[Mods] Cybrxkhan's Immersion Packs - a library of small, modular flavor mods

[cybrxkhan]

CURRENT IMMERSION PACK:
PAMIR: ROOF OF THE WORLD
STEAM WORKSHOP DOWNLOAD | MANUAL GITHUB DOWNLOAD
Previous Immersion Pack: Dunhuang: Gateway of China | Next Immersion Pack: N/A
Please go to the second post to see links to all the Immersion Packs​

This is my collection of small, modular mini-mods that add some fun to various, often neglected cultures and regions. These Immersion Packs were loosely inspired by EUIV's, and feature a few flavor events and simple mechanics.

For those who don’t know me, I was the creator of CPR and VIET, part of the HIP collection of mods, though I no longer work on hat since my retirement a few years ago. Some of stuff here I’ve done for my own personal pleasure over the years after retirement. Consider these a spiritual successor to VIET Immersion, on a smaller scale.

I won’t be making a lot of stuff like I used to; I don’t have time nor energy. Thus, THESE MODS ARE OFFERED AS IS AND I WILL NOT COMBINE THEM INTO ONE MOD. I am only sharing them now as a resource for modders and for those who want a bit of flavor in their games and/or are old VIETerans who miss the good old days. I’ll only go back or add stuff to these packs when I feel like it or if there are bugs.

Currently, the following Immersion Packs are available (please see the second post for more details and downloads):

• Harranian: The Last Hellenic Pagans
• Peloponnesian: Sparta's Legacy
• Amalfi: The Forgotten Republic
• Dunhuang: Gateway of China
• Pamir: Roof of the World

Mods are compatible with everything unless otherwise indicated.

Please feel free to use my work in your mods, all I ask is that I am credited.


SCREENSHOTS

Please see the Steam links for more screenshots.

Harranians: The Last Hellenic Pagans

Spoiler

Peloponnesian: Sparta's Legacy

Spoiler

Amalfi: The Forgotten Republic

Spoiler: Amalfi Screenshots

Please see the Steam workshop page for more screenshots

Dunhuang: Gateway of China

Spoiler

Pamir: Roof of the World

Spoiler

 

[cybrxkhan]

LIBRARY OF IMMERSION PACKS​

Harranians: The Last Pagans
Steam Download | Manual GitHub Download | Immersion Pack Guide

Spoiler

Many do not know, but it is possible that the last Hellenic pagans were not the impoverished mountain peasants of the Peloponnese, but the cosmopolitan denizens of the city of Harran. For centuries, the pagans of Harran - erroneously confused with the Sabians in the Quran - have continued to worship a curious mix of Mesopotamian and Hellenic deities, and they even housed the remnants of the Neoplatonic Academy. Several Harranians famously served at the court of the Abbasids, and the temple in Harran may have been used as late as the 1000s (though this may be exaggeration).

In this Immersion Pack, you'll have the opportunity to interact with these pagans of Harran. In your hands is the fate of the Neoplatonic Academy, where wise men keep ancient learning alive, and the Temple of the Moon God Sin, where devotees have been praying for millennia. See to it that these pagans, a dwindling vestige of Hellenism, thrive, or as is inevitable, into the distant memory of the past.

Features:

• Province of Edessa is now Levantine Arabic and Hellenic pagan at the 769 and 867 starts via a hidden event at game start (to prevent compatibility issues)*
• Play as the famous Harranian scholar Thabit ibn Qurra or his great-grandfather at the 867 and 769 starts respectively (via event at game start if you choose to play as the Emir of Edessa to prevent compatibility issues), for a challenging, semi-historical Hellenic pagan start. Includes a CYOA event chain in the beginning to immersively customize your starting situation.
• Patronize the Neoplatonic Academy to have a higher chance of spawning better Harranian scholars in your court who can publish scholarly treatises for you
• Make offerings to the Temple of the Moon God Sin if you are pagan, or burn it down if you are not
• Narrative events for the decline of the Neoplatonic Academy and the destruction of the Temple of the Moon
• Moved the Hellenic holy site from Syracuse to Edessa
• Other miscellany such as 7 flavor events and 3 new soundtracks for Hellenic Pagans and Middle Easterners

As a side note, I know it’s a huge stretch to make Edessa pagan, but it’s honestly more sensible than making Monemvasia pagan, since Harran was a huge major city rather than a bunch of isolated villages in the middle of nowhere. There’s a lot of controversy and uncertainty in the scholarly community about the Harranian pagans (and a lot of bunk and wishful thinking in more mainstream, New Agey type places online). For more scholarly information on the Harranians, please see Tamara Green’s The City of the Moon God: Religious Traditions of Harran.

Peloponnesian: Sparta's Legacy
Steam Download | Manual GitHub Download | Immersion Pack Guide

Spoiler

On the coattails of the Harranian Immersion Pack, which focused on one group of vestigial Hellenic pagans, we travel now to the Peloponnesian peninsula, known among CKII players for being one of the last holdouts of Greco-Roman polytheism. In ancient times, it boasted fabled cities like Mycenae, Olympia, Corinth, and Sparta, but now, with the decline of the Roman Empire, the peninsula is in tatters. Slavic raiders and rugged Greeks squabble and fight, while foreign enemies look hungrily on this land that was once home to the feared Spartan warriors.

In this Immersion Pack, usher yourself into the world of the medieval Peloponnese. Utilize the military strengths of the peoples inhabiting this land, be they the Tsakonian and Maniot pirates, or the Slavic barbarians who have made this land their home. Support the local economy and maintain the Hexamilion wall, or, if you're mad enough to try and restore Hellenic paganism, revive old Doric traditions like the Hyacinthia festival of Sparta or the Fountain of Peirene in Corinth. Will the Peloponnese become the powerful center of the Hellenic world like it once was, or will it fade into obscurity?


Features:

• New Tsakonian culture in the Byzantine culture group that can raid and are seafarers. The culture is added via a hidden event at game start for maximum compatibility.
• Local Slavs, Tsakonians, and Maniots may arrive at your court or be levied via decision to fight your wars.
• Maintain the Hexamilion wall to protect the peninsula from invaders.
• As a Hellenic pagan, promote ancient Dorian culture by restoring the sacred Corinthian fountains of Peirene or hosting the ancient Spartan festival of Hyacinthia.
• Take advantage of local industries, including Corinthian Silk, Kalamata Olives, and Tyrian Purple Dye - but be careful, as the collapse of the Roman Empire might signify a decline in these industries
• Several historical characters such as Danielis and Georgius Gemistus, aka Plethon, can appear randomly via event and have some special flavor associated with them.
• And other miscellany, such as 6 Greek-themed soundtracks, 15 generic flavor events, 2 book artifacts, and some new Greek dynasty names

Amalfi: The Forgotten Republic
Steam Download | Manual GitHub Download | Immersion Pack Guide

Spoiler

Before the great merchant republics of Venice and Genoa, there was Amalfi. In Crusader Kings 2, it is a republic sandwiched between the receding Byzantine Empire to the south and the ambitious Lombard and Italian principalities to the north. This Immersion Pack will hopefully add some flavor if you're planning to rule Amalfi, whether as a Republic or not. I’ve even fixed the history files so you can play Amalfi from the 1066-1076 start dates - however, in these later years, it won’t be as easy a start, as the Republic is in decline, a shadow of its former glory, and it has a difficult starting position.

In this Immersion Pack, travel to the Amalfi Coast, which was considered a perfect resort location, even in Roman times. Take control of the fledgling republic, and defend it against oppressors, be they Byzantines, Saracen pirates, Lombard and Norman warlords, and even your fellow Italian Republics. Figure out ways to increase Amalfi’s strength and prosperity through a whole slew of new decisions and events. Will you rise above your rivals, and see to it that Amalfi remains a vibrant and powerful independent center of trade, emerging as the greatest of the merchant republics?


Features:

• Independent, playable Republic of Amalfi from 1066 to 1076
• Enact and reform the Amalfian Laws, one of the oldest maritime codes in the world
• Support, tolerate, or ban the usage of Bambagina paper on official documents
• As a patrician, choose to focus on different Amalfian industries (represented by modifiers) such as Amalfi’s famous lemon groves
• Restore and worship at the Temple of the Sirens in Sorrento/Surrentum as a pagan
• Establish the Amalfion, a monastery on Mount Athos famously housed by Latin priests
• Build a watchtower on the island of Gallo Lungo and appoint a Warden to protect Amalfi from pirates and invaders
• Unique provincial modifier to represent the vacation villas of the Amalfi Coast - even in ancient Roman times, it was a renowned resort region
• And other miscellany such as 4 Italian themed soundtracks, 28 new Italian dynasty names related to Amalfi, 24 flavor events about topics ranging from the Blue Grotto of Capri to the famous chestnuts of Scala, and more!

Dunhuang: Gateway of China
Steam Download | Manual GitHub Download | Immersion Pack Guide | Sources and Further Reading

Spoiler

For those in China, Dunhuang was the furthest edge of the civilized world; for outsiders coming from the West by land, it was the final major stop before they entered the Middle Kingdom. This gateway of the Silk Road stood proud for centuries, a trade entrepot and melting pot of Eurasia, as well as a religious center home to the great Buddha Grottoes of Mogao. In the early medieval period, under the leadership of first the Zhang and then the Cao families, Dunhuang enjoyed a degree of independence and power it would never see again… but maybe you can alter the course of history.

In this Immersion Pack, step back to the heyday of the Silk Road to take reins of China's great frontier city. Interact with the multicultural inhabitants of this region, and enshrine your name for posterity by contributing to the ever expanding network of caves in Mogao. Lead one of several elite Chinese families with noble lineages stretching back centuries, such as the Cao who claimed descent from Cao Cao of Three Kingdoms fame, or the Li who claimed descent from Laozi and a distant relation with the Tang Emperors. Whether as Chinese gentry, nomad Khans, or Tuyuhun tribal chieftains, there is adventure to be had in this frontier of East and West!


Features:

• Vastly expanded character and title history, including more playable historical Chinese families in Dunhuang who have unique story events and bloodlines, such as the Cao, who claim descent from Cao Cao of Three Kingdoms fame. The new playable families are added and selectable via event at game-start for maximum compatiblity.
• Patronize and cooperate with various local ethnic communities in multicultural Dunhuang
• Patronize a new Mogao Cave in Dunhuang for the glory of Buddhism or your family
• New cultures:
  • Xiongnu and Di for the history files
  • Tuyuhun for the remnants of the Tuyuhun Kingdom
  • Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Mohe, Bai, and Yi, who may spawn via events
• Nadun Festival for Tuyuhun characters
• Nowruz Feast decision for Iranian or Mazdean characters and provinces
• Unique buildings for the Silk Road trade post in Dunhuang
• Several new narrative events about Asian history
• 30 generic flavor events about everyday life in Dunhuang
• Kingdom of Dunhuang formable via special decisions and events
• A whole slew of miscellaneous flavor such as: minor titles, new Chinese dynasty names, 15 Chinese themed music tracks, and more!

Pamir: Roof of the World
Steam Download | Manual GitHub Download | Immersion Pack Guide

Spoiler

The Pamir Mountains are a land of pristine blue skies, valleys of endless grass, and rugged, ancient mountains. At the crossroads of the Silk Road, this obscure region has been criss-crossed by travelers, pilgrims, nomads, and conquering armies. The withdrawal of Tang Chinese troops to the East, and the rise of Islam to the West, and Tibet’s tenuous hegemony over the Himalayas, is a recipe for great conflict and change in this region at the dawn of the medieval age.

In this Immersion Pack, travel to the snow-capped peaks and green valleys of the Pamir Plateau. Develop this most remote region with the help from its rugged clans. Invest in the famed lapis lazuli mines of Sar-i Sang or the gold mines of Gilgit, rebuild the ancient watchtowers of the Pamir Plateau, and celebrate the passing of the seasons with the Chinir Festival. Whether they are Pamiri, Kashmiri, Burusho, or others, choose your allies and foes carefully at this crossroads of the Silk Road as you establish your impenetrable fortress at the Roof of the World.

Features:

• Expanded character, dynasty, and province history changes done via hidden event for maximum compatibility:
  • Revised family tree for the Patola Shahi
  • New semi-historical playable characters at the early start dates, such as the Puteshan Kings of Badakhshan
  • New bloodline for the hero of local folklore, Azur Jamshid
• New cultures, including Pamiri, Kashmiri, and Burusho (the latter of whom don’t appear on the map at game start, but can spawn in the courts of rulers of the Pamirs)
• Chinir Festival and Nowruz feast decisions for Iranian characters
• Profit from the lapis lazuli mines of Sar-i Sang and the gold mines of Gilgit
• Maintain the network of watchposts in Wakhan and the Karakoram Mountains
• Over 30 generic flavor events for the Pamir region
• 6 new music tracks for the Middle East and Central Asia

 

[cybrxkhan]

Reserved - 1 more after this

 

[cybrxkhan]

Last reserve

 

[rbc1989]

You are modding ck2 again? Wonderful.

 

[cybrxkhan]

You are modding ck2 again? Wonderful.

Yup, I'm back,! But I'm probably not gonna do as much big stuff as I used to.

 

[Federalist girl]

Oh! That’s a surprise. I like the idea of small, low-weight immersion packs. Good for compatibility. This will be an interesting Hellenic start.

I see modded CoA frames for the Muslims there, and CoA crowns — are those from Plus?

 

[Zukhani]

Oh! That’s a surprise. I like the idea of small, low-weight immersion packs. Good for compatibility. This will be an interesting Hellenic start.

I see modded CoA frames for the Muslims there, and CoA crowns — are those from Plus?

Patrum Scuta mod

 

[cybrxkhan]

Oh! That’s a surprise. I like the idea of small, low-weight immersion packs. Good for compatibility. This will be an interesting Hellenic start.

I see modded CoA frames for the Muslims there, and CoA crowns — are those from Plus?

I see you are still around the CKII modding world as well! And yes the idea is for stuff that isn't super deep but adds a bit of spice and is compatible with most mods, even big overhaul ones. The Harran one is sort of a test run so it's honestly kind of bare bones, but it should hopefully make for a fun playthrough if you want to do a secret Hellenic pagan run in Edessa, or start as Hellenic from the ERE and try to conquer your way to Edessa before the Temple of the Moon and the Neoplatonic Academy disappear c. 900 CE.

And @Zukhani is right, the COA stuff is from Patrum Scuta. Mainly just because I find vanilla's Muslim COAs not... satisfactory, so to speak.

 

[damanamana]

Harranians: The Last Pagans

Are there events that can make a non-Pagan ruler of Edessa become pagan? Or does this mod just enable spawning Hellenic courtiers?

 

[das]

Neat! Is there any chance of you eventually remaking the old VIET West African flavour content in some form?

 

[cybrxkhan]

Are there events that can make a non-Pagan ruler of Edessa become pagan? Or does this mod just enable spawning Hellenic courtiers?

There are no events that allow you as a non-pagan ruler of Edessa to become pagan, but the standard vanilla mechanics are still valid, I believe it is possible to secretly convert to Hellenic pagan now assuming the province is still that. Otherwise then yes I suppose the other option is to have your heir be educated by a Hellenic courtier that spawns in you court, but at the 769 and 867 starts there are a few Hellenic pagan courtiers are spawned at the beginning of the game, so you can try searching for those too - they are coded to appear somewhere in the Abbasid realm, and I think one or two are guaranteed in the Caliph's court.

Neat! Is there any chance of you eventually remaking the old VIET West African flavour content in some form?

Hello there old friend! No plans at the moment, and all that West African stuff would be way too big for the scope of the Immersion Packs here; I will consider remaking it, but no promises for now.

 

[das]

I miss the griots, but that is more than fair.

I usually don't like feature bloat in my games but CK2 always seemed like the kind of game where there is no such thing as too much content. Looking forward to seeing what you'll add this time.

 

[cybrxkhan]

I miss the griots, but that is more than fair.

I usually don't like feature bloat in my games but CK2 always seemed like the kind of game where there is no such thing as too much content. Looking forward to seeing what you'll add this time.

Definitely agree, CKII is an unusual game where certain kinds of bloat would be even more desirable, and I think it's because the game's character focused but in a very sandbox way, so you'd want more interesting things that could happen to them rather than seeing the same things over and over again.

 

[Alyssea]

I suggest that you move one of the Hellenic holy sites to Edessa, that way a non-pagan ruler can still secretly convert even if the province itself is no longer Hellenic, I believe.

 

[cybrxkhan]

I suggest that you move one of the Hellenic holy sites to Edessa, that way a non-pagan ruler can still secretly convert even if the province itself is no longer Hellenic, I believe.

Not a bad idea actually. Now that PI added in the ability for modders to change the holy site dynamically in-game via events, it is doable without compromising compatibility.

 

[cybrxkhan]

PELOPONNESIAN AND MORE HARRANIAN GOODIES PREVIEW

Just wanted to give you folks a preview of some upcoming stuff. There will be an update to the Harranian Immersion Pack with some requested features, and I've started work on the next one as well, for the Peloponnese. No ETA yet.

--------------------------------------------

The Peloponnesian Immersion Pack's subtitle is Sparta's Legacy, so there will be a bit of flavor related to the pre-Christian Greeks for you Hellenaboos:

Spoiler

However, the majority of the flavor will be of course more historically relevant. I actually spent quite a bit of time doing some research to come up with some of this stuff. Here's just a tip of the iceberg:

Spoiler

I already have the list of features and additions down, and finished writing most of it, so now it is a matter of coding it.


--------------------------------------------

For the Harranian Immersion Pack, by popular demand, the update will feature the ability to switch to playing a Count-level ruler of Edessa via event. If you choose the 867 start, you can play as Thabit ibn Qurra, the famous Abbasid scholar of Thabit number fame (who came from a prominent Harranian family, so not entirely implausible). If you choose the 769 start, you can play as his great-grandfather Thabit ibn Kabaya. You have to select the Emir of Edessa at game start for the events to fire.

Spoiler

Took me forever to figure out how to get this working, but hey. Do note there will be a bit more to the event chain than just handing the county over. As said above, the update will feature a number of other improvements and flavor additions as well besides what is shown here.

Anyways, merry New Year to everyone!

 

[An Elder Thing]

Looks really cool Cybr. You always make some of the best mods. And happy New Year.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Looks really cool Cybr. You always make some of the best mods. And happy New Year.

Thanks!

 

[das]

Can't wait to find out what the differences between the Melingoi and the Ezeritai options might be, if any.

Joking aside, I think I know where I'll start in my next Byzantine game now.