Serpent cult is back!
 

Rejoice fellow serpent cult enthusiasts, for (I would assume) EA Pythium serpent cult is back. Its all on the dom update link, what has caught my attention was, quote:
"Serpent cult orgy."

Now that one, I can't wait to see http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Uh, that would be Late Era Pythium...

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Ahmm, I C, So what will be EA Pythium?

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Sauromatia and Ermor are rather early and rather Pythian.

Ermor conquered the Sauromatian tribes and when it started to descend into darkness, the civil war, orchestrated by the Theurgs, split the emerald empire from Ermor. The Sauromatian heartland and the swamps of Pythia was part of the splinter empire, as well as other ermorian colonies.

Thus no Early Pythium.

But we have a late Pytium now. I'm very fond of it, but I'm a bit worried about balance and stuff. It will be a difficult nation to play I believe, with special units and a remarkable setup of commanders. More than any previous nation.

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Now there's a teaser! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

And what were of EA Marignon and Middle and Late Averni?
I'd like to know more of the Dom3 myth continuum ...

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Marverni was incorporated in the ermorian empire along with the ulmic tribes. When Ermor fell the former colonies and provinces broke free to avoid the fate of the empire and they adopted different methods to survive.

One of these splinter kingdoms is Marignon, who with faith and fire keep death at bay. Marignon is to some extent the successors of Marverni, but years of ermorian domination has effectively replaced the old culture and the nation doesn't retain much of it's marverni legacy. The fire magic of the augurs and the flamen are put to use by the inquisitors and a theocracy reminiscent of the ermorian faith with priests not particulary skilled in magic, and sacred knights is instituted.

Ulm on the other hand has kept some of it's old traditions and smiths still have a prominent place in the nation. The development of heavy armor and the iron inquisition was the ulmic response to the fall of the empire. Superstitious since earlier times and confronted with the catastrophic dangers of magic unleashed, they banned it from the realm entirely. Only priests and smiths with highly institutionalized and restricted rituals still practice magic.

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

I always assumed that Marverni was the precursor of Marignon, good to see I was largely correct.

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Well they're both France aren't they? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Although to me Marignon feels more Spanish - I keep on shouting "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" when I order an attack.

Not really, for those concerned for my sanity.

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

I always assumed Marignon was Spanish, but the Celts were in NW Spain as well. Marignon as Spain was part of the reason my preferred pretender name for them is Talkemada. Cause you can't Talkemada of anything!

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Marignon was originally thought of as a southern France, northern Spain kind of nation; the albigensian crusade and the spanish inquisition; but considering the LA developments I'd say it is slightly more spanish then french. OTOH there is nothing that says that capitlas and cultures don't shift geographically.

And Marverni is as you say largely inspired by celts from Caesars war commentaries. While mainly french the celts were quite spread out. Galicia has a celtic legacy IIRC. I suppose there is a Galicia-Galli connection.

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Someone needs to create a timeline of these. It sounds like there is material for a good scenario game to break the old Ermorian Empire. Something like
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/...a1685_1903.jpg
or
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pmm1/g...ree_1_4_p1.gif

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

*groan*

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

I'm embarrassed to say I don't get this. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/redface.gif

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

It was in Mel Brooks' History of the World I think.

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

I didn't get it at the first post either, so we could be embarassed together? But now that I really tried to figure it out it sounds suspeciously like: "Cause you can't talk em outa anything"

Am I right? Is that the clue? Do I get a cookie? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Ever hear the name Torquemada?

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Amhazair - that was as far as I got. But it didn't seem funny, so I guessed maybe there was more to it?

Taqwus - sadly not. It sounds familiar. I guess I am undereducated. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

"torquemada - what a show!"
"torquemada - here we go!"

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

I wish I'd known earlier http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Well, now what am I going to do with all those hot lamia queens and eunuch predator lizards?

I suppose I can add them to my bundle of national spells.

Are there plans in the works for LA Machaka or LA Helheim?

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

We still want to see them! Please post your work!

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

There are some EA Machaka concepts (which are still at the concept stage, afaik), but no LA Machaka or Helheim that I know of.

LA Helheim
 

Uh, Vanheim and Helheim merge into Midgard in late age, don't they?

Re: LA Helheim
 

I think so.

Re: LA Helheim
 

Helheim merged with vanheim in MA already.

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

So Ermor has conquered Sauromatia and the emerald empire has splintered from Ermor on the eve of Ermor's fall. What I would like to see is a nation that would represent what was sauromatia and is yet to become Pythium. In history I could porbably parallel this nation the eastern roman empire that would later become Byzantium.

Or maybe its a better idea to just do the Byzantium empire equivalent with or w/o relation to Pythium. I'm sure it would be an exciting nation and would add to dom folklore.

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

I thought Pythium was Byzantium?

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Yeah Pythium is clearly Byzantium. The Eastern wing of the Roman / Ermorian empire.

Why is it Ermor and not Emor by the way?

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

I thought so too at some point in the past, and of course it does make sense. But then a short time after dom-III was out, I have read some post by one of IW team that refers to work in progress on Byzantium influenced nation. I hope I'm recalling this right and that wishful thinking isn't playing tricks on my mind http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Well, the new serpent cult might be more Byzantine and less Roman.

Sauromatians = Sarmatians, who were the tribes living in and around the balkans and southern Russia. KO takes rather few liberties with that nation, actually (aside from the giant lizards http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif).

I see no reason why Helheim couldn't split off again from Vanheim - after all, the place has been overrun by filthy stinking humans, *I'd* seceed.

But I was being facetious, I've always assumed that Serpent Cult was in the works (observe the Serpent Cult thread in the mod forum) sooner or later but Frank finally argued me into modding it up anyway http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif. Very bad timing on my part to cave in.

Tangential machaka question - I recall reading somewhere that in the middle ages, Europeans believed that there was a Christian African King with knights who rode on giant ants. I can't find this reference anywhere, does anyone know what I'm talking about?

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Prester John? Never heard anything about giant ants though.

Re: Serpent cult is back!
 

Good King Prester John. Ruled a kingdom with streedt of gold etc. Some suggest the reference is to Ethiopia.

Edit: Not heard of the ants either.