Journeywoman's Journeys, A Fantasy Age of Exploration Worldbuilding Quest (Updated Daily)

Anne and Jalynn circle each other, each with one hand out, one hand tied loosely behind the back, eyes locked. In the dirt around them has been drawn a wide circle a half dozen arcs (1) in diameter.

The stick that was used to carve the boundary is currently being held by Bryn, and waved carelessly high in the air as she cheers for both combatants.

Anne takes a small step to her left, readjusting her posture, watching as Jalynn moves to counter her, the audience of caravan drivers and dragoons standing outside the circle hoot and holler advice as bets are made.

There is a moment of stillness, with even the audience falling silent, then Anne darts forward, leading with her shoulder directly towards Jalynn.

The smaller woman steps aside, clearly planning to trip her larger opponent, but Anne has moved to throw out her free arm.

The dirt below their feet crunches and Jalynn lets out a low whuff as Anne's arm catches her directly across the chest and she begins to stumble backwards.

But the Harakai young woman recovers, and instead of topping backwards out of the circle, her feet dig in, one foot outside then line and one inside.

"Go" Anne huffs, "DOWN!" she spits through gritted teeth, and puts all her strength into throwing her friend off balance and bends her knees, her feet readjusting and crunching in the dry soil.

The moment that Anne adjusts her feet, Jalynn kicks one leg out and topples Anne forward, rolling out of Anne's grasp as the larger girl falls to the ground.

Anne has a split second to react to the fall, and attempts to put sole free hand out to step her fall, and prevent disqualification, but she's just too slow and ploughs into the ground, kicking up dirt and debris.

One of the Dragoons exchanges a coin with one of the drivers, and Jalynn offers her free hand to help Anne up, but the feline woman has already hopped back onto her feet.

"Best five of seven?" she asks with a wicked grin, hopping back into a ready posture.

Jalynn looks up from where she's busy freeing her arm from behind her back.

"So that it'll become best of nine? Then best of eleven?"

"I almost had you the second time," Anne insists while fumbling to free her own arm with Jalynn's help, "A tentharc more and your body would have been outside the circle."

"Doesn't matter" says Jalynn, "not until more than a hand and foot is outside that line and on the dirt."

"I used to win all the time," fumes Anne.

"And that's why I got better." Jalynn crosses her arms, "I wasn't going to let you beat me at the game I taught you. The Captain would be furious if I let that happen."

"Who's 'The Captain'?" asks Bryn curiously as she approaches, spinning the stick she held in her hands.

"Oh. That's just what she calls her father," begins Anne, about to add more before Bryn suddenly looses control of the stick and if spins up into the air.

"That was a good stick" she sighs sadly as it arcs off to her left and bounces off a paddock fence with a resounding clatter.

"It's just a -it's just a stick" Jalynn says in exaggerated mental anguish, "You can just get a new one."

Anne's ears flick upwards at a new sound and she looks over at the sound of a distinctive clopping to see Tarn walking towards the small group, shaking his head, Bryn's stick in his hands, "Youth is wasted on the young." he sighs, "I made a mistake. You children are absolutely more trouble cooped up here than out in the city." he says returning Bryn's stick to her.

Anne's face lights up, "Does that mean-"

"That means that I'm going to give you something useful to do before you break your arm."

Anne shrugs, "That's not that bad" and waves at Bryn, "We've got an osteomancer."

"Bonewitch or not. I told your father I wouldn't let you fucking kill yourself." he crosses his arms, "So, you're…"

[ ] "...going to take Bryn and make a delivery and pickup for me in the warehouse district"

This adventure involves Bryn, and some mild combat.

[ ] "...going with Jalynn there to make some purchases from the harbour. I have a list here."

This adventure involves Jalynn, and a chase scene.

[ ] "...going to come with me while I run some errands. Consider it your tour of Gerra."

This adventure involves Tarn, and a brief mystery.

All three votes will lead us towards defining some proper names for things in the region over the course of this mini-adventure.

Today's vote is to trigger a little mini adventure on a fairly minor scale. A write in (24 words) consists of: who the adventure is with (one named NPC in the caravan), and the sort of thing they will encounter on this short adventure.

A/N said:

Long day, busy, tired, have to work tomorrow, sorry

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I'm absolutely too tired to write a properly coherent update without eating into time I could be using for sleep before work tomorrow. A proper update, with like, good characterization and even dialogue and shit is probably a bit beyond me to write in the next hour. So I'm not going to bother trying. Instead I'm going to clean up some hanging worldbuilding threads by getting some proper names nailed down in two votes tonight:

1. The World:

While this planet is called many different things by many different peoples, for Anne and her kin the world has it's own name and history that is distinct and unique. For this vote I'm looking for one that is in two parts: first the actual name, which is the proper name that Anne will use as well as its meaning, and then the details of the name. I am requesting that a vote be 70 words.

EXAMPLE:

[ ] [WORLD] Mhet "Hearth"

To most peoples of the world, the world is a place of earth and stone, or where soil and sand meet sea and ocean. For Harakai, the world is the place where earth and fire converged. To the Harakai the world is "Mhet", which is an archaic word for "Hearth", for to the Harakai's ancestors this world is one where fire met earth and kindled beautiful new life.

[ ] [WORLD] Oro "Soil"

When Anne's ancestors founded Khot-Sen-Lanua, other people's already inhabited the region and cultural exchange went both ways, including for language. For the Oristatl the planet had always been "Oro", which literally means "Soil" but truly means 'the stuff from which life emerges.' Over time the Harakai also adopted the word Oro for the planet while their traditional term of "Mhet" came to mean their people's ancient birthlands alone.

1. The Cities

The second vote is to establish what the proper name of the confederation of cities in which Khot-Sen-Lanua and Gerra are members is called. As we've recently established that the cities are a 'Riverine Federation' I would expect that to have some bearing on the results. For this vote I would like the official name of this federation, as well as a nickname/ informal shorthand, and then a paragraph of details.I am requesting write in votes be 130 words

EXAMPLES:

[ ] [CITIES] Qwassilth (Goldenwash) Federation, "The Golden Cities"

Of the many rivers that run across the region, none are greater than the Qwassilth. Named "Goldenwash" in a local trade tongue for the golden colour of the many cedar boats and canoes that have travelled up and down the river since ancient times, the Qwassilth is considered the greatest river in the world.

To many, all other rivers of this region are merely tributaries of Qwassilth, and all the cities merely part of a network formed atop the Qwassilth and her many branches. This has led the entire region to being named after the river, and the alliance of cities formed for mutual prosperity, and which rely on the Qwassilth to carry trade between them would naturally name themselves after her as well.

[ ] [CITIES] Tal Yann's League, "Yann's Children"

The greatest of all diplomats, and the king of merchants. Tal Yann is the honoured ancestor of many of the area's Kal Ymi bands. Centuries ago, during a time of constant internecine strife, Tal Sey Yann tired of the constant loss of life and set out to bind the cities to each other in peace.

A leading merchant, Tal Sey Yann had spent a long life gathering both wealth and friends in places high and low. He went from city to city, and using his silver tongue and the lure of mutual prosperity to bind together first allies, then indifferent bystanders, and finally bitter rivals into a web of trade obligations and mutual treaties that now bears his name and honour his memory and efforts.

Again, sorry about the interruption and brevity of this intermission. Sometimes? Life eh?