TreeQuest: Magitech (Riot Quest)

The Forest has grown like kudzu, according to one particularly foul-mouthed (but accurate) ancient oak. Using the strong sunlight, the planning put into picking good Tree locations, and maybe a bit of luck, the Forest's is now twice as large as it started from edge-to-edge (as the squirrel runs), or four times its initial area and tree-count (as the squirrel nests). With this growth comes improved capabilities: the Forest can Focus on twice as many items, and put twice the effort into each.

Some serious work into shoring up the creek banks went reasonably well. At this rate, you would expect to finish at the end of summer or early in the fall - which would likely be an effective stress-test, for whatever that is worth.

By bad luck, Research into Clever Trees almost failed to complete this turn. Yet, it was just barely finished. One Root Tree kept poking different fruits and nuts and rocks and twigs and anything else it could think of at the Magic(?) Sword. That tree, alas, failed to learn how magically-compatible different materials were (all of them mostly just seemed to sit there on the sword) - but it did learn an awful lot about how to mentally categorize items and systematically test things - and that knowledge provided the breakthrough that all the Mind Trees had been missing! (Research Clever Trees barely completed. The first Clever Tree only costs 15 successes (25% off), due to the Forest being able to reuse some research-prototype stuff. Build a Clever Tree to start properly studying the Magic(?) Sword - or just keep writing-in things and hope you get a really good roll.)

The long-term project to analyze the Basics of Magic was started this turn, with depressingly little success. Yet some success is more than none, and it was started!

Attempting to reach out to any thinking Minds in the vicinity made progress; neither Humans nor Elves seem to have been within a mile or so of the Forest during this turn.

The bond was finally finished with your local Squirrel population! Due to the plentiful nuts and safe shelters that you give said local Squirrels, the Squirrels are quite happy with you. Also, Arthur Scrat retains his unusually-strong connection with your Forest, and is growing up nicely. (Connect to Local Squirrels: Done. 1.5 progress rolled-over into Connect to Local Wildlife. For the next turn, the Squirrels will scout and give you a larger map (whenever I get around to creating it). After that, feel free to write in requests; a +25% Growth Bonus for burying nuts is definitely an option.)

Storing Resources was a bit slower than expected, but still made gains. A small Forest-fire should be survivable with little-to-no damage that stockpiled resources can't fix. Of course, the new Shields would be much appreciated under such a circumstance…

Some work to Grow a Wise Tree has made remarkable progress. This… might be a very good idea, given the upcoming winter?

Some research into Thorns made slight but non-negligible progress. One fifth done.

About halfway through the turn, a mild hailstorm thunders down. In the old days, you might have taken a tiny bit of damage - or perhaps just weathered the storm unharmed with a little luck - but as it stands the Shield Trees were happy to have something to do. (Cumulative damage absorbed by Shields: 1 of ???.)

Sadly, there is no precipitation at all after that hailstorm, and the ground grows dryer and dryer. You are fairly certain you're in for a rough drought next turn. Really, your Trees suspect that it's going to get about as dry as it ever gets.

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Actions:

Communication:
[ ][Action] Reach Out to Minds (Psychic)
-Successes sort-of stack. You're not sure how difficult this will be. Better results if more successful. Possibility of finding "there's nothing within X miles" - but even something like that will be good to know.
-6 success banked.

[ ][Action] Connect to Local Wildlife (Psychic)
-Wolves - scouts? Bears - heavy combat? Deer - trimming invasive plants? You know you've seen all these; you have only vague ideas on what to do with them.
-Feel free to write in a specific request. The Forest is reaching that point where it can target specific classes of animals.
-4.5 successes banked.

Research:
[ ][Action] Research Lens Trees
-5 of 30 successes; Lens Trees will give a permanent Growth Bonus

[ ][Action] Research Thorns
-2 of 10 successes; unlocks a Defense action to build up a stockpile of Thorns that will damage any invaders

[ ][Action] Basics of Magic
-2 of 50 successes; begin the systematic study of this, this Magic/Intent/whatever, that you're starting to use. A larger project, but expected to grant immediate benefits and unlock further possibilities.

Survival:
[ ][Action] Store Resources Against Future Need
-18 stored; this will function as a spare HP pool against anything that gets through your Defense, and may be useful for other things

[ ][Action] Shore up Creek Banks
-Several promising locations, down by the creek-bank, have dangerously unstable soil. Shore this up to allow more Trees to be safely grown.
-7 of 20 successes.
-Grants a +25% bonus AND halves any Drought penalties, when Growing any Special Trees, until we have 12 Special Trees total (9 Special Trees with ~10-20 cost, or about 135 progress, to go… so again moderately more efficient than 1-to-1 progress in direct Growth).

Defense:
[ ][Action] Raise the Shield
-Use magic to defend the Forest. Effectiveness is generally fairly high, but depends on the exact nature of the threat. (Not effective against a plague of locusts or similar - that's a Survival roll.) Like most defenses, this does little to nothing if you are not attacked.
-Gains 2 automatic successes from Shield Trees, if at least 1 Player-Tree votes for this action.

Growth:
Note: You have the effects of Strong Sunlight (Growth +50%). You are also under the effects of a Severe Drought (Growth -60%). Net effect: Growth -10%.

[ ][Action] Grow the Forest
-This has a +25% bonus from Analyze Creek and Tree Placement until we reach Magnitude 3.
-7.5 of 50 successes to Magnitude 3

[ ][Action] Grow <Treename>
-Replace <Treename> with the name of a Special Tree from the Front Page. Variable cost. You can have up to 10 Special Trees per Magnitude of the Forest.
-3 of 10 successes banked on Wise Tree.
-0 of 15 successes banked on Clever Tree.

Offense:
[ ][Action] Release Annoying Pollen
-Not a terribly powerful attack, but it could annoy invaders, at least. Like most attacks, this does little to nothing if you have no nearby enemies.

Focus

Choose any two actions from the above for the Forest to focus on. These are voted upon by the entire group, and are in addition to the individual actions taken by each member.

[ ][Focus] Action Name
[ ][Focus] Action Name x2

These Actions will receive a number of automatic successes equal to the Magnitude of the Forest (currently 2) and any bonuses from other sources.

Squirrel Actions

Choose what to ask Arthur Scrat to do.
[][Squirrel] Train himself
[][Squirrel] Explore your Forest
[][Squirrel] Try to figure out a favorite food
[][Squirrel] Write-in

Your Votes should look like the following:

[ ][Action] Action
[ ][Focus] Action
[ ][Focus] Action x2
[ ][Squirrel] Squirrel action

Newcomers should add one of the following:

[ ][Tree] Heart Tree
[ ][Tree] Mind Tree
[ ][Tree] Root Tree

This vote will always be open.