Avarice of the Exiled

Avarice of the Exiled is a mod led by Arch3r for Mount & Blade. It will have major economic changes and several factions added to the original game, and is set in the same gameworld but in the year 1312.

Features
-new map -bridge battles -larger battles with new AI -better AI on the world map (defending bridge and moutain passes, etc) -new economy and recruiting system -new troop trees as well as items (including new models) -still having the old Calradian factions, with 2 new large factions and about 10 or more small factions. -more kingdom parties (more lords and other parties that can be ordered to siege castles or defend positions) -Travel by sea, naval combat (going to be done by Ibanez) -More heraldry, regional troops with specialties -New siege scenes and more towns) -Player starts as a lord -Horses weaker against pikes and spears, stronger against cutting weapons -Arrows do more damage, but penetrate less -More powerful crossbows -Weaker shields -Lower costs of items (horses, armour and weapons)-More to come

Factions
The Kingdom of Nords

The Nords, in fifteen years, changed the face of their military tactics and strategy drastically. They employed new levy forces, training them with the experience and wisdom of the old Calradian veterans. They forged new men, men equipped in heavy mail and plate, wielding long swords perfect for mutilating foes. 'Killing machines', 'bringers of death' are what they are called, to name a few. The Nords, using their new armies and tactics, put their fellow Calradians to the test. They took over vast amounts of land, looting and pillaging any towns in sight. The Nords forged a new name for themselves, and lived relatively undisturbed. Until, one day, messengers reported seeing something strange in the fog to the north of their home island, in the sea. The king himself, a greedy but wise man, was escorted by a group of fifty veteran soldiers. They set up search parties, scanning the beach and sent some vessels out to sea. Something seemed strange, about the eerie silence the soldiers witnessed that morning.

They soon found out why. "Zok tor kator!" a yell was heard from the fog lying low over the sea. The Nords stopped their searching and prepared a defence, but it was too late. hundreds of arrows wizzed and whistled into the unorganised and unready Nord ranks, slaughtering fourty eight of the kings guard. The strange new force landed onto the shore in their rough canoes and warships. A great warcry rose up, barbaric shouts and animal-like noises plunged fear deep into the remaining nord scouts hearts. The barbarians, wielding crude spiked maces and spears, charged into the Nords, annihilating the remaining troops, their blunt weapons bloodied the beach on that cold, frosty morning. The Nords named the place where the great massacre occurred strönd-torr, ruined beach. The barbarians, now known as the Tribes of Zrak, pushed deep into Nord territory. Their fearful numbers engulfed Nord settlements. They where barbaric and evil compared to the Nords, looting and pillaging houses, raping and then killing the women along with the rest of the populace. They secured over half of their large homelands, which had belonged to the Nords. Now, the Nords are weakened, their numbers stretched by being surrounded by their enemies. Perhaps their ambition and ruthlessness will be their undoing, perhaps not.

The Kingdom of Swadia The story of the Swadians is one of sadness, and inspiration. Some may say, in the times of the Swadian empire being at its strongest, they deserved their downfall to the hands of the Nords. After being pushed back out of Old Calradia completely, the Swadian navigators and colonizers discovered that the alien lands beyond the realm of Calradia where perfect. The land extremely arable, as well as natural mines being found in the hills where they made their homes in. The Swadians discovered and colonized vast amounts of this uncontrolled land, building great stone fortresses and cities. The old grandeur of the Swadians was returning. The lands they held now matched even the Nord region of Old Calradia. Pompous Swadian nobles planned a new future for the Swadian Empire. Plans of greatness and conquering. The royalty of Swadia sneered at the Nord's empire. Their confidence grew, as did their technology. They learned from the Rhodoks about the surprising benefits of recruiting a free man, usually young and trained by their fathers, militia from cities. They discovered how to smith steel, a metal made by combining iron and small amounts of carbon together, giving a stronger quality to their armour and weapons. As well as discovering powerful and mighty horses native to the land which they called Dalralia, they also invented an ingenious design of crossbow. The crossbow featured a repeater action, firing around four bolts one after another. The reformed armies of the Swadian Empire grow restless. The Swadian armies march to war. The day for further expansion has come.

The Kingdom of Rhodoks The Rhodoks where the first to be pushed out of Old Calradia by the Nordic legions. They fled south, where they occupied nomad lands. They made peace with the natives they met, and even went to trade and form an alliance with these natives, who called themselves the Kingdom of Kabiel. The Rhodoks natural diplomacy skills allowed them to forge a strong alliance with the isolated people of Kabiel. The Rhodoks cherish knowledge and wisdom. The Kabiels, the Rhodoks found out, put to use a great military regional system, where instead of levying and forcing unwilling peasants and farmers into the army, they hired willing militia and veterans, whom they paid great amounts due to their skill and experience in battle. The Rhodoks learned this technique, and quickly put it to good use in their armies. Together, the Rhodoks and the Kabiels became the most powerful and wealthy factions known to Grauland. Using their endless funds, they crafted mail armour to protect their foot soldiers from enemies. They deployed pikemen, heavily armoured infantry armed with a long pike and a sword for close combat, to retaliate against cavalry charges by forming an impenetrable wall of brisling spears. This earned the tactic the infamous nickname of pericolo ricio - the deadly hedgehog due to its similarities in appearance with a hedgehog. In the mix of this 'wall' of spears, crossbowmen with mail till their knees and legguards hailed a deadly swarm of bolts on an incoming charge, piercing armour as easily as flesh. The Rhodoks sat in their cities and citadels, drinking their wine and throwing around gold coin as if it where dirt, waiting for the right time. The time to strike, and take back what was rightfully theirs.

The Kingdom of Vaegirs The Vaegirs where pushed into the mountains by the Nords, their homelands destroyed. They settled in a mountainous and pine-ridden land, unknown and feared originally by the Calradian inhabitants. It is said fearful beasts and creatures unknown to man stalk the gloomy pine forests in the crags and caves of the lands the Vaegirs now inhabit. They called it Kvatak, which meant gloomy forest in their old tongue. The Vaegir controlled a large amount of this land, building strong wooden forts to defend against attack, or perhaps against the creatures of legend that supposedly stalked the forests. The Vaegir where naturally good with the bow, as they needed it to hunt and supply their armies with rations. They also became very skilled in the use of the axe, which they used extensively in their armies. As well as discovering new breeds of stocky, strong and agile mountain horses, the Vaegirs discovered horse archery, and used guerrilla warfare to a great extent this way. They would ride closely to the enemy with lightly armoured but fast horse archers, pepper the enemy with arrows, then run back to the main army. By the time the enemy reaches the Vaegir's main fighting force, they are already injured and exhausted. The medium armoured Vaegir Guard move in quickly to finish off the enemy with their powerful two handed axes. If the enemy put up a fight against the Guard, strong agile cavalry equipping heavy axes quickly flank the enemy, lowering morale and creating a scissor-like action, which quickly annihilates the opposing army. the Vaegir prefer to use a loose, casual army without military doctrine. They hire willing huntsmen, woodsmen and horsemen into their army, paying them poorly. The Vaegir recruits do not mind this though, as they fight for the honour of their once mighty nation, and fight to regain some of that might. The Vaegir are out to regain control of their old lands, but more importantly, to gain some of the honour their people where once known for. The sounds of Vaegir battle drums echoes throughout the mountains, the sound of marching men and horses resounds through valleys. Their enemies better be ready, for the reformed Vaegir are as strong and ruthless as ever.

The Khergit Khanate The Khergit's unorganised army as well as their impotent arrows against the Nords heavy plate and ring mail armour meant they where forced back into a small part of the steppes they originally inhabited. The shamans foretold a future of mixed outcomes. They prophesised two futures for the Khergit people. If they stayed in their land and kept to their old customs, they would wither and be consumed by their neighbours growing armies. If they pushed, conquered and changed their old ways, they would succeed. So the Khan accepted this, being a wise, but strong leader. They quickly learnt from their Rhodok neighbours the techniques of recruitment, and how it improves the quality of the army. They did this, recruiting fierce and hardened steppe warriors into their ranks. With the inspirational words of their Khan, the people rose up, volunteering to join the army. Various tribes joined the Khans force, bolstering the Khergits strength and morale. With their newfound numbers and army tactics, the Khergit people found new inspiration and hope for their ancient tribe. They rebuilt some of their old fortresses, started trading with the tribes in the region, gaining wealth and strength once again. The Khergits, after studying the Kabiel Tribes, understood the importance of variation in armies. They deployed light mounted archers with lamellar and scale armour, wielding composite bows made with great care out of horn, leather and wood. They also used cavalry armed with spiked, leather bound shields and long, slender sabres. With their newfound strength and courage, the Khanate was ready. Whispers of fear where heard in all of the continent. The Khergits where ready, and the taste of vengeance was never sweeter. The horde was about to show Grauland what real fear meant.

Tribes of Zrak Brutish, evil, bloodthirsty are good enough words as any to describe the Zrak. These unintelligent and backward humans lust for blood and power. Coming from foreign lands where there was no competition, they sail on Old Calradia to take what they desire. Their assaults originally focused on the Nords in Old Calradia. They capured a vast amount of land from the Nords, but soon after they set their eyes on Dalralia and the whole of Grauland. The Zrak people use thousands of tribesmen wielding maces and sticks and whatever they could plunder. Their maces, designed for crushing armour and knocking enemies unconscious, prevailed against the Nords who where slow moving and clad in heavy armour. Thousands upon thousands of Zrak tribesmen swarmed the Nord legions, after the Nord's shields where too heavy to lift with the arrows rained on them. Their vast numbers engulfed the enemy, causing panick. Using their agility and bestial strength, the Zrak macemen crushed their opponents and took obvious joy in chasing down routing troops.

After a skirmish with a Zrak exploration group, the leader of the Rhodok scout force, Captain Fudreim reported that the warriors where strangely strong and pain resistant. "Even after volley upon volley of crossbow bolts pierced some of the elite warriors of the tribe, they kept on charging. It was unbelievable, the typical crossbow bolt should kill a man. Not these demons, they charged our men and demolished us. Using their large maces, they quickly dispatched my crossbowmen with ease. I barely escaped with my life. We must stop these creatures from hell from spreading their disease and filth across Grauland. Men, man the ballista! I shall not rest until the day these curs are brought to bleed upon my sword!"

The Zrak do not use any tactics, just sheer number and surprise. They outnumber and surround the enemy, slaughtering many. Old Calradia has felt the power of the Zrak tribe. All the civilisations in Grauland prepare for war, as the Zrak tribe are not finished. Not nearly. They hunger for power and riches, perhaps as evil as the Rhodoks believe them to be.

The Kingdom of Kabiel The desert is a harsh and unforgiving land to live in. Men perish of starvation, drought and despair here. There is only one group of people than can survive. Kabiels. A kingdom consisting of nomads and tribes united under one flag. These people live off the desert, else they would perish. They are isolated from the rest of Grauland, only really coming into proper contact with the Rhodoks. They share some cultural characteristics with the Khergits, yet some say they are more hardy. They respect the Rhodoks natural entrepreneurism and desire for development. They set up trade with the Rhodok Principality, forming a strong Alliance. They taught the Rhodoks their training ways, that every man is a free man. They gather all the militia they can, and train them further to make excellent soldiers. Using large curved swords called scimitars with their medium/heavy infantry, the Kabiel can defend what they are best at. Javelinmen. Using light to medium armoured skirmishers armed with javelins to harass the enemy and penetrate thick armour, the Kabiel warriors are no easy foe. They have even gone as far as deploying these skirmishers on horses with either a bow or a javelin and shield. The Kabiel Kingdom also use an extremely strong heavy cavalry, the mameluk. armed with strong lamellar armour, a large scimitar and a shield, these cavalry can destroy most enemies. The Kingdom of Kabiel is well defended. The sounds of war do not strike fear into the hearts of these free men, for they are ready. Ready for war, and for whoever dares challenge them.

Team
Arch3r - Author of the Mod+script, modeller etc. Ibanez - Scripting, naval battles eragoen - Lore, scenery