[IC] Civilization III: A New World

[Cyclone]

Note: Read the section below regarding Custom races before creating one!

All of you are different. Some of you may be the same race but your people are different. You have endured different things. You have lived in different lands. No matter where you came from, you are seeking a new life for your people. Whoever your leader is, your people follow with loyalty.
Whether you were driven out of your home, or simply seek new lands to call your own, you have all come here without knowing of the others' presence. You must survive.

Your first choices lie before you. You are...

A) Humans
- Basically average in everything, good diplomacy.
No subraces.

B) Orcs
- Has high strength, low technological capabilities and bad diplomacy.
Subraces:
A) Brownskin Orcs
The brownskins are known for their beastmastery and powerful shamanism. Tamed beasts, big or small, are quite formidable in battle and very useful in everyday life and orcish society, but no orcs can do better than the brownskins. Riding wolves is your dream, isn't it?
B) Redskin Orcs
The Redskins are known for not needing to drink water as much as other races; they barely consume a mug a day. Legend says this is because of ancestor orcs drinking the blood of their slain enemies, gaining red skin and increased stamina as a blessing from a savage bloodgod. Needless to say, the Redskins are the most brutal, ferocious and savage orc warriors there are, but don't have much in the ways of magic.
C) Greenskin Orcs
The most average of orc breeds are the greenskins. They do have a focus on druidic spiritualism instead of a shamanistic kind. They generally also breed faster than other orcs and are better builders.
D) Blackskin Orcs
The best smiths and siege-engineers of all orckind, the Blackskins use brute force in the form of superior weaponry to dominate their foes. Generally average in everything else.
X) Brute-Orcs
A not too strange name for a breed of orcs, the Brute-Orcs are a breed sharing all the characteristics of the other orc-breeds, and can therefore gain all their bonuses, but never achieve quite the height as the individual breeds can.

C) Elves
- Low reproduction, high magical capability, average strength.
Subraces:
A) High Elves
Known for their great magical prowess of all kinds and their spiritualism. Their skin is fair and their hair blonde, their eyes glowing yellow or white. The greatest mages and wizards are these.
B) Wood Elves
The greatest rangers and the best hunters of all elfkind are the Wood Elves. They are known for their ability to befriend any animal and their druidic powers are considered the best. Their skin is fair and their hair brown or ginger, their eyes glowing green or blue.
C) Dark Elves
Feared for their powerful weaponry and armor and the best footsoldiers of all elfkind, they bolster their ranks with powerful shadowmages wielding dark powers, sometimes necromantic. Their skin is pale and their hair black or white, their eyes glowing purple or red.
X) Folk Elves
This strange breed of elves are known for housing every kind of elf in their presence, effectively becoming the most diverse and average elf breed, with potential to become adept at everything the other elf breeds can do combined, but cannot reach quite the same height in any given area as a more specialized elf breed.

D) Dwarves
- Low reproduction, high strength, low speed, high intelligence, morale boost.
Subraces:
A) Whitebeards
Great dual-wield warriors, adept at slaying different monsters such as trolls and ogres.
B) Ironbeards
The greatest smiths in the lands, capable of crafting anything. They are very robust and withstand quite a punch.
C) Goldbeards
Excavators, adventurers, explorers and miners. The goldbeards are very good at scouting and discovering locations, or spying on their enemies. To hear them tell it, they also have the best luck!
D) Blackbeards
Fearsome warriors adept at wielding giant weapons into battle, they are renowned for fighting with claymores and mauls, and are also the best siege engineers around.
E) Redbeards
Great dwarven magicians, sorcerers and runesmiths, adept at controlling magic and the elements.
F) Brownbeards
The single best builders and masons in the current era, the brownbeards are renowned for having built mighty fortresses so grand that some think the halls were carved by gods instead. Doubtless, they could do it again.
X) Longbeards
Common name for a clan which has a mix of all kind of dwarven beards. Is average at everything, but cannot achieve quite the height as the more specific breeds.

E) Ogres
- Very high strength, low intelligence, low reproduction, high speed and size.
Subraces:
A) Softskins
They bear a resemblance to humans and dwarves, albeit not enough for you to ever mistake them; they're much larger and bulkier. They are seen as the most intelligent and civilized of all the ogres. As far as ogres go, they are capable of learning complex magic, building more complex things, and organizing their society in more advanced ways.
B) Bloodskins
Much like the orcish redskins, these ogres are brute-strength focused and especially savage. They are the strongest melee warriors in all the realms and are said to be very resistant to magic. Due to their violent nature, in-fighting is more prominent but growth may be higher.
C) Stonehides
Very resistant to climate temperatures such as very hot and very cold climates, and have incredibly sturdy skin. They can basically eat -anything- and therefore cannibalism of all non-ogre races is considered acceptable. Typically larger than other ogre breeds.
D) Furhides
Capable of taming beasts much like the brownskinned orcs. Despite their wild and hairy appearance, they are also very adept craftsmen compared to the rest of ogre-kind, capable of fletching bows and working leather. Their connection to the elements and spirits is closer than that of their kin.
E) Runeskins
Their name comes from the practice of tattooing strange symbols upon their bodies. Runeskins aren't more or less intelligent than any other breed, but they are capable of wielding stronger magic than their softskin counterparts. They are also very versatile, meaning they can learn magic from many different schools and not strictly one kind of magic.
X) Exile Ogres
An ogre who belong to no clan is an exile. Seeing as infighting is very common, over time a lot of exile ogres began banding together. These ogres now house members from all sub-breeds of ogre and can therefore dabble in all their benefits but cannot reach quite the height as specific breeds.

F) Trolls
- Average strength/speed, cunning, bad diplomaticy, high reproduction, can regenerate fast.
Subraces:
A) Forest Trolls
Typically green of skin, these trolls have strong shamanistic or druidic beliefs. Certain forms of magic based upon those traditions are available to them, and these trolls are at home in wooded areas. It is said that they can move as silently and stealthily in the forests as the wood elves.
B) Rock Trolls
With a hide-like skin that is gray and hard as rock, it is no wonder this breed has gotten this name. They have increased strength and intellect at the cost of slower movement and lower growth. They are large even by troll standards, with some of them so big that they might be mistaken for ogres. Through geomancy they may also channel earthly magic.
C) Dark Trolls
With black or purple skin, the Dark Trolls use shadow magic and cannibalism as the centre of their religion. They can see clearly during the night, and they have the strongest magical capability of all trollkind.
D) Blood Trolls
Redskinned and savage beyond compare. The strongest, most ferocious of all troll-kind, these trolls pride themselves in strength and find glory in war. Like the dark trolls, they practice cannibalism, but there is hardly a ritual significance so much as an insatiable bloodlust behind it. They are quite magically handicapped, but neither does magic seem to bite them as hard as other races.
E) Sand Trolls
These trolls are so-called for their beige skins just as much as their tendency to inhabit deserts, steppes, savannas, and all manner of other arid climes. They have great endurance, are not bothered by heat or sun, and can go for many days without food or drink. They are competent builders and have created some of the oldest civilizations in the world, but compared to their other brethren they are very short of stature, comparable to humans.
F) Ice Trolls
This enigmatic breed prefers to live in cold or even frozen climates, seemingly able to survive where others would see nothing but a frozen wasteland. They are tall and of exceptional physical might when compared to the other breeds of trolls. Their environmental durability is also second to none, and they can craft things that no other troll can through the use of secret methods kept to themselves. They hate fire though.
X) Unchosen
A strange self-given from long ago, these 'Unchosen' trolls are said to have been disowned by all Troll Gods and pantheons and banded together. They house all breeds of troll, thereby gaining all their strengths but also all their weaknesses and they cannot reach the same height as the other breeds.

G) Goblins
- Low strength, average intelligence, weak-willed but functions well in masses, very high reproduction, small size.
Subraces:
A) Greenskins
These goblins are the average, the basic, and the most common breed of goblin in the realms. They excel in organizing themselves and working together more than other goblin breeds, and are capable of higher levels of intelligence.
B) Blackskins
Some say that they were bred as slaves by the blackskinned orcs, and perhaps that explains their greater physiques and lackluster intelligence. They are good laborers and fighters compared to rest of goblin-kind, but are more primitive.
C) Blueskins
The most magically capable of all goblin-kind! Blueskin goblins often form magocratic hierarchies where the strongest mage rules over the less powerful. They aren't very strong fighters by conventional means, but their growth-rate is boosted due to their affinity to the land (the same connection that gives them their magic).
X) Commune
What a strange name for a breed! ... It isn't. A commune is a group of goblins of any breed, but here I refer to the Commune as the group of goblins who houses members from all the sub-breeds of goblinkind. They may dabble in all specialties of the breeds, but may never reach the same height as a specific breed.

H) Halflings
- Low strength, small statures, cunning, bonus diplomacy, bonus trade.
Subraces:
A) Hillfoots
The Hillfoot halflings are strong builders and farmers and tend to get round bellies after a while. They are comfortable, honest and friendly. High morale, all around!
B) Rockheads
The Rockhead halflings are craftsmen and traders, eager to set out into the world but still rather like to be comfortable. They are good diplomats, merchants, sailors and craftsmen.
C) Bumblerunners
With such a hilarious-sounding name, one could only expect the Bumblerunners to be hilarious themselves, but that is not always the case. Bumblerunners are the opposite to Hillfoots. They prefer adventure, moving around, getting up to no good and are excellent thieves, spies, rogues and explorers. That doesn't mean all bad things however, they're halflings after all!
D) Kenderkin
Anyone who's ever met a Kender usually has nothing good to say about them. They're not strictly halflings, but rather a cousin race of traditional halflings. They're less round, more nimble and slightly shorter. They combine a bit of Rockhead and Bumblerunner tendencies in that they love adventuring, meeting new people, craft new things and see the world. Notably, they're also very good sneaks and have the distinct trait that they don't feel fear. Fear to them is a foreign concept, and they're quite literally physically incapable of feeling fear. Historians and academics have scratched their heads for centuries over the Kender... Just what are they?!
X) Familtons
The Familtons are a family of halflings that proudly boast they count some of every halfling family within their numbers. They may dabble in all that other halfling families do, but may not reach quite the same expertise as focused subraces may.

X) Other, Custom Race

It is my preference that you use one of the subraces above, but if none of those suit your fancy then you could do a custom race. Preferably, this would be in the form of creating a new subrace rather than an entirely new and wholly unfamiliar race.

If you are using a custom race, you must go through the additional step of posting your concept on either the OOC or the Discord getting it approved. Only after that may you jump in IC. When pitching your custom race, please specify averages, strengths and weaknesses.

---

You land upon the continent, and decide to settle...

Next:

Choose a color to represent your kingdom. May be any single color. This matters because the settlements I put on the map will have text bordered with the color of your kingdom, so that players and non-players alike can see what settlement belongs to who.
Additionally, write the name of your new settlement! What shall be the name of your new future?

[Heyitsjiwon]

Attolia

The Attolians are Folk Elves who live in the steppes and deserts of their homelands. Originally, the Attolians were a group of High Elves who had ideological differences from their main community. Many took the position that certain magics were "dark" magic and forbidden to practice, such as blood magic. However, the original Attolians believed that magic was a neutral power that was good or evil depending on the intent of its wielder for even blood magic could be used to heal the most serious of wounds and be used to help. Thus, to maintain their freedom to study magic and practice it, the Attolians left and began to search for a new land where there was no one to bother or disturb. They eventually arrived at the largely barren steppes where they settled and called it "Attolia", The Land of Wisdom.

They set up a small settlement and lived off the sparse animals and vegetation. However, it seemed that word somehow spread and Attolia eventually became a bit of a mythological place where the outcasts and oddities of society could find refuge and a place to live freely. Small groups of other elves found their way to Attolia, and with them they brought their skills, supplies, and knowledge. They proved to be valuable in the harsh steppe lands as they brought horses, animal husbandry, herbalism, and other precious skills that helped the High Elves survive.

Now, as the settlement grows... it soon becomes obvious that they can no longer just stay secluded in the steppes.



For color, I picked Light Blue.

[Kho]

^{The ap-Cantar}

And 'tis written in the stars that the sands will bloom DARK GREEN

<sub>The proper study of mankind is Man

'I pray thee then - Write me as one that loves his fellow men.'

Were I (who to my cost already am
One of those strange, prodigious creatures, man)</sub>

And Hiwcantar, son of Hulcantar, son of Hancantar, son of GREAT Cantar, from whose loins are the ap-Cantar, whose numbers are as the stars
DECREED that his great place of residence, built of the blackest mud from the bed of the River Tala, should forevermore be named
TILATICANTAR

Type of Government: Tribal Chiefdom

Religion: Worship of GREAT Cantar, father of the ap-Cantar, whose searing blood flows through the veins of all his sons driving them to deeds of glory. That the ap-Cantar may join their father in the Sea of Souls, they must be worthy of him. The gods of all other people must be brought low, and the migty spear of GREAT Cantar be raised above all. May the eyes of the unworthy never know sleep! GREAT Cantar now dwells in the Sea of Souls, to which his physical manifestation was committed on its expiration, and to which the bodies of all worthy ap-Cantars are committed on death. On reaching the great kingdom of GREAT Cantar in the Sea of Souls, these worthy warriors join his glorious armies and fight the denizens of the Sea of Souls to further the extent and glory of ap-Cantar kingdom of the Sea of Souls. As for the unworthy - to the Great Yellow Scourge confine their burned remains!

Geographical Location: Straddling the north and south banks of the River Tala, with the Sea of Souls to the east and the Great Yellow Scourge to the south.

History: The ap-Cantar emerge into history when GREAT Cantar led his people out of the tyranny and custody of the Great Yellow Scourge. Today the ap-Cantar believe the Great Yellow Scourge to be the home of demons and tyrant gods who have sworn enmity against GREAT Cantar and his progeny for ever and aye. GREAT Cantar led his people to the fertile banks of the River Tala where they came upon a complacent people who did not know to fear the fury of the ap-Cantar - and they came to know, only too late, the price of that fury. Since the expiry of GREAT Cantar and his migration into the Sea of Souls to rule for aye and establish a great kingdom for his children, the ap-Cantar have continued a largely nomadic life, raiding the settled people on the River Tala. With the coming of Hiwcantar, however, the ap-Cantar have for the first time in their history built permanent homes of adobe at the great city of Tilaticantar.

[Bright_Ops]

The Mustaqilun Tribe

Represented Color: Purple
Race: Orc
Breed: Blackskin Orcs
Capital: Riverforge
Ruler: Warchief Rukdug the Hunter

Type of Government: Tribal Tyranny. Traditionally, the orcish society that the Mustaqilun Tribe broke away from favoured rule by strength; The stronger, cunning and more brutal you were, the higher in society you could potentially rise and expect to survive the promotion.
While the Mustaqilun Tribe could be considered somewhat liberal by the standards of other orcs, they do respect strong, competent leadership and the only alternative government that they have seen in action is monarchy which doesn’t appeal to them; While the leader who founds the kingdom is generally someone to respect by orcish standards, a few generations on and you tend to get poor leaders unworthy of the power they’re ‘born with’.

Religion:
The Mustaquilun Tribe doesn’t have a religion per say; The closest thing to a ‘god’ that the tribe had in the past was their former lord and master, a being of great power that ruled orcish kind through might and fear. While the Dark One had a cult dedicated to him that worshiped him as an almighty being, the Mustaquilun Tribe (and quite a large number of other orcs) viewed him more as the biggest, strongest of bosses rather than as a deity… and considering that they broke all ties with their former master when they took to the seas, their opinion of him is rather low.

They are superstitious through, performing small rituals and offerings in their day to day lives to ‘spirits’; A hunter might make a small offering before going out on a hunt for a good hunt, while a blacksmith might perform small rituals occasionally in order to keep the spirit of his forge in high spirits while wading off misfortune.

History:
The history of the Mustaquilun Tribe started fairly recently. Originally the orcs stationed at the oceanside port fortress of Nomar, the orcs of Nomar spent their days producing weapons and equipment for the seemingly endless armies of their distant master, the Dark One in his campaign against the other races and kingdoms of the land.

The Dark One was a cruel, unforgiving and demanding overlord, uncaring for the pain and suffering of minions and slaves alike as long as his orders were met on time. His requests kept the forges of Nomar burning at all hours of the day and night in order to try and keep up with demand.

It was hard to say exactly when the uprising among the orcs of Nomar began; they all hated the Dark One and the lives that they were being made to live, but their fear of him tended to keep any actual spirit of rebellion quiet… at least, until they no longer had anything to lose.

The forges were sabotaged by slaves from one of the distant nations their master had waged war with, breaking almost all of them down in such a way that it would take months to get production back up to the levels that it had been before, let alone start meeting the Dark One’s quotas again. The Dark One wasn’t known for his patience or his calm temper; in the past when a production site had fallen behind to the same degree as Nomar had just done, he had the fortress purged of its current workforce before repopulating it with a fresh workforce to get it operational again.

The orcs of Nomar were doomed… so they decided to take a gamble.

It began with the death of the former Warchief, Pash the Glutten. His failure to prevent such a devastating slave uprising due to neglecting his duties as Warchief of Nomar was deemed to be the source of the orcs impending doom and thus he was executed by his replacement, Rukdug the Hunter.

With the former Warchief slain and the promise of a painful death approaching, Rukdug came up with a plan to save himself and his fellow orcs... though it came with a price. In order for his plan to be successful, those under his command that zealously obeyed the will of the Dark One as the word of god had to be purged in order to prevent them from hindering their efforts. The night after Pash's head was mounted on a spike, Rukdug and those loyal to him (or at least to their own survival) slaughtered every last Dark One loyalist they could find, with only a handful fleeing into the night.

Led by Rukdug the Hunter, the orcs used what production abilities they still had access to in order to build ships. They took to the seas, abandoning their homeland completely in favour of escaping their master’s wrath and creating new lives for themselves elsewhere. Breaking all ties with their former master, the orcs of the fortress of Nomar decided to band together in order to form a new tribe; The Mustaquilun tribe.

Map Location

If this is alright.

[Chenzor]

The Levogh

Our capital is Wildhome, deep within the forests by a large lake. Our culture is ancient, yet tribal. We are Wilder Elves - descendants of Levon, formerly Dark Elves. Now we are Levogh, led by King Célebron Blackeye. Our time shall come once again.

(Check the character section for more details!)

Blackeye was the name they had given him. A thousand years ago when the elves of Levon fled their cursed lands, they forsake their old tradition of taking the name of their forefathers. No longer were house names of relevance, for many of their ancient forebearers had been the cause of the curse and to even speak the names were taboo. Or so the mythology goes.
Barely a hundred years ago, Célebron's father had died. Not of glorious battle or of physical illness, but of grief. He had been an unremarkable King, given no name by his people and leaving no legacy behind. Customs dictate a new King be elected at the day of the funeral and crowned one week later. Had it been luck that the people had chosen him? Célebron wondered. No other suitable candidate had distinguished his- or herself from the crowd and as such people had elected the last King's son out of indifference, since his father had been neither a bad King nor a good one.

The week following the funeral and coronation had been a tumultuous one.

Before the Levogh had chosen the deep forests as their home, they roamed the lands. Danger and hardship was commonplace, but following the King's death a new threat had proven to rise above the others. Wild Beastmen had attacked the nomadic camps of the Levogh in coordination. They hurled spears, rocks and evil magic in an attempt to end the lives of the elves.
Everything had seemed lost when Célebron rallied his people, pushed through the overwhelming odds that bore down on them. A bolt of dark lightning struck Célebron across the face, darkening one of his eyes and the flesh surrounding it. When the battle was over, Célebron had slain the Beastman Leader with it's own spear. In the cries of victory let out by the Levogh, a chant began to wash over the crowd.
"Blackeye! Blackeye!"
Fianlly rallying behind a strong King, Wildhome was founded only a few years after. Célebron's father had been burried somewhere in the plains, another milestone marking the great many miles the Levogh had travelled to find their new home.

The time of the Levogh would come again.

[Pyromaniacwolf]

The Lycan Covenant

The first boat slammed into the muddy earth,not moments later the primitive vessel's inhabitants leaped from the boat and on to their new home. Lycans from all tribes began to take their first steps on the new world some with caution and others with un-containable excitement, among these excited new arrivals were Basir and Grash. Both of them were leaders of one of the four remaining tribes with their respective interests and ideals being evident as Basir Goldtooth barked orders at his underlings how this land was full of exotic goods and even more exotic slaves while Grash Bloodfang bellowed at his warriors, ensuring they were prepared for any threats the covenant may face in the coming days.

As the other two tribe leaders were already out of their make-shift ships and preparing their people, the leaders of the other half of the covenant made land with a more measured approach to the situation. Mex Silentpaw stopped herself and her hunters as they left their vessel, having all of them take in the new lands around them. The air was warmer, the ground more fertile and by extension the beasts of the land would be larger. The final group to arrive were the Shadowclaws and the leader of the Covenant Vlath Shadowclaw. After the somewhat hunched figure of the Voidcaller walked slightly further inland, dropped to his knees and began muttering prayers in a tongue known only to those who were learned in the nature of the Gods. The Voidcaller remained in that state for some time as the other members of the covenant began to settle into their new home which had been named Wulfhelm.

[Bright_Ops]

The Mustaqilun Tribe [Turn 0]

When the first ship had managed to beach itself against the sandy shore, a great cheer had gone up from not just those on board, but also from other ships that were following behind that could see the promise of a new land before them. The ships themselves were ugly and battered things; They appeared to have been made in haste with limited resources by people who might have had a basic understanding of how to make boats but had clearly never had to contend with the trails of traveling across the open sea before. More then one ship in the ram-shackled fleet that was coming ashore had sunken on the journey, taking many of the souls on board with them despite the efforts of some of the other ships to fish their fellow orcs from the icy ocean waters.

Despite the losses and the hardship through, the orcs themselves were in high spirits. They had done what many had believed to be impossible. The Dark One had long ago segregated his slave and worshiper races into specialized rolls in order to prevent any one race from being able to rebel effectively against him; While orcs could create fishing boats and make shift transports in order to gather food and ferry troops across minor bodies of water like rivers or moats respectively, actual sea faring naval craft and their production was kept in the hands of his branded human cultists. No one believed that an orc could make a ship that could survive three days out in open waters, let alone make an ocean crossing. With the impossible achieved, it was with great pride that the orcs celebrated their arrival in a new land.

The landing site was a beach that stretched into grassland towards the south east as far as the eye could see, next to a river that flowed from the west that had a forest that lay to the north. As the surviving ships arrived one after the other, good natured arguments started to arise over what to name the place. The first orc that had stepped foot on the new land made the argument that since he was the first one to step foot on the new land, he should have the right to name it, while his crew mates suggested that they should name it after their ship for being the first one to land. A few captains and other crews tried to put their own names forward, but they were half hearted attempts at best for the sake of ego; Everyone had seen who had landed first after all.

When Rukdug the Hunter finally landed and the matter was brought to him, he looked around and thought for a moment... before coming to a decision on another matter. While he agreed that the place needed a name worthy of the occasion, it would not be the location of their new home. While camps were set up for the time being, several teams were organized to construct river craft to scout further upriver to see how close to the mountains it would get them. Using parts of the now beached ships and taking advantage of the forest nearby for fresh resources, much better built boats were constructed and sent upriver.

After some time the scouts returned, bringing with them tales of a fork in the river that protected a stretch of land close enough to the mountains for mining, but with plenty of room to grow into a defensive position. It would take time to ferry orcs and supplies there to set up a proper settlement, but it was a perfect place to call home. More boats to travel the river would be required, but it would be a lot quicker and easier then traveling by land.

With the process of moving their people underway, Rukdug finally came to a decision about what to name their landing spot. The river itself would earn the name Hardship's Respite while the landing that would be their first step towards their new home... Survivor's Pride. Even as orcs boarded boats heading upriver, a name for the yet built settlement was already floating around: Riverforge. A place for their tribe to start anew.

[Kho]

^{The ap-Cantar}

And when the fifth Heat of the reign of Hiwcantar was upon the people, and the sun waxed mighty and spared none the lash of its fiery scourge, there descended upon Hiwcantar, master and lord of the warriors and womenfolk of the ap-Cantar, a vision. And it was thus -

March ye forth, Oh strong ap-Cantar
March ye forth most bravely
March till you see the morning star
And the spreading soul sea
And there you must both saw and hack
Devestate them with your attack
And build a town for me

So he awoke and rose, that Hiwcantar, and he woke his people also and commanded them to gather up the tents and the spears and walk with him in the night. 'But Hiwcantar,' one complained, 'do you not see that the sun is long gone and the day is dark and the clouds are thick?' And Hiwcantar kicked up the dirt and stepped forth upon a rock and declared.
'Indeed the day is dark and the sun is out and the clouds are thick in the heavens, but walk with me but a while and have faith. And ere long ye shall see the clouds part and the moon shine on us with radiance. And the path shall be made clear.'

And so they gathered up their tents and their belongings and their spears - and they were heavy - and they walked in the dark. And Hiwcantar led them into the darkness. And the clouds only thickened and did not part, and the winds battered them and the gates of the heavens were cast open wide and the waters of the upper sea hailed down upon them as never before. 'We are undone! We are cursed! We have treaded a path into the darkness!' Rose the wail. And it was followed by screams of despair and surrender.
'GREAT Cantar! Protect us!' And seeing their despair, Hiwcantar was taken up in a passionate fury and stood before them in the wind and rain and he spoke with such fire and frenzy as to silence them and cast greater fear of him in their hearts than ever did the winds and rains and darkness.
'Woe unto you for ye are a feckless lot! Did ye think that ye shall be guided to the good place without first being tried? If you would come to the good place, then you would have patience - he shall not earn it of you who is not worthy of GREAT Cantar. If you are of him then let your step follow my step. And if you are not of him then turn ye back and return from where we first came, ne'er seek to approach us again - you are lost.' And so saying, he turned away and walked away with his family and sons and daughters. And then followed him his brothers and their families and their sons and their daughters. And then his uncles set their step firmly behind him, and then others. And his voice was and actions were as a flood that swept up the doubtful and the faithful alike.

So when dawn broke and the star of morning burst forth like a bloodied flower beyond the Sea of Souls, they found themselves at the southern bank of the River Tala. And seeing them, the people of the river let loose a cry of fear and scattered now here and now there, and some gathered sticks and staves and rallied forth against them. But the ap-Cantar were the masters here, and had been for many generations now. Those who fought did so only out of mad futility and despair, and their weak strikes were swept aside by warriors bred and raiders raised. And killing blows were struck and women caught and children thrown into the river. And some were kept, on the command of Hiwcantar. And he saw how these river people built small abodes - little things. And yet somehow he was struck with inspiration and he commanded that just such abodes - but on a greater scale as never before had graced the banks of the River Tala - should be built for the progeny of GREAT Cantar.

And it was so. And its name was whispered in fear and awe by all the river people, for they knew that it was there that the lord and master of all men dwelled. It was from there that Hiwcantar ruled.

Tilaticantar, the rising place of the ap-Cantar

[AdorableSaucer]

Orr'gavol: The Hammersworn - Turn 0

Nothing. There really was nothing left. Osman Slag, foreman of the Worker Council and leader of the Hammersworn Dwarves, could not seem to stand up. Around him were men, women and children, some howling in agony, others in despair, some not howling at all - merely staring. The dust had not yet settled; the air was still ripe with the stink of industry - now complemented by the stench of death. Some dwarves grabbed whatever tools they had managed to evacuate and began beating and hacking at the boulders that now covered what had been their home about an hour ago. Others used their rocks, sticks or their fists, screaming at the cruel gods and hateful ancestors who had allowed this to happen. Some dwarves of the Bronze union sat down at began to debate whether this loss would upset the balance of the world, to which a gang of Steel unionists reacted with outrage and violence, quickly followed by Mithril unionists looking to vent some emotions. Gold Union dwarves and Silver union dwarves lamented their colossal monetary losses, and what few remained of the Unions of Phosphorus and Glass stood there like statues of stone. All the knowledge that they had gathered - every scroll, every carving, every log - all lost in the matter of minutes. A few of them collapsed to the ground in horror.

The foreman did not mind the chaos breaking out between the survivors. Currently, he thought of little more beyond his people, trapped within what yesterday had been their home. It was autumn now, he thought. Come winter, we will all be like those within. The thought sent a shards of ice through him. The Hammersworn civilisation, a people with almost a millennia of history - wiped out in less than a single year? He tried to dismiss the thought, but its roots dug deep into his mind, whispering wicked words of doom for his people.

"Foreman!" Osman snapped back into reality. He looked at the source of the voice. He recognised the elder woman, her hair like rusty strands of iron, her face overripe with wrinkles and now flaming red with tears. She looked to be mustering all her will to not keep shedding them. Her left eye was surrounded by a tattoo shaped like a golden plate with hints of green - a mark of the Copper Union. She gestured to fighting that had broken out between the hapless survivors - many of whom were now on the ground in pools of their own blood or clutching their wounds. Osman, having not completely broken out of the shock, merely glanced over, just in time to see a Bronze unionist be blinded by a rabid Steel unionist. The blind dwarf clutched his bloody, empty socked and his screams momentarily deafened all others'. He fell to the ground, and then his groans were all the sound that was heard through the valley - the wind was gone; the water, silent; not even the stone rubble in front of the dwarves groaned anymore. Osman held his breath. The hacking breath of the brawlers grew quieter as they looked at each other, then the results of their recklessness. Many of them once again felled tears, and the blind dwarf's kinsmen stormed over to help him.

"We are all dead," an Earth unionist said. "All our crops-... All our crops were inside. There is nothing left out here!" His words blew through the crowd like a disease. Families began to flock together, then into their respective unions, forming phalanxes with whatever tools they had, pointed at the others.

"That cannot be true! You soilers certainly have a hidden storage somewhere! You will dig it out while the rest of us starve to death!" a Steel unionist spat back. Her kinsmen backed her up with a barrage of shouts and threats, to which the Earth Union responsed with their own defensive cacophony. The Glass Union and the Phosperous Union both backed the Earth unionists with arguments about the quality of the local soil in terms of food storage and how it would be impossible for them to store so much food in the hard ground without anyone else knowing about it. A Silver unionist, in a fit of stress, caved in and joined the debate by saying that his union had several thousand coffers of gold hidden away in caches around the valley. His kinsmen, appalled that one of their own would spill their secrets, immediately subjected the lad to severe beatings, until he was within an inch of his life.

Osman could not seem to muster the courage to break through the ever-thickening wall of words between him and his people. The councilmen who hadn't joined their own stood around him, begging him to say something and end the chaos. However, he had not prepared for this - not a single day in his fifty year long lifespan had he thought he might have been forced to lead his people through a crisis. Herim Ore, his closest companion and apprentice to the now late Elder Calendarmaster of the Glass Union, fell to his knees before Osman and grabbed him by the leg, shaking it in a futile attempt to break through to the stunned foreman.

"... We... We cannot remain," Osman finally managed to say. His councilmen heard him, and in mere seconds they all spread out to the various Unions, breaking up the chaos through any means necessary. Upon hearing orders, the people quickly quieted down and turned to the foreman. Osman swallowed.

"We cannot stay," he said again. "Our cities are no more. Our way of life is-... Is at the mercy of the gods once more." His words were met with a defeaning silence and empty glances.

"Winter is on our heels, Unions. We have no choice but to move south to the very edge of the Ancestor Woods. Perhaps there, we can gather what the season can offer and wait out the winter, so we may one day return to dig our home out." Osman's breath was ragged. Many of the dwarves looked at each other in uncertainity.

"Leave the valley? No one has ever done that before save the soilers!" claimed a Stone unionist who was clutching his head after a previous brawl. His words were met by disapproving hollering from the Earth Union. Osman bit his lip and looked down the river Darr, and into the horizon far beyond, where nothing but vast plains stretched for miles.

"As I said, it is only temporary. We will one day return to Gol'kharumm and rebuild. However, for now, we have no choice. By the power of my mandate as foreman of the Worker Council and leader of the Hammersworn, I declare that we are to migrate further south and wait out the winter before we come home. Does the council agree with my decision?" The counsilmen, with the exception of a few, nodded and grunted in agreement.

"Then may the gods be good," Osman said.

[Macadamia Hut]

The Aedelfaari - Turn 0

"Land Ho!" Came up the call and a grand cheer followed as the haggard travelers saw a safe chance to finally free themselves from the cramped squalor they had endured on their crowded longboats.

The wind was high the day the Aedels made landfall on the new continent. A brisk and billowing cry that sent the the sand and salt spray flying all around them. Aedelfarri longships cut into the land, one after another as their cargo spilled out onto the sands, eager to feel the ground under them again. These ships were first made for raiders, made to travel light and fast so they might be pulled up land and out to sea again quickly. Today those ships would be dragged up the slopes of the bay the Aedels had spied from the sea and up to the fields beyond. The men and women given thaqt hard task grunted and complained but eventually the ships found their way to a strong plot of land.

The keen eyed among the immigrants had spied a few possible landing grounds but the final choice fell to their chieftain, Eric. In the end his heart was taken by a windy bay on a northern peninsula that might help them plant their feet firmly in these new lands and did so remind him of home. Fertile ground was found, with a nearby forest that might offer game and lumber. A lone hill was chosen where they might start the making of earthworks and build a fort house that would project power across the land. With all this decided the longships were brought to their final resting place, their inhuman figureheads staring out across the landscape as only the maddening visages of the angels could. And so the ships were slaughtered. They were turned upside down, their spare parts stripped from their hull as a makeshift mixture of wattle and daub was made to form each longhouse's foundations and outer shell.

This was the beginning of a settlement they would call Waebury, a secure place among the waves.

Centuries later historians would find scrimshaw carvings that depict Aedelfarri people gathered in feast and celebration. At the head of this crudely depicted group is a male figure, facing towards the rest of this assembled group, his beard is of a different pattern and his head is adorned with a crown that sprouts into regal prongs that did not exist but were instead created by artistic license. This is one of the earliest depictions of the founding of Waebury. It would fall to later artists and scholars to try and put into words the unrecorded speech that Eric would give to his assembled subjects.

Though all agree that he stood upon the hillside and shouted words to the effect of, "We are no longer a clan among clans. We are no longer dogs among beasts. We are a small folk now, as we were before but we are free of those that would keep us so. We are free now, for we have traveled far, and we will grow strong." Or words to that effect.

So went the self coronation of Eric ap Edrin, first king of the Aedelfarri and the kingdom of Aedelfarr.

[Cyclone]

Turn 1

The Map

The Levogh

Hider

When King Blackeye came to dream of a resurgence for his people, he had a vision of building a great settlement deep within the sheltering arms of a forest. That dream took on a name--Wildhome, and soon enough, it took action. The Levogh wandered long and far before they came to find a suitable place to settle and see their tribe's ambitions realized, but at last, they have found a great sprawling expanse of a woodland, with a large yet serene lake fed by two rivers. Resources seem abundant, and as plans are made to begin construction of Wildhome, there is much cause for cheer...until one of your foraging parties discover a ruin within the forest, only a stone's throw from the lake's shore.

The Ruins

The ruins are completely overgrown and have crumbled in places, but some of the grander structures still stand. Even now they are breathtaking, so one can only imagine what this place might have been like in its glory days. Perhaps more troubling is that these ruins are obviously of elven make; the Levogh were not the first with dreams of founding a great civilization here. Some of the more superstitious among you take this for an ill portent.

But what will Célebron have them do?

A) Settle atop the ruins. Your people are elves, just like the ancient builders of this site, so with your skills you are sure that you could eventually see this place restored. Some of the more intact structures will make good shelters for the time being, and construction will be much easier when you can reuse ruined masonry and focus on repairing what is already there rather than raising it from the ground up. It hasn't been long since you've arrived in this forest, but Wildhome is even closer to being brought to life than your people could have ever hoped!
B) Settle somewhere away from the ruins, but pick through them carefully. Perhaps there are some things of value to be found, but even if that is not the case, it seems prudent to try to determine what was the undoing of those ancient people, lest the same fate befall your own.
C) Leave the dead to rest. Out of respect to your long-lost kindred that built the place, or perhaps sheer superstition, you could forbid your people from ever visiting those ruins again, and make sure to always keep a healthy distance from that site. Perhaps it's cursed, but even if not, there is nothing to be gained from going near such a place.
X) Other. Perhaps there is a better path?

But regardless of what you decide to do about the ruins, there remain many tasks before you. What shall your people focus on in these first days?

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 140 men, 135 women, 70 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to about 30% of adult population.
Food level: Below Average
Resources: None
Wealth: Nonexistant
Trade: Nonexistant
Growth: Very low; impacted by racial traits and from low food level.
Morale: Average
Foreign relations: None

The Lycan Covenant

Hider

It is late in the afternoon by the time the last Lycan ship beaches itself, and there is plenty of work to be done with what time is left. Most of your people spent the rest of the day unloading their few possessions from the ships and finding comfortable places near the shore to rest for the night. However, several of the more restless ones were keen to explore this new land or flex their muscles after being trapped so long on tiny, nauseating boats. This is good, for that night a few of them manage to bring back fresh kills; mostly just deer, but also some rabbits and even a bird or two. Some of the meat is of course sacrificed, but plenty of the much-needed food remains for them to share.

Later in the night, one of Silentpaw's hunters returned without anything to show. He was met with a few scowls, but then he declared that he had found something a short ways from the beach, farther down the shore. It was a sign of others, he said. When morning came, the hunter led the covenant's leaders as well as a small crowd of other curious lycans.

This is what they saw.

It was a raised stone, surrounding by many smaller stones embedded into the earth, radiating outward to form a circle around the central monolith. Perhaps it's just the rays of morning sunlight bending around the stone, but something about the monument seems almost...mythical. There's an air of magic about it. As in for what is on it, a variety of lines were etched onto the surface. At one point those might have been readable runes, but the runestone was now so weathered that it was hard for lycan eyes to discern whatever was once engraved upon it. Even if they could have seen the runes, it was doubtful that they would be able to read them.

As Vlath eyes the strange thing, he finds that the gaze of the others gradually shift from the stone towards him. They are awaiting the Voidcaller's decision.

A) Leave it be; it's just a rock. Perhaps we can have some of our more magically gifted people study it and try to determine its purpose, but the rest of us needn't waste our time on such things. We can be content simply accepting this as a sign of other civilizations existing in this land.
B) Knock down the monolith and break it in half; dig up the stones around it and cast them across the grasslands. The void gods shall suffer no false symbols!
C) Just as the covenant has claimed this new land for the void gods, so too shall they claim this magical stone. Vlath lays a claw upon the stone's surface and meditates, trying to channel the power of the void and its gods into the stone.
X) Other. Perhaps there is something else to be done?

Away from such distractions, there is still work to be done founding Wulfhelm. What are the first steps?

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 120 men, 120 women, 50 pups.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to about 30% of adult population.
Food level: Below Average
Resources: None
Wealth: Nonexistant
Trade: Nonexistant
Growth: Very low; impacted by racial traits and from low food level.
Morale: Average
Foreign relations: None

Attolia

Hider

After coming to dwell upon the arid plains for as long as they have, your people have adapted to the harsh clime. They no longer fear the beasts that wander these wilds as much, and over time the Attolians have come to learn how to sustain themselves with the local resources. However, what once functioned more as a camp is quickly growing into a true settlement. The Land of Wisdom can provide much, if one knows where to look, but you are already feeling the burden of a growing population. It will not be feasible to rely purely upon hunting and foraging to feed your people forever, and there is also the question of how you will go about building a city when the acacia trees are sparse and lumber limited.

Those issues will need to be addressed, but there is a more immediate one facing the Attolian leadership: that of water. Dotting across the grassy landscape are numerous watering holes, but many of them are little more than muddy pits. Their locations shift with the season, and even though your people know to boil the water before drinking, it still sometimes renders them ill. As your population grows and you try to build a permanent settlement, your people have many ideas for how they might be able to find better sources of water.

A) Dig a well. It's hard to say how deep you will have to go or how many holes you will end up digging before one strikes water, but perhaps your magic will come in handy. Some of the elves among you claim to know the secrets of enchanting dowsing rods, and they assure you that if there is any water to be found in the ground, they will be able to find it if given sufficient time.
B) Try to find a permanent oasis, fed by a spring. None of the watering holes immediately near you seem to last long, but there are other large ones in the steppe. Through careful observation and extensive scouting, you might be able to find one that could provide enough water throughout the year. You could then build your settlement near it, and hopefully keep it clean by driving off the herds of animals that come to drink the waters and taint it.
C) Follow the coastline, seeking a river. A body of running water would be much safer to drink from and would also be more suitable for eventual irrigation and agriculture, but you may have to travel a long ways before finding a stream of any significant size. This is a steppe, after all.
X) Other. Perhaps some Attolians have different ideas?

But while concerns over water are an immediate problem, it is not one that requires the entirety of your population to focus upon. There are still other actions that can be taken in the meantime.

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 120 men, 123 women, 60 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 30% of adult population.
Food level: Below Average
Resources: Horses (A small number)
Wealth: Nonexistant
Trade: Nonexistant
Growth: Very low; impacted by racial traits and from low food level.
Morale: Average
Foreign relations: None

The ap-Cantar

Hider

Blessed be Hiwcantar, foremost of the line of Mighty Cantar, vessel of fiery power. As your tribe seizes their destiny and sets about raising a city from the riverside clay, the question now remains of what to do with those lesser peoples you have subjugated. Their camps and small villages have already been despoiled; the ap-Cantar saw to that as soon as they came upon the River Tala. Their survivors have nothing left but their lives, but even their lives could be taken, if that is the chieftain's wish.

Hiwcantar must choose.

A) Keep them all as slaves; with their hands we may faster raise Tilaticantar. They were a weak, spineless people before we conquered them, so with them now in chains they surely would pose no threat to the chieftain's blessed rule.
B) Separate the grain from the chaff; perhaps most are fit only for a life of servitude before we condemn their ashes to the wastes, but some may be of exceptional enough fortitude to join our own warriors. Set them all to toil until death beneath the burning sun, and let the last few standing then be unbound. With blood and sweat, the strong will have bought their freedom.
C) Offer them as sacrifice; it was through Cantor's might that they were subjugated, and so it is in Cantor's name that you will put them all to the sword.
X) Other. Perhaps the chieftain sees some use for them that the others cannot?

With those loose ends tied, the ap-Cantor will then need to decide upon the first steps in building their newfound civilization.

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 174 men, 180 women, 80 children.
_{120 subjugated people}
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 40% of adult population.
Food level: Below Average
Resources: None
Wealth: Nonexistant
Trade: Nonexistant
Growth: Low; impacted from low food level.
Morale: Average
Foreign relations: None

The Mustaqilun Tribe

Hider

As the orcs begin to slowly scuttle the fleet that bore them across the sea and create smaller crafts to haul their goods and people upriver, it becomes apparent that there are a few suitable places to settle inland. Rukdug's scouts have explored a fair ways up both of the two river forks that converge into what they've been calling Hardship's Respite. The eastern fork of the river goes through considerably more rugged terrain, and in many places there are rapids and small waterfalls. The farther the scouts followed it, the narrower and more treacherous it became. Jagged rock outcroppings and other debris also obstruct parts of the stream, making traversing it a difficult proposition. For most of its length, there are hardly even any banks along the river's sides; instead it has carved a gully into the foothills. Along the main river canyon and in many smaller defiles that branch off, your scouts saw the entrances to caves.

The western river is wider and slower, and it lazily flows through a much more tame terrain. Though still not enough to warrant being called a forest, there are plenty of trees along its shores that could provide much-needed lumber for a growing settlement. Here, the soil is also dark and rich; your people were not the farmers that fed the Dark One's legions, but it does not take the eye of a farmer to know that this earth is valuable and that it would make valuable cropland.

Where the two forks converge, the water is deeper and safer than anywhere upstream. Settling there would allow the easiest access to the sea, if the Mustaqilun ever found reason to venture back to it.

So the question for Rukdug is where they should build Riverforge.

A) Somewhere up the eastern fork. This area is closest to the mountains, which will greatly ease in the logistics of mining and bringing the ore back to the forges. Despite it being nearly impossible to navigate with rivercraft, it is still a good place because of how remote and defensible it would be. The caves could be explored and potentially provide shelter temporarily or perhaps even permanently, whilst the abundant loose stones in the riverbed and along its steep banks could be dredged up and used for construction projects.
B) Somewhere up the western fork. With all the space and lumber and spoils of the rich earth, you could quickly build and support a massive population center once more.
C) Where the two forks converge. Here you have a central place from which it would be easy to eventually create outposts farther up either fork of the river, and even though it is probably the least hidden and least defensible place to be if the Dark One's forces ever come searching for your deserting people, that seems unlikely.

Once that decision is made, there will also be the question of what first steps the orcs should take to improve their situation.

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 180 men, 180 women, 80 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 60% of adult population.
Food level: Below Average
Resources: None
Wealth: Nonexistant
Trade: Nonexistant
Growth: Low; impacted from low food level.
Morale: Average
Foreign relations: None

Orr'gavol: The Hammersworn

Hider

It was a somber time that followed the sudden collapse of civilization and the subsequent decision for the Orr'gavol to abandon their ancestral homeland. With the clothes on their backs and whatever other few possessions they still had, the dwarves set out. Even without kegs of ale, the dwarves did not have to thirst; there were plenty of mountain springs and streams with icy, clear water. So long as they kept moving, they likewise did not starve. There were enough wild berries and the like to forage such that they had the strength to keep going, even if their bellies still grumbled. Of course, they wouldn't be able to last like this forever, but perhaps their odds were not so grim. There was a chance that before winter fell, they would have time enough to build shelters and amass the necessary stores of food.

But then there was still the matter of whether they would even remain united by the time the first snows came. That first brawl that Osman witnessed was far from the last; with each passing day on the move, it seemed as though the people were growing weaker and more quarrelsome. The Hammersworn found a sheltered clearing near the forest's edge with easy access to a stream, and most seemed to agree that this was as good a place as they were likely to find. Finally, just as preparations to settle this spot were about to begin, tensions broiled over once more.

It's hard to say how it started. There were of course complaints about the lack of food nearby, about how the stream only had a few fish and the berry bushes in this spot would be bare within a fortnight. Somehow that escalated into more despair over the situation at large, and then into accusations of heresy. Just as the heavens had punished their ancestors for the audacity of trying to climb Golumnar, so too was this a divine retribution: the impiety of the Union of Phosphorus was to blame, called out a half dozen voices. Then more cast blame upon the Union of Gold and their false faith, and they retaliated...

There never was a debate; accusation turned into witch hunt, but there was no brawl. There was one dwarf among them, some sort of demagogue. Exactly whose side he fell upon was lost among the chaos of voices, but his cut through the din with icy clarity: he cast all his blame upon three seemingly random people, and the mob listened and turned upon those. Within seconds, there were voices clamoring for a rope; at this point, it seemed as though the theological debate had been a farce and that the crowd only cared for blood and violence.

What could Osman do?

A) Order must be restored; Osman shouts words of reason with all the force that his lungs can muster, calling for an end to this madness and for the arrest of that demagogue threatening to devolve them all into savagery.
B) Osman takes a side; it has become clear that this religious tension will be their undoing, and that there can be no more peaceful coexistence in times of scarcity. Those with the wrong faith will have to convert, or else be exiled or perhaps even executed. There is no other way.
C) The question must be put to the gods themselves; they will settle this once and for all, by praying for divine interventions and asking that the heavens reveal themselves and finally cast light upon which path is correct.
X) Other. Perhaps in a moment of clarity, the Foreman sees another path?

Whatever choice was made, in the aftermath they would still have to get to work.

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 200 men, 200 women, 90 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 30% of adult population.
Food level: Below Average
Resources: None
Wealth: Nonexistant
Trade: Nonexistant
Growth: Low; impacted from low food level.
Morale: Average
Foreign relations: None

The Aedelfaari

Hider

Construction of Waebury was swift, made easy by the quick conversion of the longships into shelters. Building the earthworks and fort for a true motte and bailey would take time, but even with that hard work ahead the people were in good spirits. When the time came for King Eric to crown himself, several claimed to have heard a strange, heavenly music. The more pious claimed that those must have been hearing the chimes of heaven, a sign sent by Dow and a divine mandate. Others just thought that the few that heard the song were mad, or that the weeks of listening to the ocean's relentless sounds had left their ears ringing. Eric himself heard nothing.

But that was only on the first night; on the morning of the second day, when the wind blew the right way, it seemed to carry the sound of faroff music from somewhere within that woodland to their north. Curious eyes looked towards that sparse scattering of trees that marked the edge between forest and grassland, and there was something there in the shadows of the trees that met their gaze.

It was...a bear.

The animal stared at Waebury for a few moments, seemingly in confusion at what strange creatures stood before it and at what had happened to the hill that had been bare only a few days ago. But then it quickly spun around and ran back into the forest, and after that, the Aedels heard no more music.

Eric ap Edrin was left to wonder what was to be done about the queer forest.

A) We must flee, and quickly. There is something odd and foreboding about that forest, and just to be safe we should put more distance between it and ourselves.
B) This is our land now, and we will defend it. But just to be safe, for the time being we will forbid anybody from venturing near that forest.
C) We should venture into that forest to explore, and perhaps find the source of this heavenly music!
X) Other. Another idea crossed Eric's mind.

Regardless of what the king decreed, there was still work for the common folk. What was their first area of focus?

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 175 men, 175 women, 70 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 30% of adult population.
Food level: Below Average
Resources: None
Wealth: Nonexistant
Trade: Nonexistant
Growth: Low; impacted from low food level.
Morale: Mixed; some in high morale from heavenly music and the coronation, others frightened by the music and the forest
Foreign relations: None

[Bright_Ops]

The Mustaqilun Tribe [Turn 1]

Short version

Event Option A: The Eastern Fork.
Action Option C: Improve Infrastructure (Making a base)

The decision of where to set up their home was a challenging one and it was one that bothered Rukdug during his journey down Hardship's Respite. After his scouts had made their reports, he had briefly considered selecting the place where the two forks met in order to secure both resources that the forks offered before casting it aside. Some many have called it paranoia, but the possibility of the Dark One taking enough of an interest in them to actually send an attack to punish them...

One didn't raise up the ranks to Warchief by being naive. Paranoia was healthy when the shadows often held knives waiting for a moment to strike. There was only one answer that he could give as Warchief that would allow him some measure of rest at night.

His decision made, he quickly delegated tasks out to subordinates to spread the news and prepare them for the final stage of the trek. They were going to follow the eastern fork towards the mountains and make full use of its defensive position and the ease in which stone could be gathered to build themselves a secure power base.

Rukdug took pride in the fact that he was the leader of some of the best and brightest wall breakers the world had to offer and it didn't take much thought to consider that the same know how that could bring down enemy walls could be used to build walls that were much more challenging to breach, but he wasn't expecting the greatest fortress the world had ever seen. That would take time and planning that could be done later on. Right now, he needed somewhere safe and secure that his people could call their own.

[Heyitsjiwon]

Attolia

Lord Caelis Attolis... or so people began to call him. He was no noble, but as time passed it seemed that people looked up to him for guidance and respected his thoughts. Thus, Lord Caelis "of Attolia" he came to be called. His parents were among the first settlers of the lands and in his lifetime, the steppe elves had come to grow accustomed to the harsh nature of these lands. Yet, that did not mean the lands were completely safe. The Attolians always had to be alert and looking out for opportunities. Which is why Caelis gathered some of the best hunters and trackers of the settlement.

The plan was somewhat straightforward. The hunters would go out and attempt to find a large herd. Once found, the herd would be carefully followed. After all, this herd would have to find its way to a major water source to sustain itself. Then the settlement would relocate to this water source and have access to a substantial herd of animals. They would have to start securing more food and water for the growing settlement after all. This would ideally tackle both issues with one stone.

Thus, while the hunters went out to stalk out a large herd, the rest of the settlement would attempt to contact the spirits of the steppes and plains to seek their guidance, blessing, and help.

---

Summary:

Event: X. Other. The Attolians send out hunters to try to find and stalk a large herd to a major water source

Action: The Attolians attempt to contact the nature spirits of the steppes and plains

[Pyromaniacwolf]

The Lycan Covenant

C)+A

Vlath viewed the structure before them for a few moments, he could sense the magic in the year- a sure sign of worshipers of the young gods. Wherever they were the covenant would find them and show them the foolishness of their faith or burn them with their traitorous gods, claiming this simple stone would be but thee start. The Voidcaller placed a single hand on the stone before announcing "There is magic here, I can sense it in the air. But it is not of the Divine Trinity,no it is of the child gods. Doubtlessly placed here by one of their foolish followers. We will deliver this structure to the Gods so they may begin to reclaim this land in their name!" Vlath then placed his second hand on the stone and begin speaking chanting in the tongue of the divine,beckoning them to purge this stone of the lesser god's presence and claim it as their own.

When the deed was done and Vlath had returned to his camp, Vlath addressed Basir Goldtooth. "I see the hunters found game last night.".
Basir looked at the Voidcaller, somewhat confused.He was no hunter, why did he speak of such things to him? Regardless he replied in his somewhat raspy voice "Yes Voidcaller,the Silentpaw will have no problems hunting in this new land." he attempted to speak with some pride, but he may aswell have not bothered, it was not exactly uncommon for lycans to still see themselves divided by their tribe despite being united under the covenant.
"That is good news,truly the Gods have blessed us with this fertile land. However, I feel a more consistent food source will be necessary if we are to establish a true foothold as a united covenant. To this end you will build a...holding pen, similar to the slave pens in your old territories but they must be be able to hold the beasts of this land. A consistent food source will allow us to focus on grander designs. Perhaps we may even focus our efforts to finding the exotic prizes you spoke of so passionately to your people on our arrival?" Vlath said, he also added "Once your work is done, have the Silentpaws begin rounding up the beasts in our area. We will feast the night we have our new supply ready and every night after." with his orders given Vlath excused himself and returned to the strange stone, pondering on it and it's mysteries, what foul purpose did it serve?

Summary

Vlath attempts to claim the rock for the Gods.
Vlath orders Goldtooth to build a pen to hold game like deer or whatever else is available.

[Kho]

^{The ap-Cantar}

Summary

X) Other. Perhaps the chieftain sees some use for them that the others cannot?

The Riverfolk are to be intermarried with and brought into the ap-Cantar fold.

A) Improve food

The Riverfolk fisher-farmer economy is to be rejuvenated, this time with the stability and security provided by ap-Cantar protection rather than raiding. The chief encourages ap-Cantar men and women to learn from the Riverfolk and help.

'What is to be done then, Hiwcantar, about the river people? They are weak and conquered, they could scarcely fight us when they had their freedom - as our slaves and bonsmen they will surely never think to fight at all. Let us keep them as our inferiors - to build, to fish, and to plough the earth in the strange manner that they do that wheat and grain may emerge from the bowels of the earth. They are not fighters, true, but they have knowledge which we would be wise indeed to use.' Ingantir, the youngest of Hiwcantar's uncles, was the speaker. The elders of the ap-Cantar nodded sagely as they considered the man's words. Many were those gathered around Hiwcantar under the palm tree - uncles and grand-uncles, brothers, and other clan chieftains of the ap-Cantar.

'Ingantir is wise, we should keep them as slaves,' spoke the ancient Howandar, the oldest man yet living, 'but they are not all weak - I see in some of them the same fire that burns fiercely in those of our blood. We should keep the weak as slaves, but the strong we should bring close. Offer them our daughters in marriage that the blood of GREAT Cantar may flow in the veins of their progeny and their strength and our strength mingle, and that we may become as a single nation. The strong to rule and the weak to serve.' There were murmurs at this proposition, some uncertain and some emphatically for - indeed, many had seen the river women and their great beauty and skin dark as the mud of the riverbed, and they had in their hearts and loins desired them.

'NAY!' declared a mad-eyed man, tall in stature and rippling with an unearthly power. Even with fifty years behind him, Fuldondar was the unrivalled champion and warrior of the ap-Cantar, and his eyes constantly burned with a battle-crazy. He was touched by GREAT Cantar - a blessing and a curse. 'They are a weak and despicable race, unworthy and despised. As a mark of our respect and gratitude to GREAT Cantar we should slaughter them all and have their blood flow into the Sea of Souls - and then we should burn their unworthy bodies and scatter their ashes into the Great Yellow Scourge. That is the way.' Silence followed as the elders considered the options. Brows furrowed, Hiwcantar sat thinking.

'Advise us, Hiwcantar. You are the lord and master of the ap-Cantar - you have been shown visions and given sight. Surely, nephew, you know the way.' Hiwcantar looked to his uncle Virimdantar and nodded.

'We shall slaughter them. We have no need for a weak people amongst us. I shall meditate on this matter and, if GREAT Cantar is pleased with it, then we shall do it tomorrow.' The decision was met with silence - and shock by some. Fuldondar smiled in satisfaction. The council dispersed, some walking away in groups and speaking anxiously, others trying to speak to Hiwcantar. When he had retreated to his tent and sat deep in thought, one of his daughters came and lay beside him. And she pressed her lips to his forehead and he felt her tears. 'What is it Julandara?' His anger rising at the thought that someone should have caused his daughter grief, he rose and wiped her tears, 'who has caused you misery? Speak and I shall have their eyes gorged and their skin flayed and their tongue torn.' Julandara looked away, her lip quivering.
'Is it true, father, what the people are saying? Have you condemned the riverfolk to death?' He frowned and stiffened.
'I have decreed it so, yes. And I shall consult with our GREAT father tonight and ask him for guidance.' She just about stifled a sob.
'That is a terrible thing, father. I beseech you, by all things good and by this good place and by the worthiness of your heart, do not slay them.' He looked at her strangely and, leaning in close, whispered to her.
'There is more to this, is there not? Why is the fate of the riverfolk of such importance to you?' She looked away shyly and pursed her lips.
'Father, don't ask such things. It would be unseemly for a daughter to speak of things so low...' Hiwcantar's intelligent eyes caught on to her meaning and he laughed suddenly.
'You are smitten? You find one from amongst them that pleases you?' She covered her face with two hands and looked away. 'So you think they have it in them to be worthy, these riverfolk?' He asked her, lying back down.
'I do father. I think they can be a boon to us, and we a boon to them, if only we brought them close.'
'How can they be a boon to us, daughter, when they are lowly and weak? If we bring them close we may strengthen them, but they will also weaken us.' She shook her head.
'No father! That can never and will never be - for there flows within us the blood of GREAT Cantar. Just as we are a conquering people, ours is a conquering blood. It can never be corrupted or tainted or diluted - it purifies and is not corrupted, strengthens and is not weakened, conquers and is not conquered.'
'You mean to say that we can simply breed them into full-blooded ap-Cantars?' She blushed, though he did not see it in the darkness, then she nodded.
'In so many words, father. Yes. And they are strong - have you looked at them closely? Even their womenfolk... it is not out of weakness that we bested them, it is because they had no knowledge of war or of fighting. They ploughed the land and hunted the river and sea for its richest. If we brought them close and taught them and learned from them... why, we would be the terror of the rivers and deserts and plains.' Hiwcantar considered his daughters words then nodded and patted her shoulder.
'I have heard what you have to say, Julandara, and I shall consider it. Go now. I shall inspect these people more closely and I shall ask GREAT Cantar for guidance.' She kissed his forehead once more and thanked him before leaving the tent. After some time, Hiwcantar rose and walked in the darkness until he came upon a group of the riverfolk sitting around a fire. They looked up at him - women and children mainly, and a few men - with fear. But one of them had anger in her eyes. He gestured for that one to come closer. She looked away and ignored him at first, but then he called out to her and the others forced her up and nudged her towards him. She stormed over to him irritably and stood with her arms crossed.

She had a strong jaw, enticing lips, an elegant, flat, wide nose. Her hair was pitch black and curled in infinitesmally small curls, braided in the way of the riverfolk. He reached out and pinched her arm. Shouting out, she pushed him away forcefully. The chief stumbled back from the strength she displayed. Raising an eyebrow, he smiled. She seemed taken aback by this reaction, but the defiance in her eyes remained. 'You have fire, that is good. And you have strength. A worthy woman.' And so saying he turned away and returned to his tent.

When morning broke he rose and walked to the river bank, where he stood upon a large rock. The people gathered around him and he declared that GREAT Cantar did not wish for the blood of these people - it was of no use to him, exalted and mighty is he! Nor did he require slaves - he was free of need for them, capable of building and fighting without help or aid. But GREAT Cantar would permit these people to prove themselves, and he would honour them and cast his mercy and grace upon them: in the blood of their progeny would flow his blood, and they will be raised and honoured, and they would be ap-Cantars.

'This is the command of GREAT Cantar -

Let your women take of their men,

Those deemed mighty and wise

And your men give to their women

Pleasure between their thighs

So that a race of men should rise

With strength and wisdom and blood ties

To shake the pillars of the skies

So go forth few and many, woo them to your tents and pleasure them and in them. Sow your seeds and make it so that they freely give you their bodies and hearts. And when this our great union bears its fruits, they will be ap-Cantar and our conquest complete!' And his decree given, the chief descended from the rock and went to find and woo a certain fiery-eyed beauty.

***

The banks of the River Tala were fertile. The river itself brimmed with fish, and the Sea of Souls into which it fed was a source of great bounty. The Riverfolk knew well how to salvage the good things of the river and earth and sea. And the ap-Cantar knew well how to raid them and take for themselves what the tip of the spear earned for them. Now that the warrior-race had settled and chosen to uplift and strengthen these unwarring people, the ap-Cantar found in themselves a curiosity and need for the knowledge they had - the survival and growth of Tilaticantar - with its hundreds of denizens - depended on making use of the bounties of earth and river and sea. And so even as the construction of the great town continued, the people set about sowing the fields once more and building fishing boats and preparing fishing nets. The Riverfolk showed them how to harvest salt from the sea and then how to preserve fish and other things in salt. The first of Tilaticantar's buildings to be completed was a great storehouse, and the surplus fish caught was placed in baskets and preserved in salt there.

The fields were sown as they had never been sown in living memory - for now there were no ap-Cantar raiding and looting and casting fear into the hearts of all. When the harvesting season came, the town would be complete and there would be plenty. And there would be bread, and there would be fish, and there would be joy and optimism. And the ap-Cantar would cast their eyes upriver, and they would sharpern their spears...

[Chenzor]

The Levogh - Turn 1

It would seem the Levogh were not the first to arrive here. The ruins they found spoke of a higher civilization of elves that had once lived here, perhaps much like the Levogh had once been.
Whatever ancient elves had once dwelled here were gone now. The Wilder Elves has claimed these forests for themselves, and with it these ruins. This area would become the seat of power once again, for there was something truly alluring and remarkable about these old overgrown buildings. They could provide shelter and were functional in many cases, but what convinced the Levogh to stay here was the breathtaking atchitecture, perfect location and maybe, just maybe, the hand of fate had guided them here.

A) Settle atop the ruins.

While the ruins were beautiful and mysterious, exploring them would have to wait for now. There would be plenty of time to scout out their new home, but so much work cannot be done on empty stomachs. Elves have the gift to grow much food from little land, especially forests like these, and a thousand years of tribal life relocating from one region to the next had done much to teach the Levogh of how to fend for themselves in the wilds.
Nimble elves were sent out. What animals could they hunt or domesticate? What grows here and what can be cultivated?

A) Improve food

[AdorableSaucer]

Orr'gavol: The Hammersworn - Turn 1

Summary below:

My Hider

Option A: Osman manages to quell the commotion with words of reason and arrest the demagogue. The guilty is thrown in a makeshift cage, and the three innocents who were almost hanged are released.

Option C: Improve Infrastructure - Food is certainly scarce, yes, but Osman believes the most urgent task at hand is to build shelter for his people. He ordered his fellow workers to build tents and huts out of whatever they could find, so they at least could keep the souring winds out.

Osman stood with one foot on a rock, leaning on his elevated leg as he scanned the vast plains of grass to the south. It was strange. The acres that had once been full of trees around Gol'kharumm looked very similar to these plains, only not as green - and with far fewer shrubs and far more soot. Behind him stretched the Ancestor Woods for miles and miles, down to the bank of the Darr, and continuing on the other side.

Neither he nor most of his people had ever been this far south of Lake Darr. The air felt more open here - emptier. Osman grunted in disapproval. He turned around to his councilmen of the Union of Glass and the Union of Earth to discuss further action. The recently appointed Elder Calendarmaster, Herim Ore of the Glass Union, was the first to speak:

"Foreman, I fear the stars and clouds tell of grim tidings ahead. I fear we cannot make accurate predictions without our longseers and our charts, but the feathers of heaven all fly south at ever greater speeds. The waters of the Darr grow colder by the day. The snow creeps ever further down the Golumnar. All the signs point to a coming storm - one of horrific and destructive magnitude. It will surely obliterate us all should be meet it unprepared."

Osman bit his lip. He nodded somberly and voiced a cold, simple "I see" before turning to Makkar Stone, speaker for the Earth Union. He looked back at Osman with an equally somber expression, almost a guilty one, as if he felt regret for having to share their findings.

"Foreman, the Elder Calendarmaster speaks true. The nature around us senses it - prepares for it. The berries grow sour and overripe; the last leaves are falling off their branches; the fish are swimming ever deeper. The soil is, luckily, still soft enough to dig through for roots and nuts, but we cannot predict how long it will remain like that. The autumn will turn to winter, and that very soon. We must fill our rucksacks and pockets with all the food we can find before the frost takes it all."

Osman's hope dwindled. While he had gathered himself somewhat after the Calamity, his mind could not help but occasionally stab at his confidence as the foreman. In the meantime, Herim of the Glass Union raised his voice at Makkar, constructing the argument that the roots and nuts could remain fresh and edible under the ground for weeks, whereas the storms would bury all who did not hide behind walls in layers of snow, to which Makkar argued that no creature, not even dwarves, could build homes on empty bellies. The argument grew into a debate, then into a dispute. The voices grew more and more aggressive for every spoked word. Osman's thoughts were soon buried under the layers of insults and threats his councilmen hurled at each other. "SILENCE!" Osman roared, and his councilmen quieted down swiftly.

... But the cacophony of conflict could still be heard, albeit quieter. It came from deeper into the forest. Osman's eyes flared open. His councilmen also turned to look into the forest, unrest fomenting between them. Osman ran towards the woods, beckoning the others to follow him as he sprinted back towards the camp.

Upon arriving back at the clearing they had set up camp in, he and his councilmen stopped and stared in horror at the scene in front of them. In one of the many trees that formed a natural barrier against wind on the northern part of the clearing, hung a rope - tied in a noose - and below the noose knelt three dwarves of different unions, all tied up and wriggling in terror. One of them displayed wounds and bruises on her face, recent in appearance. Before them, a furious mob stood chanting curses and accusations of sacrilege. Osman and his followers stormed over to the crowd and began shoving their way through the mob, whose cries grew louder and angrier at the arrival of the foreman. Once through, Osman walked over and inspected the three accused - their eyes glinting with tears of joy at the arrival of their leader. Osman's black-haired brow hung low with rage and he turned to the crowd, his voice like a hammer striking steel.

"Who is responsible for this? Why would you do this, Unions?! What have these dwarves done?" he bellowed. The mob fell silent. One of them stepped forward. Osman knew him well - it was Joron Scroll, Elder Logmaster of the Union of Copper, and a member of the Worker Council. Osman had never liked Joron - he was more stubborn than most dwarves; he had little to no respect for dwarves of other Unions; and he held to the ancient beliefs of king Popomel. Joron ran a shaking hand through his ashen beard and glared deep into Osman's soul. Osman felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead, but he made an attempt to rise and meet the burning eyes of the elder dwarf.

"Joron Scroll, I see you have stepped forward. Speak before your fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters - what are the crimes of these three?" Osman tried to say calmly, but ended up partially stuttering. Joron flashed a grin of yellow fangs and grey gums.

"The orders from heaven remain vital - perhaps even more now than ever before, foreman. The gods spoke through the mountain - their words brought death, destruction and the loss of the greatest civilisation this world has ever seen. We are all that is left. It is evident we displeased the gods on high, and shamed our ancestors deeply, in our arrogant quest to measure up to them. The heavens decree that such arrogance must be quelled with blood."

Osman turned back to the three, one of whom was now keeling over in tears, whispering desperate apologies to whoever was listening. Sure enough, the three dwarves consisted of one from the Gold Union, known for their ambition to craft godly artifacts; one was of the Phosphorous Union - this one in particular was councilman Erima Rock, an outspoken "world-eye" and well known for her hatred of all religious thought; and one from the Union of Stone. She was the most bruised of the three. Osman did not recognise her at all, and could not think of a link to why she would be accused. Osman's brow fell low once more and he turned back to Joron, who met his eyes with a stern glare.

"Your gods are not mine, Joron, nor are they the gods of those you have accused. The laws of the Reunification are clearer than any order heaven could cast our way! One union's laws are not another's. Your gods are mute to me, just as mine are mute to you. The only crimes you have the right to punish these for are theft, rape, murder and mutiny. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters, you stand before your foreman and all of whom you call family and all who call you family - speak truth, or be forever cast out. Have these three broken any of the Hammersworn collective laws?"

The crowd was silent. Even Joron Scroll kept his words to himself. Osman scanned the crowd, and was met by eyes that glanced away from him as his and theirs met. An oozing aura of shame and discontent flowed through the Hammersworn like oil through a rag, and left a greasy, bitter taste in everyone's mouth. The foreman knelt down and untied the prisoners. Once the prisoners where free, their families, who had either been cowering away from the crowd or fought them until bloody, ran up to comfort them and help them down. Osman followed them with his gaze for a while before turning back to the crowd, specifically to Joron Scroll.

"As for you, Joron Scroll... You may have the favour of your false gods," he said, words which were immediately met by disapproving cries from the Union of Copper, and a furious expression from Joron himself. "But the laws of your people, you have broken. Seize him!" Dwarves from either side of Joron grabbed hold on him and forced him to the ground, much to the protest of Copper unionists, who who pulled at the clothes of those holding Joron and demanded his release.

"For your attempt at sacrificing your fellow sisters, brothers, sons and daughters at the pleasure of the heavens, you shall spend a month in a cage. For your sake, I pray the winter nights are far off." Joron, face white with terror and eyes red with rage, merely lowered his head. The other Unions had begun to push the protestors away, making it easier to bind Joron and escord him to his temporary cell.

Osman let out a groan of exhaustion. With Joron gone, the mob quickly grew less agigated. The bloodthirst, while not quenched, was at least suppressed for the time being. Osman's people looked to their leader for guidance. Osman felt his throat tighten up, but he swallowed and beckoned Makkar and Herim over to stand at his left and right side, respectively.

"The heavens and the earth both have spoken - the winter will soon be upon us. We will need shelter as soon as possible. All of you will work, from oldest greybeard to youngest skinchin. Go out into the woods, find sticks, stock, stone - whatever can be used to build huts and tents. Take whatever pelts you have and fashion them into covers. Build storages for food, tools and materials. Go now, let us show the gods that the Hammersworn never will fade into the dark!"

Osman's words were met with cheer and roars. The crowd quickly dispersed and soon after, every Union's members had begun rebuilding Hammersworn society anew.

[Macadamia Hut]

The Aedelfarri - Turn 1

The foundation of the old Aedel culture is their stories. Sagas that have lived on long after those they were about have been lost to time and with time those same stories were exaggerated and changed beyond recognition, as is the way of oral traditions. Young boys are brought up on tales of daring heroes who conquered the elements and mighty beasts with only a blade in their hands and courage in their hearts. To meet the challenges of the world head on is an honorable thing and it is the only way a self proclaimed king could be allowed to act. For to gain glory and infamy is a mark of success among rulers of the Aedels. However maddening their legacy may be, to gain one is to show you left your mark on the world and to have earned the notice of the angels. Whatever the fate of Waebury and Eric's fledgling kingdom it would never be one of note if its people met their first challenge by hiding or running away.

And so the saga of Eric ap Edrin began as he and his thanes strode into the forboding forest in pursuit of this mystical bear and its hidden choir. In one hand Eric held an iron short sword, in the other he held a small sack of food. If this was some dark fey of the woods that would threaten them then he would meet it in battle and return victorious or die a glorious death. If this was some lost angel of the wilds then he would offer it food and salt as a king should, and earn an ally for his new kingdom and would return in glory. Either way Eric would earn a name for himself.

Back at Waebury

While the warriors set off on their hunt the remaining Aedelfarri were left to busy themselves with the hard work of building a town that would outlast its first winter. For now food was the most pressing concern for the average Aedel family. Farms would take too long to yield real results and their best hunters were away seeking out magical bears. So their eyes fell on something they had become all too familiar with over the past weeks. The sea would serve.

Fishing was one of the few ways to pass the time and make yourself useful on the cramped deck of the longships and the Grass Dogs were a people used to the coast. So with rope salvaged from their new homes and basic tools that had survived the trip they set to crafting nets and hook lines as well as baskets that might capture whatever delicious animals that might live on the sea floor and were beyond the ability of the children to catch.

Orders

Event: C) We should venture into that forest to explore, and perhaps find the source of this heavenly music! Eric enters the forest with the tools of combat and diplomacy in his culture along with a party of warriors.

Action: A) Improve food. A basic fishery is set up in the bay at the foot of Waebury.

[Cyclone]

Turn 2

The Map

The Levogh

Hider

Even as a new elven folk began to settle in, the ruins remained serene and in a timeless silence as they had been for hundreds of years. There were no ghosts among the overgrown buildings.

With hunger pains to contend with, the elves didn't examine the ruins too closely. Most simply claimed a dry place to set down their belongings and prepare some bedding, then ventured out into the woods around in search of food. Even before the elves had settled in for long and left their scent upon the ruined site, it seemed as though most of the local wildlife kept a wide berth. Aside from a few noticeably big owls that nestled in the branches high above and looked down with some interest, there were no animals to be seen in the direct vicinity. It was odd to see the owls awake during the day, but these parts were so quiet that it was not hard to imagine the faintest sounds capable of rousing the birds' slumber. It was if the deer still remembered that spot by the lake as being a city and no place for the wild creatures of the land. Naturally none of the hunters had any luck near the ruins, but those that ventured away and went into other parts of the wood all seemed to come back with considerable bounties.

As in for the other foragers, there were numerous patches filled with what looked like wild blackberries. Disappointingly, the fruits turned out to be black raspberries. Nonetheless, the blow was softened by the discovery of blueberry bushes by the lake's shore. The herbalists soon cleared paths to the berries, and then some of the children were put to work picking the berries and filling entire baskets. There were plenty of white-capped little fungi growing from fallen logs or even patches of earth, but your people were naturally wary of unknown fungi and so avoided them on that first day. When everyone gathered at the ruins once again to retire for the night, they saw a wondrous sight. Above the trees, a waxing moon shone brightly. The odd fungi reflected in the sparse patches of moonlight that fell down between the branches, and the whitecaps seemed to almost glow in the night like little moons of their own, or stars cast down from the sky come to rest upon the ground.

Perhaps those mushrooms have magical properties? So distracted by the mushrooms were the Levogh, that it was several minutes before one finally looked up. When he did, he yelped in surprise; nestled up in the highest branches above were owls. Countless owls, surely numbering in the hundreds; it was hard to tell in the dark. But from the moonlight reflected from the birds' eyes, it was easy to tell that they all were staring down at the Levogh.

What was to be done?

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 142 men, 138 women, 71 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to about 30% of adult population.
Food level: Below Average; improving
Resources: (Potentially magical) moon fungi
Wealth: Nonexistent
Trade: Nonexistent
Growth: Very low; impacted by racial traits and from low food level.
Morale: Average
Foreign relations: None

The Lycan Covenant

Hider

Touching the strange stone and invoking the void gods didn't seem to have any effect, at least not outwardly. Some stood around gawking at it as if expecting it to set the sky aflame or conjure mountains of gold, but nothing of the sort happened. The air about the place did seem to take on a familiar cold, but perhaps that was just their imaginations or a gust of northern wind coming in from the sea. As Vlath was left to wonder about it, the lycans went about trying to carry out his orders of finding some sort of suitable livestock.

The construction of a large pen was easy; they found a flat, open patch of grass and encircled it with fences built from stacked stones in some parts and interwoven logs in the others. The pastures inside the pens were not especially large, but that was a concern that could be dealt with after they found something to put in the pens. A week went by and attempts at rounding up deer failed miserably. The animals would sooner run or thrash until they collapsed utterly spent and literally died of their fatigue, than to submit to being bound. Most would-be wranglers just ended up mangling the deer that they caught; but then at least there was some meat for their troubles. The idea was posed to perhaps try a gentler approach; what nearby deer hadn't already been hunted could perhaps be regularly given food until they no longer feared lycans. Then, they could perhaps be handled more easily. But there was the ever-present concern of just how they would feed a great herd of deer, and of whether mere fences would be enough to keep the animals enclosed.

Perhaps the most promising idea was to actually abandon the idea of keeping deer as livestock, and to instead turn towards the rabbits and hares that were even more abundant in the area. Although only morsels, the rabbits could be bred quickly and would be much easier to handle. Some were already getting to work on designing traps that would hopefully allow them to capture live rabbits. In time, they would hopefully find success. When Vlath left them to their devices and went to check back upon the stone, he noticed something: along the bottom of the obelisk, tiny cracks were visible. They branched out in maddening shapes and fractals. Had those cracks been there before?

In any case, there was still a chilling bite to the air around the obelisk. There was definitely a northerly wind; Vlath could see it carrying black stormclouds in from the sea. But somehow, the wind didn't seem quite as cold when he paced a short distance away from the stone.

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 123 men, 122 women, 51 pups.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to about 30% of adult population.
Food level: Below Average; being improved
Resources: None
Wealth: Nonexistent
Trade: Nonexistent
Growth: Low; impacted from low food level.
Morale: Average
Foreign relations: None

Attolia

Hider

The plan of Lord Attolis seemed a rational and well-thought one, so the elves were quick to set about finding a suitable herd to stalk. The plains aurochs was not a small or quiet animal when moving in herds, so that part did not take long. Following the beasts was what became time consuming. The wild cows of course stopped at most of the muddy pits on their way, but sure enough, after some time they did eventually wander a few days' travel northeast and stop at a shallow but large pool that they had seemingly found from memory.

Upon close inspection, the oasis seemed to be fed by springs. It would make a fine place to claim and use throughout the year, for even its water seemed clearer and of better quality than almost any of the other watering holes strewn across the steppe. Of course, that was before the entire herds of aurochs began stomping through it and muddying the waters. Nonetheless, the Attolians relocated their campsites to the respite of that oasis. The aurochs didn't seem to greatly mind the presence of elves in the distance, but upon approaching, the animals quickly became irritated and the herd prone to stampeding. While settling in, the Attolians did their best to give the animals a wide berth.

Perhaps from that mutual respect for the wildlife as well as their prayers, some of the elves claimed to have seen the spirit of a wild boar as it slowly sauntered towards the west.

The spirit

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 121 men, 123 women, 62 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 30% of adult population.
Food level: Below Average
Resources: Horses (A small number)
Wealth: Nonexistent
Trade: Nonexistent
Growth: Very low; impacted by racial traits and from low food level.
Morale: Average
Foreign relations: None

The ap-Cantar

Hider

The mercy of Hiwcantor came as a relief met with tears and near disbelief from many of the locals, and the expected sighs of admonishment from a few wary voices among the ap-Cantar themselves. But Hiwcantor was crowned with wisdom and knew the will of the Mighty, so none among his flock questioned his decision after the fact. The expertise of the riverfolk was a great asset, and many among the ap-Cantar made eager students in the crafts of fishing and tilling and sowing seeds. The riverfolk did things as was their tradition, and soon enough the land blossomed and was fruitful. The riverfolk in turn proved to be strong just as Julandara had said, and when given spears and set to spar, it became apparent that many among them had great potential. The fires of Cantor were already settling into their blood!

The great storehouse soon began to rise from the ground as the morning sun rose from over the Sea of Souls. They made a skeleton of wooden rafters, then gave flesh and form to the wooden ribcage using adobe and bricks made from drying and casting mud from along the Tala's banks, and to keep out scavengers and pests they began to dry reeds and plant fronds to create a roof. But the night before it was set to be complete, there was a comet in the sky. A sigil and a blessing from Cantor! All went outside to the Tala's banks to witness it, from the smallest of children grasping onto their mothers' breasts to the oldest of wizened men with glazed eyes.

But then, the waters reflected another glow. Wifts of smoke found their way to the riverside just as the tribe recognized the orange light of a roaring inferno as the object reflected in the dark river. They spun around and witnessed the storehouse aflame. In a panic, all grabbed pails and jars and began to carry water to the storehouse to appease the ravenous flames, but it was too little too late. The walls were cracked and blackened, the timber supports reduced to ash and nothingness, and what baskets of fish had already been moved there were lost. The tribe was up throughout that entire night in a fury; none had seen the perpetrators of the arson, so naturally some suspected the work of a demon. Perhaps they had settled too close to the Yellow Scourge.

But then came morning, and all noticed the absence of one Mewar and his closest of kin. Mewar had been one of the riverfolk, and after so many days he had tested the tribe's patience by claiming to have still not found an ap-Cantor woman suitable to be his wife. Instead, he had devoted all of his energy towards learning the arts of warcraft, and he had shown promise indeed. So it was worrying that he had spat upon the mercy of Hiwcantor, and in an act of heinous treachery allegedly fled upriver to take shelter in the arms of those yet-unconquered peoples dwelling there.

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 220 men, 244 women, 103 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 40% of adult population.
Food level: Average
Resources: None
Wealth: Nonexistent
Trade: Nonexistent
Growth: Average
Morale: Low, from the burning of the storehouse and sudden loss of much food
Foreign relations: None

The Mustaqilun Tribe

Hider

Riverforge begins as a cluster of hovels built into and around a few of the more prominent caves down the western fork. Most of these caverns are more like mere cavities in the canyon walls, while another one leads some ways back before there's a pile of rubble. At some point in the past, it seems that there was a cave-in which blocked off whatever part of the cavern system might have been one farther back. It serves as a good warning, and the builders make sure to create artificial supports within the caves that are being used. There is one small cave of particular interest that acts as just the entrance to a respectably large chamber farther back. The place is dark and damp, so for fear of rot and rats nobody wants to live down there or even use it to store food, but it makes a decent place to stockpile tools, building materials, and other miscellaneous things.

Outside is where most of the fortification takes place. In a nearby, particularly narrow bend of the river, a stone wall was built to extend from the edge of the canyon right into the river. There isn't a gate for the wall yet, but it still effectively narrows the path so much that it's hard for two orcs to walk abreast through the wall. Any would-be attackers coming up the river would meet that wall, and be faced with the choice of either trying to march through the river with its rapids and jagged rocks, or allow the wall to funnel them into that tiny gap where they could easily be repelled.

Riverforge's defensiveness is further improved as walls are built to turn the gaping entrances to some of the caves into more like fortified stone houses. That also serves to keep the caves from flooding when rain drains into them, as well as making them feel more comfortable.

Even though they certainly aren't living in luxury, the Mustaqilun tribe is in good spirits and is in a safer position than they've ever been in. Or so Rukdug thought, until one of the hunters went missing.

His name was Morog, and he had been a robust and capable enough orc. It seemed unlikely that he would have simply slipped and died due to the treacherous terrain, and that his body was never found makes the possibility seem even more unlikely. He had ventured out with two others but after having little luck finding game, eventually Morog made the fateful decision to split off from the other two and hunt alone; the others report that they aren't quite sure where Morog could have gone, but one of them thought he heard a distant roar at some point during the night after the other had already fallen asleep. With that in mind, many think that perhaps Morog was found and killed by some sort of predator. The deer do seem surprisingly scarce in these rugged parts, after all. Others suspect foul play from the other two hunters.

In any case, until they determine the fate of Morog, some hunters and foragers are reluctant to venture far from the safety of their newly fortified settlement. Those that do leave have been doing so in larger groups.

Still, life goes on, and there is more to be done.

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 180 men, 182 women, 81 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 60% of adult population.
Food level: Below Average
Resources: River stones (moderate amount; being gradually depleted)
Wealth: Nonexistent
Trade: Nonexistent
Growth: Low; impacted from low food level and morale.
Morale: Slightly shaken; mostly due to Morog's disappearance, also due to lack of food
Foreign relations: None

Orr'gavol: The Hammersworn

Hider

With Osman's timely intervention, the peace is restored and most rest easy once more. Worry over the looming winter once again brings a sharp clarity and unity to the dwarves' every movement, and it becomes easier to focus upon the labors before them. Though many among them are private folk that would have rather had spaces and houses of their own, issues of practicality take precedence; it is easier to heat and build a few large buildings rather than dozens of small houses, so while everyone makes their own makeshift lean-to or huts for the first few weeks, work in earnest begins upon a few large communal homes.

The soil of the forest here drains well, so building underground doesn't pose much risk of flooding. To ease in insulation as well as hasten construction, the dwarves decide to have their homes half-buried. While some began to to gather fallen branches and sticks or even fell fresh trees for new lumber, others dug square foundations down into the ground. Large logs were set upright along the dirt walls of the pits, and then the upturned earth and sod was used to fill in the gaps and make thick walls. The houses were then roofed and the insides threshed with various plant fibers; taking the time to build true floors was a luxury that could not be afforded. Within a fortnight, a half dozen of these structures had been built, with each one having its own firepit prepared inside. The Hammersworn were certainly all cramped when they shared the single-roomed houses with dozens of their fellow, but with these hastily assembled shelters and a way to keep warm, living conditions would be bearable during the winter.

Perhaps they would eventually be able to have their own homes built in the years to come, and then these squat houses could be relegated to use as storehouses or something of the like. That seemed too far into the future to plan for, though; there were more immediate concerns for the Hammersworn. The first true snows had not yet come, gods be blessed, but when they did it would become much harder to forage for food, explore the surroundings, or see any additional construction projects done. Time was of the essence.

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 203 men, 202 women, 92 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 30% of adult population.
Food level: Below Average
Resources: None
Wealth: Nonexistent
Trade: Nonexistent
Growth: Low; impacted from low food level.
Morale: Slightly above average (order restored)
Foreign relations: None

The Aedelfaari

Hider

When Eric and his best warriors and hunters delved into the musical forest, they immediately set about following their only lead by tracking the bear that had been spotted earlier. The animal had left in something of a hurry, journeying quite literally directly into the forest and towards the heart of the woodland, so following it wasn't hard. They soon knew that they were within the bear's territory, for along the way they passed numerous trees with clawmarks up and down the trunks. Still, the bear went through those parts that were its favorite place and kept going.

There had been only the birdsongs of a normal forest all this time, with none of the music that they had heard during Eric's coronation. But then, there was one sharp note that seemed to echo from everywhere around them. After only a brief time, traversing the forest suddenly became nigh impossible. It had gotten gradually denser and more difficult to travel through as they ventured deeper and deeper, but not long after leaving the bear's territory did the greenery engulf its tracks altogether. The party might have kept going and made the wager that the animal wouldn't have changed directions after going so long and so intently one way, but even if they wanted to go farther into the forest it would have been impossible. It was as if the trees themselves had been roused from slumber and told to bar their path; branches and roots seemed unnaturally woven together like fences to block their path. Forced to turn back and either abandon the hunt or perhaps loop around this part of the woods, the Aedels then found the path behind them similarly made virtually unpassable.

There was a moment of sharp fear among many of the thanes when they thought themselves trapped and about to be consumed by the wood, but then Eric noticed a small game trail. They began to follow it, and surely enough, the going was very easy. Now it felt as if the forest itself was funneling them somewhere. It seemed as if it had brought them back to the bear's territory in a circuitous fashion, but right there before them was something that they had overlooked in their eagerness the first time: upon a tree was carved a sort of picture, rather than just a series of scratches.

How the Aedels would reconstruct the picture when speaking of it to the others

It was of a bipedal creature with hooves for feet and yet fingers upon its hands, a furry hide and the head of a deer complete with horns. It was hard to tell just how big the figure was supposed to be, but the imagery of its likeness upon that trunk was nonetheless still enough to inspire a mix of awe and fear. It now seemed almost doubtless that that creature (or those creatures?) were responsible for the music that they had heard from the forest. Its power was surely formidable, but perhaps it wasn't hostile.

Back in Waebury, fishing began in earnest and the sea of these areas quickly proved bountiful. Racks were set up in short order; however, the seagulls took interest and pilfered many a fish as it was hanging to dry. There was talk of perhaps building a smokehouse and then a storehouse to store the preserved fish as well as whatever other foods made themselves available throughout the year.

A) Improve food
B) Improve military technology
C) Improve infrastructure
D) Improve culture
E) Explore
F) Improve resources/technology
G) Prospect the land
H) Expand military
I) Take diplomatic action
X) Other

Population: 181 men, 181 women, 76 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 30% of adult population.
Food level: Lower side of average
Resources: None
Wealth: Nonexistent
Trade: Nonexistent
Growth: Average
Morale: Mixed; some in high morale from heavenly music and the coronation, others frightened by the music and the forest
Foreign relations: Creatures of the Forest: ???

[Bright_Ops]

The Mustaqilun Tribe [Turn 2]

Summery

Event: Rukdug is attacking the problem in four different but connected ways.
1. Tried to calm his peoples nerves by changing the story from 'Morog was killed by a big scary monster' to 'Morog was a moron who wandered off alone into unknown, hostile territory and he'll be shoveling shit for the rest of his life if he's still alive'.
2. He's declared that all orcs that can wield a weapon should have one on them at all times, if not close at hand if they can't have it on them to help them protect themselves and others.
3. Until further notice, hunting parties going out are to be 5 hunters at the smallest. Larger groups require permission from the Warchief/Regent with a valid reason for the extra hunters. 5 is considered the perfect balance of strength/safety in numbers and being able to move and stealthy to actually catch prey.
4. Rukdug is taking a team of 4 other hunters and trackers, as well as the two orcs from Morog's hunting party, to find where Morog split off from the group and follow his trail to find out what happened to him and if he is actually dead (he is called Rukdug the Hunter for a reason after all). Said two orcs have been promised that if not enough evidence of what happened to Morog can be found, they will be found guilty of his murder and horribly interesting things will happen to them for the rest of their short lives.

Action: A) Improve food

Captain Nyorgha the Liberator has been left as regent warchief while Rukdug is out hunting and has been left with an important job: Find a food source stable enough to last the orcish tribe until at least farms can be sown and crops grown. Rukdug made several suggestions but made it clear that as long as she find at least one method of keeping them all fed without resorting to eating each other, he doesn't care what she picks.

"For farks sake! I didn't think gathering everyone here to have this talk was needed because it was basic common sense, but clearly I was wrong because... what was his name?" Rukdug's angry rant was briefly put on hold as the name of the exact target of his ire had briefly escaped him. Shortly after one of the hunters had gone missing and the two 'survivors' of the group returned, the Warchief had taken the time to gather everyone who was currently in camp in order to have a little chat...

Even as the crowd had been gathered it was clear that there was some degree of concern in the air; Not fear, but between an idiot wandering off on his own and disappearing and the dwindling food stores, the possibility of a bad future was drifting into view like a dark storm cloud. Action had to be taken and taken now, before the situation had the chance to spiral out of control.

Shaking his head and making a dismissive gesture big enough to be seen by most of the crowd, Rukdug swung back into irritated leader mode before anyone else in the crowd had a chance to actually call out Morog's stupid name. "Bah! Doesn't matter what his name was, if he's still alive when I find him his name is going to be changed to shithole digger; His punishment for stupidly going into unknown and hostile terrain alone will be to dig and clean out cesspits until the day he farking dies!"

Even as the beginnings of a murmur started to raise in the crowd, Rukdug brought his hands together in a thunderous clap to silence his listeners and keep the focus on him and what he was saying. "We're going to be going back to basics here people! The very stuff that was beaten into your skulls since the day you were able to crawl. Until further notice, the following is to be considered law until we are in a position where we can change them."

Taking a deep breath, he began. "Rule number one: At all times, all orcs able to wield a weapon is to have one close at hand, if not on their body at all times. Simple enough, most of you do it anyway already. It's just common sense."

"Rule number two: Until we have a better lay of the land and knowledge of what lives here, all hunting parties heading out into the wilderness are to be made up of no less then five hunters. Forming a hunting party larger then five requires my personal blessing with a reasonably valid reason for the extra bodies. Now before any of you start whining, I did the math; There is little in this world that could survive five orc hunters working together to bring it down and five hunters is the perfect mix of safety in numbers while still being quick and stealthy enough to actually catch something. You're not coddled humans or prissy elves, you're orcs so act like it!"

For the first time since his commanding rant had started, Rukdug actually paused long enough to let the crowd absorb what he was saying. Taking the chance to catch his breath fully, when he started shouting again it lacked the angry bite that it had while he was explaining the rules of common sense. "Now that's out of the way... Luza, Glomp, get your asses out here front and center!"

Luza and Glomp, the two orcs from the hunting trip that Morog was lost on, scrambled out of their spots at the front of the crowd and stood ridgy at attention; A hold over from Warchief Pash the Glutten, whom was prone to arbitrarily killing those who didn't show enough respect when he had deemed fit to give them an audience. The two were sweating, nerves eating them from the inside out as Rukdug looked from one to the other.

Then he smiled. They started to sweat more. "Luza, Glomp... I'm going to give you something that would never have happened across the sea. I'm going to give you the chance to prove yourselves innocent." The crowd went deathly quiet, staring at history in the making before them as Luza and Glomp stood there, stunned before Rukdug explained what was going to happen. "The two of you, myself and four hunters and trackers of my choice are going to find the spot were Morog parted ways from your group to go off on his own and then follow his trail to discover his fate. If your story checks out you will be found innocent; If we cannot find Morog or enough evidence to rule out foul play on your parts... well, the rest of your short lives are going to be frightfully interesting..."

Watching as the two 'hunters' gulped in fear, Rukdug turned his attention away from them for one final announcement. "Until my return, Captain Nyorgha is in charge. Nyorgha, I would speak with you before my departure. Everyone else, you're dismissed. We've all got work to do."

.......................................................

Once it was just Rukdug and Nyorgha, the Warchief felt himself relax a little. There were few orcs in his life before they crossing that he trusted and Nyorgha the Liberator was one of them. She had just been a grunt when he had first met her and took her on as one of his squad. Through at times she annoyed the hell out of him, she had proven herself time and time again to be competent and loyal; attributes that had helped her rise to be the youngest captain in the known history of Nomar during the removal of of that fat fool Pash.

Attributes that would serve him well still.

"What do you need me to do Rukdug?" She asked, getting straight to the point for once due to the seriousness of the situation.

"I need you to find and secure some kind of stable food source... or at least stable enough that we can get some farms going. Send out hunting parties, gather and pen animals, forage for fruits and roots... hell, if you can somehow manage it make some nets that we can stick in the river to catch fish. I don't care what you get or how you get it, just make it happen."

Nyorgha smirked at the request. "That all? Consider it done."