When the 
Griffonian Empire re-established itself after ending the short lived 
Griffonian Republic under Kemerskai, it also remade the Katerin Principality under the last surviving member of its dynasty, Princess Diellza von Katerinburg. However, having to watch the death of all her family at the claws of the Republicans had broken something inside her, shattering her sanity. With her reality slipping, the Katerintreue, a group of nobles and advisors meant to serve as regents for the Princess used their powers for personal gain. While the situation in the blighted lands turn ever darker, the only hope for the people remains in the Knights and of Prelate Heinrich Duskfeather.
Can Katerin be brought back from the brink? Or will the Mad Princess' Reign doom the land and its populace to eternal desolation?
Lore[]
Before the rise of the Empire, the Katernii Kingdom was once a powerful nation in the Herzland, ruled by the ancient Grimclaw dynasty. It was one of the strongest powers in the region, bordering the Riverlands at the time and serving as the wall against them. That all changed when the Empire, under Grover I with the Idol of Boreas attacked. The nobles, fearing defeated quickly surrendered without a fight, leaving the rulers of Katerin itself defenseless. They were forced to surrender as well, pledging their loyalty to the new Empire. Instead, Grover I placed a new loyal dynasty on the throne, the Von Katerinburgs.
Since then, the region had been a loyal part of the Empire, though it remained underdeveloped due to its position in the Scheißwald and the unprofitable deadlands and marshes. However, this changed after the Revolution of 978. The fires burned in Katerin, as the Republicans came and slaughtered every last member of the Katerinburg dynasty present, save for one. Diellza von Katerinburg, the last remaining heir survived, and when the Griffonian Republic was defeated and the Empire restored, she was put onto the throne as the newest Princess. But watching her family be butchered before her very eyes broke something within her, shattering her sanity. As her advisors and regents, the newly formed Katerintreue used her situation to their own gain, she slowly descended into madness. Katerin, already a backwater, turned into a place of complete desolation. Only the two Knightly Orders, the Silberkralle and the Argentumdämmerung, led by Hector Ardennson and Erik Grimclaw, the latest of his dynasty. There is also an ex-prelate, Heinrich Duskfeather, who offers a unique brand of religious socialism who in recent times has gained much popularity with the peasantry due to the declining situation.
Now though, things are beginning to reach a breaking point. With the Emperor's death being inevitable, all the factions prepare to make their move to secure power over the Principality. However, no matter who wins, one thing is certain: for Katerin to live, the Mad Princess must go.
Starting Situation[]
Katerin begins as one of the most backwater and underdeveloped nations in the Herzland, with terrible national spirits and not much industry to support itself. Considered to be one of the weakest vassals, it will be very difficult to beat the Empire in a 1 on 1 fight. Instead you should gather allies to help you take on the Empire, or strike when it is particularly vulnerable.
Military[]
The Katerin military starts in an absolutely pathetic state, with only 18.6k ponypower deployed in the form or 2 6-width garrison divisions and 2 12-width knight divisions. This problem will be slightly relieved by a few Katerin focuses which give a free division or two, but the army will need a major expansion to be able to fight another breakaway, much less the Empire itself.
Threats and Opportunities[]
As a nation in the Herzland, you will be relatively protected from outside threats until the Empire comes to reclaim its territories. Katerin is a very weak vassal and therefore usually can not fight its former overlord alone, so allying with other Herzland nations will be a necessity to survive their inevitable attack. All Katerin paths also have the ability to eventually gain a wargoal on the Empire, so if they seem to be in a stalemate or losing situation against other vassals already it may be smart to declare first and try to snipe Griffenheim to form the Empire yourself. However, do not take too long, as the Republic is usually an ever-present threat that will eventually attack the Herzland, unified or not.
Gameplay Mechanics[]
Soon after you start the game as Katerin, you will unlock new focuses to develop Katerin into a more modern nation: The Katerintreue Reforms. Each decision can only be taken once a particular focus in the initial tree is completed, or once the second Katerin focus tree has loaded in. They can be used as a welcome addition to help stabilize the country and further industrialize it, and will have effects both during and after the decision is completed, but be careful: the decisions will disappear once a branch of the second focus tree is completed, unless you side with the Katerintreue. Some will require certain technologies and available civilian factories. A full list of the decisions, as well as the required focus and effects is below.
- Verify Peasant Loyalty - Expand the Katerintreue - Base Stability +5.0%, Popularity of Supremacy +3.0%
- Limit the Bandits - Legalize Banditry - Bast Stability +5.0%, Ponypower -500
- Expand the Katerintreue - Expand the Katerintreue - "Katerintreue Propaganda" National Spirit
- Aluminum Foundries - None - 6 Aluminum in Straßmark
- Tungsten Mines - None - 5 Tungsten in Katerin
- Link the Rails - Link Lingermill - 3 Infrastructure in Lingermill
- Cash in Those Bribes - Bribe Those In Power - Base Stability -2.5%
- Arm the Soldiers - Army Reorganization - 50% research bonus for Infantry Weapons
- Consolidate Small Farms - Restarting The Strass Industry - 1 Civilian Factory
- Capitalize on New Steel - Stahlfabrik Katerinburg - 1 Military Factory
- Reconcile and Rebuild - Weathering The Storm - 2 Civilian Factories
- Urbanize the Capital - Initial Tree Completed - 2 Civilian Factories
National Focus[]
Katerin's Initial Focus Tree
Katerin's initial tree, while moderately sized, are very short, with almost every focus only taking 14 days to complete. For this reason, it will be completed fairly quickly and allow you to move on to more important matters. It primarily focuses on starting to fix the many problems Katerin has been suffering for years, through dubious means.
Each branch has a particular issue to solve for the nation. The left branch has the Katerintreue and the Princess going after the Orders, spawning another knight division and in particular allows you to replace Diellza as a leader, remove Glitterhoof as an advisor and lessen the effects of The Mad Princess' Reign. The middle branch has bonuses to your army, spawning more infantry divisions of various quality depending on the path you choose. The right branch is the longest, granting another research slot and slowly increasing the industrialization of the nation through factories and infrastructure. Once the final focus is finished, the second tree will load in.
Opportunity For Power[]
Katerin's Post-Diellza Focus Tree
With Diellza finally out of power and hope starting to shine through for Katerin, it is now finally time to decide who will lead this reborn nation. The first focus triggers an event that will let you decide that question: will it be the Knights, who guided the Principality through the darkest of times? The Prelate Duskfeather, who has the support of the peasantry and his religious socialism? Or will the Katerintreue remain in power, solidifying their grip on the nation? Either way, all three branches will increase your industrial base and remove The Desolation national spirit, along with increasing support for their respective ideology and various bonuses. Note that if you support the Knights, the path you will be allowed to go down will be decided by who you chose to lead both groups in the previous tree.
The Katerintreue Prevails[]
The Katerintreue's Pre-Griffenheim Focus Tree
Now that the permanent regency is finally in place, the Katerintreue can now conduct normal matters of governance, and the leader trait "Provisional Government" for the council will be removed. The pre-Griffenheim tree is incredibly short, giving some ponypower, stability, war support and forts to help defend against the Empire. However, you will also lose Hector and Erik as a Field Marshal and General, respectively. As with every other pre-Herzland Katerin tree, the last two foci give you the choice between more forts or a war goal against the Empire, allowing you to bunker better against them or to strike when they are weakest.
The Katerintreue's Post-Griffenheim Tree
Once Griffenheim is taken, the rest of the the normal Katerin focus tree unlocks, along with the post-Griffenheim political tree for the Katerintreue. The first section will allow you to quickly declare war on the rest of the Herzland vassals and unite the Herzland under the newly renamed Herzlandtreue. It will also finally get rid of the "Recovering From The Madness" national spirit. The New Empire will register the Herzland as unified, allowing many external countries access to their war goals, so be careful. The Katerintreue get no further war goals beyond the Herzland, and finish with increases to factory output and resource gain.
The Socialist Rise[]
Katerin's Pre-Empire Socialist Tree
With Heinrich Duskfeather now in charge, Katerin will be shaped into his ideology, one where socialism and religion intertwine as one and the same. Like all paths, the pre-Griffenheim tree is short, giving Duskfeather himself as a Field Marshal and removing Hector and Erik as unit leaders. The Holy Griffon's Army will usually reduce your recruitable population by a large amount, but in return gives decent buffs to division attack and defense. Lastly, the final two mutually exclusive focuses either give forts on a wargoal on whoever owns Griffenheim, usually the Empire.
Post-Griffenheim Socialist Tree
Once the Empire is reformed, the first step will be reuniting the Herzland under your rule. Once that it done and your new lands are fully cored, the next focuses will implement your new policies before continuing your conquest across Griffonia. A particular outlier here is Crush Maarites, which gives a fast wargoal on both 
Sunstriker Clan and the 
County of Greifwald before the rest. The rest of the tree behaves similarly to the original Empire's conquest tree, with one small difference being that you will be able to core the 
Northern Tribes and not 
Vedina.
Return of the Repubicans[]
Katerin's Pre-Griffenheim Republican Tree
The fires of Republicanism once again burning bright in Katerin, the Silberkralle are here to bring a new light to Katerin, one of hope and democracy. By cooperating with the Argentumdämmerung, true law and order will finally be restored in the land. The initial tree mostly gives minor bonuses in national spirits, including reforming the one gained from your previous choice in Katerin's military reorganization for even more manpower. Expand Recruitment will also increase your conscription law by one level for free. As with the other trees, you have a choice between the forts or the war goal.
Republican Post-Griffenheim Tree
As with the Katerintreue, after you unify the Herzland with your post-Griffenheim tree you will get no further war goals. Instead, most of the focuses are about internal development, holding elections and improving relations with both Equestria and the River Federation. The last grouping of foci improve upon each other, stacking buffs onto a few national spirits. Strengthen Our Research gives increased research speed, and A Beacon Of Light will allow you to send more volunteers in international conflicts.
A Different Principality[]
Katerin Pre-Herzland Grimclaw Tree
The Mad Princess has fallen, and in her stead, a new Prince has risen. Erik Grimclaw, the latest of his ancient dynasty has risen to reclaim his throne, and restore Katerin to the proud kingdom it once was.
The initial tree has the exact layout of the other ideologies but very different effects, giving notable bonuses to anti-air and political power in exchange for losing building slots. Mandatory Military Service will automatically change your conscription law to Service by Requirement.
Katerin Herzland Grimclaw Tree
The post-Griffenheim tree is quite similar to the Republican one, even giving similar effects. It has an identical layout and works the same way, though the last focus, The New Herzland will give a bonus to justification time instead of volunteers.
Military/Economy Tree[]
Once you have taken Griffenheim and reformed the Empire, you will gain access to your industrial and military branches. The Industrial tree will fix the remaining problems of your nation, bringing your development and science base to Modern and giving another research slot. It will also give decent infrastructure and factories.
The army tree begins by removing whichever military national spirit you got from your political pre-unification tree. While unfortunate, as the bonuses that it usually grants are quite powerful, it is necessary to access the rest of the tree. Reform will give bonuses to the Mass Assault and Grand Battleplan doctrines, while Revolution will give bonuses to Mobile Warfare and Superior Firepower. Which focus you choose will decide which side of the branch you can down, with the shared part at the bottom giving a free increase to your conscription law and a stat boost to all your generals.
The air force and navy trees are the exact same as the ones in 
Angriver, and to get the free air field you will have had to conquer Angriver itself. It gives nothing but research bonuses. The navy tree can only be accessed once you control a coastal state, and will give free dockyards and research bonuses to ships, marines and naval doctrines.
Technology[]
| Army | Naval | Air | Tech / Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| Doctrine | Racial | ||
|
|
|
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Politics[]
National Spirits[]
 |
The title held by Diellza von Katerinburg within her Principality and beyond is "The Insane". Even the most diehard monarchist are forced to concede that the princess in Katerinburg embodies the trappings of hereditary rule. There is no escape from a mad ruler. Her insanity has driven many civil servants and advisors away from her court and makes finding people to work with her government a difficult task. Her antics have ruined whatever remained of Katerin's reputation amongst the Herzlanders. She has attained the dubious achievement of making Katerin known worldwide as a buffoon state. At best. |
 |
Katerin has long been known as a deadweight to the Empire. Even before the reign of Diellza, Katerin was among the poorest regions in the Empire, covered by the dark Scheißwald forest and vast marshland. Things have only gotten worse during Diellza's mad rule. The once booming trade city of Katerinburg was forcibly relocated from the Griffking deeper into the marshes, the nobles abused Diellza's state of mind to gain more privileges at the expense of the peasants and mismanagement became rampant. Sanitation, healthcare and education are all crumbling, like all of Katerin is. |
 |
It is a common idea that crisis brings even the most skeptic griffs to religion. Katerin has proven it true. As the Crisis in the Principality grows worse, more and more griffons are turning to worship and prayer. There are some who are eager to take advantage of this... |
Leaders[]
| Leader | Party | Description | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|
  Princess Diellza von Katerinburg
|
Supremacy
Katerintreue |
As one of the last surviving members of the von Katerinburg family, Princess Diellza carries a legacy 300 years old. Her family was among the first who pledged allegiance to the Grover dynasty and for their loyalty they were rewarded the principality of Katerin. During Diellza's childhood, however, tragedy befell the family during the revolution that struck the empire. A mob stormed the von Katerinburg castle, seeking to overthrow the princely family. When the smoke cleared, the six year old Diellza was the only one still alive, even as she was imprisoned by the revolutionaries.
After the revolution ended and Diellza was freed something had broken inside the girl. As the only remaining von Katerinburg, she was raised to the throne as Princess of Katerin, even as the trauma she had experienced began to manifest itself. Ever since, Diellza had been quietly referred to as "the mad princess" as her mannerisms have become more and more erratic and violent. Nowadays her subjects live in constant fear of triggering a violent outburst from her, and though she goes from relatively lucid to enraged madness regularly, it is impossible to predict when and what does it. One of the few things that seem to have a stabilizing influence on her is "Glitterhoof", a pony's skull that was given to her as a macabre gift from her distant cousin Wingfried von Katerinburg. Whatever the intent behind the gift was, Diellza always carries it with her, treating "him" like a stuffed animal and referring to the skull as her fiance. This, combined with her unpredictable and violent mannerisms has made her feared and hated among a people that once respected the von Katerinburg lineage, and it is doubtful if Diellza is able to comprehend this. |
Deranged
|
  Grandmaster Hector Ardennson
|
Harmony
Die Silberkralle |
As the Grandmaster of the Silberkralle, Hector Ardensson is a knight and physician in equal measure and is held in high regard by most in the country. Born in Strassmark in 945, Hector had just become a knight when the revolution swept the empire, Katerin included. While he fought on the counterrevolutionaries' side, the many atrocities he witnessed and the longstanding suffering of the people left him disillusioned with the old order, and even as he was part in restoring the nobles' power, he began to harbour republican sentiments himself. At least they spoke of the people's suffering, and at least they tried to relieve it.
Ever since, Hector worked tirelessly across Katerin, trying to help the suffering people and mitigate the worst of Diellza's excesses, but in the end that wasn't enough, and he found himself forced to act more directly for the sake of the people he swore so long ago to safeguard and help. |
|
  Heinrich Duskfeather
|
Communist
Trinthiest-Sozial Partei |
Once one of the preeminent prelates of the Temple of Boreas, Heinrich Duskfeather could well have carried him all the way to the position of Archon. Yet, inside the temple hierarchy as much as outside of it, the political games played are vicious, and Heinrich underestimated his rival, the prelate that would become Eros VII. Losing not only the struggle for the Archon's seat, but his position as a prelate as well, he was left destitute and banished from the temples as Eros made sure to not just defeat but crush his opposition.
It was at this time, during his darkest moments, that he met a certain griffon during a train trip, one that gave him a book on socialist philosophy at the end of it. The disillusioned and destitute ex-prelate was captivated by the ideas discussed in it and started to slowly reevaluate many ideals he had held. In the end, when he returned to Katerin, he had concluded that the very structure of the temples meant that the kind of power games that had seen his downfall were not simply a part of the temple hierarchy, but rather a cancer that is rotting the temples from within, just like how the nobility is a cancer upon the people. Drifting through Katerin, he preached not from a grand altar, but at the kitchen tables and at the marketplaces of the common griffon, seeing the suffering that the nobility wrought upon the people and how the temples didn't fight this suffering as much as teach the people how to accept it. It sickens him, and he has long since realized that this order must be torn down, by force if no other option is available. |
|
  Grandmaster Erik Grimclaw
|
Non-Aligned
Argentumdämmerung |
Erik Grimclaw - a descendant of heroes and kings both - might be young, but under his lead the once fading Argentumdämmerung was revitalized into a fighting force equal to any other order in the Empire. While stern to the point of harsh and with little patience for failure, Grimclaw has earned the respect of most around him for his military acumen and ironclad principles. One might not find him pleasant, but no one can call him unreliable.
With all the chaos and discord that has reigned across Katerin, the need for order has never been more obvious, and Grimclaw is the griffon to provide it. The von Katerinburgs have failed the nation, and maybe it is time for the lineage that ruled these lands before the empire to take over? |
|
  Katerintreue Council
|
Supremacy
Katerintreue |
The Katerintreue council was born out of the various influential noblegriffs who after the revolution acted as regents for the six year old Diellza von Katerinburg. Power, however, is an addictive thing, and after Diellza reached adulthood these griffons didn't simply step down. They remained as "advisors" and "aides" the princess, even as they slowly began to weave a complex web of laws, deals and legal judgements to entrench themselves more and more. While Diellza was still the sovereign of the nation, they slowly became the ones who held the actual power.
There is little in the way of ideological foundation or greater goals within the Katerintreue. Instead, power is everything to them, indeed it is their birthright as the greatest minds Katerin can produce. Within the council, those who lose their grip on power will be discarded and those who stumble will be used by others. Griffons join and fall out of favour with the Katerintreue constantly, and the only reason that the Katerintreue has not collapsed into infighting is this very balance of terror between the various members. No single member can threaten the balance without being turned upon by the rest of them, and for unscruplous power-mongers like the Katerintreue there is no reason to challenge the system as it is. Why would they, when it enrichens them so? |
Provisional Government
|
Staff and Designers[]
Political Advisors
| Name | Trait | Prereqs | Effects | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Glitterhoof
|
|
150 | ||
| August Gottschalk | Conservative Grandee | Current Ruling Party is Supremacy |
|
150 |
| Benjamin Rehberg | Deal Broker
Humble Appeaser |
Current Ruling Party is Supremacy |
|
150 |
| Karen Johner | War Industrialist
Hedonist |
Current Ruling Party is Supremacy |
|
150 |
| Wendelin Rohr | Fortification Engineer | One of the Following Must be True:
|
|
150 |
| Hans Glasser | Armaments Organizer | One of the Following Must be True:
|
|
150 |
| Christel Pichler | Old Figurehead | One of the Following Must be True:
|
Political Power Gain: +15% |
150 |
| Olaf Herschel | Defender of the Faith | One of the Following Must be True:
|
|
150 |
| Franz Herkenhoff | Millitant Harmonist | One of the Following Must be True:
|
|
150 |
| Cyamites Braunlich | Hero of the Revolution | One of the Following Must be True:
|
|
150 |
Tank Designer
| Name | Trait | Prereqs | Effects | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Mobile tank designer |
Armour Research Speed: +10% Armour:
|
150 | |
 |
Medium tank designer |
Armour Research Speed: +10% Armour:
|
150 |
Ship Designer
| Name | Trait | Prereqs | Effects | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Raiding Fleet Designer |
Naval Research Speed: +10% Carrier:
Capital Ship:
Screen:
Submarine:
|
150 | |
 |
Battlefleet Designer | Naval Research Speed: +10%Capital Ship:
Screen:
|
150 |
Aircraft Designer
| Name | Trait | Prereqs | Effects | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Light Aircraft Designer |
Air Research Speed: +10% Fighter:
Carrier Fighter:
|
150 | |
 |
Heavy Aircraft Designer |
|
150 |
Materiel Designer
| Name | Trait | Prereqs | Effects | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Infantry Equipment Designer |
Weapons and Equipment Research Speed: +10% |
150 | |
 |
Artillery Designer |
Artillery Research Time: +10% |
150 |
Industrial Concern
| Name | Trait | Prereqs | Effects | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Industrial Concern |
Industrial Research Speed: +10% |
150 | |
 |
Electronics Concern |
Electronics Research Speed: +10% |
150 |
Theorist
| Name | Trait | Prereqs | Effects | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irina Merz | Defence Theorist |
|
150 | |
| August Krüger | Military Theorist |
|
150 |
Chief of Army
| Name | Trait | Prereqs | Effects | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niklaus Pinkfeather | Army Organization (Expert) |
Division Organization: +8.0% |
150 | |
| Wenzel Coalbeak | Commando (Genius) |
|
150 |
Chief of Navy
| Name | Trait | Prereqs | Effects | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jürgen Engel | Submarines (Expert) |
|
150 | |
| Erich Reichart | Capitals Ships (Expert) |
|
150 |
Chief of Airforce
| Name | Trait | Prereqs | Effects | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramona Börngen | Ground Support (Expert) | Air Support: +10.00% | 150 | |
| Dietrich Aichele | Air Combat Training (Expert) |
Ace generation chance: +10.00% |
150 |
Military High Command
| Name | Trait | Prereqs | Effects | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkhardt Herdrich | Anti-Submarine (Expert) |
|
150 | |
| Evelyn Kistler | Army Maneuver (Expert) |
|
150 | |
| Erhart Lehmkuhl | Army Logistics (Expert) |
Division Attrition: -12.0% |
150 | |
| Kirsten Herdrich | Army Regrouping (Expert) |
Division Recovery Rate: +8.0% |
150 |
Economy[]
Laws and Development[]
| Laws and Development | ||
|---|---|---|
| Conscription Law | Trade Law | Economy Law |
 Volunteer Only
|
 Export Focus
|
 Civilian Economy
|
| Scientific Development | Society Development | Illiteracy |
 Small Science Base
|
 Industrialising Society
|
 Broad Illiteracy
|
| Poverty | Race | |
 Negligible Poverty
|
 Griffon
| |
Industry and Resources[]
 2 Military Factories |
 0 Naval Dockyards |
 4 Civilian Factories |
 Oil |
 Aluminum |
 Rubber |
 Tungsten |
 Steel |
 Chromium |
 Crystal |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
