Fanmade culture cards community sharing

Hey buds, I create this topic not in the purpose of doing a wishlist but rather to discuss historical cultures that interest us, try to imagine what will be its emblematic units and quarters, eventually speculate about its gameplay orientation (legacy trait, etc...) if we transpose these cultures with the game.

Share your montages/sketched/drawed culture cards and some references to learn more about these cultures and your choices !
It could be amazing to have a library of fanmade culture cards, even if it this variations of the same culture.
And it might give modders some ideas if the game supports it.

I quickly sketched some culture which I am not always a great expert, but I find interesting anyway

Cumans - Kipchaks

Medieval Era

They were a Turkic semi-nomadic people, they have a large territory before the overwhelming Mongol domination.
Many eventually sought asylum and settled to the west of the Black Sea, influencing the politics of Kievan Rus', the Galicia–Volhynia Principality, the Golden Horde Khanate, the Second Bulgarian Empire, the Kingdom of Serbia, the Kingdom of Hungary, Moldavia, the Kingdom of Georgia, the Byzantine Empire, the Empire of Nicaea, the Latin Empire and Wallachia, with Cuman immigrants becoming integrated into each country's elite. The Cumans also played a prominent role in the Fourth Crusade and in the creation of the Second Bulgarian Empire.
Cuman and Kipchak tribes joined politically to create the Cuman–Kipchak confederation.

Card Artwork

For me, they are the ultimate warband of the medieval age, They fought on so many fronts as mercenaries, without those who hire them never knowing where they exactly came from.

It's the thing which needs to be shown in my humble opinion.

Emblematic Unit - Noble Kipchak

The kipchak warrior and his emblematic masked helmet

Emblematic Quarter  - Balbars or Kurgan stelae 

Anthropomorphic stelae were probably memorials to the honoured dead or revered as images of their ancestors. They are found in the context of burials and funeral sanctuaries from the Eneolithic through to the Middle Ages. When used architecturally, stelae could act as a system of stone fences, frequently surrounded by a moat, with sacrificial hearths, sometimes tiled on the inside.

Affinity - Gameplay 

Militarist - with an orientation for alliance and accomplishing missions for city-states

Quick references

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumans

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kipchaks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumania

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurgan_stelae

Rus' - Kievan Rus' - Ruthenians

Medieval Era

Kievan Rus' or Kyivan Rus was a loose federation of East Slavic and Finnic peoples in Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century, under the reign of the Varangian Rurik dynasty. The modern nations of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine all claim Kievan Rus' as their cultural ancestors, with Belarus and Russia deriving their names from it. Russia itself was ruled by the Rurikid dynasty until 16th century. At its greatest extent, in the mid-11th century, it stretched from the White Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south and from the headwaters of the Vistula in the west to the Taman Peninsula in the east,uniting the majority of East Slavic tribes.

Card Artwork

I was too inspired by the Vladimir Monomakh painting. I think than if something more important must be shown in the slavic culture card, it's a lively scene in a Slavic city with all the market stalls and the population. It will fit way better than a hunting scene.

Exemple : The marketplace in Novgorod, by Apollinary Vasnetsov. 

Emblematic Unit - Druzhina

Druzhina was a retinue in service of a slavic chieftain.

- Can be a cavalry unit.

- I think than an interesting weapon which can be shown for a slavic Emblematic Unit is the "rogatina" ( bear spear. )

Emblematic Quarter -  White Monuments

The White Monuments were definitly an Emblematic architecture of the Kievan Rus' landscape :

Affinity - Gameplay

Merchant

- Legacy trait about The trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks : A medieval trade route that connected Scandinavia, Kievan Rus' and the Eastern Roman Empire

- Legacy trait about Veche : "the people's assembly or Veche is the highest authority in the city-states. It includes not only members of the urban population, but also the free rural population."

There is a lot of reason to have Kievan Rus' as Merchant, the connection with Hanseatic League via Novgorod, the connection with Byzantines trade routes, the connections with Siberian fur trade, etc ...

Quick references

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus%27_people

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druzhina

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture_of_Kievan_Rus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Monuments_of_Vladimir_and_Suzdal (thanks to KonungBalt !)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_spear

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_route_from_the_Varangians_to_the_Greeks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detinets (thanks to KonungBalt !)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veche

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novgorod_Republic (Rus' before being independant)

Hello from Russia! :)

About the Slavs.

Druzhina is a good choice. Only they were the main cavalry of the Slavs, lthough they could fight on foot in some cases.

The Veche is a bad choice. Veche gathered in the city square/ retail space and did not have a special building. A better choice is probably the Kremlin or Detinets.

Balkans (Poeples)

Early Modern Era

Balkans, region of strategic importance, crossroads of cultures and religions, junction of empires.

Disclaimer - I know the Balkans are not a people but a region. They were part of the Ottoman Empire, The Ottomans designated their European possessions under the name of Rumelia ("Land of the Romans" ), and its people: "The Rumelians". But I wanted to represent the Balkanic culture of freedom and revolution than led to the independence of these poeples.

And I wanted to imagine an alternative culture chain for the Serbians, Greeks, Bulgarians, Albanians, Makedonians, Croats, ... etc than pick Ottomans which don't really represent them even it's a great culture. And because I find balkanic folk really interesting and fun to draw ^^

Card Artwork

Need to be shown : if it was not just a quick sketch, a huge group of folkloric dancers instead of 4 poor dancers  :p

See a mixtures of clothing typical of all Balkans folklore. They wanted to be well fashioned dressed, because the Ottomans prohibited non-Muslims from wearing sophisticated outfits (and carrying weapons.). Another way of resistance.

And in the background : mountains and some of the balkanic architecture of the Ottoman period :

Emblematic Unit - Haïdouk 

The name haïdouk, meaning “outlaw” in Turkish (haydut), diverges very little from one language to another: hajdú in Hungary, haiduc in Romania and Moldova, hajdut in Albania, hajduk in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia, ајдук / ajduk in Macedonia, хайдутин / haïdoutin in Bulgaria, hayadut in Armenia and гайдук (“gaïdouk”) in Russia and In Greece they are called κλέφτες (klephtes): "thieves" and we also speak of aiducco in Italy. The Ottomans called them outlaw, but for their people, they were rebels and free men, they played a significant role during the independence wars. they are now national heroes in all balkanic countries.

Emblematic Quarter - Tower Houses

If the family farms were under attack, all relatives could take refuge in the tower-houses, and shoot with muskets through the loopholes.

Affinity - Gameplay

Militarist - with an orientation for harassment and defensive gameplay or piracy ?

Quick references

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkans

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumelia

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haïdouk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_houses_in_the_Balkans

In any cases, these are very beautiful architectures

Seljuks

Medieval Era

"The Seljuk Empire or the Great Seljuq Empire was a high medieval Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire, originating from the Qiniq branch of Oghuz Turks. At its greatest extent, the Seljuk Empire controlled a vast area stretching from western Anatolia and the Levant to the Hindu Kush in the east, and from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf in the south". 

They invade most of the Byzantine territories, and highly take part in the Byzantine agony.

Card Artwork

It was really hard to find visual ressources about Seljuks, I just tried to quick-sketch a Seljuk court.

(there is a lot of miniatures of Seljuk court with the different Seljuk's leaders)

Miniature from the Majma al-Tawarikh by Hafiz Abru 

It would be more epic to represent them like a conquering army with the famous cyan flags Or more interessant to represent the studies in an Islamic academy. :p

Emblematic Unit - Seljuk Horsemen

I did not find any elite or emblematic unit for the Seljuks. So I opted for a pool of "generic" choices :

Seljuk Horsemen - Noble Seljuks - Seljuk Askari - Seljuk Archers - Seljuk Crossbowmen - Seljuk Mounted Archers

Some informations about Seljuk army :

"The army of the Sultanate consisted of two elements: the ‘askar (army in Arabic) of the Sultan, which was a professional body of troops paid with cash or land-grants (called iqta’at) and comprised (paradoxically) of slave soldiers (ghulams or mamālīk); and the ‘askar of the provincial amirs. These slave soldiers were drawn from among prisoners of war and from older boys purchased from the slave market. They could be of any race, but most were Daylamis, Khorasanians, Georgians, Turkomans, and increasingly in the late 11th through the 13th century from former peoples of Byzantine Anatolia."

 "All Turks fought principally as light cavalry mounted archers, but were quite willing to dismount and fight on foot if necessary. The professional askari, while still principally light cavalry, wore body armor of lamellar or mail, and used lances, maces, ax or sword in close-quarter combat. This was true too of the tribal nobility of the Turkomen clans."

I didn't opt for the Ghulams because the slave soldiers were not a tradition only Seljuk. They were used by Abbasid, Ottoman, Safavid and to a lesser extent, Mughal empires...etc

It's an equivalent to Mamluks. And It would make a redit with Ottoman Janissaries. And apparently Ghulams were the undisciplined and unreliable part of the Seljuk army contrary to the "professional" troops.

> The interesting point with the Ghulams is than you can use an emblematic unit of another Turkic culture. For exemple : The Cuman-Kipchak.

Emblematic Quarter - Nezamiyeh

Nizamiyyah institutes were among the first well organized institutions of higher learning in the Muslim world. The quality of education was among the highest in the Islamic world, and they were even renowned in Europe. They were supported financially, politically, and spiritually by the royal establishment and the elite class. 

Trivia about Nizam al-Mulk (Persian scholar and vizier of the Seljuk Empire) : One of his most important legacies was founding madrasa in cities throughout the Seljuk Empire. These were called "nezamiyehs" after him 

Affinity - Gameplay

Expansionist

Quick references

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seljuk_Empire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nezamiyeh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nizam_al-Mulk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrasa

https://imgur.com/a/gU9y5qr (Seljuk Warriors images compilation)

1071 AD map

Hey thanks, its kind

Nok

Ancient Era

The Nok culture is an early Iron Age population whose material remains are named after the Ham village of Nok in Kaduna State of Nigeria, where their terracotta sculptures were first discovered. The Nok Culture appeared in northern Nigeria around 1500 BC and vanished under unknown circumstances  around 500 AD, having lasted approximately 2,000 years.

Card Artwork

First attempt of Emblematic Unit and Emblematic Quarter

We don't have much information about this ancient culture. At first I designed a really safe representation of Nok : a generic Scout / Hunter as EU, and an earthern kiln as EQ.

But I felt it didn't fit with the spirit of the Humankind culture cards which tell a story about each singular cultures.
With my research I learned that Nok poeple had a really complex social hierarchy, social order, justice system, and sort of castes/guildes.

It was the opportunity for me to propose a more unique representation for the Nok.

One difficulty with this exercise was the weak quality of the sources, which looked more like sensational articles than real historical informations. But at the end, I find a Oxford publication (among others) which confirms this theory about the complex Nok society.

Emblematic Unit - Nok Justiciary

Probably not the best name, but always better than "Nok Police" :p Anyway if someone have a good suggestion, I am open ! A Nigerian word maybe ?

This emblematic unit is for me the opportunity to represent the Nok justice system : They need some guardians of The Law, to protect and apply the Nok social order.

IMHO, this "guardian of the law" unit is more sexy than a generic spearman/hunter/tracker/scout.

"A complex judicial system was established whereby various classes of courts implemented the law"

"They were characterized by a high avanced judicial system with a hierarchy of courts.  Some anthropologists argue that they influenced the development of later civilizations. Their artistic achievements are a source of contemporary pan-African pride. Yoruba civilization is also perhaps two thousand years old, though its relationship to Nok is unclear."

Emblematic Quarter - Artisan Guild

The Nok established guilds of specialized artists to create their status and sculptures. The EQ is for me the opportunity to represent the Nok arts and crafts in these supposed artisans settlements :

"Nok society was not built around cities. Instead, they tended to live in lots of settlements, possibly each centered around an extended family. Each settlement probably had its own farm and its own cattle, and most of the work would have been agricultural, as we know from the many grain-grinding stones and other tools found in every house. Women likely did most of the work in transforming crops into food. We don’t know this for sure, but archaeologists have found terracotta figures that depict men as the ones working with iron.

Both the making of terracotta and iron may have happened in these settlement sites. We think this is true because both metal slag from iron-making and bits of terracotta have been found in some settlements. We don’t know if everyone could make these things or if they were made by specialists in the community. More terracotta waste has been found than iron, which may indicate that this was a specialized craft. There is some evidence that there may have been a specialist guild or class for making terracotta, because so much of it is stylistically the same, but not all experts agree."

"Nok was probably ruled by a class of noblemen, where there was a division of labour, iron workers, farmers and so on - rich enough to support full time artists. Certain poeple must have stood as eminent members of the community and their existence and role were recorded by the artists who served under them"

Affinity - Gameplay

Aesthete - With the supposed emphasis of this culture on arts and crafts, justice, society, social order, cultural trade, Aesthete seems to be the best pick for Nok culture.

African Proverb : "Wisdom does not come overnight"

Quick references

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nok_culture 

Nigeria: What Everyone Needs to Know® (book)

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/whp-origins/era-3-cities-societies-and-empires-6000-bce-to-700-c-e/33-comparing-early-agrarian-societies-betaa/a/read-ancient-agrarian-societies-nok-society-beta

African Empires: Volume 2 (book)

Nok: African Sculpture in Archaeological Context (book)

For the arms of the Emblematic Unit, there is a lot of choices (like we can see in your arsenal image), from melee weapons to gunpowder ones. There is a lot of singular choices, as my favorite one :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pata_(sword)

Some quick references

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maratha_Army

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture_of_Maharashtra

Mysorean - Industrial

Along with the Marathas, the Indian subcontinent was shared with the smaller kingdom of Mysore. Established as a vassal of Vijayanagar in the 14th, with their fall they expanded to finally reach their peak of power under the Sultanate of Mysore in the late 18th.

Surrounded by the Marathas north and the British, they tried to ally with both at some point against the other but were betrayed, leaving a profond distrust against the Britishs.

However, Tipu Sultan had another way to gain more power. By both innovating and gathering foreign experts and techniques, he improved local manufacturing in textile and agriculture. Moreover, the local expertise regarding gun had nothing to gain from the best of the european one which were on par. After receiving a gift of 500 French matchlock, Mysorean returned the gift, as the quality was lower than the one they produced.

The major innovation is regarding rockets. India had used "rocket", or "fire arrow" for centuries, basically arrow tipped to bamboo containing powder increasing the range; but Tipu and his father Hyder Ali managed to produce iron-cased rocket, possibly with a clay layer to increase heat resistance, allowing to reach unmatched range in the world. After successful use against the British, some were brought back in Europe which allowed Congreve to create the Congreve Rockets used in Napoleonic wars and later.

Affinity - Scientist

Under the sultanate, they both had good gun technology and manufacturing and gathered knowledge trough foreign experts and ambassies.

EU - Mysorean Rocket

Really cool (yes they sometime used bamboo stick or blades, like sword), could be an extra artillery unit with a longer range than a cannon/mortar (up to 2km, unmatched before the end of the 19th), better mobility (simple woodern frame, quite light), possibly cheaper (no need for extensive iron use). However it would be less efficient against stone fortification, but it was used efficently to burn a few places like Copenhaguen or the White house. It is probably better used for incendiary pruposed and anti-personnal one. Needed to be used in large number to compensate low accuracy.

EQ- Silk Manufactury

Silk manufactory were established under Tipu, although they declined unde british rule, because of import, industrial revolution, new artificial silk and decrease of silk demand in Europe, they still had some hand made silk of high quality. This legacy was revived in modern India, leading the region to produce 45% of mulberry silk of India.

This also portray the other manufacturies (guns, rocket, powder and cannon as well as efficient agriculture production) and the wealth of Mysore. At that time, "Mysore enjoyed one of the world's highest real wages and living standards in the late 18th century, higher than Britain, which in turn had the highest living standards in Europe " (wikipedia).

Legacy Trait

I have 3 possibilites for LT, one more science oriented, inlfuence oriented or military oriented.

Foreign embassies: could give science boost upon diplomatic treaties. Tipu sent embassies in India, Ottoman Empire (where they didnt learnt much) and French court to gather new techniques and experts. Would represent the modernization effort 

Kannada Golden Age: could give some influence boost. Kannada litterature is said to have known a golden age under the Mysore kingdom. Would represent this and that the kingdom was known as a major center of art and culture of the British Raj.

Gunpowder Mastery: could give some bonus to gun units (strenght or production). Would represent the strong military industry and advanced matchlocks and rockets

 Main sources: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Mysore

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysore_literature_in_Kannada

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Kingdom_of_Mysore

If you are interested in Mysorean rockets, look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZBhjlPp-mg&t=4022s

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysorean_rockets

Also, Congreve rocket are better documented and are probably quite similar, you can find several tests of them on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qxKk5jBRcQ

Another reference for your suggestion of Mysore Emblematic Unit (Focus Storia Magazine) :

This is honestly ingenious work, and a prime jumpstart for some mods. Seeing how the game use ability based traits for the units, I'm hopeful making these into a reality and modding would be easier than ever.

Also, can you share the file template you used to make these? Like either the psd or gimp files and what font do you use for it. I want to make some of my own too if that's okay.

Malikultum wrote:

Also, can you share the file template you used to make these? Like either the psd or gimp files and what font do you use for it. I want to make some of my own too if that's okay.

Luxembourg_canva.psd

I made this really simple one on photoshop ! It's totally okay. I want absolutly see poeple make culture cards too^^

Aceh - Industrial

;

Affinity - Militarist

Once a regional power in the northernmost tip of Sumatra Island, the Sultanate of Aceh celebrated it's glory years during the 16-17th century. At its peak it was a formidable enemy of the Sultanate of Johor and Portuguese-controlled Malacca, as all three attempted to control the trade through the Strait of Malacca. Aceh relied on it's exports of pepper and tin. The court of Aceh was a noted centre of Islamic scholarship and trade and the sultanate was enjoying the connection it had as an Ottoman protectorate. It was a stop for both the Middle Eastern and Ottoman clerics on it's way to proselyte the Indonesian archipelago as well as muslims from those region on it's way out to hajj pilgrimage. Hence, it's capital, Kutaraja was nicknamed Seuramoe Mekkah or Porch of Mecca.

When the capital and palace was captured by the returning Dutch in a series of expedition in 1873-74,the Ductch declared Aceh's inclusion in the Netherlands Indies state territories, believing the war had come to an end. However, the Dutch immediately met with continuing resistance from all strata of society. The new sultan rule in moving exile. The nobles, clerics, and chiefs all rise up in arms in guerilla resistance. It was from this environment that the concept of Prang Sabi, or Holy War was sounded. The Dutch was kaphe, kaffirs, and as muslims it was a duty for every Acehnese to fight against their occupation. The leaders rely on media to spread the resistance among the populace, using cautionary tales and epics of the new genre of Hikayat Prang Sabi (Stories of Holy War). This is the stage that I wish to potray Aceh, with strong religious identity and fighting spirit that I feel still felt until today. Aceh's desire for autonomy continues until the era of Republic of Indonesia. Discontentment escalates into an insurgency movement since  the 1970s, only quelled after 2004 Tsunami that prompts both parties to compromise in order to heal Aceh as fast as possible, setting the Province of Aceh as a special status region.

EU - Fisabilillah

Meaning "those in the path of God", it was also the root word for Prang Sabi -> Sabi -> Sabilillah. Meant to represent those guerilla fighters against the Dutch colonnial occupation that was called to arms by their faith. There are many folktales here about their ferocity. I haven't played the opendev myself, but since I heard Militarist Affinity can spawn Militia from pop, maybe it can be a replacement for that?

EQ - Meunasah

Town hall in Aceh's villages / gampong. Aceh had their own of subdivision that wasn't changed to follow Indonesian's standard due to it's special status. Meunasah are used for both religious and civil purposes. A common saying in Aceh says that to built a village, you must raise the meunasah first. Since Aceh come late in Industrial Era, I think selecting a common building like this is more applicable than a religious district or mosques replacement seems to be available in earlier eras. Meunasah can be buff building that help units adjacent to it's quarters or maybe help deter the culture switch.

Quick Links

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aceh_Sultanate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aceh_War

drop the link below to google translate to translate them in full

https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikayat_Prang_Sabi

https://maa.acehprov.go.id/news/detail/fungsi-meunasah-sebagai-ikon-budaya-adat-aceh1