10 Funny Crusader Kings 2 Easter Eggs You Had No Idea Existed

This grand strategy title is hiding some pretty good easter eggs in its base game and DLCs...
This grand strategy title is hiding some pretty good easter eggs in its base game and DLCs...

Crusader Kings 2 is almost 5 years old, but the developers at Paradox are still producing new content for it in the form of patches and DLC. And even better, almost all of these have added some sort of hidden easter egg.

Some of them are pretty easy to spot. For example, whenever you propose peace to someone you've not yet totally destroyed, you'll find a Monty Python's Flying Circus reference in the response: "It's just a flesh wound."

Other easter eggs, however, are far more obscure and hard to find. But that doesn't make them any less funny. So we're helping you discover all the hidden jokes in CK2. Here are the most obscure easter eggs in-game and how to find them!

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Muhammad, St. Peter, and Augustus

All three of these major historical figures are in game as the first holders of some important titles, like Shia and Sunni Caliphates, Papacy, and Roman Empire.

This easter egg goes even further by assigning appropriate traits and portraits to these people, based on historical records, Muhammad in particular is shown in game by an Arab word that stands for his name, due to the muslim ban on images of the prophets.

The same is also true for many other long-dead characters, but these are the most notable.


Miniature Wargame with Teenagers

A random event that requires you to have low marshal skill and to set the ambition to increase it. This references miniature-based wargames such as Warhammer and has you participating -- and either winning or losing -- against a bunch of teenagers in a wargaming tournament. If you lose, you will lose a bit of prestige, but otherwise the result is the same.


Uhtred Son of Uhtred of Bebbanburg

The character appears in a random court in Scandinavia if you start the game on the 867 bookmark, requiring you to have the Old Gods DLC. He is a reference to the main character of The Saxon Stories who holds the same name.


Death Coming to Your Feast

This event only fires if you have Reaper's Due, and only if you have gone in seclusion from the outside during a plague epidemic.

It is a clear reference to The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe. The funniest part, though, is that you can interact with Death as if she's a normal character, and even bed her if you've got the master seducer trait.

The immortal trait also adds a pretty funny twist to the event chain where you confront Death. As she tries to kill you, you look at her and say "I'm immortal" in an apologetic manner, obviously unharmed by her actions.


The Tuscan Raiders

When sieging any county in the geographic region of Tuscany in Italy, a special event may fire where your besiegers are attacked in their camp by "Tuscan Raiders" who will come back, and in greater numbers.

This is clearly a Star Wars reference.


+2 Axe

While playing as any character able to raid, and while raiding your neighbors' lands, you can very rarely find strange stuff. Among the things you can find there is a magic +2 axe that increases your martial prowess.

Clearly a reference to the magic weapons of D&D.


Summoning Cthulhu

This requires the Old Gods DLC, but if you're a pagan ruler and have the lunatic or possessed trait, you can decide to join a group of cultists and help them summon Cthulhu. Unfortunately, you either die in the process, or you can decide to kill the monster before it is fully summoned -- obtaining a nice trait called Godslayer.


Martial Arts Master

This easter egg can only be found if you set your ambition to increase martial skill.

It's reference to the Karate Kid movie series, with the man described in the image above being a parallel to Mr. Miyagi from said movie series. He'll ask you to do the same things Miyagi asked of the movie's main character.


The Jumping Jews of Jerusalem

The event occurs randomly during summer fairs.

This is a reference to the Blackadder TV series. In the episode "Born to be King" a traveling troupe of the same name appears to entertain the guests during a feast.


Horse M.D.

The recent Reaper's Due DLC introduced new mechanics and a lot of new easter eggs. Among them is the possibility to hire a renowned equine physician to treat your illnesses, or to teach your kids how to be proper horses, either is fine.

Horse M.D. is clearly a reference to Dr. Gregory House from the hit medical TV drama, House. 

He has fun, punny dialogue when diagnosing illnesses as well, holding true to Dr. House's often inappropriate humor in times of illness and stress:

Tuberculosis:

"Horse MD thinks your voice sounds rather horse..."

Smallpox:

"Horse MD thinks your rein might be at an end."

Syphilis:

"Horse MD thinks you mustang out with the wrong types of people..."

Dysentery:

" Horse MD is sorry you have the trots..."

Food Poisoning:

"Horse MD suggests you are saddled with Food Poisoning..."

These were the easter eggs I thought were best, what do you think? Are there other easter eggs I've missed? What were your favorites? Let me know in the comments below!


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Author
Stefano Bonacchi
I'm a fairly young Italian guy who's a very avid player of Strategy games (Turn based, grand strategy and real time strategy). I also love JRPGs and to a lesser degree western ones, I'm not much of a fan of MMOGs or MOBAs or beat 'em ups on the other hand so my knowledge on them is very limited. I strive to bring the best I can in my work and be as impartial as possible.