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Got some questions who is the ruler of Damascus?

Also except for bengal are there any muslim rulers in india how did punjab go sikh its massive muslim population.
For the first, I'll need to check since I don't work on the region.
For the second yes, there are various Shia, Sunni and even Ahmadiyya on the map.

The Event is an interesting thing, because it allows for demographic to be meaningfully impacted in way real life would not allow. We can simply suppose Punjab became depopulated and the Sikh survived in a somewhat stronger state than the Muslims, eventually managing to take control of the region. In a way it would be similar to the Anabaptists taking over in part of America.
 
11: India
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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.
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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.
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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:

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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:

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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

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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!
 
2 offmap empires? Can you tell what they are? Pls
Well one is the Nigerian Empire, the new Offmap Empire that influences most of Africa, up to the southern tip of Europe.

The second one however is the Achievement system. It will allow you to collect achievements in game, if you choose to do so.
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This is a bit old as a screenshot since we didn't have most icons yet for the new achievements, but it does give an idea.
 
Custom achievements?! I didn't know it's even possible :)
Well they aren't valid on Steam of course, they are just collectable in various playthroughs of the game. However, all those from CK2 have the same requirement as the real ones from Steam, so we hope players that enjoy collecting achievement will enjoy the experience. As for the new ones, they can go in many ways, some rather unhortodox ;).
 
Dev Diary 12: Revolution!
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…

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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!
 
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Excellent stuff! I do have a small suggestion: rename Jacobinists to Jacobins, unless you specifically chose not to do that already.
 
Awesome stuff !

However I spot a few french spelling mistakes :

- That would be "Comité de Salut Public" with a "c" at the end, and not "Publique", since the noun "salut" is masculine.
- You spelled "Republiqùe" but the accent is on the "e" and not the "u" : it should be spelled "République"
 
Awesome stuff !

However I spot a few french spelling mistakes :

- That would be "Comité de Salut Public" with a "c" at the end, and not "Publique", since the noun "salut" is masculine.
- You spelled "Republiqùe" but the accent is on the "e" and not the "u" : it should be spelled "République"
The misspellings are made on purpose: after 500 years, and especially when the rebellion takes place out of France, people are bound to not speak modern French so well.

Do you plan doing something with Rasputin? I think it could be quite interesting :)
Rasputin is an evil God in a few religions.

Any news on release date?
No but it's approaching faster and faster, stay tuned for more.
 
The misspellings are made on purpose: after 500 years, and especially when the rebellion takes place out of France, people are bound to not speak modern French so well.
Fair enough.

If it's not planned already, may I suggest a cult of Marianne ("Marianism" maybe ?) as a more pacifist heresy of Jacobinism ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianne

They would reject the bloodthirsty ways of the Guillotine in favour of a worship of the traditional values and symbols of the République (even though they don't really understand them anymore, kinda like Americanism).
 
Dev Diary 13: Old, New and Newer Islands
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.

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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.

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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?

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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...
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?
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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.

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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.

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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.
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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.
 
DD 14: Africa
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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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To their south, the Empire of Nigeria, the greatest of all African Kingdoms, looms in wait.
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Hello everyone, old followers and new, today we are here not for a new DD, but for a special announcement many of you have been waiting for: we are proud to say that After the End - Old World will officially release on March the 16th 2020, a week from now (CET).

The mod itself you have already read about in our many DDs. I suggest you visit Paradoxplaza to read the older ones, as in here are partially outdated due to the time since they were first published.

However, various submods will also release along with the main mod:
  • Exonym submod: A submod that will change every culture name from the Endonym (the default for the mod) to the Exonym (in English). For example, Canario becomes Canarian. This submod is for those that prefer the language to be kept consistent.
  • Doggergone: Doggergone as the name suggests removes Doggerland. This of course is for those that wish to play in a map closer to modern day Europe.
We hope everyone is as excited to play as we are excited to release!

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