Poverty Point (Táhera)

Poverty Point

Map by Sukritact
Leader	Táhera
Capital	Poverty Point
Religion	Protestantism Southern Cult (HR)
Culture	Woodlands
Mercenaries	1
Religious Intolerance	6
Traits	Spiritual, Mercantile
Map Labels Language	First Americans
Magical Girl	Núhki
Civilopedia

Poverty Point led by Táhera is a custom civilization by Tomatekh,^[1] with contributions from Sukritact, DJSHenninger, and JFD.

The mod requires Brave New World. If using Tomatekh's Cradles of Civilization pack, the City-State of Poverty Point is replaced with Ġgantija.

Overview

Poverty Point

The Poverty Point culture, named after its type site in what is today northeastern Louisiana, refers to a pre-historic group of indigenous peoples who inhabited the area of the lower Mississippi Valley and surrounding Gulf coast from ca. 2200 to 700 BC. Reaching its peak around 1500 BC, Poverty Point represents one of the oldest complex cultures, and possibly the first tribal culture in the Mississippi Delta and in the present-day United States. The culture is known to have traded extensively with surrounding areas, and for its complex of earthworks which (along with the older Watson Brake site) acted as a direct predecessor for the later mound building cultures of the southeastern United States.

Táhera

As a pre-Columbian society lacking writing, little is directly known about Poverty Point government. However, archeological surveys have provided a wealth of information regarding daily life during the Archaic period and much can be learned by studying leadership models and settlement patterns among subsequent mound builder cultures. "Táhera" does not refer to a specific individual but is rather a Tunica term meaning "watchman" or "overseer;" residents of Poverty Point are thought to have spoken a form of proto-Tunica. Táhera is also linguistically related to "certepe," the Calusa title for paramount chief.

Dawn of Man

Humble mother, blessed ancestor and leader of Poverty Point, your children come to seek your wisdom and guidance. The most developed site of North America's Archaic period, Poverty Point continued a tradition of earthworks first seen almost two millennia earlier at Watson Brake. Their great mounds and carved artifacts stand as testaments to the complexity and ingenuity of pre-Columbian America, and Poverty Point's extensive communication and trade networks helped establish the mound building tradition throughout the Eastern United States. The rise of horticulture would ultimately usher in the Woodland Period and Poverty Point's decline, but it would be centuries before the Mississippi basin would again see Poverty Point's level of complexity.

Táhera, your children have long since been forgotten and their great mounds ploughed into farmland. Yet, it is time to return, to once again raise the earth, and ask the Old Man Above for his blessing. Can you revive your ancient people? Can you build a civilization that will stand the test of time?

Introduction: "Greetings, traveler! I am Táhera, leader of Poverty Point. Have you come to trade goods or aid in the construction of the great mound?"

Introduction: "Sehi lapu and welcome! I am Táhera, chief of Poverty Point. Many visit these lands to trade and worship at the great mound."

Defeat: "You have accomplished a great wrong today. Many relied on us for trade and many more will fail without our support."

Defeat: "To destroy our great mound... How could you commit such an act? Do you have no respect for this land?"

Unique Attributes

Poverty Point (Táhera)
Art by Tomatekh Place of Origins Building an Effigy Mound allows you to change Spirit Guardians, each providing a unique bonus effect. Receive a free Fox-Man when you discover Trapping (this Unit may not be used to found a Religion or build a Holy Site).
Art by Tomatekh Fox-Man (Great Prophet) Bonus changes depending on your current Spirit Guardian
Art by Tomatekh Effigy Mound +1 Gold, +1 Production, +1 Science, +1 Culture, +1 Faith +1 Gold, +1 Production, +1 Science, +1 Culture, +1 Faith after Astronomy Built by Great People (consumes the Unit) May only be Built once per Era Cannot be Pillaged

Icon	Guardian	Bonus
	Old Man Above	Effigy Mounds provide double Faith. Religious Units are cheaper to purchase and may be born at lower Faith levels. Fox-Men will continue to be born even if all Religions have already been founded.
	Kneeling Woman	Cities with less than 5 Population gain an additional +1 Population whenever they grow. Fox-Men may be expended to heal adjacent land Units.
	Red Fox	Receive an infantry Unit near your Capital every 15 turns. Peace with Barbarians. Fox-Men improve the combat effectiveness of nearby land Units (this effect will stack with the Great General's Leadership bonus).
	Long Tail	Clearing a Barbarian Encampment provides bonus Science toward a Technology known by a rival Civilization. Camps provide +2 Science. Fox-Men increase the experience earned by nearby land Units.
	Stone Turtle	Land trade routes originating from a City settled adjacent to a River have a 33% increase in range. Any City, regardless of owner, receiving such a trade route has +10% Production when constructing Buildings. Fox-Men may be expended to gather Resources.
	Duck Foot	Land military Units ignore terrain costs when moving along Rivers or Coastal tiles. Fox-Men improve the combat effectiveness of nearby naval Units (this effect will stack with the Great Admiral's Naval Leadership bonus), and may embark with additional Movement.
	Beaded Locust	Culture Specialists generate an additional +1 Great Person Point of the appropriate type and Great Works provide an additional +1 Culture. Fox-Men may be re-rolled into another random Great Person type.
	Potbellied Owl	Civilian Units, excluding Great People, have additional Sight and will retreat to your nearest City instead of being captured. Fox-Men increase the Improvement construction speed of nearby Workers.
	Horned Serpent	The empire enters a Golden Age. All rival Civilizations enter Anarchy. Fox-Men may be expended to cause Resistance in a rival Civilization's Cities.

City List

Poverty Point
Jaketown
Claiborne
Beau Rivage
Watson Brake
Caney Island
Copes
Teoc Creek
Panther Lake
Elmwood
Black Pond
Bayou Jasmine
Rabbit Island
Shoe Bayou
Ruth Canal
Paxton Brake
Monte Sano
Cold Lake
Catahoula
Insley
Blue Lake
Rose Mound
Roscoe Burns
Galloway
Sky Lake
Hedgepeth
Granny Crowe
Frenchman's Bend
Tchefuncte
Banana Bayou
Arledge
Ray Brake
Isola
Cow Bayou
Mott

Spy List

Hálitáheri
Nini
Nokushi
Rushiya
Oshkameli
Háhchu
Yá
Pehasa
Kowatohku
Lápuyámu

Strategy

Poverty Point is a versatile civilization, allowing you to pick and choose its unique bonuses throughout the game to best suit the situation. Although not specifically a religion orientated civ, you should pay special attention to faith generation to ensure a steady supply of their unique Great Prophet whose bonuses change according to your current Spirit Guardian. Remember, you can also capture foreign Great Prophets proselytizing your territory.

The mod centers on the unique Effigy Mound improvement. Its high yields provide a core base to ground the civ’s versatility. Keep in mind that building the improvement requires consuming a Great Person. Great Generals are the go-to choice due to their unique generation method and their abilities being less impactful than the Engineer’s or Scientist’s. You are, however, not forced to change Spirit Guardians. You can choose to keep the same Guardian for multiple eras or the entire game. However, the trade-off in doing so is being able to build less Effigy Mounds to fuel your cities.

Using the free Fox-Man at Trapping to immediately choose a Guardian is tempting. If possible, consider trying to generate another Great Person (or use the Great General from the Warrior Code policy). That way, you’ll be able to use the Fox-Man’s bonus abilities immediately (several of the Guardians also don’t require consuming the Fox-Man and instead give him passive auras, such as increasing the improvement construction speed of nearby workers). On harder difficulties, make use of the Old Man Above Guardian to spawn Fox-Men even if you are unable to found a religion.

Events and Decisions

Mod Support
Cities in Development	Yes
Civ IV Traits	Yes
Community Balance Patch	Referenced
Cultural Diversity	Yes
Enlightenment Era	Yes
Ethnic Units	Yes
Events and Decisions	Yes
ExCE	Yes
Historical Religions	Yes
Map Labels	Yes
Mercenaries	Yes
Rise to Power	Yes
Unique Cultural Influence	Yes
Wish for the World	Yes
YnAEMP	Yes

Construct the Place of Rings

Our population is growing and we should raise new mounds to construct additional hálimúrari. Our priests urge us to build the mounds with their arcs against the west to help protect us from malevolent spirits.

Requirements/Restrictions:

Player must be Poverty Point
Must have built at least 1 Effigy Mound (Build 1) / chosen a Spirit Guardian (Build 2)
Your Capital must have at least 6 Population
May only be enacted once per game

Costs:

50 Gold
2 Magistrates

Rewards:

All neutral land tiles located 3 tiles away from your Cities will be claimed by your Civilization

Note: The Gold cost increases based on your total number of Cities.

Hold the Feast for Fox and Owl

Our hunters have returned with large quantities of deer and catfish in preparation for the coming solstice. Let us make ready a great feast in celebration of the passing year as our warriors don the ceremonial owl headdress and our priests give thanks to the Old Man Above.