soon became clear that they desired to purchase land in India. Though they were initially permitted to stop in Mumbai, their arrogance and contempt towards local customs quickly earned them the ire of the locals. The ships fled following a brief struggle, but mere days later a larger fleet appeared on the horizon. However, the Desai Maharaja had not ignored the threat, and had already mustered his own sizable fleet to do battle with the invaders. Apparently unwilling to risk such a battle, the foreign fleet turned away and sailed south. However, the influence of the Purandara Empire made it impossible for them to make any serious attempt at landing in southern India. At last, having circled around almost the whole subcontinent, they made landfall in Kolkata. The local Raja, weakened by a recent defeat in battle against the Bengal Sultanate, was unable to put up much resistance, and within a few months the nearby countryside had been pacified. The new rulers announced their loyalty to the Great Queen, who had conquered this land ages ago, and for whose glory they were to reclaim it. The British had come again.

Now, James Crowhill faces a daunting but eminently worthy struggle. Though for now their position is relatively secure, they are, as expected, fairly unpopular in these lands. They brought with them a sizable contingent of soldiers from the Home Islands, enough to stand against even the Bengal Sultanate in an open fight. But these troops cannot be replenished, and if they are whittled down, it is unlikely that the natives can be convinced to give their lives for The Queen. Famed and feared though the British are, establishing their rule over such a huge land will be difficult. But if they were to succeed, what glory it would bring, to the Queen!

And what glory it would bring to his own house, also…

Conclusion

Whew! That sure was a heck of a journey! We hope you’ve enjoyed this look into the Indian subcontinent. It took a lot of time to make, due to its sheer size, coupled with the fact that none of us are naturally familiar with India, so it required a fair bit of research to ensure that our end product at least felt like India (and of course helped a lot the work of our Indian dev Darkstorm). Still, thank you for reading!

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello everyone, today we come back with a new DD. BUT this time, instead of taking you to a place, we take you all to a future after the game start. A future ruled by the holy words of the eternally hungry Madame Guillotine. The DD was written by the excellent u/cantustropus

The Ancient Regime

For almost a thousand years, a certain religious cult has existed throughout Europe. Usually it hides in the shadows, passing on through secret societies and meetings among scholars with a taste for the esoteric and transgressive. This is the Cult of the Jacobin, faithful devotees of the prophet Robespierre. Long ago, the world was covered in Great Republics, whose greatness and prosperity was ensured by the great goddess, Madame Guillotin. She offered men blessings and bounty in exchange for sacrifice, and has done since the world’s beginning. So long as the men of the Earth satiated her, the world would endure, but when they in their impiety refused her her due, she would smite them, beginning the next Revolution, destroying the current world and creating a newer, purer one.

In the time of the Sixth World-Republic, the realm of France was Queen over the Earth, resplendent and unmatched in beauty, wealth, and power. But over time, the rulers of France grew complacent and haughty, and refused to offer sacrifice. The goddess’ rage grew until a great prophet emerged, by the name of Robespierre. He overthrew the corrupt King and established a great many feasts and sacrifices to quell Mm Guillotin’s rage, satisfying her and earning him her favour. For a time it seemed that the Sixth Revolution would be averted. But the other corrupt Kings feared and hated Robespierre, expecting that they would be next. They paid Robespierre’s comrades to betray him, and the great Prophet was slain. His intellectual heirs fled into the secret places, biding their time.

Eventually, without any more sacrifices to sate her hunger, Madam Guillotin’s rage grew once more, and at long last she unleashed the Sixth Revolution, the Event, upon humanity, taking all the lives she had been owed and then some as recompense. Yet even this was not enough to make men realise that they must sacrifice to her, and her rage has surely mounted in the centuries since. A second Event could fall upon the world at any day now!

Since that time, the heirs of Robespierre have been waiting patiently, establishing cults and secret societies all throughout Europe, in far-flung peasant villages and the halls of scholarship alike. So far they have remained dormant, but they all await the second Prophet, the one crowned with Robespierre’s authority, whom will surely rise up to slake Guillotin’s hunger and avert the Second Event. Though the faith originated in France, its preachers have spread throughout most of mainland Europe, and the Prophet could be born anywhere, from France to Germany to far Russia…

The Post-Revolutionary World

Once the Prophet has succeeded, he will resume the ancient sacrifices of the republic, offering Madam Guillotin those she desires and reaping the appropriate blessings. This cycle of sacrifice is absolutely necessary, for Madam Guillotin has not been fed for centuries and she is ravenous. Under normal circumstances, perhaps, only a limited number of people would be sacrificed each year, and only a high priest would be allowed to offer sacrifice, but these are not normal times. Every Jacobinist ruler, independent or not, has the right and duty to partake in such sacrifices.


Being the prisoner of a Jacobinist can be a risky proposition…



Of course, like anyone, Madame Guillotin has varying tastes, and they can change seemingly at random. Offering her a sacrifice she particularly desires will earn you more favour, while offering someone unsuitable will grant you less. Offering a lowborn with bad traits may even hurt your standing with the goddess. Her tastes are inscrutable – sometimes she desires the intelligent, sometimes the stupid, sometimes the fair, sometimes the unsightly – there is neither rhyme nor reason to her whims.



Sometimes, Madame Guillotine will send you a vision of a particular person that she desires. Embarking on this lengthy quest may have a multitude of different results, but success will grant you a seat of high standing with the goddess.



If you offer sufficient sacrifice, you may be blessed with especial favour…




101 Ways To Spread The Revolution

Due to their unusual doctrine, Jacobinists do not have access to many of the typical CBs, instead having their own special array of wars.



Firstly, Jacobinists can go to war for all counties within the de jure of any Kingdom that they personally hold, meaning that even a vestigial realm can quickly rebound from losses if an opportunity presents itself.



Secondly, and most importantly, Jacobinists do not have access to the normal Holy War CB. Because only sacrifices offered by a ruler are accepted by Madame Guillotin, it is imperative that Jacobinism be spread throughout the world as quickly and as far as possible. A single ruler with a vast realm would not be able to offer sacrifices as rapidly or efficiently as many separate rulers, and so the Jacobinists have access to the ‘Establish Republic’ Kingdom-level CB, which, if successful, liberates the targeted Kingdom under a friendly (but independent) Jacobinist ruler, generated at random.



But what if your Jacobinist neighbour is an impious, incompetent idiot who can’t be trusted to properly satiate the Guillotine and delay the next Revolution? Well, in that case, for a small cost in piety, you can seize one of his Duchies and prove that you can do a better job than him.



If a Jacobinist becomes extremely pious, and is recognised by all as a favoured servant of Madame Guillotin, this might even extent to deposing the current leader of the Jacobinist religion itself!



Of course, given Madame Guillotin’s perpetual hunger, there can never be any such thing as a bad time for a bit of conquest. As a result, the Jacobins can make use of the County Conquest CB without restriction.

But what if you aren’t fortunate enough to own a Kingdom? What if the Prophet has fallen and the only remaining Jacobinists are small rulers? In that case, dear reader, you have access to the Revolution!


This CB allows small Jacobinist rulers to seize all the counties that a certain target has within a de jure Kingdom (though it doesn’t actually grant them the Kingdom itself). Furthermore, using this CB enables access to the Continued Revolution Casus Belli, which is essentially a cheaper variant of the Revolution CB that can only be accessed if you’ve successfully carried out a Revolution already.

Conclusion

Well, that’s it for today, readers. This DD was a little shorter than our previous ones, but since those ones were jumbo-sized, we hope you understand. We hope you enjoyed this look into some of the content available in After the End – Old World, and we hope you’ll come back next time!

 

[Rufy_King]

Greetings, readers! Today, we will look at various islands around the world. Those ports have sometime become a safe haven for endangered cultures and faiths, sometime the new home of a new faith... and sometime are land yet lost.

KING OF THE CANARIES

Far from mainland Spain stands the Kingdom of the Canaries, islands once ruled by the same crown as Castille, Catalonia and Andalusia. After the Event, the Canarians developed a distinct culture, that at it's core was however closely related to that of their Spanish ancestors. For centuries, they remained isolated, taking the sea only to raid the coasts of Africa in order to sustain their growing population. Divided in minor lords, the Islands would band together in case of an invasion by the rulers of the Berber coast, but otherwise would keep to their own. In the 25th century, some attempted to sail to Spain, only to find for their great horror that the country had been conquered by the Palmarian Antipopes, opposed to their loyalty to the Roman Popes. Since then, the Canarians have believed it to be their duty to restore the rightful Papacy in Iberia, ignoring the many offers of the Palmarian Popes to convert. This drive has culminated recently in the birth of the Catholic Kingdom of Canarias, ruled by Sancho de Suarez, the last Catholic Spanish King.

OF ANGLICANS AND OLD THELEMA

Once, the Anglican church ruled over Britain, the "via media" between Lutheranism and Catholicism overseen by the wise Kings and Queens of England. However, after the Event, the followers of Anglicanism dwindled, destroyed by the growing power of Crowley's follower one at a time, too divided to stand a chance. And as time went bye, England and Wales completely abandoned the faith... but Scilly did not. This Cornish Isle on the western edge of Cornwall is now the last stronghold of this once powerful protestan faith. Chief Arthek is an adaptable man, but still, is he the one the faith needs? Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, on the Channel Islands, the last practicioners of another British faith survive. The followers of Old Thelema were once the vast majority, but after the end of the line of Arthwr Crowtemple, the new Thelema faith took control of Britain, expanding the following of the Queen at the expenses of some of the teachings of Crowley (mostly those that made it harder to rule, it's detractors say). Today, Old Thelema is seen as a relic of the past, lost to history... except for Lord Timothy Leary. Descendant of a follower of the British Invasion of France, his ancestors set up their domain in the Channel Islands. Old Thelema is an harsh faith, but is also, in their eyes, one that puts freedom of the individual above all. Will the faith recover, or is it truly destined to just wither and die?

COLONIES OF THE ISRAELI

After the Fall of Acre, many of the more prudent Israeli merchants and generals saw the risk of the destruction of their country, and fled it to found the colonies that today can be found far and wide on the Mediterranean Sea (and some even beyond). Most of those have since been integrated into more powerful realms: from western Krete under the Cypriote Kings, to the powerful Merchants of Tangeri under the King of Morocco. However, one such ruler is still independent, still resisting any attempt of conquest. Count Ilay of Pantelleria is the last independent Israeli colonizer, his rule mostly made secure bye the riches brought to him by the Trade Route he sits on. However, this same Trade Route makes the island a desired prize by both Sicily and Sardinia, and perhaps this independence i soon to end...

The second colony of Israel we shall visit is peculiar for a different reason: it is not ruled by the Israeli lords, but by a Beta Israeli. This name, meaning House of Israel in hebrew, indicates those inhabitants of Israel that came from the lost Kingdom of Aksum, rumored to have existed somewhere in Africa. Even after the Event, those people survive, and after the fall of Acre one of them proved his bravery by sailing alone west and north. He conquered the Island of Krk and then offered himself for vassalization to the King of Croatia, ensuring a new home for his people. Gilad Molla rules the Oligarchy of Krk to this day, and is a powerful man man known for his ability in battle.

THE LOST BROTHER

When people think of House Belgium-Orange-Nassau-Weilburg, they think of the lavish courts of the three kings of Benelux. However, a few know of their bastard brother.

Jaan was born from the last Emperor of Benelux before his older brothers, but his mother was merely the daughter of a sailor. Abandoned by his noble father, his mother was tossed away by her angered father. With nowhere to go, she offered herself in marriage – or at least so Jaan says – to many men, until one accepted. This man was pirate Albrecht Van Zolt was a feared pirate from the island of Terschelling, who was awestruck both by the beauty of Jaan mother and by her bravery to ask his hand. He took her with him back to the island, an hellish rock ruled solely by the strong. Pirates from all over the North Sea flocked here, either to resupply while raiding or to sell their stolen goods.

It was in the roads of Tweeling and on the ship of his father, the King Helsing’s Revenge, that young Jaan grew, eventually gaining himself the nickname of Prince of Tweeling by forming his own band of young scoundrels. His father was often absent, and his mother was growing weaker after giving him numerous half brothers. By 2540, she had passed away, revealing him his lineage with her dying breath.

Around the same time, Albrecht died of a wound, leaving most of his property to his legitimate sons. To Jaan he left only some money and the King Helsing’s Revenge. With only this, Jaan had taken his decision. He sailed far and wide, pillaging from Scotland to Tunisi. His favourite target were the lands of his father, and Belgium and Holland soon learned to fear his flag. In 2547, he was elected Duke of Terschelling, with even his half brothers casting their votes for the infamous Jaan Saltspite.

And when he heard of the death of his father, in 2554, and of the fall of the Empire, where many saw disaster he has seen… opportunity. The opportunity to reclaim his rightful crown and forge his own destiny.

A NEW FOUND LAND FOR THOSE OF NEWFOUNDLAND

Many believed the Greenlander adventurer Lief Sisimiutssen to be an isolated incident, someone that would come and die, leaving an unremarkable sign on the history of Europe. However, a recent change has told them otherwise. The Aran Islands, off the coast of Ireland, had long been abandoned by man, due to the continuous threat of Pirates and the final nail in the coffin of a great Plague. That's why many were surprised to see lights on it's coast and ships in it's abandoned ports. Until one brave sailor landed here to discover a colony. The man here spoke a weird language, hardly understandable to him, but after numerous trials they understood they were the followers of Lord Oisin Fay, an adventurer that heard of Sisimiutssen and chose to tempt his luck. Coming from the mysterious island of Newfoundland, he follows the same Druidic faith of the Greenlander. Is this perhaps the sign of more to come?

BIRTH AND HISTORY OF DOGGERLAND, THE NEWEST ISLAND OF THE KNOWN WORLD

At some time during the Event the planet shook, a great earthquake the likes of which the world had never seen. As palaces fell from Paris to Oslo, great islands surged from the waves. This shore of salt and rocks was called Doggerland, from the not too far Dogger Bank, although many other names were given to it. The British called it Ys, the Aeslabh dubbed it Yes, the Irish spoke of the legendary Tir Na nOg, and many, many more.

At first, Doggerland was left alone, stories of curses and ghosts demonizing it as yellow grass started to grow on the passable patches, while the rest remained barren, only inhabited by seals and sea birds. Those few that traveled there, either for necessity or for curiosity, brought back the stories of an ominous silence and the horrible loneliness of those rocks. Others whispered of a ghost ship landing in the mid of the night and a procession of ghosts and skeletons with horned helmets, or of ferocious sea snakes hidden deep under the isles. To prove those stories they would bring back bones of ominous black colors, weird items of stone and wood, and sometimes fangs as big as the tusk of an elephant from distant Africa.

This all changed in the early 22nd century. This was a time of great strife for Europe. In Denmark, the legendary Witcher King had traveled from far Russia, waging a mad campaign against the followers of Luther. Meanwhile, on the British isles, the devilish followers of Old Thelema were conquering from castle to castle, killing any that did not bend the knee.

It does not surprise that those that were fleeing them would take the sea, to escape their reach. What does surprise is the coincidence by which two ships of survivors landed on the islands. Finding out of the great wars ravaging what were to be their destinations, and with winter storms approaching, they settled for what was supposed to be a temporary solution: build shacks and palisades around the island, in the best ports, and dig in for the winter.

That was an harsh winter. As new people came in hoping to escape the great wars in this new land, older settlers died of thirst, hunger, cold and illness. But by the time the great wars were over, Doggerland was almost unrecognizable, goats and sheeps eating the grass all over the island, hunters and fishers around the coast, and actual towns growing slowly.

However, as Doggerland grew, the problem of food and water became appearent. And when man cannot make something, it will take it. The first raids of the Doggerlanders were more similar to desperate bandit assaults on small villages. However, returning home those same raiders would be hailed as heroes. And so, over time, Doggerland grew to adopt raiding as part of its life. With this, came the adoption of a faith more suitable than the peace-demanding Christendom and more loved than Thelema. The adoption of the Brethren cult was slow but steady, and by the end of the century Doggerland had a new reputation. Not of ghost islands, but of pirate dens.

The early history of Doggerland is shrouded in the mist of legends. We know of its founding, whose telling remains about the same in all histories, but as history progresses, raiders are called kings and lords interchangeably, and sometime demoted to simple captains. Was Roger the Gold a real King who left behind a treasure the likes of which has never been seen since? Did the Black Corsair really raid from Israel to Kolguyev? Did Lang Wong the Stranger sail here from far off Shingapurra, gifting the lord of Storo with the Flower Sail that is said to bring the city good fortune?

We can only guess on wether this is legend or truth. What we do know is that by the 26th century 4 pirate lords ruled the main island. One of them was a young but brave pirate by the name of Edgar Whritssen. At the age of 16 he had taken the sea as captain for the first time, and since then he had gained fame and glory… and following.

It was in 2549 when a then 21 years old Edgar ascended to the title of lord of South Doggerland, with the help of his friends and allies votes after the death of Mad John Lossen, apparently of too much drinking. Lord Edgar however was not a man of small appetite, and soon his sight was set on the rest of Doggerland, dreaming of forming a Pirate kingdom like the world had never seen.

One by one, the other lords surrendered to his lightning campaign. Storo, Lileo and North Doggerland all bent the knee, and Edgar ended his conquest in 2550, declaring himself Edgar the Conqueror.

As we understand not everyone might like the addition of completely new islands to the map, on the same day of release we will also release a submod that will remove Doggerland, ensuring that people that prefer their map to be based on modern day Europe will be able to do so.

TO THE NORTHERN EDGE

Deep deep in the north, even beyond the Icelandic capes, stands the Island of Jan Mayen, land of polar bears and cold winters. However, even here man survives. Chief Arthur is a peculiar individual and has a strange relationship with the recently arrived adventurer from Greenland, Lief Sisimiutssen: not long after their first meeting, he publicly adopted his Druidic faith, for the shock of many in Iceland. Whether this was a good idea or a grave mistake, only time will tell.

However, there is... one more thing to know about Jan Mayen. Some say that, if events of a certain kind were to happen, something only an higher entity can decide, perhaps the rule of Jan Mayen might change.

And with this humorous end, we can conclude this DD on the many islands of lost faiths and cultures you can find in AtE - Old World. We hope, dear readers, that some of those challenges will interest you.

 

[Rufy_King]

Welcome to a new DD for After the End Old World. In today's DD, we shall take a look at the lands of North Africa. I'll start showing you a map, so that you might note some... slight change.

Africa in 2555



The Barbary Coast: Warlords and Colonies

From Morocco to Cyrenaica, from the Atlas Mountains to the great deserts of Lybia, spans the Barbary Coast. The great nations of old ruled this vast Mediterranean coast, but now only one of them still exists. Morocco survives, the great Kingdom of the Atlas. This Sunni land is however ruled by King Hassan Alaouite, a follower of the Maliki faith. This Muslim religion is centered around the role of the Alouite family, who they claim has the sole right to Caliphate, putting them at odds with the majority of their populace, who follow the Sunni creed.

Outside of the borders of Morocco, the Berber coast is divided in various domains of warriors and merchants that control the various roads through the desert. Syrte, Al Wadi and Ajadabiya are located right on the exit of the main roads, and their rulers maintain control either through money or through arms. The other lords fight on the edges of the various domains, trying to seize them from each other. This constant danger on the land borders means pirates are a few but the vast majority formed a den on the island of Djerba, from where they attack the coasts of Africa and Europe with impunity.

But is not only natives of this harsh land that came here. From time to time, outcasts and adventurers land on the coast of this far away domain, far from the reach of enemies they are escaping or rules they find unfair. Most of those adventuring parties are small enough to assimilate or succumb, but some did survive.

The Occitan adventurer Pierre Gericault fled the growing power of Edmond Dantés, and with his few retainers fled to Algeria, where legends tell of a long gone Kingdom ruled by the French. Here, he has conquered a vast swath of land. But still, he borders many, many dangerous enemies that find him and his faith equally unpleasing. Only time will tell if this young domain will survive or wither and die.

The Israeli were the first to colonize the coast after the fall of Acre, nearly fifty years ago, seemed to spell the doom of the Kingdom of Israel. Most cities remained small merchant colonies that would be destroyed at a warlord’s whim. The Grand Mayor of Tangier, however, was different. His ancestors led the great colonization of this far edge of the world, founding city states from Tangier to Beni Yanni. When the Moroccan Kings came to conquer again what they saw as their’s, he did not fight. Instead, he bent the knee, offering full collaboration in exchange of maintaining his title. The King of Morocco accepted and now, two generations later, his grandson Hayim Almoli rules over Tetouan, while his fellows control other cities under different Moroccan rulers on the Berber coast.

Desert Nomads

The Sahara Desert is a harsh wasteland where no great kingdom can sprout. Instead, various tribes of nomadic people fight for control on the region and of the trade from the southern kingdoms to the northern ones. From Bir um Grein to Mokhtar, Tuareg, Barbariyya and Toubu clans fight for control of the desert roads. Those nomadic clans tend to disappear and get overturned by their internal feuds, only to follow a new leader in raids both to other clans and outside of the desert, where they are equally respected and feared. The most feared of them all is Amenokal Uray, follower of Muwahidunna. A syncretich faith founded by Isma'il the Visionary, first and last sole ruler of the Sahara. Isma'il believed the True God was the same for Jewish, Christians and Muslim, believing them all to be brothers that should not go to war with each other. Today, Muwahidunna has been marginalized even in the Sahara, but perhaps one day it will grow again.

Lords of the Nile

The ancient Kingdom of Egypt dates back not to before the Event, but many say even sooner, to the very beginning of time. Today, however, it is gone, divided in warring states. The many Sunni Sheiks and the Copts of Asyut fight for supremacy on the lower course of the Nile, attempting to reform the lost kingdom.

As one follows the Nile south, he enters Sudan. This domain extends over a great part of the western coast, and is in fact the greatest in size, if not in power. The Sudanese King John Dawoud rules his followers with a just but strict discipline.

Even more to the south are the divided lands that once formed fabled domains like Sudan of the South, Ethiopia, Erithrea and Somalia. Those vast lands are ruled now by Dukes of various caliber, trying to ascend to equal stand to Sudan and Chad, and by the merchant republic of old Djibouti.

From Chad to the Empire

A traveler that sets foot west of Alodia enters the domain of the Kings of Chad. This Kingdom takes it’s name from the great Lake Chad, that gives them all the water so rarely found in the Desert to their north. This makes them, of course, prime targets of the nomads of Air, but so far, the armies of Chad have resisted their invasions and fought off their raids. The rulers of Chad, including current Sultan Adergazuz Dabadi, do not follow the Sunni faith, but the Sufi. Once just a name for a mystical school of thought, Sufi became after the Event a full fledged faith, divided in various sects that incorporate vastly different mystical teachings, from those that incorporate African Paganism to those who seek to ‘purify’ Islam.

More to the east are the divided domains of the lands of Niger, Tagelmustia and Mali. Those great kingdoms are splintered under various Dukes, Counts and Farbas, fighting for control from domains such as Hausaland, Ghana and Bambuk. However, all those rulers fear one thing and one thing only.

To their south, the Empire of Nigeria, the greatest of all African Kingdoms, looms in wait.

 

[Rufy_King]

Welcome to After the End – Old World. This mod is a spinoff of After the End Fan Fork (that we thank for the wonderful mod settings and for the permissions to use some of their content) that allows you to play in the Old World: North Africa, Europe and Asia up to the cutoff of traditional CK2. New music from Derek and Brandon Fietcher.
Features include:

• New religions and cultures, of course, both real and born from the ashes of the Old World
• The expansion of base CK2 map: explore new islands, new routes through the Sahara Desert and a playable Siberian territory
• New Government systems: Confederations, Oligarchic Republic, Eastern Feudals and playable landed Holy Orders such as the Knights of Malta or the Tectonic Order, just to name a few
• A new in-game Achievement System: with this currently exclusive feature you can gain in game (not on the Steam Workshop) Achievements both from base CK2 and exclusive of this mod. We also make available an Achievement Exporter tool, that will allow you to move Achievements from one game to another, to collect them all through multiple gameplays
• A new offmap power, new invaders and new history events, to ensure a whole different experience
• Also includes the Community Patch

There is much, much more to discover in this land reborn from the Event.
We welcome again all of you to After the End – Old World.

Links for download:
Steam Collection that includes the Submods (see below): https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2023642114
Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WBkuza4NLXwG8FJNY6mw3025_fpUqfLi/view?usp=sharing
Mega download: https://mega.nz/#!cFFVRQ4K!ENqwrlriCWMuzt5QNkoV5Q_juqvvJGdkRLR0RTlFs7o

All those also include the following submods:

• Doggergone: Ensures the removal of Doggerland, for people that prefer to play with a map closer to modern Europe (removes the islands of Doggerland)
• Exonym Submod: This submod replaces the Endonyms used in the main mod with the English name. It's for those players that prefer to see the use of english absolutely consistent in the game.
• Potrait mods: three portrait mods (requiring respectively Sunset Invasion, Monks and Mystics and Holy Fury portraits) that change the appearance of selected cultures on the map.

On our discord we will welcome anyone to chat about the mod. Thank you all for the attention and for deciding to play our mod.

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello everyone, we are here to release the first major bugpatch release!

Mega: https://mega.nz/#!tQkB3Z5L!dEw6_AoYflK21x9KnMyfwqhB4-LXtLb2yrL7EdfnErQ https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2023642114

Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WBkuza4NLXwG8FJNY6mw3025_fpUqfLi/view?usp=sharing

Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2023642114

Changelog:

• fixed the bug that causes a CTD while examining doctrines for Reformation
• made a number of cultures feminist
• moved music to a submod
• fixed infinite Mongol Empire formation
• fixed Secret Societies localization
• miscellaneous loc fixes
• fixed Gaston's concubines being men
• added convert to holy site decisions
• added several new achievements
• added holysites to several religions
• fixed a glitch when clicking on the Pyramids Great Work would crash the game
• fixed a glitch where Nigerian soldiers would spawn in Tibet
• added a few Ahmadiyya provinces and one ruler to India
• hermetics and reduced retinue maintenence upkeep for bhutan
• feudal Bharatva rulers now have the kshatriya trait
• miscellaneous fixes to indian characters

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello @Everyone! Today we are here to announce the release of Version 0.1.2 of After the End - Old World. New cultures, new faiths, new titular kingdoms, new available retinues, and much, much more in this new version. The Full changelog will follow soon, but here are the links:
Steam Collection that includes the Submods (see below): https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2023642114
Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WBkuza4NLXwG8FJNY6mw3025_fpUqfLi/view?usp=sharing
Mega download: https://mega.nz/#!RV8zBATZ!jkuWROZh33X_dyhoAzxm1sWeZ0oOJGBYQERGbf2qBhU

Changelog:

• - Began the work on culture and religion based event pictures (thanks to SerBuckman, LordOfWar867 and Ximicacan)
• - Replaced virgin vanilla completely control with our own, which only requires counties
• - Several new achievements
• - Miscellaneous loc fixes
• - Fixed some unique reformation doctrines
• - Yugoslavia rework, both map and mechanics
• - Palmarian mechanics (coronatian and forced free investiture)
• - Added Budaism, Neovedic, Ismaili, Mikraist (replacing Reform)
• - Name updates (thanks to dakillatm)
• - Fixed Hellenic holy order not switching
• - Leadership trait icons
• - Added ATEFF holy war cooldown (can be turned off) and piety cost
• - Added male concubines to several religions
• - Expanded Muwahidunna
• - Added new artifacts
• - Consolidated Lybia
• - Various de facto changes in India (the Confederation is no longer ruled by House Purandara)
• - The decision to restore Laskandar's empire has unique requirements and gives a bloodline if you play as Yama Kardi
• - Unique dynasties and namelists for the Yunani, and flavor for the Yunani count of Dvaraka and the ruler of Mumbai
• - Added some new rulers and changed existing ones in south and central India
• - More formable empires
• - Estonians (as well as other non-indian cultures) can now establish a Raj of their own if they manage to conquer India
• - Reworked various religions Holy Sites
• - New Cultures: Old Norman, Norman, Sggot, Burgundian, Romansch
• - Added ability to go NORTH... Why? For the love of God, why? What can you possibly hope to gain?
• -Formable Dynamitist religious head
• -Lithuanians who are focussed on Hunting or who are crazy can convert to Baltic paganism if they own a holy site (normal holy-site conversion disabled)
• -Baltic King of Lithuania can proclaim a New Pagan Era, giving +20 Moral Authority for 20 years
• - Added new retinues
• - Chariots are now available troops for Assyrians and Ironists
• -Added Rumantshia, Tsion, and two more formables
• - New "In Heaven" Submod
• - New traits
• - A few new characters and overhauls to existing characters

 

[Rufy_King]

Sometimes as a Novelist you get to experience the content of the Novel, as you live out the current chapters. Of course, the ending of said chapters is up to you

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello everyone, today the dev team of After the End Old World announces we are officially looking for junior devs, to help with coding and graphics. As work continues on 0.2, we realize 9 people aren't enough for the amount of work required for a satisfying release. Therefore, we intend to add more developers. If you believe you can help, compile the form here and join our discord server.
https://forms.gle/enfghpzg4t4aezja9

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello, everyone, and welcome to a new DD for version 0.2. Sorry it took so long to get this one out, but we are finally here to show more content. And in fact, we don’t need to move from the Middle East at all!

THE UNITED CROSS

The Syriac-Chaldean church in version 0.1 had no land on the map, only appearing through courtiers. However, in 0.2, as our previous DD has shown, now there will be new landed characters. Most notably, as we can reveal now, the Kingdom of Lebanon is now a Syriac-Chaldean Kingdom, rather than a Catholic one.

This comes from the change in lore of the faith, that now represents the union of various Middle Eastern Christian churches. Much like the Evangelicals in After the End Fan Fork, the Syriac-Chaldean church is a confederation of various religious confessions such as the Maronites, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Ancient Church of the East, and others. Because of the Event, they have agreed to confederate in this new united faith.

Of course, not all churches have entered this confederation: even in Lebanon, the most powerful Syriac-Chaldean state, we can still find Catholics. So much so that from here came even the first Middle Eastern Pope in Post-Event history, Pope Cherbal.

And because of this Lebanese Pope, the relations between the Syriac-Chaldeans and the Catholic church have improved over the centuries. So much so that today, a Syriac-Chaldean ruler can decide, if he satisfies the conditions, to re-enter communion with the Catholic Church. As many of the component churches of the Syriac-Chaldean faith are in communion with the Catholic Church today, this allows them to reunite with Rome once more. This decision will effectively turn them into Catholics, so remember to use it wisely in game: at the wrong time, it might not be welcomed by either your vassals or your bordering rulers.

THE FIVE-POINTED STAR

Of course, there is also another faith in Lebanon that has received a major rework: Druze.

First of all, Druze is now its own faith, instead of a heresy of Shia. To ensure their continued survival, due to their weak starting position, they have been given a peculiar event that ensures they will re-emerge eventually if they are completely defeated.

Druze is also been moved from the Islam religion group to the Esoteric. This means they are now friendly toward religions such as Thelema and Nousthreskeia. To balance this with their lack of close allies, Druze have a positive opinion bonus to all Abrahamic religions and to Zoroastrians. (If the bonus looks high, remember that this does not remove the -20 malus from the different religious group).

Druze also gain access to the Monastic Feudal government, making them quite unique in the Middle East.

THE COSMIC HEAVENLY EMPEROR

The head of the religion of the Druze is an Empire-tier title. Powerful Druze rulers can form the unique Imperial title of the Universal Kingdom and crown themselves as Cosmic Heavenly Emperors. To obtain such title, a ruler has to take an hazardous journey to China, and after that he will unite all the world under the faith.

Will the Druze suceed and form the United Kingdom?

 

[Rufy_King]

Hello everyone, and welcome to a new written DD. It will cover the North Sea, going in details on new mechanics that have been added to religions you primarily find in the area.


IT’S MORE LIKE GUIDELINES

The Pirate faith in Europe is of course very different from the one that developed in America. While we originally showed this by a completely different god list, it is time to give some more flavor to the corsairs of the Eurasian seas.

First of all, now the Pirate faith has a peculiar way to spread: rather than just through proselytizing, now any independent ruler with coastal holdings that isn’t zealous (or is inclined to good) and is in debt can decide to adopt piracy as a way of life. After all, rather than a codified faith, the Pirate religion is a collection of folklore, that is shared by all sailors of the ports of Europe and Western Asia. More like guidelines, if you will.



We also addressed the existing pirate Vassals being unable to raid by turning them into Tributaries. Having a tributary pirate gives a great advantage: those sail and loot the sea, giving part of said loot to their suzerain to pay for the title of Corsair, a title similar to that of Pirate.



As you loot and pillage the sea, you will be capable of setting up lairs in enemy provinces, to obtain an income from your men attacking passing ships. You will be able to recruit courtiers and men from pillaged regions, to reinforce your crew of marauders. And of course, what is a CK2 game without looting bloodlines?

Once you are no longer in debt, you can decide to return to the faith of your Liege, provided you did not become Zealous in the believes you learned of. After all, there are some advantages in being a pirate or corsair that can result enticing to a player.


NOVELISTS, ANGLICANS AND… IBADI?

Thelema, openly, has destroyed almost all other faiths in England and Wales. However, a few rulers still secretly cling to older faiths, or have secretly adopted a new one.

Jekyll Hyde, a small Count in England, is a peculiar individual, a man many would argue has two different personalities for his erratic actions, has a peculiarity: secretly, he follows the Novelist faith of the French. A weird choice for a British, and even his family has not yet adopted his secret beliefs. Will the faith spread, or will it die with him?



The Anglicans on the other hand has secretly survived up north, on the border of Calvinist Scotland. While the lords openly follow the faith of the Queen, they barely hide their true faith, with their lands almost entirely inhabited by Anglicanism followers.



Finally, not a secret faith, but an openly practiced one. Long before the event, the Sultan of Zanzibar moved to England, in the area of Winchester, and after the Event his descendants rule there. Owners of a legendary sword that is said to have shattered Durendal, the Ibadi Sultans of Zanzibar are an oddity in England, but an oddity with many friends among the lords.




THELEMA STELES AND ORANGE KINGS

Thelema acquires one new ability in this update: the ability to erect steles. Those great slabs of stone covered in incisions will tell the story of the rulers that built it, their family or their defeated enemies, ensuring they will be remembered forever. The resemblance to ancient works from the land of Egypt is just a coincidence, according to them.



More importantly, a new peculiar heresy is added to Thelema: The Orange King. The followers of the Orange King follow the consort of the Queen, the deity that protects her and her followers. As such, unlike other heresies, the Orange King followers show great respect for the faithful of Thelema, actually having a positive opinion of them. Meanwhile, they despise the heretics that follow the Summer Queen or Old Thelema, even more than those that don’t believe in their goddess (except the Catholics, their sworn enemies). The Orange King is a unique faith, a positive heresy so to speak. Of course, however, their rebellions can turn bloody, if they believe the ruler of their lands is disrespecting the Queen.



There are also new features coming to Summer Queen, but we are not quite ready yet to present them. But stay tuned, Knights of the Summer Queen and the Winter King.


NO MAN’S ISLANDS

In 0.2, the Faroe islands have received a complete overhaul, with a full new setting to play as: now, the islands are ruled by a Petty Queen, to which the others are not vassals, but tributaries. First among equals is the ruler of the Faroe, since the Event.



However, a brave follower of the Queen has decided this freedom is to end, and the islands shall bend the knee to the Empire. Governwr Irn is a tributary of the Empire, and his ultimate goal is to conquer the Faroe and crown himself King, to then bend the knee to the Emperors and Empresses. Will he succeed?


Whether you choose to play as any of the characters we presented, as a marauder of the North Sea or the bringer of a new faith, we hope you liked this Dev Diary and are ready for more to come in version 0.2