BIP Development Update #3 news

Howdy partners, we're back to spill some beans. Let me first address some recent developments before we get into the nitty gritty.

Recently, famous Bannerlord (and much more) YouTuber, Resonant, covered BIP in one of his videos. While some details were slightly off, he did get the broad gist and goal of the mod right. As a result of this video, many more eyeballs have landed on BIP, which is great. Welcome to all newcomers. Just him doing that has actually helped the project along considerably, so he has my eternal gratitude.

Speaking of newcomers, this has also lead to a considerable influx of new developers on the project, so without further ado, let me introduce them here and briefly summarize what they'll be up to:
- Slavic Bojankles is our secondary lore writer, who has plenty of experience with worldbuilding. He is also a 2D artist and will be making certain artworks and UI elements for us in the future.
- A Libertarian is one of our new coders/programmers and will be working on various related tasks.
- Pyrolyzed is the other new coder/programmer and will be doing much the same and is currently helping us hunt down various crashes.
- The Bard is a fancy addition to our team and he'll be working on music and sound design! He's educated in ethnomusicology and will be creating new types of music for our new cultures.

I can already feel some weight off my own personal back now that we have more technically capable hands on deck to help out with much of the practical work involved, so I'm very excited to see what we can come up with.

Since the last update, I have also gotten around to familiarizing myself with working with blender to create new, basic assets. More on this below.

Work done since last time:

• Continued work on BIP lore. See below.
• Added the Carthanian Sea Guard. See below.
• Started internal work on the campaign map layout (who and what goes where etc).
• Added a plethora of new armors/helmets for several of the cultures. More to come.
• Implemented said assets where possible. See below.
• Reworked the banners of several kingdoms to achieve greater consistency in their coloration.
• Continued work on our recruitment overhaul. More info on this in future updates.
• Began a series of in-depth, edited lore videos for BIPs major factions for familiarizing players with their story.
  

THE CARTHANIAN SEA GUARD

The Carthanian Sea Guard are an Anean mercenary company based out of the largest Anean port city, Carthanios. They've made their name and gold defending trade caravans, both on land and at sea, and are well respected and treasured by Anean nobility and merchants for their great success rates compared to other groups offering the same services. When an Anean Grand-Archon has a profitable trade run that needs protection, he will turn to the Carthanian Sea Guard before anyone else.

A few more minor factions are still in the works, though their implementation process has been slowed somewhat with asset creation being added to the pipeline. Stay tuned for more in future updates.

Below are screenshots of many of the new implemented assets as seen in-game. This is not an exhaustive list, but a few examples. All are still WIP and still require a polish pass in the future, but the basics of the aesthetic and usage are complete.

Below are the new banners for some of the kingdoms. The plan is for BIP to drop with two different POC configs to choose from; the default one will be what you see below and will have more color coded kingdoms (though still with considerable variety, just within a certain spectrum) and the other will be a more eclectic set up, with no clear coding across factions per se. Here are the default ones that are completed so far (as with everything, this is WIP):

Below is the complete lore and story of the Sturgian realms of BIP, courtesy of Cornelius Crispus. As always, he's put together some great stuff.

“The Sturgian forests are forbidding and cold, but great wealth lies within. Wild honey can be found, and bog iron, but the real prize has always been fur. For centuries, brave traders ventured there to buy the pelts of fox, rabbit and ermine from the tribes of the woods. As the empire expanded northward, that trickle of traders became a flood. Great towns sprung up on the rivers. Its people were mockingly called “Sturgians” or “fish-people” by the Calradians. Yet to name them one people is a grave error. Fortune-seekers came from the coast, from the steppes, and most of all from the Nordlands. Tribal elders made alliances with the newcomers, sealed by wedding vows, and with their share of the trading profits hired mercenaries to subdue other tribes. All this turned Sturgia into a patchwork of different tribes and clans, with different cultures to boot.”

As the famed Calradian historian Verenikos Lex wrote of this time: “Even though we call the people of those lands “Sturgians”, the act of doing so implies so many wrongful truths that I as a historian am hesitant to do so. For to call these people by a single name, be it “Sturgians” or “northerners'', implies a unity that is quite frankly laughable to anyone acquainted with their society, norms or morals. It might even be an even greater laughing matter to the folk living there, whose language, culture and speech differ so much from place to place, that someone living in Varcheg would need the aid of a skilled translator to understand a man speaking the local language of Tyal…”

Despite their local differences, Sturgia nevertheless became a collection of principalities in the east, and in the west, developed a small kingdom at odds with its eastern brethren. Together though, these two realms form Sturgia, the great powerhouse of the north. The Vezhigir too claim to have Sturgian roots, having owned large amounts of lands there when they were still a grand Tsardom in centuries past. These lands were however poorly developed, inhabited by many tribes left to their own devices, unless they were needed as levies in the Tsar’s wars. When the Khuzait struck the Vezhigir hard, these lands became independent.

The division into the two power-blocs of the north began shortly afterwards, with the western Sturgian tribes most likely inspired by their imperial neighbours to the south. The idea soon came that they might be stronger if they were united like the Calradian empire. The Empire encouraged this idea at first, seeing it as a way to keep the unruly tribes of the north divided and squabbling as each warlord thought himself most deserving of supremacy. When the Khuzait hordes invaded the eastern fringes of the empire though, the empire did not pay heed to what happened in the lands of what now is called the Paliski kingdom….

For years, the Paliski tribes had been oft-raided by their eastern neighbours and by the Nordmen, those marauding sailors from beyond the Byalic sea. A cunning warlord named Bovors rose to power by promising protection. Few believed he could deliver, but through deft political intrigue and the dodging of imperial assassins, Bovors was able to make his own clan, the Perist, supreme. While clan Perist united the western Sturgians in this, the eastern sturgian boyars formed a defensive alliance led by an elected leader, to counteract the new power of this western kingdom. Their alliance still holds, formed into a semi-league of allied clans, led by Grand Prince Raganvad, who is the most powerful amongst equals.

The descendants of the Nords and native folk who dwelt in these lands, the Sturgians of the Morovian Principality are situated on one of the icy peninsulae of Northern Calradia. It is a land of almost yearlong snow, with only the coastline offering any chance for farmers to grow a few hardy crops. While these lands might seem forbidding and cold, great wealth lies within its forests. Wild honey can be found, and bog iron, but the real prize has always been fur. For centuries now, brave traders from the south venture into these lands to buy the pelts of fox, rabbit and ermine. As the empire grew, and rival kingdoms emerged, this demand has only grown. Great towns sprung up on the rivers and coasts with even more fortune-seekers coming from the North, the south and even the steppes to the east. From all these influences, the Morovian Principality was formed, a collection of warlords, styled princes, led currently by Grand prince Raganvad of the Gundaroving.

They are the powerhouse of the north, with a fearsome shieldwall that is backed by the fearsome mounted Druzhina which routed the empire at the battle of Pendraic. The Morovians may become stronger still, if Raganvad succeeds in his ambition of turning the oft-divided Principality into a centralised monarchy. His neighbours watch his aspirations closely, as none of them wishes to face the Iron-clad fist of a united north… for now.

Grand Prince Raganvad of the Gundaroving

The current Grand Prince of the Morovians is Raganvad. He was young when he took over the mantle of leadership, when his father was felled at the battle of Pendraic. The Boyars never gave him the respect he felt he was due, treating him as a boy who fell into the lap of luxury. Since then, he has earned their respect the hard way. A veteran of many battles and considered even by his opponents to be a fine military commander, he has gradually forced the loudest dissenters to heel and accept his leadership. Harsh and uncompromising, he believes that it is the right of the Grand Prince to command the boyars in all things, not just in making war. He seeks to reform the principality into a kingdom, much like his Paliski neighbours. This has met with much resistance from the Boyars, who scoff at the idea of giving up their authority to this humourless man of stone. For the time being they obey him, as Raganvad can call upon many loyal retainers from his extended family: a result of his father strategically marrying Raganvad’s sisters into many clans. These men will see Raganvad’s vision through, for they know they will share in the spoils so long as Raganvad reigns supreme.

Boyar Olek of the Kuloving

The son of the man who had always been Raganvad’s most famous detractor. His family claims descent from the Nords who came from across the Byalic sea to inhabit this land. His father even married back into a family from the Jomnarr kingdom, making the icy blood of the Nordmennar run strong in father and son. Like his father, Olek is bullheaded, brave and a firm believer in the rights of the Boyar. He claims to have suffered a wound in battle which makes him unable “to bend his knee for anyone”. Whenever there is glory and wealth to be found though, one can expect to find Olek at the head of the Sturgian lines, cracking skulls and slaying men to further his own saga.

Boyar Godun of the Vagiroving

An older boyar, whose age has tempered his battle-lust and has given rise to a more patient and cunning approach. He bears no love to Raganvad’s domineering policies, but has naught but disdain for the more foolish boyars who would have the Sturgians fight every soul on the planet in a mad quest for loot and a pretty saga being sung. Boyar Olek in particular draws his ire, for his warmongering ways may leave the Morovians isolated amidst a sea of foes. Time will tell whether Godun finally agrees to back Raganvad as king, or carves a new path for his own family to rise to power...

Boyar Vyldur of the Togaroving

A minor boyar, who is amongst those who would see Raganvad crowned king, instead of Grand Prince. Since his youth, he was instilled with a great sense of loyalty towards Raganvad, whose father had saved his own in battle. Despite Raganvad being far more surly than his father, Vyldur has kept the blood-oath of his forebear and stood by Raganvad loyally.

Unlike their Morovian neighbours, the Paliski Sturgians have developed a true monarchy, which Grand Prince Raganvad would try to emulate in his own lands. Controlling the western, greener part of the northern coast of Calradia, they have claimed most of the fertile farmlands of the region. This leaves them in a strong position geographically compared to their Morovian neighbours: At Omor, the great river divides them from their Sturgian cousins and to the south, the lowland marshes form a natural border with the Eorling kingdom and the Northern Empire. Their proximity to these realms has allowed them to have access to more horses, which they often trade for with furs, salt and high quality timber from the northern forests. Nobles eagerly ride these into battle, wielding swords and javelins in the tradition of their forebears. With horsemen and mighty shield walls, the Paliski have confidently maintained their borders and have looked to expand in the past, gnawing at the Northern half of the empire and conducting raids into the Eohfold.

Recently however, the pride of this bellicose people has received a severe blow when the Eorlings united under king Grendal and sacked the Paliski hall at Varcheg. Fleeing refugees told tales of a terrible and cruel giant leading the Eorling forces, which only led to greater unrest among the populace. Seeing his authority threatened, king Miedcek assembled a retaliatory force of his most trusted boyars, while prudently paying for the Jomnarr Nordmen to fight as allies besides him. He then led this coalition into the foothills of the Eorling countryside, where they faced the Eorling army. The terrible toll this battle reaped has left the kingdom reeling to this day: king Miedcek slain on the field of battle, and many of his companions dead. It now falls on Radosturg, Miedcek’s son, to take up his father’s mantle and lead the Paliski to their destiny: to unite the Sturgians and to become the leading power in the north.

King Radosturg of the Perist

Radosturg of clan Perist has a heavy burden to bear. He leads a kingdom that has been bled profusely in recent years, with the battle near Lindis robbing the Paliski of their king and Radosturg of his father. He had only just come of age, and was beginning to be entrusted with the basics of rulership. His first years were spent dealing with multiple insurrections of nobles who thought to make use of their experience to reform the older Paliski Principality, becoming once more like their eastern neighbours. He managed to squash these nobles, thanks to the aid of several of his father’s trusted shield-companions and the guidance of his mother, a shrewd queen in her own right. Indeed, many whisper that Radosturg’s early successes can mostly be attributed to the genius of Queen Alsava, who was known to be a major political force even when her husband was still alive.

Queen-mother Alsava of the Ungoving (married to Perist)

The queen-mother of the Paliski kingdom or, as some would call her, its “queen bee”. Many whisper that while King Miedcek’s sword-arm kept the kingdom safe from its enemies, it was queen Alsava’s wits that kept it running at all. When her husband died, she shrewdly outplayed the nobles that wanted to take the regency from her family: they had all come to the capitol, pretending to mourn the king, but in reality hoping to become the kingdom’s regent. She stalled them by pretending to lavish them with her affections, making them dream of marrying into kingship and becoming the foster-father of the young heir to the throne. Their delusions were cut short when her brother, Valmar of clan Ungoving, arrived at the head of an army to secure the capital, and she made it clear that she would remain a chaste widow to honour her husband’s legacy. She then invited the nobles to swear loyalty to her son, who would rule in his own stead, with guidance from a council of nobles and her own self. Surrounded by Ungoving Druzhnik's, the Paliski boyars had no choice but to bend the knee and make the oath. Since then, she has been an advisor to the young king in practice, if not in title, still making the cogs of the young kingdom run smoothly as it recovers from its losses.

Boyar Valishin of the Berovar

Power-hungry and cunning, boyar Valishin would make war on the entire world to advance his position. Seeing his hopes dashed at becoming the king’s regent, he briefly entertained the idea of forming his own principality. This idea was quickly abolished when he found a royal garrison stationed near his lands. Since then he has attempted to gather men and support by raiding the nearby lands, even sponsoring raids in the Morovian and Imperial lands. One day, so he hopes, he will have enough land and influence to declare himself independant and become Prince, nay, King Valishin, ruler of all Sturgia.

Boyar Sladomir of the Krivich

A descendant of the original settlers of these lands, Sladomir’s family has always been a bit of an outcast. Recently though, their fortunes have been on the rise. When several boyars wished to secede from the Paliski kingdom, Sladomir made the choice to alert and stand by his king. When those boyars were punished, Sladomir shared in the spoils, being awarded a part of their lands, becoming the lord of Revyl. Since then, he has done much to improve the lot of the commoners under his rule, showing himself a just ruler. Even the young king has taken an interest in Sladomir, if not for his loyalty, then certainly for his charming daughter Tiana. Now, with the young King’s favour and a loyal populace, clan Krivich seems well placed to become a new powerful player in the kingdom...

That was that for this development update. I hope you are excited as ever to see this thing completed (just dont' ask me when). To keep up to date with development you can track the mod here on modDB or you can refer to:

Our discord server

My YouTube channel

You can also support me on my patreon, but you absolutely don't need to. BIP will be released to everyone at zero cost, regardless of any contributions, at the same time.

Want to help out?

If you are interested in joining us on this project and want to help it become as good as it possibly can be, here are some things we need:

• Modelers and texturers. This is now highest on our list. If you are someone that posseses this skillset, it would be an opportunity for you to work on not only familiar historical armor, clothing, weapons, architecture and just about anything else, but also completely original styles and ideas, like the Durkhan for example.
• Coders/Scripters. We have much more than just new cultures and kingdoms that we want to do, so this is where coding/scripting comes in. This is necessary for new features and mechanics.
• Concept artists. Plenty of new UI needs to be made and implemented, so if you are an artistic (not autistic although that is not disqualifying) person, this could be something for you.
• Media/promotion. Things like video editing and cinematic trailers etc.
• Scene/Map editor. Plenty of new, bespoke scenes are needed. Please help out if you are willing and able.

If you have any questions, feel free to post them below and I'll answer as best I can. Until the next one,
AO