Early-Age Caelum is a “magocracy” lead by the Yazatas, also known as the “Eagle Kings” or the “Adorable Ones”. In a previous era, the practically-divine Yazatas ruled large swathes of the world, with mortal servants and distant descendants known as the Kavi & the Airya, perpetually fighting their demonic Daevic counterparts and the Daevas' mortal Mairya descendants. The Yazatas and the Daevas were led by powerful forces diametrically opposed to each other, but the previous Pantokrator was not among them. Tired of their eternal war and the casualties it accrued – among them Catharsis, King of Purifying Flames – the last Pantokrator banished all of the Daevas from this world along with the strongest of the Yazatas. While most of the remaining Yazatas fled to the Celestial Spheres anyway, a few lingered in this world, and they have since managed to reassemble some of their lost power.
The Yazatas of this world are few in number, and virtually all of them who could contact their kin with Astral Magic have already used it to leave. Most of Caelum's residents descend from the three clans of servants. The Kavi settled on Spire Horn Mountain and retained their ancestors' ability to fly in storms, later renaming themselves the Tempest Clan (though most still call them "Spire Horn Caelians"). The Airya remained with at least a few of the Yazatas in a mountain Forest that was snow-covered ten months each year, becoming physically-weak but retaining their ancestors' clear minds, and thus the "magocracy" and Priesthood are primarily staffed by them. The Mairya settled in the relatively-nice Raven's Vale, losing much of their ancestors' traits but retaining more of their ancestors' physical strength & ferocity than other Caelians, later renaming themselves the Raptors; they were accepted into Caelum when the Yazatas emerged to form their state, but not before every Fire Mage among them was massacred to prevent them from continuing their ancestors' mischief. The Raptors once used Death Magic to serve their ancestors, and recent contact with Ermor (who stole C'tis's Death Magic and will hopefully not misuse it) has inspired them to try and reconnect with their old roots; hopefully they don't misuse Death either.
Caelum was originally a purely fictional nation of winged humanoids living atop the coldest mountain peaks. Later development has gifted them with Zoroastrian traits. In a Dominions 4 patch, the nation’s backstory was remade and more Zoroastrian traits, summons, and spells were added to the nation. The backstory of a primordial was between Daevas and Yazatas along with concepts of the pollution of the sacred flame merged with earlier ideas of Catharsis/Anthrax. We also added some new guardian spirit mechanics based on Zoroastrian concepts of the soul.
Early-Age Caelum has the three angel-winged clans working under the oversight of gold-winged guys.
Your sacreds are capital-only, but a significant amount of them can fly. Wherever you need them, you can get them there. Don't take a Flaming Weapons Bless unless you don't plan on using your Ice-using Sacred guys.
Your best mage is capital-only and you lack Communions, but your many minor mages can still do some neat things.
Race | Military | Magic Access | Priests | Buildings |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() ![]() Size 3 w/ Wings Airya Caelians: ![]() +2 MR vs. Humans +1 PRE vs. Humans -1 HP, STR, & DEF vs. Humans Spire Horn Caelians: ![]() ![]() +1 MR & PRE vs. Humans -1 DEF vs. Humans Raptor Caelians: +1 HP, MOR, & ATT vs. Humans | Magic Ice Gear Raptors use Bronze & Iron ![]() ![]() ![]() Archers ![]() ![]() - Mundane Stealthy Pillagers - Storm Power Archers - Wingless Magic Infantry | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Average (![]() Flying and Stealthy Guardian spirits: Priests have a (10% * holy level + 1% * friendly candles in province; negative if hostile) chance of summoning a free Fravashi in battle. National summons like the Ancestral Fravashi are spirits themselves, and thus lack guardian spirits. | ![]() |
Palace of the Eagle Kings | Spire Horn Mountain | Ravens Vale |
---|---|---|
* Enables recruitment of ![]() * Enables recruitment of ![]() * Enables recruitment of ![]() * Produces 3 ![]() * Produces 1 ![]() | * Enables recruitment of ![]() * Produces 1 ![]() | * Enables recruitment of ![]() * Enables recruitment of ![]() * Produces 1 ![]() |
Caelian troops are exceptionally mobile (as fliers), but are weaker than humans and do not pack as tightly in combat. They can make use of their mobility by dividing their forces to raid, then unifying to concentrate force against a portion of the enemy army when they divide their force in response.
Their troops mostly consist of many flavors of melee fliers, many armed with magic ice weapons; they also have shortbow archers.
Their mages emphasize air access, going up to A4 on their cap mage; they have minor fire, death, earth, and water access.
description of the workhorse options, for the sake of sanity better skip the clearly subpar and generic stuff (no h1 unless special qualities, no 40, 60 leadership dudes that are average, no scouts
Sprite | Unit Name | Special Attributes | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Caelian Scout![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | Flying scouts can provide excellent scouting if you have fort turns to spare. |
![]() | Sastar![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | Dec |
![]() | Mairya Ahu![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | Dec |
![]() | Spire Horn Seraph![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | dec |
![]() | Airya Seraphine![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) Female | dec |
![]() | Harab Seraph![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | dec |
![]() | Airya Seraph![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | dec |
![]() | Eagle King![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) Guardian Spirit (10) | dec |
description of the workhorse options, for the sake of sanity better skip the clearly subpar and generic stuff (common indie like units with no gimmicks), merge units into a single description entry if functionally similar battle roles with only minor differences in gear.
Sprite | Unit Name | Special Attributes | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Raptorian Militia![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Supply Size (2) | Dec |
![]() | Spire Horn Militia![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | dec |
![]() | Raptorian Warrior![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Supply Size (2) | Dec |
![]() | Spire Horn Warrior![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | dec |
![]() | Airya Light Infantry![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | Dec |
![]() | Airya Infantry![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | Dec |
![]() | Spire Horn Archer![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | dec |
![]() | Mammoth![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Dec |
![]() | Tempest Warrior![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | Dec |
![]() | Iceclad![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | Dec |
![]() | Blizzard Warrior![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | Non-sacred cap only archers with magical frost bows that can fatigue elites or titans, regardless of size or armour. |
![]() | Kavi Archer![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | Sacred archers with normal short bows. Cheap and very good precision and, like all of EA Caelum's archers, they maintain that precision during storms. Their storm power is not enough to increase the damage of their bows. |
![]() | Airya Temple Guard![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Dec |
![]() | Mairya Warrior![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) | Dec |
Sprite | Unit Name | Special Attributes | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Isvat - Unwinged | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Guardian Spirit (20) | Isvat combines Priest levels with Good Leadership, but cannot fly. |
![]() | Vata - Ahu of the Kavi | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supply Size (2) Guardian Spirit (20) | Vata can fly! |
What magic path/mages define your nation, what can you level, e.g., thunderstriking, astral, elementals, earth buffs, blood, what is recruitable anywhere and good, what are some summons you are likely able to get and are useable
Has access to special animal conjuration and 2 paths of national summons which can grant you reasonable access to every other path of magic and 3 priests.
Herd of Elephants 2
Herd of Buffaloes
2
Ambush of Tigers
2
Call Ahurani 2
1
Summon Yazatas
2
Call Fravashi
3
Call Celestial Yazad
4
Call Amesha Spenta
5
Call Daevas 2
1
Call Yata
3
2
Call Jahi
3
1
Call Greater Daeva
4
2
Call of the Drugvant 4
1
More Details in Caelum-Line Summons
Storm Power allows massed Lightning Bolts from Spire Horn Seraphs. Freezing Mist is useful for area damage.
What is the best ritual you could cast. Are there any globals you want up, any units you should be summoning? Are there any Generic rituals few nations can cast?
Do you have any National items(Construction Level, Price, and required Paths). Any unique generic items few other nations can forge? What item would be useful on your unit lineup (non-standard recommend thug gear)?
do you have a game plan? Anything you should always be working toward? Any National weaknesses?
Caelum can work with almost any kind of pretender. Pure scales, diversity and emergency dormants or awake expanders. Whatever you pick, you would do well if it helps summoning either your good (astral) or evil (fire/death) national summons or contributes otherwise to improve your magic access (in particular earth and nature).
Caelum prefers Cold 2, but does well to pick Cold 3 as some units and spells benefit from cold. It also increases your mobility advantage as flying isn't impeded by the heavy snow. Of the other scales luck and order are of relatively less importance. Caelum has the mobility to deal with rebellions (i.e. bad luck) quickly and it is resource limited during expansion.
Shock and Awe - Caelum in the Early Age - local guide on illwiki.com by disnegativ
EA Caelum - video nation overview (47 min) - by attica
EA Caelum - video nation overview (67 min) - by lucidtactics
EA Caelum - video nation overview (44 min) - by rck79
Caelum - Aerial cavalry - older guide from Dominions 4
Caelum - AAR / Flyer Guide - older guide from Dominions 4
Nations | |
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Early Ages | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Middle Ages | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Late Ages | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |