The total conversion mod for Crusader Kings 3 that translates the game into Tamriel released on Skyrim's 11th Anniversary yesterday. Titled Elder Kings 2, this project is the long-awaited sequel to one of the best and most famous Crusader Kings 2 mods. Helmed by the same team, Elder Kings 2 has been in active development since Crusader Kings 3 launched, and the level of quality present is so staggering that one might easily confuse it with an official spin-off.
Unlike its predecessor, Elder Kings 2 focuses solely on the continent of Tamriel – leaving the mysterious lands of Akavir behind. While Akavir and other landmasses may be be added by the mod developers in the future, the choice to stay on Tamriel has definitely been the correct one, allowing the mod's team to truly flesh out the setting of the Elder Scrolls franchise in an unprecedented way.
Compared to the standard Crusader Kings 3 gameplay, Elder Kings 2 introduces a fair few concepts unique to the mod itself. A Magical Arts lifestyle, Spells, Vampirism, Dynamic Holy Sites, Birthsigns, Nativity Zones, Pantheons, and several new forms of government. It is set in the Second Era during the Interregnum, over a thousand years before the events of Skyrim, and it allows players to effectively choose any ruler (including custom ones) in the years 440 SE or 450 SE. The Interregnum was a time of great turmoil, representing the four centuries of Tamriel after the fall of the Akaviri invaders and before the rise of Tiber Septim's Empire.
Elder Kings 2 also features the many races of Tamriel – from Falmer and Argonian to Riekling and Orsimer – all accurately portrayed and making full use of Crusader Kings 3's DNA feature. The different Khajiit Furstocks and their unique Moonphases are also integrated and accounted for. Moreover, the mod's high production quality has translated many unique outfits from the Elder Scrolls franchise (such as Bonemold and other Dunmeri outfits), and masterfully integrated them with the default Crusader Kings 3 armor and clothing.
True to the spirit of the Elder Scrolls, the introduction of a Magical Arts lifestyle allows players to embrace their inner mage. Requiring a base Arcana of 10 (the magical version of Prowess), this opens up the opportunity to pursue any of the five Schools of Magic depicted in Skyrim: Alteration, Destruction, Illusion, Conjuration, and Restoration. Each of these offers a linear tree that unlocks increasingly more powerful spells for the player to cast through the use of Magicka, the new Resource unique to each character.
The mod is available on the Steam Workshop for Crusader Kings 3, but a Nexus download has also been provided for those players who do not have a Steam copy of the game. Elder Scrolls fans who have been in want of a change of pace (and have grown tired of waiting for the next Elder Scrolls game) will find plenty of enjoyment in Elder Kings 2.
Crusader Kings 3 is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Steam Workshop
