January 24, 2019 Patch

*Release Version 1.7.1*

#### All Versions

* Added for all major non custom factions a specific gameplay notification when starting a new game (except for Kapakus who already had one in Inferno).
* "A question of proof" quest is no longer available for Cultists faction.
* "Manifestations of Destiny" quest is no longer available for Cultists faction.
* Updated all soundtracks.

#### Tempest

* Added a dedicated icon for Release Catspaw action.

#### Inferno

* Slightly decreased the resources cost of Volcanic Leecher improvement.

#### Symbiosis

* Added new creatures: the Urkans and their lices. *Urkans are 3 massive beasts that appear randomly around the map taking control of neutral land. To tame the creature, empires will have to bait them with specific Luxuries or defeat them in battle alongside their minions. Taming an Urkan unlocks a new set of unique abilities that is suited for both defensive and aggressive playstyles.*
* Added a special screen when taming Urkans, to train each creature and develop their incredible powers. *13 new powers can be unlocked, the few most powerful ones requiring to control more than one Urkan. Powers can grant local like regional massive effects.*
* Added a competitive quest once the 3 Urkans have been revealed.
* Added a new Major Faction: the Mykara. *The Mykara are a race of sentient plant matter and fungi, a single organism spanning thousands of semi-autonomous agents and time immemorial, ever adapting to survive and thrive. They spread all over Auriga as a massive underground root system, sprouting on the edges of the map, clinging to the regions other factions leave unattended.*
* Added a new affinity: Creeping Presence. *With mycelial webs spread throughout the underground, tendrils can easily exploit undefended sites across Auriga. The Mykara manage and develop a single city but can create Fungal Blooms on points of interest, even out of their territory. Fungal blooms exploit the tile for the unique city, while granting several bonuses on points of interest. Fungal Bloom creation consumes Food from the Main City, for a few turns.*
* Added a new trait: Inefficient Extraction. *Although able to extract resources from the earth, production is halved compared to usual extractors.*
* Added a new trait: Organic Defense. *With the very fabric of the city made from mycelial webs, defenses are stronger than the brittle nature of rock and clay, and additionally enjoy the ability to self-repair after damage.*
* Added a new trait: Organic Industry. *With Mykaran foodstuff a living, symbiotically-entwined part of the fabric of the nexus, the fungal species can leverage the fruits of these gardens into industrial production.*
* Added a new trait: Overgrown Cities. Once completed, a symbiosis grants a unique trait, different for each of the 13 factions. *The Mykara seek new races in order to evolve through symbiosis, capturing cities in a unique manner. Enmeshed in a web of mycelial tendrils, cities' further development is arrested but limited resources are still channeled back to the nexus.*
* Added a new technology: Urkan Encampment. *Featuring a natural symbiosis with the Urkans on account of their entwined evolution, the Mykara can find shelter and sustenance on the great beasts' carapaces, allowing them to station armies inside.*
* Added a new technology: Urkan Politics. *Taming one of the great Urkans isn't easy--and by no means leads to a 100% dependable servant--but having one of the beasts on your side does strike the fear of the gods into rivals.*
* Added a new Dust Eclipse effect: Twilight Flourish. *With Dust in the air during Aurigan Eclipses, it becomes possible to accelerate tendril growth, resulting in much faster deployment of mycelial outgrowths.*
* Added 2 Symbiosis in-game soundtracks.

### Fixes

#### All Versions

* Fixed several issues where Winter effect texts could overlap on Season Change notification.
* Fixed an issue where a selected faction will default to an available faction when a custom faction is deleted and the latest DLC is disabled.
* Fixed an issue where the XP / Level of militia resets upon achieving a new Era.
* Fixed an issue where a skippable assert occurs in specific cases of world generation.
* Fixed several issues with text content (typos, misleading texts).
* Fixed several AI issues spotted by community (thanks, LeaderEnemyBoss).

#### Inferno

* Fixed an issue where a skippable assert followed by a stuck situation occurs when the player uses the Necrophages eclipse trait on a city that is under attack.
* Fixed an issue where texts for some Kapaku diplomatic interactions were missing.