
In the process, I made my second discovery: the game has a pretty cool model of tribal societies, as distinct from feudal proto-states.

The fourth time, I chose Wakhushakk 1, a tribal chief who rules over a single province in 769 – and this time, after many saves and reloads, I was able to carve out (albeit not keep) a kingdom along the Silk Road. I didn’t last long: Vandad is surrounded by hostile neighbours, and Shorzan and his heirs live at the mercy of the Caliph. The first three times, I tried playing Persian Zoroastrian lords: Vandad Karen, an independent lord in 867 (twice), and Shorzan Bavandid, a vassal of the Abbasid Caliphate in 769. This entry is part 1 of 5 in the series Crusader Kings IIĪfter many attempts to restore the Persian empire in Crusader Kings 2, I have learned two things.įirst, playing a Zoroastrian is hard.
