MA Machaka, Reign of Sorcerors

"Machaka is a nation inspired by African kingdoms and the Shona in particular. The king, a sacred figure, reigns, but does not rule. He is served by vassal chiefs, and his priests, the Eyes, Ears and Mouth, keep constant surveillance over sub-chiefs and serve as a link between the people and the temple. The Shilluk concept of regicide and other unspecified ideas from African cultures have also made their way into the nation. Modern Oriental concepts and fantasy clichés can be found in the black sorcerers of the God Mountain, and the spiders. I admit to some obscure influences from the comic The Phantom as well…. Various myths, tales, films and "African" fantasy concepts have been mashed together and mixed with the middle age Machaka ideas. My first idea of clans based on body parts like liver, heart, hand, head and leg, did not feel right and was replaced with animals, more fitting with the spiders of the middle age. The nation evolved side by side with Berytos, but it took a bit longer to finish. Creating two nations together and intertwining their history gave them both additional life. It is probably something I want to do with more new nations in the future." - Illwinter

Machaka is an old sacral kingdom where the well-being of the land is thought to be dependent on the will of the king. The king is the highest priest of the kingdom, but should he fail in his duties, he is sacrificed and replaced by one of his numerous sons or brothers. The priests of the kingdom are the true rulers of the land. Religious ceremonies, judicial tasks and the gathering of intelligence are all performed by the Eyes, Ears, and Voices of the Lord. Only warfare is handed over to secular commanders. Machaka uses light infantry, archers and heavy hoplites second only to those of Arcoscephale. In the forests of Machaka, giant spiders are caught and used as mounts. One other area is left untouched by the priests: Magic. Simple witch doctors living outside villages grudgingly serve the priests. In the depths of the God Forest lies a lonely mountain filled with caves. Here resides the true power of Machaka, above even the priests - the Black Sorcerers, Sorceresses and their Spider Warriors.

If you are considering picking this nation to play, what should you know?

Magic Access	Alt. Access	Unit Summary	Core Abilities	Buildings
3 (rare 4) 3 (rare 4) 3 3 (rare 4) 2 (rare 3) 2	Hero 3 1332	Light Infantry with Tower Shields Archers Hoplites Spider Riders Capital: Poison, Spies, and Assassins	Forest Survival Poison Resistance	Standard Forts

Capitol Gems: 1211
Heat limit + 1

Prefers Heat Scale + 2

God Mountain: Boosts all ritual range in the capital by 1 province.

A lot of armourless troops with few wearing plates. Those without armour have an unusually high map move of 18, something most cavalry don't have. As this is paired with Forest Survival they can potentially move between 2 to 3 provinces a turn.

Sprite	Unit Name	Special Attributes	Comments
	Machaka Scout 35 3 1	Stealthy (40) Mountain Survival Forest Survival	Commentary here.
	Machaka Chief 55 2 1	Forest Survival	Commentary here.
	Machaka Commander 95 27 1	Forest Survival	Commentary here.
	Spider Lord 125 26 1	Forest Survival	Commentary here.
	Great Spider	Poison Resistance (15) Eyes (8) Undisciplined Animal Forest Survival Stupid
	Eye of the Lord 90 4 1	1 Sacred Patrol Bonus (15) Tax Collector Forest Survival	Commentary here.
	Voice of the Lord 160 2 2	2 Sacred Forest Survival	Commentary here.
	Ear of the Lord 150 3 2	117 Sacred Stealthy (60) Spy Forest Survival	Commentary here.
	Witch Doctor 110 1 2 Forest Recruit	1117 Supply Bonus (10) Forest Survival	Commentary here.
	Sorcerer 300 1 2	11211100%17 Supply Bonus (20) Forest Survival	Commentary here.
	Voice of the Hunters 230 34 1 Capital Only	1 Sacred Forest Survival	Commentary here.
	Hunter Spider	Sacred Poison Resistance (15) Smart Mount (100) Eyes (8) Animal Forest Survival Stupid
	Bane Spider 150 38 2 Capital Only	17 Darkvision (50%) Stealthy (50) Ambidextrous (2) Assassin (2) Scale Walls Forest Survival	Commentary here.
	Spider Sorceress 230 1 2 Capital Only	11111100%15 Poison Resistance (5) Forest Survival Female Dominion Summons (Great Spider / 20) Wounded Shape (Great Spider, -1 path reduction)	Commentary here.
	Great Spider	Poison Resistance (15) Eyes (8) Forest Survival Female Pathboost (-1 ALL)	Commentary here.
	Anansi 280 1 4 Capital Only	1121100% 10%15 Poison Resistance (5) Stealthy (40) Cause Unrest (+1 per Month) Heretic (1) Spy Forest Survival Shape Changer (Great Spider, -1 path reduction)	Commentary here.