[X] Expand Gardens: Each house in the villages has a small garden near their entrance, which grows squash and corn. Would it be easier to care for the plants if they were all together?Plant one large garden outside the village center. [X] Humor The Artisan: One of The People keeps trying to talk about a peculiar kind of dirt she has found at the winter meetings. She's young and brash, and more than a little abrasive, so few listen. Maybe that should change? Give her time to explain her findings.
Dirt and food.
If the Deer People were reindeer I'd say bring them into the fold. Otherwise hopefully finding out why they're having a tough time can wait a bit. Ideally it's not chronic wasting disease.
[X] Reach Out To The Deer People: The Deer People gift the clans much--leather and bone, meat and sinew. But they grow sick and thin. Have your hunters investigate why. [We Reach Out Our Hands] [X] Establish Annual Ceremony: After the migration from the plains, many of The People's ceremonies were cast into disarray--including the annual trek up to Sky Woman's Home. Restart these traditions.
[X] Reach Out To The Deer People: The Deer People gift the clans much--leather and bone, meat and sinew. But they grow sick and thin. Have your hunters investigate why. [We Reach Out Our Hands] [X] Establish Annual Ceremony: After the migration from the plains, many of The People's ceremonies were cast into disarray--including the annual trek up to Sky Woman's Home. Restart these traditions.
[X] Reach Out To The Deer People: The Deer People gift the clans much--leather and bone, meat and sinew. But they grow sick and thin. Have your hunters investigate why. [We Reach Out Our Hands]
[X] Humor The Artisan: One of The People keeps trying to talk about a peculiar kind of dirt she has found at the winter meetings. She's young and brash, and more than a little abrasive, so few listen. Maybe that should change? Give her time to explain her findings.
Reach Out To The Deer People: The Deer People gift the clans much--leather and bone, meat and sinew. But they grow sick and thin. Have your hunters investigate why. [We Reach Out Our Hands] Humor The Artisan: One of The People keeps trying to talk about a peculiar kind of dirt she has found at the winter meetings. She's young and brash, and more than a little abrasive, so few listen. Maybe that should change? Give her time to explain her findings.
Nantakoa slides down the embankment on her back. The sides of the creek are deep and muddy, grass and rock torn away by the flood some days ago. Even if the soil weren't so yielding, the young woman's body is tough and weathered from years of walking the People's paths. Gathering food, herbs, and medicine is hard work, despite what some of the more annoying hunters might say. Still, she takes a moment to brush off the mud from her back before continuing on. The forest is quiet. The birds do not chirp and the trees do not stir as she makes her way on. The only noise is the trundling water that passes beside her. She picks her way over alternating stones, sand, and gravel--grateful for the gray and cracking calluses that protect her feet.
To fill the silence, and to announce her presence to the creek, Nantakoa sings.
"My mother has hair, like a willow's hat
My father has eyes, like a blind old bat.
Their wrinkles say, we cannot see.
What's right in front, of our feet.
And so I walk, and so I tread,
To go much farther than the dead.
To see, to see, to see, to see,
All of what's in front of me.
Mm, hmm hmm hmm.
Mm, hmm hmm hmm."
If her parents could hear her sing this mocking little song she is sure she'd get a glare or two. But along the creek, the only people that can hear her are the frogs and the fish. So she sings and hums as the running water calms and widens, and there, just past a fallen oak that had been uprooted in the flood, is Nantakoa's goal. The wet, sticky mud that feels like flesh. It's darker than the surrounding earth--denser and less rocky. Nantakoa sinks her hands into it. She giggles as she plays with it, rubbing it between her hands. It dries out quickly, spread so thin across her skin, and turns gray and flaky.
The smile fades as Nantakoa sets to business. She has brought a leatherskin with her, and she starts scooping masses of black earth in quickly. Then it's back to the summer village. To prove to her mother that she was right.
Nantakoa has an idea, to try and form this clinging earth into a useful shape, then drying it in the coals of a fire. On the walk back from the river, she daydreams about what she will make.
[] A Pot. Large enough to hold water, to show the practical use of the material.
[] A Figurine. Representing Sky Woman, to show how this material can be used in ritual.
[] A Tablet. To hold art and be more easily drawn onto than a stone.
Kokocitli, her mother, is in a meeting in the village center. Its technically open to the whole of the village, but generally the only people who sit in on these summer meetings are those elders who are not busy with other work. The winter meetings are where most of the more important issues are discussed, and are more widely attended as a result. Only ten or so men and women, as well as the medicine person Asadiwewen, sit around the fire at the center of town, speaking in quiet tones as they watch over the skewers of squirrel meat that cook over the flames.
"Pamkowé and his troop have said that the Deer People still suffer," says Asadiwewen. She stares into the flames, long graying hair braided with strips of leather hanging from her temples. Her face is weathered with age, but her voice is firm and unyielding, "Their young seem to escape the effects, but the bucks are starved and agitated. They bow their heads in confusion and pain, and they do not shy from our touch like they should. Even the mothers are showing their ribs."
"Not all of them though," says Kokocitli. She is one of the youngest at the meeting. Only the earliest signs of aging grace her face, but she has a wide reputation for wisdom--as well as a stern countenance. She twirls grass between her fingers as she speaks, one of several who are idly making rope as they listen. "Just a few families, spread out amongst the People. They suffer while their neighbors live as they always have."
"That's not unusual. Spirits of death attach themselves to one person for the length of their lives, but they are fertile people, and will give birth to new spirits quickly. They send their children over to the nearest like person, and the circle closes. It is a gift from the World Above that the spirits' population has not overtaken the Deer People's yet. Or even turned their sights onto us."
The group nods quietly as Asadiwewen speaks. The medicine person has spent her life appeasing these spirits, and all respect her knowledge. More than a few have been subjected to her rituals of alternating rounds of water and smoke cleansings, and know just how hard it is to root out a spirit once they have attached themself to someone.
The medicine person sighs, and rubs the bridge of her nose. Her shoulders are hunched and her breath comes out laboriously.
"Speaking with honesty, I don't know what to do here. My teacher told me to cull the sick, laying their bodies to rest under the earth, but I don't think that's the right answer here. Too many are sick, they might not be able to recover. Certainly not with their already reduced number from the droughts."
"I don't need to explain what will happen if we cannot save our neighbors."
Asadiwewen is just one person, she cannot act for the People as a whole. But what does she try and do before the winter meeting to prepare?
[] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[] Check in. Send runners to the other villages to see how far these spirits have spread, and whether any pockets of deer are unaffected.
[] Watch. Try and watch the coming and going of a single family of deer. How do these spirits spread and how quickly?
Grim faces tell Asadiwewen that they know what is at stake. The gathering is silent for a moment, but eventually heads start to turn as, off to the east, shouts can be heard.
The shouts get closer and closer until a runner comes bursting between two huts and into the gathering. His skin is shining with sweat, and as he pauses to breath, his whole body trembles.
"H-honored. Honored elders--pl-please," he gasps out. "News."
Asadiwewen stands and moves towards the boy, not more than fifteen years old, and places a steady hand on his shoulder.
"Breathe child. Then speak," she says. The runner looks at her and nods. It's a few moments before he can pull himself together, during which the gathering mutters to themselves with worry.
"News," he says, "from the western village. The river has broken its banks. Half the huts have been washed away and many are missing. We need help finding our people. Please."
At once Asadiwewen realized that the sheen on the boy's face is not just sweat. No, mixed in are tears. And she finds her once again feeling the weight of her years, as the gathering bursts into action. Elders leap to their feet and go storming to their huts. The boy is brought food and water and repeats himself over and over in between bites as people ask the same questions.
The People have a responsibility to help each other--but the western village is a day and half's run from here. What kind of support is sent out.
[] Search and Rescue. The hunters go to assist in searching for missing people.
[] First Aid. Asadiwewen and others knowledgeable in healing go to assist those who have been injured.
[] Food and Shelter. A troop of women load up with baskets of maize and rolls of leather.
Let's discuss for a bit before voting but personally, I think going with pots is good because right now we need pots way more than we need writing. I am not sure about the deer, I'll listen to some people before I make an opinion. As for the rescue, I think First Aid is the best, anyone can search however only a few can heal so let's send our doctors and we will let them search. Food and shelter aren't needed immediately. SO tell me what you think of my ideas? disagreements, agreements?
[X] A Tablet. To hold art and be more easily drawn onto than a stone.
[X] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[X] Search and Rescue. The hunters go to assist in searching for missing people.
[X] A Tablet. To hold art and be more easily drawn onto than a stone
[X] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[X] First Aid. Asadiwewen and others knowledgeable in healing go to assist those who have been injured.
[] A Pot. Large enough to hold water, to show the practical use of the material.
[] A Figurine. Representing Sky Woman, to show how this material can be used in ritual.
[] A Tablet. To hold art and be more easily drawn onto than a stone.
Food security, spirituality or art. Food security is the "no brainer" since we're very much still in an era where a bad harvest or infestation can kill us all off. Food is just worth more to us than any kind of artistic or spiritual endeavor, and one more likely to see the most kind of commercial value.
That said, it doesn't mean they won't adopt pots later, it just means that we emphasize different applications when we are presenting it. I'm going to back the Tablet option because placing more value on ceramic as something you get creative with may lead to them being more experimental with it when they do make pots.
The clay that is mentioned is called black earth, so it's likely going to give us some neat-looking stuff like this if the ceramic does turn out to be black once it's fired.
Edit: I also want to note that proper tablets allow us to create long-lasting images, so oral tradition won't be our only method of transmitting information.
[] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[] Check in. Send runners to the other villages to see how far these spirits have spread, and whether any pockets of deer are unaffected.
[] Watch. Try and watch the coming and going of a single family of deer. How do these spirits spread and how quickly?
Don't want to risk transmission through capture, although learning it through that mistake could be important. Checking in doesn't really do us any good, I think? Watching is more my jam.
I wonder what we can do with living deer in our care, though. Domestication is unlikely, but it could be a step in that direction.
[] Search and Rescue. The hunters go to assist in searching for missing people.
[] First Aid. Asadiwewen and others knowledgeable in healing go to assist those who have been injured.
[] Food and Shelter. A troop of women load up with baskets of maize and rolls of leather.
In case you guys missed this, each option here notes that a different faction of the tribe is tasked to handle each option. This isn't only just about how we help the other group, but also who will speak for us and earn the appreciation of the survivors: the hunters, the elders or the women, in order.
Here I'm going to say First Aid; I don't like sharing *too* much and the elders get to push their 'medical' knowledge a tad.
[X] A Tablet. To hold art and be more easily drawn onto than a stone.
[X] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[X] First Aid. Asadiwewen and others knowledgeable in healing go to assist those who have been injured.
@Synergy: The writing mentions that the tribe knows how to weave grass into rope and such. How much further does this go? Are we able to make baskets? Do we have hardier material we can use to make fish traps to harvest the river with? Any mussels lying around?
Apart from that, some investigation into local fruits and flora would interest me. Hell, if you'd allow it, I'd love to try our hand at farming insects or something.
The writing mentions that the tribe knows how to weave grass into rope and such. How much further does this go? Are we able to make baskets? Do we have hardier material we can use to make fish traps to harvest the river with? Any mussels lying around?
The People are able basket weavers, but not so much fishers. Certainly it happens on occasion, but traps aren't really a thing. It's mostly spear fishing when it happens. Mussels aren't common enough in these faster flowing upland rivers to be a strong food source.
So not very good for aquaculture - you'd need a smaller stream to be able to set up productive fish traps. The kind of river you're describing isn't really useful for river travel either. Real shame.
You could make some crappy stretchers with some rope and large sturdy sticks. Hm.
[X] A Pot. Large enough to hold water, to show the practical use of the material.
[X] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[X] Search and Rescue. The hunters go to assist in searching for missing people.
Ideally right now we should do all we can to save as many people as possible and increase our food production.
[X] A Pot. Large enough to hold water, to show the practical use of the material.
[X] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[X] Search and Rescue. The hunters go to assist in searching for missing people.
[X] A Pot. Large enough to hold water, to show the practical use of the material.
[X] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[X] Search and Rescue. The hunters go to assist in searching for missing people.
Ideally right now we should do all we can to save as many people as possible and increase our food production.
Pots wouldn't increase food production though, just protect what food / seeds we have from decay and vermin (which is basically a fact of life anyways if you're not in winter or you don't have salt).
Most of the value that comes from ceramic pots rests on freeing up labor spent on maintaining your stockpile of degrading baskets and carrying liquids, so I suppose they could start boiling food? Meat and bone stock would help save some calories.
Edit: Boiling also opens up the way to Water-boiled Leather, which is pretty tough. Useful as armor and... not much else, actually.
[X] A Pot. Large enough to hold water, to show the practical use of the material.
[X] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[X] Search and Rescue. The hunters go to assist in searching for missing people.
[X] A Figurine. Representing Sky Woman, to show how this material can be used in ritual.
[X] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[X] First Aid. Asadiwewen and others knowledgeable in healing go to assist those who have been injured.
[X] A Pot. Large enough to hold water, to show the practical use of the material.
[X] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[X] Search and Rescue. The hunters go to assist in searching for missing people.
[X] A Tablet. To hold art and be more easily drawn onto than a stone.
[X] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[X] First Aid. Asadiwewen and others knowledgeable in healing go to assist those who have been injured.
Pots wouldn't increase food production though, just protect what food / seeds we have from decay and vermin (which is basically a fact of life anyways if you're not in winter or you don't have salt).
Most of the value that comes from ceramic pots rests on freeing up labor spent on maintaining your stockpile of degrading baskets and carrying liquids, so I suppose they could start boiling food? Meat and bone stock would help save some calories.
Edit: Boiling also opens up the way to Water-boiled Leather, which is pretty tough. Useful as armor and... not much else, actually.
I'm not seeing why we can't just pick all the options?
[X] Search and Rescue. The hunters go to assist in searching for missing people.
[X] First Aid. Asadiwewen and others knowledgeable in healing go to assist those who have been injured.
[X] Food and Shelter. A troop of women load up with baskets of maize and rolls of leather.
[X] A Tablet. To hold art and be more easily drawn onto than a stone
[X] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
[X] First Aid. Asadiwewen and others knowledgeable in healing go to assist those who have been injured.
[X] A Pot. Large enough to hold water, to show the practical use of the material.
You can make pots double as figurines (& vice versa) with enough skill and people are bound to draw on their pots eventually.
[X] Capture. The sick are confused and more likely to let hunters approach than their healthy relatives. Send out a party to try and bring one back for healing and study.
I can't wait to catch some delicious diseases! Ideally
A. As many as possible kiddies catch the disease.
B. All the kids survive and are now inoculated to deer sickness.
C. Deer people are open to domestication.
D. Someone catches on that people who have gotten sick from deer sickness either don't get sick or have milder symptoms.
[X] Search and Rescue. The hunters go to assist in searching for missing people.
We are emphasizing different applications of ceramics here; practical, spiritual or artistic. Pots will still exist through any of the options.
Picking pots and emphasizing practicality means we might develop bricks sooner, but de-emphasizes its artistic applications so people won't be as creative with it nor develop the culture for it immediately.
I'm not seeing why we can't just pick all the options?
[X] Search and Rescue. The hunters go to assist in searching for missing people.
[X] First Aid. Asadiwewen and others knowledgeable in healing go to assist those who have been injured.
[X] Food and Shelter. A troop of women load up with baskets of maize and rolls of leather.
We can't evaluate what this costs us altogether because we'd don't have numbers to rely on. That said, yes, there doesn't appear to be anything exclusive about these options.
