Self, it reasoned, must be an illusion. As evidence it put forth that a few days ago there was not self, and now there was. From this evidence it further conjectured that self was an externally imposed illusion. From this it decided that self only existed when observed.
This left it with a question: could self be altered by altering how it is perceived? Squirrels recognize each other by sight and sound, so by changing its appearance might it change its self.
This this end it has daubed its fur with different shades of mud to see how they dry, it has applied various colorful berry juices to see how they stain. It has even, in a fit of manic experimentation, used sticky sap to attach a leaf to its head.
Now it watches its fellow squirrels to see if their perception of it will change, and if that will change it in turn.
Small pit is enough to contain fires well enough.
The bigger thing will be keeping a fire going after we found a natural source until we figure out how to make it on our own/with tools.
He's writing the update, so kinda no.
But also Wood Mastery isn't going to finish this post so changing the number doesn't change anything this post. So kinda yeah.
The Squirrel Sect has been hard at work. They have experimented further with the limits of their materials. They have discovered amber and made their first tools. They are officially in the stone age. They have started the tool cycle looking into using their tools to make tools. The snowball of scientific progress is small but it is rolling down hill.
They have decided to build either in the trees or under them. Using branches or dirt from safety. Their enhanced intelligence makes them more aware of their limitations not less. Yet they have learned how to do so and already made their first farm. Sure it is a simple dirt cave under tree roots, but they have filled it with mushrooms and a few dead bugs. It is a farm. It is agriculture. it is society.
One among them has started to show signs of art. Trying to modify themselves with dirt and mud to be more aesthetically pleasing which inspired others to draw upon a leaf. Already the little furry critters are making great progress in so many ways.
They have seen no evidence of any predators today. A complete absence which is a reason to celebrate but also a reason to fear. Has something killed them? Have they fled? Something else? They do not know.
The first among them has broken through the first barrier of cultivation. Something normally done by young human children with no resources. Yet still it has been done by a squirrel by eating Qi acorns. Now the first of their kind is much stronger, faster, smarter and tougher. Maybe 30% in every way, yet a warrior 30% better in every way is far more than 30% more deadly. How many will follow in it's footsteps? How much further will it go?
We shall see.
(Pictured: Opportunity)
Search for natural resources: @Donkey Hote: You have found a squirrels stash where they buried several acorns. Except unknowingly this creature stored QI acorns. This stash can be raided by the sect.
@WhoTheHeckity : You have found a human foot print not terribly far from the 12 trees. Someone may be able to investigate and see where the human came from or was going to.
@EclipsedStar : You have found amber. A sweet sticky material that hardens after being taken from a tree. This has many uses for a tribe just learning construction and crafting though it will take time to find all of them (Will gain more uses for amber by leveling up agriculture mastery)
@Doccer : Deep in the forest you see something happening far far from your tribe. Great bellowing towers of smoke. A forest fire. In the distance you can see the storm that caused it and lightning striking the ground igniting it repeatedly even as the rain fights the fire. A group of your could go. You don't know how many days the forest fire will rage for but you suspect if you don't leave within 3 your odds go down. However if a group could make it there and back they could return with flame and all the opportunity it adds.
Cultivation: @goable: When is a squirrel more than a squirrel? When it cultivates and becomes more Squirrel than the squirrels around them. The first break through does not come gently. It feels like every muscle tearing and every bone breaking, the pain however is only for a split second. Then comes the relief. Pain is suddenly gone but more than that. Suddenly you are faster, stronger, your thoughts seem to come faster and more smoothly. Every aspect of you feels better except for one, the entire place reeks the most terrible stench of your short life.
You look around and see some type of thick black sludge had been expelled from your body. It will need to be cleaned before that area of tree is usable once more.
(Check cultivation mechanics for the effects lore wise you are about 30% better in every measurable way)
@Random Member : Your cultivation has broken. Qi is leaking from your body and you can not seem to contain any for long. You can feel your mind slipping and slowing becoming more simple and natural. You are reverting to an ordinary squirrel. Yet something saves you just in time. A Qi Acorn. But already you can feel it's energy dissipating. You will need to eat another Qi acorn every day to survive.
Yet not all is bad. You can feel Qi within a range and you feel that QI itself may have a harder time hurting you as your body simply absorbs it almost instantly. Being so empty your body almost calls to Qi.
Mushroom farm 53/25
Mushroom Burrow Construction Unlocked
Poison Mushroom Burrow Construction Unlocked
Wooden structure 40/25
Platforms Construction Unlocked
Fortification Research Unlocked
Stone cutting 25/25
Stone Block Crafting Unlocked
Stone Structure Research Unlocked (Due to discovery of amber)
Knapping 28/25
Sharp Stone Tool Projects unlocked
Sharp Stone Spear Projects unlocked
Qi lore 1: Inspiration Finished
Cultivation Chamber Construction Unlocked
Dao Unlocked for Cultivators in at least the first realm.
Resource
Modifier
Total
Squirrels
0.2
68.2
Stone
1
20
Wood
1
33
Leaves
1
38
Food
1
90
Qi Acorns
0.3
30.2
Poison
1
13
Stone Blades
0.33
3
Spear
0.5
1
Voting:
Voting and Rolling
[SLIDE]
As a riot quest each quest-er is one newly awakened squirrel. So your vote is what you are choosing to do.
Each vote comes with a roll of a ten sided dice. (You need to edit your post to roll dice)
Any result of a 10 allows you to roll another dice (Repeating ad infinitum)
If someone roll's 3 consecutive 10's (Brute force with rerolls allowed) they earn an "Inspiration" that can be used in secret ways to benefit the players.
With rerolls you always take the highest result
Omakes and rerolls
Omakes are HIGHLY encouraged. Any omake 4 or more sentences comes with a reroll.
Limited to Earning one reroll a turn.
Rerolls must be used on the turn they are earned.
Rerolls are transferable to other players.
Resource Rules, Food and population
Some things are easier or harder to gather. This is represented by the "Modifier" on the resource table. Which can be changed by the season, research, tools or workshops. Modifier is multiplied by the total dice result for how much of a resource is gathered.
Each Squirrel in the Sect eats 1 food per turn.
If all Squirrels in the tribe die the quest is over.
If the Squirrel count gets significantly below the voter count, votes will be ignored at random until it matches the squirrel count.
Projects
Instead of doing individual items. Now items are made to complete a project which equips and improves the entire sect.
Projects do not require votes instead the item requirements must be met. Then the items will be removed and the bonus will be applied
Cultivation Rules
Everyone starts out at cultivation level 0
When Cultivating every action spent cultivating in a row provides an additional plus 1. (1 on the second turn, 2 on the third etc etc)
Cultivation Chambers can only be used by 1 person at a time (Per chamber)
Cultivation Chambers DOUBLES the cumulative cultivation bonus.(2 on the second turn, 4 on the third etc etc)
Cumulative Cultivation Bonus resets when you level up.
Cultivation requires hitting a certain number to level up, not a sum total.
Cultivators apply their level to ALL rolls.
Cultivators multiply their combat power by their cultivation level +1
Cultivators may gather and store qi up to their level. Qi can be spent on rerolls for themselves. HOWEVER ANY ROLL THAT USES QI IS INELIGIBLE FOR INSPIRATION/
Cultivators may store Qi up to their cultivation level.
Scouting: Dangerous (Can kill you)
[] Search for New Natural Resources
[] Search for Predators (Very Dangerous)
[] Investigate the human foot print (????)
Crafting
[] Stone Blade Costs 5 Stone and 3 progress
[] Wood Spear Costs 5 Wood: Improves combat ability. (Every 5 progress makes on spear)
[] Wood Armor Costs 10 Wood: Improve Combat ability. (Every 7 progress makes one armor)
[] Cloth Costs 5 leaves: Will be required to make clothing or other things when Cordage mastery 1 is done or clothing. (every 5 progress makes 1 cloth)
[] Knapped Stone: Costs 5 Stone every 3 progress makes a Knapped Stone
[] Stone Tipped Spear: Costs 1 Knapped Stone, 1 cloth and 1 wood. Every 5 progress makes one stone tipped spear.
[] Stone Tool: Costs 1 Knapped Stone, 1 cloth and 1 wood. Every 5 progress makes one stone tool.
Construction
[] Mushroom farm Burrow: [0/50] (Cost 10 wood, and 10 food)
[] Mushroom poison Burrow: [0/50] (Cost 10 wood, and 10 Poison mushrooms)
[] Platform: [0/25] (Costs 50 wood) Required for certain other buildings
[] Cultivation Chamber: [0/100] (Costs 5 Cloth, 20 KI acorn and 20 wood)
Cultivation:
[] Awaken Other Squirrels (Costs 1 Qi Acorn every 5 progress awakens 1 additional squirrel)
[] Cultivate: (Cost 1 Qi Acorn)
[] Choose a Dao: (Requires at least level 1 cultivation) Must write in the Dao.
[] Gather Qi
Special:
[] Clean out the disgusting Black impurities [0/10]
[] Gather Qi Acorns from the lost squirrels stash. (Doubles the die result but can only be used by three people)
[] Prepare for an expedition (Next turn there will be a vote to join you on the expedition) (3 turns remaining before the opprotunity is lost)
Not a vote: Projects
Gatherers Knife: Make 25 Stone Blades (3/25) Increases the modifier of Gathering votes by 10%
Crafters Tools: Make 25 Stone Tools: (0/25) Reduce the progress cost on all crafting votes by 1
Militia Spears: Make 50 Wood Spears (1/50) Provides ALL squirrels with a low base combat value.
Militia Armor: Make 50 Wood Armor (0/50) Increases the Combat Values of all Squirrels especially their defense.
Elite Weapons: Make 20 Stone Tipped Spears (0/20) Provides increased combat value to expeditions and cultivators
Structures:
(1) Mushroom Farm: Costs 3 food per turn rolls 1d10 for food gained.
Currently setting up Paetron and Kofi.
I will add them when I can for now I wanted to submit my Paypal.
If anyone feels like throwing me a few bucks for a quest they are enjoying I'd love that.
I have almost sexual needs for Hell Divers 2. My VA disability pays my bills but little else so most quality of life things require I find a way to make some money when I can barely walk. (yeah sad story over, back to magical squirrels about to go to war with owls!)
The squirrel looked and was disgusted by the black sludge it expelled. The sludge tasted disgusting, no matter what he would leave that sludge for later, upon his consumption journey. For now, he had more qi acorns to consume, as the strength he longed for seemed to come to him, as he meditated upon the treat. He was stronger so he felt validated as he lazed and consumed the acorn slowly.
[X] Choose a Dao: Consumption
Edit: Total of a 17. Aiming for Dao of Consumption.
He of the Seventh Branch of the Seventh Tree on the Left wakes up, and finds Himself with a desire to put the knowledge He has learned to use. And yet, when He arrives at the stone pile He worked at the previous day, He finds it lacking woefully empty.
Thus, He prepares himself for leaving Home - leaving the Trees of Life - once more, before setting out on a quest to gather stones, the lifeblood of creation. An arduous task, yet a necessary one.
As a diligent squirrel, I meticulously gather Qi Acorns, ensuring a diverse array for cultivation. With nimble paws, I clear a small patch of fertile soil beneath the protective canopy of the forest. Delicately, I arrange the seeds in neat rows, envisioning the lush bounty that will soon flourish. Finally, I tenderly water the earth, feeling a surge of anticipation for the fruitful harvest to come. I am ready to cultivate, let me hope I do not turn out like my friend.
[X] Cultivate
EDIT: Rerolled and got a 9, now at 11 because of the Blessed Fortune Inspiration
???
