Hello all! Today it’s time for the second dev diary, in which we’ll be looking at the world and of the game and its cultures.
An overview of the game's factions
The world of Fall of an Empire is divided chiefly into two parts: the northern continent Cassa, and the southern continent Sattaria. These lands and the central sea are dominated by the ancient Rephsian Empire, founded a thousand years before the game’s start. Centred on the eternal city of Rephsis, the Empire expanded over the centuries to become the greatest civilisation the world has ever known. The imperial language and culture has dominated the two continents.
The cultures of the game
In the beginning, the tribes around the capital banded together and began to slowly conquer territory. The first kings of Rephsis and the royal Senate (originally the chiefs of each tribe, now a rubber-stamp assembly made up of nobles from the provinces) worked in tandem, and the Rephsian legions with their military commanders took territory after territory. When Rephsis had conquered the plains and peninsula of Sarmachia, it looked over the mountains and sea and looked for more territory to claim. The title of King became merged with the title of Emperor, originally the word of for the commander of an army.
Three hundred years into Rephsian rule, a man from the steppe, Borgutius, came to the Empire. With his followers he preached a new, martial religion of the one true God against the pagan deities of Rephsis. Borgutius and his disciples were mocked by the people - until his band grew, and marched on the capital. After conquering it, he ruled for a month - until he was betrayed by a sect of his followers, who handed him over to the force that had come to relieve the city.
Hypocritically it was this more pacifist sect that took over Borgutius’s legacy: with him and his followers dead a new religion came into being, one that believed in submission before God and a natural order ruled by the nobility, with a strict and regimented social system. Naturally this appealed to the patrician class, most of whom converted over the next three hundred years. It took longer for this religion to reach the commoners - even in 784 only half the Empire’s population is made up of followers of Apsodenian Borgutianism.
Religions of the Empire
However, over the last few centuries the Empire has become weak - constant rebellion, soft emperors unfit for campaign and religious strife have meant that barbarian tribes have found it easy pickings for looting and plundering. The last emperor, Lucius XI - called Vetus for his long reign - ruled more than fifty years, and in this time seeing three tribes take up residence within the Empire.
At the start of Fall of an Empire, you, Theodosius V, have finally overthrown Lucius Vetus. It’s finally time for you to end these humiliating centuries that the Empire has endured.
The game's Domains
The world is split into these various Domains - high-level abstract regions. Of these there are ones that make up the Empire: Rephsia (the empire’s core), Septentria (the northeastern frontier), the peninsula of Oretania, Carnovia - a large and fertile, mostly flat land, and the mountainous, semi-arid Tamarsia and riverine Sarghania in the southern continent of Sattaria.
Beyond the Empire: in Sattaria there is the desert domain Amarghan, but in Cassa there are the steppes of Tarhania to the east, and the forests of Neutarnia and Svarania to the north: home to three groups of foederati in the Empire. West of Neutarnia is the peninsula of Neutarnia Ultima - home to raiders who have recently become more active. And in the frozen north is mysterious Boralia. Not much is known of this land.
Core territory of the Himmelsvolci
Within the empire, these three foederati are Himmelsvolci, who make their home in the land of Savania. Here they rule over a mostly Rephsian population.
The territory of the Hervati
Near the capital are the Hervati - the most recent arrivals - and who are traitorously rebelling against your rule.
In Tamarsia the Angharati rule over the Rephsianised Cavalite people and are threatened by the Tamasheq desert-dwellers.
The Western Rebels in Oretania
In Oretania the Western Rebels have risen up against you under the upstart rule of Aulus Tiberian, a general and loyalist of Lucius Vetus who now has named himself Emperor. To crush them is your destiny!
There are a lot more factions in the game - both within and outside the Empire - but to go through them all will take a book, so I will have to leave you with them here. Next week we’ll be looking at the resource and economy system.