 | |
| Leaders: | Cardith Lorda |
|---|---|
| Heroes: | Eurabatres the Gold Dragon Herne |
| Race: | Human Centaur Lamia |
| Allignment: | Good |
| Patron God: | Amathaon |
| Emblematic Mana: | Creation Mana |
| Totem Animal: | Snake |
| Enemies: | Calabim Infernal |
| World Spell: | Legends |
| Unique Quality: | Dwell in limited number of super-cities |
| Type: | Civilization |
Background
The nucleus of the Kuriotates was formed in the harrowing years between the end of the Age of Ice and the dawn of the Age of Rebirth. Squabbling tribes, clans, warlords and embryonic city-states were gathered into a small nation led by the boy-king Cardith Lorda. It is in this background that we find the secret behind the Kuriotates' rather odd societal structure. All these diverse elements gathered together in a sheltered and bountiful land, and started to forge a state that could survive in a dangerous world. However, the mutual distrust between all the clans, families and dynasties Cardith Lorda brought together means that they will not suffer another to grow more powerful than they are. In effect, the lower levels of government in the core regions are marked by a form of democracy, watched over by a royal administration with complete control.
Thus, all expansion is conducted by the King, and by him alone, and all territory is royal territory. The army swears allegiance to the king alone, and all administrative functions flow from the state rather than a master-servant system. There is no feudal system among the Kuriotates. The powerful live in the cities, and compete for positions there. In the outlying areas, the powerful are only powerful by royal decree, and Cardith Lorda's careful machinations ensures that it stays that way. Thus arose the system of settlements.
The Kuriotates are a confederation of peoples and races, marked by a very powerful core region, vast areas more loosely connected to the core cities, and full freedom of asylum, even citizenship, for those who wish to move from other nations or the wilderness of uncivilised territory. The settlements, controlled solely by the central administration (i.e. Cardith Lorda's government) act as administrative centers, tying vast areas, often with their own highly advanced semi-autonomous indigenous populations, into the Kuriotate confederacy. The settlements provide facilities for transit, trade, administration and diplomacy in the affiliated regions, but never develop a very large population of pure Kuriotates. They are mostly populated by bureaucrats, merchants, a handful of soldiers and their families and the most promising born here quickly relocate to the central cities. A system of trade and friendship with their centre on the small Kuriotate settlements keeps the hodge-podge of allies, protectorates, semi-autonomies and client states happy and ensures that much-needed resources continue to flow to the core lands.
The vast areas with sparse human population that get locked within the Kuriotates' disproportionately large sphere of influence and cultural domination mean that they get in contact with many of the rarer species of Erebus. For many civilizations, that might prove problematic, even act as a source of conflict and destruction. For the Kuriotates, it is a boon, and a source of their strength.
For the Kuriotates don't much care who you are as long as you have something meaningful to offer to the nation as a whole. The Kuriotates' particularly positive relationship to the non-human species of Erebus dates back to the very beginnings of the confederation, when a small group of Centaurs aided Cardith Lorda in his rise to power. Other creatures, attracted by the special power they detect in the boy king, have since flocked to the Kuriotate banner, escaping marginalization or even persecution in other parts of the world. The Centaurs, having risen to be a force to be reckoned with in Kuriotate political life, smooth their transition and integration into the society, putting their special skills to good use in the areas at which they excel, through innate ability or cultural conditioning.
The culture of the Kuriotates is such that the demi-humans are treated as, and indeed regarded as being, equal to the human majority, and judged by merit and benefit to the nation alone, although the fundamental differences between the races mean that some measure of distinction is necessary in order to allow the Kuriotate nation to run smoothly. However, again this may be a secret benefit.
This specialization and segregation has given rise to something akin to a Caste system, another reason the Kuriotates have such a stable central government. While the humans are the jack of all trades, each of the races have found their niche, dominating their own area. The Centaurs, the warrior caste, hold many high positions in the army, the Lamia wield great magical power, and command respect among the magi, and so on. Since all these subcultures owe allegiance to the king alone, they act, in their specialized roles, as an effective bulwark against the ambitions of human noblemen.
Those few dissidents who let their resentment at being bypassed be channeled into irrational hatred of demi-humans are held in check by strong personal trust in Cardith Lorda and an emphasis on the state religion, not to mention state superstition and traditions. Few Kuriotates dare cross or even question the will of the state, the will of the people of the confederation, and most importantly, the will of the divine Boy-King.
The Kuriotates hold loose sway over a massive sprawl of an empire, but the borders are porous, and when war threatens, they will often act as a turtle, retreating into the hard shell of their core lands until they can muster the forces to take back that which was lost. Thus, the Kuriotates through their openness to others, strong central authority and large but loose sphere of influence have a flexibility many of their opponents lack. Truly, they are one of the centers of enlightenment in the dark of Erebus.
Features
- Cities have plot radius 3 instead of 2
- Limited number of cities depending on map size
- Duel Map: 2
- Tiny Map: 2
- Small Map: 3
- Standard Map: 3
- Large Map: 4
- Huge Map: 5
- Each settler produced after reaching maximum city size will automatically become Settlements (1-pop cities that cannot queue any production in the cities' production bar)
Strategies
The Kuriotates have a head start in playing for a Cultural Victory, but this is by no means the only way to victory. In particular, researching Horseback Riding and Stirrups is particularly effective for a warmongering Kuriotates player for access to Centaurs and Centaur Archers respectively. The advantage of these Mounted units is that, unlike other Mounted units (e.g. Horseman and Horse Archers that they replace) they receive a defensive bonus, making them perfect for both fast-moving raiding force, a strong invasion, as well as a sturdy defense for cities.
Note that although any production/food/commerce produced by the 1 population point working any tile in the city will not be added to your empire, consider using a Priest of any religion to found a temple in the city--any Commerce, Science, or Culture generated by a specialist will be added to your empire, thus allowing you to make use of the 1 population point instead of having it produce nothing.
- Legends is an early world spell. Use it as soon as you have founded your 3 cities to get your plot radius 3 for your cities.
- Cardith Lorda is an adaptive leader, so you will be able to choose a new trait after 100 turns.
- Build your tailors and jewelers to get goods that no one else can produce and trade them for other luxuries that you thrive on, dye-silk-cotton and gold-gems-silver
Also see this post in the Your Top Ten Tips for Your Favorite Civ thread.
Recent Changes
Changed in v0.32
43. Added the Enclave improvement (Kuriotate only, town upgrade, grants +1 gold and +1 food over towns, art by Woodelf, idea by TheJopa).
Changed in v0.34
Added Airships to supplment navy