Travian: Shadow Empires

The blacksmith once again looked at the parchment a visitor had just given him. There was nothing particularly unusual about this order – to decorate armor and a weapon with an emblem. Young heirs from rich families regularly came to him with similar requests. Some just wanted their weapons to look different, others intended to honor their families. Finally, some believed that a certain image would protect them from wounds in battle. Lots of these orders regularly ended up in his smithy and this was not surprising, since he was the most talented blacksmith in the whole area.

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So indeed, there was nothing extraordinary about this new order. Except…

The blacksmith turned around and quickly glanced at all the recent items hiding in the shadows of his smithy. Weapons, armor, and shields which he had been busy crafting for the whole previous month.

A wild boar. An eagle. Another eagle. A stag. One more boar. Three swords with horses on them, ordered by the merchants who came here from the distant eastern province. A stag again. And now – the new emblem, but the blacksmith had a feeling he would have to craft it on many more weapons in the future. Lots of weapons. He put away the parchment and took one of the blank armors. The scarab that the visitor had ordered would look great on it.

The Empire

For centuries, Europe had been ruled by our iron hand. The Empire's vast lands stretched from Cimbri to Ammon and from Hybernia to Hyperborea.

Disciplined and organized, our imperial army left no chance for any local region to rise beyond more than just a dormant province. Every citizen had to obey the strict rules and always had to be ready to sacrifice life for the Emperor.

Nevertheless, all things good and bad tend to come to an end. A series of emperors who cared more for their own ambitions rather than the prosperity of the whole Empire had weakened our influence in the regions. Still, the eagle – the emblem of the imperial elite forces struck terror into the hearts of people before they could even think of disobeying the rules.

Yes, we were fully aware that some new unions were now emerging in the shadows in other provinces. It was time to put an end to it and again raise our golden eagle over every stretch of land.

The Dynasty

Scorching winds and blistering sands in the huge desert had shaped our personal traits, citizens of the south-east. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of hard work, perseverance and stamina to produce enough supplies for our villages and armies with such poor soils. Yet, we were proud to say: This endless fight against nature has honed our economic skills, taught us to care about what we own, and formed our beliefs. Watching how industriousness could turn the desert land into fertile soil, how cities appeared where no one else could even think to survive – we, the people of the south-east, greatly valued transformation and rebirth.

It was for this reason that we chose the scarab as our emblem. And now it was time to raise it over the world.

The Marauders

Anyone who has at least once heard the battle-cry of the northerners would never forget it. The mere mention of us – who feel equally comfortable on war ships and on solid land – could make even hardened veterans of the other territories lay down their arms. We were toughened by the severe climate, regular storms and blizzards that could last for weeks. We didn't become warriors; we were born warriors. Who could care about a growing economy if everything that had been developed over years could be destroyed in the blink of an eye? Were you reckless enough to raid a northern city? We would destroy tens of yours as revenge. After all, the only thing that mattered for us was eternal glory.

And who would represent us best? Of course, the stag, who stood upon Valhalla. To arms!

The Rebels

You might ask what we – those who were born in the west – value most? The answer would be peace and stability. A mild climate, rich soils, thick woods, plenty of iron rocks and clay deposits allowed us to focus on other aspects of our lives rather than spend it in constant battle with nature. Why fight it if it generously yields us everything we need? And the old Empire… Yes, for quite some time we were truly focused on development rather than contemplating war. The Empire wanted us to obey their rules? Well, we always obey until it no longer benefits us. Don't be surprised of our choice of the wild boar as our emblem. Those animals are not as simple as they may seem.

They may look funny and peaceful as they dig up roots, bulbs and nuts, not really paying attention to others. But don't even think of making a wild boar your enemy. They are famous for their ferocity and indomitable spirit.

Just like us. Dare to find out for yourself? Try it!

The Horde

Uukhai! Who are faster than lightning and fiercer than a thunderstorm? We are, the eastern nomads! We have always had complicated relations with our neighbors. Hah! Complicated for them, of course! For us it was simple: you search, you see resources, and you raid! We spent most of our lives on horseback and we were always happy to visit our settled neighbors wherever they were – in the south, north or west. And we wouldn't hesitate to invade even central regions. Yes, we were fully aware of our weak side, being disorganized and chaotic most of the time, as we were focused on our feud battles and local skirmishes. But this was true only until the right time came. Under strong leadership and with the right opportunity, we were fully capable of destroying empires! And it seems… our time was about to come.

What was our emblem? Of course, a horse! Did you really need to ask?