Welcome, backers and fans. We have a lot of awesome stuff to share with you this week, but first, let's get a quick funding update:
Slacker Backer Numbers
- Fig Slacker Backers - We're at ~$105,000. Over $100k! Thank you so much!
- Backer Portal - On our backer portal, we're at ~$126,000 in funds.
That puts us at ~$231,000 in Slacker Backer funds, and ~$4.64M in total funds. We're not at $4.75M yet and we have 21 days remaining, but don't get discouraged! Let's keep on going and get to that sea monsters and fishing stretch goal.
If you haven't already, be sure to confirm your pledge on our Backer Portal. You can read through our instructions for confirming your pledge in Update #25.
Bear Party DLC
If you saw our April Fool's Day update, you read about the Pillars II Bear Party DLC. While the Bear Party DLC was just a joke, the actual bear party formation will be possible in Pillars II! Thanks to our new multi-classing system, if you have a party of druid/rangers, you'll be able to summon a bear and transform into one yourself (The druid bear transformation only lasts for a limited duration, but hey, at least you'll have five bear summons too!) Bear party for everyone, no extra money required.
Fig Campaign Ending Soon - Antegods
The Fig campaign for Antegods ends in just over a day, and they're at 53% of their goal. Developed by Dutch game studio Codeglue, Antegods is an action-packed arena game in which the remnants of the Mayan civilization have taken to space. Hunt for energy and fight off opponents in a procedurally generated and highly destructible map! Whoever wins these battles climbs an intergalactic tournament ladder, ultimately becoming gods themselves.
Check out the Fig page for Antegods and consider helping them out!
Factions of the Deadfire, Part I
A major objective of the narrative and area design teams from now until the end of production is to create and further develop faction quests. A lot of time and hard work goes into deciding where a faction quest will start, what choices you are able to make, and how those choices affect how other factions feel towards you. But it's not just design that needs to focus on these aspects of factions; the environment art team needs to take factions into consideration before starting on a scene. Each faction has their own culture and particular style, and this needs to be reflected in the environments. In short: When developing a faction quest, the entire team gets involved.
You've heard about a couple of the following factions before, whether it be from the first Pillars of Eternity, a Pillars II developer interview, or a previous crowdfunding update. This time, we'll go into detail about the culture, lore, and personalities of each of the four main factions: The Príncipi, Huana, Royal Deadfire Company, and Vailian Trading Company. This week, we'll be covering two of those four factions: The Príncipi and Huana.
Please note that some of the below lore is subject to change as we progress further in development.
Príncipi
The Príncipi are largely descended from a group of refugees who fled the decline of Old Vailia (shortly before the Republics declared independence). They sailed around the Eastern Reach until they reached Deadfire, where instead of settling the islands, they continued their shipboard life. Seizing opportunities where they could, they gradually became pirates, smugglers, mercenaries, and merchants of ill repute. Over time, their ranks have swelled to include Deadfire's indigenous peoples (Huana) as well as enterprising or desperate individuals from other countries and cultures not aligned with the Republics or Rauatai (Dyrwood, Aedyr, Readceras, Ixamtl, etc.)
Religion - Religion among the Príncipi is as varied as membership. As sailors, many of them worship Ondra (as goddess of the oceans) and Hylea (for her influence over wind and weather) but others worship gods and goddesses that were more prominent in their homelands. Worship of Ondra, Woedica, and Hylea is especially common among descendants of Vailians.
Relationship with Other Factions
- The Príncipi have fluid relationships with most other factions, as they are in a position to plunder (or sell to) just about anybody.
- The Príncipi frequently target Vailian Trading Company ships. Remembering that the first families could not find shelter in the Republics during their voyage, the Príncipi subject even surrendering crews to (painless) humiliations, such as leaving them all stranded in their smallclothes.
- Additionally, the Príncipi have been raiding Huana villages almost as long as they've been in the Deadfire. Pirates may have a better relationship with larger towns, however, particularly when they're frequented by merchants who will buy stolen goods.
Geography and Location - The first families initially landed toward the warm, northern portion of the archipelago, but the Príncipi have expanded their reach since then, and their ships can be found anywhere in Deadfire. They tend to lurk near trade routes and settled areas, though their havens are necessarily more remote. While the Príncipi do not found formal cities, they have semi-permanent colonies all around the archipelago where members may safely land for repairs, R&R, or to purchase new supplies. The locations of these havens are typically known only members (or extremely close associates) of the Príncipi.
Príncipi Clothing Concepts
Huana
The Huana are the primary indigenous people of the Deadfire Archipelago. The term "Huana" is a loose association that describes a decentralized population of aumaua, and Huana culture has evolved into a pastiche of local variations with a common root. Yet this is not to say that the Huana are entirely without structure or leadership. In time, they were able to establish a central government, although its influence tends to diminish the farther one sails from the seat of power.
Religion - Favored deities of the Huana include Ondra (who controls the seas) and Hylea (who controls the winds), as well as Woedica (who ensures peace by way of justice). Galawain also has a scattered following among the more conquest-oriented Huana tribes such as the Wahaki and Kahanga, who tend to use the god's endorsement of survival of the fittest as an argument for their positions of power. Huana in search of revenge against their enemies readily pray to Skaen, though he is not widely worshipped in other circumstances.
Relationship with Other Factions
- The Huana are difficult to generalize because different tribes have different stances on the various influential groups in the region.
- The most visible of the tribes, the Kahanga, has made deals with trading companies from both Rauatai and the Vailian Republics, who both have outposts in their largest city, hoping that they will keep each other in check and that their mutual competition will both enrich the Kahanga and ensure their safety.
- The Príncipi have historically raided the Huana, and many Huana consider them sworn enemies. However, the increased presence of the trading companies in recent years has diverted much of the pirates' attention, and it is not unheard of nowadays for the Huana to strike up alliances with the Príncipi in hopes of staving off the companies' advances.
Geography and Location - The Huana are spread across most all populated islands in the archipelago. Deadfire spans the length of the entire southern hemisphere, thus climate ranges from tropical in the north to temperate and polar in the south. Its largest population centers are in the subtropical band of islands.
Huana Clothing Concepts
The Príncipi and Huana have an incredible history, culture, disposition and overall way of life. This is only the tip of the iceberg for these factions - More about them will be uncovered as you progress through Pillars II.
Thanks for reading this week's update! Next Tuesday, we'll go into detail about the Royal Deadfire Company and Vailian Trading Company.
