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Eternal Sun - Cult of Arun [Fallen Desert Theocracy Class]

"For the brightest light must cast the darkest shadows. Every morning the Sun is reborn, every night we die another death. The cycle will repeat until either light eternal or darkness everlasting reigns."

What is this about?

A new class themed around the Cult of Arun, led by the mummified Relic Priest who has awoken from eons of slumber. Summon undead hordes buried below the sands, burn this rotten world to ashes and reclaim the grace of a long dead god to create an earthen paradise for your people, until the spirits from above and below bow their heads before your authority.

Although you can play this class like any other, it was designed as a semi-narrative campaign, with specific goals and victory conditions distinct from any other class in the game. This results in a gameplay loop which is, frankly, a little logistic heavy and perhaps even tedious, just as a fair warning. Still, I tried to streamline the experience as much as possible without compromising the core concept.

The class offers:

- over 70 new units (+variants) inspired by half-a-dozen Dominions nations and woven together into one cohesive class

- three commander types handling distinct new ritual schools with their own purpose and role within the campaign

- a rather limited early game which branches out into more and more options the further you fulfill your mission (we may or may not have Lizardkin mercenaries)

- responsible terraforming (so, no spamming income buildings blindly) to turn the world into golden desert lands

- maybe a little bit of lore *cough* with a narrative culminating into multiple boss battles at the end


Known Issues

- due to the scripted nature of the campaign, there should only ever be a maximum of one Relic Priest Class participating in any given game, the AI cannot handle the class and will not be assigned to it by random selection
-the endgame ritual that will win you the game may not work properly, if there are enemy players with forest citadels remaining, as those are not targeted by the event that should clear them


Compatibility

Terrain numbers used: 781 - 792
Special terrain numbers used: -1061 - -1068
Event variables used: 4040 - 4055


Class Lore

The ancient Scrolls tell of times long forgotten, when the god Arun reigned surpreme over all the lands. It is said back then the deserts were not filled with sand, but with dust of gold, and great cities of polished marble and jade bloomed at every river mouth. Under the light of an eternal sun that never sunk below the horizon, only a gentle dusk instead of night, artisans created works of grand beauty and philosophers debated the foundations of nature, while legions of soldiers in shimmering armaments marshed into the directions of all four winds to conquer and enlighten the world. Alas, the gods of darkness in their envy tore down Arun from his rightful throne in the heavens and ripped him apart into pieces and hid them in the shadows. Without his protection the lands fell to foul beasts, cities ruined, libraries burned, monuments desecrated. Untold thousands died, swallowed by the sands that no longer glittered with the light of Arun's grace but became dull and coarse. His most loyal priests withdrew into the sacred cities of the dead, where even the divine decree of a vanquished god would still protect them for millenia. There they fell into a deep slumber, dreaming of a golden age to return, while their bodies were preserved and mummified by trusted guardians.


What else?

Like, comment and subscribe, I guess. Balance as always is an occult practice, the class seems to weak and too strong at the same time, so probably I did everything about right. Let me know if there are any issues, or what you especially liked so I might do more of it.




What will you do? - Spoiler Section

Since I suspect, the gameplay loop might be a bit obscure, here is a short list of steps you might want to consider if you feel lost in darkness.

A Long Slumber
The first step for a better world is to create your first Shrine to Arun, afterwards you might want to exhaust all six charges of the Eternal Duty ritual of your Relic Priest to gain a strong early game power, you will sorely need their help, since otherwise your start is very slow and vulnerable.

A Wasteland of Ashen Perfection
There is nothing of worth for you in this world, burn it all down, leave only ruins behind. Use the Scribe Magistrate Exodus-Ritual to destroy settlements, use the passive Desolation ability and Kindle the Ember-Ritual (Relic Priest) to get rid of forests and fertile plains, the desert land is your home and your strength. Build Pyre Camps (Light in the Darkness-Ritual of the Scribe) from which you will gather Servants for the Cult of Arun that can be consumed by your ambitions.

An Earthen Paradise Awaits
Upgrade your Tomb Keeper as early as possible into an Architect, use your Servants as sacrifice to rebuild the remnants of civilisation into something more befitting in the eyes of Arun, be it an Oasis from farmland or Ziggurats and Pyramids from ruined settlements. These Cult Sites will provide you with extra relics which you may find good use for.

Reclaim Grace for this Forsaken World
At each Cult Site create a Shrine to Arun and eventually Monuments by the hands of the Architect, unlocking powerful blessings, promotions for your commanders and new recruitment offers. In the end you may unearth the Pillars of Creation and challenge those foul darkling beasts that murdered your god. Once these sanctums are purified, the world will bow before the reborn Arun, the Unconquered Sun, and your Conquest of Elysium may end in victory, regardless of enemy strength remaining.