The world has ten cultures. Each is built on a shared backbone (same buildings, same victory conditions, same systems) but plays asymmetrically through different gods, native resources, signature mechanics, and unit identities.
Roster status. The 10-culture roster is locked for launch. Four expansion candidates (Steppe Horde, Dharmic Empire, Mesoamerican City-State, Classical Mediterranean) are reserved for a later expansion pack. See balance notes.
| Culture | Best at | Struggles with | Climate flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fjordborn Clans | Raids, coasts, cold warfare, tough infantry | Cavalry, luxury growth, mega-cities | Cold-halving |
| Sun Dune Sultanates | Mobility, trade, cavalry, desert warfare | Forest war, ship timber | Heat resistance |
| River Crown Kingdoms | Food, administration, river defense, population | High-end metal warfare, mountains | Flood-farm boost |
| Jade Lotus Empire | Discipline, research, ranged warfare, late tech | Horse dependence, costly elites | Monsoon engineering |
| Ironpeak Holds | Armor, forts, siege, mountains | Food supply, navy, mobility | Mountain affinity |
| Azure Isles League | Navy, scouting, coastal war, luxury trade | Heavy land war, cavalry | Sea-storm navigation |
| Cairnveil Tuatha | Local musters, omen play, sacred rough ground | Open-field industrial war, mega-cities | Fog ambush |
| Condor Crown Confederacy | Elevation, road networks, high-low economy | Plains, deep sea, winter belts | High-altitude affinity |
| Red Earth Covenant | Open-field encirclement, drum mustering | Heavy siege, snow, swamp | Drought tolerance |
| Thunder Lodge Confederacy | Scouting, adoption, shared stores | High mountains, deep desert | Winter shared-stores |
Wars naturally emerge over horse supply, iron and steel, timber and shipyards, grain basins, sulfur for siege, and luxury monopolies for happiness. Below: who sells, who needs.
| Culture | Sells | Buys |
|---|---|---|
| Fjordborn | Timber, iron, amber, ships | Grain, horses, incense |
| Sun Dune | Salt, incense, glass, cavalry | Timber, iron, tin |
| River Crown | Grain, linen, papyrus, bricks | Iron, hardwood, horses, stone |
| Jade Lotus | Silk, tea, lacquer, engineering | Horses, iron, sulfur |
| Ironpeak | Steel, stone, siege gear, sulfur | Grain, timber, luxuries |
| Azure Isles | Spices, pearls, resin, ships | Iron, stone, grain, horses |
| Cairnveil | Cattle, wool, amber, bog iron, dyed cloth | Grain, steel, horses, stone |
| Condor Crown | Jade, obsidian, featherwork, alpaca, cacao | Horses, hardwood, salt, steel |
| Red Earth | Cattle, iron arms, baobab medicine, red pigment | Hardwood, stone, horses, spices |
| Thunder Lodge | Copper, furs, wild rice, wampum, pemmican | Iron, horses, stone, sulfur |
| Mechanic | Cultures with strong access |
|---|---|
| Adoption Network (absorb defeated/neutral) | Thunder Lodge |
| Drum-Speed Coordination (network-wide muster) | Red Earth |
| Elevation Logistics (vertical economy) | Condor Crown |
| Omen Pre-Battle Tilt (sacred-ground edge) | Cairnveil |
| Deep Mines + Sulfur Engineering | Ironpeak |
| Monsoon Workshop Boost | Jade Lotus |
| Cold-Halving | Fjordborn |
| Heat Resistance + Caravan | Sun Dune |
| Flood-Farm Boost | River Crown |
| Naval Speed + Coastal Trade | Azure Isles |
Sources: cultures.md, _divers/culture_uniqueness_evaluation.md.