Pirate

Civilization - A New End (2.5)

The Children of Artemon

D) Construction was complete and they could once again turn to higher pursuits within the safety of their new walls. For all their dedication to the gods, they were sorely lacking a real place of worship beyond the small makeshift shrines that had been created in absence of a real temple. Even Halwen, for all his wilful pragmatism, did not oppose a change in this matter. With their resources, both materially and in people, they could not hope to match the myriad of marble temples that covered their homeland. But wood was itself not an inherently simple or ugly material to work with, given the right amount of skill and effort. At the middle of the village a grand temple, a pantheon, would be built, designed to accommodate worship of all the gods. With their woodworkers' craftsmanship and colors taken from their natural goods and their new mine's minerals, they intended to make it a beautiful and unmistakeable sight. A tower would reach high, crowned by a silver disc, to be visible for all those working in the countryside surrounding Duinmelamar. The gods were central to the high elves and their temple would be the centre of their new home.

Various idols would have to be produced. For Orowuen, from silver, for Artemon, from iron, for Belia, from glass, etc. for all of them to take their place within the temple. However one of their gods was not spoken of. All the gods were necessary for a complete society, but his very name awoke fear and resentment among the children, for they remembered the crimes committed against them in his name.

Summary

Build a big temple

1x1 Fantasy Civilization RP

The orcs grumbled, but they trusted the wisdom of their chieftain. The tower was soon erected and the river as well as the plains beyond were soon watched day and night. Over the flat landscape no one would be able to approach or repeat the earlier insult unnoticed, except in the darkest night or through the thick forests to the north.

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: 130 men, 130 women, 50 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 60% of adult population. (Higher than most races due to being savage orcs).
Food level: Above Average
Resources: Lumber, some bog iron
Wealth: Non-existent
Trade: Non-existent
Growth: Good
Morale: Angry at foreigners
Infrastructure: Eastern watch tower, storehouse
Foreign relations:
Dwarves - No contact
Horned Strangers - Hostile

1x1 Fantasy Civilization RP

Among the mountains to the north, the orcs found wild goats who were soon wrestled into submission and brought back as new farm animals. Like the pigs they could be slaughtered for meat, but they are also good for fibers and milk. With new tools in their hands and plentiful access to lumber, the settlement was quickly starting to resemble a real orcish village and the great storehouse they had built began to fill with dried meats and other goods.

One of the woodcutters came hurriedly to the chieftain. He had walked along the river on his way north when he saw something strange on the other side. Five skulls had been impaled on sticks and placed surrounding a pelt. When he swam over, he was disturbed to discover that the skulls had all belonged to orcs and the pelt was actually the skin of an orc. He had seen nothing else out of the ordinary, no movement or anything, and come back immediately.

One who knew him intimately might recognise the skin to have been that of Tuskor.

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: 125 men, 125 women, 45 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 60% of adult population. (Higher than most races due to being savage orcs).
Food level: Above Average
Resources: Lumber, some bog iron
Wealth: Non-existent
Trade: Non-existent
Growth: Good
Morale: Optimistic
Foreign relations:
Dwarves - No contact
Horned Strangers - Hostile

Civilization - A New End (2.5)

The Children of Artemon

F) Iron, silver, silversteel, it was everything they could have asked for and more. In sufficient quantities it could fulfill all their needs for tools as well as equipment for their warriors. Out of the silver they can create wondrous items of beauty, both for themselves and as trade goods or idols to the gods. It was a strategic resource beyond anything they had found so far and a group of elf-at-arms were quickly sent to garrison the mine. There can be there no doubt who the wealth of the caves belongs to. Besides, the safety of their miners had to be ensured and they still did not know what had happened to the previous denizens.

The question of sacrifice proved a conundrum for Aleon. The truth is that his knowledge of the implications of the ritual were limited. How long they would be in that form and how much of their former being would remain were questions for which he could find no answer. Even their souls could be at risk dabbling in this magic which they did not fully understand. How could he ask anyone to make such an uncertain sacrifice? To throw away their own being and walk into the unknown?

Furthermore their myths warned extensively about the destructive power of the flames. The legends contain stories of how Artemon had to guard the fires of his forge jealously against those who would use them for murder and mayhem. Among mortals, there was no doubt of the carnage it can bring. A single accident can burn entire cities to the ground and a dry season needs but a spark to devastate an entire countryside. Of course, they had found ways to alleviate these natural catastrophes, but there could be no doubt that power over fire was a terrible responsibility. He had to follow Artemon's example and make sure that it remained in the hands of the just.

Sum

Send guards and miners to begin extraction in the mines

1x1 Fantasy Civilization RP

Victory or death! The powerful orc charged across the field. The javelin flew and hit true, planting itself in the orc's chest. But Tuskor staggered for only a moment before the charge continued. Surprised by the speed and tenacity, the stranger fumbled and was unable to brace his spear properly as his opponent closed in. The spear merely grazed the orc's side as he smashed into the stranger, impaling him on his own spear. For all the shine of his skin, his flesh was as weak any other and with his heart pierced, he collapsed before the orc. Blood filled Tuskor's lungs and as his life quickly faded he saw other men approaching in the distance.

---

Two smiths, Darog and Raznok, came before the acting chieftain with an argument. They were united on one stance; their supply of iron was too limited to suit all the needs of the clan and something had to be prioritised. Raznok argued "We are born warriors and in this land there are already battles to be fought. To the south there are dwarves whose intentions we do not know, to the east our scouts have disappeared and what threats lie beyond the forest we do not yet know. We must forge weapons to defend ourselves and avenge our fallen brothers should we need to." Darog disagreed "It is hasty to devote ourselves to weaponsmithing when we do not yet know of any real threat. Trusting the words of the scouts, the dwarfs to our south are no great threat and for all we know the scouts to the east are on their way back as we speak. Our priority must be new tools, to hasten our felling of the forest and the building of our new home. Rather than insult our legacy by giving our warriors weapons made of cheap iron, we can build palisades to strengthen ourselves against all possible threats."

1) Devote the iron to new woodworking and cutting tools.
2) Devote the iron to the making of weapons
3) Acting Chieftain Garogh thinks of a better idea

While the smiths get to work, there is room for other activities.

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, 40 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 60% of adult population. (Higher than most races due to being savage orcs).
Food level: Average, growing
Resources: Lumber, some bog iron
Wealth: Non-existent
Trade: Non-existent
Growth: Above Average
Morale: Optimistic
Foreign relations:
Dwarves - No contact
Horned Strangers - Hostile

Civilization - A New End (2.5)

The Children of Artemon

When Halwen spoke of the need to build walls to compensate for their numbers he had left one obvious truth unspoken. What kept their homeland safe was neither their skill at war, the quality of their arms nor the grandness of their fortifications, though they took pride in all these things. It was their mastery of magic, which reached beyond that of any other race, that was the foundation of their greatness. However among the ranks of the worshippers of Artemon such skills were sorely lacking. Magic had become almost exclusively the domain of mages, who worship the arcane goddess of mysteries Belia. Such was their mastery that other forms of magic had become obsolete and obscure.

This is where Craftspriest Aleon realised his destiny. Not only had he been lead here to guide the children spiritually, but to provide them with the tools for their survival. They lacked the vast libraries and decades of study that were required to unravel the mysteries of Belia and her arcane teachings. But Aleon prayed that they may be able to revive a more ancient form of magic, a more fundamental and natural magic in direct worship of the gods. To this end, he dedicated himself wholly to studying the religious texts he had brought with him and to pray at his altar in search of divination.

Among the teachings of Artemon he found the Ritual of the Flames. He could at once see a reason why it had fallen into disuse, for it required an elf to sacrifice their mortal body in order to become one with Artemon's fire and acquire mastery over its powers. Further still, it required a collection of different reagents, the most inaccessible being the specific need for volcanic ash. From wood, he carved an idol. Not to Artemon, but to Belia. It was a meagre offering, but he hoped that she would see that they had little else to offer. He prayed to the idol, seeking to gain Belia's blessing in order to unravel the continent's mysteries and divine the if and where of any volcanoes.

E) The red and purple skies and the darkness that descended were frankly terrifying to the elves. Their first thoughts were of divine punishment and evil magic. They sought the shelter of their homes, praying for it to pass, while the storm and rising river washed away whatever had been hurriedly left outside. The great roaring lightning bolt shook the whole village, but they were soon relieved to see that it had struck far away and no lasting damage had been done as the worst of the storm finally passed. The next day the storm had passed entirely and they could resume work on the wall under the sun's warm light.

A party of scouts were immediately assembled and sent east to investigate the point where it had struck.

E) They still awaited the return of the scouts and prospectors from the caves to the north east.

Summary

Aleon seeks to divine the location of a volcano for ritual reagents, scouts are sent to where the lightning bolt struck, await return of scouts sent to the caves

Civilization - A New End (2.5)

The Children of Artemon

Life in Duinmelamar felt increasingly idyllic. They were growing, prospering. Their bellies were full and their hands busy. There was once again time for dance, music and games. They were no longer simply on the run, struggling to survive; they had made a new home for themselves. But they could never forget the hardships they suffered on the way here, nor the hardships that may yet come. At Celebrimbor, they had been at the brink of annihilation. Their brothers, sons and fathers had not only been beaten in battle but devoured by the foul orcs and in the days that followed they had allowed themselves to be gripped by panic and despair. During their entire journey to where Duinmelamar now lies they had been practically defenceless and would have been hopeless victims to any threat they might have faced.

Some desired that the council put their energy towards building a temple, where they might pray for the health of their future children among other things. But what purpose would that serve, when at any moment the Iceborn could sail up the river and put it to the torch? They could not afford to be naive. The Iceborn had not been explicitly hostile to them but neither had they done anything to engender their trust. The orcs, however far away they might be, still roamed this continent and in every direction new threats might lurk. Council leader Halwen made it clear that their priority must be defence.

B/C) What the elves lacked in number, they must make up in quality. They might lack the metals to create the best of armors, but the giant's leather was known to be particularly tough. The leatherworkers would get to work on hardening it and fashioning it into armor, so that their soldiers may be better protected. More ambitiously, the carpenters and workers were to get to work on constructing a proper wall to surround their settlement, with gates, platforms and towers that their bowmen may shoot from. The rivers were also to be blocked as to stop ships from directly entering the village from the east and west. Effective fortifications would be a great equaliser against a numerically superior force.

Summary

Leather armor for the soldiers, walls for Duinmelamar

1x1 Fantasy Civilization RP

Searching around their territory, the orcs found little resources of immediate value, it seemed this area's greatest richest were in the natural - good earth, good hunting, good forest. Until one of them made a notable find. Following the river up north into the forest, the land turned wetter and in the swamps she found something great: iron. It was bog iron, low in quality and quantity, but iron all the same.

Tuskor crossed the river east and went out alone into the unknown. As before, there was nothing, no trace, for miles. Until suddenly he noticed trampled ground of volume that must have been produced by a large party carrying heavy loads. Before he could think any further, he was interrupted by a sudden pain as his head twisted to the side. A javelin had passed just by his head, ripping off half his ear and planting itself into the ground in front of him. Turning around and looking for the attacker, he saw a being with a body that resembled a human's, but it was taller and its skin was metallic copper, its face was utterly alien and from its head protruded two long horns. It stood with a long spear in one hand and with the other it produced another javelin from its belt. It shouted, but the words Tuskor could not understand..

Population: 118 men, 118 women, 40 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 60% of adult population. (Higher than most races due to being savage orcs).
Food level: Average, growing
Resources: Lumber, some bog iron
Wealth: Non-existent
Trade: Non-existent
Growth: Above Average
Morale: Optimistic
Foreign relations:
Dwarves - No contact
Horned Strangers - Hostile

1x1 Fantasy Civilization RP

The storehouse was duly constructed, though at the moment they really lacked a surplus to store, leaving it mostly empty. The land receptive to their work and soon much of their surrounding territory had been turned into farmland, though it would take a while before these efforts bore fruits. The swineherds got to work, they took the pigs grazing among the woodsmen where the pigs feasted in delight upon mushrooms and other low vegetation, growing plump and fat. The swinefarms were soon built and the swine prospered.

Tuskor returned to Goragh with important news. Following the river south they eventually came upon a hilly landscape. Upon one of the hills they spotted a watch tower and luckily it seemed they were not spotted in kind. Fortunately, the natural colors of the greenskins makes for natural camouflage and among the hills it was easy to hide. The party had continued forward, avoiding the tower to scout further ahead and perhaps learn who built it. When they reached beyond the hills and into the river valley they noticed a small village and spotted its inhabitants. They were dwarves, small and bearded creatures of the earth. Their village however was a sad sight and not what one would expect from one of the world's most famed races of craftsmen. The houses were ramshackle, built without much care or passion. They had also spotted pigs and it was the scouts' best guess that they slept together with the dwarves in their homes. The only notable building was the blacksmith in the centre of the main village. Tuskor made note that there were warriors among the dwarfs, who carried crossbows and wore what, at a distance, appeared to be mail armor. Their homes were spread among the valleys in the hills and Tuskor guessed that their total number was significantly lesser than the orcs' own.

Foreign territory

The other party had yet to return from the east. Even waiting a couple of days they still did not arrive, which might concern Tuskor who had given them instructions that should have lead them to return home at about the same time.

Population: 114 men, 114 women, 37 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 60% of adult population. (Higher than most races due to being savage orcs).
Food level: Below average, growing rapidly
Resources: Some lumber
Wealth: Non-existent
Trade: Non-existent
Growth: Average
Morale: Optimistic
Foreign relations:
Dwarves - No contact

1x1 Fantasy Civilization RP

The hunters went west, felling deer and even a bear, bringing back needed food for the clan and offering a welcome chance for the hunters to hone their skills in warfare. The orcs begin to cut down the woods without incident, the steady stream of lumber coming back is turned into shelter, though for now it amounts to little more than hovels. Tuskor organises 2 main parties of scouts, taking separate ways from the hunters and woodcutters one party follows the river south while the other goes east, back in the direction they came from to see what the plains have to offer.

[Scouting results in 1 turn]

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: 112 men, 112 women, 34 children.
Military: No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 60% of adult population. (Higher than most races due to being savage orcs).
Food level: Below average
Resources: Some lumber
Wealth: Non-existent
Trade: Non-existent
Growth: Average
Morale: Indifferent
Foreign relations: You do not know any other civilizations.