The people of Berytos are the descendants of a civilization created by the Telkhines, titanic storm demons defeated by a previous Pantokrator. The Telkhines taught shipbuilding, sailing and metalcrafting to the human ancestors of Berytos. When the Telkhines were defeated, the humans fled across the sea, led by the Storm Callers, disciples of the Telkhines. With the knowledge of ironcrafting and the magical might of the Storm Callers, new colonies were founded on distant shores. Like a phoenix, the dying empire was reborn. But the Telkhine gods were dead and the humans sought divine leadership. They found the Melqarts of Hinnom. One of the colonies was situated near Ashdod and the bloody cult of the Melqarts soon spread through the Phoenix Empire. In the capital colony of Berytos, a great temple to the Melqarts was built. But soon another power found its way into the cult. Refugee Colossi, great men of the Machakan royal family, arrived in Berytos and established themselves as rulers of the bloody cult. Their sorceresses claimed divinity and called themselves Brides-in-Waiting. Now Berytos is a seafaring people led by sorcerer-queens from the great temple in Berytos.
"Berytos exists only in the early era. It is the Phoenix Empire that was destroyed and reemerged in numerous coastal city states. It is a cultural melting pot influenced by several other nations. The nation is heavily inspired by Mediterranean seafaring peoples and the Phoenicians in particular. The sea peoples of Canaan and Egypt, combined with Greek migrational hypotheses, Phoenicians and their Carthaginian/Punic extension have been important sources. The Canaanite/Phoenician cities of Byblos, Tyros, Sidon and Carthage inspired the ideas of a seafaring nation and led to the Berytian dependency on coastal forts.
The legendary founding of Carthage by Dido/Elissa and her marriage with the high priest of Melqart combined with the biblical concept of Canaanite Ba'al worship laid the ground for the concept of Berytian Melqart worship. This enabled some intertwining of Hinnomite and Berytian backstories. I also wanted a deeper mythical backstory and found that the Telchines, Dactyls and other Greek mythological island-peoples combined with the Greek migration hypothesis fit the role. I liked that the nation had an arcane legacy free from influences from Hinnom.
When I remembered the slightly bizarre Ars Magica supplement "South of the Sun" by Atlas Games, where there are Carthaginian descendants dabbling in dark magic I figured the great men and queens of of Machaka would fit a niche as exile queens and leaders of the cult of the Melqarts. Berytos has been one of the most fun nations to develop, probably because it involves and expands the backstories of several other nations and concepts. It also has several unique mechanics designed primarily for them." - Illwinter
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Magic Access | Alt. Access | Unit Summary | Core Abilities | Buildings |
---|---|---|---|---|
3 (rare 4) 3 (rare 4) 3 3 (rare 4) 2 (rare 3) 1 2 | Hero 31332 3233 344422 Summons 332200% (req. 32) 244321100% (req. 52) | Archers Light and Medium Infantry Lancers Elephants | Sailing | Advanced Forts Coastal Fort Income Bonus Trace Income Across Oceans |
Capitol Gems: 232
Heat limit + 1
Prefers Heat Scale + 1
Blood Sacrifice: Priests can sacrifice a blood slave at a temple to help extend the dominion.
The Colossi of Great Mababwe are Berytos's elites. They are Size 4 (two-to-a-square) beings from Machaka, probably human, but considered closer to giants by the Berytians. All Colossi in Berytos are either sworn men of the high priestesses or the high priestesses themselves, so it's tough to tell what powers are innate to them and what was attained through training; it appears that average Colossi have 12 Magic Resistance, at least 12 Morale, 14 Combat Speed (naked), and 18 Map Movement as troops (also naked).
Note that the Colossi are unable to sail on Berytian ships.
Sprite | Unit Name | Special Attributes | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Berytian Scout 35 3 1 | Stealthy (55) Mountain Survival Forest Survival | Commentary here. | |
Berytian Captain 140 17 1 | Sailing (Max size 3, Size Points 999) | Commentary here. | |
Mage Pilot 110 2 2 Coastal Forts Only | 119 Sailing (Max size 3, Size Points 999) | Commentary here. | |
Berytian Sage 110 4 2 | 11100%9 Sailing (Max size 3, Size Points 999) | Commentary here. | |
Berytian Priest 200 2 2 | 111100%9 Sacred Sailing (Max size 3, Size Points 999) | Commentary here. | |
Storm Caller 290 2 4 Coastal Forts Only | 221100%15 Sailing (Max size 3, Size Points 999) Old Age (52/50) | Commentary here. | |
Bride-In-Waiting 580 7 4 Capital Only | 221221100% 10%21 Sacred Female | Commentary here. |
Sprite | Unit Name | Special Attributes | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Berytian Militia 7 5 3 | Commentary here. | ||
Berytian Archer 10 7 9 | Commentary here. | ||
Berytian Spearman 10 9 9 | Commentary here. | ||
Berytian Soldier 10 14 9 | Commentary here. | ||
Berytian Heavy Spearman 12 19 14 | Formation Fighter (2) | Commentary here. | |
Berytian Elite Soldier 14 19 18 | Commentary here. | ||
Berytian Lancer 30 14 24 | Commentary here. | ||
War Horse | Animal | Commentary here. | |
Elephant Rider 100 27 34 | Commentary here. | ||
War Elephant | Animal Trample | Commentary here. | |
Elephant Archer x 2 | Mobile Archer | Commentary here. | |
Colossi Warrior 35 22 21 Capital Only | Sacred Bodyguard (2) | Commentary here. |
Sprite | Unit Name | Special Attributes | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Dis Mater - Bride of the Gods Earliest Arrival Turn (10) | 3133225 Sacred Fire Resistance (5) Female | Commentary here. | |
Ba'al Hammon - King of the City Earliest Arrival Turn (20) | 323321 Sacred Fire Resistance (15) Adept Blood Sacrificer (1) Fear (+5) Blood Searcher (+3) Causes Unrest (8 per Month) Population Killer (80 per Month) Fear of the Flood (2) Old Age (770/735) Need Not Eat Wasteland Survival | Commentary here. | |
Makelo - Queen of the City Earliest Arrival Turn (25) | 33342235 Sacred Fire Resistance (5) Cold Resistance (5) Poison Resistance (15) Shock Resistance (20) Healer (1) Sailing (Max size 7, Size Points 999) Supply Bonus (+20) Master Smith (1) Amphibious Shapechanger (Makelo - Queen of the City) | Commentary here. | |
Makelo - Queen of the City | 34442239 Sacred Remove: Master Smith (1) Add: Fear (+5) Shapechanger (Makelo - Queen of the City) | Commentary here. |
Summon Spell | Unit | Special Attributes | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Pride of Lions (Conjuration 3) 2 and 9 | Great Lion x 15+ | Darkvision (50%) Undisciplined Animal | Commentary here. |
Herd of Elephants (Conjuration 3) 2 and 20 | Elephant x 5+[1/2 lvl] | Animal Trample | Commentary here. |
Summon Mazzikim (Conjuration 3) 1 and 3 | Mazzik x 10 | Stealthy (40) Flying Need Not Eat Demon Wasteland Survival | Commentary here. |
Summon Lilot (Conjuration 5) 4 and 15 | Lilot | Stealthy (55) Dream Seduction (Morale vs. 14) Flying Demon Wasteland Survival Female | Commentary here. |
Summon Telkhine (Conjuration 8) 52 and 69 | Telkhine | 233321100%33 Cold Resistance (5) Poison Resistance (15) Shock Resistance (20) Sailing (Max size 7, Size Points 999) Master Smith (1) Reaper (5%) Amphibious Casts Each Battle (Telkhine Malediction) Shapechanger (Telkhine) | Commentary here. |
Telkhine | 244321100%37 Remove: Master Smith (1) Add: Fear (+7) Shapechanger (Telkhine) | Commentary here. | |
Scapegoats (Blood 3) 1 and 8 | Se'ir x 2 | Sacred Berserker (+4) Need Not Eat Demon Wasteland Survival | Commentary here. |
Summon Shedim (Blood 4) 13 and 28 | Shed x 3 Waste Only | Shock Resistance (15) Storm Power (2) Flying Storm Immunity Need Not Eat Demon | Commentary here. |
Call Melqart (Blood 6) 23 and 99 | Melqart | 332200%15 Sacred Fire Resistance (10) Adept Blood Sacrificer (1) Fear (+5) Blood Searcher (+3) Causes Unrest (8 per Month) Population Killer (80 per Month) Supply Size (20) Fear of the Flood (5) Need Not Eat Wasteland Survival | Commentary here. |
See Magic Access. These guides supplement the summaries at the top.
Elements
Summon Telkhine gives a Telkhine who has many useful paths and Master Smith when in human shape. It is fortunately easy to reach 52 with a 23 Storm Caller (1 in 4), though its effects on whatever province it's in are nothing short of ruinous.
Makelo - Queen of the City can craft both versions of the Staff of Elemental Mastery. This is a very valuable booster item for Berytos, since its mages have wide elemental talents.
Fire is easier for Berytos to climb through Blood; a 23 Bride-in-Waiting with a Blood Thorn can simply cast Bind Arch Devil for one of five Fire mages, four of whom have 4 for crafting the Flame Helmet. Alternatively, 1-in-5 Telkhines have 3, which is 4 for the purpose of crafting items while they're in titan shape.
The other common Fire booster, the Skull of Fire, can be crafted by Berytos's 33 hero, giving Berytos another level of Fire access. If you wait for her, you can get the Flame Helmet before going for summons.
While any of Berytos's big mage recruits can have 3, getting to 4 for the ladder-climb of path boosters requires either a Telkhine or a single empowerment. The Empowerment is cheaper, if you don't mind the risk of easily losing your investment.
One-in-five Telkhines will have 5 in their beast shape. If you wish not to have a Reaper in your borders, you can hope for the appearance of Makelo - Queen of the City instead; she will have 4, still enough for you to summon a 5 Air Queen with a single booster.
If Berytos starts on a coast, then it will have ample access to 3 mages who can easily forge most of Water's boosters. The only ones out of the Storm Callers' reach are artifacts.
What applies to Air with the Telkhines also applies to Water.
Berytos has access to both the Earth Boots and the Blood Stone, given its Earth/Blood mages. If you have a 13 Bride-in-Waiting and a 22 Bride-in-Waiting, you can craft both of those boosters, and you can climb the rest of the ladder.
Or you can wait for just the 3 Bride-in-Waiting, and for Makelo (who has 4).
Astral is not an easy path for Berytos to climb, since the nation has only 1. One of the Arch Devils has 3, however.
With a single Air booster, Makelo can create The Magic Lamp to summon Al Khazim - Jinn, who has 3. This is an artifact that requires 54, which only Ubar or a specially designed Pretender as a good shot at getting before Makelo.
No recruitable access. Dis Mater - Bride of the Gods, a one-off hero, has 3 and a lot of other paths; she can create the Skull Staff and (later on) the unique The Black Book of Secrets, and she can summon fellow 33 mages with Curse of Blood.
1-in-5 Telkhines have 3, which is enough to forge the Skullface in titan shape (with the aforementioned Skull Staff). Each Telkhine costs 69, however, so the costs should be evaluated before committing.
Lastly, a 5 mage (a 3 mage empowered once and given a Blood Thorn) can summon Heliophagi; of the four, one has 3, and another has 4.
No recruitable access. Makelo - Queen of the City has 2, and can make the unique The Tome of Gaia later in the game. Without that, though, she can still reach 3 through the Thistle Mace. If width is desired over depth, minor Nature, Death, and Glamour mages can be summoned with Forest Troll Tribe; if you just want 1 mages, however, you have a good chance of finding some in independent provinces.
8 can Bind Demon Lord for a 1 in 6 chance of 4.
No national access. The cheapest option for scrounging up Glamour is to summon a Forest Troll Tribe as Makelo, and pray for a 1-in-4 11; that costs 47 at least, including the Thistle Mace. Alternatively, Makelo or another 4 (a 2 Bride-in-Waiting with both Earth boosters) can summon a Troll King's Court for a guaranteed 31. Both are durable forms that can take a 30 empowerment and put it to use; the former gets elite Fay Footmen, and the latter gets to summon 21 Bluecaps.
Alternatively, empowering a 3 mage in Glamour (50) and giving them a Blood Thorn lets them summon a Succubus, a 2 mage.
As Berytos doesn't have 4 except on a very small amount of Brides-in-Waiting, it is unlikely to see 5 for crafting the extra Blood boosters… without empowering. The Blood Thorn is a given, however.
If you were to empower as Berytos, the Melqart will probably keep your investment around for longer.
Having a 32 Bride-in-Waiting fill up on Air and Blood boosters, after a blood empowerment on someone else, lets you craft the extremely-rare Robe of the Magi. This boosts all paths (except Holiness) by 1.
How to win as the nation. Feel free to use the following sections, or delete them, or change them.
Different expansion options.
Early game options.
Mid game options.
Late game options.
Chassis: Awake Titan of Crossroads
Paths: 457
Bless: MW/Arcane Finesse, Invuln 10, Regen.
Scales: 6203123
What are the nation's weaknesses?
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