Spotlight: Kingdoms and Flags news - A.D. 633: Rise of Islam mod for Crusader Kings II

Although A.D. 633: Rise of Islam extends the timeline of Crusader Kings II by less than two centuries, much of the world has yet to evolve into its later form. Most of the the South Slavs still live in traditional Slavic homelands, north of the Carpathian Basin and the Avar hordes. The Iberian Peninsula is dominated by Visigoths who have no knowledge of the forces of Islam that, in OTL, later conquered their lands. In light of these historical differences, A.D. 633: Rise of Islam features several new or revised kingdoms, and flags to go with them. Some of these new flags and kingdoms are featured in this article.

The Kingdom of Illyria is a title that replaces the Kingdom of Croatia from unmodded CK2. The name Illyria derives from the Roman province of Illyricum, which was one of the last areas outside of Italy that remained under the control of the Western Roman Empire. After the fall of the western empire, Illyria became part of the Ostrogothic Kingdom, which fell to the armies of the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire in the late 6th century. 633 sees Illyria split between Lombards, Gepids, and Byzantines. Although the symbolism of the province of Illyricum remains largely shrouded in the fog of history, one of the possible Roman symbols is an eagle over two snakes, inspiring the in-game flag.

The Kingdom of Dacia is another former Roman province in the Balkan region. During the glory days of Rome, Dacian legions were some of the most successful, inspiring areas as far-flung as Britain to copy their symbol, the Wolf's head on a dragon or snake's body. The border between Dacia and Illyria separated the Eastern and Western Roman Empires, so Dacia remained under Byzantine control and largely escaped the fate of the West. At game start in A.D. 633, most of Dacia is still held by the Byzantine Empire, but an enclave of Serbian Slavs have settled in the inland regions and are beginning to push out the people of Greek and Illyrian descent.

Ironically, the Kingdom of Slavs was actually established by a Frank. The founder, Samo, was a originally a merchant who was probably born in Sens, in what is now France. A pagan, Samo's decision to settle among the Wendish Slavs was likely due to his disgust at the Christianization of the Franks. Samo led the Wends in a revolt against the Avars, their nominal overlords, and upon their victory assumed the title of King. Samo and his loosely united kingdom were able to fend off attacks by Franks and Avars alike until his death, when the kingdom rapidly disintegrated.

Septimania is the region extending along the coast from Provence to Barcelona. Before their demise at the hands of the Ummayads, the Visigothic kings styled themselves "King of Hispania, Galicia, and Septimania." While perhaps a bit pretentious, it is accurate, since the Visigoths controlled Septimania for the duration of their reign, despite numerous attempts by the Franks to oust them. In 633, Septimania is one of the title of the Visigothic King Sisenando. Its flag is one of the flags of Languedoc, which is one of the names of the region that corresponds to Septimania.

Several other changes to kingdoms and flags have been made in this mod. If you would like to play, download the full version of A.D. 633: Rise of Islam now by clicking the download button.