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Ardunynn now available on the 1.16 addon server

This era features three factions from the land where the campaigns Betrayal of Thaeylan and Order of Oerbrae are set. Known as Ardunynn by the peoples of the south, it is called Órdhunny by the Pyctish clans in the far north.

The fertile plains of the south support a network of city states which have often, but not always, come together to form the Thaeylan Kingdom. To the north are the lawless lands of the Roaen Wood. And across the mountains on the far edge of the continent lies Dál Ardhoen, a dark and stormy coast that is iced in for much of the year.

Campaigns and Scenarios set in Ardunynn

• Betrayal of Thaeylan - 2p campaign
• Order of Oerbrae - 1p campaign

This era is not balanced for competitive play. It is provided so you can play scenarios with the factions from Ardunynn in singleplayer. The units are not balanced against each other or against other factions.



The Pycts live over the mountains beyond the Roaen Wood in the lands of Dál Ardhoen. The days are short and dark there in the winter, and the brief summers are stormy and wild. Or so it is told by the few who have journeyed to the far edge of the continent. Dál Ardhoen has been forgotten by the kings of Thaeylan and is mostly ignored by the maurading slavers of the Wood. But it is a snowy idyll for the Pycts, who needn't do much to ward off invaders.

Harvests there are meagre, so the Pycts live off of the plants and animals in the woods and seas around them. For most of the year they settle in small villages, bound together in clans by oath and kin. But in lean years they must migrate to follow the herds and this brings the clans into conflict. The fractious, bloody fueds of the Pycts are quick, treacherous affairs, and their songs are full of the names of clans lost to all but memory.

Indeed, the people of Dál Ardhoen rarely speak of themselves as Pycts at all. They are first and foremost clanfolk, and each clan is its own people. In some, men and women are expected to fight and lead as equals. In others, women are all but chattel. But these differences are set aside each summer, when the clans gather for an annual festival in the west. And no man or woman of any clan would interfere with the sacred burial grounds of Hearthmór. In these matters, and these matters alone, the Pycts remain a common people.



Those who reside in the fetid swamps between the two southern kingdoms live a rough, wild life beyond the reach of any king's hand. A sanctuary for smugglers and outlaws, the people of the mire hold no firm allegience except to the defense of their home. Those who command authority do so only because they are trusted to ensure that the brigands of the mire do their work beyond the marshes.

For that reason, many of the mirefolk do not spend much of their lives there. A good hand may ply their trade in the great cities of Thaeylan or Vaerya, make their coin on the smuggling routes, or join a raiding party in the Roaen Wood. A sudden return to the mire is not a good sign, but questions will never be asked because discretion is the currency of community there.



The four cities of the southern kingdoms can afford to feed, equip and train a standing army. The warrior cathedrals of Thaeylan. The great port of Vaerya. The academies of Alensing. And the industries of Ranaesvar. Each city state keeps its own authority. But throughout history Thaeylan has more often than not held sway and the other city states have bent the knee.

The strength of the king's army is built on the sons of peasant families, who pledge their kin to the king's service in exchange for royal favor. Whether voluntary or not, the soldiers are banished from the family and take a lifetime oath of service to their commander, who provides them with food, equipment and training.

I like the Pycts sprites!

Yeah! Very nice. Those are from The Væringjar with some minor adjustments to the sprites to fit their new roles.