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Kindreds

Every stronghold (but not a Skyhold) is home to one kindred, a people with its own quarter of buildings, its own population and food, and its own arts. Kindred bonuses apply to that stronghold and to the hosts it sends out.

Kindred Strength Who they are
Humans Balanced; the starting kindred, whose envoys find the others Heirs of the fallen empire
Dwarves Resource yield and a cheaper economy Delvers who shape stone and count every coin
Gnomes Army strength and faster mustering Tinkering gnomes who build engines of war
Elves Quests, discovery, and march speed Wanderers who know the hidden roads

Every lord starts knowing only the Humans. Send envoys to meet the others.

Choosing a stronghold's kindred

From the Kindred panel you can settle any kindred you know in the selected stronghold. When the kindred changes, the population drops to at most 50 and only the new kindred's buildings count. The kindred quarter must be idle to change. New holds start with Humans.

The kindred quarter

Kindred buildings use no plots and are built in their own queue, one at a time per stronghold, beside the ordinary building queue. They follow the same build-time formula as other buildings (the Builders' Guild and Golem Foundry speed them up) and count towards renown.

Every kindred has the same four core roles and eight special buildings:

Role What it does
Dwelling Raises the population cap.
Food Feeds the population.
Artisans Trains artisans from commoners (needs Dwelling 5 and Food 5).
Masters Raises masters from artisans (needs Artisans 5).
Special A bonus per level. The first four need Dwelling 3, the last four Artisans 2.
Building Role Level 1 cost Cost per level Requires Effect
Townhouses Dwelling 500 iron · 150 runestone ×1.2 — Raises the population cap.
Farmsteads Food 600 iron · 200 runestone · 50 aether ×1.21 — Feeds the population. Population shrinks when food runs short.
Guild Hall Artisans 12,000 iron · 8,000 runestone · 2,000 aether ×1.3 Townhouses 5, Farmsteads 5 Trains artisans from commoners, unlocking the second tier of arts.
University Masters 60,000 iron · 45,000 runestone · 15,000 aether ×1.35 Guild Hall 5 Raises masters from artisans, unlocking the third tier of arts.
Market Square Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Townhouses 3 +0.5% iron yield per level
Drill Yard Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Townhouses 3 -1% muster time per level
Cathedral Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Townhouses 3 +3% population growth per level
Royal Mint Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Townhouses 3 +2% vault capacity per level
Courier Post Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Guild Hall 2 +0.5% march speed per level
Engineers' Lodge Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Guild Hall 2 -1% building time per level
Envoy Hall Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Guild Hall 2 +2% envoy luck per level
Grand Library Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Guild Hall 2 -1% study time per level
Building Role Level 1 cost Cost per level Requires Effect
Deep Halls Dwelling 500 iron · 150 runestone ×1.2 — Raises the population cap.
Mushroom Caverns Food 600 iron · 200 runestone · 50 aether ×1.21 — Feeds the population. Population shrinks when food runs short.
Runesmith Forge Artisans 12,000 iron · 8,000 runestone · 2,000 aether ×1.3 Deep Halls 5, Mushroom Caverns 5 Trains artisans from commoners, unlocking the second tier of arts.
Hall of Elders Masters 60,000 iron · 45,000 runestone · 15,000 aether ×1.35 Runesmith Forge 5 Raises masters from artisans, unlocking the third tier of arts.
Deep Shafts Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Deep Halls 3 +1% iron yield per level
Crystal Grotto Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Deep Halls 3 +1% runestone yield per level
Vapour Wells Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Deep Halls 3 +1% aether yield per level
Brewhouse Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Deep Halls 3 +3% population growth per level
Stone Accountancy Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Runesmith Forge 2 -0.5% building cost per level
Magma Forge Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Runesmith Forge 2 +1% mana per level
Ancestral Vault Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Runesmith Forge 2 +3% vault capacity per level
Tunnel Network Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Runesmith Forge 2 -1% building time per level
Building Role Level 1 cost Cost per level Requires Effect
Gnome Burrows Dwelling 500 iron · 150 runestone ×1.2 — Raises the population cap.
Steam Kitchens Food 600 iron · 200 runestone · 50 aether ×1.21 — Feeds the population. Population shrinks when food runs short.
Rune Lathe Works Artisans 12,000 iron · 8,000 runestone · 2,000 aether ×1.3 Gnome Burrows 5, Steam Kitchens 5 Trains artisans from commoners, unlocking the second tier of arts.
Tinkers' Academy Masters 60,000 iron · 45,000 runestone · 15,000 aether ×1.35 Rune Lathe Works 5 Raises masters from artisans, unlocking the third tier of arts.
War Forge Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Gnome Burrows 3 -1.5% muster time per level
Plating Works Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Gnome Burrows 3 +0.5% fortitude per level
Sigil Engravery Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Gnome Burrows 3 +0.5% might per level
Ward Loom Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Gnome Burrows 3 +0.5% ward per level
Siege Workshop Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Rune Lathe Works 2 -0.5% unit cost per level
Bastion Foundry Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Rune Lathe Works 2 -1% fortification cost per level
Infirmary Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Rune Lathe Works 2 +2% Healers' Lodge restoration per level
Logistics Hub Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Rune Lathe Works 2 +1% load per level
Building Role Level 1 cost Cost per level Requires Effect
Treehomes Dwelling 500 iron · 150 runestone ×1.2 — Raises the population cap.
Orchards Food 600 iron · 200 runestone · 50 aether ×1.21 — Feeds the population. Population shrinks when food runs short.
Starlit Atelier Artisans 12,000 iron · 8,000 runestone · 2,000 aether ×1.3 Treehomes 5, Orchards 5 Trains artisans from commoners, unlocking the second tier of arts.
Moon Conclave Masters 60,000 iron · 45,000 runestone · 15,000 aether ×1.35 Starlit Atelier 5 Raises masters from artisans, unlocking the third tier of arts.
Wayfinders' Grove Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Treehomes 3 +1% march speed per level
Lorekeepers' Archive Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Treehomes 3 -1% study time per level
Huntsmen's Lodge Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Treehomes 3 +2% quest finds per level
Moonwell Special 5,000 iron · 3,000 runestone · 1,000 aether ×1.3 Treehomes 3 +1% mana per level
Hidden Roads Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Starlit Atelier 2 -1% march aether per level
Seers' Glade Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Starlit Atelier 2 +2% envoy luck per level
Wildwood Gate Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Starlit Atelier 2 +2% Fateshard finds per level
Silver Harbour Special 20,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether ×1.3 Starlit Atelier 2 +1% load per level

Kindred bonuses that reduce something (building, muster or study time, costs, march aether) are capped at −50% in total.

Population and food

  • The population grows towards the smaller of the population cap and the number of people the food feeds (each person eats 0.5 food per hour).
  • It moves by 2% of the cap per hour (× economy speed, + population growth bonuses), shrinking the same way when food runs short.

The population is split into three ranks:

  • Artisans: up to 25% of the population, limited by the Artisans building's cap.
  • Masters: up to 5% of the population, limited by the Masters building's cap (and taken from the artisans).
  • Commoners: everyone else.
Level Population cap (dwelling) Food per hour (food building) People that feeds Artisan cap (artisans building) Master cap (masters building)
0 50 30 60 0 0
1 280 158 315 336 56
2 578 326 652 752 125
3 962 545 1,090 1,264 210
4 1,449 827 1,653 1,888 314
5 2,061 1,185 2,370 2,643 440
6 2,825 1,638 3,276 3,552 592
7 3,774 2,206 4,412 4,642 773
8 4,944 2,915 5,830 5,942 990
9 6,382 3,795 7,590 7,487 1,247
10 8,141 4,883 9,765 9,317 1,552
11 10,285 6,222 12,444 11,479 1,913
12 12,890 7,866 15,731 14,025 2,337
13 16,047 9,877 19,753 17,017 2,836
14 19,861 12,331 24,662 20,525 3,420
15 24,461 15,318 30,636 24,631 4,105
16 29,994 18,946 37,893 29,425 4,904
17 36,638 23,345 46,689 35,016 5,836
18 44,601 28,666 57,332 41,525 6,920
19 54,130 35,093 70,186 49,092 8,182
20 65,516 42,844 85,687 57,877 9,646

Arts

Each stronghold has 18 art slots in three tiers of six. A slot unlocks when the stronghold has enough people of the tier's rank.

Tier Counted rank Slots unlock at Level 1 cost Relics to choose an art
1 commoners slot 1: 100, slot 2: 400, slot 3: 1,200, slot 4: 3,000, slot 5: 8,000, slot 6: 20,000 5,000 iron · 2,500 runestone · 500 aether 1
2 artisans slot 7: 50, slot 8: 200, slot 9: 600, slot 10: 1,500, slot 11: 4,000, slot 12: 10,000 25,000 iron · 15,000 runestone · 5,000 aether 2
3 masters slot 13: 10, slot 14: 40, slot 15: 120, slot 16: 300, slot 17: 800, slot 18: 2,000 100,000 iron · 80,000 runestone · 30,000 aether 4

Every kindred has its own art for each slot. Into an unlocked slot you may place the art of any kindred you know, paying relics; the art then has to be raised level by level in the kindred quarter (×1.25 cost per level). Replacing an art costs relics again. An art whose slot is locked again (because the population fell) stops working until it unlocks.

An art's bonus is raised by your standing with the kindred it comes from (+2% of the bonus per standing level).

Slot Tier Unlocks at Art Effect
1 1 100 commoners Crop Rotation +2% food per level
2 1 400 commoners Guild Charters +0.5% iron yield per level
3 1 1,200 commoners Stonecutters' Craft +0.5% runestone yield per level
4 1 3,000 commoners Mist Wardens +0.5% aether yield per level
5 1 8,000 commoners Ley Surveying +0.5% mana per level
6 1 20,000 commoners Royal Roads +0.3% march speed per level
7 2 50 artisans Drill Sergeants -0.5% muster time per level
8 2 200 artisans Master Builders -0.5% building time per level
9 2 600 artisans Scholars' Patronage -0.5% study time per level
10 2 1,500 artisans Heraldry +0.2% might per level
11 2 4,000 artisans Shield Walls +0.2% ward per level
12 2 10,000 artisans Tempered Mail +0.2% fortitude per level
13 3 10 masters Imperial Treasury +1% vault capacity per level
14 3 40 masters Envoys of the Crown +1% envoy luck per level
15 3 120 masters Thrift Edicts -0.3% building cost per level
16 3 300 masters Royal Armouries -0.3% unit cost per level
17 3 800 masters Heirs of Empire +0.5% calling bonuses per level
18 3 2,000 masters Grand Expeditions +0.5% quest finds per level
Slot Tier Unlocks at Art Effect
1 1 100 commoners Deep Veins +0.8% iron yield per level
2 1 400 commoners Gem Sense +0.8% runestone yield per level
3 1 1,200 commoners Steam Vents +0.8% aether yield per level
4 1 3,000 commoners Mushroom Farming +3% food per level
5 1 8,000 commoners Ancestor Hymns +2% population growth per level
6 1 20,000 commoners Ironbound Vaults +1% vault capacity per level
7 2 50 artisans Tunnel Engineering -0.6% building time per level
8 2 200 artisans Stone Ledgers -0.4% building cost per level
9 2 600 artisans Forge Discipline -0.4% muster time per level
10 2 1,500 artisans Mountain Halls +0.3% fortitude per level
11 2 4,000 artisans Runic Bulwarks +0.25% ward per level
12 2 10,000 artisans Magma Channels +0.8% mana per level
13 3 10 masters Hoard Instinct +0.5% load per level
14 3 40 masters Clan Levies -0.4% unit cost per level
15 3 120 masters Earthblood Tapping +1% aether yield per level
16 3 300 masters Runeforged Picks +1% runestone yield per level
17 3 800 masters Golden Beard Oaths +0.6% calling bonuses per level
18 3 2,000 masters Deep Roads +0.3% march speed per level
Slot Tier Unlocks at Art Effect
1 1 100 commoners Clockwork Harvesters +2% food per level
2 1 400 commoners Assembly Lines -0.6% muster time per level
3 1 1,200 commoners Slag Reclamation +0.5% iron yield per level
4 1 3,000 commoners Rune Lathes +0.5% runestone yield per level
5 1 8,000 commoners Coolant Mists +0.5% aether yield per level
6 1 20,000 commoners Power Conduits +0.6% mana per level
7 2 50 artisans Sigil Edges +0.35% might per level
8 2 200 artisans Ward Lattices +0.35% ward per level
9 2 600 artisans Plated Frames +0.35% fortitude per level
10 2 1,500 artisans Mass Casting -0.4% unit cost per level
11 2 4,000 artisans Bastion Molds -0.6% fortification cost per level
12 2 10,000 artisans Field Menders +1% Healers' Lodge restoration per level
13 3 10 masters War Engines -0.8% muster time per level
14 3 40 masters Siege Logic +0.5% might per level
15 3 120 masters Steam Wagons +0.4% march speed per level
16 3 300 masters Efficient Furnaces -0.5% march aether per level
17 3 800 masters Tinkers' Ingenuity +0.5% calling bonuses per level
18 3 2,000 masters Clockwork Builders -0.5% building time per level
Slot Tier Unlocks at Art Effect
1 1 100 commoners Forest Bounty +3% food per level
2 1 400 commoners Starlit Paths +0.5% march speed per level
3 1 1,200 commoners Moonwells +0.6% mana per level
4 1 3,000 commoners Dew Gathering +0.7% aether yield per level
5 1 8,000 commoners Living Wood -0.4% building time per level
6 1 20,000 commoners Song of Growth +2% population growth per level
7 2 50 artisans Trackless Steps -0.5% march aether per level
8 2 200 artisans Wayfinders +1% quest finds per level
9 2 600 artisans Silver Tongues +1.5% envoy luck per level
10 2 1,500 artisans Elven Archery +0.25% might per level
11 2 4,000 artisans Glamour Veils +0.3% ward per level
12 2 10,000 artisans Ancient Libraries -0.6% study time per level
13 3 10 masters Feyroads +0.6% march speed per level
14 3 40 masters Fortune's Favour +1% Fateshard finds per level
15 3 120 masters Weightless Packs +0.6% load per level
16 3 300 masters Starseer Charts +1.2% quest finds per level
17 3 800 masters Eternal Patience +0.6% calling bonuses per level
18 3 2,000 masters Twilight Wards +0.3% fortitude per level

Favour and standing

Favour with each kindred is won by envoys. Standing grows with favour:

Standing Favour needed Bonus to that kindred's arts
1 1,000 +2%
2 4,000 +4%
3 9,000 +6%
4 16,000 +8%
5 25,000 +10%
6 36,000 +12%
7 49,000 +14%
8 64,000 +16%
9 81,000 +18%
10 100,000 +20%

Relics

Relics are brought back by envoys and spent to choose arts: 1 relic for a tier 1 slot, 2 for tier 2 and 4 for tier 3.

Envoys

Envoys travel without an army to any site from 1 to 15 at speed 10,000, and come back with news. Each envoy costs 5,000 iron · 1,000 runestone · 500 aether and takes a banner.

Outcome Base chance
First contact with a kindred you have not met 8%
Favour with a kindred you know 55%
Relics 20%
No one answers 17%
  • First contact introduces a kindred you did not know (with 200 favour). It only happens while some remain unknown, and envoy luck (from kindred buildings and arts) makes it more likely.
  • Favour gives 100 to 600 favour (+ envoy luck) with one of the kindreds you know.
  • Relics: 1 to 3 relics.
  • Envoy luck also makes "no one answers" less likely.