Modification:Chaos Reigns

Modification

Chaos Reigns
Version	0.94b
Updated	August 28, 2008
For DF Version	0.28.181.40a
Out of date for current version
Download

Chaos Reigns (0.94b) is a modification by Deathbane, and can be found on the forum, featuring 13 civilizations, all of which are playable (many by default!) It also introduces a slew of new mega-beasts (Like the Steel Colossus), new metals (such as Mithril), new stones (woadstone), civilization-unique trap components(such as magical wards for Wizards), and much more!

The difficulty has in many ways been increased, and in others reduced. For example, plump helmets grow rate has been drasticly reduced (to 600), and the introduction of multiple new trap_avoid threats, and metals like Keen, an alloy of steel and impure mithril, which many of your enemies have access to. On the other hand, a military outfitted with Keen goes through goblins, orcs (Note: Not orc mod-based), and many other more primitive civs.

The below information is taken from the forum post, observation, and the RAWs.

Story

Set 80 years after the Armok's fell bastions were cast from the world by the allied powers mon¡an•va (The Watchers), Oram is once again beset by War and Strife. Although 'The Enemy' has been removed from this sphere and locked into Empyreon, many of his most foul servants escaped destruction, and the many tainted creations that once served him still wander the face of Oram.

The war of the greater powers had far reaching effects - the destruction of the star jewel and the age of darkness led to periods in Orams history where once allies turned amongst themselves. The greatest of these events, the Kin-slaying, led to the fragmentation of the once mighty elvish race, and the hatred and conflicting lies spread by Armoks servants about the destruction of the star jewel led many of the once allied peoples - Humans, Wizards, Dwarves, Elves - to break oaths of allegiance and wage bitter wars.

The aftermath of this period is obvious - None of the once great peoples trust each other no longer, and open war is once again threatening to further diminish the strength of the once allied kingdoms.

However, it is not just these races that have suffered. The entombing of Armok into Empyreon destroyed much of the kingdom built by the Mother of the Night, a mon¡an•va that had governed the benign creatures in the catacombs beneath the world. Having already suffered from many of their kind being took captive and twisted into cruel, evil forms by Armok, and the infiltration of his many evils that dwelt beneath the earth, such as the much feared race of spiders, many of the under dwellers were killed as ethereal fire ripped the deep places of Oram apart. The Mother of the Night herself was slain in the crossfire in the last great battle. Those that survived, have in the current age, with the exception of the Kobolds and creatures such as batmen, have succumbed to Armoks poison, twisted beyond recognition from their original forms. Many more pursue their own agendas, bitter at the world of light and Armoks Hell that has taken so much from them.

Armoks forces themselves have not escaped the confusion following the entombing of their lord, and the replacement of the star jewel by the new vessels of light - the moon and sun in the Age of Strife. Cut off from their master, many of his once most trusted followers - Demons and the dreaded Vampires - pursue their own ends. Even the most loyal of his forces, such as Chosen warriors wage wars on once former allies, led by dark powers that seek to surmount Armok and take his place as the new lord of the fates of Oram.

As the survivors from the Age of Strife begin to rebuild their civilizations, only one thing is clear.

In this age, there is no peace, no respite. Only an unending fight for the survival of Oram.

New From Vanilla

The following features have been added, or changed.

Races

Races added or changed from Vanilla

Wizards

Men and women gifted with an unnatural attunement to the spheres of magic, some believe by The Watchers to combat the new threat from Armok. Even though the relatively new order managed to destroy the Order of the Forked Serpent, they were exiled due to the accusation that all magic power was derived from Armok, and not The Watchers as was originally thought. In the Ages between the Age of Strife and The Age of Myth, the Wizard order has grown from a collection of like minded exiles into a kingdom of its own, creating an army of gifted men and women that strive to hold Armoks tide of darkness back.

• Most weapons are magic staffs, ranging in damage!
• Have no conventional melee weapons, although staff can be used in close combat, and they make, distribute and use enchanted weapons.
• Has no 'hard' armor, only soft armor. They also employ the use of magical items to shield them from attacks, rings that can bend sword blades and divert incoming projectiles.
• Has magical unarmed attacks, and can throw fireballs limited distances, even when unarmed.
• Weak stature means they are slower and more vunerable to melee attacks
• Have religion based on regional powers, with appropriate religion spheres
• Have unique trap components

'Eastern' humans

(A.K.A. Suku Humans) Men allied for most of the ages with the elves, and for the most part have avoided the fall of their race to Armok. How long they can avoid being drawn into the conflict is a matter is just that - a matter of when rather than if.

• Are faster, more agile but slightly weaker than normal humans due to their training style and affiliation with the elves.
• Weapons either do more damage and are heavier, or less damage, lighter but with higher critical hit.
• Have a pantheon religion, restricted to represent their belief systems.

Orcs

Creatures not seen before the fall of the Star-jewel, the method of their creation by Armok is unknown. Vast numbers of them were bred during the age of darkness following its destruction, and many survived the fate of destruction and entombment. They continue the will of Armok, being much more loyal than the original armok foot-soldier, the goblin.

• Tower above men and are powerful in close combat.
• Will not flee battles
• Armed and armored like goblins. Game will generate a random number of Orc/Goblin civilizations
• Are lead by a champion of Armok
• Have unique trap components

Chosen Warrior

Men fallen to Armok during the Age of Strife, and mutated horribly by his dark powers. They are the most dreaded of Armoks foot troops, being the best armed and armored, and trained by a life of savagery to believe that only the spilling of blood in Armoks name is the destiny of them and their kin. They show no remorse or fear, and are so filled with the remnants of Armoks spirits that blows that would kill most men are simply shrugged off without notice.

• Wield weapons that do incredible amounts of damage, and wear armor that can turn even a deathblow into only a fleshwound.
• Have no ranged weapons beneath siege engine size - such weapons are not for Armoks chosen.
• Fanatical and crazed, and will fight to the death.
• Are lead by a champion of Armok
• Can enter martial trance, fuelled by Armoks dark energies.
• Have unique trap components

Dark Elves

Elves that assented to the kinslaying the Age of Strife, and therefore doomed their souls for eternity. The curse of spilling their owns race blood was harsh, forcing the perpetrators to slowly degenerate from what they once were to creatures ruled by vampyric urges and lusts, their every waking hour directed only in the perfection of cruelty, torture and blood spilling.

Godless and Abandoned, the Dark Elves show an alarming cohesion. What new dark powers command them only they themselves know - it is unknown if they are directed by old allies of Armok, or never before encountered mon¡an•va or fimean•va is unknown

• Are armed with vicious weapons that are designed to cause the maximum amount of pain to their enemies, and kill them through blood-loss and poison rather than a swift end. Although more damaging, this means that the weapons often stick into opponents. Their weapons are also heavier than those of high elves, having lost most of the finesse of craft they once possessed.
  • However, their equipment is still lighter than that of human manufacture.
• Armor provides the same level of protection as human armor, but is lighter in construction.
• Their darkbows are of more use in close combat, sporting blades from the upper and lower limbs of the weapon. The ammo these weapons fire are also prone to becoming stuck in their targets.
• Their curse to Armok, combined with an elves natural atunement, has allowed some amongst them to wield powerful, dark magic with which to unleash death upon their enemies.
• Can enter martial trance.
• Worships evil gods, mon¡an•va or fimean•va attempting to fill the vacuum of power left by Armok
• Unlike normal elves, dark elves are mortal - although showing no signs of aging, they are a forsaken race, and are doomed to leave the mortal plane.
• Have unique trap components

Sorcerers of Armok

When men were first granted the gifts of magic, to command the force of the magical spheres to standards even the elves did not have, there were those who used it for their own gain. These men easily succumbed to the temptations of Armok, and when they learned that through Armok, they could achieve power and immortality beyond their comprehension, The Order of the Forked Serpent was founded to overthrow those in power. The destruction of the Order, and the dispersion of its members led to the exiling of all the practitioners of magic within the human kingdoms, a pyrrhic victory for the enemies of Armok.

The survivors of the Order of the Forked Serpent have rebanded under new names and monikers, and continue to work on their masterpiece - the release of Armok from Empyreon.

• Most weapons are magic staffs, ranging in damage! Being few in number and far older than the Wizards, they have mastered the use of magic, and have access to the most powerful staffs.
• Have no conventional melee weapons, although staff can be used in close combat, and they use possessed weapons.
• Have no 'hard' armor, only soft armor. They also employ the use of magical items to shield them from attacks, rings that can bend sword blades and divert incoming projectiles.
• Have magical unarmed attacks, and can throw fireballs limited distances, even when unarmed.
• Unlike 'normal' wizards, sorcerers are maintained by the powers of Armok, and have none of the physical weaknesses of wizards, and seem to feel no pain, or show any signs of fear.
• Are lead by a champion of Armok
• Have unique trap components

Vampires

During the Age of Darkness, Armok came across those creatures that would become to be known as humans still awaiting to awake by the command of The Sleeper. By his foul methods, Armok awakened these creatures and deceived them, telling them that he was their creator. His chosen children became the creatures mortals and Elves now name Vampires, deadly creatures of the night that maintain their existence by the consumption of blood. In the Age of Darkness, until Armoks entombment, their numbers grew great and the first awakened, named Nosferatu in their own foul language went forth and propagated their species in the darkness, preying on any human and elf alike. When the Sun were fixed in the Skies above the lower sphere, the vampires, long having fallen to Armok and never seeing the light of the Star-crystal, were burned and consumed by its rays, and could scarce endure its gaze for long at first, and thus the reign of terror they had caused ceased. It was long ere before they could stand even in moonlight, and after the emtombment, what was left of the vampire race was confined to raiding settlements in the night just to survive. In the Age of Myth, as Armoks power began to return, they took up residence once again in their tower of old assigned to them by the dark powers.

• Immortal race exceedingly dangerous in unarmed close combat
• Undead, with only the removal of the head or destruction of the heart killing them utterly. They are also supernaturally energetic, being able to cover ground at great speed and do not tire in combat.
• Vampires do not bleed, do not tire, and have no need for normal sustainance.
• Whilst they use all human weapons, and armor similar to that of the dark elves, they also have ancient weapons that have seen use since the Age Of Darkness. These blades are un-naturally sharp, and have higher damage and lower stick chance than normal weapons of the same type.
• Are lead by a champion of Armok
• Have unique trap components

Goblins

Survivors of the original armies of Armok during the War of Jewelled Star, and the War of Night, now playable to allow for the satisfaction of human town slaughtering the good old fashioned way, with Armokian steel!

Mostly unchanged from the dwarf fortress version.

Kobolds

Remnants of the once great civilization that dwelt beneath the worlds surface, before the entombment of Armok in his realm of Empyreon, the kobolds of the known ages are mere shadows of what they once were.

• Mostly unchanged from the dwarf fortress version.
• changed to have most professions and have had some changes to their relationships.

High Elves

Those who survived the kin-slaying of the elves, although vastly diminished in power, continue their struggle against Armok.

- Live in cities and have new weapons and armor (Usually made of Keen), tougher, more militaristic, but fewer in number than Wood elves.

Wood Elves

After the kin-slaying, many elves forsook the war against Armok, which they saw as being unwinnable without the direct influence of The Watchers. Believing themselves cursed and at fault for the destruction of many things in the lower sphere, they now try to safeguard the life of the world against either of the warring factions. They despise Armok, but equally those who oppose him at the cost of the other creatures and spirits that walk the wilds.

• Default elves, pretty unchanged from the normal dwarf fortress type. However, their natural affinity has drawn Nature spirits, lower lesser watchers, to guide them in protection of the forests, and have manifested themselves as great, animated trees which protect the territories of the wood elves.

• They also no longer consume the flesh of the dead, like in the default dwarf fortress.

Dwarves

• New weapons and Armor, that provide slightly more protection and damage, but are slightly heavier than the standard equipment. Also, they have been granted a unique weapon, known as a thunderhammer, which is a powerful dwarf constructed war hammer that competes, damage wise, with some of the two handed weapons they are unable to wield.

• Have a new unique trap component, giant hammers.
• ALL dwarven embarks have access to Keen, and make their weapons and armor out of it, drastically increasing price of weapons.

Humans

(AKA Stauros Humans)

• Have a king, like the old version, and may also have mayors as well as military leaders.

Creatures

Changed

• Body (thanks to deon for the core of the system)
  • Totally new body structure and system! More joints to snap, separation of organs etc. (90% done!) Special body system for certain creatures, such as vampires.
    • Some creatures still use old body tokens and not the new body system. Fish and other creatures are also not included in the body system update
• Many megabeasts have been buffed, and colossus's and titans given the ability to use weapons.
• Many power creatures and demons now use weapons which they will drop on death as a reward.
• Most megabeasts now drop rewards for killing them, that fits into the backstory.
• Evil creatures, like goblins and vampires, that are mainly nocturnal have been given cave adaption to represent their hatred of the sun.

Megabeasts

• Giant Cave Spiders
  • now mountable
  • have received an upgrade to 8EYES, rather than 2EYES
  • Cut down in number

• Dragons
  • now mountable
  • been made fliers, and have received 2 wings.
  • Can learn, can speak!
  • Have had more armor added to them!

Fanciful

• Hydra
  • New body structure - can survive more than one head decapitation
  • More armor

• Ettin
  • New body structure - can survive more than one head decapitation

Power Creatures

• Spirit of Fire
  • Should appear more, and are now a [POWER]

• Demons
  • Changed body structure
  • Frog demons and normal demons now use weapons

Misc Creatures

• Giant Eagle
  • Changed to use a bodygloss : TALON

• Giant bats
  • Now have a blood suck ability!

• Satyrs
  • now NATURAL

• Unicorns
  • now NATURAL

• Other various creatures in standard and sub changed to be trainable and mountable.
• Numerous tag changes, too many to list to already existing creatures, mostly just fixing things i thought were missing.

New

Creatures completely new from Vanilla.

Power Creatures

• Demon Prince - A servant of Armok, who is deemed worthy enough, unites his spirit and a demons to attain almost godlike power, to further Armoks cause.
• Wraith-King - A creature whose mortal soul has been devoured or enslaved to Armok becomes a wraith. The most powerful of these soul thralls eventually find service as one of Armoks most fearsome enemies.
• Forest Spirit - A lesser watcher who serves the forests of world, taking the physical form of a giant treant. They guard the enclaves of their most loyal servants, the wood elves.
• Possessed Sorceror - A Sorceror of Armok who has attained the highest of Daemonic Magik, and has managed to combine their soul with that of a demon. They have immense magical powers.
• Nosferatu - One of the original sires of all vampire kind, these ancient beings are supernaturally powerful and deadly, even more so than that of their lesser kind.
• Spirits Of Fire - Lesser demons of Armok that survived the cataclysm. Many have taken control of the remnants of Armoks forces.
• Blood Dragon - Dragons that entered a pact with Armok, and helped destroyed the Star Jewel and the rest of their race. They are mutated to extreme levels by this demonic influence, sporting 3 heads. Many rogue elements of Armok flock to these creatures.

Megabeasts

• Black Dragon - 1st generation dragons, rendered insane by the Star jewels demise. Lingering in shadows, they have lost the ability to fly but have grown in size and their blood itself has turned into a potent poison.
• Lesser Dragon - 2nd generation dragons, born after the Starjweles demise, and therefore lacking the majority of its powers it granted to their kin. Cannot fly, or breathe fire and is smaller!
• Steel Colossus - A colossus, one of the old races. This one however, is made of steel rather than bronze. Armed with a deadly, giant weapon.
• Insane Wizard War Titan - Giant machines once made to serve the wizards to combat the giant creatures engineered by Armok. With the controlling star-jewel destroyed, they now wander the land, mindlessly killing all in their way.
• Roc - giant mythical birds, fathers of the lesser creature, the giant eagle. Forced out of their homes by the destruction of their homes in the cataclysm of Armoks downfall, the survivors now take up life in the new world.

Fanciful Creatures

• Chimera - Corpses said to be in close proximity to demonic influence or a collection undead spirit can be warped and molded into these horrific creatures.
• Centaur - A noble creature, older even than the elves.
• Griffon - Another survivor from an age past, griffons are one of the few creatures of the first age to still survive in any number.
• Gorgon - Humans who have unwittingly become hosts to one of the many lesser demonic spirits of the world. They can drain blood and have the ability to petrify all who look upon them'
• Basilisk - A giant lizard from one of the first ages. It has the ability to petrify all who look directly into its eyes

Misc Critters

• Sirens - A Vile relative of the harpy. It can permanently hypnotize an enemy with its song, before devouring them.
• Shades - In the age of darkness, many spirits could not ascend to the higher planes. These spirits formed roving bands of shades, with only revenge on their minds.
• Wraiths - A wraith is a spirit without substance, a blank negative energy. how wraiths are created is not known, but they are highly dangerous.
• Giant Lizards - A giant lizard, common in the savage areas of the world.
• Giant Snakes - Giant serpents, whos speedy ambush can take many by surprise. Highly venomous.
• Squigs - bizarre creatures,related to fungi, who are domesticated by cave dwelling species much like cows are by the overland species. Can give a nasty bite.
• Giant Hunting Spiders - lesser relatives of the giant cave spider. Luckily, they still show an aversion to light. They cannot spin webs, and their poison is not as strong.
• Giant Magma Spiders - A powerful creature of Armok. Although rarely encountered, the giant magma spider is one of the deadliest 'natural' creatures known to civilization. Can breathe fire.
• Scarab Swarms (Flying and non flying) - Vicious, evil beetles capable of swarming any creature like land piranhas, ripping its flesh from its bones it seconds.
• Giant Scarabs - Giant versions of its smaller cousins. Thankfully, these do not come in large swarms.
• Vampire bats - Vicious swarms of bats with a difference - they prefer sentient flesh to fruit!
• Sorcerors (wilderness, not affiliated with faction) - Rogue sorcerers, cast out by whatever group they belonged to.
• Feral Orcs - Fragments of Armoks Army that have not heeded any call of servitude.
• Feral Goblins - Fragments of Armoks Army that have not heeded any call of servitude.
• Nightstalkers - Fearsome crossbreeds that escaped Armoks halls - a cross between the dreaded spider and Armoks own tentacle demons. They have the added ability of being nigh invisible until they strike.
• Swans, Geese and their giant variants. - Self-explanatory. Used by good races like high elves and wood elves as a means of transport for the nobles amongst them.
• Fire drakes - Relatives of dragons, who not having the level of sentience of their larger relatives, have not beeen affected by the fall of the star jewel. They live in the desert areas of the world, where they are a top natural predator.
• Rock and Gem Men - Relatives of the Iron Men. Their origins are unknown.
• Evil treants - Treants which have succumbed to evil forces.
• Dryads and Evil Dryads - lesser tree spirits, related to treants and their tainted brethren.
• Swamp Trolls - Trolls that have escaped Armoks servitude, and have adapted to their new habits. Their wide diet leads them to have a highly corrosive acid in their stomachs, which they can use as a powerful projectile weapon.
• Mountain Trolls - The most ancient of trolls eventually became mountain trolls, and lay dormant in the mountains until the end of the age of strife. These creatures are much larger than normal by almost a third, and have skin as hard as rock. Semimegabeast.
• Palemen - Vicious demons, whose origins are lost to time. They have powerful psychic and close combat abilities. Common in bedtime stories across Oram, where they are infamous for the luring of children into their dens before consuming them. (base donated by hishan, modified by Deathbane)

Items

• Tortureboxes
• Severed Heads
• Skeletons
• Other types of toy axe
• Wizard books and crystals for wizards
• Toy swords for eastern human civilization

Plants

• Plump helmets now take 2x as long to grow, and gives 3, not found in dry areas.

3 Evil plants - Blood Reed, Blood Grass and Blood Orchids 1 Good plant - Star Orchid 1 New tree - Barrel Cactus

Blood Reed - Dry biomes. Millable into Blood Reed Dye, and brew-able into Blood Spirits. Blood Grass - Wet biomes. Millable into Blood Grass Dye, and brew-able into Blood Beer. Blood Orchids - Wet biomes. Millable into Blood Orchid Dye, and brew-able into Blood Essence. Star Orchid - Wet Biomes. Millable into Star Dye, and brew-able into Star Wine.

Materials

Stone

• Woadstone - The death of the star jewel and the intense rain of material lead to the concentration of much of the star jewels power being locked away. Some of this material contains high pockets of mana, and formed powerful crystal deposits named woadstone, due to the first discovery of the blue crystal seemingly the colorr of woad. It is a tightly controlled secret what each crystal does - although there are 5 known types of woadstone.
  • Purple Woadstone - Lethal. Combusts when exposed to air in its raw state, unmined is safe.
  • Red Woadstone - Appears from the raws to be lethal.
  • Green Woadstone - Used in the production of Wraithbone, Jadeiron, and Jadebronze.
  • Blue Woadstone - Produces 6 units of fuel per processed stone.
  • White woadstone - (Doesn't appear to be in game)
• Anthracite - Produces 4 units of fuel when processed.

Gems

• Dragonstone - Found in diamond clusters (Super valuable, not as much as star shard)
• Starshard -Found in diamond clusters (Super valuable)

Metals

• Mithril - DEEP material
• Impure mithril - mithril that has been contaminated by surrounding rock.
• Keen - an alloy of impure mithril and Steel
• Jadebronze and Jadeiron - elemnts combined with magical woadstone to improve their effectiveness!
• Wraithbone - A metal made by enchanting the bones of the dead with magical woadstone, the result is a macabre metal that is stronger than bronze, but less than iron.
• Dragonsteel- A mythical metal even rarer than mithril or adamantine. It is the result of the compressed soul of a dragon, and can only be obtained by killing the creature.

Notes

When playing fortress mode, it's recommended (unofficially) to disable playing as civs you aren't interested in playing at the time, as they will send 'hamlet liaison's, among other things, rather than merchants guild representatives. Additionally, it's thought that they will not siege you.^{(Need to check)}

This page was made without permission of the mod's creator. If you made Chaos Reigns and would like for this page to be removed, please do so rather than get miffed. Otherwise, give this mod a shot, definitely adds a bit of flavor.