Yeah, so I'll just roll a die, 1d4, 1-2 is Endless, 3-4 is Protect. Allow some time for the update, this was neck to neck so I couldn't write while the vote was happening.
Jaki grinned as her canoe flew for a moment, lifting her up briefly in the air as well before she slammed down into the wood. Her knuckles were white from the grip on her paddles, she was soaked and cold but the happiness in her heart was enough to warm her up. That giddy feeling suffused her entire body like water soaking fur, she let out a celebratory whoop as the energy kept flowing.
I finally got my own canoe! Mine and only Mine.
Belief Developed!
The People believe in ownership, personal/private property. You have to protect what is yours and yours. Let no one steal from you. Take care of what is yours, who is yours.
Benefits: The People gain a bonus to defending and taking care of their sea/land/possessions/people.
Downsides: The People can be very fractious and divisive. Only caring about your family/clan and not the larger tribe is applauded, not looked down upon in domestic matters. Beyond that, they are prone to being insular and disapproving of outsiders as well.
Jaki breathed deep in the Sea-salt breeze, savoring her first time on her own personal canoe. Father was only a few moments behind her but for the first time, she didn't have to share a cramped canoe with her brothers. The canoe lurched as her powerful, muscled arms started rowing again. Back and forth, a rhythm that all in the People knew by heart.
She looked down for a moment and smiled at the sight that awaited her. A good hand of pink fish. A great haul for her first fishing trip. Better yet, it was Jaki's haul to do with as she pleased. Of course, she would give some to her family, it was only right but otherwise she foresaw a very pleasant bonfire for her tonight.
She heard the slaps of paddles behind her as her father came rowing up. Turning her head, his weather-beaten face looked back at her with a stern look. Jaki knew he was proud though.
"Daughter!" he called, "Time to go back now," Father said, jerking his head towards the shoreline.
She simply nodded. Jaki raised her legs up and swung her body around, switching hands on her paddles quickly.
They paddled in strong, steady strokes. She slowly lost herself in the rhythm of the paddles striking the water. It was pretty much a straight shot back home. Father hadn't allowed her to go too far on her first trip.
As they started to see the little collection of huts far in the distance, her father spoke up.
"We will have to paint your pattern, what do you want?" he asked.
Father's canoe was painted with vivid reds, yellows and blues. From light blue sky flew a fish made of fire leaping into a dark blue Sea.
Jaki had been dreaming of her own pattern for a long time now, she enthusiastically answered, "A white half moon over a dark green tree with black roots floating on the Sea."
Father chuckled, "Odd choice but certainly unique."
"Well, that's the whole point, isn't it?" Jaki shot back.
He just hummed in agreement before they fell back into a comfortable quiet, punctuated by the slap of paddles on water.
Just a while later, Jaki's boat slowly hit the rocky beach, she quickly stuck her paddles down anchors into the ground. No need to scratch up the new canoe. A hand grabbed her old, ratty bag and stuffed the hand of pinkfish into there. She put the strap around her shoulders and sighed, rolling them and flexing her arms.
The hard part was only just waiting. Jaki jumped off the canoe with a soft splash into the knee deep water before tying her paddles to the boat. She bent down, reaching across with one arm, grabbing the boat with both then grunting in effort as she lifted it up using her legs. Jaki's body burned comfortably, this was something she had practiced for a while and her canoe was a fairly small one anyways. Jaki wasn't keen on spending much time like this so she walked quickly to the family huts. Beside her, she saw her father doing the same, without a single sign of strain on his face.
Relief welled up in her as she saw her family's hut close up, grey stones from the beach stacked on top of each other with a binding in between as well as some wood to make sure everything stuck together. A yellow straw top rose out of the square building. Nearby, they could see the rest of her family, her aunts, uncles, cousins who had their own huts in their little collection.
The rest of the People spread out a little bit across the coast but they were all within easy walking distance, one could travel from the most outlying hut to the opposite end within a quarter of a day.
Jaki groaned as she set her canoe down, her spine and arms tingled strangely after such exertion. She instantly plopped down on the ground, spread-eagled, breathing heavily.
Father looked down at her with a smirk though clearly flushed and tired himself, "This is why you need a partner in fishing trips, Jaki."
"Yes, yes, Father," she forced out, exhausted. Father just chuckled as he opened the little fur curtain to the entrance and walked inside.
Jaki just took a moment to look up at the sky. It shone dimly, covered by gray clouds perpetually. Far overhead, a speck flew through the sky, an eagle. She reached her hand upwards, looking at how the light shone around, breathing out. Her eyelids felt tired…
_____________
"Jaki, wake up!" a distant voice called for her, deep and masculine. Her head felt so foggy, it was like she was swimming deep. A heaviness weighed her head down.
An insistent shake snapped her brown eyes wide open. Jaki groaned, seeing the form of Bora before her. Short and stocky like most of the People, he looked at her with urgency, brows furrowed.
"It's nearly night, we must go!"
Bora was already turning away and jogging after he saw her eyes open. Jaki took a few moments to gather herself and grab her pinkfish before running to catch up to him.
"I can't believe you almost missed the Bonfire," he said. They were making good time but it really was close.
"Yes, thank you for that."
Bora just waved it off as they crested the hill to reach the Bonfire. Many of the People were already present, milling around and talking. Some good spits being cooked. The black smoke rose high to the sky, the sun had already set, just some residual light was left.
Bora and Jaki split from there. Jaki went to find some friends and cook the pinkfish while Bora went to meet with that boy. Oh, he thought that he was keeping some grand secret but everyone kind of knew they were together.
After some revelry was had, the Bonfire meeting was held. Time for serious business. There was...a bit of an issue. Jaki could barely see the Bonfire, having to jump to even catch a glimpse of the two-man high fire. As the night went on, more and more of the People had come. More than she ever thought existed. Nobody could speak and nobody could hear those speaking.
Something new must come.
[] Elders Vote
They've been around for a long time, they have wisdom and experience, surely they'll lead us right.
[] Elected Big Man
Instead of having everyone vote all the time, what if we just vote for a person to lead us all the time?
[] Clan Vote
How about each family send us a person to speak and vote for them? They would have as many votes as the number of people they spoke for.
[] Write-In (Subject to approval/modification)
Some other way? It should make sense though.
Hi, after this government vote (which I'm allowing write-ins on), we finally get to the meat of the game, the stats are gonna come into play after this. Last chargen.
This just screams dysfunctional government. Our People's belief has them being naturally divisive so having representatives from every clan will just devolve into screaming matches I feel.
I'll vote for the big man option
[X] Elected Big Man
All things considered, I had a feeling that belief will make our People more divisive but that's okay. It'll make the game more interesting and fun! Plus we also get a nice defensive bonus as I thought.
[x] Council of Equal Voices : Each clan elects a leader to be on a council, where everyone gets the same respect and vote. There must be an odd number, or a village wide vote for someone to represent the tie breaker
Um, "What is ours is ours, what is theirs is theirs...We must care for ours and ours alone."
Me and Mine is kind of the fundamental belief behind that. What is yours is yours and you take care of it. In the context of your territory, this is expressed as shunning outsiders, protecting your land and care about it.
Um, "What is ours is ours, what is theirs is theirs...We must care for ours and ours alone."
Me and Mine is kind of the fundamental belief behind that. What is yours is yours and you take care of it. In the context of your territory, this is expressed as shunning outsiders, protecting your land and care about it.
Not really seeing it. The vote describes a strong communal thinking. Our Tribe vs their tribe. Wemust care for our land, steward the communal resources like sea and water and protect them.
Fuck the Tribe, only the individual is important.
No stewardship of communal resources, because their existence is bot considered wortwhile, and prioritizing the good of the infividual over the whole is considered beneficial.
I see it. I apologize for my mistake. I'll edit the Belief slightly, I got it a bit wrong in both my description of the Belief now and how I described when you were voting.
I'll change it slightly when I have some time, in a couple hours. Something like the People regarding the tribe as theirs when dealing with other tribes so you aren't vulnerable to infiltration and such though the People will still be internally divisive.
I'll do better next time. I think I need to give more information to you guys. In my last civ quest on Fiction Live, I have too much and I think I overcorrected this time. Thanks for pointing it out
[x] Council of Equal Voices : Each clan elects a leader to be on a council, where everyone gets the same respect and vote. There must be an odd number, or a village wide vote for someone to represent the tie breaker
[X] Council of Clients : People get to speak at the bonfire by the number of those willing to stand behind them. The more supporters, the closer one gets, the greater ones voice. It is understood that the leader of each such faction, the patron, will reward their supporters (the clients) with gifts snd support from their personnal wealth, as well as adressing their concerns.
[x] Council of Equal Voices : Each clan elects a leader to be on a council, where everyone gets the same respect and vote. There must be an odd number, or a village wide vote for someone to represent the tie breaker
[X] Council of Clients : People get to speak at the bonfire by the number of those willing to stand behind them. The more supporters, the closer one gets, the greater ones voice. It is understood that the leader of each such faction, the patron, will reward their supporters (the clients) with gifts snd support from their personnal wealth, as well as adressing their concerns.
I think it's a clear victory for Elected Big Man. Fair. Um, this update will take a little longer. I'm busy and really about to get busier. Expect every couple days to a week for most updates from now on (my college starts next week). Thanks for voting 👍
[x] Council of Equal Voices : Each clan elects a leader to be on a council, where everyone gets the same respect and vote. There must be an odd number, or a village wide vote for someone to represent the tie breaker
[X] Council of Clients : People get to speak at the bonfire by the number of those willing to stand behind them. The more supporters, the closer one gets, the greater ones voice. It is understood that the leader of each such faction, the patron, will reward their supporters (the clients) with gifts snd support from their personnal wealth, as well as adressing their concerns.
I think it's a clear victory for Elected Big Man. Fair. Um, this update will take a little longer. I'm busy and really about to get busier. Expect every couple days to a week for most updates from now on (my college starts next week). Thanks for voting 👍
The dark forest trees swayed in the heavy wind close to the coast. A sunbreak hadn't come today, inauspicious but not a bad omen either, simply neutral. The sky was gray and cloudy like it was most of the time west of the mountains. Charms and markers of feathers and what looked to be the bones of men jingled in the branches.
Macabre things.
Maboz felt uneasy here, the hair on his long arms rising. The tall, lean man disliked how the trees prevented him from seeing anything. Nothing like the Sea where one could simply raise their head and see everything. A rough, calloused hand rose to caress a necklace of colorful stones and pearls. His most prized possession (aside from his canoe of course).
"Chief, have they changed their minds?" His brother, Warnek, asked from beside him. Warnek was wrapped up in the best armor they could devise, a leather and hide assembly of thick clothes. A fearsomely large club with a wicked sharp stone at the end was strapped to his hip.
"They called us here for a meeting. It would be very discourteous of them to not appear," Maboz reassured then his mouth twisted to a sneer. "Then again, that would just be like the Clans." The men around Maboz nodded in agreement. The Clanners were not to be trusted, secretive and cruel in nature. The Chief had brought his personal retinue here to the clearing. Family and supporters of strong body.
"What must they need?" wondered Yoken aloud. A fisherman like most of the People, Yoken had been an easy vote to secure. A good fishing trip, feast and some charm was all that was needed to sway him to Maboz. "They leave us alone and we have left them alone since the time of our grandfathers."
Narm spoke up in response, "I heard from an Oak Arrow cousin that there were some quarrels going on. A bit of raiding between the Clan with the Deer Bones in ascent," Eyes turned to him with some hostility, Narm spoke the Clan's language, his mother was a Clanner who fled to the People as a young girl. Outsiders were not to be trusted, the Elders had said but to turn away a child alone in the world was a little too heartless for the People. Two men had taken her in given their evident lack of capability to have children.
Yoken scowled, "Outsiders dragging us into their business, pah," he spit out before returning to diligently scanning the forest.
Then, in the distance between tall pines, Maboz saw them, Clanners. A rail thin, tall woman led them with short-cut dark hair and a longbow on her back. She was adorned with all manner of decorations and trophies. Weasel fur around her neck, bands of yellow fur from a deer wrapped around her limbs intermixed with the black of a bear. Her most prominent feature however gave her Clan away, Deer Bones. A six-point antler, gnarled and charms strung to it sprouted from her head, affixed by rope around her head.
There were others with her as well, a Sky Scale marked by the fish scales sewed onto his leathers. A Cone Run with their cones on the legs. Beyond that, Maboz didn't know about the other Clans, even that was stretching the knowledge of the People. There were countless more Clans but these were who the People dealt with most. They soon arrived in the clearing with the gray sky above, all were nimble through the forest, simply melting out of the woods without the slightest trace of exertion on their faces.
The Deer Bone spoke first, "Well met, People of the Rocky Waters. I speak for the Matriarch of the Deer Bones, Yubiska." After a moment of waiting, Chief Maboz knew he was to respond. The fact that the others didn't speak out was strange though.
He narrowed his eyes, "Well met, Clanner. You're late. What business do you have with us?" Blunt, straight to the point. Trying tricks and sly charisma with Clanners was futile and would only result in misfortune to befall upon you so the elders had told him.
She seemed surprised, eyebrows rising, nearly affronted but schooled her expression back into a neutral mask. "No pleasantries?" she asked rhetorically, "Very well, I will get to the point too. The Matriarch Yubiska wishes to form a Great Council amongst the Clans of the Forests. Led by us, Sky Scale, Cone Run, Oak Arrow and Bear Thunder."
She took a deep breath and waited a moment to let that settle in. Maboz was reeling slightly, for as long as he had known, Clanners governed themselves. If there was something that everyone, all Clans would decide. This was…different, a few Clans over everyone else, forcing the others to their knees. Still, he didn't quite see how that had anything to do with the People. He didn't care what they did so long as the People weren't harmed.
His question was swiftly answered, "We want you to help."
Maboz laughed, sharp and hacking, surely that was just a bad joke. The look on the Deer Bone's face didn't change, neither did the faces of the others. They…they really were serious.
Still chuckling, he asked, "Why should we? Clanner business is Clanner business and the People don't interfere. Same the other way around since our grandfathers." His men nodded along.
"We'll give you White river," she said immediately.
Maboz's eyes widened in shock before he restrained his expression but Warnek and the rest couldn't pick their jaws off the ground. White river was a branch of the Pink River so named for the pink fish that swam in huge numbers every year, the largest river. In the oldest stories, it was told that the People had flown down the Pink seeking their own lands to find the Sea.
"Truly?" Maboz asked, skeptically. Clanners–outsiders in general really–were not to be trusted, cruel and secretive they were as the elders said.
The Deer Bone nodded, "Truly. The White River clans are troublesome," she replied. "We both get something out of this deal."
The woman held her hand out, "Yes or No?" Gazing into his eyes.
"I will confer with my men first," Maboz said back. This would be a controversial decision either way. Being prudent demanded some more time thinking. They fell back slightly out of ear shot in silence, everyone walking along.
"So, White river?" Warnek said. "That's definitely a good catch." He seemed eager.
"No, I say this whole deal is a trap. Clanners are deceitful and cruel, the elders say," Yoken threw his opinion into the ring, crossing his arms.
"Think about it, Yoken. Endless woods for canoes without having to be cautious the entire time," he raised a good point, Maboz thought. That wasn't even counting the fresh water, the Sea provided many things but good wood–for fire, canoes, homes–weren't one of them.
Narm spoke up next, "It's a risk but I also say go for it," he barely got that out before Yoken and Warnek both glared at him.
"You're on their si-" Yoken got out before Maboz gripped his shoulder lightly in warning. He turned his head to Maboz, staring at him. He went quiet.
Narm glanced nervously between them then continued, "Even if they try to hold White river, they'll be weakened enough that we could likely take it."
Warnek nodded in approval, "Water, more land, fish, and wood. There are many good things to come out of just a bit of fighting with help."
Yoken had gathered his courage to speak out again though not looking at Narm, "Clanners are cruel and deceitful. Chances are high that they betray us, the People won't stand for this. If we take White river, we should take it without needing the deceptions of Clanners."
They turned their heads to Chief Maboz.
Chief?
[] Yes
-[] # Wealth (3 required)
Chief's Men go on canoes to help the Great Council also known as the Fingers conquer the rest of the Clans. They have said they will give the People of the Rocky Waters the contested White river. If yes, how much wealth is allocated? In this context, they are expecting three Wealth at least.
[] No
Chief Maboz decides not to do it. If the Fingers win, they will surely not look kindly upon this rejection. On the other hand, the Fingers could lose as well though that's unlikely.
[] Seize White River while the Clanners are fighting.
-[] # Wealth
Chief's
Other Projects? (The number of actions all depends on how much Wealth you have. There are minimum requirements but you can add more wealth within reason to boost success. Everything is narrative, there are no dice rolls. This isn't a CK2 quest.)
[] Chief Maboz schmoozes with the People, reassuring them and soothing conflicts. (Bonus to Yes if you do this.) 1 Wealth Required.
[] Perhaps Chiefs should have a special hall for them and their men to train in and for the Chief to receive guests? 2 Wealth Required.
[] The Sea provides salt and it's rare inland. Nobody really wants to do it, too back-breaking, but there might be some use in harvesting salt to sell. Where to find workers though?
-[] Write In (Take outsiders as workers, Wrongdoers (Criminal workers), Other way??]
Food Security: 5/5 (Drain = 1 a turn, +4 a turn currently. 1 goes to FS, 3 go to Wealth)
Wealth: 5, +3 Per Turn
Spirituality: Ongoing tensions between woodsmen, crafters and the Clans of the White River. Nobody has died, yet.
Martial: Chief's Men (Small group of unprofessional fighters offensively) (Defensively, Everyone, civilians)
Ooooo now this is interesting. Our neighbors want to form a confederacy of sorts with the woodland clans and offer us a land along a freshwater river that can provide quite a bit for it... But those clans are known to be deceitful and secretive... Screw it, I'm making two plans. Cool update, already loving it!
[X] Plan: White River but help the Fingers
-[X] Yes
--[X] 3 Wealth
-[X] Chief Maboz schmoozes with the People, reassuring them and soothing conflicts. (Bonus to Yes if you do this.) 1 Wealth Required.
This plan focuses on taking White River via assisting the Fingers, and soothing internal conflicts that could pop up from trusting what our People see as deceitful Woodland clans
[X] Plan: White River but backstab the Fingers
[X] Seize White River while the Clanners are fighting.
-[X] 4 Wealth
[X] The Sea provides salt and it's rare inland. Nobody really wants to do it, too back-breaking, but there might be some use in harvesting salt to sell.
-[X] Use criminals to build this project, or prisoners of war with the promise that once their labor is complete, they are free.
This plan focuses on taking the White River while the clans squabble with each other and hopes that they fail to unite in time. This is inherently more risky so we should only take it if we feel bold enough that they will fail. It also focuses on increasing our wealth as it seems that we need to spend wealth in war, so if we do get in a prolonged conflict, we'll be able to fund said war. Salt is also going to be an incredibly valuable trade good so if we get it, we can get rich fast selling it to others.
Seems worth going for in some way. If the White River Clans are being troublesome for the others, then they could become troublesome for the People too.
Uh, I feel like I should have been more clear. I'll edit some stuff but Helping them is not peaceful. These five clans (Deer Bones, Cone Run, Oak Arrows, Bear Thunder, and Sky Scale) want to take over the rest of the Forest Clans, they want to form a Great Council with only them voting. They'll give you White River (a part of Clan territory with some particularly independent-minded clans) in turn as well as being friendly of course. You're going to help them by fighting with them. It's my fault for not being clear enough, I'll edit.
Seize White River is just going on the attack. Screw the Five aka Great Council aka Fingers, Screw the rest of the Clans. While they're fighting, the People get that juicy land.
Uh, I feel like I should have been more clear. I'll edit some stuff but Helping them is not peaceful. These five clans (Deer Bones, Cone Run, Oak Arrows, Bear Thunder, and Sky Scale) want to take over the rest of the Forest Clans. They'll give you White River (a part of their territory with some particularly independent-minded clans) in turn as well as being friendly of course. You're going to help them by fighting with them. It's my fault for not being clear enough, I'll edit.
Oh, well that changes things. See I thought they were trying to form a confederacy of clans diplomatically when they said the Matriarch wanted to form a Great Council... Okay that changes things but I think I'll just edit the name of my plans really quick.
Oh, well that changes things. See I thought they were trying to form a confederacy of clans diplomatically when they said the Matriarch wanted to form a Great Council...
No I'm aware, I just thought they were trying to do it diplomatically, and that the wealth we were committing were supposed to act as bribes. What I didn't realize was that the Fingers want to do it via war, so I adjusted accordingly.
[X] Plan: White River but help the Fingers
But I'm not sure why we aren't using 4 Wealth given that we are sending people into a fight we'd like to win decisively.
