# About the Encyclopædia
![[story_banner.webp]]`May. 6, 2025` · [Horseapple](app://obsidian.md/Horseapple) · #Fragment #Project
![[homepage song 2 1.mp3]]
## Info
Hello, my name is `Alexander Chamberland`, otherwise known as `Horseapple` – an influential and massive YouTuber, [^1] rockin' music producer, [^2] and hardcore gamer! [^3] I have a whopping two hours and six minutes in Grand Theft Auto 5. [^4] Yeah, I know—I need to get a life. But If you’re a fan of video games like I am, specifically of Taleworlds’ `Mount & Blade` series, then this site will be of interest to you! <br> <br>
![[what is this 3.png|right|150]]According to `Britannica` an *encyclopedia*, or *encyclopaedia*, is defined as: [^5]
>“(a) reference work that contains information on all branches of knowledge or that treats a particular branch of knowledge in a comprehensive manner.” <br> — Collison R. & Preece W., Britannica
This encyclopedia was developed for the purposes of my personal project—a film. So unlike other M&B wikis this one is far more in-depth. Compiling all of the worldbuilding offered in the Mount & Blade series thus far. From the first original Mount & Blade, to Mount & Blade: Warband, to Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. Every scrap of information relating to the world of [[Calradia-Conti.]] has been brought here—nested into a series of folders for your reading pleasure! Although it should be mentioned the central focus of this encyclopedia is on M&B II: Bannerlord. The sources used to gather all of this material has come from various locations.
## Data collection methods?
**First**—of course—are the games themselves. Of which the .XMLs (i.e., game files holding dialogue, code strings, dev-to-dev notes and comments) have been copied here, *see* [Game Files Data Dump](3-comment_on_actions-(Bannerlord).md).<br>
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**Second**, only <u>two</u> of the <u>five total</u> M&B series' DLC have been used in this encyclopedia. I've often debated whether to include some of them as they are not set in the fantasy world of [[Calradia-Conti.]]—rather, they take place in real world history. In the end I chose to cut three DLCs out of this project. They are (in order of release): With Fire & Sword, Napoleonic Wars and Viking Conquest. These DLCs won't be found anywhere in this work and will not be cited. The two DLCs used to better substantiate this encyclopedia are: [Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord - Digital Companion](3-Travels-in-Calradia-(DLC).md) and [Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord - Original Soundtrack](3-Original-Soundtrack-(DLC).md). The Digital Companion was included for its worldbuilding. The DLC is a digital storybook following [[Asaios]]. A 22 year old scribe from [[Vostrum]] in the [[Southern-Empire]]. One day, he is contacted by [[Istiana]] who is keen on reviving the Empire's then defunct [[Bureau-of-Barbarian-Affairs]] and so she needs someone to re-establish her connection with old bureau contacts in each major faction. [[Asaios]] agrees and begins traveling the war-torn [[Calradia-Conti.]] remarking on various worldly sites—their histories, language, cuisine and more. The Digital Companion is a veritable gold mine of lore and worldbuilding that of course would be included in a Mount & Blade wiki. The Original Soundtrack DLC might seem strange to cite as a source - but it has its uses. Each track name unveils some small nugget of extra lore. For example, one track under the [[Aserai-Sultanate]] section is titled: The Farthest Shore. This lends itself to a cultural perspective of the [Nahasa Desert](Nahasa-Dsrt..md). This can be referenced in dialogue written for my personal project which I'll go into more detail about and how exactly this whole [Encyclopaedia Calradica](About-the-Encyclopædia.md) fits into it. <br>
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**Third** are the [Taleworlds Developer Blogs](Blog_1_Hairy_Artists.md)—stored here for safe keeping. On the official Taleworlds website, there's a [blog](https://www.taleworlds.com/en/Games/Bannerlord/Blog) which chronicles the developer’s journey creating Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord whilst also reflecting on Mount & Blade: Warband and what they've learned since. These blogs have been immensely helpful in better understanding [[Calradia-Conti.]], its factions and the overall world of M&B<br>
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**Lastly**, I've included non-canonical events, characters and topical / conceptual explanations in the [Encyclopaedia Calradica](About-the-Encyclopædia.md). This is because some things were never fleshed out via the use of any of the previous sources. For example, [The Theory of Humors](https://www.britannica.com/science/humor-ancient-physiology) (i.e., [Humourism](Ailments.md)) is touched on here and there within Mount & Blade: Warband. There are several references to the theory, like the mentioning of: “[Choleric temperaments](Choleric.md)", “[yellow bile](Choleric.md)" and the “[loss of sanguinity](Sanguine.md)". But the theory as a whole is never clearly defined. Thus, the use of external and non-canon materials is required in order to fill this void and provide clarity on these topics. Any non-canon materials here will be cited at the bottom of each page under <u>Resources</u>. All outside sources will be scholarly and academic in nature, or from the M&B community. My overall objective for this encyclopedia is to keep the info as close to real-world history as possible as this is what the Mount & Blade series is known for. Also It is my intent to build around pre-existing worldbuilding not to try and correct or bury it. Even the lore's contradictions I intend to keep. For instance a notable figure mentioned as having greatly influenced natural philosophy (i.e., medicine / science) in Warband is [[Galerian]]. He is also referred to as “Galenian" in Warband's .XMLs. This is most likely the result of a typo. Regardless I'll use both. Besides—it might be funny if [Calradia's](Calradia-Conti..md) greatest doctor is frequently misnamed.
Since December of 2022 I’ve had this idea rattling in my mind. What if I made a video talking about Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord? At that time, I had played around 200 hours of the game already and loved it, but I also had some gripes. I sat on the idea for a few months until I finally said: “Sure, why not? Might be fun.” then Baldur's Gate 3 came out and I was floored.
I played that game to completion and I really loved the whole experience—beginning to end. It was different from any game I'd played before and I don't just mean the top-down isometric perspective. The story—and especially its characters—were compelling. <br>
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Upon returning to Bannerlord I couldn't help but notice the deep contrast between Baldur's storyline and Bannerlord's. Granted, these are two different games working in separate genres with varying budgets and overall different objectives. Still, you would think a studio with the word "tale" in their name would put a ton of effort into telling one. Bannerlord is so fixated on its gameplay elements and sandbox mechanics that there's practically no character-driven narrative. This is exemplified in how the Emperors: [[Arenicos]] and [[Drosios]]—the two most important characters during the [[Battle-of-Pendraic]] which is the focus of the storyline—are notably absent from the in-game encyclopedia while other characters who are less important are present. The game appears to not even be interested in its own story.
That said, Bannerlord does not actually have a bad plotline—doomed from some flawed premise. There's a real conflict to be found here.<br>
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The story's dilemma falls around what happened to the [Palaic tribes](Palaic.md) of [[Calradia-Conti.]], who were conquered ages ago by the [[Calradian-Empire]]. The [Palaic people](Palaic.md) were subjugated and assimilated—so much so that they no longer remember being [[Palaic]]. Still the Empire along with its horded and accumulated strength, could be a force for good in [[Calradia-Conti.]] under the right leadership. Like when [[Arenicos]] [[Pethros]] was Emperor and took a genuine interest in [other culture's histories](Petrys-(Cc).md), he was also [popular among the people](Characters/Bannerlord/Imperials/Rhagaea.md) and seemed to wish for [peace with the Empire's neighbors](Characters/Bannerlord/Imperials/Garios.md). Regardless, its up to the player to choose whether to save the regime in hopes of a better ruler, or to ring its death knell and let some other faction claim dominion over the continent.
From war and peace, to unhealed wounds, ancient atrocities, and to the ethics of force and when to apply it—there is a genuinely interesting tale here if only Taleworlds decided to tell it. This is where my video comes in.<br>
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I've changed the project from being about my general thoughts of Bannerlord to a total reimagining of its campaign storyline. For this, I've developed a fictional main character, antagonist, and ten other side characters all deeply rooted in M&B lore and their respective factions. Said factions will be more fleshed out with established beliefs, customs and politics. Their leading Khans, Kings, Emperors, et cetera, will all have personalities, quirks, and histories which guide their presence in the story. My goal is to tell a tale that is as lore-accurate as possible utilizing Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord's many game functionalities, as well as a [healthy heaping of mods](Proj.-Mods.md) to bring it all to life in one long video on YouTube.
So why the encyclopedia?<br>
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Well—I eventually noticed that all the Wiki pages dedicated to the Mount & Blade series were either incomplete or out-of-date (e.g., [Fandom](https://mountandblade.fandom.com/wiki/Mount_%26_Blade_Wiki), [Strategy Wiki](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Mount%26Blade)and [Fextralife](https://mountandblade2bannerlord.wiki.fextralife.com/Mount+and+Blade+2+Bannerlord+Wiki)) so I decided to make this encyclopedia. [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/), the program I'm using to store and write all of this also has the added benefit of a “Publish" feature. This allows me to share my vault with the world. Hence the [Encyclopaedia Calradica](About-the-Encyclopædia.md) is a public M&B wiki. My hope with this film is that it encourages Taleworlds to... well... start telling tales.
## The story?
![[story 4.png|left|150]]   The film will be in the [golden fleece genre](https://savethecat.com/golden-fleece). It'll be set in a highly lore-accurate [[Calradia-Conti.]] during the events of Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. In filmmaking, a Golden Fleece is a story that involves a journey or quest to achieve a goal or prize. The main character often assembles a team to help them reach their goal, which is usually time sensitive. The Golden Fleece genre was inspired by [The Odyssey](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Odyssey-epic-by-Homer). Other Golden fleece films are movies like: Star Wars, Dune, Rocky and the Wizard of Oz. This film will be a re-imagining of Bannerlord's campaign storyline where the main character gets to know each faction, their leaders and ultimately decides the fate of the [[Calradian-Empire]]. According to Blake Snyder's book: [Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need](https://savethecat.com/)every screenplay begins with a logline. It is a sort of summary meant to guide the work.
## The logline
> “A twenty-two year old foreign-blooded village girl named [[Echalera]] is mistaken for a long missing noblewoman, [[Haldaea]] [[Chromasios]]. [[Monyr]], a martyr in search of ‘Daea begins to track her. On the surface [[Echalera]] matches the description of imperial nobility to a 'T'. She is impulsive, arrogant, and a devout imperialist – although, she holds a bottomless love for her family. Eventually she and her family are forced to flee their village ([Garontor](Southern_Empire_Villages_List.md)). On the war-ravaged plains the family is attacked. The Empress of the [[Southern-Empire]], [[Characters/Bannerlord/Imperials/Rhagaea]], swoops in to save them. But not before 'Lera's parents are killed, her older brother [[Mattis]] detained, and their younger sister and brother kidnapped by slavers – it is up to [[Echalera]] to save them.” <br>
>
> <br>“The [Empress](Characters/Bannerlord/Imperials/Rhagaea.md) takes her in, and [Echalera's](Echalera.md) dreams come true. [[Characters/Bannerlord/Imperials/Rhagaea]] even begins mentoring the young village girl, deciding to personally sponsor her for what [[Mattis]] believes are devious motives. She shoots down the theory, but after searching for leads on the slaver’s whereabouts, she is given an ancient artifact from the first Calradic King, [[Calradios]] the Great. This leads to the discovery of the Empire’s dark secrets."<br>
>
> <br>“[[Echalera]] begins questioning whether it is better to dig up skeletons from the past, or leave them buried in the sands of time...”
## The characters
   For this story, I've developed twelve characters utilizing pre-existing companion backstories. I decided to make two primary characters for each major faction. Lastly, I decided on a 50/50 ratio between men and women on the character roster.
| [[Echalera]] | [[Entho]] | [[Monyr]] | [[Ewyn]] |
| :--------------------: | :---------------------: | :---------------------: | :-------------------: |
| ![[ECHALERA.png\|150]] | ![[ENTHO.png\|150]] | ![[MONYR.png\|150]] | ![[EWYN.png\|150]] |
| [[Khachin]] | [[Khakhun]] | [[Bloodbark]] | [[Shalar]] |
| ![[KHACHIN.png\|150]] | ![[KHAKHUN 1.png\|150]] | ![[BLOODBARK.png\|150]] | ![[SHALAR.png\|150]] |
| [[Lorik]] | [[Sabila]] | [[Yarka]] | [[Haldaea]] |
| ![[LORIK.png\|150]] | ![[SABILA.png\|150]] | ![[YARKA.png\|150]] | ![[HALDAEA.png\|150]] |
## Now what?
![[now what 4.png|right|150]]   **Explore!** To your left is a Table of Contents, use this to navigate to whatever may grab your attention. The encyclopaedia is separated into ten primary subjects (not including Home), they are: *Project*, *Characters*, *Factions*, *Organizations*, *Culture*, *Objects*, *Geography*, *History*, *Humourism*, and *Miscellaneous*. Beneath these are more specific categories that can narrow down your search for a specific topic. This framework was developed by examining other encyclopedia / wiki sites like: [Wikipedia](https://www.wikipedia.org/), [Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/), [Harry Potter Lexicon](https://www.hp-lexicon.org/), [A Wiki of Ice and Fire](https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Main_Page), and [Tolkien Gateway](https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Main_Page).
><br>![[gif_Perceptual_25Colors_25Lossy_Interlaced_blue_3.gif|center|300]]———————————————————————————<br>
>*“A massive`MOUNT & BLADE`wikipedia.”*<br>About [Encyclopædia Calradica](About-the-Encyclopædia.md)<br>About the [Project](Project-(Pillar).md)<br>About the [Author](Horseapple.md)
><br>  
## Resources
[^1]: https://www.youtube.com/@Horseapple/videos
[^2]: https://soundcloud.com/horseapple/tracks
[^3]: https://steamcommunity.com/id/meanboiii/
[^4]: https://steamcommunity.com/id/meanboiii/games/?tab=all
[^5]: https://www.britannica.com/topic/encyclopaedia