Developer Diary #21 | Spirit Combat & Corrupted Zones
Dear Couriers,
This is a big one!
We received a lot of feedback from our Alpha Playtesters, and one of the most common requests was to expand the use of Naraa’s bow and arrows, as well as to dig deeper into the myths and spirituality of 13th‑century Mongolia that heavily inspired our game.
Yes, we do have hunting in the game, but as stated in the past, it will be presented in a respectful way and true to historical Mongolian culture. So, no spamming arrows or ruthless hunting.
The other aspect is the huge potential that Mongolian spirituality has to offer. So, please welcome:
Spirit Combat in a Corrupted Zone
[h2]Spirit Combat and Corrupted Zones[/h2]
In Mongolian culture, gods and spirits are understood to be associated with specific geographical locations, animals or even objects (more on this exciting topic below). With that in mind, we decided to feature Blessed Locations as well as Corrupted Zones.
Blessed Locations are usually ancient ruins that are considered sacred. Corrupted Zones, on the other hand, are areas near Ovoos (Mongolian shrines) that have been damaged by people, thus angering the spirits.
These areas will be marked on the map and will be haunted by spirits at night. The light of the scenery will change and the spirits frighten your horse (scare buff). You can choose to ride around them or confront them with your bow and arrow! This means that Spirit Combat is optional. However, the rewards can be significant if you choose to confront them!
Not only will your level of Prestige (our experience points) increase, but if you succeed, Starflowers will begin to grow in the area. These can then be used at Blessed Locations to craft improved items, such as a Blessed Health Syrup, which is more effective than the regular one.
On top of that, you can craft special items that will assist you in your Spirit Combat.
Corrupted Zones also have a cooldown, meaning that after a few days they will become haunted again, ready to offer a fresh portion of risk and reward!
Check out the Video below for a first impression of a corrupted zone that will return to normal once all spirits have been defeated:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h2]Inspired by Mongolian Spirituality [/h2]
As you know, we strive to deliver an experience that feels authentic to 13th‑century Mongolia and not a 100% historically accurate one: our take on Mongolian spirituality is fantastical, partially inspired by ancient myths and folklore.
So, let’s get started. Mongolian spirituality is not based on a strict binary of good/bad or even heaven/hell. Spirits are part of the world and they share it with humans. Some are vicious and mischievous, while others are friendly and helpful, and sometimes they’re even both.
[h3]Gods[/h3]
Mongolian Tengrism is an animist faith which focuses on the worship of spirits and the various Mongolian gods. Gods are understood to be associated with geographical locations. A mountain or a river was a minor god, and you made offerings to them for protection and fortune. Finally, there are 99 deities (tengri): 55 White (beneficent) and 44 Black (terrible to evildoers and enemies of the Mongol Nation).
As Tibetan Buddhism enters the upper classes in the 13th century, entities called the four Dignities (Gurada, Snow Leopard, Tiger, and Dragon), and Khiimori are introduced. Each represents the four winds, virtues, and elements. Khiimori isn’t just an entity, but also your soul or the breath of the soul, and it’s depicted as your wind horse.
[h3]Mongolian Cosmology: Corruption and Imbalance [/h3]
The universe is divided into three worlds, or realms (Upper, Middle, and Lower), and these worlds are both separate and sort of overlap:
[h3]Sacred Thinking[/h3]
Ancient Mongolian sacred thinking was landscape-focused rather than monument-focused, spirit-presence oriented rather than artifact oriented, and maintained through ritual rather than preserved through time.
So, ruins aren't sacred because they're old, and even looting ruins might be an act of preservation. It would all be about the relationship to the space. New things can be sacred, old things can be sacred.
For example, trees possess a certain spiritual power, and according to legend, Genghis Khan kept a collection of special trees in his palace to which shamans would pay homage, as it was believed that a tree represented the “center of the universe.”
Early, partly unused Spirit Combat Concept Art
[h2]To cozy, or not to cozy, that is the question[/h2]
Once again, the Spirit Combat is completely optional. On top of that we will already have various difficulty settings available at Early Access, reducing the damage taken from the attack of a spirit.
However, we do hope that the Spirit Combat and Corrupted Zones add another layer of excitement to our system-driven open world, further enabling YOU to write your own stories in 13th century Mongolia :)
Explore our system-driven open world
[h2]Win a 200 EUR Mifcom PC Voucher [/h2]
As mentioned before, a decent PC is required to run The Legend of Khiimori (see Minimum Specs below).
So, just in case you want to upgrade your hardware, we have partnered up with amazing Mifcom once again to give away 30 Mifcom vouchers worth €200 each for getting one of their hot gaming PCs. Enter the contest via Instagram, Facebook, or X:
Instagram
Facebook
X
The Legend of Khiimori - PC Minimum Specs:
Got an old machine? Win one of 30 Mifcom gaming PC vouchers worth €200 each!
Does the Spirit Combat sounds like a nice addition to you? Any feedback or further ideas? Please leave a comment below!
Your Team at Aesir Interactive
PS: Make sure to check our Trello board to see what we are currently working on and what content/features will be available when: The Legend of Khiimori - Development Roadmap
[hr][/hr][h3]Previous Developer Diaries can be found here:[/h3]
[hr][/hr][h2]Join the Community[/h2][p]Bluesky Facebook Instagram Threads TikTok Twitter
Discord Twitch YouTube Website[/p]
This is a big one!
We received a lot of feedback from our Alpha Playtesters, and one of the most common requests was to expand the use of Naraa’s bow and arrows, as well as to dig deeper into the myths and spirituality of 13th‑century Mongolia that heavily inspired our game.
Yes, we do have hunting in the game, but as stated in the past, it will be presented in a respectful way and true to historical Mongolian culture. So, no spamming arrows or ruthless hunting.
The other aspect is the huge potential that Mongolian spirituality has to offer. So, please welcome:
Spirit Combat in a Corrupted Zone[h2]Spirit Combat and Corrupted Zones[/h2]
In Mongolian culture, gods and spirits are understood to be associated with specific geographical locations, animals or even objects (more on this exciting topic below). With that in mind, we decided to feature Blessed Locations as well as Corrupted Zones.
Blessed Locations are usually ancient ruins that are considered sacred. Corrupted Zones, on the other hand, are areas near Ovoos (Mongolian shrines) that have been damaged by people, thus angering the spirits.
These areas will be marked on the map and will be haunted by spirits at night. The light of the scenery will change and the spirits frighten your horse (scare buff). You can choose to ride around them or confront them with your bow and arrow! This means that Spirit Combat is optional. However, the rewards can be significant if you choose to confront them!
Not only will your level of Prestige (our experience points) increase, but if you succeed, Starflowers will begin to grow in the area. These can then be used at Blessed Locations to craft improved items, such as a Blessed Health Syrup, which is more effective than the regular one.
On top of that, you can craft special items that will assist you in your Spirit Combat.
Corrupted Zones also have a cooldown, meaning that after a few days they will become haunted again, ready to offer a fresh portion of risk and reward!
Check out the Video below for a first impression of a corrupted zone that will return to normal once all spirits have been defeated:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h2]Inspired by Mongolian Spirituality [/h2]
As you know, we strive to deliver an experience that feels authentic to 13th‑century Mongolia and not a 100% historically accurate one: our take on Mongolian spirituality is fantastical, partially inspired by ancient myths and folklore.
So, let’s get started. Mongolian spirituality is not based on a strict binary of good/bad or even heaven/hell. Spirits are part of the world and they share it with humans. Some are vicious and mischievous, while others are friendly and helpful, and sometimes they’re even both.
[h3]Gods[/h3]
Mongolian Tengrism is an animist faith which focuses on the worship of spirits and the various Mongolian gods. Gods are understood to be associated with geographical locations. A mountain or a river was a minor god, and you made offerings to them for protection and fortune. Finally, there are 99 deities (tengri): 55 White (beneficent) and 44 Black (terrible to evildoers and enemies of the Mongol Nation).
As Tibetan Buddhism enters the upper classes in the 13th century, entities called the four Dignities (Gurada, Snow Leopard, Tiger, and Dragon), and Khiimori are introduced. Each represents the four winds, virtues, and elements. Khiimori isn’t just an entity, but also your soul or the breath of the soul, and it’s depicted as your wind horse.
[h3]Mongolian Cosmology: Corruption and Imbalance [/h3]
The universe is divided into three worlds, or realms (Upper, Middle, and Lower), and these worlds are both separate and sort of overlap:
- Upper Realm: A pure, beautiful, and compassionate world that is the home of the high deities and is typically not inhabited by human souls. Legends say it has seven suns and Tengri, The Eternal Blue Sky rules as the supreme deity.
- Middle Realm: Our world where humans and animals reside. High places are seen as close to the Upper Realm, and Ovoos are placed there. Low places are seen as close to the lower realm. Sometimes deer stones were at “thin places”.
- Lower Realm: An underworld more than a hell, but it is an abode of wicked souls, devils, and evil deities. It’s a dark place where the sun and moon are half orbs, rather than full orbs. It is the source of malevolent entities that cause disease and mental illness in Middle World.
[h3]Sacred Thinking[/h3]
Ancient Mongolian sacred thinking was landscape-focused rather than monument-focused, spirit-presence oriented rather than artifact oriented, and maintained through ritual rather than preserved through time.
So, ruins aren't sacred because they're old, and even looting ruins might be an act of preservation. It would all be about the relationship to the space. New things can be sacred, old things can be sacred.
For example, trees possess a certain spiritual power, and according to legend, Genghis Khan kept a collection of special trees in his palace to which shamans would pay homage, as it was believed that a tree represented the “center of the universe.”
Early, partly unused Spirit Combat Concept Art[h2]To cozy, or not to cozy, that is the question[/h2]
Once again, the Spirit Combat is completely optional. On top of that we will already have various difficulty settings available at Early Access, reducing the damage taken from the attack of a spirit.
However, we do hope that the Spirit Combat and Corrupted Zones add another layer of excitement to our system-driven open world, further enabling YOU to write your own stories in 13th century Mongolia :)
Explore our system-driven open world[h2]Win a 200 EUR Mifcom PC Voucher [/h2]
As mentioned before, a decent PC is required to run The Legend of Khiimori (see Minimum Specs below).
So, just in case you want to upgrade your hardware, we have partnered up with amazing Mifcom once again to give away 30 Mifcom vouchers worth €200 each for getting one of their hot gaming PCs. Enter the contest via Instagram, Facebook, or X:
X
The Legend of Khiimori - PC Minimum Specs:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 64 bit or later (Windows 11 recommended for Intel 12th and 13th gen CPUs)
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (6GB) / AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (6GB)
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 60 GB available space
- Additional Notes: SSD required. Full Shader Model 6.6 (with Atomics) support is required
Got an old machine? Win one of 30 Mifcom gaming PC vouchers worth €200 each!Does the Spirit Combat sounds like a nice addition to you? Any feedback or further ideas? Please leave a comment below!
Your Team at Aesir Interactive
PS: Make sure to check our Trello board to see what we are currently working on and what content/features will be available when: The Legend of Khiimori - Development Roadmap
[hr][/hr][h3]Previous Developer Diaries can be found here:[/h3]
- [p]#02 | An Open World[/p]
- [p]#03 | PC Early Access[/p]
- [p]#04 | Horse Training and Horse Care[/p]
- [p]#05 | All Eyes on Khiimori[/p]
- [p]#06 | Cantering towards Crowdfunding[/p]
- [p]#07 | Looking Forward to Next Year[/p]
- [p]#08 | Updates from the Steppe[/p]
- [p]#09 | Survival on Horseback[/p]
- [p]#10 | Early Access Expectations[/p]
- [p]#11 | Thousands of Bugfixes and Other Improvements[/p]
- [p]#12 | Join Us at Gamescom! (and Other Updates!)[/p]
- [p]#13 | EA Release Date, Gameplay Trailer & Gamescom Highlights[/p]
- [p]#14 | News about Game’s Title, Languages & Alpha Playtest Survey[/p]
- [p] #15 | Breeding in our Demo, Performance Considerations & More[/p]
- [p]#16 | Our Updated Roadmap to Early Access[/p]
- [p]#17 | 2025: A Year in Review[/p]
- [p]#18 | Taming the Open Wilds of 13th Century Mongolia[/p]
- [p]#19 | Early Access Launch Features & Roadmap[/p]
- [p]#20 | Courier Video & New Key Art[/p]
[hr][/hr][h2]Join the Community[/h2][p]Bluesky Facebook Instagram Threads TikTok Twitter
Discord Twitch YouTube Website[/p]