Empire development

The empire development screen.

The empire development screen contains empire skills and rites that can improve the empire's economy and unlock important abilities. Empire skills are empire-wide modifiers while empire rites are a one-time bonus applied at the time of unlock.

The skills are ordered in a tree-like view with 6 branches for each of the magical affinities and 1 general branch. There are 10 empire skills and 2-3 empire rites per branch -- with the rites being scattered at different levels within each branch.

The skills become available for activation once enough magical affinity of the branch's type has been accumulated -- the amount accumulated per turn is listed at the root of the branch. Once available, a skill/rite can be activated at the cost of imperium.

General empire skills

Notes:

1. The affinity accumulated in the general branch is equal to the sum of all 6 magical affinities.
2. The general branch has the only repeatable rite (Expanded Governance) in the whole tree. Its cost is increased by 300 imperium with each activation.

	Name	Type	Affinity	Cost	Effects
	Basic Seafaring	Skill	20	50	Unlocks the ability for Units to embark and use vessels to cross the water, and for Flying and Floating units to travel over water.
	Excavation	Skill	40	75	Unlocks the ability for Units to Excavate Earthen terrain in the Underground.
	Road Building	Skill	80	75	Unit can build roads on the World Map. Road Building can be enabled in the Army panel. Roads are built on hexes along which the Army moves and cost 3 Gold per hex.
	Expanded Governance	Rite	80	200	Increase the City Cap by +1 .
	Diplomatic Focus	Skill	120	100	Gain +1 Whispering Stone.
	Rite of the Last Stand	Rite	120	150	Each city in your Empire loses -1 Population, but immediately summons 3 Tier I Units.
	Wizard King	Skill	160	50	Gain +10 Casting Points.
	Advanced Sensing	Skill	200	100	Your Units and Cities gain +3 Sensing Range.
	Forced March	Skill	300	150	Unlocks the ability for your Armies to use Forced March.
	Siege Specialization	Skill	400	150	Gain +1 Siege Project slot.
	Teleporter Infrastructure	Skill	500	200	Cities can now build Teleporter Province Improvements.

Astral empire skills

	Name	Type	Affinity	Cost	Effects
	Casting Reserves	Skill	10	50	Gain +20 Combat Casting Points World Map Casting Points.
	Astral Inspiration	Skill	20	75	Whenever a new Research Skill is researched, the Knowledge cost of another random Skill is reduced by -25%.
	Adaptive Research	Skill	40	100	Locking and Shuffling Research Skills costs -50% less. Research City Structures cost -50% less Gold and Production to build.
	Quickening	Skill	80	150	Spells can now be cast on the first Turn of Combat.
	Rite of Astral Abundance	Rite	80	150	Instantly gain +1000 Mana.
	Philosopher Soldiers	Skill	120	200	Gain Knowledge whenever a Unit gains a rank.
	Mana Extraction	Skill	120	200	Teleporter and Spell Jammer Province Improvements grant +10 Mana Income.
	Surge Spellcasting	Skill	160	250	Casting a Combat Spell reduces the cost of all other Combat Spell types by -25% for 2 Turns.
	Rite of the Astral Summons	Rite	160	250	Immediately summon an Army of Magic Origin Units with Low Maintenance at your Throne City.
	Ingredient Experimentation	Skill	200	300	Your Throne City gains +15 Knowledge for each Magic Material your Empire has access to.
	Focused Studies	Skill	300	350	Research Posts grant +5 Knowledge. Conduits grant +5 Mana.
	Rite of Conjuration	Rite	300	350	Immediately conjure a defended Magic Material near each City in your Empire.
	Teleportation Mastery	Skill	400	400	Armies are restored to full Hit Points and regain 50% of their Move Points after using a Teleporter. Teleporters grant +15 Mana income.
	Astral Binding	Skill	500	500	New Magic Origin Units gain +3 Ranks.

Chaos empire skills

	Name	Type	Affinity	Cost	Effects
	Call of Chaos	Skill	10	50	Defeating an Infestation grants you a unit based on the Infestation defeated.
	Impressment	Skill	20	75	Unit tier I Units cost -30% Unit Upkeep.
	Battlefield Looting	Skill	40	100	Gain +3 Gold per Unit Tier of the Units killed in Combat.
	Lure of the Horde	Skill	80	150	When you win in battle, you have a 50%% chance of gaining a Tier I or II unit that can be produced in a city.
	Rite of War	Rite	80	150	Instantly summon a bandit Army under your control to your Throne City.
	Skilled Raiders	Skill	120	200	Pillaging a Province takes -1 turns and yields +50% more rewards. Pillaging Units are healed for +20 Hit Points.
	War Slaves	Skill	160	250	Razing Cities grants +1 Population to one of your Cities for every 3 Population of the city that was razed.
	Rite of Chosen Warriors	Rite	160	250	Your Cities gain +500 Draft this Turn.
	Tireless Marchers	Skill	200	300	Forced March costs -50% less Mana and inflicts -50% less damage to your Units.
	Spoils of Destruction	Skill	300	350	Razing Cities yields +20 Gold permanent income.
	Destined Conquerors	Skill	400	400	+30 Grievances against all other Empires. These cannot be traded or lost. Gain +50 Gold and +50 Mana per active War you are involved in.
	Reign of Destruction	Skill	500	500	Razing Cities takes -2 Turns less. Razing Cities yields +50% more resources. Gain a Unit tier 3 Unit of the razed city's culture.
	Rite of Possession	Rite	500	500	Your Throne City loses -1 Population but immediately summons a Balor with Power from Slaughter

Materium empire skills

	Name	Type	Affinity	Cost	Effects
	Military Engineering	Skill	10	50	Outposts cost -50% Gold less, take -1 Turn less to build and start with the Palisade Wall Structure built.
	Consolidated Industry	Skill	20	75	Province Improvements grant +1 for each adjacent Province Improvement of the same type.
	Metropolitan Society	Skill	40	100	Cities that share a border with the Throne City gain +10% in all types of income.
	Warsmithing	Skill	80	150	Mines grant +10 Draft.
	Rite of the Armorer	Rite	80	150	Gain the Breastplate of the Champion hero item.
	Specialist Districts	Skill	120	200	Special Province Improvements grant +5 Gold.
	Master Masons	Skill	160	250	City Structures cost -20% less Gold to build.
	Rite of Wealth	Rite	160	250	Instantly gain +2000 Gold.
	Siege Masters	Skill	200	300	Gain +1 Siege Project slot. Siege Projects cost -25% less.
	Indomitable Defenders	Skill	300	350	Your units gain +20 Morale at the start of any Combat where their side is defending. Your Cities suffer no economic penalties while under Siege.
	Rite of the Dreadnought	Rite	300	350	All currently active Units permanently gain +1 Defense and +1 Resistance.
	Resourceful Vigor	Skill	400	400	Your Units regenerate an additional +1 Hit Point per 2 Move Points they have remaining at the end of your Turn.
	Martial Ancestry	Skill	500	500	Unit Upkeep is reduced by -10% per Rank that unit has.

Nature empire skills

	Name	Type	Affinity	Cost	Effects
	Fruitful Integration	Skill	10	50	Founding or Absorbing Cities takes -2 turns. Newly Founded or Absorbed Cities gain +1 Population.
	Soiltenders	Skill	20	75	Farms grant +5 Food.
	Natural Recovery	Skill	40	100	Your units regenerate an additional +15 Hit Points per Turn in friendly Domain.
	Expert Sailors	Skill	80	150	Coast and River Provinces grant +2 Food. Rivers count as roads for the purposes of movement for your units.
	Rite of the Guardian Spirit	Rite	80	150	Immediately summon a Spirit Wolf with Guardian Spirit and Resurgence at your Throne City.
	Expansive Reach	Skill	120	200	Cities may expand to Provinces located +2 Province further from the center.
	Wild Expansion	Skill	160	250	Completing a Province Annexation summons an Animal Unit under your control, depending on the province.
	Rite of Expansive Growth	Rite	160	250	All Cities in your Empire instantly gain +1 Population.
	Natural Order	Skill	200	300	Provinces with the Forest Province Feature grant +2 .
	Druidic Care	Skill	300	350	Cities gain +5 Mana for each Resource Node in their Domain.
	Rite of Awakening	Rite	300	350	Instantly gain +20 Knowledge for each Province in your empire's Domain.
	Rangers	Skill	400	400	Movement cost for friendly Units in your Domain is reduced by -2 Move Points.
	Druidic Empire	Skill	500	500	Acquiring new Population requires -50% less Food.

Order empire skills

	Name	Type	Affinity	Cost	Effects
	Pacification	Skill	10	50	Destroying an Infestation or Conquering a Free City grants a stacking +300 Relations to all other Free Cities for 10 Turns.
	Diplomatic Channels	Skill	20	75	Gain +1 Whispering Stone.
	Tributaries	Skill	40	100	Vassals grant +10 Gold in tribute.
	Career Soldiers	Skill	80	150	Shock Units, Shield Units, and Polearm Units gain Experience +20% faster.
	Rite of Allegiance	Rite	80	150	Instantly gain +20 Allegiance with all Free Cities.
	Exemplar	Skill	120	200	Units recruited through Rally of the Lieges gain +2 Rank upon recruitment.
	Benevolent Conquerors	Skill	160	250	Vassals gain +1 Allegiance Levels when first Vassalized. Converting conquered Cities into Vassals takes -1 Turn.
	Rite of Enduring Duty	Rite	160	250	All your Units instantly regain all Hit Points and non-Hero Units gain +1 Rank.
	Justified Wars	Skill	200	300	Gain +20 more Grievances against players with an opposing Alignment.
	House Levies	Skill	300	350	Recruiting Units during the Rally of the Lieges costs -50% Gold. Time between Rallies of the Lieges is reduced by -5 Turns.
	Master of Houses	Skill	400	400	Your Vassals grant +10% more resources in tribute.
	Knightly Orders	Skill	500	500	Units of Legendary Rank gain a buff depending on their unit type. Shield Units gain Order of the Unbreakable. Polearm Units gain Order of the Tyrantslayer. Shock Units gain Order of the Thunderer. Skirmisher Units gain Order of the Windborne. Support Units gain Order of the Soulwarden. Battle Mage Units gain Order of the Warmage. Ranged Units gain Order of the Titanslayer. Fighter Units gain Order of the Berserker. Mythic Units gain Order of the Indomitable.
	Rite of the Banners	Rite	500	500	Call a Rally of the Lieges event, where you may recruit units at no cost. Gain +10 Recruitment Points.

Shadow empire skills

	Name	Type	Affinity	Cost	Effects
	Knowledge Extraction	Skill	10	50	Gain +50 Knowledge per level of Heroes defeated in combat.
	All-Seeing	Skill	20	75	Free Cities with a Whispering Stone assigned instantly provide you with Vision Range. Free Cities or Vassals with a Whispering Stone assigned grant you +10 Knowledge.
	Shadow Binding	Skill	40	100	Magic Origin Unit Upkeep is reduced by -20%.
	Death Magic	Skill	80	150	Gain +5 Combat Casting Points per unit death or kill in combat.
	Rite of the Cryptblade	Rite	80	150	Gain the Cryptblade hero item.
	Stolen Power	Skill	120	200	Gain +200 Mana and +200 Knowledge upon completing conquest of a city.
	Court of Whispers	Skill	160	250	Gain the ability to assign Whispering Stones to other empires' Vassals to gain their tribute. Gain +1 Whispering Stone.
	Rite of Forbidden Knowledge	Rite	160	250	Instantly gain +500 Knowledge.
	Exalted by Shadows	Skill	200	300	Your Heroes gain Experience 100% faster.
	Shadow Domain	Skill	300	350	Your Units gain Universal Camouflage in your Domain.
	Rite of the Exalted	Rite	300	350	All your Heroes instantly gain +1 Rank.
	Dark Vigor	Skill	400	400	Your Armies regenerate +10 Hit Points per Turn in Hostile Domain.
	Spying Shadows	Skill	500	500	Immediately reveal the full World Map. Your Throne City gains infinite Sensing Range. Armies in Sensing Range reveal their numbers and allegiance.